Ellen reads 75+ in 2015 (part 4)

We're going to Alaska for a work trip in May (I'll be working, P will be touristing).

My Rating Scale:

= Perfect. An all-time favorite read! I shall remember this.
= A wonderful read, among my favorites of the year.
= Very good. Definitely recommended.
= Quite good, has several redeeming qualities.
= Pretty good, with a few things done well.
= Average, and life is too short to read average works.
= A bit below average. A waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

American Author Challenge-II:

January: Carson McCullers - The Ballad of the Sad Cafe √
February: Henry James* - Washington Square √
March: Richard Ford* - Wildlife √
April: Louise Erdrich - Love Medicine √
May: Sinclair Lewis* - Babbitt √
June: Wallace Stegner - reread Angle of Repose or Crossing to Safety or both (happy sigh)
July: Ursula K. Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea
August: Larry McMurtry - Comanche Moon
September: Flannery O' Connor - still undecided
October: Ray Bradbury - Something Wicked This Way Comes and reread The Martian Chronicles
November: Barbara Kingsolver - Reread The Bean Trees, her first and still my fave.
December: E.L. Doctorow* - Ragtime

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

British Author Challenge: (I'm obviously still doing some deciding here.)

January
Penelope Lively* -- Moon Tiger √
Kazuo Ishiguro -- The Remains of the Day √
February:
Sarah Waters -- The Paying Guests √
Evelyn Waugh* -- Brideshead Revisited √
March:
Daphne Du Maurier* -- Rebecca √
China Mieville* -- The City & the City √
April:
Angela Carter* -- The Bloody Chamber √
W. Somerset Maugham* -- The Painted Veil √
May:
Margaret Drabble* -- The Peppered Moth √
Martin Amis* -- Success
June:
Beryl Bainbridge* --
Anthony Burgess* -- Nothing Like the Sun
July:
Virginia Woolf -- To the Lighthouse
B. S. Johnson* --
August:
Iris Murdoch* -- The Sea, The Sea (and The Bell?)
Graham Greene* -- The End of the Affair
September:
Andrea Levy* -- The Long Song
Salman Rushdie* -- Shame (recommended by Paul)
October:
Helen Dunmore* -- The Siege
David Mitchell -- Cloud Atlas
November:
Muriel Spark* --
William Boyd* -- Restless and/or Waiting for Sunrise
December:
Hilary Mantel -- Bring Up the Bodies
P.G. Wodehouse --

* Author whose work I have not read.

I'll also be loosely participating in the Global Reading Challenge.

Global Reading Challenge

1st quarter = Indian Subcontinent:
The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh √

2nd quarter: Spain and Portugal:
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Baltasar and Blimunda by José Saramago
The Time in Between by María Dueñas
Nada by Carmen Laforet
Outlaws by Javier Cercas √

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm also committed to reading at least six NonFiction works this year.

1. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming √
2. Following Atticus by Tom Ryan √
3. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande √
4. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (audio) currently listening

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming audio NF
2. The Ballad of the Sad Café {stories} by Carson McCullers
3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
4. Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
5. Nemesis by Jo Nesbø
6. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
7. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh
8. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

9. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
10. Snow in May: Stories by Kseniya Melnik
11. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
12. Washington Square by Henry James
13. Eventide by Kent Haruf

COMPLETED IN MARCH

14. My Education by Susan Choi
15. Following Atticus by Tom Ryan NF
16. Report for Murder by Val McDermid
17. The City & the City by China Miéville
18. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
19. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
20. The Thing About December by Donal Ryan
21. A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie
22. Wildlife by Richard Ford
23. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande NF

COMPLETED IN APRIL

24. The Bloody Chamber and other stories by Angela Carter
25. Snowpiercer, Volume 1: The Escape by Jacques Lob
26. The Martian by Andy Weir
27. Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
28. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
29. Displacement by Lucy Knisley
30. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

COMPLETED IN MAY

31. Outlaws by Javier Cercas
32. Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham
33. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson
34. The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble
35. Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina García
36. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
37. God Help the Child by Toni Morrison

COMPLETED IN JUNE

We'll be south of Anchorage, near the Kenai Peninsula. I hope we see a moose.

Currently reading:



Currently listening:

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North

Lovely new thread, Ellen! Where in Alaska?

>9 EBT1002: The conference at which I'm presenting is a bit southeast of Anchorage. I can't remember the name of the resort, Roni!
I should be excited but I'm just nervous.... We'll fly in on Saturday, I present on Monday, then we fly home Tuesday evening. I don't know how much touristing I'll get to do and I'm nervous about the presentation! But it should be fun. We're planning a bigger trip to Alaska in August 2016 so this will be a little preview.

I was hoping to visit some more threads this evening but I got caught up in creating a new thread for myself. Tomorrow back to work, hopefully to the doctor, and then to f2f book group to discuss Being Mortal. I hope everyone has a great week!

Ellen--Whew! I had a great time at brunch and at Powell's with you on Friday. And I am absolutely blaming all my purchases on you! It was your fault I was there you know. : ) I love LT meet-ups. It was great to see you again and I loved the one-on-one time. Your workload is insane, so good luck getting time to read any of your new purchases! I'll be seeing you.

Oh, and the book I got that finishes a series (this is from your last thread) is Tom Rob Smith's Agent 6. : )

Happy New Thread, Ellen! And Alaska - so exciting!

Happy New Thread, Ellen. Love the Alaska topper. It is one of my favorite places on earth. Glad you are so smitten with The Blind Assassin. Smiles...

Oh my, a work trip in Alaska, Ellen. How did you manage that? That's somewhere my much better half has wanted to go to for ages. Where in Alaska? Is it a good time of year for it?

Congrats on the new thread! That Alaskan topper is a stunner.

I loved Blind Assassin. It is one of the best books I have ever read, and at the time I read it I had not heard anything about it, so was very surprised. Like you I couldn't put it down. Even though it is a big book it read fast.

Alaska is beautiful! We did the cruise thing a few years ago, and it was amazing. Especially the sled dog puppies.

Love the Alaska photo, Ellen -- happy new thread. I hope you're feeling better or have seen your doctor and gotten some medicine.

The last time I was in Alaska, I was 13. I imagine some things have changed since then. :)

I'll look for your comments on The Blind Assassin; it was one of the first books my book club read eons ago. Maybe a reread is in order?

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Wishing you safe travels and a successful presentation in Alaska. How great that P is able to travel with you as well.

Well, I've had my Monday work day: started with kids and getting them off to school, then home to let the dogs out, and then to Redmond to start my Instacart shift. Sat for about 30 minutes listening to the white house audio book I'm using as an antidote to the Scientology book! The Scientology stuff is so icky, sticky, makes me feel sick for being interested in it, but on the other hand, if no one was curious, no one would blow the whistle on them, which seems to be what has happened for decades. The two medium sized batches of groceries shopped simultaneously at Costco, and delivered, 1, and then 2. Bingo. My shift is done and I made a nice sum of money! I love this job. And as I learn more it gets easier, and less stressful!

Now I'm home to keep the dogs happy until I take off to see you and the others at the F2F meeting. Whoo hoo!

Oh, fun! I am headed to Alaska in June of next year. For work but I'm hoping to tack some time on the end to do something fun. Our meeting will be at the Alyeska resort, outside Anchorage on the way to whatever the name of the place that a lot of the cruises leave from, starts with a "W" I think... Anyway, look forward to hearing about your (or P's) experience of the area!

Happy New Thread, Ellen. I love the photos. They look gorgeous. I hope you'll have a great time in Alaska, even though you have to work. P will certainly a wonderful tourist.

I hope your conference is successful Ellen and that you do get to have some fun in the brief time you are there.

Have a great time in Alaska, and I hope you do get some time outside looking around.

Alaska...mmmmm. Everyone I know who has been there raves about it. I'm sure the recreational trip will beat the work-related one, but still...

>13 Berly: Hi Kim! Yes, I will take all the blame for your purchases. My memory is that they did fit into one bag....
Not only will I have a hard time getting time to read all my own purchases, I just got four books from the library. Sigh. I really must win the lottery.
I very much enjoyed our time. We will do it again.

>14 scaifea: Amber, I know! Alaska TWICE. Once next month and again for full-on vacation in August 2016. Bears and moose, here we come. :-)

>15 msf59: So you have been to Alaska, Mark? I'm so excited to finally be adding it to my list of states I have visited in other than book form.
Yes, your AAC-II has struck again. The Blind Assassin is simply excellent. Work has once again taken hold of my life in merciless fashion, but I'm slowly making my way through it.

>16 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I feel very lucky. I've been asked to present at a conference -- and, get this: I've been asked by a member of the WA state legislature to present with her. Saying no was simply not an option. I'm actually a bit nervous about the presentation part. We'll be near Anchorage. I think it will be nice -- lows in the 30s, highs in the 50s? And the daylight. That I'm looking forward to! I love long days.

>17 benitastrnad: I agree, Benita. The Blind Assassin is quickly heading for my top-five of the year list. It's early yet, but it will be hard for several books to surpass this one so it has a good chance of ending up on that list.

>18 banjo123: Sled dog puppies!!!!!???? Oh my. I would be in heaven.

Our neighbors have a new puppy -- a 10-week-old Labradoodle. I finally got to meet him this evening and I held him and just about stole him (not really, but you know...). Adorable.

>19 BLBera: Hi Beth. I am feeling better although not yet 100%. The good news (I suppose) is that it is neither a virus nor bacterial. No bronchitis. No pneumonia. The doc thinks it's allergy related. I'm finding this hard to believe but I took the Rx for inhalers nonetheless. Today I really felt like I had turned a corner, though. Yay for energy! Yay for less coughing!

I imagine a few things have changed in Alaska since you were 13. ;-)
It's terrible to say this but I'm glad we're getting there before the glaciers have completely melted. I'm pessimistic about the future of arctic territories.

I don't know how well you remember The Blind Assassin but I think you would like it. It might be worth a reread.

>20 jolerie: Hi Valerie and thank you! Yes, P is very excited about getting to travel with me. I think she feels like she hit the jackpot.

>21 maggie1944: Karen, I am so glad the job is one you love and that you are making some money, and starting to feel like you know it well enough to reduce the stress. It does seem like a job at which you would develop strategies and learn your way around the various stores, and that would make it all work better.

It was great to see you for f2f book group even though I wasn't feeling very well. I'm sorry I'll miss next month's gathering (again).

The Scientology reading does sound creepy, but also fascinating.

>22 katiekrug: Katie! "...the Alyeska resort, outside Anchorage..." That's where our conference is next month!

I'm envious that you get to go in June, as seeing the midnight sun is kind of on my bucket list. We're also going next summer, but in August. The trade off is that we hear the mosquitoes are less likely to carry you off in late August.... I'll try to take photos next month for posting here.

>23 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! Yes, P will have fun playing tourist while I work. :-|

>24 luvamystery65: Thank you, Roberta. I will definitely build in some play time while we're there!

>25 sibylline: Thanks Lucy. I will definitely do that!

>26 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I'm feeling rather smug that I get to do a work-trip this year and a fun-trip next year. P is talking about this as our trial run. Ha.

Meanwhile, in book news:

I'm still reading and loving The Blind Assassin. It should be faster going than it's being, but that is work's fault.

I also got four books from the library today:
Lila by Marilynne Robinson (again -- maybe I'll read it this time before it's due)
Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson (the next one in that series)
Outlaws by Javier Cercas (it doesn't show up in the touchstones)
Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina García

Oh! I'm so glad you are feeling some improvement on the coughing. Allergies, huh? Well, I guess the good news is that there is medical relief. I hate it when the news is: drink lots of fluid, rest, and wait until it runs its course.

I bought the Tearsling book from Amazon today, went to the library and checked out two books, and also started reading my copy of The Round House. Busy reading day for me. See what happens when I get too much time to myself! (-:

>9 EBT1002: I am going to have to copy and paste your booker lists. I have been on a mission to read them all for ages now and am completely stalled. I think it was me insisting on reading the 2 preceding books to The Ghost Road. It got me stuck. And I still have not got to it yet!

Alaska sounds so cool. I am studying the NW part of Alaska at the moment for my environmental studies course. Just because. I will be using political ecology to look at the relationships between oil and gas companies and the indigenous communities. At present all I can see is a large can of worms, but I hope to sort through all the info soon and get somewhere.

I'm glad that you're feeling better, Ellen, and hopefully your symptoms were only allergy related. My allergy symptoms, which have kept me inside for most of the month, have subsided now that we've had rain every day this week (and it's raining again now), but I'm sure that the pollen count will surge once we get out of this pattern of wet weather.

Ellen - It will still be light late in August in Alaska -- I'd like to go again, too. My parents used to live there, and my dad goes back at least once a year; maybe I should tag along one of these times.

I remember liking The Blind Assassin but not much else. It was the second or third book we read for our book club, and we're in our twelfth year.

Hi, Ellen! Sorry, to hear RL is intruding on your book reading. How unfair!!

I think your warbling about the Bloody Chamber, has caused many of us to jump on board. If I don't crack it tonight, I will tomorrow.

We went on an an Alaskan cruise, back in 2004, which included a 4 day land tour, starting in Fairbanks. Probably, the best vacation ever!

Hi Ellen, I wish you a relaxed weekend.

Ellen--Glad to hear you are finally starting to feel a bit better. Don't you just hate when your job gets in the way of reading time!? So not fair. ; ) Have a great weekend. Did you get your parking permit for work yet or does that start later? I forgot...

I've just started The Bloody Chamber, and so far I'm liking it, too (no surprise). That sounds like a great trip to the Anchorage area - what an honor to be asked by a state legislator. I'm sure your presentation will be most excellent.

28. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood




It took me a while to complete this wonderful Booker Prize winner but only because life has been so busy. I finally finished it this evening and it will stay with me for a while. Part first-person history, part science fiction novel within a novel, and part romantic tale told from an omniscient third person narrator, the narrative thread is exquisitely wrought. Iris, our 1st person narrator, and her younger sister Laura, are the granddaughters and daughters of a successful family with more than one factory during the pre-depression heyday of American manufacturing. Of course, the depression brings trouble; Iris marries "a successful industrialist" to save the family from complete financial ruin. Decades later, in her 80s, she writes down her personal history so that her estranged granddaughter might know her true family background. Atwood plays with her reader, telling parts of the story without absolute transparency about who is involved in which series of events. We are pretty sure we know, but doubt has a way of creeping in. The result is a delightful read, one that deftly weaves humor and tragedy, playfulness and grief into one wonderful story. The voices of the characters are perfectly true. Definitely recommended.

Currently reading:



Currently listening:



I started listening to Dead Wake while pulling weeds in our p-patch this weekend and it's quite engaging! This is my first nonfiction audio book so I'm hopeful that this medium works for me.

>31 maggie1944: I'm feeing much better, Karen. I'm not convinced that it has been allergies but, as long as I keep feeling better, I don't really care what was the cause! :-)

>32 maggie1944: I have to admit that I'm less than fully enthusiastic about the Tearsling book. I may just skip our May read since I can't be at the meeting anyway.

>33 LovingLit: The Booker Prize winner challenge is one to which I have definitely not attached a timeline, Megan! I'll get to them when I get to them, just hopefully before I die. Ha.

I did just finish The Blind Assassin (so I need to go strike through it) and very much recommend it.

>34 kidzdoc: Darryl, rain is the best for those of us who suffer from allergies! Even before this little episode, I knew I had seasonal and mild universal (my word) allergies: a little allergic to dust, cats, dogs, pollen, etc. I am most allergic (I think) to grass. This was not good when I lived in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, aka "the grass seed capital of the world." If you have purchased grass seed to start your lawn, the seeds likely came from that region.

>35 BLBera: Yes, I checked my sunrise-sunset app and we'll still have nice long days in August. I'm excited to make it to Alaska as it has long been on my bucket list!

>36 msf59: Mark, I hope you're enjoying The Bloody Chamber if you've cracked it open (I'll have to visit your thread to find out). It was a clever set of stories.

"best vacation ever" -- those are words of very high praise! I'm excited to see that part of the world.

>37 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! I had a good weekend although perhaps less than fully relaxing. Lots of yard work as it was drop dead gorgeous here!

>38 Berly: Hi Kim! The parking permit for work will start later (I'm going to have to get myself to listen to audio books rather than music when I drive) but it means I can use my "individual commuter tickets" with impunity. I will ride the bus tomorrow, but only so I can get a walk in (I will walk to a more distant bus stop than usual, in order to get more exercise) and do some reading on the bus! Wednesday I get to work from home. :-)

>39 jnwelch: I hope you continue to enjoy The Bloody Chamber, Joe. I always worry a wee bit when I sing a work's praises and all my LT buddies go read it. I know no one will hold it against me if they don't like it as much as I did (vive la différence - well, sort of) but still....

I would love to do some thread visiting but it will have to wait until tomorrow night or even Wednesday. I need to head to bed and I'm taking The Painted Veil with me.

I enjoyed The Painted Veil when I read it a few years ago. It revised the long-held impression of Maugham that was in my mind from some assigned reading in high school. I'm pretty sure I read Of Human Bondage back then, and the only thing left is the impression that it wasn't my kind of book at the time. I intended to re-read it for the BAC this month, but that clearly isn't going to happen. It is on my nightstand, though, so I may pick it up out of order when the time is right.

You do make me think I might try The Blind Assassin, also. I love Atwood's writing, but the sci-fi and dystopian aspects of much of her fiction make me wary. She is probably the author that can move me to tip-toe over that line, though.

My housemate asked me the other day "do you have anything good I could read?" and we both laughed uproariously! And I tossed her my copy of Queen of the Tearling. She enjoyed it, and I have my copy sitting about ready for me to try. I must finish The Round House first.

I think you are wise to drop the books which are not capturing your attention as there are so many good ones awaiting. Is the audio of Dead Wake working for you? If not, read the print, it is not to be missed.

Hope the week is going well for you, and I'm impressed with your dedication to walking to the farther away bus stop! Way to go! I happily have a functioning Jawbone back on my wrist and it is making me happy for the walking I do while shopping for folks.

Great comments on The Blind Assassin, Ellen. I only remember the narrative being not so "straightforward," which is confirmed by your comments. Another one for the reread list. I'll be interested to hear your comments on the Maugham; I think I have a copy of The Painted Veil around somewhere.

Glad you're feeling better.

Nice review of The Blind Assassin, Ellen. One of these days I'll start reading it.

rain is the best for those of us who suffer from allergies!

Right, Ellen. Thanks to this week and a half stretch of rain the pollen count in Atlanta dropped from 6152 on the 9th of April to 36 yesterday. However, it's been mostly sunny since yesterday afternoon, and this morning's count has already increased to 244. I'll bet it will be back over 1000 by Thursday, if not tomorrow.

I'm not sure which allergens bother me the most, but my symptoms definitely worsen when the trees start to bloom here.

Nice review of The Blind Assassin. I have that one on my TBR mountain so I need to bump that one up sooner! Thanks Ellen. :)

So I am in the first 125 pages of Queen of the Tearling and I can see why you might put it aside. Not very original in plotting, once more a typical medieval world, with nobles and peasants and few priests tossed in. But I'm not needing to read something heavier, or more original, just now so I imagine I'll finish it.

Ellen, I'm glad to see you gave The Blind Assassin 4.5 stars. That book is the only Atwood I ever really enjoyed.
I hope you see a moose too! Sounds like a great adventure!

>45 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I definitely recommend The Blind Assassin. I haven't read her speculative fiction because the sic-fi angle generally doesn't work for me. This novel has a sic-fi novel embedded within it, but it's imbedded within a wonderful historical novel that is not sci-fi at all. It's hard to describe but I do think you'd enjoy it.

The Painted Veil is excellent so far. I also watched the PBS version of Rebecca this week, the one with Charles Dance and Diana Rigg as the evil Mrs. Danvers. Having read it last month, and having read The Bloody Chamber earlier this month, and reading The Painted Veil now, I feel like I'm immersing myself in a genre of "tragic heroine with a gothic edge."

>46 maggie1944: Yes, that would have made me laugh, too! Of course, poor P can wander about our house moaning that there is nothing she wants to read. I mean, we have hundreds of books in the house, almost all purchased by me and according to my taste, so it always seems odd that nothing catches her fancy. But, our reading tastes are a Venn diagram with only some overlap.

I am very much enjoying Dead Wake on audio. It's early in the experiment but I may be discovering that I want to read fiction and listen to nonfiction.

>47 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I think The Blind Assassin would be worth a reread. I'm really wanting to reread The Beet Queen and Tracks, having so enjoyed my reread of Love Medicine, but I'm not sure I'll get to them this month.

>48 kidzdoc: That's an amazing drop in the pollen count, Darryl!

I think you would enjoy The Blind Assassin.

>49 jolerie: Glad to be of help, Valerie! ;-)

>50 maggie1944: Karen, I didn't set aside Queen of the Tearling; I never got my hands on a copy. It just struck me as something I would probably not want to dedicate my precious reading time to. Your comments validate my impression. If I were a super-fast reader, and maybe even if I were going to be at book group next month, I might read it. But what with missing book group and my ambivalence about the subject and style, I just figure I won't get to it.

I am sorry I'll miss book club next month, though!

>51 Carmenere: Hi Lynda. I am apparently one of the few souls who has not read Oryx and Crake and its successors. I will see it in a bookstore and it will catch my eye, and I'll look at it more closely and think "I don't want to read this." I did think The Handmaid's Tale was a masterpiece of feminist dystopian writing, though.

I'm working at home today (really! I'm working!). I did get a few things done that are hard to get done with the constant interruptions that I experience at the office. But I also went for a good walk this morning (prior to 8am, of course) and made a quick trip to the dentist to pick up my shiny new night guard. Life is so full of joy and adventure. Ha.

For those who haven't seen my few-and-far-between posts on other threads, here is the reading update:

I'm enjoying The Painted Veil.

I'm also enjoying Dead Wake in audio format. If my experience holds, I'll definitely try another nonfiction work in audio format. I'm usually not much of a nonfiction reader and I have a hard time staying engaged with novels in audio format, so maybe this is the ticket!

Great review of The Blind Assassin , Ellen! Sorry you are suffering with allergies. My youngest son (now almost 25) has suffered quite a bit with inhaled allergies - grasses and I don't what. He tried the various drugstore allergy medications, but after a year or so, they no longer worked. He was tired, itches eyed, stuffed up and generally miserable and he is usually the most energetic guy going. The doctor suggested an inhaled light steroid/ plus some sort of inhaled medication for over the allergy season and that worked wonders for him. I'm not sure if that is an option for you, but it sure worked for William.

29. Displacement by Lucy Knisley




This charming graphic memoir is the story of Lucy taking her grandparents, in their 90s, on a cruise in the Caribbean. Lucy Knisley is not Roz Chast but her memoir is poignant and honest, and a worthwhile 30-minute read. She honors her grandparents for who they were and who they are, and she weaves just enough family history into the tale to give us context for her anxieties and hopes. I loved the part about her grandmother, who suffers from dementia and general pessimism, finding peace while swimming in a shallow warm pool. Very sweet.

>55 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. I'm glad you liked my review.

I think my doc prescribed the same things that your son's doc prescribed. I now have an inhaler and I am using a steroid spray into my nostrils nightly. I am definitely feeling better, so that is good.

I've WL'ed the first Craig Johnson for the spousal unit to try out!

>58 sibylline: It's a good series, Lucy. I hope SU enjoys it.

>56 EBT1002: Oh good, Ellen. I just picked up Displacement from the library. Glad you found it charming.

I, too, found Displacement to be a worthwhile read, and I enjoyed the "art" work. I don't know exactly what I think of the graphic novel, memoir, etc. and the "art". Certainly talented people needed to work on these, but it misses the mark for causing awe in me, which I guess is what I look for when looking at what I would call Art.

Nice review of Displacement, Ellen. I'll add it to my graphic to read list.

30. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham




Regarding the Mother Superior: "Her character was like a country which on first acquaintance seems grand, but inhospitable; but in which presently you discover smiling little villages among fruit trees in the folds of the majestic mountains, and pleasant ambling rivers that flow kindly through lush meadows."

And, regarding the lives of the nuns (these words spoken by Waddington, who has befriended Kitty in the cholera-infested town of Mei-tan-fu): "I wonder if it matters that what they have aimed at is illusion. Their lives are in themselves beautiful. I have an idea that the only thing which makes it possible to regard this world we live in without disgust is the beauty which now and then men create out of chaos. The pictures they paint, the music they compose, the books they write, and the lives they lead. Of all these the richest in beauty is the beautiful life. That is the perfect work of art."

This is a deceptively simple tale. Kitty, a beautiful and shallow English woman, impulsively marries bacteriologist Walter and cuckolds him only a couple of years into their dismally boring marriage. He discovers her infidelity and punishes her by forcing her to accompany him to a town caught in the deadly grip of a cholera epidemic. There, he works tirelessly to help the suffering populace while Kitty watches from the sidelines, gradually learning that there are multiple viewpoints on any man's character, most notably those of her husband and lover. Disguised as a tragic romance, this novel is an existential contemplation of love, fidelity, duty, and the search for meaning in life.

Why 4.5 stars? I cringed at the racism of Maugham's descriptions of the Chinese people and tried to remind myself that this novel was written in the 1920s and that Maugham was representing accurately how Kitty and her peers would feel about the Chinese people among whom they lived. Still, it took some effort to overlook the degrading choice of words and I can't give 5 stars to any novel, regardless of when written, that requires me to dig that deeply to suspend my judgment.

>60 jnwelch: I'll be interested in your take on Displacement, Joe.

>61 maggie1944: Yes, Karen, Lucy Knisley's art is simple and straightforward. But I did think she captured the emotional tone of each conversation. This is something I look for in graphic memoirs (which has become a favorite genre, with Alison Bechdel's Fun Home still holding top honors).

>62 BLBera: I hope your library has it and that you enjoy it, Beth!

Up next:



Outlaws by Javier Cercas for the Global Reading Group (Iberian Peninsula)

Happy Friday, Ellen! Good review of The Painted Veil. I definitely would like to read that one. I am really enjoying The Moon And the Sixpence, which is one I had never heard of.

>63 EBT1002: Great review of The Painted Veil. I've just finished it as well and very much enjoyed it. I was expecting a rather romantic and perhaps slightly cliched story, and it turned out to be very different from my expectations. I agree with you about the racism, but any other attitude in that time and place would have required Kitty to be a much more thoughtful person than she was. What actually grated on me more was the lack of humanity in Kitty's attitude to the young girl in the orphanage with disabilities.

Great review of The Painted Veil, Ellen. It's so tempting to pick it up next...

Loved reading your reviews of The Painted Veil and The Blind Assassin - I've read both of those within the last year and really enjoyed them both.

>66 msf59: Thanks Mark. I'm very glad not to be setting an alarm tonight. I want to read The Moon and Sixpence; it has also gotten some BAC love this month!

>67 SandDune: Hi Rhian! I agree that Kitty's condescension (and worse, really) toward the young girl with a disability was disturbing. I kept thinking the story would loop back and, I don't know, "undo" that scene with something more compassionate, but no.

>68 BLBera: I'll be interested to see how you like it if you do pick it up next, Beth. :-)

>69 evilmoose: Hi Megan. I'm glad you liked my reviews. They were both excellent novels.

Hi Ellen, I wish you a wonderful weekend.

>71 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

Well. It's the weekend. I had hoped to do some hiking but this heel is keeping me pretty sedentary. Maybe I'll ride the stationary bike. Normally, I would say that I would rather have my nails pulled from my fingers one at a time but I will try listening to Dead Wake while I ride and see if this helps.

Otherwise, it's housecleaning (another blech!) and reading Outlaws.

Nice review of The Painted Veil, Ellen.

I look forward to your comments about Outlaws!

>74 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl.

Hi Ellen - Happy Saturday. I hope the heel gets better soon, and that you are done with the housework and ready to settle with a glass of wine and a good book.

The Blind Assassin is now on my tbr pile.

Your opening image is stunning!

>63 EBT1002: What a well-written review!

The Painted Veil sounds very interesting, Ellen! Great review! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend - I'm watching the nail biter hockey game between Vancouver and Calgary! I have to step away from the TV, the suspense is so great . Thumb for your wonderful review

I just have to say this:

Outlaws is a wonderful read!!!

>76 BLBera: Thanks Beth. This has been a good weekend. We cleaned like fiends on Saturday morning and then took ourselves out for lunch at our favorite Mexican bistro. Today we went and walked around the arboretum as it's azalea season. I'll post a photo soon. Now I'm resting my foot and reading. Well, I'm messing around on LT but you know what I mean. :-)

>77 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. The Blind Assassin is really an excellent and intricate novel.

>78 Whisper1: And thank you again, Linda. :-)

>79 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the thumb, Deb. I've only watched a couple of hockey games in my life (how do you follow that puck??). I think I would appreciate it more if I watched enough to understand the strategy more thoroughly.

Washington Park Arboretum (Seattle) 4.26.2015
This doesn't really do it justice but what can I say? It was taken with my iPhone.

Last weekend we went to the Woodland Park Zoo to see the lion cubs. There are three of them, all males, and they were out with their parents. Very cute.



Three cubs posing

Daddy and cub

While we were there, we visited the Jaguar and he roared at me.

We also checked out the giraffes.

Ellen, thanks so much for posting those beautiful photos.

Oh, yay for a trip to the zoo! And those cubs are adorable!

Hi, Ellen! Sounds like you had a nice weekend. Love the zoo photos.

Ah, Ellen, next time I see you, face to face, I need a tutorial for posting pictures from the phones. I do take more pictures from my phone these days, and I'm definitely looking for time to take my camera out for walks more often!

Happy new week! I'm using Monday and Tuesday of this week as a weekend. Whew. I had a very busy Instacart week so I could stock pile piles of dollars to pay for Benny's trip to the vet today. Whew, double whew!

>85 EBT1002: >86 EBT1002: The big cats are always my favorites!

Thanks for those lovely photos! I love giraffes!

Thanks for the reminder Ellen that we should plan a trip to our local zoo sometime now that weather has finally turned to Spring. :)
The picture with the bench looks like such a lovely place to sit, rest and observe.

Hi Ellen,
I remember the Woodland Park Zoo. When our kiddies where younger daughter #3 had a birthday and her birthday wish was to go to a "foreign" country so from Vancouver we headed down to Seattle and of course had to go to the zoo. Love the picture of the jaguar (well love all the pictures!) ! Have your read the Jaguar's Children? I loved it and and now on the lookout for jaguar images. Fun that he roared at you. So the foreign country visit worked a little too well and now 2 grown up daughters live in Denver!

Great pictures, Ellen. I added Outlaws to my wishlist.

What wonderful pictures!!!
I think I caught up with your thread at last yesterday, and then didn't post anything. Sounds like me.
Anyway, I'll try not to lose you again - it's been my loss.

>88 Ameise1: Glad you enjoyed them, Barbara.

>89 scaifea: I have mixed feelings about zoos, Amber, but the Woodland Park Zoo is a pretty good one and they are really trying to do the right thing. I do think it's important to educate folks about conservation and about animals who are threatened by human encroachment, poaching, and climate change. A new Tiger area is opening this weekend and it's supposed to be pretty spectacular.

>90 msf59: Thanks, Mark. It was, indeed, a nice weekend. Now it's day two of the work week and I'm already ready for another weekend!

>91 maggie1944: Karen, I'll be glad to show you (how I do it). I have to admit that I'm cracking up a bit at the fact that someone is asking me for technical assistance. This does not happen often. :-)

Today is day two of your weekend. I hope you're enjoying it. I am glad the Instacart business is staying brisk so you can pay for sweet Benny's vet bills. We do love the furkidz we welcome into our lives but, like human medical care, as medicines and technologies improve, so do costs.

Maybe we need to consider a meet-up separate from f2f book group. What say you?

>92 thornton37814: Me too, Lori! We are zoo members so we can go and visit whichever "exhibits" we want with impunity (we don't feel like we have to see "everything"). We *always* visit the big cats most often. Lions, jaguar, snow leopards, and this weekend the tigers will return with a new and improved space.

>93 Whisper1: Linda, the giraffes are amazing. They have a "baby" who is really growing. One of them wandered over to a tree and was stretching her very long tongue up to try to get one leaf that had dared to grown downward. She got it, too.

>94 jolerie: Valerie, that bench would indeed be a good spot to sit and contemplate and read. With spring weather and amazing flowers in bloom all over the city, the arboretum was pretty well-populated with gawkers like us. So solitude would have been a bit hard to come by.

>95 mdoris: Hi Mary! I have not read Jaguar's Children but I'll look for it. I have a whole host of jaguar images from our zoo visit last weekend, perhaps I will post a couple more of them. Such a gorgeous creature.

So, since you live in Vancouver, I guess it's true that your kids live in "a foreign country." Too bad they didn't land in Seattle, just a wee bit closer to home.

>96 BLBera: Beth, I think you would enjoy Outlaws. With work and all, I my progress has slowed a bit, but I am still absolutely loving it. The infrastructure of the narrative is beautifully done.

>97 LizzieD: Peggy, what kind words. I am certainly not keeping up with LT as much as I have sometimes been able to do in the past, but I appreciate the suggestion that my thread is still a nice place to visit. :-)

I picked up four more books at the library on Sunday. I'm drowning in library books and not enough time to read.

Outlaws is still wonderful.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My right foot/heel/Achilles tendon (?) has been bothering me for about six weeks now. Not being able to run or walk is making me crazy. Today I have an appointment at the sports medicine clinic. I know they will tell me to rest it, ice it, and maybe PT. Sigh.

^ Because this is true:

Perhaps doing any PT exercises you are given can do the same......

I'd love to figure out a way to do a F2F separate from out little book group, and as I love the campus, I'd be more than willing to do it near your work.

Send me a PM (before Thursday noon) for any time after May 4th which could work for you or if not that week, any time after that. That way I can work a meet up with you into my crazy schedule.

hugs, and I hope the foot problem is resolved soon, and completely.

p.s. Benny is doing well, eating, and visiting outside, and then sleeping it all off. He's in front of me right now on the floor in his own little doggie bed. I think it'll take a day or two for the lingering effects of the surgery to disappear.

Great photos, Ellen!

I'm thrilled that you're loving Outlaws, which remains my favorite book of 2015 so far.

About the jaguars.... I was once stalked by a cougar at dawn while dog walking at the top of Vancouver Island so I have always had a special affinity for the BIG cats. They are so gorgeous, so strong and so elusive.

We have lion cubs at the Portland Zoo too - unfortunately we haven't been there yet this year. We have a membership but the timing and weather just hasn't worked out well. I really want to get there.

Ellen, truthfully I know very little about hockey and I don't follow it very closely at all, until play off time. One of my sons' mood rises and sinks according to how the Canucks do , so I try to keep abreast of things -and sometimes I actually get caught up in watching a game.

Great pictures!

>104 maggie1944: Oops, this week got away from me, Karen. Work is hell right now. I will be working at home this weekend (have already been on the phone and in email...) but will look at my schedule and send a PM to at least get the conversation started about a meet-up.

>105 kidzdoc: I finally finished Outlaws last night, Darryl and it's a wonderful read. More about that in a little bit.

>106 mdoris: Mary, being stalked by a cougar sounds pretty scary! I used to do trail running when I lived in Oregon (I still miss trail running more than anything!) and there was one 7-mile loop that I particularly loved. However, at around the 4-mile mark, the hair on the back of my neck almost always stood up; it just always felt like I was being watched by a cougar in that area. I used to pick up a stick and carry it with me for about a mile, just in case. I often felt foolish when another runner or a biker would go by but most of the time I had the trail pretty much to myself. I only saw a cougar once while running on trails and it was in a completely different county!

>107 SuziQoregon: Well, Juli, if Portland is having weather anything like Seattle this weekend, this may be your chance to check out those cubs!

>108 vancouverdeb: I love the comment about your son's mood rising and falling with the success or failure of the Canucks. I feel that way about teams, too, which is why I sometimes just stop watching (well, I stop watching baseball; I seem too addicted to football).

31. Outlaws by Javier Cercas




I loved this novel. It's the story of Zarco, leader of a gang who became notorious in the late 1970s when Spain was in a major political transition period (Franco had just died). It's also the story of Gafitas, a young man who joins the gang to escape bullying and to protect the owner of a gaming arcade who has treated him with kindness. The relationship between Zarco and Gafitas, and the beautiful Tere to whom Gafitas is strongly attracted but who may be Zarco's girlfriend, unfolds through a series of interviews with a man who has, 30 years later, decided to write the story of Zarco. The structure of the novel is exquisite. The voice of the interviewer creates a surprisingly vivid observer-character who occasionally translates the main characters' motives through gentle questioning and challenging of his subjects' memories. Although vivid, the interviewer character is absolutely unobtrusive. Rather, the story of Zarco, Gafitas (who, years after his involvement with the gang, became a lawyer and attempted to free Zarco from prison), and Tere carries the reader along at a perfect pace. It's not exactly suspenseful, but the story successfully engages one's curiosity. Exploring themes of loyalty, truth, and crime and punishment, the novel is both straightforward and complex. Definitely recommended.

>109 EBT1002: Love your description of the hairs standing up on your neck. I bet for sure you were being observed by a couger during your woods run. There is an old book now but one I loved The Ghost Walker by R.D.Lawrence who observed cougars in the Selkirk Mountain range in B.C. and it is a very interesting read. Yes, it was scary after the event when I realized the danger, during the event I was just awestruck at how beautiful a cougar is. Glad that you never managed to see one face to face during your run. They always attack from behind.

>111 mdoris: I will look into The Ghost Walker. It sounds like one I'd enjoy.

32. Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham




Psychiatric Tales is less a collection of tales than it is a primer in mental illness and a call for compassion and understanding of those who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and suicidal thinking. Based on the author's experiences working in a psychiatric ward, it provides a series of brief vignettes to illustrate the impact of mental illness and to expose some of society's prejudices and stigmatizing myths. The work got a rating bump from me near the end when the author compellingly shared some of his own experiences with anxiety and depression, and the salvation he found in medication and art.

Happy weekend, Ellen. Outlaws made it to my wishlist. It sounds wonderful. Psychiatric Tales sounds like a maybe. Have a restful weekend.

Happy Saturday, Ellen! Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Good review of Outlaws. It sounds like a winner.

>113 EBT1002: I agree re Psychiatric Tales - the end section was definitely the most compelling. >110 EBT1002: Really like your review comments re Outlaws, I will have to look out for it.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

I hope work calms down soon!

>109 EBT1002: well a zoo trip was kind of in my plans when I saw the weather forecast but The Hubster tweaked his knee this week so that put the kibosh on those plans.

Guess we stay home and read instead ;-)

I'll have to see if I can get my library to purchase Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham. Both you and Charlotte have good things to say about it. Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Outlaws on the bloated wish list. Thanks, Ellen!
Hope you learned helpful stuff about the foot/heel and that you'll be able to get back into your routine quickly. I swim to burn off the crazy.....not sure if it's as effective as running!

Up next (currently reading):

>114 BLBera: I'm glad my review of Outlaws is enticing you to give it a try. Even with that, I feel like my comments fall short of capturing the layers and nuance of the novel. I'm not even sure I completely understand why the narrative was so compelling.

>115 msf59: Good morning (here), Mark. I think you would like Outlaws. I read it for the Global Reading group and Darryl recommended it highly. I'm glad he did so.

>116 charl08: Hi Charl. I think I was going to give Psychiatric Tales about 2.5 stars until the ending piece. I hope he does more work with that more personal touch. And I definitely recommend Outlaws!

>117 ChelleBearss: Chelle!!!! Oh my, I don't think I have visited your thread in eons and it's great to see you. Thanks for stopping by.

>118 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. I'm co-chairing a committee for which we thought the end of a huge and somewhat political project was in sight. Not so fast, my friend. I won't go into the politics of working at a large "elite" university, but let's just say I am having to bite my tongue more often than I like. I hate being spoken to like I'm an idiot and some of our faculty routinely treat professional staff/administrators (like me) as if we were unintelligent dirt. Keeping my eye on the long-term goals means carefully choosing my battles. Grr.

Sorry about that little mini-rant.

>119 SuziQoregon: Staying home and reading is a pretty good consolation prize!

>120 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb. I hope you can get your hands on a copy of Psychiatric Tales. It's worth reading and I hope it's a peek into more personal work by Darryl Cunningham.

>121 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I'm pleased that my comments are putting Outlaws on so many wish lists!

So, tomorrow I'm getting a cortisone shot in my left heel. I'm a bit nervous about this, but hopeful that it will address the pain and inflammation enough to enable me to at least start walking again. In general, I don't mind having an excuse to spend more time sitting on my butt with a book, but I really need to have some activity in my life. I used to swim and I am planning to join the on-campus activity center (read: HUGE gym) so I can build some swimming into my routine, as well.

Did I mention that I'm a bit nervous about the cortisone shot?

I had that twice for my heel, Ellen, and didn't get any pain from it. Of course, the first time it didn't help with the pain either. The inserts are what finally eliminated my heel pain.

I'd worry if you were not nervous about the cortisone shot (never mind the "bit"). I'm sure that it's not fun. On the other hand, I fervently hope that it does the trick for you. And, to quote a high school swimmer, "The Pool solves everything."

I had a cortisone shot in my wrist a few weeks ago. It was a bit uncomfortable but cleared up my pain like magic. Hope it does the trick for you Ellen.

Great reviews as always, Ellen, along with superb photos. You really make a woman think about accelerating the move to the other coast.

I'm sorry that your heel pain has given you so much ongoing trouble. Who wouldn't be nervous about a cortisone shot? I can say that dh had several in his knee over time. I was with him, of course, and horrified by the needle, but he sat stoically, didn't move a muscle or even blink, and his pain was greatly relieved. I'm hoping the same will be true for you!

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

Here is hoping that the shot's not as bad as the anticipation, and that it gives lots of pain relief.

I hope the shot gives you some relief, Ellen. The pool sounds like a good alternative. I got new shoes yesterday; I can always tell when I need new tennis shoes; my feet start to hurt.

I like the results the cortisone shots have give me with my left wrist and thumb; however, the shot did hurt quite a bit, and I usually am pretty damn stoic. Icky. But it was brief, and the relief was not! Yay.

I hope it works well for you. Not being able to walk, or run, is tragic. I know I would hate it, a lot!

>125 EBT1002: I was encouraged when I was racing bikes in France to use cortisone to "train harder" - didn't do it because I was always scared of needles. Good luck with it Ellen - I have seen the results of the medication though which is impressive.

I hope that the cortisone shots will help you. I had some last year for my hand. It wasn't hurting much and it helped. For my foot I had a lot of PT. I refused cortisone shots at that time.

I keep my fingers crossed that it will help you.

I'm pleased to report that the shot itself was not nearly as bad as I feared! The doctor was very nice and seemed competent (although I'm not sure when they started letting teenagers attend medical school -- he was so young!). No magic yet but I'm to continue to rest it for about a week and then sloooowly start back into walking, working my way up to running.

I may ask you all to remind me about the slowly part.....

Meanwhile, I get to sit on my butt and read! :-)

Thanks to everyone for your encouraging words. I so appreciate this supportive bunch!

>126 ronincats: Roni, I hope I have better luck with the shot than you did!

>127 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. Yes, the pool may have to solve this for me but I would like to be able to walk, at least, since I can listen to a book while I walk. It's harder to do that in the pool. *grins*

>128 lauralkeet: That's what I'm hoping for, Laura. Magic. I'm glad yours was successful!

>129 Matke: Gail! Come on over -- the west coast is lovely!
I'm glad you liked my reviews and I appreciate the kind words. Thank you.

>130 banjo123: Rhonda, it definitely turned out that the anticipation was much worse than the shot itself. Whew.
Now to see if it does some good over the next several days.

>131 BLBera: Hi Beth. The original doc asked me how often I get new shoes and I could confidently say "probably more often than I need to." Running shoes and books: I buy more than I need.

>132 maggie1944: Hi Karen. I'm generally pretty stoic, too, but I told him today that I can also be a bit of a wimp. I guess it's good that I had to lie on my stomach while he worked on my foot. I couldn't see a thing. I hope my treatment is as successful as your wrist treatment was. It's kind of amazing, this medical science, isn't it?

>133 PaulCranswick: Paul, the idea of this kind of shot when it's not absolutely needed .... I just don't know. Of course, I guess whether I "need" it is debatable for those who don't need physical activity to maintain their sanity. I know it varies from person to person.

>134 Ameise1: Thanks for the crossed fingers, Barbara. I will also be doing some PT to help with flexibility of the fascia and the Achilles tendon. I'm optimistic. Why not be optimistic, right?

Okay, enough about my medical woes.

Books.

I'm cruising through Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson and it's a fun read. I think it qualified for Mayhem & Madness May, too!

Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham is now on the tbr pile. Thanks for this excellent recommendation!

Have a great time in Alaska. I do hope to get there one day!

Oh so glad to hear that the shots are helping and it wasn't too bad! Hopefully you will be able to get in those walks again. :)

Optimisme is the A and O of everything :-)

Yay for the shot not being so bad!

Also: "although I'm not sure when they started letting teenagers attend medical school -- he was so young!"
Hello? Doogie Howser?

Hi, Ellen! Glad the shot went better than expected and hooray for Longmire. A perfect M & M selection.

You are dangerous! This time I had to WL Outlaws! ( I can't seem to find the right touchstone)

33. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson




Another pleasurable installment in the Walt Longmire series.

>138 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. I'm really looking forward to Alaska, even though I'm not yet done putting my presentation together.

>139 jolerie: Hi Valerie. I do believe the shot is reducing the pain and inflammation. That's what it's supposed to do, so I'm pleased! I am looking forward to going for a good brisk (but not too long) walk after I return from Alaska.

>140 Ameise1: Exactly.

>141 scaifea: Amber, I'm telling you, this guy was so young. I mean, I may be prone to a bit of hyperbole, but seriously....

>142 msf59: Thanks, Mark. The Walt Longmire series is a reliable go-to for a fun read.

>143 sibylline: Lucy, I hope you can find the book. It's a wonderful read.
The touchstone is a bit wonky. Darryl explained how to get the right one with this. It involves using the number associated with the book in LT, so I type {13078167::Outlaws} except instead of the wavy brackets, I put square brackets.

Okay, this is the first time I've realized that I have no idea of the technical term for different kinds of brackets. I mean, I'm guessing that "wavy" and "square" are not in the grammar books.

Next up:



The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble

So, a couple of days ago, P asked if we could find a time to go through some of the books in the house. She said she is feeling overwhelmed by books. Fair enough. I do think I can weed out some books that I've purchased but can honestly say that I don't expect to ever read. The Little Free Libraries around our neighborhood may be getting a boost in their inventory later this month.

Sigh.

I'm only on page 36 of The Peppered Moth but I'm starting to fall in love with the rhythm of the narrative.

Love those Longmire books! Glad the cortisone shot seems to be working, Ellen.

We're traveling back from San Diego today - I'm hoping the weather in Chicago is somewhere near as nice.

Ellen - I had a similar conversation with my daughter yesterday. I believe the word "hoarder" was mentioned. I told her my mini library would be a good outlet for my books and, since she is my daughter, to leave me alone. At least I'm not "hoarding" empty pizza boxes. I'm sure we'll have the conversation again, but I do need to do some spring book cleaning.

I look forward to your comments on The Peppered Moth; I'm pretty sure I have a copy around somewhere.

>149 jnwelch: Joe, I think that, by definition, the weather is not as nice in Chicago as it is in San Diego. Ever.

>150 BLBera: Well, I'm glad to know that I'm not alone. I think the growing stacks (the bookshelves we bought last summer are all full now) are exceeding P's tolerance for clutter. To tell the truth, they are starting to exceed mine, too. I know there are a couple of Howard Jacobson novels with which I can comfortably part. :-)

Oh, cleaning out books. I've done a lot of that and sometimes I feel a little bereft of book shelves groaning with loads of books for me to scan when I'm looking for something new to read. I'm not liking the idea that having a lot of books can be called "hoarding". I believe real hoarders do collecting of totally worthless things, and risk their health and relationships by their unhealthy home environments. I think of the two brothers in New York who died in their apartment because the piles of newspapers, etc. crushed them. (I may be slightly misremembering the story)

People with many books on book shelves with a few piles here and there are Readers, not Hoarders. That's my thought on the subject.

Now if your partner is feeling overwhelmed by your space usage in your home, well, that is a different matter. That is for you and your partner to negotiate. But I do not think hoarding is the term applicable.

Do I sound a wee bit defensive? Maybe.

On the other hand, perhaps it is just my opinion to which I am deserving.

>152 maggie1944: "I think of the two brothers in New York who died in their apartment because the piles of newspapers, etc. crushed them." Only one of them was crushed, and it was probably by one of his own booby-traps. The other one was paralyzed with severe rheumatoid arthritis, and simply died of heart failure and starvation when his brother stopped bringing him food (you know, on account of being dead himself). I don't think we should even whisper a comparison between sad sorry sick hoarders like the Collyers and devoted book preservationists such as ourselves. I haven't booby-trapped my stash Collection yet, have you?

To be fair to my daughter, she was kidding me (kind of). She watches a show about hoarders, which I give her a hard time about because the ads for it creep me out.

>151 EBT1002:. Ha! Well said.

"tolerance for clutter" Well, I do confess that I have quite a lot of that. It has taken most of my life for me to learn that I appreciate space which is clean, spare, and not cluttered. It is a journey, I guess. (-:

I watched the show about hoarders, too, and feel very sad for the folks who really are trapped in a maze of not being able to "let go". Almost all have had some serious loss at some point in their lives and I think there may be a link between a loss they did not want, and continuing to not want any more loss even of small, clutter-y stuff.

I tried cooking some waffles yesterday made with coconut flour and coconut oil. Very tasty, but also very messy. Ended up deciding they made very good pancakes which are decidedly less messy than waffles. So, I'm saying good bye to my waffle iron. I think I like the "idea" of making waffles more than the actual making of the waffles. That is a helpful insight when it comes to saying good bye!

I hope the week is going well, and that the end is a great start to the weekend for you. I'm working today, and both Sat. and Sun. The Benny fund is growing! Yay! Also, looking forward to Monday's meeting to talk with book lovers!

Sweet Thursday, Ellen! Good look on the book culling. Never easy.

I do not think I will read a Drabble this month, but I will watch for your thoughts. I am going to try and read an Amis, though.

Culling books, ugh! I feel for you Ellen. That being said, more room for books you DO want to read maybe? Though of course that would defeat the purpose.

I have us down as reading Fifth Business by Robertson Davies together this month. Don't know if you have time to fit it in, busy lady that you are, but either way, we can go ahead, or move it to another month. Your wish is my command*. :-)

* You won't see that from me too often! lol

Hope you are healing now that you had the cortisone injection. I confess to having a very big tolerance for clutter. Best of luck with the book cull.

I'm happy that the cortisone wasn't as bad as feared in the shot and trust that it continues to do a splendid job for you.
I honestly don't see clutter most of the time....... I'm either reading or looking for a book or playing on my FIRE.

Hi ellen, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>151 EBT1002: So when did books become clutter? I prefer to call them either brain food or decor. Haha. I do understand the need to weed them out occasionally, though. I try to do it once or twice a year to make room for new clutter books.

I hope you are up and running again soon, Ellen. My husband became almost depressed the two periods when he couldn't run in the past 40 years. Yes, he was a runner when it wasn't cool! He had a torn meniscus the first time and back fusion surgery the second time. I'm glad your heel pain can be treated with a cortisone shot.

I am a huge fan of the Longmire books - so glad you're enjoying them.

Hi Ellen, I am very glad to hear that I am not the only one that has far too many books in the house. I recently found a formula that worked out that if I only read my books, at the rate I read, I would finally finish all the books in my house by the time I turned 71. Actually instead of scaring me, that sort of re-assured me, seems do-able to me!

What could we do if we are already 70?

For anyone who is brave enough and wants to know how long it will take for them to read through all their books, I borrowed this link from Kassilem's thread:

Click Here

>165 maggie1944: For us, ahem, older citizens, all we can do is read, read and read some more!

>166 DeltaQueen50: I'm not even going to look...

>166 DeltaQueen50: Yay! Here I was worrying because I currently have 1,845 books on the tbr (including 748 audiobooks), but it seems it should take me no more than 7 years 11 months to complete them at my current reading/listening rate, when I'll just be going on 54. Now I have every excuse to keep right on accumulating them! ;-)

Whew! All I have to do is read and I can do that.

I tell my husband that my book clutter isn't a problem. It's just good sense. He doesn't buy it. :P

In my case, my books are not clutter. I am stocking up for the future when I won't be withing a hundred miles of a bookshop and 20 miles of a library. Of course, there is always Amazon, but I would have to get a network line installed to the house, and that will cost way more than it will be worth, so won't have to worry about over extending with the Amazon orders either.

34. The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble




More about this when I have time. At times it was a slog but overall it was an excellent novel with themes of family and destiny.

Currently reading:



I think I'm going to both love and hate this one.

Moose update!

Well, we did not see a moose. But we saw beautiful scenery and dozens of bald eagles. And we refined our plans for the real Alaska vacation, to occur in 2016. For that one, I won't have to work and we'll be up there for more than 3 nights.

My presentation appears to have gone well enough and I'm glad I did it. I'm also glad to be home.

Welcome home. I'm anxious to hear about your reading. Pictures?

>175 BLBera: Hi Beth. I will post a couple of pics tomorrow. Reading has been slow but Alaska was breathtaking.

Yay! Looking forward to pictures.

I'm glad to hear that you had a good time. Even though you had to work. I'm also looking forward to seeing your photos :-)

Welcome home, and I'm happy to see that you had a successful trip! I'd love an Alaskan vacation someday.

Welcome home to the drizzle and clouds. Typical May, although perhaps a bit warmer than normal. Might see some sun, might not.

^Here's a moose, for you, Ellen! Hope you had a great time.

>152 maggie1944:
>153 laytonwoman3rd:
>154 BLBera:
Karen, Linda, and Beth. I love the conversation about clutter, hoarders, too many books?.... To be fair to P, the house is getting a bit overrun by books. It's the stacks on the front halves of almost all (full) bookshelves, and the stacks on my bedside table, and the stacks on my dresser, and the stacks on the floor in front of the bookshelf on my side of the bedroom, etc. I think it's better now since I took one stack out to one of the little free libraries in the neighborhood, but I also think it's fair to ask me to cull out books I've decided I'm really not going to read. There are probably half a dozen of those. :-)

>155 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I recall the brief springs in Chicago.

>156 maggie1944: Karen, I love waffles but I agree that they can be a mess. The recipe with coconut flour and coconut oil sounds interesting. Did you use maple syrup or something more tropical?

Yay for the Benny fund growing!

>157 msf59: Mark, I'm glad I read a Drabble even though it was slow going at times. I'm about 50 pages into Martin Amis' Success now and it's, um, interesting so far. He is funny and wry and creates deliciously hateful characters.

>158 Smiler69: Ilana!! So good to see you. I have us down for Fifth Business, as well. How would you feel about reading it in June? That way I will be more consciously aware of it, and will plan my month's reading more accordingly.
Let's see, is there anything else I want to wish for that I can consider a command? A photo of my buddy Coco to grace my thread? (see, I'm a benign monarch.)

>159 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb! The foot is not 100% better but it IS better. Now I just have to push past my inertia and get going on some short walks to see how it goes. I have PT again this morning and I will have to confess to only doing one of the exercises he gave me (the other required a sort of floor-against-the-wall location that I just don't easily have) and I really didn't do the stretching exercise he gave me at all. I'm a terrible PT patient.

The funny thing about this book-culling conversation is that *I* actually have a lower tolerance for clutter than does P. But I can tolerate more stacks of books around the house. :-)

>160 LizzieD: Peggy: "I'm either reading or looking for a book or playing on my FIRE." Love that.

>161 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! Nice spring flowers.

>162 Donna828: Hi Donna. I adore my collection of books (I guess some would call that a personal library, eh?) but it does seem to make sense to occasionally cull out the losers. I obviously collect them faster than I can read them, and some naturally fall into the "I thought I might want to read this" category. As other books get published, the allure of some of the older ones fades. It's like so much in life. Ha! :-)

Regarding the ability to run, it really is a sanity-saver for me. I love reading, of course, but running more effectively manages my stress and anxiety. I am willing to make the shift to brisk walking (if I must) but to the degree that I can still run a couple of times a week, I'll be happier.

>163 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli. I love the Longmire books, too. They are pure pleasure.

>164 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I think I did the same formula and now I can't recall, but it seemed that I could finish all the books I own before I retire. Like you, I actually felt reassured and figured I could acquire more books (I mean, what do I look forward to in retirement more than more time for reading? -- nothing!). But I do think the losers need to go.

>165 maggie1944: and >166 DeltaQueen50: Yes! Just keep reading!

>167 laytonwoman3rd: Aw, come on, Linda. We're all dying to know. :-)
Mine said I could finish in 4 years and 10 months.

>168 Smiler69: Ilana, this makes total sense to me. Since part of what one puts into the formula is how many books one read last year, and you are a voracious reader (even among voracious readers!), you would move through your 1,845 books at a great rate.

I'm actually not sure I can match last year's number again this year, and I certainly can't match my 100+ number from 2013. Now, once I retire (or win the lottery - ha), I'll do that!

>169 maggie1944: Karen, of course you can.

>170 jolerie: Valerie, do we need to come over there and talk with him? I think we have a quorum and consensus.

>171 benitastrnad: Yep, Benita, I think we are all theoretically planning for armageddon when we are stranded in our houses with no way to acquire more reading material. I suppose we ought to be stocking up on tins of beans, as well.

>177 banjo123:
>178 Ameise1:
>179 scaifea:
Photos later. I promise! Maybe even before I go to work (speaking of which, it's time to hop in the shower!).

>180 maggie1944: Karen, it was weird to leave Alaska where it was sunny and 57F, to return to Seattle where it's gray, rainy, and 65F. But they are saying the sun will come out this weekend, I believe. In any case, I love the rain.

>181 msf59: Thanks for the moose, Mark! He is a cute one.

We did not see a moose, while visiting Alaska either. We did see a few in Wyoming though, including a bull.

If you want to see moose go to Newfoundland but drive slowly. But maybe you'll settle for the moose pic that Mark sent you!

June is fine by me for Fifth Business, especially as I've overbooked myself this month (for a change!). A photo of Coco eh? It HAS been a while since I've posted any. I'll see if my photographer is available for a shoot in coming days. ;-)

#186
I hate to admit it - but I am out of room in the pantry as well.

Sorry about missing the moose, but glad your presentation was good and that you're home. Hope the walking does well for you.....
I must say that I have a high tolerance for clutter, but I see stacks of books as wealth!

Well, my time to finish my TBR pile is 12 years and 9 months. I did just fill a grocery bag of books to take to the library. My daughter went through some of her old kids' books and made a pile for the mini library.

I hope your foot is feeling better every day.

>188 msf59: I have seen moose in my lifetime, once at Lolo Pass (mom and baby, that time) along the side of the road, and once in Yellowstone. They are amazing creatures.

>189 mdoris: Mary, I would love to go to Newfoundland to see many things, perhaps including a moose! Drive slowly, you say. I would be heartbroken (and, I realize, perhaps seriously injured) if I hit a moose on the road!

>190 Smiler69: Oh good. June it is, Ilana. I will make a note of it so I actually include it in my planning the last few days of May. It will be good to do a shared read with you!

>191 benitastrnad: LOL

>192 LizzieD: "I see stacks of books as wealth!"
Actually, I agree. I just need to purchase more bookshelves, perhaps. I did buy two more books yesterday. It's a sickness.

>193 BLBera: Beth, that is a pretty long time for the TBR pile. I would love to peruse your library!

I went to PT yesterday and he "worked" on my calf (read: he tortured my calf). Today it is sore, as he warned me it would be, and I will go for a short walk tomorrow, as per "doctor's orders."

Things have been tough for P at work so I haven't been getting much reading done. It takes time to be a good partner! :-|

So last evening we watched the most recent (recorded) installment of "Call the Midwife" (I really do love that show) and an old episode of "Downton Abbey" for (P's) comfort. I did read some this morning, making my way through Martin Amis' Success. It's an odd book, surprisingly engaging.

I am sorry P is having a tough slog at work. I guess that is why they call it "work"; otherwise, perhaps it would be a hobby? OK, I'll quit with the smarty pants talking.

I think I see a slower time available when summer quarter arrives? is that true for your job? I hope the combination of a slow down at work, and warm weather, might bode well for your foot's healing.

I dipped into The Orenda this morning and I'll say this - it is starting out with a unique point of view, and I think I'll like the book. I am going to try to read it and Lunch with Buddha simultaneously. They are quite different from each other, and I think that will make it easier to read them at the same time.

I hope P's work improves soon. If one could leave work at work, it wouldn't be so bad, but that's not the case.

You can look at my library -- it's partly here... I should get The Shore in the mail next week. Have you read The Imperfectionists? Our book club read it, and it is very good. I'll zip that your way, too.

Hola Ellen!

#197
That is so true, what you say about work, but ...

I read so much about people who are happy with their jobs and passionate about their jobs and I think how wonderful it was at work for me. A long time ago I was happy and fulfilled and passionate about my job and the people I worked with and now? I simply can't wait to get out.

Hi Ellen, I wish you a relaxed weekend.

I sadly can "leave my work, at work" and that is why it pays so little. Yesterday I put in 6 hours shopping and delivering groceries, coping with the rush hour traffic (horrific) and then came home to climb into bed early. I did "OK" in the tip department and made about $13/hour. That is a good day. And you know what? I don't worry about it when I'm not working. I like taking the money and chipping away at paying off the bill for Benny's dental work. It is a good thing.

I think I like this idea for retirement: get some "small, part time, little money" job which suits your skills and interests and pays a little bit. Keeps me young, and active, but not so much worry and stress!

I'm reading The Orenda and Lunch with Buddha simultaneously and liking them both.

So what was it about the Martin Amis book that repelled? The nasty character/s? I am intrigued by what makes nasty character tick...possibly I haven't had enough of them around me in RL. Which is a good thing!

Reading Update:

Well, I read 100 pages of Success by Martin Amis and tossed it aside in disgust. I realized that reading it was like getting a root canal -- except that root canal is sometimes necessary torture. So, my 100% purist status for the British Author Challenge has fallen to the wayside. I'll try to stay 100% for the American Author Challenge, with Babbitt up next this month.

Right now, because it's from the library and I've already renewed it once, I'm reading Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia. It's a pleasure to be enjoying reading again. :-)

>196 maggie1944: Karen, the truth is that for the almost-20 years that P and I have been together, she has been extremely unhappy at work. I know you're being a smarty pants, in some ways, but I have the same thought sometimes: why do you think they call it work?? But really, she has some icky leadership in her department at present. I just have a hard time being supportive because I've watched her bring her misery to so many jobs over the years. And it reminds me to be very grateful that, while my job is extremely demanding and stressful, I am SO lucky to basically love what I do. I think that is rather rare.

Summer usually does bring a slightly less crazy schedule. I'm a 12-month professional staff member, so I don't have summers "off," but I will have some down time. I've marked myself out for two Fridays for weekend camping trips, I have the week to visit my sister in July (and my sister is a reader, so we'll often sit companionably reading), and we have a trip to the beach in Massachusetts to visit with friends from NY. That trip is in late August. I assume it will include some reading time.

Do you know that if you mistype "reading" autocorrect sometimes gives you "read gin" as the suggested correction?
How often does the phrase "read gin" show up in conversation???

I will attend to The Orenda after I complete Dreaming in Cuban and Babbitt. Of course, my turn in the queue at the library has come up for both God Help the Child and Epitaph: A Novel of the OK Corral. Sigh.

>197 BLBera: Hi Beth. See my comment above regarding P's work situation. I try to be a good, supportive partner, but I also think I need to get more courageous about "calling bullshit." My therapist has pointed out that partners are in the best position to notice when one another are, perhaps, heading down an unproductive path. Huh.

I read The Imperfectionists last year and gave it four stars! Thanks for thinking of me as a recipient, though.
I admit that I don't recall much about it, so perhaps my four stars was too generous...

>198 luvamystery65: Hola, Roberta! Thanks for doing a drive-by!

>199 benitastrnad: Benita, I'm sorry that is your current work situation. I know first-hand how much one's colleagues can make or break a work situation. I am lucky to have (mostly) excellent colleagues at present. It has not always been that way.

Part of my frustration with P is that she focuses so much on the adverse aspects of her job and I try to point out when she is talking about a colleague (or two or three) with whom she works well and for whom she has much respect!

I know you're counting the days until you can retire -- and I think that is sad. I often look forward to retirement (so I can read more!) but I don't mind getting up in the morning and going to work.

>200 Ameise1: Barbara, thank you for the spring sheep!

Last evening, P and I went to see "Far From the Madding Crowd" so I got a lot of sheep-time. There are a couple of scenes that are harrowing and/or heartbreaking. It was a good film, although I agree with the critics who say that the Tom Sturridge was miscast as Frank Troy. Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts were both excellent in the lead roles. And, of course, it made me want to read the novel.

>201 maggie1944: Karen, it's a funny balance, is it not? You can leave your work at work, and the pay is not great. I realize that one of the reasons I am fairly well-compensated is because I'm virtually on call 24/7. I work a lot and I carry a lot of responsibility. I sometimes wish for a less stressful work situation and I know it would mean a smaller paycheck. I know I could make adjustments. I feel very privileged to be able to afford books, wine, vacations.... AND I do wonder about the tradeoffs. When I notice the impact on my health, that's when I worry. I'm feeling pretty motivated to get my body moving again, though, and I know that will help. I went on a housecleaning frenzy yesterday and one thing I kept telling myself was that it was good that I was moving my body!!

I plan to either walk with audio of Dead Wake or ride stationary bike with dead-tree copy of Dreaming in Cuban later today.

>202 LovingLit: Megan, I don't mind a novel with unlikeable characters as long as I understand the motivation. I just didn't care about Gregory and Terry in Success by Martin Amis. I could appreciate the quality of the writing. The two main characters, who are foster brothers and roommates (set in early 1970s), take turns narrating from a first-person POV and they address the reader as a witness to their tale. But I just didn't care about either of them; their story wasn't compelling enough to override the hyper-adolescent-male obsession with getting laid and the accompanying extreme objectification of women (Gregory says about women "silly things, what do they think they are here for if not that?" -- meaning, for him to fuck -- and I use that word intentionally, as do Gregory and Terry. Repeatedly.). Life is too short to read things that outrage me without giving me something back.

Currently reading:

Even though I didn't finish Success by Martin Amis, I rated it. I read almost half of it, so I figure I gave it enough of a try to express myself.


And I wrote a "review." Ha.

Hi Ellen - I've been in all kinds of work situations. Luckily, when I started to dread waking up in the morning, I got out. Since then, I've loved what I do. Still, working 80 hrs./week is getting old, so next year I'll be retiring from one of my jobs and just keep the teaching. I still love it, even as I'm groaning over final essays right now.

I'm pretty sure I read Dreaming in Cuban, but I remember little about it. I'll depend on your comments to refresh my memory. Thanks for the comments on the Amis -- you tried, so that shouldn't count against you re: the challenge.

I also gave 4 stars to The Imperfectionists; I think he did a good job with the characters, and I really liked how he constructed the novel. I will pass it on to someone else. My sister might like it.

Have a great rest of your Sunday. Scout is here, currently napping, so we'll do some singing and dancing, drawing and counting. I hope to finish my last class of grading, so I can devote myself to A God in Ruins.

Hi Ellen - lots to get caught up on here...

i understand a bit your frustration about P. and her job. I have some of the same with The Wayne and try to be supportive but sometimes I want to employ a little "tough love" :-/

I'm reading Babbitt (listening, actually) for the AAC and enjoying it a lot mroe than I expected. I love when that happens!

Where in MA are you going in August? I like to live vicariously when people visit some of my old stomping grounds... Also because I'm not getting a vacation this year, and I'm sad about it. Oh well. Needs must.

I do hope you'll be able to go to Curate when you visit your sister in Asheville. I still dream about that gazpacho!

>211 BLBera: Eighty hours a week is too much work, Beth! I'm glad it feels like you can let one of the jobs go next year.

"Scout is here... so we'll do some singing and dancing, drawing and counting."
I love it. What a wonderful Sunday treat.

P and I walked to the Link (light rail), rode to Columbia City (hip revitalized neighborhood one Link stop south of us), had brunch, and rode the 7 bus back home. It was a nice outing. Now the sun is out but I'm decadently propped up in bed, planning to catch up a bit on LT, read some of Dreaming in Cuban, and perhaps nap. Ahhh, Sunday afternoon.

Oh, we also went to th library so I could pick up God Help the Child and Epitaph.

Beth, are you enjoying A God in Ruins?

>212 katiekrug: Hello, Katie! Thanks for stopping by to catch up.

Being a supportive partner has its moments, that is for sure. I think, for me, the most important (and, frankly, challenging) thing is to find my voice to say something along the lines of "do something about this because I know it sucks to be you but it also sucks to be me traveling this unhappy journey with you." I know that sounds harsh and of course I would NOT say it that way, but it's the sentiment I need to get brave enough to express.

Whew, lots of psychological disclosure going on here. It must be the Bloody Mary I had with that brunch in Columbia City....

I'm pleased to hear that you're enjoying Babbitt more than you expected. I think Joe had the same experience. He and I promised Kerri (in a beer-induced moment of solidarity) that we'd choose that as our May AAC installment. Kerri was contagiously enthusiastic about it, and it helps me now that you and Joe are also finding merit in it.

In late August, we'll be in Provincetown, MA. I've never been there (really, to be honest, leaving Seattle to go to an LGB mecca is just unnecessary) but a very dear friend from graduate school who lives in Albany, NY, has been pleading with me for years to meet her there. This summer is her 50th birthday so I figured that's as good a reason as any. We're considering spending the last two nights in Boston proper so we can, you know, walk the Freedom Trail and all sorts of touristy stuff. And, of course, I'll be looking for a good bookstore in Boston. I suppose I could bus out to Cambridge, thinking that would be a likely location for a good bookshop.

Oh, Curate. I talked with my sister this morning and put in a request for one meal at Twelve Bones BBQ, but I will add Curate to the list! I adore good Gazpacho.

Hi, Ellen. I got all caught up on your thread today. Thumbed your Amis review; thanks for saving me the heartburn of trying it.

Perhaps P.doesn't like working regardless of the circumstances involved. I think lots of people feel that way.

Too bad your MA trip is in August; I'm going up in June.

I hope your week turns out to be a good one, full of contentment and satisfaction.

ETA: You'll love Provincetown, I think. Try the Harvard Coop for books if you can, and enjoy your time in my home (and favorite) state.

>215 Matke: Thanks for the tip about the Harvard Coop, Gail! I have added it to my list of things to do during the August vacation.

I love this line from Dreaming in Cuban. Young Ivanito is confused by his older twin sisters' concern about their mother's mental health. One of them, Luz, "...says that families are essentially political and that he'll have to choose sides."

Provincetown is fun! I love Cape Cod as each town really has its own personality. I've spent most of my time there in the Harwich/Chatham area (on the "elbow") but we've always made at least one day trip to P-town. I am very jealous of both your trips this summer!

And I couldn't agree more with the whole "it sucks for you but it also sucks for me" sentiment. Exactly!

Happy Sunday, Ellen! Sorry, the Amis failed for you. I will start House of Meetings tomorrow. Wish me luck.

I will finish Babbitt tomorrow. It is not always a smooth reading experience but there is so many bursts of fine writing and plenty of food for thought, that I am really enjoying it.

Hey Ellen! Dreaming in Cuban sounds fun.

Regarding the work/life balance, I just left a job I had been at for 20 years, which had gotten less and less satisfying. After a certain point, it gets hard to leave....you know those golden handcuffs (good benefits, pretty good pay, seniority). But I am SO much happier in my new job and it is really fun to be doing something new.

Also, I decided that my age (56) is a perfect time to start something new, because the stakes aren't so high, really. If it doesn't work out, I can retire pretty soon. But I expect to be working quite a bit longer.

The being a good partner around jobs thing can be tricky. Mrs. Banjo and I have different emotive styles, and she spent a good chunk of time in an unhappy job situation, always just on the verge of job hunting. It got really old, and I am afraid that I got less sympathetic as a result. And then the past five years, she has been happier at work, but it's not a stable situation. So I felt like I had to stay in my steady job, so as to have one part of the household not in flux. (That wasn't her intention.... she is less security minded than I am.)

Ellen - I understand the balance involved in being supportive vs. urging people to make a change. Good luck. I am enjoying A God in Ruins very much although I've just read the first 150 pages. It's due tomorrow, so I will anticipate a fine. I hate to return things late when I know there are people waiting for it, but it came at a busy time for me.

>218 katiekrug: Oh good, I will look forward to P-town since you go back each time when you're in the neighborhood. It bodes well. Our friends mentioned Chatham, saying it's a good day trip for exploration. I predict that we will have a good time!

>219 msf59: Well, Mark, you know I wish you luck with House of Meetings. I thought it sounded more interesting to me after I had already bought my used (thank goodness) copy of Success. But I'm not willing to hunt down a copy of yet another of his works to shoehorn in this month. I have plenty to read! :-)

I'll be interested to see how Babbitt lands on me.

>220 banjo123: Hi Rhonda. I admire your decision to try something new at our age (I turn 55 this summer). I didn't share about it a lot, but last fall I interviewed for a job in another state and I came in second. I'm just as glad that I didn't get it. I like my job here just fine and I don't think that living in Oakland, CA, would have been an improvement over Seattle. In any case, at this point I figure I would take something that represented a promotion but not any other transition. I mean, as long as I have a choice. :-)

I expect to work until I'm 67 or so, unless I win that lottery I keep talking about. P is 6 years older than me, so that goes into the thinking about how to structure all the retirement stuff. She will certainly retire before me, both because she is older and because she hates working. But we have to be able to pay the mortgage! Our house is very modest but Seattle is expensive with regard to housing.

Yeah, I'm definitely the more stable wage-earner. Or maybe that's not entirely fair. P has always had a job and she has always contributed to maintaining the household. But in our 20 years together she has been in at least 7 jobs, so I think of her employment as being a bit more of a wildcard.

Dreaming in Cuban is a good read! One of the reviewers on the book cover likens García to Erdrich and I think the comparison is fair. Erdrich is a much more nuanced writer and her narrative is much richer, but the themes and style have much in common.

>221 BLBera: I do that sometimes, too, Beth. The truth is that the two or three days won't make that much difference for the folks who have already been waiting for the book for a while, but it would be very difficult to take it back and have to get back in the queue when you're in the middle of it.

I didn't mind paying the occasional fine until I found out that the revenue goes to the city's general fund rather than being directly earmarked for our libraries. I still pay fines now and then, but I was happier when I could think "well, it's like donating 75 cents to the public library system!"

I think you would like Dreaming in Cuban and I am looking forward to my turn at A God in Ruins.
I'm in the queue for it. :-)

Ellen, I'm another one reading Babbitt and liking it more than I thought I would. I'm also reading The Bees at the same time with the same reaction. When George B. gets too insufferable for me, I switch over to Flora in the hive. I don't think two books could be more different!

Oh, I do recommend retirement quite enthusiastically! I hope P will be able to take advantage when the time comes, she may be able to relax, and become more the P she wants to be, and one you'll enjoy all the more.

As for you, well, keep buying those tickets. :-P

I had an adventure last week. I got fingerprinted! I had to get a full set of fingerprints done by a certified police officer to send to the Kansas State Board of Education along with a $50.00 check for the background check, just so that I could be recertified as a K-12 teacher in Kansas. The sad part of this is that none of that has to be done in order to buy a gun in the state of Kansas. Makes me wonder about the priorities of the governor and the legislature of the state.

I finished two books over the weekend and spent Sunday afternoon laying around the swimming pool. It was nice. Red Queen by Margaret Drabble was really good. Another one that I am glad I finally read, but I don't think I will read more of Drabble, as the subject matter of many of her books doesn't appeal to me.

Hiya, Ellen. Looks like Katie, Donna and I could start a "Liking Babbitt More Than Expected" club. Hope you end up feeling like joining. I'm near the end of the book, and it has been a good ride.

I'm another one who at least thinks enthusiastically about retirement, even if I'm not so good at making it happen so far. Hope P finds her way there and enjoys it.

>208 EBT1002: right on. I get it now. With novels like that, I cannot help but wonder (as I do with novels that aren't like that) how much of the author is in the characters. It makes me a bit cringey. I have yet to read any fiction by Martin Amis. I have read a collection of political essays of his though, and liked it as much as one can considering the harrowing nature of some of the material.

Meanwhile, I push on with The Human Stain whilst being on the brink of abandoning it in favour of Slaughterhouse 5 which has come in at the library upon my request.....decisions decisions.

35. Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina García




This was a pretty good read. It's the story of a Cuban family separated politically and geographically by the revolution. Celia del Pino is the matriarch, mother of three and grandmother of five. The story is told from each POV, shifting smoothly between first and third person narrative. Celia, who is loyal to the communist government, mourns the emotional loss of her three children, and especially their loss of one another:

Lourdes and Felicia and Javier are middle-aged now and desolate, deaf and blind to the world, to each other, to her. There is no solace among them, only a past infected with disillusion.

Celia is the hub back to which each family member is drawn despite the effects of time and distance. Still, she is very alone in her old age and somewhat bitter at how the whole community has held her at arm's length, not trusting her as a member among them.

They were afraid of her disease as if it were fatal, like tuberculosis, but worse, much worse. What they feared even more, Celia realized later, was that passion might spare them entirely, that they'd die conventionally, smug and purposeless, having never savored its blackness.

The story is a bit choppy and my ability to really grab onto each of the characters was inconsistent. Still, there are some delightful images of the relationships among the family, most especially Pilar's bond with her grandmother despite having been "take away" from Celia at a young age as the revolution erupted. There are also some beautiful turns of phrase imbedded within. I love García's description of Hugo Villaverde, first husband to Felicia and father of the twins, Luz and Milagro: "The lines in his face look as if each one were put there by a distinct calamity rather than a slow accumulation of sorrow."

Up next:

Interesting review, Ellen. I would try to get it and read it except I have so much on my plate just now, so I guess I'll pass.

Good morning! I have a day off today from both the kids and the shopping. I'm going to spend a good deal of today making a pot luck dish for the Mountaineers Photography Committee potluck supper and photo sharing. I'm happy to be able to go to this event as the two years of being on the HOA Board precluded my participation due to the BOD meeting being on exactly the same day, every month, as the Photo Comm's potluck. Rotten luck. And I'll continue on my quest of having the house look like it is in a magazine shoot, so I can finally allow potential buyers to come look at it. Little by little....

Hope your Wednesday is swell.

I want to read Babbitt and I also have God Help the Child and Epitaph on my bedside table. The latter two are from the library and they both have a queue so I don't have a lot of leeway. I also want to read the Orenda for my RL Book Group meeting in early June. And I want to do more reading for the Global Reading Group's focus on the Iberian Peninsula. And a RL friend asked me to do a shared read of The Goldfinch.

I'm tellin' ya, I need to win that lottery.

Me, too. I'll buy a couple of tickets later today. And if I win more than 10 million dollars, I'll share.

>232 maggie1944: Karen, it looks like you have a good day on tap for yourself today! I'm so glad you get to go to the Mountaineers Photo Committee supper. I hope you get some space in your schedule to focus a bit more on your photography (and I'd better check out your thread in case you've posted some more photos there -- it has been a while, has it not?).

I have PT again this morning, then work for the rest of the day. My schedule is not too egregious; I only hope no crises develop.

>234 maggie1944: "...if I win more than 10 million dollars, I'll share."
Thank you! And ditto!

>225 Donna828: It's been a while since I really read two books simultaneously, Donna. Maybe Babbitt will be one with which I can divide my attention.

>226 maggie1944: I so look forward to retirement, Karen. It's about twelve years away for me and I want to fully enjoy those dozen years, but the idea of sleeping "until I wake up natural" (as Anna says in the first episode of Downton Abbey), and spending the day doing more as I choose --- it's very appealing. I know that life will still involve obligations but it seems like one has more control over which obligations one allows to gain a foothold....

>227 benitastrnad: Benita, how interesting! I've never been fingerprinted and I guess I hope that stays off my bucket list..... :-)

Finishing two books over the weekend and spending an afternoon lying about the pool sounds really nice. I'm looking forward to this coming 3-day weekend. I have a date with some weeds and a couple of books.

>228 jnwelch: Hi Joe! I hope I can join you, Donna, and Katie in that "Liking Babbitt More than Expected" club! I'm determined to start it today with a very open mind. :-)

>229 LovingLit: Hey Megan! I read The Human Stain last year and gave it four stars. I admit that I don't recall much about it but it must have landed on my pretty well. I loved Slaughterhouse 5.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Okay, I really must head for my PT appointment and then to work.
TTFN, everyone!

I have been in a four day intensive teaching skills course this week and will NOT have a three day weekend, but I have still managed to get some reading of Gone Girl done, so I am happy. Like you, I have been working on doing some planting around the house, so things are looking nice right now. I keep waiting for that slack time at work, and so far that is not happening.

>238 EBT1002: I am loving Slaugherhouse-Five too! Which tells you volumes about which volume I am concentrating on. ;)

>238 EBT1002: and >240 LovingLit: Slaughterhouse Five is pretty brilliant.

>223 EBT1002: Mrs. Banjo actually has been a good bread-winner over the years--she just worries less about money and security than I do. (And actually, experience has shown her attitude to work better than mine; even though it still drives me crazy sometimes.) We will be fine for retirement, but neither one of us is eager for that much time on our hands. I do love to read, but I can't do it more than an hour or two a day.

OK, (said the voice of retirement with a "commanding tone") calm down you pre-retirement kids. #1 - the whole time on your hand thing evaporates in a cloud of lots of new things to do and lots of voluntary commitments; #2 - there is little more enjoyable than a day once in a while when you do Nothing But Read (excepting of course nibbling on all the drinks and snacks of choice); and, #3 - it really is easier to spend less money when you no longer worry about "work clothes" and commuting costs and other accouterments of working. And oh, yes, there is the luxury of going shopping when everyone else is at work, and taking vacations when the vacations spots are not so crowded with families and kids out of school.

But, truth be told, I don't really know what I'm talking about as I, entering my 14th year of retirement, have gotten myself two jobs which use up lots of "free time". And I like the activity and the extra money. *big smile*

Sorry to hear things are tough for P - that's hard on both of you. BTDT with The Hubster - we've both made tough career changes and returning balance to our lives and relationship was very much a big part of the reasons.

>203 EBT1002: This is why I stopped doing challenges - while I enjoyed the times they stretched my reading comfort zones there ware far more times when the books became homework and totally took the pleasure out of reading. With rare exceptions I have become a challenge spectator rather than participant. That way I can get the ideas for books to stretch my comfort zones without the feeling of homework part.

I think I am in SuziQoregon's tribe. I'm so much happier not feeling like I "have to" read a certain book, or a certain number of pages per day.

>239 benitastrnad: Sorry you don't get a 3-day weekend, Benita. I'm in desperate need of it so I'm glad I have Memorial Day off. P is planning to make a big pulled pork on the charcoal grill, and her brother and SIL, and our nephew and his gf are coming over.
I enjoyed Gone Girl when I read it last year.

>240 LovingLit: It does, indeed, and I completely understand your choice of focus!!

>241 banjo123: You know, Rhonda, in our work retreat on Tuesday, we had to draw questions from a bag. Mine was about where I want to retire and what I want to do. I realized that I will likely need to find meaningful things to do. I love to read, too, but I truly can't do it all day every day. I know I'll need some obligations to provide structure and a sense of purpose. So, for now, it's okay that I'm still working.

>242 maggie1944: That all makes total sense to me, Karen. I chatted with my retired sister this past weekend and she was talking about how overwhelmed she is feeling, having said "yes" to too many volunteer "opportunities." It seems that finding balance is a life-long challenge. :-)

>243 SuziQoregon: and >244 maggie1944: I am finding myself starting to shift in my thinking about challenges. Clearly, trying to be 100% pure on both the BAC and the AAC-II was a poor choice. It means three books (or at least three authors) are committed each month and that is just too many, especially when I really want to participate in the Global Reading Group some and I want to read things as they come out -- God Help the Child and Epitaph and A God in Ruins and.....

SO - I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this. I may just give myself permission to participate more flexibly.

I'm barely into Babbitt and I will complete it, but starting in June I'm going to be a bit more laissez-faire in my approach to the challenges.

>246 EBT1002: I've thought about that "finding things to do" as well. My hobbies (reading, knitting, gardening) should remain hobbies, maybe with more time devoted to them, but I will need things that are more active and not solitary.

>249 lauralkeet: Hi Laura! I don't know how long you have to go before you retire, but everyone who has reached it seems to say that it's easier to find things to do than one might expect.

You've seen the way I go with the challenges, Ellen. I do like them for stretching me beyond my usual, and for getting me to try authors I think about but never get around to reading. But if it's not working, like you with Amis, I use the Pearl Rule, and if I'm not interested in the authors for that month, I substitute in someone like Gardam.

I do give Mark and Paul credit for coming up with a years-worth of interesting authors, and I like to support them by participating as much as I can handle.

>251 jnwelch: I totally agree, Joe! I give all kudos to Mark and Paul for developing the challenges and I really enjoy the stretch such challenges put in my reading. I think I'm going to adopt your approach. I have to push past my mild (ha) compulsive tendencies....
Meanwhile, I have started Babbitt and I think I'm going to like it. I'm reading a very old used copy and the font is a bit small for my taste, but I will persevere. :-)

I hope I don't sound whiny about the challenges. I love them in theory. I am also aware that I'm having a harder time finding time for reading these days, so that makes it harder.

I used to participate in TIOLI challenges, too, and gave that up when it got to be too much to juggle. We just have to make choices, right?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Okay. Back to work!

>250 EBT1002: I'm 53, Ellen. Retirement is minimum 5 years away based on the way our pension plan works. So, yeah, I have time to think about this!!

Another word from the world of the retired. It took me several years to find the right balance between all the things I want to do, and am free to choose. It always seems to take time, doesn't it?

Happy Friday, Ellen. The challenges are supposed to be fun. I would never like to see them become arduous or unpleasant. Read, what you like, when you like. I did not think I would be able to read many of the BAC authors, but it has turned out to be such a pleasant surprise.

I think I'm setting the tardy record with the AAC. This month I finished listening to my March selection, Canada, which admittedly did not come in from the library's ILL until the end of April. Yesterday, I finished April's selection, Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, which was a very slow read for me. I'm currently listening to the audio of Main Street, which due to it's length, will take me into June. (June! How did it get to be June!)

I was doing so well with you, Ellen, and then I lost it. So here I am again..... I took early retirement because I was so unhappy with the school and also the kids - that was the real motivator. Karen is right. You don't need a lot of money if you're healthy and willing to look carefully at luxuries, and the time fills itself. Unlike Karen, I've never wanted the little job or the extra money - and a little job would be hard to come by in this little town of mine. Volunteering is good. I am responsible in what I do, but if I want not to write thank you notes for the Humane Society one week, for example, I don't. Of course, we don't have house payments and drive old cars, but retirement at nearly 63 was a GOOD THING for me.
Sinclair Lewis, eh? I've never read him, and the book wouldn't have to be very good for me to enjoy it more than I expected to. Just saying.

I agree with Mark. I refuse to succumb to the tyranny of a challenge. I read what I can, when I can. I can't keep up with the speed at which others read so will be late from time-to-time. I also skip some authors if their work does not appeal to me and don't feel bad a out it.

The most successful retirees I know are the ones who just quit. They are always busy and bustling. They have so much to do that at some points they are just as stressed as I am at work. The unsuccessful retirees are the ones who refuse to give up work and keep at it long after they should have quit. These are also the people who have no interests or hobbies.

My former boss, who retired at age 58, 12 years ago told me that if my job was making my life hell to retire as soon as possible. She said it was surprising how much less she spent when she retired, and how much easier so many things were when she didn't have to worry about time as much. I think she would agree with everything Karen said. If you were to ask me, I would tell P to retire as soon as she can. It would be good for her, but also good for you. I would bet that a happier P would make for a happier Ellen.

Hi Ellen, I wish you a relaxed weekend.

Yeah, actually most of the retired people I know are pretty happy. I am also a bit concerned about security and long-term planning. Living on the cheap is OK when you are young and healthy, but I know enough about long-term care that I want to be able to pay my own way if it comes to nursing home care someday.

Howdy again Ellen. I sympathize with you about the challenges. This year I am still participating in too many challenges but if I can't I don't worry about it. I am trying to be a purist in the AAC but I make no promises to complete the author in that month. The BAC I cannot get some of the books or the selection available is not what I want to read but again when I can I participate. My favorite challenge this year has been in my Horror Group. Who knew? I'm usually too scared to read horror and I've dipped my toes in with tame stuff. This month I am reading Ring by Koji Suzuki and it is slow going as I only read it during daylight hours. LOL!

I get the P thing. Before I would stick to a job about three years and move on. My last job was 5 and I stayed that long to get experience and get some retirement out of it. I have been at my current job almost 11 years. The hospital has grown from a 55 bed facility to next year 339. It has been stressful plenty of times but I realized that I have a choice about staying or leaving. It's not my entire life and I do my best not to let the bad days taint my time off.

I keep a copy of this in my desk and when I get frustrated I stop and read it. It is simple but it serves to remind me what is important.

http://zenhabits.net/zen-work/

#262
I have been trying to do some of those things suggested in your Zen of Work. For instance, I have been trying to let go of things I can't change - like the behavior of other people. However, I can't help but think that at this time last year I was actively engaged in firing an employee of 12 years for doing the very same things that my new boss is doing. The only thing different between the behavior of the two people is that one is a woman and the other is a man. Guess which one got fired? I know I can't change what happened or what is happening so every day I go to work and just do my job. When I finish each day I know that I am one day closer to being able to leave.

>263 benitastrnad: Benita your situation is toxic and has been for some time. I don't think any mindfulness practice will help make it better but sometimes retirement is too close and/or your investment is too long to make a change. I think you have sort of created a mantra when you say When I finish each day I know that I am one day closer to being able to leave. This can be a healthy thing.

One thing that I admire about you is that you have a very active life outside your job. Think about those people and things when your day is rough. I'm sending you my best thoughts in regards to your situation.

36. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis

He was thinking. It was coming to him that perhaps all life as he knew it and vigorously practiced [sic] it was futile; that heaven as portrayed by the Reverend Dr. John Jennison Drew was neither probable nor very interesting; that he hadn't much pleasure out of making money; that it was of doubtful worth to rear children merely that they might rear children who would rear children. What was it all about? What did he want?

This portrait of a stodgy conformist in the early part of the 20th century holds up well in today's world. More character study than plot-driven adventure, the novel follows George F. Babbitt through what might be considered a mid-life crisis. Motivated almost exclusively by his desire to be liked, respected, and successful, Babbitt is steeped in the class judgments of upper class America. He is absolutely blind to the imbedded paradoxes: his disdain for those with less money or prestige and his resentment and longing for the attention of those with more are beautifully rendered by Lewis. The reader can see the tongue planted firmly within the author's cheek.

I would no more desire to spend an evening with George F. Babbitt than I would desire to have a root canal, but reading the novel about his foray into self-determination was oddly enjoyable.

37. God Help the Child by Toni Morrison




This is the beautifully-written story of Bride, a young black woman, "...so black she scared me. Midnight black, Sudanese black" says Sweetness, her mother. Sweetness is tough on Bride (named Lula Ann Bridewell, changed to simply Bride as part of her self-redefinition in young adulthood), leaving Bride starving for physical contact and emotional connection. And rendering her more resilient than she initially realizes. Told by turns from the point of view of Bride, Sweetness, and Bride's best friend Brooklyn, the story centers around Bride's effort to recover from a devastating break-up with Booker, a man with whom she has fallen deeply in love. But it also moves through time and, as we learn about the defenses Bride and Booker have each brought with them from childhood, we witness their delicate navigation of the psychological terrain and terror of intimacy. Better than anyone, Morrison weaves the impact of societal biases about skin color into the fabric of her novels of love, heartbreak, and human yearning. In God Help the Child, that thread is both fine and bold.

Currently reading:



So far, this is an excellent, engaging novel, just what I need at the moment.

Another thumbs down for Martin Amis! He is not going down well with too many of you doing the challenge.

Really very funny about the 'reading' and 'read gin' - some autocorrects are hilarious!

Too bad the moose were hiding from you!

I am so glad that you are grabbed by The Orenda, it is not doing it for me. But it does call to me when I'm not reading which is an excellent recommendation; and, I am interested in what will be happening. But I'm not overly impressed with the work of contrasting the cultures, that of the native inhabitants, and that of the newcomers. Also, the world views...

We should be having a great discussion next week. Will you be able to make it?

Happy Sunday, Ellen! It looks like some fine reading happening over here. Glad you enjoyed Babbitt. I think we shared similar feelings about it. Looking forward to snagging the new Morrison, later in the year.

Hope you are having a nice weekend.

Happy Sunday, Ellen! We'll have to have another meetup with Kerri and tell her she was right, Babbitt was an enjoyable book. I'm very glad she warbled enthusiastically about it. It's hard to think of a more unlikely book to enjoy, but I did.

Hi Ellen - Wasn't God Help the Child great? I loved it. I've had my eye on THe Orenda, so I'll watch for your comments. Babbit has been getting a lot of favorable comments; I'll have to revisit Lewis.

Is school done yet? Things should slow down for you, right?

I have to say, it is SO nice to come to my thread and see comments left by friends. RL is once again kicking my butt. The truth is, I had no idea how hard it could become. And I suspect I'm still in a relatively privileged space regarding that. But when it rains at work, it freaking pours. Associate director out with pneumonia, faculty acting like arrogant and demeaning a**holes, and students complaining to an agency of the federal government. As I just said to a colleague, we live in interesting times!

I know I had a bunch of comments to which I had not yet responded. Roberta, Benita, Rhonda, Barbara, Peggy, Janet, Mark, Karen, Laura --- I see you there and I will respond when I get a breather. Probably this evening. P has plans to be out of the house for a bit and I will have some Ellen-time. It's nothing about her, but I have been fantasizing about taking a solo vacation, just for a long weekend away by myself. This is something I have never done since we got together almost 20 years ago and truthfully I'm so extroverted I'm not sure it would go down well. But I think it's a reflection of how desperately I'm wanting alone time with a book right now.

>268 sibylline: Yeah, Lucy, Martin Amis is definitely not for me. I haven't really had a chance to look over at the thread and follow the conversation (and now it's June!) but I'm interested that there is much dislike being expressed.

>269 maggie1944: Karen, I'm going to do everything in my power to make it to RL book group next week. I think we'll have a great conversation. I'm already intrigued by your comments about his comparison of the cultures and their clash. I'm finding it rather interesting -- his way of expressing each character's interpretation of another character's behavior and speech -- how the culture in which one is steeped totally affects one's interpretation of other cultures' mores and behavior. I'm not very far into it, yet, though.

>270 msf59: Hi Mark! I'm glad I read Babbitt and I can see why it's a classic. I'm looking forward to revisiting Wallace Stegner this month.

>271 jnwelch: Hey Joe. Yes, I'm glad Kerri encouraged us to give Babbitt a go. I know she was worried that her praise would elevate our expectations beyond what the book would deliver, but I really resonate with her experience of it.

>272 BLBera: Hi Beth! I did love God Help the Child. I was interested in my assignment of four stars to both Babbitt and God Help the Child. The two novels could not be more different and my reading experience was accordingly very different. I prefer God Help the Child; it's a style that is more pleasant for me. But both are really very good at doing what they do.

It's the last week of classes. Commencement is June 13. Things will quiet down a little bit but my job is now so far removed from direct student contact that I'll stay busy all summer. Still, the stress levels should go down a bit....

I'm traveling to NC to visit my sister in July. I can hardly wait. I think I've mentioned before that she is also a reader so there will be plenty of companionable reading time. And, of course, visits to the pool at her condo community, good dinners out, and time to just talk. I think I have about 5 weeks to go.....

Hang in there, Ellen. This morning as I sat, reading my book, I reminded myself to savor the free mornings in the summer. Even though I do have to start working on coursework for summer school, the pace is much slower, and if I don't wait until the last minute, I should be able to keep the stress levels down.

What did you make of all the "B" names in God Help the Child? Eventually I will read it again, but I was left with that question. Do you have any ideas?

Oh dear, so sorry to hear about your work place. Hang in there, better times will come round the corner.

I feel your pain, Ellen, as I do remember (vaguely) when I was in some high pressure jobs. OMG, it is exhausting sometimes, and very rewarding other times. Whew. I hope you do find a way to shoe horn some "solo time" for reading, or reflecting, or just sleeping. Sometimes we do our very best thinking while asleep, as I expect you already know. It is clearly the reason I sleep so much.... (smiling, I am).

I hope you'll be able to make Third Place on Monday, next.

Hi, Ellen. I'm wishing you some real peace soon - AND some time to sit and read. Take care of yourself!

>275 BLBera: Beth, that is a wonderful image. I'm desperate for summer.

Tomorrow, I had a couple of things get canceled or moved around. My plan is to come home early and spend some time on the front lawn (weather permitting) with my book. I so long for solitude right now. This is sort of odd for me. Interesting, too....

The "B" names in God Help the Child. You know, I noticed that but didn't really process it or speculate about it. I wonder what Toni Morrison would say about that....

>276 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. As my boss says, this is a moment in time. We will not always be in this place.

>277 maggie1944: Karen, I will be there! I NEED my RL book group! I got a tiny bit of solitude this evening; tomorrow I expect to get more. It's weird, as a deep extrovert, to be so desperately needing alone time right now.

Working up the courage to tell P I want to go spend a couple of nights in a hotel at the coast by myself. Has anyone around here done that sort of thing before? Advice? Suggestions??

>278 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy. I do know that this will resolve and it will pass. I am SO lucky to have a boss who trusts me, appreciates me, and has my back. We live in interesting times.

So, I clearly need to be thinking about my new thread.... considering images for the top.....

This is amazing to me. Not book related, but still...

Marina Abramovic and moments of silence

Ellen, I'm a born extravert, as you know but I also cherish my time by myself. I definitely count it as a basic need, well, actually I count both as basic needs. I need to have a certain amount of time with others, and then some amount of time in the solitude place. So, I don't think it is weird at all.

>281 EBT1002: Trying to type with eyes blurred with tears...how beautiful Ellen.

>281 EBT1002: The wonder of being human! Thank you for posting that.

Hi Ellen - Wow! As an introvert, I can certainly understand needing time alone. I hope you do get to spend some time outside with a book.

>281 EBT1002: Absolutely beautiful - thanks for sharing. Tears here, too.

I very sympathetic of needing a bit of alone time alone to recharge your batteries. Would it help if you told P that you really want to spend time with her, too , and have her plan something amazing that she's been wanting the two of you to do when you get back?

>281 EBT1002: Thanks for posting that, Ellen. I passed it on to Debbi. Moving.

I'm a total introvert, if I use the definition I saw once, that means I enjoy being around people but that it saps my energy. An extrovert, by contrast, feeds off of other people and being around them re-charges them. After a flurry of activity, I always need some Katie time :)

I went on a reading retreat last year (with Roberta) and The Wayne was totally cool about it, but he wouldn't have been interested in going even if he was invited :)

Could you explain it to P. as you want the time you spend with her to be good quality time and that right now you feel like you are not able to give her or yourself what either of you needs. A few days away would let you re-charge and come back better able to be the partner she deserves....?

I dunno, every relationship is different, of course. If I were in your position and The Wayne was resistant to what I felt I needed, I would go anyway and deal with it when I got back, presumably in a better frame of mind to do so.

>282 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. I had a couple of hours at home this afternoon. It was lovely -- sunny but not too warm -- and I was able to do a few chores and then sit in the front yard and read some of The Orenda. And, truth be told, I also just stared into space a bit. It was good for me. :-)

>283 Matke: Gail, I'm so glad that video touched you as it did me. I'm told there is a full documentary on Marina's work and that watching that moment in silence, as it actually occurred, is even more powerful.

>284 maggie1944: I'm glad it touched you, too, Karen. YES to the power of being human!

>285 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. As I mentioned above, I got a couple of hours alone today that I cherished. I'm feeling better.

>286 streamsong: Janet, I'm glad you were touched by the video, as well.

Your suggestion is an excellent one! I did get a couple of hours to myself today but I will think about how to integrate your idea into a larger conversation about, say, a weekend away on my own. Thank you.

>287 jnwelch: Oh good, Joe, I hope Debbi finds it as moving as I did.

>288 katiekrug: Katie, I love the way you think! Your understanding of introverts and extroverts mirrors my own (so that's a good start): I think there is sometimes confusion that introverts "don't like being with people" and that extroverts do, but it really is about where one gets that energy. Generally, I'm energized by engaging with other humans, but my job is SO people-intensive that I do need that time to recharge my batteries. What I love is your description of going on the solo trip anyway, and dealing with the interpersonal terrain when you get back, but with the energy to do so. After my two hours today, I'm feeling better, but I'm also feeling empowered to bring this conversation more into our relationship.

We'll have been together 20 years this autumn. We're obviously doing something right. And, as someone recently said to me, in the average marriage, there are actually three marriages embedded within. Each partner continues to grow and change, and we can expect three (I don't know where they got that number) different relationships over the life of a marriage. Interesting.

I really must think about what I'm going to use as a topper for my next thread.

I also really must get around to visiting some other threads!

>288 katiekrug: my lovely other would probably be very concerned if I stated a need to have a weekend away alone but I have never had probs charging personal batteries that way, and it certainly wouldn't mean our relationship was in trouble.

I hope you get some chillax time soon, Ellen. I have 5 library books out at the same time right now, so am hanging out for some time by the fire to get through them all.

>290 EBT1002: Debbi did find the "moment of silence" quite moving, Ellen. What an extraordinary thing.

A long relationship is really rewarding, isn't it? I'm sure P will understand. Debbi and I have talked about how great it is to have a big enough house that we can be in different rooms on different floors, and get some time away from each other - and, as you know, we love spending time together. :-)

>290 EBT1002: Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!

I'm married to an even more introverted person than I am, so we know how to give each other plenty of space. I'd say that you know your P best and will eventually know just exactly how to go about giving yourself what you need.

I am single so don't have any advice on alone time from a partner. However, I work in a public service job where I have to nice to people under all circumstances. When students come to me most often they are at wits end and I spend a great deal of time encouraging, calming, and giving them ideas. All of that is draining. I go home at night and physically I am wiped out. Even though I haven't done that much physical labor. I have found it beneficial to just turn on my new age elevator music and stay quiet. I usually read or knit. I don't need to hear human voices or see people on the TV. I just need some quiet. It takes about an hour. It is down time for me. Perhaps that is what you need to do, just take some "me" time in smaller daily doses? In this case, I don't think you are being selfish in wanting to have a weekend to yourself.

>288 katiekrug: What Katie said about being an introvert applies to me exactly. Our little retreat did wonders to relax and refresh.

Hang in there Ellen. Sending you good vibes my friend.

I love the idea of having one's own "elevator" music. It could "elevate" moods, eh? I did discover the music feature on my TV's cable selections and I frequently leave it on during the day when I'm leaving the dogs for a relatively "longer" period of time. I have found myself sometimes leaving it on when I first come home, and yes, it does have a positive mood lifting effect. Love it!

I am planning on finishing The Orenda today! That way I don't have to worry about it while I do the Instacart shifts tomorrow and Sunday. See you Monday!

Hi Ellen, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Im glad you enjoyed your trip last month. I have lived up here since November and I love what I see everyday.

Megan, Joe, Peggy, Benita, Roberta, Karen thanks for your comments about alone time. I sometimes wonder if I'm in the minority among this book-loving group in terms of my extroversion. I think part of what is happening in my life right now is that I'm not able to run or go for long walks. Not only am I missing the exercise, I'm missing the time alone. I know that my solo runs, during which I do not listen to an iPod, are my best thinking time. I hope this heel heals soon. :-|

>298 Ameise1: Thanks for the lovely mountain river image, Barbara!

>299 xymon81: You live in a beautiful part of the world, xymon81. I am excited about our planned vacation trip there in 2016.