Carmenere's (Lynda's) place - #4

The Tickers:



Maps:

Where my books take me...
States visited as of 2-5-17

visited 38 states (76%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

Countries completed as of 4-7-17


visited 45 states (20%)
Create your own visited map of The World

REVISED

Yes! I do have goals this coming year, loosely formed, but goals nontheless.
1. Read the ER's I've been accumulating - I'm serious about this so here's my link to the TBR Challenge page https://www.librarything.com/topic/243399
GOOD START GONE BAD

2. Read books within a series I've accumulated, particularly mysteries by Donna Leon, Alexander McCall Smith, Charlaine Harris and C J Sansom
NOT A ONE

3. Award Finalists - Awards I may want to follow in 2017. I'm thinking I'll just be focusing on the short lists.
OK, BUT NOT TERRIFIC
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National Book Awards:

NBA Longlist Announcements:
- Fiction - 9/15

Elliot Ackerman: Dark at the Crossing
Daniel Alarcón: The King Is Always Above the People: Stories
Charmaine Craig: Miss Burma
Jennifer Egan: Manhattan Beach
Lisa Ko: The Leavers
Min Jin Lee: Pachinko
Carmen Maria Machado: Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Margaret Wilkerson Sexton: A Kind of Freedom READ 9/17
Jesmyn Ward: Sing, Unburied, Sing
Carol Zoref: Barren Island

- Finalists Announced - 10/4

Elliot Ackerman, Dark at the Crossing - Read

Lisa Ko, The Leavers - Waiting in the stack beside my desk

Min Jin Lee, Pachinko - Ditto

Carmen Maria Machado, Her Body and Other Parties: Stories - Waiting for this to arrive at the library

Jesmyn Ward, Sing, Unburied, Sing - Reading

- National Book Award Ceremony and Benefit Gala (Livestream) - 11/15 (Winners announced)
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The Wellcome Book Prize timetable
https://wellcomebookprize.org/

April 2017
Mend the Living’ by Maylis de Kerangal, trans. Jessica Moore

March 2017
‘How to Survive a Plague’ by David France
‘When Breath Becomes Air’ by Paul Kalanithi
‘Mend the Living’ by Maylis de Kerangal
‘The Tidal Zone’ by Sarah Moss
‘The Gene’ by Siddhartha Mukherjee
‘I Contain Multitudes’ by Ed Yong

January 30, 2017
Longlist announced
How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS by David France
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal (alternate title: The Heart: A Novel)
The Golden Age by Joan London
Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body by Jo Marchant
The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss
The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Stories in Our Genes by Adam Rutherford
* Miss Jane by Brad Watson
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

*read
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The Best Translated Book Award
https://pen.org/literature/2017-pen-translation-prize

FINALISTS
Finalists will be announced on January 18, 2017.

Confessions by Rabee Jaber

Between Life and Death by Yoram Kaniuk

Angel of Oblivion by Maja Haderlap

Justine by Iben Mondrup

*The Vegetarian by Han Kang

WINNER
Angel of Oblivion by Maja Haderlap
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Man Booker
http://themanbookerprize.com/fiction
The ‘Man Booker Dozen’ of 12 or 13 books will be announced in July 2017
4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster (US) (Faber & Faber)
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry (Ireland) (Faber & Faber) READ
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (US) (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) READ
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (Pakistan-UK) (Hamish Hamilton) READ
Solar Bones by Mike McCormack (Ireland) (Canongate)
Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor (UK) (4th Estate)
Elmet by Fiona Mozley (UK) (JM Originals) READ
The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (India) (Hamish Hamilton)
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (US) (Bloomsbury Publishing) READ
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie (UK-Pakistan) (Bloomsbury Circus)
Autumn by Ali Smith (UK) (Hamish Hamilton) READ
Swing Time by Zadie Smith (UK) (Hamish Hamilton) READ
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (US) (Fleet) READ

and the shortlist of six books in September 2017. The winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will be announced on 17 October 2017 at an awards ceremony at London’s Guildhall, broadcast live by the BBC.

Man Booker International
http://themanbookerprize.com/international
Shortlist 4-20-17 Winner announced 6-14-17

Longlist : Mathias Enard (France), Compass
Wioletta Greg (Poland), Swallowing Mercury
David Grossman (Israel), A Horse Walks Into a Bar Read - READ - Winner
Stefan Hertmans (Belgium), War and Turpentine
Roy Jacobsen (Norway),Don Shaw, The Unseen
Ismail Kadare (Albania), The Traitor's Niche
Jon Kalman Stefansson (Iceland), Fish Have No Feet
Yan Lianke (China), The Explosion Chronicles
Alain Mabanckou (France), , Black Moses
Clemens Meyer (Germany), Bricks and Mortar
Dorthe Nors (Denmark), Mirror, Shoulder, Signal
Amos Oz (Israel), Judas
Samanta Schweblin (Argentina), Fever Dream - READ 4.75/5

4. Read the US Presidents in chronological order
1. Washington
2. Adams
3. Jefferson

DIDN'T EVEN BEGIN

5. Neighborhood Book Swap
Finding me by Michelle Knight - COMPLETED 12/16

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - my submission

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - read several years ago

Salt sugar fat by Micheal Moss

STING by Sandra Brown

Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

The girl on the train - Read in 2015
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Accomplishments:
January
1. The Invoice ER
2. The Princess Diarist Library
3. A Gentleman in Moscow Passed from Mark, sending on to Beth.
4. Without you, there is no us ER

February
5. A Thousand Acres Thanks to Julia for sending me to Iowa!
6. Human Acts ER
7. March: Book One Library
8. March: Book Two Library
9. The Vegetarian Library Tournament of Books
10. Black Wave Library Tournament of Books

March
11. Homegoing Library Tournament of Books
12. Wide Sargasso Sea Pauls BAC
13. Mexico Stories ER
14. Fever Dream Library Booker International Longlist
15. March: Book Three Library

Accomplishments - 2nd Quarter

April
16. Paris Letters NBSwap
17. A Horse Walks into a Bar Booker international Longlist

May

June
18. Strange Pilgrims

Accomplishments - 3rd Quarter
July
19. Hunting Season
20. Just Mercy

August
21. Exit West - Booker Long list
22. The Woman in Cabin 10
23. History of Wolves - Booker Long list
24. Days Without End - Booker Long list
25. Lincoln in the Bardo - Booker Long list

September
26. Swing Time - Booker Long list
27. Autumn - Booker Long list
28. Elmet - Booker Short list
29. A Kind of Freedom - National Book Award Long list

Accomplishments - 4th Quarter
October
30. Dark at the Crossing - National Book Award Short list
31. Sing, Unburied, Sing - National Book Award Short list
32. Pines
33. The Odyssey
34. Oresteia

November
35. Morality For Beautiful Girls
36. Chemistry: A Novel - Tournament of Books
37. Goodbye, Vitamin - " " "

December

Happy new one, Lynda. Love the topper.

Happy new thread, Lynda. xx

Happy new thread, Lynda! I love Fall, too. Great thread toppers!

Happy new thread!

Congrats on another new thread!! Love the Fall Toppers. Wish we had fall temperatures here...

>9 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! First visitor award, is a cozy

>10 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul xx back at cha!

>11 tymfos: Thanks, Terri!

>12 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

>13 Berly: Thanks, Kim! No fall temps for you?! Not even a little bit? OK, they're on the way

Bringing this over for reference -
My Booker Scorecard :

1. Days without End
2. Lincoln in the Bardo
3. Exit West
4. Underground Railroad
5. History of Wolves
6. Swing Time

Currently reading Swing Time!

Happy new thread, Lynda!
I like your Fall starter set at the top, as I am always happy when Summer is over!

>16 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! I agree, by this time of year, summer has run its course and I look forward to a change. Yet, once the leaves have dropped and the bleakness of November sets in and the chilly winds of December and January whip through I begin thinking and wishing for summer

Happy new one, Lynda! I love your toppers - I am craving Fall right now. It just doesn't happen in the Deep South the way it does in the Midwest. I will have to settle for the coffee, the pumpkins and the football.

#26-2017
Swing Time
Zadie Smith
2016
453 pages
3/5

Where I've been..............Exeter Road, London, England

Camden, England

Western Africa

Thoughts..............This novel of young girls, consumed by the art of dance, had a promising beginning. How, I want to know was one of the girls, as an adult, humiliated, possibly ostracized. Yet, somehow, along the way, the story became too large and took too many paths away, I feel, from the true essence of this coming of age story. I quickly lost interest or even cared as to why the humiliation occurred. When I discovered the reason, it didn't seem enough of a cause to fill 400+ pages that soon turned into bladybladyblady.

>18 Crazymamie: *sigh* I feel for you, Mamie. I suppose hurricane season marks a change of the seasons for you although not in temperature. I could send you some dried, crunchy leaves if it would make you feel better. :0)

Happy New Thread, Lynda!

Our daughter LOVES pumpkin spice latte. She's always happy when it starts appearing at Starbucks.

You're doing great on your Booker scorecard.

>22 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I can't get enough of those PSL's they should be out very soon.
I've enjoyed reading the Booker longlist. It has certainly gotten me out of my months long book funk. YEAH!

Happy New Thread, Lynda. Happy Sunday, my friend. Sorry, you had some issues with Swing Time. I am still going to try and squeeze it in this month, along with Home Fire.

Happy New Thread! I'm glad we have cooler weather here too. While I enjoy some aspects of summer, the heat is not one of them.

Sorry Swing Time didn't work for you, Lynda. While my favorite of Smith's is still White Teeth, I did love Swing Time as well.

Hi Lynda, glad to see you have gotten through your long book funk. I am so looking forward to Autumn, my favorite time of the year. Cooler weather, pumpkins and crunchy leaves are all very appealing right now.

>15 Carmenere: is this the shortlist? Has it already been announced? Or am I jumping the gun here?
I am so behind with book news (bad Megan) ;)

>24 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Hope you're enjoying the extended weekend. I hope Swing Time works better for you than me.

>25 thornton37814: Hey Lori! I don't mind the heat, I actually relish it however towards the end of summer, after all the parties and get togethers and vacations are done, I begin to feel the pull of the hearth. Maybe it's just ingrained in my brain that it's time to settle down and cozy up. *shrugs*

>26 BLBera: Me too, Beth! Maybe because this was my first Zadie and being unfamiliar with her style I was a little harsh. I'll add White Teeth to my reading list and see how that goes.

>27 DeltaQueen50: Yeah, Judy, I think I've recovered from the book funk but I have to keep strong so there aren't any set backs. The National Book Award Longlist comes out 9/15 so I'll have plenty to keep me busy.

>28 LovingLit: Oh no! Don't be alarmed Megan! I have not revealed the Booker shortlist in >15 Carmenere:. That is only my scorecard, the order I place on those I've read.
So don't fret you are as not behind on book news as you think :0)

>19 Carmenere: Sorry to see that Swing Time didn't do it for you! Here's hope your next read will be a winner

>30 ChelleBearss: Well, it just might be, Chelle! I have to put Home Fire on the back burner because I just rec'd the digital download from my library of Autumn. It's off to a stellar start, so my hopes are high!

>14 Carmenere: Thanks for the cooler air! Unfortunately, the FedEx plane needed repairs and so it won't get here until Wednesday ro Thursday. I can't wait until it is Fall her and I feel like ordering a Pumkpin Spice Latte! Glad your book funk is over.

>29 Carmenere:
:)
Once in a bookshop, sometime in early October or Late September, I came across a book which had on the cover about it being a Booker winner, and I baled the shop assistant up and fretfully asked her if the Booker winner and been announced, as I hadn't heard, and was this it, and what was going on!!!?? She calms assured me that this was not it, but the international Booker winner. So I just went ahead and bought it, to calm myself :) (it was The Vegetarian by Han Kang)

Happy new thread, Lynda! And it's made extra special with pumpkins and latte, which make everything better.

Happy new thread, Lynda! I love fall. I would also love to see some colder temperatures.

>32 Berly: Ugh! about the delayed arrival, Kim. I'm sure by now you have received a little of that cool air. Yes! Definitely time for PSL!

>33 LovingLit: LOL, that is soooo funny, Megan! I mark the dates on my calendar, book nerd that I am, and I want you to be one too. Booker International Long list comes out mid-March, shortlist, late April and the winner is announced in June. Man Booker: Long List- July, Short List - September and Winner: October

>34 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! Oh yeah! for all things fallish! It's all good!

>35 lkernagh: Thank, Lori! Those cold temps will be here before you know it and they'll sneak up on you when you're not looking.

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I'm 1/2 way through Autumn. Quite an interesting book. I can see why so many have liked it.

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Weekend is looking good here! Will comes home for the weekend! Homemade soup, Indians game, High School football game, visit grandma and haircut. Eeeeee! so excited!

Woot! Yay for the college kid visit!! I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Morning, Lynda! Happy Friday! I started Swing Time. It begins slowly but I plan on spending more time with it today. I also have Home Fire in my audio rotation.

I loved Autumn, as well.

>37 scaifea: Yeah, Amber, we're pretty stoked!

>38 msf59: Hey Mark, Hope Swing Time works for you. I plan on starting Home Fire just as soon as I finish Autumn. The Booker shortlist is revealed next week - so excited for the big reveal!

Morning, Lynda. I did not hate Swing Time but it was still a disappointment. I have no idea why it was nominated.

Hope you enjoyed Autumn.

I have been on Swing Time for weeks and am still only at half point. Not that I dislike it, it just feels so ruptured that I don't like staying with it over a longer time.

BREAKING NEWS! THE BOOKER SHORT LIST REVEALED!

4 3 2 1 Paul Auster - Ugh, I've had this home from the library but didn't read it as yet. As this was the largest of the entry's, at 866 pages, I was putting it on hold until it was short listed. So, here we are. Ugh Ugh Ugh

History of Wolves Emily Fridlund - Good but didn't score highly by yours truly ;0)

Exit West Mohsin Hamid - I really enjoyed this one but felt this (my number 3) and Underground Railroad my number 4 were very similar in writing style but I gave the edge to Hamid as it was more timely. Looks like the judges thought the same and advanced Exit West

Elmet Fiona Mozley - Yay, glad one of the two I purchased advanced to the next round! I haven't read it yet but I'll start it soon.

Lincoln in the Bardo George Saunders - This entry was awesome and I'd say the most original of the listers. The book which made me the most emotional should count for something. :0D

Autumn Ali Smith - Just finished this one and am about to post my review - long story short - Nice relationship between generations but too flip floppy and jumpy for my liking.

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The books which didn't make it...............

Days Without End - :( this was my fave
Swing Time - the bottom of my list so no surprise there
Underground Railroad - see above re: Exit West
Reservoir 13 - Drat! I purchased this one but hadn't read it yet.
Home Fire - I had just started this one but will put it aside for 4 3 2 1. It's past due at the library anyway
Solar Bones - My library still has this on order, so haven't read
The Ministry of Utmost happiness - Well, I have this at home from the library but it will be going back with Home Fire

So today, I begin 4 3 2 1 and then Elmet. Should be able to handle those in a month's time.

We had a great weekend with Will, his first visit home from college. Friday night we attended his Alma mater's football game and afterward he met up with his old trumpet squad. Saturday, we attended a Cleveland Indians game and watched as they won their 17th in a row. Sunday we payed a visit to grandma and cooked out and since his first class is on Monday at 1pm we were able to drive him back early Monday.

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>40 msf59: Yeah, Mark, It would, in my opinion, have been so much better if we learned of the struggle of young dancers to learn their craft and gain recognition. Obviously, it was not the story Smith wanted to tell :0(

>41 Deern: Hey Nathalie, looks like you don't have to stay with Swing Time if it isn't working for you. It didn't excite me, at all after I saw the story line branching away from what I thought it would be about.

I thought, since the short list has been revealed, I'd make a new scorecard to reflect my standings on the books I've read thus far:

MY BOOKER SHORT LIST SCORE CARD

Lincoln in the Bardo
Exit West
Autumn
History of Wolves

2 more to read so stay tuned :0)

PS: National Book Awards Longlist Announcements:

- Fiction - 9/15

Fingers crossed some titles will include those I've read for the Booker.

You are making good progress with the Booker list! Good luck with the next couple books. I'm not a big fan of Auster, I tried to read his New York Trilogy and was quite bored and put it aside

Great Booker comments!! :)
I'm still so glad I'd read the Auster early this year when I was in hospital (=had all the time in the world). It was such a strange book in that its strenghts (4 storythreads, similarity, vastness) were also its weaknesses - or vice versa? Sad about Home Fire, the first half was heartbreaking and slow, the second half breathtaking and fast, and I would have liked to see Reservoir 13 on the list as well.
For now I'll continue with Swing Time and then read Elmet, although it's not calling me at all.

Stopping in to say hi, and that I haven't read a single one of the books listed. I keep meaning to get Lincoln in the Bardo but have no excuse for why I haven't yet. Good for you that you've already read so many on the list.

>46 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle, I. Am. Not. Looking. Forward. to. Auster! I've already deducted points for it being so large. Why does it take 866 pages for what, I'm sure, can be said in 433. Ugh!

>47 Deern: Awe, you are too kind, Nathalie! and thanks. I've driven everyone around to appointments and back to school this week so today I'm taking a lie-in and devote some time to 4 3 2 1. That's the book I was hoping wouldn't make the cut but now that it has, I might as well dive in.

>48 mstrust: Hi Jennifer! I think I can safely say the Booker list, other than LitB, would not be to your eclectic, and much admired, style. Hope you can finagle it into your reading time.

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BUT, I'm going back :0)

#27-2017
Autumn
Ali Smith
2016
3.5/5

Where I've been...................Carshalton, UK

Thoughts..................Elisabeth Demand is a 32 year old junior lecturer at a university in London. By all accounts, her days, at times, are a struggle. Who can't relate to too much bureaucracy, no job security, high cost of living, employees devoted to their electronic devices when they should be doing their job, aging parents who still sow their wild oats and Brexit. It is not like the days of youth when she enjoyed long walks with her wise and gentlemanly old neighbor, Mr. Gluck who talked with her about words and art. He'd often ask her "What you reading?" but is he asking about a book when he says "Always be reading something,.....Even when we're not physically reading. How else will we read the world? Think of it as a constant."

The reader learns a little about Daniel Gluck through Elisabeth's recollections as she now sits beside his hospital bed while old age slowly takes his life. At this time, we also learn a little more about Elisabeth too and her admiration of 1960's artist Pauline Boty, who seems to have some connection to Mr. Gluck. Possibly, Smith's next installment (for Winter follows Autumn) will reveal the connection and this is why there is no resolution to the story at the conclusion of this book. Overall it is a lovely book with philosophic undertones and thought provoking ideas.

MY BOOKER SHORT LIST SCORE CARD

Lincoln in the Bardo - It's going to be difficult to top this original gem.
Exit West - Timely piece of writing
Autumn - Beautifully written, pearls of wisdom, however because it's not a complete story, as yet. it is difficult to judge it.
History of Wolves - Cultish life styles, when chosen by a legal adult, looks differently when your offspring are unknowingly involved.

Morning, Lynda. I am enjoying all the Booker List banter. I am also leaning toward Saunders, but Autumn would be in second place, from the short list. I liked it more than you. I still plan on getting to Home Fire soon, despite it falling off.

Yeah, Mark, I intend to read Home Fire at some point too. It's gotten some great reviews. This has been an awesome Booker year. I can't say there is one in the bunch that shouldn't win - all equally worthy for different reasons.

Morning, Lynda! Hooray for Will's first weekend home - sounds like you made good use of it. I am enjoying so much your reading of the Booker list - so fun to follow your progress and see how your rate the books.

>54 Crazymamie: I am glad you're enjoying my Booker journey, Mamie! I credit it for bringing me out of my book funk.

>49 Carmenere: I know there are a lot of people that do like Auster so hopefully this one catches and keeps your attention. I think it's one I would skip or keep until the end if I was reading the booker lists. I used to try and read the short list but life got in the way of my reading :)

>56 ChelleBearss: Hey Chelle, I've waited till I've read almost everything else before I started Auster but then I got to thinking how intimidating it is in size and decided to put it off a wee bit longer and read Elmet first. Then, if there's time I'll read 4 3 2 1. Either way I know I won't be able to finish it before the winner is chosen.

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And here comes the National Book Awards finalists for fiction:

Fiction
Elliot Ackerman: Dark at the Crossing
Daniel Alarcón: The King Is Always Above the People: Stories
Charmaine Craig: Miss Burma
Jennifer Egan: Manhattan Beach
Lisa Ko: The Leavers
Min Jin Lee: Pachinko
Carmen Maria Machado: Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Margaret Wilkerson Sexton: A Kind of Freedom
Jesmyn Ward: Sing, Unburied, Sing
Carol Zoref: Barren Island

I reserved all books from my library except Barren Island. I may need to check Book Depository for this one.

Hi Lynda, I too, am enjoying your Booker, and now National Book Award reading. It seems like I am always a couple of years behind with my reading so your reviews will help me decided what to read in 2019!

>58 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy!! I'm so glad you're enjoying my thoughts on the Booker nominees. Although my book shelves remain as full as ever, it's been nice checking out the newer offerings as I too am usually way way behind.

Impressed that you have already downed 4 of the Booker shortlist, Lynda.

Have a great weekend.

Hi Lynda. I love the basic fall girl graphic, especially the blanket and cat. :-)

I am still working my way through the Bookers and here some the National Book Award nominees! I need to retire!
I have read The Leavers and thought it was a solid novel. I have Pachinko on my kindle and will try to read it soon.... I will follow your lead and put at least some of the others on hold at the library. I assume there will be a queue.

I hope you're having a lovely weekend.

I see that Lincoln in the Bardo is your top choice (so far) for the Booker. I have not yet read it. Of those that made the short list, I have Autumn as my favorite but I have only read three of them. Exit West and Elmet come in second and third for me but they are all very strong entries! I loved Home Fire and I hope lots of people read it even though it did not make the cut for the short list.

We had similar thoughts on Swing Time, Lynda. I rated it slightly higher than you did because I thought the writing was lovely even with all the meandering. I also tend to appreciate books a little more after discussing them with a group. It was the inaugural choice of our reincarnated book group this month. I enjoyed Zadie Smith's other three books more than Swing Time with White Teeth remaining my favorite.

I must be living under a rock. I haven't even heard of many of those NBA titles. I read The Leavers and was underwhelmed. Get to reading, Girl, and let us know which ones are the cream of the crop! Thank you in advance.

>60 PaulCranswick: This year, Paul, the Booker Long list has been a joy to read! It has been wonderful to read new literature especially from debut writers. Very strong outings for that lot.

>61 EBT1002: LOL, Ellen we've been experiencing the warmest temps of the year this week so as much as I long to snuggle with my blanky and book I'll have to wait a few more days. I'm accumulating the National Book Award long listers from the library and have begun A Kind of Freedom So far it's a solid read.

>62 EBT1002: Yeah Ellen, I'm keeping Bardo at number one however I've just finished Elmet and would have rocketed it up to first place if 3/4's of the book weren't so slow moving.

>63 Donna828: I've not read any other of Smith's books, Donna, so nothing to compare Swing Time but on it's own I wasn't too impressed. It won't stop me from checking out her other books, in fact, I'm looking forward to it.

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As I mentioned to Ellen^ I've finished Elmet, the last of the Booker nominees I plan to read. 12 our of 13 is not too shabby. I started 4 3 2 1 but didn't want to invest the huge amount of time it would require. I plan on reading it some other time because what I read held alot of promise.

Hubsters and I are out and about either working outside or enjoying this fab weather we've been enjoying so I'll be back later today with my review of Elmet. See ya's later :0)

Wow, 12 out of 13 is great going. I think I've not been anywhere near as sold on some of the list, but it's great to see that it has been so much more popular this year than last. It will be interesting to see what wins, and the reactions here.

>57 Carmenere: Interesting list, Lynda. I really enjoyed The Leavers and glad to see it getting more attention. My next read is Sing, Unburied, Sing and I have Manhattan Beach waiting in the wings.

Happy Sunday, my friend. Hope you are staying cool in all this heat. Miss seeing you around.

Hi Lynda - I loved A Kind of Freedom, I really loved the characters.

Great job on the Bookers!

Happy Sunday Lynda! :)
I also finished Elmet today and found it both strong and horrible. Not sure I'll ever touch it again, but I guess I'll never forget that penultimate chapter.
With my slow reading in the last 3 weeks I still have 2 longlisted books left, but now started rereading Autumn first. 25% in it's still my overall favorite, followed by Bardo.

Summer has returned here as well after two exceptionally cold weeks. I had just put my summer clothes away and taken the extra blankets out. Well...

>65 charl08: Yes, Charlotte, I, too, wonder what the judges will decide. They seem to see things differently from the average reader.

>66 msf59: It's been a great summer for reading new books, Mark! I've got The Leavers home from the library. I also purchased it today for $1.99 from Goodreads, I think. Must be prepared in the event I'm unable to renew it from the library.

>67 BLBera: Hey Beth, I'm really enjoying A Kind of Freedom. I like the tight knit family we meet at the start of the book. Hope it continues on that track.

>68 Deern: Hi Nathalie! Aaaa HA! it's because of you putting away your summer clothes that we're melting ;0) Actually, I'm enjoying this extended bit of summer but it does kick up my asthma. Autumn is quite the contender, for sure. I'm still putting my money on Bardo, which basically means, it's not going to win. *snork*

#28-2017
Elmet
Fiona Mozley
2017
4/5

Where I've been...................Elmet (now West Riding of Yorkshire area)

Thoughts....................... The land itself seems as medieval as the feuds which continue through the ages and is "Now pocked with clutches of trees, once the whole county had been woodland and the ghosts of the ancient forest could be marked when the wind blew. The soil was alive with ruptured stories that cascaded and rotted then found form once more and pushed up through the undergrowth....". One of these ruptured stories involve siblings, Daniel and Cathy who live with their father on land once owned by their deceased mother. It is told from the perspective of Daniel who appears to be on the run and searching for his sister. As the story unfolds, the reader learns that Cathy is a strong young lady who will fight to protect those she loves and her father, though a gentle man and loving father, will fight when it is necessary. Through the years, enemy lines are drawn and alliances formed. Will peace last or will old and semi-unclear feuds be recalled? What is clear is that the self sufficient lifestyle they once lived in the wilderness will change.
This novel is the perfect example of why I try not to give up on a book. Approximately 3/4's of Elmet is rather sluggish and fraught with the daily details of living like survivalists in a modern world. However, it lays the ground work for the explosive finish which is frightening and powerful!

MY BOOKER SHORT LIST SCORE CARD

Lincoln in the Bardo - It's going to be difficult to top this original gem.
Elmet - Girl power!
Exit West - Timely piece of writing
Autumn - Beautifully written, pearls of wisdom, however because it's not a complete story, as yet. it is difficult to judge it.
*4 3 2 1 - I didn't finish this humongous novel but I enjoyed the little I did read
History of Wolves - Cultish life styles, when chosen by a legal adult, looks differently when your offspring are unknowingly involved.

Now on to the National Book Award...........

I'm not crazy about this award because the short list is revealed on 10/4 - certainly not enough time to get through many of them but I'm starting with
A Kind of Freedom So far, so good.

#29-2017
A Kind of Freedom
Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
2017
228 pages
5/5

Where I've been.................City Park - New Orleans, Louisiana
Lower Ninth Ward - New Orleans (Post Katrina)

Dillard University, New Orleans
Miro Street, New Orleans

Bourbon Street, New Orleans

Thoughts...............Author, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, has written a thought provoking novel which brings to light problems facing our society in 2017. One which touches on the many issues relevant to the Black American family today but still pertinent to people of every race and standing. It demonstrates the plight of broken families, the dead end life of an ex-con, the prevalence of drugs and "friends" who are only out for themselves. Through bad decisions and lack of common sense bad things happen to good people. Even natural disasters appear to be out to get those trying to straighten out their lives.
To illustrate this, Sexton begins the story in 1944. Evelyn, daughter of a well heeled doctor lives in a beautiful area of New Orleans in a lovely home. Renard, on the other hand is an orphan taken in by his extended family. They meet, fall in love and their family grows. Yet, the prosperity Evelyn enjoyed in 1944 diminishes as the years go on which is demonstrated by her daughter, Jackie and grandson TC. Sexton has a marvelous way depicting assorted types of relationships and family ties.
The story weaves from past to present and back again smoothly, effortlessly, in fact. Not every author has this ability nor the talent to draw the reader into the story or feel an emotional attachment to her characters. Author, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton did all of this and more in her debut novel. An excellent novel and one which should be discussed openly.

Next read is another National Book Award nominee...........Dark at the Crossing

Hi Lynda! I think you'll enjoy Home Fire, when you get to it. Sorry that your Booker Long List favourite didn't make the cut either. I may yet get to Elmet, but I'm not sure it's available in Canada as yet. Enjoy the National Book Award Finalists. I've seen Pachinko, but not read it as of yet.

>75 vancouverdeb: I picked up Pachinko from the library yesterday. hahaha I requested the large print edition in order to get it sooner and it is a little over 800 pages . Looks daunting but apparently ='s 496 pages. I'd like to add Japan to my map so maybe that will be the read after my current book.

Great comments on A Kind of Freedom, Lynda. I loved the characters, and missed them for a couple of days after I finished the novel. What a great first novel.

>77 BLBera: Beth! I too "missed them for a couple of days after I finished the novel". For me, that is a true sign of a well written book. I couldn't find the time to put everything I thought about the book in my review but one point that sticks out is the way Sexton ended the book, in 1944/45 with a young Renard and Evelyn newly married and cautiously optimist about the future. Then, I thought how dreadful it all turned out for their future generations. IMO, so sad and part of the reason I still contemplate the book today.

Have a good weekend, Lynda!

I thought TC's story was powerful as well. Black lives seem so precarious in this novel.

Wishing you a glorious weekend, Lynda.

I am going to give Home Fire a go I think.

Happy Sunday, Lynda. You are doing a fine job with the Booker list. Once, you are finished, give American Fire a try. I just posted my mini-review. A terrific NNF read.

Hope you are having a great weekend.

From these two great lists I have only read:

The Leavers by Lisa Ko - underwhelmed
Underground Railroad - didn't love it as much as everyone else

And I have on my shelves TBR:

History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - seeing him later this month and plan to read it afterwards, excited!
Swing Time by Smith - not excited to read after the meh response here on LT

And just yesterday I received Jesmyn Ward's Sing, Unburied, Sing (I like her!)

I think they will have to decide without my input. Too far behind!! LOL

Happy Sunday. : )

>79 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! It was a very nice weekend indeed!

>80 BLBera: Sadly, Beth, A Kind of Freedom didn't make the National Book award finalist list. Sad :0(

>81 PaulCranswick: We had a lovely weekend, Paul! Hard to believe another is approaching so quickly.

>82 msf59: Happy Wednesday, Mark! American Fire is on the TBR list. Thanks for the rec.

>83 Berly: ooo, Kim! Lucky for you The Leavers made the NBA shortlist. I have both The Leavers and Sing, Unburied, Sing home from the library. First, I'll need to finish Dark at the Crossing which is also a NBA finalist. So far, I'm enjoying the read.

Ok, enough chatter about National Book Award finalists. The short list was revealed this morning and it is...........

Elliot Ackerman, Dark at the Crossing - Read

Lisa Ko, The Leavers - Waiting in the stack beside my desk

Min Jin Lee, Pachinko - Ditto

Carmen Maria Machado, Her Body and Other Parties: Stories - Waiting for this to arrive at the library

Jesmyn Ward, Sing, Unburied, Sing - Reading

I'm crushed A Kind of Freedom didn't make the cut. I had given it 5 stars and I hope it will not be lost in the shuffle. I highly recommend it.

Let's see.........since my last visit ..............my hubsters and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary on October 2nd
Cleveland Indians have won the first two games of the ALDS vs NY Yankees and in grand style I may add.
Tonight, Indians at New York - 7:30. You now I'll be planted in front of my television
Will is rocking his classes in college and will come home this week for mid-term break. Yippee!
AND I've finished Dark at the Crossing - very good entry into the National Book Awards short list, soooooo let's right a review!
Next, NBA short lister will be Sing, Unburied, Sing

Congrats on your 24th anniversary! That's wonderful :)

#30-2017
Dark at the Crossing
Elliot Ackerman
2017
237 pages
4/5

Where I've been................Sanko Park - Antep, Turkey
Kilis, Turkey
Syria-Turkey border

Thoughts.................Haris Abadi is an Iraqi by birth, American by gratitude. As an interpreter, his duty is blurred by emotion which leads to regret. Perhaps to set things right, he chooses to return to the Middle East and become a fighter for the Free Syrian Army. He meets Daphne and Amir who also struggle with events in their past and together they work to achieve their desires and cross the border back into Syria but the war is far reaching and filled with deception, revenge and betrayal. There is no place for naivete and the gullible. One needs to know where they're convictions lie, who the enemy is, what they are fighting and why. This story had an unexpected though not fulfilling conclusion and serves to reiterate just how ongoing and complicated this war can be.

>86 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle!
---------------

Here is my National Book Award Shortlist Scorecard

Dark At the Crossing

Good luck to your team, Lynda.

Nice comments on Dark at the Crossing. I am also sad that A Kind of Freedom didn't make it.

>89 BLBera: Hey Beth! only 6 1/2 hours before the big game and I'm so excited!

>89 BLBera: thanks, Beth! And heerrree we go!

Go Indians! As long as they aren't playing my Cubbies, I'll be rootin' for 'em. They had a helluva year.

Happy Sunday, Lynda. Hope you had a nice weekend.

Every year a bandwagon forms as the group tries to push one of the teams of our own towards the World Series. This year I'll throw my weight behind your Indians too Lynda. xx

>92 msf59: Thanks for your support, Mark :0) when not the Cubbies. It really would be nice to see the two teams meet in the Series again. I've got cousins in Houston and they are eager to have the Astros topple the Indians. BAH!

>93 PaulCranswick: Alright, Paul! Good to have you on the Windians bandwagon! Everyone is excited to have you aboard

Ugh! Things are not going well at Yankee Stadium.
On the bright side congrats to the Astros for advancing! I've got happy cousins in Houston

Aw, I am sorry about your Indians, Lynda. The postseason can really break your heart and rip out your guts. The best team in baseball, knocked out in round one. What a bummer.

The Cubs haven't been as sharp this year, so we were not expecting them to go all the way. I'll still be rootin' for them tonight.

Hugs, to my pal.

>96 msf59: Mark, the Indians have no one to blame but themselves! Downright ugly and ineffective. Locals newscasters, revealed last night, Kluber's been suffering with a bad back, but the teams lack of defense and offense are beyond comprehension.
Hope your Cubbies have better luck advancing!

------------------
I'm enjoying Sing, Unburied, Sing but haven't been able to find the time to pick up a book. The college man came home yesterday for mid-term break and I can't see that I'll have much time to read this weekend, but we'll see. Oh, and Manhattan Beach is waiting for me at the library. Sounds like it'll be a good one.

>97 Carmenere: Say it with me - stupid Yankees. Wish your Indians had knocked them off. Now I am cheering for someone else to know them off.

>98 Oberon: I look at it this way, Erik, the Yankees won not because they played better than us, the Yankees won because the Indians didn't play their best or even if they just played good Cleveland could have won. They looked completely lost. NY played very poorly and I really don't see them advancing to the WS but strange things happen in this game.

>99 Carmenere: We played poorly too and could have and perhaps should have but our ace pitcher blew up on the one day we needed him not to. Still go Astros!

I haven't read any of the list at >84 Carmenere: - look forward to hearing your recommendations.

Copied from The Washington Times: George Saunders is bookies’ favorite for Man Booker prize. What say you?

I've got to leave for the dentist, be back later to respond >100 Oberon: and >101 charl08: :0)

Yeah! Congrats to George Saunders! Lincoln in the Bardo is an original and touching piece of literature. I am overjoyed that it is the winner of the Booker Prize 2017!

>100 Oberon: I can not believe Houston is in the same situation as was the Indians! Sabathia has been a beast on the mound and seems to ignite his teammates.
I may become ill should NY proceed to the WS :P

>101 charl08: So far, I've only read 1 1/2 books from the National Book Award list. Dark by the Crossing was a good read and so far Sing, Unburies, Sing has been enjoyable. I'm just not reading much lately but hoping I can get to the 3 remaining books on the list before the winner is chosen.

>102 Carmenere: & >103 Carmenere: Well the Bookies got it right this time, Lynda. Personally a bit disappointed for Ali Smith. I think that we Brits are a little overly generous letting American writers into our awards when we cannot enter yours - Pulitzer for example.

Still at least a more than half way worthy winner this time compared to the dross that won out last year.

Hey Paul! I'm delighted with this years winner and still scratching my head over last years choice.
I read an interesting article yesterday as to why the Brits felt the need to include the Americans. Something about it being fueled by the publishing houses. Well, here it is if interested https://newrepublic.com/article/144820/americans-didnt-ruin-man-booker-prize-boo...

-----------------
I've been a bit busy lately, more so as an empty nester, so not much reading being done. I assembled 2 Ikea lamps for the master bedroom and I found all the talk of impossible directions, hogwash. These were, for the most part, pretty straight forward. I suppose the real challenge lies in the furniture directions.

Still chugging away at a 248 page book which is really pathetic. I also blame it on something funky going on with my left eye. Maybe it's like a head cold, I don't know, but things are a bit blurry and make it uncomfortable to read for long periods of time.

I want to try to sneak in a halloweenish read between the National Book Award shortlist so I'm about to saunter over to my book shelves and find the shortest scary book I own.

Sweet Thursday, Lynda. I thought since becoming an empty nester, you would be flying through the books!

Go Cubs! I would like to see one more win tonight! Make it respectable.

>105 Carmenere: this will the the correct explanation, as usual...
I can't really say I mind the American candidates, I've come to read some excellent books this way. But this year more than before I missed voices from other countries - Africa, Australia, NZ, and that has always been a great argument for the Booker.

All IKEA I ever assembled was straightforward, at least when compared to other local flatpack furniture companies. I just, hopefully finally, learned that I really should get a second person when the one little man in the manual is crossed through and there are two little men smiling and shaking hands. Not so great finding yourself in a room full of wardrobe (easily assembled on the floor) and having no idea of how to get this piece of furniture standing upright now. I managed, but almost fainted, and the new wooden floor got lots of scratches. :/

I hope your eyes are getting better quickly! Happy Weekend to you!

Morning, Lynda! Sorry to hear about your eye and hoping that clears up soon.

Thanks for the link to the article about the Booker Prize - very interesting.

I can't wait to see what you chose for your scary read from your shelves - good luck!

>106 msf59: Oh, dear Mark! To say last night's game was a fiasco would be an understatement. But the Cubs have no reason to be ashamed . They played a great year and almost made it back into the WS. Perhaps both our towns will succeed next year.

>107 Deern: Nathalie, you my want to look into, if you have not already done so, the Man Booker International Prize. If I remember correctly, the long list comes out in January and last year's nominees included countries other than England and the United States. I attempted to read the list this past year but found it a little difficult to borrow most of the titles from the library.
But yeah, it's unfortunate the Booker Prize didn't stay as it was - perhaps like most things it just came down to the almighty dollar :(

>108 Crazymamie: Wait no longer, Mamie! I started reading Pines last night. I believe it is not in the bloody, ghostly horror genre but it seems rather Twin Peakish to me so far. Something's just a little bit off. It looks to be a quick read with plenty of dialogue and I should get through it quickly. Then wrap up Sing, Unburied, Sing by the end of the month.
My eyes seem a little better today. A warm compress seemed to help a bit. Part of a general head cold, I'm hoping.

Oh, I have Pines in the stacks. I had started it, but then a bunch of library holds came in, and I never got back to it. I agree that it felt Twin Peakish - need to get back to it.

I'll let you know if it is worthy of your time :0)

I enjoyed Pines so much. It is indeed creepy and I hope you like it.
Just from the article in >105 Carmenere:, it seems like the quote in the first paragraph says that the prize had lost much of its prestige years ago, if we're to believe that it was being handed out by a small circle of people who wanted to keep it within "who's sleeping with who..." Which makes it strange that the writer then goes on to bemoan allowing in authors who really can't damage that reputation further simply by their nationality. Later on, the article seems to say a prize needs to have a monetary award in order to stay afloat, because the Folio prize that couldn't or wouldn't award money went defunct. So maybe this influx of American publishers and their money is keeping the Booker Prize going, because if that's what it came down to, needing sponsors to provide the prize money, they were in serious trouble.

Hope you are enjoying



and I've REALLY got to move Sing, Unburied, Sing up to the top of the pile.

: )

>112 mstrust: Thoroughly enjoyed Pines, Jennifer. I believe it was you that first directed me to this author, so for that, I thank you!!
"So maybe this influx of American publishers and their money is keeping the Booker Prize going, because if that's what it came down to, needing sponsors to provide the prize money, they were in serious trouble." That makes sense. I wonder why/how Booker Prize would have gotten themselves into that predicament.

>113 Berly: Love that image, Kim! It was a page turner, for sure!!
--------------
I'm, as usual, a bit behind. I've got to finish up Oresteia which is past due for my Coursera class, then post very brief thoughts and pics from 4 books I've finished this weekend.

I've got an appointment w/ophthalmologist on Thursday as the blurriness in left eye continues. So frustrating!

Also, I've decided, since there are a few books I want to finish by the end of the year, to suspend reading the National Book Award finalists. Hopefully, one of the two I have read is the winner :o)

Also #2: I've returned to the TIOLI challenges after a lengthy break. They are so addictive and really help in choosing my next read in an enjoyable manner.

#33-2017
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Jesmyn Ward
2017
285 pages
4.5/5

Where I've been..............Parchman, Mississippi State Penitentiary

Mendenhall, Mississippi

Thoughts.................Jojo and his younger sister, Kayla, are taken on a road trip through Mississippi by their mother, Leoni and her friend, Misty. The purpose, to pick up their father, Michael who has just been released from prison. The road trip would be comical if it weren't so terrifyingly true and sadly so. Waiting for them at home are Leoni's seriously ill mother and ex-con father who keeps their farm running. Pop, is haunted by the past and unresolved actions. It's the ability of the young to see into the past and see the victims of racial violence who still linger in this world but try to find peace in another. Ms. Ward has written an extraordinary novel. She has created characters, living and dead, which the reader can grow to love despite their faults. Highly recommend.

#34-2017
Pines
Blake Crouch
2012
303 pages
3.75/5

Where I've been.....................Washington State, Highway 112 Trailhead to Striped Peak

Yellow Pine, Idaho (similar to Wayward Pines, Idaho)

US Bank Bldg, Boise, Idaho

Thoughts.......................What do you get when you mix Jurassic Park, LOST, Twin Peaks and Planet of the Apes? Why, you've got Pines! An extremely fun and often times terrifying read by Blake Crouch.
Ethan Burke is on assignment for the Secret Service. His mission: to find two missing agents, last known whereabouts: Wayward Pines, Idaho. Before he has a chance to launch his investigation his car is t-boned by a semi. When he opens his eyes he is in a forest and a bit disoriented. His wallet, credit cards and cell phone are gone so he must walk towards the picturesque town center to call the office and his wife and check into a hotel. Not so easy when you have no ID or money. Not so easy when the town folk don't take too kindly to strangers. In his efforts to find a way home he discovers he first needs to find a way out but until he finds that he learns some odd things about this town and the reader finds they're just as disoriented as Ethan.
In true Crouch fashion, the reader is transported to the unknown and it's a frightening place. Fasten your seat belts and take a drive to Wayward Pines soon, you may be stuck there for awhile.

Public Service Announcement! Never, ever, ever let your alphabetically organized bookshelves get disheveled. x P

I enjoyed the review of Sing, Unburied, Sing, Lynda. It’s been getting lots of love both here on LT and by the critics. Onto the Library List it goes!

I hope the eye blurriness clears up soon. I recently got new glasses and am able to read for longer stretches again. I was starting to depend on audiobooks because of eye strain.
.
I have taken the year off from TIOLI and miss that book rush that came along with the new challenges at the beginning of the month. I may return next year.

Happy November 1st, Lynda!

Morning, Lynda. Happy Friday! I miss seeing you around. Hope all is well, my friend.

Glad you loved Sing, Unburied, Sing. I agree. Terrific read.

>118 Donna828: Hey Donna! I hope you're able to read S,U,S soon. It's a good one for sure.

This is the diagnosis for my eye condition Vitreous Detachment Defined
What is vitreous detachment?
Most of the eye’s interior is filled with vitreous, a gel-like substance that helps the eye maintain a round shape. There are millions of fine fibers intertwined within the vitreous that are attached to the surface of the retina, the eye’s light-sensitive tissue. As we age, the vitreous slowly shrinks, and these fine fibers pull on the retinal surface. Usually the fibers break, allowing the vitreous to separate and shrink from the retina. This is a vitreous detachment.

In most cases, a vitreous detachment, also known as a posterior vitreous detachment, is not sight-threatening and requires no treatment.

This condition is most likely in adults over 80 but is non uncommon in those over 50.

That said, my prescription has not changed I just have to deal with more floaters which the doc says will diminish in time, I can continue to read and drive. *sigh*

>119 ChelleBearss: Hahaha, Chelle! Surprisingly we had a very light turnout for Halloween. I think the temps in the low 30's f kept the little ones away. With Will off at college all the spoils belong to Bill and I. Unfortunately, this is the year I went light on chocolate and heavy on sugary sweet junk. Note to self! Stick with the chocolate in the event you have to eat it.

>120 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark! The Coursera class on Classical Greek has kept me busy. When this one ends in mid November I will start a course on Mindfulness. Hopefully, not so much reading involved.

>121 Carmenere: My vitreous detached a few years ago, Lynda. It seemed more bothersome than anything else; I have a permanent bee floater, but I've gotten used to it.

>121 Carmenere: Well. It's good news that the doctor could explain it all to you, but it sounds really aggravating anyway. At least it's going to improve, so you have that to look forward to.
We also had a very light turn out for Halloween, as in exactly four kids. I had bought so much candy because last year's turn out was the biggest ever and I thought we were finally on their route. I sent Mike to work the next day with about four pounds of leftovers.

Happy Friday, Lynda! Sorry to hear about the eye woes. Bummer. Those floaters can be annoying - I have them, too.

>121 Carmenere: Aging sucks. Just saying.

Sorry you have the wrong kind of leftovers to eat!

>123 BLBera: Yes, Beth! Bothersome and annoying. It seems as if a contact lens has gone rogue in my eye and I need to blink several times before the blurriness goes away. Sorry it happened to you too. I'm unfamiliar with what a permanent bee floater is and can not find online but it sounds as rogue as mine.

>124 mstrust: Hey Jennifer, I'm not sure if it improves or I just get used to it. But it is what it is and it makes me sad. Woe! 4 lbs of leftovers is extraordinary. Why do you think your turnout was light? Did you have a very scary display out front? Hmmmm, be honest ;0)

>125 Crazymamie: Happy Saturday, Mamie! I can sympathize with you, I always thought floaters just came in black little dots, which I have too, but what I didn't expect was something like a little blob of Glad Wrap floating around in the corner of my eye. *sigh*

>126 Berly: Truthfully Kim, aging, up to this point, has been gradual and easy on me but lately I've been thinking as you, it suckity sucks sucks sucks. Ha!

Off to paint a baseboard :0)

>127 Carmenere: Well, I have some theories. First, we live on a small cul de sac of just eight houses and no street lamps, and half of them had their lights out, so we had a dark street. Even two of the houses who had pumpkins outside kept their lights out. I had my porch decorated with fake butcher implements and a giant spider, it's true, but my front porch can't be seen until you're standing directly in front of my house. I think the big difference was that my neighbors weren't doing a cookout on their lawn like they did last year.

>128 mstrust: And a good theory it is! There are some sections of my neighborhood which are completely dark but for one or two lights. We don't have street lights either and the lots are an acre each. So why would kids bother to venture down that street for one or two little Snicker bars .
Streets seem to have a cycle all their own. Young families with tons of kids to empty nesters, less kids. My street seems to be on the edge of empty nesterness so that could play a part in our low turnout but still I'd blame the freezing temps more so.

Morning, Lynda. Happy Sunday. Sorry, to hear about the eye issues. Ugh!

It looks like a damp weekend in the Midwest, eh?

It's nothing technical, Lynda. It's just a floater that looks like a little bee. Some days it bothers me more than others. What's really interesting is that when they check my eyes, they can see it.

I got A Kind of Freedom from the library but had to return it before I accrued fines (I didn't want to bring it with me on vacation).
I will re-borrow it when I return. Five out of five is a persuasive rating!

I have a very tiny floater that I can usually ignore. P developed one a year or so ago and, after a while, she "stopped seeing it," but until her brain made that adjustment she said it was quite annoying.

Another fun scene in the chapter on aging. Heh.

>130 msf59: Hey Mark! It's been a chilly weekend over here. Rec'd some snow Friday morning and to day woke up to 15f temps. Brrrr It's to be expected, what can we do :0(

>131 BLBera: Wow! that is interesting, Beth! I'd liken my floater to a jellyfish. I have to blink several times to get it to float back to wherever it is that it came from. As annoying as it is, it seems to be less bothersome than before, so I guess I'm getting used to it.

>132 EBT1002: Know what you mean, Ellen! I do not bring library books with me on vacay, too easy to leave it behind. Vacation is a great opportunity to read what I own and then donate it to my resort for the enjoyment of other vacationers :0)
"until her brain made that adjustment" I love the way P summed up the floater dilemma. I think that makes perfect sense!!

#35-2017
Morality for Beautiful Girls
Alexander McCall Smith
2002
227 pages
3/5

Where I've Been....................Mochudi, Botswana

Thoughts..............................There are many troubles in Gabarone, Botswana, home of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency and Mma Ramotswe, its proprietor. A very strange boy has walked out of the woods but is unable to speak, a government official believes his sister-in-law is poisoning his brother, the sponsors of a local beauty pageant may pull their support and most importantly, Mma Ramotswe's fiance, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is ill. Thank goodness she has her secretary to help run the detective agency and car repair shop in Ramotswe's and Matekoni's absence.
The mysteries are solved by the cleverness of Ramotswe and Secretary, Mma Makutsi. The reader just needs to sit back, enjoy the ride and let their imagination run wild.
With the third book in the series, although the characters are still enjoyable, one fears that the next book in the series will be much of the same.

Hi Lynda, I'm sorry about the eye condition. Coincidentally a friend told me about the same diagnosis last Saturday and also said she found it totally annoying, especially when driving.
I've had small floaters in my left eye for at least 25 years (so it can't always be ageing). I got so used to it them I never thought of asking a doctor about it.
I hope yours will diminish quickly so can read without problems again.

>135 Deern: Hey Nathalie! Surprisingly, the floater hasn't given me much trouble when I read. Like your friend it is most bothersome when I'm driving. The floater, to me, looks like a jellyfish floating near the corner of my eye and when I drive I sometimes need to blink several times to get him to move. Yeah, completely annoying.
My ophthalmologist mentioned that although these detached whatchamacallits are more common in older adults, it is not unusual for those in their 20's and 30's to have them too. Makes me feel happy it didn't begin THAT early for me.

-----------
Currently reading Prague which I began in April prior to our trip to Budapest. I hope to finish this and another book I started earlier this year so I can start 2018 with a clean slate.

So looking forward to Will's Thanksgiving weekend back at home. Bill and I miss him very much but thanks to texts and emails we feel close, but ya know.

We recently purchased a new office chair at our new favorite store, IKEA! It's awesome! and not as lethal as our old chair which, if you leaned back too far, well, you can imagine x 0 . So easy to assemble too.

I'm wrapping up Greek and Roman Mythology through Coursera. As that ends, I'll begin De-mystifying mindfulness. Hopefully, not as much reading involved with that one. It wouldn't be very mindful of the fact I've got a whole lot of other books waiting for me.

For those interested.............. National Book Award Announcement

Yay! Sing, Unburied, Sing wins the National Book Award for fiction! Congrats to Jesmyn Ward!

Hi Lynda, I too am plagued by floaters. For me they started shortly after having catarac surgery. It's strange how bothersome they are at first but then they seem to settle down and not interfere so much. I have one that darts off to the side when I turn my head and I am constantly thinking it's a spider. My eye doctor said the part that we can see is actually the shadow of the bits that have broken away.

Your review of Sing, Unburied, Sing has me wanting to read it even more than I did before. I loved Salvage the Bones!

>139 DeltaQueen50: "My eye doctor said the part that we can see is actually the shadow of the bits that have broken away" That's a great explanation, Judy. Seems like, We're all in this together but in the scheme of things it's really not that serious, just a minor disruption of the norm. Sigh

I hope you have the chance to read S,U,S. It's quite a powerful book and I think you'd like it. Now, I'll have to look into Salvage the Bones.

Morning, Lynda. Sweet Thursday. I also loved Salvage the Bones. Actually, a bit more than Sing.

Hope your week is going well.

>136 Carmenere: A clean slate for 2018. I think that's in the 'something to aspire to' bracket for me... I really need to stop starting books and just get some finished instead.

>137 Carmenere: I've got to get hold of Sing unburied Sing - all the rave reviews have persuaded me. Haven't heard anything about it apart from LT though, weirdly.

Morning, Lynda!

>142 charl08: "I really need to stop starting books and just get some finished instead." Me, too!

>141 msf59: and a Sweet Thursday to you, Mark. I anticipate reading Salvage the Bones all the more with your comment.

>142 charl08: Yeah Charlotte, about that clean slate, things are going rather slowly here too and I'd be surprised and extremely happy if I can start clean in '18. Hey! I like that, it may be the name of my thread next year..............Starting clean in 2018............now, I'm rally stoked :0)

>143 Crazymamie: Good afternoon, Mamie! Hope all's well at the Paradisio!
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Of the three books I returned to this past week, only one has really grabbed my attention..........Dark Fire by C J Sansom. There's just something about the middle ages that make me feel at home. Isn't that weird?!

I'm coming by to say hi, and wishing you a great weekend, Lynda!

Thanks, Jennifer! and the same to you and Mike!

Yay for SUS winning the National Book Award for Fiction!! I have it in my piles...somewhere. Now I will have to actively search for it! LOL Hope the floaties resolve. I have had them come and go. Totally annoying.

Hope you have a great weekend! And when does Will come home for the Thanksgiving break? He must be going to school somewhat close to home if he can come back for a "quickie"?

Happy Saturday, Lynda! And yay for Will coming home for Thanksgiving break!

>147 Berly: I'm beginning to forget about the jellyfish floater, Kim, but it still rears its slimy head when I'm driving. Maybe eventually it will float away. Will is coming home tomorrow afternoon after his last class. Yay!!! Yup, he's only 2 hours and 18 minutes away.

>148 scaifea: Happy Monday, Amber! I've never enjoyed Thanksgiving so much as I will enjoy this Thanksgiving.
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The Tournament of Books 2018 is out!

TOB 72 Books to be widdled in January

I've read 7 and I'll check my library to see what's available. I'm going to limit the size to 300 pages. There's simply so many books on my TBR already!
TOB read Autumn
Dark at the Crossing
Exit West
Fever Dream
A Kind of Freedom
Lincoln in the Bardo
Sing, Unburied, Sing

>149 Carmenere: Interesting list. I am not at all familiar with Dark at the Crossing or A Kind of Freedom. I am waiting to be enlightened.

Hope you had a good weekend, Lynda.

>150 msf59: Mark! I recommend both highly! Scroll up to my post >87 Carmenere: for review of Dark at the Crossing and post >73 Carmenere: for A Kind of Freedom.
You can not go wrong with either one.
We had a nice weekend. Cousins from Florida were staying in Toledo, Ohio so we met them at Tony Packo's. Klinger from M*A*S*H always mentioned Tony Packo's on the show. Lots of memorabilia from celebrities and a limited but decent menu. Mainly Hungarian cuisine.

Tournament of Books under 300 pages reserved at my library:

Her body and other parties : stories

White tears

Void star

Universal harvester

Ties

Temporary people

So much blue : a novel

A separation : a novel

Marlena : a novel

Kingdom Cons

In the distance

Homesick for another world

The end of Eddy

Eat only when you're hungry

Dear cyborgs : a novel

The dark dark : stories

The book of Joan : a novel

The woman next door

Smile

One of the boys : a novel

Augustown : a novel

All Grown Up

*I also have a couple reserved on Kindle and Audio/Overdrive and have listed them here.

Chemistry
Goodbye, Vitamin

So excited! We're on the way to pick up Will! Let the holiday begin :0)

Safe travels, Lynda!

Thanks, Mamie! We are home and Will doesn't need to go back until Monday morning. Sweet! It's hard to believe the first semester is almost done and 2nd semester classes have been chosen.

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As my half completed books languish, I'm just about done listening to Chemistry a ToB selection. Pretty good and a fast read.

#36-2017
Chemistry: A Novel
Weike Wang
2018 Tournament of Books
Audio
3/5

Where I've been.............Boston, MA

The unnamed narrator of this story is having a difficult time finding the right chemistry. She can not find it with her boyfriend who repeatedly proposes to her, her parents who push her into a career similar to their own, nor completing the final phases of her Phd. She's stuck and can not move forward. The author relates the young ladies difficulties with humor and an easiness that is quiet likable and when chemistry does exist it's quite nice. I found the tidbits of science scattered throughout the story quiet interesting. Yet, the story seems to fall flat and the conclusion is befuddling.

Wishing you the most happy long holiday weekend with Will! :D

Thanks, Nathalie! I'm a bit stressed right now as the turkey is not defrosting as fast as I would like. I should have taken it out of the freezer a day or two earlier. Ugh, I never learn :P

>152 Carmenere: Interesting list. I really enjoyed both Her body and other parties : stories & The dark dark : stories.

Sorry, to hear Chemistry: A Novel didn't quite work for you. I really liked that one.

Happy Wednesday, Lynda.

>159 msf59: Ya know, Mark, Chemistry is a well told tale but I'm still having a tough time wrapping my head around audio as reading. No matter how many attempts I make, my brain can not adapt. Ugh! Although, I'm not about to give up on that method of "reading" please take my reviews with a grain of salt when I review a book on audio. :/

Good luck with the turkey! No celebrations here, just a gentle (I hope!) warm up to Xmas.

>161 charl08: Thanks Charlotte, I'm sure it won't run afoul. *snicker* He may have to cook a little longer but it's nothing to get my feathers ruffled.
Enjoy your gentle, non celebratory warm up to Xmas!

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slipping out to make my pumpkin pie. Pads away .....

Morning, Lynda! Sorry to hear that your turkey is misbehaving, but yum to the pumpkin pie.

Hey Mamie! The pie is in the oven and turkey will be fine. What's a holiday without a case of the nerves? right?
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I've started the next ToB selection. It is titled Goodbye, Vitaman and is also a relatively quick read. So, here goes..........

I need to make my pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. But instead, I'm here playing on the computer.

>165 mstrust: Yuck yuck yuck! I know Jennifer the temptation is just too much! I'll be slipping in and out as the day progresses.
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The turkey's really taking off (pun intended) now and defrosting nicely.

Oy! The puns are flying around here. I am gobbling them up. ; )

Glad Will is home safe and sound. Enjoy it while you can! This is the first year my oldest is celebrating elsewhere (with her boyfriend and family in CA)--it goes fast.

: )

>167 Berly: Hahaha I see you're in the spirit of the season, Kim! Oh my, to your oldest celebrating with her boyfriends family. Be strong, I know that's got to be tough. Is an engagement in the works, ya think?

>168 Carmenere: The thought has crossed my mind...I am not ready!! LOL

I still have to make the stuffing tonight...bye!

Happy Thanksgiving, Lynda. Have a great time with the family.

>169 Berly: Hope your stuffing is a complete success, Kim! Happy Thanksgiving!

>170 msf59: Thanks Mark and same to you!
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My mom bought me a Christmas gift this morning but she doesn't know it yet :0 Had to grab that fitbit at black Friday prices, right?!

Whoot for the Fitbit grabbing - when you get it set up, PM me your email, and I will send you an invite to the Fitbit group for LTers.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving full of happy, Lynda!

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving, Lynda!

I hope you are having/had a happy Thanksgiving, Lynda.

Ugh! I'm still exhausted and my back is aching but Mittens needed breakfast, so here I am.

>172 Crazymamie: "when you get it set up, PM me your email, and I will send you an invite to the Fitbit group for LTers." YES! One of the reasons only a fitbit would do is to join LT walkers! I will do that Mamie. Look for my PM on Christmas day. Thanks.
We brought mom to our house yesterday and I showed her a pic of what she bought me and she was delighted.

>173 PaulCranswick: Well said, Paul! As for me, I'm thankful the 75ers don't kick me out of this wonderful group on the basis I've only reached the goal of 75 books once. Just goes to show what a kind, welcoming, non-judgmental group of humans reside in the group.

>174 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy!

>175 Familyhistorian: and thank you, Meg. It was delightful!
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Ahhhhh! Pumpkin pie and coffee. I am alive again!

Morning, Lynda. I guess, it is time for me to go walk off some of the food and drink that were consumed yesterday. I might need a few extra laps.

Hope you enjoyed your day.

>177 msf59: I just posted on your thread, Mark, with the hope you'd be off today. It is nice though that you have a free workout membership ;0)

Well, I hadn't thought about pumpkin pie and coffee, but now that you mention it, it's all I can think about. : D
Glad you had a good Thanksgiving, Lynda!

I hope you're having a great holiday, Lynda. ToB list already?! I'll have to check it out.

Yeah, Beth, the ToB list is earlier this year and begins with a list of 72 books! It gives readers a little extra time to get a few of them read before they start to whittle down. So far, I've read 1 1/2. I highly doubt to read very many of them but it's fun reading new material.

#37-2017
Goodbye, Vitamin
Rachel Khong
2018 Tournament of Books
3/5

I'm in....................Silver Lake, California
Disneyland

Thoughts............At it's core, this is a story about a year in the life of family and friends working together to care for the patriarch afflicted with early onset Alzheimer's. Beyond that there is an underlying story of the bonds and memories shared between father and daughter and how roles are lovingly reversed. Tender story filled with day to day personal conflicts sorted out through adversity.

Morning, Lynda. I am really enjoying Human Acts, despite the horrors. You passed this one on to me, right? I have had it on the Must Read Now Shelf, since I obtained it but I finally plucked it down. I should be able to read a large chunk of it today.

Yes, Mark, you are indeed correct. I can't believe such atrocities happened in S Korea in 1988. That wasn't so long ago, yet I don't remember hearing about it at the time it was happening. Seems the country has turned itself around a bit since then.

We are having an awesome stretch of weather. As I look outside, the sky is clear, the sun is shining brightly and temps will reach the mid 60's today.
Good for tidying up the yard, heading to the library, the bookstore, pick up a gallon of milk (Will polished off most of it) and finish indoor decorating which was started with Will over the weekend.

The neighborhood ladies are, once again. organizing the book club and I'm still undecided what I will choose. Thus, the trip to the bookstore with store credits to burn. Any recommendations?

Another cup of java and a slice of toast and i'll be out the door.

Next up on reading list: I WILL finally complete Across many Mountains as my read after that is egging me on and I can't wait to begin The Dark Dark, another selection from the ToB's.

Morning, Lynda! We also need milk.

>186 Crazymamie: Do your kids go through a lot of milk too, Mamie? It's Will's beverage of choice, milk or water. Never wanted pop/soda, energy drinks nor alcohol.
:0)

ok, I made my book exchange purchase.............News of the World a novel. it received praises on LT so I think I made a solid choice. Now, to find the time for me to read it before the exchange begins on 1-1-18.

Hi Lynda! I'm afraid your touchstone leads us to the Queen album News of the World. Which is also a solid choice that no one could complain about. : D
What type of books does your reading group lean towards?

LOL! Thanks for the heads up, Jennifer! Seems adding "a novel" makes all he difference in the world. (but, yeah, Queen would be a nice change of pace)

This was our group's selections for 2017:

Finding me by Michelle Knight

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - my submission

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Salt sugar fat by Micheal Moss

STING by Sandra Brown

Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

The girl on the train
----------------------------------
This is what we have for 2018 to date:

The Rooster Bar - John Grishman

Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah

So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Robinson

News of the World a novel - Paulette Jiles

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

It's a nice mix, I think. Fortunately, (unlike 2017) I have not read any of the books chosen for next year.

I looked at your list, and if you are still in the market for suggestions:

The Indian Lawyer by James Welch
Polar by T.R. Pearson
Biggest Elvis by P.F. Kluge
I thought of these three because each stuck with me for a long time after reading.
For October, this is a gentle ghost story- The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick
In non-fiction, I haven't read this yet as I got it just a few weeks ago, but it was recommended by "Well Read"- Bettyville: A Memoir. A man has to leave NYC and go back to Missouri to care for his opinionated elderly mother.

Btw, I've read So You've Been Publicly Shamed and it's a good one.

Interesting discussion about floaters in the eyes, Lynda. They can be annoying. Like Judy, mine remind me of spiders. I think I'd rather have a jellyfish!

That is quite the list of reserved library books upthread. You are smart to limit yourself to the ones under 300 pages long. Our book group only knows what we are reading 3 months in advance. It would be helpful to have the list for a year so I could purchase some of them at used bookstores and library book sales. We meet at the public library and sometimes the chosen book is hard to come by. I

'm glad you had a nice Thanksgiving with Will. And, congrats on the new Fitbit. I love mine, though after I broke my almost 9-month record of not missing a day with 10,000+ steps, I have been a bad walker. I'll blame the 2-week trip to CO, Strep Throat, and too much turkey and pie.

Chiming in on the milk talk: Charlie drinks So Much Milk. He's like Will: he generally only drinks milk or water, with orange juice thrown in when I insist. This summer, we went through 1.5 gallons of milk a week, and he's the only one drinking it! Yoicks.

>190 mstrust: Hey Jennifer, I actually considered Pines for my choice but I talked myself into News of the World because I've wanted to read it and its gotten lots of love around LT - ok, it was my excuse to go to the bookstore yesterday morning and purchased it as well as Our Souls at Night which sounds really sweet.
I've placed a few of your recommendations on my wishlist for future consideration. Biggest Elvis sounds like something the ladies would like and I like your review of it and a possible discussion about greed would be stimulating.
Yeah. the lady who chose So You've Been Publicly Shamed chose Salt Sugar Fat last year. Both are books I wouldn't ordinarily read and that's why I appreciate our little reading group
The Fitbit will present a huge challenge in the winter months as I'm basically in a cocoon during the colder months. I hope it inspires me to get out and about more or exercise more diligently at home. fingers crossed!

>191 Donna828: ewwwwe, spiders! blah :P I sympathize with you and Judy, it doesn't sound pleasant at all! The jellyfish still resides in the left hand corner of my left eye and I try to explain to my husband what it's like but....ya know. When I drive with Bill in the car he wonders why I'm slow to change lanes etc etc but I have to blink several times to move that little sucker (the floater) and by then I've missed my chance. Don't you love adventures in aging ;0)
Our book group is a little different, Donna. We each purchase 1 book and it is circulated every month so by August or Sept. depending how many are in the group, we meet up with wine and cheese to discuss all of them. I need to keep good notes because I often forget what the book in Jan or Feb was about. - Another adventure in aging. :/
Good luck getting back to you Fitbit. It's always difficult to pick up a routine again but I know you will. When I get that sluggish feeling or I see my profile in the mirror and I say to myself "yup, you've let yourself go, Lynda. It's time to shape up, NOW"

I'm in shock! I can not believe the man I woke up with every morning for the past 20 some years is gone. Matt Lauer was terminated from the Today Show this morning and I am deeply saddened by this turn of events. *sigh*

Morning, Lynda! Yep - the kids are big milk drinkers. Daniel and Abby rarely drink soda, although Birdy and Rae love it.

I think News of the World is am excellent choice - I loved that one.

*gasp* Matt Lauer was fired? But he was just on there yesterday when I watched. Why?

>194 Crazymamie: Savanah opened the show saying they'd just heard the news from corporate. An employee filed a complaint about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace and it is believed there may be more complaints as well.

*sad face*

Need to vent: Grrr...do any of you wise souls have any tricks for bottles like lotion or soap like this one when you turn the spout in the direction that is indicated yet it doesn't release for the product to come out? So frustrating to then have to unscrew the top to get out the product.
My sanity thanks you :0)

>189 Carmenere: I may borrow some of those for my RL bookclub suggestions. Thanks for doing all the work for me!! LOL.

Sadly, my Fitbit broke. I am hoping for a new one for Christmas.

>197 Carmenere: My trick is to make my husband fight them. I know what you mean, last week I pulled out three bottles of soap in a row and couldn't get any of the tops to pop. I stopped buying jugs of Arizona Iced Tea years ago because I couldn't get them open anymore and neither could my 6' 4", 300lb. husband.

>198 Berly: My pleasure, Kim. Glad to be of service
I hope Santa learns of your loss and a shiny new Fitbit will be under your tree.

>199 mstrust: Ugh! If this new technology is so ineffective why is it not improved upon?! Ha! If the medical world wants our blood pressure to be 130/80 they ought to start right here Grrr. I hope you found a good substitute for the jugs of Arizona Iced Tea.

>176 Carmenere: Kick you out?! Heaven forbid!

>197 Carmenere: - Sadly, I have no tricks to share. Once I have a dispenser bottle that works, I tend to buy the warehouse size and just keep refilling the dispenser bottle.

>197 Carmenere: I broke some of those in an impatient rage over the years... :(

Morning, Lynda. Sweet Thursday. Just about done with Human Acts. Equal parts amazing and horrifying.

>201 PaulCranswick: Paul,

>202 lkernagh: Good idea, Lori!

>203 Deern: Yes! I can see that happening, Nathalie!! Why are these bottles on the market if they have like a 50% chance of functioning?! Ha! and people wonder why people are so irritable. It's the little things!

>204 msf59: Sweet Thursday to you too, Mark! I hope you have a lighter read lined up to take the sting out of Human Acts .

Tournament of Books scorecard to date:

1. Tie between Chemistry & Goodbye, Vitamin - These two novellas are so similar it's scary. If I had to give the edge to one of them it would be Goodbye, Vitamin simply for its treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Other than that, both books contain a 20/30 something woman living the life she would not have chosen if not for following a man who is pursuing his dream. They both contend wiith parent issues, past boyfriends and possible new ones
My guess is, these books will cancel each other out and not proceed to the next stage.

Stay tuned, The Dark Dark is pretty darn good, so far.