Laytonwoman3rd Chapter the First 2022

So here's me, doing a thing I've NEVER done before, which is to start a thread for the New Year before the old year is out.

Here's a link to my last thread for 2021. You can work backward from there through my lists, or consult the links on my profile page if you have that much free time on your hands.

Many of you know me already. I've been keeping track of my reading in the yearly 75 Books Challenge for about a dozen years now. A brief bio or reminder of who I am: My name is Linda, and I am a retired paralegal. I've spent most of my life in Northeastern Pennsylvania, with brief interludes for college, my husband's military service and paralegal training in Central PA, New Orleans and Philadelphia, respectively. Since giving up the legal grind, I have kept busy with volunteer work centered around libraries, cemeteries, and genealogy. I have just concluded a two-year term as President of the Board of Trustees of the Scranton Public Library (that's an old postcard representation of our 19th century main building), currently serve as President of the Equinunk Cemetery Association, and do as much grave-hunting and photographing as time and weather will allow for the website Find-A-Grave.com. I hope to contribute to the reclamation and restoration of a long-neglected cemetery in my local area that has recently been the subject of a lot of journalistic attention, and has spawned a robust volunteer effort, soon to seek non-profit status.

LT has been an essential part of my life since I joined in 2005, after my daughter @lycomayflower told me about "this site where you can catalog your books." My response was something like, "Why would I want to do that?" HA! I simply can't imagine life without it anymore. I never knew how much I needed a reading community, until I found one. There are links on my profile page to my earlier reading threads. My goal is always to read more of the books I already own, and to acquire fewer books than I remove from the house. In past years this has been a big joke, but it has become an absolute necessity due to space considerations, and the older I get the less stuff I feel the need to keep, so not only books, but a lot of "I-might-want-that-someday" nonsense is being deaccessioned these days.

I've been hosting an American Authors Challenge in the 75 Book Challenge Group for a few years, and will do so again. Details of this year's monthly challenges can be found downthread.

And as some of you know, I'm averse to gifs and listserve-type holiday greetings, but I LOVE visitors who comment on my reading, or on other topics introduced here. Everyone is welcome to lurk or engage, as you see fit.

Here will be a list of the books I read in the first quarter of 2022. (I usually have one thread per quarter.)
I use some shorthand to help me keep track of my reading trends:

ROOT identifies a book that I have owned for at least a year at the time I read it.
CULL means I put the book in my donation box for the library book sale after finishing it, or otherwise gave it away.
DNF means I didn't finish the book, for one reason or another, usually explained in the related post.
ER means I received the book from LT's Early Reviewer program.
GN refers to a graphic novel, GM a graphic memoir This is not a category I use much, but it is the featured theme for January 2022 in the AAC, so I hope to do 2 or 3 this year.
An * asterisk indicates a library book.
LOA means I read a Library of America edition;
SF means the book was a Slightly Foxed edition, (NOT science fiction, which I so rarely read);
VIRAGO means it was an original green-spined Virago edition from my own collection;
FOLIO indicates a Folio Society edition.
AUDIO and e-Book are self-explanatory, and probably won't appear very often.
AAC refers to the American Author Challenge.
NF indicates a non-fiction read.
TR indicates a work in translation
RR means it's a re-read for me

Clicking on titles in this post will take you to the message in which I reviewed or commented on that book.

MARCH
25. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
24. Hondo by Louis L'Amour ROOT, CULL
23. Black Diamond by Martin Walker
22. The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew NF
21. Anna's Book by Barbara Vine CULL
20. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tns by Simon Armitage TR, ROOT, RR

FEBRUARY

19. Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery NF
18. The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad TR, ROOT, NF
17. Barnacle Soup by Josie Gray with Tess Gallagher AAC
16. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
15. At the Owl Woman Saloon by Tess Gallagher ROOT, AAC
14. The Saturday Morning Murder by Batya Gur TR
*13. Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt

JANUARY

12. Pastoral Song by James Rebanks NF
11. Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov TR
*10. A Stranger in Mayfair by Charles Finch
*9. Mary's Monster by Lita Judge
8. The Sport of Kings by C. E. Morgan ROOT
7. Haikus for New York City by Peter Goldmark
6. Therese Raquin by Emile Zola ROOT, TR
5. Scenes From Village Life by Amos Oz ROOT, TR
*4. The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri TR
*3. A Contract with God by Will Eisner GN, AAC
2. American Indian Stories by Zitkala-SA NF, ER
1. Colored People by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. NF

I try hard to clear out books no one in the house is ever going to want to read or read again....but this is how that usually turns out:



I will keep track here of the volumes I manage to donate to library sales or otherwise hand off this year:

1. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
2. Mrs. Ames by E. F. Benson
3. Miss Zukas and the Island Murders by Jo Dereske
4. Miss Zukas and the Stroke of Death by Jo Dereske
5. An Irish Country Welcome by Patrick Taylor
6. Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
7. Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice
8. Taltos by Anne Rice
9. The Vampire Companion by Katharine Ramsland
10. Servant of the Bones by Anne Rice
11. Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice
12. Lasher by Anne Rice
13. Tenney's Landing by Catherine Tudish
14. The Death of Santini by Pat Conroy
15. Damned if You Do by Michael Brandman
16. I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming
17. Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming
18. Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman
19. The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman
20. Breath by Tim Winton
21. Canada by Richard Ford
22. Home to Harlem by Claude McKay (duplicate copy)
23. Anna's Book by Barbara Vine
24. The Chimney Sweeper's Boy by Barbara Vine
25. Anastasia by Peter Kurth
26. The File on the Tsar by Summers and Mangold
27. Black Diamond by Martin Walker
28. Hondo by Louis L'Amour
29-30. Children of Time, Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchiakovsky

For my new acquisitions

JANUARY

1. Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden
2. The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew
3. She Has Her Mother's Laugh by Carl Zimmer
4. There Once Was a World by Yaffa Eliach
5. The Saturday Morning Murder by Batya Gur
6. The Literary Murder by Batya Gur
7. Black Diamond by Martin Walker
8. Haikus for New York City by Peter C. Goldmark, Jr.
9. Black Pearls by Sascha Feinstein

FEBRUARY

10. 97 Orchard by Jane Ziegelman
11. Autumn Rounds by Jacque Poulin
12. A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes
13. This is Happiness by Niall Williams
14. Barnacle Soup by Josie Gray and Tess Gallagher
15. Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan
16. Cochise by Edwin R. Sweeney

MARCH

17. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight et al., tns by J. R. R. Tolkien
18.-19. Malamud Novels and Stories of the 1940s, 50s and 60s LOA editions
20. The Penguin History of Canada by Kenneth McNaught
21. The Thousand Mile War by Brian Garfield
22. The Indian Frontier of the American West by Robert M. Utley
23. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Here are the selections for the 2022 American Authors Challenge:
I will post links in this message to the monthly threads as they go live. And I will note my own selections for each month as I read them.
The General Discussion Thread for this year's challenge is here.

JANUARY Graphic novels and/or non-fiction
Here is the thread for January.
Finished A Contract with God by Will Eisner
Finished Mary's Monster by Lita Judge

FEBRUARY Tess Gallagher
Finished At the Owl Woman Saloon and Barnacle Soup

MARCH Bernard Malamud
Started The Fixer, but gave it up as too tough for the times. Read two short stories, which did not end well either. Enough.

APRIL Jennifer Finney Boylan

MAY 19th Century American Author of your choice


JUNE John Dos Passos

JULY Gish Jen

AUGUST Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Finished Colored People in January

SEPTEMBER Pulitzer Prize Winners

OCTOBER John McPhee

NOVEMBER Native American authors, themes and history
Finished The Reason You Walk in March I expect to read on this theme fairly regularly throughout the year.

DECEMBER Martha Gellhorn

WILD CARD SUGGESTION: A book written about or set in the state, province, city, etc. where you now live. (Or anything else you feel like substituting.) Here's a thread for posting your wild card reads.

******************
Other challenges I will participate in, sporadically:

I intend to read a few selections from the late @rebeccanyc's Hope to Read Soon collection, along with others LT'ers who remember her and owe a debt of gratitude to her memory. Here's a link to the thread where we're sharing those reads in 2022.
She was one of the most well-read people I've ever encountered, and her range was amazing. Her recommendations were always welcome. I'll keep track of books that are from her list here. I will also selectively read both British Authors, and Asian works for those challenges.

REBECCA READS

1. Therese Raquin by Emile Zola
2. The Saturday Morning Murder by Batya Gur (Rebecca gets full credit for introducing me to this author, although this is not the Gur title that was on her list--I assume she had read this one already, as it is the first in a series.)

British Authors Challenge
January: Gave Swallows and Amazons a try; not my thing

Asian Book Challenge

JANUARY - Turkey
FEBRUARY - The Holy Land
Batya Gur qualifies for this one, too.
MARCH - The Arab World
APRIL - Persia
MAY - The Stans
The Bookseller of Kabul
JUNE - The Indian Sub-Continent -
JULY - China
AUGUST - Nippon
SEPTEMBER - Kimchi -
OCTOBER - INDO CHINE
NOVEMBER - Malay Archipelago
DECEMBER - Diaspora

Hey, Linda! Glad you joined us for another year!

Happy new thread!

Dropping a star so I can follow along with your reading pin 2022, Linda. I am planning to dip in and out of the AAC - definitely joining on for the last third of the year.

I will be with you throughout the year, Linda, as always. xx

Happy new one, Linda!

Good to see you all, Jim, Susan, Mamie, Paul, Shelley!

I have started the American Authors Challenge for 2022.

General Discussion Thread

The January thread is here.

and
The Wild Card Thread

Good luck in 2022, both in reading and your cemetery efforts. Many years ago I was in a group that did the upkeep of graves in our oldest cemetery. This was in Prescott, Az. and I was in charge of a laundry woman named Christine who had been hit by a car in the 1920's.

Greetings of the Season, Linda3rd. I, too, have no way to fathom what my life without LT would be like!

I'm in, Linda. I've switched on the star and expect to follow along in the new year.

>14 mstrust: "I was in charge of a laundry woman named Christine who had been hit by a car in the 1920's." I love that, Jennifer. I am in charge of the man who compiled Smoley's Parallel Tables of Logarithms and Squares and other such handbooks for engineers. He was my aunt's stepfather, and finding his local grave is what got me involved with this particular cemetery's rehab.

>15 richardderus: Ditto, Richard.

>16 weird_O: Good news, Bill. Welcome.

This was the first year I started early on the year ahead's threads as well, Linda. I'm hoping that it will mean that I can keep up. (I know, dream on.) Best of luck with your cemetery project. I enjoy tromping around cemeteries and find cemetery tours fascinating.

Looking forward to keeping up with your reading in 2022 Linda. And trying not to get hit by too many bullets.

This group always helps me to read; welcome back, Linda.

I am ready to go with my AAC read for January tomorrow.

>18 Familyhistorian: I know we are of like minds when it comes to cemeteries, Meg.

>19 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. I've never thought I was particularly hard to keep up with!

>20 PaulCranswick: And what will that AAC read be, Paul?

>21 laytonwoman3rd: I am reading The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 by Khor Shing Yin who is very conveniently a Malaysian American.

>22 PaulCranswick: Yes, I've seen that one, and been intrigued by it. Hope you enjoy it!

>23 mstrust: Oh, how pretty!

Happy new year!

Happy reading in 2022, Linda!

Enjoy your 2022 reading!

>25 banjo123:, >26 FAMeulstee:, >27 quondame:, >28 thornton37814: Thanks everyone!

I am starting 2022 by reading Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s memoir, Colored People, which is outstanding.

I don't go around to the threads individually with holiday greetings, but I will go on record here as hoping fervently that everyone in this company, and in their circles of loved ones, have a much much saner and safer year than the last two have been.

This podcast is what I would wish to share with you all. Murr Brewster is one of my favorite "bloggers", and I'm thrilled to see her referred to as an essayist.

Happy new year, Linda! Looking forward to another year with you. *tosses glitter*

>30 katiekrug: *tosses it right back*

>31 laytonwoman3rd: - Snork.

Happy New Year, Linda! I hope it's filled with good books!

>29 laytonwoman3rd: I read that a few years back Linda, a fine read.

>32 katiekrug: You get me.
>33 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie. Books are the constant, aren't they?
>34 Caroline_McElwee: I'm loving it, Caroline. So nice to read about a happy childhood for a change.

Happy New Year, Linda. Have a great reading year and good luck with the AAC. I saw that you were gifted with a copy of The Memory of Love. Would you like to do a shared read of that one? I have had it on shelf forever.
Maybe next month?

Happy New Year, Linda. I hope 2022 is a good one for you and yours.

>36 msf59: I'm up for reading The Memory of Love in February, Mark!

>37 BLBera: Thank you Beth. Keeping your nephew in my thoughts.

>1 laytonwoman3rd: LT has been an essential part of my life since I joined in 2005, after my daughter lycomayflower told me about "this site where you can catalog your books." My response was something like, "Why would I want to do that?"

That is in direct contrast to me. I originally started on LT for no other purpose other than cataloging my books. I got sucked in and have never looked back. Best money I ever spent (back in the days when they charged to join).

Happy New Year, Linda!

Happy New Year and happy new thread for 2022, Linda!

>1 laytonwoman3rd: You nailed it - LT has been an essential part of my life since I joined in 2005, after my daughter lycomayflower told me about "this site where you can catalog your books." My response was something like, "Why would I want to do that?" HA! I simply can't imagine life without it anymore. I never knew how much I needed a reading community, until I found one. I started out looking for a place to catalog my books, too, joined the 75ers 3 months later, and this is my 15th year with this group.

Happy New Year!

>1 laytonwoman3rd: LT has been essential for me as well. I don't know what I did before I found out about this site. The books and the people are just truly amazing!

>39 Berly: Thanks, Kim. All the best to you and yours!

>40 alcottacre:, >41 karenmarie:, >42 figsfromthistle: I love hearing how people got started on LT, and in the 75'ers group. BTW, I am now addicted to keeping track of my books (I have probably 3 times as many now as I did in 2005, and that's LT's fault, I'm pretty sure). In fact, I wish there was a similar site for cataloging things like my ashtray collection, or the objects in my house that have a history---with photographs, maybe. I tried a couple sites like that in the past, and some didn't suit me, others disappeared just as I was getting started, etc.

>38 laytonwoman3rd: Sounds great, Linda. If the Costa Rica trip happens, I probably wouldn't be able to start it, until the second half of Feb.

>1 laytonwoman3rd: >41 karenmarie: I have wanted a reading community from the moment I started getting absorbed in books. It was one reason I joined the local SF club which became my social life for over two decades, even though actual discussions of books was rare and mostly Georgette Heyer. But LT does up the level considerably! And the cataloging is a real benefit, which is nice, since that's also why I joined.

Hi Linda. Just dropping off my star and wishing you all the best in 2022!

>44 msf59: That will work for me, Mark.

>45 quondame: This is my favorite internet hangout....so much more than a "website".

>46 EBT1002: Welcome, Ellen.

1. Colored People by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This memoir of childhood and very early adulthood is just excellent. Dr. Gates grew up in a small mill town in West Virginia, where he experienced the beginnings of desegregation without the trauma it generated in so many places. His childhood was a happy one, his colored community a strong support system for its members, and most of his interactions with white people unremarkable. When he left home for college in 1968, his horizons broadened and he became more worldly, more political, yet realized that the struggle for a full recognition of black identity ironically brought about a certain loss of the feeling of safety and security he had known growing up. This is a thought-provoking read from the perspective of a very thoughtful man. Highly recommended.

Happy new year, Linda! Just stopping by to drop a star.

>4 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I very much like your idea of keeping track of the books you give away. I just might try that.

Your excellent review of your first read in 2022 is now on my TBR pile. I've read so very much about the civil rights movement and the pain of desegregation. It would be nice to read a book that is light.

Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year and happy new thread!

I have a copy of that memoir by Gates, but I'm saving it until his month in the AAC spotlight.

>52 weird_O: I will probably cheat and claim it at the time...although I do have another of his books on the pile.

>51 foggidawn: Welcome, foggi!

>50 Whisper1: I didn't do so well with it last year, Linda, as I started listing the books I culled, and then sort of quit, as I did a big clear-out and couldn't face listing them all. I'm sure I missed some. But I try to tag them as "gone" and move them to the "Removed from Library" collection here on LT, so I don't go crazy hunting for something that isn't here anymore.

>49 NanaCC: Yay! Colleen is here.

Happy ‘22, Linda! Best wishes for a wonderful year of reading.

>53 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, I created a collection called "Donated" and then I remove them from the "Your Library" collection.

This year to give me even MORE incentive I decided to set up two tickers: one for books bought/entered the household in 2022 and the other for books removed/left the household in 2022, and it'll be a race to see whether the "removed" ticker beats out the "bought" ticker.

>55 kac522: I was using three tickers...one for books read, one for books removed from the house, and one for books read that had been on my shelf for a year or more. It got cumbersome, as the ticker site kept trying to replace one with the other if I tried to edit more than one in the same day.

>56 laytonwoman3rd: Good to know...I've heard the tickers are acting goofy in the last year.

Also, when I didn't update one of the tickers for a few months, the site deactivated it!

>56 laytonwoman3rd: My 2022 ticker turned out to be an edited version of my 2021 ticker, not the new one I thought I was creating. Oh well. 2021 is so yesterday. Nobody's going to go back and check. Except maybe for you, now that I've mentioned it, so I will tell you I couldn't stand it and deleted the ticker from my final 2021 thread.

>59 lauralkeet: I thought I'd have to do that too, Laura. I did last year, I'm sure. But at the moment my 2021 tickers are OK, and so is the new one. Did you change your ruler and slider?

>60 laytonwoman3rd: Yes I did, Linda. I'm not sure how I messed it up. I was probably just not paying close enough attention.

>61 lauralkeet: I would blame the site. It has ulterior plans, I think.

>62 laytonwoman3rd: that's creepy ...

That annual meme thingie...here's mine, done with my 2021 reading:

Describe yourself: The Woman in Blue

Describe how you feel: Some Things I Still Can't Tell You

Describe where you currently live: Paradise

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The Bingo Palace

Your favorite form of transportation is: Tracks

Your favorite food is: Peter Pan (peanut butter, of course)

Your favorite time of day is: When Ghosts Come Home

Your best friend is: Dancing at the Rascal Fair

You and your friends are: Difficult Women

What’s the weather like: Wintering

You fear: Signal Loss

What is the best advice you have to give: Practise to Deceive

Thought for the day: You Should See Me in a Crown

What is life for you: The Hummingbirds’ Gift

How you would like to die: Whispering Death

Your soul’s present condition: The Searcher

What was 2021 like for you? A Darker Domain

What do you want from 2022? A Yellow Raft in Blue Water

>64 laytonwoman3rd: hmmmm that turned out pretty well

>64 laytonwoman3rd: Very clever. 😊

>64 laytonwoman3rd: I'd love to see you in a crown! Is it what you wear when ghosts come home? ;-)

Great answers!

>64 laytonwoman3rd: Good meme answers. I guess you are one of those "particular people" who pick Peter Pan.

>65 RBeffa:, >66 NanaCC: Thank you. Thank you.

>67 cbl_tn: Got it in one!

>68 thornton37814: Actually, I prefer Jif, but I work with what I've got.

Love the meme answers!

>69 laytonwoman3rd: Ah, so you are really a "choosy mother."

>71 thornton37814: That's me!

>70 foggidawn: Thanks. I always have fun with this.

Happy Humpday. *smooch*

Happy new year! I’m looking forward to reading your thread, and will maybe even come out of lurk mode from time to time!

Karen O.

>48 laytonwoman3rd: I wish my local library had a copy of that one! Thanks for the review and recommendation, Linda. I am going to have to track down a copy.

>73 richardderus: Ha. Retired. No hump in my week!

>74 klobrien2: By all means, delurk at will!

>75 alcottacre: Very cheap used copies are available on line, Stasia.

2. American Indian Stories by Zitkala-Sa I received this re-issue through LT's Early Reviewer program.

This is a very slim volume of stories, many of which are autobiographical, telling the common tale of a young Indian child taken from her family (with their consent) to be educated in white schools where (without their family's full knowledge) the "Indian" was systematically removed by denying them the use of their own language, changing their names, cutting their hair, substituting uncomfortable "American" garb for their familiar clothing (which had often been made specially for the journey with extra care), forcing them to adopt Christian religious practices, and through physical deprivation and abuse. The writing is often exquisite, with a 19th century feel to it, although the work was first published in 1921. There are also stories of coming of age, bravery, revenge and love in a more traditional story-telling style. There were one or two awkward transitions and a rather puzzling final essay which seems to be missing some quoted material referenced by the author, but mainly this was a highly approachable and enlightening read.

The author, in her case, came to understand the need to see her experiences as a gateway to a lifetime of trying to improve the lives of her own people. While she mourned the loss of native culture inherent in the system, she craved the education, and eventually attended both Earlham College and the New England Conservatory of Music. She became an accomplished musician and teacher, and a well known journalist and activist. She and her husband, Raymond Bonnin, founded the National Council of American Indians, and worked to gain full citizenship rights for people of all tribes. They are both buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Hi Linda. I thought of you today as I began to pile up the books I am giving away. I thought it would be way to much energy to list them all. I think I'll pass on that idea.

But, it is a good one!

>78 Whisper1: It only works when you do it one or two at a time, Linda! That's how I lost track last year....I put too many aside at once.

>77 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, thank you for that review! It brought back a happy memory of my father. He really liked that book, and I remember talking about it with him after he read it. If you're interested, his review is at https://www.librarything.com/review/45518774

>80 cbl_tn: That's your father, Carrie? I just read that review after I finished posting mine! Sadly, this edition of the book does not contain "Why I am a Pagan". I think I will have to explore her writing further, and see what I can find.

>81 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, it is!

>82 cbl_tn: Very cool to have been able to discuss reading with him. I take it he is gone now, and I'm sorry about that.

>83 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, it's been a little more than ten years. He lived with me for 8 years after my mother died, and we were close.

3. A Contract With God by Will Eisner For the AAC

Graphic novels or non-fiction is the theme for the January American Authors Challenge. Not my favorite, by any means, but I was encouraged to try this one by its subject matter---life in a tenement in the Bronx during the early years of the 20th century. The copy I obtained from the library contained all three of Eisner's novels The Contract With God Trilogy and the author himself wrote the introduction, which was excellent, and made me expect a sort of Jewish version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Not so. I found the characters to be more like caricatures; the women all either worn-out, bitter and frumpy or Barbie-doll man-killers; the men brutish and lustful or sly and conniving. The art reflects those qualities, and there is no subtlety in it whatsoever. There is also no hope or humor in it that I could detect. All in all, distasteful and not for me. TW for rape and nudity.

>85 laytonwoman3rd: yuck!

I have had a poor record with graphic novel recommendations. The exception would be John Lewis's March. Eisner is considered legendary.

I was at a bookstore just yesterday, looking for a GN. Eisner was one of the author names I could remember. Now I'm relieved that I didn't find anything he produced. :-)

Still in the market for a couple of GNs. Got one delivering Saturday, a second next week. Still wavering on Mary's Monster and Macbeth of the Usborne Graphic Shakespeare series. I have a notion—I know, I know: Weird—of chaining the reading of the GN with Jo Nesbo's Hogarth Shakespeare version of Macbeth and Shakespeare's original.

Yi yi yi yi...

4. The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri Like his lady love, Livia, I've taken a fairly lengthy break from Inspector Montalbano, but unlike her, I had a great time with this reunion. This is one of the most entertaining entries in the series, from a standpoint of humor, and I thought the working-it-all-out part was done better than sometimes as well. Montalbano has to solve the murder of a young woman shot in the face, and dumped naked in a garbage pit, her only identifying mark a Sphinx moth tattooed on her shoulder blade. He discovers that several lovely young Russian women have recently been "imported" to the region by an association purportedly trying to save them from prostitution, and all of them had the same tattoo. A few red herrings (but not enough other fresh fish---too little cuisine featured in this one), and a faked kidnapping complicate his life, while he worries about whether to "have it out" with Livia and try to salvage their relationship. (As usual, I'm not at all sure she's worth the trouble, but it's not my call.)

>88 laytonwoman3rd: Another series that does its long-lasting relationships well.

>85 laytonwoman3rd: ...if I could get the nudity without the stereotyping, please...

>89 richardderus: The nudity was well-rendered, I'll give it that. But it was mostly lady parts.

>90 laytonwoman3rd:

>77 laytonwoman3rd: I am interested in that one and will have to see if the local library has a copy.

Have a wonderful weekend, Linda!

>91 richardderus: Ha!

>92 alcottacre: You might try alternative titles, Stasia. My Life: Impressions of an Indian Childhood contains three of her long essays, including the one missing from the edition I read. I find my library system only has one children's book by her in their catalog. She is definitely worth searching out.

>91 richardderus: I'm gonna let that minor violation go....this time. Because, after all....Kramer.

>93 mstrust: Right?

>88 laytonwoman3rd: I should get back to this series. Ever since FictFact shut down, I’ve been really bad at keeping track of my series. I wasn’t far enough into this one for it to have become a favorite.

>48 laytonwoman3rd: You have already hit me with a book bullet! (I love that)

>85 laytonwoman3rd: I'll skip that one but, like you, I have been on a long hiatus from Inspector Montalbano and would like to catch back up with him. I'll have to see where I left off.

Have a great Sunday, Linda!

>86 RBeffa:, >87 weird_O: I have a distinct recollection of responding to you two, but I must have failed to hit the post button....

Ron, I read March (Book One only) a couple years ago, and passed it on to my daughter. It didn't make me a fan of the format, but I do see its value in getting this important piece of history into more hands.

Bill, I think I have now chimed in on your thread, so will let that ride.

5. Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz As short fiction goes, this was mighty fine, up to a point. Oz's eye for the human foible and his ability to draw the reader right into the middle of the lives of his characters is awesome. I started each of these stories of ordinary people in the century-old pioneer village of Tel Ilan eager to meet the mayor, the librarian, the doctor...and I feel I know them all so well now. And yet each story left me unsettled and bewildered...what, in the name of G-d is he trying to tell us, after all? Wives wander off without explanation...go to visit a sister and just never come back, or leave a note "Don't worry about me", and disappear. A woman waits for the arrival of a nephew she's been told to expect...he doesn't come, and finally she just eats the warmed up dinner she had prepared and goes off to bed, after mithering for hours about what she should do. A man feels drawn to a room where a young boy took his own life years before...why? Another young man seems to be sliding down a path to that ultimate despair...but then again, is he just experiencing normal teenaged angst and hormonal upheaval? Always an ending that resolves nothing, explains nothing, suggests nothing. Of course, I often feel that way about short fiction. It's why I read so little of it. I don't think I understand the point of so much of it, even when it's as marvelously written as these examples are.

>97 laytonwoman3rd: yes, that is how I felt about March. There was a potential to reach a new audience with an important story.

>98 laytonwoman3rd: I don't recall ever thinking an Oz book was a good investment of my eyeblinks. There must've been one, I've read more than one...hm. Permaybehaps it's not just me...?

>94 laytonwoman3rd: In my defense I *did* shrink it to the teensiest possible size.

>100 richardderus: I'm not at all sorry to have read the Oz collection, and I have quite a lot more of his stuff on my shelves, which I will sample before giving him up as NFM.

6. Therese Raquin by Emile Zola I am trying to up my consumption of literature in translation. This one has been on my TBR shelves for years, it was recommended by the late RebeccaNYC, and it's short, so I decided to work it in, at last.

The story concept is a good one. Poor semi-orphan is left with her aunt in Paris; Auntie is already raising a sickly son, and the two children grow up together, stifled but protected. Nothing could be more inevitable than that they should marry, and stay under Mother/Auntie's roof where she can continue to treat them as helpless children. Nor could anything be less surprising than that a spanner will be thrown into these works, in the person of a man who sparks Therese's banked embers into flame...adultery, murder, deception, paranoia, and all that ensue. No one suspects them of anything, everyone around them thinks they are marvelous human beings, and eventually "the two murderers", as Zola so often refers to them, are not only free to marry each other, but actively encouraged to do so by Mother/Auntie and all their close social acquaintances (including a police inspector). Yet, they cannot stop fretting about every move they make in case it arouses suspicions. They cannot reignite the raging passion that drove them to eliminate Therese's worthless husband; in fact soon they can barely tolerate each other. This goes on for years. Wretched does not begin to describe the existence they have forced themselves into. No happy ending, not even any intermittent moments of bliss, and certainly no dearth of sentences (of the wordy, not the judicial, variety). Every paragraph makes the same point three different ways, and every point is made in nearly every chapter. It's a classic tale of guilt and psychological retribution, but short as it is, it could easily have been cut by a third or more to result in a more pleasing reading experience. In fact, I feel Poe reached the same conclusion with more finesse, in around 5 pages, in The Tell Tale Heart. (Yes, this is me, preferring a short story to a novel. *shrug*)

>100 richardderus: & >101 laytonwoman3rd: I have only read My Michael and didn't care for it overly much. I do have plenty of his books on the shelves and I will give him more of a try soon but, thus far, I have to say that I don't quite see what the fuss was about him in terms of genius, etc.

Congratulations on reading five books thus far this year!

>94 laytonwoman3rd: Alternative titles did not help either, Linda, although I appreciate the tip!

>98 laytonwoman3rd: I will be reading Amos Oz in February for the Asian Authors challenge, but not that one. The books I have set aside for it are both nonfiction. I will have to give the one you read a try too if I can get my hands on a copy.

>103 PaulCranswick:, >105 alcottacre: I have one of Oz's memoirs on my shelves, and I may give that a go in February. That will probably determine whether I keep him around or write him off. If you find you like his style, Stasia, I would be happy to send you Scenes From Village Life.

>104 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! Actually, it's SIX, but who's counting?? This pace astonishes me, but it surely won't last.

I re-read Poe's short story, The Tell Tale Heart last night, to test my impression stated in the review of Therese Raquin in >102 laytonwoman3rd: above. I was right. The novel could have been a stunner...and probably was in its day. I was mostly stunned by the overwrought presentation of a brilliant concept.

I got excited---very briefly--this morning when I saw a post on my library's FB page, indicating one could fill out a form and trigger an automatic hold for new books by your favorite authors. "Select" authors of course...hmmmmm....here's the list:

Baldacci, David
Child, Lee
Coben, Harlan
Connelly, Michael
Coulter, Catherine
Evanovich, Janet
Grisham, John
Hannah, Kristin.
Hilderbrand, Elin
Jewell, Lisa
King, Stephen
Kubica, Mary
Macomber, Debbie
Patterson, James
Preston, Douglas J.
Robb, J. D.
Roberts, Nora
Sparks, Nicholas
Steel, Danielle
Woods, Stuart

I do occasionally read and enjoy books by some of those authors, but none are what I'd call favorites, nor do I pant and pine for the latest offering from any of 'em. So. Never mind.

>107 laytonwoman3rd: Well, isn't that generous! A few of the most popular authors...now what could their motivation be...wonder if it has anything to do with the State's ebook borrowing law getting vetoed.

>107 laytonwoman3rd: Ooh wow that's an amazing feature! I was excited for you until I realized it was only for a "select" list of authors. Bummer.

>107 laytonwoman3rd: I started quickly reading your thread and thought those were the authors you were picking. My mind went “huh!” I was happy after reading on.

>107 laytonwoman3rd: >109 lauralkeet: What Laura said!

>108 richardderus: through >111 alcottacre: I guess you all did the same double-take I did! Our library is also instituting an automatic renewal system, where your check-outs are renewed for you without effort on your part, up to the maximum number allowed. Seems to me, with on-line renewals, it was already pretty darned easy, but I know what they're trying to do, which is simplify THEIR lives. Fewer useless overdue fines to keep track off. I think the next step will be eliminating fines altogether. Many large libraries have gone that route.

>107 laytonwoman3rd: Well yes, the selection could be better.

I like the Overdrive feature two of my libraries offer of going automatically to hold from recommended. On physical books you need to do the checking and reserving yourself.

>112 laytonwoman3rd: I wish my local library had an automatic renewal system! I still show to have fines that were due years ago - and paid - on my library account.

>112 laytonwoman3rd: my library eliminated fines at some point (before we moved here), and they also do auto-renewals as long as there is no one else waiting for the book. I can see the benefit to patrons because they don't have to remember to renew, and since there's no penalty for hanging onto a book past the due date the staff doesn't need to chase it down either.

>112 laytonwoman3rd: My library (Chicago) automatically renews up to 15 times (that's 45 weeks!), unless, of course, another patron has placed a hold request. We don't have the automatic new release feature, but then they don't buy new releases until (minimum) 6 months after release.
Auto renewals began and overdue fines went away (except for ILL) at the beginning of the pandemic.

>113 quondame: As I'm not an electronic reader (nor do I use one!), I have never borrowed books through Overdrive (or the newer Libby, which is what our library uses now). I don't mind being more hands-on myself, but I can see how the automatic features are convenient for a lot of patrons.

>114 alcottacre: Sounds like your library needs a new system!

>115 lauralkeet: Keeping track of and collecting fines really is just "make work for people", according to our director. he says people are either good about returning their books or they are not, and no real benefit comes to the library from the money or the penalty.

>116 kac522: Wow...15 renewals! I think our limit is generally 4. We dropped fines for a while at the beginning of the pandemic, because there was no way for people TO return books for several months. The libraries were closed, and there was no one to empty the drop boxes. Once they re-opened I think they shortly went back to fining late returns.

7. Haikus for New York City by Peter C. Goldmark, Jr.

My former boss called me recently, as he does 2 or 3 times a year since I retired, and we always end up talking about books. This time he mentioned that one of his prep school classmates had published a book of poetry about New York City. As usual, his information was incomplete, and a bit muddled, but I was able to sort it out and clarify it (which is basically what he paid me to do for nearly 40 years), and found the above book.

Goldmark has done some remarkable things in his life, including running the Rockefeller Foundation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the International Herald Tribune. His reputation doesn't need a poetry award to buck it up, which is good, as this collection, while delightful, is unlikely to gain much literary acclaim. The author is a bit cavalier about the haiku form in his preface, and while he adheres to the 17 syllable rule, there isn't a single example of the 5-7-5 format of the traditional haiku, and the classic "feel" -- the closure of that final line -- is missing from most of them as well. (Alan Alda's blurb, on the other hand, nails it: "A father writes words/A daughter draws lines beneath./Springtime in New York.") And yet, I kinda loved this very little book, and I absorbed it in about 15 minutes. The essence of New York City is in there, and it's going on my shelf next to E. B. White's Here is New York. Goldmark's daughter, Sandra, has an impressive resume of her own, and her illustrations are spot on, perfectly complementing the simplicity of her father's words with spare yet evocative images.



I ordered my copy from Bookshop.org, to the benefit of my local public library's retail outlet, and a portion of the proceeds of each sale go to Citizens NYC, so I feel good about the purchase.

>117 laytonwoman3rd: That's an interesting observation about library patrons and their book-returning habits. *adjusts halo*

>119 lauralkeet: I'm sure present company (by which I mean ALL members of this group) fall into the "good patron" category!

Morning, Linda.

“Thought for the day: you should see me in a crown.” Love that one!

I’m with you on Eisner. I’ve never understood the reverence. I guess he’s viewed as an early innovator, but I’ve never enjoyed his work. Contrast Winsor McCay and Little Nemo. There’s some wince-worthy period racism, but otherwise it’s way better than Eisner.

I’m glad you enjoyed Wings of the Sphinx. I’m a big Montalbano fan. (MhZ has great Italian tv adaptations). It’s hard that we won’t be getting new ones, now that Camilleri passed away.

>118 laytonwoman3rd: How lovely! And yes, Alda's blurb is spot-on, exactly what would make me pick it up.

A terrific surprise-plus read is always welcome. Things that explain complex objects simply are to be treasured.

>118 laytonwoman3rd: I ordered my copy from Bookshop.org, to the benefit of my local public library's retail outlet, and a portion of the proceeds of each sale go to Citizens NYC, so I feel good about the purchase.

I always love when that happens!

>121 jnwelch: I've been spacing my Montalbano reads out, so I have a long way to go before I run out.

>122 richardderus: I am a fan of simplicity...but then again I enjoy complex, as my next review may make clear.

>123 alcottacre: I like that our library has a small independent bookstore in our mall, and that I can give them the benefit of my business even though I'm not going there in person right now.

8. The Sport of Kings by C. E. Morgan

A challenging read, for many reasons. And because it’s challenging to read, it’s challenging to review.

The title will suggest that the novel is about horse racing. Not really. Oh, there’s plenty of story, and a good deal of information, about the so-called “sport of Kings” in it. And if you’re not already appalled at the way animals are treated by owners, trainers and handlers, you will be if you read this. Further, you’ll probably summon up a bit of sympathy for the grooms and jockeys that you may not have known they had coming. But what this book is really about is breeding --- genetics, and Class, and sex, and every other connotation of that word. And it’s about race.

The Forge family is Kentucky nobility. Forebears traveled into the Virginia wilderness before it became Kentucky, and made themselves prosperous planters. For generations, acres of corn and tobacco filled the Forge barns and purses, as well as the state's Bourbon barrels and pipes. Until one rebellious scion decided he wanted to raise thoroughbred horses despite his father’s strong objection that it was a disreputable endeavor unworthy of his lineage. He would by god raise horses, notwithstanding. And so he did. He also raised a daughter in his own image...a woman who knew horses, knew breeding, and knew—in a Biblical sense---many many men. One of those men came from another long line---a long black line that could trace its existence on this continent back to that same wilderness trek. And here is where it becomes impossible to talk about the twists and turns of the modern and the historical stories intertwined in the novel without giving away elements that deserve to be discovered by the reader.
If you take Absalom, Absalom, shift a few things around but keep the core elements (obsession, possession, miscegenation both intentional and accidental, incest), extend the action into the current century, move it all to Kentucky and pretend it's about breeding horses, you’ll have a vague idea of the scope of The Sport of Kings.
C. E. Morgan has done a credible job of telling a mythic, Southern Gothic tale worthy of the master; she even has a talent for what one Faulkner critic called "hallucinated language". Neither she nor her editors, however, knew quite when to holler “Whoa!”, and there were spots when I really wanted to shake the book and let the excess fall out. An engrossing read, nonetheless, and one I’d recommend, if you’re up for this sort of thing. Do not expect to root for anyone (except maybe a horse), and do not look for a redemptive denouement.

9. Mary's Monster by Lita Judge This heavily illustrated fictional memoir of Mary Shelley's life and the creation of her literary masterpiece is well worth the relatively short time it takes to read. Not a true graphic novel, as the illustrations could be removed without leaving any holes in the story, but its visual impact is just as powerful as the free verse narrative. I knew almost nothing of Mary Shelley's life story, other than what everybody "knows" about how she came to write Frankenstein, and the fact that her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a very early feminist. Grim does not begin to describe young Mary's treatment by her own father and later by her beloved Percy Shelley and her half-sister, Claire. Tragic losses and betrayals punctuate her life, leaving her bereft and guilt-ridden. If you want to believe that great art arises from such pain, here is some pretty hefty support for that belief. If you're fond of the work of Byron and Shelley, you might want to avoid reading this in case you discover what pissants they really were. Otherwise, recommended.

>126 laytonwoman3rd:. Ha! Love the spoiler.😀

>127 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I'm thinking it was you, or your evil twin, Mark, who led me to request this one from the library, so thanks for that as well.

I was on the cusp of acquiring Mary's Monster but have so far managed to avoid it.

>126 laytonwoman3rd: Just added Mary’s Monster to my TBR. Looks great!

Happy weekend!

Karen O

>125 laytonwoman3rd: Standing by. . .

>126 laytonwoman3rd: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again!

Have a lovely Sunday, Linda!

>129 weird_O: Resistance is futile.

>130 klobrien2: Hope you enjoy it, Karen, when it reaches the top of the pile.

>131 alcottacre: Aha! A nudge. I hope to finish my review today. It's a tough one to put together.

>98 laytonwoman3rd: Interesting comments about Scenes From Village Life. I have that on the TBR pile. I also appreciate your comments about reading Emile Zola. I have a few of his works and haven't yet dug in.

Thanks for coming over to my thread and expressing concern. It's been a tough couple weeks. And, if I'm totally honest, one of the things that keeps me from posting is my cat's tendency to settle on my lap as soon as I sit down with my laptop. I don't generally have the heart to turn him away. :-)

>133 EBT1002: I'm glad to see you posting, Ellen, and I totally get the furry interference factor!

>125 laytonwoman3rd: Review of The Sport of Kings is posted now.

10. A Stranger in Mayfair by Charles Finch I've been away from Mayfair and Charles Lenox for a while. It was good to revisit the amateur detective, now a freshman member of the House of Commons, to see how he's balancing his new position and his new marriage with his passion for detecting. It isn't all a carefree stroll in the park... Just as Charles is preparing for his first days in Parliament, an acquaintance asks him to investigate the deadly assault on one of his footmen. Just as Charles is sinking his teeth into this dilemma (over the objections of his new bride), said acquaintance suddenly changes course and demands that Charles leave it all to the Yard. Naturally, this does nothing to diminish his interest. A good entry in the series. I had a notion fairly early who wielded the brick, but the details didn't all fall into place until just as the light was dawning on Charles...and that's the way I like my detective fiction.

DNF Swallows and Amazon by Arthur Ransome A children's book whose charm didn't engage me. Pearl-ruled it.

Happy Sunday, Linda. I had The Sport of Kings on my TBR when it first came out but it seemed to have got a lukewarm LT response so it fell off the list. Your interesting review may have caused me to reconsider. Hooray for Mary's Monster though. I loved that one.

>138 msf59: Hi, Mark! I'm glad I have intrigued you about The Sport of Kings. I completely understand why a lot of readers didn't take to it. I struggled a bit at the beginning myself, but I really wanted to know what made so many professional reviewers praise it and compare it to Faulkner. I'm glad I persevered, in spite of a slight whiff of the MFA syndrome in parts of it. (In all honesty, I'd cut some crap out of Uncle Billy's books, too!)

>136 laytonwoman3rd: I had forgotten about this series, Linda. I read the first two and enjoyed them. I must thank you for the reminder.

Hi Linda3rd!

That is all.

>140 NanaCC: You're quite welcome, Colleen. I enjoyed the return trip to 19th century London.

>141 richardderus: Hi yourownself.

>126 laytonwoman3rd: Mary's Monster sounds somewhat dark, but really good!

>143 Berly: That's an excellent nutshell description, Kim.

Perhaps if we donated copies of Maus to the public library in Athens, TN, with a request that they be given free to any student who comes in looking for the book? In fact, I found their website and they have 3 copies of Maus (one of which seems to be missing), with multiple holds pending. Their Facebook page has a post (from a patron, I assume) stating that she was told the public library has had offers of donations of the book, but would prefer monetary donations. Just a thought.

 Good thought. Thanks for posting it, Linda.

Coming by to thank you for stopping by the Acre while I have been sick. Thank you!

Have a wonderful weekend!

>146 weird_O: We does what we can.

>147 alcottacre: Ahh...Stasia! Nice to see you're feeling well enough to visit threads. ((Stasia))

11. Heart of a Dog by Mikail Bulgakov A satirical, sometimes hysterical, take on Soviet life in general, and medical experimentation in particular, in 1925 Moscow.
Professor Preobrazhensky has been implanting monkey glands into aging clients who seek "rejuvenation", but his aims go beyond improving the sex lives of middle-aged Party officials or their unhappy wives. We are meant to think he’s bent on improving the whole human race with his radical techniques. When he rescues a starving, injured street dog and treats him to the good life, we are treated to brief glimpses of things from the dog Sharik's point of view. Ultimately, Sharik becomes the subject of a very ambitious experiment, in which human testicles and a human pituitary gland are implanted in the dog. The result is beyond anything even the Professor might have expected: a dog slowly but indubitably turning into a man---a very unpleasant man with characteristics of the arrogant, crass and hedonistic drunkard he “inherited” these traits from. (Allusions to Stalin may be inferred or implied.) We get a lot of the bureaucratic folderol and idiocy of low-level Party wannabes, and a side-splitting cat-chasing episode which brings about total chaos in the form of broken crockery, ruptured plumbing and way too much attention drawn to the Professor and his “monster”, who disappears only to return as one of those Party functionaries himself, with a job and a title and a license to kill…cats. A heated discussion between the Professor and his assistant ensues---WHAT is to be done? The creature is insufferable, and now he’s officially entitled to occupancy of a nice chunk of the Professor’s hard-fought-for 7-room flat. Well, if this is your sort of romp, you’ll have to read it to learn how it all comes out. It won’t take over-long, and you’ll probably figure it out for yourself.

12. Pastoral Song by James Rebanks A thoroughly engaging memoir of the author's personal journey to becoming a proud inheritor of the family fell farm in England's Lake District, and his exploration of what that does--and ought--to mean in the 21st century. A cautiously optimistic assessment of how badly we have screwed up our relationship with the land and its other inhabitants in the quest to feed Earth's human population, and how we might change that. The US Midwest is Rebanks' ultimate paradigm for misguided land use, but UK commercial farming comes up smelling like acidic green muck as well.

>150 laytonwoman3rd: Not at all sure he's wrong. But no matter...there's money to be made, nothing can get in the way of that.

>149 laytonwoman3rd: A guardedly positive review is still positive. I'm glad you found this weird little tale's pleasures!

Lovely week-ahead's reads, Linda3rd.

>151 richardderus: Thank you, kind sir.

>150 laytonwoman3rd: I just knew I'd like that, just on the basis of authorship. And now that I've got some plot, well. Great. Already on the list, so I'll highlight it fluorescently.

>149 laytonwoman3rd: Dodging that particular BB as I have already read it.

>150 laytonwoman3rd: I would have sworn I already had that one in the BlackHole, but I cannot find it. Adding it now for sure!

Have a wonderful week, Linda!

>153 weird_O: Good....good.

>154 alcottacre: Well, one out of two...

The February thread for the American Authors Challenge is now open. Our author this month is Tess Gallagher.

>145 laytonwoman3rd:. Love!❤️

>149 laytonwoman3rd:. Hmm. I LOVED The Master and Margarita and have thought about reading The Heart of a Dog a number of times. I’m still not sure whether or not to do it. Maybe its relative brevity points toward “yes”.

>157 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I'd say you probably ought to read Heart of a Dog, since you already know you enjoy Bulgakov's style. And as you point out....it's short, so you get where he's going in a hurry. I loved M&M too.

Humpday. Yep. It surely is. Mm hm. I got two, count 'em two!, reviews posted...one of a book I didn't like when I started it but ended up appreciating because of Rob. What a gift it is to have so many bookish people in so many corners of my life!

>159 richardderus: "What a gift it is to have so many bookish people in so many corners of my life!" You got that right.

>160 laytonwoman3rd: :-)

13. Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt On my daughter's firm recommendation (she was re-reading it for an RL bookclub discussion), I borrowed this from the library, having somehow managed not to either read it, or know much of anything about it, back when she was first enamored of the Tillerman saga.

Dicey Tillerman, aged 12, and her younger siblings find themselves abandoned by their mother in a car in a mall parking lot. They were supposed to be traveling as a family from their home in Providence, RI, to their Mom's Aunt Cilla's home in Bridgeport, CT, when Mom announced that she needed to stop at a mall, and would be right back. Times had been tough with no father at home, but Aunt Cilla would surely help them out...that was the reason for the trip. When Mom did not return to the car after most of a day and a night, Dicey took matters into her own hands, and decided that going on to Bridgeport was the only option they had. With a map, very little money, and a lot of determination, she resolved to keep her brothers and sister together, and get them to Aunt Cilla's...on foot. Voigt is a marvelous storyteller, a masterful problem solver, and a genius at creating separate personalities for four remarkable little humans. If she didn't walk most of the children's route from Providence to Bridgeport herself, I'd be very surprised. As unlikely to succeed as her protagonists' endeavor seems (and it probably would not be possible in 2022, as it may have been in the late 1970s when the story is set), she made a believer out of me. One or two tiny quibbles with factual situations that I question the legitimacy of, but nothing that would swamp the entire enterprise. The ending was as good as it could be, without a scrap of sentimental BS (but I might have almost shed a little tear) I absolutely loved this book.

>162 laytonwoman3rd: YAY! *kermit arms*

>162 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, I love that book, too! And Dicey’s Song, A Solitary Blue, and Come A Stranger!

>162 laytonwoman3rd: - My sister and I loved the Tillerman books when we were kids. I have the first two on my shelf to re-visit at some point...

>162 laytonwoman3rd: I think you may have just put this one on my wishlist, Linda. I’m glad I came for a visit.

>163 lycomayflower: Yeah....you were right. and...
>164 foggidawn: I'll probably read more of these books at some point. I miss those kids already!
>165 katiekrug: Ha! It's a movement...
>166 NanaCC: Well, I'm always glad to have you stop in, Colleen--glad I could give you something to take away with you!

>162 laytonwoman3rd: I read that one years and years ago!

>168 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! I suspect it has been widely read among LTers. I do feel I sort of missed the boat 30 years ago or so.

>162 laytonwoman3rd: that sounded familiar, and a peek at the cover confirmed my younger daughter read this at a young age. Not sure if it was for school, a summer reading assignment, or just for fun. I’m also not sure why I didn’t read it too — it sounds really good.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads, Linda3rd!

>170 lauralkeet: I'm thinking that our daughters read this at an age when it would never have occurred to them that Mom might like it too. They were old enough to pick their own books, and to feel a bit possessive, probably, about stories that spoke to them. I do think you'd enjoy it, Laura.

>171 richardderus: Ah, but what to choose, what to choose!

>162 laytonwoman3rd: Adding that one to the BlackHole. I am actually surprised that my local library does not have it.

Have a wonderful weekend!

>172 laytonwoman3rd: My daughter has only once or twice urged a book on me. I just send titles to her Kindle. Someday maybe when Amazon tells her she already owns the title she'll thank her old mom.

>172 laytonwoman3rd: I think you're right about that, Linda.

>174 quondame: Mine don't urge books on me, either. Maybe someday.

>173 alcottacre: I'm very surprised your library doesn't have it, Stasia. That's a shame.

>174 quondame:, >175 lauralkeet: Hmmm....maybe it's the fact that we're ALL English majors in this family (@lycomayflower, @flamingrabbit, ME)? We recommend books back and forth all the time. It doesn't always WORK, but it often does, as in this case.

>162 laytonwoman3rd: I’ve never read Homecoming, I don’t think I’ve even heard of it, but it’s now on my TBR. Thanks! Have a great weekend!

Karen O

>162 laytonwoman3rd: I will take a look at that one, Linda.

Great review.

Have a lovely weekend.

>162 laytonwoman3rd: Good review, Linda.
The Tillerman books are very good, I have read the whole series twice since joining in 2008. And at least one time before.

>177 klobrien2:, >178 PaulCranswick: Gosh, I'm almost an Influencer, am I not?

>179 FAMeulstee: Oh, that's a reminder to add the book to my catalog so I can note the reading date. I sometimes forget to do that when it's a library loan. Thanks, Anita.

>180 laytonwoman3rd: Not almost, Linda! You are an influence. Every time I see a William Faulkner book I will always think of you.

>181 PaulCranswick: Ah, but do you READ it? LOL!

>182 laytonwoman3rd: And I think of you with every undigested sentence I don't quite comprehend!

>183 PaulCranswick: You probably need more of Pappy's corn whiskey to aid the digestive process, but I know that is not an option for you, Paul. Perhaps some not-too-sweet ice cold lemonade would help?

>184 laytonwoman3rd: Sounds like a good idea especially in support of a good shot or two of good ole' bourbon!

>176 laytonwoman3rd: Ah, in this family the three of us majored in applied math of one sort or another, but I think we are all competent in the humanities and occasionally able to write coherently. Actually Becky is quite a good writer.

>126 laytonwoman3rd: I really liked Mary's Monsters when I read it shortly after it was published!
>162 laytonwoman3rd: When I first joined this group in 2008, I became very interested in young adult books. As the Tillerman books show, there is a lot of important information found in these books.
Previously, looked down upon from some readers, when Barnes and Noble dedicated an entire section to young adult books, I knew that more and more were interested in this genre!

>162 laytonwoman3rd: I haven't read that one either. Sounds like I should!

>176 laytonwoman3rd: My local library has several of Voigt's titles, which is why I am surprised that one is not among them.

>162 laytonwoman3rd: Like you I rely on my daughter at times for knowing all about the genre. Somehow this author never made it into our reading. Yet, when I checked our library they must have a dozen of her books. I've marked this down for me to check out one day.

>118 laytonwoman3rd: I like haiku, and I like NYC, so this one seems a good fit for me!

>149 laytonwoman3rd: aah, from the author of The Master and Margarita...I had never entertained the idea of reading more from him seeing as I didn't love that one. But this one sounds interesting!

>188 cbl_tn:, >189 alcottacre:, >190 RBeffa:, >191 LovingLit: Gosh, I'm just peppering everybody with bb's! What fun!

>185 PaulCranswick: SO right, Paul.

>186 quondame: And here, we're all "relatively competent" with the math! Actually, my high school diploma says I "majored" in math, which is silly, as there was no such thing as a major at that level. It merely means I took four years of math; but I also took four years of science, and four years of history, and four years of English....so I have no idea who selected math for my endorsement, or why. It certainly was never my best subject.

>187 Whisper1: Some of my favorite reads, at all stages of my life, have been so-called Young Adult books, Linda. It's a special category, requiring a special talent, and should never have been marginalized.

14. The Saturday Morning Murder by Batya Gur This is the first in a short series of detective novels featuring Chief Inspector Michael Ohayon of Jerusalem's Major Crime Unit. Ohayon is a policeman by default, as he was on course to earn a PhD in Medieval history when he found himself "trapped" into marrying his pregnant girlfriend. We meet him years later, when his marriage has dissolved, and he is again feeling somewhat trapped in a career he is not terribly enthusiastic about. He is, nevertheless, a good investigator, and when he is faced with the particularly puzzling murder of a prominent psychoanalyst, he brings his unique thought processes to bear on the few clues he has to work with. This is not a fast-paced, high suspense, thrill-a-minute police procedural, but rather, as the subtitle tells us, "A psychoanalytic case". I enjoyed it very much and will carry on with the next in the series, Literary Murder. Translated from the original Hebrew.

15. At the Owl Woman Saloon by Tess Gallagher Gallagher is the February author in the American Authors Challenge. She is best known for her poetry, but this collection proves she is no slouch at the short fiction genre. I enjoyed nearly every selection here, which is not something I can often say about a book of short stories. For the most part, these have a true beginning, middle and end, and you feel like you've heard a Story when you finish one. They don't always "go" anywhere, but they are nearly always a fine place to "be". The characters have depth and life immediately (how does she do that?), the language is often poetic without being overblown, and there is a lot of wry humor. Gallagher gets under the surface of ordinary people, exposing the pithy centers of their lives, and with her guidance we can appreciate the mythic elements of the quotidian.

>192 laytonwoman3rd: Our majors at UCB were determined by completing a list of classes from the catalog for a specific major. If I hadn't done pre-med I'd have had an applied math/computer science major though I chose the first over the second because I misread an AND for an OR.

>195 quondame: That's how it worked at my small liberal arts college, as well, after fulfilling certain distribution requirements across the various disciplines. But in high school, you were in a "program"--Academic (also known as College Entrance), Business, or Vocational-- and there were no subject matter majors as such.

>196 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, we didn't have high school majors beyond college track - though we were sorted by who was considered for what awards - my math and science grades were as good as the male students, but I got the liberal arts award.

>196 laytonwoman3rd: Ah, the quirky awards ... usually if they had gone strictly by grades, one person would have swept most of them. There was surely some creative thinking on the part of the faculty when those were parceled out!

>193 laytonwoman3rd: I have that entire series but do not think that I read before the first couple of them. I really need to get the entire series read. Thanks for the reminder, Linda.

>194 laytonwoman3rd: I recognized the title and it brought back fond associations so I had to consult my catalog. I read it back in 2013. Like you, I loved the language, the poetry of it all. Some stories worked better for me than others, but I expect that of a collection. I do admire the ability to compose such tight, complete works in so few words/pages.

Happy Friday, Linda! The Saturday Morning Murder does sound good and so does At the Owl Woman Saloon. I am a fool for short fiction. I have taken note of both titles.

>201 msf59: Excellent! I consider it a triumph to hit you with one BB, let alone two.

>200 lauralkeet: @Caroline_McElwee wrote an excellent appreciation of Gallagher back in 2013 for the late lamented Bellestrista. I wonder if that's how the collection came to your attention. I think I may have had it on my shelves almost that long. Here's a link to the article. Your review of the At the Owl Woman Saloon was excellent.

>199 alcottacre: I only have the second one on hand, but I hope the whole series is readily available. I expect to want to read them all.

>202 laytonwoman3rd: Oh I'm sure that's how I discovered it, Linda. That's an excellent article, and Belletrista is greatly missed.

>203 lauralkeet: "Belletrista is greatly missed" Yeah it is. For those who were not lucky enough to catch the short run of that marvelous on-line 'zine, all 13 issues can be accessed through the link in >202 laytonwoman3rd: above. It was the brainchild of our @avaland, and a good many other LT names on its editorial board and reviewers list may be familiar.

>194 laytonwoman3rd: I really enjoyed this volume too Linda.

>194 laytonwoman3rd: I’m reading one of Gallagher’s poetry books for the challenge, but Owl Woman Saloon looks too good to pass up. Thanks!

Karen O

Have a wonderful week, Linda!

>205 Caroline_McElwee:, >206 klobrien2: I'm going to give her poetry another try...I've only sampled a couple offerings on-line, and so far they haven't hit my very small bulls-eye. But she has all the words, and even my favorite poets miss a good share of the time, so she's definitely still on my list.

>207 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. It was pretty good.

16. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna This has been on my wishlist for a while, and my 75ers Santa sent it to me at Christmas. The timing was good, as Mark @msf59 and some others are doing a shared read this month.

The novel is set in Sierra Leone, at various times in its tumultuous history. There are two main story lines. Adrian Lockheart is a British psychologist who takes a government posting in the capital city near the turn of the 21st century, hoping to "help" people suffering from PTSD in the wake of civil unrest and outright war. He is less than successful at this, in great part because he completely lacks understanding of the nature of the problem his prospective patients face. This is pointed out to him by two local residents who each become very important to him: Kai, an orthopedic surgeon who is a victim of some trauma himself; and Mamakay, a woman with whom Adrian falls in love. He is also drawn into the history of a dying man, Elias Cole, who tells Adrian his version of revolutionary events of the 1970s.

My knowledge of the history of this country was minimal to non-existent before I picked up The Memory of Love. I found myself floundering a bit, precisely because I could not put the characters and their background into any familiar context. An early reference to book titles intrigued me. I looked them up, and they are actual books. One, although not named, turns out to be Sierra Leone; or The White Man's Grave by George A. Lethbridge Banbury, which I found on Amazon, and by using the Look Inside feature was able to determine that the first words are, in fact, as quoted in the novel, except that the book itself spells out the name of Sierra Leone, whereas Cole's memory merely refers to "S". I did a little more research, and penciled in a rough time-line inside the cover of my paperback for ready reference. This helped me immensely, and I am extremely glad I took the trouble. But....BUT....did the author expect her readers to be better informed than I was going in? And, in general, were they? As the book was published in Britain, and Sierra Leone was a British colony/protectorate, and later an independent member of the Commonwealth, I suspect the answer may be "yes". In general, I have no problem with an author giving their readers the benefit of the doubt this way, or even expecting them to do their homework before or while reading. It did make for a bit of a slow start for me, but again, I am more than happy that I put in the extra effort, and stuck with the story.

I thought the parts where Adrian was confronted with the Big Question---what am I doing here?---were very revealing. The curse of "the white man's burden" acting on him, in his naivete about what his sort of therapy might accomplish under the existing circumstances. Perhaps some actual personal guilt, as his own grandfather had been a part of the colonial government.

Having finished the novel, I am considering whether to give it 4 1/2 or 5 stars. The hesitation comes from one or two elements that have left me wondering "why"...and I'm not sure whether being left with that question is a good thing or a bad thing. For the benefit of those who mind about such things, I will spoilerize the following thoughts:

1) Adrian's wife and daughter are virtual non-entities in the story. We know they exist. We know very little about either of them, or, really, about how Adrian feels about them. He decides to apply and accept the position in Africa without discussing it with Lisa, telling her only when he has been accepted. They hardly seem to figure into his decisions about leaving OR staying, even after he becomes involved with Mamakay.

2) Adrian's relationship with his mother (whose parents left Sierra Leone very shortly before she was born) is, apparently, more important to him than that with his wife. When he returns to England, we assume to make the break with Lisa, we see nothing of that interaction, but we do have an extended episode with his mother, whom he visits first.

3) Kai is clearly the "hero" of this story. And we know he has some sort of war-related trauma in his past which is affecting him. We do not learn the details of that until very near the end of the novel.

4) Elias Cole's ongoing story is intriguing, and helps to illuminate the painful history of the civil war for the reader. Why is it so important to Adrian, though, who ostensibly is there to help the traumatized, and to test a desensitization theory? Cole does not seem to need or want that sort of help. He seems only to be interested in justifying his own role in events, which is a very different psychological need. We hear Cole's story as Adrian hears it, with almost no engagement on Adrian's part...until Adrian gets Mamakay's perspective on her father, at which point he is compelled to try to force some admission of guilt from the dying man, rather than assist him to make peace with his past. There is something personal here, and it is not fully spelled out.

Having revisited all these thoughts, I think I will settle on 4 1/2 stars. It was an incredibly powerful read, and it will stick with me.

17. Barnacle Soup by Josie Gray with Tess Gallagher. As a byproduct of my research in preparation for featuring Tess Gallagher in the AAC in February, I came across this little gem. It is a collection of oral tales tweaked and put down on paper through Tess's collaboration with her long-time companion, Irish storyteller Josie Gray. They are amusing, often delightful little glimpses at daily life in a simpler time and place, but they surely lose something in translation. I longed to hear a West of Ireland voice spinning them out.

>209 laytonwoman3rd: Forna does it again! I'm glad the read will stick with you...it isn't easy to simply tra-lee-laaa over that kind of trauma, for most of us at least.

Happier, but just as powerful, reads ahead!

>211 richardderus: I have a copy of Forna's Hired Man, which I will now move higher up the tottering stack.

The March thread for the American Authors Challenge is ready for visitors. Our Author for March is Bernard Malamud.

>193 laytonwoman3rd: I intended to read that one for the Asian challenge this month, but our library unexpectedly closed the week I intended to pick it up, and I never made it back. I'll try to squeeze it in this summer when I have more time to read.

18. The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad The author was a journalist embedded with the commandos of the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan in 2001, when the Taliban fell and the country became "free". In Kabul she had met an interesting man, Sultan Khan, a collector and seller of books of all kinds, who had persevered in his calling through multiple regimes, several purges and book burnings, and who allowed her to live with his large family to observe their daily life. Removing herself completely from the narrative, Seierstad shares the activities, dreams and frustrations of the Sultan's family---mother, sisters, wives, and sons---as they accustom themselves to the latest reality in a newly liberated city that is still plagued with shortages of everything from rice to electricity, and an evolving society where the traditions and restrictions of the Muslim religion conflict with the push toward modernization. This story is full of ironies, and reading it now, in light of the last 20 years of Afghan history, we must view it as a snapshot of a moment in time, rather than a window on the future.

19. Grandma Gatewood's Walk By Ben Montgomery How did I grow so old without knowing about Emma Gatewood and her epic walks? My own brother did survey work on the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s, as portions of the trail in Maine were being rehabilitated or relocated for better access and ease of maintenance. That project came about partly as a result of Grandma Gatewood's three--count 'em--three hikes of the 2000+ miles of that trail that stretches between Georgia and Mount Katahdin, after she qualified for Social Security. I've been to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, where this phenomenal woman guided WINTER tours in her late 70s from Old Man's Cave to Ash Cave on a trail now named for her. Her name must have crossed my consciousness somehow, but it never sparked my curiosity until recently, and I don't even know how she came to my attention finally. I just know Ben Montgomery's book about his great-great-aunt Emma has been on my Amazon wishlist for a year or so, and I dropped it into the basket last month. It's a grand read, not only giving us a portrait of a woman tougher than shoe leather (or canvas & rubber soled sneakers), but setting her life and adventures into excellent socio-historical context. It did not inspire me to want to hike the AT...but it did remind me of why I love a quiet afternoon alone in less challenging natural surroundings.

>215 laytonwoman3rd: I read that years ago Linda. I think I may have another by the author too.

>216 laytonwoman3rd: Never heard of it, her, or him before this golden moment. I have, at least, heard of the Appalachian Trail...so that's "one".

Happy March's reads.

Lot’s of interesting reads on your thread, Linda. You hit me with a few BBs. The trick will be to remember them when I’m off my phone.

>217 Caroline_McElwee: Probably most people read it "years ago", Caroline. It was a very timely book in 2002. The perspective is quite different now, but it's still enlightening. I'm glad I got around to it.

>218 richardderus: HA! That almost never happens. Your feet probably bother you enough already---if you read this one, you'll be in agony. The woman walked 2000 miles in "tennis shoes", which in the 1950s meant....you know...keds.

>219 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. You're most welcome to drop in and refresh your memory any time!

>220 laytonwoman3rd:

Oh, that' a new one for me too. Got me with a BB. I have actually been to Hocking Hill State Park and Old Man's Cave. A most fantastic and magical and wonderful place!!!

>221 richardderus: With bunions, yet.

>222 jessibud2: It is a beautiful place, isn't it? I have a very faded coaster here on my desk from our visit well over 15 years ago. I understand it is festooned with ice blossoms and frozen waterfalls in the winter.

Judi's grandfather knew Grandma Gatewood. He did maintenance work on the trail near Palmerton, where he lived. When she hiked along there, she'd come down off the trail and visit. I knew him only by reputation, since he died before I met Judi.

>220 laytonwoman3rd: I revisited and checked on the BB's, Linda. Thanks.

>224 weird_O: Well, that's very cool.

>225 Familyhistorian: Yay!

20. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight trns. by Simon Armitage A re-read occasioned--nay, necessitated--by recent viewing of the abominable film adaption The Green Knight. (I don't mind a bit of imaginative enhancement of a story for cinematic purposes. But aside from Dev Patel's indisputable gorgeousness and Christ-like visage, the movie got pretty much everything wrong.) This tale of chivalry tested never gets old for me.

>227 laytonwoman3rd: Egregiously, unnecessarily wrong. And, in the case of the sexual assault, offensively. Damn thing's a travesty.

>228 richardderus: And it didn't even make a good movie if you were clueless about the "source material".

>227 laytonwoman3rd: I need to pull this off the shelf again, I have the Folio Society edition Linda, which I suspect you too have.

Shame I will be missing Dev this time.

>229 laytonwoman3rd: It was very pretty. That really is enough for most viewers. Nothing too challenging, lovely actors, *gorgeous* sets.

Abominably late to your thread, Linda. I somehow missed it in my starring at the beginning of the year but I'll be keeping up with you from here. Thanks for the warning about The Green Knight - I do love Dev Patel but it sounds like it's not worth watching even for his face.

>227 laytonwoman3rd: Glad to see you liked that one - even RD was moved to praise with that particular book.

>230 Caroline_McElwee: I did not know there was a Folio Society edition (although it seems exactly right that there would be!). Mine is nice hardcover, but nothing special. HOWEVER, I have splurged and ordered Tolkien's translation in a slipcased edition that includes two other poems and JRR's lecture on Gawain.

>231 richardderus: See, I didn't even like the look of it. Too much haze, darkness and back-lighting, not in aid of the story.

>232 MickyFine: You're welcome whenever you arrive, Micky!

>233 PaulCranswick: Yes, I have liked it a long time Paul.

21. Anna's Book by Barbara Vine A rather long and drawn-out tale of two generations of women trying to solve a question of identity. I usually get quite engaged in Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine's stories, but she let this one ramble, ignored an obvious avenue of investigation, and included too many false leads for my taste. I did want to know who the killer was, and whether Swanny was adopted or not, but it just took too long to get there. A fair bit of backstory and repetitious explication could have been cut without hurting a thing. "Suspenseful" is not an adjective I'd use for this one.

>216 laytonwoman3rd: Wow! I am going to have to read that one. Hiking the Appalachian Trail is on my bucket list. I am currently "virtually" hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

>236 alcottacre: Oh, you'll really like it, Stasia. And I didn't know one could hike the PCT virtually...the only way I'm ever going to do any serious hiking these days.

22. The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew This memoir of reconciliation was first published in 2015. Wab Kinew is the son of a highly influential and respected leader of Canada's Indigenous people, Tobasanakwut Kinew, and Kathi Avery Kinew. He currently serves as a Member of the Legislature in Manitoba. Early in his life, he was a rap musician, a journalist and broadcaster with the CBC, and a bit of a lost soul. His relationship with his father, a survivor of one of Canada's residential schools for Native children, had its ups and downs, and the family suffered more than its share of tragedy. As a boy, he did not understand his father's ever-present anger, nor did he fully embrace his Native heritage. Yet through it all, Wab regularly took part in traditional ceremonies, and was honored by tribal elders first as a pipe carrier, and later as a chief. He eventually came to grasp the significance of the trauma his father and much of that generation had suffered at the residential school where the goal was to "kill the Indian in the child"---the suppression of native customs, the prohibition against native language, and the physical abuse, including sexual assault inflicted on so many of the children. As he grew older, and as his father's health began to fail, Wab resolved to foster a better relationship with the man who was known for his devotion to preserving the Anishinaabe language and traditions, as well as for his determination to help reconcile his people with the non-Native world they shared. Moving, sometimes difficult, entirely valuable reading.

>238 laytonwoman3rd: - I read this one a few years ago and agree, it is a challenging and sometimes difficult read, but very important. I had known of Wab from his days as a journalist for the CBC and wanted to read this memoir as soon as I heard of it. I did review it on the main page.

(As an aside, something I learned just recently is that Wab's father fathered a child with author Louise Erdrich, who was quite a bit young that he was).

>239 jessibud2: I am very glad to have read The Reason You Walk. It came to my attention when I learned of Louise Erdrich's affair with his father, which she alluded to in her memoir, Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country. Although she did not (and does not) publicly identify her daughter Azure's father, a little internet exploration came up with Tobasonakwut's name, and he was such an interesting figure that I knew I had to read Wab's book. The two volumes make great companions. These rabbit holes we go down!

>235 laytonwoman3rd: I recently read something else by Barbara Vine and found that a bit long and drawn out too, Linda. The Reason You Walk sounds like an interesting and important read.

>241 Familyhistorian: I think the only other book I have read published under the name of Barbara Vine was The Chimney Sweeper's Boy, and I liked that one quite a lot. I usually enjoy Ruth Rendell's work. So maybe this one just wasn't my cup of tea. I have lots more of her stuff on the shelves here.

>237 laytonwoman3rd: In order to prompt myself to get some exercise in, I have been doing quite a bit of walking. For inspiration, I use The Conqueror Walking Challenges. I am currently doing 2 concurrently - the Pacific Crest Trail (around 2500 miles) and the Grand Canyon (280 miles). I did a couple of small ones early on when I just started walking for exercise and enjoyed them, so I am now tackling longer ones.

>238 laytonwoman3rd: Adding that one to the BlackHole!

Hi!

>243 alcottacre:, >244 richardderus: Hi, both of you. My reading is being obstructed by family busy-ness. Trying to organize my MIL to get ready to move her into a senior living facility; requires intensive down-sizing, and it ain't easy. And that's all I'ma say about that.

>245 laytonwoman3rd: - Oh, I feel your pain. It sure isn't easy. One thing I was lucky to find is a contact via a friend, of a gal who works for an agency that welcomes refugees. They often arrive with nothing and we were able to donate almost all my mum's furniture, kitchen stuff, etc. I sent her photos of each piece, she showed them to refugee families and it was first come first serve. She gave them my first name and phone number. Whoever called or texted me first, and arranged for their own pickup of what they wanted, got it. I had 2 different guys come and thankfully, all was gone by the time I had to go home. Which was good since I did not have a car in Montreal and had no way of delivering anything anywhere, myself. It also felt good to know that my mum's good furniture (definitely not new but in good shape) was going to people who truly needed and appreciated it all.

>246 jessibud2: How wonderful that you could do that, Shelley.

Happy Saturday, Linda. I hope those books are treating you fine. I loved your thoughts on The Memory of Love and agree with your comments. I gave it 4. It just didn't grab me and transport me, like I was hoping it would. It is still a very good read, and I am glad I finally got to it.

Nearly finished with The Siege of Krishnapur. Have you read any of this trilogy yet?

>248 msf59: Hi, Mark! I have a copy of Troubles but it's among those t'ousands of TBR volumes taunting me at all times. I am motivated by your enthusiasm, though.

I loved Troubles and I plan on getting to the final, The Singapore Grip later in the year.

If you would be interested in my copy of The Siege of Krishnapur, I can pass it along to you.

>250 msf59: Thanks, Mark! That would be lovely. If you need my address (it hasn't changed) I'll pm you.

If you can do that, great. It will also be a reminder.

Backing up a bit on your thread, I checked to see if our library had Grandma Gatewood's Walk because the Appalachian Trail fits in a special collection category. We do have the book but not in print--only electronically.

>252 msf59: Thanks again, Mark.

>253 thornton37814: I'm glad it's available, but I think Grandma warrants a physical copy myself!

I don't usually share my Wordle/Quordle results, 'cause I really doubt that anyone cares, but today I was hawt, so here it is:

Wordle 275 2/6

🟨🟨🟨⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Ha! That's a terrific result! I got it in 3, but between the first and second words I use, I had all five letters. Not a pattern I've seen before, ever.

>254 laytonwoman3rd: Not quite so hot, but respectable:

Wordle 275 3/6

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
🟨⬜🟨⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

>255 richardderus:, >256 kac522: My current starter word is working really well for me. Don't know what I'll do when it is the actual solution!

I think it was last week, the word was *today*. For awhile there, that was my starter word. I switched to *adieu*, from Karen, I think, because it gives me a better chance at finding/eliminating vowels. Imagine if I was still using *today* when that was the word. It would have been like getting a hole in one in golf! (and I don't even play golf!) :-) Well done in >254 laytonwoman3rd:! My usual fluctuates between 3 to 5 guesses. Only once I didn't get it all, and a few sixes in there too. I don't think I ever had a 2.

>258 jessibud2: I thought this was my first 2, but my stats say I have a total of three 2's. By far, 4 is my usual score. If I'm careful, and it isn't a word where I have only 1 letter missing and that could be one of several (like __atch) I feel I should usually be able to get it on the 4th try most of the time. "Adieu" is a terrific starter.

23. Black Diamond by Martin Walker Chief Bruno Courrèges is drawn into a complicated mystery when an old hunting companion is found dead---obviously tortured and murdered to send a message to someone. The man's past is full of secrets of the official sort. The local truffle market has been receiving complaints about product contaminated with cheap Chinese imports, and there's a big kerfuffle about the upcoming mayoral election, which could mean the end of Bruno's tenure. Also, he is up to his ears in women, and the relationships are not without their own complications. Another fascinating story of intrigue, both modern and historical, enhanced by foodie gold (Bruno's venison stew will haunt my dreams) and set in the French countryside . I got a bit bogged down in the bits of French and Vietnamese history embedded in this one, but that's on me. Just means I need to do more NF reading. If you love the Montalbano series and you haven't met Bruno yet, you have a need. And you don't have to wait for these to be translated.

The author with the "real" Chief Bruno

>260 laytonwoman3rd: I'm glad you enjoyed it. This series is one of my "comfort" reads. I hope to get back to it later this year. I've read through #7. That is a great photo!

>249 laytonwoman3rd: Adding my enthusiasm for the trilogy to Mark's. I do not think you will be disappointed if and when you get to the books, Linda!

I loved the first Bruno I read, Linda. I need to get back to the series.

I just finished The King by Donald Barthelme. I got it Wednesday, and since I've been keeping an eye out for a copy, I plunged right in. I was about halfway through it when I became aware of a folded piece of newsprint tucked under the back flap: Jay Parini's review of the book for the NYT Book Review. I waited to finish the book, then read the review. He liked it.

>261 RBeffa:, >263 BLBera: I've enjoyed each of the Bruno books, but it always seems to take me a little time to get into the story. I'm not sure why that it---maybe I space them out too much?

>262 alcottacre: An endorsement from you adds another boost up the pile, Stasia! Thanks.

>264 weird_O: Hmmm...interesting. I have a volume of Barthelme's stuff in the Library of America, and a vague recollection that I may have sampled some of his short fiction without being smitten. Now if you and Jay Parini both like him, I should bump him up the pile too.

24. Hondo by Louis L'Amour This was L'Amour's first full length novel, and it shows. A pretty good story (and one that really would have hit all the right notes for my teenaged-romantic self), it suffers from repetitious reflections, and while it is apparent L'Amour was trying to avoid making his characters stereotypical Indians, gunfighters or women, he did succumb to a few of the pitfalls of this sort of genre fiction. Not his best work, and my quibbles prevented it from hitting the spot with me.

25. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths Finishing off my first quarter reading with a dandy suspense novel that wouldn't let me alone to do much of anything else for two days. This is a proper modern gothic murder mystery, with a 19th century ghost story woven in. Someone is surreptitiously making notes in Clare Cassidy's diaries, while members of her department at the high school where she teaches English are turning up dead, in a manner suggestive of the ghost story she often uses in class to illustrate creative writing techniques. Multiple narrators help to keep one guessing as to who is reliable and who isn't. Lots of literary allusions here, most of them spelled out, but a few left to the reader to suss out. Couldn't have enjoyed this one more.

>267 laytonwoman3rd: Oof, you got me with that one. Suspense is not always my thing, but the literary aspects of the story sound intriguing.

>268 foggidawn: Suspense novels can very easily fail with me, as I've read so many of them at this point. When I get hold of one that works it's a real treat.

>267 laytonwoman3rd: I'm glad you liked that as much as I did! That Elly Griffiths is good.

On another note I saw your review of Pearl Buck's Imperial Woman the other week and lo and behold I found a lovely copy at our Friends. That sure wasn't on my look for list long!

>267 laytonwoman3rd: I enjoyed that one too!

>271 RBeffa:, >272 quondame: I immediately put Griffiths' second Harbinder Kaur novel on hold at the library.

Good for you for finding Imperial Woman, Ron. My copy is ancient, and was my mother's I think.

>267 laytonwoman3rd: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Linda!

>273 laytonwoman3rd: my imperial woman is a lovely 1956 book club edition with an excellent cover. I was so happy. I also grabbed a 1939 first edition of buck's the patriot that was inscribed in early 1939. You know what I do with inscriptions and findagrave. The inscribers parents are buried in my local cemetery. The inscriber passed away the year I was born and is buried in San Diego with her navy captain spouse. I must wonder where this book has been for the 68 years of my life.

I have not read postscript murders yet. Saving it for my next elly readathon 😁