VivienneR Reads in 2016

As it was taken on January 1st a few years ago this photo seems like a good way to start the year. The location is Garibaldi Provincial Park, British Columbia.

This is my fourth year at Club Read. As usual I am planning on making some headway with Mt. TBR although I seem to buy more than I read so it has grown instead. This is the year to change all that.

I'm also doing the Category Challenge and can be found at VivienneR's 2016 Category Challenge




Up Next:
The Quarry by Iain Banks
The Phantom Major: the story of David Stirling and the SAS Regiment by Virginia Cowles
The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō
Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty
Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran
Rosewater and Soda Bread by Marsha Mehran

Books Read:

January
1. Best of Women's Short Stories edited by William John Locke
2. Virginia Woolf by Nigel Nicolson
3. Miracle in the Andes: 72 days on the mountain and my long trek home by Nando Parrado
4. Monsieur Pamplemousse Afloat by Michael Bond
5. Person or persons unknown by Bruce Alexander
6. A walk in the woods : rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
7. A Peter Gzowski Reader by Peter Gzowski
8. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
9. Untold Stories by Alan Bennett
10. Dressing Up for the Carnival by Carol Shields
11. Photograph by Ringo Starr
12. George Harrison: Behind the Locked Door by Graeme Thomson
13. The Clothes They Stood Up In and, The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett
14. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
15. Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels
16. A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
17. Death of a Bore by M.C. Beaton
18. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

February
19. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
20. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
21. Johannes Cabal, the necromancer by Jonathan Howard
22. The Queen's Man by Sharon Kay Penman
23. Fifteen Days: stories of bravery, friendship, life and death from inside the new Canadian Army by Christie Blatchford
24. The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
25. The World of Jeeves by P.G. Woodhouse
26. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel
27. The Magical Adventures of the Wishing-Chair by Enid Blyton
28. Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer
29. Mightier than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer
30. The Magdalen Martyrs by Ken Bruen
31. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal by Lilian Jackson Braun
32. Benediction by Kent Haruf
33. No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

March
34. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
35. The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn
36. Diamond Solitaire by Peter Lovesey
37. Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read
38. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Jazz Age Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald
39. A Murder of Quality by John le Carré
40. The Warden by Anthony Trollope
41. A Country Doctor's Notebook by Mikhail Bulgakov
42. Miss Moon, Wise Words from a Dog Governess by Janet Hill
43. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran
44. Far from the Rowan Tree by Margaret Gillies Brown
45. Who asked you? by Terry McMillan
46. Last Orders by Graham Swift
47. The Féte at Coqueville by Émile Zola
48. The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley
49. Wilful Behavior by Donna Leon
50. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
51. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
52. End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina
53. Q & A by Vikas Swarup

Looking forward to your reading this year Vivienne!

Looking forward to your reviews. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I love the photo. It looks so peaceful, but cold. :) Looking forward to your reviews, and additions to my wishlist.

These were the best reads of 2015, earning 4.5 or 5 stars. I hope to revisit a number of the authors this year.

Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
Selections from the Diary of Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys
The Nine Tailors : changes rung on an old theme, in two short touches and two full peals by Dorothy L. Sayers
To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn
Stiff : The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
A Daughter's Tale : the memoir of Winston and Clementine Churchill's youngest child by Mary Soames
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Guards by Ken Bruen
Ex Libris : Confessions of a common reader by Anne Fadiman
Miss Mapp by E.F. Benson
Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright
Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill
A Month in the Country by J.L Carr
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West
Our souls at night by Kent Haruf
Present Darkness by Malla Nunn

Hotel du Lac ended up on up on the 2015 favourites' list for a few of us - loved it! I haven't read A Month in the Country or A God in Ruins, but they seemed such CR favourites last year I'll have to get to them soon.

The Edwardians was on my best list too. Lots of other interesting picks there.

Alison, I wish I'd made notes of who recommended some books. You might have been the source of inspiration for Hotel du Lac, if so, thank you.

Jane, I know that without your review, The Edwardians would still be languishing on my shelves. I loved it.

Best of Women's Short Stories

This is an excellent collection of short stories all relating to love, or a form of love. The first story Ladies in Lavender, by William John Locke, recounts how two spinster sisters, slightly more than middle-aged, spot a young man washed ashore near their home. In taking care of him, they both discover love, sadly unrequited. I've seen a movie from the story that captured Locke's sentiments beautifully. I believed this would be my favourite story of the collection, until I reached the last one, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I've heard of this story but until now had not come across it in any collection. It is disturbing to think that Gilman herself was subjected to this inhumane "therapy" for postpartum depression, that of being imprisoned in a room with no activity or stimulus of any type. Not surprisingly, the woman in the story became more deranged by the day. Unlike her fictional character, Gilman was able to take control of her own treatment forming the complete reverse. This is a wonderful anthology! These two stories deserve 5 stars, the others round it out to 4.5. The audiobook, narrated by Harriet Walker, was a treat.

I try to add a comment when I add a book to my wishlist to let me know who recommended it. Unfortunately, sometimes I lose it when I add the book to my library.

>11 NanaCC: If you go to the main page of the book, and from there change the collections from Wishlist to Your Library (or whatever collection you want it to go in), your comments and tags should remain.

>12 cabegley: the problem has happened when I changed the edition of the book that I actually have vs. the wishlist. Really, just a case of me forgetting to do it correctly.

That's a good idea to keep a comment on who recommended a book - I get cross with myself when I really enjoy a book and can't remember whose thread it came from to begin with.

>13 NanaCC: You still don't need to readd it though, you can simply edit your book and change the information to the copy you have.

>15 .Monkey.: I know that can be done but there will always be some detail I might not catch. I find it's easier to start over and add the right book.

Personally I keep my wishlist on an entirely separate account, since I don't want books I just hope to someday read to clutter in with my actual collection/reading. I only recently started remembering to add in the private comments links to where someone reviewed the book and got me intrigued, or whatnot, but since I do now think about it, I think (I hope :P) that whenever I actually get any of them, that I will remember to copy it over here before deleting the book from the account, heh.

>10 VivienneR: I also thought "The Yellow Wallpaper" was so good. Great pic at the top here!

>17 .Monkey.: I have all kinds of wish lists - books that I will get via interlibrary loan, books that I can borrow through other means, books that I want to buy, books that I might get around to sometime, books that I want to read soon, print, audio, etc. etc. Most are kept on spreadsheets mainly as reminders but I weed often as I gather more information.

>18 detailmuse: "The Yellow Wallpaper" was a room of horror but I found myself chuckling in some parts. I've seen wallpaper of a similar nature {shivers}. Glad you like the pic, it was a great day for a hike.

Virginia Woolf by Nigel Nicolson

A balanced biography written by the son of Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West, Woolf's one-time lover, this slim book covers a lot of ground without wandering around in the region of speculation. Nicolson writes knowledgeably, without idealizing the person he admits to admiring. As he knew her and her family and contemporaries personally, he was an ideal person to write Virginia Woolf's story, which he accomplished with grace and eloquence.

>20 VivienneR: ohhhh, very interesting biography. Going to add that one to my list. Like the fact that it's not a massive tome too!

>21 AlisonY: I'm sure you will like it, Alison.

Miracle in the Andes: 72 days on the mountain and my long trek home by Nando Parrado

This is a familiar story that was related in Alive by Piers Paul Read and in a movie of the same title, about a plane chartered by a rugby team in 1972 that went down on one of the highest peaks of the Andes, leaving many of the passengers injured but alive. Parrado was one of those passengers. This is his story. When they heard news on a radio that the search had been called off, he and others decided they had to climb out of the mountains if they were to have any chance of survival. Parrado and another young man made a heroic, miraculous trek to reach help. The sensational news was they they had (necessarily) resorted to cannibalism, but although that had been a difficult decision, it was not the most horrific they had suffered. The frigid temperatures, an avalanche that killed eight and left the fuselage, their only shelter, buried, the terrible injuries, the lack of everything they needed, was considerably worse.

The biographical details at the beginning allows the reader to relate so much more to the disaster by getting to know some of the individuals. Also appreciated was the final update on the survivors. A few years ago I saw a movie of the story. Parrado's personal account delivered a more powerful account of the despair, desolation, helplessness and the agonizing trek out.

>23 VivienneR: I watched the movie Alive and couldn't ever watch it again. First, the crash scene is horrific and KNOWING what is to come just jacks my anxiety through the roof. I'm tempted to read this book; but I don't know if I could. It amazes me how people survive horrific circumstances.

>23 VivienneR: sounds like a gripping if difficult read. Great review - I'm tempted...

>23 VivienneR: Hello VivienneR! I have loved Read's book Alive since I first encountered it 25 years ago. The movie did well at touching on the highlights of the story, but the book was such a richly drawn, emotional experience.

I heard about this one, but have never picked it up. Perhaps, I'll give it another look.

I also read Alive soon after it was first pubished, and was fascinated by the story. I'll keep an eye out for Miracle in the Andes.

>24 lesmel: It was knowing that they were rescued that kept me reading, but I know how you feel.

>25 AlisonY: Definitely gripping. My son is a climber and I thought this might be difficult for that reason, but my son climbs in very different circumstances.

>26 brodiew2: I heard about the story and may have seen excerpts from the movie, but this book brought it home.

>27 kidzdoc: I'm sure you would have a special interest in how they survived with such terrible injuries - to say nothing of the mental anguish. Parrado was in a coma for the first three days after the crash. He had a terrible head injury and could feel the smashed pieces of his skull move when he touched it.

And now for something completely different...



Monsieur Pamplemousse Afloat by Michael Bond

M. Pamplemousse, former Surete agent, now a food critic for Le Guide, a Michelin-type publication, is assisted by his bloodhound, Pommes Frites, on many food and wine tasting trips. This one takes place at the Director's request: a holiday tour through the vineyards of Burgundy on the Canal de Bourgogne. As dogs are not permitted, Pommes Frites will have to walk the towpath beside the barge, a plot to help him trim down. Bond's stories of M. Pamplemousse and Pommes Frites are excellent for the description of food and wine alone. With zany comedy thrown in, the action becomes more of slapstick farce than murder mystery.

Bond is well-known for his Paddington Bear stories.

>29 VivienneR: Oh lord. I think I may have to nickname my dog Pommes Frites. She already has many, many nicknames; but who can resist the name Pommes Frites!?

>30 lesmel: I love that name too! And one more nickname would never go amiss.

>29 VivienneR:, >30 lesmel: Pommes Frites!! That is a great doggy name.

If I ever have a dog that will be my first choice for a name :)

I've been sidelined by 'flu but managed to finish a couple:



Person or persons unknown by Bruce Alexander

A well-written mystery set in 1770 featuring Sir John Fielding a magistrate who founded the Bow Street Runners, an early police force. Both the story and writing style portrays the atmosphere of the time. Oliver Goldsmith plays a cameo role. I don't know why this has been on my shelf for a long time, it was very enjoyable.



A walk in the woods : rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

This is a very entertaining account of Bryson's experience hiking the Appalachian Trail with out-of-shape friend, Katz. He covers a lot of ground, (pun intended) and includes information about how the trail is maintained, ecology, and history. He was funny without being silly, informative without droning on. It was a lot of fun to read.

Hope you're feeling better, Vivienne. Flu is miserable. After 2 Christmases on the trot with flu and a bout of pneumonia I started to get the flu jab in 2014 and can definitely recommend it.

Feel better, Vivienne. Feet up, lots of liquids, and books.

>34 VivienneR: I read the whole Bruce Alexander series starting in the 90s and loved them all. i was sorry to see them end. And I hope you feel better soon. Mysteries are great when you're under the weather.

>35 AlisonY: Thanks, good advice.

>36 NanaCC: More good advice! Unfortunately we got about a foot of snow (still coming down) so I have to help clear it. My husband has Parkinson's Disease and would have trouble with this lot.

>37 rebeccanyc: I enjoyed it so much I'll be on the lookout for more. I liked the idea of including real people. I agree, mysteries are perfect when feeling low.

A Peter Gzowski Reader by Peter Gzowski

Known as Mr Canada, Gzowski is known chiefly for his CBC radio programs, of which Morningside is the most familiar. He worked at several newspapers and magazines. His genial, laid-back style and husky smoker's voice was familiar in many Canadian homes. This book is a retrospective of his work and includes the first article he wrote about Pierre Elliot Trudeau, dated 1954. The final essay in the collection is Life After Smoking written in June 2001, a year after he quit smoking. It was a sad reflection on the guy always seen with a cigarette in his hand. He died of emphysema just six months later. Revisiting Gzowski's Canada was a lovely journey back in time.



Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

I can understand why Thompson's books brought about a sea-change for journalism, blending fact and fiction to create what became known as gonzo journalism. I can also understand how the rambling account of a drug-soaked, demented journey can be entertaining. However, surreal narrative is just not for me. I appreciate Thompson's immense talent but don't particularly enjoy it. Still, this is one book I'm glad I tried. His comprehension of the spirit of the times is exhaustive, if localized - my memory of 1971 is very different. Ralph Steadman must have been along for the ride, his illustrations are spot on.

>39 VivienneR: Love the juxtaposition of these two books as I try to imagine Gzowski interviewing Thompson! It's amazing listening to the radio today to think that Gzowski could fill three hours a day five days a week with his programme and keep his listeners sitting in cold parking lots, late for appointments, just so that they could hear the end of an interview. That happened to me again and again with the weekly Kierans, Camp and Lewis forum. Gzowski did so much to forge a Canadian identity and maintain the distinctions from the US. In those preinternet days, I actually taped his Free Trade Debates. Then there was Stuart MacLean who got his start on the programme.

I lived in five different provinces during the Morningside years and the programme had the amazing ability to always make some connections with them all, so that I never felt completely out of touch. For those outside Canada, Gzowski was such a presence that his funeral was broadcast on television.

Here is a link to the CBC Archives about him: http://www.cbc.ca/archives/topic/peter-gzowski-voice-of-canada
For lovers of the "cricket" interview, the actual cricket portion starts about eight minutes in. That's cricket as in the insect, not the game.

Thompson used the same model in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, a scary one. It was on an American politics course I took. Steadman is terrific.

>40 SassyLassy: I couldn't decide which one to read for the Dewey Challenge (the 000s) over at the 2016 Category Challenge group, so I read both. It was such a vast change of pace, quite startling in fact, to go from one to the other. What a wild ride with Thompson, only to be followed by the gentle well-spoken Gzowski.

I had a friend who often began conversations with "Peter Gzowski says...". He had all of us captivated. When I saw this book I had to have it to remember him and his voice.

Thanks for sharing your memories and the link to CBC archives. I'll enjoy that.

My son also owns Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 so I may read that at some point. However, I took a pass on The Rum Diary.

Untold Stories by Alan Bennett

Bennett is undeniably one of my favourite writers. Without any trace of melodrama, he is able to convey the intricate emotions of what may seem an ordinary life. A combination of family, personal and literary memoir, this is a book for keeping, dipping into now and then.

>40 SassyLassy: Thanks again for the link, it was hilarious. I haven't heard the cricket interview before.

> I haven't read any Alan Bennett yet. Last year I fancied trying The Lady in the Van but my library didn't have any copies. I imagine the new film will have changed that and there will be copies aplenty now, so must keep it in mind.

>44 AlisonY: My husband borrowed The Lady in the Van from the library a while back and recommended it to me. I made a mental note (bad move) to get it myself sometime and of course completely forgot. Thanks for the reminder. I'll add it to my "pickupatthelibrary" list. I'm in the dark about the world of movies so wasn't even aware that the story had been made into a movie. And another list is born...

Lists.... I have too many. Just trying to catch up with everyone.

>45 VivienneR: it was just released last year, Vivienne. Has Maggie Smith in it, who I love in just about anything. Should be a goodie.

I'll keep an eye out for this one. The Uncommon Reader was pure delight. I read Lady in the Van eons ago, but only remember it vaguely. The movie looks fun.

>42 VivienneR: I've had this on my wishlist for far too long. Thanks for reminding me of it. Alan Bennett is always worth reading. Have you read the previous volume, Writing Home?

>47 AlisonY: I'm pretty sure that Maggie Smith automatically improves anything she appears in.

Alan Bennett is a writer I really must catch up with. The Uncommon Reader was wonderful, but that's all of him I am familiar with. Will add these other titles to my list.

>47 AlisonY: I see it was just released in the US this week. I doubt that it will reach my small town so I'll have to watch out for the DVD. Maggie Smith is wonderful.

>48 theaelizabet: I agree, The Uncommon Reader was one of my favourite books.

>49 valkyrdeath: No, I haven't read Writing Home. Another one for the wishlist.

>50 Poquette: That was the book that got my attention too.

I know Alan Bennett more for his plays than novels -- I saw Maggie Smith in a west end production of Talking Heads and love the play version of The History Boys. I thought Uncommon Reader was fine, perhaps I'll like another of his novels better.

I have the DVD of Talking Heads with Maggie Smith, Stephanie Cole, and Eileen Atkins that I really enjoyed - more than once. The History Boys looks like one that should be added to my wishlist. Bennett's style seems to be appreciated more by a British audience, or at least by those familiar with the way of life in northern England.

>53 VivienneR: The History Boys is also a movie :)

>23 VivienneR: Pleased to see Miracle in the Andes getting some love. I read Alive and thought it was great, but having the story from Parrado's point of view really completes the picture.

>54 ELiz_M: Thanks, now it's been added to two lists!

>55 ursula: Parrado's story was more personal and as you say, it completed the picture.

Alan Bennett is so entertaining and that is more than can be said for Hunter S Thompson. I read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas back in the 1980's and could not get into it.

I have to admit, there was a lot of Thompson's book that I barely understood. It's hard to comprehend how he kept up the frenzy for the entire book. I was exhausted just reading it. Give me Alan Bennett any day.

Dressing Up for the Carnival by Carol Shields

Shields was gifted when it came to expressing the subtle shades of meaning in what at first glance, appears to be simple stories. Each story is so understated and delicate, yet complex enough to leave you thinking about it long after the reading has finished.

I borrowed The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett and just realized it is the same short story that is in Untold Stories. Somehow I thought the story was longer and what I read was an abbreviated version. Fortunately the book also includes The Clothes They Stood Up In which I haven't yet read.

My husband brought me these two books from the library knowing I'd be interested.



Photograph by Ringo Starr

This is like looking at an album of photographs with a friend: they might be out of focus or the place has been forgotten, but they all show the life of a guy who is happy to look back at his life. Because of his nature Ringo was always my favourite Beatle. His sunny temperament was obvious in this collection. Reading over his shoulder, so to speak, was a pleasure.



George Harrison: Behind the Locked Door by Graeme Thomson

I didn't read this cover to cover, but just dipped into it as events drew my interest - it's a pretty hefty volume. Thomson referred to Pattie Boyd's autobiography often (a book I disliked because of her shameless name-dropping) and of course, much is already well-known, especially to my generation (as a teen, my friend pointed to a blurb in a minor music magazine saying this was a band worth watching). One surprise was that Harrison's young son Dhani, was shocked to learn his father had been in The Beatles. It explained why the kids at school taunted him by following him singing Yellow Submarine. That he had kept this from his son is an indication of his need for privacy, to be an individual, not a piece of a famous group where he was never content, never accepting stardom. This is an honest, frank account of Harrison's life, the odd man out of the Beatles, unhappy with life, constantly searching for solutions. Thomson acknowledges his talent but without gushing hero-worship.

>61 VivienneR: These sound like two books I'd like.

Both Writing home and Untold stories contained some lovely fragments, but I mostly had the feeling the consisted of far too much material of low quality.

>61 VivienneR: I love that little bit about George Harrison's son, and what it says about Harrison himself. Thanks for sharing it!

>63 edwinbcn: I hate to change my story once again, but the version of The Lady in the Van in Untold Stories is just a fragment so I'm glad I have the full version in The Clothes They Stood Up In and The Lady in the Van (up next). You're right, an abridged story just doesn't have the same quality.

>64 cabegley: Glad you enjoyed that bit too.

>61 VivienneR: George Harrison was always my favourite Beatle. A book I might enjoy.

I did not mean to use the word "fragment" in the literary sense of unfinished piece. Both Writing Home and Untold Stories are, as far as I can see, collections of previously uncollected or unpublished materials, and I used the word "fragment" in the sense of scraps and pieces.

I think much of both books is mostly of interest to Bennett aficionados, i.e. people who are very familiar with his work and life. As a new-comer to the work, for instance the diaries seemed of very little interest. I felt both books are collections of left-over prose.

However, within those collections, there are some pearls, I believe in both books the opening, i.e. first two autobiographical prose pieces.

For me it was quite a struggle to get through the rest of the two volumes, and finding the few more nice passages did not seem to weight up against ploughing through so much prose.

Nonetheless, this first acquaintance of Bennett did lead me to buy and read The Uncommon Reader which I enjoyed very much. (I think I was reading Woolf's The Common Reader at the time, as well.

>66 AlisonY: I'm sure you would like the book.

>67 edwinbcn: Yes, I understood and I used the word in the same sense. I agree, Untold Stories is a collection of bits and pieces. My husband and I are fans of Bennett's so it's fine with us. A friend who is not a fan, has borrowed it. I hope she might get something out of it, however, I expect to get it back again with no sign of it having been read. The Uncommon Reader is a favourite of mine. It was quite a coincidence for you to be reading Woolf's The Common Reader at the same time.

For $10 I got a nice haul at the library booksale today:

The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb
The Last Train to Zona Verde by Paul Theroux
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
Flying with Amelia by Anne Degrace
The Queen's Man by Sharon Kay Penman
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders by John Mortimer
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Quarry by Iain Banks
Not Safe After Dark by Peter Robinson
Buffalo Jump: A Woman's Travels by Rita Moir
Crooked Lake by Nelson Brunanski

As well as a few others to browse and pass on.

That's a nice haul of books!

Thanks. Some were on my wishlist, and the last couple are local writers. My ten minutes at the sale was very rewarding.

>67 edwinbcn: I think that for British readers, a lot of the appeal of Alan Bennett's diaries and related writing (eg the 'talking heads' series) is his ear for the tiny surrealities of everyday speech - which may be hard to translate, particularly outside the class framework of UK society. You're probably right that the best of these observations make it into his other writing, but the full diaries/memoirs would be a bit less filtered.

>72 wandering_star: I agree, Bennett appeals more to British readers - or, like me, of British origin. When I read anything by Bennett, I can hear his voice. He has a very special talent for depicting the ordinary person in extraordinary situations.

The Clothes They Stood Up In and, The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett

These two stories are quite different but both are poignant in their own way and are loosely connected through the ownership of belongings.

The first is a clever story that describes a burglary that takes place while the home owners are at an opera. The thieves take every single thing. Mr and Mrs Ransome have no choice but to begin again. Surprising, but with a hint of darkness.

The second is the factual story of a woman who lived in a van parked in Bennett's front garden for over 15 years with her bizarre collection of belongings Not that he particularly wanted her there, but he was gently persuaded, "possibly", to use the eccentric Miss Shepherd's usual tag. She winkled herself into his life and made it richer for being there.

I loved both stories and they will remain in my thoughts for a long time.

Sounds nice! I have never heard of him, that has to change!

>61 VivienneR: George Harrison is by far my favorite Beatle so this went right onto the wishlist. He had some very interesting ideas about life and art. I highly recommend HBO's documentary on him Living in the Material World though it gets very hero worship-y at the end. His son is a compelling interviewee, but Ringo and Tom Petty were the most interesting.

>75 Simone2: He has written many plays. some made in movies, so you may have seen some of his work without realizing it. I love the way he can write about ordinary people, usually with a twist.

>76 janemarieprice: Thank you for the recommendation. My daughter-in-law recommended it too so now I have to put it on my wishlist right away. I've never seen any interviews of any of the families so it will be interesting to find out how they fared. I was recently impressed by a TV interview of Ringo Starr.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I picked up this book because of the setting in St. Malo where I stayed on a visit to France many years ago. Doerr's description, matched my memory of the town precisely. There is not much to be said about the story that hasn't been said already. It is captivating from beginning to end.

This was an Early Reviewer book.

Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels

Michaels did not tone down her writing to a childish level but used grownup words, something many children appreciate. And, if perchance the word or phrase is a new one, the meaning becomes clear in the story. Playful text spurs the imagination: "The cats liked to be aired. They liked to feel the wind pick up every one of their hairs and set them down again, gently, as if the wind were looking for something." Michaels writing style is not only beautifully lyrical, but is different and in my experience, children are attracted to books that are out of the ordinary. With beautiful illustrations by Emma Block this book is simply charming, enchanting, eccentric - as that lover of words (and cakes), Miss Petitfour might say. Without hesitation, this book gets five well-deserved stars!

Anne Michaels is the award-winning author of Fugitive Pieces and The Winter Vault. This is her first book for children.

A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen

Royal sleuth Lady Georgianna takes on communist anarchists bent on mayhem. As usual, the charming Darcy O'Mara is around to help out. This was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

>80 VivienneR: I listened to the first book in this series last year, and thought it was fun. Thank you for the reminder. I had forgotten about it.

>81 NanaCC: I haven't been reading them in order but it doesn't seem to matter - so far!

Death of a Bore by M.C. Beaton

Another entertaining Highland mystery with Hamish Macbeth. The "bore" is a self-proclaimed writer. Hamish again manages to avoid promotion while remaining on the eligible bachelor list. Sonsie, a wild cat, is welcomed into his household and becomes best friend to Lugs. This amiable animal lover always makes for an enjoyable story.

Playing catch-up on your thread. I really must read something by Alan Bennett this year. Mostly he's just a name I'm familiar with. And what a great haul of books for $10!

Yes, $10 well spent. Alan Bennett's name turns up everywhere. Hope you enjoy him.

>74 VivienneR: have been waiting to read this Alan Bennett book for ages. Sounds as good as I've hoped!

Alison, you are sure to enjoy it.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I have to admit I didn't know of Maya Angelou until I heard of her death. The accolades prompted me to learn something about her. Her story, a difficult one to read, recounts a period of history to be remembered for the anguish created by prejudice. I am filled with admiration for her strength of character.

>79 VivienneR: Wow Anne Michaels is a writer I want to explore.

>89 detailmuse: I was very impressed and now I can't wait to get to her adult books.

>88 VivienneR: was the Maya Angelou book a good read, albeit difficult subject matter? It's been festering on my wish list for a while, but I seem to keep going past it for some reason.

>91 AlisonY: Yes it was a good read, poetic at times. This is the first book of autobiography taking her to her age 17. It's quite a small book, giving the reader a tempting taste.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Mention this book and naturally Jack Nicholson jumps to mind. The movie was excellent and yet the book is even better, although it's difficult to avoid seeing Nicholson as the brash Randle Patrick McMurphy. The story is told by Chief Bromden, one of the disturbed patients who makes out that he is a deaf mute while witnessing everything. I feel like I got know each one of the characters personally, cheering on McMurphy, applauding when he, or indeed anyone, scores against the Big Nurse, and commiserating with each patient. The writing is beautifully descriptive. On the negative side, there are racial and misogynistic stereotypes - an indication of the times in which it was written. Funny, chilling, tragic, and utterly captivating. This is one of my favourite books.

>93 VivienneR: I watched the movie many many years ago, and I have a vague feeling that I read it shortly afterward. I may need to read it again at some point.

I saw the movie too years ago, but this was my first reading.

Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

Another writer might have made this an epic but Johnson created a novella with huge impact. This is an account of Robert Grainier's tough, lonely life in the American Northwest early in the 20th century, although it gives the impression of an earlier pioneering time. The writing is poetic, the story haunting, surreal. But despite all that can be said in favour of Johnson's expertise, it is not an entirely pleasant read.

I picked up this book because it is set in the area just south of the border where I live. Johnson mentions British Columbia, a similar landscape sharing the Kootenai River (Kootenay in Canada). The heartbreaking forest fire Grainier experienced can be appreciated after the devastating fires of 2015 in this area.

I loved Train Dreams. Speaking of forest fires, have you read Young Men and Fire? It's nonfiction and it's excellent.

>96 VivienneR: Denis Johnson is one of my favourite authors. I have been holding off on reading this one as I don't want to come to the end of his books too quickly. Based on your thoughts, I know I will really enjoy it. I'm not sure any of his books I've read to date could qualify as an entirely pleasant read, but he presents the uncomfortable so well.

____
edited for spelling

>96 VivienneR: Train Dreams sounds great. And echoing Rebecca's recommendation of Young Men and Fire.

>97 rebeccanyc: Thanks Rebecca, I see Young Men and Fire is in the local library so it's going on my list.

>98 SassyLassy: I just discovered Denis Johnson. Glad to hear I can look forward to others. As you say, he presents the uncomfortable well. In anyone else's hands it would have quite different.

>99 cabegley: It sounds great, and definitely on my library list.

Read the Kesey years ago -- it's great. In addition to seeing the film, I also saw a stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest -- even more compelling than the film.

Never heard of Denis Johnson before, someone to keep on the radar list.

>93 VivienneR: I love the film of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but for some reason I've never even thought about reading the book. Possibly I should chance that.

>101 janeajones: I saw the production of the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago, starring Gary Sinise as McMurphy. It was really great.

>93 VivienneR: And I loved One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest when I read it many years ago, but I was completely blown away by Sometimes a Great Notion, which I read in relatively recent years. Challenging to read, but so worth it.

>101 janeajones: A stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest would be fun. I'd be first in line for that.

Denis Johnson is definitely one to watch.

>102 valkyrdeath: I felt the same way - ho hum, I've seen the movie. But somehow the book made more of an impression.

>103 ursula: I have Sometimes a Great Notion but the print is so small I have great difficulty reading it. I will definitely get another copy, an e-book if I have to. Now it is a must-read for me.

Johannes Cabal, the necromancer by Jonathan Howard

I'm not sure what to make of this. It was my first experience with the genre so I've nothing to compare it with. While the story didn't appeal much I have to admit to laughing out loud a few times. Howard's writing style and use of language is excellent but I'll take a pass on the second in the series that I have on Mt. TBR.



The Queen's Man by Sharon Kay Penman

This is one of the books I picked up at a recent library booksale. I don't know how I've missed this author before. It's an interesting mystery set in 1192, when Richard the Lionheart was thought to have been taken prisoner and his brother John was finagling to take over the throne. The story introduces Justin de Quincey, illegitimate son of a bishop who has just left home on discovering the truth of his origins. When he witnessed the murder of a goldsmith who was en route with a letter to the queen, he becomes a sleuth for Eleanor. This was Penman's first mystery, after writing historical fiction. Her portrayal of medieval life is well-researched and realistic. Recommended.

>105 VivienneR: I have Penman on my wishlist, but haven't managed to get to one. I really would like to read some of her books because they sound like my cup of tea.

>106 NanaCC: Penman wrote fiction then a mystery series. I intend to get to the mysteries first and then I'll try the fiction. It's an era that I find very interesting.

>105 VivienneR:

I had not got around to her mysteries yet (I should) but her The Sunne In Splendour is one of the best novels about Richard III I've read.

>108 AnnieMod: I've heard that but it's those 800+ pages that put me off. There's an interesting story about The Sunne in Splendour - the only copy of Penman's manuscript was stolen from her car. She eventually re-wrote the entire thing. That effort alone deserves a reading. I hope to get it in electronic format sometime.

I first read her welsh princes series as a teen (nicked it off Mum's shelves, fell headlong for Llewelyn, then Bran, oh deary deary me... ), and have read a proportion of her output since. The mysteries are different in tone, but I quite enjoyed the couple I've read. They're certainly shorter, for one thing.

As I said, I don't know how I missed this author until now! Thanks to all who commented on my threads, I'm looking forward to reading more. Actually, I just downloaded The Sunne in Splendour although I'm not sure when I'll get around to it, at least I won't forget about it. I have a lot of good reading ahead :))

Fifteen Days: stories of bravery, friendship, life and death from inside the new Canadian Army by Christie Blatchford

Blatchford is a respected Canadian journalist writing for The Globe & Mail. Her trip to Afghanistan as an embedded reporter in 2006 revealed her passion. This contains fifteen reports, of fifteen days with Canadian forces that create a detailed picture of what they faced. Blatchford shows insight, empathy and admiration. Her frank, often painful, first-hand accounts communicated exactly what modern warfare entails.

The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr

This is a fascinating account of the search for a lost painting of Caravaggio that takes the story from Italy to Ireland. Harr's story is as much about the people involved as the quest. Recommended for anyone interested in the history of art and artists, especially the detective work required for such research. This audiobook was a lucky find picked up at the library.

>113 VivienneR: sounds interesting. Must check that one out.

I liked The Lost Painting very much, especially because it has me looking at his art with a lot more interest.

>114 AlisonY: & >115 RidgewayGirl: It was an intriguing story right from the beginning. I can recommend it. As a former archivist it was especially interesting.

The World of Jeeves by P.G. Woodhouse

Jeeves and Wooster stories are better taken in small doses so I've been interspersing this huge collection with other books. I really enjoyed it, even more than expected. I'll be keeping the book to dip into now and then when the spirits need a lift.

>113 VivienneR: I'm a big Caravaggio fan, and may have to put this one on my list Vivienne. ETA: I discover I actually have it too.

>117 VivienneR: I've moved a Wodehouse up the pile, I still haven't read him, despite buying a few last year.

>118 Caroline_McElwee: In that case The Lost Painting is a must for your reading list! You will really enjoy it.

I've always enjoyed Wodehouse but his short stories can become repetitive (Wooster gets into a jam and Jeeves saves the day). However, they are great fun! The Blandings stories are my favourites.

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

St John Mandel captures the attention from the first page of this book and continues to do so throughout. Although the horror of a famous actor dying on stage during King Lear was tragic, the loss of the world as we know it did not diminish that individual tragedy. It was curious to go back and forth in time and look for connections between before and after. The travelling Symphony was reminiscent of the travelling players in Shakespeare's time.

It's hard to credit the extent of hype some books receive but in this case, it's warranted. I enjoyed Last Night in Montreal by St John Mandel, but she has surpassed herself with this one. Highly recommended.

>117 VivienneR: Thank you for your thoughts on The World of Jeeves. This may be the format I need to employ to enjoy these two more. I have loved Jeeves and Wooster for some time, but I have not read more than a couple of the novels. I think you are right in that they are best experienced in the short story format. I look forward to finding this volume and enjoying it. As I recall, The Mating Season was the one I enjoyed most.

>120 VivienneR: I tried this one twice and have not been able to get beyond chapter two.

>121 brodiew2: There are so many Wodehouse books that it's only to be expected that they won't all be winners. A few short stories now and then are a nice break from serious reading.

When as I saw "post-apocalypse" and "dystopia" I was put off reading Station Eleven. LuckilyI picked up a copy at a recent booksale and was really surprised that I liked it so much.

>120 VivienneR: I really liked Station Eleven. My husband was disappointed--he wanted more violence, and maybe zombies.

>120 VivienneR: I still haven't read Station Eleven. I know I'll get there eventually.

>123 cabegley: Well, I didn't expect zombies, but I expected more violence. Everyone was remarkably well-behaved - no fighting for the best spot, or a chance at picking up the scarce supplies, and so on. No mention of libraries either. Strange, when all information is stored in libraries and information was badly needed. Books on self-sufficiency would have been worth their weight in gold.

>124 NanaCC: You'll enjoy it when you get to it, Colleen.

I loaned Station Eleven to my dad as I knew it would be a while before I read it, and he seemed to find it almost unbearably grim. Interesting note about the libraries. I have my own personal library of self-sufficiency/old methods books. Since I'm disabled I figure I'll ride any apocalyptic future out being a librarian.

>126 mabith: That's interesting that your dad found it grim. I wouldn't have imagined that word attached to it, really. I mean, there are some grim situations that happen, but that didn't strike me as the overall mood.

If there's some sort of apocalypse, I guess I'll have to hope it happens while my primitive-living-fan father-in-law is still alive.

>126 mabith: Just as >127 ursula: said, I wouldn't have called it grim either. Luckily your library means you will be well placed in a similar event!

>127 ursula: Gather information from your primitive-living-fan father-in-law just in case!

It struck me as odd too, though I haven't read the book yet, since I've read plenty of reviews here that didn't touch on it being grim. I think he's at a point in his life where for fiction reading he just wants fun mysteries, and even in non-fiction doesn't care for anything remotely depressing/upsetting. I loaned him a properly heavy book (After the Fire, A Still, Small Voice) for comparison.

It seems there are times when reading preference is influenced by mood. We've probably all had times when the first reading of a book is very different to a later, second reading.

Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer

Another suspenseful episode in the Clifton Chronicles from Archer. His characters are crooks of every type, but the good guys manage to come out on top while the bad guys usually get what's coming to them - usually, but not always - they have to survive for another episode. I get a bit tired of the plots and conspiracies but have to admit, Archer can spin out a story and keep the reader's attention. As usual, he ended this with another cliffhanger ending. Darn, now I have to get the next one.

>125 VivienneR: I wondered about the libraries as well. Since it was a number of years after, perhaps libraries had been looted for fuel?

I also didn't find it grim.

Catching up Vivienne. The Lost Painting is one of the first books I entered into LT, one of about twenty I put in to test out this odd site I stumbled across back in 2006?

>132 cabegley: I think at some point she mentioned paper being burned as fuel. To empty entire libraries would be extremely hard to believe.

>133 dchaikin: Glad I was able to bring back the pleasant memory of finding LT, a year before me.

>134 VivienneR: I remember a confounding scene in the film 'Day After Tomorrow' when a group of teens are sitting New York's metropolitan library burning books in the midst of a new ice age. The confounding part was that they were sitting in wood chairs, surrounded by desks and all other manner of wood.

>135 brodiew2: Yes, that's the kind of thing I was thinking of. How ridiculous is that? Maybe those who survive do not have the fittest brains - in fiction anyway.

Mightier than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer

A well-told yarn, the fifth in the series, and typical of Archer's competent style. I started too soon after the last one, or maybe it was because I was interrupted with illness, whatever the reason, I've had enough of the Clifton family. I ended up speeding through parts. But a decent story, nevertheless.

The Magdalen Martyrs by Ken Bruen

Bruen's noir style is clipped and to the point. Through Jack Taylor, he might make you laugh and cry on the same page. Even though Taylor is a drunken drug addict, he still captures the heart as an ex-Garda who takes on the criminals of Galway single-handed. As usual, it's a good idea to take note of his music and reading. Another impressive Irish noir story from Bruen.

You've added another series to my list with The Magdalen Martyrs.

Glad to be of assistance, Colleen!

Read for Bingo challenge: a book with a female critter (Yum Yum is female)

The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal by Lilian Jackson Braun

Even though I love cats, I've never been attracted to cosy mysteries involving feline sleuths. This was my first from Braun and it won't be the last. The help provided by the cats was almost natural, or at least could be attributed to Qwilleran's imagination. Light entertainment, very enjoyable. Braun knows the nature of cats well.

>126 mabith: My father couldn't read past the first few pages of Child 44, saying it was too grim for an old man to read. He also likes to say No Country for Old Men at random moments. Maybe it's a thing men of a certain age do.

>141 VivienneR: I have read only a couple of 'Cat Who' books, but listened to a whole lot more. Quill, Koko, and Yum Yum are a lot of fun. Cosy is just the right word for it. It's hard to image that murders or crimes even occur.

>142 RidgewayGirl: It might apply to women of a certain age too! I find the grisly Scandi crime books are just too over the top for me. I seem to remember gruesome passages in detail when I'd much prefer to forget them.

>144 VivienneR: If you don't like gritty Scandinavia crime books, Vivienne, do not attempt the Red Riding Quartet that I read last year. Ultra gritty and gruesome. It made my top books for last year under "My Favorite I Can't Believe I Liked That" category.

Oh, thank you for that tip, Colleen. There are a few books I can't get out of my head. Haven't heard of that category before. It's excellent!

Benediction by Kent Haruf

No matter who they are, everyone deserves a blessing, a benediction, forgiveness. This quiet story about the ordinary people of Holt, Colorado is given strength and depth by Haruf whose lyrical writing evokes sentiment without being maudlin.

I have 3 Haruf's sitting across the room from me. Hopefully I'll get to them this year.

I haven't read Hanuf but all of the great reviews are leading me there.

>148 janeajones: & >149 NanaCC: Haruf is a beautiful writer, you will both enjoy his books. I have to admit I liked Our Souls at Night better than Benediction.

Add me to those wanting to read Haruf. Also, I am surprised to find The Cat Who Saw Red in my TBRs, not sure how or when I acquired it but happy to have your prompt to pull it out onto my radar.

Glad to have been of help! I'll watch for your opinion of The Cat Who Saw Red.

No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

For the first time, this was the type of mystery that tempted me to turn to the back to find the solution. I resisted. The plot enticed from the beginning and held my attention like a good page-turner should. It wasn't until about two-thirds of the way in that a possible solution came to mind. The rest was an exciting race filled with twists. I'll be reading more Barclay.

My brother is a fan of Barclay. He warns me that Barclay can be pretty dark. Is that your experience?

This is only my second Barclay and based on those two, no, I wouldn't call his writing dark.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Rowling's debut mystery under the name of Robert Galbraith is outstanding. Terrific characters, each uniquely drawn in detail, combined with an excellent plot and pacing that keeps the reader's attention. Cormoran Strike and Robin, his "temp", are a winning combination. I hesitate to give a first book five stars, leaving no possible improvement for later books but this one deserves it. I enjoyed it immensely.

Enjoying this as much as I did means I will have to try a Harry Potter book for the first time.

I loved The Cuckoo's Calling, and I loved the Harry Potter series too. Both series just get better as you go on.

>156 VivienneR:

Just keep in mind that the first of the Potter books is really a children tale - I love it but some people find it a bit too immature. The books mature and get a lot more grown up as they go - pretty much as the characters do :) Happy reading!

>157 NanaCC: I must be the last person standing who hasn't read Harry Potter! Good to hear your opinion as our reading taste seems to be similar.

>158 AnnieMod: I enjoy children's books so that won't bother me. It'll be good to know what everybody has been raving about.

The following Cormoran Strike novels are fantastic. I envy you having two more to read before having to wait like the rest of us.

That's great to hear because I thought the first was fantastic! I have one on the shelf already - it's like having money in the bank!

>159 VivienneR: I am with you on never having read Harry Potter. I haven't even got to Tolkien or the Narnia books.

The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn

Bernie Little runs the Little Detective Agency ably assisted by Chet, or as Chet says "me and Bernie" run the agency. Their stories are related by Chet, who has a unique dog's understanding of things, offering lighthearted humour and an appealing take on crime. Quinn obviously has an excellent understanding of canine qualities and makes the most of them. I love this pair of sleuths.

What amazing reading so far this year! I've just caught up. I have read many of the books you've written up. Alan Bennett is a gem, isn't he? He was, of course, one of the members of Beyond the Fringe. Somehow when I was growing up my parents got hold of their album and we all listened to it obsessively and memorized large parts of it. My daughter was just as taken with it!

I must try the Quinn. I am looking for new mysteries to listen to as I am just finishing up the Shardlake series.

Didn't see the bird in the topper photo right away - it's already a great photo, but that is this surprise that jumps out as you look at it.

Bennett is definitely a gem. His many talents are so varied. I had forgotten Beyond the Fringe, ahead of its time but like The Goon Show and Hancock's Half Hour typical of the 60s. I lived in the UK and remember them well.

I hope you try Chet and Bernie mysteries. They are unique in my opinion.

Glad you liked the gray jay (aka whisky jack) photo. It was a great day.

Diamond Solitaire by Peter Lovesey

So far I have found this mystery series to be enjoyable. Peter Diamond is the last of the old-school English detective, a true gumshoe. In fact, he was fired from the police service and in this story is a security guard at Harrod's. He has taken up the investigation of a small mute child abandoned in the store while he was on duty. Unfortunately it's a bit too far-fetched to be completely satisfying.

Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read

A gentle old-fashioned story with a bucolic village setting. Thrush Green celebrates the 100th anniversary of the school. It was slower than I expected, but it was on the shelf and it fitted the March Random category "Celebrations".

I read this for the Bingo challenge: "title contains a musical reference"

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Jazz Age Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The title story is the best one; clever but quite different from the movie. It was inspired by a remark of Mark Twain's about life having the best part of life at the beginning and ending with the worst part. The remaining stories vary between good and awful. Creative though.

A Murder of Quality by John le Carré

I enjoy le Carré's spy novels but this is a good old-fashioned whodunnit, his only mystery to my knowledge. The setting is a distinguished school where traditions, manners and class matter. I wish he had written more like this one.



The Warden by Anthony Trollope

It seems nothing much has changed since Victorian times: the church can still spark dissension, the press will still fan the flames of controversy. While this book deals with finances related to an almshouse connected to the church, it is reminiscent of a more recent scandal of the church that became a similar tangled mess. Trollope managed the topic with great diplomacy: Reverend Harding is a sympathetic, lovable, man of integrity, while the appropriately-named Bold, strikes before thinking. Eleanor Harding is delightful, but I cannot condone her choice of love interest. Harding's visit to London was the most entertaining part of the story. Any traveller with time to kill in an unfamiliar place can sympathize.

I loved this book once again, and this time I will move on to the rest of Barsetshire Chronicles.

A Country Doctor's Notebook by Mikhail Bulgakov

In 1916, as Russia was suffering the effects of two years of civil war, medical graduates were assigned to rural areas without the usual hospital internship. As a newly qualified doctor, the twenty-five-year-old Bulgakov found himself the solitary doctor at a remote hospital with erratic mail service, no electricity, transport by sleigh or cart on roads unreliable even in good conditions. He was tortured by his lack of experience and dreaded the possibility of certain conditions such as a strangulated hernia. Despite his worry, he successfully treated most patients, in the worst possible circumstances. His stories, part fiction, part autobiographical, are realistic, humorous, and enthralling. Bulgakov gave up medicine in 1920 to become a journalist.

This is an Early Reviewer snag.

Miss Moon, Wise Words from a Dog Governess by Janet Hill

Although the wise words are simple one-liner guidelines, the illustrations make up for any lack of story. Searching each page for the sixty-seven dogs, who are conveniently identified in one group picture, as well as the monkey and birds, will keep young readers entertained. A beautiful book.

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

Nefertari was the sole survivor of her heretic aunt Nefertiti's family, who were lost in a palace fire. In this tale, Moran has Nefertari groomed to be a wife of Pharoah Ramesses and named his queen, an event that requires substantial political intrigue and plotting. While Moran has portrayed Egyptian life in a fair amount of detail the characters are flat and predictable. As well, there is a lot of repetition, necessary to maintain the soap opera style. Some historical fiction just does not work for me, this is an example. I'll have the non-fiction account every time rather than melodrama.

You had such a different reaction to the characters in The Warden than I did! I saw a comfortable group of men misusing funds while desperate need existed elsewhere. I loved John Bold, and was disappointed when he caved to pressure. But Trollope was clearly on the side of the establishment, and continues in that vein in the next book, which is much more fun.

I didn't warm to The Warden until it was almost over but I agree that the next books in the series are a lot more fun.

>173 RidgewayGirl: and >174 rebeccanyc: I always felt sorry for the warden. I read this years ago and had exactly the same response. Then I tried the next in the series and couldn't get into it at all. I'll do better this time.

I also loved the TV series from a long time ago, when Donald Pleasence played the warden - and a cello. Every time I hear Bach's Suite for Solo Cello I think of the warden.

Some great reading there, Vivienne.

Thanks Caroline. We seem to enjoy many of the same books.

>168 VivienneR: great selection of books. I enjoyed the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story collection - I agree some were better than others, but thought some of them were brilliantly inventive.

>178 AlisonY: I enjoyed Fitzgerald too - well, most of the stories. My favourite was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - even the title is inventive! Having seen the movie years ago I was interested in the written version and I was impressed.

Far from the Rowan Tree by Margaret Gillies Brown

My interest in this book stemmed from the fact that I too was an immigrant in Alberta about 10 years later. However, my experience was completely different. I fell in love with the province and the people I met, who were the friendliest, most hospitable, generous, that could be imagined.

In 1959 Brown, her husband, three children, and a fourth on the way, left their homeland of Scotland for Alberta, Canada. They chose the sponsored service available at the time that arranged a farm job with furnished lodging. This book details the journey and the couple of years they spent in Alberta in great detail. What Brown does well is describing her impressions of the clear skies, sunshine, Northern Lights, hearing coyotes howling, the birds, chipmunks and wildflowers. The farm job was hard work, long hours and low wages - although I find it hard to believe that they would expect a farm labourer to earn much in any country. They moved to another farm, then to selling real estate in the Edmonton area. Her portrayal of Alberta was of a poverty-stricken, third world, hardscrabble, hand-to-mouth existence with unhelpful, uncommunicative people. She claims speaking of an Albertan's origins was taboo "because many people had an Indian somewhere in their background". Nonsense, for so many reasons!

The Browns stayed in Alberta for 3 years before going back to Scotland. As this book was published almost fifty years later, memory lapses may have played a part. Her geography was creative to say the least, and there was a great deal of misinformation. For example, she claims the they took the only route from Edmonton to Vancouver through Utah, north to British Columbia, and back to the U.S. to Seattle. A journey that would have added thousands of unnecessary miles. Obviously it was intended for Scottish readers, certainly not anyone familiar with Alberta, or even Canada. One last criticism: Rowan trees, also known as Mountain Ash, are common in Alberta. I've even seen one in an uninhabited wilderness area.

I had such high hopes when I started reading, and ended up being glad it was over for both of us. A generous two stars.

I won't read it!

So frustrating when an author really gets a place that you know well wrong.

Eek, reading that while knowing all the horribly wrong things would have driven me mad!

>181 RidgewayGirl:, >182 janeajones:, >183 .Monkey.: It got more annoying with each page. I'm so glad I was able to rant about it here :)

This was my Women's Bingo challenge: African American author

Who asked you? by Terry McMillan

Funny, sad, tragic, and every page is appealing. Each character is well-drawn and it's not long before it feels like I know them personally. Like many siblings, the sisters are so different from each other with each having a unique view of what is regarded as the right thing to do. The differences between living in a "nice" neighbourhood or in "the 'hood" plays out in much of this family drama of mixed races. The main character, Betty Jean, was my favourite, a grandmother who brings up her daughter's children and suffers the most from her dysfunctional family. This was my first book by McMillan but there will be more.

Last Orders by Graham Swift

When one of their number dies, drinking pals get together to scatter the ashes following his wishes. In remembering Jack, they remember and relive a lot of other things: misplaced loyalties, missed opportunities, love affairs, business deals, the vagaries of life. On the journey to Margate, Jack's chosen resting place, they argue and behave like the boys they once were, while we realize they know each other less than they think. The black humour fits this story of Londoners. This is an exceptional tale, a well-deserved winner of the Booker Prize 1996. It made for an excellent movie too, with star-filled cast including Michael Caine as Jack and Helen Mirren as Amy.

The Féte at Coqueville by Émile Zola

There are two families in the fishing village of Coqueville, the original inhabitants, the Mahés and the newcomers, the Floches, who arrived just a few hundred years ago in the days of Louis XIII. The Mahés were prosperous fishermen who gradually lost out to the newcomers. Since then they have become tireless rivals, taunting, insulting, forbidding their young people to marry into the other family. But then the "catch of the day" astonishes everyone. A classic story that is hilariously funny.

>185 VivienneR: Haven't read Terry McMillan in years, looks like I need to put that right Vivienne.

>186 VivienneR: I like Swifts work, it's quiet but powerful. I can recommend his new novel Mothering Sunday. He is one of the novelists from my 20s I'm still reading.

Your last three books look very interesting. :) wish listed.

>188 Caroline_McElwee: McMillan was new to me so I need to put my reading right too! Thanks for the tip about Swift's Mothering Sunday, now on my wishlist!

>189 NanaCC: Zola's story is widely available to download. It's a short read, but worthwhile. The plot has been done often since then, but as far as I know, Zola was the first.

>184 VivienneR: There are books I only finish because I promise myself the joy of writing an honest review at the end of it.

I like Terry McMillan. I should read something current of hers -- back in the day, I bought a copy of Waiting to Exhale and then had her sign it at a reading she gave. It's one of my most prized books, and a first edition.

>187 VivienneR: I haven't read any Zola outside the Rougon-Macquart cycle but this sounds fun.

>191 RidgewayGirl: Terry McMillan is one of those writers that I totally missed. I've heard of Waiting to Exhale but somehow never came across a copy. What a prized copy you have! I'm just glad I found her at last.

>192 rebeccanyc: That's odd because I was sure the BB came from your thread (not this year). I've been searching your old posts and of course, not finding anything.

The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley

The story follows a middle-aged couple whose nephews and nieces spend summers with them at their home in Cornwall, location of the eponymous lawn. As war looms in 1939 the cousins realize this may be their last summer together. Although sexually uninhibited to the point of promiscuity, the characters are also repressed in many ways, an interesting but realistic contradiction. Just when it seems the action is going to be all sex and war, Wesley throws in some dark slapstick humour. Most of the story takes place in the war years then interspersed with passages forty years later when the now elderly characters and their offspring attend a funeral and reflect on their lives. For a story that wandered along, seemingly with little happening, the ending wrapped up everything very neatly. This was made into a movie that I will definitely seek out.

Thanks to Nickelini for the bookbullet.

Wilful Behavior by Donna Leon

Commissario Brunetti's wife brought him a question from one of her students, Claudia Leonardo. Brunetti and Claudia meet, and discussed the question about having a pardon issued for someone who received a sentence. When Claudia is found dead, Brunetti begins an investigation that involves Nazis, art theft, and corruption. It includes some over-blown language and long discussions about ethics that slowed the story in places. The conclusion was unsatisfying but otherwise not a bad read.

>194 VivienneR: I read The Camomile Lawn years ago Vivienne, and enjoyed it. I also thought the TVs dramatisation was good too.

>195 VivienneR: I'm well behind on Donna Leon books, I think I read and enjoyed the first four. I'll read anything set in Venice.

I'm adding Camomile Lawn to my wishlist, and I will need to check out the Donna Leon books.

Also getting persuaded by everyone on The Camomile Lawn.

>196 Caroline_McElwee: Since writing about The Camomile Lawn I found out it was a TV series, not a movie. Glad to hear it's on YouTube so I will be able to watch.

I love anything set in Venice too - or anywhere in Italy.

>197 NanaCC: & >198 AlisonY: Good, glad to be of help! The local library here has a few of Mary Wesley's books so I'll be on the hunt for more.

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

I read this to meet the Bingo challenge graphic novel category. I enjoyed the witty literary and historic slant, especially the Canadian content. "Peary I thought we were friends" depicting Peary and Henson at the North Pole, was my favourite. However, no matter how much I try, I find myself zipping through the text without even looking at the graphics, and having to start over, and over again. Too late to change the habits of a lifetime, I have accepted the fact that graphic novels are not for me. I have no idea how to rate this.



Plainsong by Kent Haruf

"Plainsong - the unisonous vocal music used in the Christian church from the earliest times; any simple and unadorned melody or air"
Haruf's beautifully understated prose corresponds perfectly with the title: simple, unadorned, melodic. The characters are presented perfectly, in all their imperfections. For some people life has many negatives, but in this mesmerizing novel Haruf shows that positives shine.

Thanks to the BB from Caroline_McElwee, AlisonY and others.

>159 VivienneR:, >162 SassyLassy: I too haven't read a Harry Potter book, and only watched (most of) the first film. But I loved the excitement around it all -- how fabulous to be a kid (or adult!) in a bookstore at midnight for a book's release!

Happy to see another prompt for me to get to something by Haruf.

>201 detailmuse: & >162 SassyLassy: After reading The Cuckoo's Calling I downloaded an audio version of the first Harry Potter book. I don't know if I'll ever get around to it, we'll see. Tolkien has never appealed to me but I have read all the Narnia books and others by C.S. Lewis - he's from my native country of Northern Ireland after all.

>202 VivienneR: Remember that the first Harry Potter book was written for children. As Harry gets older in each book, so does the intended audience for the books.

>202 VivienneR: audio version of the first Harry Potter book
hmm that might be a way I'd get to it. I've heard Jim Dale is a terrific reader.

>203 NanaCC: I'll remember that but I don't think it will be a problem, I like children's books. I'm not that crazy about magic though, which is what has put me off all this time.

>204 detailmuse: That's good to hear.

End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina

Another top-notch mystery by Mina featuring Alex Morrow. The reader is aware of who murdered a young woman, but the reason forms the mystery. This is a tangled web of secrets and lies, involving personal relationships both in the police force and in the families of everyone involved, and how they all affect each other. Morrow is five months pregnant with twins. Is this affecting the way she reacts to a grisly murder, to the officious senior officer, to her old friend Kay, and even her own family? Mina provides a different look at how gender, class, human emotion and even nationality can affect an investigation. Complex well-drawn characters, tight plot, attention-grabbing all the way through.

Glad you enjoyed Plainsong. I've had Eventide on order for about six months but some selfish so and so's haven't bothered to return the copies they've had out on loan so there are no copies left in the library system :(

Too bad, Alison. Some people are so thoughtless. We don't have a security system in our local library (small town) so things go "missing" often. I don't know that I'll revisit Holt, Colorado again for a while. Three of my current reads are set in Ireland.

Q & A by Vikas Swarup

Abandoned as a baby he was given the names Ram Mohammed Thomas to cover each of the major religions - just in case. This poor orphan grew up learning a lot in his eventful life. When he was able to answer all twelve questions on a quiz show, the organizers, who had no intention of paying a billion rupees to anyone, have him thrown in jail and tortured to elicit a confession of cheating. Then his luck changes and Smita, a mysterious lawyer, comes to his aid. As he spends the night telling her his life story, it explains his knowledge. The story is by turns funny, sad, tragic and utterly captivating.

Christopher Simpson, did an outstanding job narrating the audio version, covering many characters of multiple nationalities with brilliance. The narration alone deserves five stars. He is Irish-born, one of the few people who can claim to have parents of different origins having an Irish father and Greek-Rwandan mother, yet grew up in neither culture, but in London, England.

>209 VivienneR:

I couldn't watch past 15 minutes of Slumdog Millionaire. Perhaps I'd have better luck reading the book.

>209 VivienneR: Q & A sounds like one I would like for audio.

>210 lilisin: Understandable! At the beginning of the book I thought I would be the same, but for some reason got hooked. It's a highly improbable story all the way.

>211 NanaCC: Most of the book is in Ram Mohammed Thomas' Indian voice, poor orphan but good guy. There is humour but also sudden brutality that seems to be accepted. I'm glad I got the audio, on consideration, I don't think I could do the print version.