Laura (lauralkeet)'s 2015 Reading - Part 4

Aladdin Vase, Maria Longworth Nichols, Manufactured by Rookwood Pottery
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Continuing a series of "artists from my hometown," Maria Longworth Nichols Storer (March 20, 1849 – April 30, 1932) founded the Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio. Born into a very wealthy family, she was a patron of the arts and in 1871 was responsible for planning and raising money for the Cincinnati May Festival. The first festival was held in 1873, and is still a popular annual event. Maria was the first woman to found a music festival in the United States. And do the math -- she was still in her early twenties!

She began working in ceramics in 1873, and attended the 1876 Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I wonder if she saw the butter sculpture featured in my previous thread? Again, she blazed trails by founding the Rookwood Pottery, which produced decorative and architectural pieces for nearly a century.




This year I have no goals whatsoever. Last year, after several years of reading resolutions, challenges and detailed reading plans, I went with a completely unstructured approach. You know, reading like normal people do. :) I plan to participate sporadically in the American Author and British Author challenges, although I have no illusions about reading every author, every month. The Virago Group is also planning a theme read on the seven ages of women, and a few of us are (slowly) reading Virago Modern Classics in order of their original publication.

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

Part 1 (books 1-16) | Part 2 (books 17-28) | Part 3 (books 18-45)

Books completed ("details" jumps to location in this thread where review & links can be found)
August
46. The Photograph - details
47. Pleasantville - details
48. Hide and Seek - details
49. The Edwardians - details
50. Mrs Woolf and the Servants - details

September
51. The Long Song - details
52. The Far Cry - details
53. Devoted Ladies - details
54. Don't Look Back - details
55. The Demon in the House - details
56. The Tie that Binds - details

October
57. My Brilliant Friend - details
58. Being Mortal - details
59. The Perpetual Curate - details
60. Life Class - details
61. Career of Evil - details
62. A Brief History of Seven Killings - details

Series Progress

Active series as of August 1:


Series completed/current in 2015:
* Patrick Melrose Novels, by Edward St Aubyn (January)
* Matthew Shardlake, by C.J. Sansom (March)
* Plainsong, by Kent Haruf (May)
* Dublin Murder Squad, by Tana French (June)
* Jay Porter Series, by Attica Locke (August)
* Cormoran Strike, by Robert Galbraith (October)

Series started in 2015:
* Inspector Rebus, by Ian Rankin (January)
* Dr Siri, by Colin Cotterill (June)
* Doc novels, by Mary Doria Russell (July)
* Inspector Sejer, by Karin Fossum (September)
* The Neapolitan Novels, by Elena Ferrante (October)
* Brooke Family Trilogy, by Pat Barker (October)

Alys loves the summer sun

Oooh...am I first? Hello, Alys!

Had to drop the butter and switch to clay. Too hot? Like the pot. And the doggie.

This new thread offers some swell possibilities. I'm sure you'll make the best of them.

Have a nice weekend!

Happy new thread, Laura. Beautiful Aladdin vase, and I LOVE the pics of Alys. My, she is just a lovely, lovely girl.

>1 lauralkeet: I remember eating in the Rookwood Pottery on Mt. Adams several times when I lived in Cincinnati.

Nice Pot Laura. Alys looks like she's getting big.

I must start the Barchester novels this year. Maybe a Winter treat, I have a nice pocket-sized set I bought in Rye a few years ago (well, the last, annoyingly is in a different edition, but never mind)

Hi Laura. Thanks for posting photos of Alys! :-)

I read through the discussion of Go Set a Watchman on your prior thread. Very interesting! I ended up liking the overall novel much less than you did, but I agree that the set piece in which Jean Louise (who, for me, is a much less compelling character than Scout, not because of the character but because of the clunky way in which she was developed) is recalling her father was beautiful. I also liked that Atticus was further developed as a man of his time and his location, with firm convictions which jived with his sense of fairness and compassion. I'm glad I read it even though I don't think it's a very good novel, overall.

I love your series spreadsheet! It's the sort of thing I might start but I would never keep up with it.

Ooh hello everyone!

>4 laytonwoman3rd: ding ding! You win Linda!

>5 weird_O: hey Bill, same to you!

>6 lit_chick: Alys is growing up fast, Nancy, and she's a real sweetie.

>7 thornton37814: I remember my parents eating there often while I was growing up. I don't think I've ever been though.

>8 Caroline_McElwee: I feel the same about the Pallisers, Caro--might start them in the autumn or winter.

>9 EBT1002: yep we cross-posted, Ellen! My series thing isn't actually a spreadsheet, it's a screen shot from the FictFact website. I track my series there because even though it's kinda clunky, it works better for me than LT when it comes to series progress.

Happy New Thread, Laura! Alys is adorable, as usual. Such a sweet face!

Happy New thread, Laura! And Happy Saturday! Alys is a sweetheart!

>1 lauralkeet: I had to check, so I didn't say anything when I first saw the Rookwood pot, but now I'm sure. My DIL's brother works at Rookwood. He was very elated when he was hired. Here are a few of his pieces:

...

Those are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing more contemporary pieces. Is your DIL's brother in Cincinnati, or does Rookwood have other locations?

Jason is in Cincinnati. He and Sam, my DIL, grew up in Collingswood, and he is a Rowan grad.

>13 weird_O: Wow. Love all the pot talk going on here. Another thing to buy when I win the lottery!!

Beautiful pots. Pots are among my favourite things too.

I got carried away with >13 weird_O:'s pottery and forgot to say hello to Amber (>11 scaifea:) and Mark (>12 msf59:), oops sorry guys!

And a happy Monday to Charlotte & Caro, as well. Glad everyone is enjoying the pottery. I have to say I prefer ceramics to butter sculpture :)

Those pots are beautiful! And Alys is soooo adorable.
Happy week to you, Laura! We are having another heat wave here, my brain is still far too lazy to only let me open the sample of "Watchman" I loaded onto my Kindle after your review. That book might have to wait for fall.

>19 Deern: Nathalie, I will pass your compliments on to Alys. :) Also, I have been lurking on your thread and completely understand not reading GSaW at this time. It will always be there later!

46. The Photograph ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: The blurb spoke to me ... and it was short. :)

Glyn, a historian, is rummaging through a cupboard looking for some old papers when he comes across a photograph of his wife Kath, taken about 20 years earlier. In the photo she is holding hands with another man. Glyn is shaken to the core, but unable to confront Kath because she recently passed away. Seeking the truth, he reaches out to Kath’s sister Elaine, who is also in the photo. Glyn’s discovery ultimately sends shock waves through the family and surfaces long-buried issues. The happy-go-lucky and stunningly attractive Kath’s presence is still very much present; grief is still fresh. As details of Kath’s life are revealed, everyone who loved her is forced to re-examine often seemingly trivial events now infused with new meaning.

Penelope Lively is a master at telling a story by showing how the tiniest of details can have a profound effect (for another example of this talent, I recommend How it All Began). No one’s life is as simple as it first appears, least of all Kath’s. I was fascinated by the way Lively gradually revealed connections and entanglements, and the possibility for different outcomes, had other choices been made at various points in time.

I had a great moment of reading serendipity last night: just as I was closing in on the end of The Photograph, I received an email that my latest Kindle library request was ready for me. Perfect timing!! So as soon as I closed the book I downloaded Attica Locke's Pleasantville, which I was reminded of from comments on Ellen/@EBT1002's thread.

I agree with your thoughts on Lively's writing Laura. She is always a satisfying read.

Aaahh, serendipity. Will look forward to your views on the new Attica Locke.

The Photograph sounds interesting - thanks for the review!

Nice review of The Photograph, Laura.

Hello Caro, Amber, Darryl! Thanks for stopping by and glad you liked my review, although I keep thinking of things I could or should have mentioned. I don't think I did the book justice. So you all will just have to read it OK?

Pleasantville is proving to be a good crime novel. The suspense is building and there are plenty of loose ends that I know will tie together but no idea how.

I listened to The Photograph years ago. Unfortunately, I remember almost nothing about it. You make me wonder if I want to read it again.

I'll chime in with others around here -- your review of The Photograph is nicely done. I want to read more Penelope Lively; she is one of the authors introduced to me by this year's BAC. I loved Moon Tiger and I have a copy of How It All Began on the TBR shelves.

I just checked and I'm number 16 in the library queue for one of 12 copies of Pleasantville. I should be getting it soon!

>27 NanaCC: Well Colleen, it's a short book and you'd be done with it in no time. But then again, I'm sure your TBR looms as large as mine.

>28 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen. I have the BAC to thank for this as well. I had read Moon Tiger before, but the BAC (How it All Began) plus The Photograph have placed her firmly on my "favorite authors" list.

The sun really brings out the brown in Alys's fur in that pic. I wonder if I have Lively sitting in my unread Viragos?

Great review of the Lively!

And on yr. last thread (I seem to have been concurrently reading both) of GSAW.

>30 tiffin: Tui, I don't believe any of her books were published as Viragoes. Too bad, really.
>31 sibylline: Thanks much, Lucy.

Well, it's been a rough week. A woman I worked with for years suffered a massive heart attack last Friday and passed away. She was 54, only a year older than me. She retired at 52 when her husband (12 years her senior) retired, so they could spend more time together rather than her continuing to work. I guess that was a good decision, but it certainly ended sooner than expected. We were not close, but I'm still just stunned. She had two sons from a previous marriage; both are in their 20s. Today was the viewing and funeral, which I attended with some work colleagues, and as you might expect was very difficult.

Tomorrow I am heading to Cincinnati to visit my parents. Last week my dad was moved into a more secure facility better equipped for his care needs (he has Parkinsons). I'm heading out there to check in on him and my mom, who remains in independent living. I've also made plans to meet up with old friends for dinner Friday, which I am looking forward to as a much-needed bit of fun. I'll return home Saturday night.

It's been hard to concentrate on reading this week but I did manage to finish Pleasantville. Review to follow, probably tomorrow.

Laura, I'm so sorry to hear about your work colleague. Fifty four seems so young to have a heart attack and I guess I'm still somewhat surprised when it happens to a woman.

I'm also sorry about the stress involved with your parents' situation. I went through something similar when both my parents were failing in 2008 to 2012. I must say it was one of the hardest things I've ever done but then my mom had Alzheimer's and it sounds like your Mom is probably doing pretty well if she's in independent living. I'm glad you can combine your visit with a dinner with old friends. That should alleviate some of the stress.

Take good care of yourself!

>32 lauralkeet: Wow, that would be a shock.
Sorry I won't see you at the Philadelphia meetup, but what you're doing instead is far more important.

I'm so sorry to hear about your work colleague, Laura. I hope you have a wonderful visit with your parents and a good time with your Cincinnati friends.

Hi Pat, Katherine & Amber, and thank you for your kind & supportive comments. I'm at the airport now waiting for my flight and looking forward to a bit of reading and knitting en route :)

Safe travels, and good luck!

Safe journey, safe return, Laura. Glad you are going to meet up with some old friends.

It is a shock when someone young dies, especially if it is someone who seemed so vital and energetic. Those are the hardest funerals, yes. *hug*

Keep on truckin', Laura. Do good in Cincinnati. I'm going to miss not meeting you on Saturday.

Sorry to hear about your bad week Laura.

All is well in The Queen City. I had an uneventful trip, the weather is nice, and I'm very happy with my Dad's new situation.

Bill, I'm sorry I won't get to meet you either. Fortunately Darryl's a frequent visitor to Philly which tends to inspire meet ups so I hope we have an opportunity some other time.

On the reading front, I started A Word Child for this month's British Author Challenge (Iris Murdoch). Chose it because it's been on my TBR for eons. I received it as a publisher e-book giveaway. About 30 pages in and it's not grabbing me. It's very typical Murdoch, and I've enjoyed other books by her although they are definitely an acquired taste. Thank goodness I brought another book with me. I started Ian Rankin's Hide and Seek on the plane and am totally sucked into the murder mystery.

In recent months I just haven't been up for more challenging and/or serious books. I am feeling a little conflicted about that. I mean, I read The Goldfinch lying on a beach and while I knew some might think it an odd choice, it worked for me. Lately i can't seem to bring myself to read anything over 400 pages and/or written over 100 years ago. It's been a helluva busy summer so that is probably the reason but I'm also wondering if my preferences are just trending in a different direction now. Anyone else experienced this situation?

47. Pleasantville ()
My Review
Source: Kindle library loan
Why I read this now: It was mentioned on Ellen/@EBT1002's thread, and I remembered that I had meant to read this when it was first published.

Jay Porter, a Houston lawyer, was first introduced to readers in Black Water Rising, a story of oil industry crime and corruption set in the 1980s. Fast forward to 1996, when personal circumstances have kept Jay out of the courtroom for nearly a year. On election night, a young campaign worker disappears from a Pleasantville street corner. Jay sees a potential link to two previous cases where the young women were later found murdered. When a young man is implicated in the girl's disappearance, his grandfather asks Jay to represent him. The grandfather is an influential political figure in Pleasantville, and well connected to others in Houston and Texas politics. Jay's investigation turns up a whole bunch of unpleasantness from political favors to racism to family drama, and through a series of twists and turns we eventually learn the true story of the girl's disappearance, and others receive their just desserts for their political misdeeds.

As in Black Water Rising, Attica Locke weaves important societal themes into the story, tackling issues of prejudice and civil rights. And being set in 1996 with occasional references to the Bush family and then-president Bill Clinton, reminds us all of how American politics will change four years later. There was a lot happening in this novel, and I had a little difficulty keeping track of all the characters and the political machinations. When I sat down to read I frequently had to refresh my memory on what I'd read the day before. But I was also distracted by other things in "real life," which limited my reading time and affected my concentration. When I finally found myself with extended free time to dive in, I was fully immersed and enjoyed the story.

>41 lauralkeet: - Laura, I go through phases with my reading, where I really can't handle anything too...... heavy? long? complex? So I turn to mysteries, favorite authors, romance, thrillers, etc. As long as I'm reading something, I'm happy. It's those periods when absolutely nothing appeals that freak me out :)

>41 lauralkeet: Yeah, kinda depends on what else is going on life-wise, whether reading is central or a respite from stress. Over the summer, typically more demands on time, and I have trouble concentrating on anything too serious; even if I can read a chunk one day, I can't retain it through the next day.

When there's a lot going on in my life, I want a story that just catches me up in it and lets me escape for a while without much effort. I don't think I'd worry that you're not going to get back to the "more serious" and longer reads that aren't appealing to you right now. I'll bet you come back around to them.

I just checked Pleasantville out of the library earlier in the week...I didn't realize it was the further adventures of a character from Black Water Rising, which I haven't read yet. Should I read that one first, or doesn't it matter?

>41 lauralkeet:: I find as I get older I am less and less inclined to want to wade through heart-and-mind ripping stories of anguish, loss, or mental illness. I absolutely do not have to talk about Kevin. Comes a point where you don't have to prove anything to anybody, least of all oneself. I am quite content with being entertained and, if the entertainment is good, transported.

Yes! Exactly what Linda said in >45 laytonwoman3rd: - a story that just catches you up and takes you away for however long you can spare. I think that's why I am enjoying Lonesome Dove so much - it completely fits that bill for me right now.

" I absolutely do not have to talk about Kevin." Yes. I've been pretty sure that one was not written for me ever since I first heard of it. I'm always looking for good transport, however!

Great answers, all making me feel better so thanks! I'm short on time so forgive my lack of individual replies.

>45 laytonwoman3rd: about Pleasantville: the events take place about 15 years later. There are references to the previous case, and to characters, but frankly I had forgotten a lot of it and still managed.

I'm glad to hear that your parents are doing well and that you like your father's new living arrangements, Laura.

I'm sorry to hear about your former co-worker. I turned 54 in March, so of course that does seem awfully young to me.

Nice review of Pleasantville. I'm only mildly interested in that book and Black Water Rising, and I already have an overloaded reading plate, so I probably won't read either book.

Have a great weekend! We'll be thinking of you today.

I'm late catching up on threads, but wanted to chime in late on the comments on Go Set a Watchman. I read it as kind of a companion piece too, and kept them as sort of separate characters in my head (we'll see if that works when I reread TKAM next time), so I found it really interesting how similar themes were dealt with so differently. And I am appalled that the person who checked out your book would not have heard about it - I couldn't escape hearing about it from the review journals and blogs I follow. What a sad/funny story...

So sorry to hear about your co-worker and the stress with your parents' health. I'm glad your dad's move went smoothly and hope you have a good weekend.

Hi, Laura! Happy Saturday! I have not been by in awhile. Sorry to hear about your co-worker. Hope you are doing well.

>32 lauralkeet: Sorry to hear about your work colleague Laura, that must have been such a shock as well as the sadness. Glad to hear your parents are doing well with their new living arrangements.

>41 lauralkeet: 'Lately i can't seem to bring myself to read anything over 400 pages and/or written over 100 years ago. It's been a helluva busy summer so that is probably the reason but I'm also wondering if my preferences are just trending in a different direction now. Anyone else experienced this situation?'

What I feel able to cope with reading has definitely changed this year and like you I'm not sure if it's life-related or just a change in preferences. Strangely, in some ways my preferences are the opposite to yours in that most things over 100 years ago are fine but for contemporary fiction I can only manage books that are firmly in my comfort zone (science fiction, fantasy, children's books). I think, like others have said, that sometimes life stuff takes up all my emotional energy so that I'm not quite up to reading about anguish and heartache on top of that.

>46 tiffin: 'I absolutely do not have to talk about Kevin.' I like that :-)

Laura, I'm very sorry, too, to hear about your colleague. Definitely a shock, whether you were close or not. I am glad to hear that you're pleased with your dad's new living arrangements.

I've had a very short attention span this summer. It's been productive, but much busier than I like July and August, so very little patio/reading time. When I do have time to sit and read, I'm not picking up anything heavy. It's a different experience for me, because I like to reserve summer for dense reads. This summer, just the opposite.

Hi there Darryl, Mary, Mark, Heather and Nancy!

I'm waiting to board my flight home after a nice visit. And you've all made me feel better about my reading choices and attention span so thanks for that!!

I'm enjoying Rankin's Hide and Seek. It's just the right sort of read for me at the moment.

I am a fan of Rankin, thanks to avaland/Lois. Great for getting your groove back.

48. Hide and Seek ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: I had tried reading "heavier" stuff and realized I needed lighter fare at this time.

This solid, if somewhat dated, book is the second in the Inspector Rebus series. Rebus is called in to investigate a young man's death by drug overdose, with a possible connect to Satanic rituals. On the personal front, he is living the bachelor life after an unsuccessful relationship, but his star is rising within the Edinburgh police force, and he is asked to serve on an anti-drug commission with some of the city's most influential leaders.

The mystery held my interest, although its resolution seemed rather contrived. I was also left wondering where Rankin is taking his character. In the first book he was a bit of a curmudgeon; in this he is more of a romantic lead with more scenes alluding to his physique and sexual encounters. That didn't work as well for me, since I already had a certain picture of him in my imagination. And again, it may be due to the age of this book (published in 1991), but he seems to embody every detective stereotype.

Still, I'll keep going because these work well for me when I'm in the mood for something light.

54 and no warning at all? That would shake me utterly.

Given all that is going on for you I would guess, perhaps, your reading preference at the moment is more a matter of needing 'respite' as Q expresses so nicely, rather than any big shift, but those big changes do happen too, although the arc seems to me to be much slower as almost imperceptibly you move away from one thing and toward another. I've shifted away from certain types of fiction--I can't read certain kinds of Viragoes at the moment, although one of my suspicions is that I've read most of the really good ones, the Molly Keanes and so forth and I doubt I'd have the patience for say, Trollope, right now, although I probably could enjoy Dickens. I struggled recently through Nabokov's The Gift - it was just a jot more challenging than I wanted, but I couldn't stop reading it either. The bio of his wife was an even bigger challenge and I had to soldier on to get through it. Neither book suited my state of mind at all.

Overall I would say that I've been through several waves of major change. And I've noticed that many older people (serious readers) read either for pure entertainment (say, mysteries) or fairly serious non-fiction, bios and histories, and rereading beloved works of fiction and/or the truly greats. I think I can understand that now in a way I didn't used to.

And another weird thing is that I'm finding my taste in audiobooks is somewhat different from the books I want to sit and read in print. Go figure! But it's good, because it widens the field.

Probably too much answer, but I loved your query.

Glad the visit home went well.

I heavily edited this. Must have written before I had some coffee this morning. Bad idea!

>58 sibylline: That would shake me utterly
Yes, it did, and has been a subject of much discussion at the office. We are all knocked back by it.

~~~~

I truly appreciate all the comments about reading choices. After the 'respite' reading in >57 lauralkeet:, I'm trying a Virago: The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West. I also started an Iris Murdoch last week, but am undecided whether I will go back to it.

Hey Laura, I'm just now reading about your work colleague. I am so sorry! That is both tragic and scary (says the woman who just turned 55 this week). "Shaken utterly" is a great description. Keep taking care, Laura.

I'm still waiting for Pleasantville from the library. And I, too, am on the third Ian Rankin when I get to it. Your review of the second in the series matched my reactions pretty well, I think.

Reading respites are necessary! I have a little stack that I'm thinking about for vacation: mystery novels, all.

Hi Ellen, thanks for stopping by!

I have read very little this week. I'm enjoying The Edwardians, which someone in the Virago Group recommended as being very Downton Abbey-ish. So it's fun in that sort of way. But I guess it's a combination of a busy week and a low-grade reading funk that resulted in reading only 115 pages in 6 days.

Last weekend was so busy with travel that I'm due for a relaxing weekend. Fingers crossed.

49. The Edwardians ()
My Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: It was discussed in the Virago group, which inspired me to pick it up.

The Edwardians treads ground familiar to fans of Downton Abbey or Gosford Park, and is enjoyable in a similar way. Set on a large estate (modeled almost detail-for-detail on Vita Sackville-West's beloved childhood home, Knole), the story revolves aroun, a young duke named Sebastian, his mother Lucy, and sister Viola. It is filled with illicit affairs, upstairs/downstairs interactions, and all of the societal expectations that come with being a member of the privileged class in Edwardian Britain.

Sebastian and Viola represent different sides of the author. Sebastian comes of age through sexual experimentation with different types of women. Vita was herself known for erotic exploits. Viola is smart and independent, which Vita most certainly was as well. Other characters in the novel had parallels to family members and friends who would have been known to readers at the time.

This book was a huge commercial success even as it portrayed the end of an era; in fact, the book ends with the coronation of George V following the death of Edward VII. The book was an interesting sort of set piece, but in many ways a "fluff piece" designed for pleasure reading, much like today's beach reads and romances.

My reading continues at a slower than usual pace. I'm afraid I had to give up on A Word Child, my Iris Murdoch selection, because after two attempts and 40 pages it just wasn't doing anything for me.

Tonight I picked up some non-fiction, Mrs Woolf and the Servants, which I thought might complement The Edwardians. We'll see how I get on with it.

Good luck with *Mrs W & Servants*, Laura. I hope it hits you right. I read it at a time when I could enjoy it.
My problem is that the books I think I really want to read are all chunksters, so my numbers are way, way low. I also continue last year's trend of not reading as much as I had planned and hoped when I retired. Oh well.
I hope you'll go back to *Word Child*. It was one that got me back to IM - really a classic of the Murdochian worldview, I think.

Some books need the right moment Laura, especially those that require more attention.

I'm not managing much reading myself at the moment, but I hope with a quiet weekend ahead to finish a couple of books I'm near the end of, as well as taking a big bite out of something else. It will also help when my regular commute is reinstated, as I get a seat at the start of the line, and thirty minutes reading time.

>64 LizzieD:, >65 Caroline_McElwee: good morning Peggy & Caroline. It might be a "mood thing" with Iris, or a need for greater attention. I have the book on my Kindle so it's not going anywhere, and I can always try again another time. Meanwhile I feel like my reading mojo is coming back, just a little bit, and diving into some non-fiction last night felt like a nice change of pace.

Also ... I noticed this morning that my review of the Edwardians was my 600th review on LT. Wow, that's a lot of book reviews.

Wow indeed Laura. Congratulations. I probably only review about a quarter of what I read.

600 reviews! That's remarkable. And a good many of those got a "hot" rating, too.

I don't think Iris Murdoch is my "thing"...I tried once to read Under the Net, and it didn't grab me. Most of what I'm hearing about her in the BAC threads isn't making me want to read her, either.

600 reviews. Awesome. Go, you!!

Wow. Congrats in those 600 reviews. I really appreciate finding a review by someone from the group on a book I am thinking about reading. It's so helpful to have a trusted opinion read and waiting.

>70 charl08: Agreed! I scroll through reviews on a book I'm interested in until I see a name of someone I know. Yours often pop up considering our similar book taste! So thanks for all of those reviews!

Oops, sorry for the serious thread neglect. It's been a VERY busy couple of weeks, work-wise.

I didn't mean to be fishing for compliments on my reviews, I was just kinda staggered at the volume. Kind of like waking up one day and realizing you're well into your 50s and wondering where the time has gone. But anyway, the compliments are very nice and much appreciated! I do the same thing with reviews if I'm trying to decide whether something is worth reading, or when I am unsure if I want to continue reading something that isn't grabbing me.

I am pleased to report that I think my reading mojo is back. Turning to non-fiction seemed to provide just the respite I needed. I finished Mrs Woolf and the Servants and hope to post a review tomorrow or Saturday. And now I'm zipping through The Long Song and really enjoying it. Woot!

Great to hear your reading mojo is back! I thoroughly enjoyed Long Song too, and I liked Small Island even more … the latter was a 5* read for me. Levy is another of many gifts I've discovered at LT.

Oh, yay for finding your reading mojo!

I have Mrs Woolf and the Servants on kindle, Laura, so I'm looking forward to your review. I need to see how far up the pile it should go.

50. Mrs Woolf and the Servants ()
My Review
Source: On my Kindle
Why I read this now: It was a nice follow-up to my previous book, The Edwardians.

it’s hard to resist the conclusion that the history of service is the history of British women.

Subtitled, "An Intimate History of Domestic Life in Bloomsbury," this book is a study of the British servant class in the first part of the 20th century, and specifically those who worked for Virginia Woolf and members of her family. Because service was the largest occupation for British women until at least 1945, readers also get an idea of how most people lived during this time. Because Woolf came of age during this same period, author Alison Light is able to use those who served the Woolf family to show how the servant role evolved over time, and even how their work was affected by world events:

Who emptied the sewage was a serious issue among the servants since it affected their earnings and their self-respect. In wartime, however, these caste distinctions were harder to maintain.

And the "servant class" itself was subject to stratification, based on the family being served. Working for famous people had a certain cachet:

They rewarded their employers by becoming snobs, enjoying the borrowed glamour of working for famous people, and in a pathetic tribute to Bloomsbury, mirroring the cliquish world in which they moved, the servants called themselves ‘the click’.

Going into service was often the only option available to young women from less well-off families with limited marriage prospects. The more fortunate ones established strong personal relationships with the family they served; this was the case with some of the Woolf servants. A maid named Sophie served the family for so many years, they ended up providing for her in retirement. In other cases, the relationship was more fractious and Virginia often felt her maid intruding on her daily routine. Later in her life, as various labor-saving devices were introduced, the Woolfs eliminated live-in servants and had someone come only in the morning, affording them a degree of privacy they had never before experienced.

I found Alison Light's approach to this topic interesting, although the scarcity of primary sources about the individual servants caused her to devote considerable pages to Virginia and her writing career, seeming to stray from the intent of the book. But learning about the events in Virginia's life, and her incredible creative gifts, also helped explain her feelings about living with servants. I recommend this book for anyone interested in the Bloomsbury set.

>75 NanaCC: Ask and you shall receive, Colleen!

Very interested in that book. Great review!

And in other news, I haven't mentioned my new grandkitty here yet! My older daughter Kate recently adopted the beautiful Paula:



She's 4 years old, and could stand to lose a few pounds. But she is also very very affectionate and cuddly, comes when called, and hangs out wherever Kate is. A perfect companion. I get to meet her in a couple of weeks when we visit.

>78 japaul22: Hi Jennifer -- you snuck in there between my posts. Thanks!

Congratulations on 600+ reviews, the return of your reading mojo and a cute grandkitty!

Happy Sunday, Laura! Just swinging through, to say hi. Hope all is well.

I plan on reading The Long Song too, but it might be, toward the end of the month. I LOVED Small Island.

>81 souloftherose: Thanks Heather.
>82 msf59: Mark, a happy weekend hello to you too! I finished The Long Song this morning and LOVED it!

Oh, that is good news. I have had it on shelf for years.

Thank you for pushing Mrs Woolf up the TBR, Laura. I may get to that one soonish, but The Small House at Allington is going slowly this weekend. Too much distraction.

Paula is beautiful, Laura! So glad that Kate has adopted a companion for herself. And to think that Paula comes when she's called … well, that's a rare and wonderful trait to have in a feline.

>85 NanaCC: my pleasure, Colleen. I've had it on my Kindle for ages, so it was about time I read it.
>86 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy! Kate is like a new parent with this cat, it's pretty funny although I remember my husband and I being the same way.

51. The Long Song ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: The British Author Challenge is featuring Andrea Levy this month.

Miss July was born a slave on a Jamaican sugar plantation. When she was a child, the English mistress took a liking to her and brought her from the fields into the house, forcibly separating July from her mother and insisting on calling her "Marguerite." July came of age serving the mistress, and made it through some very tumultuous times, including the Baptist Rebellion and later, the abolition of slavery. Now an old woman, July is living with her son and his family and sets to writing her story. That sentence alone tells you her life was an unusual one, and there are many details and plot twists the reader can look forward to in this novel.

I loved this book, and I loved July and her strong personality. Her survival was mostly due to pure cunning, mixed with a bit of luck. The people in her life -- both slaves and whites -- were well drawn, and Andrea Levy didn't shy away from the violent realities of slave treatment, the consequences of rebellion, and the tension once slaves were free but still expected to work on plantations.

This novel was shortlisted for the 2010 Booker Prize and is a worthy contender for that honor.

Great review of The Long Song, Laura. So glad you enjoyed this one so much. Thumb up : ).

>68 laytonwoman3rd: I would urge you to go to the Iris Murdoch readers group before signing off on her altogether.

I like Andrea Levy's work so I need to seek this out. Nice review.

>90 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy. I just dipped into a couple threads over there...I'm guessing you started that group? My cursory sampling didn't whet my appetite for Iris....what is your recommendation for The Book I ought to try that might just draw me into her world?

>72 lauralkeet: "Kind of like waking up one day and realizing you're well into your 50s and wondering where the time has gone."
This cracked me up, in a poignant sort of way. I so relate.

>88 lauralkeet: This is on my stack for this month. I took it to Cape Cod (and back) with me and plan to read it soon. Nice review. You've whetted my appetite further.

>90 sibylline: and >91 laytonwoman3rd: That thread was very helpful as I read my first Murdoch last month. It's not a wildly active thread (which is kind of a relief) and is very focused and thoughtful.

ETA: Okay, I just have to say that I used the phrase "whetted my appetite" without having seen Linda use the very same phraseology in post >91 laytonwoman3rd:. Weird. I don't know why I feel compelled to say this, but there you have it.

>32 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. I am trying to get back in the swing of things and visit threads more frequently. I am so sorry for the loss of your co-worker, and the stress of handling details for your parents. I'm sure you handle all this with grace, but still, it hurts when those we love are not well.

All good wishes to you.

Hey folks, once again I have been lurking on my own thread. I've read comments with good intentions of coming back later and ... well, it's now later. I hope everyone is having a good weekend!

>89 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy!!
>90 sibylline: Lucy, have you read Small Island? I really liked that one, too.
>91 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, it took me about three Murdochs before I "got" her and then went on a serious Murdoch reading binge. She's a bit of an acquired taste, I think. And of course it's perfectly fine if she's not your cuppa!
>92 EBT1002: Ellen, I think you'll like The Long Song whenever your appetite is whetted enough to get you to dive in! :)
>93 Whisper1: Always nice to see you here, Linda. Thanks for the good wishes.

And now ... it's time for a book review!

52. The Far Cry ()
My Review
Source: My Persephone collection
Why I read this now: This was one of two unread books in my (small) Persephone collection, so I thought I'd knock it off Mt TBR.

One day, seemingly out of nowhere, Teresa Digby is pulled out of school and informed by her father they will be leaving for India shortly. At 14, Teresa doesn't even question this but the reader knows Mr Digby has also abruptly quit his teaching job, and the reason for these impulsive and dramatic actions is the impending arrival of his ex-wife, Lilian. Afraid she will try to take custody of Teresa, he sees flight as his only option. Mr Digby organizes the journey which will ultimately take them to the home of his adult daughter, Ruth, who lives with her husband on an Indian tea plantation. As they depart by ship from Southampton, the enormity of this undertaking finally dawns on Mr Digby. On board ship they forge relationships with fellow travelers, which boosts both Teresa and Mr Digby's confidence.

Their journey through increasingly remote landscapes eventually does lead them to Ruth, and here the story takes an abrupt turn. Emma Smith turns her attention to Ruth and her husband Edwin, and we see Mr Digby and Teresa through new eyes. It is in this section that the real conflict in the story becomes apparent, and is resolved in a very unsettling way that leaves the characters' futures uncertain. This book started as "naive English people travel to strange land," but turned into a deeper, more complex family drama.

53. Devoted Ladies (DNF)
No Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: Some members of the Virago group enjoyed it recently.

Aack. What's happened? I used to really like Molly Keane, but my last two attempts at her work have left me cold. This novel was about two insipid, boring, and nasty women and their insipid, boring, and nasty friends all gallivanting about country estates in England and Ireland. I am sure It was intended as satire, but I found the characters so despicable I didn't care what happened to them. I read half of it before giving up, so I'm still counting this as a book read.

>96 lauralkeet: I'm still counting this
Absolutely. The pain is a multiplier.

>98 lauralkeet: no kidding!

I decided to console myself with a new mystery series and just downloaded Karin Fossum's Don't Look Back (Inspector Sejer) from my library's Kindle collection.

I love Karin Fossum, but her writing is very dark.

You're right Colleen. I read the first chapter while waiting for the U.S. Open men's tennis final to start. But I was definitely drawn into the book.

I have but two Persephone editions and I think they are both absolutely lovely - to look at and to hold.
I guess I should read one of them eventually. :-|

>101 EBT1002: Ellen, they are pretty aren't they? I especially like the matching bookmarks that come with each book. In the Persephone bookshop in London you can buy he bookmarks singly, to replace ones that got lost or I suppose just to stock up on pretty ephemera.

Yes I have read Small Island. Quite some time ago, I think. Not even sure if I listed it on here as a book I've read . . . must go check.

> 96 Hmm - I think I own and have read Devoted Ladies too, but again, long before LT so no review here to consult! I'm getting so dependent on those as an aide-memoire! I keep all my Viragos out in my studio, but will consult when I next go out there. But it is odd and unaccountable how tastes change.

>91 laytonwoman3rd: I did not start the Iris Murdoch thread, the credit for that goes to LyzzyBee! She is much further along the Iris Murdoch oeuvre and has even attended Iris Murdoch literary conferences (much to my envy!). The two that I have found had the most sympathetic characters are The Bell and The Sandcastle - but if you go to the group and read through the comments on the latter you will find one person posting that it was simply the WORST STUPIDEST etcetera book he had ever read and so on and wouldn't accept that that was an opinion not the word of the .... well, you know what I mean. I started with The Sea, the Sea as do many, as it is one of her best known and regarded works, and I survived the experience and went on to read more. I suspect that with IM you have to be willing to take the long view. Although in some ways her themes and subjects are quite consistent--she studied philosophy seriously and in particular the nature of good and evil--the books vary a lot, some lighter and simpler, some almost farcical, others bewildering, yet others dense, painful but ultimately rewarding, like TS,TS. I don't think it was until the 3rd or 4th book that I started to think, Oh ho, I am catching on.

I disliked the characters in "Devoted Ladies" too. Congrats for your 600 reviews, which is both commendable and astonishing! I didn't like Small Island so have avoided subsequent Andrea Levy books but I did like your review. I would have scored "Mrs. Woolf and the Servants" about the same as you did.

>104 tiffin: Hi Tui! I feel bad about Devoted Ladies because it was really getting some love over in the Virago group during All Virago/All August. In those cases I always wonder if it's just me. I'm glad you had similar feelings about the characters.

>98 lauralkeet: >99 NanaCC: Laura, Colleen got me hooked on Karin Fossum recently too!

>106 rebeccanyc: I'm not surprised. She has led me down more than one series rabbit-hole! :)

>96 lauralkeet: Oh, dear....I have this one in my collection. If you DNF'd a Virago, it must be baaaad.

>103 sibylline: Thanks for the extra info, Lucy. I'm like a professor throwing out the highest and lowest grades when I read reviews; I automatically discount those "WORST STUPIDEST" comments, unless they are coming from a reader who I know well and share common ground with.

>107 lauralkeet:&>106 rebeccanyc: Laura and Rebecca, it is only fair that I throw a few bullets your way, as you've hit me with many! :). Some of those rabbit-holes can be quite entertaining.

>108 laytonwoman3rd: I do the same with the "WORST STUPIDEST" comments (I love that description btw, I have seen many of those!).

>109 NanaCC: Colleen, you're right, I've enjoyed those rabbit-holes! It's truly one of the best parts of LT -- finding people who share your reading interests, and getting recommendations from them.

I'm busy catching up around LT. I have been AWOL here for much too long, Laura. I think your new grand cat looks perfect, but then, I could stand to lose a few pounds as well! It's fun when another animal joins the family. We're an all-dog family but I do like cats.

I am so impressed with your 600+ reviews! I know that you put a lot of thought into each one…and I appreciate your work.

Hi Donna! It's so nice to see you. I've been lurking on your thread, keeping up with you but not saying much. I will meet my grand cat this weekend and I'm looking forward to it!

This week I've been enjoying Karin Fossum's Don't Look Back -- a new-to-me Scandi crime series. I'm just over halfway through. Tomorrow my husband and I leave for a week of vacation, first visiting Kate and our grandkitty (!!) and then heading to a hotel in the Adirondacks for a couple days of back-to-nature R&R. I'm bringing my knitting (a pair of hand warmers I just started last weekend), and for reading material, Angela Thirkell's A Demon in the House and Kent Haruf's The Tie that Binds. I doubt I'll need them both, but I'd rather have too many than too few. I'm sure you all can relate.

Technology willing, I should be able to check in here from time to time. Happy reading everyone!

Enjoy your vacation. It sounds lovely.

Love the Adirondacks! Have a lovely time there, Laura.

Oh, that vacation sounds lovely! I hope you have a wonderful week of nature and knitting and reading!

Your vacation sounds like it will be just lovely, Laura. I hope you will share pics of your grand-kitty, visit with Kate, and digs in the Adirondacks. A few days of back to nature R&R sounds divine.

ETA: Karin Fossum is a Scandi-crime series I really enjoy. Hope you will too.

54. Don’t Look Back ()
My Review
Source: Local library Kindle loan
Why I read this now: I was in the mood for a crime novel and also wanted to try some Scandi crime.

This is the second of Karin Fossum's Inspector Sejer mysteries, but I think the first one published in English. Sejer is a typical older male loner detective with some personal issues, which are only hinted at in this book. He is assigned to investigate the death of a teenage girl, found on a beach but with very little evidence of violence. Annie was well-liked at school, and in her small village, but several months earlier there was a noticeable change in her demeanor. This drives Sejer's investigation, but the resolution is anything but straightforward. There are many plausible suspects, which keeps the reader guessing. I found the translation a little clunky, but enjoyed this enough to continue the series.

I read that one first too, Laura, but then I went back to the first one (which wasn't published in English till later, as you note).

Rebecca, I will probably go,back to the first one eventually. My library has several available on Kindle, but not that one. I've been spoiled by their Kindle loans recently -- they make it so easy!

>119 rebeccanyc:, >120 lauralkeet: I was able to get most of the Fossum's on a kindle daily deal a long time ago before I started using LT. The one you are talking about was not available then. I'll have to check for it, as well as check to see if there are any new ones that I've missed.

Do let me know how you liked the place you picked in the Adirodacks? We're looking for a place for a family reuinion next summer - will be trying out a couple next month in fact, before most of the (except the ones that transition to xx skiing) close.

I've been wondering about Fossum for the spousal unit.

Back to add: 600 reviews. Zut alors!

>121 NanaCC: Colleen, I'm on the lookout for Kindle deals on the Fossums. Fortunately my library has several on Kindle as well.

>122 sibylline: Lucy, I just left you a PM!

55. The Demon in the House ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: I wanted a light vacation read, and this specific volume filled a gap in the series order.

High Rising, the first of Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire novels, introduced readers to Laura Morland, a widowed author, and her family including young son Tony. In The Demon in the House, 12-year-old Tony takes center stage. Thirkell chronicles the boyish antics and exploits that occur when Tony is home for school holidays at Easter, in the summer, and at Christmas.

Tony is quite a handful, tolerated by his mother while trying the patience of nearly every other adult he comes in contact with. He boasts of superior abilities at just about everything, and when things inevitably go wrong it is always due to circumstances beyond his control. Tony also lords his superiority over his school friends, as well as the Vicar's daughters, Dora and Rose, the only friends he has at home.

Tony's adventures are related in a breezy style and Thirkell is clearly poking fun. And some of the vignettes were indeed amusing. However, viewed through a 21st century lens I really disliked his bullying the girls, and the tacit acceptance of this behavior. I confess I was ready to be done with young Tony!

56. The Tie that Binds ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: Just because ...

Kent Haruf landed on my favorite authors list thanks to his Plainsong trilogy, set in the fictional town of Holt, Colorado. But the people of Holt first appeared many years earlier in The Tie that Binds, Haruf's debut novel. The book opens with 80-year-old Edith Goodnough in hospital under suspicious circumstances. Her neighbor, Sanders Roscoe, proceeds to explain events leading up to Edith's hospitalization. And by "leading up to," I mean her entire life. Edith's parents moved from Iowa to Colorado in the late 1800s and bought a farm; Edith and her brother Lyman were born on the farm. Her father Roy was fiercely independent, but circumstances forced him to seek help from his nearest neighbors, the Roscoe family, from time to time. The two families were cordial, but Roy's temper and controlling manner was a barrier to close relationships. World War II provided Lyman with an escape, but Edith remained at home with her father, suppressing her own needs out of a sense of duty. Time marched on, the Goodnoughs and Roscoes continued to support one another, and Edith somehow managed to keep a positive outlook despite being practically a prisoner on her father's farm. She finds happiness through the lives of others, and eventually experiences a period of independence, but again fate intervenes and sets up the dramatic events foreshadowed at the beginning of the novel.

As with his later works, Haruf brings rural Colorado and its people to life. This book lacks the complexity and emotional depth of the Plainsong trilogy, but is still an excellent read from a novelist who left us far too soon.

>102 lauralkeet: "I especially like the matching bookmarks that come with each book." Me too! Since I collect bookmarks, it's almost enough to make me order more books just to get more of those beautiful specimens. But now I know that I just need to go to London and include the Persephone bookshop in our visit.

>125 lauralkeet: As Mark would say, I NEED to get around to reading the third in the Plainsong trilogy. I do own it.

I'm reading The Tie That Binds right now, Laura, and thoroughly enjoying. Good to see your review. Thumb up and thanks for that : ).

>126 EBT1002: you definitely need to read the third in the trilogy, Ellen. Those books are soooo good.

>127 lit_chick: Nancy what a coincidence! I guess you have an idea how hard it was to avoid spoilers in my review. I think there's one more Haruf novel that I still need to read ...

Nice review of The Tie That Binds, Laura. That's the one of his I have left to read. Glad to see you had a positive reaction. Off to thumb the review . . .

I'm rationing my remaining Kent Haruf novels...I want to read them, but I don't want to be done reading them. You understand.

>129 jnwelch:, >130 laytonwoman3rd: According to LT the only one I haven't read yet is Where you Once Belonged. And I totally understand rationing them. I don't even own a copy, so I can wait for the mood to strike I guess.

>130 laytonwoman3rd: I understand totally Linda.

How about a couple of vacation photos? We had a wonderful time visiting Kate and our few days in the Adirondacks were delightful. The weather was perfect. We played tennis in the morning, and enjoyed the outdoors in the afternoon.

Here's a view of our hotel as seen on a boat tour of Lake George:



And the next day we went on a hike up a mountain. The scenery was beautiful. This was a pretty spot on the way up:



And this was the view from the top:



I would love to return to the area for a longer stay sometime.

What lovely photos!

I've added The Tie That Binds to the tbr pile. Your review is excellent.

Lovely vacation photos, Laura! The Adironacks are beautiful, and that looks like fabulous accomodation!

>133 lauralkeet: I have to agree with the ladies Laura.......lovely.

I love the Adirondacks, Laura. When my kids were little we always stayed at a place called Hemlock Hall in Blue Mountain Lake. More rustic, but also wonderful. Your hotel looks lovely.

>134 Whisper1: Thank you Linda!

>135 lit_chick:, >136 PaulCranswick: Nancy & Paul, it was a perfect getaway for the two of us. A bit of a splurge, but they were offering a rather tempting fall special that we couldn't resist.

>137 NanaCC: Colleen, what a coincidence! Just after we returned from our trip we met a couple, friends of friends, who absolutely raved about Hemlock Hall. I made a mental note to check it out for next time. And now I am even more inspired to do so.

Oooh, what hotel is that? It's gorgeous.

57. My Brilliant Friend ()
My Review
Source: Recent impulse buy in a bookshop -- I couldn’t resist the cover.
Why I read this now: My impulsive feelings stuck with me while I finished books I was already reading. It’s unusual for me to start reading a book within a week of buying it!

Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels have been getting a lot of press lately. On a recent bookshop visit, I was quite smitten with the beautiful Europa Editions and picked up the first book, My Brilliant Friend. The series tells of a lifelong friendship between Elena Greco and Lila Cerulla, who came of age in mid-20th century Naples. My Brilliant Friend begins when the two girls are in primary school and ends when they are about sixteen. They are both outstanding students, and their relationship fluctuates between intimacy and competitiveness. We get to know their neighborhood through a child’s eyes, with all the common misconceptions that come with that. As the girls mature, Elena, who narrates the story, continues her education while Lila joins her father and brother in running the family business. However, she studies on the side and manages to keep up with Elena’s command of Latin and Greek. Towards the end of the book both are exploring relationships with men and learning some difficult life lessons.

The novel is populated with a rich cast of characters: family members, neighbors, powerful citizens and those who must bow down to them. Elena and Lila are from working class backgrounds, and their forays into higher levels of society are simultaneously enlightening and painful. So are their experiences growing up female and Italian in that time period. But I most enjoyed the relationships, and the struggle to find one’s place in the world. As the first book drew to a close both Elena and Lila were on the cusp of a new phase in their lives, and I am eager to read what happens next.

>139 scaifea: Amber, the hotel is The Sagamore in Bolton Landing, NY. It was a splurge for us -- we were looking to treat ourselves after a hectic summer. It's a full-scale resort with golf, tennis, pool, fitness center, boat rental (during summer), and several restaurants. The Lake George area has an abundance of smaller inns, many of which we saw on our drive there, that also looked very enticing.

Hi Laura, I confess I'm not at all familiar with the Neapolitan Novels, but your review is excellent! I can see why you couldn't resist the cover.

>140 lauralkeet: "It’s unusual for me to start reading a book within a week of buying it!" *snork!* A strange comment in 'normal' company, likely, but probably a common issue in this group, eh?

>141 lauralkeet: Lovely! I ask because it looks a lot like the resort we stayed at in Georgia on our way to Disney World a couple of years ago. We used up all of Tomm's Marriott points for just one night and it was totally worth it!

Hi, Laura! Hope all is well. Good review of The Tie that Binds. That is one, I have still not read. Maybe, I could squeeze it in, before the year's end. I still have his last book to get to. Waiting for the right moment.

I am seeing My Brilliant Friend everywhere. You seemed to like the book. Do you think it would be something I would like?

>142 lit_chick: Nancy, I'm not sure where I first heard of the Neapolitan Novels, but I think it was on a couple of blogs I follow. I haven't seen as much buzz here on LT. Here are a couple of articles I just found via Google, which give a better sense of these books than my little old review.

The New Yorker, Sept 2014 Elena Ferrante and the Force of Female Friendships

The Telegraph, August 2015 (looks like the fourth book was released about this time) Farewell to Elena Ferrante's brilliant Neapolitan Novels

>143 scaifea: I knew LTers would understand my comment, Amber! And I agree resorts like The Sagamore are worth blowing Marriott Points on.

>144 msf59: Mark, you read a lot of books by women authors so you might enjoy it, but then again it might be too feminine for you. It's not chick lit at all, but it's definitely centered on the lives of girls and women. Read the articles I linked to above -- they might help you decide.

58. Being Mortal ()
My Review
Source: My local library's Kindle collection
Why I read this now: It garnered much praise on LT and elsewhere, and was billed as an "important" book that everyone should read. I'm glad I did.

This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking book about aging, dying, and the ways in which we care for people during the last stage of their lives. Gawande reviews the history of elder care (nursing homes, the rise of assisted living and continuous care communities, hospice care), and describes current innovations in all of these areas. He also shares his personal experience as a doctor working with various patients, and as a son coping with his father's decline and passing. The subject matter is difficult, but the writing style is light and the book is relatively short, so what could have been overwhelming turned out to be manageable. The book left me with much to think about concerning the care of my aging parents as well as what I might wish for myself in the future.

Finally catching up on your thread, Laura! Sorry to hear Devoted Ladies was a disappointment - I think that was the first Molly Keane I acquired but as I also have several others (also still all unread) I will probably try another one first.

>105 lauralkeet: I think I remember @CurrerBell read Devoted Ladies for All Virago, All August this year and commented that he didn't think he would have enjoyed it if he hadn't read Young Entry first which he thought DL was satirizing. Sometimes though I just find that an author I've really loved suddenly stops working for me and I can't figure out why.

>125 lauralkeet: The Tie That Binds sounds good. Should it be read before Plainsong and sequels or does the order not really matter?

>133 lauralkeet: Lovely photos!

>140 lauralkeet: I also keep hearing about the Elena Ferrente series and have been meaning to pick up My Brilliant Friend from the library.

>146 lauralkeet: Being Mortal is also on my library list (I need to read faster....)

Nice reviews of My Brilliant Friend and Being Mortal, Laura. I passed the former on to my wife (walklover), who loved that book. Being Mortal really influenced my thinking and the rest of my family on how to help our 92 year old father. Great book - I also feel like we've seen Gawande's humanist influence on other doctors we've visited with my father recently.

Great review of My Brilliant Friend. I've seen many positive reviews of it here and other places, but I tried it a few months ago and really didn't like it. I was surprised, because I normally love fiction by a woman about women, but for some reason I couldn't connect to it. Glad you liked it, though!

>147 souloftherose: Hi Heather!! You know, I read @CurrerBell's comments about Devoted Ladies, but just wasn't up for reading Young Entry at the same time. I hoped that would be OK but maybe it was a mistake. As for Kent Haruf's novels, he is most famous for the Plainsong trilogy, so I think you can start there. I read the earlier books because I loved his work so much that I wanted to read everything. The Tie that Binds is in no way related to the later books, except that it's set in the same fictional town.

>148 jnwelch: Thanks Joe! Being Mortal definitely had me thinking about my father's care (he's 80 and has Parkinson's). He just moved into a new living arrangement which has some elements that Gawande mentioned as being more progressive (specifically a more home-like environment where staff share duties). I will be much more attuned to the ways of medical professionals now, as well.

>149 japaul22: Thanks Jenn. I skimmed the reviews just after I bought the book, and I saw yours and others who were positive. So I took the plunge. I'm not sure the book was as *amazing* as some say it is (that's the problem with hype), but I did enjoy it.

>145 lauralkeet: Thank you for the links to the articles on the Neapolitan Novels, Laura. And excellent review of Being Mortal. This one sounds like one I need to read.

Good review of Being Mortal. I think that should be required reading.

Being Mortal is one of those thought-changing books, isn't it? I'm so glad I read it, too.

>152 msf59:, >153 scaifea: I feel like I was a little late to the party on this one (the "important book buzz" is now all about Between the World and Me), but I'm really glad I read it. There's much to think about and discuss.

You have piqued my interest with My Brilliant Friend. And I totally get not usually reading a new book right away. (I still haven't read the Edith Wharton book I bought at her home several years ago.)

>140 lauralkeet: A non LT friend was raving about My Brilliant Friend and I wondered why I hadn't heard much about it here. So I am glad to see you read and liked it.

Love the pix of your trip.

>155 tiffin:, >156 sibylline: Hello Tui & Lucy! I'm wondering why My Brilliant Friend isn't getting more buzz here. I think I discovered it primarily through UK sources (news, blogs). And I think it's been mentioned in the Virago Group. I also find the author herself quite intriguing -- here's an interesting October 2014 article from The Guardian: Elena Ferrante: the global literary sensation nobody knows, describing her anonymity and how her reputation is building among women and well-known authors like Zadie Smith and Jhumpa Lahiri. The Neapolitan Novels are described thus:

Ferrante’s subject – it is almost an obsession – is the way women are shaped, distorted and sometimes destroyed by their social milieu (and by the men around them). Voicing what can still seem unvoiceable, she delves into the darker tensions between daughters and mothers, the tug-and-pull of being a wife or a mother and wanting to retain some sense of independent self.

I have a sudden urge to buy the rest of the series.

>140 lauralkeet: I have this book on the shelf Laura, and continue to read good things about it, which you've now added to, so maybe it goes into next month's prospects.

>146 lauralkeet: i read this at the beginning of the year and aspects have stuck with me. I've recommended it to a lot of people. It is one of those books that should be read by everyone interested in life, and how we might improve it IMO.

Elena Ferrante has been on my radar since I read about her in the Wall Street Journal. I think she is the author who doesn't do interviews about her books. But that doesn't seem to impact their popularity. I love Europa books. I might have to place an order with Dear Ol' Santa! I agree that Being Mortal is a very eye-opening and important book. Aging is something we all need to think about. I always enjoy your reviews, Laura.

Hi Laura! I looked at Benediction at work yesterday (my copy has been living in my office TBR stack instead of my home TBR stack -- don't ask...) and almost brought it home for soon reading. I think I decided I wasn't quite in the mind-space for the kind of grief I know it will evoke. Still, I will read it sooner rather than later.

I read My Brilliant Friend and The Story of a New Name a while back. I gave the first 3.5 stars but only 2.5 to the second. I just got bored. I know my friend the book-buyer for the U Bookstore thinks the series is wholly exquisite. Perhaps I should give Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay a try (it's another wonderful title).

>133 lauralkeet: That looks like a great vacation. I've never been to the Adirondacks and would love to go sometime.

Hi there, hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.

Caroline, Donna, I will be interested in your thoughts about the Ferrante whenever you read it.

Ellen, your comments about the second book are interesting. I'm so tempted by the pretty covers on these Europa editions, but I think it would be wiser to buy them one at a time just in case I have a similar experience.

Wasn't Ferrente this year's winner of the Strega (the most famous Italian book prize)? Or among the favorites in any case. I had a look at the books then but didn't feel drawn to them, and the reviews by Italian readers were very mixed. But I'll keep her on my watchlist.
Lovely holiday pics!
Have a wonderful Sunday :)

Listening to "Performance Today" in the car yesterday afternoon, and the remarkable young violinist Simone Porter was asked about her other interests. She said how much she has always loved reading, and rattled off a list of recommendations, including the Ferrante books. Her whole list is here, and if you want to do yourself a big favor, listen to the whole interview and some of her music. Amazingly talented, self-possessed young woman.

>162 Deern: Nathalie, I was not aware of the Strega Prize (shame on me!!). A quick bit of Googling indicates Ferrante was considered a favorite for the prize (according to The Guardian), but Wikipedia shows the 2015 prize was awarded to Nicola Lagioia, for La Ferocia. I am not familiar with this author or the book and really unfamiliar with Italian literature in general. I'd be interested in your take on the prize and whether the works are generally available in translation.

>163 laytonwoman3rd: ooh, thanks, Linda!

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And now for something completely different, which will appeal to LT's English grammar nerds. My daughter recently made me aware of Grammarly, an add-on for your web browser that proofreads/checks grammar as you write on the web. So yes, as I write this, or as I write reviews, I get little alerts if I am straying into poor grammar. I can then click on the alerts and correct my writing. I'm using the free version and finding it very useful.

>161 lauralkeet: I do agree that the Europa editions are lovely!

59. The Perpetual Curate ()
My Review
Source: My Virago Modern Classics collection
Why I read this now: I was looking for a Virago to read this month, and have enjoyed previous books in this series.

The Perpetual Curate is the fourth in Margaret Oliphant's Chronicles of Carlingford, a series of novels set in a fictional Victorian town. As with the previous books, local clergy and church matters take center stage. This time, perpetual curate Frank Wentworth takes center stage. Frank is young and idealistic and oversteps his bounds by ministering to a poor community which the Rector believes falls under his jurisdiction. Frank is also in love with Lucy Wodehouse, but his relatively low standing in the church (and commensurate low income) prevents him from acting on his feelings. And then a confluence of events threatens to drive a wedge between Frank and Lucy: a stranger comes to town, a young girl disappears, and a family crisis requires Frank's attention. Margaret Oliphant gets the reader equally tangled up in these many threads, and then gently unravels them to create a tidy and satisfying ending.

Oliphant paints a vivid picture of life in Carlingford, with well-drawn characters. There's also a great deal of quiet humor; in this book the Rector's wife, while playing a pivotal role in the story, also provides amusement through obsessive tending to her ferns, her private thoughts about her husband, and her quiet resignation to living in a rectory so poorly decorated by her predecessor.

I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to the remaining two in the series.

>166 lauralkeet: Hmm. That series is tempting.

>167 EBT1002: Ellen, have you read any Anthony Trollope? Oliphant was a contemporary and her novels have a very similar feel to Trollope's Barsetshire series. The church figures prominently, and I had to consult the interwebs a couple of times to brush up on the finer points of the Church of England especially the divisive issues of the time. The romantic storylines run into obstacles characteristic of the period, where relationships were tightly governed by all manner of societal expectations. The books are tame by modern standards but this type of literature has grown on me.

I think I have one of those Oliphant books around here somewhere... Nice review, Laura!

Excellent review of The Perpetual Curate, Laura. Hmm, your comparison of Oliphant's series to Trollope's Barsetshire Chronicles definitely strikes a chord with me. Adore Trollope! Oh, and thumb-up : ).

>169 katiekrug: >170 lit_chick: Thanks Katie & Nancy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Squeeee! Today is the release date for Career of Evil, Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling)'s latest Cormoran Strike novel. Yesterday I was #33 in the library queue and today a copy is IN TRANSIT to MEEEEE !

Woo hoo.

>171 lauralkeet: Lucky you! I've put it on hold; I'm 29 in the queue, and there are 15 copies circulating in the county-wide library system. Shouldn't take too long.

>171 lauralkeet: Off to see if my library has been so quick....

ETA No it hasn't. Bah humbug! Enjoy :-)

>171 lauralkeet: I only see two copies listed as unavailable at my library, but I'm listed as #2 of 3 on the hold list. :). Of course, I was hoping to finish The Last Chronicle of Barset before the Galbraith came in. I've no idea how much more of that I have to go because I'm reading it in The Works of Anthony Trollope on my Kindle. The percentages of completion mean nothing on there.

>172 laytonwoman3rd:, >173 charl08: Yeah, I'm excited!! I'm currently reading Pat Barker's Life Class, World War I fiction which has just become rather grisly as people leave London for various roles at the front. I know Career of Evil will be grisly as well, but I am looking forward to the faster pace and the suspense (I kinda know how the war turns out, and how it affects those who served ... not much suspense there). Anyway, the Barker is only 245 pages and I'm over halfway through so I should be able to move swiftly to Career of Evil.

>174 NanaCC: bummer about the progress tracking, Colleen. No table of contents? Or do you know what chapter you are on vs. the total number in the book? But oh ... The Last Chronicle is sooo good, I really didn't want it to end. Let me know when you reach the part about Mrs Proudie. You'll know what I mean when you get there. :)

I'm on chapter 38 of 84, so I have quite a long way to go....but, definitely enjoying the journey.

>171 lauralkeet: release date for Career of Evil
I've had the Nook page up for a few days waiting to press go. Of course while I was there... a few other books somehow got attached to the order.

>176 NanaCC: oh good! I really need to start the Palliser novels.
>177 qebo: I'm shocked, just shocked I tell you.

Hi, Laura! I need to get round to Rowling's 'other' stuff. I even have the first of the series on my shelves...

>179 scaifea: Amber, she does a terrific job of creating a "world" -- this is evident in her 'other' stuff just as in the HP books.

60. Life Class ()
My Review
Source: On my shelves
Why I read this now: I wanted to read something that had been on my shelves for a while.

Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy is a masterpiece of World War I literature, and I had similarly high expectations for Life Class.

The central characters are Elinor, Paul, and Kit enrolled in a London art school and caught up in a bit of a love triangle. The first part of the book develops each of the three characters and their relationships with one another. When the war begins, Paul and Kit both end up in Belgium assigned to hospital duties in different towns about 5-10km apart (hmm, what are the odds?). Both intend to continue painting despite the all-consuming nature of military service (seriously?). Elinor remains at home, pursuing her art and quickly tiring of the war's impact on daily life. The relationships between the characters experience the ups and downs one would expect from a dramatic change in circumstances coupled with a prolonged absence.

Barker certainly knows how to write about war. The hospital and its patients, as well as scenes of bombing and its aftermath, were depicted in great detail. Unfortunately, Life Class is no Regeneration. The theme of "art during a war" didn't really hold up, and the love triangle lacked the tension I expected. I only read this book because it's a prequel to Toby's Room, which received critical acclaim. I still plan to read the next book, and my guess is one could skip Life Class with no regrets.

With perfect timing, last night I picked up Career of Evil from the library and then sat down to finish Life Class. I even managed a few pages with Cormoran and Robin before bed. Yay.

*drum, drum, drum* Still no pick-up message from the library for me...

>182 lauralkeet: I gave up on the library copy and read it on the kindle. V. Good!

Aack! I've just had a little library avalanche. I made a Kindle loan request in for A Brief History of Seven Killings, this year's Booker Prize winner. I was watching it carefully and thinking about freezing my position in the queue, but my number came up before I could do so.

So now I'm partway into a 500-page book that I don't want to put down, and I have two weeks to read a 700-page book. Neither one can be renewed. I think if I turn the wifi off on my Kindle I can hang on to the book past its due date ... A dirty trick but it might become necessary. Yikes!!

I'm having a similar issue. I'm only a quarter in to a long biography of Mary Queen of Scots and a similar nonfiction book that I've had on hold for months finally came in. And The Dust that Falls from Dreams came up much faster than I thought also, but I'm in the middle of a paperback that I'm loving and hesitant to set aside.

I guess it's a good problem to have. :-/

Oh......... I guess I've just been lurking here? I am envious of all you who have *Career* in your hot little hands. Maybe I really will break down and get on our library's list, always assuming that they have a copy. I can't justify even the Kindle price for a bit of fun. I'll be staying tuned to hear how good it is!
>186 japaul22: I know many worse problems!

>185 lauralkeet: Oh, keep your kindle offline. It's just a little bad.....

Hi Laura - you're hitting me with loads of book bullets! Great reviews. I still haven't read the Cormoran Strike books and once we're back in our house I will have my VMCs back - I have Hester by Margaret Oliphant.

I bought Life Class a few weeks ago because the owner of my favourite bookshop loved it and like you I wanted to read the whole of the series instead of starting with her new one.

Will be keen to see what you think of A Brief History of Seven Killings.

Have a lovely weekend!

>186 japaul22: yeah Jenn, as problems go this one isn't really all that awful ...

>187 LizzieD: Career of Evil is turning out to be just as good as the others, Peggy. Go for it!

>188 NanaCC: Thanks for giving me your blessing Colleen! We'll see how it goes, but I'm fairly certain that's what I'll do. If I don't finish the book in time, I know I won't want to get back in the library queue and I doubt I'll want to pay $12.99 to buy the book either. So yeah, staying offline is the way to go. On the other hand, Career of Evil is a fast read so who knows, maybe I'll make it!

>189 cushlareads: Hi Cushla!! It's so nice of you to stop by. I read Life Class for exactly the same reason you mentioned, even though I've since read reviews that lead me to believe that at least Toby's Room stands on its own. I'm not sure about her latest. But then I hate reading books out of order and/or skipping books in a series, so I guess on the whole I'm glad I read it.

Morning Laura! Happy Saturday! I never did start the Cormoran Strike series, despite the fact that several of my LT buddies, like the books. One day, perhaps??

I have Seven Killings, in both print and on audio. I hope to work it into the rotation soon.

>190 lauralkeet: I also cannot read books out of order and it results in a pile up on the shelves occasionally, Laura!

Have a lovely weekend. xx

>185 lauralkeet: Clearly this represents the sort of emergency that "emergency leave" was implemented for...time off from work is the only sane solution.

>191 msf59: on you should definitely read the series Mark!. Book horn it!!

>192 PaulCranswick: well hello Paul thanks so much for stopping by!

>193 laytonwoman3rd: hmmm that's an innovative solution Linda!

>175 lauralkeet: Well, Laura, I've reached the part about Mrs. Proudie, and you were right there was no question I knew which part you were referring to. Holy smokes! I want to stay awake just a bit longer, but I'm not sure that will happen. :)

>195 NanaCC: I know, right?! Mrs Proudie may be one of the most memorable characters in literature.

Oh dear, I have fallen quite behind here.
Yes, re Mrs. Proudie.
The Mrs. Oliphant books are a bit hens' teethish in Virago editions. Lucky you!
I dislike reading books out of order too, Paul, and only do so by accident.
Loving "A Career of Evil" so far but can't help being amazed that the creator of the wonderful Harry Potter can pull off such psychological darkness. Oh wait, Voldemart...

>168 lauralkeet: I have had Barchester Towers on my TBR shelves for a couple of years now. I would like to give Trollope a read, if only to check him off on the "classic authors I should at least try before I die" list. So. Maybe I'll make that an actual category for 2016 (not being one to do that, normally) and tackle one per month.

Career of Evil keeps popping up on various threads, as well as on amazon every time I go over there.

61. Career of Evil ()
My Review
Source: My local library
Why I read this now: I love this series, and have been on the library hold list since I first learned it would be published in October.

Private Investigator Cormoran Strike has built a reputation solving cases that baffle London law enforcement. In Career of Evil it gets personal, when Strike's assistant Robin Ellacott accepts delivery of a parcel that turns out to contain a human leg. Clearly, there has been foul play. And equally clearly, the person responsible is out to harass them ... or worse. While the police work to identify the victim, Strike focuses his investigation on three people from his past that may have reason to target him and Robin.

Meanwhile, Robin is weeks away from her wedding with Matthew, whom we met in the second book. Matthew is far from the ideal fiancé, and their relationship is strained. Matthew provides little support for Robin's career, and the severed leg certainly doesn't help matters. He is suspicious of her partnership with Strike, and not without reason, as there's a little frisson of romantic tension between Robin and Strike which both try to suppress. Strike makes a valiant effort at romance with a classical music radio presenter, despite the demands of his work.

And then there's the killer who is given chapters of his own to showcase his general creepiness and very scary obsession with violence against women. This man has killed before, and will kill again before this book is over. And as if that weren't enough, he has Robin in his sights and secretly follows her as she goes about her duties. The suspense builds gradually, in a way that had me stealing moments to read "just a few more pages" throughout the day. Strike and Robin aggressively pursue their three suspects until Strike has an "aha moment" where all of the pieces fall into place for him, but of course not for the mere mortal reader. From that moment on you'd better just stop whatever else you should be doing and finish the book.

Now, when will the next one be published?

>197 tiffin: I agree with your comments about JKR, Tui!

>198 EBT1002: does >199 lauralkeet: tempt you, Ellen? :)

>199 lauralkeet: not for the mere mortal reader
Yeah, I paused to consider... then kept on reading.

*fruitlessly checks e-mail for anything from the library* *sighs*

>199 lauralkeet: Well said, Laura. I thought Career of Evil was the best one yet, and I'm getting quite attached to Cormoran and Robin. Can't wait for the next one.

>199 lauralkeet: I'm #15 on the ebook waitlist at my library. It sounds really good!

>199 lauralkeet: I was number one on the library list yesterday, and number two today. Hmmmm...sounds fishy to me. :(

Woot! Great review of Career of Evil, Laura. I've got to get to Silkworm, so that I can get to this one!

>201 qebo: me too Katherine!
>202 laytonwoman3rd: I hope you get your hands on it soon, Linda.
>203 jnwelch: Thanks Joe!!
>204 japaul22: I don't know about you Jenn, but my ebook wait list takes much longer than the paper book wait list. Sometimes I put my name on both just to hedge my bets. Good luck!
>205 NanaCC: Well that's weird Colleen. How does that happen?
>206 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy. The mystery/crime in each book stands alone, but the dynamic between Cormoran and Robin evolves from one to the next so I definitely recommend reading them in order.

>199 lauralkeet: when will the next one be published?
My question exactly *drums fingers impatiently...*

Good review, Laura! I'm loving it so far too. And know when I reach the last page, I'll be wanting to reach for book # 4 but will have to wait.

I've heard a lot about the Ferrantes from a couple of people, one loves them, one doesn't. Sigh. But I think I might like them.

>208 charl08: I wonder if JKR can hear our collective fingers drumming?!

>209 tiffin: Thanks Tui. I've been stalking your thread, eagerly awaiting your comments on it.

>210 sibylline: Lucy, I've seen mixed reviews as well. A blogger that I follow tempted me into reading the first one. Then just yesterday she posted on Twitter, while reading the second book, that she just figured out where the title came from. That piqued my interest again ...

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So remember upthread in >185 lauralkeet:, when I was worried about not finishing a book before the Kindle lending period expired? I'm not worried anymore. Read on ...

62. A Brief History of Seven Killings (DNF)
No Review
Source: My local library's Kindle collection
Why I read this now: It won the 2015 Booker Prize

Much has been said about how this book is anything but brief, and includes way more than 7 killings. I gave it 50 pages over two evenings and decided it's not for me. The violence invaded my sleep, and the emphasis on character development over plot (and there are a lot of characters) began to bog me down. This is one of only 4 Booker Prize winners that I've DNF'd. So be it.

>212 lauralkeet: - Life's too short! Good for you.

Agreed, that life is too short! Thanks for letting us know.

I have to get started on the Cormoran Strike series. I have The Cuckoo's Calling on the TBR shelves.

>212 lauralkeet: Thanks for your honest comments on A Brief History of Seven Killings. I'm taking them under advisement.

>213 katiekrug:, >214 lit_chick:, >215 EBT1002: *waves* to Katie, Nancy, & Ellen!

Thanks for the moral support. :) For an alternative view, you might want to read Darryl (@kidzdoc)'s review, here. Once this book won the Booker Prize, I knew I would read it no matter what. I was spurred on by Darryl's enthusiasm, coupled with a recent The Readers podcast where the hosts and a guest pronounced A Brief History of Seven Killings as the best book on the Booker shortlist (this was before the winner was announced). Oh well, it wasn't for me and I'm okay with that.

Last night I started Lean on Pete, a gift from my Virago Secret Santa last year. I am completely unfamiliar with the author, Willy Vlautin, but I was sucked into this book right away.

Oh! I randomly bought Lean on Pete in a Kindle sale at some point - glad to hear it's good :)

Sorry 7 Killings didn't work for you. It took me many weeks of slow reading to "accept" it, and then I loved it. Really not an easy book, and it was quite a courageous decision to make it the winner - I fear it will remain unread on many shelves.

Good to see that RG#3 is just as good. I read a third of #2 today and wish I could read faster.

Have a lovely weekend! :)

>218 Deern: many weeks of slow reading
Oh, I could see where that might work, Nathalie. This was a library loan so I didn't have that kind of time. Maybe someday I will try again and use that method.