Paul C's 2017 Reading & Life - 13

A Slow Goodbye to Malaysia

This could be my last or my penultimate thread with my permanently based in my home of 23 years. Cameron Highlands, Hill Station and Tea Centre.

Paul Poetry

Did Montcalm Die Alone?

"God be praised, I die contented",
Said James Wolfe and expired;
No one remembers what Montcalm said
As the French were not so regimented
And had with much haste retired
Whilst their complacent leader lay dead.

From Quebec came the gain of Montreal
But the French never really left
For all that Vancouver sang to save a Queen or King
And O' Canada, it wasn't quite all
Because the Quebecois were still bereft
And characterized a different kind of belonging.

ME & MINE

Me?
I was 50 in September 2016 and have enough unread reading material on my shelves to take me safely into my seventies! I have lived in Malaysia since 1994 and have a long suffering (but never quietly) wife, Hani (sometimes referred to as SWMBO), three children Yasmyne (19), Kyran (17) and Belle (12), as well as a supporting cast which includes my book smuggling assistants Azim (also my driver and a part time bouncer who, despite his muscles, lives in almost as much fear of my wife as I do) and Erni (my housemaid, almost-little sister and the worlds greatest coffee maker). On this thread you'll probably read as much about the vagaries of life, book buying and group related statistics as you do about the actual books themselves.



I have added 3,000 books to my shelves in four years but late last year I decided to sort my books from the 4,500 books unread into the essentials of 900 fiction and 180 non-fiction books and I will try to make a serious dent in that list this year.

I will also be reading, as usual, plenty of poetry which is another passion and, as you have seen above, a faltering pastime.

.BOOKS READ

JANUARY

1. The Magician's Wife by Brian Moore (1997) 229 pp
2. Maus I : My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman (1986) 159 pp
3. Midwinter Sacrifice by Mons Kallentoft (2006) 440 pp
4. Out in the Midday Sun : The British in Malaya 1880-1960 by Margaret Shennan (2000) 471 pp
5. Blood Child and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler (2003) 214 pp
6. The Assault by Harry Mulisch (1985) 185 pp
7. 100 Prized Poems : Twenty-Five Years of the Forward Books (2016) 176 pp
8. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple (2005) 400 pp
9. Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare (2000) 182 pp
10. The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (2010) 352 pp
11. Varamo by Cesar Aira (2002) 89 pp
12. The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen (1935) 250 pp

FEBRUARY

13. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (1970) 456 pp
14. A Blaze of Autumn Sunshine : The Last Diaries by Tony Benn (2013) 294 pp
15. City of Secrets by Stewart O'Nan (2016) 190 pp
16. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (1983) 210 pp
17. The Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert by Jaroslav Seifert (1998) 246 pp
18. Dogs at the Perimeter by Madeleine Thien (2011) 253 pp

MARCH

19. Up the Junction by Nell Dunn (1963) 133 pp
20. Middle Passages by Kamau Brathwaite (1992) 120 pp
21. Maus II : A Survivor's Tale : And Here My Troubles Began (1991) 136 pp
22. Sapiens : A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (2011) 466 pp
23. Fences by August Wilson (1985) 101 pp
24. No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod (1999) 262 pp
25. Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (2001) 399 pp

BOOKS READ

APRIL

26. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2003) 343 pp
27. Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason (2010) 296 pp
28. The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron (1967) 415 pp
29. When I Was Old by Georges Simenon (1970) 452 pp

British Author Challenge 2017



JANUARY : IRISH BRITONS - ELIZABETH BOWEN (DONE) & BRIAN MOORE (DONE)

FEBRUARY : SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY - MARY STEWART (DONE) & TERRY PRATCHETT DONE

MARCH : A DECADE OF BRITISH NOVELS : The 1960s - 10 Novels by Men; 10 Novels by Women - 1 DONE

APRIL: SOUTH YORKSHIRE AUTHORS : AS BYATT & BRUCE CHATWIN

MAY : BEFORE QUEEN VIC : 10 Novels written prior to 1837

JUNE : THE HISTORIANS (Historical Fiction / Historians) GEORGETTE HEYER & SIMON SCHAMA

JULY : SCOTTISH AUTHORS : D.E. STEVENSON and R.L. STEVENSON

AUGUST : BRITAIN BETWEEN THE WARS (Writers active 1918-1939) WINIFRED HOLTBY & ROBERT GRAVES

SEPTEMBER : THE NEW MILLENNIUM (Great Books Since 2000) A novel chosen from each year of the new century

OCTOBER : WELSH AUTHORS (Born in or associated with Wales) : JO WALTON & ROALD DAHL

NOVEMBER : POET LAUREATES : British laureates, children's laureate, National Poets

DECEMBER : WILDCARD (Chosen via a vote) : ELIZABETH GASKELL & NEIL GAIMAN

American Author Challenge



American Author Challenge 2017

January- Octavia Butler Blood Child and Other Stories
February- Stewart O' Nan City of Secrets : A Novel
March- William Styron The Confessions of Nat Turner
April- Poetry Month
May- Zora Neale Hurston
June- Sherman Alexie
July- James McBride
August- Patricia Highsmith
September- Short Story Month
October- Ann Patchett
November- Russell Banks
December- Ernest Hemingway

Canadian Author Challenge



January : Anne Michaels & Robertson Davies

February : Madeleine Thien DONE & Rohinton Mistry

March : Anne Hebert & Alistair McLeod DONE

April : Magaret Atwood & Guy Vanderhaeghe

May : Louise Penny & Leonard Cohen

June : Heather O'Neill & Dan Vyleta

July : Carol Shields & Wayson Choy

August : Ruth Ozeki & Douglas Coupland

September : Lori Lansens & Steven Galloway

October : Alice Munro & Arthur Slade

November : Gil Adamson & Guy Gavriel Kay

December : Donna Morrisey & Wayne Johnston

ANZ Author Challenge



I will be doing Kerry's ANZAC Bingo Challenge 2x12

ANZAC Bingo 2x12
1: Read a book about conflict or war
2: Read a book with more than 500 pgs
3: Read an Aussie crime novel
4: Read a book using word play in the title
5: Read a book about exploration or a journey
6: Read a book that's been longlisted for the International DUBLIN Literary Award
7: Read a book that's part of a series
8: Read a memoir/biography (can be fiction)
9: Read a book written under a pen name
10: Read a book with a musical plot
11: Read a book with water featured in title/cover : COMPLETED The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
12: Read a book with an immigrant protagonist

Other Challenges & Some Stats

NOBEL WINNERS 60 Laureates read (1 new in 2017)

PULITZER WINNERS 15 fiction winners read (1 in 2017)

BOOKER PRIZE WINNERS 24 winners read at 1/1/17

ORANGE/BAILEYS/WOMEN'S PRIZE WINNERS

1001 BOOKS FIRST EDITION - 274 / 1001 (2 in 2017)

GUARDIAN 1000 BOOKS - 319/998 (2 in 2017)

IMPAC WINNERS - 6/21 read (1 in 2017)

tbr records

Reading Plan for April

My fairly hopeless reading efforts in February and March have left me not only playing catch-up but with 7 unfinished books to complete. I want to finish all of these and thirteen more in the 30 days of April a month that will see me travel by aeroplane several times - Malaysia to UK; UK to USA; USA to UK and possibly UK to Malaysia again. Traditionally I read a lot on my travels so I am optimistic that I'll get plenty done.

To finish

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Obama Books)
Bleak House by Charles Dickens (Karen's Group Read / 1001 Books)
Lost Empires by J.B. Priestley (BAC March)
The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron (AAC March) COMPLETED
Going West by Maurice Gee (ANZAC Bingo Challenge / Around the World in 80 Books)
When I was Old by Georges Simenon (Around the World in 80 Books) COMPLETED
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (Around the World in 80 Books)

To Start and Finish

On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin (BAC April / 1001 Books)
The Children's Book by AS Byatt (BAC April)
Ariel by Sylvia Plath (AAC April)
The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe (CAC April)
Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami (1001 Books / Around the World in 80 Books)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (Around the World in 80 Books)
I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish (Around the World in 80 Books)
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Around the World in 80 Books) COMPLETED
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese ( Around the World in 80 Books/Obama Books)
Her Privates We by Frederic Manning ANZAC Bingo Challenge / 1001 Books)
Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels (CAC Challenge/ 1001 Books)
Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason ( Around the World in 80 Books) COMPLETED
Night School by Lee Child

If I can manage these I will add 5 to my read 1001 books
I will add 10 countries to my around the world in 80 books

CURRENTLY READING

Literary worlds

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BOOKS

I have not included the UK and USA in this as so much of our reading is from those two places but these are my 80 countries. Authors should have been born there, been a citizen of that country or are clearly associated with it.


visited 15 states (6.66%)
Create your own visited map of The World

1 Afghanistan
2 ALBANIA ISMAIL KADARE - Spring Flowers, Spring Frost
3 Algeria
4 Angola
5 Antigua
6 ARGENTINA CESAR AIRA - Varamo
7 AUSTRALIA PETER TEMPLE - The Broken Shore
8 Austria
9 Bangladesh
10 BARBADOS KAMAU BRATHWAITE - Middle Passages
11 BELGIUM GEORGES SIMENON - When I Was Old
12 Bosnia
13 Brazil
14 CANADA BRIAN MOORE - The Magician's Wife
15 Chile
16 China
17 Colombia
18 Croatia
19 CZECHIA JAROSLAV SEIFERT - The Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert
20 Denmark
21 Dominica
22 Dominican Republic
23 Egypt
24 Ethiopia
25 Finland
26 France
27 Germany
28 Ghana
29 Greece
30 Haiti
31 HOLLAND HARRY MULISCH - The Assault
32 Hungary
33 ICELAND ARNALDUR INDRIDASON - Strange Shores
34 India
35 Indonesia
36 IRAN MARJANE SATRAPI - Persepolis
37 IRELAND ELIZABETH BOWEN - The House in Paris
38 ISRAEL YUVAL NOAH HARARI - Sapiens : A Brief History of Humankind
39 Italy
40 Jamaica
41 Japan
42 Kenya
43 Korea
44 Lebanon
45 Malawi
46 Malaysia
47 Mexico
48 Morocco
49 Mozambique
50 New Zealand
51 Nigeria
52 Norway
53 Pakistan
54 Palestine
55 Peru
56 Philippines
57 Poland
58 Portugal
59 Romania
60 Russia
61 Saudi Arabia
62 Senegal
63 Serbia
64 Sierra Leone
65 Singapore
66 Somalia
67 South Africa
68 Spain
69 Sri Lanka
70 St. Kitts
71 Sudan
72 SWEDEN MONS KALLENTOFT - Midwinter Sacrifice
73 Switzerland
74 Syria
75 Tanzania
76 Trinidad
77 Turkey
78 Uganda
79 Ukraine
80 Zimbabwe

next is yours

First!

>17 amanda4242: A pleasure as always, Amanda. xx Having a bit of trouble editing posts - LT is playing up a bit this morning as many of us look at new threads.

Happy new thread, Paul!

>19 harrygbutler: Thanks Harry!

Happy New Thread, Paul! Of your planned reads for April, on your last thread, I can vouch for I Shall Not Hate as short but powerful and insightful read. I believe the MD who wrote that book now makes his residence in Canada. I also really loved Cutting For Stone , a longer book, but I thought a wonderful read. Best of luck with the move , travelling and reading too.

>21 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deb. After a pretty torrid few weeks I finally saw a little light along the dark tunnel this week and I am hoping for the end to be well and truly in sight.

Happy new thread, Paul!! A pleasure as always to tag along on your adventures, bookish and RL.

>23 Berly: The pleasure is also mine, Kimmers. I am so privileged to have so many wonderful friends as a result of my decision in 2011 to open a particular site that I had googled. xx

Happy New Thread, Paul!

>25 msf59: Cheers Mark. You always make this group a joy, buddy.

Paul - when you get to the U.S. and Florida

(they sometimes appear to be different locations with Monstrous Poisonous Toads and "chads")

and you are feeling homesick, you can always head to Orlando and Harry Potter

for another great light at the end of a tunnel (or Alley)!

>27 m.belljackson: I am expecting a fairly busy week there Marianne and my commitments in UK/Malaysia may legislate against me using up too much time extending my trip. Let's see!

Happy New Thread, Paul!

I'm glad you finally saw a little light along the dark tunnel this week.

Bravo!

Happy new thread, Paul!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Paul.

Happy new thread, Paul. I am looking forward to reading about your upcoming adventures. I hope all your travels go smoothly.

>29 karenmarie: Karen, so far so good. Another good meeting this morning but my departure dates are dependent upon drawdowns so I am not really in a position to confirm my permanent return date yet.

>30 thornton37814: Thank you Lori. xx

>31 foggidawn: Thanks Foggy. I shall try to get round the threads later today and on Sunday.

>32 ronincats: Thank you Roni - I was looking at a BBC book on pottery yesterday and immediately you came straight into my mind. xx

>33 Familyhistorian: Adventures there are sure to be, Meg. I also look forward to sharing my experiences with the group - my support system, my sounding board and oftentimes my consolation. xx

Happy weekend and congrats on the new thread, Paul.

>36 Ameise1: Thank you Barbara. xx

THREAD POSTING LEAGUE FIRST QUARTER

158 threads have reached 40 posts. 107 threads have reached 100 posts. 78 threads have reached 200 posts. 30 threads have 500 posts and 12 have 1000 or more. The top 140 threads have already 55,638 posts which is 38.55% of last years complete year end total. Here are the current stats:

1 PaulCranswick 3287
2 msf59 2885
3 scaifea 2498
4 crazymamie 2359
5 jnwelch 2283
6 Berly 1854
7 KatieKrug 1602
8 kidzdoc 1308
9 Charl08 1219
10 EBT1002 1152
11 FAMeulstee 1144
12 Ameise1 1023
13 drneutron 993
14 Lunacat 954
15 karenmarie 878
16 ChelleBearss 810
17 FamilyHistorian 785
18 SusanJ67 775
19 ireadthereforeiam 757
20 ronincats 743
21 rosalita 725
22 johnsimpson 699
23 BBLBera 658
24 lyzard 635
25 vancouverdeb 573
26 mstrust 549
27 nittnut 539
28 morphy 533
29 DianaNL 522
30 thornton37814 512
31 MichiganTrumpet 482
32 cbl_tn 462
33 Donna 458
34 lit_chick 454
35 SandDune 441
36 Carmenere 434
37 Streamsong 392
38 avatiakh 389
39 thearlybirdy 382
40 LizzieD 367
41 harrygbutler 364
42 AMQS 355
43 Chatterbox 353
44 The_Hibernator 346
45 jessibud2 345
46 Ursula 316
47 bell7 315
48 Whisper1 314
49 cammykitty 305
50 sibyx 293
51 storeetllr 286
52 BBGirl55 285
53 laytonwoman3rd 283
54 smiler69 283
55 cameling 275
56 rebarelishesreading 269
57 souloftherose 264
58 MickyFine 263
59 coppers 257
60 lkernagh 254
61 alcottacre 246
62 rretzler 243
63 Oberon 240
64 tymfos 237
65 ctpress 230
66 ffortsa 230
67 laurelkeet 223
68 mahsdad 222
69 Swynn 219
70 Weird_O 217
71 mdoris 212
72 Deern 211
73 maggie1944 211
74 foggidawn 204
75 lindapanzo 203
76 Banjo 201
77 ape 200
78 PaulStalder 200
79 brodiew2 189
80 SqueakyChu 184
81 Dianekeenoy 183
82 klobrien2 169
83 norabelle414 160
84 bohemima 153
85 eclecticdodo 153
86 fuzzi 153
87 Zoe 149
88 aktakukac 142
89 cee 142
90 Caroline_McElwee 137
91 archerygirl 136
92 EllaTim 131
93 SuziQOregon 131
94 tapestry100 130
95 kgodey 128
96 amanda4242 122
97 inge87 118
98 Kassilem 109
99 SirFurboy 108
100 Porch_Reader 106
101 calm 105
102 mckait 105
103 witchyrichy 104
104 lycomayflower 102
105 Rbeffa 102
106 elliepotten 101
107 arubabookwoman 100
108 PawsForThought 98
109 Luxx 97
110 kac522 94
111 evilmoose 92
112 Geezlouise 87
113 JustJoey4 86
114 seasonoflove 86
115 rosylibrarian 85
116 countrylife 83
117 labwriter 83
118 cal8767 82
119 roundballnz 81
120 Fourpawz2 79
121 tiffin 78
122 luvamystery65 74
123 TadAd 73
124 Deedledee 65
125 justchris 63
126 beeg 62
127 suslyn 62
128 andrewreads 60
129 lorax 60
130 Humouress 58
131 Cariola 57
132 mirrordrum 56
133 eyejaybee 52
134 Sir Thomas 51
135 torontoc 51
136 Cmatha 49
137 susanna.fraser 49
138 dk_phoenix 48
139 harvey.g 48
140 ladylenneth 48
141 kmartin802 47
142 CassieBash 46
143 cyderry 46
144 HanGerg 44
145 Oregonreader 44
146 RandyMetcalfe 44
147 m.bellejackson 43
148 teymaneeya 43
149 bluesalamanders 42
150 CDVicarage 42
151 gennyt 42
152 jennyifer24 42
153 scvlad 42
154 vivians 42
155 snowcatcradle 41
156 someguyinvirginia 41
157 tangledthread 41
158 kristelh 40

Happy new thread mate, Championship starts soon so lost of Yorkshire Cricket to talk about. Have a good weekend.

See you are getting your stats fix .. Have a great weekend

>39 johnsimpson: I am hopeful that Lyth and Ballance and Leaning will do well with the bat and Plunkett and Brooks and Bresnan with the ball. I cannot see us winning the title this season with Root and Bairstow missing too often.

>40 roundballnz: Surely a good way to start a month, Alex? Thanks mate.

>42 DianaNL: Your post made me paws thank you, Diana. xx

The British Author Challenge thread is up for April.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/254163

This month we are looking at the steel city of Sheffield and two of its favourite sons and daughters.

A.S. Byatt
&
Bruce Chatwin

Hi Paul!

>34 PaulCranswick: Every step forward will get you there. I'm simply amazed that you are busy with your family, busy with us, AND are working so hard to leave Malaysia on a good note.

>35 PaulCranswick: my support system, my sounding board and oftentimes my consolation. xx

I think that's the way a lot of us feel. It's wonderful to be part of a world-wide group of book lovers.

>38 PaulCranswick: Thank you, as always, for keeping track of and posting our Thread Posting League stats.

15 is easy: 3*5 becomes 3+5 = 8. 878 I'll leave just as it is, with my Mom's lucky number 7 sandwiched by my loving 8s.

>45 karenmarie: Sometimes I do think I would crack without the group. Hani doesn't take stress nearly so well and has been something of a nervous wreck recently worried about money and my ability to keep the balls airborne until the money lands and the debts and bills get paid off.

I thought that the numbers you got this time would please you. xx

CANADIAN AUTHOR CHALLENGE IS UP FOR APRIL 2017

http://www.librarything.com/topic/254167

MARGARET ATWOOD & GUY VANDERHAEGHE

Happy New Thread, mate. Great photo up top. And I enjoyed the poem. I don't think I'll ever really understand Quebec vs. the rest of Canada.

Wow! A relatively new thread. Margaret Atwood is the Canadian writer of the month? Maybe I should pick up Handmaid's Tale instead of Dark Matter? Definitely not picking up both at the same time!

Happy New Thread! What a gorgeous tea plantation!

And thanks for setting up the group threads.

Wow on your April reading plans - 5 1001 and 10 Global! You make me duck my head in shame. :-)

Hi Paul!
Breezing through ...
wishing you a day of relaxation -
at least an hour or two.
(heh, not really a poem but a sincere wish.)

Gorgeous topper, Paul. Have a relaxing weekend

Happy weekend, Paul!

Happy new thread, Paul. Have a lovely weekend.

The photo at the top is stunning. I'd live there.

>48 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. Nor will I really understand the Quebecois and their will for independence, surely Canada after the best part of 250 years is sufficient home for all Canadians.

The second verse was a sort of add-on as the had the first one down quickly based on Wolfe's actual last words.

>49 The_Hibernator: Lovely to see you Rachel. I really ought to try and fit some Atwood in too as I have a lot of her books unread on the shelves.

>50 streamsong: Cameron Highlands has been spoilt a wee bit over the last 20 years by overdevelopment but it is still worth a visit. The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng which came within a whisker of the Booker Prize was set there.
My plans are ambitious as always, Janet, but I haven't achieved any of them this year as yet!

>51 -Cee-: I'll take it as both my dear friend. xx

Claudia from up in Coastal Maine
Is back in the heart of the group again
Bathrooms with glass unglazed
Left me tickled and amazed;
Naked embarrassment a sailor's gain!

>52 jessibud2: Thank you Shelley. I actually used the same topper in 2012 (I think it was) but I wouldn't want to "leave" Malaysia without referencing Cameron Highlands.

>53 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia. I thought I spied you starting a new thread already........

>54 BLBera: If you like tea Beth then you surely would enjoy yourself as what you can see is part of a tea plantation!

Oops! I thought I posted but I got distracted by the CAC info and went off to check it out. I love Atwood, so I just have to find something by her in my piles....

Also forgot to mention earlier that I love the topper. And thank you for the stats -- always fun.

Not sure my brain is fully functional today!! LOL

Happy weekend.

>58 Berly: I could have said that about my own grey matter pretty much every day of the year so far, Kimmers. Plenty of new threads in the group today - great fun.

I finally figured it out: Paul Cranswick must be a firm with at least ten employees who continually feed the threads :-) Happy weekend and bon voyage, Paul. Welcome back to Europe (oops, you Brits don't like that anymore :-)). Anyway, I wish you a smooth return to this part of the world.

>60 Trifolia: Hahaha Monica, I am awaiting an appointment with the CEO as I might need to get some sleep soon!

We are Europeans and will always be so. The British people (nor the Belgians either) never signed up to a United States of Europe or the Union. It was meant to be a European Economic Community but the politicians wanted more. XX

>61 PaulCranswick: - It was meant to be a European Economic Community but the politicians wanted more.I agree! It all went too fast, too much and with too little (if any) respect for what the millions of Europeans really thought and wanted. But as I read somewhere the other day, in a referendum like this, people should be able to vote "yes", "no" or "different". I'd certainly have voted for a different Europe because, although I understand the voters of the out-camp, I don't think turning back to "a splendid isolation" will benefit the country. I hope I'm wrong though...

>63 PaulCranswick: I am very ambivalent about it Monica to be honest. I understand the lack of accountability issues but it also gives out a signal, intended or otherwise, of "splendid isolation" from the world which is not helpful in a time when cooperation is needed. I also hate the fact that the racists and Little Englanders have hijacked the thing. Growing up very much to the left in politics I was opposed to the EEC when it was clearly a "rich man's club"; I stayed more or less skeptical about its use but would have probably voted remain on the sheer uncertainty of leaving and the negative message it sends to our neighbours.

I agree wholeheartedly that a straight yes and no referendum is too stark a choice to put before the public.

I am not sure what damage or benefits will accrue from leaving. GB will survive but how long until it can thrive?

>57 PaulCranswick: Yes, I did. The first one did not last as long as I thought it would.

> 55 PaulCranswick

Maybe, despite their enjoyment of foie gras,
the Quebecois just don't like being associated with Seal Hunts...?

Happy new thread, Paul, you are still moving threads fast!

>38 PaulCranswick: 11th! One of my my lucky numbers :-)

Stats!!! People are going to think that I pay you to reserve my #20 spot on the list, I end up there so consistently.

Paul, Moving away after 23 years must be traumatic for all of you. I love the topper. What a beautiful place. I'll be following your new adventure. The best of luck to you.

Thanks for posting the photo of the Cameron Highlands. As I said on your last thread, it was one of my favorite places--I remember the terraces and terraces of tea and (I think) I remember being told there were still tigers roaming the jungle (could that be--or is it my faulty memory?) It was also foggy, and delightfully cool after the heat of the lowlands! I have a photo of myself looking out over the tea terraces--if I knew how to post photos I would!

I didn't realize The Garden of Evening Mists was set there. I have read The Gift of Rain set in Penang, and I have The Garden of Evening Mists on my Kindle, so I will have to get to it.

I'll probably be off LT for the next week or so as I leave this evening for London and then Paris. I know I'll never be able to catch up when I get back.

>41 PaulCranswick:, Apparently Brooks is out for the start of the season, hopefully not for long. I read a piece in the Yorkshire Post and Moxon is hoping for some big numbers from the top order as this was missing last year, as he said you are under the cosh when you are regularly 50 for 3 in the first knock. I think Balance has a lot to prove and will want a season filled with runs before he even thinks of an England return.

Stunning photo as topper Paul. I can believe you are experiencing very mixed feelings about your immanent departure, but you will have no doubt spent a lot of time planning and preparing this, so it will work out.

>6 PaulCranswick: I plan to read a Chatwin (maybe one of the essay volumes), and a Byatt, probably the first volume in her quartet, this month.

I was impressed by your proposed April reading plan Paul. I have four books to finish, and probably half a dozen others I want to read.

Good luck with the reading plans Paul. I hope you get plenty of travel time to read.

>64 alcottacre: I wasn't surprised at all, Stasia, especially considering the quite overwhelming contentedness in the group at your reappearance. xx

>65 m.belljackson: Ooops Marianne, I would say that is a tongue-in-cheek dig at my Canadian pals that I will dodge if you don't mind ever so!

>66 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. Last month started to slow a little but overall the group is performing well considering that there are fewer members than previously. In 2013 we touched a thousand group members but now are running at 300 plus.

As you may remember I keep stock of the 140 most active threads. Over the first three months activity for those threads was:

January : 25,553 posts
February : 15,224 posts
March : 14,861 posts

You and Ellen keep swapping places at the moment for tenth place.

Howdy Paul and Happy new thread! Lovely topper! Thanks for posting the stats. I need to step it up a bit, I know I'm behind last years numbers.
Have a wonderful weekend!

>67 ronincats: Hahaha, Roni. What can I say; you are Mdm. Consistency!

>68 Oregonreader: Thank you so much, Jan. I am actually ready for the change to be honest but there is so much to do to make sure that I leave something behind here that doesn't collapse the moment I depart and that I leave my staff, who I feel a great responsibility towards, in good order.

>69 arubabookwoman: How long will you be in London, Deborah? I should be there at the end of this week prior to my trip to the USA and making final plans for my relocation so maybe if there is a chance we could meet-up?
Cameron is still enchanting and there are still tigers in the National Park that abuts most of the hill-range.

Happy new thread! Love the topper.

>70 johnsimpson: We have a decent top order John with Lyth, Lees and Ballance and we need them to perform. I still think that Lyth on song is the country's best opening batsman and I hope he has one of those irresistible seasons he is apt to have every odd year or so.

>71 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. It is my books that worry me now as I am thinking how to get them to join me where I am going! Even I am not entirely convinced with my ability to deliver a stress free transit or more particularly the 20 book reading target for April!

>72 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. I will have at least three long haul flights in the month and possibly four so it will help me.

>74 Carmenere: Yes Lynda, you haven't yet matched last year's breakneck pace but your figures are still more than decent.

Since I started keeping tabs your stats are:

2012 : 1,460 posts (38th)
2013 : 1,104 posts (52nd)
2014 : 997 posts (61st)
2015 : 834 posts (61st)
2016 : 2,203 posts (14th)
2017 : 435 posts (36th) to date

>76 banjo123: Thank you Rhonda. xx

Seems a bit late to say it, but happy new thread! :)

>79 drneutron: Well it is still less than a day old, buddy, to be fair!

Thanks Jim.

Hi Paul, I haven't been by for a while but wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you. I am planning on reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood this coming month so I will be sure to drop by the CAC.

>81 DeltaQueen50: It is always a pleasure to see you here dear Guru. I look forward to your comments at the CAC.

Happy new thread, Paul! I love the topper! I read The Garden of Evening Mists a few years ago and remembered the Cameron Highlands from the book.

>83 cbl_tn: Thanks Carrie. xx
It was a pretty good book too wasn't it?

>55 PaulCranswick: Nor will I really understand the Quebecois and their will for independence, surely Canada after the best part of 250 years is sufficient home for all Canadians.

Well, it is actually only 150 years and Canadians have been a fractious bunch for a lot of that time. What can you expect from a country that came together because of the covetousness of their neighbours? That's the Canadian way, we vote against something rather than for something.

>85 Familyhistorian: Of course the Confederation is 150 years on 1 July this year but I was counting from Wolfe's triumph over Montcalm in 1759 which effectively spelt the end for the French in North America and ever since the two ethnic groups, if they can be called that have sort of lived side by side. As I used poetic licence in >2 PaulCranswick: so was I slightly stretching dates to make my point, Meg. xx

Forgot to add a few more book purchases which I added on Friday evening to celebrate a week that was less stressful than I had expected:

44. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Why? Because it is his first novel and everybody loves it.

45. Night School by Lee Child

Why? Because I read all the Reachers as soon as I can

46. Redwall by Brian Jacques

Why? Because it is on the Obama books list

47. The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

Why? Because I want to read it for the BAC

>86 PaulCranswick: I kind of figured you were taking poetic license with the 250 years, Paul. The two ethnic groups may have lived side by side but, if my family's experience is anything to go by, I would imagine that there was conflict down through the years. My parents were part of the English exodus from Quebec in the '70s when the provincial government brought in the language laws.

>88 Familyhistorian: It is an interesting fact that what is basically language can cause so many problems between peoples. Belgium is the only Western country I can think of which has traditionally had its political affiliations determined by language and again French is at the heart of it. The French speaking Walloons and the Flemish speakers.

First Quarter Books Summary 2017

Books Read : 25

Male Authors : 17
Female Authors : 7
Various : 1

UK Authors : 6
US Authors : 7
Canadian Authors : 3
Australian Authors : 1
Argentinian Authors : 1
Barbadian Authors : 1
Irish Authors : 1
Dutch Authors : 1
Swedish Authors : 1
Czech Authors : 1
Albanian Authors : 1
Israeli Authors : 1

Literary Fiction : 10
Poetry : 3
Plays : 1
Graphic Novels : 2
Thrillers / Sci Fi : 4
Non-Fiction : 5

BAC Challenge : 5 books read
AAC Challenge : 2 books read
CAC Challenge : 2 books read
ANZAC Challenge : 1 book read
Obama Books : 1 book read
Around the World in 80 Books : 10 countries done
1001 Books First Edition : 2 books read

Pages Read :

January : 3,147
February : 1,649
March : 1,617

Total 6,413

Average Per day : 71.26 pages

Longest Book : 471 pages ; Out in the Midday Sun : The British in Malaya 1880-1960
Shortest Book : 89 pages ; Varamo
Average Book Length : 256.52 pages

Books of the Month :

January : The Assault
February : The Colour of Magic
March : Sapiens : A History of Humankind

Books Added : 47

>89 PaulCranswick: French seems to be at the heart of a lot of it, not that Quebecois and the French from France are mutually understandable. I can remember taking a bus tour of Montreal with my cousin who had been an au pair in France. She couldn't understand what the tour guide was saying so I had to translate for her.

Quebecois is also not the only French that is spoken in Canada. The Acadians speak a French that has roots even further back. I laughed when I heard that they put a French language TV station in at Yarmouth and the people couldn't understand it.

>86 PaulCranswick: I loved The Children's Book when I read it four years ago.

>91 Familyhistorian: I suppose language gets altered by location and circumstances over time doesn't it? That is probably why some of the dialects spoken of english in parts of the UK differ so much and certain phrases used are greeted by outsiders with incomprehension.

>92 Ameise1: I have heard tell that it is a good one, Barbara. xx

Happy Sunday, Paul. Love the recent book haul up there. Looking forward to your thoughts on Lincoln in the Bardo. It is a one of a kind experience.

Happy new thread, Paul!

Hi Paul!

>87 PaulCranswick: I was glad to read that last week was less stressful than expected for you, and happy to read that you've bought Lincoln in the Bardo, a rare 5-star read for me, and the newest Jack Reacher. I do the same thing with the Reachers. I get them and read them almost before I can get them into my catalog!

I wish you another 'less stressful' week as there is so much to do to make sure that I leave something behind here that doesn't collapse the moment I depart and that I leave my staff, who I feel a great responsibility towards, in good order. You're a good man.

>94 msf59: I remember your enthusiasm for it Mark. I may well sneak it into my reading as it is right next to my MacBook as I type and I feel myself caressing the greyed cover.

>95 scaifea: Thanks Amber, dear.

>96 karenmarie: The plan is coming together, Karen, but it is doing so at a pace that my brother is impatient with and that is not really what I want either. It rests on a fairly innovative form of funding which we hoped would have been finished by March but is set to see most of April.

Yes, Paul, you are right about Canadians/Canadiens, and yet...
just as I would welcome knowing what John Lewis thinks about
Styron's Nat Turner, so it would be good to hear words from the
most recent Quebecois, as well as updates on California's
proposed secession.

>98 m.belljackson: As a youngster I was a member of the YRA. Yorkshire's Republican Army! I reckon it is as serious an organisation as would be the one mooted to take California into secession.

Sad to see that Yevgeny Yevtushenko the Russian poet has passed away in the US today. Famous for his long poem Babi Yar he was also a divisive figure as some felt he was too collaborative with the Soviet regime. It has to be said though that his most renowned piece was a brave one, recognising as it did, anti-semitism in the USSR.

Likely right again!

And many of us have a long list of states we would much prefer to be
seeking secession than California (Almonds! Avocados! Friends!)...
Go YRA!?! > did it impact your Progressive roots?

This Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem Don't Disappear which is apropos on this day of his passing:

Don't disappear.... By disappearing from me,
you will disappear from yourself,
betraying your own self forever,
and that will be the basest dishonesty.

Don't disappear.... To disappear is so easy.
It's impossible to resurrect one another.
Death drags down too deep.
Death even for a moment is too long.

Don't disappear.... Forget the third shadow.
In love there are only two. There are no thirds.
We both will be pure on Judgment Day,
when the trumpets call us to account.

Don't disappear.... We have redeemed sin.
We both are free of the law, we are sinless.
We are worthy together of the forgiveness of those
whom we have unintentionally wounded.

Don't disappear.... One can disappear in an instant,
but how could we meet later in the centuries ahead?
Is your double possible in the world,
and my double? Only barely in our children.

Don't disappear.... Give me your palm.
I am written on it-this I believe.
What makes one's last love terrible
is that it is not love, but fear of loss.

>87 PaulCranswick: For those of us who are acronym-challenged, what is BAC? I have not got a clue.

>87 PaulCranswick: well I'm sorry to say Paul, I stalled with Lincoln in the Bardo, and I was so looking forward to reading it. I'm a third through, and although I can see it is clever, I just was not enjoying it. It's more about some smelly old, dead, deadbeats than Lincoln for a start and the loss of his child. When I'm in the mood, I'll give it another go before showing it the door.

>101 m.belljackson: Ha, Marianne, not at all. Supporters of my soccer club Leeds United styled themselves so and we also had a song of the same name which I am humming right now.

>103 alcottacre: Sorry Stasia:

AAC = American Author Challenge - Mark administers
BAC = British Author Challenge - That would be me
CAC = Canadian Author Challenge - Ilana's brainchild.

>104 Caroline_McElwee: I have heard tell that he is a toughie, Caroline. I will go into it with an open mind and expecting to be taken sideways, forwards and backwards on a regular basis. xx

Didn't find it hard, just a bit dull really, Paul. Not moving, or heart-wrenching as some of the publicity suggested. Maybe I just haven't got to that bit yet.

Paul, it's a long running undercurrent in Canada, the relationship between Quebec and the rest of Canada. I'm no expert at all, but it all started from the concept of " Upper Canada " - now more or less Ontario, and " Lower Canada" , which is now Quebec. Lower Canada was mainly ( all ) people from France , and Upper Canada was the Scot's and British. It's more than a language issue. I suppose a cultural issue, economic issue, etc. Here is a link - http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lower-canada/ And yes, we are used to Quebec having referendums to separate from Canada, but lately they seem relatively content, but Quebec has " special status" and has it's own pension plan, day care plan, and more of a sense of Quebec Nationalism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_referendum,_1995 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_nationalism

>107 Caroline_McElwee: Since our reading tastes are pretty attuned, Caroline, I am now officially worried!

>108 vancouverdeb: Of course to paint the division in Canada as a language one is too simplistic and the same goes for Belgium too. The issue is more that it is the main identifier of difference. The inherited cultural differences don't manifest themselves in quite the same way. Social scientists unfortunately do deal in such simplifications. In the same way that "class" was used in the UK as the determinant in voting patterns. This seems to be disappearing along with the class system there by the way.

Paul--Hoping this is a productive, less-stressful week for you. You deserve it!!

>110 Berly: Thanks Kimmers! I hope for a good one certainly. xx

>1 PaulCranswick: I thought it was the Cameron Highlands. The place where I forest-walked with a random machete-wielding stranger. He didn't kill me, but he did crack up when I swung on a vine and it snapped. Fair enough.

>100 PaulCranswick: A pensive chap, by the looks.

Happy newest thread!!

>112 LovingLit: Nice image of Tarzan and Jane Megan rollicking through the virgin jungle and coming to earth with a thud!

Yevtushenko was rather unfairly treated I always felt by critics both of his work and the Soviet regime. He always took the view that he had worked tirelessly for reform from within but others felt he was an apologist for their worst elements. The truth is probably somewhere in between but he was certainly a poet of the first order.

I am also very sad to see that the Booker Prize winning author and playwright, David Storey has died at the age of 83. He had been suffering from Parknson's and the onset of dementia.

Like John Simpson and myself, David Storey hailed from Wakefield and came to prominence with the excellent novel about Rugby League in a working class community (almost certainly Wakefield), This Sporting Life which was made into a successful film starring Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts. He won the Booker Prize for his novel Saville which is one of my favourite winners of the prize.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2017/mar/27/david-storey-an-instin...



DAVID STOREY R.I.P.

I hope you have a productive week, Paul, as you get closer to the finish line.

>114 PaulCranswick: Not a name I am familiar with Paul, but duly added to the wishlist!

>115 karenmarie: It does feel palpably closer this week, Karen!

>116 charl08: I am fairly sure, Charlotte, that either of his major novels would be well liked by many in the group.

Glad to see things apace here. I hope some of your ducks are starting to fall into place (yup, mixing metaphors galore) and that Hani is coping as well as can be expected with it all. I can well imagine her stress as I would find that kind of uncertainty almost impossible to deal with. Fingers crossed your relationship is managing alright under the strain.

Today's Poem offered by Knopf is "The Moon After Election" - if you click on the author's book, the description ends with a promise of a "cento" at the end of the book, which you might enjoy.

>118 lunacat: I am a fighter and (hopefully) a survivor, Jenny so I will keep on keeping on.

>119 m.belljackson: Marianne, I have signed up for the April poem a day to try to check out your "cento". Any link?

Just checking out the new thread :) Hoping all starts smoothing out soon.

> PaulCranswick -

I didn't see a link - found Cento at the end of review of "Resistance, Rebellion, Life ...50 Poems..." book. It would be great to read the Cento, but after being disappointed in Andrei Codrescu's poets writing about the 20th century, I'll wait to look the book over at a bookstore.

I am finally back to looking at Librarything after almost a month being away and then trying to catch up. Good to see you are still in Malaysia and that you are still making plans to leave. I have been so out of the loop that coming back to your thread seems like greeting an old friend after a long absence.

Once I got back to work I couldn't stay away from Barnes & Noble and added eight books to my list of purchases this year. This includes three titles by Heinrich Boll that I got because I wanted to read them before I went to Germany. Unfortunately, they didn't get here before I left. Now I get to read them with a retrospective point-of-view.

The titles I added are as follows:
Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll by Peter Guralnick (this one is a door stopper biography at 800 pages)
High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic by Glenn Frankel
Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us From Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt
Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis
Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (I finally broke down and purchase a new copy of this one because I couldn't find a used copy)
Billiards at Half Past Nine by Heinrich Boll
Group Portrait With Lady by Heinrich Boll
Silent Angel by Heinrich Boll

>122 BekkaJo: Thanks Bekka. I am always cheered up by seeing you here.

>123 m.belljackson: I have joined up for the poem a day so I will investigate further, Marianne.

>124 benitastrnad: I have read Billiards at Half Past Nine, Benita, and remember it being a strange little book!

>87 PaulCranswick: I'm right in the middle of Lincoln in the Bardo and loving it! Very fast-paced, very moving, even humorous in spots. Now I know what all the fuss is about.

Best wishes to you, Paul, in all that's going on with you right now!

Karen O.

>126 klobrien2: Thank you Karen.

I read the first couple of paragraphs of Lincoln in the Bardo and if that is to go by then I will surely enjoy it. Saunders has something of an avant-garde reputation and I am straight-forward fellow but one who always starts things with an open mind!

My thread very quiet today mainly because I have been absolutely snowed under. A day of ups and downs but mainly notable for a domestic crisis involving my driver Azim. He didn't work on Monday citing illness and I could tell from the set of his face yesterday morning that something was amiss. Azim and his wife live in a house that is owned by his parents but in which his sister and family and brother and family also stay during the week. Apparently after a fairly trivial dispute Azim's sister chased Azim's wife from the house and she fled to his mother-in-laws house and is apparently barred from returning. Azim is at his wit's end trying to find rented accommodation for his wife and he and was in floods of tears telling me his predicament. His mother-in-law offered to put them up in the meantime but her told me he was reluctant because her house is pretty full. I persuaded him to take her up on the offer as it will be good for his wife in her emotionally delicate state and it will give him time under less pressure to find a more permanent place.

Even though he isn't (wasn't) American, I posted a poem by Yevgeny Yevtushenko on the April AAC thread. Such powerful, moving poetry.

Sorry to hear that you're snowed under but I can absolutely relate. Sorry to hear about the drama in Azim's life and I'm glad you were able to encourage him to accept assistance. It sounds like it will just provide him with some breathing room. And that is something we all need now and then.

I've wondered about Lincoln in the Bardo and have so far resisted purchasing it. Glad to hear that the early reviews are promising.

>129 EBT1002: Nice to see you Ellen. Another busy soul at the moment as I can see.
Azim is a gem. A big, emotional gem. He has given up the part-time work as a night-club bouncer in order to spend more time with his wife.

Just trying to stay current here...lots going on in your household. Best of luck. Sending good mojo!

Oh, sorry about all the trouble with Azim's family, Paul. You have so much going on. I'm glad you could persuade he and his family to stay at his mother - in- laws. It's a wild and woolly world, sometimes, isn't it?

>131 Berly: All mojo is gratefully received my dear.

>132 vancouverdeb: He seems in much better spirits today, Deb. I think he realises the good sense in making his wife happy by staying with the mother-in-law until their housing situation resolves itself.

My goodness, you're busy, Paul. I'm rooting for Azim and his wife, too - here's hoping they find a comfortable living space soon.

26.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Date of Publication : 2003
Pages : 343
Around the World in Eighty Books : #11 - Iran

Before this year I had never read a graphic novel and I rather scoffed at the absurdity of doing so. I have now read three of them now and have been uniformly entranced by the medium and its effectiveness in conveying serious messages in a way that makes you page turn to the end.

Marjane grew up in an Iran on the verge of revolution. When the Shah was shown the door those who believed in modern values were hopeful of a grand new age only to be disappointed by a repressive islamic regime wherein women in particular were controlled with a fearsome vigour.

The novel tells of Marjane's growing up in a Tehran going through revolution and then war and then her removal to Austria safe from war but separated from those she loved. It also tells of her return and coming into adulthood.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and it explores some themes that are relevant today about the place of women and the role of islam in the state as well as being a jolly good read.

8/10

>134 scaifea: Thanks Amber. I am sure that they will.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BOOKS

Country 11 of 80 - IRAN



Iran Factfile

Area : 636,372 sq miles (17th)
Population : 82,800,000 (18th)
Supreme Leader/ President : Ali Khamenei / Hassan Rouhani
Capital City : Tehran
Largest City : Tehran
Currency : Rial
GDP Nominal : $438.30 billion (27th)
GDP Per Capita : $5,383
National Languages : Parsi
Median Age : 29.4
Life Expectancy : 71.4
Percentage Using Internet : 44.1

Its a Fact : Iran was known as Persia until 1935.

Sources : Various but mainly wikipedia and CIA World Factbook

An Iranian Dish

Ghormeh Sabzi

Hani has a numbe rof Iranian friends and one of the favourite dishes taught her is this herb stew which is normally made with beef and served over saffron infused rice flavoured with cranberries. Delicious and nutritious.

ANOTHER IRANIAN DISH

Bahareh Kian Afshar

Beautiful and elegant Persian actress

>106 PaulCranswick: Thank you for the clarification, Paul.

Happy Wednesday!

AND ANOTHER IRANIAN DISH

Omid Abtahi

>140 alcottacre: My pleasure Stasia. I am probably a little too glib using all these abbreviations. xx

Hi Paul!

That was really smart advice that you gave Azim. I'm glad that he was able to see that rather than imposing on his MiL, it was helping his wife and stabilizing their situation.

>141 PaulCranswick: Thank you for your continuing presentation of the other side. Male eye candy is always fun to look at.

I hope this week is going well with things getting resolved favorably and things getting checked off of lists.

Hi, Paul! Got caught up (mostly) and glad to see you are still on track (mostly).

Re California secession: If it looks like it will happen, I'm going to move back. I doubt if it will, though. Cali has enough pockets of rightwingers to stop it happening.

Have a great rest-of-the-week!

I'm glad that you found Persepolis a jolly good read as well as illuminating, Paul. Same for me. And it's great to have new fellow GN appreciator. When done right, it's quite a medium, isn't it.

P.S. If you put your review on the book page, I'll give it a thumb.

>135 PaulCranswick: I think you enjoyed Persepolis a bit more than I did, but I still enjoyed it. I can recommend Chicken with Plums by her as well, which is a novel rather than a memoir - I found it as good, if not better, than Persepolis but then I had to mark Persepolis down in my mind because of all the teenage girl angst. I went through enough of it as a teenager myself so I struggle to read about it now!

Love the Iranian dishes and the comments about Persepolis which I also liked. But I'm interested in Jenny's comment about Chicken with Plums which I am now adding to my wish list (sigh).

>143 karenmarie: I was pleased to see him looking a lot happier yesterday. Azim is someone who literally wears his emotions on his face. Whether he is happy, sad, angry or a hundred emotions in between, I only have to catch his eye or see the set of his jaw reflected in the driving mirror to know.

I am not perhaps very good at choosing the "male eye candy", Karen and I can assure you that I take much more time and trouble selecting the ladies to represent their country than the men!

>144 Storeetllr: A real move by any of the states towards secession would be extremely interesting. I do not know enough about the US constitution or the rights of individual states to have an angle on how this would play but I am going to go off and study it a bot, Mary.

Wasn't Texas thought of as a possible secessionist state recently?

>145 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. I really am going to have to get into the habit of putting my reviews on the work pages as I have been criticised a time a two for the lack of doing so. I will add GNs into my reading habits progressively and I have definitely taken to the format.

>146 lunacat: Some of it was a little raw wasn't it, Jenny? I could imagine that if anyone had suffered a difficult childhood or coming into adulthood then they would relate to large parts of it but could be revisited by bits they don't particularly want to recall.

>147 EBT1002: I will also go and look for Chicken with Plums, Ellen.

>141 PaulCranswick: hmmm. Very nice

I read another one by Marjane Satrapi a few years ago, called Embroideries. If I am remembering correctly, it was a story of women and their sex romantic/sex lives. I remember it being entertaining. I haven't read anything else by her so can't make any comparisons.

Good to see that you are enjoying GNs, Paul. I guess you didn't fill your misspent youth devouring comic books like I did. It was very easy to embrace GNs as the grown up equivalent of the comic books that filled my youth (and increased my vocabulary).

Yay for Graphic Novels.

New vote over on my thread!

>150 The_Hibernator: Glad that you like, Rachel! I of course am very enamoured of >139 PaulCranswick:. Absolutely gorgeous IMO.

>151 jessibud2: Shelley, I hadn't really realised that she had made so many books. For some reason I had assumed that Persepolis was it. I will certainly look for other things by her. I am not surprised though by the preoccupation with all things sexual as there were hints of that in Persepolis.

>152 Familyhistorian: Meg, you are absolutely right in that I wasn't a fan of comics as a boy - I went straight into story books. Regaining my childhood possibly!

>153 BBGirl55: I am happy to say that I was wrong about GNs. I never thought that I would enjoy them. Will pop over to your thread post haste.

Paul - apparently our PM has just caused an international pizzagate scandal, he posted a pic of his homemade pizza - canned spaghetti with pineapple chunks!
Jimmy Kimmel - "That is so offensive, that is an act of war. I think he just declared war on Italy and maybe Hawaii too."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/91214521/bill-english-makes-his-family-...

I'm really hoping to finish The Green Man by the weekend, have not enjoyed this one at all.

>128 PaulCranswick: So sorry to hear about Azim's trouble, glad there is a (temporary) solution.
What will happen to Azim when you move to the UK?

>156 avatiakh: I don't agree on too much with Jimmy Kimmel but canned spaghetti and pineapple chunk pizza?! For heaven's sake!
I haven't given Kingsley Amis the time of day or night just yet!

>157 FAMeulstee: I am not really an expert but I have been coaching Azim on keeping well in with the in-laws and he is amazed at how well it is working. xx

>156 avatiakh: Though I am part of what appears to be a vocal minority that favors pineapple on pizza, the canned spaghetti is a bridge too far in my opinion.

>158 PaulCranswick: >159 foggidawn: To his defence I will say that he has about 7 or 8 children, so is more of a family man than a sophisticated diner. One of his sons dared him to publish the photo on FB.

#156
Those are called Hawaiian pizza here in the states and in my part of the country (Alabama) they are quite popular. Of course, they use real pizza sauce as the base, but the ham and pineapple part is the same.

#156
Green Man the book by Kingsley Amis was a bit different than Green Man the BBC production. However, I thought the book was readable. But, I will point out that it is the only Kingsley Amis book I have read, and I don't plan on reading another.

>135 PaulCranswick: I will also chime in and say that I am glad to hear that you are finding merit in graphic novels. Might I suggest Boxers & Saints?

Spaghetti! Wow.

Glad to read you enjoyed Persepolis. I think I am due a reread.

>159 foggidawn: Foggy, I am so proud that we get to debate the issues of the day on this thread. I am sure that Syria, ISIS and the Horn of Africa would resolve its interminable problems if only they concentrated on core subjects like preferred pizza toppings. xx

>160 avatiakh: How on earth does he find time for policy making, Kerry? I actually think it makes him more human that such a culinary faux pas should be admitted. It is obvious to me that the politicians are homing in on the great Pizza debates - Iceland's PM promising to ban pineapple as a pizza topping and now we have New Zealand's finest weighing in on this crucial debate. Perhaps it could be debated in parliament?!

>161 benitastrnad: Well in fairness Benita, I don't think that it is traditional in Honolulu to use canned spaghetti. I am in the corner of the Icelandic PM on the depravity of including a fruit such as pineapple as a topping. Tomato a fruit which cannot decide whether it wants to become a vegetable has successfully passed muster of course.

>162 benitastrnad: I read a good amount of Kingsley Amis books in my younger days and they are predominantly concerned with sexual intercourse or the disappointing absence thereof. He was certainly an able writer although many would claim that he was something of a crass boor to boot.

>163 Oberon: You may of course suggest Boxers & Saints, Erik and I will go and seek it out gladly.

>164 charl08: Female angst well done IMO, Charlotte. It is a serious book shot through with tremendous humour and I think Satrapi is very talented.

>161 benitastrnad: >165 PaulCranswick: The more I think about it the more I'm rather impressed, he's the PM, surely a busy job and still has managed to make time for his family, doesn't opt for takeout and gives his wife, a doctor, a night off from cooking. I can almost forgive him the toppings.

It's also an example of the level of stupid that social media has given us in the past few years - we all rush to debate and judge on this, and it is rather funny, but at the expense of real news.

>162 benitastrnad: Benita, this must be my third book by Amis and while I can see the merit in the writing, I just didn't enjoy the main character though you're not meant to I suppose. I loved Lucky Jim and found Take a girl like you fun but very sexist and dated. The green man is darker and more serious. I'll watch the film, it's up on youtube.

>168 avatiakh: As you know Kerry my comments on pizza toppings from the beginning and my (failed) attempt to promote the topic as a issue of import on the world stage is, erm, slightly tongue in cheek!

I have read Amis' Booker winning Old Devils among about seven or eight of his and cannot understand how it won the prize. I did like Lucky Jim and Stanley and the Women but some of his other stuff is, as you say, quite dated and extremely sexist.

Yes, pizza toppings will always promote a rather vigorous debate.

I think i'm done with Kingsley Amis, I've read and not enjoyed The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis and have two more of his to try.

>170 avatiakh: I prefer the father to the son in this case Kerry. I have found his work generally pretty distasteful although I do keep giving him another try to try and see the genius that others rave about. I thought his Lionel Asbo was a horrid little book.

I've just read Saints of Boxers & Saints and ammnow moving onto Boxers. Very enjoyable indeed, so I'd second that recommendation.

>172 lunacat: That will probably one benefit of moving back to the UK as graphic novels are not so widely available here. Mangga is all the rage but I cannot quite get that one yet although Kyran and Belle love them.

>171 PaulCranswick: I have The zone of interest and one of his earlier ones, Money perhaps.

I can also vouch for Boxers & Saints though I think you'd get a lot out of Alice in Sunderland, one of the best GNs around. An exploration of Sunderland's history and Lewis Carrol's ties with the area in a confusing and brilliant mix of greatness.

>174 avatiakh: I like the play on words there, Kerry. That area is good at such things. At one time the UK was full of Elvis Presley impersonators and there was one in Newcastle who lived in a council flat. He had renamed his home "Dis-Graceland!"

27.

Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason

Publication : 2010
Pages : 296
Around the World in 80 Books : #12 - Iceland

The Scandi crime phenomena has its leading lights in most countries of the region - Jussi Adler Olsen from Denmark, Henning Mankell from Sweden and Jo Nesbo from Norway. Those three in Mork, Wallender and Hole respectively have created complex characters overcoming tragedy and personal difficulties to be great, dogged detectives. None of them are heroes in the James Bond, Jason Bourne wham-bam sense but they have more depth, more neuroses and more compassion.

Erlendur is the darkest of the lot in so many ways. Haunted by an event of loss in his youth it has impacted on his career and his spare time. This mystery, which is billed as the climax to the series, finds him treading the barren, icy paths of his youth trying to unlock secrets and reopening an old missing persons case that those involved would long not to have reminder of.

One of the great things about the genre is the evocation of landscape and locale and it breathes down the pages to us here is frozen vapour. Indridason is one of the best Scandanavian thriller writers and I do hope that he will keep us entertained for years to come.

8/10

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BOOKS

Country 12 of 80 - ICELAND



Iceland Factfile

Area : 39,682 sq miles (106th)
Population : 332,529 (182th)
President/Prime Minister : Gudni Johannesson / Bjarne Benediktsson
Capital City : Reykjavik
Largest City : Reykjavik
Currency : Icelandic Krona
GDP Nominal : $21 billion
GDP Per Capita : $63,000 (6th)
National Languages : Icelandic
Median Age : 36.3
Life Expectancy : 83.0
Percentage Using Internet : 98.2

Its a Fact : Iceland was the first nation to have Prime Ministers who were female and/or openly homosexual.

Sources : Various but mainly wikipedia and CIA World Factbook

Hello Paul! *waves*

AN ICELANDIC DISH

I have to be a bit careful with this one because Icleandic is rather famous for its, shall we say, adventurousness in all things culinary. Cured Rams testicles, smoked puffin, fermented shark and whole sheeps heads will not adorn this page. I have gone for one of its favourite fish soups.

Fiskisupa

Traditionally using Arctic Char and haddock.

>178 DianaNL: Lovely to see you Diana.

ANOTHER ICELANDIC DISH

Thorun Antonia Magnusdottir

Cute Icelandic singer.

AND ANOTHER ICELANDIC DISH

Thor Kristjansson

Iceland's answer to Leo Di Caprio apparently.

Paul, as someone who is ethnically 50 % Icelandic, let me chime in with what I think is the best known Icelandic Dish, at least to those of us in Canada . Vinaterta . It is a cake that is eaten all year round, but particularly at Christmas time. It's a time consuming torte to make, with the white portion made of sort of shortbread and the filing made with pitted prunes and spices. Surprisingly good. My grandparents were born in Canada, as was my mom, but Vinaterta was always a treat at Christmas. I also recall rolled lamb, ( ugh ) some sort of dried white fish ( ugh ) , and sort of yogurt, 'Skry." ( ugh ) The province of Manitoba has the largest population of Icelandic Immigrants in the world and that is where I originally hail from - Manitoba.

I can't decide which one is more adorable, Thor or Thorun. At any rate, I think a trip to Iceland should be added to the books (but I'll pack my own lunch, thankyouverymuch)...

>183 vancouverdeb: I did consider the torte and the skyr cheese, Deb and I certainly did not consider the array of frankly awful sounding blood sausages, testicles, hearts, fermented sharks and so on on offer.

>184 scaifea: Oh definitely Thorun - I would love to be that warm weather coat! She looks adorable. I agree with you, Amber, wholeheartedly on packing my own lunch, although the seafood must be jolly fresh.

Hi Paul!

I hope your week went well. Good for you for coaching Akim, especially as it seems to be helping him so much.

I'm rather enchanted with the PM making pizza for his family, although it looked pretty gross.

>186 karenmarie: It wasn't the worst of weeks, Karen, as I edge towards the EXIT door.
The NZ PM is someone that would be worth inviting to dinner - so long as he doesn't have to help with the cooking!

183 vancouverdeb

Vinaterta looks really inviting. Newman's Own Organics have pitted prunes in bags - if that
would make cooking easier...?

Hi, Paul. Happy weekend. Hope you had a good week. I am enjoying all the international cuties.

>188 m.belljackson: I believe that I have eaten this one before. I must admit that I hadn't realised that there were so many people of Icelandic descent in Manitoba.



>189 msf59: I do think that if I am able to finish the challenge we ought to have a Mr. & Ms. Around the World in 80 Books. We have 12 candidates from 12 nations so far and whilst I would be hopeless a choosing from the Gents, I would be simply stumped and spoilt for choice amongst such a bevy of beauties.

We're still waiting for Paul to get to Spain - and Rafael Nadal!

>176 PaulCranswick: I almost feel sorry for myself that I have read all Erlendur books ;-)
Glad you enjoy them too!

>191 m.belljackson: Hahaha Marianne, I must try not to forget! Poor chap is starting to lose his hair though I have noticed both physically and metaphorically recently with that Fed-Ex chap keep pipping him to the post.

>192 FAMeulstee: I still have Reykjavik Nights to go at and I understand that he has done a couple of prequels that I want to grab when they are translated. The brooding landscape comes out in his prose doesn't it, Anita?

>192 FAMeulstee: Me too Anita. That is such a good way of saying it....."feeling sorry for myself" that I have read all the Iceland mystery books by Arnaldur Indridason !

Do you know that in Iceland 1/10 of the population are published authors. Amazing!
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24399599

(from the article) "There is a phrase in Icelandic, "ad ganga med bok I maganum", everyone gives birth to a book. Literally, everyone "has a book in their stomach."

>194 mdoris: They are a pretty amazing bunch. Such a small population but quite a mark on the world.

>194 mdoris: Love that expression!

Hope the travel plans for this week go well Paul.

>196 charl08: I do too Charlotte. By the looks of me I have a whole bookshelf in my stomach!

Need to get the tickets still!

Happy weekend, Paul. Has the countdown for the move started?

>198 Ameise1: I have lost count so many times already Barbara. It will be a staged move. Hani and Belle aren't coming initially and I will be backwards and forwards like a Chinese ping pong ball for a while. Should be strike one this week.

>199 PaulCranswick: Be careful with the time zone hopping. It's not so healthy.

>200 Ameise1: Not too much choice in the matter, Barbara. Needs must. xx

>151 jessibud2: and >154 PaulCranswick: "I hadn't really realised that she had made so many books." I was in the exact same boat, only knowing about Persepolis. I did put Chicken With Plums on hold at the library.

Vinaterta looks and sounds yummy!

Very late but still managed to make it over here with happy new thread wishes, Paul.

>138 PaulCranswick: - Making note of the Ghormeh Sabzi.... it sounds wonderful!

>202 EBT1002: I will be on the prowl in the UK and in Jacksonville to see what GNs I can add to my stock to read in the coming months. I have a few candidates thanks to my buddies here and want to read one per month, just as I always read at least 1 poetry collection. Iranians are notoriously good cooks so I am not at all surprised that she had written a book with food in the title!

>203 lkernagh: Lovely to see you Lori. I can guarantee that Ghormeh Sabzi is delicious as I have enjoyed it on many an occasion. One of Hani's favourite cuisines to be sure and we have close Persian friends who will visit us to sample Malay food just as we go to them to eat Persian.

Just popping in to wish you a happy weekend. With strict orders to de-stress!! : )

>205 Berly: Mine is to obey, Kimmers. I am not working today. xx

>206 PaulCranswick: Good man. I think you should write or read more poetry today. And eat something delicious. And then tell us all about it. : )

Possibly my final mini book haul before I relocate to the UK

48. Penguin Modern Poets 2 by Michael Robbins, Patricia Lockwood & Timothy Thornton (2016) 108 pp

Why? It is poetry!

49. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (2001) 373 pp

Why? The weight of recommendations

50. March: Book One by John Lewis (2013) 121 pp

Why? Because it is the great Congressman not the Department Store

51. The Night of Wenceslas by Lionel Davidson (1960) 248 pp

Why? Because Philip Pullman rated the late Humbersider as our finest thriller writer

52. The Boy from Aleppo Who Painted the War by Sumia Sukkar (2013) 309 pp

Why? Because BBC Radio 4 say it is fab.

>207 Berly: Hahaha Kimmers. I am actually working on a longish poem that I am calling "Leavetaking" which describes somewhat my present circumstances and my impressions of what I am leaving behind. Probably won't be finished for the next thread but it will get premiered here at least in fragmentary form.

You're not working today? Oh, that's a good man. :-)

I hope you'll have time to watch Paris-Roubaix tomorrow!

Hi Paul! I hope the weekend provided some R&R&R for you.

Another Jasper Fforde fan here.

>193 PaulCranswick: I have always been a Federer fan and am so glad to see him doing well (and outperforming Nadal.)

>209 PaulCranswick: I'm looking forward to the premiere of Leavetaking in whatever form!

>210 DianaNL: I will certainly be watching it, Diana. The Hell of the North is a highlight of the calendar. I think my absolute favourite of the classics is Liege Bastogne Liege but Paris Roubaix is a close, close second.

>211 karenmarie: I am still in early evening on Saturday evening, Karen, so I have a little bit of it left.

I like them both (Federer and Nadal) so it is nice to see them both having Indian Summers.

I am still throwing down ideas on "Leavetaking" and I have hopes that I just might have something with it.

28.

The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron

Date of Publication : 1967
Pages : 415 pp
American Author Challenge March 2017
Pulitzer Prize Winner

Is it apropos that the recreation of Turner ruminating on his deeds and the motivation therefor was written by a white American Southerner? Some certainly thought not and this caused both consternation and some controversy at the time, but James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison both defended Styron's writing of this novel and praised its realisation.

Even without the storyline, this is writing of the highest order. With sublime though dense prose, Styron takes us through the events of the uprising and Turner's "rationalising", or more properly, "agonising" of the same. I think that overall a fair job is made of having Nat Turner appear in a reasonable light and the cause of rebellion one that was utterly understandable in general terms. Styron does leave us in something of a quandary though by expressing that, on the whole, the slave owners of Turner and his men were far less harsh than those in the states further to the South, but slavery and bondage was just that irrespective of the degrees of humanity in between. When is killing justified? I don't get a clear answer here as the killers and the killed are both portrayed with their faults and virtues laid bare. I didn't particularly like the writer's attributing to Turner lustful longing for the one individual he put to death in the uprising and I do feel it an unreasonable if unconscionable licence to take with someone recreated based on fact and who was actually married (not acknowledged in the novel).

For all the liberties taken, this is some experience and one worth the effort to go through to get to the end. It succeeds completely in drawing attention to the hideousness of slavery whilst at the same time is sagacious in having us question whether, even so, individuals needed to be slaughtered. The rebellion was ultimately and obviously unsuccessful and lead to reprisals being taken against both the free and enchained black population as well as a hardening of already punitive laws as to their treatment. It is remembered and justly as the first concerted time the hand was raised to fight against the tyranny of slavery and, despite its woeful failure, it's very attempt was as glorious as it was gory as it was to some degree grotesque.

8/10

> 213 PaulCranswick -

While Malcolm X' reaction can well be imagined,
I'm still wondering what John Lewis thinks of this book...

>214 m.belljackson: I do think that the slave owners are probably a little sugar coated, Marianne, but I think that is part of the way in which he is challenging us to think rather than because it is written by a white man. It was a time where absolutes were meaningless as, for all there may have been well or better intentioned individuals the institution of slavery marked both sides but the enslaved with a disbelieving need to cast off the yoke and the enslaver with the fruits of its benefits howsoever they might think it morally indefensible. I have always been struck by the fact that one of the "icons" of early American history and deemed by some a paragon of virtue - Thomas Jefferson - kept slaves and took advantage of his position to sleep regularly with one of them.

I've been skimming through, Paul. You are going to leave a huge hole among your staff, but I think you will have also left a larger mountain of helpful influence.
Alas, I can't discuss the Styron with you, but I really, really want to read the Saunders.
And, let's see, I am one who didn't love and adore Tuesday Next; maybe you will; I know I'm weird.
I need to read a well-balanced Jefferson bio. At this point, I just don't know.
Peace! Calm! Courage!

Nice review, Paul. Interestingly, in the afterword of my edition, written many years later by Styron, he claimed that there was very little evidence about Nat Turner's marital status. He found himself intrigued by the fact that Turner only killed one of the victims with his own hand, the daughter of one of his owners. Styron says he considered all the reasons there might have been for that and landed on the possibility that, while a slave must feel rage for any and all of those in the owner class, what depth of rage might one feel for someone who had befriended and then betrayed one in the face of such severe oppression?

On a totally different subject, I don't think I had realized that you read at least one volume of poetry each month. I like that. I may borrow it. The reading of poetry is still a bit new for me but I'm so glad my LT buddies have opened this part of the literary world for me, too.

>216 LizzieD: Well Peggy, weird and your fine self are not two words I would often place in close proximity! I may well read the Saunders sooner rather than later especially if it gets put up for some awards.
I need to read more biographies of the USA's leading lights.

>217 EBT1002: I found it a very affecting read, Ellen. I don't think it is one that will disappear from my memory quickly and I thought it superior to his, possibly more famous, Sophie's Choice.

I have in truth quite a considerable poetry collection so it is not so tough to read at least one volume every month. I may do more than that this month.

I hope you weekend has been filled with poetry, Paul.

>219 BLBera: A fair amount of versification has ensued, Beth. xx

Happy Sunday, Paul!

It is almost done, Amber, but has been an OK one, I guess.

> 215 PaulCranswick -

As strange is the denunciation of slavery which Jefferson wrote against King George III which
was excluded from the Declaration of Independence.

It would be great to find a secret diary...or a new one written by a non-white person delving into this seeming bipolar behavior, as well as his decision on the Louisiana Purchase.

>208 PaulCranswick: Nice book haul, Paul! Of course, March goes without saying, but I wanted to comment on The Eyre Affair. The first two times I tried to read it, I just couldn't. Then, by accident, I started again and was so hooked I read, in quick succession, the rest of the series and will probably reread it at some point. I think it helped that, right around the third time I started it, I had read Jane Eyre.

Speaking of poetry, did you see Knopf's Poem-A-Day for Sunday, Paul? As the mom of an adult child, it really got to me. So much so that I set it out in full on my thread .

I was inspired to read Jane Eyre because I read The Eyre Affair. The Thursday Next book was so full of literary puns and double meanings that I knew that since I had never read Jane Eyre I was missing at least half of them. I wanted to share in the jokes, so I read the classic.

The rest of the series is so funny that I had to read them as well. I say read, but I listened to them in my car and loved every minute of the listening. There were many driveway moments with that series. I still have the last one to read and will get to it soon. I am trying to finish out some of my series as I have several that have only one or two to read to be at the end. Then I can get them off the shelves so I can start other series.

I personally regret that I did not fly to Malaysia before your departure. Malaysia is one of those exotic destinations I have had on a before-I-die list. My sister and I actually talked about making a trip. She has a classmate from school whose daughter lives and works in Singapore and I knew you in Kuala Lumpur, so we could have made a great trip out of a visit to Southeast Asia.

oh well -- Perhaps there will be a visit with your family and John's in Yorkshire?

Hi Paul! I was also a fan of Persepolis and also it's sequel. I will have to also look for her novel, mentioned above.

>223 m.belljackson: I find the original drafting of the American Independence a strange affair as it signally failed to address the rights of slaves and Native Americans seemingly by its silence attempting to deny them the very emancipation they sought from Britain.

>224 Storeetllr: I had a couple of goes at reading my first Terry Pratchett and then went and added the next three immediately to my collection so I know what you mean, Mary. I am having trouble receiving my Knopf poem a day - seems a bit hit and miss as my gmail seems determined to filter everything poetic as spam no matter how many times I "un-spam" them. I will go over to your thread to appreciate what I have been missing. xx

>225 benitastrnad: It is funny isn't it Benita that Fforde would probably have expected it to be otherwise that readers of Bronte would flock to him not his readers flock to Bronte! Since you will have noticed a propensity here for the occasional pun, I really ought to lap up Jasper Fforde's books.

>226 benitastrnad: All is not lost Benita! We will be keeping on our home here for at least another year as the lease is paid for and I will have to return on a regular basis in the interim. It could still be arranged if we coincided our timings. With my business probably taking me more to the US (my first time at the end of the coming week), there will be opportunities there too. Yorkshire is of course conducive to meet-ups with the very friendly Mr. Simpson (no relation to Wallis Simpson, apparently) to keep us both very good company should you drop by. xx

>227 banjo123: I was half tempted to list it as two books, Rhonda, as I read them both in one volume but I decided that they were contiguous enough to call it one book. Good stuff.

>223 m.belljackson: and >228 PaulCranswick: Never underestimate humans' capacity for hypocrisy.

I love Jasper Fforde!

>230 EBT1002: John Adams was a firm and fierce abolitionist (although not as vocal or determined on the subject as Abigail - he had opposed black soldiers in the Revolutionary army so as not to "offend" the South) and refused to countenance the extension of slavery in Missouri but in his correspondence with Jefferson the two friends had agreed that the subject was off limits. Jefferson felt that slavery was a subject best left for future generations to determine upon as he said to Adams:

"That question remains to be seen : but not I hope by you or me. Surely they will parlay awhile, and give us time to get out of the way." (Jefferson's letter to Adams of 10 December 1819; as quoted in Founding Brothers by Joseph J Ellis).

>231 BBGirl55: I can see that this one won't be sitting on the shelves waiting its turn very long, Bryony.

Just popping in to say that a post from sweet Hani got me to thinking... and I onderd if you had moved. What a beautiful family photo! You are blessed. Keep well..

Excellent review of Nat Turner, Paul. I am impressed. I am glad the book resonated with you.

Hi Paul!

>232 PaulCranswick: I just finished His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis and found his 'evolution' on the question of slavery fascinating. He paid bounty hunters to return runaway slaves, yet wouldn't sell slaves because he didn't want to break up families. He found it morally repugnant yet necessary to run his holdings. He started with 10 slaves inherited when he was 11 years old to 317 listed in his will. Here's what it says on the Mount Vernon website about Washington's slaves in his will: Status of Slaves in Washington's Will

Getting the Southern States to participate in the Revolution and stay afterwards to form the United States required that slavery be taken off the table for 20 years else they wouldn't join the Northern states. It's in the Constitution:

“The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.”

Article I, Section 9, Clause 1

I hope this week you can check more items off your business and moving lists.

>234 mckait: What a lovely surprise, Kath, to see you here! xx I know you have been busy with new additions and are rightly proud of 'em too.

>235 msf59: It was a tough read Mark in that the language was rich and dense and the absence of obvious chapter breaks belaboured me some. That said it was rewarding to complete and made me think so much.

>236 karenmarie: Karen, what an interesting bit of muddled legalese. I have taken my Pulitzer Winner, Founding Brothers off the shelves and will give it a read soon.

The number of Washington's slaves is remarkable. I think it is difficult to judge by what is a seemingly obvious morality today, the acts, actions and omissions of those in public life 240 years ago, but I cannot help thinking that I would like them all the more if that hadn't kept living and breathing and thinking human flesh and blood as 'property'.

Hi Paul! Loving the Jasper Fforde talk. Best of luck with all your busyness and business this week!!

Nice review of Nat Turner - it's on my list now.

>239 Berly: Had a busy day today looking at a new expansion for a Kellogs factory in Kuala Lumpur (well outside the town area) which would be in conjunction with the American company I shall be visiting in Florida.

I may take Jasper Fforde with me on my travels.

>240 drneutron: Thanks Jim. I reckon it is a book that will add plenty to a persons view on retribution and slavery.

Tickets are booked. I will be back in the UK on Good Friday. Leaving to US on Easter Sunday. Returning the following Sunday and then back to Malaysia to finish my stuff the following Saturday.

>242 PaulCranswick: Sounds like a busy few weeks for you, Paul!

>242 PaulCranswick: Safe travels, Paul! It must be quite an undertaking to up stakes and move business and family to another country. I hope it all goes as smoothly as possible.

>243 foggidawn: It does but I am looking forward to it immensely, Foggy.

>244 laytonwoman3rd: They will not travel this time Linda. Hani will stay and see Belle through school in the year's final semester. When I return to get documents sorted at the end of April - I will then return two weeks later on a semi permanent basis.

Safe travels, Paul. So, in a month or so, the worst will be behind you, right?

I hope you have safe travels to all your destinations, Paul. I expect you'll be glad when this year, or at least this spring/summer, are over and done with!

I just finished Nat Turner and found the lack of chapters made the book more of a challenge to read because of that as well. My thoughts on the book are still percolating.

Happy travels, Paul.

>247 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. That is the plan for sure!

>248 lunacat: Actually this year has been a vast improvement so far on the previous two. At least, Jenny, there is sort of light at the end of the tunnel. To mix metaphors, the darkest hour is just before the dawn.

>249 Familyhistorian: It was a "heavy" book, I thought, in more ways than one. That is something that weighs against it somewhat in evaluating its greatness.

There will be a lot of people in the group happy with the Pulitzer Prize winners announced today :

Fiction: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Drama: Sweat by Lynn Nottage

History: Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 by Heather Ann Thompson

Biography: The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between by Hisham Matar

Poetry: Olio by Tyehimba Jess

General nonfiction: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

>251 PaulCranswick: All of those look fantastic. The only one I'd heard about before was Evicted because it is deservedly receiving a lot of attention. I help facilitate an antiracism workshop every year, and one of my fellow facilitators was just advocating that we update our reading list by including that book in particular. It was while we were eating dinner before going to see the documentary STEP, which was amazing and seems pretty relevant to the theme I am seeing here.

In general, it seems the list is very much about recognizing voices and stories too long unheard, unmentioned, people traumatized and victimized by the state by the system by various institutions being seen and centered in so many different ways.

>252 justchris: It does seem that the Pulitzer this year has tried to recognise some of the key themes affecting Americans.

29.

When I Was Old by Georges Simenon

Date of Publication : 1970
Pages : 452 pp
Around the World in 80 Books - #13 BELGIUM

These are journals kept by Simenon, the creator of the Maigret books and author of several hundred books, between the periods of 1960 to 1962. They cover time largely spent in Lausanne with his second wife D. and his younger children.

His musings are irregular but fascinating. They are fascinating in having the prolific author question and dissect his art and his facility for creating over and again. They are fascinating in letting us see into the mind of such a writer as he started each new book with 48 "freshly sharpened pencils". They are fascinating as to his ruminations on life, especially his mortality and especially as they reveal his rather unorthodox moral code. His views towards freedom in marriage and casual sex with a propensity that would have Casanova breathless would be considered outlandish even by the standards of the twenty-first century. There are also strong hints by the end of the journals that he is starting to have problems in his marriage (it would end in separation and divorce in th eyear following the journals). They are fascinating for his views on other writers - he preferred Russian and then British authors above French ones and his favourite American novelist was Twain; he was a familiar of Gide but it was clear that he didn't have a great deal in common with him. Other players that walk on in his journals and interest are the friendships he had with Charlie Chaplin and Arthur Miller both of whom visited him regularly.

Finally as a distillation of the beginning of the 1960s it is very interesting; The Cuban Missile crisis, troubles in the Belgian Congo and Algeria are the main concerns that he takes note of with some dismay. I found his rather damning views on De Gaulle particualrly perceptive.

Taken altogether though there is too much repetition of thought, too much musing on the banal to make this more than simply a mildly interesting sojourn from his Maigret books. He has been downgraded as a writer in recent years because largely due to the very prodigiousness of his output but he was a fine writer and you can see this here too.

7/10

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BOOKS

Country 13 of 80 - BELGIUM



Belgium Factfile

Area : 11,787 sq miles (140th)
Population : 11,250,585 (75th)
King/Prime Minister : Phillippe / Charles Michel
Capital City : Brussels
Largest City : Brussels
Currency : Euro
GDP Nominal : $470.179 billion (23rd)
GDP Per Capita : $41,491 (17th)
National Languages : Dutch, French and German
Median Age : 41.4
Life Expectancy : 81.0
Percentage Using Internet : 85.0

Its a Fact : The Belgian town of Spa has the oldest casino in Europe, the largest F1 Motor circuit and Europe's first modern health resort.

Sources : Various but mainly wikipedia and CIA World Factbook

A BELGIAN DISH

Beer? Chocolate? Waffles?

How about Moules Frites

ANOTHER BELGIAN DISH

Kjell Bracke

Belgian model

AND ANOTHER BELGIAN DISH

Greg Van Avermaet

Regulars here will know of my lovr of cycle racing. Van Avermaet won that Queen of Classics on Sunday - Paris-Roubaix.

Moules Frites isn't an only Belgium specialty. In France you can it them at every corner.

>259 Ameise1: True Barbara, they are popular in France too but originate undeniably in Belgium. Hamburgers are popular in Malaysia but we cannot claim them as our own!

Paul, I never saw Greg van Avermaet that nude... :-)

>261 DianaNL: I chose that picture carefully Diana as there are a few even more revealing.

I mean I didn't want to pick this one:

Hi Paul!

>254 PaulCranswick: I've added When I Was Old to my wishlist, not to be confused with a book bullet which I must acquire immediately!

>262 PaulCranswick: He needs to eat more Belgian chocolate. Too skinny. Still, a pleasure to look at.

I hope the week is going well for you, Paul, as you continue to juggle the UK, Malaysia, and, even if only temporarily, the US.

>263 karenmarie: Today was desperately difficult Karen. Bills to pay and not enough money to cover them all; financing arrangements moving slower than hoped and the bank presentation cannot be done in time. I will be going off with plenty of worries to come back to and I am thoroughly depressed if I am honest.

Van Avermaet is a bit on the skinny side there isn't he?

Paul, I'm so sorry that today was 'desperately difficult'. It will come out all right in the end, I'm sure, but the getting there should be easier than it is. Keep taking care of yourself physically and emotionally as you juggle all these banks and bills and etc. Sending positive energy and mojo!

>265 karenmarie: Thank you for that Karen. xx

Actually I was just posting to your thread as you were posting to mine!

>264 PaulCranswick: Sorry to hear the worries of life have been beating on you. I hope things clear up soon!

>264 PaulCranswick: Safe travels, Paul. And delivery from difficulties soon since immediately seems unobtainable.

>254 PaulCranswick: Never heard of him or the Maigret books. But then, my literary education is profoundly limited. And the only Belgian detective I know is Poirot. Looks like I should broaden my horizons. I am sure some of the books have been adapted for TV. Maybe that would be a good starting point...

>256 PaulCranswick:->258 PaulCranswick: Had never heard of any of these either. TBH, only the first one looks appetizing to me, though the last is definitely the funniest.

>267 drneutron: Thanks Jim. I will survive as Gloria Gaynor would say!

>268 justchris: Thank you, Chris.
Georges Simenon must be one of the most prolific writers of the last century. Some of his non-Maigret stuff was well received but I haven't read any of it.

I wouldn't want to eat mussels or muscles in truth! I had a violent reaction to eating mussels in my early twenties and have always avoided them since.

Oh, Paul, I don't like that you're sad. Big hugs, friend, and even bigger hopes that things will be better for you very soon.

>262 PaulCranswick: Hmm. Nice, I suppose, but that pose is so, so goofy. I mean, really?

>269 PaulCranswick: That would definitely be a good reason to avoid shellfish forevermore. More for me, then. No muscle either? Does that mean you are vegetarian? I am not quite there yet, though I am working on limiting my meat consumption. I've already restricted dairy thanks to GI upsets, so I may end up vegan when all is said and done. But not yet.

Hoping things improve Paul. I like Maigret but not sure I'll be reaching to read Simenon's reflections.

Very sorry to hear that your day has been so bad. I hope things pick up for you really soon.

>269 PaulCranswick: Frank had the same with mussels at the same age. I still like to eat them, I would split the dish: moules for me frites for Frank :-)

>258 PaulCranswick: & >262 PaulCranswick: Greg van Avermaet is sure goodlooking. As long as he is cycling he won't gain, all muscles those men.

>264 PaulCranswick: Sorry to hear life isn't easy to you moneywise, I hope your worries won't ruin your travels.
(((hugs)))

{{{{{Paul}}}}}

I would have gone for stoofvlees met frieten! Nothing better after a few Belgian beers.

>270 scaifea: Amber, I am a little bit under the cosh at the moment but I must tough up and face it.
I think the pose was strategically necessary!

>271 justchris: No Chris the "muscle" referred to Van Avermaet in >262 PaulCranswick:! I am not vegetarian I am afraid although my consumption of meat is much less these days than it used to be.

>272 charl08: There were bits of the book that were simply splendid, Charlotte, but there was a lot of dross to wade through to get to it!

>273 lunacat: Thanks Jenny. Hani was struggling a bit with the stresses relating to bill paying. She doesn't handle it half as well as I do (having said that my throbbing headache would indicate to me that my blood pressure is not what it should be either!)

>274 FAMeulstee: I almost certainly got a bad batch, Anita, but the memory of its impact upon me puts me off to the day.
Van Avermaet is one of my favourite cyclists of today. Ultra aggressive and he always gives value for money and his best.
The travelling I cannot avoid; it is the stopping still that I am worried about.

>275 ronincats: Thank you Roni. xx

>276 ursula: I may have done also, Ursula, but I did something a little similar for the Dutch so it may have appeared that I was just indulging myself rather than anything else!