BLBera's Reading in 2019 - Chapter 2

This book seems appropriate for February. It's one that Scout loves as well.

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

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

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

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

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

Favorites of 2018
Fiction


Nonfiction

Reading possibilities for 2019
My public library's "Open Books Reading Challenge"

A book adapted into a movie
A book with more than 500 pages
✅ A book with fewer than 100 pages - Mouse House
A book about the Women's Suffrage/Women's Rights movement
A book with a color in the title
✅ A book with multiple authors - Well-Read Black Girl
A book by or about a person from Africa
✅ A book originally published in a language other than English - In Search of Lost Books
✅ A book published n 2019 - The Dreamers
✅A book about religion - If the Oceans Were Ink
✅ A book of poetry - Felicity
A book about sports or athletes
A book on the Great American Read list
A book about art or an artist

My Book Club's selection for 2019
✅ Mothering Sunday
✅ Maisie Dobbs
✅ The Sympathizer
The Dark Circle
The Quiet Girl
Pachinko
My Own Words
Little Women
Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy
In the Woods
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The President's Hat

More reading possibilities for 2019
Last year, I read several selections from Electric Lit's recommendations by women of color. Here is their list for 2019:
https://electricliterature.com/48-books-by-women-and-nonbinary-authors-of-color-...

February
The Collected Schizophrenias
Lost Children Archive
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
Sea Monsters
The Atlas of Reds and Blues
I Am Yours by Reema Zaman
The Source of Self-Regard
Where Reasons End
On the Come Up

March
Good Talk
Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi
The Other Americans
The Old Drift
Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls
Dealing in Dreams
Forward ed. Megan Giddings

April
Trust Exercise
Miracle Creek
Sabrina & Corina
Walking on the Ceiling
The Body Papers

May
Queer Heroes
The Unpassing
Home Remedies by Xuan Juliana Wang
The Memory Police
The Bride Test

June
The Tenth Muse
Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn

July
Shapes of Native Nonfiction
The Wedding Party
The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

August
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
The Pretty One by Keah Brown
They Could Have Named Her Anything by Stephanie Jimenez
I'm Telling the Truth, But I'm Lying by Bassey Ikpi

Fall and Forward
How to Be Heard by Roxane Gay
Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
The Revisioners by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
Fairest by Meredith Talusan
Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Last of Her Name by Mimi Lok
Brown Album by Porochista Khakpour
Little Gods by Meng Jin
The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri

More reading possibilities for 2019
Shared reads:
February
✅ The Fire This Time with Twin
March
✅ The Sympathizer Twin, Ellen
April
Irma Voth - Twin
Frankenstein in Baghdad - Ellen?
June
Pachinko
July
The Luminaries - Ellen

Women's Fiction Prize Longlist
📘 The Silence of the Girls Pat Barker
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
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
📘 Ghost Wall Sarah Moss
Normal People Sally Rooney

Walter Scott Historical Fiction Prize
Little by Edward Carey
📘 A Long Way From Home by Peter Carey
After The Party by Cressida Connolly
📘 Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey
Dark Water by Elizabeth Lowry
Now We Shall Be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller
📘 Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
The Wanderers by Tim Pears
The Long Take by Robin Robertson
All The Lives We Never Lived by Anuradha Roy
Tombland by C J Sansom

Other recommendations
http://www.walterscottprize.co.uk/2019-academy-recommends-list-announced/

Currently reading:

2018 Reading Stats
Last year, I tried to do a monthly reading report, so I wouldn't have to compile a year's reading at the end. Here's a look at the year's reading:
2018 Reading Numbers*:
Read: 135
Fiction: 104
Nonfiction: 10
In translation: 6
Essays: 5
Poetry: 1
Short story collections: 4
Memoir: 2
Graphic novels: 2
Men: 28 - 21%
Women: 106 - 79%
Couple: 1

This year I would like to increase my poetry and nonfiction reading. I would also like to increase my reading of works in translation.
* If these numbers don't add up, it's probably an error in addition on my part.

Read in 2019
January
1. A Killer in King's Cove*
2. Well-Read Black Girl*
3. The Bus on Thursday
4. Winter* 💜
5. West
6. A Fatal Winter*
7. The Golden State
8. If the Oceans Were Ink*
9. Mothering Sunday* 💜
10. The Dreamers
11. Henrietta Who?*
12. In Search of Lost Books
13. Felicity*
14. Zuleikha*

January Reading Report
Books read: 14
By Women: 12
By Men: 2
Novels: 10
Poetry: 1
Nonfiction: 2
Essays: 1
In translation: 2

Library: 5
From my shelves: 9
- Ebooks: 2
- Physical copies: 7
- Gave away: 3

February
15. The Clockmaker's Daughter 💜
16. Maisie Dobbs* REREAD
17. Where the Crawdads Sing 💜
18. So Horrible a Place*
19. Corregidora*
20. Ghost Wall
21. The Fire This Time*
22. The Last Romantics 💜
23. The Auschwitz Violin*
24. Desire Lines*
25. Jordan Point*
26. The Talisman Ring*
27. Sing, Unburied, Sing* REREAD 💜
28. Weight of Light*

February Reading Report
Books read: 14
By women: 14
By men: 0
Novels: 12
Poetry: 1
Essays: 1
In translation: 1

Library: 4
From my shelves: 10
- Ebooks: 2
- Physical copies: 8
- Gave away: 3

* From my shelves

Read in 2019
March
29. The Round House* REREAD
30. The Great Believers
31. The Sympathizer*

Copied from Katie's thread (Thanks, Katie)
You must read this
A Catalog of Birds


This was one of my favorites from last year. It is underappreciated. My comments:

A Catalog of Birds is a beautiful, heartbreaking story of a family, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Set in 1970 at the height of the Vietnam War, this is the story of the Flynn family, especially the two youngest members, Billy and Nell. Billy returns from Vietnam badly wounded. His joy in nature is blunted by the extent of his injuries; he has trouble hearing the bird songs he loves and his right hand is so damaged that he can no longer draw. His younger sister Nell adores her brother and shares his love for nature; she does everything she can to bring him back.

Harrington's writing is lovely. She has a keen eye for the natural world: "She closes her yes and catalogues what she hears: water over stones, the creaking wallow of the rowboat. A cardinal, now two. Finch, eastern phoebe, common yellowthroat. The poplar leaves are the most distinct to her ear, but she can sort out the great pines and the swaying hemlocks." The family's struggles take place in a vividly portrayed place, and we see the world on the cusp of change.

Wonderful novel.

Happy new thread, Beth!

>10 BLBera: - Sounds great - onto the list...

Happy New one from me too Beth. >10 BLBera: The title sounds familiar, but I don't think I've read it - maybe I've seen it at the library?

Happy new thread, Beth!

Happy new thread :)

Happy new thread Beth. Great to have a peek at your reading plans!

Hello hello. I've been assaulted by the photo bandit. None of the book covers display. Tried that log-out then log-in thing. Didn't work for me. I think it's that Polar Vortex. Or the Russians.

>11 katiekrug: It was wonderful, Katie. Thanks for the great idea.

>12 charl08: Hi Charlotte - Or maybe you remember my rave about it? It was one of my favorites from last year.

>13 Carmenere:, >14 RebaRelishesReading:, >15 mdoris: Thanks Lynda,Reba, and Mary.

>16 weird_O: Hi Bill. I can see them, so I don't know what's happening. LT gremlins?

I can't see the cover images either. I'm wondering if it is browser specific. I'm using Chrome. What are others using and can you see them or not? (None show up in 6 or 10; one cover shows in 2)

Happy new thread!

>18 thornton37814: The cover images have been up and down over the last week or so. I think LT is making some infrastructure changes that aren't working as well as hoped. I've been able to fix it temporarily by logging out and then back in again.

>18 thornton37814: Hi Lori. Thanks. I can see all of mine, but I have been having problems with others' threads.

>19 drneutron: Thanks Jim. I hope this gets fixed soon. I've been ignoring it to this point.

Another thread! I love your "You must read this" post (and Katie's too). Did you ever get to The Water Cure? Right now I'm loving Normal People, not loving Melmoth and almost done with the fabulous Becoming. Just work that gets in the way.

Hi Vivian - My turn hasn't come for The Water Cure yet. I think I'm 4 or 5 on the list. I might cancel the hold; there are just too many books I am anxious to get to. I just picked up two from the library today, including Where the Crawdads Sing, which I have been waiting for.

I am waiting for Normal People as well.

Pesky work.

14. Zuleikha is a sprawling Russian novel supposedly inspired by stories from the author's grandmother. The exile of a rag tag group of people to the Siberian taiga makes for a good story. Zuleikha, a peasant woman from a Tatar village, and Ivan Ignatov, the commander of the settlement are the main characters, and we follow them from about 1930 to 1946. I was sorry to have to leave them at the end of the novel. Both were complex characters and through them we see the implacability and capriciousness of the Soviet bureaucracy -- although each is affected differently.

And the supporting cast of professionals, a doctor, and an artist, not to mention real criminals, add to the novel as well.

The setting is meticulously described, at times making it seem like a character in itself: "Death is everywhere here but death is simple, understandable, and wise, even just in its own way. Leaves and needles fall from the trees and rot in the earth, bushes break under a heavy bear paw and dry out, grass becomes quarry for a deer, just as a deer is quarry for a pack of wolves. Death is tightly, seamlessly interwoven with life, so it's not scary...No matter how terrible the peat fires rage in autumn, no matter how cold and harsh the winter is...Zuleikha knows that spring will come." This inhospitable country becomes a home of sorts to the characters.

Well done first novel.

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

I picked up two reserves from the library today, both of which have a gazillion people waiting for them. I decided to read The Clockmaker's Daughter first. I like Kate Morton, and I seem to be on a historical fiction binge right now.

Caldecott Medal winners - Scout and I have read two of them:
Winner:

Hello Lighthouse - I bought this for her birthday last year. She loves it.

Silver medal:

An ER book Alma and How She Got Her Name
We wrote the review together

A Catelogue of Birds was only $6 for Kindle, so I took a chance based on your recommendation and bought it.
I hope you aren’t suffering too much with the polar vortex!

>17 BLBera: Yes, that makes sense! D'oh! I'm going to have to order it seeing as the library doesn't have a copy.

>23 BLBera: Sold! Sounds fabulous Beth.

Fourteen books in January! Well done, you.

And Happy New Thread!

>25 BLBera: "We wrote the review together." ((((Scout))))

Hi Beth, I hope you are staying warm. We have been lucky here and are having a fairly mild winter with no snow yet although they are talking about a chance of snow flurries this weekend. I well remember living back east and shoveling snow and I am happy to have left that long behind me. I was all ready to add A Catalog of Birds to my wishlist but I see I must have taken a hit for it when you read it earlier as it's already there!

Happy new thread, Beth! I just looked up your review for Alma and How She Got Her Name :-)

Happy new thread!

>26 arubabookwoman: I think you will love it, Deborah. I hope all is well with you and your husband's treatment is going well.

>27 charl08: I'm always happy to add to others' TBR piles. :)

>28 brenzi: I really enjoyed it, Bonnie. It helped me put into context our current weather. We're above zero today!

>29 EBT1002: Today is a Scout day. She's been doing art and is now in her "clubhouse" taping art to the walls. I'll have to take a picture one of these days.

I can't believe I read 14 books in January - some of them were pretty short.

>30 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. You are lucky. Right now it's in the teens and sunny, so I am enjoying that. I wish more would read A Catalog of Birds; it's wonderful.

>31 susanj67: Well, Susan, how did we do?

>32 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel.

Happy new thread, Twin! Looks like you and MN made it thought the record-breaking cold snap. Phew! My sister said it was a doozy. I dug out my copy of The Fire This Time, but I probably won't start it for a few more days yet. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Happy new thread, Beth!

I'm one of those obsessive-compulsive people who won't use Amazon covers - if there's a member-uploaded cover that matches mine I use it, otherwise I upload my own. That way I always have an LT-based image link and the covers seems to show up. Not for everyone, definitely, but the time spent works for me. I'm slowly going back and getting rid of the Amazon covers for all my books.

I've made note of both titles and I'll keep an eye out for them.

>35 Berly: Yes, it was miserable. I'm just glad I had some snow days, so I stayed in as much as I could. I have my copy of The Fire This Time ready to go. It might be a few days for me as well.

>36 karenmarie: Thanks Karen. Hmm - so the Amazon covers are the problem?

>37 RidgewayGirl: Kay, you will like them, I think.

I am reading The Clockmaker's Daughter, and it is excellent historical fiction -- at least for the first 100 pages.

Glad to hear it is warming up (relatively speaking) there, Beth. Sounded miserable!

Happy new thread! Hope you are having a great weekend

Hi Roni and Chelle. I'm just happy for warmer weather.

Scout and I went to the library yesterday. We came home with 14 books, all of which she wanted to take home. She is loving a rather disgusting series Fly Guy, which is about a boy and his pet fly. She also picked some Berenstain Bears books. She said she likes them because Brother and Sister Bear are naughty.

Three picture books that she really liked were: Florette, A House That Once Was and The Christmas Day Kitten.

They had giant cut-outs of Annie and Jack from the Magic Treehouse series, so she took home a couple of those as well.

Sounds like a very successful library trip there, Beth.

I just went in to my local branch today to swop some books: they've got some great displays at the moment, from Costa award winners to library users' favourites. Hope you have a good weekend!

I always liked the books with naughty children, too *grin*

I hope you're feeling better, Charlotte. It does sound like a good display. We noticed yesterday that they have done some painting in our library. It looks really cheerful.

Kate, I'm shocked. :)

Happy Saturday, Beth. Happy New Thread. I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Much better today. Working on getting rid of all this snow. Hope the books are treating you well.

>42 BLBera: Beth, I am such a big fan of The Christmas Day Kitten and all of James Herriots books. Every time I read it there is not a dry eye in the house. Have you seen his other children's books, stunningly illustrated by Ruth Brown? They are all wonderful.

Hi Mark - Stay warm and dry.

Hi Mary - Maybe I heard about the Herriot on your thread. I read his books for adults years ago, but I wasn't familiar with his children's books. Scout really liked the kitten one. I'll look for others because she loves her animals.

Checking in on the new thread, Beth!

Good to know that The Clockmaker's Daughter is good so far. I have it in my TBR pile. 14 books in January. Great going! Happy New thread!

Happy New Thread, Beth! You are a reading machine!!
I'm currently reading Zuleikha (100+ a few pages in), and your review makes me hope that I'll like it more than I do right now. So far I'm finding it a page-turning story, but not much more. (There's nothing wrong with a page-turning story, I might add.) With her awards and nominations for awards, I was hoping for more depth. I'll see. Meanwhile, I'll say that I had no idea that the Tatars were Muslim. Where have I been????
As to getting rid of stuff - my cousin and I were talking about it just today. In his family home we have DH's grandmother's stuff, his parents' stuff, his dead sister's stuff, and our stuff sort of floating on top. Unless we get busy, our nieces and nephew will have a hard time of it when we die. I ought, at least, to start getting rid of my 1970 and 80s mysteries. *groan*

Hi Stasia - I'm still here.

The Clockmaker's Daughter is excellent, Deborah.

Hardly a reading machine, Peggy. Several of my January reads were pretty short, and I was on break for the first half. I hope you end up liking Zuleikha more as you continue. And it seemed to me that Zuleikha was partly Muslim - she believed in gods of the forest, etc. Culturally, though, she seemed to practice Islam. I found that part very interesting.

Oh, stuff. We all have it. I tend to try to go through drawers and closets in the summer when I have more time.

15. The Clockmaker's Daughter is outstanding historical fiction. When Elodie Winslow, an archivist finds a Victorian portrait and an artist's notebook, the tale begins. Kate Morton weaves together a story of a Victorian artist and his model, a WWI veteran, a murder and a theft of a priceless diamond, WWII evacuees. Birchwood Manor is the place that connects the stories -- and Elodie -- to the artifacts she finds. Although the real star of this novel is our ghost narrator, Birdie Bell.

When a novel tells a number of stories, there's always the danger that some stories are more compelling than others. That is not the case here. Morton injects personality and life into each of the characters, and each plays a part in the final solution of the mystery. As Birdie tells us, "People value shiny stones and lucky charms, but they forget that the most powerful talismans of all are the stories that we tell to ourselves and to each other." Morton tells a wonderful story here.

>53 BLBera: I bought that one earlier this year. I will have to move it up the stack!

It is great, Stasia. It's long, but it is hard to put down, and to really do justice to the storylines, I think Morton needs every page.

Just strolling through, checking that all is in order.

Carry on, Beth.

>53 BLBera: That one is already on my radar. Glad to see you really enjoyed it.

Found you! I enjoy Kate Morton's books. I'll join the library waitlist for this one.

Happy new thread, Beth! I loved The Clockmaker's Daughter, but than, I have yet to hate any of Kate Morton's books that I have read. ;-)

Another BB, thanks Beth! ;)

>56 weird_O: Thanks for checking, Bill.

>57 thornton37814: It was great Lori.

>58 japaul22: Hi Jennifer. Welcome! I think I've read all of Morton's books and this is my favorite. I had to wait for it, but it was worth it.

>59 lkernagh: I know that I had seen someone rave about it, Lori. It must have been you.

>60 vivians: I was thinking of you, Vivian, as I was reading. I think you will love this.

The Fire This Time

"The Weight" talks about going to see James Baldwin's home in France, among other things. A couple of things struck me about this essay. First, she talks about getting to know Baldwin while working as an intern at a magazine. She was the first black intern and her comments about that reminded me of Michelle Obama's comments about being the black first family, how one feels the weight to be better. Baldwin's home it seems was scheduled to be torn down, which distresses Ghansah until she realizes that we don't need physical artifacts to remember him; we have his words. I really liked this one.

>62 BLBera: I need to nudge this volume up Beth.

Yes, I was sad they were going to demolish his home. But we find him in his books most vividly, and there are recordings and interviews, but there is something about place. I like to pilgrimage to the places my 'dead friends' have lived. My 'dead friends' are creatives I love, a friend named them that as she says I talk about them as if they have just left the room: Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, Jimmy, to name those who have been with me since my early teens.

I've yet to read anything by Kate Morton but you've got me interested in The Clockmaker's Daughter Beth.

Happy newish thread, Beth.

>63 Caroline_McElwee: Caroline - There is something about place. I love the way you speak about your "dead friends." You would like the essay, I think.

>64 brenzi: I think you would love it, Bonnie. It was excellent.

>65 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul.

I see things are still in good order. But I do enjoy checkin' in and eavesdropping on the chat. My wife's sister has sent her a couple of Kate Morton books. I haven't been tempted. Sorry. Reading Prof. LePore now, with Little Women glowering at me from the wings. You know, for the 2019 AAC.

Glad to see you liked The Clockmaker's Daughter. I'm anxious to read it, hopefully later this year.

>67 weird_O: Check in as often as you like, Bill.

>68 aktakukac: I really enjoyed it, Rachel. If you like historical fiction, I think you will like it as well. It has been popular in my library - there are 40 people still waiting for it.

I've picked up A Catalog of Birds: already gripped. Thanks for the recommendation!

>53 BLBera: Ohhhh, this sounds so good! I've enjoyed Morton's The House at Riverton and The Lake House, so I suspect I'll like The Clockmaker's Daughter as well, especially given your positive description!

>70 charl08: You are welcome, Charlotte. I'll take credit as long as you love it.

>71 Cait86: It's the best thing Morton has written, in my opinion, Cait. And I also loved the ones you mentioned.

It's wonderful, Beth! I am already trying to work out who to press it on first...

>53 BLBera: Looks like I'll be adding The Clockmaker's Daughter to my list. I already have a couple of her earlier books on my shelf. I've only read The House at Riverton.

The Clockmaker's Daughter sounds great! I've read The House at Riverton but that's the only Morton. I think I have another one or two on my Kindle, though...

Added The Clockmaker's Daughter to the WL!!

>73 charl08: I know, right? I would like to see it get a lot more love.

>74 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli. Happy Friday. I've liked all her books, but this one is by far the best one.

>75 katiekrug: I think you'll like it, Katie. Have you read Maisie Dobbs? Would you like a copy? I just reread it for my book club, and I will be looking for a new home for it.

>76 Berly: You'll love it, Twin, guaranteed! Happy Friday. Well, I'm off to read another essay!. :)

16. Maisie Dobbs is an excellent mystery set in the years after WWI. Winspear vividly shows the wounds of the war. Maisie was a nurse and everyone she knows has lost someone. And not all the wounds are visible. This is a reread for me and I'll see what my book club thinks of it, especially since Mothering Sunday was our last book.

One thing that we see in Maisie is how the war provoked a massive change in the class system. Servants who left to serve never returned. And people like Maisie had a chance to improve her lot in life.

Next: Where the Crawdads Sing,

>77 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth, but I have read Maisie Dobbs. Glad you enjoyed it. I thought it was fine but decided it was not a series I wanted to continue.

>77 BLBera: But also heart a bit broken. I know that's the sign of a good book, but still. I want the happy ending option!

>79 katiekrug: OK Katie. I will find a home for it.

>80 charl08: I know, Charlotte. But didn't it seem inevitable?

Another snow day! This Feb. is turning out to be one big snow day.

>78 BLBera: That is a series I need to pick up again. Thanks for the reminder, Beth.

No problem, Stasia. I'm happy to add to your TBR pile.

Happy "newish" thread! My RL BG just read Kate Morton's The Secret Keeper. I'm adding The Clockmaker's Daughter to the TBR list.

Did your BG like The Secret Keeper, Karen? I've enjoyed all of the books by Morton that I've read, but The Clockmaker's Daughter will stay with me the longest.

"Lonely in America" by Wendy Walters is another essay from The Fire This Time. In it, she describes feeling lonely, but at first she attributes it to the end of a relationship. However, after a visit to New Orleans after Katrina, she realizes "my loneliness had deeper roots than I had initially suspected, and that, in addition to personal disappointments, it came from having a profound sense of disconnection from what I thought America was, and who, in that context, I knew myself to be."

She discusses the fact that slavery existed in New England, although many Africans were referred to as "servants." Still their burial grounds were separate and often paved or built over.

I read The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton some years ago and I've got The ClockMaker's Daughter in hardcover in my TBR . I'm delighted that you enjoyed it. I'll move it up the TBR pile. As you likely know, I'm a big fan of Maisie Dobbs and I'm looking forward to her newest book that is out sometime later this year. I'm not sure of the month , off hand.

>53 BLBera: I saw that in a bookshop recently and wondered about it. I'll add it to the wish list.

Enjoy Where the Crawdads Sing!! (I hope I haven't hyped it too much.)

>86 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I'm a little behind on the Maisie Dobbs series, but that just means I have more reading enjoyment ahead.

>87 EBT1002: No worries about Where the Crawdads Sing - I am loving it. It's beautiful.

So glad you're enjoying Where the Crawdads Sing. I'm still thinking about it a lot. I'm next in the library queue for The Clockmaker's Daughter and I'm looking forward to it.

Beth, i am loving your topper in >1 BLBera:, the blue of Snow. We woke up to snow this morning which is unusual here on the coast.

Vivian - I think you will love The Clockmaker's Daughter. Where the Crawdads Sing is beautiful. I love all the description, and Kya is an unforgettable character. The book is living up to its hype.

>90 mdoris: Mary: We have been waking up to snow about every other day, which is not unusual, but I am ready for spring. I love the Shulevitz book

17. Where the Crawdads Sing is the lyrical story of Kya Clark, the Marsh Girl. Kya's mother leaves the family when Kya is six and is soon followed by her siblings. She finds herself along most of the time, nurtured by the life in the marshlands. More than anything else, this novel portrays the beauty of the disappearing marshlands on this isolated stretch of North Carolina coast. Owens writes: "A great blue heron is the color of gray mist reflecting in blue water. And like mist, she can fade into the backdrop, all of her disappearing except the concentric circles of her lock-and-load eyes."

The description is breathtaking, and this story is one that will stick with me for a while. Raves about it are well deserved.

Hi Twin--Glad you are enjoying your reads--stay well!

Wow, I will have to look for Where the Crawdads Sing.

Beth, I just put Snow on my reserve list. With thanks!

Like Rhonda, I'm adding this to my list. Thanks Beth!

Wahhhh I have so many people ahead of me for Where the Crawdads Sing. I'll get it at some point.

>93 Berly: Thanks Twin - I have a cough and scratchy throat right now, hoping it doesn't get worse.

>94 banjo123: You will like it, Rhonda.

>95 mdoris: Mary, it is delightful. Scout and I have read it over and over and we still love it.

>96 charl08: I think you'll like, Charlotte. The description and sense of place is amazing.

>97 brenzi: I had to wait a long time to get it as well, Bonnie. I think when I started I was 40 something on the list.

I woke up to more snow today. I must ask the weather gods to send some to Susan.

From The Fire This Time:

An essay by Isabel Wilkerson points out that black progress has always been followed by setbacks. She points out that the police killings of black men teaches us that "the journey is far from over and that we must know our history to gain strength for the days ahead. We lost love ourselves even if -- and perhaps especially if -- others do not. We must keep our faith even as we work to make our country live up to its creed. And we must know deep in our bones and in our hearts that if the ancestors could survive the Middle Passage, we can survive anything."

"'The Dear Pledges of Our Love': A Defense of Phillis Wheatley's Husband" by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers is an interesting essay detailing the lack of information about Phillis Wheatley's life. Most of what we know about her comes from a biography written 50 years after her death by a white woman. Jeffers says that "It is distressing that, in 176 years, scholars have not questioned Odell's right to speak for Phillis Wheatley. This blind trust continues the disturbing historical trend of African Americans, and black women in particular, needing white benefactors to justify their lives and history.

This essay is fascinating, especially for those who do research.

>99 BLBera: I was appalled that Odell claimed to be a relative, supposedly entitling her to comment on Wheatley's history, but that claim can not now be justified. Also, it appears she got the dates all wrong and may have totally misconstrued Wheatley's relationship with her husband. Grrrr.

>100 Berly: I'm with you, Twin. I hope modern scholarship can look at some of these older claims and come closer to the truth.

18. So Horrible a Place is another entry in the Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard series. Entertaining view of the making of a film. The end was a little pat, but Ingrid and Patrick are as enjoyable as ever.

Hi Beth! Lately I seem to be way behind on threads; on the other hand, I’ve gotten lots of good books read. Looks like you have, too.

>38 BLBera: I don’t know if it’s just Amazon covers or not, but none of my LT-based linked images ever fails to show up. I import everything I want to display to LT and it seems to work.

Hi Karen - Yes, I am also very behind. Lots of schoolwork right now, so I don't think things will change.

From The Fire This Time, Carol Anderson's essay "White Rage," claims that every time African Americans make progress, there is a backlash, "...the election of Obama gave hope to the country and the world that a new racial climate had emerged in America, or that it would. But such audacious hopes would be short-lived. A rash of voter-suppression legislation, a series of unfathomable Supreme Court decisions, the rise of stand-your-ground laws, and continuing police brutality make clear that Obama's election and reelection have unleashed yet another wave of fear and anger." And look what we have.

I also enjoyed Jesmyn's essay about DNA testing and how it validated her family's stories about where they come from. It also complicates her ideas about identity.

My students are starting Sing, Unburied, Sing and The Round House. I've never used Sing, Unburied, Sing, so we'll see what the response to that one is.

To celebrate Black History month, I'm going to read my ER book Corregidora, which I have never read.

Hi Beth. I also won Corregidora through ER. Look forward to your thoughts on it...

Strong start, Katie. Not, I think, a happy book, though.

We had another snow day today. We've had about ten inches, which brings us about 20 inches above normal snowfall for the year. My wonderful SIL stopped by and cleared my driveway this morning, but I think another inch has fallen. I'll go out later and clean up.

I loved the only book I've read by Jesmyn, which was her memoir (the name of it slips my mind at the moment). It was quite haunting what she (and many other people) have to go through. Seemed like a real-life version of The Hate U Give.

Her fiction is wonderful, Rachel. I think you'd like it. I've yet to read the memoir. I'm reading a collection of essays edited by her now. Speaking of which...

From The Fire This Time:

A great poem by Clint Smith called "Queries of Unrest"

Maybe I come from the gap
between my father's teeth.
Maybe I was meant to see a little
bit of darkness every time he smiled.

Maybe I was meant to understand that
darkness magnifies the sight of joy.
Maybe I come from where the sidewalk
ends, or maybe I just read that in a book once.
It can be hard to tell the difference sometimes.

Maybe that's because when I was a kid
a white boy told me I was marginalized
and all I could think of was the edge
of a sheet of paper, how empty it is--
the abyss I was told never to write into.

Maybe I'm scared of writing another poem
that makes people roll their eyes
and say,"another black poem."
Maybe I'm scared people won't think
of the poem as a poem, but as a cry for help.

Maybe the poem is a cry for help.

Maybe I come from a place where people
are always afraid of dying.
Maybe that's just what I tell myself
so I don't feel so alone in this body.
Maybe there's a place where everyone is both
in love with and running from their own skin.
Maybe that place is here.

Maybe that's why I'm always running from
the things that love me. Maybe I'm trying
to save them the time of burying darkness
when all they have to do is close their eyes.

More from The Fire This Time:

"Blacker than Thou" an essay by Kevin Young about black identity and why people want to do things like blackface -- a bit timely this one. The reason he wrote it was when Rachel Dolezal was discovered to be passing as black when she wasn't. Young posits various ideas why white people pose as black in this entertaining essay and says, "When you are black, you don't have to look like it, but you do have to look at it. Or look around. Blackness is the face in the mirror, a not-bad-looking one, that for no reason at all some people uglify or hate on or wish ill for, to, about. Sometimes any lusting after it gets to be a drag too."

>110 BLBera: Hi Twin--I loved that poem , too, and wrote an excerpt on my thread. Guess I better get going and catch up to you again!

Winter is almost over....winter is almost over....

>112 Berly: Hold that thought, Twin. I know I saw the poem on your thread, but I thought it was good enough to copy here, too. The Young essay was pretty good.

We're zipping through this book, just in time for the March The Sympathizer read. :)

>110 BLBera: Excellent, Clint Smith poem. I really need to get to The Fire This Time. I love Ward.

Hi, Beth. I am so glad you loved Crawdads. It also caught me by surprise. Sorry, I will miss you on Friday. It looks like I will finally get to meet Rachel and Erik.

>108 The_Hibernator: was it Men We Reaped? That was a powerful book.

Hi Beth!

>92 BLBera: That one is already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again!

Great comments about and excerpts from The Fire This Time.

Beth, I envy your students getting to read some contemporary fiction with your guidance. It also gives you a chance to dig in a little deeper in some great books. Win win!

Happy Valentine's Day!! ❤️💚💗💙

>114 msf59: Mark, raise one for me on Friday. I would have tried to join, but I have been sick and don't want to spread germs around.

>115 lauralkeet: Hi back, Laura. I haven't read that one yet. It's on the list.

>116 alcottacre: That's a good thing, right Stasia?

>117 RidgewayGirl: Thanks Kay. The collection is a little uneven, but overall I am enjoying it.

>118 Donna828: Thanks Donna. I would like to say my students agree, but I think most of them feel I am a big pain for requiring them to read and think.

>119 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. I had forgotten.

Happy weekend, Twin!! Hope you are feeling better.

Stay warm!

>121 Berly: Thanks Twin. I thought I was getting better, but I still have coughing spells. Sigh. It's exhausting. At least I have a long weekend.

>122 weird_O: Thanks Bill. It's really not too bad here today - we're in the plus temps anyway. :)

From The Fire this Time:
"Black and Blue" by garnet Cadogan is an essay about walking. I loved this one because I am an avid walker. Cadogan talks about his experience walking growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, walking while in college in New Orleans, and walking in New York City. It may surprise us to learn that walking in Jamaica was much safer than walking in the US. As Cadogan notes: "Walking while black restricts the experience of walking, renders inaccessible the classic Romantic experience of walking alone."

I'm not familiar with Cadogan, but I will look for his work. The essay reminds of one by Brent Staples, "Just Walk on By," which is widely anthologized.

Scout story:

Scout wanted to write a note to her dad that read: "Dear Dad, You are the sweetest dad. You are so good to me and to the dogs, at least to Charlie."

I guess he doesn't love Lola, the other dog, as much. She wanted to put money into the card. I told her to get money from her clubhouse stash(she charges for admission and it has to be "paper" money). She looked at me and smiled, "Tita, I know you have money. You're not homeless."

Love the Scout Story, Beth. Smart cookie.

Caroline, I can't believe how fast she is growing up. I try to treasure each moment with her.

>125 BLBera: So cute!

Hi Beth! I love the Scout story :-) And the fact that she has a clubhouse in one of your closets :-)

19. Corregidora is a raw, powerful story about the endurance of memory. Ursa Corregidora, the title character is descended from slave women who were raped by their slave owner, who fathered both her grandmother and mother. They tell Ursa the story over and over again, so that it will never be forgotten: "My great-grandmama told my grandmama the part she lived through that my grandmama didn't live through and my grandmama told my mama what they both lived through and my mama told me what they all lived through and we were suppose to pass it down like that from generation to generation so we'd never forget."

Ursa doesn't forget, and her relationships with men are scarred by the memories. Even her singing is informed by the memories and she notes that when she performs she is often considered a commodity. The story of her life is the story of her trying to come to terms with this past. Her relationship with Mutt, her husband, reminds me of Tea Cake and Janie's relationship in Their Eyes Were Watching God.

This novel, with its uncensored memories and raw language, is powerful. Ursa's story will stay with me for a long time.

>128 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. She is a lot of fun.

>129 susanj67: Hi Susan - She creates forts all over the house. It usually takes me all weekend to put things back so she can rearrange them again on Friday! In fact, she told me Friday that I was to leave her Lego pieces where she put them.

The Fire This Time:
"The Condition of Black Lives Is One of Mourning" by Claudia Rankine
Rankine does not mince words. This essay talks about how a black mother has to fear for her child's life every time they leave the house:
"The Charleston murders alerted us to the reality that a system so steeped in anti-black racism means that on any given day it can be open season on any black person -- old or young, man, woman, or child. There exists no equivalent reality for white Americans. We can distance ourselves from this fact until the next horrific killing, but we won't be able to outrun it."

Hi Beth! I just finished Corregidora as well. A tough read, but I am really glad I requested it.

>133 banjo123: I agree, Rhonda. I can't believe I never read it before. Poor Ursa.

Hi Beth! Oh, you got me with The Clockmaker's Daughter and Where the Crawdads Sing. You always recommend the best books.

I cannot BELIEVE that Scout is registering for school. Callia just turned 20, though, so apparently time really does fly!

Hi Beth. Corregidora sounds like a very intense read but one that I think I want to read, especially since I recently read Their Eyes Were Watching God.

>53 BLBera: The Clockmaker's Daughter is on my TBR list.

Sending sunny greetings from Davos.

Thanks Anne - My kids' book collection has gotten huge, thanks to you, so I am happy to add to your WL. I hope you like them. I can't believe MY baby will be 36 this year.

Hi Judy - Glad your computer woes are over. If you liked Their Eyes Were Watching God, I think you'll like this one.

Hi Barbara. Take care skiing.

20. Ghost Wall - Creepy and disturbing are two words that come to mind when I think about this short novel. Moss really knows how to create an atmosphere. The cover should have clued me in -- it fits well.

Silvie, her parents, and a group of university students and their professor are reenacting Iron Age life for two weeks. What could go wrong? Told from Silvie's point of view, we get a picture of a home life that is seriously disturbed. As the weather gets hotter, tempers flare, and the atmosphere becomes more menacing. When they build a ghost wall, at first the students ridicule it, but Silvie finds it strangely authentic: "They made drumming, as the eastern sky darkened and stars prickled above the band of pale cloud. They made chanting, and I found myself joining in, heard my voice rise clear, hold its notes, above their low incantation. We sat on the ground before our raised bone-faces, sang to them as they gleamed moonlit into the darkness. We sang of death, and it felt true."

There seems to be power in these ancient rites that perhaps shouldn't be played with. Very creepy. Moss can set a stage. This is my first work by her, but I will pick up more of her work.

Next, I need something less dark, I think.

I just started Ghost Wall last night and I have The Clockmaker's Daughter going for my commute. Thanks for the great recommendations!

You are welcome, Vivian. I'll watch for your comments on both of them. I imagine you'll finish Ghost Wall pretty quickly.

Hi Beth!

>125 BLBera: Great story.

Slavery and rape, creepy and dark. What about a Heyer, given our discussion on my thread?

That sounds like a good idea, Karen.

>92 BLBera: I’m hearing nothing but good things about this one.

>125 BLBera: Love the Scout story!

>139 BLBera: While waiting for my library hold, I happened to pick this up off the Express shelf last week. I only read the first page or so and decided it was way too dark for me that day! I still have my hold (frozen now) but I’m not so sure about wanting to read it now.

Hi Joanne - Where the Crawdads Sing is a good one. I think you'd like it.

Scout is fun. I'm going to watch her swimming lessons later today.

I liked Ghost Wall, Joanne, but it is creepy. Moss is very descriptive.

>2 BLBera: I have a ticket to hear Kamila Shamsie in the series 'Writers on Art' at Tate Britain at the end of the month. I'm looking forward to it Beth.

That sounds wonderful, Caroline. I would love to hear her speak. I've loved both books by her that I've read.

I've already got Ghost Wall on my Overdrive list Beth. I love dark novels so I think I'll probably like this one.

Good to see that you liked The Clockmaker's Daughter, Beth. I checked my books to make sure that I had that one and found out that I have another one by Morton, The Forgotten Garden. Hmm, I wonder where I put that one?

You got me with a BB for Ghost Wall so I am now on the library hold waiting list for that.

>139 BLBera: great review of Ghost Wall. That scene you quoted made my heart pound; at that point in the book the tension was quite palpable. It is indeed dark.

Trying to avoid adding to the TBR list and failing miserably. I love that Scout has dens all over your house. Sounds like lots of fun. I am going to miss Shamsie by one day: talk about bad timing for a trip! Looks marvellous. (>146 Caroline_McElwee:) I have the four books she put together for Penguin as 'women writers', and I really like her intro to them. Hoping she picks more (and that Penguin supports her to republish them).

>151 charl08: What a shame Charlotte, we could have had an LT meet-up!

You and @lauralkeet have reminded me that I haven't read anything by Sarah Moss for ages. Will look for Ghost Wall at the library.

Oh my goodness, visitors. Well, instead of grading, I'll talk to my friends. :)

>148 brenzi: I think you'll consume this in one sitting, Bonnie. I'm not usually a fan of dark, but I found this very compelling.

>149 Familyhistorian: I'm always happy to spread the BBs around, Meg. :) I've enjoyed all the Morton books that I've read, but The Clockmaker's Daughter was my favorite.

>150 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I think that scene made the finale plausible.

>151 charl08: Hah! Happy to add books to your list, Charlotte. It's only fair. You get me with your reviews every week! Too bad you and Caroline don't get a meet up.

>152 Caroline_McElwee: What a missed opportunity. We'll have to have one next time I visit.

>153 souloftherose: Hi Heather. This was my first by Moss. Which others would you recommend?

Just delurking to say hi and keep warm, Beth!

>139 BLBera: I really enjoyed Ghost Wall as well. In fact, I've enjoyed everything by Sarah Moss that I've read so far.

>155 ronincats: Hi Roni - Lurk all you want!

>156 SandDune: Hi Rhian. What else by Moss have you read? I do have a couple of books by her on my shelf.

21. The Fire This Time is a collection of essays inspired by James Baldwin's essays in The Fire Next Time. While several of the writers mention Baldwin directly, many invoke his ideas indirectly. I found the collection a bit uneven, which is normal with any anthology, but overall I learned from the collection and would recommend it. I even found a couple of writers whose work I would like to explore: Kiese Laymon and Garnette Cadogan.

Edwidge Danticat's words to her daughters seem to be a fitting closing to the collection. She writes to them, "Please know that there will be times when some people might be hostile or even violent to you for reasons that have nothing to do with your beauty, your humor, or your graces, but only your race and the color of your skin. Please don't let this restrict your freedom, break your spirit, or kill your joy. And if possible do everything you can to change the world so that your generation of brown and black men, women, and children will be the last who experience all this."

In keeping with Black History Month, I'm going to start another collection of essays by Toni Morrison: The Source of Self-Regard.

Beth, I read Kiese Laymon's memoir, Heavy last year, and it was excellent.

>159 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I'll add it to the list.

>157 BLBera: I've read her novels Cold Earth which I really enjoyed, and also Signs for Lost Children, also good. And I've also read Names for the Sea, a non-fiction account of the year she spent in Iceland.

Thanks Rhian. I have Cold Earth, so that will be the next Moss I'll read.

>158 BLBera: I love that quote from Danticat. It made me tear up.

It was a wonderful essay, Reba.

22. The Last Romantics is the story of the Skinner family, especially the siblings: Renee, Caroline, Joe and Fiona. When Fiona is four years old, their father dies unexpectedly. Their mother retires to her bedroom for "the Pause," as the siblings later call it. Renee, the oldest, takes over, and somehow the children survive.

The story of the siblings is told by Fiona, almost a hundred years later. She is a renowned, elderly poet and starts to tell the story in response to a question about the inspiration of her most famous poem, a love poem. This framing device is the weakest part of the novel. Supposedly there is some environmental catastrophe going on, but this storyline is not developed and it hardly seems necessary to the story.

The characters are alive, and the author treats them with an affection that I also felt by the end of the novel. As Fiona says, when telling the story of her family, "What I wanted to say...was that the greatest works of poetry, what makes each of us a poet, are the stories we tell about ourselves. We create them out of family and blood and friends and love and hate..."

Anyone who likes family sagas and doesn't mind shedding a tear will love this novel. Conklin, in her acknowledgment, says it was inspired by a family tragedy, which could account for the emotion of the novel.

Next: The Auschwitz Violin, one from my shelves.

And the Book Bullets keep on coming! I came to thank you for putting Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman in my sights, I really loved that book and now I go away adding The Last Romantics to my list!

Happy to send book bullets your way, Judy. I get enough from you, so it's only fair.

23. The Auschwitz Violin is a slim novel about one man's effort to keep his humanity in the face of unspeakable violence. Daniel, a violin maker by trade, is given the task of making a violin for the commander. As he works on it, Daniel realizes that there is still good in him: "...he marveled that his heart had not completely died, that he could still feel for others, that compassion for other men could spring from him like a tiny blade of grass emerging not from some wasteland but form the rich earth."

Each chapter begins with genuine Nazi documents that are absolutely gruesome.

Daniel's story is told simply, without drama, which makes it all the more memorable. I think about all the lives and talents lost. Beautiful little book.

>165 BLBera: - Ooh, that one sounds good!

>165 BLBera: sounds like a "for sure" to me.

I just read that the Women's Prize longlist will be revealed on March 4th....There goes my TBR mountain! The Last Romantics sounds great.

>169 katiekrug: I think you'd like it, Katie.

>170 RebaRelishesReading: Give it a try, Reba.

>171 vivians: Oh! Something to look forward to. March 4 seems early -- any predictions? I think you would like The Last Romantics, Vivian.

>168 BLBera: I read that a few years ago Beth. It is a sad but beautiful book.

>165 BLBera: I have an arc of The Last Romantics and keep meaning to start it! I’m glad you liked it.

Beth, I can't catch up - didn't even try - but I can speak. Hope you get some time off from grading and planning this weekend. Read and enjoy Scout!

>173 Caroline_McElwee: That is a perfect description, Caroline.

>174 Copperskye: You should read it, Joanne. It's very moving.

>175 LizzieD: I know the feeling, Peggy. Thanks.

24. Desire Lines is by Christina Baker Kline, and since I loved Orphan Train and A Piece of the World, I thought I would give this a try. It's a much earlier work by her, and forgettable.

Kathryn Campbell's best friend disappeared on the night of their high school graduation, and ten years later, she still hasn't been able to get past the time. No one ever found out what happened. She returns to her childhood home after a divorce, and gets drawn into writing about the ten-year anniversary of the disappearance. The only thing that really kept me reading was finding out what happened. Not much in terms of character development or originality here. I think Kline should stick to historical fiction.

>177 BLBera: Thanks for the review. I was wondering about that one as I have read Orphan Train and really enjoyed it. I will steer clear of this one.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks Anita. A Piece of the World is much better.

Hey Beth! I also read The Last Romantics and thought it very well written. I'm not the greatest fan of family drama but I would not mind reading more by Conklin. Very talented writer!
Have a wonderful weekend!

Snow picture?

>180 Carmenere: I'm with you, Lynda. Family drama doesn't always work for me, but this one was well done, I thought.

>181 katiekrug: Here you are, Katie. The piles at the end of the driveway my height, 5'5", for your reference. We're expecting another foot tonight. I have no idea where I'm going to put it! It's warm today, and some has melted. I can't wait for it to refreeze with 30 mph winds tonight.

Ooo lots of snow Beth. Time to stay snug inside and read. We've had an almost Spring-like day here, in contrast.

No spring here, yet, Caroline.


So, this is Scout's art from yesterday. I laughed. I guess this has been a common theme lately. No, her mom is NOT expecting a baby.

>184 BLBera: she certainly looks like she's expecting a baby lol.

Well you got me wiithout even meaning to Beth. I still haven't read Orphan Train and it's sitting on my shelf. Im going to try harder to get to it soonish.

>158 BLBera: I hope to get to The Fire This Time next month.

Happy Saturday, Beth. The Last Romantics sounds really good. It is firmly on the list. Sorry, to hear about your ridiculous amount of snow. We just had rain here, all day. So tired of winter...sighs.

>182 BLBera: - *jaw drops*

>182 BLBera: Yikes, that's a lot of snow. I will stopping complaining right now about ours.

>177 BLBera: I too liked Orphan Train and A Piece of the World but Mt. TBR will be glad I won't be adding Desire Lines.

>184 BLBera: Lol! That certainly looks like a pregnant mother :)
So cute. I love kids pictures

>184 BLBera: Cute!

Have a lovely weekend, Beth

>185 brenzi: I really liked Orphan Train, Bonnie. My book club read it. One member had a family member who was an orphan who came west on the train.

>186 msf59: Hi Mark -I think you'll like both books.

>187 katiekrug: It's really coming down now, Katie; we're expecting another foot tonight.

>188 mdoris: Yes, Mary we are all tired of snow around here.

Yikes! your area was really dumped on! I hope it warms up quickly and you'll see green grass soon enough. We are getting lots of rain and wind but the temps are in the low 50's so, thankfully, no snow :)

>182 BLBera: OMG! That is an insane amount of snow, Beth. I hope it stops soon!

>165 BLBera: That one looks good. The library doesn't have it but they do have her first one, The House Girl, so I might try that while I wait.

Stay warm!

>189 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I think you can safely skip it.

>190 LovingLit: Megan, it is pretty hilarious. My daughter said if she's drawing these at school, she should probably explain that she IS NOT expecting a baby.

>191 PaulCranswick: Thanks Pau. I hope your weekend has been lovely.

>193 Carmenere: And we've been dumped on again. The wind is howling right now, but I've got to get out and shovel at some point.

>194 susanj67: I would gladly share some of this with you, Susan. I haven't read The House Girl, either, but I'm anxious to pick it up after reading The Last Romantics.

25. Jordan Point is the last book in the Bay Tanner series. When a high school friend comes to town and asks for Bay's help, Bay can't turn her down. However, what starts as a case of possible domestic abuse soon becomes complicated (as usual), and Bay ends up wondering how much she can trust her clients.

I have enjoyed these mysteries set in Hilton Head. I love the cover of this one. This was a good end to the series.

Crumbs, it took me ages to work out the photo with all the snow, I think because I couldn't work out such a high level of it. Any chance the weather people are predicting a respite?

Hi Beth!

Way too much snow, for sure. I'm assuming the melty bits did freeze? I hope you have a good day, most likely indoors.

>184 BLBera: Wishful thinking on Scout's part?

>154 BLBera: For Sarah Moss recommendations, Cold Earth sounds a bit similar to Ghost Wall - it's about a team of archaeologists in Greenland who lose contact with the wider world after hearing reports of a pandemic and start to wonder if anyone if anyone will be coming to get them.

Night Waking is about a mother with young children trying to juggle motherhood with an academic career who gets caught up in trying to find out what happened to a young woman who came to the island in the 19th century.

Bodies of Light is historical fiction about a young Victorian woman struggling to become one of the first female doctors. I struggled with this one although I could tell it was really good, because the character's relationship with hermother was so toxic. And then I haven't picked up a book by Moss since! But I should try and get back into her books. Darryl/@kidzdoc is also a big fan.

>197 charl08: Charlotte, We got another foot last night. The clear area at the end of the drive in the picture is now completely filled in with an additional layer on top. I went out to shovel a bit, and will go out again later.

>198 karenmarie: Yes, Scout is wishing for a little sister, Karen.

My only forays outdoors today will be to shovel. I'm thinking to clear my drive, it will take about four to five hours.

>199 souloftherose: Heather, thanks so much for the recommendations. They all sound good. I think I have a couple on my shelves. I know I have Cold Earth, so I'll probably get to that one first.

We're expecting quite a bit of snow, too: 1-2 feet. I'm hoping they are wrong!

My country driveway is long and unpaved so I'll have to get someone to plow if we do get that much.

A friend posted on FB that it feels like February 87th - which I think is the best line ever!

I agree, Janet! I am SO ready for spring. I have a long driveway for town; my garage is behind my house, and it drifts when the wind is blowing. I went out and shoveled for a bit and am running out of places to throw the snow.

I hope you don't get more snow, selfishly because I know we'll get it a day or two later.

Wow, you've gotten a bit of snow eh! Ours keeps melting and then freezing :(

I wish some of ours would melt, Chelle. We have even more; we got another foot yesterday, with 50 mph winds, so, another snow day.

During breaks in shoveling, I read The Talisman Ring, which is hilarious. This will go on my list of top Heyers.
Eustacie is French, and when her grandfather is dying, he asks Tristam, a nephew to marry her. She is romantic, and Tristam isn't.

This morning, I finished a reread of Sing, Unburied, Sing for my class. The students are having trouble with the ghosts. I'll see what they think of the ending.

That is an unbelievable amount of snow, Beth. The one good thing about February is that spring is coming!

I can only hope, Vivian. Yesterday, I shoveled for four hours and barely made a dent. The wind kept blowing snow back. Right now I am throwing snow into piles over my head. I hope my back holds out.

>206 BLBera: Yikes Beth. Please take care!

Twin--My sister says the pile at the end of her driveway is too tall -- the snowblower can't blow the new snow high enough to get over the mounds already there! Yikes. Good luck with the shovel and be careful!! Hugs.

Ugh, we're having the too much snow problem here, too, though not to your extreme. We're ready for spring for sure. My husband spent a week in Florida helping a family friend get settled into a new home, so he's caught the warm weather bug and the cold here is making him really grumpy.

>207 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. I go out and shovel for an hour, come back in and grade some papers and go and shovel again. It will all get done in the end.

And did I mention we are having another snow day today? I've lost count.

>208 Berly: Yes, we have the same problem, Twin. It makes shoveling so much harder, having to toss snow over one's head. I am SO ready for spring. On the upside, I'm going to SF to visit my favorite aunt in a couple of weeks for my spring break. :)

>209 AMQS: Yes, we are all ready for spring, Anne. Scout, however, is having a blast with igloos, etc. She wishes she had snowshoes though. :)

28. Weight of Light - I finally finished this collection of poems from a Minnesota poet after picking it up and putting it down for a couple of years. There were poems I loved and poems that seemed obscure. I tended to put down the collection when I got to a section that I didn't "get." But then, there were things like this:
On Not Understanding
Sometimes I look and only see hollows. Then reading is like walking the rarely-walked dog. She muscles, strains the leash forward, faster. It takes all of my strength to hang on, stay on my feet. I say, "If you would just quit pulling!" Dog says, "If you would just let go."

So, uneven collection that I am glad I read. It might be one I'll revisit.

I found you again, Beth. Somehow, I lost the star. I’m caught up now.

I love Scout’s picture. :-)

Snow?? You call that snow...that looks like Tuesday in January to me Beth lol. We're dealing with incredible wind here. I'm sick of it all.

>125 BLBera: This made me laugh out loud! Too funny! I love Scout - thanks so much for sharing her with us.

>182 BLBera: Whoa!

>184 BLBera: Too funny! Scout is a force to be reckoned with.

>212 NanaCC: Thanks Colleen. It's easy to lose people.

>213 brenzi: I know you get lake effect snow, Bonnie. You usually get a LOT more than we do. I am also sick of it. Enough. It snowed an inch last night, and people aren't even bothering to shovel anymore.

>214 Crazymamie: I'm happy to share Scout. She is so much fun.

And, on a reading note, it's finally my turn for The Great Believers; I just picked it up from the library today. I'm expecting great things.

>184 BLBera: That's adorable. It reminds me, strangely, of an apology note M wrote to me recently. Only it's much more cheerful. His had frownie faces embedded in the tummy.

Thanks Rachel. Scout is pretty fun.

Hope you're enjoying The Great Believers. I'm still slogging through Tombland which is good but entirely too long.

I am enjoying it, Vivian. Have you read it?

Yes, really liked it.

Oh dear, you still have lots of snow.
Happy weekend, Beth.

>219 BLBera: Really glad to hear this! Look forward to your comments.

Here's hoping March brings an end to all the snow you have been getting, Beth. I think you deserve a Caribbean vacation just for shoveling all that snow. March has come in like a lamb here with a beautiful sunny day and slightly warmer temps. We should be seeing a lot of spring flowers springing into bloom over the next few weeks.

Chloe would love all your snow. I don't mind it if I don't have to go out in it or shovel it :-p

>220 vivians: I'm about halfway and loving it as well, Vivian.

>221 Ameise1: We got a couple more inches yesterday, Barbara. I am ready to be done with winter.

>222 charl08: Charlotte, I am thinking about the characters even when I'm not reading, so I guess that's a good sign, right?

>223 DeltaQueen50: Judy - I am definitely ready for spring. I just hope it comes gradually, or we are going to have problems with flooding. Also, no more snow would be nice.

>224 ChelleBearss: Scout also loves the snow, Chelle. In fact, she has a couple of forts in my yard.

I just finished another reread of The Round House; one of my classes is reading it. What a great novel. Even though it isn't my favorite Erdrich, I have come to appreciate it more each time I read it.

>226 BLBera: Well now I'm curious -- what is your favourite Erdrich? I've only read The Round House and LaRose.

My two favorites are Tracks and The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. Love Medicine would be third, I think, Cait.

I love her earlier work more than the later stuff although from later work, The Round House is the best.

You have a lot of good reading ahead. There are only a couple of hers that I haven't read.

Great reading pace this year, Beth.

Have a lovely weekend.

Snow... still getting some? We've had quite a lot of snow recently, and now we're in the midst of a storm that is supposed to bring about 10 inches over the next couple of days. I'm kind of over it, but March and April are usually our snowiest months. *sigh*

Hi Beth, how are you liking the new Toni Morrison, The Source of Self-Regard? On the strength of this review in the New York Times, I'm on the verge of clicking "buy now." The only LT buzz is on your thread so I thought I'd see what you think of it.

>231 lauralkeet: I have that near the top of my pile Laura, though here it is called Mouth Full of Blood. I plan to pick it up later this month.

>229 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. I guess the cold is good for reading!

>230 AMQS: Our March can be snowy as well, Anne. And it's usually the heavy, wet stuff. I am ready for spring.

>231 lauralkeet: I've only read the first four, Laura, but they are thought provoking. I have a library book, and will probably buy a copy as well. My favorite essay so far is "The Foreigner's Home," which is about literature about Africa, written by Europeans. Morrison is fairly scathing and praises a novel by Ghanian author, The Radiance of the King. I would like to read that one. It will take me a while to get through the collection.

>232 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline.

30. The Great Believers is the story of the Chicago AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and its lasting effect on those who survived it. It's a wonderful novel, a portrait of a moment in time. Makkai, through her characters, has created a vivid picture of not only the fear, but also the sense of brotherhood of those most affected. She does this through the stories of Yale Tishman, a young gay man, and Fiona Marcus, the sister of Nico, one of the young men who died early from the disease.

Traveling between the 1980s and 2015, Makkai unites the different threads of the story through Fiona, who "had been living for the past thirty years in a deafening echo. She'd been tending the graveyard alone, oblivious to the fact that the world had moved on..."

The modern timeline also serves as a reminder that there is still no cure and that AIDS still kills a lot of people.

Wonderful novel. It might be a five-star read for me. Or, at least, it's close.

Next: I'll continue with Toni Morrison's essay collection and start The Sympathizer for my book club.

My BG did enjoy The Secret Keeper. We felt like some coincidences might have pushed the limits of the imagination but it provoked a lively discussion.

My BG did like The Secret Keeper. We agreed that there were maybe one too many coincidences but it engendered lively discussion and we liked the setting.

You are getting snow! Meanwhile, we are deluged with rain. Spring always brings the hope of better things or at least, perhaps, the sun.

Adding The Fire This Time to my must read list. Heard an excellent podcast with the author of White Fragility and this seems like a meaningful companion read.

>232 Caroline_McElwee: ew, that's an odd title, Caroline.

>233 BLBera: thanks Beth. Sold! I also like the idea of taking these essays at a slow pace, allowing time to absorb and reflect. I think I'll do the same.

Excuse me leaning across you again Beth, >237 lauralkeet: It is Lsura, especially as it is not the title of any of the pieces included. Perhaps it is used within one.

>235 witchyrichy:, >236 witchyrichy: Good to know, Karen. Yes, we have enough snow to last for two winters. I just hope it all doesn't melt at once. I will check out the podcast.

>237 lauralkeet: Even though they are fairly short, they are pretty dense, and Morrison is never a quick read. She sounds pretty pissed in the essays in the first section.

>238 Caroline_McElwee: I wonder why the need for a title change?

Nice review of The Great Believers! I have been meaning to read it.

And hooray for the Sympathizer. What an awesome book, and funny.

>234 BLBera: Lovely to read your comments on The Great Believers. I was thinking about this book as I was reading a crime book I picked up with Susan, written back in the 80s, in the midst of the crisis. One of the characters talks about the sheer terror of infection (following Hudson's status becoming public) and I thought yes, this. That's what Makkai conveyed so well (or rather, one of the many things she conveyed so well).

>234 BLBera: I've got The Great Believers coming to me as a library ebook, and I can hardly wait! Thanks for your review.

Karen O.

>240 banjo123: I think you would like it, Rhonda.

>241 charl08: I also liked the parallels between the post WWI generation and the survivors of the AIDS epidemic, Charlotte.

>242 klobrien2: I hope you like it!

The Women's Prize for Fiction longlist!
I've only read three and some of these are unfamiliar. Off to check on availability

📘The Silence of the Girls Pat Barker
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
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
📘Ghost Wall Sarah Moss
Normal People Sally Rooney

Happy Sunday, Beth. It looks like I NEED to find a copy of The Great Believers. 2 of my LT pals recently gave it 5 stars! Good enough for me.

Oh, Beth, you have the long list for Women's Prize! Yahoo! I had not expected it until tomorrow. Now I'll have peek and get back to you. Later I will probably put it on my own thread, for my reference. So exciting! I had heard on Simon Savidge's book you tube that he expected Milkman, Circe, Normal People , The Silence of the Girls and I think My Sister the Serial Killer. He had also thought perhaps The Great Believers was a possibility. Now I'll have a peek. I confess I tried to read Milkman, but it did not seem to be for me.

>244 BLBera: I haven't read ANY of these yet.

>245 msf59: It's a good one, Mark, and mostly set in Chicago of the 1980s.

>246 vancouverdeb: It was announced at midnight, Deborah. Have you read any on the list?

>247 banjo123: It looks like you have some good reading ahead, Rhonda. I don't think some of them are available here yet. I found some in my library.

Ooh, you got me with The Great Believers, Beth - thanks for the recommendation! Hope you have a week that is warm and dry.

>244 BLBera: I've read Ghost Wall and got Circe and Milkman but most of the others are totally new to me, which is good IMO.

>234 BLBera: Hmm, I'll nudge it up, maybe April. I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Most of the Longlist is new to me except An American Marriage and Circe, both of which I already have and planned to read this year.

>249 AMQS: I'm still thinking about The Great Believers, Anne. I think Makkai did a lot of research; it was so vivid. I also liked that she discussed "allyship v. appropriation" in her acknowledgements. This will stick with me. If it weren't so long, I would like to use it in class.

>250 Caroline_McElwee: I have Milkman sitting on the top of a pile. I might try to read it over spring break. It sounds like one that requires close reading. The others I will get from the library, those that are available here. I do like to have some new-to-me books on the list.

I think you will like The Great Believers, Caroline.

>251 ChelleBearss: You have some good reading ahead, Chelle.

The Great Believers is on my list - glad you liked it! I'm gonna bump up the priority.

I loved it, Jim. I'll watch for your comments.

>234 BLBera: That one was definitely a five star read for me Beth. There was no hesitation.

The only book I've read from the Women's Prize for Fiction is Circe but I'm ahead of the game in that I have My Sister, the Serial Killer, Milkman, and Ghost Wall on my Overdrive list and I don't have a long wait for any of them. I don't generally read the long list but those three appeal to me and I like to read the shortlist when possible.

My Sister the Serial Killer and Ghost Wall are both very good.

Hey Beth, Do you know when the official short list will come out? Do I have time to slip in a couple from the long list, maybe the shorter ones?

>255 brenzi: Bonnie - I have spring break coming up and hope to get to a couple of them. There's a long hold list at the library for Circe and My Sister, the Serial Killer, so it might be a while before I get to those.

>256 SandDune: I also loved Ghost Wall, Rhian. Great atmosphere with a lot packed into a short novel.

>257 Carmenere: I'm not sure, Lynda; I'd have to look at the site. It's posted there. I think it's the end of April, but I can't say for sure.

I'm piping in!
Women's prize shortlist to be announced April 29th. Winner announced June 5th.
I picked up Ghost Wall today from the library.

Nice review of The Great Believers, Beth. I'll keep an eye out for it.

Thanks for posting the longlist for the Women's Prize. I've read one book, Ghost Wall, own but haven't read four others, An American Marriage, Freshwater, Milkman and Normal People, and will definitely get Circe and My Sister, the Serial Killer, in the near future. I liked Ghost Wall, but I loved two of her most recent novels, Bodies of Light and The Tidal Zone.

My library does not have Moss's Bodies of Light or The Tidal Zone (Darryl's recommendations)...drats.... but it does have Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland which I will get very soon. New granddaughter Anouk (now 10 weeks old) moved to Iceland a month ago so I want to know more about it.

>259 mdoris: Thanks Mary. I was just too lazy to go to the website.

>260 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl. I hope all is well with you. I am always happy to see the longlist for the women's fiction prize; it often introduces me to new-to-me writers, and it's generally filled with books I love. I've only read three so far, so I have some good reading ahead.

>261 mdoris: I have a couple by Moss on my shelves, Mary, and one of these days...

>248 BLBera: Wishing you good reading during your break, Beth. I think I might have to wait for the short list this year!

>261 mdoris: I'm not surprised that your library doesn't have Bodies of Light or The Tidal Zone, Mary. Neither book has been published in the US, which seems to be the case in Canada as well. I bought my copies of these books on past visits to London, after Rachael (@FlossieT) recommended them to me when we met up in Cambridge. Oddly enough Signs for Lost Children, the sequel to Bodies of Light, has been published here.

>262 BLBera: Hi, Beth! The Women's Prize longlist looks like a good one, and I'll read the books I own and plan to buy, although my focus for this month and the spring will be the Wellcome Book Prize 2019 longlist and my project to read the Black Male Writers for Our Time that were chosen by The New York Times late last year.

>264 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl for the information about the Moss books. I know you do amazing shopping for books on your wonderful travels.

I haven't read any of the Women's Prize long list this year. :(

Even though I've sworn that that I'm only reading things off my shelf, I just added two of them to my library requests The Ghost Wall and My Sister the Serial Killer.

>263 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. We'll see how it goes.

>264 kidzdoc: It sounds like you have a lot of good reading ahead, Darryl.

>265 mdoris: Hi Mary. I do own some Moss books; I thought I got them from Amazon, but I don't remember.

>266 streamsong: Hi Janet - I think My Sister the Serial Killer does sound interesting. I think I'm number 7 or 8 on the list at the library.

I read My Sister the Serial Killer earlier this year and I liked it a lot. I hope your number comes up soon!

>268 norabelle414: Thanks! I imagine it might be a month or two.

>267 BLBera: #7! I'm number 108. 🤣😂

Wow, Rachel. I hope they have more than one copy!

I just listened to an interview with Oyinkan Braithwaite on the Australian books podcast I love. She was in Adelaide for a literary festival and spoke about her writing process. I liked the book a lot but to me it pales in comparison with The Silence of the Girls, Ghost Wall and Milkman, which are my favorites so far. Circe was really good too but not as fresh in my mind.

>244 BLBera: Thanks for the list. So far, I've read one from that list.

>272 vivians: I would agree that My Sister the Serial Killer probably isn’t such an obvious prize winner as Ghost Wall, but it’s well worth reading. All I’m hoping is that Normal People does not win.

I'm hoping to read Milkman this week, Vivian. You are way ahead of me. What do you think of the Walter Scott list?

>273 figsfromthistle: You are welcome, Anita. I am always anxious to see what is on this list; I've gotten hours of reading enjoyment from it.

>274 SandDune: I have to wait my turn for My Sister the Serial Killer. I am also anxious to read Normal People -- I've heard so many differing comments about it.

>271 BLBera: They have 10.

>244 BLBera: Of the three which did you like the most Beth?

>276 The_Hibernator: That's not too bad, Rachel. You might get it before I do!

>277 PaulCranswick: It's hard to say, Paul. They are all so different. I think Ghost Wall has the loveliest writing.

I'm waiting for Ghost Wall from the library - 3rd in line? and I hope to find My Sister the Serial Killer. My library does not have it as yet. I'm currently reading Praise Song for Butterflies and finding it very rewarding so far.

>228 BLBera: I have The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse waiting for me on the second shelf of TBRs I just catalogued downstairs. Glad to hear it is a favorite!

>244 BLBera: I have read exactly none of the books from the Women's Fiction Long List. Oops.

Happy weekend, Twin!

Hey Twin - Sorry the allergies are not cooperating these days. Take care of yourself.

You have a treat waiting with The Last Report on the Miracles

You'd better get reading then; all of the ones I've read are good ones.

What do you think of The Sympathizer so far? There are parts that are hilarious, but I feel like the character by his own confession is keeping us at a distance.

Hi Beth! You are right about the distance in The Sympathizer -- I think maybe it goes with being a spy novel? But some of the scenes were SO funny.

Beth, I will be very interested in your thoughts on Milkman. So far I’ve read more negative than positive things about it but I am still tempted to give it a go. My book group will discuss Circe tonight. I liked it more than I thought I would. Lots to talk about for sure.

Twin--Where did you go and gentle hint here, it might be time for a new thread. Just saying. : )

Hope all is ok Beth.

All is good. Beth is enjoying a vacation in San Francisco for spring break. : )

>265 mdoris: Both Sarah Moss books, The Tidal Zone and Bodies of Light are available at the Vancouver Library, Mary. I am waiting for Ghost Wall from the library.

When is your March break, Beth? It looks like the one for our school district is next week and we have highs forecast of 21 C (abt 70 F) which should get rid of our lingering snow, but is very confusing. I'm with you on the slow warm up being better and I hope your slow warm up starts really soon.

>286 Berly: Thanks Kim. I completely forgot it's a holiday season. D'oh.

Hi Beth! Are you on spring break yet? Ours starts March 25 but I'm enjoying a taste of freedom with 2 snow days in a row!

>282 banjo123: There were some really funny parts, Rhonda. Still, it wasn't one that I loved. I'll comment later.

>283 Donna828: I think I'll like Milkman, Donna. Instead of it, though, I started Lost Children Archive, which I like a lot. I'm on the waiting list for Circe.

>284 Berly: Your wish is my command, Twin. Thanks for checking up.

>285 charl08:, >288 charl08: Hi Charlotte. I was visiting relatives in San Francisco on spring break.

>287 Familyhistorian: I'll watch for your comments on Ghost Wall, Meg.

>289 AMQS: We've been on break this week, Anne. It looks like winter is not done with you yet. When I got home today, it was raining. Area rivers are high.

Well, my Twin says it's time for a new thread.