Laura (lauralkeet)'s 2015 Reading - Part 2

Political cartoon by Jim Borgman

Continuing a series of "artists from my hometown," Jim Borgman (b. February 24, 1954) is a cartoonist from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also a graduate of Kenyon College, where both of my daughters are currently enrolled. Growing up, I remember my dad frequently busting out laughing at Borgman's editorial cartoons, which ran in the local newspaper. Later, his work was nationally syndicated and he also gained fame from "Zits," a daily comic strip about a teenage boy. Borgman won a Pulitzer Prize for his work in 1991.




This year I have no goals whatsoever. Last year, after several years of reading resolutions, challenges and detailed reading plans, I went with a completely unstructured approach. You know, reading like normal people do. :) I plan to participate sporadically in the American Author and British Author challenges, although I have not illusions about reading every author, every month. The Virago Group is also planning a theme read on the seven ages of women, and a few of us are (slowly) reading Virago Modern Classics in order of their original publication.

Other than that, I will read whatever strikes my fancy. Let the reading begin!

Books completed ("details" jumps to location in this thread where review & links can be found)
March
17. The Girl on the Train - details
18. Lamentation - details
19. Pure - details
20. The Little Disturbances of Man - details
21. H is for Hawk - details
22. Benediction - details

April
23. Station Eleven - details
24. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher - details
25. Millennium Hall - details
26. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? - details
27. Broken Harbor - details
28. Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen - details

Series Progress

Active series as of March 1:


Series completed/current in 2015:
* Patrick Melrose Novels, by Edward St Aubyn (January)
* Matthew Shardlake, by C.J. Sansom (March)
* Plainsong, by Kent Haruf (March)

Series started in 2015:
* Inspector Rebus, by Ian Rankin (January)

I am currently reading the new Matthew Shardlake mystery, Lamentation. This is not quite as long as my previous book, but at 600+ pages it's still a long one, and it will be a while before I post anything meaningful here.

But don't let that stop you from chatting ...

I get to be first! I haven't managed that with anybody in a long time! Happy new thread! Love the topper.

Hmm I like this series page you've posted - I'll have to scout about for it!

>4 sibylline: Well shoot, I should've delurked when I saw the new thread... But lauralkeet doesn't give prizes.

>1 lauralkeet: Oh, gosh, we love Zits...didn't realize Borgman did political cartoons as well.

I predict you'll knock off Lamentation in no time. But after your last read, I think I would have picked up something shorter next!

>4 sibylline: Lucy, the series page comes from Fictfact, a site I learned about from @PaulCranswick. Although LT knows which of my books are part of a series, Fictfact lets me focus on only those where I want to track my progress. I really wish LT would offer this feature.

>5 qebo: nope, no prizes, just the pride that comes with personal accomplishment. HA!

>6 laytonwoman3rd: I think I would have picked up something shorter next!
Yeah, under normal circumstances I would have. But I requested Lamentation from my library before publication and was #2 in the queue. My library doesn't have an option to "pass me by but hold my place," which I've seen others mention, so when the book was released last week I pretty much *had* to take it. I'm not complaining, really, because despite its length I've been looking forward to reading it and reviews from other LTers reinforce that feeling.

I just downloaded Lamentation to my iPod. I start vacation next Wednesday, and think it will be a good one to listen to while I walk. I have listened to all of the others in the series, and the reader is very good.

I use Fictfact too, and I think you recommended it, Laura. I have several series "not started" thanks to LT book bullets. :)

Love the cartoon Laura.

Big Borgman fan, well, his Zits cartoons. He has the teen male/mom dynamic nailed.

I think the 600 pages of Lamentation will more than make up for the 900 pages of whatshisname you just finished.

>8 NanaCC: Colleen, Shardlake sounds like an excellent vacation companion!

>9 Caroline_McElwee: thanks Caro. It's from 2008 but still relevant!

>10 tiffin: I think you're right Tui!

*waving* at Laura

Happy New Thread, Laura! Love the cartoon, too.

What a great idea, featuring editorial cartoons on your 2015 threads! I've got the Shardlake series on my list, looking forward to it. You've certainly been reading chunksters this past bit!

>6 laytonwoman3rd: >10 tiffin: I am also a great Borgman fan, but I didn't know it until I read about him here. Thanks, Laura.
Happy New Thread! I'm glad to get in while I still can feel caught up.

Hello everyone!
>12 alcottacre: waving back at ya, Stasia!

>13 scaifea: Thanks Amber.

>14 lit_chick: Nancy, if you haven't started the Shardlake series, you're in for a treat.

>15 LizzieD: Peggy! Nice to see you here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In reading news, I am about 150 pages into Lamentation and Shardlake is just digging into the investigation on behalf of Queen Catherine. But then my daughter arrived home on spring break with a copy of The Girl on the Train in her hands. I've been waiting on this one from the library. She said "Mom you have to read this when I'm done so we can talk about it." She finished it yesterday and foisted it on me when I got home. Who am I to refuse my daughter? So I am leaving my friend Shardlake stuck in time for a bit, and started The Girl on the Train last night.

> Love the cartoon, and the mother daughter reading. I do this to my parents, but both reserve the right to ignore my comments and recommendations!

Happy New thread, Laura! Sorry, you weren't more satisfied with The Crimson Petal and the White.. He is such a good writer. I will still give it a try at some point but I do wonder why he decided to go so massive?

I really liked the last 2 episodes of DA but I really think the show is played out. I doubt very much, that I will continue watching, unless there is a spin-off with Carson & Mrs. Hughes.

I hope you are enjoying The Girl on the Train. I had a lot of fun with that one.

>16 lauralkeet: Who am I to refuse my daughter?
A daughter who wants to talk about a book? You raised her right.

>17 charl08: both reserve the right to ignore my comments and recommendations!
Yeah, that's understood in our house, too. Fortunately this was a book I really wanted to read.

>18 msf59: I'm with you on DA, Mark. Now Wolf Hall -- that's another story. We streamed it from the UK and will definitely re-watch and DVR it when it airs here next month.

>19 qebo: A daughter who wants to talk about a book? You raised her right.
I admit to being pretty happy about it, Katherine. I'm used to it from my English major daughter, but this rec came from my younger daughter who isn't quite as avid a reader. So: yay.

>20 lauralkeet:. When does Wolf Hall start, Laura? I'm looking forward to that one. Glad to hear it is good.

I NEED to read/listen to Wolf Hall before then. Time is a tickin'! Are you a Breaking Bad fan? I've been watching Better Call Saul and it has been very good.

>21 NanaCC: Colleen, it starts April 5. Our local PBS affiliate is airing it at 10pm. I can't remember what's in the 9pm slot -- perhaps Mr Selfridge, which I never really got into.

>22 msf59: Mark, the series actually covers BOTH Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. For what it's worth, my husband hasn't read the books, loved the series, and now wants to read the books because they go into so much more detail.

Hi, Laura! Jim Borgman is one of my favorite political cartoonists as well.

I'm also looking forward to seeing the Wolf Hall series on PBS! Both books were brilliant, and I enjoyed the theatrical version of Bring Up the Bodies by the Royal Shakespeare Company that I saw in London last year (I had tickets for but missed seeing the RSC production of Wolf Hall).

Slightly late to the party Laura but ..........Happy New Thread!

Hey Laura. Nice new thread you have here!

By the way, one of my all-time-favorite colleagues has a daughter who is a senior (I think) at Kenyon College. The colleague thinks her daughter is having a great time and getting a great education. Good things.

And now I want to read The Girl on the Train. I love that your daughter wants to discuss it with you!! SO cool!

Oh, and I read and enjoyed Wolf Hall but really want to read Bring Up the Bodies before that PBS special starts....

>24 kidzdoc: Darryl, I will be interested to hear how the TV adaptation of Wolf Hall compares to the one you saw in the theater. I would have loved to see that!

>25 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Thanks for visiting.

>26 EBT1002:, >27 EBT1002: Kenyon College is a pretty cool place. My oldest graduates in just two months, and we are amazed at her personal growth these past four years. Of course this is not due solely to Kenyon's influence, but it certainly played a part. Also: looks like you have some reading to do in the next few weeks! Or, you can set your DVR and watch it later. :)

I second that statement about Kenyon College being a pretty cool place...

*grins*

Well, Shardlake will be there waiting for you when you finish the thriller... :-)

I've got the DVD of "Wolf Hall" en route to me from the UK; it should be here within the next few days. I'm looking forward to seeing it before I go to see both plays in NY with Judy (ffortsa) and Jim (magicians_nephew) in April, so I will be OD-ing on Mantel in the coming weeks -- not that I'm complaining!

Lurve the cartoon.

Adding -- the DVD arrived this afternoon... :-)

17. The Girl on the Train ()
My Review
Source: Borrowed from my daughter
Why I read this now: I was moving up the library hold queue when my daughter arrived home with a copy in her hands and insisted I read it before she returned to school.

On her daily London commute Rachel, the eponymous girl, watches the people living in houses along the route. Or, more to the point, she’s kind of obsessed with one specific house and the couple living in it. She invents their back story, and one day sees something so compelling she feels she has to act on it and insert herself into their lives. It turns out the couple, Megan and Scott, live just down the street from Rachel’s ex, Tom, his wife, Anna, and their baby daughter. And something is definitely not right, but Rachel may not have interpreted events correctly, either.

Or has she? The story moves back and forth in time, narrated alternately by each of the three women. I am intentionally avoiding any mention of the central storyline. Suffice to say it’s a thriller about a missing person. Each chapter offers up tiny details but omits others, keeping the reader guessing. Gradually it becomes apparent that not only is the messed up, alcoholic Rachel an unreliable narrator, but so are Megan and Anna. And the men don’t exactly redeem themselves, either.

The novel moves along at a clip. I zipped through it in two days, and was grateful to have another reader at home with whom I could hash out the story. With the exception of one obvious device and a few coincidences, it’s a good story with plenty of suspense.

Well ... that was a fun couple days of reading. And Suz is right, Shardlake waited patiently for me. I'm now about 1/3 of the way through Lamentation, which is also very good.

>30 Chatterbox: >31 Chatterbox: I hope you enjoy Wolf Hall, although I can't imagine you won't.

Happy Sunday, Laura! Good review of The Girl on the Train. I liked the book, as well.

>32 lauralkeet: I think I need to move The Girl on the Train higher up the wishlist queue.

The Girl on the Train sounds quite intriguing!

Oh, for heaven's sake! I actually joined Fictfact ages ago and then forgot all about it! I mean, not totally, since it is in my favorites bar, but . . .

Woot! Enticing review of The Girl on the Train, Laura! Deb (vancouverdeb) just read this one too and really enjoyed it! I've got it in the iPad … now just need to get to it. Btw, the love that your daughter came home with a copy and insisted you read it before she returned to school … that's awesome, and a wonderful way to share a good read : ). Thumb-up!

Nice review of The Girl on the Train Laura and as usual we just about agree on everything about it. I need to catch up on Shardlake. I am up to Revelation and have it on the shelf but need to take it down and read it.

Hi Mark, Colleen, Lucy, Nancy & Bonnie! The Girl on the Train is getting a lot of buzz lately, and I tried hard not to get on the "compare it to Gone Girl" bandwagon. There are some similarities (unreliable narrators, missing person, suspense) and the level of buzz and hype seems about the same, but it's definitely not an imitation. Daughter Julia and I had fun dissecting it, but we had to be quiet because other daughter Kate wants to read it once she has finished some school commitments.

Love the cartoon topper but Borgman missed one. Canada also had a female head of state (not elected but Kim Campbell did serve). Was it too close for comfort, I wonder.

Happy new thread, Laura! Like Mark, I am a little saddened that The Crimson Petal and the White wasn't a hit with you but it was a bit of a long winded story and it has been a number of years now since I read it.

>32 lauralkeet: - I keep seeing great things about The Girl on the Train as I bounce through various threads and I see the love continues here. ;-) I am not much of a thriller fan but that one does sound interesting.

>40 Familyhistorian: - Good observation, Meg. Kim was Canada's 19th Prime Minister, even if her 'term of office' was for only a little over 4 months, which actually isn't the shortest term of office.... John Turner (PM #17), served for only 2.5 months. ;-)

>40 Familyhistorian:, >41 lkernagh: Interesting about the Canada PM, I was not aware of that!

You have your girls at home! My own comes home on Monday for quite a nice long spell. A cousin of hers is coming up to visit for a few days too - they have always 'clicked' together but have rarely had a chance to spent significant time together, so that should be fun. Born the same year. Same combo of arty and geeky. His idea too, apparently, meaning he really wants to come up.

>43 sibylline: Lucy, my girls head back to school tomorrow. We've had a nice couple of weeks together. It won't be long before the end of the school year.

These flying school years! It reminds me of how fast my life seemed when tied to the school cycle. I don't know if The Girl on the Train is in my comfort zone or not. What do you think?

>45 tiffin: it doesn't seem like the sort of thing you typically read, Tui. Send me a PM about it if you're curious.

18. Lamentatiion ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: I've really enjoyed this series, so when this was published in the US I pounced on it.

Matthew Shardlake is a lawyer in Tudor England, who serves ordinary folk and is also frequently asked to take cases that bring him in contact with the court of King Henry VIII. This novel takes place in 1546, when Catholic-Protestant tensions are high and the King is on the hunt for heretics. The book opens with a grisly execution that plunges the reader immediately into this fearful time. Shardlake has taken a case involving a property dispute between two siblings, and then Queen Catherine (Parr) asks him to investigate a theft. The latter case puts Shardlake and his associates in grave danger, perhaps more than any time in the past. Shardlake is deeply devoted to Queen Catherine, which blinds him to the danger and concerns raised by close friends. This book required me to do a little side research to understand the Anabaptist movement of this period -- I should have consulted the historical notes at the end of the novel, where Sansom provides this context and makes clear what is fact and what is fiction in the novel.

Each of Shardlake's cases have an element of mystery; I typically find those set in the King's Court most interesting, but the other case adds interest and sheds light on other aspects of society and daily living during that time period. I also enjoy the way other recurring characters have evolved over the series, most notably the physician Guy and Shardlake's assistant Jack Barak. In Lamentation these relationships are tested nearly to the breaking point, and Sansom barely ties up the loose ends. And with the death of King Henry in 1547 (come on, that's not a spoiler!!), Sansom also takes care to set up Shardlake's future and leave room for more novels in this series.

I will definitely read Lamentation in the coming months since I've really enjoyed this series. Good to hear this one is good too. Do you think I should read the historical notes first? I don't mind historical "spoilers" but I wouldn't want any of the mystery given away.

Wonderful review of Lamentation, Laura. The Shardlake series really does sound too good to pass up!

>48 japaul22: the first part of the notes is purely historical context and you could read that first. He them transitions to an "interpretive essay" which is clearly marked and while I'm not sure there are spoilers per se this section tends to track the plot of the novel more closely, so I'd save that for the end.

>49 lit_chick: you should definitely give it a try!

I brought Lamentation to Florida but it is on my iPod and I haven't had time for listening. It may have to wait until I get home at the end of the month. In the meantime I have been doing lots of other fun reading. Can't wait for Shardlake though. It sounds good.

>51 NanaCC: I'm glad you're having a nice vacation, Colleen. You'll enjoy the Shardlake but it's a chunkster so I would wait until you have the time and interest for it.

>50 lauralkeet: thanks for the info!

19. Pure ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: I was quite taken with the cover of my Europa addition, and that made me grab it off the shelf.

Jean-Baptiste Baratte, a young French engineer, arrives in 1785 Paris and receives the assignment to empty the Les Innocents cemetery, which is overflowing and having an ... erm ... environmental impact on the surrounding area. Baratte finds lodgings with a local family, the Monnards, and hires a team of laborers from a mine, with his friend Lecoeur as foreman. The cemetery also includes a church, no longer in use but with a staff that includes a priest, sexton and organist. As excavation begins the enormity of Baratte's task becomes evident. The cemetery is sub-divided and the crew tackles one large pit at a time. Remains must be moved, and the pit refilled. The laborers initially see their new jobs as a step up from working in a dangerous mine, but Baratte faces one challenge after another in motivating the laborers and providing for their basic needs.

Baratte also must deal with a wide variety of emotions from the local residents. Some take great interest in the project and lend their talents to providing for the laborers. Others see the cemetery as an institution that should not be tampered with. As the story progresses, Baratte moves from idealistic and naive to someone more hardened, resigned, and at times even desperate. Baratte and the organist Armand strike up a friendship, and Armand helps him find his way with the locals. But Baratte's friendship with Lecoeur is tested as men who were once peers adjust to a new working relationship, and the stress of the project begins taking its toll. Three women play pivotal roles in the community and are just as interesting as those working on the excavation. Their stories enhance the dramatic tension and greatly enrich this novel.

>54 lauralkeet: That's an odd one. I see the author seems to specialize in odd ones.

Katherine it was a Booker Prize nominee (long list) which always attracts my attention. But yeah, it's n odd tale.

I'm on my iPad at the moment and can't figure out how to get the URL for the cover image, but I will take care of that later!
ETA: fixed.

Laura, thumb-up for a superb review of Pure. This sounds like one I would really enjoy.

>57 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy. It's quirky but compelling at the same time. I was very curious how the story would evolve and that kept me turning the pages.

Meet Alys, a female lab mix, 8 weeks old:



Chris and I started talking about another dog a few months ago. Lilly is 12 so every day with her is precious to us. We know we want to be a two-dog family, and Woody has never been an only dog. So we started talking about becoming a three-dog family for however long that will be. Truth be told, this is more about Chris than Woody, because we will be devastated when Lilly passes away and it will be worse for him than me I think.

We submitted applications to a few different rescues. One specializes in labs but their dogs are all fostered in homes 1-2 hours' drive from us. We found another rescue very local to us that appeared very well run and had several nice-looking dogs, including several lab mixes, on their website. They also had some puppies. We made a visit yesterday, and looked at their adult dogs first. According to the person showing us around, there were only a couple that she felt confident recommending to a home with other dogs. They seemed nice, but not quite what we were looking for looks and/or temperament-wise. So then we went over to a small enclosure where the puppies were out having play time. We took Alys and a boy puppy over to a field to run & play with Lilly & Woody (they had asked us to bring our dogs because part of the process is seeing how a prospective dog gets along with yours). Anyway, once we were in the field we knew we weren't leaving without a dog!

She's very sweet and cuddly. Lilly is handling this with a sort of resigned acceptance. Woody seems a little stressed but suspect he will come around ...

PUPPY? Did someone say PUPPY???

Alys is a lovely name. Like the white patch and the little bit of tongue sticking out.

>59 lauralkeet: - Awww, hello, Alys!

That is one cute puppy! And YAY for rescues!

>59 lauralkeet: OMG it's a PUPPY!!!

As qebo said: It's a PUPPY!!!!!!! Alys is adorable, adorable, adorable. And hugs for Lilly and Woody.....

>54 lauralkeet: "I was quite taken with the cover of my Europa addition, and that made me grab it off the shelf."
Well, that is certainly something to which I can relate!!

Your review of The Girl on the Train reminds me that I want to put it on hold at the library. It sounds like a fun read. And I really must get back to CJ Sansom one of these days. I've only read the first in the series but the second one is on the TBR shelves.

Oh, Laura, Alys is adorable! So glad you found her, or perhaps I should say so happy that she found you.

Awe, what a sweet puppy! She looks so velvety and cuddly.

Oh. My. Goodness. So adorable!!

Hurray for all the puppy love! I'm happy to have made all of your Mondays just a wee bit better. I'm looking forward to seeing the little pup soon when I get home from work.

Adding to the puppy love, of course. What a cutie!

>54 lauralkeet: Hope it's ok to comment when I am so behind. Great review. I *love* Andrew Miller. I liked Pure, and One Morning like a bird and Casanova were great but Ingenious Pain is one of my favourite books of all time. He just seems to have ideas that bear no relation to anything anyone else is doing (imho). I'm so pleased I saw your review, because I think I have Oxygen on my shelves and have meant to read it, but been distracted by Shiny New library books...

Cute, cute puppy! I keep throwing out hints to Mr SandDune along the lines of 'Don't you think Daisy would like a friend?' but he's not budging, so far!

Nice review of Pure, Laura. I've owned it since it was longlisted for the Booker Prize, but it keeps slipping further down my TBR list. I'll give it a bump up.

Alys is adorable!

I just put The Girl on the Train on hold (finally). My place in the queue is number 1027 on 189 copies. I might get it in time for a Thanksgiving read.....

I bet it was fun to go home from work to play with Alys. You know we're all going to be checking your thread even more frequently now, in the hopes that more photos of that adorable girl will show up. ;-)

>68 charl08: wow you're quite the Andrew Miller fan! I admit if I came across another of his books, say in a ised bookshop, I'd snap it up.

>69 SandDune: keep trying, Rhian!

>70 kidzdoc: thanks Darryl

>71 EBT1002: wow Ellen that's a long hold queue. Mine wasn't that long -- I think it was under 100 when I requested. But the library system had many copies so it moved quickly. Hope it's the same for you.

I realized the other day that thanks to Alys I won't need to worry about finding photos for my thread toppers. Much as I like my "hometown artists" theme, I think Alys' arrival could be considered a "qualifying life event" requiring a change, don't you agree?

No more pictures of Alys?

The LD goes back to school early Friday morning. It's been a great visit this time, she's settled in and more confident. All good.

>73 sibylline: pictures of Alys
I am happy to oblige.
ETA: my husband has officially nicknamed her The Runtweiler.

Rub the belly!

Oh, what a sweetheart!

>74 lauralkeet: Aw.

Was mostly stopping in to say thank you for mentioning Hilary Mantel's book about missionaries A Change of Climate, which I had not come across at all. Complete blindspot. Fortunately my library had a copy, so onto the reservation list it goes! :-)

Oh Alys is sooo sweet Laura. Lucky you. My son and his wife recently adopted a black lab (missing one leg after being hit by a car) after losing both of their black labs within six months of each other. Devastating. He's a happy little dog and has added greatly to their lives.

I have Pure sitting on my shelf, waiting for the right time.

>76 charl08: I've read a lot of Mantel and I think A Change of Climate is one of her best.

And that is one cute puppy!

It's been a hectic week adjusting to life with a new puppy. She's doing really well and our other dogs are adjusting too. Alys is starting to push her boundaries and get into mischief, but she's so cute you just have to roll with it. Although it's a lot like having a newborn baby, and we have gone from being empty nesters to having a "little one" again and obsessing on things like house training. Yikes.

>76 charl08:, >78 rebeccanyc: I loved A Change of Climate and agree it's one of Mantel's best and had a greater emotional impact on me than her Cromwell novels. From my review:

For the first third of this book, I thought it was a fairly typical story of missionaries, and their adjustment to life "back home." But I was wrong -- A Change of Climate is a beautiful story of marriage, the lasting impact of tragedy and suffering, and the power of forgiveness and healing. There were several moments in this book that hit like a ton of bricks ...

I'll bet it's been a hectic week with little Alys! Glad that she is doing so well, and that your other dogs are adjusting too. Love your quip about empty nesters to having a newborn again!

Oh, that pink little belly!!!

Sounds like A Change of Climate should be my choice for Mantel in the BAC come December. As it appears there's no chance of the 3rd Cromwell volume being available by then.

Happy Friday, Laura! You are reading Benediction? Sweet! I think his final book comes out late summer. Swoons...

Thanks for the great Wolf Hall info. I rarely do this but I plan on jumping right into Bring Up the Bodies. I also have the book at hand but I will mainly do the audio.

I'm back from vacation and trying to catch up. I'm interested in the Mantel based upon your comment about the emotional impact vs. the Wolf Hall series. I loved those, so how could I not love this.

Alys looks so terrible anxious and miserable!!!!!!!!

could it be she has figured out she has landed in dog heaven?

>80 lit_chick: thanks Nancy

>81 laytonwoman3rd: I think you'd like AChange of Climate, Linda.

>82 msf59: yes Mark I just started Benediction last night and of course was sucked in right away.

>83 NanaCC: Mantel is a great author Colleen. I pretty much want to read everything she's ever written.

>84 sibylline: yeah this is a pretty good place for a puppy! She seems content. :)

The Runtweiler.

LOL, and so sweet!

>85 lauralkeet: What I love about Mantel is that she isn't afraid to tackle new kinds of writing/subjects/themes. Even though I think some of her books work way better than others, I admire her for trying new things. And I've read almost everything she's written.

20. The Little Disturbances of Man ()
No Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: I recently read a New York Times review of a book by a contemporary author. The reviewer compared her style to that of Grace Paley. The book seemed interesting, so I thought I'd read the "similar style" author first. Now I'm less interested in the other book ...

This was an odd collection of short stories about women done wrong by men. My problem with it wasn't the theme, but the writing style, which made the woman come across as crass and not especially sympathetic figures. And I'm too busy with puppy-tending to properly review a 2-star book! :)

21. H is for Hawk ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: This book won the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction and the Costa Book of the Year awards, and received rave reviews in major publications like the New Yorker. Combine that with my interest in birds, and this was too much to pass up.

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 realise 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 realise, 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 memories are.

Helen Macdonald’s father passed away suddenly, throwing her life into disarray. To cope with her loss, Macdonald, a keen falconer, adopted and began training a goshawk that she named Mabel. Macdonald's exquisite prose captures Mabel's beauty:

The feathers down her front are the colour of sunned newsprint, of tea-stained paper, and each is marked darkly towards its tip with a leaf-bladed spearhead, so from her throat to her feet she is patterned with a shower of falling raindrops.

Working with Mabel allowed Macdonald to retreat inside herself, choosing when and how to connect with other humans. H is for Hawk deftly blends daily life, bereavement, and the art of falconry as seen through both Macdonald's eyes and those of author TH White, as described in his 1951 memoir, The Goshawk. Macdonald's memories of her father appear in the narrative without warning, much as they must have popped into her mind as she went about her daily activities.

As time passes, Mabel's training proceeds apace and Macdonald, still lost inside her mind, deconstructs the art of falconry. What is hawking all about, really? Initially Macdonald was caught up in “that imagined world of tweed-clad Victorian falconers,” distanced from the death that is a natural consequence of the hawk’s hunting. As Macdonald becomes an active participant in Mabel's hunting, she realizes “the puzzle that was death was caught up in the hawk, and I was caught up in it too.” Macdonald's journey alongside Mabel's, and her ultimate ability to achieve some sense of normalcy, make for a fascinating story.

Happy Sunday, Laura! I really want to get me mitts on H is for Hawk.

I am nearly a 1/3rd of the way through Bring Up the Bodies. So far, so good.

Wow, Mark, you are sailing through the Cromwell saga...isn't it a wonderful ride?

Alys makes a lovely addition to your menagerie, Laura. You are truly ready for a Three Dog Night now! A puppy sounds like just the thing to help fill your "empty" nest now that the girls have gone back to school again.

You have been doing some good reading. So glad you liked Lamentation. I am on a list at the library for H is for Hawk. Bonnie made a sound case for it and you have confirmed it.

>88 lauralkeet: puppy-tending to properly review a 2-star book
Exactly what your priorities should be.

>89 lauralkeet: H is for Hawk
I know I have to read this, and the question is when... already have a lineup of obligations for April.

http://blog.allaboutbirds.org/2015/03/23/a-falconer-reviews-helen-macdonalds-acc...

Thought you might like to read this.

>91 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, it is Linda. I am very pleased.

>90 msf59: >91 laytonwoman3rd: >95 msf59: so glad you're enjoying Mantel's take on Cromwell, Mark.

>92 Donna828: thanks Donna. We are having fun with Alys. She keeps us on our toes!

>93 qebo: you'd really like the book Katherine.

>94 tiffin: more great press for H is for Hawk! Thanks Tui.

*********
And ... My review is posted in >89 lauralkeet:

>89 lauralkeet: I can't wait to read this (but I will, because other people are ahead of me in the queue at the library). Thanks for making it sound worth waiting for :-)

Couldn't agree with you more about H is for Hawk Laura. Your review covers it all so well. Just a wonderful book that really hit home for me. Thumb!

22. Benediction ()
My Review
Source: My local library - Kindle loan
Why I read this now: So I could be current on the series before Our Souls at Night is published in May. I'm second on the library hold list -- woo hoo!

Kent Haruf had a unique ability to capture the essence of a small town and its people, and touch his readers at a level of emotional depth most authors can only hope to reach. In my review of Plainsong, I described this first book in a series:

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.

The third book, Benediction, follows a similar pattern, centered on the lives of ordinary people living in fictional Holt County, Colorado, but by no means is it “more of the same.” This novel tackles more difficult themes. Dad Lewis, the well-loved owner of the local hardware store, is dying of cancer and just weeks from the end of his life. He is surrounded by his wife Mary, his daughter Lorraine, and various community members including Berta May from next door and the Johnson women (a mother and daughter). Dad wishes for contact with his son Frank, even though Dad’s views on homosexuality were the cause of their estrangement. Robert Lyle, the new minister in town, offers pastoral care but has struggles of his own: controversy that resulted in his transfer from Denver to Holt, an unhappy wife and son, and a commitment to preach his values even as they fly in the face of prevailing post-9/11 community opinion.

Once again, I was drawn into these stories from the very beginning. Dad’s final weeks served as an axis for all other events. Haruf dealt with Dad’s physical decline, his need to put his affairs in order, and his unsatisfied hopes & dreams with such compassion, I shed actual tears more than once. Rob Lyle’s life unravels in the background, but Haruf serves up a happier, hopeful, forward-looking story for Berta May, Willa Johnson, and Alene Johnson. I am looking forward to Haruf’s last novel, Our Souls at Night, which will be published posthumously in May, 2015.

>97 charl08: I hope you enjoy it, Charlotte.
>98 brenzi: I'm not surprised it spoke to you, Bonnie.

>99 lauralkeet: Excellent review, Laura. Thumb from me. I loved Benediction, too, for the reasons you give. So hard to have lost this author too soon. I'm looking forward to Our Souls at Night, too.

Great review of Benediction, Laura. I was a big fan too and also look forward to Our Souls at Night.

Such a lovely review of Hawk! Thank you. I can't wait to read it.

>101 jnwelch: >102 msf59: Hi Joe and Mark. I imagine there will be a whole lotta LT love for Our Souls at Night when it comes out.

>103 sibylline: Thanks Lucy. My husband is reading it now, which says something because we don't normally read the same things and he wanted to do so before it has to go back to the library.

>59 lauralkeet: PUPPY!

>79 lauralkeet: Ooh, I have A Change of Climate, I should read it.

>89 lauralkeet: Excellent review of H is for Hawk Laura. That's one I really want to read.

>99 lauralkeet: And a great review of Benediction. I definitely want to make time for Plainsong (at least) this year.

Laura, wonderful review of Benediction. Kent Haruf was an LT gift for me last year, and I read the Plainsong trilogy. He is fabulous! I will never forget the McPheron brothers. (I know they did not appear in Benediction).

>105 souloftherose: Hi Heather! From your message I could easily conclude that you should read every single book that I like. Let me know how you get on. :)

>106 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy, I read your review of Benediction after posting mine (because it was the next-most-recent one on the list) and can see we had similar feelings about it. I liked the way Haruf let the reader know that this book was set several years later than Plainsong and Eventide, by subtly dropping in a "where are they now" mention of the McPheron brothers, Victoria, and her child. This also made me wonder whether any of the characters in Benediction appeared as their much-younger selves in the earlier books. I don't have any recollection of them but would love to be proven wrong.

ETA: I started two books yesterday:
- The Guermantes Way, third in Proust's In Search of Lost Time. I plan to read 10-15 pages/day for a couple of months
- Station Eleven, nominated for the Baileys Prize for Fiction and getting lots of good buzz.

Must get back to Haruf soon.

Happy Easter, Laura! Have a great weekend.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend, Laura

Thank you Paul & Nancy, and happy Easter to all who celebrate it. It's been a quiet one here, just me and the husband and the pets. The weather has been nice so we got out into the garden both yesterday and today.

I also finished Station Eleven, which was very good. Will post a review soon!

I hope you had a nice Easter, Laura. Glad you enjoyed Station eleven.

I LOVED the first episode of Wolf Hall. Very well done.

23. Station Eleven ()
My Review
Source: My Kindle
Why I read this now: It's nominated for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction

Station Eleven opens with a notable actor’s death during a performance of King Lear, the same night that a flu pandemic begins to destroy civilization as we know it. And then suddenly it was 20 years later, in a post-apocalyptic world both preposterous and probable. There are no governments, no national boundaries. The internet and electronics no longer exist -- in fact, electricity no longer exists. News travels primarily by word of mouth; rumors and misinformation abound. There are many migrants, including 28-year-old Kirsten, a member of the Traveling Symphony performing music and Shakespeare in towns along their route. Kirsten repressed memories of the first year after the pandemic, but has a few artifacts from that time including two comic books about a place no one else has ever heard of, called Station Eleven.

The novel moves seamlessly between the post-apocalyptic period and a time 20-30 years before the pandemic, when the actor Arthur Leander got his start. The reader is introduced to key figures in Arthur’s life, only a few of whom survive the pandemic, and the origins and the journey of the comic books are also gradually revealed. The comic books connect the two time periods, with eerie parallels to post-pandemic events. The timelines converge as the Traveling Symphony approaches its destination, the Museum of Civilization housed in a disused airport, and we learn more about the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.

I was fascinated by this story from the beginning. The pandemic’s impact on society, and the ensuing fear and chaos, felt very realistic. It was also easy to imagine how the human spirit would prevail despite such circumstances. I also approached my reading with a greater than usual attention to detail, looking for meaning and connections between “before” and “after,” a bit like trying to solve a puzzle. The book took over my consciousness for a few days, making me think about implications of day-to-day events in new ways. Highly recommended.

Fabulous review of Station Eleven, Laura. What a wonderful feeling, being fascinated by a novel from the start: there is no better! Love this: The book took over my consciousness for a few days, making me think about implications of day-to-day events in new ways. Highly recommended.

Great review, Laura. I'm looking forward to reading Station Eleven even more now!

Loved your review of Station Eleven, Laura! Your thoughts matched mine. Good job.

I was able to watch those couple concluding minutes of Wolf Hall and they were terrific. The dialogue in that scene between Henry And Thomas was straight out of the book. Sweet!

Hi Nancy, Katie and Mark ... thanks for sharing the Station Eleven love!

I read another review of Station Eleven that made me think I might enjoy it even though I don't really go for most post-apocalyptic fiction, and your review reinforces that.

>113 lauralkeet: I can see it on my shelf Laura. Looks like it needs a nudge.

>89 lauralkeet: I have been going back and forth on that one, but your review cements it. Time to get in the library queue.

And another Kent Haruf winner. I've read the first two and now I will put Benediction on hold.

Station Eleven. Whew. Already read that one!

Your thread is dangerous.

And Alys' belly is adorable. I take it she enjoys having it rubbed? The thing about dogs and (most) cats: they are unabashed in their love for affection. There is a lesson in there, I think.

>118 rebeccanyc: >119 Caroline_McElwee: nudge nudge nudge! I don't read post-apocalyptic stuff either ... But in small doses I can get I to it.

>120 EBT1002: well I hit you with a few, didn't I Ellen? Alys loves belly rubs and she is a lap dog in a way our older dogs never were (even when they were small enough). We will have to figure out how to deal with that when she gets bigger!

Station Eleven is on the WL....

We have a whole thing about dog bellies being a source of unlimited fabulous chi.

Chi belly. As in "I need some chi belly" and then you settle down with the dog.

>122 sibylline: chi belly: I like that! So here you go, your moment of chi:



Alys loves to cuddle on her back in a lap.

Oh that is fabulous!!!! What a cutie pie!

She is so sweet! I love chi belly, too! That's a keeper.

>113 lauralkeet: This has been registering on the edges of my consciousness... you do make it sound interesting. Sigh.

24. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher ()
My Review
Source: Kindle library loan
Why I read this now: Hilary Mantel ... what else do you need to know?

When this book was published, I initially resented anything that was keeping Hilary Mantel from publishing her third novel about Thomas Cromwell. But I finally gave in and read this collection of eleven short stories, and found that this form, too, is something Mantel does very well. Dark, startling and unsettling, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher includes several gems.

In the opening story, Sorry to Disturb, a British woman living in Saudi Arabia is visited by a Pakistani man. His repeated visits become a problem, and she and can't get rid of him. Mantel spent several years in Saudi Arabia herself, and clearly drew on the experience for the themes in this story.

In The Long QT, a woman hosting a party discovers her husband embracing another woman. Told from the husband's point of view, Mantel quickly portrays the hostess as just a little bit OCD, and not fully present with her guests:

Picking up glasses, she would push through groups of her own guests, guests who were laughing and passing mobile phones to each other, guests who were, for Christ’s sake, trying to relax and enjoy the evening. People would oblige her by knocking back what was in their glass and handing it over. If not she would say, “Excuse me, have you finished with that?” Sometimes they made little stacks of tumblers for her, helpfully, and said, “Here you go, Jodie.” They smiled at her indulgently, knowing they were helping her out with her hobby.

In How Shall I Know You?, the reader is part of an author's inner monologue when she appears at book events. I loved this bit about making commitments:

When the day came, I wondered why I’d agreed to it; but yes is easier than no, and of course when you make a promise you think the time will never arrive: that there will be a nuclear holocaust, or something else diverting.

Winter Break is the most vivid and disturbing story in the collection. A couple on holiday travels by taxi to their resort. An incident occurs en route, and the couple remains in the car while the driver handles the situation. A surprising dark ending revealed what really happened, and sent shivers down my spine.

>127 lauralkeet: Great comments on The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. I would totally have bought this book (instead of getting it out from the library) if it had this cover over here. I've just realised writing this that it reminds me of Yinka Shonibare's work with wax print textiles. I really liked her book event story - so anti-glamour.

>127 lauralkeet: I'm waiting for the paperback, since I'm not as much of a fan of Mantel's stories as I am of her novels.

Great review of The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. You do a really good job with your reviews. I should take notes. LOL.

This collection was my first Mantel experience and I was quite impressed. And now that I have read both Wolf Hall books, I admire it even more.

I loved the 2nd Wolf Hall episode. It's nice to see more of Henry and Lewis is nailing it. And Rylance is really filling out Cromwell's character, making me admire him even more.

>128 charl08: >129 rebeccanyc: I like the cover, too! But I borrowed the Kindle edition from my library. Despite my respect for Mantel, I wasn't sure about short stories. But clearly she can do anything. :)

>130 msf59: aw shucks, Mark, thank you so much! I'm really glad you're enjoying the Wolf Hall adaptation and your man crush on Cromwell is still going strong!!

Looks like I will have to add that one to the list Laura, I was hovering over it...

>113 lauralkeet: Great review of Station Eleven Laura. Strangely, I have that one but am reluctant to read it - I think I want to wait until the buzz has died down (So why did I buy it you may ask? Good question....)

>123 lauralkeet: I want a puppy! Until I remember all the chewing...

>127 lauralkeet: And Mantel's collection of short stories also sounds interesting. Despite the large number of unread Hilary Mantel books on my shelves I'm temtped to get that collection from the library.

And I agree with >128 charl08:, the UK cover is a lot less impressive.

>133 souloftherose: Despite the large number of unread Hilary Mantel books on my shelves I'm temtped to get that collection from the library.
Unlike many of those unread Mantels on your shelves, this one is short (~250 pages)!

In Alys news, she has learned how to jump up on the sofa. This is a permitted canine practice for the family room sofa, but not the living room sofa. We are still trying to help her understand the difference. :)

Ah, the chewing and the boundary-learning. And the house training. Yep, I'm looking forward to those things.
*sigh*
But still, puppy! Yay!

I'm impressed you even try (and with obvious success in the past?) to train your dogs to know which sofas are ok and which not!

>135 scaifea: Yeah, it's mostly good. I have noticed, however, that our lives, which were just expanding to "carefree empty-nester," have now become a bit too puppy-focused. We aren't comfortable leaving her alone for long periods of time and that is constraining our activities. I know it is only temporary but I also need to push my other half a bit on this, I think. I don't consider a trip to Lowe's (home improvement store) as an "outing."

>136 sibylline: Lucy, I am not sure why but the other dogs have never shown an interest in the living room sofa. It is slightly lower to the ground than the family room sofa, so more accessible to Alys at this point. Plus Woody has taken to extending himself across the entire family room sofa, making sharing impossible. I know what he's up to. Silly dog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the reading front, I suddenly find myself with several books on the go:
* Millennium Hall - a Virago Modern Classic published in the 18th century, part of a group read. Interesting for its purpose and historic context, but I've now reached the "ready to be done with this" stage.
* The Guermantes Way - the third Proust, which I am reading in 10-15 page increments, but set aside for purpose of the above group read. I will actually be glad to return to it!
* Broken Harbor - from Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series, I started this yesterday as an antidote to Millennium Hall. Fast-paced and fun.
* Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? - a memoir written in graphic novel format, about aging parents. Just started this over my lunch break and oh boy, can I relate. This is easy reading so shouldn't be hard to fit in alongside Proust and French.

I think I'll buckle down and try to finish Millennium Hall ASAP.

>134 lauralkeet: This is a permitted canine practice for the family room sofa, but not the living room sofa - we've only got a living room and we lasted all of two days saying that Daisy was not allowed to sit on it - and then we succumbed! She does know that she's not allowed on other people's sofas if we go away though.

Yep, that very young puppy stage can be a bit of a pain when it comes to longer 'outings.' Thankfully it doesn't last too long.

I loved Broken Harbor, Laura. Enjoy. I plan on reading the Secret Place for M & M. I hope you like the Chast memoir. I was a big fan.

Ah yes - Posey will 'hog' certain places just to make sure the cats can't. She'll even stay on the ottoman that sits nearest the woodstove so boiling hot that she is panting, to make sure some stupid cat doesn't get to lie there.

>138 SandDune: Rhian, our oldest dog trained us in the importance of allowing dogs on sofas. We gave in pretty easily. Now she has a hard time jumping up on her own, so my husband will occasionally heave her up there.

>139 scaifea: You're right Amber. We're going to try letting Alys sleep through the night now ... fingers crossed.

>140 msf59: I'm zipping through Broken Harbor, Mark, and loving it!

>141 sibylline: that's funny, Lucy!

Oh, Po, this just made me laugh out loud! She'll even stay on the ottoman that sits nearest the woodstove so boiling hot that she is panting, to make sure some stupid cat doesn't get to lie there.

25. Millennium Hall ()
My Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: It was for a group read

Published in 1762, Millennium Hall describes a utopian society of women living much more autonomously than was the norm at that time. The women of Millennium Hall are all unmarried, and the circumstances of their arrival often were related to the death of a father or other source of financial support. The novel is loosely drawn from events in author Sarah Scott's life. Scott's father failed to provide her with financial support and, after separating from her husband (an extremely rare event in those days), she lived with a close female friend as part of a community of intellectuals seeking social reform.

The novel is made up of a series of narratives telling the stories of various women at Millennium Hall. It is written in a didactic style, intended to provide "moral instruction" to the reader -- and specifically, male readers. While some of the women's stories were interesting, the preachy tone and flowery language wore on me after a while.

I read this as part of a project in the Virago Modern Classics group, to read VMCs in original order of publication. The group read helped me appreciate this book for its place in the history of women's writing, but I can't say I enjoyed it.

26. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: I've read several good reviews on LT, and it's very relevant to my life these days.

This memoir about the experience of caring for aging parents is presented in graphic novel form with a mixture of comics and text. Roz Chast, a cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine, sets the stage by describing her parents in their 80s, living independently in the same Brooklyn apartment where Chast grew up. In just a few pages, and with a strong dose of humor, readers develop a pretty good sense of the individual characters and the relationship dynamics at play. When her mother falls and requires hospital care, it ushers in a new phase of life for both Chast and her parents, and we accompany her on this difficult emotional journey.

This book was surprisingly comforting for me, although the topics explored are anything but. Three years ago my father experienced a health event that brought about major changes for him and my mother, including moving out of the home they had lived in for over 30 years. They had prepared for this in some ways, but not in others, and my brother and I have been managing the situation since. Chast perfectly captures her emotions, which are very much like my own and for that I am grateful. It is tremendously comforting to know there are others who have strained relations with a parent, and ambivalent feelings about managing their care. Similarly, my brother and I are not the only ones dealing with the seemingly endless ways to spend our parents' money on care. And yet, since my parents are still living, it's also disconcerting to read Chast's frank account of her parents' final weeks. When the time comes, will I be better prepared by having read this book?

I don't know the answer to that question, but highly recommend this book for anyone with aging parents.

So now I'm down to two books I am actively reading:


* The Guermantes Way - I should reach 100 pages today (out of 600+). This is best savored, and that's what I'm doing ...
* Broken Harbor - I'm about halfway through and enjoying the suspense.

Great review of Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Laura. Oh...that reminds me, I have a 20% off Barnes & Noble coupon to use by midnight, so I think I'll use it to order this book. Thanks!

Morning Laura! Loved your review of the Chast memoir. It is such a good book.

Did not see Wolf Hall last night but I WILL see it tonight. Another good CTM though, don't you think?

>148 msf59: Mark, I have been busy watching or spending time with grandchildren for their different spring breaks for the past month, and have had no TV time to speak of. I've been recording both of these shows, and can't wait to get started this week.

>147 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. I just recommended it to my brother who will be visiting my parents in a few weeks.
>148 msf59: Thanks Mark. CTM was indeed good as always. That Trixie ... oh dear.
>149 NanaCC: Colleen, that's the great thing about the DVR isn't it? You'll love both shows whenever you get to them.

Sounds kind of relevant to where I am at the moment - I think I shall search this out. :)

Good Morning Laura.

I've added The Girl on the Train to the tbr list. Your review is great.

Thinking of you and sending all good wishes.

I have a feeling that, like many huge life things, you can't really be prepared, but you can have support and reassurance that can help you maintain equilibrium or get back to it later--that is what I think the Chast offers.

Laura, fabulous review of Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant. It sounds so relevant, and, yes, comforting and reassuring.

Way to go, Laura. You convinced Darryl to read Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant, which has been hard to do. Great review. With my sisters, I'm in a similar position to yours with our elderly father (we're doing all we can to help him stay in his home, rather than go to assisted living - although the facility actually is a very nice one), and we lost our mother a few years ago. So this book really resonated with me, too; her honesty, warts and all, lifted it to another level.

>151 kaggsy: yes Karen, it's quite relevant. The "graphic memoir" style is also quite interesting -- it's my first time reading a book in that format -- it adds a certain "lightness" to the tone making a difficult topic more digestible.

>152 Whisper1: Linda, I think The Girl on the Train would be a great read for you right now -- fast paced, suspenseful, and not intellectually taxing. :)

>153 sibylline: You're right Lucy, I don't think you can be truly prepared. Support is key, in whatever forms you can get it.

>154 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy!

>155 jnwelch: Wow, Joe, I convinced Darryl ?! I can't claim any special talents but perhaps the collective voices finally reached a volume he could no longer ignore. :)

her honesty, warts and all, lifted it to another level.
Her candor was the best part. You can tell from the beginning that she had a complex relationship with her mother. As she opened up about how she was responding to her mother's decline and her final conversation with her mother, I felt a weight lifting off my shoulders. This book assured me that my own feelings about my parents , complicated as they are, are also normal and I shouldn't beat myself up about them.

perhaps the collective voices finally reached a volume he could no longer ignore.

Exactly, Laura. It's been high on my wish list for awhile, but I haven't set foot in a bookstore since I went to City Lights in December, so I haven't had the chance to pick it up. Your review came at a perfect time, as I was trying to decide what book I should buy with my bn.com 20% off coupon before it expired on Sunday night.

I haven't set foot in a bookstore since I went to City Lights in December What strange affliction is this?? Physician, HEAL THYSELF!

>158 laytonwoman3rd: *snork!*

A book worth its weight in gold, Laura: This book assured me that my own feelings about my parents , complicated as they are, are also normal and I shouldn't beat myself up about them. My relationship with my mother was complicated, and in her mind this had something to do with whether or not/how much I loved her. It didn't, but she never did understand. Still, the year she died, it was good to travel to be with her for a couple of different weeks … we talked then as we had not been able to before.

You have been reading so many good books lately, Laura. I'm just glad I've read some of them so I don't get blasted with book bullets! I do need to read Broken Harbor. I've liked all of French's books but I keep forgetting that I have this one on the iPad. It's easy to get lost there.

>157 kidzdoc: >158 laytonwoman3rd: >159 scaifea: I have nothing to add lol!

>160 lit_chick: Nancy, I'm glad you had that time with your mother.

>161 Donna828: Broken Harbor is pretty good Donna. I'm closing in on the end now and the twists are starting to come together.

Fear not, dear ladies. I've still received two dozen or more books so far this year, and I'm sure that I'll pick up at least that many on my upcoming trips in the next two months.

>162 lauralkeet:, >163 kidzdoc: It's only because he's been trapped in a hospital all winter.
>145 lauralkeet: I just read Being Mortal (excellent), and it has me realizing that I should be preparing; parents are in decent health but they are 85.

Yes, Being Mortal is a must read! I predict it will be my favorite book of 2015. It is too early to tell, but this book grabbed me and still is not letting go.

>163 kidzdoc: whew. :)

>164 qebo: Katherine, I'm glad your parents are still in decent health -- that's rather impressive for 85! Still, you're right, some preparation is a good idea -- for example, understanding what their wishes are, what preparations they may already have made, etc.

>165 Whisper1: like the Chast memoir, Being Mortal is out there on my peripheral book vision because of so much praise on LT. I really should read it.

>163 kidzdoc: There's still hope Darryl. But, I'm really kidding. One of my goals while I'm home healing is to read as much from the shelves as possible and then get them out of the house.. As you know, the challenge is not to replace them.

>167 Whisper1: Right, Linda. Easy to say, but oh so hard to do.

27. Broken Harbor ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: Motivated by the release of book #5 in this series, I've been zipping along. Since September I've read #s 2, 3, & 4.

Mike "Scorcher" Kennedy is called to the scene of a brutal crime in which two children and their father lost their lives, and the mother was severely injured and left unconscious. As she is whisked off to hospital, Kennedy and his new partner Richie Curran begin the investigation. Kennedy is legendary on the Dublin force for his ability to solve murders quickly; Curran is new to the murder squad and eager to learn. It doesn't take long for them to identify a suspect and bring him in for questioning.

But wait ... this happens only 1/3 of the way through the book. It can't be that easy, and of course it isn't. Kennedy works tirelessly to collect sufficient evidence to charge the suspect, and Curran proves his worth through his ability to extract information from people associated with the suspect or the victims. At the same time, Kennedy is distracted and troubled by his sister Dina, whose mental instability flares up most inconveniently.

And that's what I love about this series: the detective's personal drama running in parallel to the crime-solving. In this case, the crime occurred on a housing estate that was once a seaside resort where Kennedy spent his childhood summers. A family tragedy put an end to those idyllic holidays, and may or may not have exacerbated Dina's mental illness. Kennedy keeps all of this locked up inside, desperately trying not to let it interfere with his work. And it turns out Curran has something to hide as well, and after some huge foreshadowing Tana French sets this part of the story on a slow drip that keeps the reader guessing about its impact on the case.

At this time there is only one more book in this series, and I don't plan to let too much time pass before reading it.

This week I'm reading:


* The Guermantes Way - I'm currently on page 166 of 595. I'm going to try to pick up my pace a bit in order to finish in May. 10-15 pp/day should do it.
* Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen - a friend at work gave this book about language to me. 30 pages in and it's good fun.

>169 lauralkeet: Nice review of Broken Harbor, Laura. I'm glad you seem to have enjoyed it as much as I did. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Secret Place. I thought that one was excellent too. Nudge, Nudge....

Excellent review of Broken Harbor, Laura. I've only read the first one of these, Into the Woods. Actually, I didn't even realize it was a series. Must pick up the second. Some good summer reading coming up ...

>171 NanaCC: Thanks Colleen. I will probably read The Secret Place over the summer. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

>172 lit_chick: Nancy, that's a funny coincidence as the same thing happened to me. I picked up In the Woods in a used bookshop because I'd seen it mentioned so many times. I enjoyed it, and moved on. Then I heard she was publishing another book and that it was -- gulp -- #5 in a series! So I thought I'd better get a move on. I thought the second book was a little weaker than the others but I can definitely recommend them for summer reading.

I sure fell behind here! I must also catch up with the Haruf books, your latest review reminding me to do so. I just put Can't We Talk on the Kindle - as you know, this will resonate with me as well.

Baby Alys is a sweetie. I can't imagine cuddling Wallace on my lap, although he does try to crawl into it.

ETA: had to return Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant as I couldn't see the cartoons and script, even with the font set high. Oh well...

>174 tiffin: had to return Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant
I considered getting it for Kindle and wondered about that very issue. I have a Paperwhite so I didn't think it would handle the graphics as well as, say, their higher-end models. I went for a "dead tree book" from my library instead.

Alys is growing rapidly, weighing in at 17lb at her checkup this morning (up 4lb from two weeks ago). She is a bit less lap-tolerant although she still likes sitting next to a human on a comfy chair. However she has also learned to jump up on the dog sofa and is beginning to prefer sitting there with the other dogs.

Also, curiosity got the better of us and on a colleague's recommendation we ordered a DNA test kit (this one). For a mixed breed, they will provide breed ancestry identification back to great-grandparents, and an estimate of adult weight. We did the test and put it in Saturday's mail, and should have results in 2-3 weeks.

>169 lauralkeet: Laura, Do you think it is important to read these books from the first in the series?

>176 Whisper1: Linda, each book stands on its own, so no -- I think you can take them in any order you like, or skip ones that may not "grab" you. The first two books have a common detective as the protagonist. In books 3 & 4, we get a closer look at detectives who were peripheral characters in earlier books. So if you've read the earlier books you have this initial "aha moment" which is fun (I like connections between books), but it's not essential to enjoying the book itself.

28. Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: A friend and fellow language lover recently presented me with a copy. Yay!

It was difficult to even begin writing this review; I'm surprisingly anxious about possible grammar errors. However, I figure if you just spotted my on-target use of the semicolon, I have you on my side already. Oh yeah, and maybe that hyphen, too. And that comma just now. I could go on ... ooh look, an ellipsis!

Just a few days in the company of Mary Norris, a former copy editor for The New Yorker magazine, has made me more aware of grammar and punctuation. Not in a way that makes me feel superior, thank goodness, but in a way that increases my appreciation of effective use of language (and yes, I did just look up the difference between appreciation of and appreciation for -- in this case, it's "of"). Norris has a depth of knowledge that I could never hope to achieve, but in the space of 200 pages she enriched my understanding of common grammatical concepts (and errors), and shed entirely new light on certain forms of punctuation. Her writing style is breezy and fun: discussing the use of "who" vs. "whom," and whether it really matters, she wrote, "Whom may be on the way out, but so is Venice, and we still like to go there." And a few pages later, she served up a handy rule of thumb:

Here's the takeaway: "who" does not change to "whom" just because it is in the middle of a sentence. The choice of "who" or "whom" is governed not by its role as the object of the sentence or the object of a preposition but by its role in the group of words that has been plugged into that position. ... "who" and "whom" are standing in for a pronoun: "who" stands in for "he, she, they, I, we"; "whom" stands in for "him, her, them, me, us."

In other chapters, Norris discusses commas, hyphens, apostrophes and even profanity. Towards the end of the book she takes a detour into the land of stationery and office supplies, because let's face it, what language lover doesn't also like that stuff? The book is also infused with stories about her assignments and her colleagues at The New Yorker, including an epilogue that wraps things up in a satisfying way and adds a personal touch that elevates this book above a grammar and style guide.

>178 lauralkeet: - Great review, Laura! When I was around 10, I spent an hour every Saturday getting grammar lessons from my English-teacher father who felt that my school was not adequately addressing the importance of good grammar, punctuation, etc. I've forgotten a lot of things, but I still have certain "triggers" that will send me into passionate rants...

>178 lauralkeet:. Great review, Laura! I think I should look for this one. I know that I've become very sloppy in this age of emails and less formal writing.

>179 katiekrug:: your father and my mother, who was on auto-correct before it ever became a *thing*.

Hi Laura! Good review of Broken Harbor. It is my 2nd favorite after the debut. I plan on reading The Secret Place for M & M.

I am LOVING H is For Hawk. I am only halfway but this will be a top read, in 2015.

I have a copy of Between You & Me. I snagged this at ALA.

>179 katiekrug: great story Katie! I don't feel like I had a particularly strong education in grammar but I was a spelling bee queen (or is queen bee LOL).

>180 NanaCC: I think you'd like it Colleen.

>181 tiffin: LOL Tui! I love that!

>182 msf59: lucky you, Mark. And I'm glad you're enjoying H is for Hawk so much.

Excellent review of Between You & Me, Laura. Added to the tbr. I sure struggle with who and whom, so I'll try using her guideline.

>156 lauralkeet: I couldn't get the spoiler to work?

Between You and Me goes on the teetering wl pile.

"Whom may be on the way out, but so is Venice, and we still like to go there" I like this lady. Off to you know where!

Oh, I'm glad you liked Between You & Me too; I thought it was a lot of fun.

>184 jnwelch:, >185 sibylline:, >186 Caroline_McElwee:: thanks Joe, Lucy, & Caroline. I'm happy to add to your teetering TBR piles.

>185 sibylline: Lucy, not sure why the spoiler thing didn't work for you -- are you seeing this elsewhere?

>187 rebeccanyc: Rebecca, I think I mentioned somewhere that I read your review before I read the book -- so I knew I was in for a treat!

Great review of Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen, Laura! That's definitely one for the wish list.

>189 kidzdoc: thanks Darryl!

Come along everyone, follow the linky-thing below to my new thread!