RebaRelishesReading 2018 chapter 3

I'm a retired city planner who loves to travel. We live in San Diego but have a little townhouse at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York state where we spend much of the summer and some of the fall. In October this year we plan to fly from Chautuqua to Scotland, spend two weeks in the western highlands, then train down to London for a week before flying to Ireland for two weeks. I lived in Ireland for two years back in the early 80's and haven't been back since that should be fun. Actually I'm really looking forward to the whole trip.

I had challenged myself to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winning fiction and finished that last year. I plan to continue by reading the Pulitzer Prize winning biographies, but at a slower pace than I did the fiction (which took me several years). I'm pretty eclectic in my reading so there will be a lot of fiction, ranging from new books to classics, history, current topics and the occasional "beach read" (even though I don't ever actually read at the beach).

I had a great meet-up with the ladies from Portland last Sunday. If I'm counting correctly it was my 7th meet-up which has included 20 75ers. Meeting you all is one of my favorite things!

JANUARY

1. The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone****1/2
2. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman*****
3. Love and Friendship by Alison Lurie** (audio)
4. Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan****
5. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder****
6. The Ladies' Room by Carolyn Brown (audio) ****
7. Melbourne by Lord David Cecil ***

FEBRUARY

8. Inferior by Angela Saini****
9. How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry***1/2
10.Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (audio) ***
11. The Return by Hisham Matar****
12. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy*****
13. If I Were Going The Alice and Jerry Books
14. When We Were Sisters by Emilie Richards****1/2 (audio)
15. 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie (audio) ***
16. City of Women by David R. Gilliam*****
17. P. S. from Paris by Marc Levy****(audio)
18. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman*****

MARCH

19. Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt ***
20. Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan ***1/2
21. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman ****1/2
22. Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory **** (audio)
23. Eden's Outcasts by John Matteson ****
24. A Daring Life by Carolyn J. Brown ***1/2 (audio)
25. The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin *****

APRIL

26. In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen (audio) ****
27. Henry James: A Life by Leon Edel ***1/2
28. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev ****
29. Mercer Girls by Libbie Hawker (audio) ****1/2
30. To Say Nothing of the Dog ***1/2
31. Strange Haven: A Jewish Childhood in Wartime Shanghai by Sigmund Tobias ***
32. The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan ***

MAY

33. One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson (audio)****
34. Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck*****
35. In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende***1/2
36. Less by Andrew Sean Greer**
37. Improvement by Joan Silber ***1/2
38. The Aviators by Winston Groom (audio) ****1/2
39. The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson ****1/2

JUNE

40. The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford ***1/2
41. Sutton by J. R. Moehringer ****
42. The House of Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith**** (audio)
43. Virginia Baron: The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax by Stuart E. Brown, Jr.***
44. The Signal Flame by Andrew Krivak*****
45. The Code of the Woosters by P. G. wodehouse *** (audio)
46. Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck ***1/2

JULY

47. Nomadland by Jessica Bruder***1/2
48. My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman***
49. The Long Valley by John Steinbeck ***
50. Wild is the River by Louis Bromfield****1/2
51. Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen**** (audio)
52. Bear Town by Fredrik Backman*****

And now I would love to hear from you all :)

5. P.S. I forgot to mention that I tried to buy Less on Sunday but Powell's was out of them (!). There were a couple of books on my list that they didn't have, which was quite a shock to me. I thought they had every book in the world :)

Funny - about To Say Nothing of the Dog. I'm an avid SF reader, and had some trouble with it because it didn't feel like SF (or F, either). I read Three Men in a Boat just previous (intentionally), and that was excellent prep for Willis' work. But like you, I began to enjoy it after a while, and found the last third or so very good.

Happy new thread, Reba! Quinn is a cutie :-) And three months already!

I liked the picture of your books from Powells on the previous thread. It sounds like it was a very successful trip.

>1 RebaRelishesReading: LOVE his baby gro - he's very adorable.

Happy new thread :)

Happy new thread, Reba!

Morning, Reba! Happy new thread. And the topper - adorable. He looks shocked to be three months already - he's probably wondering where the time went.

Happy new one, Reba! Quinn is a cutie :) Glad you are enjoying your visit.

Cute baby!!!

Your travel plans sound marvelous! You will enjoy Ireland so much!

Happy new thread!

How lovely to have so many visitors this morning!!

>6 jjmcgaffey: Hi Jennifer. Interesting we had similar reactions to To Say Nothing of the Dog but from a different perspective. I also read Three Men in a Boat first which is how I got pointed to this one. I thought Three Men was hysterically funny but really wasn't able to identify the human in The Dog but the story engaged me. Anyway, glad I read it and glad you stopped by :)

>7 susanj67: Hi Susan. Thanks for nice comment on Quinn. He is pretty darned cute. You're also right that the meet-up was good including the stop at Powell's.

>8 BekkaJo: Hi BekkaJo -- thank you :)

>9 scaifea: Thank you Amber. Glad you stopped by.

>10 Crazymamie: Mornin' Mamie. Nice to see you. I think he probably is surprised he's so old already. We had cake and everything to celebrate (he didn't get any though so perhaps that's why the face is about).

>11 katiekrug: Thank you Katie. We are indeed enjoying our time here although today is our last day before we head on up to Seattle.

>12 sibylline: Thank you Lucy. I lived in Ireland for 2 years back in the early '80's so this will be a bit of a trip down memory lane for me.

>13 drneutron: Thank you Jim.

Reba--What a cutie!!! So glad I got to see you in Portland. Happy new one.

Thanks Kim. How are you doing today?

Happy new thread, Reba!

>1 RebaRelishesReading: Awww he’s adorable Reba!

>1 RebaRelishesReading: Little fellow looks amazed that it is 3 months already!

What a cute little chap.

Happy new thread, Reba. xx

Happy new thread with an absolutely adorable topper.

Happy new thread! Adorable topper!

>17 FAMeulstee:, >18 brenzi:, >19 PaulCranswick:, >20 nittnut:, >21 figsfromthistle: Thank you Anita, Bonnie, Paul, Jenn and figsfromthistle. We think he's pretty cute too.

Our visit in Oregon is at an end. Tomorrow morning we move on to Seattle. Next time we see the baby he may well be walking :(

>14 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, I stop by all the time - you have an interesting thread. I just don't always have something to say...

Happy new thread! What a sweet topper you have!

Happy new thread, Reba, and that's an adorable picture of the newest grandson. Safe travels to Seattle.

>23 jjmcgaffey: Thanks, Jennifer, it's nice of you to say that! I also often visit threads without saying anything and I'm glad you stop by whether I know it or not.

>24 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle -- thanks :)

>25 karenmarie: Thank you Karen. We're safely in the hotel in Bremerton after a stop at The Glass Museum in Tacoma and lunch in Gig Harbor.

I caught a sore throat/slight cough from daughter #2 while we were in Portland so I'm struggling a bit with that. Not really sick but a bit "poorly" as my Mom would have said. Nevertheless we had a great day today. We ferried over to Seattle (50 minute ride) and then walked up to the Seattle Center, shopping for a new jacket for Hubby on the way. He's been wanting a Patagonia jacket for ever but is a cautious shopper so we went into some other shops along the way but he ended up with the Patagonia one at the end. Fun shopping with good result.

At Seattle Center we had a great lunch and then visited the Chihuly Garden & Glass which was wonderful as all of his installations are. Afterwards we took the monorail back to Pioneer Square than walked back to the ferry for the ride back to the hotel. Really, really lovely day. Here are some Chihuly photos:

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The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

A fun romance about a young woman from a (fictional) island far north of Scotland who works as an junior attorney in London. She has a crush on her boss, who doesn't even know her name. The boss wants to get a new client who is a super-wealthy guy who is planning to open a luxury resort on the island she is from. She is sent north to help the client get a proposed wind-farm moved so it won't impact the views of his resort. Perfect vacation read or audio book for walking.

This is our 10th day in the NW and the first rain. That must be some kind of record. Fortunately we did our walking yesterday and today are planning to drive to some places we've known and loved in the past: Port Gamble (maybe), Port Townsend, Whidbey Island. Should be a fun day.

Gorgeous photos, Reba - thanks for sharing! Sounds like you are having a great time. We bought Daniel a duffle from Patagonia last Christmas, and he absolutely loves it. He is very into camping and hiking, so he will get very good use out of it.

>30 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. Glad you enjoyed the photos. Hubby is very happy with his new jacket. We were in the car all day today so even though it was raining he didn't really need it but he wore it anyway :)

My sore throat and cough is getting worse and I would actually rather have been in bed today but that's not going to happen now until we get home because it's driving every day from now until Thursday :( Still, it's been a fun trip, especially the Portland/Seattle part. :)

Reba, your Chihuly photos are gorgeous. The only things I know about Seattle are (1) Frasier and (2) the bits and pieces from the Debbie Macomber books set there. But Bremerton features in them, and some of her characters take the ferry you took :-) Sorry to hear you're feeling worse - maybe a few days in the warm car will help, instead of being out in the cold.

>32 susanj67: Hi Susan. Glad you liked the Chihuly photos. Have you ever seen his work in person? It's absolutely stunning!

Actually I spent yesterday in the car and it was the only day we've had that was cold so I'm following your suggestion and I do feel somewhat better today. The drive was a bit frustrating though. We had a circular route in mind but when we got to the first ferry it was booked full for the whole day but we really wanted to go to that island so we back-tracked, took a ferry to the mainland drove 50 or so miles north along the coast to where we could access the island we wanted to visit via a bridge then on the way home we decided to not try any more ferries for the day so we drove all the way around the south end of the Sound taking a wrong turn that took us way out of our way. All by all we were on the road for 12 hours with only a brief stop for dinner.

How fun that you've read books with characters that use the Bremerton ferry. That would be such a lovely way to commute (at least it would be if your office was near the ferry terminal).

Today we decided to drive around the southern end of the Puget Sound instead of taking the ferry across since we needed the car anyway and we would have had to wait an hour for the ferry after we were ready to go. Once on the Seattle side we headed up into the Cascade Mountains which are really beautiful. The drive was easy with mostly blue skies and puffy clouds. Tonight we're in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho where we will meet an acquaintance of Hubby's for dinner. Tomorrow we move on to Bozeman, Montana. That should be a nice drive too.

Checking in from Bozeman. The country between Coeur d'Alene and Bozeman is really beautiful -- mountainous with deep green pine forests, streams, and wonderful rock outcroppings. Today it had a real sense of mystery too since we had frequent low clouds. It was cold (got down to 36 at one point) and there was a light dusting of fresh snow on the ground and trees at the higher altitudes. Here in Bozeman it's in the 40's and raining so we'll be staying in tonight. Tomorrow we'll drive through Yellowstone and then on to Salt Lake City.

Beautiful photos from the exhibit, Reba! Lucky you getting to drive through Yellowstone tomorrow. Enjoy!

The Chihuly museum in Seattle is really cool. We toured last year, I was initially reluctant because of the cost, but it was worth it.

Hi Joanne -- Yellowstone today was quite a different experience. It was snowing so everything was blanketed with fresh white. I'll post some photos when I get them off of my phone. We didn't see many animals though...probably because it was cold and snowing :)

Hi Rhonda -- The Chihuly Museum is a bit pricy but, I agree, it was worth it. We'd never been to the Seattle Center before so that was a fun experience too. Our lunch at the Collections Cafe was wonderful. We had walked up to Seattle Center from the ferry (great walk) and then around the Center so we wanted to shorten our walk back a bit so we took the monorail back to Pioneer Square which was also fun, although a bit bumpy and noisy. It was a great day all together.

>33 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I think the only Chihuly I've seen in real life is the chandelier in the foyer of the V&A: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O301268/va-rotunda-chandelier-chandelier-chihu...

I didn't realise you were going east - I thought you were on your way back home. But it all sounds very scenic :-)

Hi Reba!

Your trip sounds fascinating - museums, ferry adventures, Bozeman. I hope you're recovering from your cold nicely.

I'm going to visit a college friend in Bozeman for 14 days or so starting June 23rd. We haven't seen each other since 1980 but e-mail up a storm. Part of our plans include Yellowstone, and I just read a review of American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee and am starting to get excited about the whole thing.

I have cousins by marriage in SLC. If I was there I think I'd spend most of the time in their FamilySearch Center researching genealogical stuff!

Have fun.

>37 RebaRelishesReading: I belong to a Yellowstone Facebook group and saw some snowy photos posted yesterday and was thinking of you driving through. Must have been interesting!

Here are a couple of photos from yesterday's drive through Yellowstone







These are actually color photos it's just that the world was pretty black and white with all of the snow and fairly low light.

>38 susanj67: Hi Susan. I thought you might have seen the installation he had a Kew Gardens some years ago. His work is amazing and I really recommend going to see it if it ever comes to the U.K. again.

We are heading home. We spent last night north of Salt Lake City and drove to Las Vegas today. Tomorrow we'll finish up. We took a loop around to the east because there was someone Hubby wanted to see in Idaho and he's been wanting to go to Yellowstone again, mostly to see animals but he's pretty happy with this trip even though the animals were all busy seeking shelter I think.

>39 karenmarie: Hi Karen. Thanks for good wishes for my cold. I'm afraid my throat is still sore and a bit of a cough but now I also have an infected eye and sneezing. I'm thinking about spending a good bit of time in bed and/or reading when we get home.

Sounds like you have some nice travel planned too. We just drove through SLC on the interstate (although I've been there a few times in the past). I may go to the Family History Center some day though assuming there are still questions when I get all I can from Ancestry.com. I just got a fun email from that source today. A descendant of my great-great-grandmother's sister responded with quotes from a book she has with info about my 3x great grandfather and family. I'm pretty excited about that.

>40 Copperskye: Hi Joann. Here are some more Yellowstone in the snow photos for you :) Thanks for thinking of us.

One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson**** (audio) reread

This was our audio book for the trip. We listened to it cross-country a few years ago but Hubby didn't remember it plus it's a great book for traveling so we listened again. Bryson reads it himself and does a wonderful job of it IMHO. There was a lot happening in America in 1927 (more than I'll ever remember) and Bryson does a great job of making it all interesting, explaining how it interrelated and including just enough fun details to make the whole a really enjoyable read/listen. Talking about the book over lunch today we decided we would like him to do a similar book about 1968. Any other ideas for years that would make good books?

'Morning, Reba!

I like the photos of Yellowstone. My college friend, another Karen, told me once that there are years when she gets at least one snow event every month. Perhaps I'll see snow in June/July!

I hope you can start recovering - bed and books are always very attractive when I'm sick.

>43 RebaRelishesReading: I loved One Summer: America 1927. Another year? Part of its attraction to me is that I wasn't alive then - I have a harder time reading about things since I was about 10 or so. I can't think of a year offhand, but it's in my mind now, so perhaps a year will float to the surface!

>43 RebaRelishesReading: I listened to that one on a road trip, too, and I agree that it's excellent and perfect for car listening!

Hi Reba, I finally found you! Not that you're so hard to find, I just get easily distracted when I get to the site. It was so great to meet you in Portland. I hope we have a chance to do it again.

Your trip sounds wonderful. I went to the Chihuly Glass Garden a couple of years ago. I first saw his work in the Bellagio lobby in Las Vegas. It was impressive but nothing like the Seattle setting. The works are amazing and the settings make them absolutely breathtaking.

I picked up Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore that you recommended at Powells. I really enjoyed it.

Rest up from your trip.

>44 karenmarie: Hi Karen -- thank you, I am doing better. Sore throat is MUCH better (although not quite gone) and my eyes are responding to the ointment quite well. Still swollen and red but not as scary as they were yesterday when I kept expecting to see my head start spinning around on my neck.

Keep thinking about another year for Bryson :)

>45 scaifea: Hi Amber. Glad you agree and thanks for stopping by.

>46 Oregonreader: Hi Jan. Glad you found me and that you enjoyed Mr. Penumbra. As to Chihuly, I've seen single pieces of his work in various places and always enjoy them but when they're together, especially in a garden setting, they're just magnificent imho.

Hi Reba!

I have yet to get to up to see the Chihuly Garden. I really must get there one of these days.

Glad you enjoyed listening to One Summer: America 1927. I really enjoyed reading it and am encouraging The Hubster to read it too.

Good to hear your sore throat is better.

Your travels sound wonderful, Reba, but when you are feeling poorly there is no place like home. I hope you feel better soon and maybe show another photo of Quinn. It looks like I missed it.

>48 SuziQoregon: Good morning Juli! Yes, I would think the Chihuly Garden would be worth a trip to Seattle, especially since you're so close. You might stop in Tacoma on the way. We went to the Glass Museum there because we had been told they had a great Chihuly collection too but it turns out that it is mostly outdoors on a bridge over the highway and very little inside the museum. The woman who sold us ticket inside told us that the Tacoma Art Museum has more Chihuly than they do. We thought the other artists in the Glass Museum were worth the visit there but at least I would recommend stopping there and visiting the overpass.

Here are a couple of photos of the overpass

>49 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg!! You're quite right. It was a great trip but I'm glad to be home and hope to feel better soon. My eyes are quite a bit better now but the cough/sore throat just doesn't want to budge :(

On a better topic -- sure I'd love to show you a new photo of Quinn :) Here's the one we got this morning...

Welcome home, Reba! I was very glad to read that the ointment is working and that your head has not started spinning around on your neck.

>51 RebaRelishesReading: We cross-posted! He is adorable!!

Hi Mamie -- I'm ready for this to be over and very glad my head didn't spin lol. Thank you, also for appreciating the grandson :)

>51 RebaRelishesReading: aww, so sweet!

Thank you Chelle

Quinn is adorable!

>51 RebaRelishesReading: What a good looking little chap.

Have a great Sunday, Reba.

Thank you Rhonda and Paul :) Hope you have a great Sunday too.

Reba, I hope you're starting to feel better now you're back home.

Quinn is a real cutie! He looks very alert.

>43 RebaRelishesReading: I read the hard copy version of the Bryson book and loved it. I imagine it would have been great as an audio too.

<60 Hi Susan. Well, my eyes are almost better but my throat is as sore as ever. I think I'll go back to the walk-in clinic tomorrow and see what they have to say. I was pretty focused on my eyes when I was there on Friday. Thanks for asking :)

Thanks for appreciating Quinn too :) He is quite alert and loves to try to communicate.

I always enjoy Bryson. I think my favorites are his books about life in the U.K. from an American point of view and I'm a Stranger Here Myself about taking his family to the U.S. to live for a couple of years.

Go, Went Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck*****

From the cover:
"The novel tells the tale of Richard, a retired classics professor who lives in Berlin. His wife has died, and he lives a routine existence until one day he spies some African refugees staging a hunger strike in Alexanderplatz. Curiosity turns into compassion and an inner transformation, as he visits their shelter, interviews them, and becomes embroiled in their harrowing fates. Go, West, Gone is a scathing indictment of Western policy toward the European refugee crisis, but also a touching portrait of a man who finds he has more in common with the Africans than he realizes."

A wonderful book. It is well written and thoughtful and addresses a very important issue. I highly recommend it.

Love the pictures especially Quinn and the Chihuly Reba. I thought Go Went Gone gave such a good look at what it’s like to be a refugee.

Hi Bonnie -- Thanks! Glad you liked Go Went Gone too. The webcam at CHQ makes me think spring has finally arrived in your neighborhood. Enjoy!

>28 RebaRelishesReading: I just listened to The Bookshop on the Corner, which was a fun one. I will have to try some of her other ones.

Your trip sounds lovely. Very similar to one we did with our oldest about 15 years ago. We started in Portland, drove north to Seattle, then over through Coeur d'Alene into Montana, up to Glacier, down to Yellowstone and back through Utah/Boise to Portland again. It was a wonderful trip. I'd like to do it again.

I hope you feel better soon!!

>65 nittnut: Hi Jenn!! That does sound like a similar trip. We've been to Glacier (and the Canadian side) before and I just love them but there was no time this trip plus they may not have been open yet. Yellowstone was so neat in the snow!

I liked The Bookshop on the Corner somewhat better than The Cafe by the Sea but mostly I was sorry I didn't save The Cafe for this coming fall when we will be in the Scottish highlands where it is set.

Reba, I think Colgan's The Endless Beach is a sequel to The Cafe by the Sea, so maybe you could take that along on your Highlands holiday!

Colgan does sound like an author to stock up on for a rainy day!

>67 katiekrug: Hi Katie -- thanks for the tip. I'll see if I can get it in Kindle so I can take it on the trip.

>68 sibylline: Exactly right Lucy!

So my BFF came for dinner last night and I made Mamie's Country Captain chicken in a cast iron skillet. We all three loved it!! Thanks Mamie.

>51 RebaRelishesReading: What a cutie Quinn is! He looks very bright. I hope you are feeling better, Reba. The Highlands in the fall sounds like a wonderful trip. Will you be staying on the mainland or visiting some islands?

>70 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! Thank you. Quinn is a cutie indeed :) I'm feeling fine now. Got cleared that I was no longer contagious as of last Monday and have been playing catch-up since.

This fall we'll be staying in a condo at the southern end of Loch Ness but we plan to visit islands and ride some tourist trains all around the western side of the highlands. I've been to the highlands before but never for very long. We'll be there for two weeks which should be lovely :)

I was trying to post a video from Facebook here but I can't figure out how. Is it possible? Anyone know how?

Reba, you can only post a link to a video, I think. And if it's on a private page, it won't work for a general audience.

Thanks, Katie. That's good to know.

In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende***1/2

Lucia is a middle-aged woman from Chile who come to the U.S. to teach at NYU. Richard is an old friend who is chair of the department where Lucia works and her landlord. Evelyn is a young woman from Guatemala who is in the U.S. illegally and working as a caregiver. They end up together in Richard's Brooklyn apartment in a terrible snow storm. Evelyn has borrowed her employers Lexus (without asking) to run an errand and discovers a dead body in the trunk. Richard's car skids into the Lexus on the icy streets.

This is a story with some suspense which is mostly about relationships, U. S. immigration policy, and political repression. It's quite good and I enjoyed it but it isn't Allende's best IMHO.

Hi Reba!

My book club is supposed to read Allende's Eva Luna for our June discussion. Have you read it?

>77 karenmarie: No Karen, I've read lots of her books but not that one. I'll be interested to see what you have to say about it.

It's been a bit busy lately but my husband's friend arrived last night and they're off to the desert today so I have a whole day to myself!! The friend is a lovely guy and married to a lovely lady but she isn't here. He's here for the guys to celebrate 50 years of friendship so I'm encouraging them the have "guy time" together and I'm enjoying some alone time while they do :)

Got a call from my son's fiancee yesterday. He's in the Army and currently deployed in Kosovo. He flew to Germany for a meeting/mission and while there got sick and ended up having his gall bladder removed yesterday morning. Seems it was so infected they're keeping him in the hospital until Monday to administer drip antibiotics.

Some years ago he was flying from Arizona to Ohio and wasn't feeling well when he left. By the time he was in Dallas to change plans he was so ill the airline insisted on calling a medic and he ended up having an emergency appendectomy before flying on to Ohio the next morning.

Don't know what it is with that kid!

>80 RebaRelishesReading: That is not good luck! Hope he is feeling better soon - from someone who also had an inflamed gall bladder removed, better out than in!

Reba, your poor son! Thank goodness he was in Germany when it happened, with the good military hospital there. I hope the antibiotics have worked their magic by now.

>81 BekkaJo:, >82 susanj67: Hi Bekka and Susan -- Thanks for your sympathy. Yes, Bekka I know well "better in than out". He sent a photo of his stone and it was quite large. I'm amazed he didn't have attacks before and bemused that he seems to get these attacks when traveling.

You're right, Susan, it was a good thing he was in Germany but it turns out he's in a civilian hospital (which I'm sure is equally fine). Don't know why that is. We can't get much info because we were in the process of changing cell (mobile) providers and he hasn't got his new sim card yet (that takes about 3 weeks with military mail) and the hospital WiFi is down. He borrowed a nurse's cell/mobile to send some photos and a message day before yesterday but we're pretty much out of contact for the time being. Even in this modern world sometimes communication of distance is hard :)

BFF and I went to see RBG yesterday. I knew very little about Justice Ginsberg as a person so the movie was very informative as well as just delightful. I admire her greatly and am so happy to feel like I know her a bit better now and to know what a wonderful husband she had.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer**

Less won the 2018 Pulitzer for fiction so I felt I "had" to read it. The cover quotes called it "marvelously, unexpectedly, endearingly funny", brilliantly funny" and claimed "you will sob little tears of joy". Well, I don't know what is wrong with me and/or my sense of humor but I found it strange and boring. There were a couple of scenes that almost made me smile and it was a bit poignant but overall it was very forgettable imho.

Yowza on your son's gall bladder surgery. Hope he's on the mend soon.

Thanks for your concern Juli. I finally got to talk to him yesterday. He really had a rough time. He's still on drip-antibiotics and expects to be in hospital until tomorrow at least. Then he has to figure out how to get back to his unit in Kosovo.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: Ugh - poor guy

Improvement by Joan Silber***1/2

Am I just in a book funk? Here is another award winner (National Book Critics Circle Award) that I just couldn't warm to all that much. It did have characters I could care about and an interesting web of connections but I didn't love it like I hoped I would. Here are some comments from the jacket that may do it more justice:

"...Improvement is a novel that explores love and ambition and the way it entangles, wounds, transforms vibrant characters across New York City, Virginia, Turkey, and Germany. This is a magnificent work about the complexity of human connection, full of remarkable insight and compassion." (Karen E. Bender)

"There is something so refreshing and genuine about this book, coming partly from the bumpy weave of its unpredictable story and partly from its sharply turned yet refreshingly unmanned prose." (Kirkuk Reviews)

Hi Reba!

I'm glad to hear that your son is doing better.

Well, two 'meh' books in a row. I hope the next one is a winner.

Hope you find something you like soon. I was relieved to reread Autumn for my book group this week and find I still liked it: doesn't always happen! Glad the tech problems were surmounted and you were able to speak to your son too.

Thanks Karen and Char! I'm reading The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson now and liking it much better...no surprise there because Susan recommended it highly and I nearly always like books she recommends :)

The Aviators by Winston Groom (audio) ****1/2

For the past few weeks I've been listening to this most interesting story of aviation starting with the very beginnings and going through WWII with a focus on three famous America flyers: Charles Lindberg, Eddie Rickenbacker and Jimmie Doolittle. I'm not particularly interested in flight, nor in war stories, but I found this to be a most interesting book because it includes so much about the personalities and lives of these three along with a description of the risks they, and others, took in learning to fly. I recommend it for every one, not just aviation enthusiasts.

Hi Reba, I'm glad you're out of your book funk. This one looks interesting.

Thanks, Jan. The Aviators was audio so my walking/driving/knitting book along side the less enchanting physical books. I got it originally because I thought my husband would enjoy it and we could listen to it on road trips but he kept choosing other books so I finally listened to it on my own and was amazed at how interesting I found it.

Hi Reba! I hope that your son is better, that sounds pretty miserable. The Aviators sounds like an interesting audio, with the focus on personalities. Maybe I will look for it for our next road trip.

Hi Rhonda -- thanks, he seems to be doing better. I hope you enjoy The Aviators as much as I did.

Reba, I am so impressed that you have met 20 LTers in person. I hope I make that illustrious list someday! That Quinn is such a cutie. It will be fun watching him grow up. Also loved the Chihuly pictures you shared. I am such a fan and love that our art museum has a sample of his intriguing work. am so impressed that you have met 20 LTers in person. That is a scary story about your son overseas. Even more so because of your communication problems. Hope he is the picture of good health from now on.

I think I read Less when I was just in the mood for a witty and poignant book. I surprised myself by liking it as much as I did! Book funks are the worst. I wish you nothing but compatible books in your future.

Hi Donna! So nice to hear from you :) I also hope we can meet up some time. We vary our route to Chautauqua but we do go through Springfield sometimes. I'll let you know next time we do.

Glad you enjoyed the Chihuly. I love his work.

My son is back in Kosovo with his unit and seems to be doing well. Quinn keeps on growing and making us smile -- with your adorable grandkids you know how that is. We took the older ones (15 and 13) to family fun center and then to dinner yesterday. Last time we'll see them until November. :(

I think I'm over the funk now. I finished The Aviators (not the one in the touchstone0 which had been my audio book and really enjoyed it. I'm really enjoying Twelve Mile Straight too, so I guess the funk is over.

Happy long weekend!

Sorry to hear about your son! How scary!

>100 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. I didn't realize you could have a gall bladder that was in such bad shape without knowing about it though and he claims he had never had any pain in that area, or really any other symptoms until the night before the surgery. My gall bladder wasn't nearly as bad as his but I sure knew about it!! Anyway, he's all better now.

The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson ****1/2

Thank you Susan for yet another great book suggestion. Set in rural Georgia in the 1930's, it reflects the bigotry, poverty and cruelty of that era in the lives of two girls and their families. Elma is the daughter of a white share-cropper. Her mother died giving birth to her and she was raised by her father and an African-American servant who gave birth to a daughter of her own, Nan, a few years later. The two girls grew up as close as sisters. The story is gripping and intense and the characters vivid. A really, really good read and worthwhile book.

Here are some quotes by others:

"...This engaging, expansive novel manages to feel historical and, sadly, up to the minute as it problems the sins at the heart of the American experience....This is the kind of novel you sink into, live inside. When you're finished, it will live inside you...." (Victor LaValle)

"Eleanor Henderson's lyrical evocation of rural Georgia during the Depression is mesmerizing, disturbing, and wonderfully persuasive. The world is brutal even as the landscape is lush and seductive. The Twelve-Mile Straight is unstinting in showing us the everyday savagery of Jim Crow, of poverty, and of family abuse. A riveting, consequential story full of complex secrets and unexpected turns." (Dana Spiotta)

Hi Reba, I’m afraid you just hit me with a BB. The Twelve-mile Straight sounds great.

I’m glad your son is on the mend but very scary.

Hi Bonnie! Fortunately the scary part was over before I heard about it :)

The BB is a ricochet from one Susan hit me with. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

>101 RebaRelishesReading: My sister also ended up having gall bladder surgery - she'd attributed her symptoms (serious pain, in bursts, and serious bloating, among other things) to gut issues and uterine surgery she'd had the year before. She had half a dozen doctors looking her over, and it still took more than a year for them to figure out that the problem was an infected gall bladder (not a stone, that's a different problem). Gall bladders are sneaky.

Hi Jennifer -- Thanks for stopping by. Yes, sneaky and very painful. Son had both a large stone and an infection though so I would have expected him to know about it but...like you said...

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford ***1/2

Back to Nancy Mitford for an easy reading break. She writes very well and her books reflect the fascinating lives of her family members but, that said, they really are romance novels. As described on the cover main characters include "Uncle Matthew, the blustering patriarch, known to hunt his children when foxes are scarce; Aunt Sadie the vague but doting mother; the seven Radlett children who, despite the delights of their unusual childhood, are recklessly eager to grow up". The story is narrated by Fanny, daughter of "The Bolter", who is raised by stable Aunt Edith and grows up to have a traditional and loving marriage with an Oxford Don. I have now read three of Mitford's books as well as a biography of the Mitford family and have found all of them delightful.

Hi Reba! Sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned to Scotland! I'll look forward to hearing all about it.

You got me with Go, Went, Gone. Happy summer!

Hi Anne!! I'm very excited about our trip, not only Scotland (the western highlands are new territory for me) but also London and Ireland, where I lived for two years way back when and haven't visited in over 40 years.

Hope you enjoy Go, Went, Gone.

So glad your son is ok. How odd that he gets sick while traveling.

I haven't read this Joan Silber -- but I do think some of those awards are "cumulative" -- you write five or six good books that get wide acclaim and then bob's your uncle, your turn. That's my theory anyway.

Hi Lucy! Interesting idea that some literary awards are "cumulative". I think some Oscars are given based more on "body of work" than on the actual role and this would be a similar approach. I've never read anything by Silber before so can't judge but this one was a let-down for me.

I'm assume it's just coincidence with my son but I have started teasing him about "what body part next?". He does still have his tonsils :)

Well, I guess I won't see you before you are off to Chatauqua! Have a safe trip. I'm looking forward to your reports on the speakers this summer.

Hi Roni. I'm sorry but time just flew by and now we're packing the car! We'll have to get together for lunch soon after I get back and meantime I'll do my best to report on speakers and events :) Hope you have a great summer with lots of good reading and crafting and lots of kitty love.

Last day before departure. Yesterday I did the clothes laundry and we got the car (mostly) packed. I forgot to put my sewing machine in and now I'm not sure how I'm going to fit it (took us 6 or 7 tries before we were able to close the hatch yesterday and we still have to fit 2 large and 2 small suitcases!). Today we have to do sheets and towels laundry, pack the suitcases and load them then first thing tomorrow we'll leave for Chautauqua.

I'm 2/3's of the way through Sutton and really enjoying it but it's in hard cover so I'm hoping to find time to finish it today so I don't have to take it with me. I have a paperback of My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry for reading on the road.

I hope you'll join me on our cross-country trip, time at Chautauqua, fall trip to the British Isles and then cross-country back home!! Finding messages when I log onto LT starts my day off right :)

>114 RebaRelishesReading: Safe travels, Reba!

>114 RebaRelishesReading: Wishing you safety in your travels and luck in your packing!

Thank you Anita and Lori. We're all packed and the car is loaded. Just a couple of last-minute items on the checklist for tomorrow morning and we'll be on our way :)

Sutton by J. R. Moehringer****

This book came to me as part of the Book Passage "first editions club" in 2012. It is based on the real-life bank robber, Willie Sutton whose 40-year "career" ran from the 1910's to the 1950's and resulted him spending half of his adult life in prison. He became something of a folk-hero in part because, according to the author, people have always disliked banks.

The real-life Sutton was released from prison on Christmas Eve 1969 and spent the next day with a newspaper reporter who wrote an account of their tour together of the scenes of Sutton's life and exploits. The author presents the narrative of Sutton's life through the stories he tells the reporter and his internal thoughts/memories of the events. It is intentionally never made clear what are actual events, what are stories Sutton made up and what are stories Moehringer made up.

Sutton is an appealing character in part because he was intelligent, self-educated and exceedingly well read but also because of his personal ethic of never killing anyone and never "ratting" on his "colleagues".

The cover letter from Book Passage says: "Sutton educates, delights and speaks to the (flawed) human condition. It will appeal to a crossover audience of lovers of historical fiction, try-crime narratives and mystery novels." It was a winner in my book.

We had a nice, uneventful drive to St. George, Utah today where we arrived in late afternoon to 101 (38 C) degree temperatures! Glad to be in our comfortable, air conditioned room.

Safe travels!

Hi Reba! I'm so glad that I haven't missed your epic cross-country drive :-) And I'm delighted that you enjoyed Twelve-Mile Straight!

Safe travels, Reba! I'll be following along :)

Have a safe (and hopefully cooler) journey, Reba!

>120 banjo123: Thank you Rhonda!

>121 susanj67:, >122 katiekrug: I'm glad you guys will be following along, Susan and Katie! Wish you were really with us but then the car is so full we couldn't even take an empty cup with us so that wouldn't work :( Anyway, I'll try to post often and let you follow along with us.

>123 kidzdoc: Thank yo Darryl. It was cooler today because we were in the mountains much of the time. We got to Denver about 7:00 p.m. and it was over 90 but the breeze coming through our hotel room window is quite pleasant now.

Cross Country Day 2: We drove from St. George, Utah to Denver, Colorado. We joined I-70 at it's western most point and spent the rest of the day enjoying its beautiful scenery. It is my favorite east-west highway in the U.S. I was driving when we went through southern Utah, which is beautiful in a much more dramatic, desert-like way, than Colorado so I didn't get any photos from there but here are a couple shot from the car in Colorado.

I forgot to mention that I saw two films lately. The first was "RBG" a biopic about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I have great respect for her and knew that she loves opera because she and Justice Scalia did a joint presentation on opera at Chautauqua a couple of years ago. Other than that I didn't know much about her personal life and this was a most enjoyable way to get filled in. Did you know, for example, that when she started Harvard law she had two young children and a husband who was in his second year and was ill so she not only had all the responsibility for the house and children she also gathered class noted form his class mates and typed them up for him to study from. Oh yes, she also made Harvard Law Review that year. Absolutely amazing!!

On the other end of the scale I also saw "Book Club". It hasn't got very good reviews but BFF and I both found it quite funny and certainly worth seeing.

I saw RBG last week and also loved it!

Great pictures.

Reba, I'm googling your trip on a map of the US :-) The photos look lovely - it's good that you have calm driving weather. You were pretty close to Joe Pickett country (Wyoming). I love all the place names - so different from ours :-)

Hope your travels are going well! I'll be following along when the Wee Beasties allow me some computer time!
Love the photos you've posted so far!

>125 RebaRelishesReading: What a beautiful scenery!

>127 banjo123: Thanks re photos Rhonda -- they were shot from a moving car so not to bad, eh? I hope lots of people see RBG. She's so amazing.

>128 susanj67: Hi Susan. We were still about two hours from Wyoming but there are definitely some similarities between Colorado and Wyoming. We have been very lucky with our weather so far. It's hot but we spend most of the time in an air conditioned car so it's not so bad.

>129 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle. Yes, the trip is going well. I'll try to keep up with photos at least through Tuesday when we expect to be at Chautauqua.

>130 figsfromthistle: Glad you like it, figsfromthistle.

Day 3: Denver, Colorado to Lawrence, Kansas: We spent most of the day crossing the Great Plains (which are no where near as flat and "boring" as many people claim). Everything was beautiful shades of green dotted with golden recently plowed fields. We thought of you, RONI, as we passed through Abilene :) We're spending tonight in downtown Lawrence, Kansas, home of Kansas University alma mater of my hubby, Roni and Roni's hubby. It's a wonderful place with a thriving traditional downtown, nice historic district and all of the amenities one would expect from the home of a major university.



This is Massachusetts Avenue, Lawrence's "Main Street"



Outdoor cafes along Massachusetts Avenue



This building housed the bank my husband used when he was a student here. For many years now it's been a restaurant (first "Tellers", then "The Vault" and now "Manufacturer's") and we always eat there when we visit. Tonight I had luscious crab cakes and a farm-to-table green salad.

>125 RebaRelishesReading: >132 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks for sharing the pictures, Reba, Colorado looks beautiful with the green hills.
How many days of travel to go?

We went to a wedding in Lawrence several years ago and really liked the town.

Hi Anita and Katie!! I guess the best answer to your question Anita is two answers...we will get to Chautauqua Tuesday evening but we really only have one more day of travel.

Day 4: Another long day. We were both awake early (very strange because we are both VERY much NOT morning people) so hit the read a little after 6:00 a.m. We had an uneventful drive to Columbia, Missouri where we stopped for breakfast at about 8:30 a.m. We then continued on westward only to be greeted by electric signs along the road with "severe thunderstorm" warnings on them. As a western girl I'm not used to thunderstorms and they make me very nervous but we had little choice but to press on. The rest of the way through Missouri and all the way across Illinois we found frequent, very hard rainstorms but no thunder and no lightening (whew!!). We found bright skies again at the Indiana border. We made a quick stop a Costco in Indianapolis to pick up some things to take to the gathering of the cousins on Monday and to the cousin we will be staying with tomorrow and Monday nights, enjoyed a Steak and Shake burger for dinner and thought about Birdy's 13th(?) birthday when that was her choice for dinner. It was the first time I ever heard of them. Because of the weather there were no photos today.

Tomorrow we're going to visit a church that my grandfather was a founding member of and then look for family headstones in some surrounding cemeteries and then Monday several (maybe 9) of my cousins will be gathering (I had 26 first cousins on that side of my family and there are 16 of us still living). Since all of this will be in central/northern Indiana I'm not counting them as "days of travel".

The House of Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith**** (audio)

Hubby and I listened to this most recent No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency on our drive east. It was the typical low-key story. The ladies are asked to help a young widow with two children who has been fired from her job for no apparent reason and, of course, they accept the case, this time pro bono. I just love these charming stories.

TRIP UPDATE

Yesterday and today were spent first checking out family history sites and then visiting with cousins and their spouses (8 cousins and 6 spouses). We had a wonderful time catching up, laughing and sharing some of the family history I have recently uncovered but by late afternoon today we decided it was time to move on so we drove to Cleveland, Ohio where we are spending the night. We're only a couple of hours form our place at Chautauqua but new carpeting is being installed upstairs today and tomorrow and we weren't sure our beds there would be available. Since we're both really tired from the long days driving and the family fun we thought it was important to have a fairly early evening and a good sleep. So, "good night all" :)

Hi Reba!

Thank you for your trip updates - it sounds wonderful.

Hi Karen. Thanks for joining us on our trip.

We arrived at Chautauqua Tuesday morning and were crazy busy until about noon today getting things put away, cleaned, repaired, etc. We now have WiFi and TV and everything is clean and in place. The laundry is done and we even have the guest room ready for our guest who will be arriving a week from Saturday. Now for a nice, restful week :)

>114 RebaRelishesReading: oh I'll definitely be along with your for your travels, Reba! Sorry I missed you in your Denver stopover. We like Lawrence also - my brother in law lives there with his family, so we go every couple of years.

Enjoy your nice, restful week!

Thanks, Anne. I'm looking forward to a week of walks, reading, etc. I'm even having a facial on Monday...may book a massage while I'm there.

Yes I'm sorry we didn't have time to stop in Denver this time. My cousin's daughter lives in Eagle and teased us (I hope she was teasing) about not stopping to see them too. Next time we come east (or go west) on 70 we'll have to spend a couple of days in Denver...or meet in Lawrence :)

It's a spectacularly beautiful day today so I took a walk. First serious walk I've done in over a month. It's frightening how quickly one's fitness disappears.

Reba, it sounds like you're all settled in and you can now just enjoy it! I know what you mean about fitness though - hard to get there, so easy to lose.

You're right, SUSAN, we are all settled now and enjoying beautiful weather and peace and quiet (season doesn't start for another week). I spent much of the afternoon in the pictured rocker reading...pure bliss...

..which allowed me to finish this book.



Virginia Baron: The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax by Stuart E. Brown, Jr.

I recently discovered that one of my 6th great grandfathers was a pioneer in western Virginia and that a suit he brought against Lord Fairfax was discussed in this book so I ordered a copy. I found it to be an interesting description of 17th century western Virginia although it would probably have been much more detail than I wanted had it not been for my quest for family information. According to the author my 6x great grandfather was a land speculator and "huckster". Ah well, at least he made enough noise to make it easier for his ancestor(s) to find out about him :)

Loving your travel photos. I have The House of Unexpected Sisters but haven't listened to it yet. I love Lisette Lecat's narration of that series. Might make that my next audio. Thanks for mentioning it.

>144 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, that looks like the perfect reading spot! It's good that you have a few days before you're so busy for the season.

>146 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli! The House of Unexpected Sisters is the usual McCall Smith fun. I don't read him "with my eyes" any more because the narration adds so much imho.

>147 susanj67: Hi Susan. It is a really nice place to sit and I love that chair. Only problem is that it's on the west side and it's often too warm to sit there in the afternoon. Yesterday was quite cool, however, and the afternoon sun felt wonderful. We do have another porch though and it's on the east side so I can choose how much sun to have :)

Hi Reba! I am glad that you got to Chattaqua safe and sound. Enjoy your reading time!

Glad to hear you made it to Chautauqua.

>118 RebaRelishesReading: Re Sutton -- since he was incarcerated in the Eastern State Penitentiary (now a tourist destination) in my old neighborhood in Philadelphia I am familiar with Willie Sutton's story!

Glad you are safely arrived! Enjoy!

Thanks Rhonda, Lori and Lucy! It's really nice to be here and all settled in.

Lucy -- I didn't know you were from Philly! The book mentions that Eastern State is now a tourist destination. Not sure I want to go and visit but I did enjoy the book.

Weather since we arrived has been wonderful. We had rain one afternoon but that just made everything shine and knocked the humidity down a bit. Today, however, is going to be a bear. They're forecasting 80% humidity with temps in the upper 80's. Our place is pretty well insulated and we have a dehumidifier and A/C but still!! We're planning to drive down to Erie, PA (about 45 min away) so hubby can have Wings for his Father's Day lunch and go to the mall (inside, air-conditioned) so I can get batteries for my fitness tracker. That should take the sting out of the afternoon. Sure hope this doesn't last long.

Hi Reba! Glad you made it safely to Chautauqua--sorry about today's humidity. Hope your Erie trip was a success and that you are all settled in.

Hi Kim!! We did make it to Erie, had a nice lunch, and found everything we needed all without getting too warm. I'm still not liking this weather though! It was 88 with 80% humidity here yesterday and at 8:44 a.m. is already 82 outside today. Rain is expected for the afternoon and evening though so it may be over soon. We have A/C and it's lovely and cool inside but still I need to take a walk and have some errands to run but not sure I'm up for going out there!! Fortunately, this is our 10th summer here and we've only had a handful of days like this. Mostly it's just pleasantly warm.

Hi Reba. Your cross-country trip sounds like it went well despite the day of rain. I’m sure your porch rocker will be getting a workout once the humidity dissipates. I am heading outside to read but, unfortunately, our humidity lasts throughout the summer. I’m looking forward to hearing about the Chautauqua programs this year. You are living my dream life!

It must feel good to be finished your trek across country, Reba. I hope that your place is all ready for you and you get a chance to relax.

Hi Donna and Meg -- Nice to hear form you. We always enjoy the cross country drive but at the same time it's very nice to be here and be settled. The heat and humidity only lasted two days. Last night a strong front came by and within minutes the temps dropped from 84 to 72 and the humidity dropped a lot too. Today is just beautiful again -- mid-70's and not too humid.

Yes, Donna, I know I'm very fortunate. I love my life.

The Signal Flame by Andrew Krivak*****

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's about love -- all kinds -- platonic and romantic -- love of place, animals and people. It's about loss. It's about forgiveness. It's about finding yourself. I read Krivak's The Sojourn a few years ago and enjoyed it but no where near as much as I did this lovely book.

Here are a couple of quotes from the jacket:

"Readers will hear some echoes of Faulkner in The Signal Flame, and even more of Kent Haruf in the simplicity, honesty, and wisdom of its prose. But what they'll hear most is the deep, thoughtful, resonant voice of Andrew Krivak, a writer seemingly destined for great things." (Richard Russo)

"This is a novel of tremendous sorrow and tremendous beauty. Of love shaped by war, and of how the past haunts the present and shapes the future. An incandescent work." (Marlon James)

The weather changes so fast I have a hard time keeping up. Two days ago it was in the 90's with humidity in the 80's. Yesterday was beautiful and today it's raining off and on and almost to cool for me to sit comfortably on the porch. I am ever so grateful for the cooler weather!

The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse*** (audio)

I finished this typically silly Jeeves book on my walk today. It's a good book for walking.

Hi Reba, I love following along with your travels. But after all that road time, it must be good to arrive home. I like picturing you in that rocker.

>162 Oregonreader: Hi Jan!! And that rocker is exactly where I'm sitting right now (resting my back from cleaning house but, hey, I'm still in that rocker :) Hope all is well with you.

>159 RebaRelishesReading: Sold! Adding that to the wishlist posthaste.

Hurrah for the rocker, hope the back recovered.

>164 charl08: Thanks Char. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Yes, my back is recovered...at least as much as it ever recovers.

Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck***1/2

I'm trying to pick up some older books that I've not read. I bought this when I was in Portland in April because it's a Steinbeck I didn't have and because folks around here were reading it and liking it. I love to travel, Hubby and I have owned and travelled extensively in RV's and we do a cross-country round-trip every summer so it resonated with me. It shows its age in some ways though and I'm not so sure he did much to actually "search for America'. Still I thought it was a pleasant read.

So the Chautauqua season has begun. That means busy days and a lot of walking. Today I have a new personal best for steps :) (Kriky that image is big doesn't want to get smaller -- sorry!)

This morning's main event was New York Times Book Review Editor, Pamela Paul, interviewing John Irving. He's a very articulate and entertaining speaker. Here are a few of his remarks that I thought worth repeating:

- He suggested we'd all heard authors say their characters write themselves but he said his definitely don't. In fact if one started to do that he would tell them clearing that "no, that's not the way it happens and kill them off right away"

- He handwrite the first draft of all of his books and says he does that because it forces him to "write as slowly as he needs to"

- One of his first books was bought for a movie by a European company and he said the director taught him to write movie scripts. Now he writes a script for his book first and then thinks about how the characters would be in 5 year, 20 years and then writes the novel

Hi Reba, I’m just catching up and see you’ve made your annual trip across country. I love the western half of Utah - it’s such an unexpectedly beautiful drive. And remote!

Oh, I would love to hear John Irving speak! I’ve read most of his earlier books but I’ve gotten behind on the more recent ones.

>169 Copperskye: Hi Joann! He really is a wonderful speaker. Just the kind of author event I like -- when they talk about how they write, what stimulates them, back stories on their works, etc. I haven't read any of his books (I'm constantly discovering huge holes in my book background) but I bought The World According to Garp yesterday and may get it read this summer.

I loved Garp but it’s been a looong time (40 years or so) since I read it! Enjoy!

>171 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne, I'll try :)

I'm a fan of Garp, too, Reba. The movie is also pretty good (and parts were filmed at my prep school, though obviously way before I went there!)....

>173 katiekrug: How cool to have the movie shot at your school. Can you recognize any of it in the film?

>174 RebaRelishesReading: - Yep, it was mostly exteriors at the school where Garp grew up and where the film ends.
Parts of "Regarding Henry" with Harrison Ford and Annette Benning were filmed there, too. It's our little claim to fame :-P

Hi Reba, what a wonderful opportunity to be there for the Irving interview. I have only read one of his books - A Prayer for Owen Meany- which I really enjoyed. So many still to read!

>168 RebaRelishesReading: That must have been fun, Reba, to hear Irving!
We have three of his books, the only one I have read is A prayer for Owen Meany. The other two, The world according to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire I have seen in the movie adaption. Should get to them someday.

>167 RebaRelishesReading: Whoa, that's a lot of steps!! I think my PB is just over 12000.

Glad you have made it to your summer home and are getting to relax.

I've been enjoying reading about your activities on a daily basis even when I'm not speaking up, Reba. Garp is the only Irving book I've read and I was not enthralled, but then, that's just me. I do want to try Owen Meany one of these days, as so many seem to love it.

SD has been having lovely weather in the 70s and low 80s, but a hot one is coming next weekend. I finally took out my sweet peas and the green beans are flourishing in their place.

Hi Jan, Anita, Chelle and Roni -- so nice to hear from you. We've had house guests since opening day so things are pretty busy. I'll write more about our adventures, maybe next week.

Thank you Chelle, I was really pleased myself. For four days I was over 11000 each day with that one high in there. Today it's 91 and very humid so I'm walking as little as possible. Are you guys "enjoying" this miserable heat too?

Roni I bought both Garp and Own Meany so hope to get to them before too long. We had a couple of days rain last week but otherwise it was lovely. This week, on the other hand, is AWFUL!!

Reba--So jealous you heard John Irving and I love the comments you shared! I have enjoyed both Garp and Owen, so I think you have good reads ahead.

>167 RebaRelishesReading: Over 18K steps!!! Whoa, you go girl!

It's 75 and very nice and sunny. I don't want to rub it in, but it makes up for all the times we are stuck with rain. ; )

>167 RebaRelishesReading: Wow! Big step day.

Enjoy Chautauqua!

Hi Reba. I can’t decide whether I am more envious of your steps or the John Irving interview. You are off to a fabulous start at Chautauqua! Keep us posted on your activities...and I’ll work on the jealousy thing. 😉

>181 Berly: Hi Kim. Thanks. I'm looking forward to getting to them but then almost everyday I find another book I want to buy so I don't know exactly which ones are going to come first.

Also thank you...I was quite happy with, and proud of, my steps that day. I did over 11,000 for four days in a row but then it got really hot and humid and I haven't even bothered to look at my step counter lately. It looks like we may get a bit of cooling before too long but we're heading down to Washington D.C. for a week on Sunday and I have no idea what the weather is going to be like there.

>182 nittnut: Thanks Jenn. Yes I was very happy and hope to repeat it before too long. I am enjoying Chautauqua.

>183 Donna828: Hi Donna. I will try to keep you posted. We've had guests last week and this so I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment. When we get back from D.C. I hope to do better.

Wild is the River by Louis Bromfield****1/2

This is one of the dozen or so books I have that were my father's. I've had them since he died in 1971 but only recently decided that I should actually read them :)

I really enjoyed this adventure/romance story which takes place primarily in New Orleans during the carpetbagger years after the Civil War. The wife of the Union General in charge of the city invited the General's maiden sister and her niece to visit them. The maiden sister is adventuresome and convinces her niece's father to allow the trip. They leave from Boston on a naval ship but when it is delayed in Havana they decide to continue on a cargo ship. A series of difficulties and problems ensue. The young lady's fiancee is a Union officer stationed in New Orleans where he has been "carrying on" with the madam of the nicest brothel in town and another woman of light virtue. Young lady doesn't know that but nevertheless she has begun to have doubts about their relationship. Will they marry/

This was a great read that kept me interested to the last page.

>180 RebaRelishesReading: "enjoying", right.. I think we are on day five or six of 30c+ each day. Today is supposed to be 32c but I won't know because I don't plan on leaving the house!

Hi Chelle! I hear what you're saying. We've had more than a week of the same horrible heat wave but today, finally, we have a beautiful day. I hope the same lovely weather system is covering you too!!

As mentioned above we've been having unusual heat this past week+ accompanied by extreme humidity. NOT NICE AT ALL!!. Today is beautiful and that is supposed to continue for the next week but we leave Sunday for Washington D.C. where it's supposed to be over 90 (32) every day we're there. We're going for a conference for Hubby but we'll be there a few days early and want to visit some museums, etc in the city. During the conference, however, I don't think I'll leave the hotel.

>167 RebaRelishesReading: Congratulations on your great step day, Reba. Too bad the heat and humidity have cut into your walking time. Have you seen any more interesting author interviews since you have been there?

Thanks, Meg. So far today (it's 4:00 p.m.) I have 6500 steps so not too bad but I haven't even paid attention during the heat wave. I did see Michael Krivak talk about Signal Flame last week and he was quite good but didn't go to the talk this week (Caroline Fraser about Praire Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder) although I plan to read the book. It was at the same time as a presentation on the differences between Shia and Sunni Islam and the background about their split which was very interesting too.

Today the heat wave has broken and it is a simply beautiful day. Here's a photo I took around noon from the second story of the library looking across Bestor Plaza at The Colonnade.

Hi Reba! Great reads here - I particularly liked your comments about >159 RebaRelishesReading: The Signal Flame and >185 RebaRelishesReading: Wild is the River.

So, yesterday it was 117 in Ramona (an all-time high) and 98 here at the house (96 at Lindbergh Field). Four fires in the county: Pendleton, Alpine, Dulzura and one other small one. Houses lost at Alpine and Dulzura, evacuations of military housing at Pendleton. Very low humidity, high winds inland. Today is supposed to be 10 degrees cooler, and then again tomorrow. Summer is here, though.

>190 RebaRelishesReading: Ah, hard when you have two good things to chose between. It looks like a pleasant place especially in the sunshine.

>191 AMQS: Hi Anne -- They were both great reads! Glad you liked the comments.

>192 ronincats: Hi Roni -- I heard it was super hot in S.D. now. It cooled off to just perfect at Chautauqua starting last Friday. Of course, yesterday we left for D.C. where it's quite hot but not nearly as humid as I feared. Can't wait for fall!!

>193 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! I admit it, I'm very lucky!

Yesterday we drove from Chautauqua to Washington D.C. where we will spend this week seeing some things we didn't get to in previous trips and attending an airliner convention (well Hubby will attend, I hope to read in the room).

Our drive through southern New York and then south across Pennsylvania was beautiful but turned out to be longer than we expected -- about 11 hours door to door. Here's a view of rural PA from a rest stop.

This morning we walked the 15 minutes or so to Pentagon City to take the metro. We asked an employee standing near the machines for help buying the right kind of pass and he explained about a "senior card" that gets us 50% off the fare :) He then took us through the gate so we could go one stop for free to a "commuter office" where we could get the pass. When we arrived at that gate the employee on duty had already been called by the first guy and knew to let us out without paying and to direct us to the correct office. What great service!!

With our lovely new passes in hand we headed into the city and visited the American History Museum which was excellent. First Ladies' dresses, transportation, artifacts that tell the stories and, by the entrance, a great exhibit on the important roll immigrants have played in our history.

>167 RebaRelishesReading: Congratulations on all those steps, Reba! I'm sure you'll get a lot more done in Washington.

>196 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad you found a helpful staff member (two, in fact :-) ) That sounds like a good deal. And the museum looks excellent. A friend from work went to Washington for the first time recently (she goes to Boston often as her parents live there but had never made it down to Washington) and came back raving about how great the museums were, as well as all the "political" things. (She's also a huge US politics geek and a Hillary fan, and I think she secretly hoped that she might see her idol, but no luck). I hope the humidity isn't too bad for you.

Yes - one of the (few) things I really miss about DC is the Smithsonian. I love those museums, there is something for every interest and then some. The weather is better out here in California, but the museums aren't as fantastic (good, but not that good).

My favorites are Natural History, Air & Space, American History...and then all the other ones, that I mostly didn't get to because three museums is a full and long day and I only got into the city for a museum day once in a while. And there was always enough new stuff in my favorites that I seldom got out to any of the others.

When I lived in DC, my favorite touristy thing to suggest to visitors was the National Archives. They always had interesting rotating displays, and seeing the founding documents always gave me a thrill.

>196 RebaRelishesReading: Sounds like a good trip. I spent a few weeks in Washington about ten years ago and there was so much to see! Good memories.

What a fun trip, aided by the helpful staffers. I haven't been to an historical museum in ages. Jealous!

Hi Reba! DC is great for museums. The Library of Congress was my favorite, though.

Hi Reba - a trip to DC sounds wonderful, s long as it's not too hot (wow, >192 ronincats: Roni - I didn't know SD could get so hot!). The last time we visited Washington DC the girls were 10 and 7. It was one of our all-time favorite vacations because there's so much to do, and it's all free. Enjoy!

>197 susanj67: Hi Susan! Thank you. I did get a lot of steps in while in D.C. -- over 11,000 every day. Today, however, we drove back to Chautauqua so spent the entire day sitting -- well, entire day until we got home about 4:00 p.m. then some active time unpacking, etc.

The Smithsonian museums are amazing and, at least as amazing imho, they are all free!! I'm a big Hillary fan too but don't think she spends much time in D.C. lately. I did talk to someone about a year ago who ran into her (with Bill) in Chappaqua though.

Actually the humidity was quite low while we were in D.C. (thank goodness) so although it was pretty warm it wasn't that uncomfortable.

>198 jjmcgaffey: You're so right, Jim, I'll take the weather in CA any time but the museums in D.C. are amazing. We try to visit two or three every time we're in the area (which actually isn't that often).

>199 katiekrug: Hi Katie! I've never been to the National Archives but need to do that -- maybe next time.

>200 charl08: Hi Char. It was a very nice trip. At the end of the week hubby was busy with his conference so I explored the Pentagon/Crystal City areas (where we were staying) and read in the hotel -- that was nice too.

>201 Berly: Hi Kim. It always adds to a day when you run into friendly people doing their job well, doesn't it?

>202 banjo123: Yes Rhonda, that's another one we need to get to.

>203 AMQS: Hi Anne. We were lucky with the weather. Hot but low humidity so it was fine. We had just had a terribly hot and humid week at Chautauqua so it felt great to have drier air for a while.

The Long Valley by John Steinbeck ***

I decided last year to read the books I have that were my father's and reached for this one without looking at it when packing my summer reading. It turned out to be a collection of short stories (not my favorite). They were well written but many of them were rather sad.

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman***

I absolutely loved A Man Called Ove and very much liked Britt-Marie Was Here but this one was really sad and I just didn't enjoy it as much as the others.

Nomadland by Jessica Bruder***1/2

I picked this book up because it is one of the "Chautauqua reads" for this summer and my neighbor really liked it. It's a study of people who are living a full-time nomad life out of economic necessity. It was interesting to me because we "full-timed" in a motor home the first 1 1/2 years of retirement. We were living in the motorhome because wanted to travel, not because we had to, which made the experience very different but still there were similarities which helped me to relate. A lot of the experiences reported on took place in the southwest in area I know well, which also made it come to life for me. Even without the things I could relate to, it's a very interesting book about a way of life many Americans may not know about. Worth a read.

Trying to catch up on LT and the news while doing laundry and thinking about getting dressed so I can go and hear Senator Coons talk about U.S.-Russia Relations. The Chautauqua speakers and topics are set a year or more in advance so it's almost creepy that this ended up on that day the orange brat is in Helsinki talking to his Best Bro.

>206 RebaRelishesReading: I just read his latest, Beartown also released as Us Against You. A small town defined by their love of hockey. It's all blown apart when a crime happens and people take sides. I really enjoyed it a lot. Still filled with humor and lots of love, but it does explore issues (that's me trying not to give the plot away!) that are serious. He does a masterful job of not giving away the ending even through the book starts with it. Ha!!

Hi Kim!! I think I may need a bit of a break from Backman but I'll keep it in mind for later.

Hi Reba! I'm back from vacation. It sounds like your summer is going well, and except for the orange brat is in Helsinki talking to his Best Bro. laugh out loud, will just pick up from here.

Hi Karen -- I was just reading your thread. So sorry about your friend's husband. My BFF's husband died, after a long illness, while we were at Chautauqua in 2016. I felt so bad that I wasn't there for her but she assured me that she had a lot of people there when it happened (family gathered from all over) but would need me for the long haul. I'm sure that's true for you and your friend too.

That's exactly what's happening for me, too, Reba. We talked this morning. She's got a few documents to get notarized and etc., so she's taking care of business. We're going out to lunch tomorrow.

We're back at Chautauqua where the theme for the week is "Russia and the West" which is rather ironic given that the weekly themes are established about two years in advance. yesterday's main speaker was Senator Chris Coons who gave a very thoughtful and interesting talk (photo above). I also heard Brad Allenby, Lincoln Professor for Engineering and Ethics at the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics at Arizona State who talked about the impacts of Artificial Intelligence on society and, especially, on the political process. Wow!

>213 karenmarie: Hugs to you both, Karen. I know you'll be a great comfort to her...even knowing you're there will be comforting.

Oh my, I read Travels with Charley in 9th grade and loved it dearly. Glad you enjoyed the Bromfield -- I've heard he's still a good read.

You do certainly gad about! D.C. and back!

Hi Lucy! You're right, we do move around a lot. We were both really ready to come "home" to Chautauqua before the week in D.C. was over. Nothing wrong with being there--weather was fine, hotel was fine, lots of nice things to do--but we were just tired of being away from our own space. But then, in mid-September we'll be taking off again for 5 weeks in British Isles and I'm really excited about it so I'm just a bunch of contradictions I guess.

Hi Reba, I'm enjoying reading of your travels and experiences. How I would love to be at some of those talks!

Hi Jan -- Glad you're enjoying it. The morning speakers have been especially good this week and amazing on target with current news.

Here is a photo of a small part of the audience listening to Amor Towles. I'm sorry you can't really see him but I wanted to share the setting with you because it really is a great place.

What a delightful afternoon!! The weather has been about as perfect as can be the past couple of days and this afternoon Amor Towles was here to talk about A Gentleman in Moscow and he did it just the way I like -- he talked about how he came to write it, his ideas about writing, etc. but didn't allow any spoilers (even from people asking questions at the end) and didn't read to us. Here are a few things he said that I enjoyed:

- In his life as a corporate "spokesperson" he spent a week at a time in the same hotels each year. One time he arrived at his hotel in Milan and recognized several of the people in the lobby from previous visits which got him thinking about what it would be like to live in a hotel or even be "trapped" in one.

- Although he never stayed in the Metropole, he knew that it was a landmark in Moscow and went to visit it. He shared that it was built in 1905, at the height of the "grand hotel" era and was a very luxuriously appointed building when it opened. After the Russian revolution it was taken over by the Communist Party, stripped of much of its grandeur, and used as residences for party officials. Later, when the USSR needed hard currency they restored it and used it for visiting foreign businessmen and officials.

- When asked whether each chapter began with an "a" because it signified a new beginning he laughed and said one of the interesting things about having his email widely known is that people write and ask questions like that and then he thinks "sure, that's a good idea so 'yes, that's why I did it'. Then later someone asked if it was because his name starts with an "a" as does that of the main character and he though "yes, that too".

- Someone else asked whether his family was reflected in any way in the book and he said that his daughter was 5 when he started the book and 9 when he finished it and that that definitely was not a coincidence because she taught him how smart little girls can be.

- He was asked how much research he did for the book which led him to say that he thinks the real purpose/value of fiction is to portray human interaction/growth/feelings in a way that is timeless and that if the author does too much research it can get in the way of that. He commented that he thinks we now demand more factual accuracy from fiction than from our politicians (which got him a round of applause).

I had a fun, but hard of the sit-surface, day today. From 9:00 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. (with a lunch break) I listened to the 22 contestants for the Chautauqua piano prize play. They were all wonderful. I have no idea how the judges will choose. But choose they will and I'll be back on Thursday afternoon to listen to the final round of the competition and on Friday for the winner's recital. Tonight we're going to hear the Music School Festival Orchestra play and watch the students from the school of dance perform. Should be wonderful too.

>221 RebaRelishesReading: Those hard of the sit-surface days can be hard on you, Reba. I hope you got some steps in afterwards. Five weeks in the British Isles is a long vacation. Are you visiting many different places?

>220 RebaRelishesReading: fascinating comments form Mr. Towles! I read the first chapter of A Gentleman in Moscow but picked up a Parmalee library book instead. I will definitely get to it and soon!

>222 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg!! Great to see you.

Now that we're retired we tend to travel a lot and for longer periods. The British Isles trip will be 2 weeks in a condo at the southern end of Loch Ness (with a car to travel around a lot in the western highlands), then 6 nights in London, then 6 nights in Dublin followed by 10 days or so driving around southern Ireland. I lived in (greater) Dublin for 2 years back in the early '80's and haven't been back since. Hubby has never been in Ireland so that part of the trip will be extra special for both of us.

>223 AMQS: Hi Anne! Glad you enjoyed Mr. Towles' comments. I listened to A Gentleman in Moscow on audio and thought the reader was fantastic. You might considered doing it that way.

>224 RebaRelishesReading: That trip sounds amazing! I would love to see all of those places someday! My BIL just got back from 2 weeks in Scotland and London and had a great time!

>224 RebaRelishesReading: My parents and I have done two driving tours of Ireland, they were both wonderful. The things that stick with me are little ones - like, in the songs Ireland is this incredible green. It's very very strange to find that that's accurate reporting - it really is that green! And both trips, the rain was very polite - it would come down in streams whenever we were inside (in a pub, or our B&B, or a store...) and then stop as we came out. We got briefly stuck on the strand on Inch, and heard some fantastic music in a pub in Doolin - "Kilkelly", for one.

Enjoy your trip, and report back!

Oh, if you like history stuff - check out the Museum of London. It was amazing when I was there in the late 90s; apparently they've expanded to a new place in the Docklands (which was still a rubbish dump when I was there), though I think they still have the space I saw. History of London, from pre-Roman times to the near-present, with amazingly detailed exhibits. Fascinating (if that's something you enjoy - I know some people don't). It's not, or wasn't when I was there, one of the museums people know about (Tower, V&A, Natural History...) but it's worth a visit. So are the others, but if you're interested you're probably already planning those.

>226 jjmcgaffey: I agree with your comments about Doolin. My husband and I spent a few days there listening to the music. I was told the entire town consists of many B & B's, pubs, and a recording company and that seemed to be true.

Reba, I'm living vicariously through you at Chautauquah. I have often said that I would love to have dinner with Towles and talk about A Gentleman in Moscow, a book I loved.

>225 ChelleBearss: I'm just betting you'll get to those places and more, Chelle.

>226 jjmcgaffey: Thanks for the tips, Jim. We don't have any firm plans for London yet. I'm sure we'll see a play or two and probably take in a museum but don't know which one yet. I will certainly report back but probably not until we're back in the U.S. because I don't plan to take the computer with me, just the phone and I don't like doing long things on the phone.

>227 Oregonreader: Wish you could have been here to hear him yourself, Juli!

Hi Reba!

>220 RebaRelishesReading: It sounds like a wonderful talk! I've loved everything I've read by Amor Towles.

Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen****

This is the 3rd "Royal Spyness" novel. Georgian is at Castle Rannoch where she has been coerced into helping Scotland Yard with a top-secret mission - namely keeping an eye on the shooting party at Balmoral and preventing someone from shooting the Prince. Four stars because it's a great book for walking and a fun read.

What fun to get to hear Amor Towles!

The weather has been quite amazing, eh?

Joy for your plans to visit GB and Ireland. The London Museum sounds like something I would adore.

Hi Lucy! Thanks for stopping by. Weather has been up and down. Quite nice at the moment but really hot and nasty on Monday. I'm on the porch enjoying 70 degree, cloudy weather right now. Hope it hangs around for a while.

Thanks for sharing the Amor Towles talk with us - sounds fascinating. I loved that book.

The Museum of London has had a complete refit in recent years - they have some amazing bits and pieces about the campaign for women's votes which won me over a couple of months ago. But I love how London has so much on you can find brilliant things which people who have lived there for decades haven't visited.

230> I'm also reading the Royal Spyness series and I'm really enjoying them. I know she has written other series but I haven't sampled them yet.

>234 Oregonreader: He, I think - Rhys is a male (Welsh) name. Oh! I didn't know it was a pseudonym. I started with the Evan series, and haven't gotten in to Her Royal Spyness, nor Mike. I've read most of Evan, though.

>224 RebaRelishesReading: That sounds like a great trip, Reba. Nice to spend a fair while in each place and to have a good knowledge of Ireland before you go there. I will be going to Ireland for the first time next spring (well, unless you count landing in Shannon Airport). It will be a bit of a reconnaissance trip sussing it out for future trips I hope.

Wow!! Four visitors in one day. That makes me very happy :)

>233 charl08: You're welcome, Char. Towels was a great speaker and I too loved the book.

>234 Oregonreader: I went straight to book 4 and am enjoying it too. Now I have a problem because I'm also really "in to" Bear Town and would like to be reading them both at the same time.

>235 jjmcgaffey: I didn't know Rhys was a male name nor that it was a pseudonym but I somehow knew she was a woman. I may have seen a photo of her somewhere.

>236 Familyhistorian: I'm getting quite excited about it Meg. I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip to Ireland. I'm very anxious to see what it's like now.

I found out it was a pseudonym by going to her author page here on LT. I knew Rhys was a male name - no idea where I learned that, it's been years. It's pronounced (and often, in the US, spelled) Reese.

This is one of my problems with tracking authors' gender - I often don't know, and usually don't bother to go investigate; I just assume from the name. I'll investigate initials, if I haven't learned it otherwise, but I simply assumed Rhys Bowen was male. There have been a few other surprises, in both directions.

>238 jjmcgaffey: I know what you mean and now with more and more gender neutral names being used it will be harder than ever to know...and that's probably a good thing :)

Bear Town by Fredrik Backman*****

Thank you Chelle for tempting me to continue reading Backman's works. This is a wonderful book, although it was hard to read the last 50 pages or so through the streaming tears. It takes place in the same town as Britt-Marie Was Here and includes some familiar characters but, imho, is a better book. That said, I'll just steal a quote from the back of the book:

"This is a story about a town and a game, but even more about loyalty commitment, and the responsibilities of friendship; the people we disappoint even though we love them; and the decisions we make every day that come to define us. In this story of a small forest town, fredrik Backman has found the entire world".

>240 RebaRelishesReading: Yay! Glad that you loved it! Sorry about the tears but he made me cry too! I think you'll love Us Against You as well as it's most of the same characters and all the same feels!