Beth's Books in 2018 (BLBera) Part 5

Mesa Falls, Idaho - a wonderful place to kick back and read - except for the mosquito swarms!
Summer 2018
One of the beautiful places I saw on my drive through South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon.

My name is Beth. I love books – talking about them, writing about them, reading about them. I also love to read with my granddaughter Scout.

I teach English at my local community college, so I am always looking for books I can use in my classes. I like to discover new writers.

I tend not to plan my reading, other than for my book club, which meets once a month. We meet in January to plan our year’s reading.

I tend to read more fiction than nonfiction and more women authors than men.

Welcome to my thread. Lurk or stop and say hello.

Devil's Tower

Currently Reading

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Woman's Fiction Longlist 2018
It's here! Longlist:
Read
🌼 The Idiot by Elif Batuman SL
🌼 Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
🌼 The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
🌼 A Boy in Winter by Rachel Seiffert
🌼 Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward SL
🌼 Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie SL WINNER!
🌼 Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig
🌼 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

To Read
H(A)PPY by Nicola Barker
Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar SL
Sight by Jessie Greengrass SL
When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife by Meena Kandasamy SL
Elmet by Fiona Mozley
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
The Trick to Time by Kit de Waal

Electric Literature 46 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2018
January:
🌸When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele
🌸 This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins
🌸🌸Halsey Street by Naima Coster
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
🌸The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

February:
🌸An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
🌸The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore by Kim Fu
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
🌸Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik
Secrets We Kept: Three Women of Trinidad by Krystal Sital
Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith
Heart Berries by Terese Mailhot
The House of Erzulie by Kirsten Imani Kasai

March:
Bury What We Cannot Take by Kirstin Chen
The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat (I was supposed to get this as an ER)
Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester
Go Home!, edited by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
My Old Faithful by Yang Huang
🌸 The Beekeeper by Dunya Mikhail
🌸🌸Happiness by Aminatta Forna
Whiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith

April:
Poignant Song:The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar
Heads of the Colored People
Disoriental

May:
The Ensemble
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture

June
Sick: A Memoir
Number One Chinese Restaurant
Tiny Crimes
🌸 Convenience Store Woman
Old in Art School

July
🌸 Fruit of the Drunken Tree
How to Love a Jamaican
Love War Stories
What We Were Promised

August
A River of Stars
If You Leave Me
Everyday People: The Color of Life
This Mournable Body

October and Later
All You Can Ever Know
And It Begins Like This
Useful Phrases for Immigrants
The Body Papers

Book club books for this year:

🌼 The Power
🌼 Home Fire
🌼 Bad Feminist
🌼 A Gentleman in Moscow
🌼 Homegoing
🌼 The Innovators
🌼 The Lightkeepers
Fifteen Dogs
If the Oceans Were Ink
Snow Child
Reader, I Married Him
Mothering Sunday

The Walter Scott prize longlist (Historical fiction)
The Clocks In This House All Tell Different Times by Xan Brooks
A dark social-realist fairytale, spotlighting the shadowy underside of 1920s England
🌷Birdcage Walk by Helen Dunmore
🌷Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan SL
🌷The Last Man In Europe by Dennis Glover
Sugar Money by Jane Harris SL
A tale of slavery and freedom, innocence and experience, love and despair set in the 18th century Caribbean
Prussian Blue by Philip Kerr
France, 1956. Bernie Gunther is on the run. The twelfth book in the renowned series
The Draughtsman by Robert Lautner
1944, Germany. A novel which shines a light on the complex contradictions of human nature and examines how deeply complicit we can become in the face of fear
Grace by Paul Lynch SL
An epic coming-of-age novel and a poetic evocation of the Irish famine as it has never been written
The Wardrobe Mistress by Patrick McGrath SL
A portrait of a woman struggling to make sense of her past and imagine a future in the seedy glamour of London’s theatrical world
Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves by Rachel Malik SL
1940s rural England sets the scene for a multi-layered tale of an unlikely friendship
The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers SL
Eighteenth-century Yorkshire. A gang of weavers and land workers embark upon a criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy and become the biggest fraud in British history
The Horseman by Tim Pears
An unexpected friendship between two children, set in Devon in 1911
🌷The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

Read 2018
January
1. Edited to Death*
2. Books & Islands in Ojibwe Country*
3. Love That Dog* 🎉
4. The Power* 🎉
5. Cranford*
6. Walk Two Moons*
7. Go, Went, Gone 🎉
8. Out in the Open
9. Under Another Sky
10. Eternal Life
11. The Crypt Thief

* Off my shelf

January Reading Report:

Books read: 11
Women: 9
Men: 2
Nonfiction: 2
Fiction: 9
In translation: 2

February
12. The Origin of Others*
13. Halsey Street 🎉
14. Regency Buck*
15. What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky 🎉
16. The Weight of Ink
17. Parable of the Sower* 🎉
18. Here in Berlin
19. The Wedding Date*
20. A Catalog of Birds 🎉
21. The Fire Next Time*
22. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
23. Citizen: An American Lyric*

* Off my shelf

February Reading Report
Books read: 12
Women: 11
Men: 1
Nonfiction/Essays: 2
Poetry: 1
Fiction: 8
Short story collection: 1

March
24. Call Me Zebra
25. A Hanging Matter*
26. The Queen of the Tearling*
27. So Long a Letter
28. A Wrinkle in Time* REREAD
29. An American Marriage
30. Home Fire*🎉
31. The End We Start From
32. The Invasion of the Tearling
33. When They Call You a Terrorist 🎉
34. The Fate of the Tearling
35. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
36. The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore
37. Happiness 🎉

*Off my shelf

March Reading Report
Books read: 14
Women: 14
Men: 0
In translation: 1
Nonfiction: 1
Fiction: 13

April
38. Death on Nantucket*
39. Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life*
40. Prayers for the Stolen*
41. The Reader on the 6.27*
42. Miss Burma
43. The Merchant's House*
44. Brave New World* REREAD
45. The Female Persuasion 🎉
46. The Knowledge
47. A Long Way Gone* REREAD
48. The Beekeeper:Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq

*Off my shelf

April Reading Report
Books read: 11
By women: 8
By men: 3
In translation: 2
Nonfiction: 3
Fiction: 8

May
49. Hole in My Life
50. The Glass Castle*
51. The Heart Goes Last* REREAD
52. Exposure 🎉
53. Twisted Prey
54. A Gentleman in Moscow* 🎉
55. Dead Trouble*
56. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?*

May Reading Report
Books Read: 8
By Women: 5
By Men: 3
Fiction: 6
Nonfiction: 2

June
57. The Absolutist
58. A Dangerous Crossing
59. A Howl of Wolves
60. The Nonesuch*
61. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
62. The Last Man in Europe 🎉
63. We Were Eight Years in Power 🎉
64. Educated: A Memoir
65. The Dark Angel*
66. The Penderwicks at Last*
67. Florida 🎉
68. The Blue Castle*
69. The Jump-off Creek* 🎉
70. The Lost*

June Reading Report
Books read: 14
By women: 11
By men: 3
Fiction: 12
Essays: 1
Memoir: 1

Read in 2018
July
71. A Piece of the World*
72. Island of the Mad
73. The Removes
74. On Turpentine Lane*
75. Fight No More 🎉
76. Improvement
77. Thunder Bay*
78. World Made by Hand*
79. The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
80. An Unmarked Grave
81. Convenience Store Woman
82. Clock Dance

July Report
Read: 12 - all fiction
By women: 8
By men: 3
By a couple: 1
Translation: 1
Short story collection: 1
Graphic novel: 1

August
83. Red Clocks
84. All the Birds in the Sky*
85. Crossbones Yard*
86. This Will Be My Undoing
87. My Name Is Leon*
88. Incognegro
89. Armada Boy*
90. From a Low and Quiet Sea
91. The Lightkeepers*
92. You Think It, I'll Say It
93. The Paris Architect
94. Welcome to Lagos
95. Suicide Club
96. Fruit of the Drunken Tree
97. An Uncommon Murder*

69. The Jump-off Creek is wonderful historical fiction, based on diaries and letters of women settlers. Set in Oregon, we chose it for our family reunion book discussion. All loved the book although some thought Lydia, the protagonist, was a little unfeeling.

The novel tells the story of Lydia Sanderson, a widow, who travels West to homestead on her own. The novel uses her diary entries and third person narration to tell the story of her first year as an independent woman. We meet her neighbors, including a young wife and some criminals who try to make a living the easy way.

Most of the people who discussed the novel were impressed by the descriptive detail, and I often felt like I was there with Lydia. Recommended.

During our book club meetings at my family reunion, we also discuss books we recommend. Here is the list:
Happiness
Britt Marie Was Here
News of the World
Enemy Women
Salt Houses
Exit West
Go, Went, Gone
The Lake House
Tana French novels
The Rent Collector
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky - my cousin heard this on the Lavar Burton Reads podcast, which she recommends.
Behold the Dreamers
An American Marriage - two of my cousins weren't sure what to think about this one - they were a little disappointed but had read it for a book club and hadn't yet met to discuss it.
Home Fire
The Summer Before the War
A Gentleman in Moscow
My Absolute Darling
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
The Amazing Aventures of Kavalier and Clay
Beloved

70. The Lost is the story of a psychologist in Northern Ireland. Thanks Charlotte!

Paula Maguire hadn't returned to her home town for years, but when two girls go missing, she is sent to help the team searching for them. She is a psychologist who specializes in finding young missing girls. Interesting story about the politics of Ireland and Northern Ireland and how the two police forces work - or didn't - together.

I'll definitely look for the next ones in this series.

My father's brother and sister and their families get together every two years. We meet in different parts of the country because we live all over. This year, we met in Bend, Oregon. There were about 45 people there. We have some new babies in the family, so it was nice to meet them.

My parents insisted they wanted to drive, so I drove with them. My sisters and I thought it would not be a good idea for them to drive on their own. So the sister who isn't working this summer got to go. I saw, for the first time: Devil's Tower, Yellowstone and Old Faithful, the Moon Crater National Monument, Mesa Falls. We also drove through the Tetons and the Badlands. There was a lot of natural beauty, and we are still speaking, so I guess the trip was a success. Next time, though, we will buy them tickets to fly.

Have you ever been in a car with deaf people listening to audiobooks? I ended the day with a headache and desire for silence.

I also got to go to Portland to see Juli, Twin, and Rhonda. And to visit Powell's. And I visited an independent bookstore in Sisters, Oregon.

At the end of July, I'll take a short drive to Iowa to see Julia and contemplate Bruce. :)

71. A Piece of the World is a historical novel by the author of The Orphan Train. This novel is based on research Kline did on the life of Christina Olson, the model for Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World."

It took me awhile to get into the book, but as I read, I started to care deeply about Christina and her brother and admire their courage and tenacity. I've been to the Wyeth museum in Maine and could picture the setting. I know this was recommended by people on LT, so thanks. Ellen? Vivian?

Now I have to catch up on the threads. Yikes!

And, of course, Wimbledon is on.

>8 BLBera: What a great list, and I love that your family reunions include a book discussion!

Welcome home, Beth.

Thanks, Katie. I am working on my to-do list now that I am done traveling for the summer. School will start all too soon!

>10 BLBera: We saw a lot of that geography last year and enjoyed it a lot. It does make for a lot of driving though so I understand the desire to fly!

Hi Erik - I do like road trips - just shorter ones, I think.

Welcome back! Sounds like a good trip, other than the deafening audiobook! I really enjoyed A Piece of the World too, although I agree it felt like a slow start.

Hi Vivian! I thought it might have been you who recommended it. As usual, you were right. :)

>10 BLBera: I'm not as much fun as the gang in Portland, but I'm closer so hopefully it all evens out in the end. :-)

>12 BLBera: So glad to see this positive review. I picked this one up in a recent esale and was hoping it would be as good as her Orphan Train book.

>8 BLBera: Wow there are some great books on this list Beth. Looks like you had a fun trip.

O.K i'm lurking but will say "hi' too! Wonderful reading going on here and great pictures of your travels.

>19 rosalita: Oh Julia, I'm sure fun will be had. :)

>20 brenzi: It's great to have a reading family, Bonnie. And even better, some of the suggestions came from my seventeen-year-old cousin. She is a voracious reader.

>21 mdoris: Thanks for delurking, Mary. And you can lurk all you want.

Happy New Thread, Beth. Welcome back. Your trip out west sounded wonderful. What a great family reunion. And a family of readers too. And I am glad you got to meet some of the Portland folks. What a wonderful bunch. I miss them.

Hi Twin!! I hope you are enjoying being back home -- love your travel photos. It was so great to see you out here! Thanks for making the drive up from Bend. I will keep you posted about my visit to the Twin Cities. It's tentatively schedule around September 13-16. Haven't bought my ticket yet though. ; )

I was reading back over your last thread: Dang! I didn't think to use our photo for my next topper. We'll have to do that come fall.

>1 BLBera: Lovely picture. I'll be looking for it; since it's in Idaho, it is probably not hard for us to visit.

>11 BLBera: I read A Piece of the World after an exhibit of Wyeth's work at the Seattle Art Museum. Shelley had recommended it to me. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought it was quite good and it paired well with seeing a strong collection of his work "in person."

>9 BLBera: Looks interesting. I'll look for it!

>9 BLBera: Ha. I already have it on my wish list thanks also to Charlotte. Now I've added your name to the recommenders in my comments field.

Ha! It turns out that The Lost is a daily deal on Amazon so I bought the eBook for 99 cents. Nice.

What, your family has reunions and discusses books? How do I get to be a member of the crew? I think I am the only voracious reader in my family. Oh wait, my brother writes books so I bet he reads a lot too and I did gift him with a few that I had finished on when I visited him this summer.

You have been a world traveler this summer and one more jaunt to go. I can barely keep up.

I love the idea of your family shared book too - such a nice idea. And great recommendations for reading! Your photos make me want to travel - I don't think I've heard of the waterfall or the Devil's Tower (what kind of a thing is it? An extinct volcano?)
Glad >09 was worthwhile. I am still gutted I finished them all so quickly. Boo.

How is Zadie Smith? I have an ARC of that one, but I really want my own hardback copy, I think. Reading essays on a kindle somehow seems wrong (to me).

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Beth! Your family reunion sounds great, and if you were in or near the Tetons, you were in Joe Pickett country :-) I love the idea of a family book discussion - I never had that sort of family. But I'm going to investigate some of the suggestions that I hadn't already heard of. Your summer sounds like it's a lot of fun.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Beth! The toppers are amazing. I would love to travel that way sometime. It looks fabulous!
I'm glad to see (on Kim's thread) the nice meetup you all enjoyed!

>8 BLBera: I thought I'd read that one, and I did. It's on a list of books I read when I kept track of them back in the 80s and 90s. I remember enjoying it (which is probably why I remember reading it so long ago).

>23 msf59: Hi Mark - It is always fun to get together. I'm only sorry some of the nieces and nephews can't make it now.

>24 Berly: Hey Twin - It's on my calendar. We will make this happen. We can plan our next thread topper. Bwah hah hah.

>25 EBT1002: Hi Ellen - Mesa Falls is right over the Wyoming border and is part of the Snake River. It was pretty lovely scenery.

I was right! I thought I had heard about the Christina Olson book from you and Vivian. Usually I don't remember. I must get around to adding to tags...

>26 EBT1002: Charlotte definitely deserves the credit. One of the things I liked is that it addressed the history and social context of the Troubles a bit. One part that stood out: "They were being led by an Englishman and a Northern Ireland Protestant, probably ex-RUC. The rest consisted of a female civilian analyst (Protestant} and a male detective (Catholic), plus one from South of the border. She wondered how long it had taken someone to come up with that balance of religion, nationality, and gender."

And, of course, the Englishman leading them didn't understand the relationships and undercurrents. This was really well done.

>27 EBT1002: I think that's where I picked it up, too!

>28 Familyhistorian: Meg: we welcome all; this time a friend of my cousin's came. She added a lot to the discussion.

>29 charl08: Devil's Tower is the result of volcanic activity, or if you prefer the real story, Charlotte, one day seven little girls were out picking berries when a bear attacked them. They ran and jumped on a rock and prayed to the rock to save them. The rock rose up in the air, saving them from the bear. You can see the claw marks. The sisters were raised up into the sky to become the Pleiades.


Thanks for the rec for the McGowan series. Is it done, or will she write more?

The essays I've read are good; thanks for the reminder. I need to get on that.

Between Wimbledon matches, of course.

>30 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita.

>31 susanj67: Hi Susan - I think we were also in Longmire country in Wyoming. Good suggestions for books my parents might like to listen to. They loved the Hillerman books because they drove through all of the places mentioned. It is a fun summer, a little exhausting. Now I need to do some DIY stuff around the house.

>32 drneutron: Thanks Jim.

>33 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda. The scenery was pretty spectacular. I saw a lot of the things for the first time. And meet-ups are always good.

>34 thornton37814: Lori - it was a good one, and set in Oregon, so it was nice to have that connection.

Scout story: At our family reunion, my uncle told Scout there was a coyote den behind their cabin. She immediately went to see it (there wasn't one). There was a small pile of rocks that formed a little cave. Scout saw the possibilities and spent two days, with her dad, improving it. She said she was "thinking like an engineer." See the results. She was hopeful that a coyote would come but there was no appearance while we were there.



We have several engineers in the family, so they were all encouraging her.

My Oregon book acquisitions:
The Book of Joan
Marrow Island
The Break
My Name Is Leon
Mink River

>37 BLBera: great story, and great family support!

Hey, Beth. I love seeing you flit around the threads like a shiny hummingbird. I like the Scout story!

I am loving Sugar Money. Nice Oregon book haul. Let me know when you are ready to read Mink River. I have wanted to read that one for awhile. i like this guy.

I love the inclusion of our flag on Scout's coyote den. Your family reunion sounds like a lot of fun…even the long drive with a too-loud audiobook. I hope it was something good! Thank you for those family book recommendations.

I'm driving to Breckenridge, CO (15 hours from here) later this month with Dear Husband and Youngest Son, whose family is going ahead of him. We will be listening to a John Sandford book, the first one in the Virgil Flowers series. DH got to pick as he says my books put him to sleep!?!

I hope things calm down for you, Beth. You need some time to regroup before school starts. Have you decided which dystopian books you will be teaching this fall?

>39 ffortsa: Thanks Judy.

>40 msf59: Thanks Mark. Mink River was recommended by a Powell's helper. I wanted some local fiction. I hope to read Sugar Money soon.

>41 Donna828: You have a long drive ahead, Donna. The audiobooks were good ones, books I had read, but the volume gave me a headache. On the up side, my mom says she will get her hearing tested.

I do need some home time, Donna. Just one more short trip planned to Iowa City.

72. Island of the Mad is another entertaining Mary Russell novel. In this one, Mary's college friend asks for helping finding her aunt, who has disappeared. The search takes Mary and Holmes to 1925 Venice. King has done her research, the the city provides fascinating background for the search. Mussolini has just come to power, and some are concerned about the rise and possible spread of Fascism.

Holmes notes: "...the Fascisti are less concerned with theory than they are with raw power. If one plays on fear, takes away any remotely complicated ideas, and offers people a sense of confidence and right, one's followers will beat to death any enemy they are pointed at." Sounds familiar.

Entertaining read.

I have to read The Innovators for my book club, and I have Lydia Millet's new story collection from the library, so those will be my next reads, I think.

I wondered how the Devil's Tower came to be.

Love the den and the Devil's Tower story. ; )

>37 BLBera: Beth, if I were a coyote I would definitely want to visit Scout's new improved den :-) I like the edged path up to it, and also the flag. Your family sounds like lots of fun, and some good role models for future careers.

Wow, the den looks like a lot of fun, Beth. And thank you for the info on the Devil's Tower. I was always puzzled as a kid why being turned to stone / star/ a tree was better than just being helped to escape. Mysteries, eh?

>44 EBT1002: Hi Ellen - and now you know ;) How was the first day?

>45 Berly: Thanks Twin. I should have taken a video of her lugging rocks and sticks to improve it. She was really working hard.

>46 susanj67: I will tell Scout, Susan. We don't have many little ones in the family anymore, so Scout (her personality has nothing to do with it) gets made much of. She loved her cousins Maddie and Allie, 17, 14, and they played with her patiently. As soon as she got up in the morning, she would ask to go across the street to see the "girls." And when their flight was canceled and they got vouchers for a future flight, Scout said she wanted to go to California to visit the girls.

>47 charl08: Hi Charlotte - I thought it was a good story. Someone parachuted onto the top of the Devil's Tower; they had to send up climbers to get him down. Obviously, he didn't think through his little escapade. Someone was climbing the rock the day we were there. I managed to get a picture with my zoom.

I've been reading essays from Feel Free by Zadie Smith. I found that short comments on the essays as I read them worked well for the Coates book, so I'm going to do that here.

"Generation Why?" is a review of "The Social Network," but also a contemplation of what social media do to us as people. Smith finds it reduces us in some ways: "When a human being becomes a set of data on a Web site like Facebook, he or she is reduced. Everything shrinks. Individual character. Friendships. Language. Sensibility." Really thoughtful discussion.

John Isner lost to Kevin Anderson 24-26 in the fifth set. There really needs to be a tiebreak in the fifth set.

>51 charl08: Yes, crazy match. All those folk who thought they would see Nadal and have dinner must be unimpressed.

island of the Mad is my next in the series so I'm glad to see you liked it. I do like King's historical research and find it really fleshes out the mysteries. The one about Morocco and the Rif revolt was especially enlightening.

It's too bad the Nadal match had to carry over, Charlotte. Go Rafa!

It was an interesting one, Charlotte, because she has some chapters in the mind of Holmes, which I don't remember her doing before. I think you will like this one.

I'm off to the GRSF today to see All's Well that Ends Well.

I love the Devil's Tower. So cool. :)

>37 BLBera: “Thinking like an engineer”..I love it!

Terrific pictures, Beth, and wonderful stories. Any more travel planned, or are you home until school starts? My Countdown of Dread has begun - librarians in my district go back to school on August 3.

Happy Sunday, Beth. I love the topper. Scout's den is fantadtic. I love the imagination kids have.

>54 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel. It was pretty spectacular. I'd like to go back and do more hiking in the park.

>55 NanaCC: It was pretty funny, Colleen; I don't know where she gets the engineer stuff.

>56 AMQS: Hi Anne. August 3?! That's too soon. Although I have a student orientation to attend on Aug. 4, so summer is definitely starting to wind down for me as well. I was looking at my dystopian lit class yesterday, and I have a LOT of prep, so I really do need to get into school mode.

>57 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Thanks for stopping by. Yes, Scout has quite the imagination.

Love your opening photo! Looks like a great place to visit (Minus those mosquitos, of course)

It was lovely, Chelle. Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely Sunday.

I’ve got a Zadie Smith essay collection sitting on my shelf, Changing My Mind which I actually had her sign when I saw her a few years ago. I’m planning to read it next month for the Nonfiction Challenge.

If you fancy a readalong (a re-readalong?) of dystopia let me know Beth. Hope you have a lovely Sunday.

Twin--I second Charlotte! Can you post the final book selections for you class? I remember talking about it at Powell's and they sounded great. I would love to read some with your kids. : )

>61 brenzi: I am really enjoying the essays in Feel Free, Bonnie. I just read a review of the Comedy Central show "Key and Peele," which I have never seen, but I will watch for now. I'll add the collection you mentioned to my list as well.

>62 charl08:, >62 charl08: I just realized I have a lot of work to do on my class. The texts are: Brave New World, The Giver, Cat's Cradle, Parable of the Sower, The Last Policeman, Station Eleven and The Power. We'll also be looking at some films, and I need to make sure we have them.

>10 BLBera: 'we are still speaking, so I guess the trip was a success.' :-D The true test of any family holiday! Glad you got to see so many things for your trip but I understand deciding to fly next time!

>37 BLBera: Love that Scout story!

>64 BLBera: That sounds like a good reading list. I'm embarrassed to admit I've never read Huxley's Brave New World when it's such a classic...

Happy Sunday, Beth. I hope you had a great weekend. I like your class reading choices. Strong, varied list. Neat, seeing The Last Policeman on there. I really liked that trilogy.

Morning, Beth! I am very late to your newest thread, but I am wishing you happy any way. Love the trip stories! Sounds like you did a good job of surviving the drive with your parents - I cannot imagine doing that. My parents are both dead, but just the thought of trying to road trip with both of them in the same car - YIKES.

I like your book selection for your class - I have read three of those and loved each of them. Like Heather, I still have not read Brave New World, but I want to.

>65 souloftherose: Hi Heather - I enjoy road trips, just not as long as this one.

Scout is the source of many good stories. She is growing up so fast!

You can always read Brave New World; I think you might like it. My students' opinions have been mixed.

>66 msf59: Thanks Mark. I had to include a variety of dystopian subgenres.

>67 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie - you can pop in anytime. There's still time to read Brave New World. I want to reread 1984 before school starts, especially after reading The Last Man in Europe.

I also want to read Brave New World. I wonder if there is a Penguin Classics edition? :-)

>68 BLBera: Believe it or not, I have not read 1984. Shocking, I know. I plan on getting to it this year - The Last Man in Europe made me want to read it NOW. I'm really surprised that we didn't read it in high school, since I graduated in 1985 - seems like it would have been an obvious pick.

>69 charl08: There may be, Charlotte.

>70 Crazymamie: Well, Mamie, I hope to get to 1984 in the next couple of weeks. Perhaps we can read it together?

>71 BLBera: That would be awesome.

73. The Removes by Tatjana Soli is a good historical novel that follows Custer and his wife Libbie from the end of the Civil War to Little Big Horn. Their story alternates with the fictional account of Anne, a young woman taken captive by the Cheyenne when she was fifteen. Although fictional, Soli has done her research, and includes letters, newspaper accounts, and even photos from the time.

While Custer was not an admirable character -- he constantly cheated on his wife, among other things, he did try to understand the Indians, and he sympathized with their plight. He enjoyed the freedom of the frontier though and didn't know what he would do if he weren't a soldier: "The nomadic lifestyle suited him, and he thought he understood what no politician in Washington could ever figure -- even mansions of gold had no leverage to a people who craved space and movement, who considered all land in common and found a barrier of any sort to be a kind of death."

This is an interesting look at a historical figure who was certainly larger than life while he lived. Recommended for fans of novels about the West. Sometimes Soli repeated herself and the way she ordered events didn't always make sense, but overall, a worthwhile read.

Next: My book club book The Innovators and Lydia Millet's short story collection, Fight No More. I'm also reading Zadie Smith's essays.

>73 BLBera: - That one sounds good, Beth. I've added it to my library WL.

The Devil's Tower has been on my list since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Dreyfuss sculpting his mashed potatoes into a replica. Haven't gotten there...yet.

>64 BLBera: The texts are: Brave New World, The Giver, Cat's Cradle, Parable of the Sower, The Last Policeman, Station Eleven and The Power. Interesting. I've read Brave New World, Cat's Cradle, and The Last Policeman. Station Eleven is sequestered in the TBR. At least The Power sounds good. The Giver and ...the Sower sound iffy. But what do I know.

>73 BLBera: I don't love books about the West, so I don't know about that one, but I loved her earlier novel The Lotus Eaters. I did not know she had a new one out.

*back to add that it's very impressive that you got book number 73 into post number 73!

>74 katiekrug: It was interesting, Katie. I didn't know much about Custer.

>75 weird_O: I always forget about Close Encounters and Devil's Tower, Bill. I should watch it again. I imagine my students will like some of the texts more than others as well, Bill.

>76 Crazymamie: I added The Lotus Eaters to my list, Mamie. I'd like to read more by her.

* Hah - pure coincidence!

>64 BLBera: That's a great list of books for your class!! I have read all of them except The last Policeman! Some could use a re-read though. There should be lots to talk about. : )

I loved Tatjana Soli’s novel set in Vietnam Nam, The Lotus Eaters. I’ll be looking for this new one Beth.

Also I read 1984 for the second time last year cuz you know, Trump.

Ooh, please let me know how Fight No More is. This looks like my cuppa and I like Millet.

I enjoyed The Lotus Eaters too.

Sadly, I had to take The Removes back to the library unread. Not only did I have too many library books checked out, but I needed something lighter after reading We Were the Lucky Ones.

I'm in the group that has not read Brave New World. Shocking! I'm more interested in reading Cat's Cradle, though, because I've liked the little Vonnegut I've read. Can we audit your class via LT, Beth? If only...

>78 Berly: Thanks Twin. I hope so.

>79 brenzi: Hi Bonnie - I do have The Lotus Eaters on my shelf. One of these days. I think you'll like The Removes; it's good historical fiction. I think I'll probably get to 1984 in the next couple of weeks.

>80 msf59: I've read the first couple of stories and they are great, Mark. Add it to your list.

>81 Donna828: Hi Donna. You can always check it out again.

Both Brave New World and Cat's Cradle are very good. I'll try to sum up the discussions here for my LT friends. It will be just like taking the class but none of the writing. :)

74. On Turpentine Lane is a light-hearted story about the Frankels, the parents, Nancy and Henry and the kids, Faith and Joel. Henry retired from his job selling insurance and moved out to paint. Faith works in development at a local prep school; her days are spent asking for money and thanking people for money. She has an absentee fiancé who is walking across the US to find himself, so she is on her own when she decides to purchase a house on Turpentine Lane. It turns out the house has a history. Fun, funny book about family and love.

This would be a great vacation read.

Nice to catch up and see the photos from your trip.

Love the family book club recommendations.

Just bought The Lost. Sounds like something I'd like a lot.

I've had On Turpentine Lane on my TBR list for a while. Good to hear you enjoyed it too.

Hey Juli - It sounds like you had a nice time with your family as well.

I'll watch for your comments on The Lost. On Turpentine Lane is fun -- great summer read.

Oh, and if you want more book recommendations:

https://themillions.com/2018/07/great-second-half-2018-book-preview.html

Ooh! A list!

What a list! Kakutani, deWitt, Pat Barker, Kate Atkinson, Kingsolver, Tana French.....wish I could just hibernate this fall with those!

>86 charl08: I copied it to your thread, Charlotte.

>87 vivians: I already reserved a few at my library, Vivian. Hibernating with books sounds good.

>83 BLBera: I really enjoy Elinor Lipman, though I've not read that one. It sounds good; thanks for the nudge to look her up again.

>73 BLBera: Beth, I enjoyed your review of The Removes. You might also enjoy Nathaniel Philbrick's "The Last Stand'. He looks at the backgrounds and personalities of Custer and his men and Sitting Bull's. He's an historian but so readable.

Hi Beth, love your notes about your trip and the pictures you posted as well (particularly the wonderful coyote home that Scout built). I have Jump Off Creek in the stacks and I'm looking forward to it. You have assembled a great list of dystopia, there should be plenty of good discussion generated from those books. I took a BB for The Removes as I am another one who loved The Lotus Eaters.

Hi Beth! I listened to On Turpentine Lane last year and agree that it would be a great vacation read! I've enjoyed the Elinor Lipman books I've read. They're all good vacation reads!

Most excited about the Atkinson, but the new novels look good too. Will have to persuade the library to get hold of a few I think, as they're not on the catalogue yet.

>89 rosalita: Hi Julia - I enjoy Lipman's sense of humor, and her characters are not bland. This was an ebook, or I would bring it to you. :)

>90 Oregonreader: Thanks Jan. I liked the Philbrick about the whalers; I think that might be the only one of his that I've read. I'll add The Last Stand to the list. I can compare it to the novel to see how accurate Soli is.

>91 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. Thanks. It sounds more and more that I need to get to The Lotus Eaters soon.

>92 AMQS: Thanks Anne! I knew I had heard about On Turpentine Lane here on LT.

>93 charl08: I am also excited about the Atkinson, Charlotte. That might be one I buy. I found a few that my library had ordered and was able to reserve them. So much for reading from my shelves. Oh well.

75. Fight No More is a wonderful collection of linked stories from Lydia Millet.

Nina, a realtor, connects the various people from the stories, who make repeated appearances. Jeremy first appears in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." He is a teenaged boy whose father has left him and his mother for a younger woman. Jeremy stays at home, knowing the realtor is showing the house, watching porn and masturbating. Millet captures the tone and anger of a teenaged boy perfectly, while at the same time making us laugh. Jeremy reappears in other stories as well; some are told from his point of view, while others are told from his grandmother's viewpoint. Aleska, the grandmother, reflects on her son and his failings: "...she hoped she'd have a granddaughter this time around. In the long run, less heartbreak. Because boys, and later men, regardless of their best intentions often seemed to yearn for something they just never succeeded in defining. You pitied them for it, your heart went out to them, but still there was a chronic gap between what they should be and what they were capable of being."

We see that appearances can be deceptive and that family is not always people we are related to. In some of the stories, Aleska and Jeremy take better care of the baby's nanny, than her own mother does. While, Lexie, the nanny, is more of a mother to her charge than the woman who gave birth to her.

Highly recommended.

Next: Improvement

We had our book club discussion of The Innovators today, and it went very well. I haven't finished the book yet, but I will continue reading it. Most of us were skeptical about the book because we are not that interested in computers. Yet, Isaacson has a way of making the subject compelling, mostly by focusing on the people responsible for today's computers.

Most of us admitted to skimming through the technical sections, which made me question who Isaacson intended to be the audience. We agreed though, that it would be difficult to leave out the technical stuff.

Some things people liked was the focus on women's contributions, which were ignored by most of the men at the time, reminiscent of Hidden Figures, for one example.

We also were surprised at the amount of collaboration needed for the major breakthroughs, negating the stereotype of the computer nerd who lives a hermit-like life in his parents' basement.

Surprisingly good discussion, given the topic.

>95 BLBera: SOLD! Great review - if you posted that I will add my thumb. Adding that one to The List, as I loved linked stories.

Glad you book discussion was a winner, Beth. Happy Friday to you!

>95 BLBera: Congratulations on reaching 75, Beth!

>97 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie. Done. I don't usually post my comments, but there was only one review for this really excellent collection. You will love these stories. I, too, love linked stories. Happy Friday to you as well.

>98 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. And it was a good one, too.

Congrats on reaching 75, Beth.

And more congrats from me - adding #75 to the wishlist too. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Congratulations on reaching 75, Beth! I enjoyed The Innovators too. I like the story (whether told here or elsewhere) about how many people involved in these early developments started their careers with the company Fairchild Semiconductor, and how their various breakaway start-ups were known as the Fairchildren :-)

Congratulations, Beth!

Congrats Beth! And good review of Fight No More. Thumb! I want to get my mitts on that collection.

Woot woot, Beth! Congrats on reaching the magic number!

>35 BLBera: Wow, I love the "real version" of Devil's Tower! These stories which helped earlier people understand their surroundings are way better than science hahaha don't tell Bill Nye.

>37 BLBera: Ya got to love that girl who was "trying to think like an engineer"! Scout must never cease to amaze you!

Have a lovely weekend!

Well done hitting the big 7-5, Beth! You got my thumb, too. I'm adding that one to the library wishlist.

>100 Ameise1:, >101 charl08: Thanks Barbara and Charlotte

>102 susanj67: I haven't gotten that far yet, Susan. Are you a techie? I've been skimming the technical parts, which is my biggest complaint with the book so far.

>103 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl.

>104 msf59: Thanks Mark. I think you like Millet's work, right? You will enjoy this.

>105 Carmenere: Hi Lynda - Thanks. Yes, Scout is amazing.

Scout story: We were riding in my car, and she asked me to open the sun roof. I did, and she said, "Now I can see the world."

Thanks Julia - We were posting at the same time. Next week we'll be drinking coffee together.

https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-they-think-they-can-bully-the-truth/

Excellent essay by Rebecca Solnit

Oh wow - you're at 75 already - congratulations!

Love Scout. Keep on seeing the world, kiddo.

Thanks Anne.

Scout is pretty great.

Morning, Beth. Happy Sunday. I will have to circle back and check out the Solnit essay, when I get an extra minute.

Congrats on hitting the goal!

76. Improvement puzzled me. In some ways it reads more like a collection of linked stories than a novel. At first, it seems like the story of Reyna, and how one choice she makes influences other lives, even those of people she doesn't know. Then, in the middle of the novel, focus shifts to Reyna's aunt Kiki and her story.

Still, I really liked this. Silber has a talent for creating characters -- the ones here are people I cared about, especially Reyna. She's a single mom with a tough life, yet she takes responsibility for her choices and wants to do the right thing.

>112 msf59: Hi Mark. I hope you're enjoying your weekend.

>113 drneutron: Thanks Jim.

Uh oh, you got me twice, with The Removes and Fight No More. As I was typing that, I was thinking the second title is resonant of the topic of the first and sure enough, the touchstones were what you might expect.

I love the little Scout stories that are sprinkled throughout your thread. Her comment when you opened the sun roof is so wonderful. Wisdom and delight, two gifts that children are best able to embrace.

>109 BLBera: I will go check that out.

I'm watching the Mariners while I play around on LT. It's fun that they are having a good year, and especially because they are playing way better than predicted.

As I was unpacking my boxes, I finally came across my copy of We Were Eight Years in Power. As soon as I finish The Unquiet Dead, I will read essay number seven.

I really liked both the books, Ellen. Also happy to send recommendations your way. :)

Scout is a lot of fun, and, of course, in her Tita's eyes, a remarkable little girl. She is growing up so fast. Her fifth birthday is a week before yours.

I love Solnit's essays.

I think the last two essays were my favorites; I am starting a new collection now. I had to return Feel Free to the library. I'll start This Will Be My Undoing this week.

I'm not a baseball fan; I did get a fair amount of Wimbledon watching in. I was disappointed by the outcome, but oh well.

I have a copy of This Will Be My Undoing on the shelf. I'll start it this week too!
Yes, we watched a lot of Wimbledon as it was on during our unpacking days. I was disappointed in both results but our faves are (gulp) aging, after all.

Yay! A shared read.

77. Thunder Bay is another in the Cork O'Connor series, set in northern Minnesota, in the Boundary Waters area. Krueger uses the setting wonderfully in these books, a large part of their attraction for me. I also like Cork; he's a family man, with evolving relationships in his family and in his community. These are fast-paced and well-plotted.

In this installment, Cork's mentor, Henry Meloux asks Cork for a favor. Henry wants Cork to find the son he fathered seventy years ago. Henry is a Midi, a kind of healer, and has a vision that his son needs him. The search is complicated by the story of the events surrounding the conception of his son. We learn more about Henry's past in this novel. This is a strong addition to the series. Very entertaining.

This is going in my mini library, so if anyone would like my copy, PM me your address, and it's yours.

Next: I'm continuing with The Innovators and starting This Will Be my Undoing, a collection of memoir/essays.

>120 BLBera: Sounds like a great read Beth. Not a series I remember coming across before!

I still have Ursula Le Guin's essays on the 'read soon' pile, its quite a brick of a book although I have really enjoyed the ones that I've dipped into. I liked that she had gone back to her earlier thoughts and annotated them.

It's popular here, Charlotte, because he's a local author. I enjoy it, especially the setting. Would you like the book? I might have a couple, but I don't think I have the first in the series, if you care about that.

The Le Guin essays are on my WL.

78. World Made by Hand is a dystopian novel set in Union Grove, New York, in the Hudson River valley. The narrator, Robert, is a carpenter, and in this novel, the first of four, he tells the story of a summer in the town.

After a dirty bomb attack in Los Angeles, the US economy, and then the government and infrastructure fell apart. This was followed by a flu epidemic that decimated the population. Now people live in isolated small communities, without electricity or any of the modern conveniences we're used to.

Kunsler includes many details of the day-to-day life, and Robert tells the story in a rather folksy manner.

Some problems with the novel: The writing is not outstanding, and women are not real characters; they all seem to exist as appendages to men.

Another example of dystopian fiction, but this is not one of the better ones.

Next: Essays in This Will Be My Undoing, which are starting off great; the first one is reminding me of Roxane Gay.

And of course, I am plugging along with The Innovators.

World Made by Hand was an ebook, so I have to find a new one to read.

>120 BLBera: I read the first two or three of that series and then lost track of it. I should get back to it.

Just a few more days until I see you again!

Hey Julia - It's a good series. I'll bring the ones I have.

I just got back from the library; I picked up some audiobooks to listen to on the drive. :) Can't wait!

Hmmm...another new series for me. Not sure if I should thank you for this.....

>125 BLBera: Thanks — I'd love to borrow them! I just checked my LT catalog and it looks like I have read the first three: Iron Lake, Boundary Waters and Purgatory Ridge.

Congratulations on reading to 75 and beyond, Beth. Looks like your reading is speeding up. Are you trying to fit in more reads before summer break is over?

>126 vivians: Hi Vivian - Well, you're welcome anyway. :) I will be interested to see what you think of it when you get to it.

>127 rosalita: I'll bring the ones I have, Julia. You can HAVE them.

>128 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. I am trying to get some reading in before classes start.

79. The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye is the first graphic novel in the series. It introduces Rick Grimes and sets up the story. The artwork is amazing. I'm sure some of my students will like this. I read it as I prepare for my dystopian fiction class. I've never seen the TV show, but I think that is way outside my comfort zone.

Congrats on hitting, and surpassing already, 75!! :)

Thanks Chelle.

This Will Be My Undoing is really thought provoking so far:

From the first essay: "When I was ten, the only thing I wanted to be was a white cheerleader." She talks about how she was bullied in school and got little support from her teachers. All teachers who have black students in their classes should read this.

In "The Stranger at the Carnival," she talks about the beauty standard and how, "We are taught to straighten our hair because our hair in its natural state deviates from what white people consider acceptable." Her discussion of hair is illuminating. She also talks about the rules that exist about black women's hair, and how it's OK for white women to appropriate black hairstyles such as cornrows, but that black women can never pretend to be white, even if they straighten their hair.

This is an important and educational collection.

Hi Twin!!! Congrats on cruising past 75!! Well done. And with a very interesting variety I might add. : )

>133 BLBera: Hi Beth, Interesting because I am just reading about the hair "business" in the novel Americanah and she goes into great detail about it, the trials and tribulations. The straightening solutions burn the scalp and cause great discomfort. The braiding is tight, expensive and hurts.

Oh, it looks like This Will Be My Undoing is a must-read!

>130 BLBera: Will your class build their own definition of dystopia? (I ask, because I have just read one of the Booker books described as feminist dystopia, and I am thinking 'this doesn't mean what I thought it meant if this book is in this category'...!)
We had one of the actors from the programme talking about his work on the show (we have a large creative writing and media section at work) - I've never watched it either but listening to him and the students describe it confirmed my opinion this was not for me (I can't cope with anything like 'horror' generally).

>134 Berly: Hey Twin! Thanks. Who knew I would ever read a zombie book?

>135 mdoris: Hi Mary - Are you loving Americanah? That's my favorite Adichie. I was amazed at how long it takes to do the braiding.

>136 AMQS: I am really enjoying This Will Be My Undoing, Anne. It's always good to get a new perspective on things and helps me understand some of what my students go through.

>137 charl08: Good questions, Charlotte. They will work on their own definition of dystopia, from what we read and discuss in class. Which Booker?

Zombies are not for me; I just pulled the first graphic novel in The Walking Dead series to see what it's like. I'm sure some of my students will choose to read and write about it. The TV show has been immensely popular with my students.

>138 BLBera: Yes Beth Americanah is a fabulous book. It has been on my shelf for far too long. It sure gives insight into racial challenges and also challenges for immigrants. I love how she hits 'hard' on her blog in the story. She is quite the writer! There was an interesting profile about her in the NYer mag June 4th, 2018 and it reminded me that I had to get reading more of her books.

Have you read any other of her books, Mary?

Scout story: Her new thing is bursting into my house to scare me. Then I have to say, "You scared the crap out of me." Her mom was just explaining that we can say that at my house but not at school.

You definitely got me with Fight No More. That one is being added to the wish list. I read World Made By Hand a few years ago but remember having a number of issues with it. I have the next book of the trilogy on my shelves and should pull it down and see how it strikes me.

>139 mdoris: Yes I have read her books about feminism We Should All be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions but I have not read her other fiction and short stories. I must! Have you? What would you recommend?

>138 BLBera: I've only read The Water Cure. So far!

Would love to hear more about your students' dystopian definitions when the time comes.

The only zombies I have appreciated were in the film Sean of the Dead.

>142 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy - The stories in Fight No More are really good, and I love linked stories. I would like to hear more about your opinion of the Kunsler. I don't feel any need to read any of the additional ones; I mostly wanted to read the first one in preparation for my class.

>143 mdoris: I've read all of her fiction, Mary and recommend it all. My favorite is Americanah, but Half of a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus are also very good.

>144 charl08: I'll let you read the Booker nominees, and then you can tell me which ones are worthwhile. :)

I imagine I will be discussing my students' opinions.

>145 BLBera: I went back and looked at my review of World Made By Hand. I definitely was sending some mixed signals with this one. I gave the book 4 stars (which today I would knock down to three) and closed my review with these comments:

"Although this is a more appealing version of a post-apocalyptic world than that of say, The Road, I felt the book suffered from the author’s narrow view of gender and race. There are only white people in this story which I found quite off-putting and his archaic view of women-as-chattels was completely unbelievable. And why is it that so many post-apocalyptic stories have the people reverting to a 19th century manner of speaking. All these points pulled me out of the story, lowered my rating and make me believe that ultimately, World Made by Hand is simply another male fantasy driven story."

Judy - Great minds! I was thinking about it when I went for my walk this morning, and I also came to the conclusion that the few women even named all seemed to live for the narrator. And there is a definite lack of diversity although they do reference increased race problems...

I'm going to edit my comments a bit as well.

>141 BLBera: Beth, I love the first entry in the Tita's House Dictionary :-)

I don't think that's the first one, Susan. There are any number of fart and butt jokes that I imagine have made the list.

Thank you for the Adichie recommendations. Have you read her short stories?

I have read some, Mary, but I haven't read her collection yet.

An Unmarked Grave is the fourth volume in the Bess Crawford series. It is 1918, and the influenza is killing as many soldiers as wounds are. One afternoon an orderly shows Bess a corpse that doesn't belong in the morgue; it's a soldier who has been murdered, and Bess knows him. Before she can tell anyone about him, she falls ill from influenza.

The question of who killed this man and why is the main mystery here, and the solution is puzzling to me. It seems like the authors didn't really have a solution, so they made one up that doesn't seem to fit at all. Very frustrating.

I listened to this as I drove to see Julia and Kerri at Prairie Lights.

81. Convenience Store Woman
Thirty-six-year-old Keiko works in a convenience store -- happily. After not fitting in through her school years, she has finally found a place she calls home.

Sayaca Murata's novel is a quirky character study. Keiko is autistic and has trouble relating to people. Through her, Murata comments on society and the emphasis we attach to high-paying jobs and relationships.

As Keiko comes to understand: "The normal world has no room for exceptions and always quietly eliminates foreign objects. Anyone who is lacking is disposed of. So that's why I need to be cured. Unless I'm cured, normal people will expurgate me.

Finally I understood why my family had tried so hard to fix me."

Thought-provoking little book.

Looks like you are reading a fine mix of books, Beth. Hope you are enjoying your free time while you have it. I always hated the feeling of the end of summer coming. Come to think of it, I still do.

>153 BLBera: Sounds interesting - how did you come across it? It's not one I've heard of at all.

Wishing you a good week.

Meg - I am definitely enjoying my summer. Four weeks from today I will be back at school.

Hey Charlotte - I heard about Convenience Store Woman from the Electric Lit website: https://electricliterature.com/46-books-by-women-of-color-to-read-in-2018-70a0bf.... I have a list of the books at the top of my thread. I've read some good ones from that list this year.

>152 BLBera: I've read a bunch of the Bess Crawford titles and often come away confused. I thought it was inattention - that somehow I had missed a plot point or mixed up some of the characters. Now I think I've read enough of them to just give up on the series.

Hi Vivian - you may be right about the Bess Crawford books. This is the first one that I remembered feeling this let down at the end, but they are not great mysteries, so I may give up on them.

Speaking of giving up, I've put The Innovators to rest. I made it halfway, but I realized that I really don't care about the guys who invented the internet, etc... So, this goes to a friend who requested it. I only have three books that I didn't finish in my catalog, and I think I should have more.

Hi, Beth. Sorry, The Innovators didn't cut it for you. I have still not read Isaacson. If you are in the mood for some riveting NNF, give Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup a look. It is disturbing, but superbly done.

Thanks Mark; I think I'm done with Silicon Valley for a while.

82. Clock Dance, like most of Anne Tyler's novels is about family. This one tells the story of Willa Drake, from the time she is eleven until she is sixty, jumping ahead ten, then twenty years. We first see Willa as an eleven-year-old trying to make sense of her mother's erratic behavior. When we arrive at present day, Willa is trying to understand why her children aren't closer to her.

When she receives a surprising phone call from a stranger, she travels to Baltimore, with unexpected results.

I really enjoyed the novel. Tyler creates amazing characters, and it's nice to read about an sixty-year-old woman.

Next: Another book with clock in the title Red Clocks.

83. Red Clocks is set in the near future. It is a chilling, yet hopeful story about life after a Personhood Amendment is ratified, making abortion illegal in the US. Zumas follows four women: the Biographer, the Mender, the Wife, and the Daughter, and we see how each woman is affected by the laws and the position of women in society.

The novel's organization works really well; it has a series of short chapters, each narrated by one of the women, interspersed with short excerpts from a biography about a woman explorer that the Biographer is writing.

What is particularly chilling is the fact that the world Zumas shows us seems very possible. I'll think about this one for a long time. Recommended.

It is set on the Central Oregon coast, and Zumas lives in Portland.

>158 BLBera: Speaking of giving up, I've put The Innovators to rest. I made it halfway, but I realized that I really don't care about the guys who invented the internet, etc...

I thought Al Gore invented the Internet. Lol

Me too, Bonnie. Maybe that was part of my problem. :)

Sorry to hear The Innovators didn't work for you, Beth. There is a lot of technical information in some of those books. They can cross the line from popular science to just plain too hard.

>161 BLBera: Clock Dance is in transit to the library for me, so I'm glad you liked that one!

>162 BLBera: And I will have an open reserve slot at lunchtime when I pick something up - Red Clocks sounds excellent!

>162 BLBera: Glad to see that you enjoyed Red Clocks. I used my last Audible credit, before I cancelled, to grab that one.

Susan - I think Issacson did what he could to make The Innovators interesting, but in the end, it wasn't enough for me. I just didn't care enough about any of the stuff.

I'll watch for your comments on the clocks books.

Hi Chelle - So, have you listened to Red Clocks? I would be interested to see how the format works in audio -- there are so many short sections.

>167 BLBera: Not yet. It's added to my large list of audio's waiting for their turn :)

84. All the Birds in the Sky is an entertaining novel that tackles the issue of the environment in a fantastical way. It has as its premise a conflict between magic and technology. The conflict is caused by the fact that people are destroying the earth. The engineers want to find a way to send people to other planets, while the magicians feel that all life forms deserve equal respect and that perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing for humans to become extinct.

Patricia, a witch, and Lawrence, a nerd, meet in middle school where they are both unpopular and bullied. They form a sort of bond. When they meet as adults, the environment is changing for the worse, and they come into conflict about ways to fix it.

Interesting approach to a serious issue.

>168 ChelleBearss: I'll watch for your comments, Chelle.

Happy Friday, Beth. Loving your current reading choices. I have both Clock Dance and Red Clocks saved on audio. Yah!!

Thanks Mark. I'll watch for your comments on the "Clocks" books.

Happy Friday to you.

Hey Beth - clocks looks good, will have to wait for the reservation list to calm down a bit but hopefully will be able to get to it after that. I've just started the latest Bauer - very readable but I've got no sense of a 'Booker book' yet, if that makes sense!

It makes perfect sense, Charlotte. I haven't read any by Bauer, but the new one is in the library. I think I'm four or five on the list.

Have a great weekend.

Looks like all too possible that the Red Clocks world might actually happen in the near future. Looks like you are reading books with thought provoking and worrying messages, Beth.

Meg - This one was especially scary because it doesn't seem that farfetched.

Both of the clock books are now on my WL! I might wait on the Tyler until it's in paperback, though, so that I can try to sell my book group on it.

Hope you are having a good weekend!

Happy Sunday, Beth. My daughter is north of the Twin Cities for a wedding, this weekend. I will have to find out exactly where. We are watching Duke.

I think you'll like the clocks, Rhonda. :)

Hi Mark. Did your daughter drive or fly?

85. Crossbones Yard is a mystery that I picked up as I was reshelving books after getting my new flooring. This was a little gory for me, but I did like the characters and will probably read more by Rhodes.

Alice Quentin is a psychologist with a family history of abuse. In this novel, we meet her and her family. Her brother Will has serious mental health issues and often lives in his van. Alice is asked to help the police when she finds the body of a woman who has been killed in a manner similar to that used by a pair of serial killers who were caught and imprisoned.

This will go in my mini-library, but if any of my LT friends would like it, PM me your address, and it's yours.

Next: I'm almost finished with This Will Be My Undoing, and I'm really enjoying one of the later essays about cultural appropriation.

I started another book from my shelves and have been sucked right in: My Name Is Leon promises to be heartbreakingly beautiful. This is my first novel by de Waal, but John Boyne mentioned her in his essay about wonderful women writers.

Hi Beth! I'm trying to remember what prompted me to read My Name is Leon last year - I think it was on the shortlist for a Costa Prize. I would take John Boyne's recommendation any day! I'm eagerly awaiting his newest novel A Ladder to the Sky which is coming out soon. I'm giving Mark full credit for blowing up my TBR with Boyne's back list.

>181 vivians: I need to read Boyne as he is getting so much love around here these days.

Hi Beth. I forgot I had said I would start This Will Be My Undoing with you. Ugh, getting distracted too easily. But it was Florida that distracted me, so it's okay, right?

Adding Red Clocks to the wish list. I probably could have picked up a copy yesterday....

>181 vivians: What did you think of My Name Is Leon, Vivian? I love it so far, about 50 pages in. I still have old Boyne to read, but I imagine I'll be adding his new one to the list as well.

>182 EBT1002: You are excused, Ellen. This one is not as good as Bad Feminist or When They Call You a Terrorist. Still it is worth reading, and I have learned from it.

I got Red Clocks from the library. You will love it. I was going to say I have never steered you wrong, but that might be jinxing it.

I read Kit de Waal's The Trick to Time and liked it a lot Beth, but haven't read My Name is Leon. Have you added many that Boyne recommended, or were most familiar?

I was familiar with most of them, Charlotte. How was The Trick to Time?

86. This Will Be My Undoing is a collection of essays/memoir by young black writer, Morgan Jerkins. One of my favorite essays was "Who Will Write Us?" in which she discusses cultural appropriation. For example when speaking about "Orange Is the New Black," she says, "I found myself enthralled by the storytelling -- and annoyed when I found out that no one in the writers' room was a black woman. Issues that concern black women like me were being exploited for profit and consumption by a white mainstream society."

She later adds: "I do believe that both white women and other women of color can write about black women, but if they do so at a much higher rate than black women do, that's an issue. And furthermore, if they are not willing to self-interrogate while they write about black women and to dismiss universality, color blindness, or dilution of any kind, then no, those individuals (not the entire racial group, mind you) should not write about black women."

This essay also exemplifies my main problem with the collection: her essays are all over the place. This one started as a commentary on Beyonce's "Lemonade." Once I started thinking of it more as a memoir and stopped trying to find a focus on each essay/chapter, it worked better for me.

So, while this memoir is worthwhile, it doesn't quite match up to Roxane Gay's or Zadie Smith's writing -- yet. Morgan Jerkins is a writer to watch.

Nice review of This Will Be My Undoing, Beth. I may still read this, but I won't run out and buy it.

Thanks Darryl.

>186 BLBera: Too bad she didn't have more focus, the parts you quote sound so interesting. I might read it anyway.

It's worth reading, Rhonda. Just don't try to think about each chapter as being an essay. She just suffers in comparison to Gay and Smith. And I thought When They Call You a Terrorist was a more compelling memoir. It's all in the context, right?

87. My Name Is Leon is fabulous. I love it, love it, love it. It's hard to believe it's a first novel. Kit de Waal manages the voice of Leon, a nine-year-old boy perfectly. He wins my heart in the first few pages when he is talking to his baby brother in the hospital:
"You probably don't know but she's beautiful. Everyone's always saying it. I think you look like her. I don't. I look like my dad. Mum says he's colored but Dad says he's black but they're both wrong because he's dark brown and I'm light brown. I'll teach you your colors and your numbers because I'm the cleverest in my class. You have to use your fingers in the beginning."

We see Leon change as later in the novel, he cries, "No one cares about me. No one cares about my brother. I've got a baby as well. He's my baby. He's a real baby...But no one cares about that. I can't see him. I keep asking and asking but you only care about yourself. Everyone steals things from me."

Throughout we hear his voice. It's an amazing accomplishment.

The backdrop of Leon's story is the 1980s, a time of riots and IRA bombings. Leon's life is no less chaotic. When his mother is unable to care for the boys, they are put into foster care. They go to live with Maureen, a kindly woman, but Leon never forgets that she is not his mother. He also has extremely good hearing and figures out the social workers fairly quickly.

This novel is breathtaking and feels absolutely real. I will certainly read more de Waal. Read this book!

Great review of My Name Is Leon, Beth! I've added this book to my Amazon wish list. According to her Wikipedia page Kit de Waal is also of mixed race, with an Afro-Caribbean father and a white mother, and she and her sibling(s) were the only nonwhite kids in the Irish community in which she grew up in Birmingham, so she knows of what she writes about.

>191 BLBera: Well that’s certainly an enthusiastic review Beth. Sure to draw in suckers like myself haha.

Thanks Darryl. She's also worked with the foster care system, and she certainly can write.

You're welcome, Bonnie. :) The only problem is I don't know what to read next; it may suffer in comparison.

>153 BLBera: I like the sounds of Convenience Store Woman and Red Clocks. Dang, and My Name is Leon. I have to leave now...such a dangerous place.

Hey, Beth. I can't do more than speak, but that at least allows me to escape your BBs, and I don't need to get anything else new!!!!!
I've read a number of books on your class list and found them well worth the time. I have a suggestion for an old one, but I can't recall title or author. That says more about the state of my brain at the moment than the worth of the book. I'll be right back.

Hey Twin, I hope you are feeling better. All of the books you mentioned are great - you should read them. I picked up My Name Is Leon at Powell's. I'm going to give it to my daughter, or I would send it to you.

Hi Peggy - As I continue to put things back after getting new flooring, I also realize I don't need more books. And how is it that my shelves are full, but I still have stacks? Did they multiply? It's a mystery.

I went to Amazon to look up My Name is Leon and discovered I bought the Kindle edition last year!

Too.Many.Books.

Yes, Katie! You should read it right now. It is so good.

>191 BLBera: Beth, I went straight to the library catalogue and they had it as an ebook and it was *available*! So I borrowed it.

I've had my eye on All the Birds in the Sky. Good review.

Thanks Rachel. I did enjoy it.

My Scout will be five tomorrow. I found this Dennis Lee poem:

Being Five by Dennis Lee

I’m not exactly big,
And I’m not exactly little,
But being Five is best of all
Because it’s in the middle.

A person likes to ride his bike
Around the block a lot,
And being Five is big enough
And being Four is not.

And then he likes to settle down
And suck his thumb a bit,
And being Five is small enough,
But when you’re Six you quit.

I’ve thought about it in my mind —
Being Five, I mean —
And why I like it best of all
Is ‘cause it’s In Between.

Love the poem. Happy birthday Scout!

Thanks Charlotte. She was saying today that she couldn't wait until tomorrow. Her mom showed me the hamsters she's getting; the kid loves her pets...

She did get to open an early present at my house today; she chose the box of Legos and they kept her occupied for a while.

Happy Birthday to Scout! And Happy Scout's Birthday to all of you!!
I love the "Being Five" poem too. Exactly right!
And the book I was trying to think of is George Stewart's Earth Abides from 1949. Have you read it? Stewart was one of Wallace Stegner's best friends, so that's a great recommendation too.

>202 BLBera: That is such a cute poem! I hope Scout enjoys it. And the hamsters, of course!

Happy birthday Scout! I hope she has a fun day, but with new hamsters that's probably guaranteed :-)

I got the book you ordered us all to read immediately, Beth. I think you missed me in >200 susanj67: but I literally carried out your instructions as soon as I saw them :-)

>205 LizzieD: Thanks Peggy. My kids always loved Dennis Lee. I don't remember reading Earth Abides; I'll look for it.

>206 rosalita: Thanks Julia. The hamsters were pretty cute, considering they are like rats. They were tiny.

>200 susanj67:, >207 susanj67: Susan! I swear I responded, so either it's the fault of LT gremlins or I forgot to hit the "Post message" button. You choose. Good job on getting My Name Is Leon; I hope you like it.

Happy Birthday, Scout!!

88. Incognegro is a graphic novel set in the 1930s. Zane is a black reporter who can pass for white and often does, traveling through the South to investigate and report on lynchings. He writes a column called "Incognegro." Zane explains to his friends how he is able to pass as white: "That's one thing that most of us know that most white folks don't. That race doesn't really exist. Culture? Ethnicity? Sure. Class too. But race is just a bunch of rules meant to keep us on the bottom. Race is a strategy. The rest is just people acting."

This isn't just a polemic, however. The story is a good one and keeps the reader turning the pages. The black and white drawings are wonderful and perfect for the mood of the story.

In the author's note, the author Mat Johnson explains that he was a "black boy who looked white." He grew up in a black neighborhood where he stood out. He dreamt of situations where his appearance would be an asset. Then, in college he read about Walter White, a head of the NAACP, a black man who was paler than Johnson and who often went undercover to investigate lynchings. Incognegro is inspired by White's experiences and the author's desire to be a super hero.

>210 BLBera: Sounds really good Beth, will add it to the wishlist. I read a couple of novels and short stories by a South African author Zoe Wicomb who writes about people caught/ moving between SA definitions of "race", the quote reminded me of her work.

Just catching up here, Beth. You’ve put My Name is Leon on my wishlist. Thank you (I think).

Nice review of Incognegro, Beth. I own a similarly titled book, Incognegro: A Memoir of Exile and Apartheid by Frank Wilderson, and for a moment I thought that you had read this one.

>211 charl08: Hi Charlotte - I will check out Wicomb. She sounds like an author I would like.

>212 NanaCC: Hi Colleen. I know! Too many books, right?

>213 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. It's an interesting novel. I knew nothing about Walter White. The title you mention sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

89. Armada Boy is another good mystery that ties the past to a present case. Wesley Peterson and his team are stymied after the murder of a visiting American. Norman Oppenheim had been one of the American soldiers stationed in the area during WWII and was back for a reunion. When he's found murdered, the investigators start to wonder whether his murder is tied to past events.

At the same time, Wesley's friend Neil is involved in a dig to find graves of some Spanish sailors who washed ashore after the attempted invasion of the Spanish Armada. Very entertaining series. I love the mix of archeology and present day events.

I'm now reading From a Low and Quiet Sea, and so far, it's lovely.

Belated happy birthday wishes to the lovely Scout! Can't believe she is 5 already!

Thanks Heather. I think she had a fun day.

90. From a Low and Quiet Sea is my first novel by Donal Ryan, and while I loved some things about it, overall I found it lacked cohesiveness. It is more a collection of stories than a novel. There's Farouk, a Syrian refugee, then Lampy, a young Irishman, and John, and old Irishman. Their stories are told in turn, with no connection. All characters have suffered loss, but that is a very tenuous link. In the end, there's a section where we see a connection, but I find this a lazy plot device. Really, leave it as a collection of stories, don't force connections between the characters.

I think Katie commented that she expected more -- that was the feeling I was left with as well.

I loved Ryan's use of language; his descriptions are poetic and lovely, and his characters are fully developed, alive. I cared about each one. And it is perhaps a certain universality of suffering that unites these characters. As one of them asks, "...he wanted to find a place where the measure of a man was different. Not linked to money or to any sport or a road in a town. Or was it the same everywhere?"

I will certainly read more by Ryan.

Well said, Beth. Like you, I loved the writing and I cared about the characters, I fust felt like something was missing and that I somehow wasn't "getting" it. Still, I have two other books by Ryan on my shelf and I do look forward to reading them.

Whew! I was hoping I remembered that the comments came from you, Katie.

>218 BLBera: Nice review, Twin! You have a way with words. How is getting ready for school going?

School prep is moving along, Twin. I hope to have three classes' syllabi done by the end of today. Then, I just have the Dystopian Lit class left to go. That will probably take me the rest of the week.

Thanks for your comments on the Ryan comments. I know many liked it more than I did, so take that into account.

Just catching up on your reviews. You certainly do read a wide variety! After reading your review, I was thinking that a graphic novel of the Walking Dead might be "the" way to experience it.

I think it's safe to say that you've never steered me wrong, Beth. We may not always agree in terms of absolute enthusiasm about a book but we do seem to be in the same territory as far as I can tell!

>218 BLBera: I plan to read that one soon as it's one of the Booker long-listed works I could get my hands on. I forgot about it and started reading Evensong instead. This will be my second work by Donal Ryan and I very much enjoyed The Thing About December.

>215 BLBera: The Armada Boy looks like another winner.

Happy Belated Birthday to Scout! Five years old. Unbelievable.

Hi Margaret - I do like to try new authors. The Walking Dead graphic novel was "graphic" enough for me.

>224 EBT1002: Ellen, that is too kind. I think you're right. Our likes tend to be similar. I'll be interested to hear what you think about the Ryan. I will definitely read more by him, but I think this could have cooked a little more. It seemed unfinished.

I enjoy the mysteries with the archeological aspect. This is also interesting because the protagonist is a black detective in a small town. He has to deal with racism fairly frequently.

I can't believe that Scout is five. She got two hamsters, Stinky and Bubbles are their names.

I just watched Rafa give a clinic to a very good young Greek player to win the Rogers Cup. Go Rafa.

Stinky and Bubbles are great names :-)

Stinky is The Wayne's nickname :)

I see that The Armada Boy is second in the series, so I've added the first to my wish list, as well. :-)

Stinky and Bubbles! Did Scout name them herself?

I watched the match between Sloane and Simona this afternoon. It was pretty great tennis; Stephens choked in the end as she is prone to do.

>227 charl08: She came up with the names on her own, Charlotte. By the way, I am loving the Sittenfeld stories from You Think it, I'll Say It.

>228 katiekrug: Well, Katie, you can tell the Wayne he has a cute little hamster namesake. :)

>229 EBT1002: Ellen! Too bad I gave away The Merchant's House; I would have been happy to send it to you. I put it in my mini library, and it's gone. If it reappears, I'll send it your way.

Scout did name the hamsters herself. Not sure what the inspiration was. It was good tennis. I watched part of it; I was saving myself for the Nadal match. He looked really good.

I am loving The Lightkeepers, this month's read for my book club. Someone else here raved about this one, but I don't remember who it was.

Mamie really liked The Lightkeepers. I was less enthusiastic about it but it may have been the audio experience.

There's a lot of description, Katie. In my experience, that doesn't work so well for audio. I tend to space when listening to description.

I like the format of the letters to her mom.

>231 katiekrug: Excellent memory! I did love The Lightkeepers - it got the full five stars from me.

A belated Happy Birthday to your Scout, Beth! The girls an I all love the names she picked for her hamsters.

>218 BLBera: I just started this one. I really loved his The Spinning Heart - linked short stories, but they are each a different voice telling part of the same story from their own perspective.

Beth after reading your review of My Name is Leon I immediately went to Amazon and have secured my copy. Of course owning a book and actually reading it are two different things. I am thinking of adding a category to my challenge next year for books that have been recommended and this one would make a great addition!

I really love Donal Ryan's writing and his method of linking different narratives. So From a Low and Quiet Sea was a hit for me. Right now I'm reading more of John Boyne and loving it: it's called A History of Loneliness and it's about a modern-day priest in Ireland and his complicity (or lack thereof) in the child abuse scandals involving his colleagues and friends.

>233 Crazymamie: Katie does have an excellent memory, Mamie. I am really enjoying The Lightkeepers; it will be interesting to see what kind of discussion we have.

I'll have to read The Spinning Heart; he writes beautifully.

>234 DeltaQueen50: I know what you mean, Judy. I think you would like it.

>235 vivians: Hi Vivian - I loved the characters and the writing; I just didn't think the way he linked the stories worked very well. The end seemed rushed to me. I will definitely read more Ryan and Boyle. The one you're reading now sounds good.

91. The Lightkeepers is deeply atmospheric, set in the inhospitable Farallon Islands, a group of rocks off the coast of northern California. Photographer Miranda gets permission to spend a year there to document the wildlife. She joins a small group of biologists.

This is Geni's first novel, and she does a wonderful job of painting a picture of the place for us, while at the same time creating a sense of menace.

The story is told mainly through letters that Miranda writes to her dead mother. That device works well. Really good novel. I read this for my book club, and I will be anxious to discuss it.

If anyone would like my copy, PM me your address, and it's yours.

I'll continue with the stories in the excellent You Think It, I'll Say It.

>237 BLBera: Sounds great Beth! Added it to the wishlist for when I'm in need of a bit of creeping out.

The Kate Ellis series looks like a good one, Beth. On to the wish list it goes.

>238 charl08: I think you'd like it, Charlotte. The creepiness is related to the power of the natural world. And mice and killer gulls.

>239 Familyhistorian: I've just read the first two, Meg, but I enjoyed them both. I heard about this series from someone on LT; I don't remember who it was.

Belated Birthday Wishes to Scout. My 5-yr-old Molly just started Kindergarten today. I loved the poem upthread. I am “borrowing” it for Hope’s 5th Birthday in November.

You’ve been doing some great reading, Beth. I am next in line for From A Low and Quiet Sea at the library. This will be my first Donal Ryan book. I hope I like it better than you did. Haha. I think one has to be in the right mood for those loosely connected stories. Thanks for the head’s up!

LOVE Stinky and Bubbles! Long may they live and make Scout happy!
Has anyone else asked for The Lightkeepers? If not, I'd like it, but I can't read it right away, so you might do better to wait for somebody who's really anxious for it.

For those who like horror stories: https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/632779706/click-if-you-dare-100-favorite-horror-s...

>241 Donna828: Donna - I did like From a Low and Quiet Sea a lot; I just wasn't convinced it was a novel -- the connection didn't convince me. I'll have to look at my comments again. They must sound more negative than I meant them to. Also, I had really high expectations because so many love him. "Loosely connected" is a good description.

>242 LizzieD: Peggy - It's yours. PM me your address and I'll send it on its way.

>243 BLBera: Thanks for the horror list, Beth! I absolutely need to buckle down and read Frankenstein soon. I was inspired to do it after reading Dracula a few years ago and finding it surprisingly easy going, but then lost my momentum.

Most of these are too creepy for me, Julia. I'll read about them on your thread. I did like Frankenstein; it's really not so much about the monster.

92. You Think It, I'll Say It is a great collection of short stories. Thanks to Charlotte for the recommendation. These are about relationships, appearances, and how difficult it is to leave high school behind. We all know people like the ones in these stories, and we've all felt as some of them do. Sittenfeld also has a sense of humor that I enjoyed.

This has been a year of great story collections: Fight No More, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, Florida, and this one are all excellent.

I am also enjoying Welcome to Lagos, a first novel.

93. The Paris Architect was recommended by Anne, and as good as she said it was. The novel is well plotted, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me turning the pages, and the characters are well developed, with some surprises thrown in.

Lucien Bernard is the architect of the title. Unfortunately after the German occupation of Paris, he has little work. When a rich industrialist asks him to use his skill to help him hide some Jewish friends, Lucien decides to do it for the money, despite his fear of getting caught.

Wondering whether Lucien would get caught kept me on the elliptical for a week. Well done thriller.

>247 BLBera: Great review, Beth. Every so often I dream I am sitting high school exams, but haven't done any revision...

>243 BLBera: I should save that list for October book reads!!! I have read more than a few, I must admit. ; )

>249 charl08: Thanks for recommending, Charlotte. I might not have picked it up otherwise. I thought the stories were amazing. My nightmares mostly revolve around teaching -- forgetting to go to class, or forgetting to wear clothes...

>250 Berly: Better you than me, Twin. I'm a wuss with horror although I have read some of the ones on the list.

>246 BLBera: I don't read nearly as much horror as I used to, Beth. I guess I'm getting soft in my old age. :-)

>247 BLBera: Onto the library wishlist it goes!

I've always been a bit squeamish, Julia. My son used to watch movies with me and tell me when to close my eyes!

I think you will like the Sittenfeld stories.

>247 BLBera: Ah yes, the anxiety dreams. Mine are almost always in college - where I've forgotten that I was even taking the course. Oh dear. I also rarely walk into a class of 60+ high school kids distributed among two or three rooms. The roll is a nightmare in itself. Oh dear again. Sweet dreams!
I used to read some horror, but there's not so much time for it these days. I'll check the list later, and thank you for it!

Hi Peggy - We all had them, didn't we? A friend asked to read The Lightkeepers; I'll send it on when she finishes.

94. Welcome to Lagos is an accomplished first novel by Nigerian writer Chibundu Onuzo. In her novel, she has created a cast of characters that we come to care about, while at the same time delivering an indictment of Nigerian politics.

Chike Ameobi is a soldier in the Niger Delta. After a year during which he is continually ordered to kill civilians and torch villages (he doesn't), he's had enough, and Chike and one of his men desert with the intention of starting over in Lagos. Along the way, they pick up a young women whose parents have disappeared, a young man who was once a rebel and a housewife who is fleeing an abusive husband. Their paths cross a newspaper editor and the Secretary of Education.

This is a quest novel -- all characters are seeking a new life. Yet, we see how difficult it is to not only be honest and moral in a corrupt society, but also to change that society. Every good deed has unintended consequences. Yet, in the end there is hope.

I loved this first novel, with its great characters, keen sense of place and fascinating story. I'll look for more by Onuzo.

>255 BLBera: That's great, Beth! If she loves it and wants to keep it, by all means give it to her. It's firmly on my list, so I'd get to it eventually.

Peggy, I'm sure she'll get it back to me when she's done. Then it will be on its way to you.

>240 BLBera: Hmm, I wonder who that was who warbled about the Kate Ellis series? I moved a stack of books yesterday and found the first book in the series in the pile. Obviously someone already got me with a BB for one of the books in the series. Maybe I should read it soon.

Meg - The first book had also been on my shelf for a while, so I don't remember who recommended it. Still, I'm glad I finally started; it's good so far.

I just started Suicide Club, a dystopian novel set in the future when people live for hundreds of years, with help, of course. Interesting premise. It's kind of creepy so far.

Scout story: Scout spent the day with me yesterday as her mom tried to get her classroom in order. As I was picking up after she left, I found a pair of undies behind the toilet in the bathroom. I asked her about that, and she said, "I just didn't feel like wearing them." We've been working to make sure she does have undies on when she leaves the house, but she prefers not.

>261 BLBera: Hi, Beth. Maybe try the underwear by Hannah Andersson. Once my daughter switched to that for my granddaughter, she stopped complaining about it.

Love the Scout stories, as always. I love her independence and spirit. That girl is going to make her mark.

I got hooked on the Walking Dead TV series for the first few seasons, egged on the enthusiasm of a post doc in our lab. Now, the new episodes just seem rehashed earlier plot memes. I've thought about trying the graphic novels. But hmm. I seem to be Deaded to the limit.

I like dystopian fiction - I may read along with the titles for the class you are teaching.

I have the audio of Welcome to Lagos that I received through Early Reviewers. From your great review, it sounds like I'll enjoy it.

>248 BLBera: "Wondering whether Lucien would get caught kept me on the elliptical for a week." Well, that is enough for me to add this to the wish list. I'm thinking about getting a treadmill so that I can walk or run during the hottest and coldest months of the year here in eastern Washington. Or I will join the student rec center and use the elliptical or stair master there. Either way, I will probably start listening to audiobooks while I do it to manage the boredom. Running outside, I don't need audio entertainment but inside I get bored quickly.

Thank you, Beth, for the birthday post card. I love the quote! I'm starting to think about my next tattoo and I'm wanting a short-enough and meaningful-enough quote. That one is in the running.

>261 BLBera: Oh my, that is a wonderful story! That girl's got spirit and she knows what she wants. Yay!

>262 NanaCC: I'll tell my daughter, Colleen. I'm not sure what the objection is. At least we have gotten her to agree to wear undies when she wears dresses!

>263 streamsong: Thanks Janet. I'm squeamish so have never watched the Walking Dead TV show. If you did like that, you might like the graphic novels. I mostly wanted to read one, so I had some idea about them for my class.

I imagine that Welcome to Lagos would be great on audio. I'll watch for your comments.

>264 EBT1002: Ellen: I enjoyed it because not only was there tension about whether he would get caught, but there was decent character development as well. And it was an interesting premise.

You're very welcome. I love the postcards. I figured you could use it as a bookmark as well.

Scout is the source of endless amusement for us.

>261 BLBera: Fascinating what goes on in kids' heads.

I have Welcome to Lagos in the TBR pile, must get on with that one. I've read criticism of it as an over idealised picture of the city, but given it is so big it must be difficult to produce an "authentic" picture for all.

Hi Charlotte - Hmm, I didn't think it was so ideal, but will be interested in your take.

Hi Beth, I've added two new books to my list, My Name is Leon and Armada Boy. I enjoyed your reviews.

Happy Birthday to your Scout. I have a 5 year old granddaughter, Grace. It's such a lovely age for conversation and their take on things is often so unexpected.

Keep up the great reading.

Thanks Jan - I hope you enjoy them. I loved My Name Is Leon -- an accomplished first novel.

Happy Sunday, Beth. We are back home. We had a great time, although I could spent another week in Grand Lake.

The Lightkeepers sounds excellent. Did someone snag your copy? Joanne passed her copy of Fight No More: Stories onto me, at our Meet up, so I am tickled to have a copy of that one. Back to the grind tomorrow...Ugh.

>261 BLBera: Love the Scout story. I heard a story about my daughter's best friend many years after the event. The event was that she threatened to leave home and come live with our family and when she didn't her mom asked her why not! . She said that my daughter's mom (that's me) would make her wear those dreadful white undies purchased at Eatons of Canada. (Funny, I have always called them "undies" too! ) And I never knew the psychological trauma that my poor girls endured.....white cotton undies, indeed!

>261 BLBera: Love the Scout stories! Kids do the best stuff! Ellie currently is anti-clothes and if her jammies are loose enough she attempts to take them off in the morning when she wakes up. I often come in and find her pantsless or with an arm hanging out of her shirt lol

>243 BLBera: I enjoy horror stories (but not movies) and I was surprised at how few I've read from that list. I think it was about 22.

Hi Mark - Peggy requested The Lightkeepers. I loved the Fight No More stories. You are in for a treat. Enjoy your first day back at work.

>272 mdoris: That is very funny, Mary. I had a niece who didn't like clothes; her mom always had to be on the watch because Jessica would be outside playing, naked.

>273 ChelleBearss: Yes, Scout is the source of endless smiles. I wonder if the anti-clothes things is a stage? It seems like a lot of kids go through it. Or whether they are just practicing taking off clothes?

You are welcome to the horror stories. Enjoy?

Happy Monday, Beth! All caught up here. I have the Tyler home from the library. Hopes I can get to it before fines start accumulating. Happy 5th birthday to Scout.

Thanks Lynda. I'll watch for your comments on the Tyler. I have to go pick up Warlight. I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll look forward to your comments on Warlight.

Hope you enjoy Warlight Beth. I’ll be adding The Paris Architect to my Overdrive list.

My Mia often takes off her undies and actually loves to take everything off and run around the house naked. She’s been doing that since she was two lol. She’s now four.

>277 Carmenere: I hope to pick up Warlight later this week.

>278 brenzi: Kids, Bonnie. What is it that is irritating about clothes?

95. Suicide Club is a creepy dystopian novel that asks whether we should perhaps think a little more about scientific advances to extend life. The novel looks at the question of immortality; in some ways it reminded me of Eternal Life, a historical novel on the same subject. Both novels show that there is a downside to living forever.

In the future, science has created replacement parts and synthetic blood that allow "lifers," a select group of people with a genetic disposition for longevity, to live long lives. Lea Kirino is one of the lifers; a great part of her day is spent doing everything to prevent the breakdown of her 100-year-old body. Yet, after an accident, she is placed under Observation, and her place in the world of immortals becomes less assured. She starts to question her beliefs.

A Suicide Club films deaths as a protest against forced living. And we can ask ourselves if depriving ourselves of emotions, for example, is really living at all. Interesting book. A little creepy, but it gives me a lot to think about.

>280 BLBera: Sounds creepy but good! Love the Scout story. My son was anti-clothing when he was a kid. Well, he still is!! He does wear clothes when other people are around, but I always have to shout out when I head upstairs to make sure we won't embarrass each other. He thinks it is his domain. LOL

>281 Berly: That's hilarious! Good to know if I've ever in your house. :)

>281 Berly: And I'll get on Fforde just as soon as I clear out some of the library books!

Hi Beth, just stopped by for a quick hello. I am finding that I can't concentrate on anything for any length of time right now so have picked up some lighter books - a mystery and a zombie thriller. They are perfect for this distracted reader right now.

Sweet Thursday, Beth.

>191 BLBera: I put that one on my library list.m
>247 BLBera: Oh, I liked that one too.

Hi back, Judy. I am busy with class prep. School starts on Monday. Trying to get one last book finished before then.

Hi Barbara. I hope you like My Name Is Leon; I thought it was an impressive first novel.

Happy Saturday, Beth. Enjoy your final weekend, before school starts. I am currently enjoying both What is the What & Eileen. Have you read either?

I loved What Is the What, Mark. I haven't read Eileen. Have a great weekend.

I sort of think that Scout's at the age when she learns what choices she has and what are already made. I remember telling my granny that I didn't feel like going to first grade one day. She finally had to call my ma to come get me (normally I rode with the neighbor). I can still recall how surprised I was that school wasn't a choice.

Hi, Beth. Classes started for us last Monday. That first week always feels a month long! I'm recuperating today by doing not much. Hope your weekend is a good one.

Hi Peggy. That is certainly a hard lesson. I have a good Scout story. See below.

Hi Julia - I just got home from the Twin Cities and a meet up with Kerri -- twice in two months! We hit Birchbark Books and a used bookstore in Dinkytown. It was a fun day. I am trying to enjoy the last weekend before school starts. I thought we usually started the same day -- either we're later or you're earlier. Have a relaxing weekend.

Scout story: Yesterday she asked her dad what "infinity" means. He explained it to her. Last night they asked her to get her pajamas on and get ready for bed. She wasn't cooperating, and finally her dad angrily asked, "How many times do I have to tell you?" Her answer: "infinity."

Her vocabulary is better than many of my students'.

96. Fruit of the Drunken Tree is a wonderful first novel that vividly portrays the violence of Pablo Escobar's Colombia. Rojas Contreras tells us in her note that the story is loosely based on her childhood experiences in Colombia. She does an excellent job of portraying the fear that permeates the childhood of her narrators, Chula and Petrona.

The story alternates between the voices of Chula, eight or nine years old as the novel opens, and Petrona, thirteen at the start of the novel. Petrona is hired to be the maid for Chula's family. Chula, her sister, and her parents live in a gated community: "The only time Cassandra and I went outside was with Mama, inside the school bus, or across the street from our neighborhood to buy candy in the shops." Chula and her sister lived inside the walls of the community for their safety. Kidnappings, bombings, and murder were common occurrences; it was necessary to have armed guards to protect well-to-do families.

I had a friend who lived in Colombia during this time period, and it sounds remarkably like the stories she would tell. She and her husband lived in a walled community, and could never leave it at night; it was much too dangerous.

Part of the problem, of course, is the contrast between the wealthy few and the many poor people living in the shantytowns on the city's outskirts. By alternating the two girls' stories, the difference is clear.

Really good first novel.

>293 BLBera: That one just arrived at the library last week. I'm glad it really was as good as the reviews I read.

>291 BLBera: You're queen of the meet-ups, Beth! I think we started a little earlier than usual this year. At least, I sure wasn't ready for summer break to be over! But tempus just keeps fugiting, as I remember reading in some book or other.

Kudos to Scout the Wordsmith! I guess learning in any measure is a dangerous thing.
Enjoy your Sunday!

>292 BLBera: Ha! Scout is quick on the uptake!

I am reading Warlight. It hasn't quite sucked me in yet but I think that is about life's busy-ness more than it is about the novel.

I finished both Happiness and Eight Years in Power last week and gave each of them 4.5 stars. Two excellent reads! I have now loved two of Forna's novels, The Hired Man and Happiness. I have had The Memory of Love on the shelves for a long time; I need to read it.

Have a great Sunday!

>294 thornton37814: I loved it, Lori. It gives a face to the fear of living in a lawless society -- or at least a society where laws aren't enforced.

>295 rosalita: Not the queen, Julia, but it was nice to see Kerri again. I think school should start after Labor Day. Tempus keeps fighting -- I love it!

>296 LizzieD: Yes, Peggy. Her dad laughed, and in our family the rule is that if you laugh at a child's misbehavior, you can't punish them. So, she escaped. This time. But it's remarkable that she remembered and used it correctly. That seems genius to me, and of course, I am not biased in any way. :)

>297 EBT1002: I think you're right about real life interfering with reading, Ellen. I just started The Incendiaries; Warlight is next. I worry that school will taint my enjoyment of the novels. We'll see.

I haven't read other books by Forna but I have The Hired Man and The Memory of Love, so I have a treat to look forward to.

Have a great Sunday yourself. I'm going to the Gladiola Days parade. They throw lots of candy, so Scout will be thrilled.

Happy Sunday, Beth. I have not read The Memory of Love either. A possible mini-group read?

I could do that, Mark. Happy Sunday to you.

97. An Uncommon Murder is a clever mystery set during the Thatcher years. Alex Tanner is a researcher for an independent film maker. When she is given the assignment to look into a decades-old unsolved murder, she begins to realize that being wealthy does not guarantee happiness. Alex is the product of the foster care system, and constantly butts up against the class system. The chip on her shoulder gets old at times, but overall, I thought this was very clever. I would read more by Donald.

Someone on LT mentioned this, so thanks. Charlotte?

I was hoping to get through August before starting a new thread, but this is getting a little long, and my Twin may be sending me a reminder...