Laytonwoman declares "There Will Be BOOKS" in 2016

For those who do not know me yet, I am Linda, I'm 64, and I retired on December 31st. I had worked as a paralegal, file manager and computer support maven for a mid-sized lawfirm since 1976. At the beginning of last year I said I was looking forward to retirement "in a couple years". My husband (@flamingrabbit) retired in 2012, and he figured out that it would be quite do-able for me to turn in my keys a bit sooner, in mid-2016, and I was delighted to hear that, so that became my plan...to make my 40th anniversary with the firm my end date as well. Sadly, on the day after Thanksgiving, the managing partner told me, in effect, that they simply couldn't afford me anymore, and that, with regrets, they would have to let me go at the end of the year. There had already been a lot of down-sizing, so this wasn't a total surprise, and I wasn't the only one to be hit with this round, but I really had wanted to leave on my own terms after all that time. After a couple of bad days, I decided to just look forward to my liberation. I expect to have SO much reading time now...

I don't remember not being able to read, and losing that ability is the stuff of nightmares for me. My reading tastes are fairly broad, although I proudly proclaim a deep love and affinity for American literature above all others, and I tend to need superior recommendations and encouragement to read anything that smacks of fantasy, science fiction or horror. My daughter, @lycomayflower, takes great pleasure in attempting to broaden my tastes, and sometimes she succeeds. (She does have some hefty qualifications, so I listen when she speaks. YES, I DO!)

2016 will be my 8th year keeping track of my reading with the 75'ers. Before that I logged my reading in the 50 Book Challenge for 2007 and 2008. I finished 100 books in 2014, a new high for me. I hit 86 in 2015...somewhere in the low '80's is about average for me.

Links to my previous threads for the last 8 years, as much for me as for anyone else :

Here is my first thread for 2015, and
the second and the third. I finished 2015 with this thread.

First thread for 2014.
Chapter Two is here.
And Chapter Three.
The Fourth and final chapter for 2014 is here.

This is my last thread for 2013.

My first thread for 2013 is here.

Here's where I began my 2012 reading record. And I continued with a second thread for 2012. Yet one more thread for 2012 can be found here.

My first 2011 thread is here. and Part Two and Third and final thread for 2011.

My 2010 reading thread can be found Here. and Here and
here

Links to my 2009 threads at Laytonwoman3rd ups the ante for 2009
and its spin-off here with yet another extension here.

My 50 Book Challenge thread for 2008 is here

This is my 2007 thread

EDIT 11-7-17 Tickers removed due to McAfee warning about TickerFactory.com

My lists of completed reads, by month:
Titles will link to the post where I commented on the book. ROOT means it's been on my shelf for a year or more; CULL means I gave it away or donated it to the library after reading. LOA means it was read from a Library of America edition; ML refers to a Modern Library small format edition (beloved by me); FOLIO means I read it from a Folio Society edition; SF means I read a Slightly Foxed edition. Library books are marked with an *. AUDIO is self-explanatory.

MARCH

29. The Shoe Bird by Eudora Welty
28. My Dog SKip by Willie Morris ROOT
27. Landline by Rainbow Rowell
26. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin ROOT, Mystery March, CULL
25. The Peddler's Grandson by Edward Cohen NF
24. A Southerly Course by Martha Hall Foose NF, ROOT
23. Having Our Say by Sarah and Elizabeth Delany NF, ROOT
22. A Death in Vienna by Daniel Silva Mystery March, ROOT, CULL

FEBRUARY

21. Hiding My Candy by The Lady Chablis NF, CULL
*20. Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham
19. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie BAC, ROOT
18. Mohawk by Richard Russo AAC, ROOT, CULL
*17. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown Audio/print; NF Challenge
16. The Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helen Hanff SF
15. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff SF
14. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill
13. Sunshine Sketches of a Small Town by Stephen Leacock; e-book, CAC
*12. Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse by Faith Sullivan
11. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

JANUARY

*10. Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig
9. Primo Levi's Resistance by Sergio Luzzatto ER, CULL
8. Trade Me by Courtney Milan
*7. Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash
6. Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler ROOT, AAC
4 and 5. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic by Betty MacDonald
3. The Bird of Night by Susan Hill ; ROOT, BAC
*2. Ru by Kim Thuy CAC
*1. The Greater Journey by David McCullough AUDIO, NF Challenge

Coming and Going:

BOOKS ACQUIRED in 2016:

I'm doing this thing...and it isn't making me feel better. I was hopeful of moving more books out than in this year, because the floor boards are creaking. As you can see, the numbers ain't co-operating.

March

1. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
2. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
3. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
4. The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
5. National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
6. The Peddler's Grandson by Edward Cohen
7. Clear Pictures by Reynolds Price
8. When the Thrill is Gone by Walter Mosley
9. Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee
10. The Disappearing Dictionary by David Crystal
11. Marrying Out by Harold Carlton
12. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
13. John Adams: Writings from the New Nation 1784-1826
14. The Shoe Bird by Eudora Welty

February

1. The Spooky Art by Norman Mailer
2. The Traitors' Gate by Avi
3. I'm the King of the Castle by Susan Hill
4. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
5. Everything in This Country Must by Colum McCann
6. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Slightly Foxed edition
7. The Lobster Kings by Alexi Zentner
8. From a Cornish Window by "Q" i.e. Arthur T. Quiller-Couch
9. Lobster Kings by Alexi Zentner
10. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

January

1. Shylock is My Name by Howard Jacobson from LT's ER program
2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens; a lovely Franklin Library edition with some rare 1855 illustrations. From my library's sale shelf ($2.!)
3. John James Audubon; The Making of an American by Richard Rhodes Also from the library's sale shelf.
4. Noonday by Pat Barker
5. A Slant of Light by Jeffrey Lent
6. Murder Out of Turn by Frances and Richard Lockridge

BOOKS CULLED in 2016:
(Not all of these will be books I read...if I decided I'd never read it, or never re-read it, or if my husband culled it, or if my daughter re-claimed something of hers that's always been here, I'm counting it!)

March

1. A Death in Vienna by Daniel Silva
2. National Velvet by Enid Bagnold (old Scholastic paperpack replaced)
3. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
4. Roughing It by Mark Twain Konemann Travel Classics*
5. A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain Konemann Travel Classics*
6. Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain Konemann Travel Classics*

* These are nifty little editions with great covers, but I found the print akin to a grayed-out option on a web page, i.e., not easy on the eyes. Since I have all of Twain in LOA, as well as some treasured college paperbacks, I decided to part with these three.

February

1. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff paperback copy
2. Mohawk by Richard Russo (given away)
3. Hiding My Candy by The Lady Chablis

January

1. The Devil's Workshop By Alex Grecian
2. Primo Levi's Resistance by Sergio Luzzatto
3. The Bird of Night by Susan Hill
4. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic by Betty MacDonald
5. War and Peace Pevear & Volokhonsky translation
6. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (inferior duplicate copy)
7. Maconaquah's Story by Kitty Dye
8. Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (old ratty pb, not in catalog)

Reading Challenges:



I'll keep track of my reading challenges here. I declare I don't want to over-plan my reading, but every year this group tempts me into yet another challenge. And then there are the well-meaning folks who aren't even members of LT who are always giving me lists to "help me out"...

I'm participating on some level with the American Authors Challengehosted by Mark @msf59; with the British Authors Challenge hosted by Paul @PaulCranswick; and with the Canadian Authors Challenge hosted by Ilana @Smiler69. I have also committed to the group read of War and Peace beginning in January.

AND, just for shits and giggles, I'll keep my hand in with the Non-Fiction Challenge for 2016.

2016 AAC
I will read nothing but ROOTS for this challenge in 2016; here's what I'm thinking so far:

January- Anne Tyler - finished Noah's Compass
February- Richard Russo - finished Mohawk
March- Jane Smiley - The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton
April- Poetry Month
May- Ivan Doig I have 8 unread Doig works on my shelf...I'll choose when the time comes
June- Annie Proulx 5 choices on hand here, but I'm leaning toward Bird Cloud, which is a memoir
July- John Steinbeck Again, I'm spoiled for choice, so will defer a decision until I see what appeals to me in July
August- Joyce Carol Oates - The Museum of Dr. Moses
September-John Irving I may try Son of the Circus, which I've abandoned in the past. Otherwise, I think I've read all his best stuff, and the others of his on my shelf are probably not ever going to get read.
October- Michael Chabon - The Yiddish Policeman's Union
November- Annie Dillard - Teaching a Stone to Talk I have several more of her non-fiction works and one novel, so this is subject to reconsideration.
December-Don DeLillo - Underworld I expect I will either love it or feel justified in removing its bulk from my shelves, leaving room for 3 or 4 other books.

2016 British Authors Challenge
I will be hit or miss with this one. Unlike the AAC, there are two authors per month, and I will probably read something by about half a dozen of them. I've linked the authors I have unread works by on my shelves, or whom I especially want to get acquainted with, and left the others in plain text:

January - Susan Hill finished The Bird of Night & Barry Unsworth
February :Agatha Christie & William Dalrymple finished Cat Among the Pigeons and read 3 Miss Marple short stories from The Tuesday Night Club series.
March : Ali Smith & Thomas Hardy
April : George Eliot & Hanif Kureishi
May : Jane Gardam & Robert Goddard
June : Lady Antonia Fraser & Joseph Conrad
July : Bernice Rubens & H.G. Wells
August : Diana Wynne-Jones & Ian McEwan
September : Doris Lessing & Laurie Lee
October : Kate Atkinson & William Golding
November :Rebecca West & Len Deighton
December : WEST YORKSHIRE writers Caryl Phillips
Wildcard :Rumer Godden and George Orwell

AND the Canadian Authors Challenge This is the one where I feel I have the most to discover. Again there are 2 authors for each month, and I have indicated those I may seek out or have on hand by giving them their links:

January: Robertson Davies, Kim Thúy finished Ru
February: Helen Humphreys, Stephen Leacock finished Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town
March: Farley Mowat, Anita Rau Badami
April: Margaret Atwood, Michael Crummey
May: Michel Tremblay, Emily St. John Mandel
June: Timothy Findley, Joseph Boyden
July: LM Montgomery, Pierre Berton
August: Mordechai Richler, Gabrielle Roy
September: Miriam Toews, Dany Laferrière
October: Lawrence Hill, Jane Urquhart
November: Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Laurence
December: Alice Munro, Rawi Hage

2016 Non-fiction Challenge:

January: Biography/Memoir/Autobiography
finished The Greater Journey by David McCullough

February: History Finished The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

March: Travel A Southerly Course by Martha Hall Foose Yes, I know it's a cookbook; I'm counting it as travel, since it took me to the Mississippi Delta.

April: Religion & Spirituality (Easter/Passover)

May: The Arts

June: Natural History/Environment/Health

July: Current Affairs

August: Science and Technology

September: Philosophy/History of Ideas

October: Politics/Economics & Business/Commentary

November: Essays

December: Quirky/Who Knew?

Happy New Year and Happy New Thread, Linda. Love the topper and I am looking forward to following along with you, for another reading year.

Now, I know what ROOT means. LOL. I have a few of those.

Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, Linda. Very classy opening picture, I must say.

Hi Linda! I'm glad to see you joining in the fun for another year!
And congratulations on your retirement last week! :-)

Dropping off my star so I can "keep up" with you again this year.

Linda, when did you let yourself into my apartment? >4 laytonwoman3rd:

Love the painting at the top. It's lit beautifully, and can't you imagine yourself in her place.

It's hard to be retired I know, but you'll make a good stab at it I'm sure :-)

Happy new year, Linda!

>6 msf59: ROOT actually stands for "Reading Our Own Tomes", but the acronym it makes is handy for meaning "root 'em out and read 'em!"

>7 PaulCranswick: I love the image, Paul...but I hope that young lady hasn't been sitting there shivering since 2011!

>8 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. I'm still processing the fact that I don't have to cram all the fun into the "weekend" anymore!

>9 Caroline_McElwee: Very funny, Caroline. I think I'll probably get very tired of that gif and have to replace it with a static image before long.

>10 katiekrug: And the same to you, Katie. Thanks for visiting!

Hooray, for ROOT!!

Found you, Linda. Just dropping a star.

Welcome back!

Well, hello there, fellow Lady of Leisure...

Hooray for retirement! If you have any trouble adjusting, do let me be your guide!!!!
Enjoy this first day as a gift - and tomorrow too, and the next day, and the next, and the next......... You get the idea.
Oh - Happy New Year! Happy New Thread!

>13 NanaCC:, >14 drneutron: *Waves at Colleen and Jim* Glad to see you both here.

>15 scaifea: To quote someone or other *snork*

>16 LizzieD: I will be sure to seek your advice if I find myself floundering! The sun came out this morning, for the first time in ages around here...I'm taking that as a sign that the universe smiles on this development.

Happy New Year, Linda!

Congratulations on retirement and lovely to see another Black Books fan!

Stopping by to drop my star, but even more excitedly to shout HOORAY! HAPPY RETIREMENT!

You are my new hero.

Happy New Year, Linda!

>18 jnwelch:, >19 lkernagh: Thanks for the good wishes, and welcome, Joe and Lori!

>20 michigantrumpet: Hero...me? Aw, shucks.

>21 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl.

1. The Greater Journey by David McCullough Audio Read by Edward Hermann. I can't imagine a better combination than history written by David McCullough and read to me by Ed Hermann. This fairly long work has been going in my car since last year, and I came to the end of it yesterday. It was fascinating. It covers the Parisian adventures of several Americans who visited that great city from the 1830's into the early years of the 20th century to study art, medicine, architecture, to serve their country, or just to absorb the culture. Most of the names are familiar--James Fenimore Cooper, John Singer Sargent, Henry James, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mary Cassat, Augustus St. Gaudens, Samuel F. B. Morse, and many more. One I had not known much about, a remarkable player in French affairs, was Elihu Washburne, a former US Congressman and ally of Presidents Lincoln and Grant who served as minister to France during the Franco-Prussian war, and set an example for diplomats and humanitarians that a few more people ought to be following these days. (End of editorial.) McCullough not only tells us about what these people saw and learned in Paris, he gives us mini-biographies of them, an overview of their work and a lot of French history. I loved it all. Highly recommended.

>23 laytonwoman3rd: Wishlisted.

>23 laytonwoman3rd: Ouch. Hit by a bullet, literary and Paris, biggest sucker on the planet here!

Off to find a soundbite of Ed Hermann.

I'll add that book to my wishlist as well. Happy New Year!

McCullough's books are always so interesting, Linda. They often paint a vivid picture that you can see as you read.

>23 laytonwoman3rd: - I've got that one on my shelves. In hardcover. Maybe I can make it part of the Door-stopper Challenge this year!

Retirement? How great, Linda. Congratulations!

I'm getting closer to that banner day. I'll be following your escapades with interest.

I loved The Greater Journey. I need to read more McCullough.

>23 laytonwoman3rd: Ouch! You got me there! Just finished McCullough's Wright Brothers, which he narrated himself. Loved that one, so this one is just in my wheelhouse. Plus I once got to meet Edward Hermann. Lovely man. Sweet, gentle and lovely voice.

>24 scaifea: Ummm hmmm....I'm not surprised!
>25 Caroline_McElwee: And you....you will love it. The Louvre features prominently, as well as many other locations I'm sure you are familiar with.
>26 applebook1: Welcome, Yoona. Thanks for visiting!
>27 NanaCC: So true, Colleen. He's the master of narrative non-fiction, for me.
>28 katiekrug: I've never seen the physical book, but it must be a chunkster. The audio ran to 16 discs.
>29 jnwelch: Escapades? I'm supposed to have escapades?? Cool.
>30 michigantrumpet: You MET Ed Hermann? What a treat that must have been.

2. * Ru by Kim Thuy Read for the CAC. This elegant little volume is called a novel, but it seems to me it belongs in a special category, with other poetic, uniquely structured narratives such as Brown Girl Dreaming. Its fiction contains, I'm sure, as much truth as a pure memoir and its power lies in the simplicity of the contrasts between sensual beauty and utter stinking ugliness. It is episodic, composed of vignettes, and time does not proceed in linear fashion. There is little continuity from one short section to the next (sometimes there is only one sentence on a page), but the overall picture of the life of one rather lucky Vietnamese refugee is startlingly clear. The cover blurb tells us that the title "ru" means "lullaby" in Vietnamese, and "stream" in the French of the narrator's adoptive home, Montreal. A very felicitous conjunction of meaning, and the perfect word to describe what goes on in this book. Recommended.

>31 laytonwoman3rd: Over 10 years ago, but Hermann and I were at a special donors dinner for the Williamstown Theater Festival's 50th Anniversary. He was seated behind me at another table for the dinner and our chairs kept knocking into one another. We joked about it afterwards. Dylan and Becky Ann Baker were at my table and just as delightful as one could possibly hope. They come regularly to Williamstown and are very down to earth and fun. Alec Baldwin was at the same dinner and another story altogether. Everyone found him quite boorish. He elbowed me in the boob as he pushed me out of the way to get to the bar ....

>32 laytonwoman3rd: Lots of fine reviews coming in for Ru. I just borrowed Brown Girl Dreaming so will be keeping a look out for this one, too!

DNF I will note here that I started reading the third in Alex Grecian's series about the early days of Scotland Yard, The Devil's Workshop. I read and enjoyed his first two, but this one took a turn I didn't want to follow. A train is purposely derailed in such a manner as to crash through the walls of a prison, killing a number of inmates and liberating others. Part of the plan is apparently to render more appropriate justice than the legal system has meted out to some of these incarcerated murderers. One of the unintended consequences was the release of Jack the Ripper from a dungeon where he was being systematically tortured by members of the group behind this whole "caper". Rather than focusing on the Yard's methods of investigation, much of this novel (well, the first half, at least) is told from the perverted perspective of Jack, and it became so gruesome I simply couldn't stomach any more. Furthermore, I thought I could see where the author was headed, and emphatically did not want to go there. I am putting Grecian now into the box with Dennis LeHane...they both can write, characterize and plot, but they seem to revel in the graphic details of their crimes much too much.

Enjoy!

>35 DianaNL:

TeeeHeee. Everyday is the weekend now your ladyship! Not that I'm jealous or anything.

Ha!

>36 laytonwoman3rd: Ha! Nicely played. Imagine being able to run one's errands during the week and avoid the crowds! Again, you are my hero!

>39 michigantrumpet: Well, I did some of that errand running today, and I have to say, it was nice not to cram in the banking on the lunch hour, etc. But I went to the DMV for my photo license, and apparently Friday morning isn't the time to do that. I was only there 40 minutes, and the man behind the camera had a wicked sense of humor that I loved, but I did think I'd be in and out in 15.

>4 laytonwoman3rd: And....so it begins. An ER selection arrived today. And I stopped at the library, where 2 books from their sale shelf insisted on coming home to live with me. So the year is a week old, and I've brought in one more book than I've shown out.

He he he....

>34 laytonwoman3rd: I got an ER copy of that one and didn't like it. I won't be looking for any other books in that series!

I will be following your adventures in retirement with close attention, Linda. It won't be that long before I reach that pinnacle of achievement myself and, after working for the last 40 odd years, I think it will be mighty strange at first. Looks like there will be more time to read.

Congrats on your forthcoming retirement! Looks like you are already having a good reading year.

Congratulations on your retirement and added reading time! I wish you the best of both for this year, Linda.

>43 cbl_tn: It was a disappointment for me, Carrie. I really enjoyed the first two, but that train wasn't the only thing that jumped the track in book 3!

>44 Familyhistorian: Well, I'm really hoping for more time to read, Meg, but I seem to be feeling the need to catch up on other things that have been neglected recently. I'm already starting to wonder how I ever got ANYTHING done when I was working full time! I'm giving myself one more week of that, and then I'm going to put books FIRST.

>45 thornton37814:, >46 Matke: Thanks, Lori and Gail. I have plans...

>47 laytonwoman3rd: Good luck with putting books first, Linda. A lot of retired people that I talk to say the same thing, that they don't know how they had time to do stuff and work full time because their days are full without working.

>34 laytonwoman3rd: It always interests me that when writers run out of steam a little, instead of taking stock and a little time to get their mojo back they will descend into sensationalism and gratuitousness.

Have a great Sunday, Linda.

>31 laytonwoman3rd: yup. The Greater Journey came into land yesterday, and I have spent several hours rooted to my chair.

Actually I think I've only been inside the Louvre once, in my twenties. Unfortunately, on that occasion, one of my friends had her purse stollen while perusing the Mona Lisa (never one of my favourite paintings it has to be said).

There are so many wonderful galleries to visit. Probably the one I have visited most is the Rodin, which is housed in the Atelier he lived in.

I think I have visited Paris about 8-9 times now, and look forward to a return, if not this year, then next.

"What is a weekend?" Priceless.

Happy Sunday, Linda. Good review of The Greater Journey. I will have to add that one to the list. I also have his Wright brothers book, to get to.

I love Edward Hermann's narration. He will be sorely missed.

>48 Familyhistorian: I don't mind my days being full...in fact I hope for it. But I also hope I don't continue to feel I'm "cramming" things in...a little breathing space is what I crave.

>49 PaulCranswick: Yes...although I suppose some might find it fascinating inside the mind of a demented killer who thinks he's "liberating" people and doing them a favor by cutting them up.

>50 Caroline_McElwee: So glad it's captured you, Caroline. And I hope you get to visit Paris again very soon.

>51 msf59: McCullough is a favorite. And I'm going to seek out more of Hermann's audio output. His voice is a great companion.

Have you read The Boys in the Boat, Linda? It's a great book and it is narrated by Hermann.

>53 msf59: I will explore that one, Mark. Sounds good. I get my audiobooks only from the library, as I don't have a set-up that works in my car, other than the built-in CD player.

It is a terrific read/listen, Linda. Hope you can track down an audio copy.

I just logged off my public library account, having successfully put a "hold" on it, Mark. Thanks for the heads up!

I listened to The Johnstown Flood a couple of years ago, which is another McCullough narrated by Hermann. I happily recommend it!

I can only get Scott Turow novels or children's books on my Audible account, narrated by Hermann. I listened to a sample, and can see I'd enjoy listening to his voice.

3. The Bird of Night by Susan Hill At first I thought this was going to be a bit of gothic romance, but I can't quite characterize it that way. Our narrator, Harvey, meets an up and coming poet, Francis Croft, at a country house party some time between the World Wars. It was not a particularly auspicious meeting, and when later Francis showed up in Harvey's room late at night, requesting that he accompany the poet on a moonlight ramble, Harvey observed: "It was strange that then, when I knew almost nothing of him at all, I did not resent his having disturbed me. I was not an especially tolerant man. Certainly I had never been intuitively concerned with the needs of another person. I had until then led an arid and rather selfish life. But already I was aware that with Francis things would become different, I should be different, that I would not behave in any of the usual ways." And so the lives of the poet and the academic Egyptologist became inextricably bound together. Francis clearly suffers from what we would call now bi-polar disorder, with an element of paranoia. He has periods of being well, but has serious episodes of depression, and of mania. He avoids most human contact, other than Harvey's company, has a terror of medical intervention of any kind, and produces some poetic works of absolute genius. Through it all, Harvey remains his steadfast companion, the only person he can trust to any degree. Harvey gives up his own academic career almost entirely to take care of Francis, to travel with him and protect him from the world and from himself. There is no overt hint of a sexual relationship between the two men, but it is clear their connection is a devoted and passionate one, and prone to jealousy. The writing is Hill's usual high caliber; the story is utterly fascinating. My only quibble is that she offers us no reason for Harvey's devotion to Francis. In the margin of the book next to the last sentence of the passage quoted above, I have pencilled in "Why?". Later, after a particularly harrowing episode, Harvey questions what he is doing: "The last few months had been an appalling strain, full of misery, shock, apprehension...What was to come? I knew that there was certainly worse. Could I cope?...was staying with him what I wanted? Quite certainly, it was." And there I have written "And again, why?" It is clear that Francis benefits immensely from having Harvey in his life; he may owe his life to Harvey's compassionate care. But what does Harvey gain from this relationship? He says he loves Francis, and he is needed...so, a sense of purpose that was lacking before, perhaps. It just doesn't quite seem sufficient. Nevertheless, an engrossing read.

>57 scaifea: I have the print edition of The Johnstown Flood on hand...expect I'll read that one conventionally one of these days.

>58 Caroline_McElwee: Interesting, Caroline. What children's books did he read? Those might be fun to listen to.

4. and 5. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic, by Betty MacDonald. An old favorite stands up extremely well, but another entry in the Piggle Wiggle series fails utterly. I can remember reading Mrs. Piggle Wiggle with great joy as a very young reader. And when I revisited her in the original volume, all the reasons for that joy came flooding back to me; her upside-down house; her dear departed pirate husband; her quirky costumes; her endless sugar cookies; her enthusiasm for all children's games even when they totally disrupted her home and garden; her wisdom and ingenuity in solving common parenting problems such as "won't pick up toys", "refuses to take a bath" and "never wants to go to bed". The whole book is clever and delightful. In Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic, however, all the cleverness seems to have been used up; we still have parents calling on Mrs. PW to "cure" their children of unwanted habits, but in nearly every case this involves some magic powder blown up their noses or sprinkled in their beds, not the inspired solutions of the first book when radish seeds, graduated sets of dishes and a terribly rude Parrot save the day.

>59 laytonwoman3rd: it's years since. Read that novel Linda. When I turn it up I shall reread it.

>60 laytonwoman3rd: books by Geronimo Stilton, Linda. I notice there is McCullough's book on the Panama Canal. It's abridged though, and I always wonder what they cut out. I'll be honest, though I have an account, I rarely do settle down and listen to an audiobook. I'm sure if I drove I would though. I listened to audiobooks more years ago.

The Johnstown Flood is one of my favorite books by McCullough. I read it several years ago and couldn't put it down.

I have yet to read Susan Hill, although I have a couple of her books. Maybe this year. :)

Oh, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle brings back fond memories! It's well over 50 years since I read them!

>62 Caroline_McElwee:, >64 rebeccanyc: Well, I'm just sparking memories all over the place, aren't I?

>63 NanaCC: I was going to ask if you had read In Sunlight in a Beautiful Garden, Colleen, but when I went to look for my review of it, I found yours, and see that you did! (And I did not find mine, although I think I did read it since I've been on LT. I will have to search my threads and see if I recorded my thoughts.)

Oh Linda welcome to the wonderful world of retirement. You have certainly mapped out some ambitious goals for filling your time, but all of them sound enjoyable. Sorry it's taken so long for me to get around to visiting. Dropping a star and looking forward to seeing what bibliographic gems you come up with.

>59 laytonwoman3rd: Enjoyed reading your comments on the Hill. I read Strange Meeting another novel focused on a close relationship between two men. I think your point about what the stronger (for want of a better word) person gets out of the relationship is the same in that book. It's stated that there is a benefit, bit it wasn't clear to me as reader.

>66 tututhefirst: Ahoy, Tina! Good to have you dropping by.

>67 charl08: Interesting, Charlotte. I'm glad it isn't just me. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the novel, but I would like to have understood Harvey a bit better.

I'm sorry that you aren't able to leave the company on your own terms, but I am happy for you and your retirement and positive attitude.

I plan on retiring when I'm 65 -- three years from now. A lot of that depends on the number of future surgeries and my recovery.

I hope retirement brings lots of time for reading.

>69 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. You know I'm hoping for an easier time for you over the coming years---fewer surgeries and much more recovery!

Oh, The Bird of Night sounds great. It seems even a bit like real life: I've looked at some relationship and wondered why one or even both partners stay in them. Oh, and I know my marriage was certainly viewed with, um, a certain puzzled curiosity, especially at first. I'm not sure I'll find this satisfactory in a book, but I plan on reading it.

Have a lovely weekend!

6. Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler AAC, ROOT

"In the sixty-first year of his life, Liam Pennywell lost his job." Well, now, you can't get much more timely than this. I'm a bit older than Liam, and so was my husband when the same thing happened to him, but still at a point in life when it leaves you wondering "Am I really finished with work? Am I ready to retire? Do I have other options?" Liam hasn't set the world on fire, to say the least, and now he's thinking he might just relax into his rocking chair with his books and wait for the end. Except that his rocking chair isn't all that comfortable, as it turns out. And everyone keeps asking him what he’s going to do “next”. And the first night he spends in his new, cheaper apartment he forgets to lock the patio door, and gets knocked out by an opportunistic burglar. (Not such a great opportunity for the burglar, either---Liam doesn't own one thing worth stealing.) He wakes up in the hospital with a bandaged head and no memory of anything past settling comfortably into his tightly made bed. He is much more disturbed by the lack of memory than by any other aspect of the event, a fact which neither his family, his doctor nor his friend Bundy seem to grasp. They all feel he should be grateful not to have a memory of being assaulted in his own apartment, but to Liam it’s an ongoing source of frustration. There isn’t a lot of plot in this novel; Tyler gives us life’s mundane moments, touched with a bit of short-lived excitement and a lot of introspection on the fly. As she has done before, (in The Accidental Tourist, for example) she creates a slightly disconnected male character who has functioned well enough up to a point in his life, but seems to have no inner core of support when life stops being routine, and who finds himself drawn to a woman whose appeal is that she fits no familiar pattern. Unfortunately, he rather pins his hopes for recovering his memory and turning his life around on this woman, who clearly isn’t wrapped too tightly at the core herself. I almost always enjoy Anne Tyler’s characters, even when I want to give them a good shake and a swift kick in the butt. This time was no exception.

>73 laytonwoman3rd: Great review!

>71 Matke:, >74 Matke: Thanks for your positive comments, Gail. I had a "friend" tell me once that my choice of a partner was "ruining my life"....by which, of course, she meant I wasn't paying attention to her advice in such matters!

Good review Linda. I've liked the Tyler books I've read, but don't think I will get to her this month despite her latest being on my reading table (and see very mixed reviews on her AAC thread).

Excellent review of Noah's Compass, Linda. I'll keep my eye out for it.

Happy Sunday, Linda! Good review of Noah's Compass. I have not read that one but I love "even when I want to give them a good shake and a swift kick in the butt." which also applies to Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.

What a great review of Noah's Compass! I understand your feelings regarding the fact that your retirement was preceded by the company telling you that you would be downsized out of the company. Good for you for have the fortitude to turn a negative situation into positive feelings/thoughts.

I've had mixed experience regarding Ann Tyler. I loved her early books, including Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant and The Accidental Tourist. I was an avid fan and read every new book she wrote, but it felt like Mitchner after awhile in that there was a formula she plugged in, ie Baltimore and dysfunctional families. I thought she became lazy-like in her writing. I feel the same about Janet Evanovich.

I wish you a Happy Retirement, and a year of great reading. All the best to you my friend who shares a name. Most of us Linda's were born at the end of the 1940's beginning - mid 1950's. It was a very popular name. My small highschool class graduated 107 of us, of which eight were Lindas.

>76 Caroline_McElwee: I haven't been tempted to grab a copy of A Spool of Blue Thread, which I think is her latest, by the reviews I've seen either. I read Noah's Compass for the AAC, and picked it because it's been on my shelf for a long time. It was a good read.

>77 kidzdoc: It would probably be a Sunday afternoon read for you, Darryl.

>78 msf59: I love how Tyler can make you sympathize with characters who would probably drive you batty if you had to cope with them in real life. I wish I could remember whether I read Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant---if I did it was decades ago. I'm pretty sure I once had a paperback copy of it around, but I cleaned out a lot of my mass market paperbacks some years ago, for space reasons, and it isn't here now.

>79 Whisper1: There was about the same percentage of Linda's in my class, at least at one time. In sixth grade there were five of us. I don't know how big the sixth grade was, but by graduation there were 68 of us all together. Only 2 Linda's were left by then, though.

I tried one or two of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, and they didn't engage me much. I was fonder of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Hillhone.

7. Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash This was a quick and easy read, despite some difficult subject matter (domestic terrorism, corporate greed, meth raids, school shootings) and what I felt was a less than successful handling of one character's point of view. Les is the Sheriff of a rural Appalachian community, and he's just a couple weeks away from retirement. He has little time for introspection as he tries to tidy a few things up for his successor, but he is forced to do some soul-searching before he hands in his badge. A man who probably saved his life when they were both teenagers may be losing his job, and it may be partly Les's fault. Becky, a park ranger he has an ill-defined relationship with, is struggling with her own past and with local suspicions about an elderly man she has taken under her wing. Someone has poisoned a creek on the property of a local resort, killing the trout so many people come there to catch; the owner is convinced that Becky's elderly friend is responsible. The story is told in alternating chapters, from Les's point of view, and from Becky's. Becky, in addition to ongoing processing of a childhood trauma, has an affinity with nature and with the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins. For an extended period the child Becky did not speak, and she spent a lot of time inside herself, so her thoughts may naturally be more abstract than ours, but there was a disconnect between how she thinks and how she speaks as an adult that was too much for me. I recognized bits of Hopkins poems in some of her thought passages, but it all felt like the author was trying too hard. As an interactive character Becky worked very well. But her back story seemed irrelevant to her presence in the story, unlike Les's reflections on his own youth and character. Her part also felt a bit underdeveloped, as though she really deserved a story in which she was the main character. I rather wish Rash had played her as a simpler secondary character in this one, and let her take center stage in another novel, or that he had made this a longer, fuller novel for her sake.

>81 laytonwoman3rd: - I've had my eye on that one, Linda. I haven't read any Rash before, despite having a couple on my Kindle, but he is the kind of author I like, so I should really get to him one of these days!

Nice review.

>82 katiekrug: I read a collection of Rash's short stories last year, and they were excellent. He's the kind of author I like too, so I'm glad he has several more novels I can get to. I have to say, though, that I Pearl-ruled Serena a while back. The title character just did not work for me.

8. Trade Me by Courtney Milan I don't have much to say about this. It's a romance novel, and I haven't read such a thing in decades, so I can't compare it to anything except my recollection of reading Angelique as an adolescent, when it was forbidden and titillating. I suspect this one may be a bit better than average, as the story line actually had some substance, and wasn't just a blanket where the steamy bits take place. Tina Chen is a very broke college student, who takes a class with Blake Reynolds, the son of one of the tech world's most powerful and wealthiest men. They have a contretemps in class over social welfare programs. She thinks he's clueless. He thinks she might be the solution to his identity crisis. She tells him he couldn't live her life for 2 weeks. He turns that challenge around and offers to trade lives for the rest of the semester. I liked the characters; they are bright, competent, witty and...well....likeable. But given their life experiences up until the point where we meet them (they have both functioned as grown-ups for some time) some of their emotional thought processes seemed immature. I guess that if you like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing you will like. I think I prefer my romances to be historical.

>84 laytonwoman3rd: I think I prefer my romances to be historical.

Challenge accepted!

>84 laytonwoman3rd: - Courtney Milan usually writes historicals - MickyFine just read several at the end of last year.

For contemporary "romance," I love Kristan Higgins' Blue Heron series. They are really more than romances and so much fun. I keep trying to get my smart, bookish friends to give Higgins a try because I think she's too easily written off.

>85 lycomayflower: Nevvvvvver mind. I have some on hand already.

>86 katiekrug: I see from the list of titles in the book that Milan writes historical romance as well. I thought the writing was quite good, most especially the dialog, which can kill a book faster than anything for me if it's not "real".

>84 laytonwoman3rd: Ooh, Angelique - I remember reading that in my younger days as well. It was forbidden and titillating which definitely added to its charm. Unlike you, I continued to read romance after that and, yes, I prefer my romances to be historical.

>88 Familyhistorian: I read quite a lot of historical romances in the 60's and 70's...I think Angelique was just the steamiest of them...the one I had to read in secret. I was fond of Anya Seton and Victoria Holt...the rather gothic stuff.

>89 laytonwoman3rd: I remember reading Anya Seton and Victoria Holt as well but Angelique was much more forbidden but not as forbidden as Valley of the Dolls. My cousin (older by 4 years) came to visit when I was 16 and brought that book with her. My mum saw and told my cousin not to let me read it - which was just too bad of her because I only had a couple of chapters to go. I never did read the end of that book.

>89 laytonwoman3rd: I was a great one for reading forbidden books while I was babysitting. Peyton Place stands out in my mind as one of them.

I know the weekend is 7 days for you. :-)

Awww... puppies! I seem to be working very hard for a retired person...I think I WILL have a weekend now, please.

Great reviews here! I may look up the McCullough. I love his writing.

How are you faring with the storm? I know you're in PA , too, but don't recall what part.

>94 tymfos: The storm is pretty much a non-event here, Terri. We've had some squalls, but there is less than an inch on the ground, and I think it's about finished. The sky seems to be lightening up over on the western horizon.

>91 NanaCC: I read Peyton Place for the first time about 10 years ago, BLT so no review here. I couldn't see what the fuss was all about as I recall, but it also left no impression on me whatsoever.

>90 Familyhistorian: I think I read Valley of the Dolls after I left home, at least for college, so no hiding was required. I recall I didn't like it much, and didn't believe in those people, although I guess there was more truth in it than a little country girl could imagine at the time.

Angelique and Lady Chatterley's Lover were both on the shelves at my house, and I don't think I was specifically forbidden to read them, but I know I dipped into them in secret when I was home by myself as a teenager. The only book I was ever actually told I could not read was Jubilee Trail, and that was by my school librarian. As I was a junior or senior in high school at the time, I questioned why it was even in the stacks if they weren't going to let it circulate. I simply went to the public library and checked it out there.

Linda, I'm belatedly stopping by to add my star - slowly catching up with everyone from last year. Congrats on your retirement...I'd love to have more leisure to read, although I suppose I'm not doing too badly as it is with the reading! I love the Black Books gif in >4 laytonwoman3rd:!

>95 laytonwoman3rd: Good to see that the weather has barely touched you, Linda. xx

>96 rretzler: Hi, Robin! Thanks for stopping by. I never saw Black Books, but I thought that gif was very appropriate here.
>97 PaulCranswick: No, no blizzard here. I'm afraid to get used to this, because February and March are still to come.

9. Primo Levi's Resistance by Sergio Luzzatto ER

I finished with this one a while ago, but have been struggling with what to say about it. That's mostly because I struggled to get through it. It's an ER selection, so I owe it a real review, but this won't be among my better efforts. I found the book dry, a bit muddled, and hard to follow. I suspect part of the problem is that I simply had no context for this piece of history, knowing nothing whatever about the Italian resistance during WWII, and not having read any of Primo Levi's work either. I had a terrible time keeping the players sorted: who was a collaborator, who was a freedom fighter, who was pretending to be one or the other, who betrayed whom? There is probably valuable historical information here for those with a better foundation, but it isn't a stellar narrative, and it didn't help me understand the relatively brief episode it's meant to describe. Probably not for the general readership.

>98 laytonwoman3rd: Charlie was grousing yesterday about not having a snow day (he loves school but really wants me to make Snow Day Doughnuts). I told him that there's still all of February and March to get through...

"I seem to be working very hard for a retired person..."
Well, as Bob Newhart would say, stop it!

But you're doing some good reading, too. I'll probably skip Primo Levi's Resistance.

Have a wonderful weekend!

>100 scaifea: Snow day doughnuts sound mighty fine...I'm with Charlie!

>101 EBT1002: Oh, how I miss Bob Newhart...

>102 DianaNL: Thanks for the grin, Diana!

>103 laytonwoman3rd: Bob Newhart's still around, ya know. We found some of the old shows on TV a while back and binged a little, which was fun. >101 EBT1002: made me laugh!

>104 lauralkeet: Well, I know he isn't dead, but he doesn't show up in the places I hang out! But thanks for reminding me that the old stuff can be accessed. He could crack me up with a sidewise glance.

>105 laytonwoman3rd: well we've certainly been losing our cultural icons left and right lately and while I hadn't heard any Abe Vigoda-style death rumors about Bob Newhart, I didn't know if there might be one going around.

>106 lauralkeet: Yeah, and now Abe Vigoda really did die. And for those who may find themselves confused when reading the last several posts, here is Bob Newhart himself to set things straight.

10. Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig Doig's final novel--what an incredible treat! I really hate to slap "coming-of-age" onto a book, because I know it turns many people off. It's a draw for me, but it must be well done. Doig did it as well as anyone, and he did it many times over.

Donny Cameron, a/k/a Red Chief, is an orphan, and he's on the road, not by choice. His custodial grandmother needs a serious operation, and feels she has no other option but to put him on the Greyhound to spend the summer with her sister while she recuperates. It's 1951, when the idea of sending an unaccompanied 11-year-old on a 1600 mile bus trip with a change of clothes and traveling money pinned inside his shirt pocket might have raised some eyebrows, but was apparently not as unthinkable as it seems now. Along with his hand-me-down wicker suitcase Donny has an autograph book, a slew of instructions from Gram, and a gift for invention that can kick into high gear at the drop of an innocent question. His traveling companions are a varied and ever-changing lot, and he views them all as potential contributors to the collection of autographs he hopes will get him into Ripley's Believe it or Not one day. As it turns out, getting from Gros Ventre, Montana, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was the easy part. There Donny meets his Aunt Kitty and Uncle Dutch, a mismatched pair if ever there was one, and finds his summer is not going to be a barrel of fun. His initial reaction to Aunt Kitty is that she's really the great Kate Smith (same broad beam and remarkable bosom, same melodious voice---why didn't Gram ever say??), but after the disappointment of finding that to be an illusion, it's all downhill. And Uncle Dutch, a/k/a Herman the German, can't help much against the Kate and her house rules. But then... Well, let's just say Huck and Jim got nothin' on Snag and One-Eye, as Donny and Herman become on the road to Wisdom. Don't miss this bus.

I've seen Doig compared to Wallace Stegner, and LT cross-recommends the two authors. Aside from the Montana connection, I just don't get that. Stegner fails to move me, although I admire his skill with the language; there's nothing charming in his characters. Every Doig novel I've read so far has delighted me from beginning to end. None of his characters are ever at the mercy of their circumstances. No matter how rough things get, they are resourceful in meeting the challenges. Good luck and bad luck crop up in about equal measure. Doig also handles the grotesque with a much lighter touch, and his world comes alive in a way Stegner's has never quite done for me.

>104 lauralkeet: and >105 laytonwoman3rd: Cracking me up. Bob Newhart is hilarious. And so are you two.

>108 laytonwoman3rd: I think our RL Book Group is going to read Last Bus to Wisdom in April or May. I definitely look forward to it!

>109 EBT1002: I've written my review, now, Ellen. I hope you get a kick out of Last Bus to Wisdom

>109 EBT1002: Hmmm ... maybe LW3 and I could go on the road with a stand-up act.
Or maybe not. :)

>111 lauralkeet: I'd be OK with the road trip part...

>108 laytonwoman3rd: OUCH, book bullet. I tried to get it in one of London's biggest bookshops, to no avail, not one of his novels! So resorted to A-Marketplace!

>104 lauralkeet: and >105 laytonwoman3rd: Lots of Bob Newhart love here, too. I remember a drinking game in college where everyone had to drink whenever they said "Bob" on the Bob Newhart show. At least once an episode Emily would get frustrated with him and shake her head, chiming "Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob ....." Yikes!

>112 laytonwoman3rd: me too! Let's go!!

>114 michigantrumpet: Yep I remember that game!

Nice review of Last Bus to Wisdom, Linda!

>108 laytonwoman3rd: A hit to my wishlist. Time. I need time. ;)

>108 laytonwoman3rd: Great review. I am looking forward to reading it later this spring.

11. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande There are so many fine reviews of this book that I don't feel it necessary for me to add to the list. It is difficult to read, and in the beginning I was afraid I didn't have the strength for it---there are several elderly relatives in my life, with varying degrees of need and independence, we ain't getting any younger ourselves, and my Dad went through a long ordeal at the end of his life, which I think was ultimately handled well with hospice care. Some of Gawande's descriptions of nursing home conditions and of being present at his own father's death were eerily familiar. I would like to give a copy of this book to every physician and facility administrator I encounter. I must say, though, that I seem to run into a good many who already have the right sort of outlook. This encourages me for the future.

Glad you liked Being Mortal, Linda. My siblings and I have all read it, and one of my sisters read it four times. Really important book. I agree - I feel like giving it to every physician and facility administrator, and I've had the distinct impression lately that many of them have read it. They have the right sort of outlook, whether from the book or not.

>119 laytonwoman3rd: It is a very fine book Linda. It only breaks my heart to realise that it needed to be written, and that in many places, despite the knowledge, there isn't the funding to get it rolled out and allow people to be supported in the best way for them, whatever earnings level they are on.

>108 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for your report there, Linda. Doig is on this year's AAC, and I've not read anything by him. I saw a review of this particular book last year, and your comments seem to have nailed it for me.

>119 laytonwoman3rd: I keep putting this one off, though it's about my wife and me (I think). Everyone in our parents' generation is gone, so we're it.

>119 laytonwoman3rd: parts of it rang true for me as well. Fortunately, my dad is currently in a place that is run along the lines the author recommends. He was moved due to increasing needs for care and security, but I could "feel" the difference -- especially the home-like atmosphere -- the minute I walked in the door. I only wish this could become the norm everywhere.

I recently read Being Mortal as well and thought it was a well written book. It certain set it stone how I want my final days.

My mom and both do the Bob, "stop it," thing. Cracks us up.

Quick story about my reading of Being Mortal. Based on talk around here, I thought it was something my boss would appreciate, so I gave him a copy as a holiday gift. He read it over the next two days and came back raving about it. Both of his parents lived well into their 90's (I think his mother died a couple days after her 99th birthday), and I'm fairly sure his mother resided in one of the exemplary facilities with graduated levels of care outside Boston which was mentioned in the book. As he knew I had not yet read Being Mortal, he gave it back to me, and it was "his" copy I read. When I tried to return it, he told me to pass it on. He and his wife had bought another copy in the meantime so she could read it and share it with friends. I think this may be the start of a movement!

12. Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse by Faith Sullivan I may have found a new "comfort read" author. This novel is about reading for comfort, in a way. When Nell Stillman's abusive husband dies on the job, leaving her essentially destitute with an infant son, she is "rescued" by a member of the school board who offers her a job teaching third grade. Teaching becomes Nell's career, Laurence Lundeen and his family become her steadfast friends, and she "falls in love" with P. G. Wodehouse through borrowing his novels from Cora Lundeen. Whenever her life takes a difficult turn, she escapes into his latest collection of frivolous nonsense. There is so much more to this novel than might appear on the surface. It's a fairly straightforward narrative filled with the ups and downs of life in the early 20th century in a small town in Minnesota. They are not spared the grief of WWI, or the tragedies that arise from sheer human beastliness. As she ages, Nell Stillman becomes the woman some of her students turn to for advice and solace as they grow older and face life's challenges...the woman who will always listen, ply them with tea and cookies, and make no judgments whatsoever. As a fairly young child I dropped in on several elderly ladies who were sheer blessings in my life; they didn't stick around into my adulthood, but I'll never forget 'em. It was a delight to meet them all again in the person of Nell Stillman.

Such a great story about Being Mortal, Linda. It is definitely one of those books that deserves to be passed around.

Morning Linda! Hope all is well. I am so glad you enjoyed Being Mortal. It is an important book. I LOVE your Being Mortal story. It put a big smile on my face.

Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse sounds very good too. Thanks for putting it on my radar.

Have you read Straight Man? If not, this might be your cuppa.

CHiming in as another great believer in The Being Mortal Movement!

>123 lauralkeet:, >127 lauralkeet: The atmosphere is such a big factor, isn't it, Laura? I found that with my uncle; he was in a traditional nursing home for a while, and it was a good one, but when it was obvious that he didn't need skilled nursing constantly, we found a much more home-like environment for him in a nearby assisted living facility. I sat and watched a number of the residents playing Bingo last week---they interact, even squabble, just like any group of friends getting together for a game, and when it broke up they all went their own ways with or without walkers or wheelchairs, some in pairs continuing their conversations. Some stayed in the common area to watch TV, others went to their own rooms. No one is completely autonomous there, because there are no "apartments" as such. All meals are taken in the dining room, and the residents cannot lock their doors. But in many ways it does follow a lot of the concepts Gawande espouses.

>128 msf59: No, I haven't read Straight Man, Mark. I think my daughter's copy of it may be here. I'll think about it for the challenge. I do have several other books of Russo's on hand.

>129 scaifea: It is certainly an LT movement!

>130 laytonwoman3rd: that sounds very much like where my Dad lives. It's a nice atmosphere, and the staff are multi-disciplinary so you see nurses helping with meals for example.

>126 laytonwoman3rd: What an appealing review of Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse, Linda. I'm a Wodehouse fan, so that adds to the appeal. Onto the WL it goes.

I bought a pile of Woodhouse a couple of years back, and have yet to read one, maybe I'll put it on my March radar. I like the sound of Goodnight, Mr Woodhouse too.

Hurray for the boss daft enough to let you go earlier than you wanted, but wise enough for Being Mortal.

I bet you are glad to have that extra time now though, full as it is, how did you have time to work!?

>119 laytonwoman3rd: there are so many good reviews about Being Mortal, and the pass it on theory is a great one.

>126 laytonwoman3rd: Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse sounds like one for the list.

Huge fan of P. G. Wodehouse -- solid writing, enormous vocabulary and remarkable craft went into making those frivolous stories.

Tried to be-thumb your review of Good Night Mr. Wodehouse, but alas, you hadn't posted the review.

Instead,I'll just say the bullet got me!!

>135 michigantrumpet: Ah, yes...I suppose I should post my review, shouldn't I? I will do so shortly.
I'm a big fan of Mr. Wodehouse as well, and will probably have to read some more of him soon.

>134 NanaCC: I expect you'd enjoy Goodnight, Mr. Wodehouse, Colleen.

>133 Caroline_McElwee: I'm surprised at YOU...haven't read any Wodehouse yet? Please do. And I have no idea how I managed to work and do all the other things that have to be done. No. idea.

>126 laytonwoman3rd: - Great review! I had heard about this one so it was vaguely on my radar for a little bit but then dropped off (I have a mind like a sieve!). Thanks for bringing it back to my attention.

>132 jnwelch: I'm hitting lots of people with that BB, Joe!

>137 katiekrug: My daughter told me about it, but she hadn't read it. It probably would have slipped through my net too, if I hadn't seen it on the new acquisitions shelf at the library a couple days later.

>136 laytonwoman3rd: OK, 'Leave it to Psmith' (touchstones burping) has been moved to the 'read in the next four weeks' pile!

>139 Caroline_McElwee: That's the last Wodehouse I read, Caroline. It's a good one.

13. Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock e-book; CAC

This was pure unadulterated satirical fun. The title tells you what to expect. The collection of vignettes is full of small town characters that could be found anywhere in America, and apparently in Canada, at any time from the late 19th century right up to the present time. You might have to look harder for them these days, but I know they are still out there, seeing the world from their front porches and bar stools rather than through the lenses of the Big Guys in the City. Every ordinary little episode is laced with cleverness and affectionate humor. My favorite by far was the disastrous (but routine) sinking of the excursion steamer on Lake Wissanoti, with about half the town aboard. Picture the Mariposa Belle settling comfortably to the bottom of the six-foot deep lake, and its passengers handily snatching their would-be rescuers from unseaworthy rowboats and dinghies in "one of the smartest pieces of rescue work ever seen on the lake." You might think of Mark Twain, or Garrison Keillor, while reading this. It made me very glad to have signed on to the Canadian Authors Challenge this year.

Have a happy weekend.

>142 DianaNL: Awww...happy dog face! Thanks, Diana.

14. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill In which Dr. Siri is kidnapped from a Party conference and taken to a rural Hmong village to exorcise a demon from one of their young women. (As we know, Dr. Siri plays reluctant physical host to the spirit of a shaman, Yeh Ming, who is frequently recognized in him by people who then expect Dr. Siri to BE Yeh Ming.) Meanwhile, back at the morgue, the auditors have come in Dr. Siri's absence, and someone is setting traps to kill....someone. Dtui and Phosy must sort the latter before they become victims, intended or otherwise, of evil schemes. Delightful. As always, I absolutely love the picture of Comrade Siri defying, thwarting and generally ignoring the dictates of the totalitarian state known as the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.

>144 laytonwoman3rd: Reminds me to read more of Dr. Siri, Linda. I have read the first two and loved the first but was a little bemused by the second.

Have a lovely weekend.

>144 laytonwoman3rd: I kinda liked my first experience with Dr Siri, and have another on my Kindle that I need to get to one of these days.

>144 laytonwoman3rd: I love this series, Linda. I thought that the next two were quite a bit darker, but just as enjoyable with the humor you would expect.

Morning, Linda! Happy Sunday! Hope all is well. Hooray for Dr. Siri. I am looking forward to book 10. Such a consistently good treat.

>145 PaulCranswick: The supernatural bits can be a bit unusual, Paul, but overall I really enjoy the humor and the spirit (pun intended) of these books.

>146 lauralkeet: Well, go for it, Laura. I'm sure you have very little else to read!

>147 NanaCC: I have The Merry Misogynist at hand, Colleen, but will wait a bit. Must parcel out my treats!

>148 msf59: Ah, Mark...you're almost caught up in this series. I like having a few unread ---waiting for the author to finish the next one is such a drag.

15. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff An old favorite, re-read now because I just treated myself to the Slightly Foxed edition. AND discovered much to my delight that the volume also includes her The Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street, which is somewhat less delightful, but still great, and essential.

I love 84, Charing Cross Road. "Essential" is a good word to describe it.

>150 laytonwoman3rd: I stroke my new SF copy from time to time. It's about six years since I last read it. I shall slip it off the shelf again soon. I agree re The Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street Linda.

I'm intrigued by mention of your Slightly Foxed edition of the Hanff(s). I have both but in really rather ugly paperbacks and would love a nice edition.

Off to Google!

I *still* haven't read 84 yet. Gah.

>149 laytonwoman3rd: I am usually way behind, on most series books, but these are quick reads, (and great on audio) so I was able to march on through.

I also loved 84, Charing Cross Road.

>153 katiekrug: Oh, be careful...Slightly Foxed is serious temptation.

>154 scaifea: Well, find a couple hours and Do IT! You will love Helene Hanff.

>155 msf59: I feel very connected to Hanff, Mark. Wouldn't she fit right in here and shake things up from time to time? Although she was not a fiction reader...

I'm re-reading The Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street and enjoying it more than I did the first time. What a dame!

I loved Anne Bancroft's performance of her in the film, I suspect she nailed her totally.

16. The Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff When Hanff finally got to make her pilgrimage to London, she took the advice of a friend and kept a diary. She was wined, dined and interviewed, saw nearly everything she hoped to see, and made several new friends during the month and a half she stayed in London. It was, truly, the trip of a lifetime, and it's quite a special experience to be able to share it. If you love books, or London (or just know you would if only you could get there), or if you have any kind of dream you hope to fulfill one day, you'll feel a kinship with Helene Hanff, and you'll love this book.

>158 laytonwoman3rd: Nice min-review, Linda. I loved 84 Charing Cross Road, and really want to get to this one.

>157 Caroline_McElwee: I agree, Caroline. I want to re-watch that movie soon.

>159 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. It's a different sort of enjoyment than 84, but still very good.

Since I loved 84, Charing Cross Road and love books and London I have no choice. I'll plan to buy and read The Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street soon.

ETA: The Amazon Kindle version of it is currently on sale for $4.99, and it will be released on July 12th. I assume that the price will increase between now and then so I just purchased it in advance.

>161 kidzdoc: Excellent, Darryl. London must have been such a different place in 1971...I'm sure you'll have fun with it for that reason alone, although naturally many of the places Hanff most wanted to see haven't changed for centuries.

>154 scaifea: Totally unacceptable. Go forth and read, woman!

>154 scaifea:, There, you see? Thank you >163 Morphidae:, Morphy.

*hangs head in shame* Sorry, ladies. I'll get to it soon...

This thread will observe a moment of silence in memory of Harper Lee.

>166 laytonwoman3rd: Aw, man.

17. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown Subtitled "Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics". This book has so much going for it, it's almost too good to be true. But, as they say, you just can't make this stuff up. This is the story of Washington State's 1930's rowing program-- its incredible coaches; the boat builder who was surely a wizard, and who provided them (and many of their competitors) with superbly crafted racing shells but also advised and inspired the boys; and, of course, the boys themselves. Young men from working class families (some with virtually no family), who struggled to compete with the privileged crews of Eastern schools like Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Penn and with their local perennial rival, Cal Berkley. I am amazed at the detail regarding boat-building, the physics of rowing, the play-by-play of so many races, the lives of the crew (one in particular) and most especially the narrative gift that kept me interested in all of it for close to 400 pages. The chilling look at Hitler's preparations for the Berlin Olympics in 1936 was worth reading the book for. It is essential to remember how easily people can be manipulated and deceived. I began this "read" as an audio book narrated by Edward Hermann. I had just finished another of his reads, and wanted more of his voice. This book came recommended, but I'm not sure I would have picked it up in print--it was really Hermann who brought me to it. Then I had to return the audio version to the library before I was finished, as there was a waiting list for it. I was somewhat surprised to find the text every bit as compelling for me without Hermann's magic to move it along. And may I say Brown's description of the 1936 Olympic gold medal race had me on tenterhooks...even though I already knew how it came out! This is narrative non-fiction at its best, and there is important history in it. Highly recommended.

Great review of Boys in the Boat, Linda. I have seen the book about but haven't picked it up but your review shows how the story of the boys fits into the history of the time. Sounds like something I would enjoy. Onto the ever growing wish list it goes!

>168 laytonwoman3rd: Another for my wishlist, Linda.

>168 laytonwoman3rd: I've got this on the kindle, but haven't read it yet. Must make the time, your review is a prod in the right direction.

>169 Familyhistorian:. >170 NanaCC:, >171 charl08: This book falls into the Very Pleasant Surprise category for me....I was quite afraid it would be waaaay more than I wanted to know, and in other hands it probably would have been. But Brown's talent for narrative is really quite amazing.

" This is narrative non-fiction at its best." Great review of The Boys in the Boat! I felt exactly the same way and I am glad to see the warbling continue.

Happy Saturday, Linda. I am loving The Lost Garden. Have you read it or Humphreys.

>173 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I haven't read any Humphreys yet. I checked with my library for the challenge, but they have NOTHING of hers.

Do you know the artist of the painting in your first post? It's lovely.

>158 laytonwoman3rd: I was in Bloomsbury Street yesterday Linda, and the restaurant I was in was opposite the hotel Hanff stayed in.

>175 Morphidae: The artist is Ivan Kramskoy, Morphy. Never heard of him. The picture is in the public domain, according to Wikimedia.

>176 Caroline_McElwee: Now you're just being mean.

>177 laytonwoman3rd: Ugh, I'm having the worst time. I don't suppose you remember where you found that specific pic? I can either find one that is lighter or darker and neither look right.

>178 Morphidae: Why don't you just snag mine, Morphy? I'm sure I found it by doing a Google image search for "woman reading" or some such.

18. Mohawk by Richard Russo Read this one for the AAC challenge. Thoughts will have to wait, as there is a rug rat invasion imminent.

EDIT: My review:

The town of Mohawk has seen “better” days---days in which the local tanneries and leather mills were thriving and a man could make an honest living—or a dishonest one, if he preferred—by working in them. Now, cheap imports, synthetics, and investigations of corruption are taking away the profitability of the leather industry; decades of chemical pollution have turned Mohawk’s creeks and ground water deadly; there isn’t much to recommend life in this small upstate New York town anymore. Richard Russo explores the intertwined lives of several residents who, whether voluntarily or inevitably, find themselves tied to the community as it goes to pieces. It’s hard to admire any of the characters in this novel, or to sympathize with most of them. They all seem to be stuck in a mediocre life with no clue how to improve even a few minutes of it at a time. Those with principles are just as miserable as those without. I’m not sure what the take-away should be from this tale, and it suffers from a few “first novel” shortcomings. I certainly didn’t love it, but if I had never read Russo before, I believe I would have seen promise here, and probably would have felt that I wanted to try him again. As it is, I know he’s proved himself capable of better stuff, and I’m glad to have seen how he started.

Great review of The Boys in the Boat, Linda!

>181 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl!

>182 DianaNL: Oooh...a real "peeping Tom"!

19. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie. For the BAC...
A later Poirot outing, involving Middle Eastern revolution, missing jewels and murders at a prestigious girls' school in England. Poirot himself does not get into the mix until late in the tale, and the real star of this show is a teenager. A good story, with decent clues, but of course Christie always saves a little something for the final reveal. Proper fun.

>184 laytonwoman3rd: I read a good Christie just recently, (aren't they all), called The ABC Murders. The clues were well hidden. I haven't read Cat Among the Pigeons, but now I'll have to look for it.

>184 laytonwoman3rd: It would put the cat among the pigeons if her books were not to delight, Linda.

Have a lovely Sunday.

>185 NanaCC:, >186 PaulCranswick: Yes, I can always count on Christie for a fine diversion, and yet somehow I always seem to say "I forget how good she is" after I read something new.

20. Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham Sebastian Rudd isn't exactly an unsavory character, but his reputation for representing them gets him in trouble with many on both sides of the law. Therefore, he lives in a nondescript high-rise apartment, maintains an "office" in a customized van, has an unlisted phone number and employs a bodyguard/driver/paralegal/investigator who isn't afraid of much. Sebastian has an uneasy relationship with his ex-wife, another high-profile attorney who runs a militantly feminist lawfirm, left him for another woman, and harrasses him constantly for full custody of their 7-year-old son. As compelling as ever, Grisham has not lost his story-telling ability in what must be close to his 30th novel, although this one has no real beginning, middle and end; it's more a collection of legal adventures with Rudd as the protagonist, but the pages pretty much turn themselves. If you like this kind of thing, this is definitely the kind of thing you'll like. Beware of cage fighting scenes and really really bad cops.

21. Hiding My candy by The Lady Chablis A quick read if not a particularly enlightening one. Spending a couple hours in the company of The Lady Chablis was entertaining, but the book is more about her flamboyant lifestyle than the underlying gender identity issues. Also worth noting is that the book is about 20 years old, and was most likely written mostly for its pot-boiling potential. The Doll has not had an easy or particularly prosperous existence, at least up to the time of this publication. 3 stars for sass and some fine photos of her righteous self.

I just loved her in Midnight of the Garden of Good and Evil, loved the book, loved the film Linda.

>190 Caroline_McElwee: I did too, Caroline.

>144 laytonwoman3rd: I just love Dr Siri. I'm all caught up now, so eagerly awaiting the next in the series this summer.

Ditto

>192 rretzler:, >193 jnwelch: I have No. 6 on deck, but I will parcel out the others so I don't run out and be stuck waiting for Cotterill to write another. I'm in that position with a couple other series, and I don't like it there!

>194 laytonwoman3rd: I try to avoid being in that position, too, Linda, but I always end up in it. :-)

Has anyone else read his new(ish) series beginning with Killed at the Whim of a hat? It was one of those books that made me laugh out loud.

>196 charl08: I've had my eye on that, Charlotte, but haven't read it yet. Good to know it's got humor in it. We all could use a little of that.

>198 DianaNL: I'm so glad you remind me when Friday comes, Diana! I'm having a hard time remembering what day it is lately...

>199 laytonwoman3rd: one of the very best things about losing the day job!

>200 RBeffa: Very true, Ron. Except I still sometimes wake up at 7:30 or so in a panic because I'm LATE. Which is not really better than automatically waking up at 5:45 a.m. when there's no reason for it.

22. A Death in Vienna by Daniel Silva A thriller featuring Gabriel Allon, an art restorer/Mossad agent, who is on the hunt for a Nazi war criminal whose unacknowledged son is set to become the next Chancellor of Austria. Allon's mother was a Holocaust survivor, and an artist, whose paintings sometimes featured a man Allon recognizes as the target of his search. Well plotted, fast paced, loaded with details of the horrors of Hitler's "Final Solution" and with condemnation of both the Vatican and the Austrian government for their roles in enabling or actively assisting the Reich and its dementors both during and after the war. I don't read this genre as a general rule, and this won't encourage me to read more of it, but I understand perfectly why this series would be gobbled up by those who do. It was very well done, with only a few bits that stretched my credulity. Most likely if I were a fan of the spy novel, those bits wouldn't have bothered me at all.

23. Having Our Say Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany Two sisters of mixed parentage, both over 100 years of age, share their observations on life from a unique perspective. Their father was born into slavery, but became the first black bishop in the Episcopal church, as well as vice-principal of St. Augustine's School in Raleigh, NC. Bessie was the second black woman to be licensed to practice dentistry in New York State; Sadie was a teacher. Both women chose their professions over marriage, feeling they could not do justice to both, but both also spent endless time and effort supporting members of their large family when need arose. They were active in the civil rights movement, and witnessed an incredible march of history. They lived together in Harlem for many years, and eventually moved to a predominantly white neighborhood in Mount Vernon, NY, where Bessie died at the age of 104 (about 3 years after this book was written), and Sadie died at 107. This is just irresistible.

>203 laytonwoman3rd: Wow. What a story. As you say irresistible. Book bullet.

>205 DianaNL: My cat raises her paw at me like that----if I'm reading at her dinner time she comes to the side of my chair, stands on her hind legs and puts her paw up to get my attention!

My husband just showed me an ad in the newspaper about a big book sale down the line at one of the malls. Today, tomorrow and Sunday. He doesn't usually actively encourage me in this type of thing (well, to be fair, I don't NEED any encouragement). It's to benefit a very worthwhile cause, so I think I have a civic duty...

>207 laytonwoman3rd: Why are you even still here telling us about it? Go go go!

>207 laytonwoman3rd: Definitely.

You bet. Photos of book haul expected!

>208 lycomayflower:, >209 charl08:, >210 lauralkeet: As if I needed a push out the door!

There was very little in trade paperback, and the non-fiction was a jumbled mess...except for one section of cookbooks, for some reason. I did manage to find these, so as not to disappoint my public:



The Peddler's Grandson and Reynolds Price's memoir, Clear Pictures, were both buried in among the hardcover fiction.

Nice haul Linda. I've read some Reynolds Price, so will be interested to hear what you think of the memoir.

Good haul! And they look to be in good condition too.

Nice!!

Very nice haul, Linda! Is booksalefinder.com still relevant these days? I used to plan my weekends by it (I bought also for the store at the time, so shopping was more an extreme sport than anything else)

Happy Saturday, Linda! Nice book haul. The Yellow Birds is excellent. I have a copy on the "keeper" shelves.

Hope the week went well.

>212 Caroline_McElwee:, >213 tiffin:, >214 lauralkeet: It was worth the trip, and I got to browse a bit in a mall I don't usually go to (I don't usually go to malls much at all, but the two closest to me are in dire straits at the moment, and this one seems a bit more viable). I also added a stop at Auntie Anne's Pretzels to the outing, had a snack, rested my feet and looked over my acquisitions before heading home.

>215 avaland: yes, Lois, bookfinder.com is very much relevant. There's a mobile app and all. I thought I was going to plan my weekends around it when I retired, but so far that hasn't panned out. Maybe one of these days...

>216 msf59: I was fairly sure I had heard good things about The Yellow Birds from someone here, Mark. Should have guessed it might have been you!

There an app? Uh oh ...

Great book haul, Linda! I'm another one who places The Yellow Birds way up high. And I'm a big Mosley fan - that's a good one.

>218 lauralkeet: Uh huh....

>219 jnwelch: I read the first of Mosley's Leonid McGill series, and have the second on deck; When the Thrill is Gone is No. 3 in that series. I'm a big fan too.

National Velvet looks like a treasure. Book sales are way too much fun.

>179 laytonwoman3rd: I tried. It's damaged or too big or something. All's good. I found a decent version eventually.

>221 RBeffa: Would you believe I've never read National Velvet? Nor have I seen the movie. Don't know how I managed to grow up.

>222 Morphidae: Well, as long as you were able to get it somehow!

>223 laytonwoman3rd: oh my that movie is a classic and worth watching just to see a very young Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney.

I really enjoyed The Yellow Birds, Linda so it was nice to see that one in your pile.

Have a lovely Sunday.

>224 lauralkeet: Yes, I'm sure....I must remedy this deficiency very soon!

>225 PaulCranswick: Well, that's 3 powerful endorsements. I better keep The Yellow Birds close to the top of the pile.

Good morning, Linda.

I hope we're contagious among LT 75ers when it comes to Walter Mosley. Although he's incredibly prolific, I've managed to read most of his.

Lots of warbling seems appropriate for a book with the title The Yellow Birds, doesn't it?

>227 jnwelch: I'm happy to have lots and lots of Mosley ahead of me, Joe. Warbling over books with bird-y titles...a subspecialty around here!

>228 laytonwoman3rd: :-)

I'll admit to liking Mosley's books. And to having a good half-dozen on my Murder 'n' Mayhem reading list. And to having added another to that list about a week ago.

Don't forget to eat a slice of pie (or more, up to you). It's National Pi Day (3.14). Enjoy!

>230 weird_O: It just occurred to me about 5 minutes ago that it was Pi day, and I haven't done one thing about it. It's also my grandmother, the original Layton Woman's birthday, and from her I get the pie-baking gene. Last year I turned out this one:

>231 laytonwoman3rd: Wow Linda that looks as big as a house!

>232 PaulCranswick: Must be the perspective from which I took the photo, Paul. It was just your standard 9" pie. I can almost smell it though...wish I had a piece for breakfast!

24. A Southerly Course by Martha Hall Foose Yes, I sometimes do read cookbooks from cover to cover. This is a fine one for that purpose. Full of interesting recipes for food people actually eat (as well as a few I have my doubts about), beautiful photos of food, natural beauty and iconic Southern sights, and crunchy little tidbits of Memory and Story to go with many of the recipes. In between "courses" there are longer stories to delight, such as the one about the author receiving a book from her great aunt when she was very small--the book was about a dictionary-loving parrot in a shoe store, and Martha had just learned to write her own name; she was upset to find someone else's name written in cursive script inside the book, so to claim it as distinctly her own, she colored all the pictures and printed her own name in large letters on the first page. (Martha is from Mississippi, btw. Does anyone see what's coming here?) "That shoe-store bird book was mine once I wrote my name inside. Lina had given it to me and in time I learned that the same Eudora Welty who had written her name right inside had given it to me and all children as well." Shame on me, I was not aware that Eudora Welty had written a children's book, The Shoe Bird, but now I've ordered a copy for MY great-nieces, without the dear lady's autograph, I'm afraid. I have only tried one recipe from A Southerly Course, and it wasn't a great success (the method seems overly complicated and messy for the outcome, which I think I could have improved upon if I'd done it my own way with her ingredients). But that isn't going to stop me from trying others. A good cook rarely follows a recipe to the letter anyway, at least not after the first time.

Morning, Linda (it's still morning here)! Happy to say i've caught up on your thread, including all those wonderful reviews. I will probably give Mohawk a try at some point, but I'm in no rush. I just finished Nobody's Fool and it was excellent!

>233 laytonwoman3rd: yummy, that pie sure looks good Linda, I can smell it from here.

It is a long time since I read anything by Richard Russo, Linda. I might have to pick him up again. You have also convinced me that I need to try Mosley again.

Another book haul to report. My mail carrier left two Royal Mail parcels on my porch this morning.


And inside were these lovely things:

Ooh. I do love book parcels. Even when they're not mine. Enjoy!

Me too Charlotte.

Blimey Linda, you were quick off the mark with a Folio order. I'm planning to buy Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, and the Akmatova poetry later this month.

>239 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte.

>240 Caroline_McElwee: Well, I have heard Cider With Rosie praised highly around here, and I had some tax refund money to spend, so when I saw that Folio edition I wasted no time!

>203 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, I loved Having Our Say when I read it a number of years ago.

>144 laytonwoman3rd: Curse of the Pogo Stick is the last Dr. Siri book I've read, and I read it quite a while ago. I have the next one on the shelf, and really should get to it soon. Thanks for reminding me!

>242 tymfos: I have the next Dr. Siri waiting for me here too. Very comforting to know I can turn to him at will!

I'm going to have to try Colin Cotterill's Jimm Jurree series, too. I hope its as good as Dr. Siri!

>244 rretzler: There was one of those at the book sale I went to last week (see >211 laytonwoman3rd: above), but it was No. 3, so I left it there. It was the first time I've seen any of Cotterill's books at a used book sale, though.

25. The Peddler's Grandson by Edward Cohen This memoir is sub-titled "Growing Up Jewish in Mississippi", which is pretty much all you need to know about it, except that the writing it good, and the author is a 3rd generation Mississippian. His struggle to reconcile his Southern roots with his Jewish heritage makes fascinating reading, especially since he lived through a lot of rugged history growing up in Jackson, MS, where his family operated a clothing store with a primarily black clientele. Since the Jewish community there was so small, assimilation was the norm, and orthodoxy rare, but the conflict was never far from Edward's awareness, even as a child. It's a fascinating examination of identity, loyalty, integrity and belonging. And it's really a total coincidence that I've just read two books in a row about Mississippi, and that both of them made reference to Eudora Welty.

Happy Weekend!

>247 DianaNL: Please don't eat the daffies!

Anyone in the vicinity of Nashville, TN, in April...there will be a book signing event on April 11th at Parnassus Books, with my distant cousin-by-marriage and honorary Layton Woman, Ginger Manley, launching her first novel. She's a smart and funny lady. I've reviewed her two earlier books, Gotcha Covered and Disarmed: An Exceptional Journey. If anyone can make it, tell her "hey" from me.

26. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin A historical mystery set in mid-19th century Istanbul. Yashim Ogalu is a eunuch in the service of the Sultan, called upon to find out who is murdering members of the New Guard, and incidentally, who strangled one of the harem girls just as she was about to be presented to her master. The setting is irresistible, and offers plenty of opportunity for little lessons in Ottoman history, food, art and culture. The premise is that the ousted Janissary Corps may be plotting a military coup to return to power and depose the current Sultan. There are many layers of intrigue, and the pages practically turn themselves. As so often happens with one of these high action tales, there are bits that don't bear too much thought and examination afterward, but who cares? A great escape.

>251 charl08: I do like this series. I want to read his travel book too, as he seems to know Istanbul really well.

Now I want to go to a Turkish restaurant. Or visit Istanbul. But the restaurant is more likely.

>238 laytonwoman3rd: Two of my favourites with Durrell & Lee and in such a nice form.

Have a great week, Linda.

>250 laytonwoman3rd: Sounds good, will be looking for that book :-)

>250 laytonwoman3rd: I got a good way through that about 18 months ago Linda, then buried it, and haven't gone back. I have the series, and his non-fiction. One day I'll get to Istanbul.

>251 charl08: TAS in Bloomsbury Street is pretty good for a small chain, Charlotte. I'd give Istanbul a miss at the moment!

>251 charl08: Yes, it made me want to read his history of the Ottoman Empire as well. AND sample some Turkish food-- I've never tasted any. I don't think we have any options for it around here. Lebanese might the closest. Unfortunately, Istanbul is making the news now for all the wrong reasons. Again.

>252 PaulCranswick: Slightly Foxed and Folio editions are a joy, that's for certain.

>253 FAMeulstee: Funny story, Anita... it was on my wishlist for a long time. Then, I received a copy from a friend who knew my tastes, but I hadn't read it yet. Browsing through the stacks of a library I don't visit often, I came across it, and checked it out. Only after I finished it and went to rate it, etc. here on LT did I realize I had my own copy in a box in a closet!

>254 Caroline_McElwee: "buried it, and haven't gone back" I do that to myself from time to time. Usually end up starting over, as so much time has passed.

Hi, Linda! Hope you had a good weekend. Love those Folio editions. I am very jealous.

>255 laytonwoman3rd: interestingly I remember where I was Linda, Yashim (I think), was preparing another meal!

27. Landline by Rainbow Rowell This book is the selection for our public library's community reading program "On the Same Page", and was available free for readers signing up to participate in a book discussion in April. The author will also be here for a free reception and lecture. I would not have been tempted by it except for @lycomayflower 's endorsement of the author as one of her favorites. I was skeptical, even after the first chapter or so, but while I was still wondering whether I'd Pearl Rule the book I realized I was at page 75, and not ready to put it aside. You can't really categorize this as a romance novel, although romance and what happens to it after marriage is what it's all about. Georgie McCool has a name she can't make anyone believe she was born with, an inside-out traditional marriage where her husband Neal stays at home and makes all the sacrifices, two little girls she loves so much it hurts, and a comedy-writing career that is about to take off big time. That is, provided she and her writing partner/best friend Seth (who is decidedly not gay) can come up with four new scripts for the original series they've finally maybe sold --- in a week. In the week before Christmas. The week which Georgie was supposed to be spending in Omaha with her family at Neal's mother's home. The title refers to the old yellow hard-wired phone in Georgie's childhood bedroom. A landline, and maybe a lifeline, to her past, and to recharging her marriage, if she can figure out how not to screw it all up. I was surprised at how I was drawn into this story. Rowell (rhymes with towel) is brilliant at characterization and dialog. You just have to believe in her people and their interactions, even when her plot elements might stretch the bounds of credibility a bit.

>258 laytonwoman3rd: Yay!

>258 laytonwoman3rd: - I own Landline but have yet to read it. My first Rowell was Eleanor & Park which I thought was really good, and my second was Attachments, which I loved. I was less enamored of Fangirl and have no interest in her newest one. But Landline sounds like one I'd like. Glad it grew on you!

>259 lycomayflower: Indeed. And it's now on its way to you.

>260 katiekrug: It's likeable, Katie. I think that's a good word to describe the book and its characters.

>234 laytonwoman3rd: Martha Hall Foose's cookbooks are certainly Southern treasures! I don't own that one -- YET!

Have a wonderful Easter.

>264 DianaNL:, >263 PaulCranswick: Thank you, thank you!

>262 thornton37814: I am going to look for her Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, because she really is delightful.

Skimming through. I have had The Yellow Birds on the TBR shelves since it was published in paperback. I really must read it.

I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead, Linda!

>265 laytonwoman3rd: I have that one!

>268 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. Peeps were ubiquitous in our house in my daughter's childhood, because she couldn't eat chocolate. I've been known to eat one or two myself! Happy Easter to you and your family.

>267 thornton37814: Good!

>266 EBT1002: Maybe we should read it together with some of the other people who are hoarding it, Ellen!

I've been waffling about Rowell, but heck, if you like her, I'm in. Wishlisted.

Here I am! Happy Easter. I am all about the chocolate. : )

>270 scaifea: How much trouble will I be in if you dislike her intensely? *grin*

>271 Berly: Yeah...hard not to be.

>272 laytonwoman3rd: None at all. Your daughter, however... (I mean, she started it, no?)

>273 scaifea: Oi!

>250 laytonwoman3rd: The Janissary Tree just wound up on my wishlist. I forgot to duck.

>274 lycomayflower: ...with the poodles, already!

>276 scaifea: Oh, yes, and in Landline, the main character has never seen snow, and when she does, she goes totally Lorelei over it.
(ETA: Touchstones are crook at the moment, apparently)
Edited again: I think the touchstone is working now.

Touchstones have been on strike all day. Or they called in sick. :-(

>277 laytonwoman3rd: Okay, then. Sold!

28. My Dog Skip by Willie Morris Well, this is about what you'd expect in a memoir about a boy and his dog....lots of grand memories of freedom and summer afternoons, with boyhood highjinks accompanied and enhanced by an unforgettable canine sidekick and extremely accommodating adults. And, of course, the inevitable poignancy of all good things ending. Still, 3 stars is about all I can give it, for I found it very episodic, with no narrative arc whatsoever.

29. The Shoe Bird by Eudora Welty Welty's only "children's book", this was just enormous fun for me to read. Full of word play and puns, and bird characters that act exactly as they ought to given their personalities and the incredible situation they find themselves in. Arturo the Parrot is an essential employee of Mr. Friendly's Shoe Store, where Mrs. Thompson brings her children to outfit their feet for a new school year. Robbie Thompson is not thrilled with this project, and upon finally leaving the store makes the pronouncement that "Shoes are for the birds!" Well, Arturo's motto is "If you hear it, tell it", so naturally he repeats the phrase where it will do the most harm, in the hearing of the silly, bossy, self-absorbed Goose. What ensues is a store full of birds all trying on shoes with hilarious results, until ultimately everyone except the Goose decides that shoes are not for birds and Arturo decides his motto ought more properly be "If you hear it, think it over". I'm not sure at what age this might begin to appeal...there are an awful lot of words on the page, it is definitely not "easy reading", and many of the jokes would be lost on a child with less love of language and knowledge of birds than our wonderful Miss Eudora had. But I'm very glad I discovered it.

I will be starting a new thread soon. (As soon as I get a break from house-guests, that is. I've had my mother for 4 days; my niece and her little ones will be here tonight into tomorrow---then I get a breather for 10 days or so.)

In the meantime, I must confess I'm not doing well with the challenges this month. May not do Jane Smiley at all, after consideration; started The FarFarers by Farley Mowat for the Canadian challenge, and will probably finish it eventually, but it isn't a straight-through read for me, I don't think; am currently reading Tess of the D'Urbervilles for the British challenge, and am enjoying it so will finish it fairly soon, but not before the end of March!

>282 laytonwoman3rd: and you thought retirement was going to be easy.... :)

>283 NanaCC: I have never felt less "retired"!

>281 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, that sounds fun. I must seek it out.

And I am failing miserably at the challenges. I have just decided to take them or leave them (which, I know, is already used elsewhere -- another set of challenges on which I gave up after a while).

It's supposed to be fun. Retired or otherwise. :-)

April is about when I seem to fall off the bandwagon and revert to my "Read What I Want When I Want" mantra. : )

>282 laytonwoman3rd: "then I get a breather for 10 days or so." At which point yer rotten children descend!

>287 lycomayflower: No, first I have another night with the hellions from Westonbrook Farm. THEN my rotten children descend!

You guys are making me laugh!

>289 Berly: Then our work here is done!

>291 laytonwoman3rd: Well, it's April, and winter has finally come to Northeastern PA. Seems like a good time to stay in and start a new thread. It's still under construction, but sometime today it will be ready for visitors. Please drop in any time!