Beth's (BLBera) Pages in 2021 - Chapter 5

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 am an English instructor 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 suspect this will continue, even after I retire, which I am thinking will be in May.

I tend not to plan my reading, other than for my book club, which meets once a month. Each year my goal is to read more books from my shelves, but those shiny new library books always distract me.

Currently Reading

Read in 2021
📚September📚
106. Light Perpetual
107. It Begins in Betrayal
108. Fences* REREAD
109. The Bone Code
110. The Woman Who Smashed Codes*
111. The Life of the Mind
112. Averno 💜
113. Ariadne 💜
114. Mary's Monster
115. C Is for Corpse*
116. The Heron's Cry
117. Matrix 💜
118, The Women of Troy

September Reading Report
Books read: 13
By women: 10
By men: 3

Novels: 9
Poetry: 1
Drama: 1
Nonfiction: 1
Graphic biography: 1

Library: 11
- physical copies: 10
- audiobook: 1

From my shelves: 2 physical copies

🍁October🍁
119. The Performance
120. Deep Pockets*
121. Death Comes to the Nursery
122. The Language Warrior's Manifesto
123. An Unhallowed Grave*
124. Poet Warrior
125. A Good Man Is Hard to Find* REREAD
126. Martita, I Remember You
127. Bewilderment
128. The President and the Frog
129. Curator of Ephemera at the New Museum for Archaic Media
130. Harlem Shuffle
131. The Window Seat

* From my shelves

Read in 2021
🏖 July 🏖
79. The Dictionary of Lost Words
80. The Night Hawks
81. Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask*
82. Night Waking* 💜
83. In the Company of Men
84. Red Knife*
85. How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
86. American Sublime: Poems 💜
87. God Help the Child* REREAD
88. An Inventory of Losses
89. An Old, Cold Grave*
90. Magpie Lane
91. Seven Guitars
92. The War I Finally Won*
93. The Clothing of Books*
94. Autumn* REREAD

Reading Report - July
Books read: 16
By women: 13
By men: 3

Novels: 11
Nonfiction: 1
Essays: 2
Drama: 1
Poetry: 1
In translation: 3

Library books: 8 - all physical copies

From my shelves: 8
Physical copies: 7
ebook: 1

☀️August☀️
95. Burnt Sugar
96. Intimations*
97. The Secret to Superhuman Strength 💜
98. Vacationland* REREAD
99. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
100. Two Trains Running
101. Postcolonial Love Poem
102. Great Circle 💜
103. B Is for Burglar*
104. Consent
105. Heaven's Keep*

Reading Report - August
Books read: 11
By women: 9
By men: 2

Novels: 6
Essays: 1
Poetry: 1
Drama: 1
Short stories: 1
Graphic memoir: 1

Library: 7
- Physical copies: 6
- Audiobook: 1

From my shelves: 4
- Physical copies: 3
- Ebook: 1

Read in 2021
❄️January❄️
1. Jazz*💜
2. News of the World* REREAD
3. Those Who Knew
4. Square Haunting 💜
5. The Boy in the Field
6. Glass Town
7. A Running Duck*
8. Faces on the Tip of My Tongue*
9. Perestroika in Paris
10. When You Reach Me*
11. Earthly Remains*
12. Pride
13. Teaching about Race and Racism in the College Classroom*
14. The Skeleton Road*

January Reading Report
Books Read: 14
By women: 14

Novels: 10
Graphic novel: 1
Short stories: 1
Nonfiction: 2
Translation: 1

Library books: 6
From my shelves: 8
- Physical books: 7
- ebook: 1

❄️February❄️
15. The Death of Vivek Oji
16. My Time among the Whites* REREAD
17. The Nickel Boys*
18. Las mujeres en la química*
19. Paradise* REREAD 💜
20. Devil in a Blue Dress*
21. So We Read On*💜
22. Banned Book Club
23. The Vanishing Half*

February Reading
Books read: 9
By women: 7
By men: 2

Novels: 5
Graphic novel: 1
Nonfiction: 2
Young reader nonfiction: 1
Spanish: 1

Library: 2
From my shelves: 7, all physical books

🍀March🍀
24. Outlawed
25. Sing, Unburied, Sing* REREAD
26. Summerwater 💜
27. The Jewels of Paradise
28. Love*
29. The Historians
30. Even as We Breathe
31. Hidden Figures*
32. American Delirium
33. Hardcore Twenty-Four*
34. Freiheit!*
35. What's Mine and Yours
36. How Beautiful We Were 💜
37. Infinite Country 💜

March Report
Books read: 14
By women: 13
By men: 1

Novels: 12
Nonfiction: 1
Graphic novel: 1
Translation: 1

Library: 11
Audiobook: 3

My shelves: 5
Ebook: 1
Physical copy: 4

* From my shelves

Read in 2021
Reading in 2021
☔️ April ☔️
38. Beheld
39. The Seed Keeper* 💜
40. She Walks in Beauty*
41. The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
42. The Liar's Dictionary
43. The New Jim Crow* 💜
44. Faithful and Virtuous Night 💜
45. The Western Wind
46. Death Comes to the School*
47. I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf
48. Death Comes to Bath

April Reading Report
Books read: 11
By women: 10
By men: 1

Novels: 7
Nonfiction: 1
Poetry: 2
Graphic: 1

Library books - all physical copies: 7
My shelves - 4
physical copies - 3
ebook - 1

🌸May🌸
49. Klara and the Sun
50. The Dutch House REREAD
51. Exciting Times
52. Death and the Maiden
53. The Searcher
54. The War that Saved My Life*
55. Whereabouts
56. Ocean Prey
57. Jacob's Room Is Full of Books* 💜
58. The Carrying*
59. To Die But Once
60. Gem of the Ocean
61. One Two Three* 💜
62. Death on Tuckernuck
63. Miss Treadway and the Field of Stars*
64. Secrets of Happiness 💜

Reading Report - May
Books read: 16
By women: 13
By men: 3

Novels: 13
Poetry: 1
Memoir: 1
Drama: 1

Library: 11
- Audiobooks: 2
- Ebook: 1

From my shelves: 5
- All physical books

☀️June☀️
65. A Is for Alibi*
66. Life in the Garden*
67. The Arsonists' City
68. The Scholar*
69. Of Women and Salt
70. Joe Turner's Come and Gone
71. Piranesi
72. The Feast of Love*
73. Unsettled Ground 💜
74. All My Pretty Ones*
75. Castle Shade
76. No One Is Talking About This
77. The Center of Everything 💜
78. The Blood Promise

June Reading Report
Books read: 14
By women: 11
By men: 3

Novels: 11
Memoir: 1
Drama: 1
Poetry: 1

Library: 9 - all physical books

From my shelves: 5
- Physical books: 3
- Ebooks: 2

🌺Tentative Reading Plans🌺

Book Club
✔️October A Good Man Is Hard to Find
November Station Eleven
December When God Was a Rabbit

Women's Prize 2021 Longlist
Because of You by Dawn French
✅ Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
✅ Consent by Annabel Lyon
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
✅ Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
✅ How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones SL
Luster by Raven Leilani
✅ No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood SL
Nothing But Blue Sky by Kathleen MacMahon
✅ Piranesi by Susanna Clarke SL WINNER!
Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers
Summer by Ali Smith
The Golden Rule by Amanda Craig
✅ The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett SL
✅ Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi SL
✅ Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller SL

Booker Longlist 2021
A Passage North, Anuk Arudpragasam
Second Place, Rachel Cusk
The Promise, Damon Galgut
The Sweetness of Water, Nathan Harris
✔️Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro
An Island, Karen Jennings
A Town Called Solace, Mary Lawson
✔️No One is Talking About This, Patricia Lockwood
The Fortune Men, Nadifa Mohamed
✔️Bewilderment, Richard Powers
China Room, Sunjeev Sahota
✔️Great Circle Maggie Shipstead
✔️Light Perpetual, Francis Spufford

August Wilson Century Cycle
Jitney
King Hedley II
Golf Radio

Ali Smith's Quartet
Winter - reread
Spring
Summer

Walter Scott Historical Fiction Prize (selections)
The Tolstoy Estate SL
The Year without Summer
A Room Made of Leaves SL
Mr. Beethoven
Afterlives
The Mirror and the Light SL
✔️ Hamnet SL
Islands of Mercy
✔️The Dictionary of Lost Words SL

You must read this!



As I get ready to read Lauren Groff's new novel Matrix in the next couple of weeks, I was thinking of the first Groff novel that I read and loved, ten years ago!

My brief comments:

Arcadia is an unexpected treasure. It is the story of Bit Strong, told from his point of view. It begins in Arcadia, a commune. Bit is five years old. The novel progresses through his life, from its beginnings in the commune, to middle age, when he lives in NYC. It is really the story of a baby boomer, so it might resonate more with people of a certain age.

Groff is wonderfully descriptive; this book is filled with lovely descriptions, but her chief achievement is giving us characters that we care about. An example: "When he opens the door, Abe's smell rises to Bit from the clothes: that clean sweat of him, the metal of him. The lingering last ghost of his father sideswipes him. He knows it's absurd, but he closes the door to save a little of his father for later." Isn't that lovely?

One of these days, I'll read it again.

>8 BLBera: Happy new thread, Beth! I didn't love Arcadia as much as you did when I read it quite a few years ago, but I'm glad it resonated so strongly with you.

Piranesi won the Women's Prize for fiction, which surprised me. I know some people loved it, but it wasn't my favorite novel from the shortlist. Was anyone else surprised?

>10 rosalita: Hey Julia - you are the first. I'll give you your prize one of these days... I remember reading comments that weren't as favorable as mine for Arcadia. There was something about it that struck me. I wonder if I'll feel the same if I reread it.

>12 BLBera: You probably would. It's been so many years since I read it (2013!) that I can't remember why it didn't resonate with me but I certainly didn't hate it.

Hi Beth and happy new thread! I was also surprised about Piranesi's win. It was not my favorite but I guess the creativity appealed to the judges. Ariadne looks interesting...does it rank along with Circe and A Thousand Ships?

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Beth!

Just left you a link about The Woman Who Smashed Codes at the bottom of your last thread before I realized you had a new one.

>13 rosalita: I think I read it in 2012, Julia.

>14 vivians: Hi Vivian - Thanks. I haven't read A Thousand Ships, but Ariadne is reminding me of Circe. I still have a ways to go, so I hope it continues to be as good. So far, Saint is doing a good job of creating tension when I already know the story.

>15 drneutron: Thanks Jim.

>16 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. I found it last night. Anyone who is interested, "Codebreaker" is part of the PBS American Masters series. It is based on the Fagone book The Woman Who Smashed Codes.

Hi Beth, and happy new thread!

>8 BLBera: I read Groff’s The Monsters of Templeton and rated it 4 stars but haven’t read anything else by her.

Hi Beth, Happy new thread! Love looking at your reads especially the ones with a ❤️.
>11 BLBera: What was your fav. read from the Women's short list? i'm curious.

>18 karenmarie: Thanks Karen. The Monsters of Templeton has been on my shelf for years, and I keep meaning to read it. Maybe yet this year.

>19 mdoris: Hi Mary. I think Transcendent Kingdom and Unsettled Ground were my favorites. What about you? What was your favorite?

Happy Sunday, Beth. Happy New Thread! I like the topper. Hooray for Mary's Monster. I loved that one.

>20 BLBera: Hmmm Beth, I have read one (slow reader!) and that was The Vanishing Half which was a bit so so for me. Thanks for letting me know. I had to let Transcendent Kingdom go back to the library unread sadly. Maybe I had better try and get it again! Now both are on reserve!

Happy new thread, Beth!

>11 BLBera: Piranesi was the only one I read. I took Transcendent Kingdom from the library last week, and hope to read it next week. The other books from the shortlist are not translated yet.

Happy new thread!

>11 BLBera: I really liked the novel Beth, though didn't expect it to win. My bet was on The Vanishing Half. I'd read 3 of the shortlist.

>21 msf59: Hi Mark. Thanks. I love the illustrations in Mary's Monster.

>22 mdoris: I did like The Vanishing Half, Mary, and most of the books from the list that I have read. It was a good list this year.

>23 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. I'll watch for your comments on Transcendent Kingdom.

>24 thornton37814: Thanks Lori.

>25 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline, I can see how Piranesi would appeal to a visual person. It wasn't one of my favorites although it was an interesting read.

Hi Beth, I was hoping Kate Grenville's Room Made of Leaves but heh, it didn't even make the shortlist🤷‍♀️

Hi Bonnie - Is the Grenville even published yet? Maybe it will be on next year's list. I'm never quite sure about publication dates and what is eligible.

Yes I read it a couple of months ago. It was on the longlist Beth.

Happy New Thread, Beth.

I still haven't gotten used to American authors being included in the Booker mix - I think it makes it far harder for commonwealth writers to get their work noticed. Surely with the Pulitzer and National Book Awards, US authors have enough to compete for? I hadn't even heard of Grenville's book which is remarkable considering she is such an accomplished a writer.

Happy new thread, Beth!

>29 brenzi: I've been waiting for my library copy, Bonnie. It wasn't on the Women's Prize longlist, maybe another prize? See >7 BLBera:

>30 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. I am waiting to get a copy of Grenville's new book from the library.

>31 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda.

>32 BLBera: Hmmmm I thought that was where I'd seen it. Now I'm going to go crazy figuring that out. I bought a Kindle copy in the spring Beth.

ETA: found it. It was the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction.

Happy New Thread, Beth.

New Thread!! New Thread!! : ) Hi Twin.

>26 BLBera: Hmm, I hadn't thought of it like that Beth, but of course you are right, it doesn't work so well if you don't see it. It's quite a risk for a writer to take that route then, knowing it will be enjoyed (or not) in such a various way.

I thought I'd posted here, sorry! Happy new one. I was not a fan of Piranesi, just found it very slight. I'd have been happier even if Unsettled Ground won. I say "even", because I didn't much like that book, but I thought it was more effective as a novel. I was hoping The Vanishing Half or Transcendent Kingdom would take it.

>33 brenzi: I've been waiting for most of the Walter Scott titles to be published here. So frustrating! Thanks for the reminder about the shortlisted Kate Grenville. My library still doesn't have it, nor does Audible. I'm also waiting for another shortlisted title, The Tolstoy Estate as well as others from the longlist.

>33 brenzi: Hi Bonnie - You remind me to check out the Walter Scott Prize list; I do like historical fiction. I'm glad you didn't go crazy.

>34 Oregonreader: Thanks Jan.

>35 Berly: Hi TwinK! I hope all is well and that your son survived his 21st!

>36 Caroline_McElwee: It was a very visual novel, Caroline. I enjoyed it but not as much as some others on the list. Maybe the very fact of the originality gave it the edge.

>38 vivians: Hi Charlotte. Transcendent Kingdom was my favorite although I think Unsettled Ground was close.

>38 vivians: I'm going to check out the list, Vivian. I usually add a few titles to my WL.

Here is the link for anyone interested:
https://www.walterscottprize.co.uk/the-2020-prize-how-to-enter/

Well Beth, the only one I haven't read from the shortlist is The Tolstoy Estate and it's way too expensive right now ($37) and not even available on Kindle.

>41 brenzi: Bonnie, somehow I missed that a) there was a new Kate Grenville book, b) that you read it, and c) you gave it 4.5 stars. Well my library has it so on to the list it goes!

Hi Beth!

Hi Beth! Just trying to get caught up a bit. I hope the start of the school year is going well!

>41 brenzi: Impressive, Bonnie. I have only read two from the list. I only included the ones that look like ones I might read, so they are not all there. I have read two from the shortlist.

>42 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - I'm waiting for a copy from the library as well. We'll see who gets to it first. So much for reading from my shelves.

>43 katiekrug: Hi Katie - School is going well. We're in our fourth week already.

Hi Beth and happy new thread!

I've read both Fates and Furies and Florida. The latter was a five-star read for me. Now I want to read Arcadia and I'll need to acquire a copy of Matrix. She is a terrific author.

We're in week four, as well. It is already flying!

Thanks Ellen. I just got my copy of Matrix from the library and am anticipating it. Groff is becoming one of my favorites.

Time is flying.

112. Averno
Averno is a small lake in Italy that the Romans believed was the entrance to the underworld. This place, with its aura of endings, is an apt title for this wonderful collection of poems by Louise Glück. In "October," the speaker considers how quickly time passes, while other poems explore the Persephone myth. All look at the transience of life. Glück's poems are long, but here are some of my favorite snippets:

From "October"
3.
death cannot harm me
more than you have harmed me,
my beloved life.

From "Omens"
To such endless impressions
we poets give ourselves absolutely,
making, in silence, omen of mere event,
until the world reflects the deepest needs of the soul.

This is a collection I will return to. It is beautiful.

113. Ariadne

I loved this novel. Ariadne imagines one version of Ariadne's life, beginning with her childhood on Crete, and the story of the Minotaur. Ariadne's sister Phaedra is also a part of the story, but the main focus is on Ariadne.

Following other recent novels like Circe and The Silence of the Girls that retell stories from mythology, this also focuses on the women's point of view. Early on, Ariadne understands, "...a truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could ring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do."

I enjoyed following Ariadne; one of the things that Saint does well is flesh out the character in a way that makes us want to follow Ariadne on her journey, even if we know how it ends.

Happy new thread, Beth!

Looks like you've been reading some excellent books, and I like the snippets you picked for >47 BLBera:. I don't read a lot of poetry, but perhaps I should add Louise Gluck to the list of folks to try.

I read Piranesi and liked it very much, so I was thrilled to see it win (I'm a big fantasy reader). But I haven't read any of the other books on the short list, so it's hard to know how it compares to the others. I'll read The Vanishing Half for book club at the end of the year, though.

National Book Awards lists, at least partial lists. I wish they would announce all of them at once, but oh well.

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/15/1037097073/national-book-award-longlists

>49 bell7: Hi Mary - I missed you. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but I heard so many great things about Piranesi that I wanted to give it a try. I'm not sorry I read it, but it certainly wasn't my favorite one from the shortlist.

>50 BLBera: Oh no, not more books! I'll just have a quick look (Ha).

Sweet Thursday, Beth! I'm not much for poetry but Averno intrigues me. I'll check my library.
Thanks for reminding me about the NBA longlist. I'll take a look at what's available at my library for that as well.

Morning, Beth! I am late to your newest thread, but I am wishing you happy anyway. I loved Mary's Monster - a perfect marriage of words and illustrations; it was just so well done. And I am wanting to read that new series by Ann Cleeves - I have the first one in the stacks.

Happy new thread! I added Ariadne to my TBR list. It sounds a bit like Circe, which was a real favorite.

Hope all is well!

>52 charl08: Just a quick one, right, Charlotte?

>53 Carmenere: Hi Lynda. I'm waiting to see what's on the fiction list. My library had one collection of poetry, so I'll give that one a try as well.

>54 Crazymamie: Better late than never, Mamie! I agree about Mary's Monster. The art is wonderful. The first Ann Cleeves in this series was great, and this is starting off well..

>55 witchyrichy: It did remind me of Circe in some ways, Karen.

114. Mary's Monster is a graphic biography in verse about Mary Shelley's creation of Frankenstein. The art is wonderful and enhances her story. She was a remarkable woman. I will look for more biographies of her.

>57 BLBera: Beth, there is a very good biography of Mary and her mother Mary Wollstonecraft called Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon. It alternates between their stories so you get to see their lives play out together, and it is so well done.

>58 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie - I think I have this one on my WL, probably from you!

115. C Is for Corpse
In this third novel of the series, Kinsey Millhone begins by saying she is working for a dead man. The dead man is Bobby Callahan, a young man who survived a horrific car accident but has lost a lot of his memory. The only thing he is sure of is that someone had tried to kill him. He wants Kinsey to find out who.

Well plotted, as I have come to expect in this series. The audiobooks have been really good, so I will probably continue to listen to them.

Hi Beth - did you see that Anthony Doerr's new novel is on the National Book Award list? I didn't know it was out already (maybe it isn't yet) but I'm very eager to read it.

>60 BLBera: I'm happy to see you are still reading and enjoying the Grafton Series. I stalled at G not because I wanted to, there's just so much to grab my attention.
There might be a little breathing room after the book awards.
I just say NBA longlist for fiction is out. I've already read Cloud Cuckoo Land so I've at least got one down.

>61 vivians: If I may answer your question... According to Netgalley, Doerr's publication date is 9/28. I suppose it was available to the judges earlier.

>61 vivians: I just looked at the list, Vivian. I haven't read any although I do have Matrix from the library and plan to read it when I'm finished with my current book. I'm waiting to get Doerr's latest from the library. It does sound like a good one.

>62 Carmenere: Hi Lynda. I've been listening to the Grafton audiobooks, which is working well for me. Was the latest Doerr a good one? I'll have to hop over to your thread to take a look.

116. The Heron's Cry
The second in Ann Cleeves' Two Rivers series continues in Devon with Detective Matthew Venn. The characters are fleshed out a little more, and the mystery is a well-plotted puzzle.

When the father of a glass blower is found dead, there seem to be plenty of leads but no real evidence. Nigel, the victim, headed a non-profit watchdog group for the NHS and was investigating the suicide of a young man. When there is another death, this time of an artist who is a neighbor to the victims's daughter, the plot thickens. There are lots of suspects and twists, and I certainly didn't figure it out. The solution may seem a little convenient, but the setting and characters will keep me coming back.

Also, a note at the end says that this series is also being developed for TV! Yay!

Hi Beth. I will put Ariadne on my wish list. It sounds fun.

I haven't yet started reading the Two Rivers series. I've almost completed the Shetland series and have several yet to read in Vera. But hearing that they're making it into a TV series makes me happy. Her novels are good but the BBC productions of them have been especially good!

I hope your semester is going well.

We're having a rainy day and the precipitation is so welcome!

Oh. I have Mary's Monster on my shelves. I need to read it!

Hi Ellen: Did you read Circe? Ariadne reminded me of that in some ways. The new Cleeves series is excellent. I haven't read any of the Veras; I just watched. :)

When does your vacation start? What books are you taking?

I'm with Ellen -- a TV adaptation of an Ann Cleeves series is good news, indeed! I'm still waiting for that next season of Shetland, where production was halted due to the pandemic.

Hi Beth! Ariadne sounds good

>68 lauralkeet: I, too, am anxious for a new series of Shetland, Laura. The new one will be called "The Long Call," like the first book in the series.

>69 banjo123: I enjoyed it, Rhonda.

Hi Beth. I did read Circe and loved it.

We leave one week from today. I'm not sure what books I'll be taking. I've just started Leonora in the Morning Light and I have All's Well by Mona Awad on my kindle. I should get a copy of The Secret Place by Tana French on my kindle before we go. So my kindle will be loaded and I just need to choose a couple of traditional books to take along.

I have All's Well on reserve in the library; I'll watch for your comments on it. If you loved Circe, you will love Ariadne as well.

>71 EBT1002: I am only going for two nights to Roanoke and thinking about what books to take. I always have my Kindle but can't imagine being in a hotel room without a book on the nightstand.

Morning, Beth! I did not know that they were making Cleeves newest series into a tv series - that is so full of fabulous! We love both Shetland and Vera. Like Laura, we are waiting on that latest season of Shetland. And the rest of Vera - only the first two episodes dropped, and Rae looked it up and I guess we will not get the other four episodes until next year. *sob*

>48 BLBera: Adding this to The List - I loved Circe, so if this has a similar vibe, I'm in.

>73 witchyrichy: Enjoy Karen.

>74 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie. Yes, I am excited about the Cleeves series and waiting for the new Shetland. I think it will be a while. I've been rewatching old ones. I'm on to The Women of Troy, now, so back to mythology.

117. Matrix is another good novel from Lauren Groff. Even if Matrix doesn't have the interesting construction of Fates and Furies, Groff shows her versatility in this very good historical novel with her remarkable imagining of Marie de France.

Marie de France lived in the twelfth century, and nothing much is known about her. Some of her writing remains, so Groff was at liberty to create the character of Marie. And she creates a remarkable woman.

As a young woman, Marie was sent away from the court of Henry II to become abbess of a poor abbey. The descriptions of the cold, hungry nuns, in the dark and dirty times were so well done, I needed a blanket as I read. Marie grew to love and feel protective of the nuns, realizing that "Women in this world are vulnerable; only reputation can keep them from being crushed."

At first I was skeptical that a relatively short novel could do justice to a life, but Groff manages the passage of time well, choosing to focus on select times of Marie's life, then skimming over the intervening years.

I think fans of historical fiction will appreciate this one.

>76 BLBera: I like the sound of the plot, but I think I'm still going to give Lauren Groff a miss though.

I am looking forward to the new detective drama too. The setting is so beautiful, how can they go wrong?

>76 BLBera: - I might give this one a try, since it was selected as the WNYC Get Lit pick for the month, so there are no wait lists for e-copies or audios from the NYPL... Plus, I love historical fiction :)

Sweet Thursday, Beth. I am so glad that you liked the new Groff. I was not a fan of Fates and Furies but I loved the story collection that followed that and was looking forwarded to Matrix.

Hooray for Mary's Monster!

>77 charl08: I imagine you'll find something to read, Charlotte.

>78 katiekrug: It's a good one, Katie. I'll watch for your comments.

Well, off to get a COVID test; a student I spent some time with earlier in the week just told me she has COVID. Fingers crossed.

>80 BLBera: Here's hoping for a negative test.

Well I think it might be time for me to read something by Lauren Groff, Beth. I haven't been drawn to her but this might be the book. Plus no waiting for an Overdrive copy is tempting.

Good luck with the COVID test

Hi Beth, I am a little late to be wishing you a "Happy New Thread" but I seem to have fallen behind on keeping up here. I have my fingers crossed for you to get a "clear" on your Covid test. September has been a good month in terms of number of books read, but it seems no matter how many I read, there is still a ton that I need to get to!

>79 msf59: Matrix is very good, Mark.

>81 thornton37814: Thanks Lori - it was negative!

>82 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. You like historical fiction, so this might work for you. I love the time period.

>83 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. Thanks. I seem to always have a stack of library books to get to, so that has been dictating my recent reading. All those shiny new books!

I’m so glad your test was negative Beth. Happy Friday!

Thanks Laura. I am so relieved. I imagine it won't be the last time I'm exposed this semester.

Hooray for negative test!!

Yes, Reba, I am so relieved.

I have to test every fortnight as part of the regulations to restart construction works here, Beth, and even though I mostly feel fine, I am always worried until I see the result. Relieved to see you got a good result on your test too. x

Lauren Groff's new novel caught my eye too (it isn't in Malaysia as yet) as did the Women's Prize win for Piranesi which, I admit, surprised me just a little bit.

Have a lovely weekend.

Hi Paul - Yes, frequent testing is going to be part of our lives for a while, it seems.

I was surprised that Piranesi won, but I am terrible at predicting winners for book prizes.

Glad to read your test was negative Beth. I am hoping everyone stays careful as the main cohort of our students start back on campus tomorrow.

My daughter called to tell me that Scout is sick, but she can't be tested until Monday. I'm praying it's not COVID.

>92 BLBera: Oh dear, that's worrying. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Scout.

Fingers crossed for Scout, Beth. Scary...

>92 BLBera: - Sad to hear Scout is ill, no matter what the cause is :(

Morning, Beth!

>95 katiekrug: What Katie said. Hoping it's nothing serious and that she is feeling better soon.

Thanks Laura, Mark, Katie, and Mamie. She's a pretty healthy kid, so fingers crossed it's not COVID.

Oh dear Beth. I hope it's not COVID. Does she wear a mask at school. Last week Cole had a temp of 102 so the protocol here is that he had to be examined by the doctor and then have a COVID test. The doctor told my daughter that he was sure it wasn't COVID and sure enough, the next day the test showed negative. Unfortunately, I think it's the first thing we all think of.
Hope Scout feels better soon.

She does wear a mask at school, Bonnie. She is feeling better today, but she will go and get her test tomorrow. Fingers crossed. I can't wait until she can get vaccinated! Her doctor said she thought it might be before Thanksgiving.

Fingers crossed for Scout and for vaccines for the younger folks too.

Amen, Reba.

118. The Women of Troy follows Barker's wonderful The Silence of the Girls. Once again, the focus was on the women of Troy, this time after the fall of Troy. The action is set in the camp as the Greeks are waiting for the winds to change so they can go home.

Briseis appears again. I didn't find this novel as compelling as The Silence of the Girls, maybe because the secondary characters aren't as interesting and because it doesn't seem like there's much new here.

Just checking in to see how Scout is - hopefully no Covid and that she is feeling much better soon!

I hope Scout is feeling better.

Your reading list is incredible. I added many of the books I thought I would like to the TBR pile, and placed a hold on them at the local library!

Thanks Judy - I just got the text from my daughter. Scout is negative! She is feeling better.

Thanks Linda. I'm always happy to add to other's TBR piles! I have been trying to limit my library books, but obviously my willpower is low. This month most of my reading has been library books.

Glad to hear she's feeling better, Beth. Good news!

>105 BLBera: Glad Scout's result is negative Beth. Such a relief for you all.

>102 BLBera: I haven't read these yet. Not on my 'soon to read' list.

>106 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. It is good news.

>107 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. It is a relief. I will be so happy when she can get vaccinated. She did get her flu shot when she went to the doctor, though, something she felt was very unfair. :)

The Barker books will be there when you're ready, Caroline. The Silence of the Girls is better. But in some ways, they are both the same book.

Hey Beth! I've got my eye on the new Ann Cleves series. Sounds good.
I've got Matrix pending at my library. Fingers crossed they can get it in.

Great news about Scout! I'm so glad.

Hi Beth!

>84 BLBera: Whew! Glad the COVID test was negative.

>105 BLBera: Double whew! So much stress on her being sick, much less thinking it might be COVID.

Morning, Beth! Hooray for Scout's negative test and for the fact that she is feeling better.

Thanks Laura, Karen, and Mamie. This is such a hard time for the young kids.

In other COVID-related news, some of our maintenance staff and one secretary were fired because they refused to both be vaccinated or be tested. Everyone employed by our college and university system is required to be either vaccinated or to be tested weekly. This seems like a stupid reason to lose your job...

>113 BLBera: indeed, stupid, non-productive, not understandable.

>113 BLBera: - As it should be. No sympathy here. Those who refuse to do the right thing and continue to put others at risk, deserve what they get. I have little sympathy or empathy for them. Good luck to them finding a new job.

>113 BLBera:, >114 ffortsa:, >115 jessibud2:

Amen!

>114 ffortsa:, >115 jessibud2:, >116 RebaRelishesReading: There should be consequences, but what bothers me is that these are people who will no doubt suffer financially, while senators, representatives, etc., who are egging them on won't suffer any consequences.

Hooray for Scout! Your LT pals are happy and relieved.

>117 BLBera: - They should educate themselves. They have no one to blame but themselves. The evidence, the facts, are out there. If they can click on facebook, they can click to find the true facts from reliable medical sites. And if they can watch fox tv, they can watch reliable tv, and listen to the experts.

>118 msf59: Thanks Mark. We are relieved as well. So, I should get to see her this weekend.

>119 jessibud2: All valid points. I don't know what the answer is.

Big consequences for people taking a stand. The things I have read have said that its the worst when ppl who were previous anti-vaccine are in ICU with covid and are begging for the vaccination then. And the nurses have to say 'sorry, you're too late' and they then die. There'd be no satisfaction telling a dying person they were wrong. Awful situations all around!

>121 LovingLit: Yes, Megan. I think many of the people don't know anyone who has been ill with COVID, so they brush off the seriousness of it. Things are pretty awful right now.

119.The Performance is an original novel set during the performance of a Beckett play. I was surprised by how much I loved this novel. I'm not familiar with the play, but it doesn't matter. The author gives us enough details to make us feel as if we are also attending the performance.

Thomas focuses on three women attending the play. Margot, in her seventies, is a professor. She is freezing in the air con and develops a tickle in her throat that makes her cough and leads her to look for throat lozenges in her purse. The young man in the seat next to her is monopolizing the armrest. Summer, a student, is an usher and worried about the wild fire that approaches her partner's parents' home. She does breathing exercises to calm her anxiety. Finally, Ivy is a Beckett superfan. She has seen the play before and lets her mind wander. The man in the seat next to hers is snoring and she is strongly tempted to kick him.

Little details like this make the characters live.

The first part of the novel takes place during the first act of the play. Then, there's an intermission section, written as a script, when the characters leave their seats and interact. In the final part of the novel, the characters return to their seats, and the play ends.

The structure is interesting, and the characters are great. I will look for more by this author. Theater-goers will enjoy this novel. I'm glad I picked this up.

>123 BLBera: Now that looks right up my street Beth, and I'm a Beckett fan. It just tripped into my shopping cart.

>123 BLBera: Sounds interesting. I will put it on my WL.

Glad to hear the good news about Scout.

A person I work with tested positive. She came into work while feeling ill. We did not know that she had not received the vaccine so we thought she had a mild cold. Thanks to her, I had to get the PCR test (which is slightly uncomfortable) 4 times. She knowingly put me, and those around me at risk. Thankfully, I was negative all four times. Not getting a vaccine is the choice of the individual however, by being in close contact with others they forget that they are choosing others fate as well.

Ah well. I hope you have a great weekend!

>124 Caroline_McElwee: I was thinking of you, Caroline, while I wrote my comments. I think you will love it.

>125 figsfromthistle: That sounds unforgivable, Anita. I was talking to my mother today, and one of my nephews isn't vaccinated -- I didn't know that. I hope he isn't spending time around my mom and dad.

Hi Beth!

The anti-Covid vaccination mindset is befuddling. When did we lose caring about how our actions affect others?

Sometimes, I wonder if instead of mandates, people should be made financially responsible for tests and other procedures people need to take because of their choice. Maybe higher insurance rates? It doesn't seem fair that they can cause hardship to others and skate away free.

Great reviews. I've added Ariadne and Matrix to the never-ending tbr list.

Hi Janet - What's really scary is that I have heard that some states are considering vaccine mandates in general, that is MMR, tetanus and other vaccines that kids have to have to go to school. I feel sorry for the kids now - what a world they are inheriting.

I'm happy to add books to your list. :)

>123 BLBera: ohhh that does sound good Beth but how am I supposed to get all these books read in my remaining years on earth? That's the biggest question I have now. How do I pick and choose from all the tempting books out there and piling up every single week as publishers churn them out at an astounding rate?

You'll just have to live forever, Bonnie. :)

Great news about Scout! My neighbor was warbling about Matrix. It sounds fascinating.

Yes. I saw her yesterday. Fingers crossed that kiddos her age will be able to be vaccinated soon. I loved Matrix.

Happy news that Scout is on the mend. It is such a difficult time for parents right now, I will be happy when they work out a viable vaccine for the little ones.

I came by to thank you, Beth, for encouraging me to read In the Time of the Butterflies, I finally did and now I am kicking myself for not getting to it sooner. I loved it!

Glad to hear Scout is better.

I had to get a measles update vaccine when I went to graduate school in my 40s because the vaccine does wear off. I did ask for the test before I took the shot and I did not have the antibodies. So, I received the booster and a month later, there was a measles outbreak on campus. I do worry about the future for young people.

>133 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy. I am so glad you loved In the Time of the Butterflies. It is one of my favorites! People still talked about "the mariposas" when I lived in the Dominican Republic.

>134 witchyrichy: Thanks Karen - yes vaccines save lives. I will get any offered to me.

120. Deep Pockets is one of the last books in the Carlotta Carlisle. I've been following this series for years and enjoy the adventures of this six-foot-plus redhead private investigator.

In this book, Carlotta is hired by a Harvard professor to find out who is blackmailing him. He had an affair with a student and things he might get fired if the story gets out. Carlotta finds the blackmailer, who is then murdered, and the plot thickens.

I never guessed the solution, and the last chapters are real page turners. There are a couple left in this series, and I will read them, if only to see what happens with Carlotta's personal life.

122. The Language Warrior's Manifesto
Anton Treuer is passionate about Ojibwe and has spent huge amounts of time and energy working to revitalize the language. In this book, he writes about his personal history and explains how he became a language warrior.

He discusses the various programs and approaches he has worked with and mentions a LOT of names of people; giving tips for starting and maintaining programs. One of my favorite stories was how people came together to create children's books in Ojibwe.

I just saw him speak at the Carlton College convocation, and he emphasized the importance of not losing languages. When we lose a language, we lose another way of looking at the world.

He's an engaging speaker, and if you get the chance to see him, don't hesitate. He does have a TED talk for those interested in this topic.

This book is for people interested in revitalizing languages. There is quite an extensive "how-to" section, so it won't be for everyone.

>136 BLBera: I used to read the Carlotta Carlyle mysteries, but stopped after about 6. No idea why, as I liked them all, so I'll have to track them down at the library. Thanks for the nudge.

I started reading All's Well and decided that I might enjoy it more if I first read about All's Well That Ends Well in my Asimov Shakespeare book. Maybe not true, but it was my theory. So I let it go back to the library and put myself back in the queue for it.

>136 BLBera: Hmm, I feel like I read some Linda Barnes waaaay back in the day. I might have to give the Carlotta Carlyle mysteries a (second?) go.

>123 BLBera: Onto the wish list it goes....

>138 ffortsa: It had been a while since I read them, Judy. I had this one as an ebook. I think there are only two more in the series.

>139 EBT1002: The Carlotta Carlisle books are old, Ellen. The one I just finished held up well. Hmm. I'm wondering about All's Well. The Performance is wonderful although I know not everyone would care for the structure. I think it's one you might like. The characters are wonderful.

123. An Unhallowed Grave

In this third book of the Wesley Peterson series, Ellis again blends history with the present. A woman is found hanging from a tree in a cemetery, while nearby Wesley's friend Neil finds a skeleton of a hanged woman in his excavation. As Wesley investigates the present-day crime, Neil looks for clues to what happened to the skeleton.

Ellis cleverly blends the plot lines and further develops the characters. Wesley and Pam have a newborn and are struggling to find reliable care for him when Pam goes back to school.

I look forward to the next book in the series. Fans of the Ruth Galloway series who like archeology mixed with their crime might like this series. There are twenty plus books in the series, so I have some good reading ahead.

>141 BLBera: that last paragraph ... oh dear. The only thing saving me is that my library doesn't have her books.

That is the problem with older series, Laura. My library has a few. I think the ones I've read so far have been cheap ebooks. They make for good reading at the gym. :)

Monday approaches, I've rested a lot this weekend, as well as keeping an eye on Kayla's ferret. She had a lot of college homework, and work at her job this weekend. This ferret has a tremendous amount of energy. He is incredibly inquisitive. Tonight, he found a bar of soap in the bathroom, and to leave his tooth marks along the edges. Then, he finally found a way to get inside the tub. It was a process waiting to happen. He finally solved the project by climbing through the towel rack and finding the rack that would allow him access to the tub.

I heard a thump and knew he was finally succeeded, His pattern is that he runs around, sometimes jumping side ways if there is an object he is afraid of. Lately, if we let the bottom entrance to the cage open, when he is tired, he simply puts himself to bed.

This high school graduation present, is becoming a process in work.

You are reading some great books. Is it ok to read the Kate Ellis series out of order?

Hi Linda. The ferret sounds like a lot of work. Scout has been campaigning for one recently. I've only read the first three books in the Ellis series. I guess you could read them out of order.

124. Poet Warrior
In this memoir, Harjo travels through key moments of her life and looks ahead to the next step. Events are scattered among dreams and poems, so if you are looking for a chronological telling of a life, Crazy Brave might be a better choice. But if you want to read more of Harjo's poetry, this is rewarding.

125. A Good Man Is Hard to Find
The stories are not all perfect, but most of them are pretty close. O'Connor is a skilled short story writer. The book description says she has an "apocalyptic vision." Her stories are filled with misfits and outcasts, and terrible, tragic events. Yet, she also has a dark, unexpected humor. Her writing is so descriptive that she captures the essence of her characters in a couple of sentences.

Not everyone will appreciate these troubling stories. I look forward to a lively book club discussion this week.

Happy Wednesday, Beth. Looking forward to reading Poet Warrior. I loved Crazy Brave. I also loved A Good Man Is Hard to Find and her second collection just a little less.

Thanks for the reminder about the Wesley Peterson series, Beth. For some reason I didn't follow up with that series after I read the forth one. I have the fifth The Bone Garden on hold at the library now.

>141 BLBera: Twin--That seems appropriate October reading! And you've found a new series. Nicely done. : )

>147 BLBera: I love that collection.

>148 msf59: Thanks Mark. I love O'Connor. She gives me lots to think about. She is fun to teach as well.

>149 Familyhistorian: The fourth one is next for me, Meg. Too many series...

>150 Berly: Thanks TwinK! The title makes it sound scarier than it is, but I don't like scary. I'll leave that to you. :)

>151 swynn: It is great, Steve.

Hi Beth!

>113 BLBera: - >117 BLBera: Stupid, misled people. You’d think the Gang of Psychos would at least try to keep their base alive. A friend of mine recently died of Covid-induced ARDS because she wasn’t vaccinated, and I’m grieving and mad at her for being so stupid.

>123 BLBera: And onto the wish list it goes!

>141 BLBera: Fans of the Ruth Galloway series who like archeology mixed with their crime might like this series. Ya got me! I just got the Kindle version of the first book in the series, The Merchant’s House. I couldn’t resist.

>147 BLBera: That was a RL book club choice in 2017. I started it and then abandoned it so as to preserve my mental health. I’m one of the people who didn’t appreciate the troubling stories.

Hi Karen! I think you will like the Wesley Peterson series.

Our book meets to discuss A Good Man Is Hard to Find today. I imagine, from various comments I've heard already, that several people won't love the stories. :)

126. Martita, te recuerdo is a novella published in a bilingual edition. I got some practice reading in Spanish, as I read the first half in Spanish and then switched.

In this Corina looks back at a time she spent in Paris with Marta. It was a time in their lives when both had dreams of rising up beyond the poverty of their youth. After finding letters from Marta, Corina looks back on that time with nostalgia for the young woman she was. Cisneros gives us a clear sense of those bittersweet feelings.

Lovely and poetic.

Our discussion of A Good Man Is Hard to Find was lively. People had been looking for the moment of grace in the stories. We discussed where it could be found. We talked about O'Connor's sense of the sinfulness of people and her great descriptive writing. One of the people agreed that O'Connor has a strange and wonderful sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate.

Hi Beth, I've wanted to revisit O'Connor for awhile and you make it sound like a good idea. Also, the Cisneros, but only the English part lol.

Hi Bonnie: The new Cisneros is short but very poetic. I love her writing, in both English and in Spanish. I find O'Connor rewarding to reread.

I read The Merchant's House, the first in the Wesley Peterson series, in 2019 and I don't remember it at all. I'll look for a copy of The Armada Boy and dig back into the series.

>156 BLBera: Sounds like a good book group meeting, Beth. I am looking forward to two meetings this week, including one looking at The Underground Railroad as part of the UK's Black History Month. Hopefully we will get a good turnout, despite the busy time of year.

>145 BLBera: Please tell Scout that ferrets take a lot of time, and energy! Though, I have to say that I enjoy this cheeky devil. Every day is something new in his life, and he gets excited when discovering. He gets bored if there is nothing new. Yesterday, he discovered a small bag of snacks in Kayla's bedroom. Soon, he had it opened and was munching away. But, first he hides whatever he finds. I ran the sweeper in the room and found four various little piles of hidden things. I laughed when I found a stack of his soft toys in the closet. They were all lined in a row. For such a small thing that must have a tiny brain, he sure uses it to his best ability.

All good wishes. Happy Monday!

>159 EBT1002: I don't have much memory of the plots of the Wesley Peterson books, Ellen, but I do enjoy the two mysteries, one in the past and the other in the present. We'll have to think about some shared reads next year.

>160 charl08: Hi Charlotte - it was a good meeting. I'll watch for your report on your groups. I would think The Underground Railroad would be a good one for discussion.

>161 Whisper1: Hi Linda - I will pass on the information to Scout's mom. :) Thanks.

127. Bewilderment
I love the portrayal of the father-son relationship in Bewilderment. Robin, the nine-year-old son, and Theo, the dad, are great characters. Robin is struggling after the death of his mother, while Theo is trying to help his son cope. Robin has always had problems, with possible diagnoses of ADHD or autism, but Theo and his wife always resisted the labels and medications. However, with his mother's death, Robin is finding it harder and harder to function in school. When a friend working on experimental neurofeedback offers to enter Robin in a trial, Theo agrees.

If the story were focused on Theo and Robin, it would be easy to write comments. But I find it hard to describe the novel. Some questions raised: Is there live on other planets? Can we save our environment from catastrophe? Is our democracy failing? Do we over diagnose autism? Overmedicate kids? Powers packs a LOT into this short novel, and for that reason, the amount of ideas and questions, I find it loses focus. All he really needs are Theo and Robin.

Still looking forward to this one!! Good review though.

Hey TwinK! As a neuroscience nerd, I think you will enjoy it. I did enjoy it; I feel that my comments seem more negative than I meant. Oh well.

Definitely! (As in I am a neuroscience nerd and I hope to enjoy it.) And besides, Richard Powers is the Literary Arts speaker in April. I already have my copy! : )

I'll watch to see what you think of it. I would have liked more of the father and son and the neurofeedback, the brain stuff.

You have some great speakers coming this year! Will most of them be in person?

>163 BLBera: Hi Beth, Hated the ending. Hated it. I felt it left us with no hope.

Hi Bonnie - Did you feel like he included too much stuff? Did we need the planets?

>163 BLBera: Great review, Beth. I'm one of the few around here who was underwhelmed by The Overstory. There were just too many threads and messages, and a certain strident tone that wore on me. It sounds like Bewilderment may have some of the same issues.

Morning, Beth!

>147 BLBera: I have this one in the stacks. Several by her in the stacks, actually.

Hi Beth - my book group zoomed last night to discuss Bewilderment. The general consensus was extremely positive, and I was in that camp as well. We agreed that there were many themes to discuss, and everyone was intrigued by the imagined planets and their tenants. I loved the father-son relationship, the exploration of grief, and the issue of treating the neuro-diverse. There were a couple of gripes (did we really need the supposed affair?) but no substantive criticisms. I know Bonnie felt the ending was bleak but I thought it was extremely moving and well-written.

>163 BLBera: Nice review. It doesn't have to be perfect to still be enjoyable and sounds like it is at least an interesting read.

Not even trying to catch up, Beth, just stopping by to say "Hello."

Happy Wednesday!

De-lurking to say "hi," Beth!

>162 BLBera:, Beth, to add a description of the ferret in our house, he is excited by seeing new things. He recently found fun in a downstairs closet. I could not find him, and there he was peeking of a stack of bed sheets. He now found a way to get into the tub, and recently found how to get out of the tub, shampoo bottles flying everywhere. I confess that i am quite fond of him, but he take a lot of energy from my already compromised supply.

It is a beautful day here. Lilly is outside basking in the sun.

Life is good.

>169 BLBera: No you make a good point Beth. I loved his relationship with his son but thought there was too much external stuff going on including the planets.

>170 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - I think I liked The Overstory better than Bewilderment although I thought he could have used an editor. There were too many people.

>171 Crazymamie: Hey, Mamie. Flannery O'Connor is from your part of the country; you should definitely read her stories.

>172 vivians: I remember that you loved Bewilderment, Vivian. It certainly lends itself to discussion! My problem was that I would have liked more of the father-son and neuroscience stuff and fewer planets.

>173 Oberon: Great observation, Erik. It doesn't have to be perfect to be enjoyable. And I did enjoy this novel.

>174 alcottacre: Hi Stasia.

>175 katiekrug: Lurk away, Katie!

>176 Whisper1: It sounds like you are having fun with the ferret, Linda. Now there's a title for a kid's book!

>177 brenzi: What a great discussion you started, Bonnie.

Sweet Thursday, Beth. Good review of Bewilderment. I just picked up a copy from the library. I am currently enjoying Once There Were Wolves. She has quickly become a favorite author.

Hi Mark. I have MIgrations on my shelf and hope to read is soonish.

128. The President and the Frog
This novel first caught my eye because of the title. Then, when I saw that De Robertis was the author, I picked it up; I loved her Cantoras. This novel is set in an unnamed country that could very well be Uruguay, inspired by the life of former Uruguayan president, José Mujica, aka el Pepe.

The action takes place during two time periods, one when the former president, unnamed, is a political prisoner and one in present day while he is being interviewed by a Norwegian reporter.

This is a quiet novel about survival and resilience. It asks how does one suffer torture and not become hate-filled. The tone is philosophical as the former president remembers events while the reporter questions him. There are references to our former president among discussions of leadership. Oh, and there's a frog.

129. Curator of Ephemera at the New Museum for Archaic Media

Description: "Many of her poems engage ekphrasis around the visual work of contemporary artists who, like Erdrich, make art around concepts of survival and apocalypse and are also Anishinaabe. Poems in this collection curate unmountable exhibits in not-yet-existent museums devoted to the ephemera of communications and recent but archaic technology."

This is another title that caught my attention. Many of the poems are inspired by visual arts, and Erdrich also includes QR codes that lead to what she calls "poemeos," animated poems. There are also poems in Ojibwe and English.

This unusual collection probably isn't a good introduction to Erdrich, but I found it an intriguing, if not totally successful, attempt to combine various art forms. In some ways, I think this attempt takes attention away from the words on the page.

If you are interested in checking out some of the "poemeos," you could visit Erdrich's website, www.heiderdrich.com.

Morning, Beth! I am adding The Cantoras to The List, which I know is not the book you reveiwed, but...

Happy Friday, Beth. I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Just stopping by to say hello, Beth. I scanned through your thread, always interesting, and saw that you were reading the Kinsey Milhone mysteries. I read a couple of early ones years ago and don't remember why I stopped. But I'm ready to reread and continue the series. Thanks for the reminder.

>183 Crazymamie: Great, Mamie. It's a good one.

>184 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Thanks.

>185 Oregonreader: Hi Jan. I hope you are well. I've found the audiobooks are good for the Kinsey Milhone series.

Hi Beth. Thanks for the review on Bewilderment I was underwhelmed by Overstory, and I think for some of the same reasons. So I will hold off on reading any more Powers, though I think I am in the minority.

Ohhhhhhh....I loved Cantoras too Beth. I didn't know she had a new one out.

I didn't know either, Bonnie. I saw this one on the new books shelf at the library.

>187 banjo123: Hi Rhonda. I liked The Overstory more than Bewilderment, but I didn't love it as much as some people did. Powers isn't one of my go-to authors, either.

130. Harlem Shuffle
I had high expectations for this latest novel by Colson Whitehead, so although I was disappointed, I'm sure many will love it.

I did appreciate the detailed description of Harlem; Whitehead depicts Harlem in the early 1960s in such a way that I felt I knew it. I think the character of his protagonist is well developed as well; the problem is that I never really came to care too much about Ray Carney. I felt as though I was dropped into the middle of a boy's club.

131. The Window Seat

I loved, loved, loved this collection of essays by Forna. She's had an amazing life and with a stepfather who worked for the UN, has had the good fortune to live all over the world.

The topics are varied, from discussion of urban wildlife in "Wilder Things," in which I see the inspiration for her wonderful novel Happiness to insomnia, the meaning of home, and dogs in Sierra Leone.

>192 BLBera: I want this book.

>191 BLBera: I started this, put it down and now not jumping to pick it up again. And that though I've had it for a while from the library. I think I'm having a bit of a book blahs period, as The Promise and A Passage North aren't working either.

You will love The Window Seat, Charlotte. Mine is a library copy, and I was thinking it's a book I wouldn't mind having on the shelf.

I've heard raves about Harlem Shuffle, but I think my expectations were too high. Not my favorite Whitehead although still pretty good.

The Window Seat has been on my Overdrive list since it came out Beth, and other books keep shoving it out of the way. I will definitely give it a priority.

>181 BLBera: My local library does not have that title by De Robertis, but it does have The Gods of Tango. Have you read that one and, if so, what did you think of it?

>192 BLBera: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Beth!

Happy Friday!

>192 BLBera: Oh that one sounds good. It is now on the library list, with thanks!

>192 BLBera: I've added this to my library list as well, Beth.

>195 brenzi: I think you'll like it, Bonnie. One nice thing about essay collections, is that you can read one and then go on to something else.

>196 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. I have not read The Gods of Tango. The only other book by De Robertis that I've read is Cantoras, which I really liked.

>197 mdoris: It is such a great collection, Mary. I think you'll like it.

>198 DeltaQueen50: It's a good one, Judy. Thanks to Mamie for bringing it to my attention.

Hi Beth!

>156 BLBera: Interesting way of approaching the stories, but after reading the first two or three, I’ll still pass.

>181 BLBera: And onto the wish list it goes! Good, enticing review.

Hi Karen - O'Connor is not to everyone's taste, for sure.

I'll watch for your comments on The President and the Frog.

Hello, Beth! I just knew you would love that Forna collection. I am also wanting my own copy.

Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous!

Happy Saturday, Beth. Sorry to hear the new Whitehead let you down but The Window Seat sounds like a real winner.

I loved Migrations too.

>181 BLBera: - Woot - I've never read Carolina De Robertis or anything from Uruguay. Onto the library wish list it goes. It's interesting - it looks like most of De Robertis's works are available in our library system. Almost all of them are homed in a tiny library in small town Glendive. Glendive has less than 5000 people and is the eastern flatlands of Montana. It always makes me wonder how an 'exotic' author comes to be so well represented in a library that I would guess circulates mostly popular genres.

>202 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie!

>203 msf59: Hi Mark - Hey! Little Jack's first Halloween! Is he going to dress up?

>204 streamsong: Hi Janet - Isn't that interesting. Maybe there's a small Uruguyan community there. :)

Hi Beth, that's disappointing about Harlem Shuffle. The Window Seat sounds good. I haven't read anything by Forna.

Is Scout excited for halloween? does she get to trick or treat?

>206 banjo123: Hi Rhonda - I expect that others will love Harlem Shuffle, so if you are a Whitehead fan, you might want to give it a try. You will like The Window Seat, I think.

I'm sure Scout is excited to trick or treat. Her mom is strict about candy, but she loosens up restrictions for Halloween.

>192 BLBera: That one certainly caught my eye, Beth. I have a number of her books. What else of hers have you read?

I've read Happiness, Paul. I started at the end. :)