Laura (lauralkeet)'s Reading - The Finale - Part 4

Video: Finale, from the 2012 film. Spoiler alert: if you've never seen the show, fast forward to 2:16!

This year my thread features favorites from Musical Theater. Since this is likely to be the last thread I create this year, I thought it fitting to feature a show that gives me goosebumps every. single. time. I've seen Les Miserables three times on stage, as well as the 2012 film with Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. I'm sure there are those who consider this one trite and overdone, but I just love the music as well as the revolving set used in stage productions.




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 books I already own. Other than that, I will read whatever strikes my fancy.

Books completed ("details" jumps to location in this thread where review & links can be found)
September
41. All the Light We Cannot See - details
42. Fighting France - details
43. A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing - details
44. The Likeness - details
45. Plainsong - details

October
46. The Shuttle - details
47. Kingfishers Catch Fire - details
48. Lucia's Progress - details
49. Trouble for Lucia - details
50. Lila - details

November
51. The Two Mrs Abbotts - details
52. A Land More Kind than Home - details
53. A Pin to See the Peepshow - details
54. Mariana - details
55. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating - details
56. Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister - details
57. Frangipani - details

December
58. Bird Sense: What It's Like to be a Bird - details
59. O Pioneers! - details
60. How to be Both - details
61. The Secret Scripture - details
62. Before Lunch - details
63. Faithful Place - details

Reading Bingo



I completed my Bingo card on August 2. Refer to this message for a complete list of books used to fill the card.

Series Progress

Active series of September 1:


Series completed in 2014:
* C.J. Sansom's Shardlake
* Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne
* Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire
* Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike
* E.F. Benson's Mapp & Lucia (October)
* D.E Stevenon's Miss Buncle (November)

Series started in 2014:
* Proust's Remembrance of Things Past
* Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike
* D.E. Stevenson's Miss Buncle
* Sarah Caudwell's Hilary Tamar
* Kent Haruf's Plainsong (September)

ICYMI: on my previous thread, a review of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, my first 5-star read this year!

Happy new thread, Laura!

I loved Les Mis. Bawled my eyes out but loved it.

Happy New thread, Laura! Hope you had a nice holiday weekend.

Nice series entry there! Hope you had lots of time for reading.

Happy new thread Laura!

I love Les Mis and have seen it in the theatre 3 times. Still haven't see the recent film though - I think I'm worried it won't be as good as the theatre.

Really pleased you enjoyed The Paying Guests (I'm on p100 and it's good) and a well-deserved thumb for your review of The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I'm glad people are starting to find Booker nominees they enjoy.

Dunno how your threads have fallen off my radar, but I'm off to read your review of The Narrow Road to the Deep North now. I enjoyed Flanagan's Death of a River Guide.

Hi everyone! Back to work today and into the fire with a week-long intensive activity. It's nice to stop in here at the end of the workday.

>5 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! BTW Ms. Waters is winging her way towards TX as I write ... ETA Friday sez USPS.

>6 tiffin: I'm glad I'm not the only one, Tui.

>7 msf59: Mark, the weekend was indeed quite nice, and surprisingly productive. I completed a number of long-overdue tasks around the house, made substantive progress on a knitting project, AND got well into All the Light we Cannot See which I'm enjoying.

>8 sibylline: Lucy, the weekend was good for reading. I'm missing my lunchtime reading this week due to aforementioned "week-long intensive activity," but such is life.

>9 souloftherose: Another Les Mis fan! I have just one comment about the film, Heather: Hugh Jackman. 'Nuff said. :)

>10 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda! Nice to see you here. The Flanagan is pretty intense and graphic in parts, but excellent.

I have only seen the theatre production, not the movie. Hugh Jackman, eh?

Hi Laura, Happy New Thread! I'll try and follow again from here.

We played music from Les Mis one year in high school marching band - and one the state championship that year! Love the musical.

Happy New Thread!

Oh, also - what's the knitting project?

>12 tiffin: oh yeah, Hugh Jackman!! The movie is interested because they recorded the singing live as they were acting, and some special technical work was required to make it work. From IMDB:

Recording the actors' singing live as they're acting may not be a first for this film, but the scope, and especially the manner in which it's being done, is: The actors wore ear pieces which fed the sound of a live piano being played off-stage, to keep their singing in key. The main novelty here is, there's no count-in or predetermined tempo and the piano is following the pacing of the actor, not the other way around - a first for a filmed musical. Orchestral music was added post-production.

>13 Deern: Hello Nathalie! Thanks for visiting -- I'm glad you're here!

>14 scaifea: Another Les Mis fan. I was afraid I'd be pooh-poohed for loving something that's so much a part of our popular culture.

The knitting project is an Aran Sweater for my husband. Here it is in Ravelry -- I think folks can see this without a userid: Na Craga Aran Sweater. I've been working on it since November and am amazed at Ravelers who can knock out one of these in just a couple of months. I've finished the front and back and am working on the sleeves.

>15 lauralkeet: that is a beautiful sweater, Laura. I can do cables, if I have a pattern, but I am very slow. My mother used to do sweaters, and she was very fast. I've never been able to get that quickness. And now my hands cramp up, so I can only do short spurts.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've missed Les Mis, and I don't know how it happened. I guess I just don't quite live in this world.
The sweater is very lovely. I've been working on a lap robe with several cables, and I've let it go so long that I've forgotten the pattern. Taking out my mistakes and finding where I was again just seems like such a chore to get straight that I keep ignoring it.

>16 NanaCC:, >17 LizzieD: Thanks Colleen & Peggy, for your nice words about my sweater. I've been plugging away at the first sleeve this week. The rows are shorter, so it feels like I'm moving more quickly. But there are increases every 5 rows so I have to pay careful attention. I'm having fun with cables and have a couple more projects pending (gloves, and a sweater for me) that also involve cables.

Oh, that sweater pattern is lovely! You'll post photos when you're finished, yes please?

Keep meaning to answer your pre-child behaviour question!

When we first moved in together we were working on our house and I was writing a book (which I finished, btw) and the S.U. was working as a welder, getting an MFA, and was also doing too many other things (that still goes on) and we actually had to go to a counselor who told us we needed to have more fun! Ha! So we would plan once a week to go to dinner and something - movie or a performance of some kind and also a couple of times a month a hike or if the weather was bad a trip somewhere in the car to 'see something' - Vermont makes that easy, of course, but we would do things like choose a couple of towns we hadn't seen ever, or a place like Ticonderoga (the Fort) and drive there, and walk around, look at old buildings, cemetery etc. (You can tell how well a town was doing by the materials of the stones!) Sometimes that would include a used bookstore or a bit of antiqueing (esp if store has old tools). Sometimes we even planned a night away at some B&B and we also used to bicycle quite a lot. What fit little creatures we were! When the LD was little we clung to some of those habits, but as she got older somehow it all fell by the wayside, even the weekly dinner-date during these last four years - she liked movies too, so she would come and she was, at first, afraid of being alone in this house which is quite isolated....

>19 scaifea: absolutely, Amber! When I finish this thing there will also be a parade, cake, and happiness throughout the land. :)

>20 sibylline: those are some good ideas, Lucy. The "have more fun" advice is good, and we have been guilty of neglecting our "coupleness" over the years. We've been talking about a weekend getaway to somewhere, but you've reminded me that even little things help, like your short trips to "see something." On Monday we washed the cars and then went out for ice cream, and that was surprisingly fun couple time.

I've seen Les Mis twice on stage but I'm afraid I didn't like the film version at all!

>19 scaifea: >21 lauralkeet: Cake? Did someone say Cake?

I adore hand knit sweaters. Mark me as extremely impressed.

>22 SandDune: Rhian, I thought Russell Crowe was horribly miscast but otherwise enjoyed it.

>23 michigantrumpet: Aw thanks Marianne! You get an extra piece of cake!!

>21 lauralkeet: *snork!* I often feel that way when I finish a big knitting project!

Hi Laura! The Sarah Waters arrived today - thanks so much!!

(Holy moly, it's a big one. May finally have something to fill my 500+ page Bingo square ;-) )

ETA: I *love* your notecards.

>26 katiekrug: yay! I'm glad it arrived. I forgot about Bingo -- go for it! And I knew you'd love the notecard, too -- I chose it just for you! The artist has been an exhibitor at the Philadelphia Flower Show the past few years, and I keep buying sets of notecards from her.

41. All the Light We Cannot See ()
No Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: It's been widely read and talked about here on LT.

I really, really liked this elegantly-written story of two people, one French and one German, during World War II. And yet, I am at a loss for words when it comes to writing a review. Instead, I will direct you to two LT reviews:
* Although this book is written by an American author, my first exposure to it came from Cushla (@cushlareads), who lives in New Zealand. This is one of the things I love most about LT! Anyway, when Cushla tells me to drop everything and read a book, I listen. Here's her review, published in April.
* Bonnie (@brenzi) reviewed this book in July, and I was immediately inspired to log on to my library's website and add my name to their very long hold queue.

It was well worth the nearly two-month wait to get my hands on this book.

Woot! Delighted at another endorsement of All the Light We Cannot See. This one is very popular at my library; long queue … but I'm getting there.

Hugh Jackman? Nuff said!

The sweater looks lovely. I have been knitting and you've reminded me that I need to update ravelry with some pictures.

>29 lit_chick: Nancy, I think you'll find it worth the wait, like I did.

>30 souloftherose: You can't go wrong with Hugh, in my book. And thank you for the kind words about my sweater project. Ravelry is my "LT for knitting" -- I'm just as obsessive over there about keeping track of projects and yarn, as I am here about my books.

The car washing and ice cream sounds absolutely perfect! The main 'couples' thing we did come up with about a year ago was taking a walk together at the end of the day whenever possible. We often don't even talk about anything, in fact, nothing serious is permitted. Truthfully - going out and doing a movie is nice but not necessary. It's just making the choice to be intentionally in each other's company and present that matters.

>32 sibylline: making the choice to be intentionally in each other's company
I like that idea a lot, Lucy.

42. Fighting France ()
My Review
Source: On my Kindle
Why I read this now: It's a current selection for the Virago Modern Classics Group's Great War Theme Read

In this short collection of essays, Edith Wharton captures observations on the impact of World War I on her beloved adopted country. She traveled over hill and dale, visiting army camps and villages left as ghost towns after inhabitants fled. Through her military guides, she gained access to areas inaccessible to typical civilians, including getting close enough to the front that she would be waved off to get out of danger.

Wharton's non-fiction prose is just as descriptive as in her novels; you can picture the scenery and hear the birds chirping in the meadow. The essays were originally published in Scribner's Magazine, and I'm sure made for interesting reading as a companion to broadsheet journalism.

Hi, Laura. I've set up the thread for Love-Letters Between A Nobleman And His Sister - here - so I'll hope to see you over there. Heather said she thought you'd started reading already - how are you going with it?

>35 lyzard: yay! I started the other day and it didn't take long for me to recognize how beneficial a tutored read would be. I'll be right over ... !

:D

I had to "research" my way through it when I read it a few years back - it was a mighty slow read...

Hi Laura! I have a copy of The Narrow Road to the Deep North on my bedside table. This is the first year that I ordered some of the Booker nominees in hardcover. I'm particularly anxious to read this one based on your comments as well as Darryl's.

And I'm still in a very long library queue for the Doerr novel.

>38 EBT1002: I hope you enjoy The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Ellen. I'm pretty sure you will. And the wait for the Doerr is unbelievable, isn't it? WTF, I asked myself, and there came no answer.

43. A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: It won the 2014 Baileys Prize for Fiction, and I try to read the winner each year.

I almost didn’t make it past page 3 of A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing. I mean, what do you make of prose like this?

He says I can’t be waiting for it all the time. I’d give my eyes to fix him but. The heart cannot be wrung and wrung. And she like calmest Virgin Mary sitting on the bed. Hands warming up her sides for. What’re you saying? Breath. Going? Leaving? But he’s just stopped dying. This one’s to come. Please don’t no I won’t stop you. could never make you do a thing. You’ll support us. Aren’t you great? Oh the house is mine. It’s for the best. For who you me? Board my body up. I’m not for loving. Anymore. I’ll live for housework. Dressing kids. And you for mortgage new shoes spuds. Can’t live short hope but gas bills long and paid on time too. Oh so kind. Aren’t you the fine shape of a man.

It took some effort to understand the first chapter of this book in which the girl, still in utero, describes her older brother’s brain tumor and surgery, and the devastating impact of the boy’s illness on his parents’ marriage. And things don’t get any better once the unnamed girl enters the world. Her family is poor. Her brother’s intellectual development is slow and he is teased by classmates. Her mother is deeply religious, and convinced of the power of prayer to solve all of life’s problems. The girl becomes a victim of both verbal and sexual abuse, and lacking much-needed emotional support, she adopts extremely unhealthy behaviors as an adolescent and young adult. Eventually you can see a climax building, and it’s not pretty. In fact, it’s pretty devastating.

This book is unrelentingly bleak. Nothing good happens. Ever. But once I got past the choppy, disjointed writing style I found it surprisingly effective at conveying a mood, a tone. I was immersed in the girl’s world and could almost literally feel her pain. It’s not a book I’d recommend to just anyone, but if you are intrigued by its experimental nature and can deal with some very disturbing themes, you will be rewarded.

^ Excellent review. I'm sitting on the fence about putting it on the WL.

I'm getting caught up in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Laura. So far it's excellent.

Great review of A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing, Laura. I bought it this spring after Rachael (@FlossieT) highly recommended it, and hopefully I'll get to it soon.

>41 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen. It can take a bit of time to really get into Narrow Road, but I found that once I did, I was completely caught up in it.
>42 kidzdoc: Darryl, I will await your comments! By the way, I made your slow cooker white chicken chili yesterday and it was a hit!

I'm glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed the white chicken chili, Laura! I'll probably make a batch of it next week.

Happy Sunday, Laura! Finally home. Finally catching up with neglected threads.

Glad you enjoyed All the Light We Cannot See. I have this one waiting in the audio wings.

Hope all is well.

Happy Sunday, Laura. I checked my library hold list, and I am #7 for All the Light We Cannot See. Our library system has 17 copies so it will be a short wait for me. I had it on my WL because of the same reviews you cited. I think I will do more referencing others' reviews in the future. Why try to rehash what others said so well? That is one reason; the other is that I'm becoming a lazy reviewer!

>40 lauralkeet:: Not sure I can get past the choppy prose on this one. I think I'll be on the fence with Ellen!

>45 msf59: Hi Mark, I can't imagine the amount of catch-up you have to do after your holiday! I think you'll really enjoy All the Light we Cannot See.

>46 Donna828: Donna, you're right, your number should come up pretty quickly. That happened for me with The Silkworm. And thanks for the sympathy vote on reviews. Sometimes, even when a book is really good, I'm just not inspired. And I do NOT like to let reviews pile up un-written. It's great when I can just say "what he/she said" and move on!

>40 lauralkeet: I've had A Girl is a Half-Formed thing on my wish list at Audible, but from your sample of prose above I think maybe I need to read it not listen to it!

>48 SandDune: Rhian, hmm ... it might work on audio, but it would definitely depend on the reader.

Today's New York Times Book Review has an excellent review of A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing, here

What pre-child behaviour question? Did I miss something?

>50 tiffin: Tui, I believe you're referring to >20 sibylline: correct? Lucy and I were having a discussion on my previous thread (here) about our respective empty nests and reconnecting with "whatever we did with our time before children" now. Hope that clarifies!

Yes, gotcha, and thanks! And I can't remember, it was too long ago.

Happy Friday, Laura! Hope the week went well.

Are you reading Plainsong? Seriously? Swoons a little...okay...a lot!

>52 tiffin: ha ha! You're a veteran empty nester, Tui!

>53 msf59: Plainsong is actually next up on my TBR, Mark. I jumped the gun moving it into my "Currently Reading" collection. I have to finish Tana French's The Likeness first, which I should be able to do this weekend. I'm really looking forward to Plainsong.

I'm looking forward to your reading Plainsong too!

>55 laytonwoman3rd: Yeah, you're the one who pushed me over the edge. In a good way!

I'm doing better, btw, on the empty nest biz - resigned, I'd say, might characterize it. She's made her train res. for T-giving and is coming home for a long weekend in three weeks, AND I will see her in NY on the 15 Oct, so it no longer seems such a huge impossible distance. Plus we occasionally have epic 'face time' (now that is a weird new expression!) and even if half of it is discussing practical matters it is very reassuring in its very prosaic ordinariness. And I think she is adjusting. Overall, I think it is a good thing we are just far enough away that getting home is not really easy. Albeit a bit painful.

>58 sibylline: We're doing all right as well, Lucy. Skype is a godsend! And we'll see ours in 3 weeks also (although we're the ones making the trip -- for Family Weekend).

So glad to hear that! It's not easy, and yet the days do slip by all the same.

Hi Laura,
I ended up LOVING The Narrow Road to the Deep North. What a great novel.

I see that you're dipping into Plainsong about now. I also loved that, keep meaning to read the follow-up, Eventide but I haven't yet "shoehorned" it in. I'll be interested to see how you like his work. '

>60 sibylline: They sure do, Lucy. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it, and I'm looking forward to more "concentrated" time with the girls at home.

>61 EBT1002: Ellen, I'm so glad you loved it! I'd be very happy if it won the Booker Prize, which will be announced October 14.

I finally finished Tana French's The Likeness last night. I have no idea why it took me 12 days to read it, because it was fast-paced and a good read. I can only put it down to busy-ness in work and life. Anyway, I hope to post a review sometime today, and will also start Plainsong.

44. The Likeness ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: French recently released a new book in this series, which jogged my memory and prompted me to read this one.

The Likeness is the second book in the Dublin Murder Squad series. Detective Cassie Maddox has been working in a Domestic Violence unit since wrapping up the very disturbing murder case from the first book, In the Woods. Her professional life is a little quiet and uneventful, which has allowed her personal life to flourish. That all changes when a young woman, Lexie Maddox, is found dead, and Cassie happens to be her doppelganger. And the victim was using a fake identity; in fact, one that Cassie used in her days as an undercover investigator. Did Lexie just happen on the identity, or was the murderer really after Cassie? Cassie is persuaded to join the investigation and go undercover, moving in with Lexie's four housemates, a close-knit group of university students who (obviously) do not know Lexie has died. And yes, Cassie pulls it off, and the investigation proceeds through a series of twists and page-turning action, until the killer is identified and justice is done.

Yes, the premise is somewhat far-fetched. I found it a little hard to believe Cassie could be so convincing with a group of intimates, especially since she had been away from undercover work for a few years. And the characters and setting bore some resemblance to Donna Tartt's The Secret History. But it was different enough to hold my interest and keep me guessing about the killer, their motive, and the ultimate outcome.

Your reactions to The Likeness were the same as mine. Everyone has their favorites, and I think this was my least favorite, even though I really enjoyed it. It's a great series. The new book was quite awesome, and now I have the long wait for the next.

>64 NanaCC: Colleen, when I read In the Woods I'm not sure I even knew it was part of a series. And even when I learned there were more, I was ambivalent about continuing. But the buzz around the new book really piqued my interest. That, and having finished a few other series so I don't feel too badly about reading more of this one. And with three to go, there may well be another book out by the time I'm ready for it.

I love Tana French's series. The plots and characters are all really different, but the writing style has a consistency to it that draws her books together. I think she's an excellent writer.

Hi Laura. I fully agree with your excellent review of The Likeness. I enjoyed it despite its being just a bit too far-fetched. It was an audiobook which means I think it took me three months to complete it. :-|

I thought In the Woods was better and I've put the third one on hold at the library.

>66 japaul22: >67 EBT1002: Jennifer & Ellen, French's books are definitely fun reads, and she keeps me guessing on the mystery elements.

I'm trying to decide whether to purchase Faithful Place. I think I'll put it on hold at the library.....

45.
Plainsong ()
My Review
Source: I found it in a used bookshop a few weeks ago.
Why I read this now: Linda (@laytonwoman3rd) made me do it. No regrets!

Why did it take me so long to get my hands on this book? I actually think I had it confused with another title, until some recent LibraryThing "buzz" caused me to take a closer look. And it was brilliant.

Plainsong is about the lives of ordinary people living in fictional Holt County, Colorado. Each short chapter focuses on one of the central characters, which include high school teacher Tom Guthrie, Tom's young sons Ike & Bobby, 17-year-old Victoria Robideaux, and the cattle-farming McPheron brothers. Everyone is dealing with the cards life has dealt them, both good and bad, and everyone seems to have a burden to carry, alone. But gradually, their lives intersect, those burdens become shared, and the world is a better place as a result.

Others have compared Kent Haruf's writing to Marilynne Robinson (author of Gilead and Home), whose work I also love. Both authors have a way of immersing the reader in a slow, quiet story with surprising emotional impact. And Haruf's setting and characterizations are marvelous. I could picture the town, and feel the cold winter wind whipping across the prairie. My heart went out to characters dealing with troublesome life events, and I wanted to hug the McPheron brothers as their lives became richer by caring for others. I'm glad there are two more books in this series, because I'd be happy to sit a spell in Holt County.

Toldja!!!!! Seriously, I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. *Happy dance* I knew you would.

>71 laytonwoman3rd: well that was quick. :)
I've already requested Eventide from Paperbackswap ...

>70 lauralkeet: I have Plainsong on my wishlist. It looks like I should move it up. :)

>70 lauralkeet: I really must get round to reading some more Kent Haruf. Everything I've ever read about Plainsong suggests that I would love it.

Woot! Another 5* for Haruf's Plainsong!. Lovely review, Laura. I was introduced to Haruf earlier this year by an LT friend, too, and am so happy about that! I immediately read and also loved Eventide. Still need to read Benediction.

>70 lauralkeet:: Laura, I'm so glad you are in the "loved Plainsong" group. All of Haruf's books are wonderful.

Each of the Tana French novels that I finish, I'm ambivalent -- the next one can't possibly be as good, I say to myself. And it is.

Oh yay! Visitors! And all either Plainsong fans (Donna, Nancy) or soon-to-be Plainsong fans (Colleen, Rhian, and Suz I will put you in this camp as well).

It's a funny thing: I get a very specific feeling when reading a 5-star book. It's hard to describe, but it's both emotional and physical. I don't give 5 stars often because the feeling has to be there.

I love Marilynne Robinson, so I'll have to give Plainsong a try. Great review!

I have a copy of Eventide I snaffled up someplace.... but I don't yet have Plainsong - I bet even my little library has it though. I really should, eh?

Hi Laura, I think I should probably reread Plainsong. I read it many, many years ago, long before LT and it didn't resonate with me the way it has with everyone else.

I am so glad you loved Plainsong, Laura! And 5 stars is just about right. Like Bonnie, I am starting to get that itch for a reread. The next 2 "Holt" books are also very good. Just sayin'...

It's a funny thing: I get a very specific feeling when reading a 5-star book. It's hard to describe, but it's both emotional and physical. I don't give 5 stars often because the feeling has to be there. … I just LOVE that, Laura. It's so true!

Adding my praise of your praising review to the list, Laura! And I completely agree that there's a definite and specific feeling one gets with a 5-star read - I've just had the feeling myself with my last read, too!

Hi Jennifer, Lucy, Bonnie, Mark, Nancy & Amber! I've had a crazy busy day at work and it's really nice to read your messages as I relax and unwind.

I'm also glad I'm not the only one who gets that "5 star read" feeling. It felt kind of weird to put it into words.

46.
The Shuttle ()
My Review
Source: On my Persephone shelf
Why I read this now: I have a few unread Persephones and decided it was time to read one.

The title of this book refers to ships that routinely crossed the Atlantic at the turn of the 20th century, uniting American heiresses with English aristocrats. Nigel Anstruthers goes hunting for a bride in America, and returns with Rosalie Vanderpoel, daughter of a very wealthy American businessman. Their relationship is doomed from the start, and Nigel quickly develops into the "baddie" of this tale by driving a wedge between Rosalie and her family. Rosalie's much younger sister Betty is educated on the continent, and grows up quite business savvy thanks to a close relationship with her father. As a young woman she sets sail for England, not in search of a husband but looking to reunite with Rosalie. Betty finds her considerably changed, with her house in a state of disrepair thanks to Nigel burning his way through Rosalie's funds. With Nigel away on an extended absence, Betty sets herself to improving the estate and rescuing Rosalie from a very bad situation.

Some aspects of this book worked well, but there were some predictable plot points and stock characters. And inexplicably, Rosalie's family allowed twelve years to pass before attempting to contact her in person. What parent in their right mind would just sit around in New York lamenting the lack of letters from their daughter, without wondering whether something was wrong? It took a serious suspension of disbelief to get past that, and admittedly my overall impression of the book suffered somewhat.

I have Betty to thank for making The Shuttle enjoyable. She was a delightful character: a strong personality, yet one who endeared herself to everyone she met. There was no doubt in my mind she would be successful, it was just a question of how she would do it. That, and seeing how Nigel got his comeuppance, made this a worthwhile read in the end.

Hello Laura, just stopping by to say Hello and looking what you have been up to on the reading front and I didn't find just good books, but a fab knitting project. The jumper for your husband looks marvelous and I absolutely adore this mix of different cable patterns.

I haven't done that much knitting for quite some time, but only finished a lovely simple loop scarf for my sister yesterday morning and which looks like this

I wish you a wonderful weekend Laura :)

>87 drachenbraut23: that's a lovely scarf Bianca! Thanks for stopping by.

Happened to see this just now and thought of you.

>89 qebo: Elizabeth Taylor is definitely a favorite of mine, Katherine. I'm glad NYRB is publishing her work, although I'm not likely to buy them because I have all of her books in Virago editions.

>78 lauralkeet:: that's it exactly, Laura. It's undefinable but you know when that feeling is there. Sometimes it might be the timing of reading it but that doesn't matter. What matters is that the book and you met at exactly the right point in time, and it made you feel that 5 star feeling.

I also get that "feeling" when I read a book that resonates with me. My latest one is All the Light We Cannot See. I know it has some flaws but I don't care! I read it in two or three long sittings this weekend. I think I was just in the mood for a sentimental story that didn't end perfectly.

Edited to fix touchstone.

>91 tiffin: I agree, Tui!
>92 Donna828: That's a great book, Donna. I really enjoyed it, too.

47.
Kingfishers Catch Fire (DNF)
No Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: I've never read Rumer Godden before.

It might just be my frame of mind right now, but I abandoned this book about halfway through. The premise sounded interesting: widowed English mother living in India, with a history of making rash decisions, decides to move with her two young children to a Himalayan village and live as a peasant. I thought the hardships and cultural missteps would make for either drama or comedy, but I found this book decidedly lacking in both. The plot was sort of rambling and I didn't care much for the characters. Over the weekend I read a bit, and was unsure. I read some more, and began to feel interest. But then I read more and just got tired of it and decided finishing would be too much work, and make me grumpy. Time to move on ...

I loved the title of the above book, but I don't think I finished it either. A late novel, the last, maybe?

My first Godden was An Episode of Sparrows and I read it over and over again in my teens and early twenties. I have no idea what I would think of it now, but I did reread China Court another favourite not so long ago and loved it as much as ever. In this House of Brede is also very very good.

The Shuttle is almost tempting! A twelve year silence does seem incredible.

>94 lauralkeet: Hmmm...I have a number of Godden's novels in vintage editions (book club, I think) that I found when one of my favorite used bookstores was going out of business. Haven't read any of them yet either. But >95 sibylline: gives me hope.

>95 sibylline: Lucy, this was a sort of mid-career novel based on a listing of her works on Wikipedia, here.

>96 laytonwoman3rd: she gives me hope, too, Linda! I have another in a VMC edition. Plus Lucy reminds me that I liked the film of In this House of Brede.

I think this might have just been a case of OK book but read at the wrong time, when I really needed something light and effortless. Which is why I'm now reading E.F. Benson's Lucia's Progress.

Morning Laura! How is everything? The books treating you well? Congrats on The Narrow Road to the Deep North winning the big one, must have made you very excited. I hope I can get my mitts on that one, soon.

Hi Laura!

>40 lauralkeet: "This book is unrelentingly bleak. Nothing good happens. Ever." One I'll pass on I think!

>70 lauralkeet: If I didn't already have Plainsong wishlisted your review would have prompted me to add it. Don't think I can recall anyone not loving this book.

>86 lauralkeet: The Shuttle sounds a bit like The Making of a Marchioness (also a Persephone by the same author) which also had a few points where disbelief needed to be suspended but it was a fun, light read.

>94 lauralkeet: Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy Kingfishers, Laura. I will probably read it because I've loved the Goddens I have read so far but it will help to know this may not be her best work. So far I have loved China Court, In This House of Brede and Greengage Summer.

>98 msf59: Hi Mark! Nice to see you around here. I thought of you this morning as I was posting on Ellen's thread about my intent to bookhorn Wiley Cash into my reading in the next few weeks. So much buzz about A Land More Kind than Home, and I know you're a fan.

>99 souloftherose: Welcome back Heather! I have to say that A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing is still kind of haunting me. I can understand taking a pass on it, but at the same time, the more I think about it the more it impresses me. Also, I would hate for my Godden grumpiness to dissuade anyone. I think real life interfered with my ability to enjoy it.

Hi Laura. I haven't read anything by Rumer Godden but I do own In This House of Brede. A Land More Kind than Home is one of the many books I started and dropped in the last couple of months but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. I expect I'll pick it up again sometime. I have the Kindle version.

>97 lauralkeet: "...I think this might have just been a case of OK book but read at the wrong time, when I really needed something light and effortless. Which is why I'm now reading E.F. Benson's Lucia's Progress."

So true, so true. Lucia and Miss Mapp and carry one away, though, can't they?

>101 brenzi:: Bonnie, I will be I interested in your take' on Godden whenever you get to her. It may help me decide whether to try again. No pressure though, I have plenty of reading material!

>102 michigantrumpet:: you're right about Mapp & Lucia, Marianne. In fact, I just finished Lucia's Progress last night and decided to move directly on to the final book, Trouble for Lucia. Work is a little hectic and intense at the moment and I need to relax with very light fare in the evenings.

The wrong book at the wrong time=disappointment. I just remember not liking that one much.

>103 lauralkeet: Lighthearted fare is definitely called for then. You may want to check out some of Fred Benson's other stuff, too once you get to the end....

Having read through the Mapp & Lucia series six or seven times, you can always turn around and start at the beginning again, as well.

Had the LD here for a long weekend - put her back on the megabus yesterday early. Very reassuring to have her in the house!

>107 sibylline: oh nice! We visited our two last weekend and I'm still basking in the glow.

I'm well into Trouble for Lucia now and will probably recap this book and the previous one in a single post.

48.
Lucia's Progress ()
No Review
Source: On my shelves

49.
Trouble for Lucia ()
No Review
Source: On my shelves

Why I read these now: I've been very busy at work the past few weeks, and needed something fun and light in the evenings. These fit the bill perfectly!

These are books 5 and 6 in the Mapp & Lucia series, which satirize early 20th century English village life. Elizabeth Mapp and Emmeline Lucas (aka Lucia) are social rivals, each constantly trying to one-up the other, usually by knowing something about village life that they hope the other does not. Victories and defeats are about equally shared between the two. In Lucia's Progress, Lucia believes a Roman villa is buried beneath her home, and hires a crew to excavate, but of course she's wrong. Attempts to cover up her mistake prove quite amusing for the reader. Similarly, Lucia gets all her friends to play the stock market, and they all pretend to understand the forces driving share prices. In Trouble for Lucia, Lucia is now Mayor of Tilling, and Mapp is her "mayoress" (this was, of course, a time when a woman mayor was most unusual, and every mayor "had" to have a mayoress). This puts them in closer proximity than in previous books, and there are endless opportunities for each to gain the upper hand.

The other characters in these books each have unique quirks, and much of the fun in reading these books comes from their predictable behaviors and responses to events. The situations in these books tend to be preposterous, which is a large part of the fun.

I'll miss this cast of characters, but fortunately I own all six books and can always return for a re-read ...

>109 lauralkeet: I feel the same way about Lucia and Mapp. I'm sure I will visit them again in the future. In the meantime, I have the lovely BBC series to watch.

>109 lauralkeet: Loved the series and even just reading your reviews gave me a big smile. Thanks!!

The Lucia books sound like good fun, Laura. I love both of those covers.

>110 NanaCC: I need to watch that series, Colleen, some of my favorite English actors are in it. Actually, I heard there's a new one in production as well although a lot of the cast is less well-known in the US.
* 1985-86 series
* 2014 series (not yet released)

>111 michigantrumpet: thanks Marianne! I'm pleased to be spreading good cheer around LT. :)

>112 lit_chick: Nancy, I adore the covers as well. I acquired the first book in this series from Paperbackswap, and by pure luck turned out to get one of these editions, from Moyer Bell. From that day forward I knew I had to have the full set. They're paperback but the artwork is lovely.

Also: Great Book Alert!!
I started reading Marilynne Robinson's Lila last night, the follow-on to Gilead and Home. Oh my. I read about 30 pages and I had that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from reading a really really good book. I can't wait to dive into it again later today.

>113 lauralkeet: Robinson's Lila is definitely on the radar!! Glad you like it. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

I've not read Robinson's Gilead trilogy, Laura. Thinking that needs to change. Thanks for the Great Book Alert!

Reading along. Nothing to say. (Might be a blue moon.)

>109 lauralkeet: Bless me, I wish someone could explain to me why this series left me so cold. I puzzle over it every time I come across a reference to it. I started one of the first titles (Queen Lucia, perhaps?) and thought it was dull and awful. I'm inclined to suspect I caught a bowdlerized version!

>1 lauralkeet:. I so agree with you. This is an incredible book, film, play. I simply love the theme of redemption. It does indeed produce goosebumps, and at times tears.

Thanks for the heads up regarding re. Lila. It is now on the tbr pile.

>114 michigantrumpet: >115 lit_chick: yay! I'm still savoring Lila. Much as I want to do nothing but read, real life beckons and besides, it's worth savoring.

>116 tiffin: *waves* nice to see you Tui!

>117 laytonwoman3rd: well hey, we can't all like the same things can we? For me, they are a pleasant light diversion. I suspect you have your own go-to books in that category. In fact I'd be interested to know what they are!

>118 Whisper1:. Hello Linda! I really should read Les Mis someday ...

>119 lauralkeet:. Well, depending on my mood, sometimes it's Barbara Pym and sometimes it's Robert B. Parker! Make of that what you will. But everything I've heard about Mapp and Lucia makes me think they ought to be my cuppa. Some day, I will probably try again.

50.
Lila ()
My Review
Source: On my Kindle
Why I read this now: I loved Gilead, and this was relatively inexpensive on Kindle so I snapped it up.

Lila is a companion book to Gilead, in which the elderly preacher John Ames writes a letter to his young son. Lila is the story of Ames' wife: her upbringing, the journey that brought her to Gilead, and her marriage to John. Lila spent her childhood with migrant workers after a woman named Doll rescued her from a dangerous and unhealthy situation and raised her as her own. Life was very hard, and Lila grew up trusting no one. By the time she meets Ames, she is an emotionally damaged young woman, but he is amazingly kind and intent on showing her God's love. The bonds between them form slowly; Ames mourns a young wife and child who passed away years ago, and can't imagine a young woman like Lila loving an old man like him. But they complete one another, and each is able to heal the other's wounds. When their son is conceived, Ames becomes positively doting, and yet he is deathly afraid that history will repeat itself and leave him alone.

Lila is beautifully written, with the same slow, contemplative prose I loved in Gilead and with an incredibly emotional impact. Even though I am not practicing any particular religion these days, the baptismal scenes were especially powerful. There were many other points where a lump formed in my throat or tears welled up, not due to sadness or joy per se, but just an overwhelming feeling. If you haven't read Gilead, that should be your first stop. And then don't miss Lila.

Laura, wonderful endorsement of Lila. Thumb-up from me, too. This is one I'm going to have to add to the WL. I added Gilead a few days ago, following an LT conversation. Thanks for the direction in making Gilead a first stop.

>122 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! While I think Lila can stand on its own, to me it makes more sense to have already "met" John, and know what he's about, and what he would write a few years later (in book time).

Hello Laura, great review of Lila this has gone straight onto my WL. Also, I still have to read Gilead which has been on my TBR for some time. I wish you a great week ahead.
BTW. How is your knitting going?

Laura, Your review of Lila has me intrigued. I'm adding Gilead to my wishlist. Chris has it, but I see that I'll have to wait until she reads it.

Glad to hear Lila is so good. I loved Gilead and Home and hope to get to Lila soon.

Morning Laura! Gorgeous review of Lila! Big Thumb! I can't wait to start it. Just a couple more days.

Are you planning on watching Olive Kitteridge tonight? We have it recorded.

Thanks for lovely review on Lila! Have bestowed my thumb as well!

Glad you liked the Robinson so much - I loved Housekeeping but I haven't been smitten as others have with the next books. Might have been the wrong time, that happens!

How exciting, Olive Kitteridge - Masterpiece or some such??

Great review of Lila. I've noticed that Marilynne Robinson is appearing at the Cambridge Literature Festival and I'm thinking of getting tickets.

>124 drachenbraut23: Hello Bianca! I hope you enjoy Gilead and Lila. Home is really good too, and is another companion novel to these two books. My knitting is progressing, thank you. I'm on the second sleeve of the Aran sweater; once this is complete I will need to seam the sweater and knit the neck. I'm pleased with the results so far.

>125 NanaCC: I'm love the way you and Chris share books, Colleen. Tell her she needs to read Gilead NOW! :)

>126 japaul22: Jennifer, if you loved Gilead and Home then I am confident Lila will be right up your street.

>127 msf59: Mark, I have the DVR set for Olive Kitteridge as well. I hope to watch it in "real time" but want to keep my viewing options open. We are also streaming Downton Abbey from the UK and will have to wedge tonight's episode in somewhere.

>128 michigantrumpet: Thanks Marianne!

>129 sibylline: Interesting comments on Housekeeping, Lucy. I had the opposite feeling -- didn't like it as much as Gilead and Home but I re-read my review yesterday, which concluded along the same lines as your comment: I *should* have liked it more, so maybe it was just right book, wrong time syndrome.

And to answer your question: Olive Kitteridge is an HBO Production starring Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins. It airs tonight and tomorrow, 9-11pm Eastern.

>130 SandDune: Rhian, I saw something from Virago Press on Facebook about her UK appearances. Robinson is one of America's finest living authors, IMO, so I hope you have a chance to see her. If you have a chance to read Gilead beforehand, so much the better.

Yah, for Olive!! Don't forget Bill Murray. We might try watching it in "real time" too. We'll see.

Yesterday I visited my local library to pick up my next two books: A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash, and The Two Mrs Abbotts by D.E. Stevenson.

The latter is the third in the Miss Buncle series. Published in the 1940s, it is wonderful light cozy fiction. I noticed when I requested the book online that it was the only copy in circulation in our county's library system, and its "home base" was my local branch. I was delighted to find it was an original edition from 1944:


There is also a stamp on the inside cover with the name of the library and the date, Jan 18 1944. I am fascinated by this book having occupied the library shelves lo these 70 years, and can't help wondering whose hands it has passed through, and the journeys it might have made to patrons of other library branches over the years.

>133 lauralkeet: I'm kinda surprised they've kept it. But now that you've checked it out, its life span may be extended.

>132 msf59: Hi Mark -- yes, thanks for reminding me about Bill Murray, who has really done some remarkable things as a "mature" actor.

>134 qebo: Katherine, you're right I was surprised too -- and in Oxford, PA no less which is and I think has always been quite the rural backwater.

Yah, for A Land More Kind Than Home! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on that baby!

Thank you for the heads up about Olive Kitteridge on HBO. I just set up the DVR to record, and downloaded the book to my Kindle. I've never read it, and figured I better do that before I watch the mini-series.

I had A Land More Kind than Home sitting on my dining room table last month, a rec from Mark, but it went back to the library unread. I'll get to it. Look forward to your thoughts on it, too.

51.
The Two Mrs Abbotts ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: I wanted to finish the Buncle series.

What a lovely, cozy quick weekend read! This is the third and final book in the Miss Buncle series. Miss Buncle's Book is by far the most magical, but the two subsequent novels are each delightful in their own way. In The Two Mrs Abbotts, Barbara Abbott and her husband's niece Jerry (yes, niece, it's a nickname) are the eponymous protagonists and, despite a considerable age difference they are very good friends. Despite the title of this book, it is less about the two women than about other people in their lives, and the way the two Mrs Abbotts bring them together. Published in 1943, the war is all around them: food is rationed, goods are scarce, and military brigades are billeted in grand estates, including Jerry's family home. But all of that is just a backdrop for daily village concerns like gossip, comings and goings, and romance. From the beginning, you know all will end well, it's just a question of who ends up with whom, and there's a bit of meddling to keep the reader wondering nearly to the end.

With the help of a rainy Saturday and a weekend generally devoid of obligations, I devoured this book in two days. It went very well with a cat in my lap and a cup of tea.

I have The Two Mrs Abbotts on my wishlist. I keep hoping to see it on the kindle daily deal or monthly specials, as that is how I got the first two books. It is a delightful series.

Excellent review of Lila, Laura!

>140 NanaCC: yeah, I waited a while for a Kindle deal too. I have the first one in a Persephone, but for some reason didn't feel a need to complete the set in Persephone editions. I snagged the second in a Kindle deal but the third never seemed to pop up.

>141 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl!

I plan to start A Land More Kind than Home tomorrow.

Ah! HBO. I will await its release eventually on Netflix or wherever else. Can't wait to hear what you all think!

>109 lauralkeet: Love the Mapp and Lucia books - almost wish there were more but I'm sure they will be good to reread.

>121 lauralkeet: Added a thmub to your hot review of Lila :-) I'm really pleased the third book in that series holds up. I'm hoping to read Home this month.

>133 lauralkeet: How lovely. I've got a couple of books published in the 1940s (Talking of Jane Austen) and I love the conservation of paper notices inside the front covers. It's fascinating to think how many hands those books must have passed through in their time.

I've noticed that my library's reserve stock is often first editions - I think as far as possible they try to keep one copy of a book and it's often one of the first hardback editions that gets sent off to a lonely life in the reserve stock storage. I like to think I'm making a lonely book happy by requesting it.

>139 lauralkeet: I agree, The Two Mrs Abbotts is a nice cosy read. I really liked the single older lady character (Miss Marks?) and her relationship with the local soldiers.

Must pick up Lila, as I loved Gilead. Good review, chum!

>143 sibylline: Lucy, the Olive Kitteridge miniseries was really well done. Frances McD made an excellent Olive, and Richard Jenkins was superb as her husband Henry. Bill Murray also has a great role. I hope you are able to catch it sometime.

>144 souloftherose: Hi Heather! I liked Miss Marks, too (or "Markie" as some characters called her). The scenes with the German spy were a hoot.

>145 tiffin: Tui, I hope you enjoy Lila. Her books are so contemplative and have a Calvinist spiritual undertone that resonates with me. The afterglow that I feel reminds me of feelings I've had after attending a really inspiring church service.

Well, well....how are you liking A Land More Kind Than Home? Oh, and I thumbed your review of Lila too. It's sitting on my active TBR shelf, meaning I hope to get to it this month.

I hope to be able to get the Olive Kittredge video somewhere eventually; we don't subscribe to HBO, but with Frances McDormand and Bill Murray it must be good, eh?

>130 SandDune: Oh, I hope you do get to hear Marilynne Robinson---I wouldn't miss her if she was in this vicinity.

I've got Gilead home from the library, and I'm itching to get started with it. I'm so happy to read your great reviews of the trilogy!

Karen O.

Oh, the Olive Kitteridge miniseries sounds excellent, Laura! Hope I'll be able to catch it at some point, too.

>147 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, A Land More Kind than Home is terrific, hard to put down. I would never have heard of Wiley Cash if it weren't for LT. This place is great.

>148 klobrien2: Karen, I hope you enjoy Gilead. I read it quite some time ago but it stayed with me.

>149 lit_chick: I hope so too, Nancy!

" A Land More Kind than Home is terrific, hard to put down." I am glad I was sitting down when I read that. LOL. I am a very Happy Camper!

Morning Laura! We have an hour left in "Olive". It has been excellent. Everything you would want in a beloved book adaptation. Both leads are jaw-dropping.

I love old books, Laura, and often wonder whose hands they've been in before. Of course, the best ones have been passed down by my mother!

I have Olive waiting for me to watch this weekend. I am trying to convince my DH to watch it with me. I am saving Lila for a "something special" read. I can see Robinson's books as my companions in old age! My father got great comfort from reading his Louis L'Amour books..over and over.

>151 msf59: >152 Donna828: funny thing about the Olive Kitteridge adaptation. We watched the first night and my husband got very grumpy. "Am I supposed to like her? She's awful!" ... "Where is this going anyway?" I thought I'd have to watch the second night on my own. But over dinner on Monday he said he was surprised to find he'd been thinking about the program all day "so I guess we'd better watch it." And he saw that it was good. :)

So Donna ... if that happens to you, keep the faith!

>133 lauralkeet: How cool is that!!!!

>133 lauralkeet: >139 lauralkeet: Fascinated by the "War Edition" with its smaller print for paper rationing.

>154 Whisper1: >155 michigantrumpet: yeah isn't it cool? the funny thing is, the book isn't really that small by current day standards.

I have a few of those wartime editions, and I consider them priceless, even though they aren't in the best of condition.

Hi Laura! We just finished Olive. Wow! What a fantastic mini-series. I think it was perfect in every way and I am not sure I saw a better performance, this year, in any format, than the one McDormand gave. Happy Happy Camper!

Maybe I can squeeze in a reread, in the coming months...

>158 msf59: Glad to hear it, Mark!

Laura, I felt like your hubster while I was reading the book! But Olive grows on you in a funny kind of way, especially as the stories fill her character in as you progress.

52.
A Land More Kind than Home ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: Several LTers recommended it on their threads.

Jess and his brother Christopher (nicknamed Stump) live in a rural North Carolina town dominated by a fundamentalist pastor with a shady past. Early on, Jess and Stump see something they shouldn't, with swift and disastrous consequences. The rest of the story is told through three narrative voices: Jess, the town sheriff, and an elderly Sunday school teacher. And instead of telling the reader what happens after the terrible event, Wiley Cash takes the reader back in time and leads them step by step toward and through the conflict.

Adelaide Lyle, the Sunday school teacher, is a keen observer of the intricate relationships between townspeople. She despises the pastor, and years ago moved the Sunday school from the church to her home to keep teaching the children that she loves. Clem Barefield, the sheriff, has lived through tragedy and loss, and yet still manages to perform his duties and cannot rest until he gets to the bottom of a case. Nine-year-old Jess is an innocent, understanding little about what is happening around him, and left in the dark by his parents.

I felt terribly sad for Jess, whose life would be forever changed simply as a result of being a normal boy playing behind his house. And I felt anger at the pastor, who held the town in a grip of fear, and abused his power for personal gain. This is a very unsettling novel, but one that grabs you almost from the first page and will not let go.

>161 lauralkeet: Whelp, that clinches it. I've been wondering about this one, but I think I have to add it to the list now. Thanks for the review!

So glad you liked A Land More Kind Than Home, Laura! His second novel is good, too, but not as good...

Laura, thumb-up for a fabulous review of A Land More Kind Than Home. I must get to this one! It sounds like it is perfectly my cuppa.

Love the description of your husband succumbing to the 'charms' of Olive! It will turn up eventually somewhere where I can get hold of it I am sure. I just have to be patient. I wish they 'let' these miniseries out faster. I think the delay is simply annoying and not useful to anyone and encourages piracy etc.

>162 scaifea: >163 katiekrug: >164 lit_chick: bwahaha ... my work is done :)

>165 sibylline: Lucy, over the weekend he said he didn't know why, but he couldn't get the series out of his mind. Olive still has a grip on him!

Tons of Wiley Cash love around these parts! Lovely review.

Thanks Marianne.

I'm currently reading two Viragos:
1) Love-Letters between a Nobleman and his Sister: this is a tutored read that began in September. We read approx 10 pages/day which, for this book, is just about right.

2) A Pin to see the Peepshow which is a good read in its own right, plus it was inspiration for Sarah Waters' new book, The Paying Guests, which I read recently.

I'm so glad you loved Plainsong. Your thread has motivated me to put Evensong on hold again. This time I'll read it. I'm also putting Lila on hold. And I'm pleased with another good review of A Land More Kind Than Home. Good reading around here!

Touchstones not working....

I'm noticing the touchstone snafu - still not working!

Loved your comments about If You Give a Mouse a Cookie on my thread!

>169 EBT1002: Touchstones not working...
Ah, good, not just me. Or rather, not good, but I can resign myself to fate rather than try to fix it.

>169 EBT1002: >170 sibylline: >171 qebo: looks like touchstones are working again this morning. Whew!

Nice to see everyone here :)

53.
A Pin to See the Peepshow ()
My Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: I recently read Sarah Waters' The Paying Guests, and through this article learned of its relation to this book. Warning: article contains spoilers.

This story of a young woman trapped by social conventions in 1920s England takes as its basis actual events from a sensational crime. Julia Almond grows up in surburban London, and initially escapes her humdrum family of origin through work in a dress shop. She develops as a business woman, representing the shop on trips to Paris to choose new clothing lines for the shop. But Julia isn't satisfied with her modest lifestyle, and believes she deserves more. She marries a man several years her senior, primarily for a sense of security. The union is unsatisfying due in large part to Julia's inflated expectations, and her inexperience with romantic relationships. When she meets up with a boy she once knew in school, sparks fly, but in Edwardian society there is really no way for Julia and Leo to be anything other than lovers. Eventually and inevitably, matters come to a head, with disastrous consequences.

In addition to its basis in history, A Pin to See the Peepshow also inspired Sarah Waters' 2014 novel, The Paying Guests. F. Tennyson Jesse's novel spends a great deal of time developing Julia's history and character, whereas Waters focuses primarily on the crime and its aftermath, and develops her characters in that context. I enjoyed both books and found it particularly interesting to compare and contrast the two while reading A Pin to See the Peepshow.

>172 lauralkeet: Huh. That one sounds pretty interesting. Thanks for the review!

You seem to be on a roll with great reads. I'm so glad you enjoyed the Wiley Cash. I hope he writes a lot more books.

Hi Amber, Linda .... Thanks for dropping in. I guess I have been lucky with my books recently. I'm already starting to reflect on this year's reading and think about next year. This year I had fewer plans, goals, and challenges than ever before and I really like it that way. It's helped me discover authors like Wiley Cash while also making a dent in the pile of unread books I already have on hand.

54.
Mariana ()
My Review
Source: My Persephone collection
Why I read this now: Just because

Mariana is the second book from Persephone, which publishes "mainly neglected fiction and non-fiction by women, for women and about women." Published in 1940, it is essentially a coming of age story about an ordinary English woman, and on the basis of that description might easily be dismissed. But what makes Mariana such a charming read is its structure. The book opens with our heroine, Mary, ensconced in a holiday cottage with her dog, Bingo, and a raging storm outdoors. She hears some upsetting news on the radio, but the weather prevents her venturing out to obtain more information. Instead, the reader is treated to the story of Mary's life, from idyllic childhood summers in the country, through her school days and young adulthood in London.

Mary grows up surrounded by interesting and influential characters. Her widowed, independent mother fosters a sense of independence in her daughter, even as Mary with school and vocational training. Mary's uncle Geoffrey, an actor, lives with Mary and her mother. His carefree approach to life strikes Mary as much more desirable than her mother's constant worry about having enough money for life's basic necessities. Mary’s first love is her cousin Denys, and it takes years for her to understand their close relationship can be nothing more than platonic. But she is resilient and every relationship with a man teaches her more about what she needs from life and love.

By the time we arrive at those moments in the cottage, we are fully invested in Mary's story and learning the details behind the news report. Monica Dickens reveals those details and wraps up Mary’s story in a most clever fashion. All in all, a very satisfying read.

>173 lauralkeet:, >177 lauralkeet: In one of those reading coincidences, the heroines of both of these books are involved in the dressmaking trade and spend time in Paris. I love it when that happens!

Ah! I love those coincidences too. I know they don't really 'mean' anything, but they sometimes feel as if they do, don't they?

Hi Laura. Thanks for suggesting I read Lila. It sounds like a book that might let me break out of this reading funk.

>179 sibylline: Lucy, when the coincidence struck me you were the first person I thought of, thanks to posts about similar happenings on your thread.

>180 brenzi: Hi Bonnie! Thank you so much for visiting, and so glad you are here. I hope you enjoy Lila although I'm sure that you will.

55.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating ()
My Review
Source: My Kindle
Why I read this now: It's been on my TBR for a while

Survival often depends on a specific focus: a relationship, a belief, or a hope balanced on the edge of possibility. Or something more ephemeral: the way the sun passes through the hard, seemingly impenetrable glass of a window and warms the blanket, or how the wind, invisible but for its wake, is so loud one can hear it through the insulated walls of a house.

In this short, contemplative memoir, Elisabeth Tova Bailey describes her experience convalescing after being struck by an autoimmune disease. Bedridden, unable to stand or walk, her days were spent largely inside her head. A tiny snail, which came into her room on a potted plant, became both a companion and a source of intellectual stimulation. Fascinated by the snail's daily routine, Bailey read up on the anatomy and physiology of the snail and passed insight along to her readers on everything from the composition of the snail's shell and mucus to mating rituals.

The science is interesting enough, but the real point of this memoir is how the snail sustains Bailey by giving her a reason to face every day. She experiments with the snail's food and habitat, worries when the snail is out of sight, and marvels at the miracle of life represented by a clutch of eggs. Her observations often lead to conclusions about human society. Some of these felt contrived, others were more meaningful, but on the whole I was impressed by the inner strength required to persevere through a lengthy and debilitating illness.

56.
Love-letters between a Nobleman and his Sister ()
No Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics Collection

The Virago Modern Classics group has embarked on a (very) long-term project to read VMCs in order of original publication date. This book, written in the 1680s and published as three volumes in 1693, is our first. I doubt I would have tackled this book on my own, and am very thankful for the tutored read led by Liz (@lyzard), and attentive and committed tutee Heather (@souloftherose). The book is based on the Monmouth Rebellion, and the scandalous romance between Lord Grey (known as Philander in this book), and his sister-in-law Henrietta (known as Sylvia).

We read this book very slowly, about 10 pages per day, with short breaks between each volume -- so I've been at this one since September. The writing style took some getting used to, as with any older work. Behn also wrote several plays, and there were many scenes in the novel that could easily be imagined on stage. The political aspects required explanation, which Liz very ably provided. The romance was easier to understand (!!) although we were often struck by the way in which views towards women, romance, and childbirth have evolved since that time. I most enjoyed the farcical elements which often involved deceiving others through cross-dressing or other disguises, narrow escapes, and men getting their comeuppance as the result of seduction.

>182 lauralkeet: I loved the wild snail book, read a couple years ago.

Sigh, the rain is beginning to include splotches of snow...

>184 qebo: the rain is beginning to include splotches of snow...
same here ... kinda pretty though. The temperature is currently 37F and expected to drop to 31F by afternoon. As such I will be surprised if the snow "sticks," but we'll see.

We've got five inches and counting so far!

Snails and a sloooow read....how appropriate!

Happy Thanksgiving, Laura! LOVED your review of A Land More Kind than Home. I also enjoyed his second novel. Cash, is an author to keep an eye on.

Enjoy the holiday!

I read The sound of a Wild Snail Eating a few years ago and loved it.

Happy Thanksgiving to Lucy, Linda & Mark ... and a big hello to Rhian! We ended up with very little snow here, and as I hoped it didn't really stick on the pavements. I went out about 4pm yesterday and it was wet and slushy. It's possible there's some ice out there this morning, but temperatures will reach the high 30s today and the ice will melt.

We are having a small family Thanksgiving, just the four of us. My daughters have been home from school since Saturday, which has been very nice. We'll have the "big meal" in the mid-afternoon, and go out to a movie this evening. This is our fourth year of Thanksgiving movie-going -- the more popular activity seems to be flopping in a chair and watching football, but that doesn't appeal to any of us.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Laura! We'll be watching the Eagles-Cowboys game this afternoon.

Stopping by to wish you all Happy Thanksgiving - our day sounds quite similar to yours!

Happy Thanksgiving, Laura!

ETA: What movie are you going to see?

We still have a layer of snow on the ground, but it's gone from streets and sidewalks. I'm hoping that my car will clear itself off later without requiring my muscles.

Happy Thanksgiving!

>191 kidzdoc: Enjoy the game, Darryl! I didn't even know who they were playing but a Cowboys matchup is sure to fire up those die-hard Eagles fans.

>192 sibylline: Funny Lucy, I just left a nearly identical message on your thread!

>193 katiekrug: You too, Katie! We're going to see Foxcatcher. The events covered in the film are of local interest, and we were living here at the time so remember it well. Steve Carrell plays John DuPont, a member of a very prominent and wealthy family and I've heard he's excellent in the role (again, if you're planning to see the film don't Google his name or you'll learn too much). Prior to the events in Foxcatcher, DuPont was not especially visible in the community but was known for founding the Delaware Museum of Natural History, providing them with an extensive collection of seashells and bird eggs. So yeah, he was a little different from the better-known industrial magnates in the family.

>194 qebo: Good luck with the car, Katherine!

>195 lauralkeet: - It's supposed to be excellent. It's on my TBW (To Be Watched) list, which is not as long as my TBR list - ha!

I loved the snails book too. Hope the weather cooperates with the movie plans.

Happy Thanksgiving Laura!

I have the snail book on my TBR, as I plan to reduce this pile drastically next year I might will be reading it as well :)

Laura this has not been my best year of keeping up by any means but I continue to count my blessings for this group and all within it as you celebrate your Thanksgiving. Have a lovely holiday.

>196 katiekrug:, >197 tiffin: No problems whatsoever getting to the movie, and it was very good. Steve Carrell was great in the lead role -- very creepy.

>198 drachenbraut23: I hope you enjoy the snail book, Bianca.

>199 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul! It was a nice day with the family.

57.
Frangipani ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I Read This Now It's been on my TBR for ages, and I wanted to "check it off my list."

Materena is a Tahitian woman and mother of two sons and a daughter. Frangipani focuses primarily on the mother-daughter relationship and how it plays out in Tahitian culture. The story opens with Materena's pregnancy and rather fractious marriage. Materena guides her daughter Leilani through life's stages, offering a mix of wisdom and outdated thinking. As Leilani matures, the relationship works both ways, and the daughter helps the mother become more self-actualized.

There were occasional poignant moments that resonated with my own experience as the mother of two daughters. But for the most part, I could not get "stuck in" to this novel. The characters surrounding Materena and Leilani became stock figures, repeatedly coming on stage to do their quirky thing, and then making an exit. This book was interesting as a glimpse into a culture that was not familiar to me, but other than that it was a bit flat.

Reading Frangipani made me take stock of books I've read from my TBR shelf this year, and I've realized a lot of them were 3-star "meh" reads. It's time for a cull. I don't need Paperbackswap credits, and my local library has stopped taking donations, but I was in my favorite local used bookshop yesterday and thought to myself, "yes, this is where I'll take those books." I need to remove the self-imposed obligation of reading everything I ever put on my TBR, and just read what I want to read.

>202 lauralkeet: I've been glad to have the Little Free Library for this purpose, and the local public library is a nice backup; they'll take anything for the annual giganto book sale (if you ever feel like trekking a box o' books into Lancaster). I do feel guilty if a book just sits on the shelf for years, unappreciated.

>202 lauralkeet: I've been doing some of that myself, Laura. I took two boxes (rather large boxes) of culls to the library yesterday. I have a few listed on Paperback Swap, but most of what's on there has been listed for quite a while without attracting any "bites", and I rarely find anything I want to use my points on anyway. I probably should have cleaned those out at the same time.

>203 qebo: Katherine, I'm glad your library is still taking donations. The used bookshop I mentioned is in Kennett Square and benefits the senior center there, so I feel OK about donating my books to them.

>204 laytonwoman3rd: thanks for mentioning Paperbackswap, Linda. I have a few "oldies" posted, and cleaning up my listings there is a great idea.

I had some trouble for awhile with meh reads and have gotten much tougher....

Put the LD on the train this afternoon.... sigh. But she'll be back in only 20 days so I think I'll make it!

>206 sibylline: Lucy, K&J are also now back at school. They have 2 weeks of class and then finals, and then home again. So like you, I think I'll make it!

Good luck with the book cull! Sometimes I've found books that have been on my TBR pile for a while are ones I've just lost interest in and it's a relief to donate them and get them off the shelves. I tend to err on the side of caution though so I'm not very good at doing this.

In absolute agreement about meh reads and giving them the heave ho. When I was young, I was an omniverous reader but as I've aged, with a corresponding lack of reading years left and no longer great eyesight, I have become much more picky. The world upsets me, the news is constantly negative, the internet is full of spew and bile, so I don't want to read things that just add to this inundation of the miserable. This cuts out those angst-torn and psychopathic genres. There is so much out there to read which will warm my soul and affirm the good in life that I don't need that other dreck. /mini rant

Somehow I lost track of your reading thread Laura. Plainsong and Miss Buncle are going in the Winter reading pile. Shame that Haruf departed life early.

I love your old Miss Buncle book too. So rare that a UK library would still have such an old book in circulation, though fortunately the lovely London Library still does.

>209 tiffin: Love your mini-rant Tui, I agree, though I do still read some things about the worlds troubles, but by selected writers.

Hi everyone ... Wow, what a busy week it's been. The time has flown.

I admit I'm feeling a little giddy about my book cull. I went through my shelves and set all the "to be culled" books in a pile, and just doing that felt liberating. There's no clear theme or pattern to the books I'm getting rid of. But their very presence often held me back from reading newly-published books that people were buzzing about. I gave in to that temptation a little more this year and found those new books more enjoyable than those that had been on my shelves for a while.

I managed to find 50 books to go in a box to charity when I was filling a new bookshelf this week Laura. Like you, I found a couple of sets of books I'd had some years that I decided I'd probably never read now. Some books are of their moment, and I can go to the library and get them out if I have a sudden itch to read them.

I must do a cull myself, but I find the thought of it rather daunting! What if I get rid of something that could end up being a favorite!?!?

I've managed to cull one book so far, but it is an important thing to do this time of year. I feel guilty when I pull a book off the shelf. . . but, yes, unburdened in a good way once the deed is done and the bag of books is gone. The thing is, I have to remind myself that almost any book is replaceable if I change my mind. And I know which ones are not and I keep them.

We are driving down to NYC as it turns out to pick up the LD as a family luncheon has popped up on the horizon-- organized by my more NY based cousins we were invited this year as they sensed they might be able to rope us in!

58.
Bird Sense: What It's Like to Be a Bird ()
My Review
Source: On my Kindle
Why I Read This Now I was in the mood for some non-fiction.

I am a bit of a bird nerd, so this book definitely piqued my curiosity. The author examines birds' senses, from the "basic five" to magnetic sense, and even emotions. I picked up several fun facts along the way: did you know birds' internal organs undergo seasonal changes?

The centres in the avian brain that control the acquisition and delivery of song in male birds shrink at the end of the breeding season and grow again in the following spring. The brain is expensive to run – in humans it uses about ten times as much energy as any other organ – so, for birds, shutting down those parts not needed at certain times of the year is a sensible energy-saving tactic.

I also enjoyed the chapter on smell. Only recently have scientists confirmed birds do indeed have a sense of smell, and there is still much to study and learn. This book is written much more for the lay person than a scientist, which was fine with me because I'm not a scientist. Despite that, I would have enjoyed going deeper into some of the research, and also wanted to know more about areas of current scientific debate.

>212 Caroline_McElwee:, >213 katiekrug:, >214 sibylline: On the topic of book culling ...
I now have a bag of about 24 books ready to take to the used bookshop. I included a few I'd listed on Paperbackswap in 2011 or so, figuring if they haven't moved yet they probably aren't going to. Just putting them in the bag felt satisfying!

>215 lauralkeet: Oh, I have this one; it was on a best science book list somewhere last year. Sorry you're not so enthusiastic. I haven't read it yet.

>217 qebo: Katherine, it was nominated for the Royal Society Winton Prize, and I recall listening to a podcast (from The Guardian, maybe) about the prize nominees. There's something about it that I can't quite put my finger on, that dampened my enthusiasm. It wasn't difficult to read (i.e.; not too technical), and yet the narrative wasn't exactly compelling, either. Still, 3 stars means I thought it "respectable".

>216 lauralkeet: Laura, I was inspired by your book culling to have a mini book cull of my own. I think I managed to find about 10 books from my TBR pile that I don't think I really want to read anymore. I'll leave it for a bit before donating them somewhere in case I change my mind but it feels quite good!

>219 souloftherose: well done, Heather!

Happy Saturday, Laura. I finished EP3 of Serial. They sure picked a twisty, slippery tale. How about Mr. S. The streaker dude?

Hope you have a great weekend.

24 books! I am SO impressed! So far I've managed about 3....

59.
O Pioneers! ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I Read This Now It's Willa Cather Reading Week in the Virago Modern Classics group.

Willa Cather sets a scene like nobody else. How can you not be completely hooked after reading a passage like this:

Although it was only four o'clock, the winter day was fading. The road led southwest, toward the streak of pale, watery light that glimmered in the leaden sky. The light fell upon the two sad young faces that were turned mutely toward it: upon the eyes of the girl, who seemed to be looking with such anguished perplexity into the future; upon the sombre eyes of the boy, who seemed already to be looking into the past. The little town behind them had vanished as if it had never been, had fallen behind the swell of the prairie, and the stern frozen country received them into its bosom. The homesteads were few and far apart; here and there a windmill gaunt against the sky, a sod house crouching in a hollow. But the great fact was the land itself, which seemed to overwhelm the little beginnings of human society that struggled in its sombre wastes. It was from facing this fast hardness that the boy's mouth had become so bitter; because he felt that men were too weak to make any mark here, that the land wanted to be let alone, to preserve its own fierce strength, its peculiar, savage kind of beauty, its uninterrupted mournfulness.

Alexandra Bergson is the strong, independent daughter of Swedish immigrants settled in Nebraska. She is confident and knowledgeable, and despite having two older brothers, quickly assumes leadership of the farm. Alexandra builds it into a successful venture while also raising her youngest brother Emil, ensuring he has a level of education that gives him options as an adult. Alexandra cares for her family and neighbors, but her independent nature means she has few close friends. Her social needs are met through the chatter of young Swedish girls hired for cooking and other domestic services, and visits with Marie Shabata, a young farmer’s wife living nearby.

O Pioneers! paints a vivid picture of prairie life over about two decades in the late 19th century. I became fully vested in the lives of Alexandra, Emil, Marie, and others. The story ambles along gently through the seasons and the years. But don’t be fooled by these easy rhythms: there’s an emotional current underpinning this story, which Cather taps to deliver an emotional punch that I had not anticipated, and which vaulted this book from “just another farming story” to something much more meaningful.

Another fine Cather waiting for me...great review, Laura!

Book culling sounds a very good idea. I'm officially out of shelf space, an issue I've been combatting by just buying kindle books but there are quite a few up there that I'm not interested in any more. Of course I could also move some along by actually reading dead tree books instead of off my kindle, but it's so much more convenient to read electronically.

Great review of O Pioneers!. Big Thumb! I LOVE Cather and this one might be my next Cather pick.

>224 laytonwoman3rd: >226 msf59: Mark & Linda, I think you'd both enjoy O Pioneers!

>225 lunacat: Hi Jenny! Thanks for visiting my little old thread. Your Kindle strategy is a good one. I actually forget about my Kindle TBR sometimes!

Excellent review of O Pioneers! Laura. Thumbed. I liked Alexandra Bergson only slightly less than Antonia Shimerda but Cather can really draw strong female characters, can't she? Your point about her skill at describing and developing a sense of place is spot on.

I'm well into a book you recently enjoyed and am loving it so far. That would be A Land More Kind than Home.

Laura, fabulous review of O Pioneers!. This is one that's been on my list for longer than I care to admit. Must get to it! Just love what you had to say.

>228 brenzi: Bonnie, it's always nice to see you!! I am not surprised to hear you are enjoying A Land More Kind than Home. Powerful stuff.

>229 lit_chick: Thank you Nancy! It's a short book (180pp) which I polished off in a weekend, so you might be able to bookhorn it in somewhere.

Nice review of the Cather!

>223 lauralkeet: Great review Laura! I have a Cather or two tentatively lined up for this month but I can't decide if I'm in the right mood.

>216 lauralkeet:: look at you go! whooo hooo!

Oh crumb: the KINDLE tbr. I forgot about it.

>231 sibylline: >232 souloftherose: Thanks Lucy & Heather!
>233 tiffin: and thanks for the encouragement Tui!! And I'm glad I'm not alone in overlooking my Kindle TBR.

>215 lauralkeet: Tim Birkhead (the author of what it's like to be a bird) taught me for behavioural ecology at the University of Sheffield At the time he was a young, very enthusiastic lecturer and it was definitely the best course that I did. I picked this book up a little while ago and it did make me feel old to realise that (of course) he's now in his sixties!

Morning Laura! Susan Koenig was on The Colbert Report last night. I didn't see it yet, but I will. I'll be listening to #6 today. Now, I feel like I am behind everyone else. Even my daughter is blasting through them.

>235 SandDune: Rhian, how lucky you were! I bet he was a very good lecturer.

>236 msf59: Thanks for the tip, Mark! I haven't been watching Colbert as much as I used to, but he's now in his final episodes (sniff!), so I've been viewing selectively. The one with President Obama was great. And ... it's Thursday so I'll be listening to the latest episode of Serial on my way home tonight!

>235 SandDune: Oh cool!

Wonderful review of O Pioneers!, Laura. I read it last year and really enjoyed it. I appreciate your thoughtful comments about it.

Have a great weekend ~~~~

>239 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen!! The weekend will be a bit busier than usual as we are attending two different concerts. Last night was Brandywine Baroque, an early music ensemble that performs in a small, intimate venue. It was excellent. First, two cantatas by Joseph Boismortier, a French composer I had not heard of before. Then, Vivaldi's Four Seasons which is a very familiar work but these talented musicians gave it new life. The principal violinist introduced each movement with a few words about the images portrayed by the music. He performed all four movements from memory. The ensemble also included two other violins, a viola, two cellos (one cellist also played viola da gamba), bass, flute, and harpsichord.

On Sunday we will see the Philadelphia Singers in their Christmas concert, which is held in a large, majestic church.

With all that happening, I hope to get some reading in today. I'm in the middle of Ali Smith's How to be Both, and enjoying it quite a lot.

Enjoy all the music!

I'm looking forward to your comments about the concerts, and your thoughts on How to Be Both, which I plan to read later this month.

60.
How to be Both ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I Read This Now It was shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize, and only just released in the US.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I'm hard pressed to describe what made it such a great read for me. How to be Both is actually two novellas, one about a modern day girl named George, who recently lost her mother, and the other about a Renaissance painter named Francesco del Cossa. The reading experience is strongly influenced by a random act: some editions begin with George's story; some with Francesco's (and eBooks have both versions, so the reader can choose). My copy began with George, on New Year's Eve just a few months after her mother's death. George is bereft, her grief is palpable, and yet she is also precocious and funny in relating events of the day, and in retelling experiences shared with her mother, most notably a trip to Italy where they saw one of Francesco's most notable works.

And then suddenly I was in the other story -- Francesco's -- and moving seamlessly from the Renaissance period to the present day. Where George's story is written in a fairly straightforward narrative, Francesco's is stream of consciousness, and sometimes a bit like poetry. There are numerous connections between the two novellas, some of which are only alluded to and I'm still trying to piece together. And there are more obvious themes about duality, especially regarding gender and sexual identity.

It's tempting now to re-read George's story to pick up new details. But instead I find myself holding it in my imagination, savoring what I've just read, and leaving details suspended forever somehow seems just right.

So. Like I said, I'm hard pressed to describe what made this such a great read. Just give it a try, and see what you think.

>242 kidzdoc: Darryl, your wish is my command ... :)

>241 sibylline:, >242 kidzdoc: It's been a delightful music-filled weekend. Both concerts were excellent, each in their own way.

Brandywine Baroque performs in a small, intimate venue, a converted barn adjacent to the artistic director's home. The cantatas by Joseph Boismortier were lovely, one sung by a tenor and the other by a soprano, accompanied by cello, viola da gamba, violin & flute. Then a larger group of musicians took the stage for Vivaldi's Four Seasons and turned a very familiar work into something special. The principal violinist introduced each movement with a few words about the images portrayed by the music. He performed all four movements from memory. The ensemble also included two other violins, a viola, two cellos (one cellist also played viola da gamba), bass, flute, and harpsichord. I played the violin until I was about 30, so I especially enjoyed watching the strings perform.

The Philadelphia Singers perform in the Cathedral Basilica of Sts Peter and Paul, an ornate and gorgeous space that first opened in 1864. Their Christmas Concert is a 30-year tradition. This is the last year for their current conductor, so they did some of his favorite pieces. The program opened with the choir processing into the church with candles, singing "O Come O Come Emanuel," and their voices soared up to the ceiling. It was really something. Then they performed a variety of works from the 16th century to the present day. The concert ended with audience carol singing, with the choir surrounding the pews. I am now well and truly in the Christmas spirit!

Brandywine Baroque sounds wonderful. Just my kind of music. I love string instruments. Mendelssohn's violin concerto may be my favorite piece of music. Ever.

I also love your review of How to be both, Laura. I'm looking forward to reading it later this month.

>243 lauralkeet: Interesting. Do you think you would have felt differently about the book if your copy had started with Francesco's story? Is this variation in editions simply meant to emphasize the theme of duality, or what? I'm awfully skeptical of literary gimmicks experiments like this (says she who loves Faulkner, and spent beaucoup bucks to get a Folio Society edition of The Sound and the Fury printed in multiple colors of ink the way Faulkner always hoped it would appear).

Oh, and speaking of sexual identity, remember Nancy Drew's friend George, a "tomboy"? She ought to be featured in some study or other, I think!

>245 EBT1002: I'll have to check out the Mendelssohn, Ellen, not sure if I've heard it before.

>246 laytonwoman3rd: very good question, Linda. I've been thinking a lot about how the order might affect the reading experience. The advantage of starting with George is that her story is a more traditional narrative; the Francesco story has a bit of magical realism which normally is not my cuppa. So If I'd read that first would I have enjoyed it?

But more importantly would it have changed my interpretation of certain characters in George's story? I think it might have done, which is what's fascinating me at the moment.

Morning Laura! Great review of How to be Both. I have still not read Smith. Bad Mark.

I will be listening to episode #11 of Serial this A.M. I can not believe how this show has caught on. It is truly astounding.

>248 msf59: Mark, you got caught up on Serial pretty quickly! I can't wait to see how they wrap things up in Episode 12 tomorrow.

Morning, Laura!

Just realizing that I haven't posted here in a good while, but wanted to chime in that I'm still here, lurking, and enjoying the conversations...

61.
The Secret Scripture ()
My Review
Source: My shelves
Why I Read This Now Just reading some TBRs that have been sitting on the shelves for a while.

Roseanne McNulty has lived nearly a century, and spent much of her adult life in a home for the mentally ill. As officials prepare to relocate to a new facility, the staff must assess and place each resident in the appropriate level of care. Records pertaining to Roseanne's case are scarce, so Dr William Grene visits her almost daily, attempting through their conversations to piece together her story and understand events that resulted in her being sent to live there. At the same time, Roseanne spends her days documenting her history in a journal that she stores beneath the floorboards. The Secret Scripture shifts between these two narrators, with Roseanne's story anchored in early 20th century Ireland, and Grene's in the present day.

Roseanne came of age in the wake of the Troubles, and her life's course was heavily influenced both by the Catholic-Protestant divide, and attitudes towards women and their place in society. Although Roseanne was Presbyterian, the local Catholic priest was a powerful force, and intervened in her affairs on numerous occasions -- usually with ill effects. More details of Roseanne's life are spoilerish, but let's just say the church doesn't come off well here.

Meanwhile, Grene is dealing with his own problems and sadness, and tries valiantly to soldier on in his work. His character was somewhat less developed than Roseanne's, and I often wished for more of his back story. My wish was granted near the end of the book in a way that I didn't see coming, and yet in hindsight strikes me as rather predictable. Despite a rather neat tying up of loose ends, I found Roseanne's story both compelling and moving.

Great review of How to Be Both, Laura. I hope to get to it next week.

I liked The Secret Scripture as well.

>243 lauralkeet: & >251 lauralkeet: Both of those books sound good, Laura.

>252 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl! I thought of you today -- we spent the afternoon in the Rittenhouse Square area and I was reminded of our LT meetup. That was a great day!

>253 NanaCC: Indeed they are, Colleen! I didn't realize until after I'd read it that The Secret Scripture is 4th in a series of novels featuring the McNulty family. I was familiar with this one because it was nominated for the Booker Prize. It stands on its own quite well.

Laura, wonderful review of The Secret Scripture. I enjoy Barry's writing so this one hits the list!

eta: just went to add this, and I see it is #4 in the McNulty family series. Have you read all of these, and in order, or are they just as well as stand-alones?

>255 lit_chick: Nancy, I think we were cross-posting, as I mentioned the McNulty series discovery in >254 lauralkeet:. I haven't read any of the others, but The Secret Scripture definitely stands on its own.

Interesting, Laura. I read The Secret Scripture a few years ago---loved it--, but I didn't know until now that it was part of a series of related books. And now that I've looked at the series page, I find I've never heard of any of the other three titles! I may seek them out.
(Thumbed your review, btw.)

I went to put The Secret Scripture onto my wishlist and saw it's in my mum's library so if I remember, I'll ask her whether she's read it and if I can borrow it.

>257 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I hadn't heard of those earlier titles, either. I'm mildly interested but am not making a beeline or anything.

>258 lunacat: Jenny, it's great you can borrow it from you mom! My mom & I used to read a lot of the same things too, but now her reading days are more or less behind her. However, my oldest daughter and I are sharing books more often now. She came home from uni in time to read my copy of How to be Both before it's due back to the library.

Happy Sunday, Laura! Thanks for sharing the Serial parody. They really nailed it. LOL. Without revealing much, what did you think of the finale?

Found you! And found 260 messages to catch up on.

I heard How to be Both being read on the Guardian books podcast ages ago, thought it sounded good, and forgot about it. I'll see how long the library reserve list is - sounds like I'd like it.

I have 2 books by Sebastian Barry here - I bought The Temporary Gentleman earlier this year but didn't get far into it before it got displaced by something (possibly Game of Thrones...). and I have On Canaan's Side on my Kindle. It's been ages since I read anything Irish.

And going way back in your thread, I loved your review of O Pioneers! and I loved the book. It's my favourite of the 3 of hers that I've read (the other two are My Antonia and Alexander's Bridge).

Are both the girls coming home for Christmas?

>261 cushlareads: woo hoo a visit from Cushla!! I think you'd really enjoy How to be Both. Have you read A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing? It's experimental and kind of strange but in a good way. It won the Bailey's Prize this year. You might like that one, too.

Both daughters are home, yes -- they arrived last Thursday and classes resume January 12 so it's a nice long break. They're enjoying sleeping in their own beds, and hot baths, and all things Christmassy. So far so good!

Nope, haven't read A Girl is a Half-formed Thing but it sounds interesting. I'm not always good with "experimental" but if you think it works I'll give it a go (no pressure!!).

Yay to having everyone there for Christmas. That's a good long break.

Right, back to laundry, sitting in the sun with my Kindle and latte and listening to the kids play Mario Kart on the Wii!

Merry Christmas, Laura. Thanks for being such a great bookie friend!


glitter-graphics.com

Laura, have a great Christmas and New Year!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Laura, and a Happy New Year!

Here to wish you and yours a lovely Christmas, Laura, with every good wish for a happy and healthy 2015!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to you and your family, Laura!

Merry Christmas, Laura. Enjoy the holidays with your family.

Merry Christmas, Laura!

Merry Christmas, Laura, and a joyful Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to you and your minions, Laura! It was great to see you in London, albeit briefly, in March, and I hope to see you again next year.

Merry Christmas, Laura!! Have a great day with your wonderful family.

Merry Christmas to Cushla, Nancy, Rhian, Nathalie, Tui, Katherine, Amber, Colleen, Chelle, Peggy, Darryl, Mark and all my other LT buddies! Gifts have been opened, dogs have torn up wrapping paper, and one customer service issue has been duly logged with the online merchant. Wouldn't you know the "big" gift for my oldest daughter was incorrect? The items were tightly packed into their shipping box and I was stupid enough not to unpack and make sure they were what I was expecting. I ordered a set of dishes for her post-graduation apartment, and received a set of serving bowls and a set of mixing bowls. Hopefully they will resolve the situation with reasonable speed.

My goodness, look at the time. Just a bit more LT and then I need to get dressed and think about cooking.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

Laura,
I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas - Enjoy!

BTW: My "Blocking Kit" arrived and it's perfect!

>276 drachenbraut23: thank you Bianca! I hope you've enjoyed your Christmas as well. Hooray for the blocking kit. I'm very pleased with mine.

Merry Christmas!
On the eve: Do I smell turkey?
During: Worn out:

>278 sibylline: oh what a treat! Thank you Lucy!!! It looks like your Christmas was delightful.

Here are a few photos from family activities over the past few days:

Family Festivus/Christmas Crafternoon


Christmas Eve visit to Longwood Gardens - we take a photo in the same spot every year

Julia on the left, Kate on the right

More crafts on Christmas Day -- woodland creature masks (from a kit of course)

I'm also very pleased to share the Aran Sweater I've been knitting, which was nearly 13 months in the making. It fits Chris perfectly and I couldn't be happier with it.

I love this! We did at least manage to take a walk, but mostly we admire the pets and read our new books! The LD and I are getting a bit excited about knitting and I expect we will do some today now that the tissue is tidied up.

We cross posted - the sweater is amazing!

62.
Before Lunch ()
My Review
Source: My shelves
Why I Read This Now Seemed like it would be a nice easy read. It was.

I was looking for something light and easy to read over the Christmas holidays, and this fit the bill. Before Lunch is typical Thirkell Barsetshire fare, in which a group of English people engage in countryside pursuits, with a heavy dose of satire. Some members of the group inevitably fall in love, and all ends well. Thirkell generally introduces new characters in each novel, while including old friends in cameo roles.

In this novel, Lilian Stonor and her adult step-children, Denis and Daphne, come to stay in a house near Lilian's brother, Jack Middleton and his wife Catherine. Jack is a ridiculous blowhard, sometimes funny and sometimes just an ass, and Catherine endures it all. Denis is a musician awaiting his big break, and Daphne is mostly interested in farm life but surprises herself by being attracted to (and attractive to) more than one man in the vicinity. It's pretty easy to see where it's all going, but mostly fun getting there. Thirkell used a land use issue to move the story along, which didn't have enough fire power. The cast of quirky secondary characters picked up the slack.

I don't think I could read these novels in rapid succession, but they are a very nice diversion.

>282 sibylline: thank you Lucy!

Beautiful sweater, Laura.

Thirkell is a nice diversion once in a while.

Love those masks! (So, what does the fox say, anyway?)

Laura, what wonderful family photos! Just love the crafts you've done together, and the pic with everyone in their woodland masks! Most of my tree is decorated with salt-dough ornaments, and the ceramic figures reminded me of these; I keep meaning to make more of them, they're so lovely and unique.

You did a FABULOUS job of your husband's sweater! That is just beautiful.

Have a wonderful festive season, Laura.

Love the holiday photos, Laura, and that sweater is *amazing!*. Well done, you!

Belated Christmas wishes and a happy New Year Laura.

>243 lauralkeet: Your review of How to Be Both has intrigued me and that was a book I wasn't previously interested in reading. I'll look out for it at the libary.

>280 lauralkeet: & >281 lauralkeet: Lovely photos and well done on finishing the sweater! I'm thinking of trying to knit a sweater for my husband as my next big project. He's very tall and thin so most shop clothes don't fit him very well...

Morning Laura! Love the Christmas photos! You have a great looking family. Did you see CTM?

Well here we are, in the final hours of 2014. I must admit I've been distracted by the arrival of our shiny new 2015 75 Books Challenge group, so I failed to acknowledge my recent visitors Colleen, Linda, Nancy, Paul, Amber, Heather, and Mark. I've been busily trying to finish my last book of the year. I don't think I'll finish it today, but it will be close enough to count for 2014.

63.
Faithful Place ()
My Review
Source: My library - Kindle loan
Why I Read This Now Just because I enjoy this series.

Faithful Place is the third book in the Dublin Murder Squad trilogy, and focuses on Detective Frank Mackey, who first appeared in the second book supervising an undercover operation. Faithful Place is the Dublin neighborhood where Frank was born and raised, and where most of his family still lives. Frank has been estranged from his family for over twenty years, having left after being jilted by his first love, Rosie Daly. Frank and Rosie had planned to run off to England together, but she didn't show up at the appointed time and everyone assumed she had left on her own.

Frank is pulled back to Faithful Place when Rosie's body is discovered in an abandoned building. Naturally, another detective is assigned to the case, but Frank can't stay away and investigates on his own. In the process he dredges up a huge pile of family secrets and dysfunction, surfacing old wounds he thought had healed. Frank's personal life is also a bit of a mess, recently divorced from Olivia and with a young daughter, Holly. Frank's attempts to maintain a cordial relationship with Olivia and develop a deeper relationship with Holly are often thwarted by the demands of his job, and the Rosie case taxes them all to the limit.

Frank's emotional turmoil was both painful and realistic, as he mourned the permanent loss of Rosie, and became reacquainted with his family and the damage they continued to inflict on one another. The characters in Frank's world were very well developed and made this book much more than "just a crime novel." I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

2014 Year in Review

2014 was the first year in a long time that I read without setting any goals or making any resolutions. As the year comes to a close, I’ve read 63 books and just over 20,000 pages. Ratings clustered in the 3-4 star range with only 3 books earning 5 stars. 73% of my books were written by a woman, which is pretty consistent with previous years. About 20% of my books came from my local library, which means the other 80% were from my shelves. You’d think that would cause my TBR pile to shrink, but no … it took a good old-fashioned book culling at the end of the year to do that.

I enjoyed taking part in the Virago Modern Classics Group’s Great War Theme Read, although that got to be a little bleak and overwhelming after a while. This year I read more books from series than I have in the past, and after many years reading classics, I found myself gravitating toward recently published fiction. With so many new books landing on my “top 5” list, I see the trend toward reading contemporary literary fiction continuing in 2015.

Here are my top books of 2014:

5 stars:
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Lila
Plainsong

4.5 stars (so hard to choose only two!)
How to be Both
A Land More Kind than Home

Honorable Mentions (also rated 4.5 stars):
O Pioneers!
The Enchanted April
Not So Quiet
Five Days at Memorial
As Always, Julia
MIss Buncle’s Book
The Last Chronicle of Barset
The Hired Man

And that’s a wrap on 2014! It's been great fun sharing it with all of you. In 2015 I'll be chatting about my reading on this thread -- hope you'll join me!

>293 lauralkeet: my review of Faithful Place is posted, and this thread is now closed.

Happy new year!

I've enjoyed your thread and look forward to following you next year!