Ellen reads 75+ in 2015 (part 6)

Mt. Rainier and Reflection Lake

Mt. Rainier wildflowers

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.

The truth is that I'm less committed to these challenges than I was in January, but I'll continue to track my participation, such as it is.

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
July: Ursula K. Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea
August: Larry McMurtry - The Last Picture Show
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

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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* -- The Bottle Factory Outing √
Anthony Burgess* -- Nothing Like the Sun
July:
Virginia Woolf -- To the Lighthouse
B. S. Johnson* --
August:
Iris Murdoch* -- The Sea, The Sea
Graham Greene* -- The Power and the Glory √
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 (9)

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
9. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY (5)

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

COMPLETED IN MARCH (10)

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

COMPLETED IN APRIL (7)

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

COMPLETED IN MAY (7)

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

COMPLETED IN JUNE (9)

39. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
40. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
41. Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont
42. Academy Street by Mary Costello
43. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
44. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
45. Yo, Miss by Lisa Wilde
46. The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge
47. el deafo by Cece Bell

COMPLETED IN JULY (9)

48. Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 by Francine Prose
49. Stumptown Volume 1 by Greg Rucka
50. The Shore by Sara Taylor
51. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
52. The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm MacKay
53. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
54. Stumptown Volume 2 by Matthew Southworth
55. Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince
56. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

57. Strong Female Protagonist Book One by Brennan Lee Mulligan
58. The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan
59. The Sage of Waterloo by Leona Francombe
60. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

Currently reading:

. .

Currently listening (sort of):

Yep, this would be Mt. Rainier, too. And the trail to Panorama Point.

A more urban view

The view from Panorama Point

Happy Friday, Ellen! Happy New Thread! Love all the gorgeous photos.

Have a wonderful time camping at Mt. Rainier. What a gorgeous location.

Happy new thread, Ellen! Your camping trip and the one to visit your sister sound amazing - have a wonderful time!

Perfect! I love Mt. Rainier. And I could look at pictures of her forever!

I just wish I had more gumption and would go down for some day hikes and occasional camping out. And I think that little camper is just right for me, but I may not have enough money left over after this goofy move.

See you soon I hope, I know I will miss you on Monday!

Lovely pictures, Ellen!

NZ Maori, and increasingly NZ non-Maori, have as part of their introduction of themselves (called a mihi) mention of a local or special-to-them river and mountain alongside mention of mother and father etc. I can see that in your mihi, Mt Rainier would feature!!

It is very beautiful, and intriguing to me as here we don't normally see snowy mountains, trees and grassy areas with flowers all in the same spot.

Congrats on the new thread, Ellen! I've fallen behind, but I'm glad you had a good time with Stumptown. I can recommend the two that come after when you have some time. Dex is a great character, isn't she?

Hope you're set up for a great weekend.

Beautiful new thread, Ellen! Have a great weekend.

Happy New Thread and Happy Sunday, Ellen. Beautiful pics of Mt. Rainier.

I just came home from the store with Rainier cherries and love your Mt. Rainier thread topper pics.

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend away!

Happy new thread, Ellen. Gosh those are some incredibly lovely photos of Mt Rainier. What a great place to camp out at. Hope you're enjoying your holiday.

Nice pictures. Brings back good memories.

50. The Shore by Sara Taylor




"Sure, if you're the kind of person that thinks the end of humanity means the end of the world. If the world were really ending, the best place to be would probably be Mars or somewhere. Species go extinct, what's the big tragedy in one of those species being humans?"

This debut novel of interconnecting narratives starts with the story of Chloe, a thirteen year-old trying to protect her beloved younger sister from their meth-using dad, starvation, and any number of other threats to childhood survival on the islands off Virginia, collectively knows as The Shore. The sense of place is particularly well-wrought; anyone with a connection to the coastal south of the US will appreciate Taylor's tactile rendering of the setting. After the novel moves back and forth in time, laying out family and community history in which no one emerges unscathed by the brutality of ignorance, poverty, and deeply ingrained violence, the author allows Chloe some closure if not redemption. She also provides a brief peek into the 22nd century. This dystopian future, with its threads to the dark past, doesn't quite fit into the otherwise tightly woven narrative arc. Given the less-than-savory characters to whom we've been introduced, the notion of a future in which few survive has its appeal, and the author brings a creative edge to the texture of that future, but it feels like a different novel. Still, this is a worthy first effort. I will certainly look for future works by Sara Taylor.

Thanks, Beth, for sending me the Uncorrected Proof!

>13 msf59: Thanks, Mark. It was actually a bit cool and misty at Mt. Rainier, for which I was grateful. The area is having a horrible drought. They usually get upwards of 300 inches of snow at Paradise; this year they had about ten percent of that. I was happy to manage a damp tent if it helps prevent fires in my favorite national park.

>14 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. I'm happy to be having some days off from the job! And quality time with P and with my sister. :-)

>15 maggie1944: You know, Karen, we did a short hike on Saturday. P wasn't feeling well and I was happy to spend most of the day sitting in the campground reading while she napped in the tent. Later, I was saying that I very well could have done a hike by myself if I had wanted to. This time of year there are plenty of people around and I would feel very safe hiking in the park by myself. I wouldn't even really worry about bears! And I'm not intrepid.

We saw a couple of little trailers, none exactly like what we're wanting. It's fun to check out the possibilities. I think we've decided that we're at least two years away from purchasing anything, but that gives us time to really narrow down the possibilities.

I know the next two days will be crazy with me leaving town this week, but I will try to remember to look at my schedule and PM you some possible lunch dates. I always think of it when I'm nowhere near my desk. :-|

>16 ronincats: I'm glad you like the pictures, Roni!

>17 LovingLit: Megan, Mt. Rainier would definitely feature in my mihi. The river would have to be the Metolius. It's in Oregon, in the shadow of Mt. Jefferson, and it emerges fully-fledged from the ground. I hope you get to come visit this part of the world someday. The Cascade Mountains, being volcanic, are special in their splendor.



The head of the Metolius River

The Metolius River

This is a clear, icy cold river in central Oregon. It will definitely feature in my mihi.

Metolius River and Mt. Jefferson

I love the Metolius! We are thinking of going camping there in August.

Yes, I agree the Cascades are lovely, and the Olympic Mountains are pretty cool, too. Just harder to get there in a quick minute. Everyone should come to see them.

And I do love our grandmother: Mt. Rainier.

>18 jnwelch: Joe, I loved the character Dex. I've put the next one in the series on hold and I'm looking forward to reading it as soon as possible.

>19 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl!

>20 Ameise1: Thanks for the weekly weekend pic and wishes, Barbara!

>21 lkernagh: Rainier cherries! One word: YUM.

>22 laytonwoman3rd: Hey Linda, and thank you. We had a good weekend away. Did not see the mountain this time as she was enshrouded in clouds and mist. This is a good thing given the record-setting drought that this whole region is experiencing. I was even willing to have my camping trip rained out! It didn't come close to that, and was a very relaxing time in the woods.

>23 cameling: Hi Caro. Mt. Rainier is a pretty special place, even when misty and cloudy.

>24 xymon81: Oh good! This is, as you know, a pretty special place to have been able to spend time.

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

I feel lucky to live in this part of the world and I know my off-the-internet photos show that. Still, I also know that there are thousands of beautiful places on this Earth. My little mid-summer romance with the Cascade mountains will settle down soon.

>30 banjo123: Rhonda, the whole Camp Sherman area is one of the things I miss most about living in the Willamette Valley. We could be there in less than 3 hours. Now it's close to a whole day's drive. I have many lovely spots within easy driving of home now, but I love the Camp Sherman area perhaps more than any other spot on Earth.

>31 maggie1944: *smiles*

I started reading Fifth Business by Robertson Davies this weekend. Why has it take me so long to get around to reading this guy's work? It's early yet, but I am loving this novel.

I have the Deptford Trilogy omnibus, which is rather unfortunate, but I plan to give myself credit for each separate novel if/as I read them, since they were published as separate novels.

Two busy and stressful days at work ahead of me, then I'm off for 7 days of vacation. Now ensues the fun of deciding which books I'll take with me!

Have I mentioned that I used miles to get first-class seats round trip for this visit to my sister? :-)

I'll certainly take The Deptford Trilogy with me since I'll certainly still be reading Fifth Business.

Others on the probable/possible list:
Nada by Carmen Laforet
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America by Eboo Patel
The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm MacKay

Hmmmm, what else should I be considering?

>27 EBT1002: , 28, 29 (#29=WOW)
Wow, that river is very distinctive. On the bucket travel list that river goes!! Fancy that, just coming out of the ground at that volume! Fascinating.

The rivers local to me area are braided, with different channels available to the river over a wide gravel bed, most of the gravel being visible year round (eg: the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers). I prefer deep dark rivers with steep edges and bush close by. The Buller is a good example from the South Island. Therefore (long story short!) I like your Metolius River!

>36 EBT1002: I have not heard of any of your possibles! Good luck in choosing ;)

>34 EBT1002: I am doing that with Paul Auster's New York Trilogy. Right on!

>34 EBT1002:, >38 LovingLit: absolutely!! I have done that as well. A completely legitimate approach.

Hi Ellen - Happy new thread. LOVE the pictures. It's been too long since I've visited that part of the world. Hooray for vacations to visit family! I, too, have The Deptford Trilogy on my shelves and will certainly count each book. I'm happy to hear you are loving them.

I'm so happy you loved The Shore. Great comments. I think the end worked for me better than for you, but after reading your comments, I think perhaps you are right. I wonder if some of these pieces were written to stand alone...

It looks like you had a nice time camping. Love the gorgeous photos.

Good review of the Shore. Looking forward to hearing more from the very talented Ms. Taylor.

>37 LovingLit: Megan, I hope to get to your part of the world one of these days and I will watch for those rivers. I know it's probably a bit trite for an American to say this but I want to walk the Milford Trek. Shorter than the West Highland Way but perhaps more iconic.

>38 LovingLit:, >39 lauralkeet:, >40 BLBera:
Megan, Laura, and Beth, I'm glad we all agree that we get to count each novel alone even if they are published as an omnibus. I remember someone on LT saying, a few years ago perhaps, that they would only count it as one since it was one book or one volume. Bah.

>40 BLBera: You know, Beth, I always worry when I mention an aspect of a novel that fell just short of wonderful for me, especially when the novel as a whole was indeed wonderful, that folks will overestimate the negative impact of that aspect. I really, really liked The Shore. I also think that, because I'm generally such an enthusiast about most books I read, I feel compelled to note when something does fall just short of wonderful. As in "really, folks, I don't just sit here and let books flow over me; I actually think about them!" Silly, I know.

>41 msf59: Hey Mark, and I agree. Not only is her last name outstanding, her writing is truly wonderful!

>42 EBT1002: nothing wrong with wanting to walk the Milford Track! I hear it is gorgeous....that area is anyway. I have done none of NZs big walks....just loads of overnighters and bits and pieces.

I'm another fan of the Deptford Trilogy, Ellen. Really good, and there's nothing like it. Hope you have good time with it.

Glad to hear that you befriended Dex. :-)

Ellen - You always have thoughtful comments. Sometimes, too, my views change over time.

HI Ellen

I saw on your previous thread that you'd read and liked Stumptown Vol. 1 - Yay! It really is a good series. I just downloaded Stumptown Vol. 3 to read on my iPad soon.

Have a good trip to see your sister!

LOVE LOVE LOVE all the photos!! Some of my favorite places.

Count me as a fan of camping, although that would not be tent camping. I prefer RVing, I suppose. I like a few creature comforts such as A/C. I don't own an RV although my parents had one until a couple of years before Mom died. Dad had already gotten uncomfortable driving it, so in the last few years, they mostly let me drive them where they wanted to go. I miss those days. I occasionally go to a KOA and stay in a Kamping Kabin. That's about as close as I get to camping now. I guess it counts. I take my port-a-potty with me so I don't have to walk to the bathhouse in the middle of the night.

>42 EBT1002: "Not only is her last name outstanding, her writing is truly wonderful!" LOL!

I started Missoula today. Another tough, hard-hitting NNF!! Love Krakauer!

Popping in to say howdy Ellen. I see you've got the Patel book lined up. I have it waiting as well. I'll probably read it next week when I go to Laredo.

Having an odd sort of vacation so far. More about that later.
I finished Fifth Business and am glad to have read it. I almost started right into The Manticore, which is next in the trilogy, but I do want to read a couple of other books first.

Currently reading:

>43 LovingLit: Oh good, I'm glad locals don't roll their eyes when someone says they want to come walk the Milford Track. It's definitely on my bucket list.

>44 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I finished Fifth Business and was very tempted to dig right into The Manticore. I guess that would be the good thing about having the omnibus -- you don't have to pause between novels! Still, I want to leave behind at least one of the volumes I brought with me to NC, so I'm going to read The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter and then I may return to the Deptford Trilogy.

>45 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. What would the world be like if we never changed our minds??? :-)

>46 SuziQoregon: Hey Juli! I got an email that volume 2 of Stumptown is waiting for me at the library. I asked P to go pick it up this weekend because my hold expires before I get home. I don't want to have to wait again for it to arrive!

I'm glad you're enjoying the pics on my thread. I only wish I could say that I was the photographer!

>47 thornton37814: Lori, I can live without the A/C (but I think, based on your zip code, that you are in a hotter, more humid part of the country than I) but I admit that I like the comforts, too. One thing I like about car camping: comfy camp chairs, plenty of books, and a bottle of wine. :-) There are some lovely cabins in various parks around Washington and Oregon and I do love staying in those sometimes. P and I keep saying we're going to rent one of the yurts that are available in WA and OR state parks.

>48 msf59: Mark, I absolutely have to read Missoula. I can even count it as a work-related book, given that I am so involved in sexual assault prevention and response on my campus. If anyone can do this topic well, it's our friend Krakauer!

>49 luvamystery65: Hey Roberta! I opted not to bring the Patel book on this trip as I would just have to lug it back with me. I have a signed copy (and signed specifically to me) so I'll want to hold onto it. My plan with trips like this is to bring more books than I cart home with me. :-)

I'll have it up first in the queue after my return home next week.

I don't understand how I get so far behind. I must say that those photographs are gorgeous and a bit unreal. Are you sure they're not paintings by a gifted, prolific landscape artist???
All you people reading Davies - it's really time for me to start a reread, except that I don't know when I'll make room.
HAPPY VACATION!!!!!

>56 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I get behind all the time!!! I'm just happy to have you visit. And, of course, I can't absolutely guarantee anything about the pics I'm positing, I just know that I didn't take them! :-)

I had never read Davies before and I'm glad to have finally gotten to him. He's worth reading!

I won't be here for this but it's a major event in Asheville. Every year they commission a different artist to create the poster and t-shirt image for the fair. I started collecting the t-shirts (thanks to my sister) a few years ago. I'll certainly pick this one up while I'm here.



Oh, and the image always has a cat in it. :-)

Here's the image on the (black) t-shirt I'm wearing at this very moment:

And here is one of my favorite of the images:



(artist = Guinn)

I'm not sure I'm going to make it to Malaprop's Bookstore this visit (let's face it, I don't need to buy any more books!) but if I do, I'm wanting to purchase The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow. I listened to an interview with him on Fresh Air on the drive up from Atlanta and they also interviewed him on the PBS NewsHour last evening. The Cartel is his latest and it's getting all kinds of press. My sister just read it and says it was wonderful.

Lovely images for the fair. I can see why you would want the T-shirt.

Speaking of yurts -- this is so weird. When I was in SF visiting my aunt, I caught up with a friend from college. He and his wife have a yurt on their land in the Sierras. Now I see them mentioned here, too. I'd never heard of them before.

He showed me pictures -- also pictures of the bear scratches on the outside, so that made me feel less enthusiastic about yurts, especially in bear country.

Wow, great-looking posters - and, I'm sure, t-shirts. I'll bet those are real moneymakers. Sorry you'll miss the fair, but I hope you have a great time on your vacation.

>62 BLBera: Yikes! Bear scratches would get my attention, Beth. I think for bear country, you really need a hard-sided trailer. Like the little T@B about which I've been fantasizing. :-)

>63 jnwelch: Hey Joe. So far the vacay is being just fine. Thank goodness my sister has A/C.....

Happy Friday, Ellen! Hope you have a great time in Asheville! And you better hit a couple breweries, my beer loving friend.

I finished Missoula. it may be not be perfect but it is still a Must Read! It is extremely sad that this is an epidemic that no one knows about. It really pisses me off.

I just snagged the audio of The Cartel. Just sayin'...

Happy Summer, Ellen. We missed you at Book group, but we are ready for a great discussion in August of both To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. I hope you were able to get a copy of The Mockingbird Next Door as it is a great book to read before reading the other two. I capped it off by getting and reading Jimmy Carter's A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety. Fully immersed in southern living, I guess. I might suit you, too.

I got my loan, and am on a roll to move to Bellevue. Benny has a new home with a great family. We have lots to talk about when you get back.

>65 msf59: Hello Mark, and thanks for the happy vacation wishes. We had dinner at the Sierra Nevada brewery this evening -- kind of weird as it is not a local (duh) nor a micro.... but we had flights of beers and I enjoyed it.

The sexual assault epidemic on college campuses has, frankly, been going on for a long time but it is finally being paid attention to. It's also the case that sexual misconduct less egregious than assault is occurring at truly epidemic rates: harassment, stalking, etc. -- all made easier with smartphones and social media sites (Yik Yak is a problem). I will certainly read Missoula and I am interested to see how much of it lands on me as accurate. So much in the mainstream media is not.

Have you read The Power of the Dog yet?

>66 maggie1944: Karen, I am so happy that things are unfolding well for you! And Benny has a new home! That makes me truly happy as I have been wishing I could take him -- and knowing that I simply could not do so.

My copy of Go Set a Watchman will be waiting for me when I get home and I will make a dedicated effort to read it, as well as the promised reread of TKaM, before our August meeting. I will look forward to the discussion! I suspect I would enjoy Jimmy Carter's memoirs. I think he was a good man and a decent leader although I think he was overwhelmed by the politics. Ninety. Amazing.

The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter is a fast read so far. I'm not yet sure how I'm going to feel about it when all is said and done.

I think you can safely skip reading the Jimmy Carter book. It is a bit too vanilla and written at a very low reading level, maybe 5th grade. And, hesitantly I judge it to be a bit too self justifying. I agree he is a good man, and has done much good in this world, and for that I will thank him when I see him, but the book.... eh, not so much. I read it, but I'd not recommend it.

I'm glad you are enjoying yourself! You deserve good vacations, and thank you, also, for the work you do (when it is time to do the work).

Happy Saturday, Ellen. I have not read The Power of the Dog but I heard it was not necessary to read this one first. I think I have only read one Winslow and that was a few years back.

Hi Ellen, what gorgeous pictures of Mount Rainer you used at the opening of the thread. That National Park truly looks like a magical place. I see you are now visiting your sister in Asheville, so I wish you a wonderful vacation there as well.

>69 maggie1944: Thanks for the kind words, Karen. I am enjoying my vacation but I admit that I've been working some, too. I'm actually glad it's now the weekend so that all my colleagues are also taking some time off and not emailing me!

Last evening my sister had made a huge meal and had friends over. It was enjoyable but I'm glad it's over. Now she and I and her partner can just relax and enjoy one another for the next couple of days. I think we're going out on some shopping errands today, including a trek to a gallery where I can get this year's Art & Craft Fair t-shirt.

>70 msf59: Hey Mark. I have heard that, as well. In fact, my sister had just finished reading The Cartel when I arrived here, and is still raving about it. But that compulsive must-read-in-order part of me is strong. I've also only read one Don Winslow novel, Savages, and I think I only gave it two stars.

>71 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy! I'm enjoying my time in Asheville with my sister although it is hot, hot, hot.

If Asheville is hot, think what is like for those of us in the Southern lowlands. Today I plan on spending the afternoon at the pool trying to stay cool. And of course, with a good book.

Sometime when you come through Atlanta let me know and I can drive over to have a meet-up. I love driving as it gives me time to listen to lots of recorded books.

I loved Asheville when we visited it a few years ago. The images on those t-shirts are stunning! We had a local arts and crafts fair in this area for years, and they also did an annual t-shirt, which I collected. Sadly, they were not able to keep it going, and I miss it.

Enjoy the time with your sister! It sounds nice and relaxing.

>73 benitastrnad: What I read about temps in the southern part of the country today really scared me, Benita. This is brutal. Stay cool.

>74 benitastrnad: Will do! When I am actually going to spend some time in Atlanta, I will give you a holler!

>75 laytonwoman3rd: I was sad that they did not have the "jade" or "sapphire" t-shirts in my size, Linda, but I got a burgundy one that I quite like. My sister will keep an eye out for the beautiful green and/or blue ones in the coming weeks.

>76 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda! Tonight we went out to dinner and I am full of delicious food and and excellent wine. Yum.

This was a good day. I finished The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm MacKay (more about that in a bit) and started One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson. I went for a good brisk walk in the late morning and it was so hot and humid that I just about died. Then my sister and I went and spend about an hour paddling about the pool in her housing complex. We had the pool to ourselves and it was lovely. We chatted and paddled about... really nice.

We went to New Morning Gallery and browsed the art (I came close to purchasing a mug and a pair of earrings but resisted both); DS bought me one of the t-shirts with this year's art on it. Then we went to the Corner Kitchen for dinner. The name sounds kitchy and bland but this was one excellent meal. I had delicious short ribs with a couple of glasses of a really good Rioja Riserva. Betty had trout that looked wonderful and Carol had some nice-looking salmon. Dessert was good, too: a salted caramel creme brûlée, subtle and smooth.

I owe my thread two reviews: Fifth Business and The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter. I might get them done before bed and I might just save them for tomorrow.

Currently reading:



One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
2nd in the Jackson Brodie series

Sounds like a lovely day, Ellen!

I love those Jackson Brodie books. I have one left and am hoarding it....

I've been dreaming about Biscuit Head in Asheville and wishing it were a wee bit closer. You should go there and let me live vicariously through you ;-)

>80 katiekrug: Hmm, my sister has not mentioned Biscuit Head to me. I have one more day here; I might have to venture out on my own to get to that place. (I love my sister and, has always been true, the 17-year difference in our ages leads to differences in energy. I'm not as energetic as I once was, but neither is she!).

Perhaps an early solo jaunt for breakfast? I'm a sucker for good biscuits and these are amazing and H.U.G.E. with all sorts of options for toppings and go-withs.

http://www.biscuitheads.com/

>82 katiekrug: Oh my. I love the menu. This caught my eye:
Gravy flight: Your choice of three gravies with a biscuit.

Sigh.

I got the pork sausage gravy. It was so wrong, but so right :D

ETA: Oooh, they even have a kale salad as a side, so, you know, it's healthy!

Oh yeah, eat kale salad with anything and it totally cancels out calories, fat, and cholesterol. This is why we are growing kale (and chard!) in our p-patch garden plot!

*Like*

Yep. Yep. Yep.
Enjoy your last day in Asheville with your sister! As I have said a lot of times, I wish people wanted to come to my part of the state. *sigh*

>87 LizzieD: LOL, Peggy. As hot as it is here in the mountains of western NC, I can hardly imagine what you're suffering through!

Hi, Ellen! I also love the Jackson Brodie books and I remember One Good Turn being a lot of fun. I wonder if Atkinson will ever return to this series?

For a brief while I was Pres of the LT Jackson Brodie Fan Club but I passed on the baton . . .

Have fun camping! I love the look of those yurts. Love.

I miss Asheville - spent a lot of time there when I was in the Warren Wilson MFA program up in Swannanoa in the 80's.

>89 msf59: Hey Mark. I'm enjoying One Good Turn so far. I like the way she laid out the incident with the car and the bat, and the different witnesses whom I assume will be important as the story unfolds. Good question about whether she will return to the series. Who knows?

>90 sibylline: Lucy, I did not realized that you attended the MFA program at Warren Wilson. You must have been there when I was visiting my sister here all through graduate school (the 80s). Who knew, then, that there would be this thing called LT someday? (nobody)

>91 EBT1002: Yep, I was there from '85 to '88. Loved the area.

51. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies




"This is the revenge of the unlived life, Ramsay. Suddenly it makes a fool of you."

"The prima donna and the tenor, the contralto and the basso, get all the best music and do all the spectacular things, but you cannot manage the plot without Fifth Business!"

Ten-year-old Dunstable Ramsay smartly dodges the snowball, thrown by Percy Boyd (later, Boy) Staunton. Said snowball hits the pregnant Mrs. Dempster, instead, leading perhaps to the premature birth of Paul. Told from Ramsay's point of view, Fifth Business is the story of his life and his various involvements with Boy Staunton and Paul Dempster. Staunton becomes a filthy rich industrialist and Paul runs off to join the circus while Ramsay plods along what must be considered a more mundane path: time in the trenches during WWI, education, and a career spent teaching boys in a fairly mediocre boarding school. To be both the Fifth Business and the protagonist is perhaps a bit of irony, or perhaps it is a profound statement on the universality of being the first-person narrator in our own (sometimes undramatic) dramas. In any case, this is a delightful novel with memorable characters. I will certainly be reading the second book in Robertson's Deptford Trilogy.

Saw 16 unread messages and thought "wow, what's Ellen up to?" Mostly Jackson Brodie and kale lol. Seriously, enjoy your last day Ellen and have a safe trip home!

52. The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm MacKay




"How many times does this happen? You set off on one investigation and get sidetracked by something else. Happens a lot with organized crime. All of the people involved are so immersed in criminal behaviour; you can find all sorts of things to keep you busy."

This was a fun, fast-paced thriller. Calum MacLean, a 29-year-old freelance gunman, is hired by the organization to take care of Lewis Winter. The omniscient narrator lets us in on various characters' thought process, including Calum, Lewis, Lewis' girlfriend, and of course the DI, Michael Fisher, who is determined to bring criminals to justice. Fun characters of the stereotyped variety, rapid prose, and a wee bit of mystery. It's set in Glasgow, which is where I bought my copy, but that hardly matters to the tale.

>93 EBT1002: Wow, that was fast, Ellen. Weren't you just musing over whether to read Fifth Business? Glad you enjoyed it so much. That thriller looks fun, too. Ah, Glasgow. I want to get back to Scotland!

I will definitely have to move up The Deptford Trilogy; it sounds wonderful. The Mackay -- maybe not. Enjoy your last day of vacation and have a safe trip back.

*waving* hi, ya! When do you come home? Weather has shifted into the 70s, unbelievable! All the way to the weekend! Thank goodness. We all need a little 70s temperatures.

>98 maggie1944: I should say we all need a little 70s temperature. What we don't need is what we have - a lot of 70s dew-point.

>96 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I read Fifth Business on the plane ride out here last week and then the first couple of days in Asheville. I was thinking about digging into The Manticore, second in the trilogy. Partly because I have acquired some new socks (I know) and a really spiffy new dress-up jacket, I'll be leaving my copy of The Deptford Trilogy here for my sis to sell to a used bookstore.
I'm with you on wanting to get back to Scotland!

>97 BLBera: I think you would appreciate The Deptford Trilogy, Beth. I suspect that I missed some things that an English prof would catch.
Thank you for the safe travels wishes. I have to leave here at some ungodly hour to drive to the Atlanta airport. Once I'm through security, I'll be fine.

>98 maggie1944: I'm SO looking forward to those temps, Karen! It's around 90F here and humid as can be. Sis and I just spent about an hour at "her" pool (the pool for the community). It was fun just paddling around for a while. I think the other residents thought I was rather funny with my long-sleeved swim-shirt on. Silly Seattleites.

I arrive home Tuesday evening and then I head to work Wednesday morning. My sister thinks I started clenching my jaw right after a meeting reminder pinged on my mobile. Sigh.

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

>99 LizzieD: Peggy, I have never completely understood dew-point. It's the temp at which dew forms and has something to do with humidity, right?

Okay, I just googled it:
It's "the temperature to which a given parcel of air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor to condense into water. The condensed water is called dew. The dewpoint is a saturation point."
So, how does it affect comfort?

I'm off and running on this:
"When the air temperature is high, the body's thermoregulation uses evaporation of perspiration to cool down, with the cooling effect directly related to how fast the perspiration evaporates. The rate at which perspiration can evaporate depends on how much moisture is in the air and how much moisture the air can hold. If the air is already saturated with moisture, perspiration will not evaporate. The body's cooling system will produce perspiration in an effort to keep the body at its normal temperature even when the rate it is producing sweat exceeds the evaporation rate. So even without generating additional body heat by exercising, one can become coated with sweat on humid days. It is the unevaporated sweat that tends to make one feel uncomfortable in humid weather.

As the air surrounding one's body is warmed by body heat, it will rise and be replaced with other air. If air is moved away from one's body with a natural breeze or a fan, sweat will evaporate faster, making perspiration more effective at cooling the body. The more unevaporated perspiration, the greater the discomfort."

Dew point.....................Human perception....................................................Relative humidity at 32 °C (90 °F)
Over 26C/Over 80F...............Severely high.....................................................................73% and higher
24–26C 75–80F................Extremely uncomfortable, fairly oppressive......................62–72%
21–24C 70–74F................Very humid, quite uncomfortable....................................52–61%
18–21C 65–69F................Somewhat uncomfortable for most people at upper edge...44–51%
16–18C 60–64F................OK for most, but all perceive the humidity at upper edge...37–43%
13–16C 55–59F................Comfortable........................................................................31–36%
10–12C 50–54F................Very comfortable...............................................................26–30%
Under 10C/Under 50F............A bit dry for some........................................................25% and lower

What I love about the Pacific Northwest is that when it's hot, the humidity (dew point!) is usually relatively low. 95F still feels like 95F, but at least it doesn't feel like 105F!!

^ I have messed with that chart all I'm going to mess with it. Weather geek, I admit. Tables and graphs and such, not so much.

Ellen you are a weather geek. I don't know relative humidity, but we do know dew points here. It's easy to remember -- when it hits 60, it starts to get uncomfortable. At least that's how I remember it.

Well, happy trails and I hope the return to work goes smoothly.

Thanks, Beth!

Hi, Ellen! It is great seeing you making the rounds.

Good review of The Fifth Business. I have had a copy of this one for awhile, thanks to Joe, so I think I am going to finally move it up in the queue.

BTW- I am loving my North Korea NNF! Just sayin'...

>100 EBT1002: you are a weather geek! Excellent. I knew nothing about the dew point....

We have so little humidity where I am, the concept hardly even registers with me at all. Thank goodness :)

I love the yurts in the woods up there, they look like they would be very comfy to kip in. And no packing up the tent afterwards!

Hi, Ellen! Just doing some threads catch-ups. :)

I'm very jealous of your surroundings - I spent a month in your corner of the world a few years back, it was amazing!

>60 EBT1002:

I LOVE that one!!

I'm glad to learn you had an enjoyable vacay, and got some reading done! Somewhere around here The Deptford Trilogy awaits me...

Thank you for the lesson in dew point! I'm with Beth. When it's over 60, I start howling - and it's almost always over 60......makes the cold feel colder too. My college roomie from ND felt colder in Charlotte with temps in the 20s than she ever did in Grand Forks, or so she claimed.
Safe travels tomorrow! Hope you get a lot of reading done.

53. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson




Second in the infamous Jackson Brodie series, this was a fun adventure through complicated connections, coincidences, and convolutions. Honda Man rear ends and then beats up Peugeot Guy with a baseball bat, an apparent incidence of road rage. Martin Canning (aka famous mystery writer Alex something) is a witness who uses his laptop bag to distract Honda Man, ending the bloodshed. A variety of witnesses, including Gloria Hatter, wife of millionaire developer Graham Hatter, dismiss the incident and yet find their lives intersecting in unexpected ways. Brodie is not your average private eye and the novel's blend of playful and serious narrative is delightful. The novel has just the right dose of irony and the ending is oddly satisfying. I'll be reading the next in the series.

54. Stumptown Volume 2 by Matthew Southworth




Another fun installment in the Stumptown (Portland, Oregon) series of graphic novels, this one features the missing guitar ("baby") of a famous Portland-based rock star. Good hard-boiled private eye stuff with the tender side of our hero, Dex, illuminated by her protective and sweet connection to her brother who has Downs syndrome. Great graphics. One of my favorite images is actually of Seattle, as Dex imagines the possible route of a drug-smuggling gig: the drawing shows the iconic Paramount Theater with a crane in the background. Perfect.

>104 msf59: Mark, I think you would get a kick out of Fifth Business.

>105 LovingLit: Megan, the yurts look fun but we are already looking for our next oceanside cabin rental. The Washington coast in November, that is our goal.

>106 lyzard: Liz, I wore my shirt with that image on it yesterday and got several comments. I've calculated it out: I have six consecutive years' of Asheville Village Art & Crafts Fair t-shirts. Now my goal is to keep it going.

>107 Matke: Hey Gail, I think you would enjoy the Deptford Trilogy.

>108 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I'm definitely a humidity- and heat-wimp. We finally got some rain this evening. Not enough to end the drought (local weather folks have said that 98% of the state of Washington is in a "severe drought" -- where is that other 2%, I wonder) but enough to take the edge off. I feel like a Pacific Northwesterner when i feel like doing a dance because it rained!!!

What a busy weekend! Friday I stayed home, and P and I cleaned the whole house in anticipation of my staff coming over around 3:30pm. Then Saturday, we went to a tile store to start planning our bathroom remodel. I was admiring a medicine cabinet and it fell off the wall, onto my head! I had a nasty bump and the showroom guy was beside himself, worrying that I was seriously hurt. Mind you, I make a living using my brain so I wasn't happy about this whole thing, but I appear to be fine. It was mildly traumatic. The rest of Saturday was spent doing some shopping and then today we did a MAJOR clear-out! We took a car-load of bedding, clothes, shoes, and such to the Good Will. We also went to an outlet store and bought four new ottomans (ottomen?), then took our old HUGE and ugly ones to the Good Will. Swung by the library to pick up books on hold, and went to the newly-opened PCC (Puget Consumers Coop) in Columbia City to buy groceries.

Okay, none of this translates in writing, but Trust Me. It was a busy and productive weekend! And our living room looks MUCH better without those monstrous ottomans!

I did a bit of reading too. Just about done with Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir. Tomorrow I plan to start Go Set a Watchman.

Yikes! the medicine cabinet incident sounds scary

Good work on the house projects.

That sounds like a very busy but productive weekend. Hope your noggin is OK today!

After all the news about football players and the like, I'm very concerned about any bumps on the head! Keep watching to see if any "symptoms" appear, and if you forget you were hit on the head, then go directly to the doctors..... (Ok, that was a feeble attempt at being funny, and I don't think it worked)

I'm hoping your week goes well! I'm reading the second in the series of Kent Haruf boos, Eventide and I don't remember if you have read it. If not, you would love it I'm sure.

More hot weather for us.... dang! I'm going to be very happy with my A/C but also keep remembering my new place does not have any..... oh dear. I am afraid of global warming, very afraid.

OK, time to take my sick humor elsewhere.

Ellen - How's the head? It does sound like you had a productive weekend. It was hot here with a high dew point, so I stuck to mostly sedentary work -- grading, class prep, etc. Did some cleaning and took Scout to the toy store -- her mom thought she needed new, older girl toys. So, Tita ended up getting her a trike that she learned how to pedal in about two minutes. It has a little box on the back in which she can put things, and streamers from the handle bars. She was quite thrilled. She also got some pots and pans for her kitchen.

You remind me how much I liked the Brodie series. Maybe Atkinson will go back to it one day...

The Stumptown graphic also looks good; I'll have to check into it.

I have Go Set a Watchman here, too. I'm dithering a bit. I have mixed feelings about whether to read it.

Oh good, I've got a copy of Tomboy on the TBR. Looking forward to your comments. Glad you liked the second Stumptown. The third keeps up the high quality.

>112 EBT1002: Oh, ouch! That should never happen! Are you doing ok today?

55. Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince




This is a reasonably good graphic memoir focusing on gender expression, coming of age, bullying, and pre-adolescent angst. In truth, the pre-adolescent angst wore a bit thin but I love her candid descriptions of her struggles with gender expression and identity. Definitely worth reading.

I'm realizing that my gold standard for graphic memoirs is Alison Bechdel's Fun Home. Nothing else comes close, for me, and I just went and upgraded Fun Home to five stars. After two years, it sticks with me and I reference it every time I read a graphic memoir; if that's not a five-star read, what is?

>113 banjo123: The Medicine Cabinet Incident was indeed scary, Rhonda. It took a couple of hours for me to decide that I was really okay. That thing was heavy!!!

>114 lauralkeet: Hey Laura. I seem to be completely recovered from the Medicine Cabinet Incident.

>115 maggie1944: Yes, Karen, I was carefully attending to any symptoms that might indicate concussion. At one point I even asked P to look at my pupils and be sure they looked okay. The good news is that I was getting in the car this morning before I even thought about it. That means I was up for a good 90 minutes with no noticeable effects. Or, by your logic, I should have headed to the doc! Heh.

I'm dreading the return of the hot weather. Today was lovely and last night, during the hour or so of steady rain, I just sat and watched it. It's weird how much we Puget Sounders love our rain!

>116 BLBera: Hey Beth. I love the idea of taking a small child to a toy store. "...nd streamers from the handle bars." Awesome.

It's hard for me to assess how much the Stumptown graphic novels would appeal to folks less familiar with Portland. But it's good hard-boiled private eye kind of stuff, with nice tender touches (you know, female protagonist).

I have started Go Set a Watchman and I am having a very hard time sorting through my reactions, even in the early going. The narration seems uneven, but am I noticing that more because of all the hoopla about poor editing? It will be interesting to see how it lands on me in the long run. I do hope you read it, even if only to have another perspective for discussion. Our RL book group will be discussing it in August. I had hoped to do a reread of TKAM, as well, but I'm not sure I'll get to that.

>117 jnwelch: Joe, I recommend reading Tomboy (it will go pretty quickly) because you have a niece who is acting in "Transparent" and you have some interest in the topic. This is not about trans issues, per se, but that is part of why I liked it. It's about gender expression and gender identity without the rigid binary overlay. Good, but not great.

I'll see if our library has the third installment of the Stumptown series.

>118 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for checking, Linda. I seem to be fine. It was a scary incident, that's for sure.

I got great news at work today. It will get harder before it gets easier but it's going to get easier!!
I can't share specifics yet, but will do so when I can!

Oh boy.

Currently reading:

>120 EBT1002: Glad you're OK. Now....do you need a good lawyer?

Yikes! Sorry to hear about the Medicine Cabinet Incident. I hope that you've fully recovered by now.

I am awaiting to hear your thoughts on Go Set a Watchman. Glad you are feeling better, and there also seems to be a light on the horizon of working too hard. Yay, for more simplicity.

I might pick that up next, after I finish my first Longmire.

Those are helpful comments on Tomboy, Ellen. I'll look forward to reading it, but not expect a Fun Home level of quality.

You're right, Alison Bechdel probably sets the standard. Different angles, but some other excellent graphic memoirs that come to mind are Blankets, Pyongyang, March Book One, Displacement (I haven't read her Relish), and, of course, Roz Chast's Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant. Oh, and Persepolis.

>123 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I LOVE that (how did you know that I am a huge "Peanuts" fan??). I'm also laughing because the guy in the shop was, I think, quite worried about a lawsuit. No permanent damage done, so that's okay. Still, we'll probably use him to help design the new bathroom and I expect good treatment.... ;-)

>124 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I appreciate that you caught on so quickly that this is a capitalized event. :-)

>125 maggie1944: Karen, I had insomnia last night so I did quite a bit of reading. Go Set a Watchman is moving rather quickly. More in a moment.....

>126 BLBera: Oh, a Longmire. Enjoy, Beth!

>127 jnwelch: Joe, as I mentioned Fun Home as my gold standard for graphic memoirs, I also thought about Blankets and Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, both of which I loved. I also thought Stitches was quite poignant and good. I liked but didn't love Displacement. Oh,a nd Persepolis, yes that was a good one. I haven't read March Book One. I'll have to check it out.

So many graphic memoirs!

Okay, I don't know how the totality of Go Set a Watchman will land on me but I read chapter 9 this morning. It describes Atticus' character and Jean Louise (Scout)'s experience growing up with him as a father. It's enough to make you weep. In a good way.

>130 EBT1002: Ellen, I just finished Go Set a Watchman over the weekend. I was rolling along up through Chapter 7 (where Jean Louise attends a Methodist worship service, which I found really amusing), and then in Chapter 8 she comes across the pamphlet and *whomp* the next few chapters really knocked me back. Like you said, in a good way.

Hi, Ellen! Just checking in with, my pal. Looking forward to your final thoughts on Go Set a Watchman. So far, a couple of my other LT buddies, have enjoyed it. It is waiting for me on audio. Just sayin'...

Oh, "Ouch", Ellen. I hope you recovered from that medicine cabinet!

I'm adding Tomboy to my list, I can't believe all the really good graphic novels that are out there today.

>199 maggie1944: I was a full tomboy as a kid. Always wore shorts, climbed trees (and made my friends do it too and then was perplexed as to why they couldnt do it), played with match box cars, in the mud, and in forts. People were always saying I should wear skirts. I was like: "why?" lol. Now I wear skirts and dresses a lot, and people say "you should wear something other than black" and I am like "why?".
Shall I hazard a guess at the moral of the story? Leave people be. How's that? :)

>130 EBT1002: in a good way?! Hooray!

56. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee




A couple of days ago I read Adam Gopnik's New Yorker review of this controversial novel and my reaction was "I could never have articulated it as he did, but his review exactly captures my reactions to Go Set a Watchman." It seems highly unlikely to me that this novel preceded To Kill a Mockingbird because this novel clearly assumes knowledge of the characters and story from that iconic work. Of course, it could have been an early draft or there could be overlap in the writing effort -- who knows? But in any case, this novel falls far short of TKaM. There are poignant scenes and beautiful passages; the description of Atticus' character and Scout's relationship with him almost made me weep. All of the beauty of the novel, however, lies in the flashbacks to Scout's childhood. Scout is a compelling character; Jean Louise much less so. Similarly, her uncle, Dr. Finch, and her lifelong friend/boyfriend Hank just don't ring true. And the scenes set in the "present" (which is still the 1960s) take on a pedantic tone oddly mixed with obscure references and awkward dialogue. I have no idea what is true about the writing or publication of this novel. Regardless of what is true, the only good thing I expect to see emerge from its publication is renewed interest in To Kill a Mockingbird. That novel should be read by every sentient reader; Go Set a Watchman, not so much.

>131 lauralkeet: Laura, I had a similar reaction. The latter third of the novel just totally lost me, though. It makes me wonder if the first half or two thirds was actually a draft written by Harper Lee and someone else put together that ending.

>132 msf59: Mark, I'll be interested in your reaction to Go Set a Watchman. I wanted to like it and, as mentioned above, parts of it were quite moving. It fell short in the end.

>133 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I totally agree! It's like the graphic genres (novels and memoirs) have just taken off in the past couple of years!

>134 LovingLit: I was sort of a tomboy, Megan. I definitely hated frilly or uncomfortable clothes (down with lace!) and my mom did one thing right: she mostly let me wear what I wanted to wear. I have a couple of elementary-school photos that I really should figure out how to scan and share. I'd love to post them here. Definitely a tomboy (although I wasn't totally rough-and-tumble). A bookworm sort of tomboy? Ha.

I've started reading The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan which I received as an Early Reviewers edition. So far, it's not bad.

Nice review of Go Set a Watchman, Ellen. I still haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird, as it's pretty low on my TBR list, and I'll definitely pass on her "new" book.

>135 EBT1002: I read that excellent Adam Gopnik review of Go Set a Watchman in the New Yorker, and it's intriguing that it matches your reaction. I'm sure we'll never know the full and true story behind GSaW's creation and publication, but what you both say makes sense. Good point about this generating even more interest in To Kill a Mockingbird, one of those rare books that everyone should read.

Ellen, thank you for your review of GSaW and for linking to the Gopnik piece, which I had not seen. Both have strengthened my conviction not to read it - first and foremost because it just doesn't interest me. I find the argument that it only works because of TKaM and couldn't have been written first very compelling. I guess it doesn't make much difference, in and of itself, which came first, but it seems like there has been some level of duplicity at play, and I don't like the possibility that it came at the expense of the author.

>138 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I will continue recommend TKaM but I believe this one would drive you mad.

>139 jnwelch: Hi Joe. Reading Gopnik's review was so validating (and it made me wonder if I would be able to write reviews like that if I had majored in English and pursued that career rather than majoring in Psych and following the path I've followed -- speaking of which, I think I hinted around here that I had work-related news -- more about that in a moment).

>140 katiekrug: Your resolve is well-placed, Katie. Regardless of what the "truth" is, the novel is not, in itself, worthy of praise. I hate that the controversy might in any way undermine the reading public's high regard for Harper Lee and the exquisite To Kill a Mockingbird.

I mentioned that I had good news regarding my job. I'm now in a position to share the news. You all know how I've been doing two jobs for the past four years? They really are two full-time jobs; at any institution of higher ed, one person would be carrying the responsibilities associated with each of my titles. Well. I learned on Monday that my boss has successfully obtained funds to hire a new director for the counseling center. That means I will only be an AVP. The new director will report to me and the counseling center will remain in my portfolio (what a weird word), so I'll still be advocating for student mental health and wellness, but I will have the latitude and capacity to focus more on broader leadership initiatives and work toward more collaboration among the five departments that will report to me. This requires a bit of a shift in identity for me but it will be good for me, good for the center (who will have a full-time director just focusing on that work), and good for the institution. Whew! The search-and-hire process will take a few months so I will continue to be very busy for the foreseeable future, but the light at the end of the tunnel is NOT an oncoming train. Hooray!

Okay, back to work (writing annual reviews for members of my staff -- this load will lessen after this transition, too!) and then maybe a short break to keep reading The Hummingbird.

That *is* excellent news!

I enjoyed reading your review of GSaW. It pretty much reinforces to me that I don't need to read it.

Wahoo on the job news!!!

>142 EBT1002: Great! Smart of your boss - you're too valuable to alienate via overload. The new set-up sounds like it'll both open up your schedule to some degree (only one full-time job, not two) and add some interesting challenges. Congratulations!

>143 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>144 SuziQoregon: Glad I could be of assistance, Juli. :-)
And thank you for the hearty cheer!

>145 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. You captured the essence of the change exactly. It won't reduce my responsibilities, per se, but will allow me to focus more at one level rather than constantly moving back and forth so much between the micro and the macro. There are days I feel like I have intellectual whiplash!

It's TOO HOT in Seattle. Just sayin'.

Ellen, I like your take on GSAW. I too found the last third or whatever it was didn't measure up to the rest. I tired of Jean Louise's rant/tantrum, which went on a bit. But on the whole I still liked it.

Your job news is excellent. Good for you! My daughter (college sophomore) is likely to major in Psych and is interested in many of the issues you deal with in your work. It's interesting to me to see one avenue for such interests.

>148 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. I think we were posting on one another's threads at the same time! I wholly agree with your spoiler comment. It is probably a significant part of what lost me.

Thanks for the kind words about my job news. Career paths are so interesting. I majored in psych and went immediately to graduate school, thinking I wanted to be an academic. While in grad school, I decided that I did not want to live the publish-or-perish life (I need more structure than that life provides -- I'd never get anything done!), and I wanted to do therapy. I did my internship at a university counseling center and I've never looked back. It's interesting to find myself now as a university administrator, using skills I certainly developed while doing therapy but using them to facilitate groups and mentor other professionals and student leaders. And I manage risk a lot. That's certainly not anything I anticipated! So, I think it's great that your daughter is considering a psych major and there are soooo many routes she can take with it.

Hmm, I've pretty much abandoned the AAC-II and the BAC but this month's authors are of interest to me.
Larry McMurtry
Iris Murdoch
Graham Greene

I don't have anything by McMurtry around the house but I might see if I can scare something up. I have several by the other two authors so I'll have to decide what I want to read. Probably The Sea, the Sea and Our Man in Havana.

" I've pretty much abandoned the AAC-II". Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?? Heart completely obliterated...

Hi, Ellen! I can not believe the heat is continuing in the PNW. That is brutal. This has to break all kind of records, but in a very bad way.

I enjoyed your thoughts on Go Set a Watchman. I have a sneaky feeling, I will be sharing similar thoughts.

I am nearly done with Fifth Business. What a wonderful book this is. And I want to thank you and Joe, for the nudge. Why are these books, not better known?

>56 LizzieD: Excellent review, Ellen, and it has helped me feel better about my decision to give Go Set A Watchman as pass, at least for the immediate future. I love TKAM but really don't feel the urge to revisit those characters at a different point in their lives.

>150 EBT1002: I agree that this is a better month for the AAC and BAC than some months. I may even read multiples of some of the authors if I can fit them in with the others I want to read.

Hi Ellen - I love Adam Gopnik. Thanks for sharing his review. Maureen Corrigan also had a good one. I put the link in my thread. I wish I would have read your comments -- I agreed entirely. I could have just said, "What Ellen said," instead of writing my own.

Congrats on your new work situation. At least there is light... I hope the search and hiring goes smoothly.

Congrats on the job news!

Congratulations on the good news for the future of your work life! It is so nice to see light at the end of a tunnel. Speaking of which, I signed papers and gave away the money for the condo in Bellevue and am now waiting for Monday so the seller will sign, and perhaps pick up his money, and maybe I'll get a key. Or maybe not, it might take a day or two more....... awk! I hate waiting. I really have no great need for the key, but I'd like to see this process finished.

I look forward to talking with you about Go Set... I think I came to a slightly different conclusion, but have not quite been able to articulate it. Talking might help..... I do like to do my thinking out loud, for some reason.

57. Strong Female Protagonist by Brennan Lee Mulligan




Yep, another graphic novel completed. This one lost me for a bit in the middle but ended on a very strong note. Allison Green, aka Mega Girl, is a superhero and/or a superhuman, depending on your point of view. She has taken off her mask, though, and is trying to live a "normal" life, having decided that her heroics don't really change the overall world order so they are not worth much. If you save someone's life and that life is riddled by poverty and strife, what have you really accomplished? Other superheroes and former supervillains might disagree, though.

One of the best parts of the novel is the authorial one-liners at the bottom of each page. Never has an author been so present through the unfolding of a graphic novel. At times this just felt like a comic book but the last chapter (involving a golden retriever, so there's that) is superb, leading me to give it a respectable rating.

On a frustrating note, LT is not letting me add it to my library. Grr.

Currently reading:

.

Our nephew is getting married next Saturday and the all-family-all-the-time period has begun. We are serving as home base for relatives from British Columbia and Washington, DC, and... well, you know how it goes. It's very exciting, but a bit overwhelming.

Still, I'll try to keep up around here.

>151 msf59: Mark, you're going to have to trust that my love for you is untarnished, despite my failure at this year's American Author Challenge.

The heat has been brutal. As long as I'm sitting still, it's not too bad. It's also Seafair, so the Blue Angels buzzed our house each of the past three days and right now I can hear some old bi-plane doing loop-de-loops out over Lake Washington. It's always hot for Seafair.

I remember hearing of Robertson Davies when I was in grad school in the 80s. My roommate was an avid reader and now I wish I had followed his recommendations more frequently. I remember him reading Davies and Don DeLillo, among others. I was reading Stephen King and John Irving and Katherine V. Forrest....

>152 DeltaQueen50: Glad I could validate your thinking, Judy!

>153 thornton37814: I'm with you, Lori. I have a couple of library books and an Early Reviewer I need to read (see >158 EBT1002:) but I will definitely focus on some McMurtry, Murdoch, and Greene this month. I'm also thinking about trying to shoehorn in The Bone People.... We'll see.

>154 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I will check out the link on your thread for Maureen Corrigan's review.

>155 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I'm excited that, this time next year, I'll be in a really different work space. Lots of unknowns but I'll handle it. :-)

>156 maggie1944: Karen, it's great to see progress on the home-transition front. The waiting can be a bear....
In terms of thinking out loud, I totally get that! Even though we're having a hard time finding a day for which lunch in the U District will work (my schedule....ugh), I do plan to attend book group. And we WILL find a day for lunch!

LT is cooperating now, so I have been able to update my libraries.
AND this laptop is too dang hot to have sitting on my lap, so TTFN. (Besides, family duty calls.....)

>161 EBT1002:, remember we moved the Book Group from the third Monday, to the third Thursday. Last month, I went to Third Place Books both nights! And then on the 28th to have Jimmy Carter sign his book. I love that place, nonetheless!

Congratulations on the job front!

And man do I agree with you about the weather---I'm so sick of the heat and lots of my plants have been dying.

I am on vacation and currently in Casper, Wyoming. I hope to be in Bozeman, Montana tomorrow to spend three days with my sister. I brought three books with me and have barely read 10 pages. I wanted to spend lots of time reading and that just hasn't been the case.

Best of luck with the all-family-all-the-time business...

Happy Sunday, Ellen! I finished Fifth Business. What a wonderful novel. It was just about perfect. What this author packs in, in less than 300 pages, is truly remarkable. Once again, thanks to you and Joe, for nudging me into it and I look forward to reading the next 2 books.

It's great to hear positive job news from somebody----good luck with the transition and the new set of circumstances, Ellen. Sounds like better times are coming!

I first heard of Robinson Davies here on LT, from a Canadian friend. I think part of the reason for lack of attention to his work in the U.S. is that he was Canadian. He was big up there, but I don't remember ever being introduced to a single Canadian author in my college career as an English major. We studied American lit (for "American" read "from the United States") and British lit. Period. That's a cryin' shame.

Have fun with the wedding festivities. Stay cool.

>146 EBT1002: You had let me in on some of the back story, so I'm really glad the job situation worked out so well. Seems like it would have been hard to carry on with things the same way.

I'm happy to be your Fifth Business nudging teammate. I hope it inspires others to pick it up.

I'm pretty sure Mark was lauding Strong Female Protagonist, too. I've got birthday GNs to get through, but that one's high on my WL.

>163 maggie1944: Karen, I'm so glad you reminded me! So this means we're meeting on August 20?

>164 arubabookwoman: Hello, Deborah! Thank you for the congrats!
I feel like we are being poor stewards of water. We're watering different segments of the yard almost every day, just trying to keep things alive!! Unfortunately, we had planted about five new evergreens this spring. We've certainly lost one of them and we're trying to keep the others alive until the fall rains come. I hope they come.

>165 benitastrnad: Benita, I'm always more ambitious about how much I will read on vacation than actually turns out to be the case. Part of the point of vacation is often to see new places, enjoy beautiful scenery, and connect with friends or family. I still manage to get in a bit of reading, but it's often less than I expect. Enjoy the lovely places you are visiting!

>166 scaifea: LOL. Thanks, Amber. I'm incredibly fond of the nephew who is getting married. We have family coming from all over the place -- British Columbia, Washington DC, Palau.... It should be fun, really.

>167 msf59: Mark, I'm so glad you enjoyed Fifth Business. I, too, am looking forward to the next two in the trilogy!

>168 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda. Thanks for the good words regarding my job shift. I'm very pleased even though I won't see the relief for a few months.

I totally agree about the absence of Canadians from our school (high school or college) reading lists. "American" (U.S., as you say) lit and "English" lit -- everything else was a side bar.

>169 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Today is a bit quieter. P and I are planning to duck out to see "Mr. Holmes" at the (air conditioned) cinema.

>170 jnwelch: Hey, Joe, I'm always happy to join you in spreading the word about a good read! And, I'm surprised by how many GNs I've been reading. You and Mark get all the blame credit!

Borrowing from Linda's thread and posting the Booker Long List here, mostly for my own sake. I have not read any of the nominees so I will start to try to address that. I was hoping The Buried Giant would make the list, but I will stay open-minded. :-)

Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
The Green Road by Anne Enright
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami
Satin Island by Tom McCarthy
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
The Illuminations by Andrew O'Hagan
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Sleeping on Jupiter by Anuradha Roy
The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota
The Chimes by Anna Smaill
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

>151 msf59: " I've pretty much abandoned the AAC-II". Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?? Heart completely obliterated...
S'OK Marky, we are still here for you!! :)

All-family-all-the-time is OK, I have found, for short periods. Like a day. ;)

>174 LovingLit: Marky-mark knows I love him, Megan. And I've put a McMurtry on hold at the library! ;-)

Last year, I got all excited about the Booker Prize long list and I promptly ordered several of them. In hard cover form. I still haven't read them all and I just decided a few days ago that, as much as I want to read The Bone Clocks, the hard cover edition is just too heavy. I realize that an e-reader would rectify this situation, but in the meantime, I'm doing a few things:
1. I'm taking my hard cover copy of The Bone Clocks to one of my neighborhood Little Free Libraries.
2. I'm probably purchasing a soft cover copy of The Bone Clocks.
3. I'm resisting the urge to rush over to amazon or book depository to order all of this year's nominees.

Whew.

Hi Ellen - Yes, I am surprised by the list, too. And what about A God in Ruins or Nora Webster? There are two or three that I might try...The only one I've read is The Moor's Account, and all of the others I mentioned and The Buried Giant are all better. I'm 24 on the reserve list for the Tyler book.

>177 BLBera: I had the Tyler book from the library and had to return it before I could get to it.
I have a copy of Nora Webster, not yet read, and of course I want to read A God in Ruins.
I'm sure you already told us on your thread, but what did you think of The Moor's Account?

Yes, Ellen, book group on 8/20. Hoping that the TPB's schedule for live music and/or speakers is less often on Thursdays than it was on Mondays.

This is my week to start moving into my new place but I have to wait for the word from the flooring installation people. Need my new floors to be finished! I am packing boxes for real now; and I found a wonderful woman to help me with purging papers I've carried around for far too long, and she will also help me with figuring out how to organize my smaller kitchen. That may be my big beast at this point. Books, Papers, Crafts and Kitchen. Those are the four big challenges.

Benediction continues to hold my attention and love. He is such a superb writer, packing so much into just a few sentences. Wow.

Hi, Ellen! Hope the weekend went well. If you have not yet purchased The Bone Clocks...hold off. I can send you my copy. It was an ARC and softcover.

Let me know.

Oh, it's so hard to resist those shiny prize nominees isn't it? I have no hope of reading them before the prize announcement so that helps me resist.

A seven day forecast with nothing over 90º is a thing of beauty.

Ellen - I gave The Moor's Account three and a half stars. It was one of the first books I read this year, but I won't make you go back to look at my comments. This is what I wrote at the time.

The Moor's Account
"I still had one thing. My story."

We all know that the winners are the ones write history. For one of the early Spanish expeditions to Florida, the official story was told by Cabeza de la Vaca (cow's head). In this historical novel, Lalami gives us a different perspective on the expedition and tells the story from the point of view of one of the slaves who accompanied his Spanish master, Mustafa al-Zamori, or Estebanico, as his owner calls him. As Mustafa points out, as a slave, not only did he lose his freedom, but also the history that went along with his name.

It's no surprise that the Spanish conquistadores raped and plundered. As the survivors of the expedition move from tribe to tribe in the New World, the story seems to repeat itself. This is good historical fiction, but not great. 3 1/2 stars

It's been a while. I think the reason I didn't love it was because it didn't seem to tell me anything I didn't already know.

Great news about the redistribution (and lightening) of your duties at work, Ellen!

That is wonderful work news, Ellen!

>157 EBT1002: - Excellent review! I had a copy of that Strong Female Protagonist a number of months ago as a Netgalley early review read and ended up abandoning it because I got tired of the PDF format the book was provided in.... I had a terrible time reading the text because of the font and the low resolution image they had saved the PDF in. Glad to see that the story ended on a strong note!

Ellen, I'm happy for you regarding the restructuring of your job(s). I sensed that you were overwhelmed at work, not to mention overworked. Once you get into the swing of things, you may even have more time to read. And you have been doing some great reading. I knew you would love the Davies. The entire trilogy was a treat to read. I am considering his Cornish Trilogy despite the weird book covers. I have the set in hardcover. I've loaned out my ER copy of The Bone Clocks or I would send it to you. Someone stopping by The Little Free Library is in for a real treat! I've yet to find anything I want in my local LFL but I'm still delighted to have one in sight of my house. The grandkids find lots of good stuff as the proprietor is a teacher in the gifted program.

58. The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan




"We live our lives on a whole planet, seeing and learning and going from place to place. But eventually there arrives a time for each of us, when our world becomes smaller: one house, one floor of that house, and near the end, one room, one little room to which our whole gigantic life has been reduced."

Deborah Birch is a hospice nurse who finds herself caring for and befriending a grumpy history professor as he dies of cancer. "Nurse Birch" and "Professor" resonate with one another despite the professor's sturdy defenses and stubborn self-reliance. As his vulnerability leads him down a path of accepting help, he shares an unpublished book he has written, "The Sword", which describes the failed and unacknowledged aerial attack on the Oregon coast by a Japanese pilot during WWII. Is the story true? Is it factual? Meanwhile, Deborah's husband, a three-deployment veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is clearly a wounded warrior with whom Deborah wishes deeply to reestablish connection. The professor's story, as well as the occasional pearls of wisdom he (sometimes inadvertently) shares with Deborah lead her to actions that provide the space for her husband's healing.

A treatise on forgiveness and compassion, as well as a meditation on the meaning and power of the process of death, this novel captured my attention and held it. I rooted for Deborah as she strived to find a path into the professor's authentic self, and as she brought her authentic self to her relationship with her husband, challenging him to intentionally shed his terrors and meet her physical and emotional embrace. Two men to whom Deborah was saying: let me help you.

This novel is a compassionate and poignant exploration of themes of death, forgiveness, resolution, redemption, and -- possibly most important -- the healing power of human connection.

>180 msf59: Mark, too late (not you -- me! I've been awol again). I bought a soft cover copy of The Bone Clocks. But thank you for the offer. You know I will take you up on it another time!

Oh, Ellen, the book review above has moved me. I don't remember if you read Benediction but many of the same themes are treated there by Haruf. A very moving book, also. I'll see if I can get The Hummingbird from the library. I hear the library in Bellevue is a gem.

>187 EBT1002: That sounds like a powerful read. I'm making a note of it.

Hi Ellen - The Hummingbird sounds wonderful. You have good luck with ER books. I just finished a book and have been thinking about THe Bone Clocks. Great minds...

59. The Sage of Waterloo by Leona Francombe




This little gem of a novel recounts the Battle of Waterloo from the perspective of a rabbit who lives on a Hougoumont farm -- near the site of the iconic battle -- 200 years later. William, our narrator, is a philosopher. Old Lavender, his grandmother, teaches him and his siblings and cousins living in the warren the way of the world and the role of history in helping us make sense of the present.

My library copy is riddled with flags, marking passages that made me chuckle in delight or sigh in recognition or simply think "what beautiful writing." Here is an example of the first:

Mornings were reserved for pop quizzes:
"What did Wellington have for breakfast?" (Hot sweet tea and toast. Napoleon, by the way, took his breakfast on a silver plate.) "Why was Wellington such a poor rider?" (He slid around on his saddle too much, wearing holes in his breeches.) "How long was Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher pinned under his dead horse?" (Even longer than it takes to pronounce his name properly.) "What did they use to revive him?" (Blücher, not the horse: gin and garlic.)

Here is an example of the last, which occurs after William finds himself outside the walls of his home, in a place he has never been:

I wondered if it was simple coincidence that the garden had high walls, or just a bit of whimsy on the part of Moon. Hougoumont was walled, too. It's funny how familiarity pops up in uncharted places. If you think about it, our passage along the Hollow Way is often sprinkled with landmarks of similar shape and hue, like stepping-stones over a stream. These familiar objects are not random, but present themselves with a sort of intentional symmetry, as if pointing the way. Our passage from one to the other really should not be taken for granted. Think about the turns your life has taken (I mean really think -- stare out a window for at least an hour), and you'll discover a startling, sometimes pleasing, invariably inexplicable logic in the way things have happened to you.

It's impossible to do justice to this little novel. It started a bit slowly but by page 30 I was enchanted. William is wonderful scholarly narrator and the story is poignant and moving. It's not so much "about" the Battle of Waterloo as it is about human foibles and the terrible legacy of our persistent investment in war. It is neither political nor strident. Rather, reading Francombe's tale is essentially the act of reflection, perhaps more rewarding than staring out a window for an hour.

Sorry I haven't been able to respond to individual posts to my thread. Our house has been flooded with family and finding a moment to myself is rare. I hope to find some time tomorrow although we are hosting a huge picnic (the wedding and reception are today) so I may just be fooling myself.

Currently reading:



The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

Don't worry about us....we'll be here when you're free.

^Thanks Linda! As it turns out, it's easier to noodle around on LT with all the activity (off-the-charts smart and active 6-year-old) than it is to read!

My grand-nephew, Lou, is quite a reader. At age six he has read about half a dozen books in the past two days: Roald Dahl and the "Pippi" series by Astrid Lindgren. He also likes to play Jenga and video games. :-|

Ellen - it sounds like you're having wonderful family time. I checked and the library has The Sage of Waterloo. I reserved it.

I get some family time tomorrow; we're celebrating Scout's second birthday. Can you believe it? I remember, you're an August baby, too, right? Is the big day coming up soon?

Hooray on the job news! And have a WONDERFUL weekend. As I get older, I really appreciate these kinds of family time.

Agreed with banjo123, especially when there are youngsters who grow older so dang fast. I'm swimming in the minutia of moving, much less fun than family. Also having little to no time to read.

"This too shall pass".

Enjoy your family time, Ellen!

Great review of The Sage of Waterloo.

Happy Sunday, Ellen. Excellent review of The Sage of Waterloo. I was not familiar with that one, until now, of course.

Hope you are enjoying The Power and the Glory. I remember loving that one.

Enjoy your time with the family.

Howdy Ellen!

Ouch on the medicine cabinet!

Woohoo on your job restructuring!

I am starting on the Patel book. It's part of my category challenge and I really need to put a dent in that category. Your plate looks full so no worries if you can't join me. We will definitely discuss when you read it.

>179 maggie1944: Karen, I will try to be there on the 20th and yes, I hope we aren't competing with live music. Not that I mind live music, per se, but it does make discussion more difficult!

I know from FB that you are moved in and have even enjoyed a meal in your new home. I hope you and Greta settle in nicely in the coming weeks.

>180 msf59: Thanks for the offer, Mark!

>181 lauralkeet: Laura, it is indeed difficult to resist the shiny new nominees! But I'm letting myself learn from last year. I won't get to them all as quickly as I'd like, and I would really rather wait and get soft cover editions or get them from the library. SO - I'm waiting. Also, I own a copy of Nora Webster which is one that everyone is saying "should" have been on the nominee list, so I will try to get to that one sooner rather than later.

>182 SuziQoregon: "A seven day forecast with nothing over 90º is a thing of beauty." Indeed! This morning we got some sprinkles but still nothing more than a trace of precipitation. I'm ready for a two-day steady rain! Still, I'll take the cooler temps we've been getting.

>183 BLBera: Beth, thank you for posting your comments on The Moor's Account here on my thread. I will see if I can get it from the library. Being a Florida native, I might appreciate that aspect of it.

>184 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. As the days have gone by, I have grown even more excited. I've finished a draft of the position description and hope to post it later this week. Then the process will have officially begun!

>185 lkernagh: Thanks Lori. Yes, Strong Female Protagonist ended strong after a just-okay middle. I ended up liking it. Too bad your PDF version was so unreadable!

>186 Donna828: Thank you, Donna. And I ended up purchasing a softcover copy of The Bone Clocks and I will try to get to it before the summer ends. Heh. It might go on vacation to Provincetown with me at the end of the month.

There are several Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood; I can pass as many as four or five of them when I go for a walk. I've only taken from them once or twice but I enjoy depositing books in them and then checking later to see if they got taken. I like the idea of someone choosing one of the books I've contributed and finding pleasure in the reading!

>189 maggie1944: Karen, I have a copy of Benediction and I want to read it soon. I enjoyed the first two in the (loose) series. Let me know if you can't find a copy of The Hummingbird. I've promised to loan it to a colleague but when he returns it, I could pass it along to you.

>190 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I'll be interested in how The Hummingbird lands on others. It was imperfect but a worthwhile read.

>191 BLBera: Hi Beth. I guess you're right, that I've been lucky with ER reads. I have a couple that I've never gotten around to reading, much less reviewing, so I try to be very picky on which ones I request.

>197 BLBera: Beth, the family time has indeed been wonderful if also a bit overwhelming and exhausting. Yesterday we hosted a picnic at the park about 4 blocks from our house. I think we had about 40 people there ranging in age from 6 years (two grandnephews, born about 2 weeks apart) up to 93 years (my FIL)!

>198 banjo123: Thank you, Rhonda. I appreciate the family time and I'm glad to have some peace and quiet now. I'm quite extroverted but this challenged even my tolerance of no-alone-time. Still, we have a wonderful family and there were folks present from all over the globe: Palau, Washington DC, New Orleans, British Columbia (Nelson and Vancouver), and of course Seattle....

>199 maggie1944: "This too shall pass." Yes, and all too quickly. I know you're getting settled in now and I hope it soon starts to feel like home!

>200 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl, on both counts!

>201 msf59: Thank you, Mark. It was a hectic and delightful Sunday. See my comments above to Beth and Rhonda for a summary. Oh, and the weather was perfect. As much as we need rain, I was glad we didn't get it yesterday!

I was kind of excited to read The Sage of Waterloo and realize that very few LTers had it in their libraries. I think I was the second person to review it. Interestingly, that other person gave it only 2.5 stars so we shall see which way the opinion winds blow once more people have read it. I'm trying hard not to worry that I missed the boat in loving it. I mean, we each get to react the way we react, I know....

>202 luvamystery65: Hey Roberta! Yeah, having medicine cabinets land on your head is one thing I don't recommend. Getting your job restructured so that you will have more capacity, that I recommend! I hope it turns out as well as I'm thinking it will... :-)

I keep seeing the Eboo Patel book on my TBR stack (as opposed to my TBR shelves, which are easier to ignore) and thinking I really do want to read it. I wonder if it is the sort of thing that can be read a chapter at a time, interspersed with fiction reads. Perhaps I will try that.

I'm working from home today and really do have to get some annual reviews written. I also have a tree-pruning crew scheduled to arrive mid-morning to attend to our two large Japanese Maples. I hope they are good listeners and do the pruning in line with my vision. Also, nephew and his wife and 6-year-old son are still here. They plan to leave today for a couple of nights with other relatives, then they will return on Wednesday for a couple of nights before heading back up to British Columbia. And I'm trying to finish The Power and the Glory which I'm enjoying and which puts me in mind of Steinbeck.

Happy Monday, everyone! :-|

Happy Monday to you, Ellen. It sounds like you are multitasking this morning.

Oh, and in football news, the Vikings looked OK last night in their first preseason game. Where has the summer gone?

I haven't read any Greene for years, but all of the positive comments here, make me want to go back and revisit him.

I'm # 2 on the list for The Sage of Waterloo -- and no pressure.

No sign of the tree-pruning crew yet....

That reminds me. I've got to prune a tree; the branches are very close to brushing against the roof.

We're getting our very aggressive (and beloved) silver maple trimmed. It's gotten so big on our shady city block that they're going to have to work on both sides of our street to trim it. They've mapped out a good plan for it, and it sounds like it will be much healthier after all is done.

The tree crew came and I think they did a pretty good job. I certainly could not have done that! The larger of the trees is at the top of a sort of berm in our front yard and it extends out over the sidewalk. I can only climb out there so far before images of taking a tumble send me scurrying back for solid ground.

>210 BLBera: Just be careful, Beth!

>211 jnwelch: I can't believe how much these trees have grown in the 8 years we've lived here, Joe. I love them although a part of me thinks that the smaller one really is in a bad place. Our yard is city-small and that one is so close to the front stairs and garage.... but it's hard to take out a lovely tree, so we'll keep it for now. The larger one is beloved by the whole neighborhood! :-)

I do think this kind of pruning is good for the trees. They got all that dead stuff out of there that I just can't get without getting a crick in my neck.

Sadly my friend I have not completed my move, one foot in Bothell and the other in Bellevue. I might spend the night in Bellevue Wednesday or Thursday. We will see how it goes. I am glad the weather has cooled a little!

Ellen, just amazing that you attended the quickest wedding ever! Meanwhile my son and his now wife had the longest wedding I have attended! The bride was up at 5:30 am for hair and makeup, the Chinese door games started at about 9:15, Chinese Tea went from 10 - 11 am, after which there was a lunch for a small group, 1:30 the church ceremony started, pictures after, cocktails and dinner at the hotel started at 6 PM and the reception went on til 1 am , if you wanted . A long day! Not my doing! :) It was lovely in the end, but I had bit of a nap between the church ceremony and pictures and the reception! ;) Getting old!

60. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene




"There were no more priests and no more heroes."

Our protagonist (hero?) is an unnamed "whisky priest" during the systematic purge of priests and all things Catholic in Mexico. Hunted as the last priest not to succumb to laws that they renounce their faith and marry, he flees from village to village, seeking sanctuary, solace, wine, and redemption. He nearly finds all four but none are easy to come by in 1930s Mexico. Still, he encounters souls who are stout in their faith despite the capital cost associated with observance of holy rituals, much less harboring or hiding the last priest. Greene's illustration of the terrible pull between faith and terror, between belief and doubt, is beautifully wrought. John Updike's introduction is also well worth reading.

>213 maggie1944: One step at a time.....

>214 vancouverdeb: Two completely different weddings, Deb, although I did dance for a couple of hours to the zydeco band. In the barn. At the tree farm. After eating barbecue. My nephew and his (now) wife live in New Orleans and I think they were trying to bring some of that to the wedding!

Currently reading:



A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
Nominated (long list) for the 2015 Booker Prize

^ Notice the hummingbird on the cover. It's coincidence, but I seem to have a hummingbird thing going at present.

OOh, I love hummingbirds…and you've been doing some good reading. I need to check out my Graham Greene books and choose one. I read my McMurtry so I've done my duty by the AAC this month. Sounds like summer has been super busy for you, too. Family time is great but sometimes I just want to hide with my books. I hope to get to some more of the Booker nominees before too long.

I bailed on A Brief History of Seven Killings as the hard-cover copy I had from the library was too heavy for reading in bed!
I will wait until it comes out in soft cover.

Currently reading:



The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry

Trimming trees in my neighborhood won't need too be done for years. Thanks to the tornado in 2011 there isn't a tree to be found within four blocks. A large magnolia in my yard survived but it was in sad shape until this year. I had it trimmed up and shaped last year because it was all lopsided. I think it is starting to come out of the shock and I have hopes that it will start growing again.

>219 Donna828: We're in opposite tandem, Donna. I've read my Greene and you've read your McMurtry. I've started The Last Picture Show, but just barely so I can't yet tell whether I'll like it.

I also like hummingbirds! We get lots of them visiting our yard. They love the various hardy fuscia shrubs we have scattered about.

>222 benitastrnad: It's very sad to see mature trees so badly damaged, Benita. I adore our Japanese maples and I was admiring them today. The professional pruning job was worth it!

What? You bailed on A History of Seven Killings just because it weighs more than the Manhattan White Pages directory? *grumbles*

It is deceptively heavy, isn't it? Earlier today when I had a late breakfast at Caffè Greco I was glad that it lays flat, as it wasn't easy to hold it semi-upright in one hand while I used the other one to sip coffee.

Hi, Ellen! I hope you enjoy The Last Picture Show. I have a special fondness for that one.

A History of Seven Killings is on my T.R. list, I hope I can find it on audio.

>224 kidzdoc: "...while I used the other one to sip coffee."
See? You really do understand, Darryl. Be it coffee in the morning or wine in the evening, I need to be able to hold a book up with one hand!

>225 msf59: Mark, I wasn't sure at first with TLPS but it has captured my attention.

Hi Ellen, I saw you were home today and thought I'd drop by as it's been a while. I have no hope of catching up with this whole thread, but did glean a few things which I want to comment on.

First of all, congratulations on the new developments at work! Must be a huge relief to you to know that a lighter load is forthcoming.

Of course, I'm very glad you enjoyed Fifth Business as much as you did, but was rather hoping I'd find you succinct review on the book page so I could thumb it. You've summed up the book beautifully. Not surprised about your reaction to Go Set a Watchman. I wasn't in any hurry to get to it, but then the library got a copy of the audiobook and now I'm thinking I should fit it in sooner than later, with expectations fully adjusted as I've read quite a lot of feedback on it by now. I'm dying to read the New Yorker review on it, but will wait till I've read the novel first so as not to influence me further.

Enjoyed your review on The Power and the Glory. That book, along with too many other Graham Greene's, is sitting on the tbr, and I look forward to getting to it. I'm currently reading Travels With My Aunt, which had also been waiting its turn for quite a while, and it's a very fun ride thus far!

I hope you end up enjoying The Last Picture Show better than I did, which won't be too hard to do; I just wanted it to end as soon as possible. All these teenagers obsessed with sex and manipulation kind of depressed me. I do want to see the movie though to watch Cybill Shepherd in her first (?) movie role and see what all the Academy Award fuss was all about when it came out.

Don't work too hard and enjoy your day at home! :-)xx

>227 Smiler69: Hi Ilana! Thanks for stopping by. I am indeed working at home today. I finished two reviews and then rewarded myself with one chapter (okay, two chapters) of The Last Picture Show.

Thank you for the congratulations. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Well, I will go put my succinct review of Fifth Business on the book page. I've gotten back about doing that lately. Lack of confidence. And I will be interested to see how Go Set a Watchman lands on you. Do read the New Yorker review when you're done listening. I think he was spot on.

I have a couple more Graham Greenes around here and will likely read them but probably not this month. I want to see if I can do some Booker nominee reading. A Spool of Blue Thread is waiting for me, on hold at the library. I'm in the queue for a few others.

I'm having mixed reactions to TLPS. It's an easy read but, while I am not one who needs likable characters, I do need some redeeming value to the story. So far, I'm inclined to agree with you. I may just be missing the chromosome that makes this a compelling read. ;-)

I may just be missing the chromosome that makes this a compelling read.

You might be onto something there... it would explain my lack of enthusiasm too, obviously.

I did mean to comment on your ambitions to read the Booker Longlist; I'm always in awe of those who do, but I can't justify putting aside all the other books I've accumulated which include lots of previously listed Booker hopefuls and winners... That being said, I'm intrigued by The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami, which I might try to get my hands on sooner than later. I too am disappointed The Buried Giant didn't make the cut.

>229 Smiler69: Yep, that Y thing.....

You know, Ilana, I have not yet managed to ever read the entire Booker long list. Usually one or two of them fall off the TBR list as various trusted reading buddies review them (and express their disdain for the committee's poor judgment) and, as you say, there are so many other books that have been on my TBR shelves for weeks, months, or years! Last year I purchased all of the long listed novels and I still have not read them all. Of course, my strong preference for soft cover books (library books notwithstanding) also influences this whole dynamic. If they were all out in soft cover now, I would probably immediately purchase the whole bunch. I'm not saying I'd get around to reading them, but I'd probably purchase them. :-)

Okay, back to work.

Speaking of Bookers, I realize that for the past few threads I've failed to include this post. So, in order to pick it up again (and realizing that I'm closing in on time for yet another thread):

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 √

^ Not sure why the touchstones aren't working.

Okay, now back to work!

>231 EBT1002: Huh! Looks like I've read 25 of those so far... that's encouraging, though of course have quite a lot more to go!

DNF. The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry



I don't think I get to rate it (although the truth is that I gave it one star) because I'm bailing on The Last Picture Show without finishing it. I had read almost half of it and I just had to throw it aside in disgust. It's all teenage lust and absurdity, and I get that McMurtry has got his tongue firmly in his cheek, but the scene in which the teenage boys are assaulting a heifer was just too much. I don't have to read this.

I admit that I'm a bit curious about how the budding relationship between Sonny and the coach's wife develops but not enough to proceed.

Sorry, Mark.

I have no idea what I'm going to read next.

Since I have both The Bone People and The Sea, The Sea on this month's reading plan, and both are also on the all-time Booker winner list, I will start one of them.

>234 Smiler69: Twenty-five is good, Ilana. I have read fourteen of them so I also have a lot more to go! :-)

Currently reading:



The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

>207 EBT1002: puts you in mind of Steinbeck! Ooh, colour me intrigued...

>215 EBT1002: omg. Sounds like I need to read that one.

And I am also going to shamelessly steal your Booker list as I too have that goal. It is possibly true that the only Booker winner I have read this year is The Ghost Road, but hey, goals are good!
I am shy of The Sea, The Sea ever since reading An Accidental Man....which I found a bit of a slog.

Too bad about The Last Picture Show, but I applaud your decision. If it gets to that point, there are plenty of other great books out there. (I'm going to try Lonesome Dove, once I get my hands on it).

My first Murdoch ever is going to be The Bell. I thought about reading The Sea, The Sea, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of it.

>241 LovingLit: Megan, I think you would appreciate The Power and the Glory.
And I'm pleased to have you "steal" my Booker winner list! It is, for me, a goal with no timeline or deadline attached to it. But it motivated me to choose The Sea, the Sea as my Murdoch read this month because it will accomplish two things at once! And, we'll see how it goes.

Every picture I've ever seen of Iris Murdoch, she looks terribly troubled, unhappy, disapproving. It puts me off her, a bit. I'm waiting for someone to tell me she's wonderful, just the same. I believe I tried to read Under the Net once and didn't get very far.

>242 jnwelch: Joe, I read Lonesome Dove years ago and remember loving it. So, I'm not saying I wouldn't give McMurtry another try, but The Last Picture Show just wasn't for me. I can handle a certain amount of sexism and such, but reading this was just demanding too much energy.

I have been encouraged to start with The Bell but I own a copy of The Sea, the Sea so I'm starting there. :-)

>244 laytonwoman3rd: I'm barely into it so far, Linda, and her writing is exquisite. I don't think it will be an easy read, though. It will require some focus.

Time for a new thread!