Banjo Keeps Reading in 2016 # 2

Starting this thread with Marc Chagall. My daughter is still in Israel on her Birthright trip, so that led me to think of Chagall.

And about me, I am Rhonda. I live in Portland, Oregon, with my wife of 30 years. Well, actually, we have only been married a year, at least legally. We have a college age daughter (currently in Israel, but she will be home soon!) a dog, three cats, and many, many books. I work in geriatric mental health and Mrs. Banjo is a social worker as well. I have been on Library Thing for 4 years, I think.

2016 reading::

1. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
2. The Wind in the Reeds by Wendell Pierce
3. Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth 1/18
4. Ru by Kim Thuy
5. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters 1/24
6. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
7. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

8. Home by Marilynne Robinson 2/3
9. Lila by Marilynne Robinson 2/14
10. Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule
11. Snow Moon Rising by Lori Lake

12. And After Many Days
13. Mink River by Brian Doyle
14. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout 3/26
15. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James 3/30

16. Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor 4/2
17. The Song Poet by Kao Kalia Yang 4/4
18. How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
19. Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
20. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
21. Oranges are not the only fruit by Jeanette WInterson
22. The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright 4/23
23. Garlic and Sapphire by Ruth Reichl 4/30

24. The Ghosts Who Travel With me by
25. Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman 5/9
26. Snow by Orhan Pamuk 5/14
27. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig 5/15
28. A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi 5/20
29. Zami: A new spelling of my name by Audre Lorde 5/25
30. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki by Haruki Murakami 5/26
31. Human Acts by Han Kang 5/30

32. Euphoria by Lily King
33. Departure from the Script by Jae
34. The Little Paris Bookshop
35. Sand COunty Almanac by Aldo Leopold
36. Rightful Heritage by Douglas Brinkley
37. Bird Song by Annie Proilx
38. Prisoner without a Name, Cell without a Number by Jacobo Timerman

39. Ghost Road by Pat Barker 7/1
40. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters7/9
41. Evicted by Matthew Desmond 7/12
42. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 7/16
43. The Big Green Tent 7/31/16

44. Women's Barracks 8/1/16
45 Atonement by Ian McEwan 8/6/16
46. A Brief Hisotry of Time by Stephen Hawking 8/13
47. We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates
48 In Between
49. My Struggle by Karl OVe Knausgard
50. Hag-seed by Margaret Atwood
51. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
52. The Immortal Lives of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
53. The Golem and the Jinni 8/30

54. Still Alice by Lisa Genova 9/2
55. All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
56. The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts 9/10
57, Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende
58, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
59 The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson
60. The Lesser Bohemians by Eimar McBride
61. THe Education of Harriet Hatfield by May Sarton
62. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie9/27

63. In the Wilderness by Kim Barnes
64. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
65. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
66. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
67. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
68. Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
69. Year of the Monsoon by Caren Werlinger
70. Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard 10/22

71. Shylock is my Name
72 Master of the Senate by Robert Caro

Favorite Books of 2016

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Song Poet by Kao Kalia Yang
Human Acts by Han Kang
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Reading Plans for June:

I have a bit of a pile that I am reading now. Master of the Senate (a long range goal!) and Rightful Heritage (which is a library book, so I need to focus on that). I am reading Sand County Almanac for the non-fiction read. My book club is reading Euphoria by Lily King. I would like to also read for the AAC; I am looking for Bird Cloud. I want to read something by Timothy Findley for the CAC; my library has a very limited selection of his work. I have never read anything by him, so I thought it would be a good try. I think I am going to skip the BAC this month

And then there is the rest of the stack on my bedside!

Congrats on the new thread!! Love Chagall. And I am happy to be along for your book adventures.

In reply to the question on the last thread, my favorite Murakami is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. My next favorite is Sputnik Sweetheart.

Happy new thread. Sand County Almanac sounds good - will watch for your comments on it.

Happy new one, Rhonda!

Happy New Thread, Rhonda! Nice Chagall!

You asked about my favorite Murakami: Kafka on the Shore, followed by 1Q84. His story collections, After the Quake & After Dark are very good too.

Happy new thread, Rhonda. I love the Chagall. Lots of choices for the next Murakami!

Happy New Thread, Rhonda!

Favorite Murakami? I like so many of them. I was happy to see Sputnik Sweetheart mentioned in >7 ursula:, as that's one that I love that doesn't often get mentioned. Kafka on the Shore and The Windup Bird Chronicle are at the top for me, but I also have a special affection for After the Quake (the first of his I ever read) and Hard-Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World. His nonfiction book, Underground, about a cult's assault on Tokyo's subway system, also is excellent.

Your reading year is going quite well, Rhonda! And I love the Marc Chagall.

The only Murakami I have yet read is After the Quake which has stuck with me quite well. I own several others and keep thinking I will do a Murakami marathon but I have to clear the decks of library books first...

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Rhonda.

Marc Chagall is overdue some coverage in all our threads - wonderful artist.

>7 ursula: Thanks, Kim!!!
>8 charl08: Thanks, I am liking Sand County Almanac
>9 scaifea: Thanks Amber!
>10 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I liked Kafka on the Shore, but IQ84 was a bit too much for me. I should look for After the Wake
>11 BLBera: Thanks for stopping by, Beth!
>12 jnwelch: I have heard good things about The Wind-Up BIrd I really want to read Underground.
>13 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I am very happy with my reading right now. There are a lot of Murakami fans here... maybe we could do an organized Murakami month one of these days.
>14 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I used to love the Chagall windows when I lived in Chicago, but I couldn't find a picture that did them justice.

Muhammad Ali --now floating like a butterfly. I have always admired Ali, because he was a man who insisted on defining himself and believing in himself, despite the odds.

Happy Sunday, everyone! It has been a nice weekend overall.. we are so happy to have Banjo, jr home from Israel. She had a great time and came back all tired and tan.

The weather here is hideous... 100 degrees Fahrenheit all weekend. Luckily, after last summer's heat wave, we installed central air conditioning. So the house is very comfortable, but the weather still makes me a bit tired.

Reading Updates: I finished Euphoria by Lily King. I will try to hammer a review out later. This was for book club, and I wasn't all that crazy about the book, but it should be a good discussion. Otherwise, I am mostly reading Rightful Heritage and learning tons about US history. Sand County Almanac has had a bit of a hiatus, because I lost the book. I just found it however, hiding behind the computer, so all is well. I started my first Canadian read... Pilgrim by Timothy Findley. Pretty sure I am not going to like it (and the LT Oracle agrees!) I have never read a book based on Jungian theory which I liked.

A couple of pictures from my daughters trip:





The first is Jerusalem, the second is Tzfat. It sounds like the highlight of her trip was meeting a number of young Israelis. I am really glad she had the experience, and really glad she got home safe and sound!

Yay for Jr. getting house safe and sound! Gorgeous photos, too!

>18 banjo123: Looks beautiful. Glad she had a good trip!

A part of the world I would love to visit. Currently reading Chains of Sand, a new novel told from the perspective of several Israelis and a young guy moving to Israel. Tough reading in places.

Hooray for getting Banjo Jr. home safely. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Hi Rhonda! Glad she made it home safely and had a wonderful trip. :) Beautiful pictures!

Hi Rhonda, I am taking advantage of a colder, overcast Saturday to catch up on some threads.

Going back to your previous thread, great reviews! I agree with your assessment of Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, which I read a few years back. Love the play reviews! How interesting that the festival included a plays that were not Shakespearean. Great review of Snow. I have a copy of that one lurking on my TBR bookshelves. Love that The Whistling Season made you more appreciative of Lonesome Dove! Some books can do that to a reader. ;-)

Happy new thread! I have yet to read any Murakami. I have acquired a copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I keep dodging it.

>18 banjo123: - Wonderful pictures! Glad to see Banjo Jr. had a great trip.

Happy weekend, everybody! Sorry that I have been AWOL. Things have been busy, lately, and I haven't had much time for either LT or reading. Nothing really dramatic--just busy at work, and lots of summer socializing.

>19 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!
>20 ursula: Yes, now that I have seen her pictures, I would really like to go
>21 charl08: Chains of Sand looks interesting,
>22 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!
>23 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel!
>24 lkernagh: Lori, thanks for the feed back on the reviews.

Reading update: Not a lot of reading here. I did read the book for my lesbian book-club--Departure from the Script. It's not badly written, but is a lesbian romance with a completely unlikely plot. No review to follow, because it didn't deserve one.
I gave up on Pilgrim by Timothy Findley It's just not my thing--and the LT oracle even agreed with that.
Still reading RIghtful Heritage, which is very interesting. Just found out that FDR created the Olympic National Park (hooray!) . My other book group is reading The Little Paris Bookshop so I have started that book, but am ambivalent so far.

Lovely photos Rhonda. I would like to go to Israel some time soon. Hani is barred from travelling there by her ludicrous government.

Have a great weekend.

Thanks, Paul! That is sad that Hani can't visit. Hopefully one of these days people will learn to let religion bring us together, instead of setting people apart.

Today we spent the day at Portland's Gay Pride. It was a wonderful event, very heartfelt in the wake of the Orlando shootings. My sisters and brother-in-law came with us, and a couple of close friends, so it was great to hang out together and cheer for all of the floats.

Glad your daughter had a great trip to Israel. Beautiful photos.

Thanks, Diana and Juli!

Today was a beautiful day here, happy to have summer!

Hi Rhonda!! I wish I'd known you were at the parade--hope you had a great time. : )

Thanks, Kim, we did!

Last weekend was busy... We went, Friday night, to the filming of "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me." (for the NPR junkies: It was a special, late night, blue edition. So only bits will be broadcast, and it turns out that Jessi Cline is good at swearing. ) Then Saturday and Sunday we went out of town. Banjo, jr is doing an internship with Planned Parenthood, and had to do a training in Corvallis. Mrs. Banjo and I hung out in Corvallis, visited coffeeshops, parks and bookshops. Then we drove to Newport for a quick beach trip. It was lovely... But no LT time.

I have been getting some reading done, and will post reviews SOON. Right now I am due at Zumba--- trying to get into shape.

You go girl!! Sounds like a great weekend. Got your PM and we'll touch base and let you know where we are around then. ; )

>15 banjo123: "maybe we could do an organized Murakami month one of these days." I would love that!

By the way, I know you and Kim(Berly) are in touch. Hoping to see you this Wednesday.

I love "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me."! Sometimes when I'm running errands at 1 p.m. on Saturdays, I just sit in my car and listen until it's over. How fun!

Good luck with the Zumba - too intense for me.

I love "Wait, Wait", too!
And I am definitely up for a month of Murakami love, perhaps early in 2017. I just bought another of his books....

Just got back from a nice meet up with Kim and Ellen! Kim is going to post a picture on her thread...

Beth and Ellen, I really enjoy "Wait, Wait", but it always makes me feel like I should follow the news more diligently. There is so much going on in the world that I don't know about.

It sounds like we really should organize a Murakami month in 2017,,,,, I will think on it.

Hooray for LT meet ups! I look forward to seeing Kim's photo.

Thanks, Darryl!

And in reading news, I finished 2 books last night, bringing my June reading up to 7 books; and helping with some of my challenges. So I am happy with my June reading, even though none of the books stood out as outstanding, most were good, solid reads.

I took the day off today, and plan to head out soon for the Blues Festival. Tedeschi and Trucks are headlining tonight, and I look forward to it. But before I go, I want to jot down quick reviews of some of my recent reads.

Prisoner without a Name, Cell without a Number by Jacobo Timerman

I read this book for the Global Reading theme of writers at risk. Timerman was a journalist in Argentina during the 70's and was imprisoned and tortured during the dirty war. He is a good writer, and the descriptions of his experiences are harrowing. He intersperses descriptions of his imprisonment with political critique, is critical of extremists on both the right and the left, and also of the moderates who didn't stand up to terror. It's pretty horrible to read about the imprisonment and torture and realize that these are still going on in various parts of the world, and, as in the case in Guantanamo, happening in our name.

He also talks about anti-semitism and how as a Jew and Zionist, he was singled out and given worse treatment, and how, for a variety of political reasons, the Jewish community in Argentina and in Israel did not address this. Some interesting thoughts about internalized oppression. "...the Holocaust teaches us the need to understand the Jewish silence and the Jewish incapacity to defend itself; it lies in the Jewish incapacity to confront the world with its own insanity, and with the significance of anti-Semitic insanity. The Holocaust will be understood not so much for the number of victims as for the magnitude of the silence. And what obsesses me most is the repetition of silence rather than the possibility of another Holocaust."

Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America by Douglas Brinkley

This is the third in Brinkley's National Park's series, and concentrates on conservation and environmental history during FDR's administration. I like this series, because you read about historical events (such as Yalta) from a different prospective; that of the role of politics in protecting, or destroying, our natural resources. In the case of FDR, there was some of both. He loved the outdoors, was very informed, especially about forestry, and really wanted to protect the environment for future generations. Thank you, FDR, for the Olympics. And he established the CCC, which did a lot of good. Some of what he did expanded access to wild areas for Americans, and that is a double edge sword -- good for people, and probably increases people's commitment to saving wild places,m but not always so good for plants and animals. And then, FDR's administration was big on dams. And the CCC planted Kudzu in Georgia.

I enjoy Brinkley's writing. He does tend to give a lot of facts, which sometimes is at odds with a directed narrative. I am OK with that, especially as the facts tend to be interesting, and his prose easy to read.

Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

This is a classic book about environmentalism. It was interesting for me to read at the same time as Rightful Heritage, since Leopold was a character in the FDR administration, and often (rightfully) critical of some of the administrations conservation policies. I suspect that this book would not be as interesting to read without historical context; he is a good writer, but not a great writer, and his prose sometimes has a bit of a self-important feel to it. But he is a detailed observer of the natural world, and an important figure in the environmental movement, so I am glad that I read this book.

Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx

Proulx is a character and she can definitely write. I enjoyed most of this book, which describes Proulx's experiences building a dream house in Wyoming. She starts out with a family history, which was interesting, but did not seem to relate directly to the topic. However, as I read further, I saw that Proulx had inherited her father's tendency to always be looking for the bigger and better, leading to frequent moves and a dissatisfaction with any home she lived in. It was kind of amazing that in her 70's she decided to build a dream home in a remote, and somewhat desolate area; and was able to hike and cross country ski all around it.

The best part of the book to me, was the chapter where she describes the wild life in the area, especially the birds. She is a very interested observer of the natural world, and the place sounds astounding. The book really helps with the realization that humans are part and parcel of the natural environment:

"Whenever strangers came to the house the bald eagles took turns flying over and scrutinizing them. Anything new --lawn chair, garden hose, shrubs -- piqued their curiosity and they flew over, low and slow, examining the object. In fact they were nosy. It was quite fair. I peered at them through binoculars, they peered back."

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Well, this book is a little bit too precious for me, but she starts it out with a lovely dedication to her father, that is so heartwarming, that I had to give the book three stars based on the dedication alone. The book is about a book store on a barge, which is a fun idea, and about people who are trapped with love and grief, coming together and creating a community with others similarly trapped, and then finding a way out through friendship and literature. The plot is ridiculously unlikely, but I think we are supposed to read it as a fable, and not be bothered with probability. I decided that was OK, and enjoyed the book for the most part. However, there is one plot twist which I absolutely hated, and that kind of dropped the book in my feminist opinion. I can't tell you the issue, though, because it would be a spoiler.

The writing is not my favorite style--it feels kind of breath-y to me. I think it might read better in German, though. It reminded me of The Elegance of Hedgehog; a book that I hated., but I know a lot of folks loved. George mentions in the afterword that the Hedgehog was a big influence on her.

>44 banjo123: I do want to read this, having hovered overy whether to ignore the more critical reviews. The quote chosen is great - The Genius of Birds has made me rethink just how smart the birds I see day to day are, never mind this kind of really impressive bird she's describing.

Wow, lot's of great reading going on. Thanks for the good reviews Rhonda.

>46 charl08: I hope you like it, Charlotte. The chapter on birds is really interesting, it's toward the end. And now you have piqued my interest in The Genius of Birds

>47 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

And July is starting off well, I completed The Ghost Road, which I really liked. Yesterday I spent the day at the Blues Festival, and the rest of the gang couldn't get there until later, so I had a lot of time to read and listen to good music.

Oh good for you and the Zumba. I'm just sticking to walking and my fit bit. Sounds like fun at the Blues Festival. Here it is the Canada Day long weekend, and today I had a nice time on the waterfront, walking Poppy and watching all of the activities on the water - Tall Ships, kayakers, rowers, out door music and lots of people but at least enough room to walk . Yesterday was so jammed with people we skipped the area. Of course my husband has to work the long weekend . Tomorrow I'm due to attend a BBQ. I wish sometimes my husband was home on the long weekends. Oh well. Such is life.

Happy Sunday, Rhonda! Good review of Bird Cloud. We had similar feelings.

I have been avoiding The Little Paris Bookshop. No one has convinced me of that one yet.

And I am completely down for a Murakami Month next year. Murakami March, perhaps?

Looking forward to our reunion tonight. Should be a perfect nightcap, to a very nice vacation.

Bird Cloud sounds great, Rhonda. I think I own a copy that I lent to a friend. Maybe it's time to get it back...

I'll pass on the George.

>45 banjo123: Thanks for the helpful review of The Little Paris Bookshop, Rhonda. It's not really what I thought it was, and prose that's a bit breathy I don't need. I'll skip it for now.

>49 vancouverdeb: I have been really slacking on exercise over the last year, Deb, which has not been good for my figure or my health. I decided I had to find an exercise class I liked that I would go to. In the past, I haven't been happy with Zumba classes, but this teacher is really good, and the other people in class are so nice. And it's fun-- she turns out the light and puts on a disco ball. Hope you had a happy Canada day! We were in Vancouver for Canada day a few years ago, and the fireworks at the waterfront were so fun.

>50 msf59: Mark! It was great to see you. And I think that Murakami March is a must.

>51 BLBera: Hi Beth! I hope I am not turning everyone off of The Little Paris Bookshop too much. I can see that it's a book many people would love, and there were definitely things about it that I liked.

>52 jnwelch: It's funny, Joe, because German is certainly not a breathy-y language!

>53 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! I love the Fourth of July, despite all of my country's flaws. Because, well, freedom, fireworks and beer.

Speaking of the 4th, here is the Poem-of-the Day, by Claude McKay

Although she feeds me bread of bitterness,
And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth,
Stealing my breath of life, I will confess
I love this cultured hell that tests my youth!
Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,
Giving me strength erect against her hate.
Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.
Yet as a rebel fronts a king in state,
I stand within her walls with not a shred
Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.
Darkly I gaze into the days ahead,
And see her might and granite wonders there,
Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand,
Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand.

Last nights meet-up with Mark, Kim, Juli and families was lots of fun. Mark has a picture on his thread, for those who are interested.

Today, we are planning to go to a baseball game for the 4th of July. The Portland Pickles is college summer ball. We went to one game earlier this summer; and it was tons of fun, though I think the Pickles are not actually very good. It seemed like a nice, low-key thing to do for the 4th, and there will be fireworks after. I have to work tomorrow -- actually I have a new boss who is starting tomorrow, so I have to get to work on time, and bring donuts!

The Ghost Road by Pat Barker

This is the third in the Regeneration trilogy, about WWI and England. I can totally recommend this series, which is a good read, and interesting. Themes of war and peace, class war fare and sexuality. The book focuses on soldiers suffering from shell shock (PTSD) and the role of psychiatry in patching them up. Several historical figures are also characters in the book, including poets Wilfred Owens and Siegfried Sasson

Sometimes I don't like it when real people appear in books, but in this case it worked.

>55 banjo123: Love the poem, Rhonda!

It was so nice to see you and Wendy last night. We really enjoyed it. Meet Ups with LTers are the very best.

Have a great 4th!

Thanks, Mark! Glad you all got home safely, hope you are enjoying some 4th of July reading (and beer). I am still really enjoying Beautiful Ruins.

Ooh, Beautiful Ruins...Enjoy.

>57 banjo123: Really admired that trilogy - very timely reading as lots if centenary commemoration going on for WW1. Amazing lubricant art here over the weekend - young men dressed in uniform of WW1 in public places, but not speaking. Apparently if you approached you were given a card with the name of solider who was killed. Touching.
https://becausewearehere.co.uk/we-are-here-gallery/

Thanks for The Ghost Road comments, Rhonda. I think I would like this trilogy. I'll have to move the first one to my pile.

>60 msf59: Mark, I finished and I absolutely love this book. Now I want to make everyone else read it too!

>61 charl08: Thanks for the link, Charlotte. It's really a cool project.

>62 BLBera: I am sure you would like the trilogy, Beth!

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters

I LOVED this book, and now I want to make everyone else read it, too! Great characters, surprising plot twists and such a heartfelt message. It is madcap, yet meticulously crafted.

“All we have is the story we tell. Everything we do, every decision we make, our strength, weakness, motivation, history, and character-what we believe-none of it is real; it's all part of the story we tell. But here's the thing: it's our goddamned story!”

I have had that one on the shelves a while, Rhonda. Must dust it off sometime.

Have a great Sunday.

Thank you, Paul! I wanted to write a better review, but didn't know what to say without spoilers. It's really a great read!

Other reading updates: I am reading Evicted for the Non-fiction challenge, almost done. Also reading Master of the Senate--which at the current rate will last well into fall. I am also hoping to read Grapes of Wrath this month, and The Big Green Tent.

I am going to share today's poem-of -the-day, which is, I think, the best commentary I have read about recent events.

@ the Crossroads—A Sudden American Poem
Juan Felipe Herrera, 1948



RIP Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Dallas police
officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael J. Smith,
Brent Thompson, and Patrick Zamarripa—and all
their families. And to all those injured.



Let us celebrate the lives of all

As we reflect & pray & meditate on their brutal deaths

Let us celebrate those who marched at night who spoke of peace

& chanted Black Lives Matter

Let us celebrate the officers dressed in Blues ready to protect

Let us know the departed as we did not know them before—their faces,

Bodies, names—what they loved, their words, the stories they often spoke

Before we return to the usual business of our days, let us know their lives intimately

Let us take this moment & impossible as this may sound—let us find

The beauty in their lives in the midst of their sudden & never imagined vanishing

Let us consider the Dallas shooter—what made him

what happened in Afghanistan

what
flames burned inside

(Who was that man in Baton Rouge with a red shirt selling CDs in the parking lot

Who was that man in Minnesota toppled on the car seat with a perforated arm

& a continent-shaped flood of blood on his white T who was

That man prone & gone by the night pillar of El Centro College in Dallas)

This could be the first step

in the new evaluation of our society This could be

the first step of all of our lives

Great poem, Rhonda. Thanks. I'll also plan to pick up Beautiful Ruins sooner after your enthusiastic comments. The Big Green Tent! I loved it - love those sprawling Russian novels. You have ambitious plans for the month.

Happy Sunday, Rhonda. I did see that poem, earlier. Potent stuff.

Hooray for Beautiful Ruins. Hope you feel as strong about Evicted as I did. It is still my favorite read of the year.

I hope you can bookhorn in Grapes. It is such an amazing read.

>67 banjo123: Good one, Rhonda. I saw that one earlier, too, and he says it well.

I'm another big fan of Evicted. Hope it works well for you.

>68 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! I actually got The Big Green Tent on your recommendation.

>69 msf59: I will get Grapes of Wrath in! We are heading up to Seattle for a baseball game this weekend, on the Bolt Bus, so that will be 3 hours reading each way, and I have a old paperback that will be perfect -- nice and light.

>69 msf59: and >70 jnwelch: Joe and Mark, I am sad to say that I have to disagree with two such illustrious LTer's. Evicted did not do too much for me.

Evicted by Matthew Desmond

This is a well reviewed sociological book, about people experiencing evictions and homelessness in Milwaukee. I was not overly impressed by the book. I think maybe because I have worked in social work, with people living in poverty, for so many years, nothing in the book surprised me. Perhaps for people without that background, the book would be enlightening.

Desmond follows a group of individuals experiencing poverty and housing insecurity, and most of the book tells about their individual stories. Rough stuff all around. I wished he had spent more time putting the stories into context, so that we had a better idea of how representative (or not) these individuals were. Most of that information was in the foot-notes, cumbersome to get to, and the last chapter.

The last chapter was the most interesting to me. Desmond highlights the number of social problems that are made worse be housing instability. (disruption to children's education; inability to focus on other long-term goals, vocational, educational, or addiction recovery.) I thought he made a good case, but then, with me he was preaching to the choir. He advocates for creating a right to housing; and recommends housing vouchers as the way to do this. Apparently this has worked well in other countries. I would have liked more details on how this could work.

>44 banjo123: After several people have posted about it, I am adding Bird Cloud to my wish list.

I'd be up for a Murakami month in 2017!

>72 banjo123: Interesting, Rhonda. Evicted sure was enlightening for me. Sorry it didn't do more for you. I hope it continues to get attention from people who lack your background and, I suppose, those who have it, to the extent it helps them. To me he points the way for action (and discussion) that could well make a difference, while bringing to light the tragic effects so many suffer under the current system. In such a readable way, too. You didn't need it brought to light, from the sounds of it. Seeing him speak (online) gave me an even greater appreciation for his integrity and approach.

>72 banjo123: Evicted is my RL book group selection for August. I haven't started it yet, expect it'll be less familiar to me so more informative, but I agree that context is helpful; don't want to be numbed by statistics but do want to know what they are.

>72 banjo123:
That review reminds me of my views on Nickled and Dimed. The author didn't even think about making ends meet on minimum wage or going to a second hand clothing store before writing the book.

>73 EBT1002: Cool! I think you will like Birdsong.} And we definitely are having a Murakami month in 2017. It's going to be awesome because he has so many devoted fans.

>74 jnwelch: You are right, Joe, anything Evicted does to bring attention to the matter is for the good.

>75 qebo: Well, read the footnotes; they are helpful. I didn't read them all, (too lazy to page back and forth); but I think it would have been helpful.

>76 Deedledee: Interesting. I haven't read Nickled and Dimed; but I think this book is more thorough; he is actually a sociologist and has a pretty good grasp of the issues.... I just wish that some of that information was woven in along with the personal stories.

Hi, Rhonda! Sorry, Evicted didn't ring all your bells. Your working in social services, has all ready given you a bird's eye view of this difficult situation.

I think it is an important book, for those unfamiliar with this modern tragedy, like me.

Murakami March 2017!! B.A.G.

*catching up* Nice reviews, Rhonda!

>78 msf59: Thanks, Mark! And it will be great to read Murakami with you.

>79 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl.

It's been a busy, very fun weekend. No computer time, but lots of reading on the bus. I completed Grapes of Wrath and it was great! More on this, later.

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

This one doesn't need much of a review. An American classic and what a great read! Great characters, great writing, and a plot that just reeled me right in. Here is the description of Ma Joad:

“She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt or fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build laughter out of inadequate materials....She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall.”

>81 banjo123: Excellent excerpt, Rhonda. Such a great book.

Thanks, Joe! It WAS a great read. I am afraid that my current fiction reads (The Big Green Tent; and My Struggle suffer in comparison.

Hoping everyone has a great weekend! I am going to be off-line for a few days; we are going to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. We will see King Richard III; Twelfth Night; Hamlet and an adaptation of Great Expectations. It should be a lot of fun, but next week will be busy, because we get back late Sunday night, and then it's off to work on Monday.

>81 banjo123: There are not too many books that wouldn't be a anti-climax after reading that one Rhonda.

Have a lovely weekend.

Thanks, Paul, you are right. I did have a great weekend...

Later, I will write a little about the plays I saw; they were very good. I also got some reading time, now I am enjoying the Big Green Tent quite a bit.

Glad the theatre was good- sounds like a wonderful trip just from the list of plays (although hope the Great Expectations was abridged heavily otherwise that is a looooooong show. We had to watch the 1950s film of the book on school. Pretty sure they left loads out and it was still - in my memory- an endless show).

I can't wait to hear about your plays.

Thoughts on those plays must be occupying your time Rhonda!

Have a great weekend.

Hi peeps! Sorry, somehow I haven't gotten any LT time all week. I have been a little obsessed with following the Democratic Convention, and work has been busy.

>86 charl08: Charlotte, yes, Great Expectations was edited down to three hours. I am going to have to read the book soon, and find out what was skipped.

>87 BLBera: Soon, Beth

>88 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

So the plays,

Hamlet was the first we saw, and a great productions. Danforth Comins played Hamlet, and he is one of our favorite actors after seeing him last year as Benedict in Much Ado. He is a dynamic actor; intense, physical, and comic, yet touching. A lot of times Hamlet is played in a really melancholy fashion, which can make sense, but in this production it was a more agitated depression, and that made Hamlet a stronger center to the play. This production also included a doom metal musical accompaniment. That didn't completely work for me, but it was a good try. Another favorite actor, Christiana Clark, played Horatio, and she had us all crying at the final scene, when she said "Good night, sweet prince." Somehow, she made that line sound fresh.

The choreography was also great--here is a picture from the argument between Hamlet and his mother, Gertrude:

"Great Expectations" was a good version, with a spare set and a good cast. I do love Dickens,. He has great commentary on class and privilege. I hadn't read the book in years, but we saw another version of Great Expectations earlier this ear, so that kind of interfered with my enjoyment of the first half. The second half worked better for me, the Aged Parent was hilarious, and they kept Dickens' original, darker ending. The play did make one think about how life is a series of events and decisions, good and bad, but we do have choices all along the way. As Estella says in the end "“I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.”

Richard II was the stand-out play of the trip for me. Bill Rauch directed and Christopher Liam Moore was Richard--and perfect, a spoiled king, out of touch with the people, who loved Italian shoes. Really a great play on political turmoil, and the price for all those blood-thirsty royalty.

For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings;
How some have been deposed; some slain in war,
Some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed;
Some poison’d by their wives: some sleeping kill’d;
All murder’d: for within the hollow crown
That rounds the mortal temples of a king
Keeps Death his court and there the antic sits,
Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp,
Allowing him a breath, a little scene,
To monarchize, be fear’d and kill with looks,
Infusing him with self and vain conceit,
As if this flesh which walls about our life,
Were brass impregnable, and humor’d thus
Comes at the last and with a little pin
Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king!

The productions was great. It was a small theater (you could see the spit) and the costumes were great. At first it looked like something out of the 60's, like Kennedy's funeral. And then, little touches, Richard with gold on the bottoms of his shoes, Henry with a gold earring.

Twelfth Night was our last play, and for me I was a bit too worn out of play-watching to fully enjoy it. It was a super-lively, antic version of the play, all of the side-characters were hilarious, especially Sir Andrew Aguecheek, played by Danforth Comins. And the finale was a song and dance with umbrellas and tap-dancing. The crowd loved it, but I felt that the side characters, and the plot with Malvoleo, took the play over, and it lacked the balance of the more serious focus on love and loss. Fun nonetheless.

Happy Saturday, Rhonda! Love the Shakespeare Marathon. Sadly, I have not seen very many of his plays live. It is on the To-Do list.

Making any time for the books?

Rhonda--I have been an intermittent LT person since our meetup. So many books to catch up on here and WOW! I am totally jealous of all the plays you saw! And if you decide to do a Murakami month, I am in. Just saying.

>94 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Maybe next time you are in Oregon, you can get the crew down to Ashland. You would have fun. I did just finish The Big Green Tent; which I will review later. You would like it.

>95 Berly: Hi Kim! I think March 2017 will be Murakami month. It seems like there will be plenty of interest.

Well, this was a "quiet" weekend, but I haven't gotten any LT time until today. Last night we went to see the Hillsboro Hops, our single A baseball team. They are a farm team for the Diamondbacks. It was a blast, and they won, too! We will go again. Today I had to do some birthday shopping for Banjo, jr, who turns 20 on Tuesday. She is hard to shop for, because she doesn't really want anything. A good quality, really.

Rhonda, the plays look wonderful! Indeed, it is a bit of challenge to find time in the summer for LT, books and all that goes with summer! Happy Reading!

Rhonda - Thanks for sharing your playgoing. They sound great. What a treat to see a good Hamlet - such a hard play to do. I've never seen Richard II, but it sounds like you hit the jackpot with it.

That Shakespearepalooza sounds and looks great, Rhonda. Twelfth Night is one of my favorites of his, and theater companies seem to love to play (oops) around with it. I've never seen Richard II, and now I'll be looking for an opportunity.

>92 banjo123: I studied Richard II for my A Levels in English Literature and have fond memories both of the play as well as the beautiful language conjured by Billy throughout. Reference to England as :

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house
Against the envy of less happier lands;
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,

came out of John O' Gaunt's mouth put there by Shakespeare.

Richard II was murdered in Pontefract castle which is less than 4 miles from where I was born.

Murakami March it is!! Happy Friday.

>97 vancouverdeb: Deb, so true about summertime and how busy that can be! I have been getting some good reading in, but no time for the internet, I am afraid.

>98 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I think that the quality at Oregon Shakespeare Festival has really improved over the past couple of years.

>99 jnwelch: Twelfth Night IS a fun play, Joe. This one was especially comic.

>100 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the quote, Paul, that is beautiful. And fun that it is so personal for you.

>101 Berly: It's a date, Kim!!

Well, we went camping this weekend, great fun, and I had lots of time to read by the fire or next to the creek. But it's left me no time to catch up on LT! Just to quickly note, I finished Atonement; quite a good read; and also am reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, which is very good.

Last week I finished a book for my Lesbian Bookgroup--Women's Barracks; from the lesbian pulp genre. Not so good, but at least it was short.

Hi Rhonda - It sounds like you are having a wonderful summer.

Reading by the fire sounds wonderful. I'm reading with the French windows open, which almost counts as outside?!

>104 BLBera: Yes, definitely a nice summer. The weather has been really nice, unlike last year when it was just too hot.

>105 charl08: open windows, outside... who am I to quibble?

I am hoping to catch up here, and get some reviews done, at least over the weekend. Then I expect to be off a little bit more.... we have another camping trip planned.

Reading Update: I have several going right now---Master of the Senate; which is good, but slow, A Brief History of Time (almost done); and We are the Mullvaneys So far I am not crazy about the last one, but it may grow on me. I just got Hagseed from the ERC, so plan to read that on my camping trip. And I need to get back to My Struggle

>105 charl08: & >106 banjo123: I have taken to reading on our balcony rather than my reading room as I have been having trouble settling with both my cough and absence of a nice chair. The relatively fresh air is nice too.

Have a lovely weekend, Rhonda.

Happy Saturday, Rhonda. Looks like you have some good books going. You might inspire me to bump up My Struggle. I picked it up at Booktopia.

Curious to see what you think of Hagseed. That one hasn't been calling my name.

Enjoy your weekend.

>107 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Reading outside is lovely, assuming the weather cooperates. Today is supposed to be hot (90's) so I am not sure that it will be a go. But I may sit on the porch for awhile with my Joyce Carol Oates. We have a new porch-swing.

>108 msf59: I am stoked about Hag-seed, Mark. Atwood and Shakespeare--sounds like a great combination. I started My Struggle; and put it aside for other, more pressing books. I am not sure about it....he might be too self-involved for me. But it sold half a million copies in Norway, which is once copy for every 10 people, making me think that people in Norway must be much better read than we are in the US.

This week-end is "quiet." I just dropped Chica off at the groomers.. . poor thing hates it so, but she will be more comfortable for it. I am getting my hair cut in a bit. We have a birthday party this afternoon, and then tonight we plan to go hear one of my brother-in-law's bands. In between, maybe some reading? Sunday is quieter, mostly house-cleaning and reading the New York TImes. We may sneak in a wee hike.

I wanted to get caught up on reviews! I think I will start backwards, with the book I finished this morning.

A Brief History of TIme by Stephen Hawking

This book has been hanging out on my bedside table for a couple of years, I think. I always think that I should do some science reading, on the principle of being a well-informed citizen; but somehow novels and history manage to have a stronger call to my reading time. Thanks to the non-fiction challenge, I decided to just read it, at last. It was written in 1988, so not completely up-to-date; but I found this book interesting and readable. Although, I have to admit, parts were over my head, I do like physics, though, and now I feel a bit motivated to read up on some more modern books.

Hawking has a nice way of not only explaining theories of time, but also illustrating why one might care about these theories. In the end he talks about how these theories are confusing for most people, but speculates that if a unified theory is developed, it will make it possible for the general population to understand.

"Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists, and just ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason---for then we would know the mind of God."

These leaves the question, which Hawking does not really address, of whether we really need a unified theory. But it does illustrate why people like Hawking and Einstein really WANT a unified theory.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

I liked, but did not love, this book. A compelling story with twists and turns; English country house; WWII; family dramas. I think that between the book and movie, this is well enough known that I don't need to go over the plot. The main theme of the book is atonement, and McEwan makes you think about what this means, and whether it more serves the wronged or the culprit.

Stopping by to say hi, Rhonda. Yes, Atonement . I confess I was not keen on it. I think I gave it 3 or 3.5 stars. A little bit, I think Ian McEwan gets to caught up in sex and is overly sentimental. I preferred The Children Act and event that was a bit of drag. :)

Too bad Twelfth Night wasn't as great as you'd hoped - but as you said you may have just been all played out. :) Twelfth Night is one of my favorites - at least it was when I was in high school. I admit that I haven't read any Shakespeare except Hamlet in years.

>112 vancouverdeb: That's an interesting take on Atonement, Deb. I didn't really pick up on that, but I did think some of the gender roles were problematic, and that the book was more conceptual than emotional, which is not really my thing. Interestingly, I am having a somewhat similar reaction to We Were The Mulvaneys but I am hoping that it redeems itself.

>113 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel! THe rest of the audience loved Twelfth Night so I think it was me.

and now time to try some more quick reviews.

Women's Barracks by Tereska Torres

This was for my Lesbian bookgroup, and I skipped the discussion, but understand that it wasn't much admired. It was advertised as the original Lesbian Pulp fiction. It's about French women in the military during WWII having various affairs. Torres is trying to emulate Colette, but lacks the charm and sexiness.

Recommend skipping this one.

The Big Green Tent by Ljudmila Ulitskaya

On the other hand, I can definitely recommend this sprawling, Russian novel. . This is a book with a big scope, that gives a picture of life as a dissident in post-Stalin Russia. The structure is interesting... the book starts as a straight-forward narrative about three school friends with a shared love of literature, and then, switches into a non-linear narrative, a series of chapters, each focusing on different characters and events.

I ended up reading the book too fast (it was due back at the library) and felt like I missed parts of the stories. I wished I had a list of characters and relationships. (but that would have included too many spoilers). Also, I missed out because of my lack of knowledge about Soviet history and culture. But I did enjoy learning, and also enjoyed the Russian poetry quoted throughout the book.

Hi Rhonda - I'm so glad The Big Green Tent has another fan. I loved that novel. Weren't the LORLs great? I did appreciate the structure as well.

I read the Hawking years ago, and thought he did his best to make complex ideas accessible.

Thanks, Beth! It was a good book... I would like to read more by her.

I finished my Joyce Carol Oates -- We were the Mulvaneys. Not a favorite, I found the voice very annoying and ended up skimming through large parts of it.

We are prepping now for another camping trip, so I will be off LT for another bit. This trip is our last hurrah before Banjo, Jr goes back to college. We are all looking forward to it.

Hi Rhonda, I haven't had a thread this year and haven't even lurked much. But I just wanted to say hello. your daughter's trip sounds amazing. Keep cool!

Adding The Big Green Tent to the ever-growing wish list. Sigh. (but a happy sigh!)

Happy Camping! (Where are you going? I have so many wonderful memories of camping in Oregon!)

>119 Oregonreader: Jan, hooray! I have missed you. Hope you are well and getting some good reading in.

>120 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen! We actually went down to California, to the coastal redwoods. It was awesome, and very relaxing. I got a lot of reading done, so someday soon will post reviews, and some camping pictures.

In the meantime, life has been busy, and we are a little sad, to be empty nesters again. Banjo, jr is back at college. All good, but we misse her.

I can't wait to see pictures, Rhonda, and hear about your vacation reads.

Thanks, Beth.... Here come the photos:

Our campsite:

Tidepools at Endert's beach

Hiking in old growth:

The Smith River

That hiking picture is lovely. Was in a national Trust garden last week where the former owner (some lord or other) was a mad keen tree collector. Compared to our natives, the redwoods already look enormous after (I guess) seventy or so years, but I'd love to see them the way they are in your picture. Awe inspiring.

I think the only thing I ever really miss from California is the redwoods. There is something about walking in the redwoods that makes me feel good like nothing else does.

I LOVE the camping photos, Rhonda. Looks like a beautiful time. I WANT and I NEED to get to the Redwoods. I have never been to northern CA, but it is on the list.

I have been warbling everywhere about The Hour of Land. If this isn't all ready on your T.R. list, please check it out. It is amazing.

Absolutely lovely. I want to go there.

>127 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte! The redwoods are pretty awesome. One cool fact-- Redwoods actually have very shallow root systems, but they spread out far, up to 100 feet, and intertwine with the roots of other redwood trees. So the trees actually keep each other standing.

>128 ursula: Ursula, the redwoods are definitely magical. I grew up in California, so they are special to me.

>129 msf59: Mark, you must go. I will look up the Hour of the Land. I have been wanting to read something by Terry Tempest Williams for a couple of years.

>130 BLBera: Beth, you should go! And Scout would love it.

And speaking of Scout, I will start on my book reviews. We listened to a tape of To Kill a Mockingbird on our trip. Sissy Spacek narrates, and does a wonderful job. We all loved the book; it's tender and angry, sad, hopeful and funny. (Favorite bit has got to be the "Pork" scenes.

Here's the quote that struck me:

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."

I hadn't remembered, until we heard the tape, that Atticus's example for courage was a sick, old woman determined to kick morphine. Pretty cool.

>131 banjo123: I didn't know that about the redwoods. I'm reading The Long Long Life of Trees so hoping they turn up soon.

>131 banjo123: Same. I went to UC Santa Cruz, briefly. And never lived that far from the redwoods afterwards. When I was upset, I would go drive through them and it was calming even if I didn't get out to walk around.

It's been a while since I've reread TKaM. You make me want to pick it up again. I spent the afternoon with Miss Scout, who seems to be done with naps. When I mentioned resting, she replied, "I'm not tired." I didn't push it, but we did have some quiet time and read some books.

>133 charl08: Cool! the redwoods are pretty awe-inspiring, and interesting. here is a link to the Park site, if anyone wants more info or to plan a trip.

>134 ursula: That's cool, Ursula. There is something soothing about trees that have been around for up to 2000 years. And they smell so good, too.

>135 BLBera: Scout sounds so cute! The audio book with Sissy Spacek was amazing.

The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. This was a re-read--I had read it in 2013, but my book group is reading it, and I couldn't remember it well enough for a discussion. I liked it the second time around as well. I just looked at what I had written on this last time around, and it's still true:

"This is a really good non-fiction book that makes you think about a wide range of topics: medical research, racism, poverty, cervical cancer, privacy. I am not going to spend much time reviewing this, as it's been amply reviewed elsewhere.

I enjoyed the way Skloot included herself as a character and a part of the story. I liked the way she let Henrietta Lacks' descendents tell their own stories. I thought the focus on the human side of medical research was good, but wished that the attention spent on explaining the scientific side of the story had been stronger."

>137 banjo123: Huh. I'm in exactly the same situation. I read it in 2011 sez LT, and my RL book group selected it for September. I remember only the basic story, few details.

>138 qebo: - I felt kind of dumb how little I remembered, other than the basic story, I suppose I could have gone to the book group and not talked much, but that wouldn't be like me. The re-read was fine. She is a good writer.

Ohhh fabulous camping pictures, Rhonda! I know what you mean about being an empty nester. I think I'm still a little sad from our younger son moving out at age 24 to purchase a place and get married! ;) It has been about 1 1/2 years and I'm getting used to it. Fortunately we have our little Poppy dog to snuggle and the " kids" just stopped by for a couple of hours this evening. Needed to borrow something and use my husband's air line discount for a trip - and then I found a place for our older son to stay for three nights with a friend as he is going out of town and needed a place to stay. Being parents never ends and I suppose that is a good thing! :)

>140 vancouverdeb: Yes, our fur-kids have been very helpful in dealing with the empty nest syndrome. Especially Chica, the dog, she is willing to be endlessly doted upon. That's nice that your kids are doing so well, and are independent, but still stay in close touch.

In Between by Jane Hoppen

We read this for my Lesbian book group, it is a book about being intersex. The main character, Sophie, is born with both male and female genitalia, at medical advise, her parents chose to have surgery on their infant and to raise her as a girl. This doesn't work out all that well, Sophie ends up feeling like both male and female; and she regrets having had this decision taken from her.

I can't really recommend this book--it's pretty much of an issue book, and the writing and characters are pretty flat. But it did make me think about what it would mean to be intersex.

My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard

This book was apparently extremely popular in Norway. it has sold about half a million copies there, the equivalent of one for every ten people. This shows how different Norwegians must be from people in the US--- I can't imaging a book like this selling so well here. It's a good book, I think, but I had some reservations.

The back of the book calls this a "Proustian Masterpiece." I understand why--the book goes into extreme detail about the everyday life of a sensitive young man. There are a couple of crucial differences, however. Marcel Proust uses sentences that twist you into circles, and then spin you around to make you think. The language here is straight forward and easy to read. (of course, I have read both authors only in translation, so that could be a factor.). Proust's narrator comes across as neurotic as hell, but also as very sweet. Karl Ove, to be blunt, comes across as a jerk.

I suspect that Knausgaard is not actually a jerk; he is trying to be honest about his shortcomings, and thus emphasizes them. But this book; about his troubled relationship with an alcoholic father, left me feeling that I needed a shower. It's good, but I don't know that I will continue the series.

>143 banjo123: I loved that book so much. I don't even know how I'd describe what was so compelling, but I did find it completely compelling. It is Proustian, but maybe because the language and setting are more accessible, it drew me in more completely. I also think he was much more honest (or at least tried to be) about his thoughts and motivations than Proust was. I'm positive the series isn't to everyone's taste, but it's definitely suited to mine.

>144 ursula: I should re-read Proust; it's been years. I guess I both liked and didn't like Knausgaard. I might try the next volume... but definitely not right away.

As far as books about intersex go, I can recommend Annabel by Kathleen Winter. It was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, and was on many Canadian Prize lists ( and probably won several prizes) . It takes place in 1968 in a sparsely populated part of Canada.

>146 vancouverdeb: Interesting, Deborah. Annabel sounds like a better book, for sure. I will mention it if my book group seems interested in another on the topic.

Hag-seed by Margaret Atwood

This is Margaret Atwood’s modern version of The Tempest, written for Hogarth’s Shakespeare series. I found it totally enjoyable.

One problem with Shakespeare adaptations, is that the plots are so unlikely that it requires a certain suspension of disbelief, which we aren’t accustomed to in the modern age. Atwood makes this a little easier by setting the story in a theatrical setting, making over-the-top drama by various characters seem more natural.

Felix Phillips is our Prospero, and the center of this book, starting the story as the Artistic Director of a regional theater company. Atwood has fun describing Felix’s artistic visions:

“…the playgoers and even the patrons had grumbled from time to time. The almost-naked, freely bleeding Lavinia in Titus was too upsettingly graphic, they’d whined; though, as Felix had pointed out, more than justified by the text. Why did Pericles have to be staged with spaceships and extraterrestrials instead of sailing ships and foreign countries, and why present the moon goddess Artemis with the head of a praying mantis.”

Felix loses his job, due to the conniving of Tony, (Antonio); his assistant to whom he has given much power and little oversight. He ends up teaching Shakespeare to inmates in a nearby prison. This leads to many fun scenes, as Felix allows his students to swear, but only if they take their swear words from the Shakespeare play they are studying.

But despite all these antic events; there is a serious side to Hag-Seed. It’s a story of love and loss; revenge and redemption, and in Atwood’s hands, it is touching as well as hilarious.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helen Wecker

I had such good reading on our camping trip, that I got through the books I had read, and had to borrow this from Banjo, Jr. I am glad that I did.... this was a fun book; fantasy, historical fiction and romance rolled into one. I read in the afterword that Wecker had the idea of this book from her own marriage. She is Jewish and her husband is Arab-American. She found that despite these differences, there were a lot of similarities in their families and the way they had been brought up. This gave her the idea to write a book with a magical creature from each of their cultures, thus the Golem and the Jinni. (Isn't that sweet?) It's set in 1899 in New York, and the historical parts are well researched.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Alice is a professor at Harvard, happily married with 3 grown children, when, at age 50, she finds out that her recent memory losses are early Alzheimer's. Genova tells the story of her cognitive decline through Alice's eyes, which I found very powerful. With each chapter, her language and perception becomes less complex. Genova shows how it would feel to watch one's mind unravel. It was so sad, and hard to read. A good book if you have a family member with dementia, or if like me, you work with people who have dementia.

Hi Rhonda - Great comments on Hag-Seed; some of the parts about Miranda were heart breaking. I really liked it.

The Golem and the Jinni sounds good, too. I think I'll wait on Still Alice for a time I'm feeling very cheerful.

>72 banjo123: I did read Evicted for my RL book group in August, as I'd mentioned previously. I was more impressed than you were.
>150 banjo123: I read Still Alice for another RL book group in April, and liked it so much that I read her other three books immediately. I'd recommend Inside the O'Briens more than the other two.

>151 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Good to wait on Still Alice if you want to stay cheerful. I followed it with All My Puny Sorrows, so now I feel the need for a light and cheerful read. Not sure what it will be.

>152 qebo: Thanks for the recommendation! I will look for Inside the O'Brien's sometime when I am up for more sad. I have worked with a handful of people with Huntington's and it's so heart breaking.

>148 banjo123: Very helpful review, thanks, Rhonda. This is the Shakespeare adaptation in the series that sounds the most enjoyable to me, and I've added it to my WL.

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews

This autobiographical novel is about the narrator's relationship with her beautiful, talented, depressed and suicidal sister. Toewes is very articulate in describing the heartbreak of loving someone who wants to die; and also in describing the limitation of the mental health system, and how people with mental illness are blamed for their own illnesses. Good for me to read as I work in mental health, but so sad.

Another interesting aspect of the book is the description of culture. Toewes is from a Mennonite culture, which I am not all that familiar with. Toewes writing is quirky and funny, as in this description of the difference between her rich cousins and her poor cousins. She notes that in the Mennonite world, the male offspring inherit the resources, and the females, not so much:

"The sons inherit the wealth and pass it on to their sons and to their sons and to their sons and the daughters get sweet fuck all. We Poor Cousins don't care at all though, except for when we're on welfare, broke, starving, unable to buy cool high-tops for our children or pay for their university tuition or purchase massive fourth homes on private islands with helicopter landing pads. But whatever, we descendants of the Girl Line may not have wealth and proper windows in our drafty homes but at least we have rage and we will build empires with that, gentlemen."

A very powerful book, but I think I am looking for something light and cheerful as a chaser.

>154 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I think that if you like theater you will really enjoy this book.

>148 banjo123: Hag-Seed sounds fascinating. The Tempest is my favourite Shakespeare play so I must look out for it. Have you read any others in the series?

>157 eclecticdodo:, I read Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it's pretty much a romantic, easy read. Very Anne Tyler. I am curious to read Winterson's take on A winter's Tale. Perhaps I will look for that next.

Hi Rhonda - I loved All My Puny Sorrows, but yes, you probably need something more cheerful next. I really enjoyed Winterson's A Gap of Time.

Happy Labor Day, Rhonda! Wow! I love all the reading. I bought a copy My Struggle at Booktopia. I will try the first one and see for myself. I think it is an intriguing idea. I have The Golem and the Jinni & All My Puny Sorrows in the audio stacks.

I liked Still Alice and I have Hag-Seed on my WL.

Hope you had a nice holiday weekend.

>159 BLBera: I have put A Gap of Time on hold at the library.. After reading Winterson's autobiography, I am super interested.

>160 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I am very pleased with my August reading pile. You might like My Struggle -- it's definitely worth a try. I think that The Golem and the Jinni would be fun on audio tape. If you listen to Puny Sorrows, though, make sure to have kleenex.

For those interested in Hag-seed, it's Early Reviewer available again.

Current Reading: I was looking for something cheerful, but that's hard to find on my shelves. I am doing a Pride and Prejudice re-read now. It's my favorite comfort read, but as a result, I practically have the book memorized, so it's kind of worn-out for me. I am reading The Wisdom of Insecurity for the non-fiction read; and still reading Master of the Senate. At this rate, Master of the Senate will be done sometime in 2017. But it's good! I also picked up Heather Lende's Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs but although I really liked If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name; this one might be too religious for me.

Have you read any Jodi Taylor? She would cheer you up.

A Man Called Ove? (Struggling to think of more cheerful reads, which seems wrong...)

It looks like I have All My Puny Sorrows saved as an ebook. Yah! So, I will go that route after all.

>161 banjo123: I listened to The Golem and the Jinni as an audiobook and it was excellent.

Thanks for the cheerful suggestions, Beth and Charlotte. Those sound like good options, however I am now hoping to be ready for another gloomy read by the weekend.

>164 msf59: Mark, you could try the audio of Puny Sorrows; but it seems like it might be better on the page. And >165 Oberon:, Thanks for the endorsement on the Golem audio. Should be lots of fun.

Happy that tomorrow is Friday... somehow the shorter weeks often feel more intense. We have a concert tomorrow night ( Jake Bugg) so that should be lots of fun.

The hard thing about reading Still Alice and Puny Sorrows back to back was that it led to thinking about assisted suicide, a difficult topic. We have assisted suicide in Oregon, which I agree with, but the Oregon Law is pretty limited.

With dementia, suicide or assisted suicide is problematic, because most people don't want to die in the early stages, and later on, they are not able to follow through on the plan.
Oregon doesn't have assisted suicide for depression, of course, and I've always agreed with that, because, most of the time, depression does get better. But I read an interview with Miriam Toews, which didn't exactly change my mind, but it did make me think. Her sister had asked her to help her with suicide, and she didn't help. She feels bad about this now, because the result was that her sister died alone. Isn't that sad?

The story is heartbreaking, Rhonda. Yet, I agree, depression can be treated, so it would be hard to agree to help someone die when there is hope that they will get better.

We need better mental health treatment; lack of or poor treatment options is one of the big problems.

>167 banjo123: I think she would have felt guilty whichever option she took. Her sister was so talented, such a loss. As Beth said, better healthcare needed.

In Belgium, euthanasia is available for any condition which results in unbearable suffering which is unable to be alleviated. The cases for mental illness require an additional doctor's agreement (I believe 3 instead of 2). A few months ago there was some press for a case involving a man who was requesting euthanasia because he is gay and doesn't want to be. He says that he has been through therapy and can't accept it, which is causing unrelenting suffering. Last I saw it was still being fought out. There are lots of other cases that have hit the media for one reason or another - a few years back there were twin brothers who requested euthanasia because they were deaf and had been told they would become blind as well. They lived alone together and didn't want to end up in an institution.

Euthanasia shouldn't be an easy option for sufferers of mental illness, but I'm not sure it should be off the table entirely.

>167 banjo123: assisted suicide ... limited
My mother brought this up recently. She is in pretty good shape for late 80s, but as she watches her cohort deteriorate and die, she is increasingly worried that the money she has meticulously saved for her children over 50+ years will be drained to nothing in the last few months of her life. She has made it clear in legal documents and conversations with her doctor and her family that when the end is near she does not want it dragged out, and she is frustrated that she has limited control. This is obviously a situation fraught with the possibility of nefarious motives, so I don't know where the legal lines should be, but to anyone who knows her this concern is completely in character.

>167 banjo123: I would love to read that interview with Toews; it sounds fascinating. I agree with your various points about assisted suicide (self-directed death?) and it would be interesting to hear her thoughts after her experience with her sister. Very sad, all around. And you are sparking my interest in reading All My Puny Sorrows.

We visited those coastal redwoods several years back and it's just a beautiful area. Thanks for posting pics!

Nice review of All My Puny Sorrows, Rhonda. I hope to get to it later this year, or early in 2017.

>168 BLBera: Yes, Beth, we have a long way to go with mental health treatment. Luckily with Health Care Parity, most people now have access to mental health treatment, and hopefully with time the quality will catch up.

>169 charl08: You are right, she was probably going to feel guilty no matter what. And I don't think the rest of the family would have supported something like that, so that would be so hard.

> 170 Wow, Ursula, some hard issues. Honestly, I think assisted suicide ought to be hard to get, but I don't know exactly where to draw the line. Before reading this book, I would have said no to assisted suicide for mental health reasons. The vast majority of people who attempt suicide due to depression and the receive treatment end up feeling better and not suicidal. Assisted Suicide for social reasons, like being gay or deaf? I could not go for that.

In Oregon you need to have a life expectancy of 6 months or less, agreed to by two doctors, and to have capacity. Then you can get a lethal prescription, which you have to take yourself. It's pretty frequent that people get the prescriptions and don't use them; in 2015 there were 218 prescriptions written and 132 deaths. Most people who use assisted suicide are older, white, middle to upper class, well educated, and have cancer.

>171 qebo: It is crazy how much money ends up spent on health care and caregiving towards the end of life. So I understand how your mother feels. Of course, the other side of the coin is that there are a lot of people who say that they wouldn't want to live with chronic medical conditions, but when it happens to them, they feel differently and find joy in simpler things. My mother-in-law was kind of like that. I have a mental list of diseases and conditions that I wouldn't want to live with,,, will see how I feel if I get any of them!

>172 EBT1002: Ellen here is the link to the article I read. I will be interested to see how you feel when/if you read it.

>173 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. It is a short read, but packs a punch.

I think you're right, Rhonda, when you say assisted suicide should be hard. Having experienced loved ones who attempted suicide, I can say that I would not be willing to help them do it; instead I would hope we could get other help. Also, as you point out, other family members would not agree, so it would create a huge problem.

Hmm - while in my mind I'd like to believe that assisted suicide should not be allowed, the reality is a lot of illnesses are not curable, including mental health issues. And yes, depression and schizophrenia are often not curable My husband lost his brother to suicide, but I don't think a mental health facility would have helped. My grandpa starved himself to death when he was 85 and I was okay with that. Sad, but I understood that he no longer wanted to live with cardiac problems as well as having to use a oxygen tank for the rest of his life.


It's really a complex subject. However, I personally could not assist in a suicide, nor do I think personally I would go for assisted suicide. Yes it is hard to know where to draw the line.

Oooo. What lovely pictures of big trees! Redwood National Forest was one of my most memorable National Park trips in my life. I got a picture of the world's tallest tree - then a couple years later they found a taller one. lol.

>174 banjo123: It is hard to draw a line, because not everyone is the same. What is unbearable for one, isn't for the other...
Maybe some of the not-used prescriptions are because they die before they can use it?

>175 BLBera: Definitely a tricky issue. The other issue is that of withholding, or choosing not to use aggressive medical treatment. And it's hard to know how a person would really feel about the issue until faced head on with it.

>176 vancouverdeb: It would be really hard to help a loved one with suicide, but I think at times it could be a loving thing. Hopefully neither of us will be faced with the issue. I did know a woman who used the assisted suicide law, due to aggressive breast cancer. She had been through a miserable bout with chemo, trying to beat the thing, and when it came back, she could not deal with chemo again. I think she was right, for her, she was able to have some quality time in her last months, and then left on her own terms.
I have also known people who tried so hard to fight a losing battle, with cancer or other diseases, that they were not able to concentrate on the end-of-life, or connecting with loved ones, because they were so busy looking for a cure.

>177 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel!

>178 FAMeulstee: Yes, it's really an individual thing. For example, physical activity is really important to some, but others (example Stephen Hawking) can live without it. I think some people do die before they can use the prescriptions, and some people report they feel better just to have the prescription, and to know it's an option if things get that bad.

On the reading front, I have finished The Wisdom of Insecurity. Will review later.

Thanks for the link, Rhonda. One of the best things about reading it is that I now know how to pronounce her name ("Taves," rhyming with "saves" --- which is not anywhere close to how I had been pronouncing it). And the article makes me very much want to read the book. I will purchase it first chance I get (somehow, it doesn't feel like a book to check out of the library).

^ By the way, as a psychologist, it often shocks people that I share some of Toews' perspective, to wit:

'Though Toews says she would like psychotherapy to be more widely available, she believes that in some cases we need to accept there is no cure. “There are people who are just suicidal, regardless. They are built to self-destruct,” she says. “It seems, in my family, like a virus that’s resistant to any kind of help or care or medication.”' (from the Guardian article)

Tough one. I still agree with you that I am not in favor of "assisted suicide" for depression but I fully believe that there is a small subset of extremely depressed people for whom there is no help. It's tragic but true. We know this in the case of cancer and other diseases, but we can't seem to come to terms with the fact that, like other organs, the brain is sometimes beyond our capacity to help.

Didn't mean to get all preachy or philosophical but I am soooo interested in reading All My Puny Sorrows now!

>180 EBT1002:, >182 banjo123: Thanks for your thoughts, Ellen! It's an interesting topic.

The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts

I loved this book when I first read it, as a teen. I decided to do a re-read, for the non-fiction book read. It was a worthwhile re-read, even though it turns out I am not as interested in Buddhist philosophy now as I was then. The point of the book, as I see it, is not being attached to the self, or to a certain future. Also he spends a good bit of time explaining that the word, or name is not the same as the thing itself. Here is a passage I marked 40 years ago:

"It is convention alone which persuades me that I am simply this body bounded by a skin in space and by birth and death in time."

But here is a part that I hadn't noticed the first time around, and it's interesting to think this was written in 1951:

"Thus the “brainy” economy designed to produce this happiness is a fantastic vicious circle which must either manufacture more and more pleasures or collapse—providing a constant titillation of the ears, eyes, and nerve ends with incessant streams of almost inescapable noise and visual distractions. The perfect “subject” for the aims of this economy is the person who continuously itches his ears with the radio, preferably using the portable kind which can go with him at all hours and in all places. His eyes flit without rest from television screen, to newspaper, to magazine, keeping him in a sort of orgasm-with-out-release through a series of teasing glimpses of shiny automobiles, shiny female bodies, and other sensuous surfaces, interspersed with such restorers of sensitivity—shock treatments—as “human interest” shots of criminals, mangled bodies, wrecked airplanes, prize fights, and burning buildings. The literature or discourse that goes along with this is similarly manufactured to tease without satisfaction, to replace every partial gratification with a new desire."

>148 banjo123: I loved Hag-Seed too.

That quote from Watts is very interesting. It's an amazing insight into was happening then and continues, multiplied, today.

I am into the second half of All My Puny Sorrows. I love this book. It could have been so heavy handed and depressing but Toews balances it all so well, plus her prose sings.

>184 thornton37814: Wasn't Hagseed fun? I just picked A Gap In Time up from the library, so it's up soon.

>185 Oregonreader: So true! I am trying to reduce my screen dependency, but it's so hard to do.

>186 msf59: Hooray, Mark! Are you doing print or audio?

Happy weekend !

Thanks, Rachel! Now the weekend is over... mostly it was a good one.

Saturday we did our volunteer stint at School House Supplies, sorting books for the use of public school teachers. It was fun as always, but unfortunately I torqued my back moving a bin a books, and it's been painful since then.
Saturday was also lunch with my dad and his girlfriend. Very nice to see them and so nice that they are going on 85 and 86 and still going strong.
Today, I did a volunteer stint phone banking for Clinton for President. I have been so anxious about this election, so it did help to do something positive.
We also had our bookgroup, and discussed Henrietta Lacks. Most everybody liked it.... a couple of people had a hard time getting into it, but then liked it. Two others abandoned it; Apparently the first part was difficult because there was so much discussion of science, and cells. This kind of cracked me up, because my criticism of the book was that there was not enough science. Everyone liked the way the book gave a picture of what life was like for the Lacks family.

In between, I have gotten quite a bit of reading done, and have several reviews to do.

And, just for cuteness, a kitty picture:

The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson

This is Winterson's take on Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale, part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series. Margaret Atwood's Hag-seed remains my favorite from the series, but Winterson does the best job of making Shakespeare's plot seem plausible.

In the play, Leontes decided, for no good reason, that his BFF Polixenes is having an affair with Leontes' pregnant wife Hermione. Leontes has a huge anger problem, Polixenes leaves, Leontes throws Hermione in prison, she has the baby, then swoons and is determined to have died. Leontes has the baby taken off and abandoned. Winterson manages to make Leontes seem real, and even, makes us understand why Polixenes and Hermione still care about this very flawed man. It is a a story about forgiveness and fate. Winterson has a personal interest in the story of the abandoned child, and her take on the process of adoption, and the class aspects to the story are quite interesting. .

The setting is perfect-- London after the financial crisis of 2008; with Leo as a financial wheeler and dealer; and a fictional US city called New Bohemia. There is even a virtual world/gaming system thrown in for good measure.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I enjoyed this re-read. And Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett end up together at the end. Yay!

Take Good Care of the Garden and Dogs by Heather Lende

I really liked Lende's first book If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name about life in small-town Alaska. This just wasn't as good, in my opinion, she covers some of the same ground, but with less freshness and more moralizing. Probably this is partly because the book deals in large part with her recovery from a serious accident. (she was run over by a truck). It would be hard not to take life a little more seriously after something like that happened. If you are interested in religion, this may work better for you, as Lende's liberal Christianity is a major theme. (She is compared on the dust-cover to Annie Lamott, which is not quite apt, but not totally off mark.)

But some of the stories were interesting. My favorite part was "You Are Going To Get Well" in which she describes a totem pole by that name, carved by Wayne Price for a health center in Sitka. He thought of it as a "wellbriety" pole, and had a vision about the wood chips that would fall when he carved it. "Wayne's ancestors' spirits told him that each chip would represent a soul lost to alcohol, drugs, HIV, violence, poverty,. and even war." Lende was chosen to help raise this pole, which sounds like an honor (and it is) but also sounds pretty scary, as it was a heavy pole, and Wayne's vision involved a group of people (I think 140 people) lifting the pole without mechanical support. I found a picture on the web, and it looks pretty awesome.

Hi, Rhonda! I read AMPS in print but, with the right narrator it could be excellent on audio.

Hooray for Henrietta Lacks. Glad the BC was mostly a success.

Hi Rhonda - I loved A Gap of Time, too, but I agree: Hag-Seed is my favorite.

I read and enjoyed the first Lende but will wait on the second. That photo is very cool.

>193 msf59: For some reason, I could not imaging AMPS on audio, but maybe it would work. I was so glad that people liked Henrietta Lacks. It's a new book group, so we are still getting the feel of what kinds of books work for the group.

>194 BLBera: Hooray! Great minds think alike. Isn't that an amazing totem pole?

The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride

am not sure why I requested this from Early Reviewers. I should have checked and realized it's not my thing. McBride uses a Joycean stream of consciousness type of writing. I finished this book yearning for grammar.

I think the writing style might be well done, it's just not my thing. Her prose is actually easy enough to understand, and the plot here is pretty simple: a love story complicated by abuse and it's after-effects.

I heard McBride interviewed, and she sounds nice, and interesting, but her writing is not for me. (

The Education of Harriet Hatfield by May Sarton

On the other hand, this book (read for my Lesbian book group) had grammar, but I ended up even more annoyed. Sarton is a competent writer, but I am rating this book as only one star because I was so appalled that a supposedly feminist writer would write a book that referenced domestic violence and reproductive rights so appallingly.

Yikes. Hope you've got something good lined up after those two that you didn't enjoy. I've not read any McBride and am not to keen to try her out.

"...just for cuteness, a kitty picture." LOVE.

Hi, Rhonda.

I'm hoping to get Hag-seed as an ER book; if not, I'll track it down some other way. Good for you for re-reading Pride and Prejudice. I've done that several times now (so good!), but not for a while.

If you haven't seen the Love and Friendship movie, based on her Lady Susan, it's very good. Kate Beckinsale is excellent as Lady Susan.

R--All caught up here again. I appreciated the assisted-suicide discussion and your recent reads. Hope the kitties are helping to combat the empty nest syndrome. I, on the other hand, am back to a full house and all its craziness!

>198 charl08: To be fair, McBride would be good if you liked that kind of thing, and Harriet Hatfield would have been three stars for the writing, but I was just too annoyed by her cavalier reaction to domestic violence. Right now I am reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and it is SO funny and SO tough. I love it.

>199 EBT1002: Yes, some days do call out for a pet picture!

>200 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I will have to look for Love and Friendship . Austen is just really comforting for me.
I am now feeling committed to reading all the Hogarth Shakespeare series. I just found that I won an ER copy of Shylock is my name

>201 Berly: Thanks Kim! The pets ARE a big help with the empty nest. And we are flying back east soon, for a short trip to visit with Banjo, jr.

Hi Rhonda - Alexie sounds like a good antidote for your recent annoying reads. Students tend to love him, too, which makes him fun to teach.

Thanks, Beth, Alexie was great. So funny. I have read some of his adult fiction before and really liked it, so I have no idea why it took so long for me to pick this up. And I finished it earlier this week, putting my September book total up to nine, which is awesome for me.

Current reading is Master of the Senate (now about half way done); and also In the Wilderness by Kim Barnes. Barnes is very interesting so far.

>204 banjo123: It took me forever to pick up the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian too, but it was my first Alexie. I definitely need to get around to some more by him.

Another Alexie fan here. Sounds like the timing was perfect too after some reads that didn't work out so well for you.

>189 banjo123: Adorable!

I'm happy for you, Rhonda, that you and yours are flying back east to see Banjo Jr. That should be a lovely trip! I'm really not a fan of Margaret Atwood, but all this talk of Hag-Seed is tempting me.

>205 ursula: I read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and it was really good. Heavier thanPart-Time Indian, as it has an adult audience.

>206 charl08: Alexie is quite a guy. I think he will be at Wordstock in Portland, so maybe I will get to see him.

>207 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel!

>208 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. I am not sure about Hag-seed if you don't like Atwood. It really feels like her, but it is short. And funny.

>209 EBT1002: Oooh! So cute!

I thought you needed a kitten picture. :-)

>211 EBT1002: I did! I really did! Thanks so much.

Happy to help. ;-)

Alexie at Wordstock! I need to move.

>213 EBT1002: Thanks!
>214 BLBera: good idea! But your daughter and Scout will have to move as well.

Hope everyone is having a good week and good reading! This is notice that I probably will be off-line for the next week, heading out to see Banjo, jr. I should get lots of reading done, so I will have a report when I get back.

Have a great trip!!

Have a great trip!!

>215 banjo123: I am sure that your trip to Banjo junior will go swimmingly. Looking forward to your news, Rhonda.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

This is true, Rhonda. I would have to move the entire family. Have a great visit with BJ.

I hope you're having a great time with Banjo Jr., Rhonda!!

>219 BLBera: Maybe you could just plan a visit to our neighborhood? (I mean, I'd love it if you'd move here but Rhonda and I, along with our magnificent Seattle-Portland LT community, would welcome you for a visit, too!).

Right, Rhonda? We would.

Hi Everyone! We are back from our East Coast travels. We had a really nice time. It was so nice to see Banjo, jr, it seems like she is doing well and growing into a good person. Also, she enjoys spending time with us, which is awesome!

I always find travel good for reading (all that plane and train time, plus no annoying house chores.) This trip was no exception, and I really enjoyed most of the books I read. Reviews to follow.

>216 RebaRelishesReading: >217 SuziQoregon: >218 PaulCranswick: >220 EBT1002: Thanks!

>219 BLBera: >221 EBT1002: Great idea, Ellen! That could be another epic meet-up.

So glad that you enjoyed your East Coast travels and that Banjo jr is doing so well! That must make your hearts feel settled and happy.

Welcome back, Rhonda! Glad you had a nice trip and got to see Banjo Jr.

Look forward to hearing about those books.

>223 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb! It really is nice.

>224 msf59: Thanks for stopping Mark! I am anxious to write about my books, because several were really, really good. But I am too tired to do it today. The one I am the most excited about was The Secret Chord. I think it's my favorite of Geraldine Brooks now.

My nephew is in grad school in Eugene; I've been telling my sister we should visit while he is still there. And of course, once we are in the state...

I'm glad you had a good visit. I'll watch for reviews.

>229 banjo123: You all should definitely come visit. And Eugene is a nice town also.

Happy Saturday, everyone! Here in Portland, it is rainy, windy, and I have come down with a cold. We did our book-sorting volunteer gig this morning, but for the rest of the day, and most of tomorrow, I plan to take it easy. I am going to try to write ups some reviews.

In honor of the Nobel Prize, here is a link to my favorite Dylan song (at least my favorite for today.)

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

This is a brilliant essay, in the form of a letter, from Coates to his 15 year-old son, about growing up African American in the United States. Really, this book deserves all the accolades it has received. Lots to think about! I was interested in his description of "people who believe themselves to be white." I had never thought about turning identity around like that.
I was also interested in the description of how much violence is inside of the African-American community, and how this is a result of learning to defend oneself from violence outside of the community. He talked about how parents discipline their children harshly, to prepare them for a still harsher world:

"Black people love their children with a kind of obsession. You are all we have, and you come to us endangered. I think we would like to kill you ourselves before seeing you killed by the streets that America made. That is a philosophy of the disembodied, of a people who control nothing, who can protect nothing, who are made to fear not just the criminals among them but the police who lord over them with all the moral authority of a protection racket”

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

I read this for my book club, and really enjoyed it. It is the story of two girls, Elena and Lila, growing up outside of Naples in the 1950's. The neighborhood is gritty and the girls' lives are difficult. This book takes them through girlhood and adolescence. The girls have limited choices available to them, even with encouragement from school. As I am sure you all know, this is the first book in the series, and we are left with the feeling that these young girls have made decisions that will haunt the rest of their lives. I will have to read the next book!

It was interesting to read at the same time as Between the World and Me, because it seemed like the working class Italians had some of the same issues that Coates discusses -- lots of casual violence for example.

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

This was a great vacation read. It's a story of a family, and a house, across the generations. The story is full of surprises, and the reader has to continually reevaluate how she feels about various characters. Almost all of the characters have major flaws, but Tyler seems so kind to them, anyway. It made me think about family and how traits are passed from generation to generation, either intentionally or unintentionally.

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli

I was interested in reading something more modern about physics after reading A Brief History of Time. This book was a little simpler than I wanted and I felt it suffered from being too brief.

However, some good lines about how amazing science can be as a way of understanding the world and putting different pieces together.

“Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and beauty of the world. And it’s breathtaking.”

Some good reading Rhonda. Of course I associate Portland very much with LT and its rather well known bookstore!

Have a lovely weekend.

The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks

This is the story of King David, as told by the prophet Natan. Brooks has obviously done her historical and biblical research, and the book gives a window into another world. A really violent and sexist world, and Brooks does not minimize the violence and sexism. A central message of the book is that violence breeds more violence. Another message is that something good (Jerusalem is shown as a city filled with music) can come from a tragically flawed human being.
David was basically a tribal warlord, who was also a charismatic political genius and good at the harp. He had a number of wives, some mainly for political reasons, and he does not always treat them well. He was able to unite the various tribes and establishes Jerusalem as the capitol. However, the end of his life is overshadowed by violence; his daughter Tamar is raped by her half brothers, Amnon;his sons are rebellious, and Tamar's brother Absalom kills Amnon. The hope left is with his son Shlomo (Solomon), son of Batsheva.
One interesting part of this book is that narrative by Natan, the prophet who is able to speak openly to David and try to guide him away from some of his mistakes. Natan, as a prophet, is set apart from his peers, and sometimes has to live with knowledge (through his prophecies) that is difficult for him.

>232 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! we cross-posted. Portland is a great reading town.

I still have a couple books to review, but am feeling pooped, so will leave them for tomorrow.

Hi Rhonda - What a lot of reading you got done. Great comments, too. I haven't read The Secret Chord, and I am a fan of Brooks. I may have to take a look at it. I also loved the Tyler and Ferrante. I keep thinking I should continue with the Ferrantes.

I read My Brilliant Friend earlier this year and enjoyed it too. It led me to read all four of the Neapolitan series which I don't regret.

>233 banjo123: I really liked The Secret Chord - one of the reasons was that depiction of the prophet as unsure and paying for the role he had taken on.

Happy Sunday, Rhonda. I am enjoying your reviews. It looks like some fine reading going on. I will have to bump up The Secret Chord. I have no idea, why I have dragged my feet on that one. I adore Brooks.

I also enjoyed the Tyler and the Coates.

Me, too, Rhonda.

My wife loved the Ferrante series - she just finished it, and thought the last was the best. She's encouraging me to try it. I liked Seven Brief Lessons better than you did, sounds like. I was impressed by how he compressed the concepts and made them accessible - they were newspaper columns, weren't they?

>235 BLBera: Hi Beth! I have to continue with Ferrante, because I NEED to find out what happens to Lila...

>236 RebaRelishesReading: That's great, Reba! I am glad you liked the series.

>237 charl08: Yes, Charlotte, wasn't that cool? Poor guy, that was a tough life.

>238 msf59: Oh, Mark, you will like The Secret Chord. It's DARK.

>239 jnwelch: That's interesting, Joe, I didn't know that. Somehow, thinking of them as newspaper columns makes me like them better.

Reading Update: I got so much reading done on vacation that I don't feel any pressure to read more. Currently my books are Master of the Senate and My Name is Shylock (and ER selection.). But I just got Hero of the Empire from the library, so imagine that will take precedence. I am so excited. I adore Millard and Churchill was such a character.

In the Wilderness: Coming of Age in Unknown Country by Kim Barnes

Kim Barnes grew up in Norther Idaho, with a father who worked as a logger. She describes the wilderness around them as being almost a character in their family, and a great source of strength. However, things got rough in her family in the mid-60's, with changes in the economy. The family turned to Pentecostalism, and to a rigid set of views and sex roles. She does a good job of showing why people in this kind of situation might turn to fundamental religion, and also the costs of this kind of religion.

Barnes rebelled as a young teen-ager, turning to cigarettes and boys. Here is a description of how she learned to relate to boys:

"I would work on perfecting my own emotional veneer; but the truth is, it's no trick, and this too, I would learn; the shell you build, one layer at a time, is real. No one gets in, and you may never get out. "

I doublechecked, Rhonda, re Seven Brief Lessons on Physics. From the NY Times:

The short and resonant essays in Carlo Rovelli’s “Seven Brief Lessons on Physics” began as columns in Il Sole 24 Ore, the Italian newspaper. Even better, they appeared in that paper’s culture section, its editors sensing that its arty readers could use a bit of stretching.

>242 jnwelch: That is cool! I often feel that I could use a little stretching, science-wise. Short articles in the paper would be handy.

The Year of the Monsoon by Caren Werlinger

This was a read for the Lesbian book-club. You might wonder why I stick with this book group, because so many of the books are sub-par. But it's a really nice group! Also, I realized that without this group, I hardly ever read anything that's by and about lesbians, and I think it's good for me to see my life more reflected in my reading.

So as for this book, it was OK. The writing is OK, and the main character was a social worker, which was fun. But I feel that the author bit off more than she could chew. The story is about a couple who have been together for 10 years, and reach a rough patch in their relationship. A really common phenomena, but I think that a simple romance would have been easier. Also, there are about 6 plots going on, which seems over the top. And the writer has a tendency to use a lot of flashbacks and flash forwards, which means that nothing that ever happens in the book is a surprise.

I wanted to post a few pictures from our New Jersey trip. We went to NYC one day, and saw the Diane Arbus exhibit at the Met. She had quite an eye,

We also spent time out of doors. We went to the Delaware Water Gap, which turns out to be in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, not Delaware, but features the Delaware river. Also, some nice hiking on the Appalachian trail

Also, it turns out that the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge was only 20 minutes from my daughter!

Great pictures, Rhonda. Thanks for sharing.

>241 banjo123: This sounds great. Wishlisted.

I love Arbus' pictures. I've seen a couple of documentaries but would love to own a book of her images. One day!

Thanks, Beth!

>249 charl08: Hope you like it when you get there, Charlotte.

A friend recently read and really liked a biography of Arbus. I will have to find out which one it was---I see there are two.

>246 banjo123: & >247 banjo123: Lovely photos Rhonda. Hiking along the Appalachian trail sounds delightful.

Have a great weekend.

Fabulous photo,Rhonda! Enjoy your weekend!

>251 PaulCranswick: >252 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Paul and Deb!

I am happy for the weekend. I was battling a cold all week (better now) so work took a lot out of me. I have a pretty low-key weekend planned, so hopefully some house chores, reading and LT time. My big accomplishment so far was that I filled out my ballot this morning. Hooray! I just need to walk it over to the library now, they have a ballot box there.

Reading-wise, I am pretty far along with Millard's Hero of the Empire It's good, but not as good as her two earlier books. And Churchill is an arrogant jerk. I hope to finish this weekend and then will have more to say.

Arrogant jerk made me laugh. Yes, I think that sums him up. Sometimes his strength, a lot of times (Indian decolonisation, Gallipolli) the exact opposite. Wish UK wasn't so keen on whitewashing his chequered career into one of WW2 hero...

I hope you're feeling better, Rhonda. I was just looking at my NCTE conference, and it will be in Portland next year...I have to look at the agenda, but it's a possibility...

>254 charl08: That's true! He did grow on me a bit by the end of the book.

>255 BLBera: Yes, I am better, and hooray! I would love to see you in Portland!

Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard

I liked this book about Winston Churchill and his experiences in the Boer war, but thought that it was not nearly as good as Millard's other work. It was a bit thin. I did learn a lot about the Boer war, which was interesting as it was so important to the history of South Africa.

Churchill very deliberately sought out dangerous military situations, hoping that good press for his heroics would lead to success in his political career. It worked for him! Churchill comes off as sort of an arrogant jerk in this book, but he was young (24, I think). I imagine that a later Churchill would be more complex and interesting.

Nice comments on the Millard, Rhonda. I still haven't read her, but I think I'll start with a different one.

Happy Sunday, Rhonda. Thanks for sharing your vacation photos. Lovely. Glad you had a chance to hike a bit of the AT. I would like to walk sections of it, one of these days.

Glad you liked The Hero of the Empire. I hope to start it early next month.

Love the vacation photos, Rhonda! I'm so glad you got to visit your daughter.

>246 banjo123: That top photo makes me want to go for a trail run. :-)

>258 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! I think everyone else has been really happy with Hero of the Empire, but I think her earlier two are much stronger.

>259 msf59: It felt really cool to be on the AT. I tried to imaging Bill Bryson there.

> 260 It was great, Ellen, and it turns out that New Jersey is really pretty. The Garden State, I guess.

I wanted to share the poem of the day. It's tough, but powerful.

Imperatives for Carrying On in the Aftermath
Natasha Trethewey, 1966

Do not hang your head or clench your fists
when even your friend, after hearing the story,
says: My mother would never put up with that.

Fight the urge to rattle off statistics: that,
more often, a woman who chooses to leave
is then murdered. The hundredth time

your father says, But she hated violence,
why would she marry a guy like that?—
don’t waste your breath explaining, again,

how abusers wait, are patient, that they
don’t beat you on the first date, sometimes
not even the first few years of a marriage.

Keep an impassive face whenever you hear
Stand by Your Man, and let go your rage
when you recall those words were advice

given your mother. Try to forget the first
trial, before she was dead, when the charge
was only attempted murder; don’t belabor

the thinking or the sentence that allowed
her ex-husband’s release a year later, or
the juror who said, It’s a domestic issue—

they should work it out themselves. Just
breathe when, after you read your poems
about grief, a woman asks: Do you think

your mother was weak for men? Learn
to ignore subtext. Imagine a thought-
cloud above your head, dark and heavy

with the words you cannot say; let silence
rain down. Remember you were told
by your famous professor, that you should

write about something else, unburden
yourself of the death of your mother and
just pour your heart out in the poems.

Ask yourself what’s in your heart, that
reliquary—blood locket and seed-bed—and
contend with what it means, the folk-saying

you learned from a Korean poet in Seoul:
that one does not bury the mother’s body
in the ground but in the chest, or—like you—

you carry her corpse on your back.


Copyright © 2016 by Natasha Trethewey. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on October 25, 2016, by the Academy of American Poets.

>262 banjo123: OMG, that is a breathtaking poem!

I love that Trethewey poem, too, Rhonda.

That is a powerful poem. I saw it on Tuesday, in the Poem-a-Day e-mail from the Academy of American Poets.

Love the poem, Rhonda. Trethewey is a treasure.

>257 banjo123: Oh, she has a new book? Onto the wishlist it goes.

>262 banjo123: Excellent poem, Rhonda. That one hits hard. I love the Poem-A-Day. Always a highlight.

Thanks Ellen, Joe, Darryl, Beth and Mark! Trethawey is pretty amazing. And I also love the Poem-A-Day. Such an easy way to add a little poetry to one's day.

>267 qebo: Yes! Millard is pretty cool.

I had plans to get caught up here, and maybe even start a new thread. And I did finish another book My Name is Shylock, so have a review to do. But yesterday I spent the afternoon in a pumpkin carving class (fun!) and the evening at a play August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned, (very good) We had several social things today, and also had to clean and cook for our book group. So, long story short, I will have to catch up later. But I will post a pic of my pumpkin, because I am proud of it.

Love the pumpkin!

Nice pumpkin, Rhonda!

Happy Halloween, Rhonda. I'll be interested in your comments on My Name Is Shylock.

Looks like you had some great reading on your trip. Several of those are on my wish lists.

Great vacation photos.

Pumpkins and poems, Rhonda. That should make for a glorious weekend. xx

>270 The_Hibernator:, >271 kidzdoc: Thanks Rachel and Darryl! It was fun.

>272 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Hoping to get that review done soon.

>273 SuziQoregon: Yes, planes and trains are great for reading...

>274 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

I think, since November is here, it's time for a new thread.