Donna's Book Therapy: First Session

Welcome to my 11th year in the 75 Book Challenge! This is a wonderful group and a great place to discover new books.

I have been a reader as long as I can remember. Books have been some of my best friends and have seen me through some interesting times in my life. As I get older, I have come to depend on my book friends to help me cope with changing times and things I don't understand. In this vein, I came up with the theme of "Book Therapy" to express my belief that Reading is Good for the Soul.

The picture on the right was taken in my snuggery (aka as a tiny library). It is my little room where I go to read and ponder life. The books in the background were Christmas gifts to myself. On the left is a blank lined notebook to record the books from this year onward. My other book has been in use since 2004 and is full! The book on the right is a Bibiliophile day planner for 2019. I hope to keep track of my reading on a frequent basis here.

The short stack on the left includes books I plan to read in January, beginning with Kingdom of the Blind. I'll also be reading The Shadow of the Wind for my book group, The Chosen for the American Author Group, and The Cuckoo's Calling because its about time I read it!

The stack on the right is topped by I'd Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel. I've been following her blog for a couple of years now and will do her Reading Challenge (posted below) again this year. It was another Christmas gift. The final two books are by my new favorite author, Richard Powers: The Goldbug Variations and The Time of Our Singing. My only 5-star read in 2018 was The Overstory -- highly recommended. I also enjoyed The Echo Maker and look forward to reading more of his books. I will save these two for times when I can read without too many interruptions. His books are complex and make me think deeply.

Please join me for another year of therapeutic and hopefully engaging reading and some thoughts about the healing power of books.

My Most Memorable Books from 2018 (in chronological order)
Fools Crow by James Welch
Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
*****The Overstory by Richard Powers*****
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Honorable Mentions:
Us Against You by Frederik Backman
The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

January Reading
1. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. 3.8 stars. Comments.
2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. 4.5 stars. Comments.
3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. 3.8 stars. Comments.
4. The Line Becomes A River: Dispatches From the Border by Francisco Cantú. 4 stars. Review.
5. My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie; audio by Cassandra Campbell. 4 stars. Comments.
6. The Chosen by Chaim Potok. 4.5 stars. Comments.
7. The Promise by Chaim Potok. 4 stars. Comments.
8. Sabrina by Nick Drnaso. 3 stars. Comments.
9. Hunger by Roxane Gay. 2.7 stars. Comments.

February Reading
10. The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King; audio by LeVar Burton. 3.5 stars. Comments.
11. The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye. 3.8 stars. Comments.
12. Quiet Girl In A Noisy World: An Introvert's Story by Debbie Tung. 4 stars. Comments.
13. History of the Rain by Niall Williams. 4.8 stars. Review.
14. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai. 4.4 stars. Comments.

March Reading
15. The Library Book by Susan Orlean. 4 stars. Comments.
16. A Catalog of Birds by Laura Harrington. 4.5 stars. Review.
17. Circe by Madeline Miller. 4.2 stars. Comments.
18. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear; audio by Orlegh Cassidy. 3.5 stars. Comments.
19. Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear; audio by Orlegh Cassidy. 3.5 Stars. Comments.
20. Among the Ruins by Ausma Zehanat Khan. 3.7 stars. Comments.

Rating System:

One Star......Not worth my time
Two Stars....Finished grudgingly
2.5 Stars......Fair, but not for me
Three Stars..Liked it pretty well but had reservations
3.5 Stars….. Good but not great
Four Stars… Great book; I recommend anything with a 4-star and beyond rating
4.5 Stars….. Excellent; a keeper
Five Stars…. Superb; timeless, a real treasure.

One of the toughest things I do is rate my books. My ratings are subject to mood and change. I will probably overuse the Four Star rating because I screen my books well and expect to have a great reading experience every time. Sometimes I'm surprised and surpass my expectations, and sometimes a book just doesn't work for me when I try to experiment a little and get out of my reading comfort zone. Reading is an adventure!

3. A Catalog of Birds
6. The Great Believers
12. Among the Ruins
15. The Shadow of the Wind
19. Sabrina
23. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

My Favorite Meme using the titles of books I read last year…

Describe yourself: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
Describe how you feel: We Were the Lucky Ones
Describe where you currently live: Upstream
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?: Manhattan Beach
Your favorite form of transportation: Blue Highways
Your best friend is: The Queen of America
You and your friends are: Educated
What's the weather like?: Winter
You fear: Death in A Strange Country
What is the best advice you have to give?: There There
Thought for the day: Go, Went, Gone
How I would like to die: Dressed for Death
My soul's present condition: Brave New World

When will I ever learn?

I hereby (in the interests of my mental health) reserve the right to dip in and out of these challenges as the spirit moves me!

American Author Challenge Hosted by Laytonwoman3rd (Linda)
January: Chaim Potok -- The Chosen and The Promise
February: Louisa May Alcott -- Little Women, a childhood favorite
March: Jon Clinch
April: Jesmyn Ward
May: Jay Parini
June: Pearl Buck
July: Founding Fathers (and Mothers)
August: Ernest J. Gaines
September: Leslie Marmon Silko
October: DRAMA
November: W. E. B. DuBois
December: Marilynne Robinson

Nonfiction Challenge Hosted by Chatterbox (Suzanne)
January: Prize-winners -- The Line Becomes A River
February: Science and Technology: Innovations and Innovators.
March: True Crime, Misdemeanors and Justice, Past and Present Day.
April: Comfort Reads: Whatever topic makes you feel warm & fuzzy inside.
May: History. In this case, cutoff date is 1950.
June: The Pictures Have It! Any book that relies on pictures to tell the story, from an illustrated graphic text, to a book of photographs, to an art catalog.
July: Biography & First Person Yarns
August: Raw Materials: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral
September: Books by Journalists
October: Other Worlds: From Spiritual to Fantastical
November: Creators and Creativity
December: I’ve Always Been Curious About…

Bingo! Borrowed from the 2019 Category Challenge
(See Message #4)

Modern Mrs. Darcy
A book you've been meaning to read:
A book about a topic that fascinates you:
A book in the backlist of a favorite author:
A book recommended by someone with great taste:
Three books by the same author:
A book you chose for the cover:
A book by an author who is new to you: Niall Williams, History of the Rain
A book in translation:
A book out of your comfort zone: Sabrina, a graphic novel
A book published before you were born:

Happy reading in 2019, Donna!

Once again, a beautiful thread, Donna! And it's not just beautiful, but also interesting, informative, innovative...I love it!

>4 Donna828: Oh! I like that Bingo. Like I need another challenge. But maybe....!

>5 Donna828: Death in a Strange Country was under consideration for that category in mine too. Love your meme.

>6 Donna828: The Chosen is my favorite of Potok's books. I opted not to re-read it for the AAC, but I may change my mind on that :)

Happy 2019, Donna! I will see you in Joplin this year!

Welcome back, Donna!

Dropping off my star, Donna. I'm looking forward to another year of following your reading adventures!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading, Donna!

Happy 2019, Donna!

How lovely to have visitors on my shiny new thread!

>7 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. Happy reading to you.

>8 Nancy618: Good morning, Nancy, and thanks for the thread love. I’ll try to live up to the accolades.

>9 Berly: Bingo is so much fun, Kim, but there are no prizes. ;-)

>11 alcottacre: It’s been a long time since I read The Chosen, Stasia. Way before LT. I’m looking forward to a reread. I am also looking forward to a larger gathering in Joplin this fall. You were missed.

>12 drneutron: Good job on setting up the group again, Jim. I’ll start making the rounds today. Happy New Year!

>13 EBT1002: And I will be on your reading trail as well, Ellen.

>14 Deern: It’s good to see you here, Nathalie.

I wish you from my heart a healthy 2019 filled with happiness, satisfaction, laughter and lots of good books.

Happy new thread and happy new year, Donna! Thanks for allowing us into your snuggery! What a lovely place to go to retreat from life for a bit.

Happy New Year, Donna & family and Happy New Thread. Looking forward to sharing another year of books with you! Can you believe this will be our 11th year? Wowza!

Happy New Year Donna!

Happy New Year, Donna. I look forward to following your reading and getting many new recommendations in 2019 -- oh, and to see how much those grandkids are growing!

Hi Donna, I've got several of your 'Memorable books of 2018' on my shelves. I'm definitely going to read The Warmth of Other Suns this year.

I'll look forward to keeping up with your reading.

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year, Donna!

Happy New Year Donna! No challenges for me except the non-fiction one that I've done for the past couple of years because it's pretty easy to follow thanks to Suzanne's planning. Ialso loved The Warmth of Other Suns.

Dropping off my star, Donna!

Happy New Year Donna!

Happy new year! I see we both want to die Dressed for Death. Who wouldn't?! ;-) I also plan to read The Chosen for this month's AAC. It's a book I've long intended to read so I'm glad for this opportunity.

Happy 2019
A year full of books
A year full of friends
A year full of all your wishes realised

I look forward to keeping up with you, Donna, this year.

Happy New Year, Donna! Your topper made me smile:-)

>18 Donna828: Happy New Year Donna. I very much like image and thought expressed in this post.

I hope to be more present in 2018. Retirement should afford that opportunity. I vow to get books in order this year. I swear I will at least make a dent.

>10 thornton37814: Apparently I can’t count. I certainly didn’t mean to skip you, Lori. And I can see why you almost chose the same book in response to that meme. It was a no-brainer for me, not a lot of choices.

>19 Ameise1: I love those wishes. Thank you, Barbara.

>20 Carmenere: I may do some more pictures of my snuggery, Lynda. There is only one chair in there so it might get quite crowded.

>21 msf59: Time flies in the reading world, Mark. I’m so glad we’re sharing this journey together.

>22 The_Hibernator: Beautiful image, Rachel. It sure does dress up my thread. Thank you.

>23 Storeetllr: Awww, I “heart” that book, Mary. Happy New Year of Reading (and grandmothering) to you my friend.

>24 BLBera: I’ll be sharing all of those things, Beth. My kids stopped by to pick up their dog on the way back into town. Haley and Molly were exhausted. They return to school on Thursday. I sure hope they have a quiet day tomorrow. I hope I do, too. I’m pretty tired myself!

>25 Caroline_McElwee: Welcome to my thread, Caroline, and thanks for the new year wishes. I think you will like The Warmth Of Other Suns. As an American, I thought I knew everything about segregation in the south, but this book was a real eye-opener.

>26 AMQS: Hi Anne. So glad you decided to have a thread again this year. Happy New Year to my CO pal. We’re overdue for a meetup.

>27 brenzi: Hey there, Bonnie. I usually fizzle out on the challenges. I did complete Bingo last year without difficulty. I see there is a graphic novel on this year’s card. I ordered one from the library so I can get it marked and move on. Haha. Happy New Year!

>28 ronincats: That’s a perky star, Roni. These new threads are wearing me out. I’ll be over to see you later. I need a reading break.

>29 SandDune: Thanks for the visit, Rhian. Happy New Year to you!

>30 cbl_tn: Absolutely, Carrie. I’m glad to see we have like minds in our reading. I think I lost you last year. Not sure how that happened. Here’s to a new year of sharing books!

>31 PaulCranswick: Paul, you have a wonderful way with words. I hope you and your family have an awesome new year and that you have more time for LT.

>32 EllaTim: Oooh, a new visitor...and from across the pond no less. I’ll be sure to stop by and say hello real soon, Ella. I’m glad I made you smile. ;-)

And now..back to my girl Louise Penny... I feel like a slacker. This first day of a new year is almost over, and I haven’t read a book yet!

Dropping a star Donna and wishng you a wonderful year of reading.

>40 mdoris: Hi Mary, I wish you the same.

It’s a cold, dreary day here in The Ozarks. A good day to stay in and read. Kingdom of the Blind is starting off kind of meh for me. I actually switched to a bridge manual...the card game...I am not going to build a bridge. Haha. I’m over that and will go back to Three Pines for my afternoon of book therapy.

Hi Donna, Big rains and wind here so the snowy cold of Three Pines was a relief for me. And I thought you had just received your engineering degree with all that bridge talk!

Hi Donna! Happy new year and happy first thread of 2019.

I hope you will like The Cuckoo's Calling. I love the series. I've read all the books and listened to the audiobooks as I find them at the Friends of the Library sales.

I would like to see more pics of your Snuggery, too. Excellent topper.

Hahaha, I love the thought of book therapy! Something where an overdose is healthy.

>42 mdoris: Mary, Three Pines is chock full of atmosphere for sure. I would love to drink hot chocolate by the fire in the bistro and visit Myrna’s bookstore. I am going to savor the last 120 pages in this marvelous fictional community later today. Hmmm, you got me thinking about building bridges as a metaphor for life...

>43 karenmarie: I’m not sure why I’m late to the party on the Galbraith series, Karen. Sounds like it will be fun catching up. More snuggery pictures to come. Stay tuned.

>44 Carmenere: Right, Lynda. We always say ‘too many books, too little time’, but that’s not a bad problem to have. I like to think of the time spent reading as an investment in my mental health!

Morning, Donna! I love your opening photo and comments. Hoping that this year is full of fabulous for you.

Good evening, Mamie. I’m looking forward to a fabulous year of reading and talking about books. I’ll check out your new thread right after I list my first book. Hooray!

Dropping off my star for the year, Donna!

Book No. 1. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. Library, 389 pp., 3.8 stars.

"Murderers haven't read the rule book..and while money's important, there are other forms of currency. And poverty. A moral and emotional bankruptcy. Just as a rape isn't about sex, a murder is rarely about money, even when money's involved. It's about power. And fear. It's about revenge. And rage. It's about feelings, not a bank balance. Follow the money, certainly. But I can guarantee when you find it, it'll stink of some emotion gone putrid." (279)

This trip to Three Pines started out slowly for me; however, once I got going, I got into the story which was a continuation of Glass Houses and the worry about drugs getting over the border into Canada. Here is an appalling description of the horror of the opioid epidemic: "Five years ago, two years, even a year ago, the futures of the ghastly figures on the street looked very different. And then someone introduced them to a painkiller. An opioid. And all the promise, all the good fortune of birth and affluence--of a loving family, of education--were no match for what came next. Loved. Beaten. Cared for. Neglected. University graduate or dropout. All ended up in the gutter. Thanks to the great leveler that was fentanyl." (251)

Penny does a magnificent job of creating ambience. It's winter in Three Pines and many bowls of stew and other comfort foods were consumed by the quirky inhabitants as they huddled together to keep warm. The plot was convoluted as it branched out in different directions. A drug bust. Financial fraud. Family legacy. Sheesh, I'm even starting to write like Ms. Penny. Those choppy non-sentences still give me pause. This wasn't my favorite book in the series, but I do think the Acknowledgements were worth 5 stars.

>48 bell7: Woo Hoo! Hi there, Mary and thanks for the star. I'm off to venture out into the swarm of new threads. I'll look for you.

>49 Donna828: That choppy writing drives me nuts Donna but I’m glad to see you emulate it haha. Yet somehow I’m always completely drawn in to her books. I don’t even care what the mystery is. I just want to be in Three Pines.

>51 brenzi: I did a flurry of greetings and now must go read for my book group Tuesday night. I'm looking forward to revisiting The Shadow of the Wind. While it's fresh on my mind, I might as well read the next one in the series…and then two more. That sucking noise you hear is me disappearing into another series.

I'm like you, Bonnie, the village of Three Pines is where I want to be, although there do seem to be a lot of murders there! Penny has cast a spell upon us.

>49 Donna828: Great review! I think I am still way back on #4 or 5 in the series. I need a reading clone.

>49 Donna828: Oh shoot. I had to return my copy to the library. I'm not sure I read the acknowledgements. What did I miss?

Hello, Donna! I’m looking forward to following your reading and family doings on your thread
For a long time Penny’s writing style didn’t bother me, but then it seemed as though it became a tick: something she just can’t stop doing. I do love Three Pines, though, and the many characters she’s developed.

Hi Donna! You are off to the races. Have a great evening!

>49 Donna828: I'm reading Glass Houses now so I can read that one later this year. I'm trying not to read the reviews too closely, but I am paying attention to the ratings.

Glad to see that you liked Kingdom of the Blind, Donna! It was interesting to read about the affects of fentanyl and carfentanyle as our police agency has been dealing with it a lot of the last few years with huge affects to the communities.

Hi Donna!

>49 Donna828: Congrats on your first book of 2019. A drug bust. Financial fraud. Family legacy. Sheesh, I'm even starting to write like Ms. Penny. Those choppy non-sentences still give me pause. My major complaint about her books, I frequently give examples in my reviews. Her editor ought to be ashamed to let those non-sentences out into the public. Perhaps one or two a book would be acceptable, but she uses them for cheap dramatic effect instead of taking the time to write complete sentences.

Having said that, I'm all caught up on reading the series. I hope my friend who works at an indie will loan her ARC of the next one to me whenever it comes out. I haven't decided to get rid of the books yet, but Kingdom of the Blind is the first one I didn't purchase.

Congrats, Donna! Book #1 is now in the read pile! and a good book to start the year. I'm a bit behind on Penny's collection but I do look forward to visiting Three Pines again, soon.

>49 Donna828: >54 lauralkeet: I listened to the book, Donna, and like Laura I'm now overcome with curiosity about the acknowledgments! Can you shed any light? There's a very long library queue for the print edition but I may have to endure it.

Happy New Year, Donna!

>18 Donna828: Like! Both the sentiment and the illustration.

>2 Donna828: Great list! I've not seen James Welch (no relation) mentioned in many a day. I liked both Fools Crow and The Indian Lawyer.

I'm looking forward to following your adventures reading more Richard Powers. Like you, I loved The Overstory, and it was my #1 book of the year. I've read The Goldbug Variations (brilliant), but nothing else of his.

Happy new year, Donna. Glad you liked Kingdom of the Blind well enough. I've heard it may be her last book (although I have no idea where the person who told me that heard it). I certainly hope not because like many I love Three Pines and need a trip there at least once a year. If I could find it on the map I might make a real trip there ;>

Hi Donna! Stopping by to wish you Happy New Year, happy reading in 2019 and to drop a star to find my way back here. ;-)

>63 RebaRelishesReading: I've heard it may be her last book
Thankfully, it's not! I follow Louise Penny on Facebook and she's been posting about her progress on the next book.

If I could find it on the map I might make a trip there
My cousin visited Quebec and went on a tour featuring various spots that have been in the books. Not Three Pines exactly, but probably as close as we can get.

Hi Donna!!

>49 Donna828: A great start to the year, Donna, despite short sentences!

>65 lauralkeet: Hooray! I'm really glad to hear she's sticking with the series. As to visiting Three Pines, it would need to include all of the residents so I'm afraid the tour really wouldn't do it for me but it's nice to know there is such a tour.

>49 Donna828: What a great review of Kingdom of the Blind. It is now on the tbr pile.

Happy New Year to you. I was MIA for long period of time in 2018. I hope to be more active in 2019.

>63 RebaRelishesReading: From her last newsletter: Have just finished the second draft of the next Gamache book. Am starting the New Year with the 3rd draft. I suspect there will be 4 before I feel it's ready to hand in to my agent and publisher. (so much merde to clear away - shocking).

I'm way behind on the Three Pines series but it sounds like the latest one you read is one to look forward to, Donna.

Things are back to normal in my crazy world. We aren't even a week into the new year and I am behind…on my own thread. It's a good "problem" to have so many visitors. No complaints from me!

>53 Berly: Kim, I think you've hit on something. A Reading Clone will be on my next year's Christmas list!

>54 lauralkeet: >61 vivians: Laura and Vivian, I'll give just a teaser from the heartwarming homage to Louise's deceased husband Michael from the Acknowledgments: "Far from leaving Michael behind, he became even more infused in the books. All the things we had together came together, in Three Pines. Love, companionship, friendship. His integrity. His courage. Laughter. I realized, too, that the books are far more than Michael. Far more than Gamache. They're the common yearning for community. For belonging. They're about kindness, acceptance. Gratitude. They're not so much about death, as life." (387, 388) There is more… It would be worth your time when you are next in a bookstore to grab a copy and read those three pages. Have a tissue handy, though.

>55 Matke: Hi Gail! We have similar feelings about Louise Penny. Her books have great character development and my favorite book setting so I can forgive her for the minor irritant of those choppy sentences.

>56 brodiew2: Good to see you here, Brodie. Off to the races indeed. I'm not trying to win anything. I just want to keep my place in the pack.

>57 thornton37814: Lori, the new book picks up after the action in Glass Houses so it's good that it will be fresh in mind.

>58 ChelleBearss: We live in sad times, Chelle. When I pick up the local paper and read about the scary things happening in the community, I know that drugs are a huge part of the problem. How sad that the opioids that help some people overcome pain are the cause of so much pain in the life of others.

>59 karenmarie: I agree that a limited use of the phrases would make Penny's intended dramatic effect much more meaningful. It's hard to read her books without rolling my eyes occasionally! But I keep coming back for more. Lucky you, Karen, having a friend who works at an independent bookstore. I did that in Colorado Springs in the 90s and absolutely loved it.

>60 Carmenere: Lynda, it was a no-brainer for me to start the year with a book I knew I would like (despite my grumbling about the writing style). I am currently reading another good one. The Shadow of the Wind is a reread for Tuesday's book group. It's amazing how much I've forgotten in the 15 years since I read it. I'm looking forward to reading the next three books that continue the story.

>61 vivians: See my advice upthread, Vivian, about reading the acknowledgements in a bookstore. I love my audiobooks but miss the "extras", especially if there is a reference to a picture or chart in the book.

>62 jnwelch: Thanks for the New Year greetings, Joe. Fools Crow was not on my radar when I picked it up at the bookstore. I was with some lovely LTers at The Tattered Cover and couldn't ignore the testimonials. Shopping with friends can be dangerous! I will be reading the brilliant Goldbug Variations sometime this year.

>63 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, we used to joke around here about renting a bus and taking a trip to Three Pines. I think the village that Louise Penny lives in is a similar environment. One more short quote from the acknowledgements: "As I sit here, at the long pine table, writing to you, I see a bench inscribed with Surprised by Joy. Just down that path through the trees is a cafe, and the bookstore." She lives in Knowlton, Quebec.

>64 lkernagh: Thanks for the star, Lori. I've affixed one to your thread as well. We need those signposts to find our way around the maze of new threads.

>65 lauralkeet: >67 RebaRelishesReading: >69 thornton37814: I am very glad to hear that Ms. Penny is working on yet another book. I hope the series goes on and on. I'm also glad to know that such a tour exists in Quebec. I'm really sorry to be criticizing her writing as I have my own issues… I know I tend to overuse and perhaps misuse ellipses… ;-)

>66 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. And thanks for the chuckle. Laughing. A good thing.

>68 Whisper1: I just hope that your health improves now that you can rest more when you need to, Linda. I would love to see more of you on the threads, but we all understand that your health comes first. Happy New Year!

>70 Familyhistorian: Meg, you are lucky that you have some Three Pines books waiting for you. Penny's last book didn't come out in August like the others have and I missed my "fix". I'll be working on my patience this year.

It was worth staying up past my bedtime last night. My two favorite movies of last year were both Golden Globe winners: Bohemian Rhapsody for best drama and The Green Book for best musical/comedy.

>75 Donna828: I have to really watch my use of exclamation points, and parentheses, and ellipses...

I'll make a note of Knowlton in case we're ever in the area. It sounds lovely.

Hello Donna! I hope all is well with you.

>76 Donna828: It has been a while since I followed the Golden Golden Globes or Oscars the way I used to as a younger man. However, I have been looking forward to Green Book.

>49 Donna828: Now that I am done with school, I really need to get back to some of the series that I have started including Three Pines!

I will get to Kingdom of the Blind later this year. I've noticed that I easily overlook Penny's choppy writing style in the best books in the series - the ones with a compelling plot an lots of interesting character development. The style is more obvious to me in the books where the plot doesn't hang together quite as well.

>77 RebaRelishesReading: I do hope you get to visit Knowlton sometime, Reba, and that you'll share your experience with us.

>78 brodiew2: Hi Brodie, all is well in my world. Do go see Green Book if you get the chance. It is a worthwhile feel-good movie.

>79 alcottacre: Stasia, it is good to see you posting again. And even better that you're having more reading time. I envy you getting to catch up on the Three Pines series. Are we still going to make that bus trip someday?

>80 cbl_tn: Carrie, I can overlook the choppiness but that doesn't mean that I like it. Haha. I do love her books, though, so I'll just chalk it up to her unique style and quit complaining about it. Thanks for stopping by.

Book No. 2: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. My copy, reread, Book Group, 486 pp., 4.5 stars.

"When a library disappears, or when a bookshop closes down, when a book is consigned to oblivion, those of us who know this place, its guardians, make sure that it gets here. In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader's hands. In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner. Every book you see here has been somebody's best friend." (6)

When Daniel discovers his new best friend in the stacks of the Cemetery of Lost Books, a magical story begins. Daniel may have forgotten what his deceased mother's face looked like but he will never forget the feeling that his chosen book, The Shadow of the Wind, had been waiting for him since before his birth.

I love books about books -- and books within books -- and stories about books and the people who love them. This one has the extra bonuses of being an intriguing mystery, a series of passionate love stories, and an awesome introduction to the city of Barcelona. Our book club stayed on longer than usual discussing the relationships among the many characters and exploring the themes and motifs of this fascinating book. I think I will continue on with the series and read the next three books while this one is fresh in my mind.

Rereading is so satisfying to me. I hope to do more of it this year. I read this somewhere (probably on LT) and copied it in my reading journal:

Theory of Deep Reading:
First time - meet writer as storyteller
Second time - meet writer as word artist
Third time - meet writer as messenger.

Currently Reading:
These Truths for LT Group Read. I'm on Page 7 out of 888. I intend to take my time! *smile*

DNF My Year of Rest and Relaxation. In fact, I barely got started before I got bored with this character's self absorption. I read the first 20 pages, skipped ahead, read more of the same, and realized that this book is not for me. It's disappointing, though, because I saw it on so many end-of-year lists.

I will start The Chosen this week end for the American Authors' Challenge. It's not in my LT library, but I'm pretty certain I read it many years ago. It is in my permanent library as a keeper.

Hi, Donna. Glad to that The Shadow of the Wind was a reread. I would have been surprised, if you had not read it before. It is so good. I have still not read book 3 and 4.

Sorry, to hear about My Year of Rest and Relaxation. That one has been on my TBR list. I am starting These Truths tomorrow. I plan on listening to it, in large chunks.

Hey Donna! I had to look back in my threads to see when I read The Shadow of the Wind. It was in January of 2015! I loved it and gave it 5 stars. I own The Angel's Game and have waited waaaaaay to long to read it. I'll try to rectify that soon.

Hello Donna!

>82 Donna828: Excellent review! I really need to get to this one. I will make it a 2019 must read. :-)

>82 Donna828: Donna, What an excellent review of The Shadow of the Wind. I own a copy, now I simply have to fnd it......

>84 msf59: Hi Mark. My go-to fellow book lover and BFF recently finished Labyrinth of Spirits and thought it was the best of the bunch. Regarding My Year of Rest and Relaxation…it may have been a mood thing that repelled me. Our house renovation is getting to me! I have loved what little I've read in These Truths. I'm glad I bought the print version.

>85 Carmenere: I'm sure that several people in our group would have rated it 5 stars if they rated their books. I had a few little quibbles with the book but can recommend it wholeheartedly. Who knows? I may want to read it again in a few years.

>86 brodiew2: Yay! I nailed Brodie with a Book Bullet! I think you will really enjoy it.

>87 Whisper1: Good luck with that, Linda. If I recall, you might have a few books stowed under a bed or two? Very ingenious if that's the case! My goal for this year is to get all my books on shelves so I can find them easier. I have a few book piles in my library that I have to whittle down.

I’ve had The Shadow of the Wind on my shelf for years now. Sounds more and more like I really need to get to it.

I'm one who enjoyed, but didn't love The Shadow of the Wind. I'm probably due for a reread, as it was many years ago. I do remember loving The Chosen.

I loved Shadow of the Wind. Read it years ago.

Happy New Year, Donna! I'm very late in making my 2019 rounds, but I look forward to following your reading, adventures and grands in this coming year.

Love love love the image in >18 Donna828: !

I've never read anything by James Welch although I'm aware of his place in the Native American canon. I probably should remedy that, although I have the nagging feeling his works are rather sad. Did you find that?

I'm also hoping to follow several of the challenges, but am currently slowed down by the RLBC selection, Lonesome Dove. I'm loving it, but it's very length will make my other January reading a bit sparse.

I also loved Shadow of the Wind but haven't gone on with the others in the series. (Why not?).

>82 Donna828: Nice review, Donna - you are reminding me that I have had that in the stacks forever. In fact, it moved with us from Indiana back in 2012.

>92 streamsong: I also loved Shadow of the Wind but haven't gone on with the others in the series. (Why not?).

For me, it's seeing the lower rating for the second in the series. I think I want to keep liking "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books.".

>89 Copperskye: It was a lovely book about books, Joanne. I hope you enjoy it whenever it calls out to you.

>90 AMQS: Anne, the main detraction for me was keeping all the characters straight. Too many with similar names and, of course, the parallel stories of Julian and Daniel. I wish I had taken notes or drawn a character map while I was reading it. I hope to start The Chosen soon to see if it holds up to my memory of it.

>91 The_Hibernator: An Oldie but a Goodie, Rachel! Thanks for chiming in.

>92 streamsong: Hi Janet! Yes, I find most books about our Native Americans to be sad, although I still enjoy learning about NA culture. There are no happy endings in these books.
Oh, I remember loving the humor in Lonesome Dove. I loved the book and also thought the TV mini series was well done.
It took a reread of Shadow of the Wind to make me want to go on with the series. I've heard some of the follow-ups are not as wonderful but I'm curious enough to want to find out for myself.

>93 Crazymamie: That sounds familiar, Mamie. I also moved a lot of books from Colorado almost 20 years ago that I haven't read yet! I am going to make a real effort to read more of my own books this year.

>94 thornton37814: Lori, that was exactly what I was trying to explain to Janet. I've decided to persevere with the series anyway. I've heard that the last book is every bit as good as the first one. The Labyrinth of Spirits is rated 4.41 stars on LT and 4.5 stars on Amazon.

I loved both The Shadow of the Wind and The Chosen. Great start to your reading year!

Book No. 3: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Borrowed from a friend, 370 pp., 3.8 stars.

"…her first book was his dad's copy of Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac…Slowly, she unraveled each word of the sentence: 'There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.'… (Her reaction)… 'I didn't know a sentence could be so full.'" (103)

Kya, aka 'Marsh Girl' was abandoned at a young age and fended for herself in the North Carolina Outer Banks. It's a story of isolation and survival. She was befriended by Tate, a boy who had been friends with her older brother, and he taught her to read. Her one day of schooling was a disaster and she didn't return. I enjoyed the reading parts and her poetry efforts very much. I also loved Kya's strong connection with the marshland and its creatures.

I have a love/hate opinion on the writing. Some of it was as smooth and flowing as the ocean on a quiet day, but the attempt to capture the dialect was overdone and painful to read. The mystery that evolves as Kya reaches the age when she attracts attention by her combination of beauty and innocence meandered into sentimentality and reliance on stereotypes. I don't want to elabote too much and give any spoilers. I just felt the book didn't live up to its strong beginning. That's my opinion. Others (including the friend who loaned it to me) have raved about it. It is a page-turner for sure.

>97 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, my reading year is starting off slowly but surely. I hope to visit a few threads before I settle in with Book No. 4.

>98 Donna828: I have this book home from the library. The reviews are mixed. I'm not sure if I will read it or not. I have so many others waiting ahead of this.

I also very much like the images in post #18.
All good wishes for a good week.

Hey Donna - I'm chiming in on Labyrinth of the Spirits. It might be my favorite of the four as well although I did love Shadow of the Wind.

I read Shadow Of The Wind before LT so I don’t remember a lot about it Donna but I know I liked it. I wish you were more enthusiastic about Where the Crawdads Sing which I’ve thought I would get to at some point. Page turner always piques my interest though.

Weekly Update:

I finished two books, both of which are rounded off to a 4-star rating. It seems that most of my books are in that range; however, there is a fairly large variance between my precise rating of 3.8 stars for my last book and the 4.2 stars I gave to The Shadow of the Wind. Decimal points are important to me.

The house renovation is moving along. We remodeled our Master Bathroom between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It turned out so well that we are updating the main level of our 3-story house. The "popcorn" celings in the living room and dining room have been scraped (ugh…what a mess) and lovely stamped celings are finished. Painting is done in those two rooms and carpeting removed. Now they are piled with furniture from the family room so that ceiling can be done. I am not very good with major upheaval and use my snuggery and books as a retreat from the chaos.

Ooh, more visitors!

>99 Donna828: Well, I'm glad I read Crawdads, Linda. Parts of it were so good. I was expecting to fall in love with it, though, and it was more of a "could have been better' book. IMO! (in my opinion)

>100 Whisper1: That's what I hear, Beth, so I will soldier on with the ending book (?) in sight. Do you think he will go on with the series?

>101 BLBera: Bonnie, I would put Crawdads in my Book Candy category if I had one. I like candy, but a little goes a long way. I felt emotionally manipulated by it, which isn't such a terrible thing. It's not one I will read again. Now it's up to you to decide. I say, read it and make your own judgment. You may join the host of others who loved it.

I feel your pain while the renovations are ongoing. It's not like you can go home and forget about it at the end of the day! :-) I'm glad you have your snuggery as a retreat!

>103 Donna828: Glad to know that your renovations are going well. I can sympathize - we finally got our back bathroom completed!

>105 cbl_tn: Me too, Carrie. They think they are going to use a jackhammer to remove the tile and marble in our foyer next week. If so, I will take coffee, water, snacks, and my laptop to the library and hang out in one of the study carrels there! I can put up with noise or mess but not both at the same time.

>106 alcottacre: It is that end result that is sustaining me through the upheaval, Stasia. It may be another three weeks before this Phase 2 is completed. It remains to be seen if we do a Phase 3. Haha.

Thanks for the good wishes, Donna. I'm sorry to read that your dog Lucky was also anxious. I'm not sure what exactly lies behind Poopy's issues, but my best guess is that her mom was brought up to Canada from California as rescue dog, since mom was in a " high kill " pound. When Poppy's mom arrived at the Rescues home, they discovered that mom was unexpectedly pregnant . I think that the rescue was not very knowledgeable about socializing and handling new born puppies and Poppy just happened to also be anxiously hard wired. I just assumed that a so called rescue would know about how to handle puppies, but I realize now that was not the case. The woman and her husband kept the puppies very clean and well fed, but knew little about socializing in the very early weeks. Both of them worked full time and also had a vacation planned that they were not going to cancel. They hurried the separation from mom, and also moved the puppies from there place to another home at 6 weeks, as they were off on holiday. In retrospect , I wish I thought more about those things. We had purchased from a breeder in the past, and I know she put a great deal of effort in touching and socializing her pups in the early weeks. But anyway, once we met Poppy, the last in the litter to be chosen, we fell in love with her very shy ( and I guess anxious) personality. Unlike the other three pups who scrambled all over us, Poppy hid away and wanted not much to do with anyone. So I suspect it was mix of inborn personality and a lack on initial handling and social contact. But who knows for sure?

Best wishes with your renovation. That's a lot!

>98 Donna828: I'm looking forward to reading that one which I've tentatively decided to read in spring.

Oh, my sympathy on the remodeling woes! Definitely sounds like it will be worth it in the end, but getting there is SUCH a hassle!

>109 thornton37814: It's a good one, Lori. I hope you enjoy it.

>110 ronincats: Yes, Roni, it's looking forward to the end result that is keeping what's left of my sanity. Lots of hammering going on today. They are removing the wood floor in the kitchen. It will really get loud when they start the tile removal. I have things to do the next three days and hope I miss most of that action.

Donna--Wow, you are going for the big remodel! How much longer do you have to deal with this mess? Kitchen, living room & dining room ceilings, the hallway...hope you are taking before and after photos!!

Oops, looks like I missed Deborah up there…
>108 vancouverdeb: Your Poppy sounds like she found the perfect home. I know what you mean about falling in love with a dog. It's kind of like having a child. You're not sure quite what to expect until you spend some time together and by that time you're in love and deal with what you've got.

I think we're past the messiest part of the reno. We had terra cotta tile in the utility room that had to be broken up to be removed resulting in numerous poofy red dust clouds wafting through the house. The workers had masks, and I vacated the snuggery which was getting very crowded with paintings, lamps, and breakables. I set up my laptop and other necessities down in DH's man cave. I'm still down here!

>112 Berly: Kim, I've taken some photos and will post a few before and after pictures when we get done. The ceilings are all popcorn free and have a lovely stamped design on them. There is still some painting of walls to do and lots of flooring to lay. It should start taking shape next week as the luxury vinyl tile goes down and furniture can be moved back into place. We are replacing the marble entry. When that is completed the carpet people will come in and put down the new carpet in the living room. Preso! And we're done! Well, the workers are done. I have to wash down everything because of the dust. I hope we are finished by February 2nd. That gives them two more full weeks.

Book No. 4: The Line Becomes A River by Francisco Cantú. Read for the Nonfiction Challenge. Library, 250 pp., 4 stars.

"When I made the decision to apply for this job, I had the idea that I'd see things in the patrol that would somehow unlock the border for me, you know? I thought I'd come up with all sorts of answers. And then working here, you see so much, you have all these experiences. But I don't know how to put it into context. I don't know where I fit in it all. I have more questions now than ever before." (142)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be one of the agents who patrols our southern border? Cantú paints a bleak picture of his four years near Tucson, AZ, and El Paso, TX. He grew up in West Texas and got a college degree in international relations, specializing in the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. With his Mexican heritage and fluency in Spanish, he thought he could make a real difference in the lives of people he intercepted at the border. There are some tender scenes mixed in with the too common discouraging events involving drug smuggling and human trafficking. He couldn't bend the rules and allow illegal migrants to stay in the U.S., but he could treat them with compassion. After four years, though, the upsetting dreams came more frequently and he decided he needed to take a break from the high-stress job and go back to school to further his writing career.

After almost 2/3 of the book spent in relating the experiences of a Border Agent, the book changed directions and the author became friends with an illegal alien who had been in the states for almost 30 years raising a family and being a good "citizen". When he was called back to Mexico to attend to his dying mother, the book turned from a documentary into a compelling personal story about trying to reunite with his family and coming up against the system over and over. The author tried to help his friend and the family but there was little he could do. The heartrending story of a man who just wanted to live with and support his wife and children personalized the dilemma of what is going on at our southern border and made me better understand the complicated nature of our current laws and wish that cases could be considered in a more individual and compassionate way.

This sounds wonderful, Donna.

>114 Donna828: Thank you, Beth. It is a book that I think everyone should read to better understand the system. At only 250 pages, it is a quick read yet one that I will be thinking about for a long time.

Glad to see that you loved The Overstory (as did many people). It was my book of the year last year. Richard Powers, has long been one of my very favorite contemporary authors, and the 2 you have on deck, The Time of Our Singing and The Goldbug Variations are two of my favorites of his.
I know how much you must be looking forward to having the disruption of a renovation behind you. For the past 5 months we have been purging, culling, repairing, and improving--and today the house went on the market for sale. I won't know what to do with myself now!

I'm reading The Overstory right now. I had a time getting into it, but now I'm enjoying it. :)

Overstory seems to be a book talked about a lot throughout the threads.

Good luck with your home improvement projects. I have experience. It is a mess cleaning up during, but afterward, the job outcome is beautiful.

Your remodel sounds oh-so-daunting but I'm sure it will be well worth it in the end. Meanwhile, I hope you have a hidy-hole where you can go and read while it all happens somewhere else :)

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Donna.

Hi Donna! Whew, I was pretty far behind. I'm glad you've had so many good reads, a few duds, and have gotten rid of the popcorn ceilings. *smile*

Have a wonderful Sunday.

>117 arubabookwoman: Best of luck with the sale of your house, Deborah. We've decided to stay in our too-big house until we can't manage it any longer. When that happens, we will take what we want and move to a retirement home of some sort. What is left behind will go to the highest bidder! I don't think our kids will want much of anything because they have too much of their own stuff. The Overstory was the definite star of my reading year in 2018. I'm looking forward to reading more of Powers' backlist.

>118 The_Hibernator: Rachel, it did begin on the slow side. At first I thought I had picked out a book of short stories by mistake. No worries, though, as Powers weaves them together in a most wonderful way.

>119 Whisper1: The Overstory made me very glad to be a reader, Linda. This is the only house we've lived in and cared enough about to make it even more livable. We did the basement (my DH's man cave) after we had been here a few years. It was long enough ago to make me forget how unhandy it is to live in the house that is being updated. Oh well. I have my books. Haha!

>120 RebaRelishesReading: Yes, I still have my little library, Reba, even though it is getting overcrowded with things I'm trying to save from the dust storm raging in other parts of the house. *cough cough* They have begun laying the new floors and I must say they look pretty fine.

>121 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. We took our daughter-in-law (and family) out for her birthday after church. It was good to see them as we've all been too busy to get together lately.

>122 karenmarie: Yup, the popcorn is all gone, Karen. There is some ceiling damage from an old roof leak on the third floor that will be repaired next week. That should be interesting. I'll have to take a picture if I'm not too busy holding the ladder. I wouldn't want to be up there as the ladder will be based on the stairway. Yikes! Thanks for stopping by.

The Line Becomes a River is now on the list Donna. Thanks for your good review. Good luck surviving the renovations. Too many years of that in my past to make it any kind of a possibility now or in my future lol.

>114 Donna828: Adding that one to the BlackHole, Donna. Thank you for the recommendation!

Book No. 5: My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie; audio by Cassandra Campbell. Hoopla Audio, 670 pp., 4 stars.

As the subtitle states, this is "A Novel of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton." Yes, that Hamilton of Broadway fame. I haven't seen the musical but I know about Hamilton from my American History classes in high school and college. He was brilliant, though troubled, and found the "perfect" wife in his Betsy, later known as Eliza.

They didn't teach us in history class that Hamilton was a womanizer but I think it is a well-known fact. This book had a real stand-by-your-man feel to it which probably lowered the star value from me. It had just a little bit too much swooning and romancing to make it more than 4 stars. Sorry, but I am influenced by my personal bias against romance books. Perhaps it would have been held in higher esteem if I had read it instead of listening to it over a 3-week period. It seemed to go on forever. I also wish I had read the authors' note before I read it so I knew ahead of time what was fact and what was fictionalized. I would be grateful if more authors of historical fiction gave us as much insight into their choices of what they included and why.

Don't get the wrong idea. I enjoyed the book for the most part and admire Eliza Hamilton as a historical figure. She had eight children and had to endure way too much sorrow, yet she still held her head high and played the role of the good wife with grace and courage. I actually liked the latter part of the book after Hamilton died and Eliza had to step up and make some tough decisions. Now I'm eager to get back to the nonfiction These Truths to see how Hamilton's political career figures in to the story of our founding fathers.

>125 brenzi: I'm so glad you will read The Line Becomes A River, Bonnie. I think it deserves a wide audience. I am eager to move on from this phase in my life. My DH is NOT moving so I insisted on doing some updating. I have only myself to blame. Luckily, we are nearing the halfway point and most of the messy stuff is over.

>126 alcottacre: You're very welcome, Stasia. Don't let it get lost in that BlackHole!

Reading Update:

I will finish The Chosen either tonight after the Chief's game or tomorrow. It is too good to read it when I am overtired. I think I may be in love with this newly rediscovered author. I read some of Chaim Potok's books in the 1970s and then got busy with raising a family and my short teaching career. Thanks to Linda's (Laytonwoman3rd) American Author Challenge, I am excited to revisit these wonderful books about growing up in Brooklyn as a Hasidic Jew.

I have checked out Sabrina from the library and "read" the first 30 pages or so. It is a graphic novel, my least favorite type of book. Surprisingly, I am intrigued by it. The simple drawings and few words make me try to piece together this story of a young couple when one of the partners goes missing. That is why I keep trying new things. Sometimes they take hold! (Plus, I have a Bingo square to fill--Lol).

I am really enjoying what little I've read of These Truths. As I mentioned in my comments on My Dear Hamilton, my knowledge of American History is pretty sketchy. I'm looking forward to being more informed. I think that rather than reading a few pages at a time, I will look for a window where I can read all or most of Part One so I can keep up with Kim's (Berly) group read. I haven't commented on anything yet because I am behind the others, but am enjoying what others are saying. Hmmm, that seems to be my usual lack of participation in group reads. Must do better.

One more thing… I like having an audio book to listen to in the evening before I go to sleep. After the very long book (over 23 hours) I just finished, I downloaded something shorter and lighter. My new bedtime story will be told by Mr. Rogers. Well, it will be about Mr. Rogers. I'll be listening to The Good Neighbor, a biography of Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood fame. It will be a little walk down memory lane.

>129 Donna828: the next book I start will be The Good Neighbor too, Donna. Looking forward to your thoughts on it!

Donna--Just keeping current here. I saw Sabrina at Powell's today and the person I was with said it was pretty good, but I didn't like the artwork enough to buy it. Maybe library loan. Wishing you a great week ahead.

Great review of The Line Becomes a River. On to the wish list it goes. Oh! and I'd think listening to The Good Neighbor would be an outstanding trip down memory lane. I'll check if my library has it on Overdrive. Is it the book written by Maxwell King?

>127 Donna828: Adding that one to the BlackHole too!

>82 Donna828: - So glad to see you enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind! Each book in the series - which does not follow the linear chronological order one would expect from a series - is really well written. I have only read the first three books in the series but hope to get caught up this year with the prequel and the fourth book.

Wishing you continued success with your on-going house renovations.

>127 Donna828: - I was pondering purchasing the ebook of My Dear Hamilton when I saw it reduced (daily or weekly deal, cannot remember) but decided to pass.

All caught up. Wishing you a lovely week, Donna!

>130 bell7: I am off to a good start with The Good Neighbor, Mary, although the verdict is still out on LeVar Burton’s narration. I feel like I am listening to Reading Rainbow! Haha.

>131 Berly: Hi Kim. Those illustrations are pretty bland. It makes it more difficult to decipher the action when it’s hard to tell the gender of the characters from the pictures. I will persevere! I can say with certainty that this will be a cold week! Brrrr...

>132 Carmenere: Yes, the book is by Maxwell King. I enjoyed my first session last night. Mr. Rogers was born into a very wealthy family. The chauffeur drove him to and from school!

>133 alcottacre: Enjoy, Stasia. I learned a lot about Eliza Hamilton. It was pretty good historical fiction.

>134 lkernagh: Thank you, Lori. You have a good week, too. I have heard that the final book in the series is excellent. I will have fun getting to that point later in the year.

Donna, I was not aware that I had my birthday attached to my facebook account. The things you learn. Yes, I'm about 39 ;-) , just like your DIL. I am a very young grandma - wink! And that old fellow that I've been married to for 35 years, coming up to 36 years - I was a child bride. I really had a good chuckle at the notes from the hospital that Dave had to stay at for a few days after his fall. They described him as an " independent 62 year old." Dave thought that was to do with his personality and the fact that he pushed to be released from the hospital. I has such a great laugh telling him that was a reference to his age and the fact that some seniors unable to be " independent", but need help with daily activities . I'm such a kind wife. But what is life without a laugh?

Oh , those young doctors, thinking that 62 is getting on. What?

>137 vancouverdeb: Those kid doctors, what do they know anyhow? LOL

>137 vancouverdeb:, >138 Berly: I got a chuckle out of your message, Deborah. I remember the first time (quite a while ago) when the doctor I saw was younger than me. I was quite taken aback.

This fellow, doctor, was at least middle aged! I thought that Dave and I were middle aged, but who can tell these days? :-)

Book No. 6: The Chosen by Chaim Potok. Mine, 284 pp., 4.5 stars.

"Reuven, listen to me. The Talmud says that a person should do two things for himself. One is to acquire a teacher. Do you remember the other?"

"Choose a friend," I said.

"Yes. You know what a friend is Reuven? A Greek philosopher said that two people who are true friends are like two bodies with one soul." (79)

So young Reuven did chose a friend. He chose Daniel, the Hasidic teenager who tried to kill him in an intense baseball game between two factions of Jewish boys. Reuven almost lost his eye when his pitch was hit by Daniel with terrific force and seemed to be aimed directly at him. I was amazed at the animosity between the Modern Orthodox Jews and the Hasidic Jews. Despite their different beliefs, the two became fast friends and spent much time studying their passions in life. For Reuven it was mathematics, specifically symbolic logic. Daniel was destined to follow in his father's footsteps and become a rabbi, but he revered Freud and his ideas about what makes people do the things they do. Both of them were influenced by their fathers and by the state of the Jews in Europe during WWII, which was always in the backdrop as they immersed themselves in their studies in Brooklyn. This is a very serious book. There are long passages where they systematically study the Talmud. It is a slow book at times, although I enjoyed learning more about Jewish beliefs.

I read this book as a young woman and understood it better as an older woman. Speaking of women, you won't find many of them in this book. There is a housekeeper in Reuven's house and there were a few mentions of Daniel's sickly mother and his younger sister. Keep in mind, it was set in the 1940s before women discovered they had a voice and a place in society. I don't hold it against the book, though, as I thought it was a brilliant story of friendship and family relationships with touches of philosophy, psychology, and plenty of heart and soul. It deserves its place in the canon of classic literature.

Glad to hear your liked The Chosen so much. It is one of my new treasures from my Powell's trip. Maybe I'll start it next :)

Nice comments on The Chosen, Donna. I think I read this years ago but have little memory of it. Sounds like it's time for a reread.

>142 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, The Chosen is a treasure for sure. I look forward to seeing how you liked it.

>143 BLBera: The reread was wonderful, Beth. I had forgotten so much of it. The beginning about the baseball game and Reuven's time in the hospital was familiar, but that's about it. It is definitely worth a second go-round.

Book No. 7: The Promise by Chaim Potok. Library, 368 pp., 4 stars.

"All around us everything was changing in the order of things we had fashioned for ourselves. The neighborhood changed. In the years before the Second World War, the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn had been inhabited by only a few Hasidic sects. By the fifth year after the war, the neighborhood seemed dark with their presence." (opening sentences)

Yes, things change. Reuven and Danny are no longer adolescents forging a friendship and accepting each other's differences. Ironically, Reuven is now studying to become a rabbi and Danny is letting his younger brother fulfill the dynasty of being their father's successor in their tight-knit Hasidic sect while he is studying to be a psychologist. Women play a bigger role in this sequel to The Chosen. Rachel and Reuven are dating but their relationship stalls at friendship as his studies take priority in his life. However, he does make time for Rachel's nephew Michael who seems to be descending into a world of anger and withdrawal.

Again, this continuation of the story has a focus on study of the Talmud. Reuven and his fundamentalist Talmud instructor have different viewpoints about the interpretation of scripture and we get into an in-depth look at the various levels of Judaism. Perhaps I read this too close to its predecessor because I found out it was TMI for me. Still, I loved the academic setting and the fervency of Reuven's studies. I had more trouble relating to the mental illness of young Michael and the experimental nature of his treatment. While I do recommend this book, it didn't quite measure up to the first one.

Book No. 8: Sabrina by Nick Drnaso. Library, 203 pp., 3 stars.

Not sure what to say about this book. The story was devastating and dark. It was difficult to "read". I had to study those stark pictures to figure out what was happening, then all of a sudden there would be several pages of tiny print to decipher.

I think the strength of the book lies in the portrayal of the role of media after a tragedy. There is the nonstop speculation and talk talk talk about what happened to Sabrina followed by more talk on social websites. No wonder her boyfriend Terry shut down and her sister almost lost her mind. It was a good example of a little capsule of "today's" headlines and the impact on the lives of the people involved.

I read it because I was curious about a graphic novel being nominated for the Man Booker Award. I am not a fan of this subgenre (I got in trouble here when I called it a genre) but I must say the other books-in-picture-form that I have read have appealed to me more than this one.

Hi, Donna.

Good reviews of The Chosen and The Promise. I loved The Chosen, and I'm halfway through the The Promise. So far I agree that The Promise doesn't quite measure up to the first one. I didn't read the spoiler, so I'll come back for that when I'm done.

There's a very good article on Nick Drnaso, the author of Sabrina, in a recent New Yorker. I can't decide whether or not to try it. He actually says he hates it now! He's an interesting guy.

Great reviews of the Potok's, Donna! My thumb was itching to give them, well, a thumb but alas they're not posted on the book review page. Consider yourself thumbed non the less!

>147 jnwelch: Hi to you, Joe. I really enjoyed my reread of The Chosen and thought The Promise was a good follow-up. I don't usually read the sequel right away but it was available at the library so I grabbed it. I've been using the library for some quiet time while the remodeling project is underway at Henderson Hacienda. I'll take a look at the New Yorker article on Drnaso. While his book didn't appeal to me, I do keep thinking about it, so perhaps he succeeded with a tough audience.

>148 Carmenere: Sorry about the itchy thumb, Lynda. I don't post many reviews anymore. I do appreciate the thought.

Book No. 9: Hunger: A Memoir of My Body by Roxane Gay. Library, 303 pp., 2.7 stars.

"More often than not, I feel hopeless. I give up. I cannot overcome myself, my body, these hundreds of pounds shrouding my body. It is easier, I think, to be miserable, to remain mired in self-loathing."

This book was a cathartic examination of her reaction to a traumatic event at age 12. It was extremely repetitive and meandering. It seemed like I was reading a very personal journal instead of a book about eating disorders. This might have made a decent essay in a collection about life choices. There just was not enough substance for a book. Although the author writes honestly about a painful subject, I got tired of the unrelenting self-abuse and the complaints about people who take care of their bodies and mental health.

I read this only because my book group will be discussing it on February 12. I will be in Kansas City and will miss the conversation about this one, darn it.

>150 Donna828: Interesting Donna. I have it on my Kindle, and having read some of her essays, was planning to read this later this year.

I'm way behind Donna, but just wanted to say thank you for the great review of >114 Donna828: I've added it to my wishlist, I hope it is also published in the UK. I've read a book and a long essay by Valeria Luiselli about the children caught up in the border wall mess, but this book sounds like it offers an unusual firsthand insight inside the border system. Heartbreaking stuff.

I had a similar reaction to Hunger, which I had been really looking forward to. I found it disorganized and repetitious, with little serious analysis—like reading someone’s blog journal. It has made me reluctant to read anything else by her, and I thought more than once of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”

Hi Donna!

>114 Donna828: Ooh, that looks like a good and timely read.

>150 Donna828: I reacted quite differently to Hunger. I listened to the author narrate it as an audiobook and that may have affected my experience. I agree that she got repetitive near the end -- I think some tighter editing of the later chapters would have helped -- but overall I found it to be an honest and vulnerable sharing of her story. I also agree with both you and Deborah (>153 arubabookwoman:) that it was a bit like reading someone's journal or blog, and Roxane Gay is a blogger. Shifting to a longer format may not be her best approach.

>146 Donna828: Interesting comments. I have also been curious about a graphic novel being nominated for the Booker and I'll probably seek this one out just to see what I think.

>141 Donna828: I have got to reread The Chosen. I know I read it eons ago and I recall loving it, and My Name is Asher Lev is one of my all-time favorite novels. Even though I've missed the AAC January collective read, I'm adding this to my list of things I want to get to in 2019.

>150 Donna828: I read Bad Feminist which was a series of essays by Gay and those worked quite well. Was Hunger a series of essays or a straight through book, Donna? She seems to work well when she writes posts, or semi-related essays which probably comes from being a blogger.

Hi, Donna. Sweet Thursday. Good reviews of The Chosen and The Promise. I plan on reading both, but especially the first one. It looks like we had similar feelings about Hunger.

>145 Donna828: I finished The Promise and read your spoiler comment, and totally agree with it. I had trouble relating to and enjoying the Michael story line, too, and that's what brought down - somewhat - my overall reaction to the book. My guess is Potok wanted a psychology story line for Danny, but I wish he'd picked better. I loved the perspective conflicts, the Talmud discussions and Reuven's battle with Rev Kalman.

Hi Donna! I've been wanting to read Hunger, but doubt I will get around to it any time soon. Glad I get to see people's reviews of it.

Great discussion about Hunger here. I've heard the comments before about it being like a blog. Maybe listening would be a good approach. I've loved everything I've read by Gay, so I will probably pick it up. I would think it would be a great discussion book.

>155 Familyhistorian: Hunger was a memoir, Meg, although it was written more like essays or blog entries. Thanks to you and Ellen, I think the writing style makes more sense. I hate to miss my book discussion about it next week. Duty calls! I will be babysitting in Kansas City while my daughter and her husband spend a week in Mexico.

>156 msf59: Sweet Monday, Mark. It doesn't have the same right as your (and Steinbeck's) Sweet Thursday wishes. I am almost certain that you will love The Chosen. It looks like Hunger might be one of those divisive books around here. Nothing wrong with that. I love hearing different viewpoints on the books we read. I hope you are getting some of the mild weather we've had the past few days.

>157 jnwelch: You said it well in your spoiler comments, Joe. Great minds think alike, no?

>158 The_Hibernator: Agreed, Rachel. We all have our opinions and don't have to agree on everything. I hated to be so down about a book on body image. I didn't want to come across as being judgmental on Gay's weight. Her writing is another matter entirely.

>159 BLBera: Beth, I usually have a better feeling about a book after my book group discusses it. Too bad I won't be there to experience a different perspective. My sister-in-law will have to fill me in on what I missed.

>151 Caroline_McElwee: I hope you like Hunger more than I did when you get to it, Caroline. It was not the book for me apparently.

>152 charl08: Hi Charlotte, I'm so glad you liked my comments on The Line Becomes A River. It was indeed a heartbreaking account. I wish we could come up with a humane solution to the border problem in the U.S. Many of those being turned away would make good solid citizens that deserve the opportunity for a better life.

>153 arubabookwoman: Deborah, I looked forward to reading about Gay's weight issues, too. I wish she had done more work to overcome her problems but it seemed like she was more invested in blaming others. Maybe the book was her way to gain catharsis. I hope it helped her even though it was a painful read for me.

>154 EBT1002: Honest and vulnerable it was, Ellen. I felt Roxane Gay's pain. I think she needed a better editor, although it makes sense that she may have wanted it to read like a blog.

I plan to read My Name is Asher Lev sometime this year. I'm excited to hear it is one of your very favorites. We usually agree on our book choices. Have you read it's sequel?

Ooops, looks like I messed up my responses. I forgot to save the preview of my first group. This is a smart group. You guys will figure it out!

Book No. 10: The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King; audio by LeVar Burton. Hoopla Audio, 320 pp., 3.5 stars.

I think I liked Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood more than my children did. I found it very calming while I was raising my little brood of three. The book was calming as well. I enjoyed hearing about the passion behind the "simplicity" of talking to children, singing songs, and the sometimes silly puppet shows. Fred Rogers was very meticulous about never upsetting his target audience and exuding the kindness and caring that came naturally to him. I might have rated the book higher had I read the print version as I found LeVar Burton's lilting cadence a little off-balance and somewhat irritating.

>163 Donna828: A colleague is writing her thesis for a second masters degree on Mr. Rogers, so I've heard all about that book--and just about anything else associated with Fred Rogers. She, of course, didn't listen to the audiobook but she understood why LeVar was chosen to narrate the book after reading so much about his admiration for Fred.

>164 thornton37814: Lori, I have great admiration for LeVar Burton and how he inspired so many children to read more books. That's why I didn't quit on the audiobook. However, I could never quite get used to the odd ways he had of emphasizing certain words. I can't explain it very well, but it was a distraction. And I wish Fred Rogers had been my neighbor when he was still with us. Quite an amazing man!

Hi Donna--Your review are always so honest -- after you explain why you do or don't like something I totally get it. Enjoying all the talk of Roxanne Gay's writing style here -- I liked both her books: Hunger and Bad Feminist, one of them on audio which was great. I would certainly enjoy hearing about Mr. Rogers and with your insight I will look for print and not audio! ; )

Hi Donna - Wonderful review of The Chosen. I would have thumbed it, too.

I started reading Bad Feminist last year, but got a bit bogged down with all the popular culture references that went over my head. The discussion reminds me that I need to pick it back up again.

I also have a copy of Hunger on my shelf. I thought Ellen's comments about listening to the audio were interesting, but unfortunately, none of her books are available on audio through my library.

>163 Donna828: I saw the movie last summer and was smitten. When my son was little we lived in Europe so I never saw the show but now I'm in love with the man.

>166 Berly: I really liked that comment, Kimmers and it is apt too, I think.

I always enjoy reading what you have to say about a book, Donna. x

>166 Berly: Thanks for those kind words about my reviews, Kim. I don't think of them as reviews as such. I just try to share my feelings about the books I read, hence my likes and dislikes. That's what I like reading about a book when I am trying to make up my mind as to whether or not I will read it.

>167 streamsong: Hi Janet. I just don't think Roxane Gay is the author for me so I won't be reading Bad Feminist. I wish I could love every book I read but then I would probably just start taking my books for granted. I kind of like stretching out of my comfort zone from time to time. Occasionally, it works and I discover a new author or a new genre. That's how I discovered that I do like some science-fiction to mix things up a bit. I am also reading more non-fiction books these days.

>168 RebaRelishesReading: I forgot about the movie, Reba. I think I would have liked it. Fred Rogers was a fascinating man who worked hard to produce quality television shows for children.

>169 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. It's good to know my comments are appreciated. Thanks for the visit.

>146 Donna828: I must say I had the same question about Sabrina Donna, namely how the heck did a graphic novel get nominated for the Booker?? I'm not a fan of any kind of graphic namely because I read comic books as a child and I'm not a child anymore. (I'll duck now to avoid anything that's being thrown at me by graphic novel lovers.) I'll also stick my neck out and say I don't love YA novels either. I'll leave now after causing disruption lol.

Book No. 11: The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye. Library, 430 pp., 3.9 stars.

"We're standing outside the Paragon Hotel the next morning. Blossom and Davy and Miss Christina and myself, and my eyes swell at the carnival of color. Everything I've ever seen, from Tobacco Club and chorus girls to Central Park in July, was in black and white. And now I've fallen headfirst into a box of oil paints."

I enjoy Ms. Faye's writing style and her well-researched historical fiction. In her most recent release, she chronicles the unlikely friendship between Alice James, a young white woman fleeing cross-country from the Mafia in Harlem to relative safety in Portland, Oregon, and Blossom Fontaine, a black cabaret singer. It was interesting to learn that Oregon was the only state that prohibited blacks from residing there. The Paragon Hotel served as a haven for some of these illegal residents. Most of them felt uneasy having a white woman recuperating from a serious injury in their midst.

I liked how the story was slowly revealed as the author jockeyed back and forth from the events in Harlem to Alice's current life in Portland. The Portland story was clearly my favorite and hooked me when Davy, the 6-year-old mulatto, disappeared from his adopted Paragon family. Alice uses her skills as one who can change her appearance and personality to fit in almost anywhere to gain clues about the whereabouts of Davy and to discover that things are not always the way they seem to be. The book gave me a look into the 1920s, a time of Prohibition, corruption of the burgeoning police forces, and the influence of the KuKluxKlan in America.

>171 brenzi: Bonnie, we are of the same era and have put childhood behind us. Nothing wrong with that in my "book"! What really irritates me, however, is when a Young Adult novel is marketed as an adult book. I suppose there is probably a fine line between the two.

>172 Donna828: - That is the second fabulous review I has recently seen for Faye's latest book. Looks like I will have to find time to get caught up with my Lindsay Faye reading. ;-)

>172 Donna828: I just removed the suspension for this one on my Overdrive list. I have loved everything Faye has written and can't wait for it Donna. The fact that Oregon didn't allow black residents just came up in These Truths: A History Of the United States in my reading yesterday.

>174 lkernagh: Lori, I’m so glad I have two Lyndsay Faye books left to read. She is becoming one of my go-to authors.

>175 brenzi: It was a good one, Bonnie. I am behind on These Truths. I hope to make some progress and get caught up to the group. I am reading it oh so slowly. I want it to sink in and fill all those holes in the American History part of my brain.

>165 Donna828: Hi Donna! I actually know someone who had Fred Rogers for a neighbor! I have a friend and former colleague from Latrobe, PA. Her brother and sister-in-law were the same age as Mr. Rogers, and they were school classmates. Arnold Palmer was another classmate. I also have friends whose mother used to be Mr. Rogers' secretary.

>177 cbl_tn: That is a great story, Carrie. I would love to hear from your friend (and Friend of Fred's) if Mr. Rogers was as congenial as he seemed on TV. All indications point to the answer being Yes! I think he was a stickler for details and getting things right, but could communicate his perfectionist tendencies in a kind manner. He's kind of my hero. ;-)

Book No. 12: Quiet Girl In A Noisy World: An Introvert's Story by Debbie Tung. Library, 179 pp., 4 stars.

Social Hangover Symptoms: Headache, Fatigue, Dejection, Anger and Frustration, Feeling the need to disappear from the world…
Social Hangover Cures: Comfort food, Good books, Favorite music, Quiet time alone, Warm hugs from a loved one.

Thanks to Joe I found a graphic memoir that resonated with me. I've always considered myself an 'extroverted introvert'. By my self-diagnosis, that means I'd rather be home reading a book, but I can engage in most public activities.

As I get older, I've begun to draw some lines in the sand, though. I would have to be dragged to a New Year's Eve Party or any event that involves mingling with a group of semi-strangers. There's a section in the book that shows the author's social battery being drained. I can so relate to that. The illustrations are simple but very expressive black-and-white drawings. Maybe there's some hope for me and stories expressed through pictures after all.

I thought I’d share another picture from the above book as it describes the kind of day I’m having here in Kansas City. It is a dark and rainy day. My only responsibilities are to pick up 11–yr-old Griffin after school, snuggle with two needy dogs, and heat up lasagna for dinner. A perfect day in my world!

>179 Donna828: I would have to be dragged to a New Year's Eve Party or any event that involves mingling with a group of semi-strangers. I can resonate with that!

Oh good, Donna. I’m glad you enjoyed Quiet Girl.

I’m with you on your New Year’s Eve comments. We visit with friends early and then head back home to make dinner and watch old-time movies.

>180 Donna828: Sounds like a perfect day, Donna.

>160 Donna828: Yes, it's hard to complain about a book which is about body image, you are right. Having not read it myself, I can't say whether I'd agree with you or not, and it's unlikely I will approach the book any time soon. One thing that's good about it, I'm guessing, is that she's not complaining about being 5-10 pounds overweight, like some people talk about in their memoirs. I am quite a bit overweight now (because of the pregnancy, mostly, but partly because my weight went up when I started psychiatric meds) but even when I was thin, it bothered me when people would include the pains of being slightly "overweight" in their memoirs. Such complaints do not make people who have true weight problems feel better. I'm not sure how to sympathize with that. Isn't everybody slightly overweight at SOME point in their lives?

Not sure what started that tirade, lol. Didn't realize it was on my mind.

>181 SandDune: Hi Rhian. I’ve been known to work on my year-end book list on New Year’s Eve. Now, that’s a party!

>182 jnwelch: That sounds like a perfect celebration, Joe.

>183 BLBera: Right you are, Beth.

>184 The_Hibernator: Feel free to speak your mind here, Rachel. You have a legitimate complaint. Weight issues have affected most of us at one time or another. I put on a little after each pregnancy. Good luck with losing the baby weight.

Things are going well here in Kansas City. My middle granddaughter is getting over a bad cold. Luckily no one else has caught it so far. When I got here on Saturday the driveway was a sheet of ice. It has started to melt a little today with some warmer temps...just in time for two snowstorms moving through the area this weekend. No school tomorrow for Griffin, and the girls are out on Friday. Let the games begin!

I managed to get out and do a little book shopping. I evaluated one of my bookcases before I left home late last week and came up with 28 books to trade at Half-Price Books. Unfortunately, they had a leak in their roof from the ice storm and many of the fiction shelves were ensconced in plastic. Bad timing!

If you look carefully at the pictures, you will notice that I culled my A-L shelves and my new books are all M-Z. I will add reorganization of bookshelves to all the chaos at my house with the renovation that still isn’t complete.

Hi, Donna. Good review of The Paragon Hotel. I am looking forward to this one. Did you read her last novel, Jane Steele? If not, it was highly enjoyable.

Joe lent me his copy of Quiet Girl, so I hope to get to it soon.

>187 Donna828: Love the shelves and the book haul.

Book shopping! Always an excellent pastime!

>187 Donna828: Nice haul there. I notice Empire Falls in the mix. I just love Russo!

Great comments on Quiet Girl. I wish my library had a copy of it.

Good job on the book purging - and I love the books you bought with the credit. Very inspirational for my own efforts!

>187 Donna828: Nice Shellie, and haul Donna. I read The Soloist years ago. I can even remember where I bought it. The pleasure you don't get when you order online. I'm trying to do less of that.

How long do you expect your renovation to take?

Happy Valentine's Day!! ❤️💚💗💙

>187 Donna828: ohhhhh Norwegian by Night. I loved that one Donna.

Donna--I am jealous of the book reorganization! I have several ideas on how I want to go through mine, but I better decide on one strategy or it will be a big ol' mess. LOL Congrats on the book haul and I totally relate to Quiet Girl. Happy Valentine's Day.

Hi Donna!

It's always nice to cull books in order to get new ones. I like the look of your book case in >187 Donna828:.

I am home! I had a white-knuckle-drive from Kansas City due to icy road conditions. The call of home was pretty strong to get me to venture out. After the first hour, conditions improved and I was able to relax and listen to my book. The grandkids were so organized and on top of things that I was superfluous. I guess my role was to be there in case of emergency. I'm not complaining! I arrived home on Sunday afternoon just in time to go to the Lady Bear's basketball game. They won!

Unfortunately, our workers didn't show up much last week so things are still in disarray around here. Some of the furniture is back in place and we are beginning to see the light at the end of this dusty tunnel. Our contractor has run into one problem after another with his people leaving him in the lurch. It's a good time for me to practice my patience. This too shall pass...

>188 msf59: Hi Mark. I haven't read Jane Steele yet. It's on the wish list. I have a hunch you will like Quiet Girl. It reminded me of my younger days. I have reached the age where I don't put myself in situations that test my introverted nature.

>189 vancouverdeb: It's the best, Deborah!

>190 RebaRelishesReading: I'm a Russo fan, too, Reba. I plan to reread Empire Falls in the next year or two and decided I needed a copy for my permanent library.

>191 streamsong: Thanks, Janet. I'm glad I'm an inspiration to someone. ;-)

>192 Caroline_McElwee: Caroline, the reno is taking much longer than we expected. It could probably be finished in 3 or 4 days if we could get our guys to come and stay more than half a day at a time. They are juggling several jobs so probably none of their clients are too happy right now. Oh well. The work is being done right and that's what matters.

I agree that there is a special pleasure in buying books from a bookstore. My heart gets all a-flutter when faced with all the possibilities. Our semi-annual book sale is coming up in the spring. I love the treasure hunt of getting some good bargain books.

>193 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle, It was strange spending Valentine's Day away from my husband. My daughter had gift bags for the three grandkids and me. It was like a mini-Christmas. My bag contained my favorite Burt's Bees lotion and lip balms, a journal, gel pens, and Dove chocolates. My husband had a card and a box of candy for me when I got home.

>194 brenzi: I was excited to get that one, Bonnie. It was straight off my list of books to buy.

>195 Berly: Hi Kim, book organization can be a nightmare. I tend to do it in small bits, a few shelves at a time. I also have to be in the mood. I was forced to work on the books in the family room after our workers scraped popcorn off the celings and created even more dust when they jackhammered the terra cotta tile out of the utility room. They covered the shelves but that red dust permeated everything. I actually took the books outside with my hair dryer to blow the dust off!

>196 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen. I'm always happy to trade books I don't want to revist for "new" ones.

Book No. 13: History of the Rain by Niall Williams. Mine, 358 pp., 4.8 stars.

"I am plain Ruth Swain. See me, nineteen, narrow face, MacCarroll eyes, thin lips, dull hazelnut hair, gleamy Swain skin, pale untannable oddment, bony, book-lover, reader of so many nineteenth-century novels before the age of fifteen that I became exactly too clever by half, sufferer of Smart Girl Syndrome, possessor of opinions and good marks, student of pure English, Fresher, Trinity College Dublin, the poet's daughter."(4)

I adored this Christmas present given to me by me! I am not sure who recommended it, but I do know that it needs more LT love. Ruth Swain is a one-of-a-kind narrator who had to leave university because of her "bad blood" that keeps her confined to her small upstairs bedroom with a huge "boat" bed made by her father that is surrounded by his thousands of books that she is obsessively reading and quoting from throughout the novel. It is a celebration of the written word and Irish family life told with humor and emotion. Don't expect a linear story but do expect to fall in love with Ruth's eccentric voice and her whimsical storytelling. “We tell stories. We tell stories to pass the time, to leave the world for a while, or go more deeply into it. We tell stories to heal the pain of living.”

There is a lot of pain in this book. Ireland and the Swain family has experienced more than its share of Troubles. Ruth overcomes the pain in her life through words. She reads and writes and weaves the stories of her family and being Irish into a wonderful tribute to ordinary life seen through the eyes of the freshness of youth and longing for times past while anticipating what lies ahead. There are so many lyrical quotes that my book has notes and underlinings galore, something I don't ordinarily do when I'm reading. The River Shannon and the ever-present rain add to the mood: "Days like today the whole house is in the river. The fields are wrapped in soft grey tissues of weather. You can't see anything but you can hear the water flowing and flowing as if the whole country is washing away out past us… It started raining here in the sixteenth century and it hasn't stopped." (40, 41)

This is my first book by Niall Williams. He writes in the voice of a young woman so well that I want to read more of his work to see if he can amaze me again. I love it when I discover a "new" author. I forgot to mention that this book was longlisted for the 2014 Booker Prize. I am shocked that it didn't even make the short list as it certainly made my short list of 5-star books.

Good luck with a quick finish to your reno, Donna.

I've had History of the Rain on my shelves for a while. It sounds like I should try to get to it sooner.

Glad to see you made it home safely, Donna. Here is hoping your workers show up and get your reno finished.

Welcome home Donna! I remember loving History of the Rain but don't have a clear memory of the plot. (That seems to happen frequently, unfortunately). I'll be interested to hear if you read anything else by Williams.

I see The History Of Rain was on the Booker shortlist back in 2014 Donna. Coincidentally I also haven't read the winner from that year The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Your review is very enticing so I think I'll try to read both of those this year.

The History of Rain sounds good, Donna. I added it to my WL.

>201 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. We are getting closer. I am so ready to have my house and life back again. Please pull that book down and read it. You won't be sorry.

>202 lkernagh: Lori, I appreciate your good wishes. It was good to be home and it is even better seeing the light at the end of the home makeover tunnel.

>203 vivians: Well, Vivian, when you read as much as we do, it's easy enough to forget plots…and I must say that History of the Rain was more about atmosphere and ruminations than a gripping plot. I do plan to read more by Niall Williams, but it may be awhile.

>204 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. I loved both of the books for different reasons. I'll be interested in your thoughts.

>205 jnwelch: Great, Joe! My work is done here. If I can get a few of my book friends to read The History of Rain, I'll be happy…and they'll be glad they read it, too.

Book No. 14: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai. Library, 421 pp., 4.4 stars.

"The thing is, if you stop blaming people and everything's still crap, the only thing left is to blame the world. And when you blame the whole world, when it seems like the planet doesn't want you, and if there's a God, he hates you--that's worse than hating yourself. It is." (374)

Fiona has reached the end of her rope, with good reason. She is the younger sister of Nico who dies early in the book, one of the early victims of AIDS. When Nico told his parents he was gay, they kicked him out of the house and his little sister's world shattered. She stole food and loose change and lied to her parents about where she was going when she went to Nico's hangout with his friends. Over the years, she kept up her benevolence and saw many of Nico's friends succumb to the same disease.

Fiona and York Tishman developed an especially close friendship. She puts him in touch with her Aunt Nora who has a stash of valuable art she would like to donate to Northwestern where York works for the school's art gallery. We get to know York as a man who does his best to honor Nora's wishes to showcase the art of the love of her life along with the other more famous artists whose works she had come by while working as an artist's model in 1920's Paris. York and his partner Charlie were in a monogamous relationship. While he watched others in their fold get sick, he didn't worry too much about his own health until it was too late.

Ms. Makkai tells the stories of those affected by the AIDS epidemic with compassion and truth. Although these are fictional characters, they represent the horror of the disease and the courage of those who stood by their friends when they became ill. We feel Fiona's pain as she watches and cares for her brother's friends while her own daughter gets involved with a cult and wants no further contact with her mother. Poor Fiona. There's a lot of sadness in this story, but there is also a lot of love and compassion as friends come together to support and remember their losses.

A couple of great reviews, there, Donna. Both The Great Believers and The History of Rain sound excellent. There has been a lot of buzz around The Great Believers. I read her book, The Borrower and enjoyed it, , but The Great Believers sounds like something different entirely.

>207 Donna828: tempting summary, Donna. I have The Great Believers in Mt. TBR. Must get to it soon.

>200 Donna828: Added to my wish list, Donna! I'm intrigued.

>207 Donna828: Excellent review, Donna! That book affected me deeply.

Couple of good reviews, Donna! Good to see someone who's getting reviews pumped out. I'm SO behind.

I just started The Great Believers, Donna. I'm expecting great things.

>208 vancouverdeb: Deborah, I really like it when an author can write a book that "sounds like something different entirely". Unless it's a series, I want a new story with each book. I will have to look into The Borrower to see if it appeals to me. I thought Makkai did an excellent job on The Great Believers.

>209 RebaRelishesReading: Yes, you must, Reba! I'm glad I was able to tempt you.

>210 karenmarie: I was likewise deeply affected by The Great Believers, Karen. The early years of the AIDS epidemic was a sad and scary time in our history. I thought Rebecca Makkai did a remarkable job depicting the uncertainty of those years.

>211 The_Hibernator: Rachel, I try to stay current on my reviews. It's fairly easy as I am becoming a slow reader these days. Where I fall behind is keeping up with this marvelous group. I have a "light" week as far as activities go ahead of me so maybe I can make the rounds and see what others are reading.

>212 BLBera: You are probably through with The Great Believers by now, Beth. I hope it lived up to your expectations. It certainly did for me.

Book No. 15: The Library Book by Susan Orlean. Library, 321 pp., 4 stars.

“The library is a whispering post. You don't need to take a book off a shelf to know there is a voice inside that is waiting to speak to you, and behind that was someone who truly believed that if he or she spoke, someone would listen. It was that affirmation that always amazed me. Even the oddest, most peculiar book was written with that kind of courage -- the writer's belief that someone would find his or her book important to read. I was struck by how precious and foolish and brave that belief is, and how necessary, and how full of hope it is to collect these books and manuscripts and preserve them. It declares that stories matter, and so does every effort to create something that connects us to one another, and to our past, and to what is still to come.” (309)

This quote was a perfect way to sum up this book about the importance of libraries in our society. My local library is one of my favorite places to be, whether I am taking part in my monthly book group or just running in to pick up the books I've reserved. It is a tiny place compared to the Los Angeles Public Library but there is always something interesting going on. Susan Orlean does a good job of giving us the historical background of the Los Angeles Library and describing the many ways it helps the community. Unfortunately, the pivotal action of the book centers around the fire in April of 1986 that shut it down for seven years.

Seven hours and thirty-eight minutes of horror while over 400,000 books "burst like popcorn. Pages flared and blackened and then sprang away from their bindings, a ream of sooty scraps soaring on the updraft." (22) Over 2,000 volunteers worked to quickly get the salvaged wet books to food warehouses with available space in their freezers. Mold was the enemy and time was of the essence. The tragedy occurred right around the time of the Chernobyl disaster in Russia so it didn't get the national news coverage it deserved. Although arson was strongly suspected, the main suspect was so unreliable with his alibi that even the police were flummoxed as to how to go about building the case against him. I was expecting a bit more of the true crime story. It seemed to be more of a hook to get the average person to read a book about libraries. I know that isn't necessary for this group. Just say "book about books" and we'll read it!

I think the Women's Prize for Fiction is my favorite of all the book awards. Here is the longlist.
I've only read one and havent even heard of some of the others. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker…I loved her Regeneration Trilogy
Remembered - Yvonne Battle-Felton
My Sister, the Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Pisces - Melissa Broder
Milkman - Anna Burns
Freshwater - Akwaeke Emezi
Ordinary People - Diana Evans
Swan Song - Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott
An American Marriage - Tayari Jones…I listened to this one, just okay imo
Number One Chinese Restaurant - Lillian Li
Bottled Goods - Sophie van Llewyn
Lost Children Archive - Valeria Luiselli
Praise Song for the Butterflies - Bernice L. McFadden
Circe - Madeline Miller…I will start this soon for next week's book group
Ghost Wall - Sarah Moss
Normal People - Sally Rooney

>216 Donna828: Oooh! Freshwater made the Wellcome Prize longlist as well, so I've got it on reserve at the library. And I own Circe. I don't have the time to read all of those by the award date. I always wish I had the ability to rush through a longlist like some people. :)

I did love The Great Believers, Donna. One of my favorites so far this year.

>216 Donna828: I've only read three, but I hope to get to a couple over my spring break.

>216 Donna828: In keeping with World Book Day and Women's Day, it is the perfect time to release the Longlist for the Women's prize.

I have to say it does look a pretty rich lot this year.

I have read Pat Barker's book and there are any better in the list, I'll drop everything and read it now.

>217 The_Hibernator: Rachel, as much as I am tempted to read these books, I will probably hold off until the short list is announced. I really do want to concentrate on reading more of my own books this year.

>218 BLBera: Right now I think The Great Believers will be on my Favorites list for the year but it's hard picking only ten books for the year which is my usual number. I am currently reading my second from the Orange List…it will always be Orange to me. Haha. Circe is the book my group will be discussing next week. So far I'm liking it more than I expected as mythology isn't my favorite thing.

>219 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I've heard good things about the new Pat Barker book. I may have to wait awhile after reading Circe, though, before I can read another retelling of a Greek myth. I hope it makes the short list. I sure enjoyed her Regeneration Trilogy.

Book No. 16: A Catalog of Birds by Laura Harrington. Library, 259 pp., 4.5 stars.

"Nell sits beside Billy's bed, waiting for him to wake after the latest surgery. She pictures the intricate structure of a hand, a wrist, Billy's artful renderings of bird skeletons and wings… Billy struggles to wake, senses Nell nearby, the drugs pulling him under. He counts helicopters, why, he doesn't know, imagining birds in flight: they fill his mind, beating wings, turning rotors." (72, 73)

It is not often that I am moved to tears reading a book. This one dug in and touched all my vulnerable spots: VietNam vets, exquisite descriptions of nature, dashed dreams. The story revolves around the 1970 return of Billy Flynn from an unpopular war, the lone survivor of the crashed helicopter he was flying. He is filled with deep remorse and shame for his part in the war. His body is ravaged. His hearing is shot, the burns are disfiguring and painful, but, most of all, he has lost the ability to use his right hand, a huge loss to a budding artist who had dreams of being a pilot.

Sounds like a real downer, right? I prefer to think of it as a deep look into a nurturing family who works together to overcome a tragedy. The book might be about Billy but it is also a testimonial of love and support from his younger sister Nell, and the helpless reaction of his father Jack who had his own war wounds to overcome. He tells his daughter, "You can't leave it. You just end up carrying it." He goes on to muse that he "wishes he didn’t know the limits of love and hope, how little, really, can be covered over, hidden away, made whole."

Although there is a lot of heartache in this book, there is also a lot of life and hope expressed in Billy and Nell's relationship to each other and the natural world. Much of their childhood was spent in their explorations of the Finger Lakes region of New York where they grew up. They learned to sit quietly and study the birds while Billy honed his art skills in his field books. The only drawback to the story was the disappearance of Megan who was Nell's best friend and Billy's girlfriend. I didn't think she was integral to the story, but the void left by the mystery of her disappearing was distracting. I can only hope that the author left the door open to a sequel. I would like to spend more time with the Flynn family.

>221 Donna828: Well there you go Donna. Once more making a book sound like I just have to read it. Great review. I just thumbed it.

>221 Donna828: Glad you had such a great read!

>222 brenzi: Thank you for the thumb, Bonnie. I seldom post an official review anymore. I thought this book deserved some notice and more LT love.

>223 thornton37814: Me too, Lori. I think I have Beth to thank for bringing this book to my attention. I get so many great book hints on LT. I need to keep better track of who recommends what!

Donna--you have been reading some great books and writing reviews to match! I have The Library Book for a RL bookclub read later this year--glad you gave it a solid 4-star.

Sorry you had to dust all your books after the demo, but you are one of the people who inspired me to actually try to catalog my books! I have finished up my bedroom piles and I am on to the bookcases downstairs. And, yes, dusting was involved. Not quite as much as you had, but still. Yikes. I am doing pretty well -- only 3 duplicates found so far.

Good luck with the rest of the renovation.

>221 Donna828: Nice review Donna, adding to my WL.

It has been a while since I perused your thread, Donna. You added a couple to my wish list, The Paragon Hotel and History of the Rain. Hope you are doing well reading your own books. That was my aim for this year but the library holds keep on coming in. I guess I just have to read faster!

Ooh, lots of great reading going on over here and I am not surprised at all. I NEED to get my mitts on The Great Believers. It looks like such an awesome read. Good review of The Library Book. I really liked that one, as well. Sadly, I have not yet read The Orchid Thief. I need to get crackin' on that one.

A Catalog of Birds also sounds amazing. I should request that one. BTW- I am loving The Blue Hour.

It’s so good to have visitors on this rainy Tuesday morning.

>225 Berly: Dusting and rearranging books was one of the best things about the renovation, Kim. While we are very pleased with the changes in our house, the fact that it is still not done is disturbing. Will we live forever with mismatched baseboards?It seems we are at a standoff. My patience is wearing thin, although I haven’t lost faith in our contractor’s promises yet. I appreciate the good wishes.

>226 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. You won’t be sorry.

>227 Familyhistorian: I have the same “problem”, Meg. It’s way too easy to put those shiny new library books on hold.

>228 msf59: The Blue Hour was a good one, Mark, as are all of Pritchett’s books. I haven’t read Red Lightning yet because our library doesn’t have it. Time to dig out one of my Amazon gift cards. I predict you will love A Catalog of Birds. The title is calling out to you!

Book No. 17: Circe by Madeline Miller. Library, 394 pp., 4.2 stars.

"A thousand thousand times, I had crossed Aiaia's slopes. The poplars, black and white, lacing their bare arms. The cornels and apple trees with fallen fruits still shriveling on the ground. The fennel tall as my waist, the sea rocks white with drying salt. Overhead, the skimming cormorants called to the waves. Mortals like to name such natural wonders changeless, eternal, but the island was always changing, that was the truth, flowing endlessly through its generations. Three hundred years and more had passed since I had come… Everything was united by the steady rise and fall of nature's breath. Everything except for me." (286)

First impressions: Well, its a tale based on mythology, and I don't like the viciousness and immorality of the Greek gods so I probably won't like this book, right? Wrong. Oh yeah, the titan and Olympian gods, nymphs, monsters, etc. are still pretty creepy to me, but Miller writes so well of their exploits and the growth of one specific lesser goddess named Circe that I was charmed by her story. Or perhaps she cast a spell on me for, you see, she is more than a goddess. Circe is also a witch who discovered just how powerful she was when banished to the island of Aiaia after she transformed a naughty nymph into the dreaded monster with six heads known as Scylla.

The book really turned around for me when Circe had her long rendezvous with Odysseus and, unbeknownst to him, became a mother to a mortal. The ensuing battle of wills between Circe and Athena was a brilliant demonstration of a mother's love, something that wasn't common among her peers. Telegonus (meaning 'born far away') was a wild child with a spirit that could not be broken: "A thousand years I had lived, but they did not feel so long as Telegonus' childhood." (259) Being a mother in the true sense of the word almost broke Circe especially since she knew that endless grief was in her future. Goddesses never die and she certainly didn't want to watch her precious son decline in health as he grew older and eventually leave her alone. "Every moment mortals died, by shipwreck and sword, by wild beasts and wild men, by illness, neglect, and age. It was their fate, as Prometheus had told me, the story that they all shared. No matter how vivid they were in life, no matter how brilliant, no matter the wonders they made, they came to dust and smoke. Meanwhile every petty and useless god would go on sucking down the bright air until the stars went dark." (159)

…to be continued…I am off to my book group to discuss this intriguing book...

Not much to add. Out of the 9 people there tonight, 6 of us really liked the book. One person actively disliked it and two were on the fence. Everyone thought the writing was above average. We we’ll be discussing The Sympathizer next month. I just happen to own a copy. ;-)

Good morning, Donna! Long time, no see. Sorry, I haven't been a consistent visitor this year and can you believe were just about a quarter through 2019!? Time is racing!
I've just now added History of Rain and A Catalog of Birds. Excellent reviews!

Hi Donna! Oh, I fell very far behind here and my "punishment" is a few BBs or nudges to seek previously inflicted BBs. What got me? The Great Believers, History of Rain, A Catalog of Birds, Circe.

I loved your comments about The Chosen. I haven't read it for a long, long time, but I remember loving it. I read Davita's Harp earlier this year and was delighted to meet Reuven again.

I am also following your remodel. We have quite a few projects we need to do here, but one is urgent: we're down to one shower, and desperately need to remodel a bathroom before company comes in a couple of months.

Oh, so many book bullets here! I already have The Library Book and Circe and my TBR for this year but you make me want to get to them sooner!

I'm so happy you loved A Catalog of Birds, Donna. I agree that it deserves LT love. It is such a beautiful book.

Nice comments on Circe, as well. I'm waiting for my turn at the library.

It will always be the Orange Prize to me, as well.

So is it just the minor finishing details you are waiting on, or more major work on the house?

>230 Donna828: I've had Circe on my list for ages. I really need to get around to it.

>216 Donna828: On the Women's Prize list I've read My Sister the Serial Killer, Ghost Wall, and Normal People. I enjoyed the first two, but didn't like Normal People as all. Of those I had read, I think Ghost Wall would be my favourite to win.

>231 Carmenere: It's so good to see you again, Lynda. Thanks for the reminder that this year is nearly through the first quarter. That fits in nicely with my plan to have a new thread every three months. That works well for me, one of the quiet ones back here in my corner. I'm glad you took me up on two suggestions. I hope you like them.

>232 AMQS: Hi Anne. It's good to know that Reuven is also in Davita's Harp. I'm going to be on the lookout for more Potok books at the May library book sale. Our bathroom remodel seems like a breeze compared to the latest effort which has been almost done for several weeks now. We're happy with the results but the time frame has been much longer than anticipated.

>233 ChelleBearss: Both good choices, Chelle. I know it's harder for you to find time to read because of the two princesses that need your attention. I think the books will be more patient than the young ladies.

>234 BLBera: Beth, I owe you a thank you for your review of A Catalog of Birds. I had to get it from the Tulsa Library, but it was worth the extra effort. Circe is the One Read for Springfield, MO, this year. Madeline Miller will be paying us a visit next month. I haven't had good luck with my schedule and visiting authors but will make an effort to go see her.

>235 ronincats: Yes, it's all fairly minor stuff, Roni, which makes the delays even more frustrating. Our new toilet (nonfunctioning) is still in the garage, some electrical outlets aren't working, the area where the wall between the kitchen and family room used to be needs some TLC, and there is some trim work, doors to be rehung, and touch-up painting to be done. Our contractor has had employee problems and too much work for him to do by himself. At least we're happy with the work that has been completed and I am learning to be more patient. Thanks for asking.

>236 SandDune: Rhian, I appreciate the info about the books you've already read from The Women's Prize for Fiction list. I looked up most of them and couldn't decide which ones to reserve, so I am waiting for more testimonials and perhaps the announcement of the short list. I will definitely take a look at Ghost Wall on your recommendation. My oldest granddaughter is visiting Europe on her spring break. She has been to Dublin, Wales, London, and is now in Paris. I remember that your roots are in Wales. I can't wait to see all her pictures and hear about what she liked best.

Book No. 18: Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear. Audio by Orlagh Cassidy. Hoopla Audio, 368 pp., 3.5 stars.

This is the ninth book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series, and I am still enjoying them. A family friend has been killed in a warehouse accident and, as usual, Maisie suspects foul play. He was a quiet young man who related more to horses than people. Her investigation takes her back to her working class roots, but she has definitely moved up in the world since she inherited her mentor Maurice's luxurious house and is very close to James Compton, an up and coming aristocrat and also an insider into the precarious situation of England after WWI. So we have lots of nostalgia mixed in with a bit of politics. Poor Maisie never seems totally satisfied with her life and she spends much of the book contemplating her choices for the future. I think I'll dive right into the next book to see what she decides.

Hi Donna!

>230 Donna828: I’m skipping your review of Circe because I’ll be reading it in May for my RL book club June discussion. I did see that you gave it 4.2 stars, so that’s an encouraging sign.

Hi Donna! I hope all is well with you.

>230 Donna828: Great review of Circe. this one has been on my radar, but I have yet to pic it up. It reminded me of a book by C.S. Lewis called Til We Have Faces, which is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche.

Sweet Thursday, Donna. Good review of Circe. I had a very good time with that one too. Miller is 2 for 2, that is for sure. I am loving The Master. Have you read that one?

>240 karenmarie: It was a good discussion book, Karen. I have only a nodding acquaintance with Greek Mythology so Circe served as a refresher course for me.

>241 brodiew2: Hey there, Brodie. I don't get around LT much these days. All is well here now that the temperatures are warming and the sun is shining. I love anything by C.S. Lewis, including Till We Have Faces.

>242 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I hope you are having a Fabulous Friday. I absolutely loved The Master. It was in my Top Ten back in 2008. I gave it 4.5 stars…and it earned its place in my permanent collection.

Book No. 19: Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear. Audio by Orlegh Cassidy. Hoopla, 368 pp.. 3.5 stars

I jumped right into No. 10 of the Maisie Dobbs series to satisfy my curiosity. I should have looked more closely at the title. Talk about a Big Spoiler. Maisie has been restless lately. Things are going satisfactorily with her significant other, but she has her doubts about the future.

The latest mystery involves the killing of two Indian women in London. As Maisie learns more about the culture and meets the first victim's brother, she gets the urge to change her life in a big way. The wrap-up was a bit too long and tidy. I guess it served the purpose of letting Maisie leave her beloved England to see more of the world. This was a pivotal book in the series and a good time to take a breather. I'll wait awhile before I join her on the journey.

Reading Update:

It seems like my reading has stalled a bit. Looking at the big picture, though, I am reading quite a bit these days. I am nearing the end of Part Three of These Truths. As the history of the U. S. progresses into more familiar territory for me, it is becoming increasiningly more compelling. I can't recommend this book more highly if you want a refresher course in United States History.

I am also lurking along in another group read. It has been almost a lifetime since I first read David Copperfield, and I am enjoying it just as much the second time around. My copy has such small print that I downloaded an e-version AND the audio version read by the silken voice of Simon Vance. As I jockey between the three books (my print copy has some interesting pictures) I am getting caught up in Dickens' tale of an unfortunate childhood. It almost makes me want to read the much-touted biography of Dickens by Claire Tomalin. I would like to know how much of this "most autobiographical" novel is true. I can see why it was Dickens' own favorite, though, as it is highly entertaining.

While these two books are in and out of my life, I just started another in the excellent crime series set in Canada featuring Detective Esa Khattack and his partner. Rachel Getty. Esa is on administrative leave and is "sightseeing" in Iran to learn more about his Muslim heritage when he is approached to help solve the death of a prominent filmmaker. It will be interesting to see how Esa and Rachel work together with an ocean between them. This is the third book in the series. I listened to the first two, but got the print edition from the library this time. Pronunciation of names and places is hindering me. I may have to download the Hoopla audio to help me out.
ETA: The title is Among the Ruins by Ausma Zehanat Khan.

Hi Donna,

I just finished reading Among the Ruins and gave it a high rating. Although I felt the descriptions of Iran slowed the plot line somewhat, it added so much to my knowledge about the history as well as the beauty of Iran that I didn't mind the slower pace. The torture was hard to read but felt natural to the plot. I will be interested to see what you make of this addition to an excellent crime series.

Good review of Circe up there, Donna. Like you, I enjoyed it. At first I kept comparing it in my mind to her terrific Song of Achilles, but once I let that go and sunk into the story she was telling, Circe cast a spell on me, too.😀

>247 jnwelch: I had a similar feeling, Joe, but like you ended up really enjoying Circe.

*waves* Hi Donna!

My bookclub just selected The Great Believers for our next read and I already have The Library Book slotted for my other bookclub. Now I just have to get my hands on Circe! I do like your taste in books. : )

I will always love Simon Vance. I don't usually listen to audiobooks when in the car with anyone else, but several years ago I was THIS CLOSE to finishing Barchester Towers and asked Marina if she minded if I just listened to the last little bit. A few minutes into it she said, "mom, this is Simon Vance!" He narrated an audio book the girls listened to again and again and his voice was familiar and beloved:)

Hi Donna - You are doing a lot of good reading. I also admire the Esa Khattak series. In fact, I have the latest from the library right now!

Is the remodeling done?

Hi Donna- It was great catching up with you!

You're farther along These Truths than I am. I had several new books with short checkouts arrive at once from the library so I have fallen behind. I'll get back to it this weekend.

I had been waiting for an annotated copy of David Copperfield from the library, but I think I'll give it a start with Project Gutenberg. I read a condensed version as a child, but remember liking it quite a bit.

Great review of Circe! It encouraged me to request the audio from my library.

>252 streamsong: I finished Copperfield today!

>246 dallenbaugh: It's good to see you here, Donna. I agree about the beauty of Iran, although it isn't a country I would feel comfortable visiting. I just finished the book yesterday and am still forming my thoughts about it.

>247 jnwelch: I'm glad I read Circe with an open mind, Joe. I was planning to skip it, but my book group chose it so I was "forced" to read it. I'm sure glad I did.

>248 lauralkeet: *waving back at Laura*

>249 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I think both of your book groups made excellent choices for discussion. I almost always end up liking a book more after hearing other people's comments on it. It makes a good experience even better!

>250 AMQS: Hi Anne. I must say that I am listening more than reading David Copperfield just so I can be read to by Simon Vance. How cool that Marina recognized his voice. Come to think of it, that may have been my first introduction to him, although I read most of Barchester Towers in print form. I have a lovely Franklin Library edition which enriched my time with Mr. Trollope.

>251 BLBera: Beth, I do remember that you are also reading the Khattak/Getty series. I always feel I am learning something about another culture when I read those books. The remodeling is still in limbo. Patience is my middle name these days.

>252 streamsong: I'm glad we're caught up again, Janet. I am really liking the audio version of David Copperfield although I do some of my reading in the old book I own. I have the ebook for backup. I've got all the bases covered! I am nearing the halfway point. My memories are mostly of David as a mistreated child so I'm glad that Aunt Betsey came to the rescue and saw that he continued his education. It's one of my favorite books by Dickens, although A Christmas Carol and Tale of Two Cities remain in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.

Btw, The Lion King was a big hit with my family. We had good seats. In fact, many of the characters entered the theatre directly behind our seats and meandered up to the stage. The girls liked having that personal contact. I almost jumped out of my seat at intermission when a friend tapped me on the shoulder. I just knew it was going to be one of those playful (and creepy) hyenas!

>253 thornton37814: Goodness, Lori, you sailed through that big book. Good job! I plan to carry it over into the first week of April.

Book No. 20: Among the Ruins by Ausma Zehanat Khan. Library, 357 pp., 3.7 stars.

"Digging into Zahra's death in Iran was nothing like carrying out a homicide investigtion in Toronto. He was on his own, he was carrying the weight of his past mistakes, he was outside his natural authority, and he admitted to himself he was afraid."

Detective Esa Khattak is on administrative leave and is reconnecting with his cultural heritage by visiting the gardens and mosques of Iran when he is approached by an undercover agent to help solve the murder of a world class filmmaker with dual Canadian/Iran citizenship who was trying to gain the release of her stepdaughter at the notorious Evin prison. His knowledge of Farsi is helpful, but he has no connections and no jurisdiction outside of Canada. My natural skepticism was aroused further when he turned to his partner Rachel Getty and she joined him in a very dangerous situation. There are lots of twists and turns in this convoluted plot, and I must admit that I had to go back to unravel some plot points. There is a large cast of characters with unfamiliar names. I should have made a list to help me keep the connections straight. It was worth the extra effort as this unique series continues to enrich my knowledge of Muslim traditions and, in this case, the culture and intense beauty of Iran.

I'm delighted to say that I just got my new copy of American Agent by Jaqueline Winspear from amazon yesterday. I'm a keen fan of Maisie Dobbs and I find that the books are nice break from reality and just plain enjoyable , at least for me. I'm sure I've seen Among the Ruins here in the library and also at the bookstores . I'll have to keep a better eye out for it at the library.

Hi Donna and thanks for the recommendation of the Esa Khattak series. It sounds intriguing, all the more so since my library seems to have some of the titles on audio! I've added it to my list, thanks.

>254 Donna828: >256 Donna828: My sister visited Iran with my niece last year and it did look very interesting when I was looking at her photos.

>257 vancouverdeb: Deborah, you are far ahead of me in the Maisie Dobbs series. I have lots of good reading (or in my case, listening) ahead of me.

>258 vivians: I really like the Khattak/Getty books on audio, Vivian. I got too bogged down in the pronunciations of names and places in the print version I just finished. I hope you enjoy them.

>259 SandDune: I think Iran would be a fascinating place to visit, Rhiann. Among the Ruins had some lovely descriptions of the scenery and historic sites. It was almost like reading a travelogue/mystery.

I think it's time to start my new thread. It's hard for me to believe that we are on the brink of a new quarter. I'm ready for spring. One of my favorite things to do is to sit in my porch swing and read a book while listening to the birds sing. One of these days…