brenzi Would Happily Slam the Door on Winter

This looks at least a little spring-like:-)

And here's the star of the show and love of my life Mia, almost six months old.

BOOKS READ IN 2015

December

Runaway - Alice Munro - OTS - 4.5 stars
Men We Reaped - Jesmyn Ward - NF - 4 stars
Pirate Hunters - Robert Kurson - NF - eBook - L - 4.2 stars
The Wars - Timothy Findley - OTS - 4.5 stars

November

Career of Evil - Robert Galbraith - L - 4.2 stars
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson - eBook - 3 stars

October

Devil in the Grove - Gilbert King - NF - eBook- 4.4 stars
The Painter - Peter Heller - eBook - 4.5 stars
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood - eBook - 4.2 stars

September

Caleb's Crossing - Geraldine Brooks - audio book - 4 stars
The Nature of the Beast - Louise Penny - L - 4.5 stars
The Story of the Lost Child - Elena Ferrante - OTS - 4.6 stars

August

Epitaph - Mary Doria Russell - eBook - L - 4 stars
Destiny of the Republic - Candice Millard - NF - OTS - 4.5 stars
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay - Elena Ferrante - OTS - 5 stars
Flood of Fire - Amitav Ghosh - L - 4.6 stars

July

A Change of Climate - Hilary Mantel - OTS - 4.5 stars
Truth and Beauty: A Friendship - Ann Patchett - NF - OTS - 3.6 stars
Being Mortal - Atul Gawande - eBook- L - NF - 4 stars
The Story of a New Name - Elena Ferrante - OTS - 5 stars
The Professor's House - Willa Cather - OTS - 4.4 stars

June

My Cousin Rachel - Daphne Du Maurier - OTS - 5 stars
Disclaimer - Renee Knight - L - 4.2 stars
My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante - OTS - 4.6 stars
Lila - Marilynne Robinson - L - eBook - 4.4 stars
Dead Wake - Erik Larsen - ARC - NF - 5 stars

May

The Hare with Amber Eyes - Edmund de Waal - NF - OTS - 5 stars
The Radetzky March - Joseph Roth - OTS - 4.5 stars
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage - Ann Patchett - NF - L eBook - 4.2 stars
A God in Ruins - Kate Atkinson - L - 5 stars
The Long Way Home - Louise Penny - L - eBook - 4.2 stars

April

The Good House - Ann Leary - OTS - 4.5 stars
The Likeness - Tana French - L eBook - 4.5 stars

March

Mapp and Lucia - E. F. Benson - eBook - 4 stars
One Fine Day - Mollie Panter-Downes - OTS - 4.5 stars
H is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald - NF - L - 5 stars
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? - Roz Chast - L - NF - 4.5 stars
All My Puny Sorrows - Miriam Toews - eBook - 4.1 stars

February

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - Daniel James Brown - eBook - NF - 5 stars
Crossing to Safety - Wallace Stegner - OTS - 4.8 stars
The Eustace Diamonds - Anthony Trollope - eBook - 4 stars

January

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins - eBook - 3.8 stars
The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton - OTS - 4.7 stars
Morality Play - Barry Unsworth - OTS - 4.2 stars
Elizabeth is Missing - Emma Healey - eBook - 4 stars
In the Heart of the Sea - Nathaniel Philbrick - NF - OTS - 4.5 stars
Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel - eBook - 4.5 stars

CURRENTLY READING

2015 STATS:

total books read: 47

BOTS (books off my shelf): 20

Fiction: 34
Non-Fiction: 13

male author: 15
female author: 32

US authors: 18
authors from other countries: 29
living author: 37
deceased author: 10



A CENTURY OF BOOKS (idea stolen from Heather)

1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905 - The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916 - Mr. Britling Sees it Through - H. G. Wells
1917
1918 - A Diary Without Dates - Enid Bagnold
1919
1920 - William: An Englishman - Cecily Hamilton
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925 - The Professor's House - Willa Cather
1926
1927 - Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
1928
1929
1930 - Not So Quiet...Stepdaughters of War by Helen Zenna Smith
1931 - Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson
1932 - Light in August -William Faulkner
1933 - The Radetzky March - Joseph Roth
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938 - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946 - Delta Wedding - Eudora Welty
1947 - One Fine Day - Mollie Panter-Downes
1948 - The Franchise Affair - Josephine Tey
1949
1950
1951 - My Cousin Rachel - Daphne DuMaurier
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959 - The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz - Mordecai Richler
1960
1961
1962 - The Guns of August - Barbara Tuchman
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968 - True Grit - Charles Portis
1969
1970
1971 - Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont - Elizabeth Taylor
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977 - The Wars - Timothy Findley
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985 - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
1986
1987 - Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
1988
1989
1990
1991 - Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood
1992
1993
1994 - A Change of Climate by Hilary Mantel
1995 - Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
1996
1997
1998
1999

That little Mia just gets cuter every day!

The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope

Yes I've been happily living in Trollope-land for the past couple of weeks and it's always a joy but I have to say Lizzie Eustace is an absolute wretch. A young widow with a small child, she has inherited enough money to keep her well provided for for the rest of her life. As a wealthy, young and quite beautiful woman, she has plenty of suitors but the problem is her character is so, well, lacking, that she's not satisfied with what she has and insists on fighting for the diamonds that were part of the Eustace family estate but which Lizzie insists that her late husband gave to her specifically. And so it's this conundrum that the narrative entails. Needless to say, Lizzie is so incapable of telling the truth that she gets herself into deep trouble.

I didn't like this book as well as all the other books in this series or in the Barsetshire series, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I thought the antisemitism was unnecessary, although I'm aware that writers at this time used it quite frequently. But the book was filled with shallow, unlikeable characters that even Trollope's droll sense of humor couldn't save. And the narrow view of women at the time is always grating even though I know Trollope was simply showcasing the views of the time.

>4 lauralkeet: Oh I thought I was the only one who noticed that Laura;-)

Oh what a gorgeous topper on your new thread, Bonnie! Strawberries! Now I am hungry!Oh and dear Mia! What a sweetie. A dear friend of mine lost her husband to cancer this past January - quite a sudden thing - diagnosis in October, passed away in January and she just told me that her son and daughter in law , who just got married are expecting in September. I'm so happy for her that she will have a new bright star in her life -and her husband knew about prior to his passing. Babies are a wonderful thing ( as long as you don't have to get up with them in the night as I remember only too well! ; )

I knew it was you and perhaps Mark who were keen on The Girl on a Train .

Bonnie, I havenot yet started the Pallliser series but picked up the first book as well as The Eustace Diamonds in a used bookshop last week. No idea when I will dive in, but I felt like I needed more Trollope in my life.

>7 vancouverdeb: I agree with you about the getting up in the middle of the night Deborah. Those days are long gone for me (for Mia too; she pretty much sleeps 6:30-7:30). I hope you like The Girl on the Train.

>8 lauralkeet: I know what you mean Laura. I just love reading Trollope, even though all the books are all soooo long. Didn't you read the first book when we read that before we got to The Last Chronicle of Barset? Liz wanted us to read that because some themes were brought up in Can You Forgive Her? that were necessary to understand things in The Last Chronicle of Barset.

Happy New Thread, Bonnie! I love your thread toppers!

I've been reading and re-reading Trollope -- The Eustace Diamonds was one of the ones that I hadn't previously read and it gave me a violent dislike of Mr. Trollope. What a self-satisfied, smug prig Frank is. What a limp little daisy Lucy is, meekly saying when she finds herself in a tight spot that she'll have to write to Frank again so that he can tell her what to do, even though she has barely heard from him at all in months. Lizzie may be a liar and incredibly manipulative, but at least she doesn't fool herself. She knows that even if she had come by her diamonds perfectly honestly, the men would still be trying to take them away from her, because that's too much money (and therefore independence and power) to give to a woman. That may not be why she lies, but let's face it -- none of those people know she's lying. They just don't want her to have the diamonds, and it's not JUST about her character, or if it is, it's not because she's venal and a liar. It's because she's not feminine and weak. I couldn't help wondering what would have happened had Lizzie had Lucy's character and vice versa. Had Lizzie been meek, demure and always told the truth, and told the truth about the diamonds from day one. She might still have owned them, no? And still been under pressure to relinquish them? And what would Trollope have done then? Probably have had her give them up, for the sake of her son and the family. Meanwhile, had Lizzie's character belonged to Lucy the governess, well, trouble would have ensued... Lizzie's money is the only thing that lets her behave the way she does.

Mia is, of course, gorgeous.

LOVE your thread topper and your beautiful Mia. : ) I really enjoyed All My Puny Sorrows. It is a dark issue, but I thought it was really well handled and some nice humor broke it up a little. I hope you enjoy it. Hugs!

I love the pictures, Bonnie, and your thread name expresses the thoughts of many of us. I am happily looking forward to leaving for Florida in a little over a week. It can't come soon enough.

I read my first Trollope last March when I was in Florida on vacation. I was thinking about reading Dr. Thorne this time, but I am also toying with a Peter Wimsey re-read. Both are on my kindle so I have time to decide. Your review has me wanting Trollope. :)

>9 brenzi: Hmm Bonnie, I had forgotten about the connection to Barset. But no, I didn't read the first book then. I must have decided to take my chances. And I looooved The Last Chronicle of Barset.

Happy New Thread! The Eustace Diamonds certainly generated some interesting discussion. I remember that I was one of the few readers with a soft spot for Phineas Finn (the character, as opposed to the book) so I'm looking forward to Phineas Redux. I think we'll get to see more of Madame Max Goesler.

Mia is getting cuter all the time!

Mia is adorable! Babies are wonderfully soothing, aren't they?

I didn't feel quite the same way that Suz did about Eustace Diamonds. Yes, the anti-semitism is at best tiresome. But I thought Trollope was laughing up his sleeve at the mores of the day regarding men and women. I didn't see the anti-feminist sentiment there; rather, I thought Trollope was doing a quite obvious send-up of his era. His books get darker and more cynical as time goes on; The Way We Live Now is a particularly critical of the era and its mad desire for money.

Hope you have a wonderful week, Bonnie.

Happy New thread, Bonnie! Mia is gorgeous. Such a sweetie. I also like all the reading pics.

Hope you are having a nice weekend.

Mia is six months old already?! My how time does fly Bonnie. As you know my eldest girl turned eighteen this week and I am certainly feeling my age.

Mia is gorgeous and a very special little girl bringing you such joy at such a traumatic period of your own life.

Have a lovely Sunday, Queen of Reviews, although you need to read 'em to review 'em!

Happy new thread, Bonnie. What a beauty Mia is -- and a prodigy too, I'm sure! You've done some great reading so far. I'll be anxious to hear what you think of All My Puny Sorrows.

>10 tymfos: Thanks Terri:-)

>11 Chatterbox: Hi Suzanne, I really believe that Trollope was demonstrating the way things were at the time he was writing. Women had very little power, no rights, and if they didn't have a fortune to sustain themselves they were up the creek without a paddle. I've come to accept his characterizations of women as typical for the time. And I think he may exaggerate the conditions as a way of mocking the conditions at the time. The marriage Lucinder and Tewett was so typical: an absolutely horrid match and yet it went right down to the wire before she stood up for herself. This is the way it was and I'm glad I wasn't alive then.

>12 Berly: Thanks Kim. I'm well into AMPS and really enjoying it.

>13 NanaCC: Have fun in Florida Colleen. I haven't read any of the Wimsey novels although I have several on my Kindle and will get to him eventually. I just love Trollope and especially love the whole Basetshire series so you have some good reading ahead of you.

>14 lauralkeet: Well of course Laura. How stupid am I to think you wouldn't know what you'd already read? LOL

>15 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie. I was annoyed by how Phineas sponged off his father who really couldn't afford it but in the end I gave him points for marrying Mary instead of the wealth Madame Max, although I really liked her. I'll look forward to the next book in the series.

>16 Matke: Thanks Gail. Mia has been truly a life saver for me and that is not an exaggeration. I can't get enough of Trollope and really appreciate his take down of the society he found himself in the middle of. I haven't read The Way We Live Now but understand it's considered to be his masterpiece so I hope to get to it.

>17 msf59: Hi Mark. Thanks and I'm having a fairly busy weekend.

>18 PaulCranswick:
Mia is gorgeous and a very special little girl bringing you such joy at such a traumatic period of your own life. You always know just the right thing to say Paul:-)

although you need to read 'em to review 'em! Is that some kind of dig at the paltry number of books I've read this year? All I can say is I'm taking it easy and realizing that there are many things that make up a full life and reading is just one part of it. That and I have nowhere near the kind of time I had before because of the sweet little thing in >1 brenzi: LOL

>19 BLBera: Thanks Beth. Yes we both have our prodigies, don't we? LOL

>20 brenzi: Not a dig, Bonnie, but a gentle and loving prod! Actually nine books isn't that bad considering what books you have read - Trollope's books always take an age for me to finish. xx

Nine books is pretty darn pathetic no matter how you look at it Paul but I don't see the number increasing at a very fast rate unless I stick with short books. Hmmm maybe I should consider that.

Almost six months old already! Goodness! And getting sweeter by the day from all I can see : ).

Chuckled out loud at the title of your new thread, Bonnie! I'm another who'd happily slam the door on winter, and we've had a very easy winter here. Bring.on.July!

Bonnie, being slightly err - like a fact checker - I did know that Charles Todd was a mother - son team. I even knew that they were American . And me being me , I was slightly put off by the fact that that the the British/ Canadian words in which we use a " u" as in neighbour, harbour, labour etc - well, Charles Todd did not use the "u" as I felt would have been more authentic. I'm reading slowly too, Bonnie. We need time to reflect and ponder, right? :) And run our daily 5 miles! ;)

I was just thinking about the fact that Charles Todd and his mom are a writing duo. That's is kind of amazing! When I think of me and my dad , or me and my sons trying to be a writing duo - or a duo at anything - well, that would be a pretty great relationship you'd have to have!

Happy new thread, Bonnie! That Mia is so beautiful it's crazy! I mean, seriously, she looks like she should be in the movies!

Congrats on the new thread, Bonnie. That Mia is a sweetheart.

I can't imagine trying to write anything with my now-departed mother. The Charles Todd duo has always amazed me, too.

Happy new thread, Bonnie!

Mia is just too adorable and it's evident why she is such a source of joy for you!

I haven't heard of Trollope until I joined LT and now I see his name here and there. I should try it one of his books at some point.

>23 lit_chick: Six months has flown by Nancy. And she keeps growing. No matter what I do. LOL

>24 vancouverdeb: I only found out recently myself that Charles Todd was a mother and son Deborah. Interesting that they fail to use the spelling that was prevalent during the time they write about. I just assumed they were Brits.

>25 vancouverdeb: I can't imagine writing books with my son either. And me with my father? well you would have had to know my father. That would've been a real trip.

>26 scaifea: Mia in the movies? But Amber, she's just about six months old. What role did you have in mind? LOL

>27 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. I can't understand how two people write one book. Do they divide up the chapters? Or does one take the parts of one character and the other one take the parts of other characters? I don't know.

>28 jolerie: I only had a vague knowledge of Trollope until a few years ago Valerie. And now I can't make my way through his oeuvre fast enough:-)

Mia just gets cuter and cuter! You're going to be chasing after her before you know it!

When I read the Ian Rutledge books I can't help but wonder just how two people write a series of books together, much less a mother and son.

Funnily enough, a friend and I were talking on the weekend about writing a novel together. Basically, shooting the breeze, although the idea isn't that bad. I've ghost written/co-written, and it can be - ahem - bumpy.

>29 brenzi: She could just look at the camera and that in itself would make the movie, no? Such a little beauty! But then I'm not really saying anything that you don't already know, am I...?

Are the Ian Rutledge books written by the Charles Todd team, or just the Bess Crawford series? I thought it was just the Bess Crawford series, and thought that maybe that was why the Ian Rutledge series was so much better. I'm not very far into either series, but I am not fond of the Bess Crawford series.

Happy new thread Bonnie! Mia is a cutie!

>5 brenzi: 'I've been happily living in Trollope-land for the past couple of weeks'

I always enjoy my time in Trollope-land too :-)

>30 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne, we're getting closer and closer to chasing. It won't be long now:-)

>31 Chatterbox: I just can't figure out the logistics Suzanne. I can understand ghostwriting because you're doing the writing for someone else. But to have two people contribute to a novel---I just don't get it.

>32 scaifea: Well I've always thought she was a beauty Amber but then I am a bit biased;-)

>33 NanaCC: I'm pretty sure if the author is Charles Todd, the book was written by the mother/son team Colleen.

>34 souloftherose: Thanks Heather. Trollope-land is such a blissful place to be.

I loved my dad very much, but he and I writing a book together? That would have been out of this world! :) We did have a like of some of the same mysteries in common . LOL! It is amazing, Charles Todd and his mom. Actually, me and my mom would have even a more difficult time writing a book together. She likes totally different books then me. Oh dear. Perish the thought.

>35 brenzi:. Very interesting. I assumed that the Ian Rutledge series was written only by the son, as it seems to be a better series. I thought perhaps their writing as a team was the reason the other series lacked something. Thanks for the info. Now I can sleep tonight. :-)

The Ian Rutledge books are written by them both. I think the reason the other series lacks oomph is that it just wasn't as strong an idea. I suspect the editor said, do you have an idea for a second character/series...

There are a couple of ways you could write together. Have one person do a draft and someone else refine it; pass it back and forth between you; allocate different tasks to different writers.

The author Nicci French is a husband and wife duo. There are a few other examples out there.

I've been on a Trollope "kick" myself lately. They're such fun.

>36 vancouverdeb: I can't imagine writing anything with my father Deborah mainly because the man was certifiable. The resulting book would've been a hoot though, if it had ever happened. LOL

>37 NanaCC: I'm glad I contributed to a good night's sleep Colleen:-)

>38 Chatterbox: Thanks for that info Suzanne. Probably, for a writer like yourself, it's fairly obvious as to what the logistics would be for two people to collaborate on a book.

>39 RebaRelishesReading: You must be reading the Barsetshire series Reba. They certainly are a lot of fun.

>1 brenzi: Oh my, look at those eyes! Why so serious Miss Mia?

She is beautiful, Bonnie! Thanks for sharing her with us.

Hi Bonnie! I loved The Frozen Thames. It made me an instant fan. I think you were one of the very first who warbled about this special author. Glad I finally gave her a shot.

>41 alcottacre: Thank you so much Stasia. She's serious in that picture because we had been arguing over her finishing her bottle. Needless to say, she won. LOL

>42 msf59: I'm not surprised you loved The Frozen Thames Mark. Now you have to read Coventry. And all of her books are short so much easier to love haha.

I finished Miriam Toews All My Puny Sorrows but I have to let it percolate in my brain for awhile. Needless to say, it was a book that makes you think.

Ooh, I just picked up copy of All My Puny Sorrows today. Looking forward to your thoughts. Hopefully it doesn't languish in the black hole that is Mount TBR for too long!

Love a book that makes me think! I'm going very easy on those right now what with working full-time and renovating part-time. Tonight's job was interviewing painters. Oh, fa la la. I'll get my "make me think" reading mojo back one day, LOL!

>45 jolerie: Hi Valerie. I hope you don't let AMPS languish too long. It's a short one so squeeze it in.

>46 lit_chick: Well this afternoon I interviewed a painter too Nancy. I'm getting ready to put my house on the market and I have a two story foyer that needs to be painted.

You will LOVE the Narrow Road once you get to it, Bonnie. Just sayin'...

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews 4.1 stars

Yoli and Elfrieda Von Riese are Mennonite sisters who are as different as night and day. Elfrieda is a world class pianist, driven, highly intelligent, emotional. Yoli is coming off her second divorce and carries her first adult novel (nearly complete) in a grocery bag wherever she goes. Toews story revolves around these two characters who love each other deeply. The problem is that, like many highly intelligent, emotional people, Elf has attempted suicide several times and Yoli is torn between trying to keep her sister alive and acceding to her wishes and taking her to Switzerland where she can die peacefully (Assisted suicide is legal there).

I loved the way the author honed the relationship between these two and brought out the minor characters in unexpected ways. This story could have been maudlin in less sure hands but Toews writes with assurance poignancy and a touch of humor that made the narrative irresistible. Highly recommended.

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast 4.5 stars

I read a graphic memoir!!! And liked it!!! Chast is a well-known and respected cartoonist for The New Yorker and she put her considerable skills to work in order to describe the last few years in her parents lives as they drift into their 90s, lose the ability to live in their Brooklyn apartment on their own, and succumb to the assisted living/nursing home/hospice carousel. So much of what she wrote about was familiar ground to me and I was impressed by her honesty in telling the story of her struggles to get along with her mother. She makes a point of relating how outrageously expensive it is to live to such an age, an enormous expense that few people are prepared to pay. And by the end of the book she had me wondering when our country would do something about a system that just doesn't work very well.

She supplemented her wonderful drawings with personal photographs of items salvaged as she cleaned out the years of detritus that filled her parents long-time apartment. Absolutely delightful, terrifyingly sad and brutally honest. Very highly recommended.

>49 brenzi: I already have that one in the BlackHole. My local library still does not have a copy of it yet.

>50 brenzi: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks, Bonnie!

>48 msf59: Thanks for reminding me of a book that I've got a long wait for Mark. You're being mean now. LOL

>51 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. I think you'll probably like both of those books:-)

2 good reviews, Bonnie! I am so glad you loved the Chast memoir. It was my favorite GN of 2014. Do I see a GN relationship in your future?

Woot! Gotta love two consecutive fabulous books, Bonnie! Love what you have to say about both of these, as usual. Two more bullets, LOL!

>50 brenzi: I've been thinking of reading that ... great review.

Yay for Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant! Completely agree with everything you say, Bonnie. Brutally honest, and beautifully done.

Nice comments on both the Toews and Chast books, Bonnie. I loved both of them. I totally agree that Toews avoided being maudlin in All My Puny Sorrows; it was such a realistic view of the struggles of depression. I suspect it was autobiographical.

>50 brenzi: Agreed, such a great book - and on such a difficult subject.

>54 msf59: Hmmmm a GN relationship in my future?? I'm not sure I would go that far Mark but if another book like this came along, that had broad appeal and was a topic that interested me and was penned by a well known illustrator...I'd be right there. LOL

>55 lit_chick: Sorry about the bullets Nancy but sometimes it just can't be helped.

>56 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. It's a really fast read.

>57 jnwelch: Yes Joe her honesty really surprised me, I have to say. It made the book even more poignant. Her mother was one tough customer ("a blast from Chast")

>58 BLBera: Thanks Beth. Oh autobiographical? I didn't know that. Really enjoyed her writing so I think I will look for some of her other books.

>59 charl08: Hi Charlotte. It was just so down to earth and honest.

Bonnie - I'm just guessing. In her acknowledgements she said something about a sister she missed... Maybe I'm reading too much into it. I loved The Flying Trautmans, another about depression but a little wacky, too.

Just whizzing by to wish you a lovely weekend, Bonnie,

>61 BLBera: Oh thanks for that Beth. I wondered what to read next by Toews and I guess i will be The Flying Trautmans.

>62 PaulCranswick: Thank you, it was lovely Paul.

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald 5 stars

Absolutely wonderful. Helen Macdonald, a skilled falconer, is devastated by the sudden death of her father. To drown her grief, she decides to take on the challenging task of training a goshawk, a particularly difficult hawk to train. In doing so, she comes across her old copy of the book The Goshawk by T. H. White (who also wrote The Sword in the Stone and The Once and Future King) and while reading it discovers the flawed man who couldn't possibly be expected to train the goshawk he acquired because of the emotional scars that he's suffered since childhood. The book moves forward through these two threads: Helen's training of Mabel, her goshawk and T. H. White's story.

To say that Macdonald's writing is exquisite just doesn't do it justice. It's incredibly beautiful and goes a long way in expressing her difficulty in geting through the very dark days when nothing seems to be going right.

"There is a time in life when you expect the world to be always full of new things. And then comes a day when you realize that is not how it will be at all. You see that life will become a thing made of holes. Absences. Losses. Things that were there and are no longer. And you realize, too, that you have to grow around and between the gaps, though you can put your hand out to where things were and feel that tense, shining dullness of the space where the memories are." (Page 171)

Memoir, natural history, meditation on life and death and absolutely wonderful. Very highly recommended.

Wonderful review, Bonnie (as usual!)!

That quote is spot-on and beautifully said.

Bonnie, I have been pondering whether or not I would like the hawk book. I didn't know about the T. H. White connection. That cinched it...plus the Bonnie recommendation. Onto the WL it goes. I hope I can get to it this year. I liked the Chast graphic memoir, too! Good for us getting out of our comfort zones.

Coincidentally, I've just been reading T. H. White's Darkness At Pemberley, an early attempt at a mystery (though it's really a thriller-cum-literary joke) written before he had really found his voice.

>64 brenzi: Impatiently waiting for this to arrive at the library. Lovely comments.

>64 brenzi:, Wow, what a fabulous review. I buy few books but I think this is the next purchase. I see there is a very good review in the most recent New Yorker magazine and you "nailed" it in way fewer words! I see she is up for book awards for this one.

>64 brenzi: just checked and I'm #4 in the library queue. Super review, Bonnie. I can't wait.

ETA you gonna post your review on the book page? It's thumb-worthy!

>65 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. There were so many beautiful passages that it was very hard to pick one but that one really spoke to me.

>66 Donna828: Yes the Chast and really, even this book were out of my comfort zone. I guess I'll just pat myself on the back. Haha.

>67 lyzard: Well I've never read anything by him Liz and although I'm tempted to go on and read The Goshawk because I feel like it will be so familiar, maybe I should read some of his more well-known books.

>68 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. Helen's father was a great proponent of patience but I hope you get the book very soon.

>69 mdoris: Wow, thanks Mary. She has already won The Costa Book of the Year and the Samuel Johnson Prize and is a very worthy recipient in both cases. Sometimes the judges don't make the right choices but this time they certainly got it right.

>70 lauralkeet: Well ok if you insist Laura. I'll post it now.

Great review of H is for Hawk, Bonnie! I have been hearing some wonderful buzz on this one and have already added it to my To-Read list.

One thing I've learned over my LT years, is that if you love something, most likely I will too! Grins...

ETA: Make sure you post your review. A Thumb is ready...

Thanks Mark. It's posted now. And yes, we generally like the same books and follow along in each others footsteps LOL.

Thumbed! Love those 5 star reads. The Narrow Road, just missed it by a couple of points.

Oh, Bonnie, that is a fabulous review of H is for Hawk. And I think your first 5* read of 2015? Woot! You haven't lost your touch for writing reviews, my friend. Thumb-up!

Wow, 5 stars! Loved your review of H is for Hawk, Bonnie, and you've made me very glad that I've already got it on hold.

>74 msf59: Yes I'm anxiously waiting for my number to come up at the library for The Narrow Road and with my luck it will happen very soon because I have Epitaph and A Little Life arriving there imminently. As usual, everything I have on hold is coming in at once. It's a library rule I believe;-)

>75 lit_chick: Thank you Nancy, but this is my second 5 star read. The Boys in the Boat was the first and of course The House of Mirth was awfully close.

>76 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks for posting the review Bonnie. It's already at the top of the "hot" list!!

Hi Bonnie--You can't get me with My Puny Sorrows because I already read it and loved it! And I already have Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? waiting for me, but, dang!, you got me with H is for Hawk!! I still like you though. : ) Good luck with the painters.

Hi Bonnie - Ditto what everyone has said about your comments on H is for Hawk.

It IS a library rule. I just picked up four reserves.

I'll have to keep a look out for the graphic novel Can't we Talk About Something Pleasant. I"ve read several graphic novels that are really excellent. For me , in some ways, I think I've dealt very squarely with some of these things. My dad passed away at home of cancer , and he was just 65. The nurse that came in to speak with my dad about help at home straight out asked my dad if he realized that his body would lie at home for a few hours until they could come and declare him dead and asked very directly if he wanted a burial or a cremation. I thought that was taking things a little too far - and my dad had already been battling cancer for just under two years and had sorted out things . I could have just slapped that nurse in the face.

Anyway, great review of Hawk and wow! 5 stars!

As to the unwritten library rule, I find that my holds come one day after another! I go in and pick up one book , only to find my next hold has come in a day or two later! :)

Another 5 star read! That is just awesome. :)

>78 lauralkeet: Thanks for asking me to Laura:-)

>79 Berly: The painters have come and gone and all is well Kim. And I'm sorry about the BB but then again I'm not because I think you'll probably enjoy H is for Hawk.

>80 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I don't know when I'll learn my lesson regarding library holds. OTOH what's the big deal? What's the worst thing that could happen? I'll have to take the books back unread. And then just request them again. And wait in a queue about a mile long:-( Actually, if I'm really alert and watch my account carefully I can suspend the hold without losing my place in line. But most of the time I'm too late for that.

>81 vancouverdeb: My most recent experience with doctors and nurses taking care of patients near death is that they are very upfront and brutally honest with the patient. That doesn't make what that nurse said to him any easier to swallow Deborah. I'm sorry you had to go through that. When my hubby was in the hospital a very uncaring nurse asked me to sign a DNR before I had any idea he was gravely ill. When I balked because I was alone, my children weren't with me, and I'd like to speak to his doctor, she told me she hoped he didn't need resuscitation before I signed. I think people who work with very ill patients get so used to dealing with end of life that they forget that the rest of us aren't used to it.

>82 jolerie: It's a wonderful place to be Valerie:-)

>83 brenzi: Wow, I can't imagine having a nurse say that to me. Unbelievable!

>84 drneutron: I have to say Jim, almost all the nurses I came in contact were wonderful, caring people who tried to make our lives easier but this one particular nurse was a real piece of work and completely without compassion. I wrote a letter to the hospital afterwards expressing my concern about this this and another incident and got back a letter saying of course they were sorry and would speak to all involved blah blah blah blah.

Happy Sunday, Bonnie. You know I sent you a game request.
Just have mercy on this aging mail carrier. Smiles...

One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes

Molly Panter-Downes worked for years as a London correspondent for the New Yorker after writing one novel when she was a very young woman. It was very well received but her love was non-fiction writing for the most part until, just after the war she decided to write a book that told the story of how the war had changed England and it's residents for good. She chose to tell the story through Laura Marshall, an unassuming housewife who is struggling to make do without the services of the domestic servants who disappeared during and after the war. As she tries to maintain a good relationship with her husband, Stephen, just returned from the war, the narrative describes the events of one, very hot early summer day.

This is a brilliant book that had me laughing out loud at what are dire circumstances to this particular class of Englishman. Mrs. Prout is one last vestige of women who find themselves useful to these unfortunate people:

"It was Wednesday, one of the mornings on which Mrs. Prout came to circulate the dust a little, to chivvy grey fluff airily round the floors with a grey mop , to get down creakingly on her vast knees and scrub the kitchen. Mrs. Prout obliged several ladies in Wealding, conscious of her own value, enjoying glimpses of this household and that, sly, sardonic, given to nose tapping and enormous winks, kind, a one for whist tables and a quiet glass at the local, scornful of the floundering efforts of the gentry to remain gentry still when there wasn't nobody even to answer their doorbells, poor souls." (Page 24)

Oh my, I don't think I'll ever forget Mrs. Prout who also said, "all the trouble in this world, came from everybody knowing how to read." She is a real character. But oh so wise. In the end, Laura and Stephen have to figure out how to live in this new world to make the most of it and enjoy the life they have. And I have to wait for the delivery of my next book by Mollie Panter-Downes, Good Evening Mrs. Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes. And I can't wait.

Bonnie, so delighted that you are on a roll of rippin' good reads! That is a wonderful review of One Fine Day. What a great time you're having reading off your shelves! Oh, and thumb-up : ).

Oh I loooooved One Fine Day!!!

>86 msf59: I responded to you and Caro but it'll take me a while to figure out what I'm doing Mark haha.

>88 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy. I'm doing great reading just what I feel like reading. Why didn't I think of that before? LOL

>89 lauralkeet: I credit you with bringing it to my attention quite some time ago so thanks for that:-)

Ah, Bonnie, I am sorry that you had to go through all that. We found that they were brutally honest with everyone who was with my dad. I am sorry your situation was such that it was so sudden and you did not have family around you. Opps have to go - you've sent me a couple of books bullets -tell you later! Have to go clip the dogs nails! RL!

Bonnie, I also have a Persephone collection of short stories by Panter-Downes, called Good Evening Mrs Craven. I keep meaning to start reading it ...

Thanks for that great review of One Fine Day Bonnie, you definitely make me want to discover Mrs Prout as well. Only thing is I badly want to get one of those green Virago covers too, and getting one in good condition shipped to Canada at a good price is always a bit of a challenge. I got Good Evening Mrs. Craven from Persephone last year during one of my major splurges. I so love their dove grey covers and matching bookmarks! Now to actually read it...

I've run into a couple of ornery nurses and have always walked away wondering why they continue in a job that makes them so miserable. When you in any job that deals with people, especially patient care, I think being jaded isn't a suitable character trait. Sad sometimes.

>91 vancouverdeb: Oh yes, clipping the dog's nails Deborah, an unpleasant but necessary task LOL.

>92 lauralkeet: Laura, read the second to last sentence in >87 brenzi::-)

>93 Smiler69: I think you will laugh at Mrs. Prout just as much as I did Ilana. I have a pristine copy of One Fine Day and I was able to get from Paperback Swap. I don't think that's an option for you but what about Abe Books? I've been able to get a lot of Viragos from them but I don't know about shipping to Canada.

>94 jolerie: There are unhappy, miserable people in every walk of life, Valerie, but when it comes to people in the medical profession I think they need to be held to a higher standard just because they are dealing with such vulnerable people, both patients and their families. It's not fair for people struggling with such critical issues to have to deal with a snarling nurse who got up on the wrong side of the bed.

I feel the need to fill you all in on the crazy life I'm living these days. To start with, I'm having radiation treatments for the breast cancer I had surgery for in November. It's been delayed, first, to wait for further pathology tests to rule out the need for chemotherapy and then second to wait for the results of genetic testing. All this waiting around was very frustrating but finally I was cleared to start the radiation therapy, which I did last week. So every day a chunk of time is devoted to going for radiation.

At the same time, I'm trying to get my house ready to sell. D-Day (or L-Day really) is April 15. That's when it will be listed on the MLS service and people can arrange to come and see it. Unfortunately, the house has been our only home for 35 years and is packed with "stuff" from top to bottom. The basement, garage and shed are particularly horrifying. I have been slowly getting rid of stuff but the weather and by weather I mean snow, prevents us from doing anything outside so the shed and garage are pretty much exactly as they were last year at this time. And when I say "shed" I'm talking about a building with a second floor. So anyway, cleaning out closets, cabinets and trying to do something with the basement has pretty much consumed my so-called free time.

When I'm not doing all that I'm taking care of the little dolly in my life. That hardly qualifies as work because I LOVE doing it but for three days a week I'm at her house and not getting the house any closer to listing condition. I will get there I'm sure but the realtor has stressed the importance of getting it on the market as early in the year as possible. (She actually wanted to list it in February, but with the snow about four feet deep I was able to hold her off.) I'm part of the problem. She claims the house is good enough to list immediately. I do have help with all this. People are always offering. And at some point I will take some of them up on it. But cleaning out personal belongings is personal and very hard to do. It also causes a tremendous amount of stress.

This might help to explain why I haven't read very many books so far this year, something that an LT pal (whose name I won't mention but whose initials might be P.C.;-) very bluntly criticized last month.

But it doesn't explain why I would choose to read a 720 page book that has to go back to the library, A Little Life. I need to have my head examined. I've only read about 50 pages but so far, so good.

>96 brenzi: That's a lot to deal with at one time. It sounds like you have a good support network as you go through this rough patch. You do need an outlet to relieve some of the stress you're under, and if reading does that for you, that's a good thing.

Oh, my, Bonnie! That is a lot to contend with. I would have lost my mind by now so good for you!

Please know that there are lots of us here, cheering you on, books or no books. Sometimes it helps to be reminded that our only responsibility here is to ourselves and our own lives. LT can be so consuming, and not always healthily so :)

I so admire you, and the grace with which you have dealt with a very trying time. Take care of you and be well. Everything else will work itself out.

Wow, Bonnie! Thanks, for the update my friend. You sure have your hands full. I have one suggestion: Please take the help, if it is being offered. You have a big job ahead of you.

And then another LT friend got you playing Trivia Crack too! What kind of friends are these anyway?

Hey, A Little Life it might be a major chunkster, but it also might just be what the doctor ordered. Smiles...

Big Hugs to my pal!!

Oh, Bonnie, my heart goes out to you. You have so much on your plate right now. You sure are a strong person. Much more so than I am . I suggest to you that take any help offered to you . Yesterday my son texted me to let me know that he was moving out to his new condo. I knew that was in the works, but somehow I expected him to actually do it more formally or something? And I feel a bit lost and taken for granted. You help me put things into perspective. You have such big shoulders, I will have to try harder. Big hugs to you. You have so much grace. I admire you too. A lot of his stuff is still in his old bedroom. I don't know - it just threw me off.

*Hugs* to you Bonnie. So much on your plate and you bear it all with such grace and fortitude. I totally get the clearing out of the personal stuff is something you would want to tackle yourself. I would probably be the same. When that is all done, hopefully you can take up the offer of help and let yourself rest a bit!
Sending you good thoughts that everyone you come in contact with (especially those in the medical field) will be sweet and kind to you, my friend!

>95 brenzi: D'oh! I guess I don't earn high marks for reading comprehension huh? I blame my iPad. And I got carried away with the excitement about that book.

Count me in on the group hug. You do have a lot to contend with. I did something similar with my parents' house, to salvage the best and most important items before the clean-out service came in and took care of the bulk of it. It can be very emotional. You are very strong but like others I hope you can also lean on others a little bit to help you out.

Mia - Such a beautiful baby!
Scream? absolutely! I used to do it all the time at work. Albeit, sort of privately in the ladies rest room, but it releases so much tension. Just do it!
*squeezing in on group hug*

By the way, Bonnie, you may have struck me with two book bullets - One Fine Day and H is for Hawk. Onto the mental wish list for now . And yes, got the dogs nails trimmed. She is pretty good about it, but it takes two - I hold her and feed her non -stop treats while husband Dave does the trimming. Poppy actually likes to get her nails trimmed now! She's a smart one, though perhaps somewhat volatile , for a dog! ;) She even " crawls " when asked.

Good morning, Bonnie. I am de-lurking to join in on the group hug. You have been showing amazing strength, but as everyone else has advised, you should take the help offered before everything becomes even more overwhelming.

Morning, Bonnie. I'm in on the group hug, too, (((my friend))). The old cliche, it never rains but it pours seems to never fails us, does it? I'm glad you are getting through your radiation treatments, and that you have help if you want it cleaning out home and shed. I completely understand how stressful it is to sort and discard personal belongings. Most of all, I am delighted that you're with your little dolly three days a week. Priorities are in the right place : ). The house will get done …

Another couple of thumbs for your excellent reviews of H is for Hawk and One Fine Day Bonnie. Both are on my wishlist.

>96 brenzi: That is a lot to cope with Bonnie. I'm impressed you're managing to make headway with the sorting on top of everything else - I find sorting requires so much emotional energy to make decisions (keep, give away, throw away) and all the memories that come up. Please feel free to come over here and scream whenever you need to. Sending hugs and prayers for the cancer treatment. The number of books don't matter - in terms of the quality of your reading you may well be beating us speedier readers anyway :-) I can only find one book under four stars in your list at the top of this thread - that is some good reading!

>64 brenzi: Lovely, concise review of H is for Hawk, Bonnie, and what a quote. I'm excited about reading this one, and have put it on my WL. One Fine Day also sounds terrific, and I'm adding it, too.

So sorry about your health tribulations and the difficulties and sorrows of clearing out a long-lived in home so it can be sold. We've been in ours for only 18 years (just about half your time) and the thought of clearing out all we've brought to it is almost unimaginable.

>97 cbl_tn: Reading is a great stress reducer Carrie and I do try to get in some reading time every day and I always read before I go to sleep.

>98 katiekrug: Thanks so much Katie. Sometimes I sit down and think if only I could get this work done and get a new house bought and be settled, oh how I long to be settled. For the last six months that is the one thing I have found the most difficult to deal with---the constant feeling of being unsettled. I sometimes forget that I have this wonderful support group here that always comes through for me.

>99 msf59: Thanks Mark. Oh I will have to take the help that's offered if I ever want to be done with this. And I will eventually. A Little Life is not at all a difficult read. It's not something I would normally read but it's keeping me interested. The problem is I'm a slow reader and i don't have a lot of time. Don't expect a lot from me in Trivia Crack because I only look at it when I'm filling in a few minutes waiting around for appointments, unless I get really hooked. LOL

>100 vancouverdeb: Are you saying you had expectations of certain things from a young person Deborah. Really? Join the rest of us who have had those expectations dashed again and again haha. Good luck to him in his new place. BTW, I just cleaned out my son's childhood closet and he hasn't lived here in fifteen years. I just gave my daughter, who happens to live in a much larger house than I do, her wedding gown and shoes. Why am I storing this stuff?

>101 jolerie: Thanks Valerie, but I'm not sure I live up to your lofty praise. I'd like to think I do but really, I don't think so. Eventually, I will have lots and lots of help and eventually I will move on to whatever this next phase in my life will be.

>102 lauralkeet: Group hugs are always welcome but I seem to forget about this wonderful support group sometimes. Ah yes, the clean-out service. We used one of those for my parents' house but frankly, I don't put myself in that category, probably because I'm planning to buy another (smaller) house whereas they were either deceased or entering a nursing home. Maybe we can read the Mrs. Craven book together.

>103 Carmenere: Hi Lynda and thanks for getting in on the group hug. Screaming is actually very freeing, don't you think? Even in the ladies' room. LOL

>104 vancouverdeb: Buddy absolutely hates having his nails trimmed. Your dog crawls Deborah? When we had a Springer Spaniel (we had two of those over the years), she used to be able to jump up very high with all four feet up in the air at the same height, as if she was being operated like a marionette haha. If you were out in the garage you could see her jump up in the screen and it was quite hysterical.

>105 NanaCC: Hi Colleen and thank you for making a good suggestion. I fully intend to use the help available and hopefully before I get any more overwhelmed.

>106 lit_chick: Thank you so much Nancy. My little dolly will always come before anything else and everyone else in the family has accepted hat haha. Thanks for good advice and for joining in on the group hug:-)

>107 souloftherose: Thanks Heather. Yes I've been lucky enough to read some really terrific books this year, probably because I'm just reading what I want, mostly from y shelf and my Kindle. It's worked out fabulously. You nailed it about the emotional energy required to sort through all the belongings that made up our lives for the past 43 years, 35 of which were spent in this house.

>108 jnwelch: Thanks so much Joe. I think you'll find a lot to like in both of those books. It's not surprising that we had accumulated a lot of stuff, but when you sit down and start opening drawers and closets and something as daunting as the entire basement it pretty much takes your breath away.

LOL yes, Bonnie, I did have expectations of my young person! :) And a boy at that. He has always been so thoughtful and considerate that it caught me off guard. Our other son is 30 and we used to him being away from home now and his various foibles, but not so much with the younger son, who is getting married this summer and has even purchased his own place. Just threw me off -all good now.

We taught Poppy to crawl , among many other things. She seems very task driven and loves to learn new tricks. If we keep her busy , she is easier to manage. If only I could teach her to do some housework, but I am afraid she is more given to counter surfing, if at all possible for 12 lb dog. She very acrobatic. And yes, I explained the TV thing more fully on my thread, but yes, we've been using an old cathode ray TV for the past 25 years. In 2 - 5 weeks our " free" new HD tv will arrive! :)

As for Aren't We Sisters , my current read, no , not a Canadian author, a British one. The book is on the Orange / Bailey's Prize long list for 2015 and it appealed to me, so I purchased it from amazon ca. So far enjoying it!

I know a bit what you are saying about accumulating stuff. We moved from a 2500 square foot house about 16 years ago into a townhouse closer into Vancouver and wow, did we ever have a lot of stuff to get rid of. Our kids were about 11 and 17 at the time and we had to get rid of so much Lego , baby toys , clothes,furniture - so much stuff. Bags and bags of stuff. It was really a huge job. We really had enough of living a little further out, so the townhouse option was the one we had to chose. Housing in Vancouver is very expensive, with an average price of about 1 million for any sort of detached house where we live right now. There are no basements here, so storage is very limited. For several years we rented a storage room but finally got rid of it a few years later. Tough going, sorting through stuff!

My goodness, Bonnie, you do have a lot to deal with lately. Soak up that cuddle time and remember to take care of yourself. (((((Bonnie)))))

>110 vancouverdeb:, 111 I know about Vancouver's crazy real estate prices from the Property Brothers and that second Love It or List It show so I know what you mean Deborah. And the cleaning out of closets and cabinets and nooks and crannies is a thankless task. But I'm making good headway and feel pretty good about where I am. Hopefully, by April 15 it's ready to go.

>112 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks so much Reba. I think I'm getting in a good amount "cuddle time."

Ok here it is....my first DNF in ages and I mean eons.



This book, that they devoted an entire podcast to on Books on the Nightstand, is so boring that I finally, after 200+ pages, had to throw in the towel. The main character was so filled with self pity that I couldn't feel sorry for his miserable life and none of the other characters managed to gain my interest at all. I finally thought I was doing myself irreparable damage by continuing when I could barely make myself open the mammoth (720 pages) book. So I did myself a huge favor and sought out a comfort read....Mapp and Lucia, the fourth book in the series. Someone else will have to take on the cause of A Little Life. I'm sure at some point it becomes an engaging read but I couldn't see investing another second in it.

Happy Sunday, Bonnie! I just cracked Wolf Hall and I was immediately smitten. Why did I wait so long, to pick this up? A question for the ages.

How is A Little Life coming? I am jealous about that one.

LOL! I guess you just answered me. Aw, that is to bad, Bonnie. I was expecting great things.

Wow. The BOTNS episode really raised my hopes but you're a much more credible source since we tend to like exactly the same things. Sorry it was such a bum read, But thanks for taking one for the team Bonnie.

Good for you for calling it quits on that one, Bonnie. Life is too short.

I may still give it a try at some point, but TBH, my record with books loved by the BOTNS peeps is not very good...

>115 msf59:, 116 Haha fooled you there Mark. Ohhhh Wolf Hall, lucky you reading that for the first time. I'll be waiting to see what you think of the book you're jealous of me for reading ahead of you. Go ahead, take the plunge:-)

>117 lauralkeet: The hazards of going out on a limb and raving to the high heavens about a book...I would imagine Anne is wondering where all the fans are. I think I'll check out their Goodreads page and see what other people are saying Laura.

>118 katiekrug: I'm starting to think I'm not much of a match with them either Katie. We'll see. Some other books have just been ok.

You've released me from even thinking about reading A Little Life, Bonnie. Thanks! I was tempted after the BOTN podcast, but at 700+ pages, I knew I'd have to have others recommending it as well before I'd want to start it. My reading tastes often don't mesh with Ann and Michael's. Good for you for giving up on a book you don't like. When I hear of someone struggling through a book they dislike, I feel so bad for them. There are too many good books waiting to be read.

Thanks for sharing the updates on your treatments and your upcoming move. My goodness - don't wear yourself out! Sending a hug, wishing I could help!

Good on you, Bonnie, for putting down a piece of completely uninteresting bunk for something you are enjoying. I haven't done that for a while … so liberating!

Had to stop by and say hi! Glad you got rid of the book you were not enjoying! I am seeing you on TC, but I thought I'd poke my head in here on LT and say hi! :)

Ouch! DNF are not fun. Doesn't look like the guy in the cover is having much fun either. Hope your next one is a stellar one.

Oh boy, Bonnie, you do have a *lot* going on! Thinking of you...

Bonnie, with all you have on your plate, a comfort read is definitely in order! (The cover on A Little Life would be enough to scare me away from it.)

>120 Copperskye: Glad I could save you the trouble Joanne:-)

>121 lit_chick: It is liberating Nancy. I don't know why I hung on as long as I did.

>122 vancouverdeb: It was you and Mark talking about TC that dragged me into it Deborah and now I'm hooked.

>123 jolerie: Thanks Valerie. It's a great improvement.

>124 scaifea: Thanks Amber:-)

>125 tymfos: Thanks so much Terri. I wish that cover had scared me off too.

Hey, Bonnie, congratulations on kicking a book to the curb since you had given it 200 pages to shape up. Anne and Michael have some different ideas from me, too. I rely on LT and Michael Dirda for reading ideas. Mostly.

Your life is really on the full side right now. Remember to take plenty of time for yourself and to do a bit of self pampering whenever you can.

And of course cuddle up with Mia.

200 pages was most generous before Pearl-ruling A Little Life!! I am sorry that it took so long to get going on the radiation and good luck with it now that you have started. Crossing my fingers for the house listing and the purge. Life is sure a challenge right now. Hang in there and enjoy your Mia time. Hugs.

It's so nice to hear about a book I don't really want to read every now and again. Mt. TBR is so high! I've had Wolf Hall on my Kindle for a couple of years now. I plan to read on the Kindle while we travel this summer so maybe I'll actually get it read before the end of this year.

Hi Bonnie! I'm back from exile to computerlessland.

I'm smooching the screen right now, I want to "kiss it better" for you so badly.

xoxo

Just popping in to say hi, Bonnie, and I hope life is treating you well, my friend.

>127 Matke: Hi Gail. I should've known better than rely on anyone other than my LT pals for book recommendations. You see where it got me. But lots of people love this book so I'll bet it's going to show up on a bunch of those end of the year lists.

>128 Berly: Thanks Kim I appreciate your good wishes. Life is very challenging right now but I also have lots to be thankful for.

>129 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. Yes it's always good not to have to add to a teetering TBR pile so glad to oblige.

>130 richardderus: Richard hello! So good to see you again and I'm pretty sure I felt that smooch through the computer screen:-)

>131 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Thanks for visiting:-)

Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson

The fourth book in the series is just as delightful as the first three. This time the two protagonists are at each others throats from day one as Lucia first rents Elizabeth Mapp's house for two months during the summer in Tilling, and then decides she likes it so much, she purchases a home there. Of course, Georgie can't be left behind in Riseholme, so he manages to tag along and buys a place in Tilling too. Then the usual social bon mots carry the reader from one adventure to another, as the two frenemies, Lucia and Mapp, wrangle their way through one bout of one upsmanship after another. Absolutely delightful and a great palate cleanser after a book that didn't sit well with me.

Hooray for Mapp and Lucia - yet another wonderful series to reread!
Really, Bonnie, you amaze me. You have so much going on and are meeting it with such good will and energy that I'm in awe. Really.
Mia is so lovely! How could she be otherwise with her good genes though?
We just started working on my mother's spare bedroom - going through all the accumulations of stuff and throwing out. She is definitely my mother! And I see that I need a daughter to make me tackle some of my own stuff. Horrors!
Good for you for shoving that monster tome that wasn't working for you. And thank you for reaffirming my intention to get to *HifH*. AND I have a copy of the Molly P-D and didn't realize how good it is. Yippee!!
I hope that you continue to feel well through the radiation. BLESS YOU, BONNIE!!!!!

Hooray for comfort reads! That is exactly what you need right now. I don't think you should let a realtor push you too much, Bonnie. If you can't get it ready by April 15, the house will still be there on April 30. After all, you have your little doll to look after. I like what you said about how she will always come first. I hear ya!

Your comments about A Little Life made me laugh. Maybe it should be called "A Big Dud" instead. To think I considered buying it because of the length. If you want a good long book when you are in your new cottage looking for things to do, I suggest A Suitable Boy. I am halfway through it and it is definitely holding my interest.

Take care of yourself, my friend!

I loved the Mapp & Lucia series -- really fun comfort reads.

Yay for Mapp and Lucia, Bonnie! Always a treat to have a good palate cleanser after a disagreeable experience. Love this: Then the usual social bon mots carry the reader from one adventure to another, as the two frenemies, Lucia and Mapp, wrangle their way through one bout of one upsmanship after another.

Just swinging by to see how you are doing, Bonnie. :)

I must start the Mapp and Lucia series soon. I am sure I will love it.

Sweet Thursday, Bonnie! I just wanted to let you know I finished Bring Up the Bodies today. Wow! Mantel did a fantastic job on these books. And now I am ready for the miniseries.
Do you get HBO. If so, you should watch Going Clear. It is a stunner.

Lastly, Epitaph has been fantastic. I wonder if there has ever been a female writer who wrote this well about the old west? Hmmmmm...

Happy Easter, Bonnie! Have a great weekend.

Hope you're having a wonderful Easter weekend full of baby cuddles.

Wishing you and your Little Lamb a wonderful Easter…

Happy Easter, Bonnie!

I'm sure you gave little Mia an Easter Bunny or two. Have a lovely weekend, Bonnie.

Happy Day After Easter!!! Did the Easter Bunny come for cute little Mia? Did Grandma eat any jelly beans? : )

Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

Happy Birthday, Bonnie! Just checking in and keeping your lovely thread warm!

I missed your birthday?! So sorry. Hope it was a good one and that this year is a joyful one for you.

Did someone say it's your birthday? Happy belated birthday Bonnie! I hope you had a wonderful celebration filled with things that bring you joy. :D

Another belated birthday wish! I hope that this will be a good year for you.

Happy belated birthday.

Happy even more belated birthday, Bonnie!

Your thread has been awfully quiet . . .hope you are doing OK.

Bonnie, I'm very belatedly stopping by to say happy belated birthday and to hope your absence doesn't mean anything more than you being engrossed in Mia and your house move.

Bonnie--Hoping all is well. Missing you!! : )

Ditto what Kim said in the last post. Wishing you a great new season, with good things ahead. I hope you are OK.


glitter-graphics.com

>85 brenzi: (late here, I know)
I think it was a good idea for you to write to the hospital, the more letters they get the more that person in question will get 'a name for themselves' and perhaps be directed away from talking to families of very ill patients. That is when you need the most compassionate people nearby!

I see you are off-line at the mo, I guess the house still demands your attention. I cant imagine having to clear out a life's worth of things. All with memories attached. It must be slow going, and I guess you feel ruthless getting rid of some things. Good luck with it Bonnie! And I hope you are still reading- but hopefully not still that 750p one ;)

Hi Bonnie -- Thinking about you and hoping all is going well for you.

HI Bonnie,
Looking at the list of wonderful books you have read this year but mostly looking at the very sweet picture of Mia at the top of your thread. She is precious!

Hi Bonnie. Hope we see you back here again soon. : )

Miss our Queen of Reviews. Hope you are able to come back to us soon. I have done my own disappearing act at times recently so I can appreciate how life gets in the way sometimes.

Popping in to say hello.

A hello from me, too. Best wishes to you.

Thinking of you - as are so many of us - and hoping that all is well with you.

Dear Bonnie, I do hope that life is becoming manageable and that the gorgeous little addition is keeping you too busy to post. Come back to us soon, Queen of Reviews. Miss you.

Missing you, Bonnie!

Bonnie--Hope all is well and that you are with friends and family enjoying the holidays. Hugs. : )

Have a lovely holiday, Bonnie