lit_chick's 2016 Reading (1)

All aboard for 2016's literary adventures, everyone!

This is my sixth year with our most articulate 75 Books Challenge group. I do not structure or plan my reading at all. My book choices are made on the fly and in the moment. One might say I like to fly by the seat of my pants. This works for me!

I live in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley with my magnificent three-year-old, jet black, feline rescue, Cairo. My thread toppers this year will feature Biblio Beauties, a series of paintings of women reading done by assorted artists.



George Goodwin Kilburne (1839-1924), Woman on a Fainting Couch Reading




February
7. Trespass, Rose Remain
6. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

January
5. Crow Lake, Mary Lawson
4. Stars Go Blue, Laura Pritchett
3. Watch How We Walk, Jennifer LoveGrove
2. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear
1. How It All Began, Penelope Lively

2015 Wrap-Up:

The Best:
(Top 5 Reads)
The Signature of All Things, Elizabeth Gilbert
All Change, Elizabeth Jane Howard
The Tie That Binds, Kent Haruf
The Green Road, Anne Enright
Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts

Elizabeth Jane Howard: The Cazalet Chronicles
(Fabulousness! The entire series!)
The Light Years
Marking Time
Confusion
Casting Off
All Change

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to another fabulous year of literary adventure ...

Sir Cairo has been putting my new thread together and is ready for a break! His computer skills are excellent!

Oooh delightful picture of hardworking Cairo! Do share him with us as much as you like! Heeeee... ^_^

Nancy is here, Nancy is here! I can stop anxiously scanning the threads, afraid I missed you:). Cairo is such a handsome boy! He reminds me of our cat Orion, who went to live at the office when Callia was too allergic to him. I am pleased to announce that after about 5 years of being the office darling, he has been adopted by the office manager. It's love:)

You're starred of course- I hope to spend a lot of time here. Happy New Year to you!

Happy New Year, Nancy! Dropping my star. Love the photo of Cairo - he's so handsome!

Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, Nancy. xx

Happy new year, Nancy! You are, of course, starred :)

Happy New Year Nancy! Nice to see your new thread up & running.

Happy New Year to you and Cairo, Nancy!

>5 dk_phoenix: Thank you, Faith! Cairo helps me on the computer often, LOL!

>6 AMQS: Thank you, Anne : ). What a wonderful story about Orion being rescued by the Office Manager. Love that!

>7 Crazymamie: Cairo thanks you, Mamie. Happy New Year to you, too!

>8 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! Happy New Year!

>9 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie! I'm trackin' you, too!

>10 lauralkeet: Happy New Year, Laura : ).

>11 lyzard: Thanks, Liz. Happy New Year to you!

Found you!!

Welcome back!

YAY! Happy New Year to you and the very handsome Sir Cairo!
I'm looking forward to hearing about your reading in 2016!

Hi there,
How can Cairo be three? Or is it not that you have had him for three years, just the he is literally three years old? Was worrying about time flying there.
Happy new year and see you around soon!
Eta: I can't spell :)

Happy new year to you and Cairo, Nancy!

Yay, Nancy, to a new year of sharing books and stuff with you and Cairo.

That pillow on the top picture looks comfy enough for a good afternoon reading. Biblio Beauties - looking forward to them :) better fill up your thread with comments so I can see more.

A prominent place for Elizabeth Jane Howard. You have my attention and if audible and I come on good terms again I will strongly consider the series.

Yay - found you! Happy new year!

>13 Berly: Thanks, Kim!

>14 drneutron: Thank you, Jim, and thank you for all of your work on behalf of 75 Books Challenge.

>15 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy!

>16 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan! Cairo was an adult cat, two years old, when I adopted him.

>17 souloftherose: Thanks, Heather!

>18 ctpress: Carsten, I've been skulking around looking for your 2016 thread ... will be looking again right after this post! I do hope you will enjoy my Biblio Beauties. I had fun thinking about a theme for thread toppers!

I do hope you and audiobooks will eventually resume your relationship, LOL. I am quite certain you would love the Cazalet Chronicles!

>19 cushlareads: Thanks, Cushla!

I love your first Biblio Beauty and look forward to more pictures. That Cairo is a beauty, too! Here's wishing you a marvelous year of good books, Nancy! I'll be along for the journey.

And there is me - while you picked out Bilbio beauties, I had seen a picture I liked and thought I saved it , but no, and I was scrambling to find something. Lucky that cute dog with reading glasses turned up.

Happy New Year Nancy. Hope that you're getting some winter sunshine where you are!
I loved your description of reading by the seat of your pants. Me too, big time. I love following the challenges that other people are doing and getting inspiration but I'm in the moment too with my selections. Great thread topper and great pic of Cairo! He's gorgeous!

Hi Nancy, nice to see you again my dear and what a lovely cat Cairo is.

>21 Donna828: Hi Donna, Cairo and I thank you! I've taken my first BB of the year, and it was from you for Sacred Hunger.

>22 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, the photo of Poppy's look-alike is completely charming!

>23 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. Happy New Year to you. Glad to be in the company of another who makes reading choices while flying by the seat of her pants, LOL!

>24 johnsimpson: Hi John, Cairo and I thank you : ).

>25 lit_chick:, My cat Leo says hi to Cairo and you.

>26 johnsimpson: Oh, that made me smile, John! Purrrr back to Leo : ).

>27 lit_chick:, Will do Nancy.

Hi Nancy. Love the topper. I wonder if they still make fainting couches. I think one of those would be great. Next to a big shelf of books...

>28 johnsimpson:


>29 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. Yes, I think you're onto something there: a fainting couch right next to a big pile of books!

Wow, I cannot believe it has taken me this long to stumble across your thread, Nancy! Too many threads from too many groups cluttering up my Talk. Love the thread topper pic, although she doesn't look very comfortable for reading, leaning to the side like she is. Any second and she will just roll off! Can you tell I am new to fainting couches? ;-)

Happy New Year to you and Cairo!

>31 lkernagh: Hi Lori, I completely understand being lost in the plethora of NY threads! I'm rather new to fainting couches, myself, LOL! Happy New Year!

Enjoy!

Thank you for your" best of" lists. I can see that I will have to get cracking in my future choices as yours look very tempting!. I am reading about seed oils. Almost always have a nutrition book on the go.

>33 DianaNL: ha! Good one.

Hi Nancy,
I have just come from a half hour of reading time to discover that my thing in the oven needed less than half an hour baking time. Oops. Well done mexican stack, anyone?

Found your 2016 thread!

I'm going to start The Light Years as soon as I finish the contemp novel I'm reading at present! This is my sixth year too! Instead of buying books I'm choosing books I've been hoarding but really am dying to read. Cazelet is at the top of the list!

>33 DianaNL: LOL, thank you Diana.

>34 mdoris: Hi Mary, I enjoy reading about your nutrition books, but if you're looking for something different, I can't recommend the Cazalet Chronicles more highly!

>35 LovingLit: LOL, Megan. Oops is how I cook, too!

>36 sibylline: Hi Lucy, I'm excited for you to read The Light Years. Oh, I hope you love the Cazalets as much as I did.

Nancy, I'm not sure many a day passes that I am not out with Poppy, but some days are quite lovely, with no rain and a lot of friendly people out and about. I do wish that the second hand book stores in the area were dog friendly as that would be the ultimate in dog walking - with a second hand bookstore at the end of the walk, but understandably the two second hand book stores in our walking area do not allow dogs in. A lot of stores do allow the dogs though.It's lovely part of Richmond, a little village full of people , dogs and small independent shops.

>38 vancouverdeb: Deb, I love to hear about you walking adorable Poppy! Yes, too bad your local used bookstore does not allow dogs. Would love to see the dog-friendly, little Richmond village; sounds perfect!

I seriously want this! Don't have a space in my townhouse for this, but I want it anyway!

Wow- great idea! Reading all the books piled all around the house. I may try that as well. It will take me well into 2028 :)
Brand new here,
Diane

PERFECT!!!!

Yup, I want that one too. How lovely.

>41 DukeDi: >42 DukeDi: Welcome, Diane! I hope you will have fun with 75 Books group!

>43 charl08: Hi Charlotte, isn't it lovely?

>40 lit_chick: Ooh, I want it, too!

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Back off all of you! It's mine, all mine!!! I wish....

>40 lit_chick:, how did a photographer get into my house without me noticing?.......

>45 AMQS: I knew that would be popular here among my bookie friends, Anne : ).

>46 Berly: Back off, Kim, I posted it, LOL!

>47 mdoris: Oh Mary, I'm many shades of green, LOL!

>40 lit_chick: That is nice.

>47 mdoris: You will be getting PMs from half the group inquiring after your address!

Have a great Sunday.

Just push down a wall or two and I'm sure that you will find room for that reading place, Nancy. Is it the couch long enough to stretch out full length and have a nap? That would suit me just fine.

>40 lit_chick: That's gorgeous, and it looks comfy, too!

>49 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, yes, I was also thinking Mary could have a LOT of LT company, LOL!

>50 vancouverdeb: Yes, Deb, it has to be long enough for a nap. A nap goes so well with an afternoon read : ).

>51 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, yes!

Hi Nancy, hope you have had a good weekend my dear and have a good week ahead.

Hi, Nancy. I'm new to your thread but not new to your group. Love the pics of Sir Cairo. Please tell him that Matisse and Picasso say hello!

>53 johnsimpson: Hi John, hope you and Karen had a lovely weekend too.

>54 rretzler: Welcome, Robin! I hope you will have as much fun here with the 75 Books gang as I do! Cairo is appreciate of greetings from Matisse and Picasso, LOL. What great cat names!

>4 lit_chick: I see you have a helper just like my three!

>56 thornton37814: I don't know how you get a thing done at the keyboard with three helpers, Lori!

>57 lit_chick: Right now they are ransacking the house.

Stopping by to get caught up and to wish you a lovely week, Nancy.

>40 lit_chick: - Oh, that looks wonderful! Install bookshelves on both walls and "good-to-go"!

>58 thornton37814: LOL!

>59 lkernagh: Hi Lori, isn't that a lovely reading spot! You have a wonderful week, too.

1.
How It All Began, Penelope Lively



Rating: 4/5

When Charlotte Rainsford, retired literature instructor, is accosted by a petty thief on a London city street, the consequences of her injuries and subsequent rehabilitation ripple through the lives of family, acquaintances, and strangers alike – creating a butterfly effect of which she is largely entirely unaware. Her daughter and son-in-law’s life is thrown out of routine when Rose insists her mother convalesce in their home. Lord Henry, an aging historian and Rose’s employer, is terribly put out that Rose can no longer accompany him on a business trip. His niece, Marion, a creative but financially strapped interior designer, agrees to travel with Henry – and in doing so, makes the acquaintance of an elusive banker, George Harrington. In texting her lover, Jeremy, that she will be out of town, Marion unwittingly causes the Dalton marriage to come an abrupt end. Meanwhile, Charlotte is bored and takes up tutoring a foreign student, Anton, who meets Rose and seeks to take up with her. To my further delight, there are several bibliophiles in this book, Charlotte among them:

“Her life has been informed by reading. She has read not just for distraction, sustenance, to pass the time, but she has read in a state of primal innocence, reading for enlightenment, for instruction, even ... She is as much a product of what she has read as of the way in which she has lived; she is like millions of others built by books, for whom books are an essential foodstuff, who could starve without.” (34-35)

Lively writes beautifully and has created a wildly diverse and interesting cast of characters. Wittingly, she shows us how our lives can be irrevocably altered by circumstances in the life of another whom we have never even met. A keen and wise observer of human nature, a consummate and often humourous storyteller, Lively delights with this wry tale of character and consequence. Highly recommended!

>61 lit_chick:
Great review Nancy. I must put it on the list! I've been meaning to read Moon Tiger too.

Great review, Nancy! Thumb! I read How It All Began a couple of years ago and just loved it! I even wrote a review. I've read Moon Tiger and Family Album. I gave Family Album 5 stars which is quite thing for me! I still have The Photograph to read. I really do love Penelope Lively as an author.

>40 lit_chick: every house should have one....

Wonderful review of the Penelope Lively. I am a big fan of Moon Tiger but have not read much else by her. I am also a fan of bookish quotes: I really appreciate it when a writer puts their finger on the pleasures of reading.

#40 - Books placed strategically within arms reach - I would like to lay there and read.

Great review, Nancy. Thumb. I like these stories of several lives intertwined and connected in unusual ways. Penelope Lively is a writer I haven't tried yet. Good start of a new reading year, reading about reading :)

>61 lit_chick: Great review, Nancy! Moon Tiger was my introduction to Lively. I read How it All Began last year, and then The Photograph. She can do no wrong in my book. Now I'm off to apply my thumb!

>63 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb : ). I loved Moon Tiger, too. Sounds like I should add Family Album to the WL. Will definitely read more Lively.

>64 LovingLit: Exactly, Megan!

>65 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. Moon Tiger was the first Lively I read, too. Bookish quote are great, and, yes: I really appreciate it when a writer puts their finger on the pleasures of reading.

>66 ctpress: Thanks, Carsten : ). Books placed strategically within arms reach Ah, yes! The only problem might would be getting up to go to work! I also like stories of lives intersecting in unusual ways. I think you would enjoy Penelope Lively.

>67 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. My introduction to Penelope Lively was also Moon Tiger, and it was on your influence that I picked it up, something you probably don't even remember! I love that about LT. I'm adding Family Album per Deb, and I'm going to add The Photograph, too.

I love Penelope Lively as well. How it All Began is one of my favourites.

>40 lit_chick: That is so seductive! I'm pretty sure though that it wouldn't work as well if the window didn't look out into all that lovely green.
>61 lit_chick: YAY! I have a copy of that one, and now you've given me a good push closer to reading it!

>68 lit_chick: something you probably don't even remember!
You're right, I had no idea. But it makes me happy that I introduced you to a new wonderful author!

>69 SandDune: Hi Rhian, glad you enjoyed How It All Began, too!

>70 LizzieD: Isn't it wonderfully seductive, Peggy? But I agree about the window looking out into the green. I think you will very much enjoy Penelope Lively.

>71 lauralkeet: It's one of the things I love about LT, Laura, how we influence one another's reading, often without even knowing about it.

So very saddened to hear of Alan Rickman's passing today. RIP.

Oh, yes. RIP. Remember him from so many brilliant roles. Of course, Snape. But also a young Obadiah Slope in the Barchester Series, a tender Brandon in Sense and Sensibility and villain in Die Hard.

>73 lit_chick: I saw him play in Les Liasons Dangereuses in London twenty-five years ago and it is probably the best performance I have ever seen. So sad ....

>74 ctpress: >75 SandDune: Hi Carsten and Rhian, I'm sure Rickman will be widely missed. Such a talent, and gone too soon!

2.
Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear



Rating: 4.5/5

2008, BBC Audiobooks, Read by Rita Barrington

Young Maisie Dobbs works in domestic service at the London home of aristocratic suffragette, Lady Rowan Comptom. Maisie is remarkably bright, and Lady Rowan takes the youngster under her wing. Maurice Blanche, Lady Rowan’s friend and a private investigator frequently retained by the European elite, recognizes Maisie’s intuitive gifts and helps her earn admission to the prestigious Girton College in Cambridge. But the outbreak of WWI changes everything. Maisie trains as a nurse and serves at the Front in France where she finds – and loses – an important part of herself. In 1929, ten years after the Armistice, Maisie sets out on her own as private investigator. Her first case involves suspected infidelity, but will reveal something very different. Maisie remembers what she learned from the inimitable Dr Blanche: that coincidences are meaningful, the truth elusive, that her role is always to help, never to condemn or judge.

“Truth walks toward us on the paths of our questions ... as soon as you think you have the answer, you have closed the path and may miss vital new information. Wait awhile in the stillness, and do not rush to conclusions, no matter how uncomfortable the unknowing.”

Maisie Dobbs, both the novel and the character, are perfect gems! Winspear writes beautifully – with eloquence and compassion, with such genuine regard for all those scarred by war. I love that she has written Maisie as a series so that I can spend more time with her – and with the incomparable Maurice Blanche. Rita Barrington’s narration further enriches an already favourite story. Most highly recommended!

“Memories are links in a golden chain that bind us until we meet again.”

>77 lit_chick: Glad to hear you like Maisie Dobbs. I've been slowly making my way through the series; I'm up to book 9 and enjoying them quite a bit.

Have you read any of Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series? If you like Maisie, you would probably enjoy Maggie as well.

>78 rretzler: Hi Robin, good to know you're still enjoying the Maisie Dobbs novels at book 9! I think this is a series I will love! Not familiar with the Maggie Hope series, but looked it up and think it is another I would really like ... onto the WL.

Oh I am so delighted that you enjoyed Maisie Dobbs! She is quite the young woman, isn't she! I think I have read the first three in the series so far. And always a little off her food, and drinking tea, so she stays so slim! :) I do enjoy them! Wonderful review.

Edited to add I had not realized how talented Alan Rickman was until I took more in today. He played Snapes in the Harry Potter movies. So evil, but in fun way! I recall him best from taking my sons to the Harry Potter movies. Those sons that used to read, but claim not to read anymore!

Poppy is feeling the effects of her vaccinations. Tired, a bit crabby. As least she is eating and did get out today, but she tired out more quickly than usual. I am going to wait 3 years til she gets any further vaccines. I think she feels quite miserable, poor old dear.

>80 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, oh, I can't thank you for showing me the way to Maisie Hobbs. Love her!

Will miss Alan Rickman. Have not seen any of the HP films, but he was fabulous in so many roles, and had such a range: from the odious Obadiah Slope in Barchester Towers, to Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility, and Harry in Love Actually (my favourite Christmas movie).

Aw, poor little Poppy. Hope she is feeling much better tomorrow.

>77 lit_chick: I enjoyed the first book in the Maisie Dobbs series. I didn't enjoy the next two quite as much, but the ones I've read after those are winners.

Have a lovely weekend!

>82 thornton37814: Good to know, thanks Lori.

>83 DianaNL: You too, Diana.

Winspear writes...with such genuine regard for all those scarred by war. A good sign - now both you and Deborah sing praises. Can't avoid it much longer.

>85 ctpress: Hi Carsten, now you're under pressure, LOL! You'll enjoy Maisie Dobbs. Deb read the books, but I am listening, and the narrator is fabulous!

I was a little behind here, Nancy, but am now all caught up! I, too, love Penelope Lively - I think I've read four of hers, and I am planning to read How It All Began this year.

I couldn't quite get into the Maisie Dobbs series, but since I have plenty of series going at the moment, that's okay :)

And, due to your influence from last year, I've ordered the Cazalot series from Book Depo. So thank you, I think?

Hi Nancy, glad you liked the Maisie Dobbs, I have read the first two and have the next two awaiting me, I also have the Maggie Hope books but have not got around to them yet. Hope you have a lovely weekend my dear, sending love and hugs.

>87 katiekrug: Hi Katie, I've only read a couple of Lively novels, but I want to read more this year: Family Album and The Photograph. Sometimes I almost feel glad when I'm unable to get into a series ... frees up some time for other reads, LOL! I do hope you'll love the Cazalets as much as I did! I think you will!

>88 johnsimpson: Hi John, good to know you're also a Maisie Hobbs fan. I want to explore Maggie Hope, too. Hugs back to you and Karen.

Stopping by to get caught up here and to wish you a lovely Sunday, Nancy!

>61 lit_chick: - I read one of Lively's more child/YA stories last year as part of the BAC. Sounds like she writes a solid adult read. I know my local library has lots of Lively's books so I will probably be adding her to my author reading list.

>77 lit_chick: - I see that you enjoyed Maisie Dobbs more than I did. Glad to see the audiobook worked so well for you!

Hi Nancy,

Great review of How It All Began - I gave it 4 stars too and really liked it. I liked Consequences lots too! and have her autobiography Dancing Fish and Ammonites out of the library at the moment.

I'm not a big Maisie Dobbs fan but as Katie said above, that's ok, because I am not about to run out of series! I must have liked the first one enough to buy the second in the series though because it is sitting on my Kindle.

Hope you have a relaxing Sunday.

Happy New Year Nancy! I loved How It All Began maybe even more than you did and want to get to more of Lively's books. Are you the one who told me about The Birth House by Ami McCay? Canadian author I think. I may read that next. It's been sitting on my Kindle for quite awhile.

>90 lkernagh: Hi Lori, I didn't know Lively even wrote for a YA audience, but she's a relatively new author to me. She sure can write! Based on comments by several readers now, Maisie Dobbs may be a series one might either really like it, or really not. I loved the first one!

>91 cushlareads: Hi Cushla, I think Lively's Consequences needs to be another for my list. I've added Family Album and The Photograph based on the recommendations of others, too. It's true we'll never run out of series to read, not here with this crazy group!

>92 brenzi: Happy New Year, Bonnie! Oh, I am so excited to see you! Yes, I told you about Ami MacKay's The Birth House. It's several years since I read it now, but, oh, I just loved it! Canadian author, out of the Maritimes, I think. It's one I should go back and reread, but for the fact that I can't keep up to what I need to read, never mind reread!

... for Bonnie:

Hi. : )

Hi Nancy! How it All Began looks like a good one. It sounds familiar -- I'm thinking I've run across it on LT before. Glad you enjoyed Maisie Dobbs. I enjoyed it as well, though I haven't read any sequels.

We watched Sense and Sensibility today. Made me cry in several places. I've enjoyed reading the many tributes to Mr. Rickman, but I am definitely mourning his loss.

>92 brenzi: BONNIE!!!! What a surprise, I'm so glad to see you here!!

>94 Berly: Hi, Kim : ).

>95 AMQS: Hi Anne, there's a lot of love for Lively in the 75 Books Challenge : ). Oh, I must re-watch Sense and Sensibility ... love the movie, the cast, and Rickman is fabulous as Colonel Brandon.

>96 lauralkeet: I know!

All caught up with you, Nancy. You hit me with a BB - How it all Began. Lovely review. I read Moon Tiger and loved that, but I haven't read anything else by her - now I know what to read next!

I'll be interested to see how you think Moon Tiger compares with Penelope Lively's newer books - or maybe you already know? I must say I much preferred How It All Began and The Family Album to Moon Tiger. And FYI - you probably know this but there is a new book out by Elizabeth Strout, My Name is Lucy Barton.

And, yes, I enjoyed The Remains of the Day so much that I'm planning to get the DVD of The Remains of Day from the library. I wonder if it is too soon to watch so close to reading the book? Sometimes a movie can disappoint compared to the picture you have in your mind. Often, in fact.

>93 lit_chick: Wow! What a welcome. I'm happy to be here Nancy and although I don't know how much of a presence I'll be, I have missed my LT friends, and all their great books recommendations (among other things). Happy reading!

>96 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura!

>98 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! You're doing much better than I at being caught up, argh! I really enjoyed Moon Tiger too, which was my first Lively. Hope you like How It All Began equally as much.

>99 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, I did enjoy Moon Tiger, but I've only read the two Lively books. Need to read more of her work. Thanks for the tip of Elizabeth Strout; I loved The Burgess Boys, and My Name is Lucy Barton is now on my WL and requested from the library : ).

>100 brenzi: Happy reading to you, too, Bonnie. No matter how much time you have to devote to LT, I'll look forward to seeing you!

3.
Watch How We Walk, Jennifer LoveGrove



Rating: 4.5/5

"Please, God, please, make it all be a misunderstanding. I promise I'll never complain or disobey again. Please please please please. Please God, Jehovah, don't let anything else bad happen." (230-31)

Emily dreams of being a full-time pioneer when she grows up. But the only future she can imagine in her Jehovah’s Witness family, is one of knocking on doors and handing out Watchtower magazines. As Emily grows closer to her closeted uncle, Tyler, and to her older sister, Leonora, who is wearing makeup, sporting dyed hair, and associating with boys, she beings to seriously challenge her upbringing. Through tragic and unforgiveable circumstances, not only related to the Kingdom Hall and its elders, but perpetrated by them, Emily loses both her uncle and sister. Her mental anguish and fear is heartbreaking as she realizes she must choose a different future or face the same end:

"I pushed up my left sleeve. There was a bit of room left. I hadn't been etching as much since I'd started the tightrope training with Janice, but I needed it tonight. Things felt overwhelmingly out of control, and I was scared … I drew a half dozen Xs on the inside of my forearm, and felt better. One of them went a little deeper than I meant to, and blood dripped onto the floor. I tore off a wad of toilet paper and held it on my arm for a while. I felt much more poised." (275-76)

Watch How We Walk is LoveGrove’s stunning debut novel: a haunting, emotional look at an isolationist religion; and a cutting exploration of disfellowshipping, proselytization, as well as the Witnesses’ attitudes towards the “worldings” outside of their religion. By turns heartbreaking, tragic, and darkly humourous, this is a novel I could not put down. And young Emily is unforgettable. LoveGrove is a Canadian author to watch. Highly recommended!

Oh so glad that you enjoyed Watch How We Walk. Fabulous review! Watch How We Walk is LoveGrove’s stunning debut novel: a haunting, emotional look at an isolationist religion; and a cutting exploration of disfellowshipping, proselytization, as well as the Witnesses’ attitudes towards the “worldings” outside of their religion. By turns heartbreaking, tragic, and darkly humourous, this is a novel I could not put down. And young Emily is unforgettable. LoveGrove is a Canadian author to watch. Highly recommended! So true! It was a 5 star read for me last year. I was not sure if it would be to your taste, so glad that it was. Definitely an author to watch! Thumbed!

Dang it! Book Bullet!! : )

>103 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb, just loved Watch How We Walk. Amost gave it 5* too, but decided on 4.5*. That doesn't mean I won't decide later to change my rating. Oh, my heart was just breaking for Emily (and Leonora, too) as I read. can't wait to see what LoveGrove does next!

>104 Berly: Hi Kim, gotcha, LOL!

Nancy, I'm reading Annie Dunne by Sebastion Barry because you read On Canaan's Side. I got On Canaan's Side from the second hand bookstore, and then I read it was the third in the " Dunne " series, according to LT. So me being me, I had to read the first in the series, Annie Dunne. I suspect that the word series is used very loosely, but anyway, I'm reading Annie Dunne first! :) So consider that you sent me a book bullet.

>102 lit_chick: ooh that sounds really good!

>106 vancouverdeb: Oh, that's funny, Deb! I had no idea that On Canaan's Side was the third in a series.

>107 lauralkeet: We cross-posted, Laura! Yes, I think you would thoroughly enjoy Watch How We Walk. Excellent read!

Hi Nancy, finally caught up on your thread and so many b.b.(s). I have yet to read a Lively book so it's now top of the list. I'm about to start the new Haruf book. I think it's going to be a "goodie"!

>110 mdoris: Oh, Mary, anything by Haruf is perfection! Enjoy! Will look forward to your comments.

Great review, Nancy. It sure sounds like a "haunting and an emotional" read. Thumb.

>112 ctpress: Thanks, Carsten : ). Yes, definitely a haunting and emotional read. I commented to Deb that my heart was just breaking for Emily throughout.

Hi Nancy just returning the visit and spreading stars around. How great that you started the year off with How it All Began, a wonderful book and the one that introduced me to Lively. I've also been enjoying the Maisie Dobbs series. Watch How We Walk sounds intriguing--I ned to add it to the list.

>114 AnneDC: Hi Anne, wonderful to "see" you! I've only read two of Lively's works to date: Moon Tiger and How It All Began. Definitely need to read more of her. I think you would really like Watch How We Walk.

>115 lit_chick: This are the same two Lively's that I have read!! And I gave both of them high marks. We could be twins...or not. LOL Happy Friday!

>116 Berly: LOL, Kim. Yes, we could, or not.

Nancy, I've yet to think of some comments / review on Annie Dunne but I can tell you that is a beautiful read! I am quite sure that both you and Carsten would enjoy it. Not much plot at all, but exquisite writing and such a touching bittersweet wee bit of story / character study. I feel spoilt for any other book.

>118 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, will definitely have to read Annie Dunne. Going to put it on my library list right now. Sounds much like On Canaan's Side: Not much plot at all, but exquisite writing and such a touching bittersweet wee bit of story, which I loved.

>119 DianaNL: Thank you, Diana.

Hi Nancy!

>61 lit_chick: How it all Began was my introduction to Penelope Lively a few years ago and I loved it. You've reminded me that I haven't read any of Lively's books for a while and I must get back to her.

>77 lit_chick: And Maisie Dobbs sounds good - perhaps one to line up for after I've finished one of my current mystery series...

>102 lit_chick: Watch How We Walk sounds like a powerful novel. I'll look out for it.

Hi Nancy, hope that you're having a wonderful weekend. Sunny breaks here which is VERY nice! I will add Annie Dunne too to my list. I really like Barry as a writer. >118 vancouverdeb: I love how Deborah said "spoilt for another writer". It's exactly how you feel after a good book.

>121 souloftherose: Hi Heather, I'm also hoping to read more Lively this year. I've heard warm and cool reviews of Maisie Dobbs, but I thoroughly enjoyed Bk 1 and am looking forward to more. Don't know how widely known Watch How We Walk is outside of Canada, but it's a most worthy read.

>122 mdoris: Hi Mary, happy weekend to you too. Agree Barry is a wonderful writer!

>93 lit_chick: I also have The Birth House on my TBR stack due to your recommendation, Nancy. One of these days…

It looks like Watch How We Walk should also be on my list with recommendations from both you and Deborah. A Double Whammy! It does look good to this "worldling".!

>124 Donna828: Hi Donna, happy to know you, as well as Bonnie, have got The Birth House on your radar. Watch How We Walk was most appealing to this worldling as well. Doing my bit for Canadian lit by spreading the world, you know!

Love this!:

>126 lit_chick: - Oh, that's fun! What a great idea.

>127 katiekrug: I know!

4.
Stars Go Blue, Laura Pritchett



Rating: 4.5/5

"It comes to her then: She knows the ranch like a chart. But Ben knows it like a poem. She hopes he's the wiser one, because it gives her permission to leave it up to him to make the right decision." (51)

Ben and Renny Cross have lived all of their married life, some five decades, on Hell’s Bottom Ranch, twelve hundred acres of pastureland below the Colorado Rocky Mountains – a slice of heaven. Theirs has been a fine life, whole and beautiful and strong. Until Rachel. Their daughter’s murder rips them apart, and, while they decide to remain on the ranch, they separate, each living at one end of the sprawling property. When time has finally begun to assuage the pain, and Ben wonders whether they might once again have a life together, he is struck with Alzheimer’s. Renny cares for him, but it is, ironically, his teenage granddaughter, Jess, who best understands both Ben and his disease. When news comes that Rachel’s murderer, a man well known to the family, is to be released from prison, more turmoil ensues. And with the turmoil comes yet more pain – but alas, this time it is not without hope:

“I love that we had a life together on Hell’s Bottom Ranch, and I love the stories that took place there. All except the story of Rachel, which was a sad one, too sad to bear. But the rest were good and beautiful. I love that we had a history together. But I want to go out knowing who I am. That, I am sure you can understand. Please bury me by the willows. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to have the bald eagle or the owls watching.” (181)

Stars Go Blue is beautifully written, its storyline compelling. Ben and Renny Cross, for all of their flaws (or more likely because of them), are unforgettable, and I love that Hell’s Bottom Ranch, like its family, is part of the cast. Pritchett very effectively uses Jess, a minor character, to narrate the final Part of the novel – Ben has disappeared into his disease by this time, and the fact that Jess sees life with her grandfather’s quiet gentleness makes her narration particularly soothing. I was reminded often as I read of Kent Haruf, his characters, and Holt, Colorado – all of whom I love. Highly recommended!

Hi Nancy! Ooh, you got me with Watch How We Walk. Looks like an amazing read. Hope you're having a great weekend!

eta: >129 lit_chick: Dang, and another one! I may wait on that one, though.

Oh, I'm so glad to see Stars Go Blue gain a new fan! I loved your review.

>130 AMQS: Hi Anne, think you would love Watch How We Walk; it is an amazing read. Stars Go Blue is also wonderful though I can't remember whose thread I saw it on.

>131 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne! Wonderful read.

>126 lit_chick: Love the frame for the books. What a great way to emphasise how much the books mean in the room.

>126 lit_chick:, love the frame too! Shows an exaggerrated LOVE of books which I think all of us on L.T. must have.

>126 lit_chick: Love this!! Trying to think what room I can put it in...

>133 charl08:, >134 mdoris:, >135 Berly: We all have the same great taste then, Charlotte, Mary, Kim!

Wonderful review of Stars Go Blue! That one is already mentally wishlisted. I read Sky Bridge by Laura Pritchett and like you, I was reminded of Kent Haruf. Great to know that Stars Go Blue is similar in that area. I also read Red Lightning: A Novel , but was less impressed by it. I understand that Hell's Bottom is supposed to another very good book by the same author.

Thumbed.

>137 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Now that you remind me, I recall you saying that about Sky Bridge and Haruf. I'm very interested in reading Hell's Bottom, which I think is Ben and Renny's story prior to where they are in life in Stars Go Blue.

>138 lit_chick: Hell's Bottom, Colorado will answer any questions you may have about the events in Stars Go Blue. It is what came before.

She knows the ranch like a chart. But Ben knows it like a poem. That sentence says a lot. Getting reminders of Holt during the reading is a good sign. Great review, Nancy.

>139 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. Looking forward to reading Hell's Bottom.

>140 ctpress: Carsten, I loved that line, to. It does say a lot. And the reminder of Holt and Haruf ... well, more love!

Finally finding time to get caught up here. Great review of the LoveGrove book, Nancy. I tend to encounter the JWs on a regular basis when walking to work or downtown. They have taken to setting up foldable displays at various intersections that are manned by two members should anyone approach them with questions. interesting approach to getting "the word out" but I wonder about the fact that they are set up 'for business' at 7:00 AM and stand their for hours out in the cold, regardless of weather. I get the one setup at a major bus stop downtown but the one on the pathway leading to the Johnson Street bridge or at the start of the Ogdeon Point breakwater kind of baffles me.

>102 lit_chick: re: that first quote. Haven't we all been in a situation where you will pray to anything to make it go away! I love that first quote :)

>126 lit_chick: I want that, but I'd have it recessed into the wall, with the frame just over the edge, like a real painting!

I read on Lori's thread that you are having a difficult day. Yes, let bring on the fainting couch. Me, I am caught up in DREADFUL dilemma. Tomorrow I see my hair " stylist" . Not that my hair ever cooperates. This past couple of months I've been letting it be curly. It is so much easier, but can I really face the public with curly mop hair? And my sister is after me to go darker with my hair ( as if it's not my natural colour!) . What - she wants me to go Goth? Hmm - and I just turned double nickels a few days ago. What to do.

>142 lkernagh: Hi Lori, I often used to encounter JWs while walking to work as well, and just as you say: standing out in the cold at 8:00 or 8:30, whatever time I'd pass, with their folded table. I've never once seen anyone stop with "questions," but they are certainly committed to their cause.

>143 LovingLit: True, Megan, haven't we all! I like the bookcase tilted out from the wall as it is, but it would take up more room that way.

>144 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, didn't have a bad day so much as an outright, batsh-t crazy one! Honestly, I and the rest of the staff starting "putting out fires," so to speak, the moment we got to work, and as he day progressed, the fires got more plentiful ... and finally at 2:00, I took a moment to have lunch, LOL! Very glad to be home. That said, I work with a wonderful staff, and it's great to be able to laugh about these days, even in the midst of them.

Well, my two cents is that at double nickels, you can do whatever the heck you want with your hair: curly, straight, Goth, platinum, whatever your pleasure. It's one of the things I've enjoyed about aging: that I do more and more as I please and care less and less what anyone else thinks, LOL! Here's a cute one-liner I came across years ago that has stuck with me: Women and cats are going to do as they please, and men and dogs can just get used to it." hehe, I love that!

>144 vancouverdeb: I chopped all my hair off this year (not quite double nickels, but close!) just for a change. And I like it!! I say do something fun. And easy. If you like the curls, then do them! Totally agree with Nancy's two cents. : )

>145 lit_chick: I love that quote about women & cats. And the two cents about hair. Do whatever makes you feel good, not what you think others want!

>144 vancouverdeb: Oh, goodness, yes -- hair will grow back. It's funny how scared we get to "mess with" our hair, despite the fact that we can make massive changes and it will always go back to the way it was before! We can't do that with our faces or bodies, but for some reason it's our hair we panic about. I have the same issue, I've been wanting to try bright red (that fire engine color I've seen on so many 30-somethings lately) for a few years now but haven't gathered the courage. Why? I have no idea. I should just do it because it'll grow out if I don't like it.

Dear Deb,

>146 Berly:, >147 lauralkeet:, >148 dk_phoenix: Kim, Laura, and Faith all agree with my two cents about your hair, LOL! Can you tell I love it when people agree with my two cents? Can't wait to see what you decide, and pics will definitely be required over at your place!

Laura, I just love the line about women and cats, too : ).

The women-cats/men-dogs should be a Quote of the Day, but since you've done it, I won't. Love it!
I'm still resisting K. H., and I still can't tell you why.

>150 LizzieD: Peggy, I think women-cats/men-dogs needs to be a quote of the day: source unknown! Can relate to resisting an author without even being sure why ... but Haruf is such a gift!

Oh! No pics! I already changed from straightening my hair to via potions and blow drying and straightening irons. Now I've walked around with my natural curlyfor 3 months, but I do feel like a mop. I'm not sure what I will do later today! ;) In any case, you can turn me upside down to clean your floors with my hair. I think I might like to change the colour just a little. Maybe a lighter base brown and less " blonde" highlights. Can you tell that I am very conservative about my hair? ;) I just want to blend into the crowd! That is my goal!

Hi Nancy, May I be so bold as to post a pic on your thread? I'm following Deborah's grave dilemmas. Maybe she'd like some white highlights!
Yes the hair thing is always a trial…...

>152 vancouverdeb: Deb, here's hoping your hair appointment today was fun and relaxing. No stress!

>153 mdoris: LOL, Mary.

5.
Crow Lake, Mary Lawson



Rating: 5/5

Luke, Matt, Kate, and Bo Morrison are born in the isolated northern Ontario community of Crow Lake. Neighbouring families are few, jobs fewer, and academic opportunities fewer yet. But the Morrisons, as descendants of great grandmother Morrison, who “fixed a book rest to her spinning wheel so that she could read while she was spinning” (3) have hope for the latter. Luke is accepted to teachers’ college, and later Matt will earn a full scholarship to university. Alas, on the eve of Luke’s departure for college, tragedy intervenes when both parents are killed. Luke, not yet twenty, will not hear of separating the family and vows, against the advice of all, that he, with Matt’s help, will raise the much younger Kate and Bo. Incredibly, with the help of salt-of-the-earth neighbours, the siblings manage. Matt’s university pursuits will be deterred not by tragedy, although this is how Kate sees the situation, but by the carelessness of youth – carelessness which will entangle them with a troubled local family:

“The Pyes were what you’d call a problem family, always had been, always would be, but that year, within the privacy of their big old grey-painted farmhouse – offstage as far as the rest of the community was concerned – their problems were developing into a full-scale nightmare. The other thing we didn’t know was that the Pye nightmare was destined to become entangled with the Morrison dream. Nobody could have predicted that.” (7)

Kate alone leaves Crow Lake and pursues great grandmother’s dream. But she is never able to reconcile what she sees as the tragedy of Matt’s failure – and she is never able to forgive him. While theirs had been the closest of the Morrison sibling relationships, there now remains only her guilt, judgment, and lack of empathy. Returning to Crow Lake years later for a family celebration, she is overcome to at last see her behavior clearly. She says of great grandmother Morrison: “It is you, with your love of learning, who set the standard against which I have judged everyone around me, all of my life. I have pursued your dream single mindedly; I have become familiar with books and ideas you never even imagined, and somehow, in the process of acquiring all that knowledge, I have managed to learn nothing at all.” (289)

I was stunned to learn that Crow Lake is a debut novel! Beautifully written, haunting, engaging, funny, heartbreaking – I was up late into the night, furiously turning pages. As well as a beautiful story of family relationships, Lawson nails northern Ontario – and, oh, her prose! She has earned a place on my list of favourite authors, and Crow Lake has earned five-stars on my list of favourite, extraordinary reads. A must read!

_______________

If you’ve never been North, you will have been by the end of this passage:

“There had been several storms before the lake froze over, and the waves, with arctic winds driving them on, had broken up the sheets of ice that had formed along the shore and tossed them up on their edges. For a week they stood like glistening shards of glass, jagged as shark’s teeth. Then the wind picked up again, and the temperature dropped, and waves smashed against the shards and threw up spray which froze before it hit the ground. It fell with a rattle and piled up in pebbled heaps among the shards, finally covering them completely in hills of polished glass. And then the lake froze over, and at night the only sound was the moaning of the wind.” (167)

One of my favs! (Book and author) I had the same reaction- 5 star book and fav author, after I finished. The emotions Lawson brings to the reader about this family are deep. So glad you loved it too!

Great review Nancy. I hardly ever re-read books but you put up a very good argument for this one!

Oh wow, 5 stars. Duly noted. And great review too!

>156 raidergirl3: Hi Elizabeth, how wonderful that you had the same response to Lawson's Crow Lake. What a read!

>157 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. I know about rereads ... there are so many I'd love to reread, but I hardly have time to read all on my list the first time, never mind the second.

>158 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I think you would really enjoy Crow Lake!

I've got Crow Lake on my shelf, Nancy. You make me want to read it Right. Now.

I also loved Crow Lake Nancy, as well as her other book, whose title has left my brain but it was really good. Thumb for your excellent review:-)

>160 katiekrug: Oh, Katie, you must read!

>161 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie. Is the other Lawson you're thinking of The Other Side of the Bridge? I read that a couple years ago, and, if I recall correctly, many in the 75 Books Group had also read it.

>153 mdoris: lol!

And, a 5 star read, Nancy! Nice reading. I don't know if it's the cold, or the destitution, but I like the sound of this one!

>163 LovingLit: Yes, a 5* read, and still only January! There's certainly cold in the northern setting of Crow Lake, Megan: granite, forest, and lakes, and then more granite, and more forest, and more lakes.

Not to put you off, but I on,y had one 5 star read lst year, and it was in jan!! But, I think I could justifiably upgrade a couple of 4.5 stars ;)

I was up late into the night, furiously turning pages. Oh, I know the feeling. And an author who writes beautifully about Ontario must be a plus. Great review, Nancy. You've had a great january reading.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fabulous review of Crow Lake, Nancy! It was a 5 star read for me too. We do have a lot of books in common . I have not read The Other Side of the Bridge, but I did read Road Ends and gave it four stars. Mary Lawson is an excellent writer.

P.S Hair is fixed! :) Details on my thread! Thanks for caring. I can't wait to see what you think of All The Light We Cannot See. I enjoyed it, and gave it 4 stars , but I felt it was a little contrived. I preferred The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I did not know that Kristin Hannah wrote maybe ' chick lit ' or " light fiction' , but The Nightingale seemed more realistic and was more compelling for me. With Trespass , you are moving into ' no mans land " ie - I have not read and nor have you. :) I think we have both read The Colour by Rose Tremain. The Colour was good , but quite sad.

Crow Lake--a five star read! Yay! OR Boo! My WL pile is so huge!!! ; )

You got me with Crow Lake, Nancy. Adding it to the list. A very lovely review - great quotes.

>165 LovingLit: Oh, no, not a jinx, Megan! LOL!

>166 ctpress: It's the only time I enjoy being up well past my bedtime, Carsten: when I'm turning the pages of a book I can't put down. Yes, my January reads have been fabulous!

>167 DianaNL: You too, Diana.

>168 vancouverdeb: Deb, so glad to hear your hair is fixed. I'll be over to your place shortly.

We do have a lot of books in common! The Other Side of the Bridge is also very good, think it was a 4* read for me. All the Light We Cannot See is shaping up to be the same, perhaps a bit better. Road Ends is on the list and waiting patiently. I loved The Colour. Trespass is a strong start, always a good sign, but I'm only a couple pages in. Also looking forward to Remain's The Road Home.

>169 Berly: Bang, bang, Kim! I hear you about enormous, unmanageable lists!

>170 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. Woot! Got you, too!

Hi Nancy - Somehow I missed your thread! How did that happen. I love your thread topper, your list of best 2015 reads is great, and what a lot of great reading you've done so far this year! I also loved Crow Lake and How It All Began, and I will search out the others.

You are starred now.

>172 BLBera: Hi Beth, not hard to miss a thread around here, and I'm speaking from experience, LOL! Indeed, my January reads have been wonderful!

I must read Crow Lake - I know it's around here somewhere...

>174 SandDune: Would love to know what you think of it, Rhian.

Trespass was one of the first books I read after joining LT, I think. It was good, but chilling.

>176 katiekrug: Good to know, Katie. I can do chilling, and so far Trespass has me intrigued. I love that you also remember the first book you read after joining LT. Mine was The Return of the Soldier.

OMG, had you never read Crow Lake before?? Oh, it's a favorite of mine. So glad you loved it, too.

Happy weekend to you, Nancy!

>155 lit_chick: Just when I think I am getting well read and stop by and get bowled over by a book I hadn't come across before. Good review Nancy. xx

Well, to be precise, it was the 5th book I read after joining. Still Life by Louise Penny was the first :)

Have a great weekend, Nancy!

>178 AMQS: I never had, Anne! I read Lawson's The Other Side of the Bridge and enjoyed it, but Crow Lake just knocked my socks off!

>179 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I dare say you MUST read Crow Lake! Would love to know what you think.

>180 katiekrug: See, you absolutely remember the first book you read post-LT, Katie : ). You have a fab weekend, too!

One of my favorite Mothers Days of all time was when the kids were fairly little. Stelios gave me the gift of time. He took the kids out for the whole day so I could have the day to myself -- to read, take a bath, go for a walk -- all of those things that get lost when you have little kids. When they came home, they had gone to the Tattered Cover and brought home a stack of books "that looked kind of good" and Crow Lake was one of them.

Still crowing about Crow Lake :) Happy Weekend, Nancy!

>155 lit_chick: I've owned Crow Lake since 2009, and I've never even considered reading it (it was on a free table at the library, I think). Your review makes me want to dig it out and finally get to it!

>182 AMQS: Anne, love the story of how Crow Lake came into your life! What a great gift.

>183 vancouverdeb: Yep, still crowing, Deb, LOL.

>184 Cait86: Oh, Cait, I hope you do dig it out! Would love to know what you think.

>155 lit_chick: Way behind here, but I've wishlisted Crow Lake. Thanks!

>186 charl08: Always happy to help with the burgeoning list, Charlotte!

I didn't mean to jinx you Nancy! I'm sure you will have many more five star reads this year, and I hope to too :) :) :) :)

Happy Sunday Nancy, sending love and hugs.

>188 LovingLit: I know, Megan, just teasing!

>189 johnsimpson: Thank you, John, and hugs back to you and Karen.

>155 lit_chick: - You loved Crow Lake! I loved Crow Lake so of course, I so happy to see you wonderful 5 star review! The story is just so... Canadian, don't you think?

>191 lkernagh: Hi Lori, Crow Lake is absolutely Canadian! The landscape around that part of northern Ontario is so rugged and beautiful ... I was pleased Lawson wrote it as another character.

So glad Nancy that you enjoyed Crow Lake. I remember loving it too!

Lovely review of Crow Lake. I'm happy to have a copy waiting in the wings!

I'm loving the Cazelets, just reporting in.

I've every intention, too, of reading all of Lively's work and you've convinced me more than ever.

>193 mdoris: Yay, more love for Crow Lake!

>194 LizzieD: Peggy, don't know how I missed Crow Lake for so long. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

>195 sibylline: Lucy, I am absolutely tickled that you are loving the Cazalets so much. I've got a lot of Lively still to read, and am forward to it.

6.
All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr



Rating: 4.5/5

2014, Simon and Schuster Audio, Read by Zach Appleman

“You know the greatest lesson of history? It's that history is whatever the victors say it is. That's the lesson. Whoever wins, that's who decides the history.” (Ch 30)

Young Marie-Laure, who lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History where he works, goes blind when she is six, and her papa builds her a perfect miniature of their neighbourhood so she can memorize it and navigate her way home independently. When she is twelve and the Nazis occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo, where they will live with Etienne, her reclusive great uncle. With them, they carry with them what might be the museum’s most valuable – and most dangerous – jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, Werner grows up with his younger sister, both orphans. He finds and is enchanted with a crude radio he finds, and will later become an expert at building and repairing the instruments – a talent which secures him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth. Participating in special assignments to track the resistance, Werner becomes increasingly aware of the human cost of his intelligence. Eventually, he will travel to Saint-Malo on assignment, where his story and Marie-Laure’s will converge.

All the Light We Cannot See is a remarkable read: as haunting and stark in its portrayal of the human costs of war, as it is beautiful in its portrayal of intimate relationships. I highly recommend!

Wonderful review, Nancy. So glad that you enjoyed!
“You know the greatest lesson of history? It's that history is whatever the victors say it is. That's the lesson. Whoever wins, that's who decides the history.” When I think about it, that is a scary thought. Thumb.

>198 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb, wonderful read (well, listen, actually). Loved that quote about history: I think it rings very true, and, yes, it is an unsettling thought.

>197 lit_chick: One of my favorites! And Crow Lake is already on my WL. Happy Almost Friday. : )

>129 lit_chick: Stars Go Blue is duly requested from library. Thanks for your review, Nancy! It's already waiting for me when I get home from Kansas City. I'm sad that it is the only Laura Pritchett book my library has. I loved Sky Bridge!

You have been reading some good books since I last checked in. Crow Lake (on my keeper shelf) is a favorite, plus I'm a big fan of All the Light We Cannot See. Keep up the good work…and have a great weekend!

>200 Berly: Glad you loved All of the Light We Cannot See, Kim. I hope you will love Crow Lake, too!

>201 Donna828: Donna, delighted you've got Stars Go Blue waiting at the library for when you get home. I've had Sky Bridge on my list for some time, I think I took that bullet from you or from Deb : ).

Yes, my winter reading so far has been fabulous! I remember the love for All the Light We Cannot See her on LT. I somehow missed Crow Lake until recently, but that's been righted!

Thumbed! Great review, Nancy Haunting and stark in its portrayal of the human cost of war. I liked the way Werner tries to stay true to himself and his sister. I too listened to this one and loved it.

Another great review, Nancy. My book group is reading All the Light We Cannot See this year, so I'll get to read it again -- and discuss it.

>203 ctpress: Thanks, Carsten : ). I liked the way Werner tries to stay true to himself and his sister. I too listened to this one and loved it. I did, too! So admirable, and such a rarity amongst Nazi company.

>204 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. All the Light We Cannot See would make for great book club discussion.

Really great review of All the Light We Cannot See, Nancy. I had that out from the library but had to return it before I got to it. I'll be sure to get it out again.

I haven't read All the Light We Cannot See, Nancy, but I fully intend to. Thanks for a good review.

Hi Nancy! I have All the Light We Cannot See waiting for me at the library. So excited to see your review.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

>206 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. It took me a while to get to this one, too. Also had it from the library and returned it before I finally got it into the queue.

>207 katiekrug: Hi Katie, you're welcome. You will enjoy All the Light We Cannot See.

>208 AMQS: Hi Anne! Great minds think alike! Can't wait to know what you think of it. Hope your weekend is lovely, too : ).

I read Never Let Me Go the year I joined LT. It was a 5* read for me, which came as a great surprise, being not my usual reading fare at all. Anyway, finally watched the movie tonight. Chilling, but fabulously well done: Keira Knightly, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield. I highly recommend.

Oh thank you. I have added that movie to my list. Do you get some extra time this weekend with family day, a long weekend? Hope so!

>210 lit_chick: I agree. I enjoyed both the book and the movie. The cast members look so young in that photo!

Oh, what a stellar cast in Never Let Me Go. Haven't read the book or seen the movie, but maybe I should - thanks for the recommendation - and have a great weekend, Nancy.

>211 mdoris: Hope you enjoy, Mary. Yes, I am off Monday for BC Family Day.

>212 lauralkeet: They do look young, don't they? Carey Mulligan can do no wrong in my eyes.

>213 ctpress: Absolutely a stellar cast, Carsten. Read the book first, then the movie ... Look forward to your thoughts when you get to them.

As luck would have it, Dave actually has the long weekend off as part of his 4 day on and off. Officially he never gets a holiday on the day, and Air Canada does not recognize provincial holidays, but at least Dave is home!:)

Looks like a great movie! Glad you enjoyed! Now that I have read The Remains of the Day perhaps I'll get to another Kazuo Ishguro.

>214 lit_chick: Carey Mulligan can do no wrong in my eyes.
Same here, and the more I see of her the more I like her. The earliest roles I remember were in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie (also with Keira Knightly), and the BBC dramatization of Bleak House that aired in the US on PBS Masterpiece. She also had a lead role in a film called An Education. More recently she starred in Far from the Madding Crowd, and we had the opportunity to see her act opposite Bill Nighy in an NTLive screening of the play, Skylight.

Hmm ... yeah, I'm a fan.

And isn't Carey Mulligan in Suffragette? I tried to see it at our indie theatre, but it only played for a few days and I missed it.

>215 vancouverdeb: Lovely that Dave is home, Deb! Never Let Me Go I think is one of those books that people either love or hate? It could not be more different from Remains of the Day.

>216 lauralkeet: I've also seen her in Pride and Prejudice, Bleak House, and An Education. Have yet to see Far From the Madding Crowd, but it's on my list. She and Bill Nighy would be wonderful together.

>217 raidergirl3: I think she is, Elizabeth. Have not seen this one, but it's on the list, too.

Who would have thought it!?!?! That BBC Bleak House is available on YouTube! What a treasure for one without cable!

I read Never Let Me Go a year or so ago, and I remember thinking it wasn't for me. And then I was hooked, looking for any excuse to drive somewhere just so I could listen. I need to check out the movie as well. Great cast!

>219 LizzieD: oh .... it's outstanding Peggy. Enjoy!

>219 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, I don't have cable either, cancelled it years ago. Fortunately, my library has Bleak House on DVD. But YouTube works!

>220 AMQS: Anne, your response to Never Let Me Go sounds just like mine! I hope you will check out the movie.

>221 lauralkeet: Yes, it is outstanding! You must watch, Peggy! And speaking of Carey Mulligan:

Speaking of Bleak House and favourite performers, Gillian Anderson is another one who can do no wrong in my eyes:

Wonderful! You are giving me all sorts of viewing ideas.

>222 lit_chick:, >223 lit_chick: yessss!

I dropped my star in January but am finally getting caught up with your thread now. Looks like you are doing some stellar reading. Enjoy the long weekend!

>224 mdoris: Enjoy, Mary!

>225 lauralkeet: Great minds, Laura!

>226 Familyhistorian: Meg, my reading so far this year has really been wonderful.

You are giving me great viewing ideas, too ,Nancy. However, I have failed to watch Remains of the Day when I got borrowed it from the library. Seven day loan and partially I did not get time to watch and another part of me was afraid to watch it in case the way I thought of the story might be messed up by watching the DVD. Bleak House does look delightful! I read it so long ago ( twenties) that I barely remember the story.

>228 vancouverdeb: Hope you will enjoy some of these productions as much as I have, Deb. Remains of the Day was beautifully done. Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins rock!

Oh, I've certainly watched the BBC's Bleak House, and I do so agree about Gillian Anderson. It's great to have access to it though.... DH is currently watching his way through the Rumpoles again. There's quite a lot out there!

>230 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, glad you've seen Bleak House. I still consider you LT's Dickens aficionado. Yes, it's definitely great to have access!

At least I found time to watch Downton Abbey last night. I only watched an hour and taped the other hour. I am way behind, but I don't think it matters too much. Other than the news, I don't watch much TV . Not much on and always the books begging to be read.

>230 LizzieD:, >231 lit_chick: Oh, I should have known you would have seen it already, Peggy. I temporarily forgot you were "LT's Dickens aficionado"!

>232 vancouverdeb: I've enjoyed Downton Abbey too, Deb. Will watch the last season before much longer.

>233 lauralkeet: Yes!

Two hours of Downton Abbey last night? Did I miss an hour? Oh wait, you are catching up. Whew!

>235 raidergirl3: LOL, Elizabeth! Don't want to miss any of Downton!

>235 raidergirl3: There were two episodes back to back, Elizabeth. I've yet to watch the second part, which I PVR'd. It is season 5 , so I am not sure if that the current season or not? At least think it was Season Five. Okay, I looked it up . It is season 5, which started early in January on PBS. I just caught whatever was on Sunday, which was two episodes of Season 5. I'm not sure how PBS is airing them - one at a time, two at time?

I think you are behind, Deborah. PBS is showing Season (or in British, Series) 6 and episode 6 was on Sunday night. I was checking at wikipedia. I think there are only 3 more episodes!

You might well be correct, Elizabeth. Only three more episodes!

Oh, Downton. Stopped at season three when Matthew died. I think my time of mourning may be over and I can resume the series now.

>237 vancouverdeb:, >238 raidergirl3:, >239 vancouverdeb:, >240 ctpress: Love the Downton conversation! I've only got the final season to watch, and I'm "saving" it for a time when things are not so crazy at work so I can relax and savour.

Whew! All caught up here again. Enjoying all the book and movie talk. Hope your long weekend (With Dave!) has been wonderful. : )

Hi Nancy!

>197 lit_chick: Everyone seems to love All the Light We Cannot See - I guess I should read it!

I also loved Carey Mulligan in Bleak House. Haven't seen the film of Never Let Me Go yet or Suffragettes - both on the list (I can't keep up!)

>242 Berly: Kim, don't be creating scandals where there are none, LOL! Dave is Deb's husband ... shh, I didn't spend the long weekend with him.

>243 souloftherose: Hi Heather, I think you would enjoy All the Light We Cannot See. I want to see Suffragettes, too, but I also cannot keep up!

>243 souloftherose: Heather, the other Dickens Disciple ---- I confess that I still loved Charles Dance in *BH* even if he was a heavy! (And, unhappily, I didn't love *All Light*. I think it might have been the result of inflated expectation. I certainly liked it well enough. Just chiming in with the opposing pov.)

>242 Berly: and >244 lit_chick: LOL! I guess Kim has a bit of the nonsense gene that I possess in spades! :) Thanks for keeping it secret, Nancy ;) Nearly finished The Book of Sands - perhaps tonight. It is a disturbing read.

>245 LizzieD: Charles Dance was amazing in Bleak House. I knew him as the lovable hottie Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown, so he caught me completely unawares playing a complete baddie.

>245 LizzieD: Had to look up Charles Dance, but I've placed him now. He was fabulous in Bleak House. Inflated expectations have affected my enjoyment of a read on more than one occasion, Peggy.

>246 vancouverdeb: Look forward to hearing more about Book of Sands, Deb.

>247 lauralkeet: I've not seen Jewel in the Crown, must watch!

7.
Trespass, Rose Remain



Rating: 4/5
My Review

“People thought she was stupid. Just because she hadn’t been able to have a proper life with a husband she loved, they thought she had no idea how the world worked. But now, she asked herself: how many of them could have done what she’d done? How many could have done this and felt such exaltation in their hearts?” (214)

In the Cévennes region of southern France is an isolated stone farmhouse, the Mas Lunel – home to Aramon Lunel, a raging alcoholic, tormented by his violent past. His sister, Audrun, banished from the family home years ago, lives alone in her simple bungalow within sight of the Mas – and her brother. She dreams of exacting revenge for the unspoken brutality forced on her by Aramon and their deceased father.

Veronica Verey, a landscape architect, and her partner, Kitty Meadows, an aspiring painter, live not far from the Mas Lunel. V’s brother, Anthony, a wealthy but disillusioned antiques dealer from London, seeking to remake his life in France, takes up residence with the two women while he searches for a new home. But while Verey is welcomed by his sister, Kitty dreads his coming, fearing – with good reason – that he will drive a wedge between the lovers. The first property Anthony views is Mas Lunel: he adores the estate but is upset that it is blighted by Audrun's ugly bungalow. And so a frightening and eerie series of consequences is set in motion ...

Tremain masters the chilling psychological thriller in Trespass. The parallel brother-sister relationships is genius: one loving and one vengeful – but neither healthy. My mind ran amuck with questions: what of this or that aspect of the brother-sister relationships? and what of the sibling relationships with their mothers – again, one seemingly loving and one vengeful?

Having only read The Colour and Trespass thus far, there is much more Tremain ahead of me. But she has already earned her place on my list of favourite authors. Highly recommended!

Hi Nancy, What a wonderful review. i have read no Tremain books and see I will have to change that! Thumbed.

Fabulous review, Nancy! Very compelling! Onto my wish list - and thumbed.

>250 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. Yes, you must read some Tremain!

>251 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb, gotcha! It's my turn : ). I think you'll enjoy Trespass.

Great review Nancy. Tremain masters the chilling psychological thriller. A sentence like that could almost deter me from my 1001-Book-plans. Almost. Always great when you can add an author to the list of favorites.

>249 lit_chick: Great review.

I've got The Colour in the pile from the library. I loved her Music and Silence - looks like I should add this one to the wish list too.

Ooh I like Rose Tremain and I enjoyed The Trespass too. if I'm remembering correctly this one was a different style from her previous work (psychological thriller vs historical fiction). Thanks for reminding me of an author I've enjoyed whose work I haven't read in a while.

Have a happy weekend.

Nancy, you have hit me with Trespass - your thread is a danger zone for me! The only Tremain I have read is The Road Home, which I very much enjoyed.

Wishing for you a weekend filled with fabulous!

>253 ctpress: Thanks, Carsten, make me smile: Remain masters the chilling psychological thriller. A sentence like that could almost deter me from my 1001-Book-plans. Almost. It is great to add an author to my list of favourites!

>254 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. We'll trade BB, then, and I'll add Music and Silence to my list.

>255 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, it is a different style for Tremain, but I've only read The Colour other than this one. The Colour had some darkness in it, too, but not like this!

>256 DianaNL: Thanks, Diana.

>257 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, glad to be of help in terms of the danger zone, LOL. The Road Home is on my WL, so your endorsement is appreciated.

>249 lit_chick: it sounds quite a red that one! Since reading In Cold Blood I feel more inclined towards a psychological thriller, but that might just be me grasping at straws. Lately I have been picking up any old thing at any old time, in an attempt to read as much as possible before my semester starts. It's book chaos on my bedside table!!

>259 LovingLit: Hi Megan, my favourite kind of reading is picking up any old thing at any old time. I don't read in bed, but my dining table often looks like book chaos!

Hi Nancy, just passing by to wish you a very lovely and enjoyable weekend my dear, sending love and hugs.

So Nancy, you would say that Trespass is darker than The Colour? I thought The Colour was pretty dark. Trepass must be quite a different sort story than The Colour, which if I remember was harsh story about the gold rush in Australia - - that is, historical fiction.

>261 johnsimpson: Love and hugs to you and Karen, John.

>262 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, yes, The Colour was harsh story/historical fiction. Trespass foregoes historical fiction and gets right down to being dark. Excellent read!

Hi Nancy - Happy Friday. Tremaine is one author I want to read this year. Trespass sounds really good.

Nice review of Trespass, Nancy! So far I have to say you've read two of my lesser Tremain - all of them are favorites though. You know I love and adore The Road Home and Music & Silence and Restoration, pretty much in that order.

>264 BLBera: Hi Beth, you'll enjoy Tremain.

>265 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy. Woot! If Colour and Trespass are two of your lesser Tremains, I'm even more excited to read the others!

>244 lit_chick: >246 vancouverdeb: ; ) Love you guys!!