Laura (lauralkeet)'s Reading in 4/4 Time - Part 1

Video: Rock Island Opening Scene
Video: 76 Trombones

This year my thread will feature favorites from American Musical Theater. The Music Man is a personal favorite because it is the first show where I played violin in the pit orchestra. I was in 8th grade. I loved it, and returned to the pit throughout high school.




My 2013 reading can be found here:
Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5

Reading Bingo - Progress

My WikiThing contains my personal threads from a variety of LT groups and group reads, past & present. After 5 years here I felt like I needed an archive, even if it's only useful to me!

This year I have no goals whatsoever. I plan to participate in the Great War Theme Read in the Virago Modern Classics group, and I intend for the majority of my reads to come from those I already own. Other than that, I will read whatever strikes my fancy. So let's begin:


Books completed ("details" jumps to location in this thread where review & links can be found)
January
1. The Rector and The Doctor's Family - details
2. William, an Englishman - details
3. Life After Life - details
4. The Hired Man - details
5. Heartstone - details

February
6. High Rising - details
7. Milk and Honey - details
8. American Rust - details
9. The Last Chronicle of Barset - details

Laura I love Musicals!! I played the violin for 9 years and loved it. I found myself singing in the musicals more than playing in the orchestra. I am going to enjoy seeing all the musical stuff!!

Happy New Year!!

76 trombones in the big parade!

Welcome back!

Wonderful theme for your threads this year, Laura : ). I love the violin and envy you that talent. Also love the idea of reading whatever strikes my fancy! That's my plan for the year, too.

Happy New Year, Laura! I loved seeing the pictures of your Christmas trip on your 2013 thread.

Happy New Year Laura, when it reaches you (it's nearly an hour old here, and I'm off to get some sleep...).

I look forward to seeing what other musicals you feature in your threads. I don't know The Music Man at all, but love some of the other old ones.

Oh, I love American musical theater! Oliver!, My Fair Lady, Camelot, Book of Mormon, and yes, The Music Man..... oh boy. This thread is going to be fun.

Happy New Year of Reading, Laura!

Oh yes musicals...South Pacific, West Side Story, Hair....oops, I think I'm dating myself. Wonderful idea. My daughter was in the pit orchestra all through high school with her alto clarinet. Happy New Year Laura.

I LOVE musicals!!!!! Oh, I'm going to love this thread even more than I loved your thread last year (and I loved it last year!)!!

Starred and anxiously following along!

Dear Laura, I wish you a happy, smooth, productive, satisfying 2014 --- and .....



(I'm another great fan of musicals!)

Laura - Wishing you and your lovely family a wonderful and peaceful 2014. As you would have known anyway I'll be following you again this year.

Ellen - American musical theater Oliver! and My Fair Lady? Well I suppose you are going to Scotland this year but I don't think the USA has annexed the whole of the UK just yet! xx

Hi Laura!

Happy New Year to all!!! I'm glad to see so much excitement about musical theater. Music has always been a significant part of my life and musicals are just plain fun. I love hearing about everyone's favorites.

>3 drneutron:: Jim, I added a video clip of 76 Trombones to #1. That's definitely a highlight of the show. In my high school the cast marched out into the aisles, which I suppose is pretty common but was new to me at the time.

Happy New Year Laura! Starred your thread.

Sound like you've really struck a chord with your thread-topper theme (oh, whoa - so sorry about the absolutely unintended and cringy pun)! I, too, just love musicals, and Tomm and I have a healthy collection of them, which are go-to need-a-happy-movie selections.

Hi Laura - Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to following your 2014 reading adventures.

While I'm currently not the biggest consumer of musical theater, I have fond memories of playing in the pit in all my high school musicals and multiple community theater productions, where I was the rehearsal pianist as well. Pits were always my favorite performing scenario for some reason - such a great energy. And the cast parties were always fun!

Happy New Year, Laura. Musicals! Yes! Happy reading in 2014.

Always had a fondness for that song since I was a trombone player through my first year in college. Then physics kicked in and I had to give it up for guitar...

favorites from American Musical Theater
What fun!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Laura! Looking forward to following you around in books and good TV shows. I see DA starts Sunday and Call the Midwife is back on. Have you watched Orphan Black yet?

>20 msf59: I hope my DVR picked knew that. I haven't checked TV in weeks. Thank you for the reminder.

Laura, a 76-trombone salute to a new year of good reading for you! My plans for the year are minimal, too. I'll have to see what develops.

I hope you'll get to Oklahoma!, Laura...I played in the pit for that one!

Hello to all my New Years Day visitors! I'm delighted to find so many musical people here. I've often thought it would be really cool if we could form an all-LT symphony orchestra and chorus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Allow me to address a few questions/comments posed above:

>18 drneutron:: Jim, you gave up trombone for guitar because of physics? Why is that -- just no time to be in band, while you could play guitar on your own? The university I attended (Purdue) had no music major which is a shame in many ways but a very good thing for all us techie science nerds who wanted to play throughout college. I played violin from age 8 to 30 (when I had kids, and didn't have time ...)

>19 qebo:: Mark, nope I haven't watched Orphan Black, although my daughters have. I saw you mentioned it on my 2013 thread but I was on a tropical island getaway consuming mass quantities of rum punch and pina coladas so ... no Orphan Black. :)

>19 qebo:, 20: Mark & Colleen, my DVR picked up the Call the Midwife Christmas Special (yay!), we'll watch that soonish I'm sure. I'm looking forward to new episodes of CtM, Downton, and Sherlock all coming soon ... Sunday nights are TV nights at my house.

>23 laytonwoman3rd:: Linda, Oklahoma! is a huge favorite of mine as well, so yes yes yes it will top a thread soon. Remind me what instrument you play(ed)?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
On the subject of books, I finished my last 2013 book today (Mockingjay). I was planning to start the year with William an Englishman, a Persephone Classic which is the January selection for the Virago Group's Great War Theme Read. But I need to recover from Mockingjay's unrelenting bleakness so I'll read another Virago instead: The Rector and The Doctor's Family, two short novellas that kick off Margaret Oliphant's Chronicles of Carlingford series.

T'other side of the pit from you---viola.

>25 laytonwoman3rd:: well now, I don't think I knew that. Hurrah for strings!

No time for band rehearsals and physics lab, but I could pull out the guitar when I had a free moment.

Happy New Year to you, Laura! I'm looking forward to following your reading and musical adventures in 2014.

Hello there! I am also a HUGE musical fan! The Music Man is one of my very favorite shows. I played Marian several years ago and I also have directed a high school production of the show. The book of The Music Man is very strong, along with that gorgeous score.

Sandy K

I was in the percussion section of the pit in high school. And I'm all in for an LT orchestra! How fun!

Sign me up for the LT chorus... I'm an alto. ;)

Finally found and duly starred! HAPPY NEW YEAR, Laura!

Happy new year Laura! And you can put me in the violins in the orchestra.. Hadn't played for years till we started doing Suzuki with the kids but now am keen to learn properly again.

>27 drneutron:: that makes sense, Jim. Too bad though!
>28 rosalita:: Hi Julia! same to you!
>29 sandykaypax:: Marian ... Madam Librarian! (cue the music ...) What can I do, my dear, to catch your ear? (How lucky you are to have played that role!)
>30 scaifea:: You're in luck, Amber -- The Music Man is great for percussion, brass, and winds. Most of the string parts involved playing eighth notes on off beats although we were unleashed whenever things got smarmy ("Til there was you...")
>31 TinaV95:: Tina, altos rule! I'll be right there with you.
>32 Deern:: Hi Nathalie! Glad to see you around here.
>33 cushlareads:: Hurrah, the violin section is growing! It's great you're taking it up again Cushla. I would likely have done the same if my kids had gone for strings but they took piano & voice instead. Fine with me, I'm just glad they enjoy music.

Happy New Year, Laura! I like your theme as well. Do you still play the violin? (Apologies if this question has already been asked and answered.)

>35 kidzdoc:: s'ok Darryl ... I haven't played in over 20 years (the last time was Easter before my first daughter was born). I still have my violin though, it's a really nice instrument made around 1750. I can't bring myself to part with it.

All these school orchestra players! I don't remember us having such a thing at our school, though we did cobble together the occasional band for various productions. School productions included "The Boyfriend" which was great fun, and Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat - but not many musicals besides that do I recall at school. But long car journeys were usually accompanied by listening to the soundtrack of such as Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, South Pacific and many others...

I sang alto too...at some point in high school I had to choose between chorus and orchestra, and I've always sort of regretted that I chose orchestra, to tell the truth. I got a lot more pleasure out of singing (wasn't any better at it, you understand!), but the orchestra NEEDED people. Chorus was all-around a more popular activity.

Passing through to say Happy New Year!

>37 gennyt:: Genny, it's too bad your school didn't have much of an instrumental music program. They are often threatened by funding cuts -- at least here in the US -- but I don't recall that being an issue at my school, not sure why.

>38 laytonwoman3rd:: Linda, I was lucky to have two music outlets: the school orchestra, and a church youth choir. After college, I sang in a church choir for many years even after setting aside my violin. These days, as an alto, when I attend church I like to sing/sightread the harmony parts in the hymnal.

>39 sibylline:: Happy New Year to you too, Lucy!

Add me to the string section. I played violin from age 8 until shoulder problems made it too difficult about 20 years ago. I too have kept my beautiful old Italian fiddle, and after I retire, my fantasy is to be able to start over with ergonomic advice.

Add me to the audience!

Musicals! And that's half the reason I love Bollywood films. Always singing and dancing, all the time! :D

Yes, Laura, I sang with a church choir all through high school too. It was a very small group, and sometimes we had to switch parts among members to cover all the ranges.

FIRST BOOK OF 2014!

1. The Rector and The Doctor's Family ()
My Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: Last year I realized these books were part of a series, but I didn't have the first volume. So I ran out and bought this one so I could start at the beginning.

The Rector and The Doctor's Family represent the first two parts of Victorian author Margaret Oliphant's Chronicles of Carlingford. At 35 pages, The Rector, is more like a short story, relating the experience of a clergyman who assumes his first parish role after several years in academia. Needless to say, pastoral care is very different from studying arcane elements of theology. In The Doctor's Family, Dr. Edward Rider's loathsome and slovenly brother Fred turns up unannounced after a long absence in Australia. His wife, children and sister-in-law eventually catch up with Fred and they move into lodgings in Carlingford. Dr. Rider is smitten by the sister-in-law, Nettie, but her sense of obligation to Fred's family stands in the way of their relationship.

These Victorian novels are similar to Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire in their portrayal of provincial life during the period. They are feel-good novels, but less satirical than Trollope, so while they were enjoyable they didn't pack the same punch. I'll still read further books in this series, since they serve as an antidote to heavier stuff.

Laura - A feel-good novel to start the year off is a good idea if you ask me.
Have a lovely weekend.

Congrats on your first book of the year! I think I have a couple of Oliphants about. Must go look.

Back - I have The Perpetual Curate which is part of the series too - picked it up last year.

Hi Paul, thanks for dropping by!

Lucy, I have no idea if they need to be read in sequence. My guess is probably not. I just allowed my inner completist to take over. I am sure you know the feeling!

I also started thinking about other series I have on the go, several of which are just one book away from completion. I've been holding back, but now I'm adding new series to my TBR. So I'm imposing a rule: I won't start a new series until I've finished one of the other ones. Let's see how I do. Ha.

One of my unofficial goals (NOT a "plan") is to get more caught up on some of the series I have going. There are several where I am woefully behind and just keep piling the new ones on top as they are released.... Subset 2-1.iii.a (;-)) of this unofficial goal is to not start any NEW series this year, even if I have the first one on my TBR shelves. I think this will be the harder part...

48: So I'm imposing a rule:
Good luck with that.

Laura, Can I tempt you into finishing the Mapp & Lucia series. The last book was one of my last books of the year. I loved that series.... I have a couple of others to temp you into starting. :)

>49 katiekrug:: yeah Katie, I'm trying to avoid that piling on trap. Until recently I would have proclaimed loudly from the housetops that I don't read series. Mostly because the ones I had tried were formulaic crap. But thanks to my LT pals I've found some really good ones.

>50 qebo:: Hmph. I see that twinkle in your eye, Katherine.

>51 NanaCC:: Mapp & Lucia is high on my list, Colleen. I only own 4 of the 6, and really want the full set in those pretty Moyer Bell editions, so unless they turn up on Paperbackswap I will have to break down and buy them when I'm ready. I do love those books! Also, no thanks to YOU - ahem just before Christmas I got hold of all 4 Hilary Tamar books AND the first Ian Rankin, Knots and Crosses. So you can see you've already worked your wiles on me and you'd best retreat into your corner for a while. :)

These are the ones that are one book away from completion: Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire (this tome is planned for next month) Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare & Russ mysteries, and CJ Sansom's Shardlake.

By the way, if you're looking for a handy way to track your series reading, try fictfact.com. @PaulCranswick introduced several LTers to it a while back. I know LT also "knows" when a book is part of a series, but I like this as a way to see all my series in one place. It's especially handy if you read series where books are still being published, because it alerts you when new ones are available.

Just peeking from the corner to say Shardlake - ahem... :)

* snort *! Touché, Colleen.

Hmmm...I didn't realize that the Oliphant novels were a series. The only one I have is Mrs. Marjoribanks, which comes in at No. 4. What to do, what to do??

I very much appreciate your goal to read whatever strikes your fancy. I don't do well with specific readings. Lately, I've simply grabbed something of one of the shelves.

I'm marking a place and will return often to see what you are reading and your opinions on them. Your reviews are always great.

#45 - I have Mrs. Oliphant's Salem Chapel, which I did not realize was the second or third book in the series you just started. It was obviously a frantic green VMC purchase at a used book store and I didn't realize.

hmmmI have a Mrs. Oliphant or two...must check to see if they are part of this series.

>56 Whisper1:: Hi Linda! Thanks for your kind comments & the pretty star.

>55 laytonwoman3rd:, 57, 58, frantic green VMC purchase
Yeah, I acquired Ms Oliphant's works the same way. And I really hadn't paid much attention to them. I' m not even sure how I became aware they were a series, although it was likely from some discussion over in the Virago group. And then I read the blurb on one of my novels, and it compared her to Trollope, whose books I've really enjoyed. I was intrigued to learn more about the work of a woman writing in the same time period.

Just stopping by to say Good Morning, and to ask about that Kenyon student of yours: I can't remember - is she abroad for the entire year or will she be back in Ohio this semester?

Hi Amber! Kate's in the Kenyon-Exeter program, which is a full-year program. She came home for Christmas a few weeks ago, and returns to the UK this Friday for the spring term which lasts until end of May. But she'll be back on campus in mid/late June. She has a summer job with the Kenyon Review Young Writers Program, the very same program that inspired her to apply to the institution 4 years ago. Huzzah!

Oh that's great news, Laura, but does it mean she will stay there for the summer?

What are we singing first????? Oh, I really do miss singing!

Now I'm going to have to go check fictfact?? Oh, ok. If you say so! ;)

Tui, the Young Writers job will fill about half of her summer. The rest is still in the planning stages. I think it's increasingly likely that internships or jobs will be in places other than where we live. So, we will see.

Tina, I'm ready for a song! Do you have a favorite choral work?

Oh, right - I forgot that the Exeter program is always a year-long one. Congrats to her on the Kenyon Review gig!

Amber, I think it was through KR YW that you and I officially "met" here on LT. I'd seen you on the threads and crept around your profile enough to suspect you worked at Kenyon, and I recall exchanging PMs with you the summer Kate attended the program.

She's excited about the gig. I can't believe she will be a senior next year.

And I'm so glad that you did the creeping - yours is one of the first threads I look for to have new posts to read.
I can't believe she'll be a senior, either, because it means I've been away from Kenyon that long! Ha!

No clear favorite, Laura.... because I love so many musicals that it's hard to pick. YOU choose!

2. William, an Englishman ()
My Review
Source: My Persephone collection
Why I read this now: It's the January/February main selection for the Virago Group's Great War Theme Read.

This novel describes the earliest days of World War I, as seen through the eyes of a young Englishman. William and his new wife Griselda leave on their honeymoon just before the conflict breaks out. They have let a cottage in the Belgian countryside, and asked not to receive mail or newspapers. They also have no command of the language. They pass their days relaxing, taking walks, having picnics, and enjoying the countryside. Their landlady attempts to describe events unfolding in the wider world; they understand she is distressed but assume it is a domestic matter. In due course William and Griselda encounter German soldiers, and one has sufficient command of English to enlighten them. William and Griselda are taken away from their idyllic holiday spot, and exposed to unimaginable horrors. The story held my interest up to this point because of the setting and premise. The novel continued in a fashion familiar to those who have read other works about the Great War, and lacked the emotional impact of other works set in this period.

It's a shame that one wasn't a more enjoyable read, Laura. It sounds as though it had a promising start but couldn't quite deliver in the end.

I think I liked William a little more than you did, Laura. I felt the pacing change was needed to show the desperation and loss of innocence, when William's anger took over his ideals, and patriotism took hold in the form of revenge. It went from the peaceful idyllic honeymoon to the frantic hell that was the war. Maybe I got that wrong?

Hmmm, I'm about 60% of the way through William and I have to say I'm pretty much enjoying it. I didn't read your review Laura but I see the 3 stars and wonder if it's all going to fall apart. Hmmm.

Have a wonderful weekend, Laura!

Hold on! It's not that I didn't like William, An Englishman. 3 stars is a respectable read! It just didn't "pop" or "stand out" enough to get 3.5 stars or better.

Colleen, I like your take on the pacing change, I think you have it right.

I had a hard time writing the review because I didn't want to say anything about what happens after their "idyllic" honeymoon. So click here only if you've read the book, or have no intention of reading it: I was devastated by what happened to Griselda, and I really liked William standing up to guys at the rally he attended, telling them they didn't know what they were talking about. And yet I just knew William would eventually end up at the front and suffer the fate of almost every literary character who ends up at the front. So I felt like I was plodding on towards the inevitable and somewhat predictable ending.

And now for something completely different, I'm back in modern times reading "the other Life After Life," the one by Jill McCorkle, which I snagged through Early Reviewers. It's interesting enough but not amazing (which I think many of you will agree with).

Just stopping by - and really, I have nothing brilliant to say, except congrats to your daughter!

Hi Lucy! Thanks for the kind words. She just returned to England last night for her second semester, so we are back to one child at home again.

And another hello to Diana, who was so kind in her weekend wishes and I blitzed right past her message.

On the reading front, I admit I am struggling with my ambivalence towards McCorkle's Life After Life. I'm on page 113 of 342, and it's just okay. I'm not drawn to it, I'll read a little bit and set it aside to do something else. It's not horrible, it's just not holding my interest. When this happens, I usually turn to the LT reviews, and unfortunately that didn't help.

So here's my question: this is an LT ER book. I feel obligated to finish it. Should I?

Second review I have seen of William, An Englishman and Paul, a sort of englishman, is intrigued.

Must decline all the credit for fictfact. It was actually introduced by Caro and I just helped her send it viral so to speak!

Have a lovely weekend Laura.

76: I feel obligated to finish it. Should I?
I'd think morally acceptable to write a review explaining why you didn't finish. Maybe if you decide not to finish, skim/skip through the rest. The existing reviews are all short; your usual thoughtful assessment, even if you don't finish, will not compare poorly.

>78 qebo:: thanks Katherine. I appreciate your thoughtful point of view about bailing on an ER book. I dipped into it this afternoon and kind of got into the story; now I'm past page 200 so I will forge ahead.

Oh, that reminds me; I have to review two ER books from last year.

I agree with Katherine, BTW.

I have 5 ER books to review... Including the McCorkle...

>80 kidzdoc:, 81: Thanks for the support! I now have about 100 pages to go -- while I'm not exactly skimming, I'm not at my usual level of concentration either.

Katie, I don't fee so bad now! Actually this is the first ER book I've requested in a long time. I probably won't be rushing to get another ...

#76: If I have made a good effort to read an ER book but just cannot stomach it any longer, I will say so in my review. There was one book in particular that I made through 80 pages and just could not read any more of the drivel.

Morning Laura! I had the same feelings about life After Life. I am glad I finished it but it was uneven. There is some very good writing going on but I am not sure how much I should encourage you to continue. McCorkle was terrific to listen to in person. Lovely Southern accent and very smart & engaging.

What did you think of DA, last week? There was very little LT discussion. Are we burned out on DA?

Have you all seen this bingo game? I can't resist. I'll update this here and on the official thread, and include this in the opening message on my next thread..

Laura's Reading Bingo

More than 500 pages: The Last Chronicle of Barset, by Anthony Trollope
Forgotten Classic: William: An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton
Book that became a movie:
Published this year:
Number in the title:
Written by someone under 30:
Book with non-human characters:
Funny Book:
Female Author: Life After Life by Jill McCorkle
Book with a mystery:
One-Word Title: Heartstone
Book of short stories:
Set on a different continent: The Hired Man, by Aminatta Forna
Non-Fiction:
First book by a favourite author:
Heard about online:
Best-selling book:
Based on a true story:
Book at the bottom of TBR pile: American Rust, by Philipp Meyer
Book my friend loves:
Book that scares me:
More than 10 years old: Milk and Honey by Elizabeth Jolley
Second book in a series:
Blue cover: High Rising, by Angela Thirkell

3. Life After Life ()
My Review
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers
Why I read this now: I received this a few months ago, and wanted to read & review for LT ER.

Joanna is a hospice volunteer, working with the dying and their families to ease them through the final days. She works closely with the residents of Pine Haven, a retirement community, and other families in town. She records her thoughts about each person's life in a journal. Through Joanna, Jill McCorkle introduces character after character, from seniors nearing the end of their lives to retirement home employees to a twelve-year-old girl and her dog. And every single one had a convoluted personal story. The novel rapidly became a dog's breakfast of detail and stereotype. Some of the stories had promise, but were left hanging. Then, out of nowhere, a secondary character took center stage for the climax, resulting in events that were implausible due to poor character development. It was a disappointing ending to a disappointing book.

86: Yay! And now you can move on.

Yes I'm so glad!!

>86 lauralkeet: Short, sweet and to the point. You've certainly done your job Laura. I think Peggy said the author is from her hometown. The novel rapidly became a dog's breakfast of detail and stereotype I love that!

Good for you for finishing. I think I liked Life After Life much better than you did, but I remember being very disappointed with the ending as well.

Here's hoping your next book is a wonderful one! And thanks - I will steer clear.

Sorry I didn't get here fast enough to offer my two cents - but I think Q summed up nicely what my strategy would have been.

I don't even look at the ER's anymore, I have to admit. Maybe if I can get my shelves a bit less full I might, but not for the time being. Books sneak into the house too easily as it is.

Hi Bonnie, Tina, Cushla & Lucy ...

Bonnie I'm glad you liked my pithy phrasing LOL!

Tina, I remember you liking this one and I read your review yesterday. You were pretty cheesed off about the ending. As am I!

Cushla, I've just started The Hired Man which has received much acclaim here on LT. So I'm hopeful.

Funny thing Lucy, I hadn't looked at the ERs in forever either, and I'm not even sure what prompted it the day I requested the McCorkle. But I agree with you, I have more than enough to read so I really don't need to be requesting more.

The Hired Man is resting right here nearby, eager to be one of my next reads, Laura. It was one of my Thingaversary presents to myself, as I heard all the same good things about it that you did.

I hadn't looked at ER books in months, because the one I had was dragging on (an excellent book, but more for reference than reading), but I finished the review in December and checked the ER list for January... and requested three books. The algorithm may not consider me a good bet so we'll see.

Well there's one to scratch off of the "hmmm...wonder about that one" list. I don't request ERs any more either because the ones available in Canada are utter dreck.

Oh, it's American Musical Theater! Oh well, I like that, too. ;-)

Laura, I'm almost done with The Hired Man and I'm loving it. I hope to finish it as soon as I set aside the laptop and start my evening's reading.

>94 laytonwoman3rd:, 97: Linda & Ellen, I'm really liking The Hired Man. Just under 100 pages to go.

>95 qebo:. 96: I'll be interested to see if you land any gems from the ER list, Katherine. I'm kinda with Tui -- after this brief return / flirtation with the ER list, I'll probably hang back. I have too many books on the shelves already, anyway.

>97 EBT1002:: Ellen, I assume you're referring to Paul's advocacy for Oliver and My Fair Lady upthread (#11)? I almost quibbled with him at the time: while both are based on British literature, and Oliver! is a British musical, MFL was originally done by Lerner and Loewe.

OTOH, I did not intend to say we'll only talk about "Amurcan" things here. I used the term "American Musical Theater" a bit carelessly, thinking of it as a primarily American genre. And yet look at what Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh have done for musical theater! Tsk tsk shame on me.

"I have too many books on the shelves already, anyway."

And, I'm glad that you do have too many books on the shelves, or else, you wouldn't be here.

I'm still participating fairly regularly in the ER program, but I pretty much only request new offerings from authors I already know I like, or non-fiction that seems appealing. Once in a while something lets me down, but a "bad" review can be fun to write!

ER... I joined it a while ago, but the books available for my country are usually just e-book-published "Twilight" wannabes. It's frustrating looking at the list, seeing the interesting books and then realizing you can't get them.

4. The Hired Man ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves, sent to me by an LT member
Why I read this now: Lots of good LT buzz

When an English family arrives in the Croatian village of Gost and moves into the blue house next door, Duro offers to help with minor repairs and maintenance. Laura and her children Matt and Grace plan to stay in Gost during the summer holidays; Laura's husband Conor is largely absent due to professional responsibilities. Duro approaches his work with special care, and subtly nudges the family to discover the house's unique qualities. He also helps Grace uncover and restore a mosaic wall and fountain.

It's clear Duro is very familiar with the blue house, and it holds a special place in his heart. Slowly, we learn more about Duro's past, especially his relationship with Anka, the brother of his school friend Kresimir. At one point Anka lived in the blue house, but she is no longer in Gost and Duro now considers Kresimir his enemy. The book alternates the present-day story of Laura's family with a narrative of Duro's past, and slowly the two come together. Aminatta Forna slowly spins out the plot, leaving tiny details like a trail of breadcrumbs, keeping the tension high and the reader wondering: what happened to Duro and Anka, and where is she now? Who is that lurking outside the blue house, and why? By the end I was heavily invested in the lives of these characters, and found the climax intense and moving. This is a book that will remain in my thoughts for some time.

#102 - Great review, Laura! So glad to see so many people reading it this month. I'm looking forward to reading The Memory of Love.

>102 lauralkeet: - This is the second rave review I've read of The Hired Man today. I guess LT is telling me that it should be my next book!

I am really hooping that The Hired Man arrives in the bookstores in paperback form here shortly. Too many tantalising reviews, Laura, just like yours.

Have a lovely weekend.

Laura, thumb-up for your review of The Hired Man. It sounds excellent, and I just happend to have picked it up at the library today : ). I had it on request, and it took some time to come in; looking forward to it.

Laura, you have pushed The Hired Man closer to the top of my TBR. Great review.

Wonderful review!

Terrific review of The Hired Man Laura and just maybe I can get to it next month. Maybe. Off to add my thumb and to check my library.

Hello Kerri, Cait, Paul, Nancy, Colleen, Katie & Bonnie. I was lucky to receive this book from Deborah (@Cariola) after she raved about it, and I'm so glad I didn't let it languish on my TBR pile. The Memory of Love was a 5-star read for me so clearly Forna is an author I will follow closely.

>102 lauralkeet:: Wishlisted! Excellent review, Laura!

Morning Laura- Another fine review of the Hired Man. I HAVE to get to that one and I have The Memory of Love sitting on shelf too. Bad Mark!

Can't say I am looking forward to DA tonight. That is sad. Hope you have a great Sunday!

Friends I was visiting over the weekend had me watch Downton Abbey and Sherlock, filled me in briefly on the backstories, and now, sigh, perhaps I'm interested enough to look for old episodes...

Sherlock is great fun and also quick to catch up on: each of the three series is only three episodes long.

I love Sherlock!

The new (old, but new to me) one that has me enthralled is Doc Martin. I am enjoying it so much! It's hard not to just sit and watch all the episodes, but I am parsing them out. You will like that one a LOT, Q. Guaranteed.

I'm not a D.A. fan but I love Sherlock.

Just caught up on DA. It is making me sad.

We enjoyed the first episode of Sherlock and are hanging with Downton Abbey even as it gets more soap opera-ish. And I agree with Colleen -- last night Episode 2 was on (re-run) and I made my husband change the channel. I just couldn't watch it again.

Hi Laura,
We both gave The Hired Man 4.5 stars. It was a lovely read and I just acquired a copy of The Memory of Love to explore this author more.

We are also great fans of "Sherlock" (I think Martin Freeman is brilliant) and are hanging in there with DA.
There is a wonderful image floating around of the great house in Downton Abbey with the "12" flag flying above it.

>118 EBT1002:: There is a wonderful image floating around of the great house in Downton Abbey with the "12" flag flying above it.
I had to do some Googling to understand that one, Ellen. For those who share my ignorance, it's a football thing. The 12 refers to the "twelfth man" aka the fans, and specifically fans of the Seattle Seahawks who won their playoff game just prior to last Sunday's Downton episode.

I'm sure Ellen can correct any inaccuracies. :)

Finally stopping by to say happy 2014, Laura!

#1 I love your choice of musical theatre thread openings. I love musicals (as us Brits call them) and am quite sad that they seem to have fallen out of fashion in the film industry.

"This year I have no goals whatsoever." Woo hoo!

#45 I have Mrs Oliphant's Carlingford Chronicles lined up for when we've finished the Barsetshire Chronicles. Or rather, like you, I have one of the later books but not the first so will need to buy The Rector and the Doctor's Family at some point.

#48 "So I'm imposing a rule: I won't start a new series until I've finished one of the other ones" I tried that for a while.... didn't work out so well. Good luck! :-)

#86 I got quite worried after seeing your low rating for Life after Life, until I realised it wasn't Kate Atkinson's novel!

#102 And really pleased your next read made up for that disappointment! I have a mental block when it comes to reading one of Aminatta Forna's books. So many people on here love her novels but I can't get myself excited about them at the moment.

#117 I have given up on DA now - too soap-opera-ish for me which is a shame because I loved first series.

The Hired Man is already on my wish list so I guess I've been spared a book bullet.

>120 souloftherose:: Hello Heather! Thanks for popping in and leaving such a thorough post. We call them "musicals," too ... I wasn't sure about usage elsewhere so I used the more "official" term. As for my series reading, I should wrap up three series in the next month or two (Shardlake, Barsetshire, and the Clare/Russ mysteries) so even though I'm itching to start some new ones I think I can hold off that long. And no worries about Atkinson's Life After Life -- that was a 5-star read for me, and one of my Top Reads of 2013!

>121 thornton37814:: Hi Lori ... I'll have to try harder next time. But I hope you enjoy The Hired Man!

The Barsetshire and Clare/Russ series are on my wishlist, but I don't think I can blame you for putting them there. :) I haven't started them yet, but they keep moving up toward the top of the list. For that, I think I can blame you. :)

I'm imposing a rule: I won't start a new series until I've finished one of the other ones

AHHHHH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I tried that at one point, too...

Have you seen my series list lately?? :)

Liz, you made me laugh because you were laughing so hard.

And me, Liz, LOL. Yes, I also have a series list on the go … it's frightful looking.

I'm with Liz on this one. If you can actually do it, Laura, I salute you!

Well I certainly understand everyone's skepticism. I remember a time when I thought my TBR was manageable and thanks to LT that's now totally out of control. So why should series be any different? We'll see ... I will try to remain strong!

Ah, I knew I would like The Hired Man and your review cinches the deal! I just finished The Glass Room so I might as well read about The Blue House! I'm not sure when I'll be able to get to it, though. I guess my first stop will be the library website to see how many are ahead of me on the waiting list.

Laura, I wish you all the best in staying strong about those series. That reminds me, I must get back to Russ and Clare! I am ready for numbers 7 and 8.

Laura, read a comment of yours on someone's thread recently about how you'd enjoyed Moon Tiger and decided to run with it. I've just finished it; fabulous read! Thanks for that : ).

>129 Donna828:: Donna, you'll love The Hired Man. I hope you get to it soon.
>130 lit_chick:: Glad to hear it, Nancy! I'm always a little nervous when someone reads a book I recommended. But Moon Tiger is so good!

Laura - I also enjoyed Moon Tiger a few years ago. Not perhaps as much as Nancy and you but it was good.

Have a wonderful week.

>128 lauralkeet:: I've recently started a new, separate wishlist just for series that I'd like to try. I'm hoping that will help me *not* start new ones willy-nilly by giving me a place to keep track of ones that sound interesting. We'll see how it goes.

Some series I feel fine about reading right through, others I feel compelled.... yet some, even though I like them and enjoy them, require breaks..... the most irritating, of course, is embarking on a series you love and then finding you have to wait, or worse, it never got finished......I'm more and more reluctant to take on a series that isn't finished or nearly finished.....

Hello Paul, Amber & Lucy ... Nice to see you here. I always enjoy learning about the ways we all manage our obsessions.

Speaking of obsessions (and with apologies to anyone who saw this elsewhere on LT or Facebook): my daughter Kate discovered the Persephone Bookshop in London last weekend, and blogged about it.

I have a feeling she'll be paying more attention to my bookshelves from now on.

Your daughter's blog post is delightful, Laura, and now I might be obsessed with Persephone Books. What a wonderful shop around which to browse!

5. Heartstone ()
My Review
Source: On my Kindle
Why I read this now: I'm trying to wrap up some of the series I've been reading.

C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series follows a common formula: a dead body, followed by more dead bodies, and a persistent investigator who gets himself into a pickle before solving the crime. Sansom's novels, set in Tudor England, include a large dose of history that usually masks the formula. Heartstone is set in 1545, when the French are threatening invasion, and troops are amassing at Portsmouth to fight them off. Shardlake is asked by the Queen (Henry VIII's last wife, Catherine Parr) to investigate events leading up to a young man's suicide. Shardlake decides he will also investigate another matter of personal interest, that occurred 19 years earlier.

So: we have one dead body (the young man), and a bit of intrigue concerning the older case. And then we get lots and lots of period detail. Now, I'm not a bloodthirsty soul but the second dead body didn't show up until page 360, about the time I wondered where all this was going. And while the story picked up its pace at that point, there was too much that felt contrived. Shardlake's personal investigation was based on supposition more than evidence, and he just happened to be correct. He did, indeed, get himself into a pickle but his rescue and escape were a little too convenient. And the mystery behind the suicide turned out to be an oft-used and not very believable plot device.

I've developed quite a fondness for Shardlake and his assistant, Jack Barak. I've heard Sansom is planning more books in this series, and I would definitely read them. I just hope for a tighter, more exciting story the next time.

I think I liked the last book a bit better than you did, Laura. It may be because I get caught up in Steven Crossley's excellent narration. You are right though, the stories are becoming very formulaic.

Oh, that is a series I want to get back to. I have the second one (Dark Fire) just waiting for me.....

#139 I'd just decided that it was time I moved on to the next one, too. I have them all waiting on my kindle so I'll be starting Dark Fire over the weekend.

>138 NanaCC:: Colleen, I can imagine how the audiobook experience would be different, especially if the narrator is really good and brings expression and drama to the text.

>139 EBT1002:, 140: Ellen & Kerry, I hope you enjoy Dark Fire. I really like this series a lot, this is the only one that's disappointed me and even then the elements I like about it are present. It just was too long and rambly and lacked the suspense of the earlier books.

I enjoyed all the Shardlake books, but I felt all of them coukd have done with a bit of pruning. I didn't think the latest was worse than the others in that respect though. Plus I appreciated the Portsmouth bits and the inclusion of a certain ship, even though that made some plot developments predictable.

Hi Laura- Just checking in. Hope the week is going well. The wife said a package came for me, a few days ago, from PA. Yah!

>143 msf59:: Genny, funny thing, I didn't recognize the ship -- my knowledge of Tudor history is at a surface level ("divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived"), and has only been expanded due to Hilary Mantel and C.J. Sansom. So at least I was blissfully ignorant of events in 1545. What annoyed me was the "boy is really a girl" plot twist, which has been done to death and was rather a cop-out.

>144 lauralkeet:: Yay Mark, I'm glad it arrived, and rather quickly too! Have a great weekend in Portland.

Laura I used to play the violin. I haven't played since I was a teenager. I loved it and wanted my violin from when I was a child but my parents had rented it and returned it when I had to stop playing. I don't even remember why I stopped. I also took piano lessons, clarinet lessons and singing lessons. I don't like music at all... I would love to buy myself a violin of my own at some point.

Just popping in to say hello, after being absent from LT most of the week. Enjoy the rest of your weekend (I'm thinking it probably won't involve football ;-) )!

Hi Laura. I need to get back to Matthew Shardlake. I have Sovereign sitting on my shelf so no excuse, really, unless it's the Too. Many. Books, excuse.

I really enjoyed your daughter's blog. A bit of a chip off the old block I think.

What a great review of The Hired Man. I'm number ten thumbs up!

>145 crazy4reading:: Monica, I didn't realize you played so many instruments. I would have loved to learn piano but we didn't have one growing up so that never happened. I hope you find a violin someday. :)

>146 katiekrug:: Hi Katie! I'll tune in to the Puppy Bowl today, does that count?!

>147 brenzi:: Bonnie, I'm glad you enjoyed Kate's blog. I think she's having fun writing it although since it's focused on her study abroad, I doubt she'll keep it up after the school year. She has a couple other writing gigs at Kenyon that will take its place.

>148 Whisper1:: Thank you Linda!

I finished Angela Thirkell's High Rising yesterday -- a fun read. Review coming soon.

Laura, belatedly catching up with your review of A Hired Man. Have added it to my wish list: I thought it was there already as I've heard some good things about it in the last few months, but it wasn't.

Linda & Rhian: I also highly recommend Forna's earlier novel, The Memory of Love. That was a 5-star read for me a couple years ago.

6. High Rising ()
My Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: I'm about to read the last of Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire, and thought this would be an interesting parallel read.

I became acquainted with Angela Thirkell and her Barsetshire series a year ago, when I received one of her books in a Secret Santa exchange. Set in a 20th century version of Trollope's Barsetshire, these novels are generally a light comedy of manners with country houses, romance, and mishaps. The first two were published in 2012 as Virago Modern Classics, and I was fortunate to receive both in a 2013 Secret Santa. High Rising introduces Laura Morland, a prolific novelist, and mother of four sons, with only one, Tony, still at home. Tony is an insufferable little boy obsessed with trains and his model railway. Laura, a widow, relies on her writing for income, but is also keenly aware that her work is not "great literature." Laura is friends with George Knox, an older and more pompous author of historical novels, and with her publisher, Adrian Coates.

Laura is portrayed as a bit of a scatterbrain, but is actually quite strong and effectively resists pressure to take another husband.

"Do you think I want a husband, and if I did do you think I'd want you? I'm old enough to be your mother, or at least I would be in India. And as for being a father to my boys, do you think three independent young men who are earning their own livings need a father? Bah! As for Tony he doesn't require one. We get on very well, thank you. Bear my burdens, indeed. You great mass of incompetence and conceit, you revolt me. You really do. Here, drink that coffee."

Isn't it marvelous how Laura makes her point but never loses her social graces, still offering coffee at the end of her tirade? The "action" in this novel concerns Adrian's evolving romance with George's daughter Sibyl, and the increasing role of George's secretary, Una Grey, in family affairs. The plot evolves during parties, over tea, and on excursions to London. You know this is one of those novels where all will end well, it's just a matter of how the ends are tied together. It's good fun and with 29 books in the series, I'm sure I'll be reading more.

Laura, I am looking forward to reading High Rising, but 29 books in the series.... I'd better get started. :)

Oh what a great adventure you have ahead of you, Thirkell all fresh and unread!

>153 NanaCC:: You'd enjoy these, Colleen.
>154 sibylline:: Lucy, I've read two others out of order, but yes indeed I have many ahead of me!

I was going to ask for an update on your daughter's progress in Exeter, Laura but, even better, she is updating herself.

I absolutely loved High Rising. Time to get another Thirkell in my hand, I think.

>156 PaulCranswick:: I confess Paul that it's one way we keep in touch as well! Yes, we Skype, but these keep me going in between.

>157 laytonwoman3rd:: Do you have one handy, Linda? Are you trying to read in order?

I haven't Thirkelled in a while. Hope I have one in the TBRs!

Hi, Laura!
I think it's pretty wonderful that so many Kenyon students carry on blogs while abroad. I can't remember if it's some sort of requirement, but it certainly is a good idea.

Morning Laura- Just checking in before I head out...Wah! Have a good day, my friend.

ETA- DA was a good one. Probably my favorite of the season.

>159 tiffin:: nice new verb you've invented there, Tui!

>160 scaifea:: Amber, I think study abroad blogs are "a thing" (to use the parlance of our times). It's not required at Kenyon, but is very common. Kate has friends at other schools who also blogged to share their adventures with friends & family. It's interesting to see the different approaches students take, sometimes because of their writing style and sometimes because of the nature of their program. The daughter of friends spent a semester in Cameroun living with a host family. That was very different from living in university housing in England!

>161 msf59:: Hi Mark! Thanks for stopping by. We're still enjoying DA as well, even if it is a bit formulaic.

Yes our office also hosts 5-6 student abroad blogs each semester, and we know a number of other students keep blogs on their own. Some of them have been very ambitious and posted lots of photos and I remember one pair of students kept a video blog which would have been fun if they had only put a tiny bit of preparation into it to avoid all the stuttering and stammering and dead air. Ah, well. I'm sure it was a great learning experience for them, anyway.

>157 laytonwoman3rd: I have The Old Bank House and The Duke's Daughter, Laura. Both of them, I think, far along in the series. I might read one out of order, but that might be too much of a jump.

Linda, I think I read The Duke's Daughter early on in my reading of the Thirkell series and it wasn't an issue.

Hi Laura, I was excited to read that there may be more Shardlake books in our future. I agree that Heartstone was not Sansom's best, although the setting in Portsmouth was interesting. It's an easy way for me to learn more Tudor history!

Are you in the path of the latest flurry of snowstorms? Bad pun. I think I will enjoy staying home and watching the winter Olympic events on television rather than participating by sliding across parking lots, etc. I hope you are staying warm these days.

Interesting, Tui. I had a different impression when I read it back in December. I felt like I'd missed something in the passing of time, and that I was supposed to be familiar with the characters. It didn't help that many of them shared names with Trollope characters and I got distracted by potential genealogical connections. As a side benefit, I discovered the Angela Thirkell Society website, which has helpful resources on the novels and the characters.

Hello Donna! Looks like we were posting simultaneously. Thanks for stopping by. We had sleet and ice here last night which resulted in widespread power outages, but fortunately we were spared. I'm ready for winter to end!

I really need to sample some Thirkell but first I have to find the books. Are you reading them in order Laura? as for DA---what do you think has happened to Edith's beau? We're thinking he died in Berlin somehow and now Edith, since she's pregnant and is Michael's POA, will be provided with some more meaningful plot lines. I'm hoping it pans out for her in that way. We'll have to see if my predictions come true. LOL

So far behind! So far behind! Yes, Jill McCorkle is from my hometown, and my mother for a couple of months was in the same home where her mother is a permanent resident. I liked her book better than you did, but I wouldn't expect her to write "very good" literature, I'm sorry to say.
I had postponed Heartstone before reading your review, and I'm less sorry now than I was this morning. You are making me yearn for The Hired Man though, and I have a couple of Thinga books yet to buy. We'll see.
AND I could play rehearsal piano for your show and then sing soprano in the chorus (1st or 2nd as you need). I don't say that I could do it well, but I could do it!
And Thirkell on, dear friends, Thirkell on!

>169 brenzi:: I really need to sample some Thirkell but first I have to find the books.
May I introduce you to Amazon, Bonnie?! LOL! All kidding aside, Virago published some of her earlier ones in the past year or so but there are other editions out there. The first one I read was Pomfret Towers, which is #5, and I started there because I received it as a gift. Then I received the first 2 as VMCs, so I think I'll try to go more or less in order from now on.

As for Edith, I too am hoping for interesting plot lines for her. She's been in the shadows far too long!

>170 LizzieD:: Hi Peggy!! So nice to see you and I'm delighted to have a rehearsal accompanist as well as a soprano for the choir. If only we could form an actual choir!!

Hi Laura!

#137 - I keep reading about this series and may finally try Dissolution as an audiobook. (I think I've said that multiple times, on multiple threads, but I've finally put it on my library wishlist.)

Edith is pregnant! Oh my! (I stopped watching after last season, but always quite liked the Edith character. Bless her little heart.)

#169 I really need to sample some Thirkell but first I have to find the books first. I can't find Thirkell either. Our library does not have a single one of her works.

>172 DorsVenabili:: well the episodes that have aired so far haven't confirmed Edith's conditions, but signs point in that direction. And you should definitely try Dissolution!!

>173 lit_chick:: Nancy, our library isn't especially well stocked, either. They have a few but I don't recognize them as the first titles in the series, which is really annoying if you're like me and prefer to start at the beginning.

Laura, I can now visit your thread as I finally watched this week's DA. I was visiting my daughter in MA, and had no time for TV (or reading, it seems). That Rose is a corker. And poor Edith can't catch a break. I really like her character.

I will be reading High Rising very soon. Your review has me itching to get to it. :)

>174 lauralkeet: They have a few but I don't recognize them as the first titles in the series, which is really annoying if you're like me and prefer to start at the beginning.

Did someone say completist??;-)

>175 NanaCC:: I hope you enjoy High Rising Colleen!
>176 brenzi:: moi?!! *bats eyes*

>175 NanaCC: the episodes that have aired so far haven't confirmed Edith's conditions Were you knitting when she read the letter from her doctor in the last episode? I sort of took that as confirmation, myself.

>178 laytonwoman3rd:: oh. Perhaps. I actually checked with my husband before posting that because I wondered if I'd missed something more definitive. But hey, maybe we were both a little oblivious. We certainly both suspect she's pregnant!

Laura, hi! I would like to go on an Angela Thirkell binge but I am keen to go in order. I have Pomfret Towers on my Kindle but don't know what books 2,3 and 4 are - please can you point me to a list?

Edited to add that I have found theAngela Thirkell Society website that you mentioned and it has everything I need - Wild Strawberries is next up!

>180 cushlareads:: Cushla, thanks for reminding me -- I added a link to the Angela Thirkell Society in #167. I meant to come back and do that, but forgot.

You can also see her Barsetshire series in order on LT, here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just want to mention that I'm deep into the last of Trollope's Barsetshire novels, The Last Chronicle of Barset. It's delightful, uniting characters from the 5 previous books into one grand finale. But it's long -- 800-900 pages in various print editions (I'm reading it on Kindle).

I will be reading other books concurrently, just to mix it up a little. So at the moment I'm also reading Milk and Honey, by Australian author Elizabeth Jolley. It's very dark and I'm not sure what I think of it.

All this to say, it will be a while before I post any reviews. I will try to pop in here with thoughts from time to time though.

Laura, Do I have to have read Trollope before reading Thirkell?

No not at all, Colleen! Thirkell set her novels in a 20th century version of Barsetshire (a fictional county where Trollope's novels are set). Of the three Thirkells I've read so far, only one seemed to refer back to Trollope's earlier time (by mentioning someone's ancestor, for example). Those references were not essential to following the story, but I think they're kind of fun if you have also read Trollope.

Thanks, Laura. I do mean to get to him, but so many books...... one of these days. I really have to stop buying new ones. :)

Hi, Laura! Just stopping by to wish you a good weekend!

7. Milk and Honey ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: It's been lying around on my TBR for some time

The "blurb" on my edition of Milk and Honey describes a story of passion and duty, set in a family where music takes center stage. At a young age, Jacob is sent to live with a family who will develop his musical skills. He develops an infatuation for his tutor's daughter Louise, and later for an older woman named Madge who he meets through the local orchestra. Jacob's feelings of passion for Madge and duty towards Louise are the novel's primary conflict.

But this book is actually much darker and ambiguous. Louise's family (brother, father, and two spinster aunts) is described through Jacob's naive point of view. He fails to see the dysfunction and secrets, and the reader is also left to interpret events on their own. Jacob's relationship with Louise is unsatisfying for both of them, and it's not clear until much later why it develops as it does (avoiding spoilers here).

This short novel was difficult to read, but I felt compelled to finish just to see how some early foreshadowing came about. However, on the whole it wasn't especially satisfying. I admired some of Jolley's technique, but on the whole the characters were too shallow and the story far too bleak.

I know I said above that I wouldn't be posting a review for a while, but I realized I could press on, finish this, and get it out of my system.

I'll return to Trollope for the weekend, which should lift my spirits. I still plan to read another book in parallel with it, which will be American Rust. All three books fill spots on my Reading Bingo card. :)

I've now read 26 chapters (of 84!) in Trollope's The Last Chronicle of Barset, and it continues to delight me. It's currently on my nightstand and I'm dipping into it for about 30 min before bedtime each night.

I'm also well into American Rust and completely sucked in. The story takes off immediately: 2 young men from a depressed western Pennsylvania steel town decide to leave it all behind them and go to California. But before they can get out of dodge, so to speak, something horrible happens. And then you start to learn more about the two men, their families and their community. It's been pretty gripping so far.

I'm trying to think if I read the Thirkells in order..... I don't really think I did although I do think I stuck to an early middle and late periods generally...... and in very few of them does it matter - the books featuring the Dean and Morland families in particular do change and move along and follow some threads. But most, it seems to me, are only tangentially connected to others. Say, the focused on the Middletons, or the utterly fabulous family, the Tebbens, in August Folly - oh golly - that is one of my favorites! One of the more agonizing books about youthful folly!

Hi Laura, I'll be interested to hear your final thoughts on American Rust. That's a book I've picked up several times in Barnes & Noble but have always put back.

American Rust looks interesting. I'll have to start an Amazon wishlist to keep track of all these delicious recs.

The title doesn't sound appealing, "elements of theology" -though could be pleasant. Also Victorian era is a comfortable setting in many cases. =)

>189 sibylline:: Lucy, I like the idea of sticking to early - middle - late periods with Thirkell, especially because I may only acquire them sporadically/opportunistically.

>190 phebj:: Sure Pat, watch this space! It's been on my TBR for yonks so I understand the feeling you've had in B&N.

>191 ffortsa:: Judy, I'm surprised you don't have a massive wish list already. LT is like that.

>191 ffortsa:. Oh, I do have OE, but I want to get it out of LT where it gets mixed in with my. actual books.

Colleen asked the question I had about the Trollope/Thirkell books Laura. Thanks for that info.

8. American Rust ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: It's been on my TBR forever, and as such fit the "bottom of the TBR" reading bingo category.

Philipp Meyer's debut novel, American Rust, landed on my TBR pile early in 2010, not long after its paperback release. Four years later I've finally read it, and wonder why on earth I waited so long.

Set in an economically depressed steel town in Western Pennsylvania, this is a story of friendship and loyalty, but also of the desperation that comes from experiencing life crashing down all around you. Isaac English and Billy Poe graduated from the local high school and, for various reasons, stayed in their hometown rather than going to college. Isaac's older sister Lee went off to Yale and is now married and financially secure; Isaac cares for their invalid father. Poe mostly gets into trouble and worries his mother sick. When Isaac decides to strike out on his own and head to California, he convinces Poe to come along. But before they can even hop a freight train, they get caught up in a violent conflict. A few days later, Isaac skips town. Poe becomes a suspect and takes full responsibility rather than betray his friend. Isaac's sister arrives to care for their father, and rekindles an old romance with Poe. Chief of police Bud Harris has to lead the investigation, even as he's wrestling with romantic feelings for Poe's mother and a history of protecting Poe from the arm of the law.

The story is told through alternating points of view, and Meyer effectively weaves these threads together both to build dramatic tension and show the economic and psychological impact from the collapse of the American steel industry. The novel's last chapters describe "endings" for each character's storyline in a way that resolves some conflicts while leaving the future uncertain. A lot like life, really. I read the last 100 pages of this book in one sitting and the characters are still inhabiting my thoughts a day later.

Laura, I'm glad to hear American Rust is a good solid read. I got curious about it after reading The Son last year. I think I would like to complete the Palliser novels before engaging with the more modern Thirkell. That will give me a chance to look for some of her books on the cheap at library book sales and used bookstores. I'm not only a completist but a cheap one as well!

Great review of American Rust, Laura. I will definitely give it a try now.

Hi Laura- Good review of American Rust. I liked it too. I received it as an ER selection, way back when. I also loved his latest, The Son.

Another very good DA! Is there 1 or 2 left?

Hello Donna, Pat, & Mark -- hope you all had a great weekend and are enjoying the bonus day today. I was surprised how much American Rust sucked me in. I thought it would take second priority to my other current read, Trollope's The Last Chronicle of Barset, but it sort of took over my thoughts and I set the Trollope aside for a few days so I could really focus on this one.

Mark, I enjoyed last night's DA episode also. There's one more, a 2-hour episode. I wonder if it was a holiday special? In any case, there are a number of plot threads to resolve before we say good-bye to our Downton friends for a while, so I'm looking forward to it.

Morning, Laura!
Great review, but I think I'll give it a pass - doesn't sound like my cuppa.
Enjoy your day off!

Hi Laura!

#181 "Just want to mention that I'm deep into the last of Trollope's Barsetshire novels, The Last Chronicle of Barset. It's delightful, uniting characters from the 5 previous books into one grand finale."

Hurrah! I'm looking forward to it - a lot!

Laura - Happy Birthday, my dear. I hope your day is a wonderful one.

>201 scaifea:: Hi Amber, that's cool, from the looks of your thread I think you have more than enough to read.

>202 souloftherose:: Heather, it has continued to be delightful -- I'm now halfway through.

>203 PaulCranswick:: Thank you Paul! I took today off from work to celebrate. I plan to Skype with my older daughter soon and have dinner out with hubs & younger daughter this evening. I believe there are some presents to be opened as well...

Do I smell birthday cake? Many happy returns--and reviews--dear Laura!

Happy birthday, Laura! Sounds like you've had a lovely day off.

And happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Laura!

Ooh birthday? Have a happy one! :)

Happy birthday! Hope you had a pleasant day in this balmy weather.

Happy Birthday Laura!

Great review of American Rust. I haven't read it but I did read The Son last year and liked it a lot so I might give this one a whirl. The Last Chronicle of Barset is inching its way to the top of the pile.

Happy Birthday, Laura! Did you get any books?

Oh my so many birthday visitors! It's getting late and I'm tired so please forgive me for not acknowledging everyone separately. I had a very nice day. I didn't get books, but that's because my family knows I will buy any book I want, whenever I want it. Clothes are another matter: I tend to neglect my non-work wardrobe. So my husband and daughter took me to the mall and picked out a bunch of new stuff for me. Julia served as fashion consultant to keep me from buying things that were too "mom-ish" (in her opinion). It was fun and I have a couple new outfits to show for it.

Happy Birthday, Laura! Sounds like you had a fine day. Good night!

Happy birthday for yesterday Laura. Sorry I missed the actual day.

Sounds like you had a good day!

Happy Belated Birthday!

Happy late birthday.

Intriguing review of American Rust - will have to be on the lookout for that one.

I missed it... Happy Birthday!

Oh yay, the birthday party continues! It almost makes up for being back to work today.

Reading-wise, I'm still immersed in Anthony Trollope's The Last Chronicle of Barset. I just bookmarked my Kindle at Chapter 43, out of 84. It's quick, enjoyable reading and I'm surprisingly not intimidated by the length. It helps that it's on my Kindle so it's easy to carry & hold, and I don't have to look at its giganticness all the time.

Just checking in ... I've now read 61 of 84 chapters in the Trollope. I can't believe a story about the alleged theft of £20 has held my attention for this long, but indeed it has.

I plan to start a new thread (with a new musical!) once I finish and review The Last Chronicle of Barset.

Hi Laura- Getting ready for the DA finale? I'll probably poop-out before the end but I'll try to watch a big chunk.
BTW- I plan on starting the Hired Man tomorrow. I've waited long enough to read this and since I have a copy at hand...

221: I can't believe a story about the alleged theft of £20
LOL – somehow this makes me more interested. Except I read them, or some of them, before... as you expressed on my thread, yikes, 25? 30? 35? it-all-runs-together years ago.

#221 "I can't believe a story about the alleged theft of £20 has held my attention for this long" That made me chuckle too :-)

Laura, sorry I missed your birthday. Hope it was a happy day for you. I am so looking forward to reading The Last Chronicle of Barset with the group next month. Are you going to go on to the Palliser novels?

Hi Mark, Katherine, Heather & Donna! Thanks for stopping by, I love your comments as always.

>222 msf59:: Mark, I offered up a bit of DA chat on your thread earlier. I'll miss my Sunday evening ritual for sure!
>223 qebo:: Katherine, did you enjoy the Barchester series when you read it?
>224 souloftherose:: Heather, have you started the book yet? I'm itching to see what you think. If there's a group read thread I'll follow along too.
>225 Donna828:: Donna, I'm not sure about the Palliser novels. I need a break between Trollopes, usually a couple months or more. So maybe someday ... have you read them?

226: I have an image of the shelf in the library where I'd pick up the next installment, so it must've been engaging. (This doesn't much help pin down when; it was the Lancaster library but I've returned here several times for brief stints between other places.) When other people review, bits are familiar, and I fear that if I begin reading, details will come to the surface, which would be OK except it's too long. I'm rereading Pride and Prejudice at the moment, but it's only one book and I want a refresher before I take on Longbourn (which has gotten good reviews and sounds interesting) and Death Comes to Pemberley (which has gotten mixed reviews but was passed along to me so I may as well give it a shot).

#196 - I'll be putting this on my wishlist. It looks like it might be a good candidate for my blog project that deals with working-class fiction. Nice review!

And happy terribly belated birthday, Laura!!

Just popping in here to say I've finished The Last Chronicle of Barset, loved it, and am sorry to say good-bye to my Barchester friends. It's ridiculously satisfying that I finished the book before the month ended. I hope to have a review ready this weekend to wrap up this thread and start a new one for March & beyond.

Today we're off to the Philadelphia Flower Show which is the best substitute for spring that I can think of.

#229 Well done on finishing TLCoB and enjoy the flower show!

Morning Laura- I really enjoyed the Hired Man. Thank you again. I am really looking forward to reading The Memory of Love. Have a great weekend, my friend.

>231 msf59: So glad to have shared the LT love, Mark. And you will love The Memory of Love, too -- it's really good. I gave it 5 stars.

>229 lauralkeet: Philadelphia Flower Show
Oh, I'd completely forgotten. Haven't been in several years, doubt I'll get there this year. But it is timed perfectly isn't it, exactly when you really can't take winter any longer.

Oh, I miss the Flower Show! Enjoy!

>233 qebo:, >234 sibylline: The Flower Show was lovely. This year's theme is "Arti-culture," or where art meets horticulture. There were several exhibits in which a floral designer/landscaper partnered with a museum. The Brandywine River Museum exhibit depicted a landscape very similar to those near the Wyeth estate (the museum emphasizes art by three generations of Wyeths). The exhibit was very woodsy with native plants and a stream. Probably my favorite of the show.

9. The Last Chronicle of Barset ()
My Review
Source: On my Kindle
Why I read this now: I don't know why, but I couldn't wait for the group read that's happening in March. This also fits the "more than 500 pages" category in Reading Bingo.

The Last Chronicle of Barset, being indeed the last in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, pulls out all the stops by reuniting characters from the five previous volumes into one grande finale. And I can't imagine anyone other than Anthony Trollope devoting more than 900 pages to a clergyman who may or may not have stolen £20, and making it so utterly delightful. Josiah Crawley is the clergyman, whose initial hearing leads to the case being sent to a higher court. While he is awaiting trial, several other stories unfold, including his daughter Grace's romance with Major Henry Grantly, son of the archdeacon who was a key figure in Barchester Towers. We also see the return of Lily Dale and John Eames, from The Small House at Allington, and the clergy couple you love to hate, Bishop & Mrs. Proudie. In addition to these well-known figures, some secondary characters from earlier books assume greater roles, and previously significant characters are often present in the background.

Anyone who picks up The Last Chronicle of Barset would almost certainly already be a Trollope fan and have read previous books in the series. This one will not disappoint; in fact, I completely wallowed in it and did not want the story to end. However, I couldn't help thinking about the modern conveniences we enjoy compared to Trollope's time -- especially as the truth about Crawley's £20 became clear. If only they had telephones, or email, or Facebook! Crawley would not have suffered for so long. But then The Last Chronicle of Barset would have been a much shorter and less pleasurable book.

This is a mistake, right? Isn't spring just around the corner?

>235 lauralkeet: I'm tempted... conceivably next weekend.

Delighted you enjoyed The Last Chronicle of Barset so much, Laura. I am a Trollope FAN!

>237 kidzdoc: Darryl, the most recent weather advisories call for somewhat less snow north and west of Philadelphia, but the I-95 corridor is expecting 6-8". I'm already anticipating Monday will be a "no-school-work-from-home" day.

>238 qebo: Katherine, it was a nice bit of spring in the middle of all this winter madness. I hope you're able to go.

>239 lit_chick: Nancy, I'm a fan and a convert. My first attempt at Trollope was Barchester Towers in 2010. I didn't get on with it at all, it seemed too slow-moving. It nagged at me, though, because everything else about the book pointed to liking it. Two years later, when a tutored read started for The Warden, I decided to try again. And I'm so glad I did! Now I have to decide whether & when to read the Palliser series.

>236 lauralkeet: I'm really looking forward to this one!

>240 lauralkeet: "Now I have to decide whether & when to read the Palliser series." A very definite 'yes' to the first.

>240 lauralkeet: Well if you read Can you forgive her? along with the group read you have already started the Palliser novels so you can't stop now.

Morning Laura- I really want to return to the Barsetshire books. An LT friend is going to send me the audios of the next several books.
When is the next round of snow going to hit you? And please do not blame me. LOL. If it was up to me, it would be 70 and sunny.

>240 lauralkeet: Well, you gave me an idea for a thread topper anyway. I’d been wanting something cheerful but not deceptive.

>241 souloftherose: >242 CDVicarage: I didn't join the first Palliser group read. Oh dear, I'm already behind.

>243 msf59: Mark, the snow is on its way now -- expected tonight and tomorrow. I just spoke to my mom in Cincinnati and they have ice etc. today.

>244 qebo: Katherine, great idea for a thread topper! You could also cheat by following the Phila Horticultural Society on Facebook, because they are regularly posting photos. But wait -- I also just remembered there's a butterfly exhibit at the Flower Show as well, which you would undoubtedly enjoy. It's not on the main show floor, but in a room nearby on the same floor of the convention center. I think you need to buy an additional ticket for it. We didn't notice it until we were on our way out, and there was a line, so we took a pass.

>245 lauralkeet: butterfly exhibit
Oh? Now you've sold me! Today's out, because I have stuff lined up to do and weather's going to hit. Next weekend looks feasible.

HI Laura

I'm confused about the weather. Last week reports were of a whammy of a storm with perhaps 14 inches of snow...now, today calls for rain.

I hope that whatever the weather, you are having a good day, a quiet day of reading.

All the best!

>246 qebo: Katherine, I left more butterfly details on your thread!
>247 Whisper1: Linda, we're still under a winter storm warning. I hope you are spared!

And now, please follow the link below to my new thread!