Laura (lauralkeet)'s attempt at spontaneity - Part 4

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
Source: Philly’s Most Iconic Bulidings




Hello all, I'm Laura and this is my 11th year with the 75 Books challenge. I'm in my mid/late-50s (it’s a transition year LOL), and live in Philadelphia with my husband Chris, our two dogs, and a cat. We have two adult daughters, Julia and Kate. I retired in 2017 and to my surprise am now reading fewer books than when I was working. It’s been a while since I made the 75-book goal, but the people and book recommendations here are the best.

In 2019 I’m trying to make more spontaneous reading choices. My RL book groups will determine two of my reads each month, but I’ve given myself permission to “opt out” if a selection doesn’t appeal. Other than that, I want to let my mood guide me, whether that’s reading books from my TBR pile, making progress on my series, or reading with an LT group like the 75 Books American Author Challenge or the Virago Modern Classics group Reading the 1940s theme.

Besides reading, I spend a lot of time knitting and have a knitting thread in the Needlearts group; stop in and say hi sometime!

My 2019 threads can be found here:
Part 1 (books 1-13) | Part 2 (books 14-30) | Part 3 (books 31-55)

Books completed (click on “details" to jump to my comments)
September
56. The Sparrow - details
57. A Dying Fall - details
58. On the Side of the Angels - details
59. The Flight Portfolio - details
60. Silver Sparrow - details
61. Paris by the Book - details

October
62. The Dutch House - details
63. The World my Wilderness - details
64. A Better Man - details
65. The Testaments - details
66. Chances Are ... - details
67. In This House of Brede - details
68. A Girl Returned - details

Series Progress

Active series as of September 1:

The above snapshot is a view of my active series sorted on the "progress" column.

Series completed/current in 2019:
* Matthew Shardlake - April
* Kristin Lavransdatter - May
* Jackson Brodie - July
* Inspector Gamache - October

Series started in 2019:
* Kristin Lavransdatter
* Ruth Galloway

Series abandoned in 2019:
*Inspector Sejer, after reading 12 of 13 books 😢

Disappearing Earth | The Captive & The Fugitive

Happy New Thread, Laura. Hooray for Eleanor & The Sparrow. I am sure you are having a wonderful time in Budapest.

Happy new thread!

Hi Laura! I love that you posted a photo of the Kimmel Performing Arts building. It's contemporary aesthetic is very appealing.
Impressive that you organized your new thread from Budapest!

Happy new one, Laura!

Reposting from my previous thread

55. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine ()
Source: On my shelves, a recent purchase for September book club

I really liked this book. Eleanor is a deceptively complex character whose depth emerges as the novel develops, but then at the same time she is also emerging, a bit like a butterfly from a cocoon. I read this for an upcoming book club discussion which I'm now really looking forward to.

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I posted this on my previous thread, because I finished reading the book in August and wanted to list it with my other August books. But then I promptly created this thread, which means you all missed the *brilliant* things I had to say about it ha ha.

We're now in Vienna! We arrived yesterday afternoon and have been getting acquainted with the city through a) long walks and b) food. Not a bad combination!

>8 lauralkeet: Happy new thread, Laura. Walking and eating in Vienna sounds lovely.

I loved this book. Eleanor is so quirky. I’m sure your book club discussion will be brilliant.

Happy New Thread, Laura!

Thanks for the photo of the Kimmel Center up top. Cool building! My bride and I have to get back to Philadelphia. It's been way too long.

Yay for Eleanor Oliphant! I knew nothing about it when I started it, and at first thought, what the heck have I gotten myself into? I'm sure glad I hung in there - I ended up loving it.

I can't believe you bothered to start a new thread while you're on vacation Laura lol. What dedication!

>11 brenzi: I thought the same thing, Bonnie!

Hi Laura. I hope you are enjoying your European trip so far. I'm still trying to decide what I want to do for my August 2020 birthday. It will be one of those that ends in zero so I'd like to do something rather special. A 2-week camping trip to Yellowstone is in the running, but a trip to Paris and the Dordogne and the Loire Valley is also still possible. The third idea I was kicking around is a river cruise to see Prague, Vienna, etc. but now I'm thinking if I go to that part of the world it won't be via a cruise.

>8 lauralkeet: I keep reading positive reviews of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by readers whose judgment I trust. I can't even say what underlies my (irrational) resistance to reading it!

>8 lauralkeet: Glad to see that you liked the book. I have it sitting on my TBR pile and somehow mixed reviews have kept me from reading it.

Have fun in Vienna!

Hello friends! I guess I should 'fess up and say I really wanted to start the thread on the first of the month, so I wrote the first few "new thread posts" in advance. I only had to a) remember it was the first day of the month, and b) copy/paste and make a couple of tweaks.

>12 EBT1002: Ellen, we considered a river cruise but realized we wanted to be able to spend more time in each city than the itineraries offered, and also have more independence in terms of deciding how we spent our time.

Happy new thread! I hope you enjoy Vienna as much as I did!

Happy new thread, Laura!
Enjoy your time in Vienna.

Happy new thread, Laura. It sounds like you are enjoying your vacation.

>12 EBT1002: >14 lauralkeet: How about both? We spent a few days in both Prague and Budapest as bookends to a river cruise a couple of years ago. It was not one of the Viking luxury ones - just a small line with not too many cabins - but still great food and a wonderful way to see a variety of stops along the Danube.

Hope the trip continues to delight, Laura!

>18 vivians: there's a thought, Vivian. Thanks for the idea!

>18 vivians: Interesting idea, Vivian. Thanks for posting that. Prudence and I definitely like to spend more time in each location and so far we've been pretty good about establishing itineraries that work for us (I give all credit to P), but breaking it up with a short-ish cruise to see some sights along a European river does sound nice.

I promised to take Hani to Vienna on our honeymoon and got caught up in work instead - maybe a Second Honeymoon?!

Happy new thread, Laura.

Happy new thread!

Just popping in to keep your thread on my radar. You're visiting some of my top "wishlist" places. My husband has been to Vienna, but that was before we were traveling companions.

Thanks for keeping my thread warm, everyone. We traveled from Vienna to Prague on Tuesday, and will fly home tomorrow. It's been a wonderful holiday and I am planning to post about it (with photos!) once I'm home.

I've not read as much as I thought I would, I'm only about 25% through The Sparrow. I'm looking forward to reading time on the plane though.

Safe travels home, Laura!

Hmmmm not reading much because you're enjoying a phenomenal vacation Laura......how odd😏

Hi everyone, we're home! We arrived yesterday after a blissfully uneventful, if long (9 hrs) flight from Prague to Philadelphia. We managed to stay up until 9pm, slept reasonably well last night, and are back on Eastern Time. Today was spent doing laundry, buying groceries, and taking it easy.

But I promised you an update on our trip! Looking back over the past 10 days, I'd say these were the high points:

Art museums in Budapest and Vienna

The Belvedere, Vienna

We visited the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest, and the Belvedere and Leopold Museums in Vienna. There, we were able to see the work of Hungarian and Austrian artists who were less familiar to us. The Belvedere is housed in Prince Eugene's former estate and holds Austrian art including Klimt's "The Kiss". Sort of like the Mona Lisa, everyone comes to the museum, flocks to that painting, takes photos, and moves swiftly on. There was a lot more to see of course, and we did. The Leopold Museum is focused on modernism and the Viennese Secessionist movement. They recently launched a new view of their permanent collection which they are calling "Vienna 1900". Spread over 3 floors, the exhibits include many works by Klimt as well as Egon Schiele (who was new to me, and I really liked), and others from the arts and crafts period.

Viennese apple strudel with vanilla sauce (!!)
There was a traditional Viennese cafe near our hotel that we managed to visit every night for coffee and dessert (it was a hardship, but somebody has to do it). For health reasons, it's probably a good thing we don't live in Vienna.


Lattes, strudel, and a chocolate mousse tart

A Literary Connection in Vienna
While wandering Vienna, we walked past the Palais Ephrussi. This was the home of the wealthy Ephrussi banking family, who lost nearly all their belongings, including priceless artwork, to the Nazis. Descendant Edmund de Waal wrote the excellent memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes, about the family and a collection of Japanese netsuke that were carefully hidden away from the Nazis and passed down to him. Unfortunately, the building itself is not open to tourists and the ground floor level is now mostly banks and coffee shops. But it was still interesting to see the commemorative plaque.


Palais Ephrussi

Cycle Ride to Karlstejn Castle in the Czech countryside
On our second day in Prague we took a cycling tour to Karlstejn Castle, about 40km (25mi) outside the city. We stopped about halfway for drinks and a rest break, and had lunch in a restaurant in Karlstejn before making our way uphill (on foot thank goodness, this part was very steep) to the castle. The castle was built in the 14th century to house crown jewels and other imperial regalia, so while it's an impressive structure it is also concealed in the landscape. You don't even know it's there until you're practically on top of it. After a wander around the castle, we made our way down to the village and took the train back to Prague (with the bikes, that was an adventure). It was a full day but really fun.


Karlstejn Castle: approach, Karlstejn Castle, View of Village from the Castle

Jewish Museum in Prague
The Jewish Museum in Prague was outstanding. Set in former synagogues in the Jewish Quarter, the tour included exhibits on Jewish history and customs, the Jewish cemetery with graves dating back to the 15th century, and a profoundly moving Holocaust exhibit and memorial.

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And finally, we really enjoyed learning about each country's recent history (mostly from ordinary people leading tours), with particular focus on the World War II and communist eras. Summary: it's complicated.

>27 lauralkeet: Great pics! Did you go to the lower part of the Belvedere as well?

Love your travelogue and inspiring photos! Thanks for taking time to post them.

>28 figsfromthistle: Hmm, yes, but unintentionally. We arrived at the Lower Belvedere building first and went inside to buy tickets thinking it was the Upper Belvedere. We bought tickets to the Upper only, because the Lower Belvedere had only one temporary exhibit at the time. We were very confused when we proceeded to the exhibit space but fortunately the staff redirected us.

>29 SandyAMcPherson: You're quite welcome, Sandy!

Beautiful photos Laura. I have to say that strudel and chocolate tart look especially good. I loved The Hare with Amber Eyes so I love seeing that plaque. Looks like you had a wonderful time.

How lovely to read about your trip! I'm glad you had a good time, and got to indulge in the Viennese desserts. They really are too good to pass up. A temporary exhibition at the Belvedere was what prompted my visit to Vienna this year - a survey of Austrian women artists from 1910-1930s. I'll have to go to the Leopold on a return visit.

Safe travels home, Laura! Love the Budapest and Vienna photos! It looks like you had a wonderful time.

>31 brenzi: Thanks Bonnie! Both desserts were delicious, and there were so many others to choose from! But on subsequent visits we exercised restraint and shared a strudel.

>32 Sakerfalcon: Thank you Claire! I don't remember what the temporary exhibition was during our visit, but it didn't have the same appeal as Austrian women artists 1910-1930s. I highly recommend the Leopold, and since Vienna 1900 is a new configuration of their permanent exhibit, it should be there for you next time. And by the way -- on your recommendation we attempted to see the Spanish Riding School's morning exercises, but we didn't have our act together and grossly underestimated its popularity. By the time we arrived the line was miles long, and we decided not to wait.

>33 msf59: Thanks Mark. We flew home on Saturday so it's back to business as usual around here now!

Looks like I got mixed up on the days. Glad you made it back safely.

Great photos Laura, I loved hearing about the trip. I felt compelled to have the sacher torte when I was there but I think I'd prefer the mousse cake - all chocolate is my definite preference!

>36 vivians: oh, I forgot and I lied in >34 lauralkeet:. We did have sacher torte one night (AND strudel). I preferred the mousse to the sacher also, but we felt like we had to try it.

Love the trip highlights!

>38 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

Thanks for sharing your vacation highlights, Laura. I started reading Iron Curtain by Anne Applebaum before I left and need to pick it up again. It shed some light on the Communist rule.

>40 BLBera: I could certainly use more education myself, Beth. I'll keep that book in mind.

56. The Sparrow ()
Source: On my Kindle

The Sparrow is somewhat of a modern classic, and one of those books I kept hearing about but didn’t get around to reading until now. Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit priest, is the only survivor of a mission to another planet and, on his return, the Vatican wants to know more about what happened. Emilio, traumatized by his experience, doesn’t want to talk about it. But gradually, we learn more about the crew members, the mission, and their fate. And what I initially thought would be a space exploration story turns out to be so much more: a moving account of community, love, and loss.

Published in 1996, The Sparrow was intended as a futuristic story. But weirdly, the mission planning and launch are set in August-September 2019 -- the very timeframe in which I was reading. I was impressed with Mary Doria Russell’s realistic depiction of what is now the present day. Russell discusses this in an afterword to my edition of this book, published on its 20th anniversary:

I tried not to dwell on technical details of my fictional future because characters in books shouldn’t stop to marvel at things that are ordinary in their world.

Emilio’s return to earth occurs in 2060 (although due to the speed of light and other science-y stuff, he was only away for about 4 years). Again, rather than introduce new “space age” technologies, Russell focused on people and relationships. This worked, with one exception: Emilio and a younger priest exchange quotes from two favorite movies from the 1970s and 1980s, a period Emilio would have lived through but which would have been ancient history for the younger man. Still, I became fully invested in the story of Emilio and his comrades, was devastated by the ultimate outcome of their mission, and appreciative of the way Russell guided Emilio’s physical and emotional recovery.

Currently Reading



A Dying Fall | On the Side of the Angels

After finishing The Sparrow, I started reading The Willow Cabin, a Virago Modern Classic that I thought would fit into a theme read (1940s, sub-topic "war"). The book begins in the late 1930s and continues through wartime, but it's more about relationships than war. That, and the main character was making me angry by making stupid decisions on account of a relationship with a married man. So I will read On the Side of the Angels instead, which seems a much better fit with the theme.

But first, a little Ruth Galloway to cleanse my reading palate. 😀

>42 lauralkeet: I actually rated The Sparrow a little bit lower than you Laura which is a bit unusual. I really like her historical fiction and this one was a bit out of my comfort zone. Good but not great like some of her others were for me. Good review though and interesting that the future is now.

>44 brenzi: Hi Bonnie, I waffled a bit about my rating throughout the book. Sci-fi is not a genre I typically seek out or enjoy, so it was outside my comfort zone as well. And I thought some of the earlier parts, like when they decided to take on the mission and the selection of the crew a bit contrived. I also was less interested in the science of the journey. But I started to warm to the book when the crew came together as a unit, and worked together to face the challenges they encountered.

>42 lauralkeet: - I was surprised that her first two books were Sci-fi as I first heard of her when her book Doc was so popular. There is a sequel to The Sparrow called Children of God if you want to see how the story continues.

>46 dudes22: Hi Betty! I think I knew about The Sparrow before Doc, but avoided it because I am not drawn to sci-fi. But Doc was really good, I kept hearing good things about The Sparrow, and then it popped up on a Kindle deal. I decided that was a sign ha ha. I'm on the fence about reading Children of God -- did you enjoy it? Mary Doria Russell has a new historical fiction novel, The Women of the Copper Country, which I'm planning to request from my library.

Happy Saturday, Laura! Good review of The Sparrow. As you know, I am huge fan of MDR. Children of God was a good read but not exceptional. I hope you enjoy The Women of the Copper Country once you get to it. Straight historical fiction.

57. A Dying Fall ()
Source: On my Kindle

When Dan Golding, an old university friend, contacted Ruth Galloway for help with a recent archaeological discovery, she was flattered and curious. But Dan died in a fire before they could meet up. Ruth is asked to visit the university where Dan conducted his research and, at the same time, the police determine the fire was intentionally set. Once again Ruth is caught in the intersection of crime and archaeology, and another excellent murder mystery is off and running.

This book was my favorite of the series so far. The setting shifted from Norfolk to Blackpool, providing a change of scenery and the opportunity to introduce new characters. Meanwhile, the relationships among the “regular cast” continued to develop in some very interesting ways. The fast-paced tension towards the end was handled in a new and very believable way, and I was left wondering what’s next for Ruth, Cathbad, and Nelson. Next book please!

Someday I will get to this series Laura. Not now! God I can't start another series now. Please.

>49 lauralkeet: Great review Laura (upthumbed)!

I liked A Dying Fall and was happy with all the implied story threads going forward.
Deciding on a favourite in the series has been impossible for me. There have been 3 top titles so far (A Dying Fall, A Room Full of Bones, and The Crossing Places).

I'm just on the last 50 pages of Ghost Fields tonight. It ranks up there with those other 3 and for the life of me, I couldn't (at this time), be able to drop a title from my 'fave' list!

>49 lauralkeet: I love, love, love this series. And I only have a couple left. She needs to write faster. :-)

>50 brenzi: Well Bonnie, you can see there's a lot of Ruth Galloway love around here. For me it all started with a Kindle deal ... you know how that is.

>51 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, maybe it's better to say A Dying Fall is my favorite for the time being. I'm glad to hear you're still enjoying the series.

>52 NanaCC: I know what you mean, Colleen. Once you're current on a series, waiting for the next book is sooo difficult (ahem, Louise Penny) !

And "ahem" Megan Whalen Turner... Return of the Thief

Oh, Happy Laura! Thank you for sharing your wonderful trip with us! I'm excited to see Palais Ephrussi - you know I loved and adored *The Hare*. I would certainly have been forced to try one of the coffee shops there.
I rank The Sparrow a bit higher than you - read it long ago and was knocked out by it. That said, I've never gotten to *Children*. Honestly, I don't think of them as science fiction although I guess they are technically. It's just that Technical, they are not! I do have *Women/Copper* on my Kindle and hope to get to it soon.
AND I'm about ready to get back to RG, so I'll be reading *Ghost Fields* at about the same time you do.
Glad you're home!

>54 SandyAMcPherson: We all have our favorites, don't we Sandy?

>55 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Thanks for popping in here. I'm glad you enjoyed the holiday pics. Visiting coffee shops was a true hardship, but we managed. 😀 I'll be on the lookout for your thoughts on *Women/Copper* and *Ghost Fields*.

I'm glad you got around to The Sparrow and enjoyed it. I read Doc and Epitaph before I got to that one, and I had the same reservations as you did about the "sci-fi" aspect. But at this point, I think I'd read absolutely anything she writes. She is just so good. A copy of Women of Copper Country is sitting here waiting for me.

>57 laytonwoman3rd: Lucky you, Linda! I haven't requested Copper Country from the library yet, but only because I'm waiting for some other holds to clear first.

I thought Children of God was a bit slower than The Sparrow but I did like finding out what happened after. I still have Epitaph on my TBR and I have The Women of Copper Country on my radar.

58. On the Side of the Angels ()
Source: My Virago Modern Classics Collection

World War II has inspired so much literature that one might be forgiven for thinking all angles and situations have been explored, but sometimes a book offers something different. On the Side of the Angels explores the war’s impact on prevailing views of masculinity, as experienced by two couples. Honor Carmichael and her family are stationed at a military hospital in England; her husband Colin desperately wants to be seen as his commanding officer’s right hand, and obsesses endlessly about those in the CO’s favor (or not). Honor’s sister Claudia is a teacher, whose fiancé Andrew has recently been released from military service for health reasons. Andrew now sees himself as less of a man, and is struggling to find his place in work and society. He is convinced Claudia’s feelings towards him have changed and repeatedly challenges her commitment. Claudia initially tries to support and validate Andrew, but then a new officer begins showering her with attention and causes her to question whether she wants life with a rather dull barrister, or with a rakish and exciting military man.

Throughout the novel, these three depictions of masculinity are seen through the eyes of Honor and Claudia who are equally struggling with their roles. Honor is fully occupied with the care of her two young children, and with the expectation of being a supportive wife, listening to Colin drone on about the power dynamics at the hospital, and his often inaccurate view of his own status. Claudia is forced to examine the comfort of a long-standing relationship where she is taken somewhat for granted, versus the novelty of a new attraction and a potentially very different future. Betty Miller’s writing brilliantly describes both scenery and emotions in ways that make the reader feel as if they are living in the middle of the story, which wraps up in a very satisfying way.

Lovely photos of your trip, Laura. I think the Lattes, strudel, and a chocolate mousse tart look pretty yummy. And the Czech countryside looks beautiful!

>49 lauralkeet: As I mentioned on my thread, I thought A Dying Fall was a particularly good installment in the Ruth Galloway series, too. It definitely whetted my appetite for what is next. I am so curious to see what happens with Cathbad and Thing. :-)

>61 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I miss the apple strudel, but my waistline is thankful. And I share your feelings about A Dying Fall. I really liked the way she took the series beyond Norfolk, as it opened up new possibilities both for crime-solving and character development. I'm very interested to see what Cathbad gets up to now that he's decided to stay up north and live in Pendragon's house. I was also intrigued to see that Ruth decided she didn't want to continue her relationship with Max, and admitted (to herself) her feelings for Nelson. Hmmm ...

>60 lauralkeet: ohhhhhh this sounds so good. It's not one I own Laura but it is available on Abe so.......

>63 brenzi: woop woop! Her writing is exquisite, Bonnie, she really has a way with describing both setting and emotions.

>63 brenzi: - I toddled off to Abe and bought it right after seeing Laura's review the other day, Bonnie!

>60 lauralkeet: Wow. Excellent review. I have that one on hand. And I'm woefully delinquent in my Virago reading. I may just grab it from the shelf.

>65 katiekrug:, >66 laytonwoman3rd: Well there you have it. My work is done!

59. The Flight Portfolio ()
Source: Library loan

Varian Fry was an American journalist who, after witnessing Nazi atrocities, formed the Emergency Rescue Committee in occupied France. Fry and his staff went to great measures to help those under threat escape, circumventing the usual French visa processes and working tirelessly to find new avenues for smuggling people to safety. In The Flight Portfolio, Julia Orringer attempts a deeply personal portrait of Fry, focused largely on his relationship with college friend Elliott Grant, who turns up in Marseille after a twelve-year separation.

I found most of this novel to be a page-turner, sometimes because I desperately wanted refugees to reach safety, and at other times because of developments between Fry and Grant. There is historic basis for Fry to have had romantic relationships with men, and extremely likely that the details would have been a closely guarded secret. The love story unfolded in the context of the Emergency Rescue Committee’s work and became the predominant focus of the novel. I would have liked more emphasis on how the ERC’s work: how they determined which people to save, and the details of their rescue missions.

Because Grant was a fictional character, Orringer eventually needed to write their relationship out of the story so Fry could resume the life that is known to history. Unfortunately, she did this by having Fry make an uncharacteristically snap decision near the end of the novel. Normally astute and savvy, he came unglued and acted in ways that were not believable. While this was a tidy way to deal with “the Grant problem,” it came at a point when Fry had lost the support of the US government and was being ousted from France. I would have preferred Orringer to focus primarily on how he dealt with that situation.

In short, while I enjoyed The Flight Portfolio, I would have preferred more balanced coverage between Fry’s personal life and his work.

Excellent review! Duly upthumbed. It is strange that such an apparently accomplished novelist would make a basic error of inconsistent character development.
Almost, but not quite, a BB for me. I have so many other more satisfying books to read, or so I expect.

OOO! I have both the B. Miller and the J. Orringer, and your reviews make me want to read both of them NOW! Thanks, Laura. (I wonder what I'm doing in the reading department.)

Hi Sandy & Peggy! I'm glad you liked my review of The Flight Portfolio. It's a good albeit imperfect read, but then the perfect novel is a rare thing indeed.

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We went to a literary event last night at the Rosenbach: a “rent party” in the tradition of the Harlem Renaissance hosted by a Yolanda Wisher, the 2016 Philadelphia poet laureate. The programming was inspired by Rene Maran’s book Batouala, which depicts French colonialism in Africa. Two local poets -- afaq and Cynthia Dewi Oka -- read from their work, which addresses issues of colonialism. This was followed by a reading from Batouala in the original French, and a performance by Yolanda and her jazz combo.

I knew absolutely nothing about Batouala, so it was interesting to learn that many consider it “the first great novel about Africa by a Black writer.” After it was published in 1921, Maran became the first Black writer to win the Prix Goncourt prize, and many Black writers in the US made a point of visiting Maran’s Paris salon during the 1920s and 1930s. And yet the book was banned in the colonies because it was critical of French colonialism. The poets who performed were also unknown to me, which is not surprising since my knowledge of poetry in general is about nil. Their verse was emotional and powerful.

>68 lauralkeet: Ok that one is going on the back burner for now although I think I liked her previous novel more than some people did. Still, too many other books clamoring for my attention Laura.

60. Silver Sparrow ()
Source: Library eBook loan

Dana Yarboro’s mother married a man who, it turns out, was already married. James Witherspoon has a good relationship with Dana and her mother Gwen and helps provide for them, but his other family -- Laverne and daughter Chaurisse -- don’t know they exist. Dana is often denied opportunities, from special academic programs to summer jobs, because of the risk of meeting Chaurisse. Occasionally Dana and Gwen go “spying,” watching Laverne and Chaurisse from a distance. As Dana grows up she begins “spying” on her own, taking greater risks to make contact with Chaurisse.

The first part of this book is told from Dana’s perspective, and then the narrative shifts to Chaurisse’s voice. This adds to the story by fleshing out details which Dana would not have been privy to, and makes both of the central characters accessible and likeable. It also sets up the inevitable conflict which unfolds at a deliberate pace.

Tayari Jones is best known for her novel, An American Marriage. Silver Sparrow is an earlier work, and not quite as complex or sophisticated. But I found the story and characters believable and, while the novel lacked a certain spark, it was still a solid read.

I've just started reading Paris by the Book. A friend from my book group passed this one on to me recently, a library loan that still had plenty of time left. A struggling author disappears, but leaves behind airline tickets to Paris for his wife and children, fulfilling the wife's long-time dream. They end up living in and operating a once-profitable Paris bookshop.

LT reviews are mixed, but I do love books about books and so far (~50 pages) I'm enjoying it. Anyone else read this one?

>74 lauralkeet: That title sounds intriguing and your 50-pages in commentary hooked me. I like those kind of quirky library/book shop stories, too.

>75 SandyAMcPherson: I'm zipping through Paris by the Book; although the father's disappearance is central to the plot and emotional in all the ways you'd expect, the book is also surprisingly breezy and enjoyable. Hard to explain.

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I'm waiting on several library book holds and I know I've grumbled about my library's slow fulfillment process before but I here I go again. I've been #1 on the list for Louise Penny's A Better Man for an entire month. They have a bajillion copies. Why don't I have one of them?! I'm #1 for two other books as well. The elapsed time from #1 to "book in my hot little hands" is ridiculously long and I wish I understood what was going on behind the scenes.

But there is some happy news: The Dutch House is ready for pickup! (aside: I was literally the first person to request this book, whereas with the others I've been in a long queue). The Dutch House has been getting great reviews, including one in today's NYT Book Review. I'll pick it up tomorrow and dive in as soon as I finish my current book.

I'm also excited about Jacqueline Woodson's new novel, Red at the Bone. A RL book club friend recommended it to me, and I added my name to the library list. NYT gave it glowing review today as well. But I haven't seen much buzz on LT yet, so I thought I'd start some here!

>68 lauralkeet: I think I will stick with Orringer's short fiction. I think that is where her true talent lies.

Happy Sunday, Laura. Hooray for the Warbling Machine. I am glad you are picking up your copy of The Dutch House. I am just finishing it up and Patchett has delivered another winner. I also have the new Winterson and Strout lined up for October. Yah!!

I’m going to pick up A Better Man tomorrow, Laura. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever. I could have picked it up on Friday, but I had thirty family members coming for a party yesterday and didn’t want to be distracted. I hope you get it soon.

>77 msf59: I'm glad to hear such positive feedback on the Patchett, Mark. I like Jeanette Winterson but haven't added that one to my growing queue yet. The Strout though -- yeah, I'm on the holds list for that one.

>78 NanaCC: Oh my Colleen, entertaining 30 people is no small feat. I agree it would not have been good form to disappear with a book. Ha!

Something sounds not right about the hold up of A Better Man Laura. Surely your copy must have risen to the top by now. I think the season for new releases by well known authors is nearly at an end. After the new Olive I don't have anything coming up except to wait for the new Russ/Claire or if my prayers are answered, a release date for Hilary Mantel's last book in the Cromwell trilogy. I'm planning to reread Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies once that date is announced.

>80 brenzi: Bonnie, I agree with you and think I'll ask the librarian about A Better Man when I'm there tomorrow.

And as for the new Hilary Mantel, I just received an email from Amazon this morning (she's one of the authors I "follow" there), promoting The Mirror and the Light. They're showing March 5, 2020 as the release date. Wheee!

>81 lauralkeet: Be still my beating heart!!! Ok for some reason I thought I'd read somewhere that they were putting it off later than March but Amazon surely knows best. About this anyway.

>81 lauralkeet: When you say "Wheeee!", I see:



(Sorry, couldn't resist!)

>81 lauralkeet: She has managed expectations gloriously on this one - hope the prose doesn't let us all down.

>82 brenzi: Yeah Bonnie, I'll go with their information unless I hear otherwise. 157 days from today!!

>83 laytonwoman3rd: Yes Linda, that about sums it up!

>84 PaulCranswick: Don't I know it Paul. This is a long awaited and eagerly anticipated book.

>81 lauralkeet: Oh that's so exciting about The Mirror and the Light! I think I need to reread the first two before it comes out.

>86 japaul22: I know, right? It's been so long. I wonder if the TV series is available on Netflix or somewhere? That would be another good way to refresh my memory.

ETA: it's on Amazon Prime Video, which might be my best option.

>81 lauralkeet: I just pre-ordered The Mirror and the Light, and on the product page the release date was shown as March 10, not March 5 as in the email I received. Close enough I guess.

>76 lauralkeet: I also went to the library to get The Dutch House and while I asked about my other holds (and specifically A Better Man), I didn't get a very clear answer. The librarian verified that everything looked normal in the system, it wasn't stuck or misrouted, just "in transit." One likely factor in the delay is that the branch had to close last week while some building work was being done. The librarian pointed to 6-8 large crates of books that had just been delivered this morning, but had not yet been processed by library staff. Maybe at least one of mine is in there somewhere? We live in hope.

>87 lauralkeet: I didn't love the Wolf Hall miniseries. What I love about the books is the language Mantel uses and the inventive structure, scene creation, etc. and that was completely lost in the miniseries (in my opinion). The miniseries boiled things mainly down to the plot and I thought the plot/history was the least interesting part of the books.

I will likely reread the books - but I really enjoy rereading so that works for me.

>89 japaul22: I gotta agree with you about her writing, the books were so fun to read.

61. Paris by the Book ()
Source: A friend from book club passed it along

Leah and Robert’s relationship is formed through literary connections, specifically two French children’s works: Madeline, and The Red Balloon. Leah has always wanted to visit Paris and Robert, a struggling writer, promises they will someday. They marry, have two daughters, and settle into a fairly typical American suburban lifestyle. But their relationship begins to fracture when Robert’s career stalls, and one day he just disappears, seemingly without a trace. Even as the family is trying to figure out what happened, they discover he left behind airline tickets for Leah and their children. Was this a hint? Could he have gone to Paris? They decide to make the trip and see what they find. After a few missteps they end up living in and operating a once-profitable Paris bookshop, but they never stop looking for Robert and hoping he will re-enter their lives.

On one level, this works. Literary references abound, the wonders of Paris come through on the printed page, and the struggle to adjust to a new country is portrayed well. But: this is a family dealing with unresolved loss. While Robert’s spirit was nearly omnipresent, Leah and her daughters coped with it all a little too smoothly. Leah repeatedly decided not to talk to her teenage daughters about what they are going through. And somehow the daughters just carried on with their lives and occasionally even saved the day in difficult situations. I just didn’t buy it. There was also a lot of “is he/isn’t he” about Robert which made sense but went back and forth too many times.

This was a decent read with some shortcomings.

Thanks for the Mantel news Laura! I'm looking forward to the release and will think about rereading the other two. How frustrating re library waits. Our system does a pretty good job, except sometimes I'm less than happy with their 14 day policy for new titles. I just checked out Ducks, Newburyport which is over 1,000 pages....there's no way I'll be done in 14 days!

>92 vivians: sometimes I'm less than happy with their 14 day policy for new titles

Really Vivian. Try seven days. That's what it is here for fiction less than 500 pages long. It's why most of the time I just wait for the eBook which takes a bit longer to become available but at least I can get a more reasonable length of time.

>68 lauralkeet: Great comments on The Flight Portfolio, Laura. And I'm not just saying that because we agreed about the focus of the novel. :)

>92 vivians:, >93 brenzi: a policy for new titles?! Say it ain't so! My library may be dreadfully slow but at least I still get the same 3 weeks for a new release.

I was happy to see a library email in my inbox this morning saying The Testaments is now available for pickup.

>94 BLBera: Thanks Beth! Great minds, eh?

My library has a 7-day loan on popular books. It kicks in depending on how many requests are on the book, maybe more than 4? Regular loans are 21 days.
Even at that, it makes it nearly 3 weeks for a popular book, because they will hold it for ten days, and it has to get moved around PEI, depending on who read it last. Our library system is really Island-wide, so when I look online, the book might be in a different community. If I request it, it has to get sent to my pick up location in Charlottetown.

So interesting about the different lending policies in libraries. Our system has a certain number of new titles on 7-day loan, no renewals. But they also have other copies of those titles circulating for the usual 2 week period, subject to 4 renewals UNLESS there are holds pending. Naturally most newish books do have people waiting for them, but if you get to the top of the queue, you have 2 full weeks to return the book after you actually pick it up (they will hold it for you for 5 days, I think).

The books you request through our ILL system still get 3 weeks (although you can't renew), but most libraries also have copies on the express shelf that can only be checked out for 7 of the newer books.

Interesting discussion! Our library system covers all of the branches in Philadelphia, so I imagine books do travel quite a bit in order to fulfill requests. After receiving the "ready for pickup" notice I have 10 days to get the book, and then 3 weeks from the date it's checked out. I can renew only if there are no other holds on the book, but for most of my recent holds that's not the case.

I often request the eBook and paper book at the same time with intent to read whichever one comes up first. I had good luck with eBooks in my previous library system, but Philly must have fewer licenses relative to the population because the queues move verrrry slowly.

>99 lauralkeet: Laura, can you get a ebook access to any other library systems, like your daughters in NY? My sister and I have shared our ebook and audiobook access so it gives us more access. Her library is larger with more copies of more books, but the lines can be longer. My little province doesn't have as many books, but the lines aren't as long either. Digital access means lates aren't an issue.

>100 raidergirl3: That's a great idea. First I need to get my daughters to sign up at their library. I know, this is heresy. They like to read, but don't read as much as I do, and typically buy their books. I should ask them about it though. Not long after we moved to Philly I tried using the County library system I'd used before but they were going through some sort of "verify your residency" vetting process. Sad face.

>101 lauralkeet: Tell your daughters it's a public service to sign up for a library card. It costs them nothing, but may increase the library's funding.

>102 laytonwoman3rd: I like Linda's attitude!

>103 Caroline_McElwee: me too!

Sweet Thursday, Laura. Just stopping by to see if you started The Dutch House. Did you? Did you?

I am hoping my audio copy of The Testaments comes in soon.

>105 msf59: hi Mark! Yes, I've started The Dutch House in fact I'm pretty far along, maybe 75-80%? I'm really enjoying it.

One of the first things I did when we moved up here was make The Wayne sign up for a NYPL card. He can because he works in the city. So I have access to that, to our local consortium (which is very good), and I pay $50/year for a Free Library of Philadelphia membership :)

And I have a NYPL card because anyone who lives in NY state can have one and access to many more eBooks and audiobooks. I keep Hold lists on both the NY and Buffalo sites. Makes for many more options. Only complete book nerds would be interested in more than one library card.

>107 katiekrug: has the Philly membership worked well for you, Katie? As mentioned, I rarely end up getting an eBook because the waiting times are so long. I'm curious how it fits into your library routine.

>108 brenzi: Maybe we should move to New York state!

Speaking of New York, we just got back from a short break in Skaneateles, located at the top of one of the finger lakes. The photo above was the view from our hotel room. This Monet-inspired setting was at the center of the property with all of the rooms and the restaurant surrounding it. It was very tranquil. The village of Skaneateles has lots of cute shops and restaurants, and the lake is beautiful.



We planned this trip to enjoy some time outdoors, and even with imperfect weather we had a great time. On our first day we visited the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, discovered quite by accident while researching the many wineries in the area. Montezuma NWR is a 50,000 acre wetlands complex and a stopover habitat for migrating birds. We stopped in at the visitor center to pick up a map and got to talking with the man at the desk. He directed us to an area a short drive away where the day before some 5000 birds had been counted. After a short trail walk on a loop near the visitor center we headed over there. It was truly amazing. Loads of birds and no people or cars in sight. We saw various ducks and gulls, several great blue herons and honestly too much for us even to hope to identify especially since we hadn't planned for this and didn't have binoculars.

The next day (yesterday) was cooler and wetter, with temps around 50F and occasional light rain. Undeterred, we headed to the Baltimore Woods Nature Center. Although there were maps available outside, we poked our heads into the interpretive center to confirm the way to the trail we wanted. They were once again very helpful, with information about the terrain (uphill/downhill, how steep), and they also marked up the map with a recent change to the trail. The trail itself was well marked but it could have been confusing at the point where it varied from the map, so this was really helpful. The walk itself was only about 1.5 miles, mostly wooded, and the tree canopy shielded us from the occasional spot of rain. It was much more pleasant than you might expect. After our hike we had lunch in Skaneateles village and spent the afternoon relaxing with our books in the hotel lobby/bar area.

We never made it to the wineries but really, getting out into nature was our primary goal so I'd say the trip was a success.

>110 lauralkeet: That looks beautiful and relaxing, Laura.

>110 lauralkeet: It does indeed look enchanting and restful, Laura. Shame that you couldn't make it to the wineries!

Have a lovely weekend.

>111 NanaCC: It was indeed, Colleen.

>112 PaulCranswick: It was okay, Paul. If the days had been bright and sunny we might have taken the extra time for a winery or two, but the idea of reading books by a fire on a rainy day was too good to pass up.

>109 lauralkeet: - To be honest, I haven't used it that much. But I like having the additional option :)

We keep talking about going to the Finger Lakes for a long weekend... Glad you had a good time!

"getting out into nature was our primary goal so I'd say the trip was a success." Amen!!

Wow! What a beautiful discovery, Laura. Love these photos too. You just added a place to my bucket list. I have never explored New York state and the upper part, looks like my jam. Enjoy your weekend.

>114 katiekrug: it's a lovely part of the state, Katie. And so many lakes! Lots of options for weekend getaways that are even closer to you.

>115 msf59: It was pretty amazing, Mark. I wasn't able to get any decent pics of the birds except for a great blue heron. The wonder of it was mostly in the sheer volume of birds, as far as the eye could see, which is difficult to capture in a photo.

" The wonder of it was mostly in the sheer volume of birds, as far as the eye could see..." Music to my ears!

If you have Netflix, check out the Birders episode. Beautifully done.

Wow, your getaway in Skaneateles looks and sounds great, Laura. Who needs wineries when you have such beautiful nature around you? The full-of-birds area - what a gift you received.

We actually don't mind hiking in a light rain. It's got its own appealing atmosphere, and we tend to have the trail to ourselves.

>117 msf59: thanks for the rec, Mark, I will check out that show! I don't know how we've missed it.

>118 jnwelch: I'm fairly new to hiking Joe, but I agree with you about the light rain. We lived in England for four years (Cambridgeshire) and quickly learned that if we waited for a perfectly clear sunny day we'd never go anywhere! Of course it helps to have the right sort of coat and footwear. And it was nice to be the only ones out there. It felt like our own secret discovery.

62. The Dutch House ()
Source: Library loan

Danny and Maeve have been raised in the “Dutch House,” a massive estate purchased by their father early in his marriage. Their mother, who hated the house and everything it stood for, abandoned the family when Danny was still very young. Their father remarried the materialistic and social-climbing Andrea, who made their lives a living hell.

When Danny is in his teens and Maeve in her twenties, their father dies suddenly and Andrea makes it clear they are no longer welcome in the Dutch House. The loss of both parents and their childhood home sends the pair into a long-term tailspin. On the surface, they grow into educated and responsible adults. But whenever they are together, Danny and Maeve visit the Dutch House, watching from a discreet location and ruminating over what they’ve lost and what might have been. In the years to follow their inability to let go has a profound impact on their lives and relationships.

Ann Patchett’s novels always have strong, well-developed characters, and she does dysfunctional families very well. The Dutch House provides plenty of fodder for discussion of parent/child and sibling relationships, and would make a great book club book.

As you can see in >3 lauralkeet:, I have a few books on the go right now. The new Inspector Gamache is FINALLY ready for me to at the library, but I can't pick it up until tomorrow. So I started The World my Wilderness, a Virago that fits our October "post-war" theme, but I will likely set that aside or at least give Gamache priority.

And then, I decided to dive back into Proust. It's been more than two years since I finished the fourth volume, Sodom and Gomorrah (great title, eh?). I'm not sure what's kept me away so long except that these are not easy books to read; I find 10-15pp/day is about the right pace. The Captive & the Fugitive is actually two books and clocks in at just under 1000 pages, so it will be hanging out in >3 lauralkeet: for some time.

>120 lauralkeet: Excellent review Laura and thumbed. And I agree that it would make a great book club discussion.

I downloaded all Proust when you started reading it a few years ago but I've yet to venture into it. I don't know if or when I will.

Happy Sunday, Laura. Good review of The Dutch House. Thumb! I also put up my mini-review today. I need to get back and read some of her earlier stuff.

>122 brenzi:, >123 msf59: Bonnie & Mark, thanks for the thumbs!

Bonnie, where Proust is concerned it was just starting to bug me that I hadn't finished it. I'd like to be able to say that I did. Not that anyone cares but me, LOL.

63. The World my Wilderness ()
Source: My Virago Modern Classics Collection

Set in 1946, both France and England are dealing with the aftermath of the Second World War. At 17, Barbary Deniston has lived in the shadow of war most of her life. She lives in France with her mother, a self-centered woman more focused on her romantic entanglements than on raising her daughter. Barbary had the freedom to mix with the local Resistance, and has seen more than most her age. When her mother decides to ship her off to her father in England, Barbary struggles to adjust to a radically different culture, resists those who can help her, and falls in with a rough crowd. Consequences ensue.

This novel had some interesting characters and there were some moments of humor and depth, but I also found the plot somewhat contrived. Nevertheless, the examination of both France and England post-war made it a good fit for a theme read.

>125 lauralkeet: well, that was a quick read anyway. So now I'm able to devote my full attention to A Better Man. Hmm, that sounds funny.

Yours is the second thread in the past five minutes that has led me to want a copy of The Dutch House. So I'm putting it on hold at the library. I loved Bel Canto and State of Wonder by Commonwealth left me cold.

>127 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! There seem to be a lot of us reading The Dutch House right now. I'll be interested to see your thoughts on it.

>110 lauralkeet: Great photos, Laura. It looks wonderful.

I am waiting for my turn with The Dutch House.

>129 BLBera: Thanks Beth! I hope you get your hands on The Dutch House soon.

Well, I'm happily reading The Testaments right now, so I can wait a while. :)

>131 BLBera: ooh! That's up next for me, after I finish the latest Inspector Gamache, which is a fast read.

It's sucking me right in, Laura. I'm lucky the weekend is approaching.

64. A Better Man ()
Source: Library loan

It was nice to be back in Three Pines again, reading the latest (15th) Inspector Gamache mystery. As this book opens the Inspector and members of his staff are in new roles, as the result of some events in the previous book. Gamache’s second in command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, is going through some significant changes in his personal life as well. But they have a crime to solve: a young woman, known to have been abused by her husband, is found dead in the river. As the investigation proceeds the team builds a clear case against the likely perpetrator, but of course there’s a twist.

As is often the case, there are some side plots concerning other characters in Three Pines. Social media plays a key role in the story, but this aspect felt forced and a bit contrived. And artist Clara Morrow is experiencing something of a career crisis, although I confess I didn’t understand (or perhaps forgot?) what precipitated it and this storyline didn’t seem to go anywhere.

All the same, I found the book difficult to put down and will gladly keep reading this series.

I'm number 335 in the queue for one of 74 e-copies of The Dutch House, Laura. I may have to break down and purchase it.

>135 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! Wow, that's a long hold queue but at least there are also a lot of copies in circulation. Still, sometimes I too will just break down and buy the book.

In my experience, queues of ebooks go more slowly than traditional books. The return is automatic and while one can return it sooner, I'm not sure most people do so. It takes effort; waiting of the library to automatically reclaim the ebook takes no effort at all. I've got a burgeoning shopping cart on amazon as a result.

>137 EBT1002: I've had the same experience with eBooks at my library as well, Ellen. I often request both the Kindle and print editions. The Kindle queues are longer and I agree they seem to move more slowly. I think I've ended up getting the print edition almost every time.

I also tend to hold on to my print loans past the point of finishing the book, if I'm waiting for another book to be "ready for pickup". That way I can return and pick up at the same time. Sometimes I feel a teensy bit guilty because I know I'm keeping another patron from getting the books that I have, but I don't routinely pass by the library in my travels so I tend to plan my visits.

Morning, Laura. Happy Sunday. I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Do you guys go on walks/hikes very often? I won't have time to go on one today, but I plan on doing a couple excursions tomorrow.

ETA- Glad to hear you are enjoying The Testaments. I have the audio and plan on starting it next week.

>139 msf59: Hi Mark! I wouldn't say we hike/walk "often," but we are doing more of it these days. Since moving into the city we've recognized a need to get out into nature on a regular basis. We've found an excellent local park with trails, and some good cycling routes as well.

This is a great time of year to get out on the paths or trails. I am glad you are getting out more often. Keep it up, my friend.

>141 msf59: thanks for the encouragement Mark!!

I also enjoyed A Better Man, Laura. Our reading is overlapping these days. I just finished The Testaments.

Great minds...

>143 BLBera: Beth, didn't you recently read The Dutch House as well? Or is that on your "read soon" pile? We are definitely on similar paths at the moment.

-------


I'm about 100 pages into The Captive & The Fugitive, which is to say not very far along LOL. To guide my reading I'm using a source I've relied on from the beginning: The Cork-Lilned Room. This blog from ~2010 went through all 7 volumes of Proust's work from beginning to end, with each post covering 10-20 pages. Each day I read the "assigned" pages associated with one blog post, and then read the commentary. It breaks the work down into manageable chunks while also providing insight.

So: in this book our protagonist, Marcel, is in a relationship with Albertine, a young woman he met and courted in previous volumes. He has managed to lure Albertine to his home, where she lives somewhat like a bird in a cage. He buys her clothing and trinkets, and enjoys her company in the evenings. During the day she often goes out with women friends. Marcel's narrative about how she makes him feel is more than a little creepy. I'm interested to see where this is going.

>138 lauralkeet: I used to pass very close by my preferred library branch in Seattle so I would often drop off books and, if I had another one (or two or three or seven) ready for pick up, I'd take care of that, too. Now I'm using one library for print books and a different library for eBooks. The local library requires me to input my entire library card number every time whereas the Seattle Public Library let me set up a user name (EBT1002, of course) with a PIN. The 14-digit library card number is prohibitive so I tend not to put print books on hold very often.

First World Problems.

>145 EBT1002: It may be a first world problem, but I feel your pain! I had a username at my former library, but Philly is like your system, using the library card number and a PIN. Thankfully my browser remembers this for me and fills it in whenever I need it. But still. As a (former) IT professional I get twitchy, knowing these things could probably be addressed if they had the resources to do so.

>146 lauralkeet: - Laura, do you also have the library page(s) saved on your bookmark bar? I do, because I am that lazy :)

>147 katiekrug: I use an iPad most of the time Katie, where my browser doesn't have a bookmark bar. But I can type just a few characters in the address bar and it will suggest the library page so that's just as good / lazy!

>148 lauralkeet: - :)

The fact that my iPad saves all my passwords is just so darn handy. The best thing about it really. What a time saver and since my brain functions rather slowly lately it's one less thing to try to remember.

>150 brenzi: I agree Bonnie!

Morning, Laura. Are you just about done with The Testaments? I am looking forward to getting back in to it. I also plan on starting 10 minutes, 38 Seconds tomorrow.

>152 msf59: Hey there early bird! I have less than 100 pages to go in The Testaments. I'm loving how the threads are coming together. Yesterday I got caught up in it and neglected my daily Proust installment -- oops! I'm pretty busy today and this evening, so I'm not sure how much reading time I'll have. I'll get a few pages in at bedtime, anyway. Have a great day!

Just saying, I have my library card number memorized. :)

I haven't read The Dutch House yet. I'm waiting for my turn.

>154 BLBera: I have my library card number memorized. :)
Well that's impressive, Beth! You are my hero!

---

I finished The Testaments this morning. and am letting my thoughts percolate for a bit. Review coming soon!

Next up, the new Richard Russo:

Chances Are...

>154 BLBera: My computer remembers mine...does that count?

>155 lauralkeet: I read my first Russo a couple of years ago, as part of the AAC, looking forward to your thoughts on the new one Laura.

>156 laytonwoman3rd: No. 😀

>157 Caroline_McElwee: Was that in 2016, Caro? I read my first Russo in 2009, when I was focused on reading prize winners (Empire Falls won the Pulitzer). But then in 2016 I read both Nobody's Fool and Everybody's Fool within 2 months.

Chances Are ... received a favorable review in the NYT and I promptly added it to my library queue.

65. The Testaments ()
Source: Library loan

Set some 15 years after the events in The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments tells the stories of three women caught up in Gilead’s totalitarian regime. One woman is raised to be a Wife, the second lives outside of Gilead and becomes involved in resistance efforts, and the third is the notorious Aunt Lydia, head of the Aunts responsible, among other things, for the education and training of the Handmaids. Each story is told in the first person, with the interweaving chapters gradually revealing details of Gilead and its history and connections between the three women.

Aunt Lydia’s story and narrative voice were by far the best part of this novel. Readers learn her back story and see how her rise to power fostered the cruelty and cunning on display in The Handmaid’s Tale. I never would have expected her to become a sympathetic figure, but indeed she does. Lydia, a founding Aunt in Gilead, has seen a thing or two and learned the art of subversion in order to survive. The other two women are much younger than Lydia, born after Gilead’s formation. For them, there is no “before,” and little ability to imagine a world where Gilead doesn’t exist. But their stories sometimes stretched the bounds of credibility, and the pacing felt rushed as the novel hurtled towards its dramatic conclusion. Nonetheless, The Testaments makes for great reading and serves as a sobering reminder of how easily a society can go horribly wrong.

Great comments on The Testaments, Laura. I agree that Aunt Lydia's narrative was the most compelling one. It was hard for me to judge this book as a standalone because I love The Handmaid's Tale so much.

Happy Sunday, Laura. Good review of The Testaments. I finished it yesterday. I liked it but did not love it. I don't think it really needed to be written but like you, I really enjoyed the Aunt Lydia segments. It made it worth reading. I am loving 10 Minutes, 38 Seconds, though. Just sayin'...

>160 BLBera: Hi Beth, I think The Testaments is a worthy companion to The Handmaid's Tale, but now that I've finished it I am not sure I would have liked it as much if I hadn't read *Handmaid* first. If you've "met" Aunt Lydia before, her story is more interesting.

>161 msf59: Happy Sunday back at ya, Mark! And top with the book bullet-ing, would ya? So. many. books. But that's a good problem to have!

BTW- I still hope to get to Philly, for the winter ALA, at the end of January. I sure hope it works out.

This week I read about 85 pages in The Captive & The Fugitive, roughly 10-15pp/day. Marcel is fascinated with Albertine but susceptible to fits of jealousy when she goes out without him. Marcel's mother is away, but through letters tries to pressure her son to give up what she sees as an unsuitable relationship. There were some lovely scenes of Marcel and Albertine strolling about Paris, listening to vendors hawking their wares in the streets.

-------

This week marked the beginning of the season for two classical music organizations we subscribe to: the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (PCMS), which brings well-known artists to the stage, and Astral Artists, an incubator for younger musicians. Astral kicked off their season with a concert featuring their 2019 cohort of new laureates. With PCMS, we attended a concert by Cynthia Raim (solo piano), and another by the Brentano String Quartet. We subscribed to more performances this year than last year. Some weeks our calendar is quite full and I'm not sure we'll have the stamina for all of it. But there's so much good music ahead, I'm looking forward to it.

>146 lauralkeet: I wonder if I asked them how much it would cost to upgrade their software program, maybe I could make a first donation toward it. Ha. Or I could memorize my library card number like Beth. It might be a good anti-Alzeimer's exercise.

>159 lauralkeet: Great review. And I like the idea that Aunt Lydia's backstory leads to some compassion for her. I'm currently reading A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum and the theme of brutality begetting brutality is central. It's a good read so far, recommended by Beth.

>165 EBT1002: I know -- let's get tattoos of our library card number in some sort of ornate design!! Happy reading, Ellen!

66. Chances Are ()
Source: Library loan

Lincoln, Teddy, and Mickey were fast friends during their college days in the 1960s. Now in their mid-60s, life has taken each of them in very different directions. As Lincoln prepares to sell a family vacation home in Martha’s Vineyard, he invites the men to join him for a long weekend “reunion.” Notably absent is Jacy, a woman every one of them was infatuated with in college, who disappeared without a trace after a similar weekend at the Cape shortly after graduation.

Each man comes to Martha's Vineyard with baggage. The most significant moment of their young lives was December 1, 1969: the night the Vietnam draft lottery was broadcast on national television. Mickey, with the lowest number, ultimately went to Canada to avoid military service; Teddy spent his life in academia but never found a clear sense of purpose; Lincoln was never at risk of going to Vietnam but is haunted by his father’s dogmatic presence and a sense of failure despite all outward appearances. The novel explores the turns their lives took after the lottery and the men they have become, while also slowly revealing Jacy’s story.

I most enjoyed the character studies in this novel, as well as Russo’s references to modern politics (the weekend reunion takes place in 2015). The mystery of Jacy’s disappearance was sometimes too dominant, and its resolution a little too pat but then this is supposed to be a novel about male friendships, not a “whodunnit.” It’s not a bad book, but it’s not Russo’s best either.

>167 lauralkeet: This book sounds very intriguing.
No wait, your review makes the novel sound like an almost book bullet.

Which novel of Russo's would you say was The Best (assuming best is theme and writerly craft)?

>166 lauralkeet: I like that....next time my husband has one of his "maybe I'll get a tattoo" moments, I think I'll suggest that.

>167 lauralkeet: Since I have a copy of this one on shelf, I will still have to give it a try. I am Russo fan after all.

Did you see my post in #163?

>168 SandyAMcPherson: Well Sandy, I'm a Russo fan. The first book of his that I read was Empire Falls, and I rated it 4.5 stars (and 5 stars are rare for me). But I read it 10 years ago, and don't remember much about it. On the other hand, Nobody's Fool was also excellent and has stayed with me longer. I keep meaning to watch the movie (Paul Newman! Squeee!) but have yet to do so.

>169 laytonwoman3rd: I'm trying to start a trend!

>170 msf59: I think you'd like it Mark; I suspect it would appeal to men more than women. And I'm sorry I blitzed by your message! I hope you're able to get to ALA also!

I've read all of Russo's fiction except Everybody's Fool and his newest. Empire Falls was five stars and all the rest were four stars so he 's a favorite author I think. That said, I feel no urgency to get to this one and I still haven't read his last. Maybe because I only gave That Old Cape Magic four stars based on all his other books. It really wasn't very good. That's probably what's holding me back on these last two.

*adds library card number to the list of Tattoos I Think Would Be Cool But I'll Never Get*

Hi, Laura!

>172 brenzi: Bonnie, I'm not surprised you're also a Russo fan. I haven't read *Cape*, not sure why but it never really called to me. I think his next-most-recent book is a memoir? I'm not so interested in that one, either.

>173 scaifea: Hi Amber, I'm 100% certain I'll never get a tattoo either! But yeah, I know a cool tattoo when I see one. 😀

Hi Laura - I'm just finishing the jaw-dropping Red Notice - and trying to remember if I heard about it from your thread. What a story. I listened to an interview with Browder on Preet Bharara's podcast, which focused a little more on current issues with Russia and was also mind boggling. Anyway, thanks for the recommendation.

>175 vivians: Yes Vivian, that could have been me. Red Notice was a book club pick a few months ago. "Jaw-dropping" is a great way to describe it. It also piqued my interest in more current events so thanks for mentioning the podcast episode. Sounds like it's worth a listen.

>175 vivians: the jaw-dropping Red Notice
has been on my local library WL list ever since I saw it reviewed (lauralkeet, back in July, IIRC).

I should probably put in a request now, since there's sure to be a queue.

>177 SandyAMcPherson: Red Notice was first published in 2015, so it might not be in as high demand as a new release. You might not have to wait too long, Sandy.

>178 lauralkeet:, you were right. One local library has it shelved, although the other copies are on hold or 'in transit'.

I have to pace myself and not be too swift in requests. I just received an Early Reviewer book in the mail so need to read The Grey Sisters first. I'm also currently reading The light between worlds, on a library loan.

>179 SandyAMcPherson: I know what you mean about pacing, Sandy. After my incessant griping about wait times for library holds, I've had a little avalanche:



The first two are in hand, the third and fourth are ready for pickup and I'm letting the clock run out a little bit before getting them just to take the reading pressure off a little bit.

Anyhoo, I'm excited have some good reading ahead!

>180 lauralkeet: - What's the 3rd book, Laura? I can see the covers of the others ones but not that one. Inquring minds need to know!

>181 katiekrug: Katie, it's Women of the Copper Country. I did some finagling with the cover images, can you see it now?

>182 lauralkeet: I can see all the covers.

Looks like good reading is in your stash.

>182 lauralkeet: - Yep, I can see it now!

I've put the new Strout on kind of a long suspension Laura, as I debate with myself whether or not I want to have a moratorium on new titles while I look at the unimaginable backlog of books I need to try to read. I totally forgot to freak out before this because I won't get to every single book on my TBR before my demise.

I hope you enjoy Disappearing Earth and The Women of the Copper County both of which I totally enjoyed.

>180 lauralkeet: Happy Saturday, indeed, Laura! What a fine, library haul. Not familiar with the first one but I loved Women of the Copper Country. Enjoyed Disappearing Earth and have Olive, Again waiting patiently in the wings. I plan on starting it next week. Enjoy!

>183 SandyAMcPherson:, >184 katiekrug: Thanks Katie & Sandy. I don't know why LT didn't like that first cover (it was a member cover, not an Amazon one), but I'm glad it's fixed now.

>185 brenzi: Bonnie, I understand the struggle to balance new releases and the book backlog, especially if the latter are sitting right there on your shelves. I start every year with a list of TBRs that I already own and try to knock titles off of it, but by the end of the year I've usually acquired just as many new books (if not more). And then this year more of my reading has been a book inspired by LT recommendations, a selection for book club, or a new release. Oh yes, the struggle is real.

>185 brenzi:, >186 msf59: Both Disappearing Earth and Women of the Copper Country are LT BBs and I'M LOOKING AT YOU, BONNIE & MARK.

Phew, trying to catch up! Two great trips, one abroad and one up into the Finger Lakes region and tons of great reading.

I liked Oliphant too. I found The sparrow a hard read at times, but worth it. I know I've read that Betty Miller but I can't remember a thing! Well, maybe a little. I don't have that Macauley, though. Dutch House is on the WL as is the Russo, although I will likely save that for the Xmas pile as we all love Russo.

We used to go to the PCMS concerts. K's mother was involved in the early days of the founding of it -- and now it is so firmly established!

>120 lauralkeet: What a great review of The Dutch House. I'm on a long list at the local library. I may simply buy the book. I've been out of touch for awhile, and this rainy, chilly fall Sunday, I am spending time visiting threads.

I also read your review of The Sparrow. When the book was first published, a friend was the book buyer at Lehigh University, and gave me some of her copies. The Sparrow was haunting. At the time I was very much bothered by what occurred to the travelers who were enticed to the planet by beautiful music.

I read it again a few years ago to ascertain if I would feel the same way. I understood the violence more, but stille was bothered by it. Your review is excellent. Your reviews are always excellent!

Congratulations on retirement! I retired from academia a year ago. Honestly, I don't miss the stress and pressure of overseeing two college publications and trying to motivate students. I began to feel old as the students of years ago, were more engaging and committed to a task.

I do miss some of the students, but the politics and changes were not what I wanted to go through again and again.

>180 lauralkeet: You have some great reading ahead, Laura. I'm waiting for Women of the Copper Country, but I do have a few other library books on my shelf.

>188 sibylline: Hello Lucy, how interesting that you have a family connection to PCMS! I wonder, have you ever been to the Marlboro Music Festival (in Marlboro, VT)? Marlboro and PCMS share some DNA, and Marlboro touring ensembles perform 3-4x during the PCMS season.

>189 Whisper1: Linda! How wonderful to see you here, thank you for stopping by. I visit your thread regularly, although I don't. post as often as I should. Interesting comments on The Sparrow, and I agree "what happened to the travelers" was very disturbing. I'm glad you are enjoying retirement, as am I. It's nice to be away from the rat race and the BS.

>190 BLBera: Hi Beth, I think you also share some responsibility for Disappearing Earth, so thanks for that!

Always happy to be of service. :)

67. In This House of Brede ()
Source: On my Kindle

Philippa Talbot has by all accounts been a successful business woman. But she is alone, a widow also grieving the loss of a child many years earlier, and questions whether she has truly found her purpose. When Philippa decides to enter a Benedictine monastery, she begins a journey towards finding both purpose and peace. Besides mastering Brede’s daily rituals, Philippa must also shed the trappings of her previous life, such as behaviors that put self before others. And she must blend into a community of women, each with both gifts and flaws, and work together to manage all aspects of the abbey’s operations, from worship to meals to health care.

While the main story arc is about Philippa’s journey, the novel is greatly enhanced by subplots that showcase its rich cast of characters. I became emotionally invested in every one of these women, and in the welfare of Brede as a whole. In This House of Brede stands the test of time and could be read again and again for new insights.

Oh my I loved that one Laura, even more than you..I was thinking it would be a good one to reread at some point too even though I'm not much of a rereader. Great review.

>193 lauralkeet: If only my daughter would give me back my copy!!

>193 lauralkeet: I read a Rummer Godden novel earlier in the year, and enjoyed it Laura. I'll put this on the list.

>193 lauralkeet: - This one is often on sale for Kindle, and I always stop and ponder buying it but then don't. Next time I see it, I'm snapping it up :)

>194 brenzi: Bonnie, I came across your excellent review when I was posting mine. I was somewhat at a loss for words, to be honest. A plot synopsis would not do it justice, because it's much more about the characters and the community and I found it difficult to describe.

>195 laytonwoman3rd: well at least you know where it is, Linda!

>196 Caroline_McElwee: I read another Godden novel that just didn't grab me, and yet she is such a respected author. I thought reading this classic which is probably one of her best-known works, might change my impression and indeed it did.

>193 lauralkeet: I remember a TV special of Brede, starring Diana Rigg. It was quite lovely.

>199 ffortsa: You're right Judy, I went looking for it but it looks like I'd have to track down a DVD and, well, we no longer have a DVD player so that's a bit of a problem. I did find the 1975 New York Times review of the made-for-TV movie, and they praised Rigg, and many other things about the production, while also noting it strayed considerably from the book. If I ever come across it on TV, I would definitely give it a look.

68. A Girl Returned ()
Source: Library Loan

Suddenly and without warning, a young girl’s parents send her to live with a different family which, it turns out, is her biological family. The adults provide no explanation, and since the story is told in the first person, the reader is just as much in the dark as the girl. She goes from being an only child to one of many children, and must adapt to her new family’s relative poverty. The only bright spot is finding that she has a younger sister; the two become close. The girl never loses hope of being reunited with the couple she still views as her family, and doggedly questions her natural parents to understand why she was returned to them.

The spare prose of A Girl Returned was translated from the Italian by Ann Gold, the translator for Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels, and it reads well. The girl’s confusion and emotions are palpable. Like her, I wanted to know the truth and I became invested in her welfare. But the reveal was forced, and the reason for the girl’s return was not fully believable (avoiding spoilers: the family was shielding her from a secret, but one she was old enough to understand and live with). This ultimately left me with a “just okay” feeling about this book.

>193 lauralkeet: This sounds excellent. I'll look for a copy.

>202 BLBera: I think you'd enjoy it, Beth. I bought mine on Kindle but it was first published in 1969 so I would imagine used copies are readily available.

I've had quarterly threads so far this year, but this one is already at 200 messages with two months to go. And I'm almost assured of reaching 75 books this year, so we are going to CELEBRATE!

Follow me over to my new thread:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/312610#6957680

Done and fun!