BLBera's 2014 reading - part 3

My name is Beth. I teach English at my local community college.

Here's part of a poem for July. It seemed to capture the heat of July:

Entropy by Bin Ramke
1
Vast petals of poppy burn
a brilliant hole in landscape:
the land lies riddled with heat.
The murders our evening paper tells
are not those we each commit
under this stress of heat
Among our flowers butterflies
tatter their flimsy lives. Pray
for the drowning city,
but for the city consumed by heat
listen to the scatter
of its dry seed.

September
70. Snow in May*
71. Byrd*
72. The Long Way Home
73. Hard Time*
74. The Word Exchange
75. Euphoria

August
61. The Two Hotel Francforts
62. Deadliest of Sins*
63. The Mind's Eye*
64. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
65. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase* REREAD
66. The Orphanmaster*
67. Designated Daughters
68. Restless*
69. An Uncertain Place*

July
50. Out of Range
51. Drawing Conclusions*
52. Native Guard: Poems*
53. Making Masterpiece
54. Vertigo 42
55. The Clothes on Their Backs*
56. Assassination Vacation*
57. Music of Ghosts
58. Marina*
59. A Month in the Country*
60. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead*

* Off the shelf

2014
January
1. Bleeding Edge
2. The Franchise Affair*
3. Horoscopes for the Dead*
4. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
5. The Nine Guardians*
6. Someone
7. The Purity of Vengeance
8. Lake of Tears
9. Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education*

February
10. The Death of Artemio Cruz*
11. Mr. Churchill's Secretary*
12. The War of the End of the World*
13. The Color of My Words
14. The Ghost of the Mary Celeste
15. Cracking India*
16. Princess Elizabeth's Spy*

March
17. Love in the Time of Cholera*
18. Ripper
19. Hard Going
20. The Warmth of Other Suns*
21. The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells*
22. The Salinger Contract
23. Arrow of God*
24. Under the Wide and Starry Sky*
25. Thirty Girls

April
26. The Handmaid's Tale*
27. The Outcast Dead
28. The Blazing World
29. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse*
30. Destroyer Angel
31. Love and Treasure
32. Death Come Quickly
33. The Lost Sisterhood*

May
34. Home and Exile
35. Powder and Patch
36. The Uncoupling*
37. The Goldfinch
38. As I Lay Dying*
39. All the Birds, Singing
40. Field of Prey
41. Son*
42. Quiet*
43. The Devil's Star*
44. Safe Area Gorazde*

June
45. The Redeemer
46. Dust
47. MaddAddam
48. The Late Scholar
49. Life*

This year's long list for the Orange Prize.

Read
Americanah
MaddAddam
The Signature of All Things
The Lowland
The Goldfinch
All the Birds, Singing
The Burgess Boys

Not yet read
The Shadow of the Crescent Moon
The Strangler Vine
Reasons She Goes to the Woods
The Bear
The Luminaries
Burial Rites
The Dogs of Littlefield
Eleven Days
The Flamethrowers
A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing
The Undertaking
Still Life with Bread Crumbs
Almost English

I like to keep track of these because usually this prize aligns most closely with my reading preferences.

Favorite reads through the first half of the year
Bleeding Edge
The War of the End of the World
The Death of Artemio Cruz
The Warmth of Other Suns
The Handmaid's Tale - reread
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
Life
The Goldfinch

I think I've given you enough time to finish setting up shop, so Happy New Thread, Beth! I look forward to reading about lots of good books!

Happy New Thread, Beth!!

Hi Beth! back to your last thread and the woman in your book club who thought Keith Richards was too self-absorbed. Don't you kind of have to be in order to write a memoir?

Happy July!

I'm debating between The Luminaries and The Death of Artemio Cruz for my next read (after I finish Natural Causes). Hmmmm.......

Hi Beth! Thanks for posting the Orange Prize longlist here. I want to read more of those. I have Americanah on my shelf.

Hi Peggy - Yes, I have the no-frills thread! Thanks for stopping by. You're the first.

Hi Amber - Thanks.

Hi Katie - ;) I actually found him pretty "normal," considering the drugs, etc. The parts about the music are excellent.

Hi Ellen - I think The Death of Artemio Cruz is one of the best books I've read all year -- I'd be interested to hear what you think of it.

Hi Amy - I like to keep the Orange books on my radar -- they tend to be books I like.

I just got back from a family reunion in northern Wisconsin -- slow, intermittent Wifi, which was not a bad thing. We do this every two years in different locations because my family lives all over the country. Last time, two years ago, we were in the Outer Banks -- really happy we weren't there this year! We always have a book discussion, and I have a long list of recommendations from my aunts and cousins. This was also Scout's first reunion - she was a little overwhelmed but charmed everyone.

Well, time to unpack and get some school work done. I'll try to visit some threads later.

I'm currently reading Making Masterpiece, Rebecca Eaton's memoir. She has been the executive produce of Masterpiece Theater for 25 years. She has some great stories.

I'm glad you had safe travels to and from your reunion! I imagine that Scout was one of the most popular cousins there. The Outer Banks definitely wouldn't have been the place to be this year.

The memoir you're reading sounds interesting. I'm a Masterpiece fan. It's one of the few shows I regularly make time to watch.

Hi Carrie - It was a long drive; I listened to a book on tape to pass the time, Drawing Conclusions. Now I have to get back into work mode, unpack, do laundry, mow, etc. Vacation is never long enough.

I just read my first Commissario Brunetti last week! I really liked it and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

Carrie - It's a great series. Drawing Conclusions must be about the 20th, and it's still going strong.

In the old days, when I liked mysteries, Donna Leon was a favorite. I loved the food descriptions! But my brain took against mysteries, so I am stuck reading more serious stuff.

I am planning to read Artemio Cruz in the next couple of months.

Rhonda - I know what you mean about mysteries; I'm much pickier than I used to be. I'll be anxious to hear what you think of Artemio Cruz; it is one of my favorites so far this year.

51. Drawing Conclusions. In this book, Brunetti is called to investigate the death of an elderly woman. When the coroner finds the cause of death to be a heart attack, Brunetti still wonders about some bruises on her back. Were they caused by the fall, or did someone threaten her and precipitate the attack. This novel was a bit of a disappointment. Usually Leon uses her mysteries to showcase some societal problem, but in this one we wonder if there even was a crime. I'll keep reading this series, but I wonder if this is a sign that it's getting tired.

On to Making Masterpiece and Vertigo 42.

>18 BLBera: I have that one in a box to read. Sounds like I don't need to pull it out right away. I have loved Brunetti, but I do think the series is showing some signs that the author is having trouble coming up with new plots for him.

Hi Beth. Making Masterpiece sounds interesting. That is one television show that we regularly record and watch.

As you know from my thread, I didn't bring The Death of Artemio Cruz with me on this trip but I do plan to read it in the next couple of months.

And I need to figure out which Donna Leon is next for me. I think I've read the first three in the series.

Hi Lori - I guess we can't complain too much; the series has been pretty strong with the first 20 or so books. I'll probably try another, and if that is blah, I'll probably stop. I do love Brunetti -- and the food.

Hi Ellen: The first three are Death at La Fenice, Death in a Strange Country, and The Anonymous Venetian. The fourth and fifth are A Venetian Reckoning and Acqua Alta. I don't have either of those, or I would add them to your package. Making Masterpiece is pretty interesting. There's a lot of name dropping, but I'm finding the behind the scenes info about public television and production is pretty interesting. It's a pretty quick read, too.

Thanks! I got your package. I'll put yours in the mail this week.

Beth, I think it's great that your family reunion has a book discussion. Are you going to share your list of recommendations? Not that I need anymore books on my wish list. Instead, I should probably take stock of it and pare it down to a more doable number! My reunion is next month in Northern Michigan. I'm eager to talk to my cousin Connie who has written a book! I think it may be self-published and of interest mainly to family members, but still…an author in the family!

I've read quite a few of the Orange LL. The Luminaries is going to be the next one. I am reading The Colour first to get me in the mood.

Hi Donna: Here are some of the recommendations: The Interestings; The War of the End of the World - this was mine - and The Feast of the Goat - my aunt's book club read it; The Orphan Master's Son; Heft; Lost in Shangri-La - my sister read this after she inadvertently bought two copies - it was a gift for our dad; The Women; The Cradle; Unbroken; The Goldfinch; Behind the Beautiful Forevers - my cousin actually stayed in the hotel in Mumbai that overlooks the part of the city described in the book; The Snow Child; The Night Circus; The Good Lord Bird; The Bully Pulpit; Fever; The Dinner; Gone Girl; The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - my cousin described it as quirky in a good way; The Woman Upstairs - not as much whining as The Emperor's Children according to my cousin.

52. Native Guard: Poems won the Pulitzer Prize. Natasha Trethewey writes about the South, both past and present and her love-hate relationship with it. Part of "South" shows this:

I returned to a country battlefield
where colored troops fought and died --

Port Hudson where their bodies swelled
and blackened beneath the sun -- unburied

until earth's green sheet pulled over them,
unmarked by any headstones.

Where the roads, buildings, and monuments
are named to honor the Confederacy,

where that old flag still hangs, I return
to Mississippi, state that made a crime

of me -- mulatto, half-breed -- native
in my native land, this place they'll bury me.

Wonderful selection of poems. Now I have to look for another volume to put on my bedside table.

Wow I would fit right in at your family vacations Beth. I either own or have read all of the books you listed LOL. I'll bet Scout was the real star:-)

Hi Bonnie - Scout was the star. Unfortunately, she's at the age where she is shy with strangers, so not everybody got to hold her.

I was familiar with most of the suggestions -- thanks to LT!

I thought this was pretty interesting. I'm going to try Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid.

http://theaustenproject.com/books/sense-sensibility/

53. Making Masterpiece is really a memoir of Masterpiece. Rebecca Eaton has been the executive producer for twenty-five years and recounts the challenges and changes that have taken place over time. We learn about funding of public television (mostly lack of) and trends in TV watching. I found it very interesting. Of course, the last section was devoted to "Downton Abbey." Eaton originally turned it down, by the way.

I'll continue on with Vertigo 42

>26 BLBera: Oh, I also have the Val McDermid version of Northanger Abbey on my wishlist. I fear this could go either way but you'll probably get to it first, so I will benefit from your opinion.

I don't know, Judy. You have been zipping through books. Since summer school started, work is definitely interfering with my reading.

Missed your new thread, Beth! That's easy to do in this crazy-active 75er Group! Love your opening poem. It's perfect for the summer weather here in the Okanagan Valley which is rip pin' hot right now and usually stays that way through July-August.

>29 BLBera: Work is such a kill joy. It frequently interferes with my reading. :)

Hi Nancy - July and August are usually hot and humid here, but so far, it hasn't been too bad. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though.

Hi Joanne - I know. I've spent all morning doing class work and grading and have that to look forward to all weekend. I'll try to sneak some reading in, though. :)

I'm reading the new Richard Jury: Vertigo 42.

54. Vertigo 42 - Richard Jury is back. In this latest book in the series, Jury is asked to look into the death of Tess Williamson. There's one problem; it occurred seventeen years previously. While the verdict was accident, Tess' husband has always been convinced it was murder. Then more recent murders occur, and Jury, Wiggins and Melrose Plant, et. al. are all back in action. The plot is the usual labyrinthian one we expect, with references to Hitchcock and Thomas Hardy.

Next: The Clothes on Their Backs

>29 BLBera:: 'Since summer school started, work is definitely interfering with my reading.' Bummer!

That is a great eclectic list of books from family members. I don't think my cousins are big readers but I might raise the question at our reunion to find out. I am getting to know my family better through these times together. I didn't grow up around family so, other than trips to visit grandparents, I rarely saw my cousins.

Hi Donna - Yes, we are readers in our family. I stress to my students the importance of reading to their children. More and more studies are showing that kids who aren't read to start school with a huge deficit.

It sounds like your family does some good reading! I will look forward to your review of the Val McDermid. I am a big Austen fan, but don't really think she needs modernizing. On the other hand, I loved Clueless.

Rhonda - It is fun to talk about books with the family. I'm also ambivalent about the updating of Austen. Still, I'll try the McDermid book.Northanger Abbey is not one of my favorites, so who knows, maybe it will be much improved. ;)

Vertigo 42 sounds good, Beth. I looked up The Clothes on Their Backs, and it looks good, too! How are you liking it so far?

Hi Nancy - The Clothes on Their Backs is excellent. I should finish it in the next couple of days. That darn grading slows me down. I do enjoy Martha Grimes, quirky characters, convoluted plots, humor -- what more could I ask for in a mystery?

55. The Clothes on Their Backs tells the story of Vivian Kovacs. She is born in London, but her parents were immigrants, Jews who escaped Hungary before the war. They never talked about the past, though, so Vivian doesn't even know that her father has a brother until he appears at their door one day. Through her uncle, Vivian learns about the past.

Grant does a beautiful job of portraying the uncertainties of immigrant life in post-war Britain. People who lost their pasts and were afraid of the future. Vivian, though, wants to live, wants a history:

"What I remember, when I think back, is not a childhood, but...me in the corridors and the communal garden, or in my room with my dictionary which my parents had handed over in embossed wrapping paper, as if it was the keys to the kingdom (which for them, whose native tongue was not English, it was)..."

I will definitely read more by Grant.

Next: Assassination Vacation -- Sarah Vowell is a hoot.

Vowell quotes part of Maryland's state song:
"Virginia should not call in vain,/Maryland!/She meets her sisters on the plain--/Sic simper! 'tis the proud refrain" and says, "Sic simper, of course, was the proud refrain hollered by Maryland's own John Wilkes Booth after making good on shooting the aforementioned 'despot' Lincoln at war's end. One might think that a state song hinting at presidential assassination would have eerie echoes when that state's native son assassinated said president and therefore it might be headed for the title of 'state song emeritus,' the dustbin into which Virginia herself tossed its racist favorite 'Carry Me Back to Old Virginny.' But 'Maryland, My Maryland' did not become the official state song until 1939."

As Vowell follows in the path of Booth and other conspirators, she finds many surprising and funny facts.

I LOVED Assassination Vacation! My favorite Vowell book. Enjoy!!

Hi Joanne - I am enjoying it; she has a great sense of humor. What a great premise for a book. The only other book by Vowell that I've read is The Wordy Shipmates, which I really liked.

Lovely review of The Clothes on Their Backs , Beth. This one sounds excellent and is definitely another one for the ever-growing list.

Hi Nancy - It was my first Linda Grant book, but it definitely won't be the last.

I was sitting and reading Assassination Vacation and laughing aloud: Vowell takes tours in places that were significant to Lincoln. In Springfield, she is on the tour with a bunch of schoolgirls. She observes: "I am invariably the odd man out on tours like this. The only people who take them are kids who are forced to endure them and elderly retirees. I am always either the oldest person on a tour, or the youngest. I prefer to be the youngest if only because usually that means I'm the prettiest by default...The tour guide has an overly generous idea of the schoolgirls' knowledge of history because he keeps quizzing them and patiently waiting out interminably awkward silences for answers that never come."

I have The Clothes on Their Backs sitting on my shelf Beth. I picked it up after loving When I Lived in Modern Times. I looks like I should move it on up:-)

Where have I been? Glad that you enjoyed your vacation, but I'm sorry that it's over for you. Retirement is grand!
I enjoyed The Clothes on Their Backs from back when I was enjoying almost everything that I read from the Orange list. Alas, that's no longer true. I don't know whether the change is in me, the current books, or the judges. I'm still looking for something from this year's list that I think deserved to be short-listed.

#44 Great quote, Beth, LOL!

I listened to Assassination Vacation not too long ago, and I think I would have liked it much better had I read it instead. Vowell was reading it herself, and she has the misfortune of owning an extremely whiny voice. Ruined the whole thing for me, really.

Hi Beth! Assassination Vacation was also my first Vowell and also remains my favorite. I have her last one on Hawaii, I intend to get to soon.

Her voice does take getting used to, but it fits her very well.

Hi Bonnie - I'll have to look for When I Lived in Modern Times. I was very impressed with Grant.

Hi Peggy - I loved Americanah, which I know you didn't and The Burgess Boys. Those would have been my top picks for the prize this year. The Goldfinch was also good. Sorry the list didn't work for you this year. I agree though that some years seem stronger than others. I thought last year's list was weaker than this year's -- although it had some strong selections, too. Still, I imagine we could say the same for almost any prize.

Hi Nancy: I first saw Sarah Vowell on "The Daily Show." http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/s8bce9/sarah-vowell

Another gem from Assassination Vacation about President Garfield, who would be popular on LT: "He tries to cheer himself up about the political and personal hassles keeping him from German poetry, writing, 'Perhaps that study of literature is fullest which we steal from daily duties.' If there is a recurring theme in Garfield's diaries it's this: I'd rather be reading."

Hi Amber: She does have a distinctive voice. I think the book is hilarious. She is an original thinker.

Hi Mark: I have the Hawaii one, too. I'm trying to convince my book club to read it, so maybe next year. Her voice doesn't bother me when I see her in interviews, but I don't know about listening to her read a whole book... John Stewart is Garfield, by the way.

I started The Merry Wives of Windsor, a Shakespeare play I haven't read. I'll be seeing the play in August and I always try to read the play before I see it performed.

Oh yeah, gotta love Sarah Vowell. And Garfield would indeed have fit in around here!

Hi Beth! I hope you and the family are doing well. I'm skimming, but it appears that you're teaching this summer.

I've not heard of this Sarah Vowell, but she sounds amusing and interesting.

Hi Ellen - I almost want to pick up another Vowell book when I finish this one, but maybe it would be good to save them. I just picked up The Partly Cloudy Patriot and I have Unfamiliar Fishes. So, I have some treats ahead.

Hi Kerri - I have missed you! I first saw Vowell on "The Daily Show." I loved The Wordy Shipmates and Assassination Vacation is great, too. She's very liberal, but I have a feeling that won't bother you. http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/s8bce9/sarah-vowell

I'll write more about the book when I'm finished -- about 25 pages left.

56. Assassination Vacation is a pretty accurate title. Sarah Vowell travels in the footsteps of assassins and funeral trains of three presidents who were assassinated: Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley. And a very entertaining journey it is. She ropes friends and her sister and nephew into some of these journeys. Her three-year-old nephew enjoys visiting cemeteries with his aunt: "Owen is the most Hitchcockian preschooler I ever met. He's three. He knows ninety words and one of them is 'crypt.'" Vowell has done her research and gives us portraits of the men and their times and is very funny while doing it.

57. Music of Ghosts is set in the mountains of North Carolina. This story centers around a haunted remote cabin with a bloody history. When there is a modern day murder close by, Mary Crow, who has been living peacefully with her partner and his daughter is drawn into the case. This mystery has plenty of twists; I didn't guess the solution until the end. Mary's personal life also took an unexpected turn, and I'll look forward to the next book to see what happens. This is a solid series.

Next: Marina, an ER book.

Appreciate your reviews, Beth. Music of Ghosts sounds like one that I'd enjoy; it's not like I need another series on the go, but you know ...

Thanks Nancy. It is a good series -- I think Music of Ghosts is only the fifth one... It was a treat because it's been several years since the last one.

Beth, you remind me that I need to read some Vowell. She is a good antidote to worldwide angst.

Yes, Ellen, Vowell made me laugh out loud several times. I should quality that she is very liberal in her outlook, but I know that doesn't bother you. :) Some might not appreciate it.

Have a great weekend. I can't believe how fast the summer is going. You'll be in Scotland SOON!

I actually love Vowell's voice, which I am familiar with from This American Life. But I couldn't really get into reading Assassination Vacation. Maybe I should give it another try.

Hi Rhonda: Vowell's voice seems to fit her. I did like The Wordy Shipmates better. I thought Assassination Vacation was a lighter book. But sometimes it's timing.

I can see I'm in the minority here. I don't like Vowell. Her bias as a political leftist shines through far too much in her writing.

Lori - Vowell is pretty adamant about her political views, so I can see that her books wouldn't appeal to everyone. Oh well, different strokes...

Hi Beth (and anyone who wants to help!), on a completely unrelated topic, I need help naming a new black cat, 2 yr old male, if you feel like it! Your daughters, too … He is charming and affectionate, a gentleman.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6FN3NGS

Hi Nancy - Whenever I think of black cats, I think of Poe. How about a literary name?

#65 Thanks, Beth. Yes, thinking of a literary name which is how I came up with Bingley (charming young gentleman). I need to be patient … (not a strong suit).

Nancy - All of the names in the survey were fine - maybe you'll have to wait for him to claim one.

58. Marina was originally published in 1999, before Shadow of the Wind. However, it contains many of the elements we’ve come to expect from Ruiz Zafón: decaying mansions, mysterious girls and sinister strangers. Its subtitle “A Gothic Tale” is an apt description. It’s the story of fifteen-year-old Oscar Drai and his adventures in the Barcelona of the 1970s after he meets Marina. Marina takes him to the cemetery one Sunday, where they witness a woman in black placing a rose on a tombstone with no name. Solving the mystery of this woman quickly becomes dangerous.

The story is fast paced and atmospheric; Barcelona’s spooky decaying mansions and sewers provide a fitting background to this Gothic tale. Told from the perspective of the adult Oscar, looking back on the events, we also get a sense of nostalgia for a lost childhood.

Next: The Mind's Eye for my book club, The Merry Wives of Windsor.

>This sounds good, Beth. He's always worth reading, I think. I've enjoyed everything I've read from him so far. Particularly for the other-worldly atmospheres he manages to create from real places.

Kerri - This really was a Gothic tale - very gory and atmospheric. If you'd like it, I'm happy to pass it on. I think I'm going to read A Month in the Country next.

Oh, sure. What the heck! Thank you, Beth!

It's in the mail, Kerri. I started A Month in the Country, and it is wonderful! I can tell it's one that I won't want to end.

59. A Month in the Country is a gem of a novel. Tom Birkin, recovering from his wife's leaving him and the Great War, goes into the country to uncover a mural on the wall of a church. He finds healing there. Carr's writing brings back a lost time: "The long end of summer. Day after day of warm weather, voices calling as night came on and lighted windows pricked the darkness and, at day-break, the murmur of corn and the warm smell of fields ripe for harvest. An being young." Wonderful.

Thanks Kerri for recommending this.

Next: I have to finish The Merry Wives of Windsor before the performance on Saturday and delve into the essays of The Mind's Eye.

>73 BLBera: - Oh! So glad you liked it! It's just lovely, isn't it?

I loved it, Kerri. It IS lovely.

A friend sent me this; she knows I'm getting ready to go back to school. I haven't heard from Weird Al in a long time. This is pretty funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc

Oh I loved A Month in the Country too when I read it a few years ago Beth. Just a lovely book. Off to watch the weird Al video.

haha, great video, Beth! I also haven't heard from Weird Al in a long time. And he is so spot-on!

Hi Beth! After Kerri's comments about A Month in the Country, I took it down off my TBR shelf and put it on the nightstand. Now, with your comments, I'm looking forward to reading it even more!

Hi Bonnie - I haven't heard any negative comments about A Month in the Country -- and I heard about it here! LT is great that way. I've picked up things I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Enjoy Weird Al.

Hi Nancy - I figured Weird Al would strike a note with teachers. :)

Hi Ellen - I'll be anxious to hear what you think of A Month in the Country -- good bedside reading.

Brief rant: I love teaching, but I will never understand how students who have a C average through the entire semester think their final grades should be A's or B's.

60. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead is the most original detective story I've read in a long time. Another thank you to Kerri. Claire DeWitt uses iChing, dreams and a rare book "Détection" to solve cases. The book is filled with cryptic quotes that really don't make sense.

Claire can be really annoying and knows that most people who know her, avoid her. When she's having dinner with an ex-colleague, he admits: I really need to prepare to see you. It's really difficult." Claire answers: "I know...I'm working on being as stupid as everyone else but I'm not there yet. I'm hoping more drugs will help. They say they kill brain cells." That, in a nutshell is Claire DeWitt.

I'll definitely read more by Gran. This is great for those who like quirky characters.

"I will never understand how students who have a C average through the entire semester think their final grades should be A's or B's." Well, they showed up for class, right? Doesn't this generation of students believe that's worth a whole letter grade right there?

Personally, I really hate it when people focus on grades, rather than on learning. I remember in grad school, students who would go and beg for A's instead of B plusses, and I never could understand it, because, once you graduate with a MSW, no one cares. But in defense of the A-seeking students, between grade-inflation and the hyper-competitive world that youth are growing up in, a C now feels like an F.

You make Claire DeWitt sound enticing! I almost wish that I read mysteries.

Hi Ellen - Yes, and if they work really hard, they should get an "A" for effort.

Hi Rhonda - You hit the nail on the head! Yes, I wish we could do away with grades and focus on learning. What I find frustrating are students who announce they need an "A" but don't do anything to earn it. Come to my office hours, ask why you got a "C" on the essay... It isn't magic.

Even if you don't read mysteries, you might like Claire DeWitt...

I'm finishing The Merry Wives of Windsor, keeping on with The Mind's Eye and looking for my next fiction read. I'm thinking I might pick up Snow in May, an ER book.

I finished The Merry Wives of Windsor and went to the play. It was very well done -- one of the plays that is entertaining to see, but not one with a lot of memorable speeches.

Still reading The Mind's Eye and my reserve for The Two Hotel Francforts came from the library, so I'm reading that.

I love seeing a great, quiet book like A Month in the Country get some attention. It was an LT find for me, too. We're so lucky to have found this place!

Hi Beth!

>84 BLBera: - I feel like I should dip into Shakespeare from time to time. I haven't read him since my required college class.

The Mind's Eye looks rather heavy. Is it?

Joanne - You are so right! I would never have heard of A Month in the Country without LT. When I look back on my reading, at least one book a month comes from a recommendation from here.

Hi Kerri - I'm slowly working my way through the complete works. I try to read one play a year. It works well if it's a play I'm going to see that I haven't already read. And, of course, I teach English, so I get one play through my class. The book I'm using now has Othello, which I'm getting tired of.

The Mind's Eye is a collection of case studies, and Sacks explains things really well. I find them very interesting -- but the stuff about the part of the brain that governs language is pretty fascinating to me. The first three essays were about people with aphasia and alexia, people who lost speech and who lost the ability to read. Sacks walks through their cases and shows how they adapted. If you're interested at all in neuroscience, you would like this, but if not, it's probably not for you.

The Two Hotel Francforts is a harrowing story of two marriages that seem headed for disaster. I'm about halfway through. I think Ellen read and recommended this a while ago.

The Two Hotel Francforts sounds interesting, Beth. Waiting on your comments once you're finished.

I did, indeed, read and recommend The Two Hotel Francforts. It's got some flaws but I liked it overall. I just this morning took my copy down to the new Little Free Library in our neighborhood (there are now five of these within a five-block radius of our house) along with some other things I wanted to get off my shelves. I hope you enjoy it, Beth!

I think I would enjoy The Mind's Eye.

Hmmmm, Beth, Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead is a Kindle Deal right now.....

Hi Nancy: Here they are:

61. The Two Hotel Francforts, although set in 1940 Lisbon, is more a novel of relationships than a historical one. At one point, the narrator says of marriage: "For there is always something comforting about returning home, especially when you have been tramping about in the wilderness...It is like meeting someone with whom you share a native language after weeks of stumbling about in a foreign one." This does not describe either of the marriages in this novel.

Peter and Julia Winters meet Edward and Irish Freleng in Lisbon as they wait for a ship to take them to the United States away from the war. The couples brought out the worst in each other, and I was waiting for catastrophe throughout the entire novel. Edward and Pete start an affair, while Iris distracts Julia...

Leavitt quite well describes the relationships and the chaos of the time. This was hard to put down.

Hi Ellen - It was harrowing, wasn't it? I'm not sure I totally buy the affair. I don't want to be a spoiler, but you can see where I might have problems believing. But overall, I think Leavitt is good at describing complicated relationships.

I'll send The Mind's Eye your way when I finish it. I find the neuroscience stuff fascinating, and Sacks writes for the layperson.

Hi Bonnie - Go for it! It's very original. Claire DeWitt is not your everyday sort of detective. I think I originally got it as some sort of deal on my Nook.

Well, back to The Mind's Eye. I'll have to see what fiction calls to me.

Thanks, Beth : ). The Two Hotel Francforts sounds very intriguing!

>73 BLBera:: Beth, thanks for reminding me about A Month in the Country. Sometimes those little books get lost in the shuffle. Be sure and give Scout a big birthday hug from Molly and me!

Lots going on, Beth! I don't have A Month in the Country, but you make me think I ought to.
I'm reading Marina bit by bit. I didn't realize that it's a YA book, and it certainly reads like one - not my cup of tea. Trying to put myself back to age 11 or 12 isn't working very well.

Thanks Nancy. I did like it.

Hi Donna - Scout will get lots of birthday hugs. I think you would like A Month in the Country.

Hi Peggy - Marina was a bit gothic for me, but I didn't mind the YA part. I thought it was well written.

Hi Beth, I remember being quite taken with Claire DeWitt when I read the first one a couple of years ago. I must make an effort to track down the next one in that series.

Hi Judy - Claire is an original, isn't she? I will look for the next one, too. I think there's only one more, correct? Have a lovely Sunday. I'm off to celebrate my little Scout's first birthday. I can't believe an entire year has gone by.

Happy first birthday to Scout.

Scout is a year old already?! Happy birthday to Scout!

Hi Judy - A wonderful day was had by all. Nice weather, and Scout seemed very happy to have people celebrate her birthday with her although she looked a little disconcerted when everyone sang to her. She had her first taste of cake and seemed to enjoy it.

Hi Carrie - It's incredible, isn't it. A whole year with Scout has gone by. The next step will be walking. She's very close.

Oh, happy birthday to dear Scout! And happy small-vacation to her dear grandmother.

I just put A Month in the Country on reserve at the library.

Beth, I hope you have a wonderful week!

OH! Scout's a year old! I can't believe it! It sounds like it was a lovely celebration.

Hi Anne - Thanks. I just turned in the grades for my summer class and more or less put my office back to order. Now it's time to get those syllabi ready for fall. We start classes two weeks from today, and I have a LOT to do. I hope your first week back went well.

Hi Kerri - It seems incredible that Scout is a year old already. Vanessa made her favorite cake - angel food with cooked frosting and sprinkles. Scout was slow about digging her hands in, but ending eating a nice chunk. She was pretty sticky -- along with mom -- afterwards.

I'm almost done with The Mind's Eye. Sacks is a wonderful spokesperson for neuroscience; he makes it accessible and interesting.

Happy first birthday to Scout - that's gone fast! And it being her birthday reminded me to go and check out your profile for more pictures- she's so cute!

Thanks to you and Kerri A Month in the Country has gone to the top of my library list. It's been on my wishlist for ages but sometimes I just need that extra reminded to get hold of a copy :-)

Hi Heather: We had a fun birthday. I haven't posted any pictures for a while. Her parents don't really want me to post more.

I think you will love A Month in the Country.

A belated Happy Birthday to Scout! Next year she will be all over that cake and the honor of it all! I'm sorry about her parents' decision that you not post pictures, but I understand completely.

Thanks, Peggy. It was a good day. Regarding the pictures, I have to honor their wishes. Her dad's a police officer and even though I've never posted full names, I understand.

So far so good, Beth. I do love being back at the same school -- it makes a huge difference not to be new, if that makes sense. And oh my goodness, I have so much to do!! Good luck getting through your list.

Oh my goodness, Scout is a year old already! Happy birthday! It sounds like everyone had a good time.

Happy Birthday to Scout!! I understand the picture issue--I actually don't post my family (except the animals). It's amazing what people can figure out, on the internet.

>106 BLBera: I understand the picture concerns - we will just imagine how cute she is :-)

HI Anne - Good luck getting started. It is great to be at the same place, I imagine.

Hi Joanne - I can't believe she's 1 already.

Hi Rhonda - I hadn't thought about it until Vanessa asked me not to post more photos. But you're right; there's way too much information about us out there. Recently I was contacted by two people I knew in college -- it was a good thing -- but it's scary how easy it is to find people -- and I don't even have a Facebook page!

Hi Heather - Just imagine that she keeps getting cuter! :) I got The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August from the library. I think you recommended it? It is hard to put down. Thanks!

Reading: The Mind's Eye and The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Like in Life After Life, Harry is reborn again after he dies. The difference is that he remembers everything from his past lives.

Privacy levels on internet forums! What an interesting topic! I do understand the photo thing though, even though I'm sad that there will be no more Scout pictures. My big paranoia is talking specifically about where I work on LT, even though it's probably kind of obvious. I just don't like to say it our loud and that seems to be working out well.

Hi Kerri - Not obvious to me where you work, but I do understand what you mean. It's best to be discrete about things that could back to bite one. I'm sad about Scout photos, too. She is such a cutie; you'll just have to come to Rochester to see her in person. :) When is your Minn. trip? We have a new beer place in town -- haven't been yet. I guess I'm waiting for out-of-town visitors who are beer connoisseurs...

63. The Mind's Eye is a collection of essays that explores the connection between the brain and "seeing." Sacks is a great ambassador for neuroscience; he takes the complexities of the brain and makes them intelligible to the layperson. I especially liked the discussion of perception and imagery in the last essay, "The Mind's Eye." In this he explores the relationship between visual imagery and perception. Can one exist without the other? To make his discussions accessible, he includes examples and case studies. Other topics covered in this collection include stereo vision, aphasia, and loss of ability to read. Very interesting.

It's my book club selection for this month, so I'll be anxious to see what others think.

In other book news, I'm still enjoying The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.

>116 BLBera: Oof, that one sounds really interesting - wishlisted!

Hi Beth!

>115 BLBera: - We still don't have a concrete Minneapolis trip planned, but when we do, I'll definitely let you know. I think the new beer place is the Surly pub, right?

>116 BLBera: - Fascinating.

Hi Amber: The Mind's Eye is fascinating, and we had a good discussion at our book club today. It was interesting to find the essays that people liked the best. The most popular one was the one in which Sacks talks about his experience of losing the sight in one eye. People in the club found the topic interesting, and all agreed that he makes it understandable to people without a science background.

Other tangents: One member is reading IQ84, which her son recommended to her. She is loving it so far. She realizes it is not a book club potential -- too long. Another talked about reading on the Nook/Kindle vs. reading a "real" book. She loved As I Lay Dying after she switched to a paper book, hated it on the Nook. Interesting.

Our next month's book is Dear Life, which I am looking forward to.

Hi Kerri - Is your staycation almost over? Have a great weekend. I don't know the name of the beer place...

Well, I stayed up way too late last night reading The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, so I hope to finish it today. I'm not sure what I'll pick up next.

One week before school starts. :(

I'm not sure how I missed dear Scout's birthday but I know it must have been wonderful. It's amazing how fast time passes, isn't it Beth. And the older we get, the faster it passes. I completely understand the reticence to post pictures of Scout, or rather her parents reticence. I'm still not sure I'll be able to post any pictures of my little grandchild when it arrives. I asked about it some time ago and didn't really get an answer so we will have to see.

Hi Bonnie - Scout's first year flew by; you are right about how time passes faster and faster. You'll see when you have you own little one. Do you know if it's a boy or girl? I'll have to stop by your thread and see.

64. Speaking of time, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is about time. The premise sounds like Life After Life; Harry is born, dies, and is born again. There's one difference, however. He remembers his previous lives.

The novel starts as he lies dying -- again. He is visited by a seven-year-old girl who tells him that the world is ending and it's up to him. The rest of the novel, we follow Harry through his first fifteen lives and learn what he has to do to keep the world from ending prematurely.

North keeps things moving; the fact that Harry can remember his previous lives, means that they are never the same. He's an engaging narrator, and I found myself staying up way too late to keep reading. Very entertaining and original.

Next: I'm going back to the story collection Snow in May. I think I'll go back to the Atwood essays, too. I have a couple of novels from the library. I might take a look at them to see which appeals.

I have to pack in the reading this last week before school starts.

65. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a great book for young readers. Bonnie and Sylvia Green are orphaned and a wicked governess takes over the house and sends them to a workhouse school. My kids loved reading about their adventures as they escaped the evildoers. There was just enough tension to keep them interested, but not so much to scare them. A great book for young readers; I look forward to sharing this with Scout in a few years.

>122 BLBera: Oh, I love that one, too!

Hi Amber - I was looking at my bookshelves yesterday - not at all organized -- and I put the young readers that I have together. It will be a while before Scout's interested, but many are books that her mom and uncle read when they were little. I'll add to it as I pick up new ones.

I was in the mood for historical fiction, and I picked up The Orphanmaster, set in 1663 Manhattan, when it belongs to the Dutch. I can hardly put it down. One of the blurb's at the beginning says it's "the ideal historical mystery for readers who value the history as much as the mystery. Set in New Amsterdam in the mid-seventeenth century ...animated by robust characters who thrive on the edges of civilization."

I have school stuff to do, but this is really pulling me in.

>124 BLBera: - I'm going to put The Orphanmaster on the wishlist. I really like the idea of good, historical mysteries, despite my recent disappointment with Dissolution.

>124 BLBera: - Glad to hear you are enjoying The Orphanmaster, Beth, as that is on my WL...

>124 BLBera: The Orphanmaster sounds good, Beth. Another book bullet taken.

Beth, The Orphanmaster sounds very good!

Hi Kerri - Well, I'm enjoying The Orphanmaster, and I was lukewarm about Dissolution.

Katie, Judy and Nancy - I'll comment more fully when I've finished. I am enjoying it. There's a strong female protagonist - Dutch women had more rights than women anywhere else in the late 1660s.

Scout's walking!

>130 BLBera: Wonderful!! There'll be no stopping her now! :)

>130 BLBera: - Exciting news, Beth! Yay!

Hi Joanne. Yes, we'll have to reevaluate the height at which things are safe...

Hi Kerri - Scout just gets more fun every day.

66. The Orphanmaster is good historical fiction. Set in the 1660s in New Amsterdam, Zimmerman creates a vivid sense of the time and place, the dirt, the smells, the death. There are so many orphans that there is a person, like a guardian, to take care of them. By care, I mean finding families who need child labor. When orphans start to disappear, and then when bodies start to show up with strange symbols on them, people start to fear that a witika is stealing the children, a Native American demon. Blandine van Couvering, a young Dutch trader, starts to look into the disappearances.

There's something for everyone in this novel: history, mystery, a love story, cannibalism... It was a little gory for me at times, but this was a page turner set during a time of change in the New World.

Thanks for taking The Orphanmaster off my radar and putting it on my wishlist. I have to say that I enjoyed Dissolution but liked the later ones much more.

Better put on your roller skates, Beth. Running is next and those little ones can really move!

Zimmerman creates a vivid sense of the time and place, the dirt, the smells, the death. Wow! I love that rich, sensory writing.

Hi Peggy - I'll be interested to hear what you think of The Orphanmaster when you get to it.

Hi Judy - Yes, she is a pretty speedy little one. She's much slower walking, so when she wants to move fast, she crawls. Not much longer, though, I bet.

Hi Nancy - I looked up Zimmerman, and she's written some nonfiction about the time period, about a she-merchant, what the Dutch called women merchants. Dutch women had more rights than women anywhere else during that time. So, that explains how Zimmerman is so good at the time and place.

I just got Margaret Maron's new book from the library, Designated Daughters, so I'm going to read that next.

Scout is walking! I've always thought that children don't really start walking until they hit their teens. Most of the children I know seem to go pretty quickly from crawling to running. My brother and I were in junior high and high school when our cousin was a toddler. The little guy would still be going strong long after we had collapsed.

Carrie - I know what you mean. Scout can really move when she has her eye on something.

Yay for Scout! Walking already. she'll be into everything now Beth:-)

Bonnie - Yes, she is a pretty busy little girl. She gets more fun every day. Any news on the baby front for you?

Scout is walking!!! That's exciting news! I loved seeing what intrigued my boys when they were able to get around on their own.

Beth, I am constantly surprised by the difference in babies once they start walking/running! They become instant toddlers with minds of their own. One of Molly's joys is running away from us in a crowd. Luckily, most of the time I spend with her is here at home where she is content to play with Grandma's toys….something else she really got into after she started walking. Fun times are ahead for both of us!

Hi Amy - Yes, she seems to have a mind of her own. She is so busy now that unless she's tired, she's constantly on the move. It gets more fun every day.

Hi Donna - You have more experience as a grandma, but I am seeing more independence in Scout. She is growing up so fast.

Well, school starts tomorrow. I am more or less ready. I finished painting my family room today so I wouldn't have that hanging over my head once classes start. I'm trying to finish Restless, my first novel by Boyd. I am enjoying it. I don't remember who first recommended him, but I know I heard about him here.

Babies are so cute when they first start walking! I love the little drunken cowboy look. (bow-legged from the diapers.)

Great description, Rhonda. :)

68. Restless is the story of Eva Delectorskaya, a woman recruited to spy for the British during WWII. The story alternates between 1939-1941 and 1976, when Eva's daughter finds out about her mother. Ruth Gilmartin is a single mom who teaches English to foreign students. On one visit to her mother, Sallie Gilmartin hands a folder to Ruth, asking her to read it. The folder contains the story of her mother's true identity.

This novel is a thriller, but it also explores the personal cost of spying, especially from a woman's perspective. Sallie Gilmartin is always looking over her shoulder. Sallie is a wonderful character. It's nice to read a thriller with a resourceful woman as the protagonist.

I'm not sure what I'll pick up next; I've been enjoying pulling books off my shelves.

Hi Beth! Best wishes on the upcoming school year!

>146 BLBera: - Nice comments. I've yet to read a spy novel, but am considering Night Soldiers soon.

Restless sounds veey appealing, Beth. I don't think I have ever considered the personal costs of being a spy; I like that.

Hey Kerri - Thanks Kerri. We have a new president, so I will be anxious to see what changes she makes.

I don't read thrillers very often - too much testosterone. I liked this one because Eva was a hard ass. I've heard good things about Furst around here. I have a couple by him. Sooner or later, I'll get to one of his. I'll be anxious to hear what you think.

Hi Nancy. I liked Restless and usually I'm not a big fan of thrillers.

I've started An Uncertain Place. I love the quirky Commissaire Adamsberg. This is off to a promising start; he's getting ready to go to a conference in London on "harmonizing the management of migratory flows." He has to go, but "He would be participating in a virtual, hands-off way: first because of his ingrained hostility to any 'management of flows,' and secondly because he had never been able to remember a word of English." I love it. I'll be anxious to see what trouble he manages to get into in England.

I just attended a wonderful presentation at my public library. Peter Razor, author of While the Locust Slept talked about his boyhood in an orphanage in Owatonna, Minnesota. It sounds like a pretty horrific place, and I guess the cemetery there is a large one. He is Native American, and had caretakers with nicknames like The Hammer. He eventually became what was child slave labor to a local farmer. He talked about his experiences with grace, and said telling his story has helped him to heal. His book won a Minnesota book award in 2002, but I had never heard of him before today. I bought the book and will comment when I get to it.

First day of school went well. I turned in my sabbatical report. Met two classes worth of students. All my classes are full, so I have 104 students. That will keep me busy.

I think I'll take An Uncertain Place and go to bed.

Congratulations on a successful first day back. 52 students per class? WOW! I guess they will keep you busy. Hope you have a great year!
AND.... You make me delighted that I have a copy of Restless. I'm going to push it higher on Mt. Bookpile. You also completely talked me into Commissionaire Adamsberg. I've just ordered Seeking Whom He May Devour because I can get it cheap. I look forward to reading a woman named Fred.

Wow! That's a lot of paper grading. Good luck!

Glad you enjoyed the presentation at your library. I'm jealous, as my public library branch is small (and poorly managed) and never has any programming that interests me. Luckily I have other options in the city at the Chicago Public Library. I'm also hoping to take in some author talks at the humanities festival this year. I think Jamaica Kincaid is speaking, if I'm not mistaken.

Hi Peggy - I have 104 students total among the four classes. Still, that's enough. It will keep me busy. I am really enjoying An Uncertain Place - the characters are so quirky.

Kerri - Our library does a pretty good job.

Hooray - I got The Bone Clocks from the August ER list! Can't wait.

>150 BLBera: Sounds like an interesting book, Beth. It reminds me of a story I read in the NYT several months ago about a group of men from TX who were trucked in to a town in Iowa, I think, to work, basically in servitude. They lived in an old schoolhouse. Haunting story.

104 students - you will be busy! My college student son called tonight and he's already overwhelmed after two days. He's got a lot going on but his favorite class is going to be Beat Generation Writers. I wouldn't mind sitting in on that one myself.

>153 BLBera: - Congrats on your Early Reviewer win! I won a vegan cookbook, so not quite as exciting. I still have to read Cloud Atlas.

Kerri - I think you will love Cloud Atlas - it is the most original thing I've read in a while although I have to admit I spent the first 100 pages scratching my head. I would like to read it again.

>156 BLBera: - I'll definitely pick it up one of these days.

I hope you a lovely weekend planned!

Thanks Kerri. I hope to get some reading in, but I also have grading to do. Have a great weekend.

Grading already? Stop giving them homework!

;-)

I know, Katie, I know. But I do have an extra day, so I should have some time to do something fun. Right now I'm wiped out, so I think I'm going to do some couch sitting with my book.

69. An Uncertain Place. As usual, Commissaire Adamsberg finds himself with an unusual case. He's in London for a conference and ends up accompanying one of his colleagues to Highgate Cemetery where they find seventeen shoes -- with feet in them. Adamsberg is happy to leave the feet behind, but when he gets back to Paris, he is called to a horrific murder scene in which the body has been hacked into little pieces. Of course, the two things are related, but the journey to the solution is unexpected for all involved.

Vargas has created a well written, original series with distinctive characters and labyrinthine plots. I look forward to the next one. For those who are interested in starting the series; I found the first one to be the weakest. You could probably skip to the second one.

Ah, back to school time for our Beth. Is it more difficult after your sabbatical or do you feel refreshed, revived, and ready to go? Will you still have Scout on Tuesdays?

I'm also excited about getting The Bone Clocks! It's been a very long time since I requested two ER books in two months. I started The Paying Guests and am liking it so far.

Hi Donna - I taught in the summer, so it wasn't such a tough transition to go back. I'll still carve out time to have Scout, just half days, but she's so busy now that I am exhausted after a few hours!

I am excited about The Bone Clocks, too. I hope it does come. I have The Paying Guests on my list. Who knows when I'll get to it.

I'm finishing a short story collection, Snow in May -- also an ER book, and very good.

Morning Beth! Congrats on snagging The Bone Clocks. I did too. Yah! I was a BIG fan of Cloud Atlas.

Sadly, I have only read one Commissaire Adamsberg book. I really NEED to get back to that series.

Hi Mark - It sounds like quite a few of us got The Bone Clocks. I hope it comes soon. I love the Commissaire Adamsberg books, and the one I just finished was really good. She has also started another series that I probably have to check out.

Lots going on in your thread -- Booktopia and beer.... I've just been lurking around.

>161 BLBera: - It sounds like I should perhaps try this series. Of course, you know I have to start with the first one, even though you advise against it. :-)

Hi Kerri - I was thinking of you when I said that. Just skim through it rapidly and move on... :)

70. Snow in May was an ER book, a collection of stories set in Magadan, a gateway to Stalin's forced labor camps in far eastern Siberia. They take place throughout the twentieth century, showing changes to the town and its people. Melnik tells her stories with both humor and compassion. The people who live in this isolated place want the same basic things we all want; life is just much harder, colder, with scarce food. In the stories, we also see the importance of art in people's lives.

Melnik is especially skillful with younger narrators. Despite the hard living conditions, the kids carry on. My favorite stories were two with young narrators: Dima in "The Uncatchable Avengers" and Sonya in "Summer Medicine." In "The Untouchable Avengers," Dima is playing a Tchaikovsky tune for a recital that is being taped. He knows the song but has a hard time concentrating, being distracted by a club he is forming for superheroes. In "Summer Medicine," Sonya, a recurring character, fakes illness so she can be admitted to the hospital. She thinks the experience will help her become a better doctor.

In all of the stories, the humor and warmth help to mitigate the hardship of the place. In one of the stories, a pregnant woman "sensed a deep underwater humming whenever she approached the bay...She thought it was the surge of adrenaline due to the rapid changes in her life: the pregnancy, the marriage, the new city. Decades later...she would find out that Russia's largest atomic submarine base had been just across the bay."

I will definitely look for more by Melnik.

I think next I'll pick up Byrd - I've heard so much positive about it.

HOORAY for Byrd!! Hope you like it as much as Mark and I did. No pressure :)

Hi Beth! I hope that you enjoyed the long weekend and that your semester is off to a good start. I start out this semester with a doctoral seminar, so only 7 students there, but I pick up an Executive MBA class about halfway through the fall.

Katie - I started Byrd and love it. Thanks for the recommendation. Whew! The pressure is off.

Hi Amy - I did enjoy the long weekend; I wish there were more of them... I didn't accomplish all that I'd hoped to, but I never do. At some point I hit a wall and have to stop -- usually when I start to be snarky with my comments -- at least in my head. That's when I know it's time for a break.

Hi Beth.

>116 BLBera: The Mind's Eye sounds really interesting. I've heard lots of good things about Oliver Sacks' books but have never read any.

>121 BLBera: & >122 BLBera: Really pleased you enjoyed The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and The Wolves of Willoughby Chase which was a favourite of mine when I was growing up. I reread it as an adult and still really enjoyed it. :-)

Hi Heather - If you are interested in how the brain works, Sacks does a great job of explaining to a person with no science background. I find his essays fascinating. Thanks for the recommendation for The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August; it was very interesting. It certainly kept me turning the pages.

>167 BLBera: - Nice review of Snow in May. That reminds me, but not exactly, of a collection of stories I just read about, but can no longer remember the title/author. They all take place in the 1970s/80s in the USSR. Now I'll have to go find out what I'm talking about. I think it's newish.

Hi Kerri - That does sound familiar. Let me know when you figure out the title.

Just checking in to see whether you have your copy of The Bone Clocks and have started it..... I guess not. I'll wait patiently to talk.

Hi Peggy: Nope, The Bone Clocks hasn't arrived yet.

>174 BLBera: - Oh! I cannot find it. I'll have to look harder.

Have a lovely weekend!

Kerri - It will come. I hope you have a great weekend.

The Bone Clocks arrived. Gulp - 620 pages! I will finish Byrd this weekend, but I have a couple of library books I have to return soonish, so it may be a couple of weeks before I start it.

Can you believe two weeks of school have already passed?

Beth, congratulations of getting through 2 weeks of school!
*BC* is going really quickly. Cloud Atlas, it ain't. I can't wait for you to get started.

Peggy - We'll talk. I skimmed over your comments. I want to read it before I read too many comments by others.

71. Byrd is a lovely little book. Thanks Katie and Ellen!

It spoke to me immediately because the main character, Addie "believes in books. They are more interesting than real life and easier to understand. Sometimes you can guess the ending. Things usually work out, and if they don't, you can always tell yourself it was only a book." Addie Lockwood meets Roland Rhodes in fourth grade, and their lives intertwine forever after. This book is really about our expectations and what happens when life doesn't turn out as we expect it to. A quiet book with a big impact.

Next, the new Louise Penny The Long Way Home. I just got it from the library, and it's a short two-week loan, so I want to read that before I pick up The Bone Clocks, which arrived yesterday.

I'm also reading the nonfiction A Jury of Her Peers, the first history of American women writers. As I read through, I expect I'll find new writers to explore. I'll share here. It will take me awhile, I'm sure.

This weekend I'll be grading and watching some tennis - Serena Williams vs. Caroline Wozniaki in the US Open Final. I'm cheering for Serena - she looked great against Makarova. And of course, I might see little Scout. Such an exceptional child.:)

>181 BLBera: - Oh, yay! So glad you liked Byrd, too. I just loved Addie's "voice," and as you say - "a quiet book" but so good :)

Oh, Beth, you've reminded me of Louise Penny's new one, The Long Way Home. Thank you!

Katie - Great call on Byrd. I guess from now on I will let you tell me what to read...;)

Hi Nancy - I've been waiting for Penny's latest. I wish it would have come out before school started.

I put Byrd on my wishlist after reading about it on Mark's thread, but both you and Katie have moved it up a few notches!

>184 BLBera: - Ha! That was just a lucky one :)

Hi Judy - I hope you enjoy Byrd when you get to it.

No Katie - You are the new oracle of my reading.

I'm really enjoying the new Louise Penny, The Long Way Home. It has cut into my schoolwork time this weekend.

72. The Long Way Home. The best series are those that allow characters and situations to evolve. That's what Penny does in her Three Pines mysteries. Chief Inspector Gamache is now retired and lives in Three Pines. When Clara Morrow, a neighbor asks him for help in finding her husband, however, Gamache doesn't refuse. He leaves Three Pines to find out why Peter Morrow didn't come home on the appointed day. Wonderful settings, interesting conversations about art and muses and well developed characters all keep this series going strong. This was a treat.

Next: another library book, The Word Exchange

>188 BLBera: I loved the conversations about art and muses in Penny's latest Three Pines book too, Beth! Each book seems to have something new to grab my attention, along with giving me the chance to reconnect with "old friends."

Hi Amy - Yes. I also love the fact that she makes unpredictable plot choices. I won't say more so as not to spoil anything for those who haven't read it.

Beth, you've inspired me to make The Long Way Home my next read! Penny has surely done a wonderful job with this series.

Nancy - This one is a winner. I'll be anxious to see your comments when you get to it.

Hmmm. A list of new books that I understand appeared miraculously in your mailbox???

Hi Peggy - Sometimes it happens.:)

>188 BLBera: - I have to get back to this series. I felt a bit meh about the first one, but everyone says it gets better, so I'm going to keep going.

The book I was thinking of may have been Twelve Months of a Soviet Childhood. I just saw it on my Kindle (I had totally forgotten the purchase). Eek!

Kerri - I've liked the series from the beginning, but I think as it gets darker and more unpredictable you might like it more... Or, maybe it's not for you.

Twelve Months of a Soviet Childhood doesn't sound familiar to me; I don't remember you talking about that one. If you would like Snow in May, I'd be happy to send it on to you. Just let me know. I have your address.

>196 BLBera: - Thank you so much for the offer, Beth! However, I am making poor progress with short story collections and have no idea when I would get to it (most likely not in this lifetime.) Anyone else on Earth is probably a more worthy recipient.

Okey dokey, Kerri. I know what you mean about short stories. My book club is reading Dear Life this month, so at least I will get through one.

I just started it, and Munro is wonderful. I'm also reading, slowly, The Word Exchange. It's an interesting premise but a little slow starting, not helped by the fact that I am really busy and am so tired when I read that I fall asleep easily. I hope to make more headway this weekend.

Hi Beth! I'm glad you liked Byrd (score another one for Katie -- I guess she can tell both of us what to read from now on).

And I have been meaning to get to Dear Life for ages now. You're already raving about it, so perhaps that will be my next short story collection after the Mantel collection that I'm reading for ER. I keep thinking I could have a short story collection going at all times but I tend to get pulled into the novels and the stories go neglected.

Hi Ellen - I'm glad you're back. It sounds like you had a magical vacation. Are you refreshed and renewed? For me, Munro is an amazing story writer. I would be happy to pass Dear Life to you when I'm finished. I own several collections of Munro stories; I think it's time to pass some on.

A general question for LTers. I am on a committee that is discussing the remodeling of faculty offices on my campus. English faculty are pretty adamant about keeping private offices. However, the architect is showing us "flexible" space (read cubicles). Has anyone had experience in an academic setting with this space and/or read articles about how it would work in an academic setting? I'm going to do a lit search, but if anyone has seen anything on this topic, send it my way.

Just looking at the cubicles has ruined a perfectly good Saturday...

I think I'm going to chill with a book, either The Word Exchange or Dear Life or maybe both.

Speaking as a former faculty member, I say that cubicles instead of faculty offices is a *terrible* idea. Where would you be expected to hold office hours?! Where would you keep all of your books?! Just an awful idea.

Hi Amber: I'm with you 100 %. I guess we would have "private" rooms we could use, but I would guess that if we have cubicles, most faculty will come, teach classes, stay for office hours and leave. I would just like to see if there have been any studies, so we would have a research-backed answer.

I work in cubicals, though not academic, and it's horrible, especially for introverted types. I need to do a lot of writing for my job, and in a cubical environment, it is super hard to think.

Honestly, I can't see cubicles working in an academic setting. Private conversations with students? Where/how would these happen?

I am not a cubicle fan either, Beth. I need my own space to be walled in. Doesn't matter if the walls are made of glass but sometimes I just need to close my door and scream.

Our whole office was renovated last year, and we moved from a lot of offices to mostly cubicles. Everyone predicted disaster, but they provided enough small meeting rooms for private conversations/telephone calles/etc. that it hasn't been that bad.

That being said, an academic environment is completely different from an office one. Beyond meeting with students, though, I have no idea what goes on - ha!

Hi Rhonda - I can't imagine what I would do with all my stuff transferring from an office to a cubie -- I'm not even considering what I would have to do to protect student confidentiality.

Hi Nancy - I'm thinking never is when they would happen.

Hi Paul - I like to be able to close my door when I need to concentrate. Glass doors/walls wouldn't bother me either. Scream? Maybe you need a new job? :)

Hi Katie - I think some disciplines lend themselves better to cubies. I do a lot of grading, and it's nice to have a quiet space then.

When is the big trip to California?

We leave on Sunday and come back Tuesday. Looks like I'll be spending most of Monday working while The Wayne is interviewing, but we'll have Sunday afternoon and evening and part of Monday afternoon and the evening to explore...

Faculty cubicles are wrong for all sorts of reasons. Confidentiality/privacy should be right at the top of the list. I found a couple of articles that might help. I'll put the links in a comment on your profile.

Good luck, Katie. I hope all turns out as you wish. I love the Bay Area.

Thanks Carrie. I'll look at them right now.

I can't imagine our institution ever suggesting cubicles for faculty simply because of the privacy issues related to advising students and because of the confidential nature of some of the meetings to discuss "academic issues" with them.

Good grief! At least they asked you. I hope you can convince the powers that cubicles are a really bad idea - I honestly can't imagine!

We've never had cubicles so much in the UK, in fact I don't recall ever being in an office where they had them. The norm is open plan, with dividers high enough to pin things on, but not high enough to stop you talking to the person opposite while you're sitting down. When I worked in a large office in the City you had to be very senior indeed to get your own office, but there were several meeting rooms for private meetings. Now I share an office with one other person and don't like it: I miss the buzz of the open-plan! Not really relevant to an an academic environment though.

>207 BLBera: one or two less jobs perhaps Beth to be more precise. At last count I was running or had a significant stake in 11 companies in various states of repair/disrepair and it takes a big chunk out of my stamina to try to push them all towards self-sufficiency.

I agree with those who can't fathom cubicles, especially in an academic setting where student confidentiality is so important. As a student, I would never have gone to office hours if they were in a non-private cubicle. What are these people thinking, Beth?!?

Lori, Peggy and Rhian - Well, we've all voiced our distaste for cubicles; we'll see if we are actually listened to. I sometimes get frustrated at being asked to sit on committees and then finding our input is disregarded. We're still at the initial stages of the design right now, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. One of my colleagues said that the cubicles send a message that they don't want us there.

Paul - It sounds like you might wish to divest. All that work cuts into your reading time!

Kerri - I think the confidentiality is the key, not only meeting with students, but emails, papers, etc. are all private. I also have piles to grade on my desk. If I couldn't lock my office, I don't know what I would do.

Well, back to school work. I'm hoping I can stay awake for some reading after I do some stuff to get ready for class tomorrow.

I sometimes get frustrated at being asked to sit on committees and then finding our input is disregarded. Hear, hear, Beth! I do hope your feedback is heeded.

Thanks Nancy. There are several faculty on the committee, so we'll hope for the best.

National Book Award longlist finalists:
An Unnecessary Woman
The UnAmericans
All the Light We Cannot See
Wolf in White Van
Redeployment
Station Eleven
Thunderstruck & Other Stories
Orfeo
Lila
Some Luck

Interesting list; I've never heard of some of these...

Hi Beth. I say no to cubicles. I mean, it may be partly my traditionalist self showing through. My dad was an English professor and he certainly always had a private office. And of course I also work on a college campus and no faculty here would stand for cubicles..... It's not just the meetings with students and such, it's also the need to be able to close the door and get some work done now and then. But I suppose it depends on the details.

Meanwhile, I very much liked An Unnecessary Woman and I have All the Light We Cannot See on hold at the library. I don't know much about (or have not heard of) any of the other National Book Award nominees.

Hi Ellen - We had another meeting yesterday, and our new president informed us that the state admin won't go for a new building filled with "just" faculty offices -- even though the building they are tearing down is mostly faculty offices. We have to 'think outside the box.' It's all very disheartening; but I am seeing a future without an office, which is ridiculous.

I remember that you loved An Unnecessary Woman, and I also have All the Light We Cannot See on hold. I think I'm 9 or 10 on the list now. Our reading has overlapped a bit this year. Great minds...

I will probably not read as many books this year; once school started, my reading (recreationally, anyway) has slowed a lot.

I'm hoping to finish Dear Life in the next couple of days. We discussed it for my book club yesterday. It was an interesting discussion. I love it so far, and while people who loved were in the majority, one person didn't like the lack of endings in the stories. Another had a problem with the lack of memorability, I guess. She found the people bland and unsympathetic. Others disagreed and found her snippets of life remarkable. I'm with the later group. I understand that in our literary tradition we are programmed to want a definite beginning, middle and end, but I often find the books I find most memorable are ones that are not plot driven. Although a good mystery from time to time is great entertainment.

I'm still reading The Word Exchange and Hard Time on my Nook in the gym -- working my way through the V. I. Warshawski series.

An Unnecessary Woman, which was excellent and All the Light We Cannot See, which I've not yet gotten to, are the only books on the list that sound familiar to me.

Nancy: I haven't read any of them. Some Luck is Jane Smiley's new book, and Lila is Marilynne Robinson's new one -- I think it's about the wife from Gilead? The UnAmericans is a collection of stories I've heard good things about and Station Eleven is dystopian fiction, which I just got from the library. Besides the two you mentioned, I haven't heard anything about the others.

I just finished Hard Time, another in the V. I. Warshawski series. One thing I really like about Paretsky's books is that each one tackles a social issue. I love the Chicago setting, too. Sometimes I find Warshawski irritating, or as her mentor Lotty says, "foolhardy." She rushes into danger too readily. Almost every book has a near escape from death, etc. But, it is a mystery, and, I also have to admire Vic for standing up for what she believes in, no matter the cost.

In Hard Time, she takes on the issue of the treatment of women inmates. When she tries to find out about the death of a woman she finds unconscious in the street, she unknowingly gets in the way of some powerful men who have big financial interests at stake. They also are willing to do anything to protect those interests. Vic really is running for her life through most of this novel. I enjoyed it and will keep at this series.

Still reading Dear Life and The Word Exchange.

Banned Books Week. Check out activities and ideas on the American Library Association website: http://www.ala.org

Read a banned book!

Beth, I had Dear Life in my hand a few weeks ago at Half Price Books in KC. I remembered my pledge not to buy books I could easily obtain at the library and put it back down. I do want to read it as I am a fan of Alice Munro's stories.

The National Book Award List looks interesting. I have All the Light We Cannot See and Station Eleven on hold at the library. I may buy the Robinson book as I am a big fan of Gilead and Home and want to keep her books in my personal library.

I'm not teaching anymore but my life does get busier in the fall so my reading and LT time will be scarcer. I just achieved the 75-book goal. It was early in August last year when I read my 75 books. I'll blame it on the granddaughters. Lol.

Hi Beth!

>219 BLBera: - Thanks for posting this. I absolutely loved An Unnecessary Woman and have Orfeo on my wishlist. Not very familiar with the others.

I hope you're having a nice Sunday.

Donna - If you like Munro, you will like these stories. After each one, I find myself saying, "This is the best one." I just can't sit and read story after story. I have to stop and think about each one, so it takes me a while to get through them.

I'm a little surprised I haven't read any of the books on the National Book Award list; usually I've read at least one.

Granddaughters are a good problem to have. :)

Hi Kerri - Spent some Sunday time with family, so it's good. Now, it's time to get back to grading and getting ready for the week. Why do weekends go by so quickly??

I'll try to get some reading in, too.

Interesting long list for the National Book Award! I haven't read any of them, but Jane Smiley and Marilynne Robinson are both going to be at the Iowa City Book Festival at the beginning of October, so I'm hoping to hear more about both of their books!

Wow! Amy, are you going to hear Robinson and Smiley? When will they be there. I should check it out and see if I could go. Iowa City isn't so far.

Yes, I think I'm going to get to see both Robinson and Smiley. The Iowa City Book Festival is Oct 2-5. Robinson is Friday, Oct 3 at 7:30 pm. She'll be in conversation with Ayana Mathis (who studied with Robinson at the Iowa Writers' Workshop) at the Englert Theater downtown. Smiley is also going to be at the Englert. She reads on Sunday, Oct 5 at 1:00 pm. There are lots of other authors throughout the weekend, although I don't know many of the others. Let me know if you think you might make it for either of them. I'd love to get a chance to meet you!

Here's the link to the schedule for the whole weekend:
Iowa City Book Festival.

Thanks Amy. I'll check it out and let you know. I've always wanted to go. I'm just not sure about the timing. Things are crazy busy around here right now.

74. The Word Exchange is based on an interesting idea. In the future, people become so reliant on their memes (advanced cell phones) that they start to lose memory and words. One company, Synchronic begins to buy up rights to all dictionaries and creates a "word exchange" where people can look up words they forgot -- for a price of course. When a more advanced meme is introduced -- it is placed on the skin and activated by thought -- it becomes infected by a virus and people start to get "word flu," in which they become aphasic.

The idea is interesting, but I found this a bit of a slog. The plot took a long time to develop and the chapters narrated by Bart, who was infected by the word flu were hard to get through: "Also, they kazh not to. They've ashy a lot of things." I could figure out things from context, but it was slow going. So, A for idea, C for execution.

An upside: it did make me think about words. Here's a nice quote: "Words, I've come to learn, are pulleys through time. Portals into other minds. Without words, what remains? Indecipherable customs. Strange rites. Blighted hearts. Without words, we're history's orphans. Our lives and thoughts erased."

Next: I have some library books that have to go back. Station Eleven is one, but I don't know that I can face another dystopia right now. I think I'll read Euphoria. I also have the new Department Q novel, The Marco Effect.

Hi Beth!

>231 BLBera: - Sorry this was a slog. I remember reading about this around LT earlier this year and it didn't sound like my cup of tea. I usually don't like anything involving technology-in-the-brain or virtual reality stuff and it sounds like that. Oddly enough, I love robots. Go figure.

Hey Kerri - Thanks for stopping by. Yes, I thought about not finishing this, but it wasn't THAT bad. It was disappointing though, that the little time I have to read was feeling like really hard work. No robots here, so I think you can pretty safely say it's not for you.

I am loving Euphoria, a fictionalized version of Margaret Mead, her husband and some other guy... I hope to finish it this evening after I get through grading.

Hi Beth! Just thought I'd de-lurk and say hello :)

Hi Beth! I'm glad to hear that you are liking Euphoria. I listened to it on audio, and it worked well in that format. The story was interesting enough to keep me engaged, even listening to it in 30 minute chunks.

If you don't make it to the Iowa City Book Festival this weekend, maybe we can convince you to make a trip here when things are a little less crazy. Prairie Lights has good authors come through fairly regularly!

Hi Katie - Thanks for stopping by - not much happening here lately.

Hi Amy - I am sick because I can't make the Book Festival -- maybe next year. Is it ususally the first weekend in October? I'll put it on my calendar.

I am loving Euphoria; it's a fascinating view at the methodology of anthropologists and the threesome of Nell, Fen and Bankson is pretty interesting, too. If I can stay awake, I should finish it tonight.

Beth - I'm sad that you won't be able to make the Book Festival this year too. I think it usually is the first week of October. It has been the last couple of years at least. I think that they probably work around Hawkeye football games too. I'll keep you posted if they announce next year's dates at this year's festival.

Thanks Amy. I'll make it to Iowa City one of these days... But do let me know about the dates. If I know ahead of time, I can make plans.

I just finished # 75. Euphoria is the story of anthropologist Nell Stone, her husband Fen and a fellow anthropologist, Andrew Bankson. Stone is loosely based on Margaret Mead. Wonderfully written, King portrays Nell as a woman who lives for her work, searching for something she doesn't have in her life: "I think above all else it is freedom I search for in my work, in these far-flung places, to find a group of people who give each other the room to be in whatever way they need to be. And maybe I will never find it all in one culture but maybe I can find parts of it in several cultures, maybe I can piece it together like a mosaic and unveil it to the world." The debates over methodology -- and even over whether anthropology is a real disciple are fascinating. King does a great job of showing the birth of anthropology. This is a lovely little book.

Congrats on hitting 75!

Hi Beth, congratulations on hitting that magic number of 75!

Congrats on reaching 75' and with a book you enjoyed!

Woot! Well done on reaching 75 books, Beth!

Good job on reaching the 75-book milestone, Beth. I am interested in the Iowa Book Festival, too. Maybe we could have a regional meetup in Iowa City next October.

Thanks Jim, Judy, Carrie, Nancy and Donna. You're on, Donna. If I put it on the calendar far enough in advance, it might happen.

Currently reading (besides student papers) Flight Behavior - for one of my classes and Station Eleven - for fun.

75 GOOD for you! Congratulations, Beth! (I'm only a tiny bit envious.) I'd love to try Euphoria and *All Light* and Lila and Some Luck . I have *Unnecessary Woman" which I will read. I'm a true Richard Powers fan, so I'll get Orfe sooner rather than later. I'll probably even try *Word Exchange* when it falls in my lap. You see that I'm right at home on your thread.
And I must say that the Iowa Book Festival sounds too good to be true. How awesome it would be to meet a fellow LTer there!

Hi Peggy - Thanks for stopping by. I'm reading Station Eleven and loving it. I'm with you -- both Lila and Some Luck are on my list. We'll see how soon I get to them!

Another list of writers to watch: http://www.nationalbook.org/5under35.html#.VC13yL5N05R

I'm not familiar with any of these, so I'm going to check them out and see if any of the books are available in my library.