PAUL C WITH A CLEAN SLATE IN '22 - Part 3

Places from my past

One of my projects was a manufacturing facility to produce prostate medication in Cramlington, near Newcastle. I used to stay in Whitley Bay which was as lively as it was in truth a tad worn and shabby. Still on a good day you could still see the lingering beauty of the place.

The Opening Words



I am presently reading Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar. Is it a memoir, is it a novel or is some of both?

It starts thus :

"My father first met Donald Trump in the early '90s, when they were both in their midforties - my father the elder by a year - and as each was coming out from under virtual financial ruin."

Interested?

BOOKS READ

JANUARY

1. American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 by Khor Shing Yin (2019) 160 pp (AAC) - GN
2. The Forward Book of Poetry 2022 by Various Poets (2021) 155 pp - Poetry
3. Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne (1994) 274 pp - Thriller/Mystery
4. Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill (2008) 183 pp - (NF Challenge) NF
5. My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk (1998) 671 pp - (Asian Book Challenge{ABC}) Fiction
6. The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz (1962) 158 pp - (World Books/Food) Fiction
7. The Children Who Stayed Behind by Bruce Carter (1958) 216 pp - (BAC) YA Fiction
8. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (2021) 114 pp - Fiction
9. Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar (2020) 343 pp - (ABC) - Fiction (?)

Currently Reading

BOOKERS, PULITZERS, NOBEL WINNERS, 1001 BOOKS FIRST ED. & ETC

I have an ongoing challenge to read all the Booker Winners, all the Pulitzer Fiction Winners, something by each Nobel and all the 1001 Books First Ed Books. I will track my progress here:

BOOKERS READ BY DEC 31 2021 : 34 / 57
BOOKERS IN 2022

PULITZERS READ BY DEC 31 2021 : 19 / 94
PULITZERS IN 2022

NOBEL LAUREATES READ BY DEC 31 2021 : 74 / 118
NOBEL WINNERS IN 2022

1001 BOOKS FIRST ED READ BY DEC 2021 : 319
1001 BOOKS IN 2022 1 (320)
My Name is Red

GUARDIAN 100 BOOKS READ BY DEC 2021 : 349
GUARDIAN BOOKS IN 2022 1 (350)
My Name is Red

WOMEN'S PRIZE WINNERS READ BY DEC 2021 : 7 / 26
WOMEN'S PRIZE WINNERS IN 2022

AROUND THE WORLD IN BOOKS SINCE 2021

Around the world in books challenge. I want to see how many countries I can cover without limiting myself to a specific deadline. Continued from last year.


1. United Kingdom - The Ways of the World by Robert Goddard EUROPE
2. Ireland - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde EUROPE
3. Lithuania - Selected and Last Poems by Czeslaw Milosz EUROPE
4. Netherlands - The Ditch by Herman Koch EUROPE
5. Armenia - The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian ASIA PACIFIC
6. Zimbabwe - This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga AFRICA
7. United States - Averno by Louise Gluck AMERICA
8. Australia - Taller When Prone by Les Murray ASIA PACIFIC
9. France - Class Trip by Emmanuel Carrere EUROPE
10. Russia - The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov EUROPE
11. Denmark - Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard EUROPE
12. Democratic Republic of Congo - Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanze Mujila AFRICA
13. Canada - I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven AMERICA
14. Italy - The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri EUROPE
15. New Zealand - Dove on the Waters by Maurice Shadbolt ASIA PACIFIC
16. India - A Burning by Megha Majumdar ASIA PACIFIC
17. Libya - The Return by Hisham Matar AFRICA
18. Pakistan - Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid ASIA PACIFIC
19. South Korea - Diary of a Murderer by Kim Young-Ha ASIA PACIFIC
20. Morocco - The Curious Case of Dassoukine's Trousers by Fouad Laroui AFRICA
21. Thailand - Arid Dreams by Duanwad Pimwana ASIA PACIFIC
22. Norway - Echoland by Per Petterson EUROPE
23. Belgium - I Choose to Live by Sabine Dardenne EUROPE
24. Sweden - Still Waters by Viveca Sten EUROPE
25. Trinidad - Half a Life by VS Naipaul AMERICAS
26. Sudan - Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih AFRICA
27. Uruguay - Springtime in a Broken Mirror by Mario Benedetti AMERICAS
28. Syria - My Country : A Syrian Memoir by Kassem Eid ASIA PACIFIC
29. Ghana - The God Child by Nana Oforiatta Ayim AFRICA
30. Austria - Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl EUROPE
31. Germany - Cat and Mouse by Gunter Grass EUROPE
32. South Africa - No Turning Back by Beverley Naidoo AFRICA
33. Mauritania - Arab Jazz by Karim Miske AFRICA
34. Cuba - The Kingdom of This World by Alejo Carpentier AMERICAS
35. Nigeria - Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie AFRICA
36. Portugal - The Return by Dulce Maria Cardoso EUROPE
37. Japan - Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburo Oe ASIA PACIFIC
38. Senegal - At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop AFRICA
39. Malta - The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi EUROPE
40. Chile - A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende AMERICAS
41. Lebanon - The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf ASIA PACIFIC
42. Spain - The Watcher in the Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon EUROPE
43. Somalia - The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed AFRICA
44. Malaysia - Strangers on a Pier by Tash Aw ASIA PACIFIC
45. Mexico - Sudden Death by Alvaro Enrigue AMERICAS
46. Latvia - The Hedgehog and the Fox by Isaian Berlin EUROPE
47. Malawi - Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver AFRICA
48. Turkey - My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk ASIA
49. Egypt - The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz AFRICA


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE



January - YA - The Children Who Stayed Behind by Bruce Carter

AMERICAN AUTHOR CHALLENGE



January - Graphic Books - The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 by Khor Shing Yin

ASIAN BOOK CHALLENGE 2022

Here is the link to the General Thread
https://www.librarything.com/topic/337731#n7692635

These will be the monthly jaunts for the ABC challenge.

JANUARY - Europe of Asia - Turkish Authors link to thread
https://www.librarything.com/topic/338244
1. My Name is Red
FEBRUARY - The Holy Land - Israeli & Palestinian Authors
MARCH - The Arab World - Writers from the Arab world
APRIL - Persia - Iranian writers
MAY - The Stans - There are 7 states all in the same region all ending in "Stan"
JUNE - The Indian Sub-Continent - Essentially authors from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
JULY - The Asian Superpower - Chinese Authors
AUGUST - Nippon - Japanese Authors
SEPTEMBER - Kimchi - Korean Authors
OCTOBER - INDO CHINA PLUS - Authors from Indo-China and other countries neighbouring China
NOVEMBER - The Malay Archipelago - Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian Authors
DECEMBER - The Asian Diaspora - Ethnic Asian writers from elsewhere
1. Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar

I was able just about to cover the whole of the continent and I didn't include one for Russia as most of the authors are decidedly European in their ethnicity and leaning.

BOUGHT AND READ IN 22

BOOK STATS

Books read : 9
Books added : 11

Days per book : 1.22
Projected total : 299
LT yearly best : 157

Pages read (completed books) : 2,274
Daily average : 206.73
Projected total : 75,455

Longest Book : 671 pages
Shortest Book : 114 pages
Average Book Length : 252.67

Gender
Male : 5
Female : 3
Various : 1

Genre :
Graphic Books : 1
Poetry : 1
Thriller/Mystery : 1
Non Fiction : 1
Fiction : 4

Origin :
USA : 2
UK : 3
Turkey : 1
Egypt : 1
Ireland : 1
Various : 1

Challenges :
British Author Challenge : 1
American Author Challenge : 1
Non-Fiction Challenge : 1
Asian Book Challenge : 2
1001 Books First Edition : 1
Guardian 1000 Books : 1
Around the World Books : 2

Next is yours..........

Happy new thread, Paul!

>1 PaulCranswick: Lovely view, so nice to have the sea near.

>13 FAMeulstee: I hope you'll forgive me Anita because I amended the photo already!

>14 PaulCranswick: This one is even more beautiful, Paul, so I do forgive you ;-)
I am just glad I also saw the first.

>15 FAMeulstee: Then you managed a bonus, Anita! The one I really wanted to put up couldn't be loaded.

Hi Paul and happy third thread. Amazing.

From your previous thread, and thank you for doing the stats: >209 PaulCranswick: 12 and 136. (1*2) * (1+abs(3-6)) = 2 * 4 = 8.

>1 PaulCranswick: Beautiful photo.

>17 karenmarie: Yay! I am pleased you were able to get to 8!

>1 PaulCranswick: My husbands first CofE post was as curate of St Mary's, Monkseaton and we lived just up the road from St Mary's Island for five years. I spent my first term at Newcastle University living in digs in Whitley Bay as there was no room in any of the Halls of Residence. Up till then I had lived in Surrey and I was shocked by the cold in the North East - apparently the wind came straight from Siberia!

>19 CDVicarage: I remember in the summer it was still cold in Whitley Bay. I used to stay in the Rex Hotel which apparently was famous for hosting great bands in the late 60s and early 70s such as The Troggs and Chicken Shack (featuring a young Chrissie McVie) but I didn't see anything like that. Long day at work, nice meal in the huge and often pretty empty dining room and then a book before bedtime.

Happy new thread, Paul.
I had the same thought reading Homeland Elegies is this a memoir? But it says "Novel" right on the cover! Somewhere (in the book, or maybe in an article) he talks about how people have assumed his plays are autobiographical, and that the characters reflect his own views, and how that has caused him problems. I wondered whether he is playing with the boundary between fiction and non-fiction in an attempt to make it more blurry.

>20 PaulCranswick: The Rex was still there when we lived there (1988-93) although its grandeur was fading...

>21 AnneDC: He clearly does have an agenda of sorts and his themes are consistent, but it does seem a little disingenuous to sort of play up to his own stereotype so obviously. Still that said it is a good read even though some of the points he is making less than subtly are definitely not my own view of the world.

>22 CDVicarage: That is the time I was there too, Kerry! It would have been 1992 unless my memory fails me completely. You are right too that the grandeur, if there ever was too much of it, was certainly on the wane.

Happy new thread!

>25 amanda4242: Thanks Amanda. x

Happy new thread!

>24 PaulCranswick: So we might have met in 'real life' without knowing it!

>27 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.

>28 CDVicarage: There is a possibility I suppose, Kerry, isn't there?

>1 PaulCranswick: Lovely!

>31 EBT1002: It is funny because Whitley Bay is not renowned as a place of beauty as I think Kerry would attest.

As promised, here's a selection of 1972 albums Paul.

Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill Do It Again, Dirty Work, Reelin in the Years, the whole album. A staple soundtrack to my first year away at college. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmdiKePVUy8

Wishbone Ash - Argus. Also linked to my college years. Try Time Was. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjIvjmJQJYE

Cat Stevens - Catch Bull at Four. I was a big Cat Stevens fan for several years. This has one of my fave songs Angelsea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZobyPqMZ-I

Steven Stills and compadres - Manassas. An awesome album with a little bit of many styles. So Begins the Task is one of my faves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkezM8E7Z2s

Eagles - self titled. I actually saw the Eagles before they were big stars - they were Linda Ronstadt's band - I got a double bill of Eagles and Linda Ronstadt for 2 American dollars. Those were the days. I'll leave off Linda songs and give you an early Eagles tune, Peaceful Easy Feeling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjofshOBV5s

Now for something slightly less conventional. When I went to school at Davis one of the locals was a guy named Gary Yoder. He had been in a couple psych bands which I had been a huge fan of and I was astounded to find him playing in local clubs downtown. His 1969 band Kak was incredible. Sadly he died on my birthday this past year https://kdrt.org/blog-entry/davis-musician-gary-lee-yoder-rip-oxford-circle-kak-...

Well, Gary went on to join a famous band, Blue Cheer and wrote and played some great music. I'm gonna cheat here and give you a 1971 album that I played endlessly in 1972, Oh Pleasant Hope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzcaD5WLlQw

Sometime in the 80's my wife and I went out for a rare dinner and drinks in this little town we were living in. Who was playing in the bar but Gary Yoder. I was a happy guy. I call out a request "Highway Man". He's a little stunned. Nobody knows the great music he's playing. He says he hasn't played it in 10 years but gives it a go and it was great. The youtube album leads off with that track. At the set break he came and joined us at our table and we reminisced of days gone by. (This is not my favorite Blue Cheer/ Gary Yoder album but it is the closest to 1972.)

Happy new thread. *whew* stuff moves fast around here.

Happy new thread, Paul. Lovely topper! I love sunsets like that.

You are off to a good start on your 200 reads for this year, Paul, and for your rapidly increasing threads as well! I was pleased to see the early stats and also the tribute to Sidney Poitier. I feel a special connection to him as the school portrayed in To Sir, with Love was the school my dad attended many years before. That nugget of info came from my dad after the film was popular.

Hi Paul, Jeepers, lots going on over here. #3 already!

Happy new thread!

Paul! I'm here. Surprised? Me too.

>33 RBeffa: Thank you so much for that, Ron. Much more than I dreamed of receiving! My own list of six favourites would probably be different but you have some goodies there too.

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
Fleetwood Mac - Bare Trees
Paul Simon - Paul Simon
Stevie Wonder - Talking Book &
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick

would be in my list plus the Hugh Masakela I have been playing all weekend.

>34 richardderus: Something like pot, kettle and black, dear fellow, as yours is hardly stationary either.

>35 jessibud2: I do like it when the photo turns up some nice colours, Shelley. Hani is adept at doing that with her photography.

>36 Familyhistorian: Of course, Meg, I am a little off the beaten track here in Malaysia but it does seem to me that Poitier never got the recognition his contribution to motion pictures merited. To be fair he paved the way for so many actors of colour and showed that the movie industry was no closed shop.

>37 mdoris: Lovely to see you as always, Mary.

>38 quondame: Thank you, Susan. x

>39 weird_O: Not exactly surprised to see you here, Bill, but very pleased dear chap!

>40 PaulCranswick: I was wondering when someone was going to mention Ziggy Stardust! It's not my favorite Bowie album, but I do love it.

Another great 1972 album: Lou Reed's Transformer.

Paul, your opening image is incredible!!!

Happy new thread Paul.

>44 amanda4242: One or two Lou Reed songs hit the spot for me but never a whole album, Amanda, but Bowie's 70s output was extraordinary.

>45 Whisper1: Why thank you dear Linda! It disguises a places that is in actual fact less than salubrious in all honesty.

>46 fairywings: Thank you, Adrienne.

Wow, you have been doing a lot of reading so far! I’m not surprised that you enjoyed My Name is Red, I thought this was outstanding.

With the Mahfouz that you read, have you read any of his other works? I have the Cairo trilogy, and Three Novel of Ancient Egypt on my bookshelves but am yet to read either, and wondered if these should be promoted? Thanks!

Happy new one!

>49 DMulvee: Palace Walk opens the Cairo Trilogy and is a wonderful novel. Of the history books (which are actually historical fiction, I believe, I have read Thebes at War which is also a great read.
Probably my favourite of his which is not the Cairo Trilogy would be Midaq Alley but Cairo is usually an element somewhere in his writing.

>50 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>51 PaulCranswick: Thanks!

I am late to your newest thread, Paul. The topper is stunning. You are on fire with 8 books already in the bag - way to go!

>52 DMulvee: I would always recommend to start off with the Cairo Trilogy but some of his shorter work is palatable too.

>53 Crazymamie: Actually we are only ten hours in, Mamie, so I reckon your timing is nigh perfect. xx

Any time you stop by makes me happy anyhow.

Happy new thread, Paul!

>54 PaulCranswick: What a lovely compliment. Thank you.

>55 bell7: Thanks Mary. It has been a pretty great start to the year for me, although it looks as if I won't finish any books today!

>56 Crazymamie: Ach, you well know, Mamie that you have always been one of my favourites and it is lovely to see you start in the group like an express train this time. x

There is no way I can keep up with you, Paul! But even though I have dipped below my usual spot of 20 in the postings, at least I still made your list--thanks for the stats!

Happy #3 thread. So much going on.

>59 ronincats: I'm sure that you will keep on keeping on just fine, Ron. x

>60 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel

Just had a disaster and probably proof that the computer has been put to overuse as it seems to have gone haywire. Types on its own and won't let me access with my password.
Hopefully only a temporary glitch as it puts me on my phone. I also hope my laptop hasn't been hacked

Also saw sadly that one of my favourites, Bob Seger, has died.

SORRY
It was fake news from my friend - apparently it was Bob Saget who hosted America's Funniest Home Videos that has died.

I'm back but the computer is playing up so I had better start saving some of my files.

Happy new thread, Paul!

>65 banjo123: Thanks and lovely to see you as always, Rhonda.

>63 PaulCranswick: It was Bob Saget...found dead in a hotel room, no cause determined so far.

Happy new thread, Paul!

>62 PaulCranswick: You might have a glitched keyboard. If it's typing extra keys, it might have added them to the password when you tried to type it. Simple case - stuck keys - but you'd have spotted that.

Sadly, with a laptop you can't test this by unplugging the keyboard and plugging in a new one. And with consumer operating systems and only one computer, you can't check by logging in from another comp.

{Edit: Actually, you sort of can - plugging in an external keyboard might be enlightening. If it works with the external keyboard, it's partial confirmation that the built in one is glitched.}

Just popping in to wish you a happy new thread Paul.

Happy New thread Paul - hope the laptop is sorted and the week looking more positive.

Also >1 PaulCranswick: is beautiful. Reminds me of Corbiere over here - we get some stunning sunsets there.

>67 laytonwoman3rd: You are right. Linda and I quickly amended my earlier post. Not familiar with America's Funniest Home Videos, but I can sort of picture the type of show. I wonder whether there were any suspicious circumstances.

>68 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia. So far today has been a pain. Didn't make the progress I wanted with Homeland Elegies which book also left me with very mixed feelings. Well done, but a novel posing as a memoir but in fact a polemic is artistically dishonest in my book, as clever as it is. And to cap it off problems with my tired laptop keyboard.

>69 ArlieS: Arlie, you are a genius! External keyboard makes it work as a temporary fix and I'll go take it in to get cleaned up.

You are the reason I am back on line - it took my own computer to slow me down!

>70 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas.

>71 BekkaJo: You wouldn't swap Corbiere for Whitley Bay believe me, Bekka. Freezing cold in August and with a permanent smell of cheap lager. You cannot of course get any sense of that from the photos and, to be fair, there are some lovely spots to see and visit along that Northumberland coast.

Day has been a long and tough one, but I'm home now with one of Erni's finest coffees and awaiting her to produce me a nice steak!

She knows that processed foods are out for me this year but somehow offered fish fingers for supper! I reminded her again that fish do not have fingers.

>75 GraceWade: Hello Goodbye, as a certain group once sang.

Happy New thread, Paul. Love the Whitley Bay topper!

>69 ArlieS:, >73 PaulCranswick: - That happened to me too. My cat Theo spilled my tea on my laptop and I experienced that crazy *self typing* that you did, Paul. My computer guy gave me an external keyboard which I plugged in and now all is well. It looks stupid, the external keyboard sitting on top of my laptop, but who cares. It works!

And yes, I know, I should not have had a cup of tea anywhere near the laptop but in over 40 years of having cats, this is the first time it's happened, so, live and learn....

It's wonderful that the fix was so simple, PC. Keep your fingers crossed it stays that simple.

>77 msf59: Thanks Mark. I have been thinking about some of those places in the UK which I might have thought of as a bit squalid before but which still exert a charm upon visitors today.

>78 jessibud2: It hasn't fixed the problem entirely Karen as it keeps self-typing even with this external keyboard trying to override it.

>79 richardderus: As I said above, RD, it hasn't really righted the problem only made it much better. I will try to take the laptop to the Apple repair shop tomorrow.

Happy new thread, Paul!

Happy New Thread!!

>73 PaulCranswick: Glad to help

>80 PaulCranswick: You might be able to configure it to ignore the built-in keyboard. Unfortunately, while I might have a chance of finding the right control on a Mac, my knowledge of Windows is completely out of date.

Updated to add:
>81 PaulCranswick: Oh! It is a Mac...

Unfortunately though, I was unable to easily find how to disable the internal keyboard. I'd probably be calling Apple Support myself round about now.

Hi Paul, Happy third thread mate. Hope you are having a good week so far my friend, we had a good weekend and today has been nice and steady.

>82 foggidawn: Thanks dear Foggi

>83 hredwards: Thank you, Harold.

>84 ArlieS: You have at least made me able to cope in the interim, Arlie. I will take it to the Apple shop when I have a few spare moments and get the problem fixed.

>85 johnsimpson: It helps, John, not losing a test match for a change. It is funny isn't it that Crawley makes his first runs in memory and is suddenly hailed as our potential saviour in future - heaven help us.

I didn't do my reading diary yesterday given my computer travails and hopefully I can remedy that today.

Happy New Thread!

Thanks Silver. I will go and update what I read for the readathon shortly!

Ho ho, Paul. Thirty hours later, and I am back. Got a couple of way-too-long book reports posted, so I did get something done.

And now for some reading. Hurrah hurrah.

>74 PaulCranswick: No fishfingers sandwiches then? Booo!

I do like Whitley gin. Presume it's from the area - must google in a moment.
Also just realised I missed the last chunk of your last thread so quickly caught up. Your building looks spectacular! Plus your new buys are so pretty :)

>91 weird_O: I will pop along and catch up with what you are up to dear fellow. My computer glitches and snitches and woes are getting me down a bit at the moment.

>92 BekkaJo: I'm not sure about Whitley Gin, Bekka, I must go and check it myself. It was all bitter and Newkie Brown and pints of lager up there in those days (only the bitter for me as an unrepentant Yorkshireman).

I am pleased with my buys and will add three more today straight after work as I need to go to the pharmacy and then three on Friday and I'm then done for my Thingaversay.

>87 PaulCranswick:, Hi Paul, it was interesting listening to the commentary while Crawley was batting, Ian Chappell made some pertinent comments regarding him. He said that it seemed as if he had spoken to the coaching staff about his batting and that the coaching staff should be talking to him about where he is going wrong IF they believe that he is going to be a long term opener. Chappell liked what he was doing and the Aussies didn't seem to know where to bowl to him, they were thinking that he would just roll over as he had done previously, Chappell rated him and said he would be talking to him and getting into his head about what he was doing wrong and what he needed to be doing, i hope that our coaching staff were listening, Aggers agreed with Chappell on this point.

>94 johnsimpson: Ian Chappell is so switched on, John. I have watched some of his podcasts with Mark Taylor and, boy, do they know their apples! We desperately need an opener so it would be a blessing if Crawley could finally come good. It sticks in the throat at little though that he has been given more lives than Felix the Cat in this set up. Adam Lyth and Alex Hales with more talent never got the same treatment.

Sorry all that my thread has been so ponderous for the last few days. Hopefully, I can get back into the groove shortly as I get used to the external keyboard.

Work is also proving heavy-going. I had a four hour meeting with one of our main sub-contractors yesterday (there was eight of their chaps in the meeting (well 6 plus two virtually) and just little old me so I was feeling a bit outnumbered! I called one of my team to join the meeting just so I wouldn't get lonely!

Book #9



Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
Date of Publication : 2020
Origin of Author : USA
Pages : 343 pp

Shared read with Stasia and qualifies for Asian Book Challenge (December)

Just as the author was, I am conflicted.

It is a book that is conflicted between posing as fiction posing as memoir posing as polemic.

There is much to like about this book but plenty that both confounded and irritated me too. When it was a story particularly about a man and his parents, especially the relationship between father and son, this worked on most levels. When it is discernibly fiction it works, where it falls into memoir it can confuse and conflate but where it is blatant polemic it is artistically dishonest.

Akhtar is a very talented writer and he can be successful at all three forms portrayed here but I didn't care for him mixing all three in the same book.

Some more additions in time for Friday's Thingaversary

9. Another Now by Yanis Varoufakis
10. A Separation by Katie Kitamura
11. Travelling in a Strange Land by David Park

Varoufakis is one of the few world politicians who I think is worth listening to and his books always have something very interesting to say.

Kitamura's book called to me from the shelves and it is my second purchase of a book by her this year!

Park is a well regarded Northern Irish writer and this short novel put me in mind of the Claire Keegan book that I had so much success with at the weekend.

| | |

>99 PaulCranswick: Well, this *is* the one where you're statutorily required to procure twenty books, so starting early is wise. Less strain on the back carrying it all.

>100 richardderus: Thought so too, RD. Get them in by stealth so I don't have Belle reporting on my bookular misdeeds to her mother in far-off Sheffield.

>97 PaulCranswick: Even though I have not yet finished it, Paul, you have summed up my thoughts on the book (200 or so pages in) quite nicely. I am not sorry to have read it, but I wish it had been a better read for us.

>101 PaulCranswick: Smart plan! Can I borrow Belle to run interference so I can hide my book purchases from Kerry?

>102 alcottacre: I had been so much looking forward to it too, Stasia. It wasn't a fail for me but I just hoped to enjoy it more.

Belle will be available to assist after her 18th birthday this Saturday!

>99 PaulCranswick: I have high expectations for the David Park book. It really looks good. There is a spotify playlist to go with the book.

>104 RBeffa: That is interesting, Ron. I will go and look for the playlist - I would guess it will be atmospheric!

By the way Ron, this weekend my review of the music of 1972 will focus on your picks as selected last week.

>105 PaulCranswick: I should have left the link https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ong8hyY4tMnZMVZxOsn7X

>106 PaulCranswick: Those early 70's years have terrific music

>107 RBeffa: Thanks for that Ron.

They do indeed. My only problem is deciding which year of
1970
1971
1972
or
1973
has the best music. I think I slightly favour 1972 but it is mighty close.

Good luck with getting your keyboard fixed, Paul. There's always something! Your thread reminded me my Thingaversary is coming up next month but I'm not due 20 books like you are, not that that should be a hardship for you.

>109 Familyhistorian: I thought we were supposed to get one book for each year on LT plus one, Meg? If that is the case I am only due to add 12. It is RD's mathematical genius that provided 20. If he is right then I am delighted to oblige!

>109 Familyhistorian: The keyboard woes are keeping me from longish typed threads where I can avoid it so that my reading diary is "on hold" until the keyboard is fixed.

>103 PaulCranswick: Belle is going to be 18!!! When did that happen!!! Suddenly realising I've been on here for a long time.

Edit to add - I've just checked and yes, April 25 2009 I joined. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that the kids have all grown up in that time, but somehow it really is.

>112 BekkaJo: Time surely flies when you are having fun, Bekka, and for the most part I have had an absolute blast in the group.

I remember seeing pictures of your flaxen haired cutie Cassie on FB and I am sure that she is also well into her teens.

>112 BekkaJo: Where is your thread, Bekka?

>113 PaulCranswick: She's currently gone brunette! Wah! And yes, 14 in a couple of weeks. Plus the boy wasn't even around when I joined. Eeep!

>114 PaulCranswick: Ummmm

>115 BekkaJo: Where did all those years go?

Mmmm *taps foot a little impatiently*

>108 PaulCranswick: Some years ago a group of my friends who are mostly older than I and heavily into music were having a discussion. Many people my age "complain" that there isn't great music any more and one of them strongly insists that there is always great music being made, but you have to look for it. Several discussions branched off but at one point they were trying to decide which decade had the best music. They ended up agreeing that you couldn't say something like the 60's or 70s or 80's. I don't remember if this is exactly correct but it came down to the group agreeing that for a ten year period 1965-1974 was the best period. There is good music in every decade of course (I love a lot of big band music made long before I was born and think there was a golden age of sorts back then) but I agree that 65-74 was phenomenal. You didn't have to look for great music back then. It was everywhere.

I'm having trouble keeping up with you this year! LOL

>96 PaulCranswick: My wife sent me a meme the other day that said, "Life is just a series of events preventing you from finishing your book!"

>117 RBeffa: And of course by doing that we get to include the Beatles and prime Kinks for example. Your pals are wise, Ron!

>118 thornton37814: No problem, Lori. I have been sent keyboard problems to slow me down!

>119 hredwards: I can empathise with that, Harold, because work is slowing down my reading TOO much this week!

>110 PaulCranswick: I'mm figleafing you, foolish tsundoku sufferer!

OF COURSE IT'S TWENTY! THIS IS THE YEAR ONE MOVES TO *TWO* BOOKS PER YEAR! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT, HANI.

>122 richardderus: Yikes - then eleven years I have to buy 23 books you splendid fibber!

>110 PaulCranswick: >122 richardderus: Oh, I see. Richard is being creative with the math! Good thing it isn't two books for every year then I my goal would be 29 instead of 15. I already have enough problems trying to figure out where to put 15 new ones.

>124 Familyhistorian: And there am I, Meg, trying to figure out whether to take RD at face value. I mean two books per year makes some sense right?

>125 PaulCranswick: Oh, that's a slippery slope, Paul. Do you really trust his word? You do have others who keep an eye on your purchases. Granted they are far away but there is also the fact that eventually you're going to have to do something with your books when you move.

>126 Familyhistorian: I am working on the principle that the cat's away and, slightly more cynically, Belle has her birthday coming on Saturday and is looking for a nice present. A nice enough present to cause temporary sensory breakdown over a couple of dozen books entering the family home unreported.

>127 PaulCranswick: In that case I would aim for 3 books per year, Paul!
Or 4 books a year if that is doable, physical I mean, that you are able to carry them home ;-)

>128 FAMeulstee: Cruel temptation, Anita. Cruel.
Got me thinking though!

Hmm... a really nice present? How about an Apple watch? ( my sister-in-law has answered phone calls with her watch) I have absolutely no idea how that works.

>127 PaulCranswick: Am I remembering correctly that she is angling for an I-pad or some such? That could keep Belle distracted long enough for you to smuggle books in without her noticing there were a tad more than usual.

>130 torontoc: Cyrel, she was deliberating over what to get yesterday and I can see that she believes (quite properly) that she should get spoiled a little on her birthday!

>131 Familyhistorian: She does have that on her radar, Meg, unfortunately all the stocks in Apple Malaysia have been depleted and she can't find one for love nor money. I am convinced that she will remind me that the iPad is anyhow for Christmas and not her birthday.

>130 torontoc: Just as Dick Tracy!

Chester Gould told me it was possible way back when and who am I to argue with comics?

>133 richardderus: I could always buy her the hat if I can't find a suitable watch!

Just checking in to see how you're coming along with Last Train to Istanbul. I'm just about a third of the way in and I just now feel like the introduction is finished and the action is underway.

>135 cbl_tn: I'm almost up to you, Carrie. It is OK but the style somehow reminds me of Kirsten Hannah whose book The Nightingale, I read last year. Not literature exactly but not pulp fiction either - just that comfortable middle ground in between.

Some slightly concerning news overnight is that Kyran has contracted COVID in London.
Not the best month or so for him considering he got mugged before Christmas too!
Spoke to him a couple of hours ago and he says he feels fine and is drinking lots of fluid.

>137 PaulCranswick: I hope Kyran's case is mild and he recovers quickly.

>3 PaulCranswick: Good start to the year!

>138 quondame: Thanks Susan. I have to say, and hopefully there is no complacency, he does not seem much concerned by it.

>139 ocgreg34: Thanks Greg. I have a further five books in various stages of completion that will all get done before the weekend, I'm sure.

>137 PaulCranswick: sending good thoughts that Kyran recovers without problems.

>142 RBeffa: Thank you, Ron

>137 PaulCranswick: Oh, I am sorry to hear that Paul. I am only a couple of states away from my daughter Beth, who currently has COVID. I cannot imagine how bad it is to be half a world away from your son.

>144 alcottacre: He did seem fairly chipper, Stasia to be fair so I am not overly concerned just at the moment but we do always hope our own tribe don't catch it!
Is your daughter doing better?

Sorry to hear about Kyran, sounds like he isn't doing too badly though. Hopefully being young and otherwise healthy he will recover quickly.

>145 PaulCranswick: Last night, Beth was feeling poorly but she seems to be feeling better today. Thanks for asking!

>137 PaulCranswick: I too hope Kyran will have a mild case.

>140 PaulCranswick: he's young and vaccinated; odds are he'll be fine.

>146 fairywings: Thank you Adrienne. He seems healthier than me anyway and long may it continue!

All the best wishes for Kyran and you, Paul.

>147 alcottacre: That is good news, Stasia. Hopefully she will see it off within the next few days.

>148 ArlieS: Thank you, Arlie. The fact that Kyran is double jabbed certainly helps all of us feel more confident. I have stopped referring to it as a vaccination as much as I remember to as it does not seem to fulfil that role in providing much in the way of immunisation. That said I am so glad of having its relieving qualities. It might only be a "jab" but a God send nonetheless.

>150 SirThomas: Thanks Thomas. I am lucky to have so many good friends all sending positive thoughts.

Paul, going back to look at books you read thus far in January, and I found a might list! I've added The Children Who Stayed Behind. I would have added Small Things Like These, but it is already on the tbr pile.

All good wishes sent your way!

>153 Whisper1: The latter is really one of the best novels I have read in a long while, Linda.

The boss in England keeps showing off her cooking skills (I'll get my own revenge in my own way when I get to the bookstore tomorrow)

Taiwanese Beef Noodles

Oh my ! What rotten luck. Hope Kyran feels better soon

1971

Led Zeppelin IV
Who’s Next
What’s Going On- Marvin Gaye
Blue- Joni Mitchell
Hunky Dory- David Bowie
LA Woman- The Doors
Sticky Fingers- Rolling Stones
Fragile- Yes
Every Picture Tells a Story- Rod Stewart
Tapestry- Carole King
Imagine- John Lennon
Pearl- Janis Joplin
There’s a Riot Going on- Sly & the Family Stone
Aqualung- Jethro Tull
A Tribute to Jack Johnson- Miles Davis
Weather Report- Weather Report

^I rest my case...

Good gravy, Kyran! No need to pack all the experiences of being in your 20s into one year!

The noodles look fabOO. But what would one expect...I can't remember, PC, so please ask Hani at some point which of James Morton's recipes she made out of his Shetland Islands cookbook...?

>158 richardderus: Looks like it is now out of print, and the prices are not great for print. This one has been on my list for awhile, so I decided to order the Kindle version (which helps with the space issue in my house anyway).

>151 PaulCranswick: - Paul, I don't think any vaccine provides true and permanent *immunity*. But what it does do - and for me, it's plenty! - is reduce the severity and possibly the length of time, should one get infected. That is a lot. Even the flu, which once was deadly (and still can be), changes every year, as does the vaccine that comes out each year to combat that year's variety of the flu. I take my flu shot every year and if and when I have contracted the flu, it has never been serious. If that is the best we can hope for and expect, it is plenty. I truly believe that would be something everyone would be glad to achieve, especially as we enter year 2 of covid.

Hopefully, Kyran recovers quickly.

Sending positive vibes for mild symptoms and quick recovery Kyran's way.

>151 PaulCranswick:, >160 jessibud2: Think of the shot as risk reduction. In our biz, we quantify risk as the product of a likelihood rating and a consequence rating (usually, just a number between 1 and 5). The shot reduces likelihood that you'll get covid (though the omicron variant much less so), and also reduces the consequence of getting it - in this case, severity of symptoms and potential for hospitalization. It's worth doing as it overall reduces your risk. What it doesn't do is make you virus-proof.

Same for masks, by the way - wearing them reduces the likelihood significantly, less reduction in consequences. Which is why both is good - they do different things that complement each other.

>162 drneutron: Your post should go viral. It seems so simple to me, and yet so many people complicate it to justify not taking one precaution or another.

>156 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita. He tells me that he feels fine Anita but some of it may be to ease my mind a little.

>157 msf59: I'll give you that it was a strong year, Mark, and I have trouble as I said picking which is the strongest of the first four years of the 70s but for every great album there I could put one for the other years. Sticky Fingers by the way was released in October 1970.

>158 richardderus: He has had quite the last few months, RD, I'll give him that, poor lamb.
I also cannot remember but I will pose the question certainly.

>159 thornton37814: Hani has got a pretty good selection of cookbooks, Lori. I feel a bit like an imposter leafing through one of them to get ideas for my own meals in her absence!

>160 jessibud2: Not sure that is quite right, Shelley. If you took the polio vaccine you ain't getting polio. I'm not downplaying the AZ/Moderna/Johnson &Johnson/Pfizer/Sinovac jabs but it is a misnomer to call them a vaccine. 26,000 people daily in the UK at least double jabbed getting COVID is proof that it is not a vaccine by definition. It is however vital in saving lives and lessening the impact of the virus once contracted and for that reason alone I would clearly advocate its use AND I am triple dosed myself.
I do think that the anti-viral medications being developed are just as important however and they should get as much, if not more attention from government and other authorities moving forward into the next stage of living with COVID.

>161 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks so much. Linda.

>162 drneutron: I agree with that wholeheartedly, Jim, well said.
On masks though of course it does depend on the quality of mask for the level of protection provided, but it is fairly obvious that it must help prevent spread.

>163 laytonwoman3rd: Correct, Linda. A sweet irony to send Jim's post viral to combat the virus!

Wishing a speedy recovery for Kyran. And that noodle dish looks really great.

>155 PaulCranswick: OMG that is my favorite soup in the whole world! Since the restaurant that introduced me to it closed, I've tried it at every place that offers Taiwanese food for the last 30 years and only occasionally coming close.

Happy whatever, Paul!

>168 Kristelh: Thanks and thanks Kristel!

>170 alcottacre: Maybe one day Hani can make it for you, Susan. I does look good but I don't recall her ever cooking it for me either.

>170 alcottacre: Probably happy book splurge day, Stasia! I'll blame Richard.

1971 is the year I got married Paul and for Carol King's Tapestry alone I would say it's the best music year. IMO of course.

>173 brenzi: I must admit, Bonnie, (and not just because you are my favourite), I do often sway to 1971 myself but I can just as easily make a case for 1972.
I don't know why Carole King never made anything approaching the quality of Tapestry again. I also loved Don McLean's American Pie from 1971, which incredibly wasn't even on Mark's list.

Interesting music talk going on here Paul. I was born in 1971, I do like a variety of 70's music but I'm really a product of my teen years as they were more formative for me, so 80's is what I listen to the most. Maybe more of the Aussie bands too. Live music was a huge part of the 80's here.

>175 fairywings: I did love the music of the 70s more than the decade that followed it, Adrienne. Having said that I also enjoyed plenty of live concerts during that decade especially at Uni. I have fond memories of The Smiths and The Housemartins in particular.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/338749

Some great Aussie bands in the 80's. Midnight Oil, The Church, INXS, Men at Work come quickly to mind.

>177 SilverWolf28: Thank you Silver

>178 RBeffa: Nick Cave, Icehouse and (partly) Crowded House, too, Ron.

You've been busy, Paul! I've made it through three books so far. I have a copy of Homeland Elegies but haven't gotten around to it yet. Just before Christmas, I read Small Things Like These, a quiet little book that I did enjoy.

Loved music of the '70s. That was the era when I attended quite a few concerts at Pine Knob in Michigan: Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, Chicago, Journey, Jethro Tull, Gordon Lightfoot, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, to name a few.

Hope everyone is back to good health by now. I think COVID is going to be with us for quite awhile, and it will be worse in the US after today's Supreme Court ruling.

>178 RBeffa: &>179 PaulCranswick: To name but a few. The Divynals were my favourite band of the day. Some of the others I loved were actually formed in the early 70's but still played lots of pub gigs in the 80's. I feel like good live music was more accessible in the 70's and 80's.

>180 Cariola: I have been keeping myself out of mischief especially after my booster last week.
I am a huge fan of Fleetwood Mac and Jethro Tull.

I'm not sure that the Supreme Court ruling will make too much difference, Deborah. The jab isn't particularly effective at stopping transmission - Kyran masks and is double jabbed but he caught it last week along with 26,000 people daily who are at least double jabbed in the UK.

If we accept that the jabs are not effective at providing immunisation then whether one is jabbed at work or not will make little discernible difference to us at work one way or another. The ones who don't jab have more likelihood to have severe illness but that at risk group is identifiable too. The only conceivable argument is that those who refuse the jab are far more likely to place a strain on health care services. The weaker strain of omicron provides some hope here but it is still slightly too early to be certain, but it may be more effective to legislate that those without the jab getting no government relief for the cost of their health care. Could be more effective than a mandate.

My feeling is that omicron is the dying breath of the virus and that we will come to terms with living with it sooner rather than later as we must. The anti-virals are the way forward in my opinion as those drug companies will have us getting boosters every six months ad infinitum. I have had my three jabs and I have gotten to the stage when they better not ask me to have another one. Originally it was take your vaccine and protect yourself against the virus - then we needed two doses and then a booster. Moderna is already mooting a fourth. It is enough - they have made enough money at the world's expense already.

>181 fairywings: The Divynals, Adrienne - I had almost forgotten them! You are right about gigs although of course I am off the beaten track for those these days.

Hope Kyran is feeling okay still - and not too fed up isolating. At least it's down to 7 days (if he LFTs clear on days 6 and 7).

Also, Hani's food!!! I drool every time she posts anything on Facebook. Her Korean (I think I'm right but equally likely may be wrong) rolls looked amazing the other day. Daughter wanted us to have a go at making these so I may need to try them this weekend.

>183 BekkaJo: Bekka, Kyran seems to be fine so far.

She is tormenting me actually with what I could be eating if she was with me. Hardly seems fair to be honest!

Richard is a fiend!
He informed that for my Thingaversary it was only appropriate given my penchant for rather overindulging in book splurges, that I add 2 books for each year and then plus one.
So that means 23 books in total. I have added 9 in the past week in preparation for today but I folded and followed RD's new dictate by adding a further 14 to bring it up to 23.

I added:

12. Free Food for Millionaires by Lee Min Jee
13. Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller
14. The Lady from Tel Aviv by Rabai Al-Madhoun
15. Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoon
16. Manchester Happened by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
17. The Others by Sarah Blau
18. The Order of the Day by Eric Vuillard
19. Bessie Smith by Jackie Kay
20. King Cnut by W.B. Bartlett
21. Dear Future Boyfriend by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
22. Ottoman Odyssey by Alev Scott
23. Has the West Lost It? by Kishore Mahbubani
24. A Kind of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth
25. A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet

Lee's book is a follow up to Pachinko
The Independent newspaper called Miller's book "superlative...intelligent and gripping"
Al-Madhoun is a Palestinian novelist for ABC
Yoon's book was described by Miriam Toews as a "genuine masterpiece".
Makumbi is following up the excellent Kintu.
Blau is a thriller from Israel for the ABC
Vuillard's book won the Prix Goncourt
Jackie Kay is up for the BAC this year
Cnut's time is an interesting period foreshadowing the Norman Conquests.
Aptowicz's first collection received a lot of plaudits - she is new to me.
Alev Scott's book is obvious!
Mahbubani is echoing my own thoughts on the decline of the West
I have seen Ashworth lauded in the group recently
I recall some of the group loved Millet's book.

Satisfied, Richard?

>185 PaulCranswick: And where did you hide book 10 and 11, Paul?

ETA: Now I see at >98 PaulCranswick: you were already up to 11 total, of which 9 for your Thingaversary.

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>186 FAMeulstee: Ah you found 'em, Anita?!

I am quite happy with my little haul.

>164 PaulCranswick: I was checking out a few Best of the Year lists and Sticky Fingers came up each time. I looked it up again and it has the release date for April 1971. Just like a book list, it is all going to be subjective. One thing is for sure, that was a stellar era for music. It was also my favorite time for films too.

>2 PaulCranswick: Michael Chabon's book Moonglow takes a similar approach: faux-memoir it is called. So, yes, I am interested.

>180 Cariola: >181 fairywings: We love all those bands but Gordon Lightfoot is a favorite. We have heard him several times in concert and his voice seems to have held out. My husband grew up listening to Crack the Sky, a prog rock band that is still making music as well.

And I see you got spammed, too.

>188 PaulCranswick: It is a very pretty haul, Paul!
I look forward to the Varoufakis, sadly not yet available in Dutch.
The book by Vuillard is already on my library wishlist.

>189 msf59: I owe you an apology, Mark. I was looking at the dates it was recorded which were Feb to October 1970. You are indeed correct that it was released in April 1971.
This one not subjective buddy. You were right and I was wrong!

You are right also about the movies

1971
The French Connection
Klute
Dirty Harry
Carnal Knowledge
A Clockwork Orange
The Go Between
Fiddler on the Roof
The Last Picture Show

or
1972
Cabaret
Godfather
Jeremiah Johnson
Deliverance
The Poseidon Adventure
The Getaway
Lady Sings the Blues
Slaughterhouse Five

>190 EmmaStapley: Emma, indubitably you are a lovely person but I am happy enough in my job just at the moment.

>191 witchyrichy: I am sure that I would love Gordon Lightfoot in concert as his music ticks most of my boxes.

Karen, people should surely realise that spam is not halal!

>192 FAMeulstee: I really like Varoufakis' books and his ability to communicate his ideas intelligently. He is left wing - like me most of the time - but believes in freedom and right of free expression as do I so vehemently.

The cover for Vuillmard's book caught my eye, Anita!

I was talking about being subjective in regard to lists and preferences. Great list of films. 1971 may also be my favorite year for films. 1974 is pretty great too.

>196 msf59: That bit is definitely subjective, Mark, but you make a good case.

I would definitely struggle to choose the best year for movies.

>185 PaulCranswick: I must laugh at Richard's thoughts. Congrats on your Thingaversary haul!

>191 witchyrichy:, >194 PaulCranswick: - I have a Lightfoot story. My dad bought me my first Lightfoot album when I was around 12 or 13 and I was hooked. A friend and I went to see him in concert a few times in Montreal and once, we waited backstage to get his autograph. He was drunk and very rude to us, even his *staff* told him to behave. After that experience, I personally *boycotted* him by not buying any more albums (I actually own 7 albums of his) but many years later, just a few years ago, in fact, did go see him in a tribute concert here in Toronto, where he made an appearance. He had nearly died several years ago, from illness, and at this appearance, he looked awful, very decrepit and his voice was pretty bad.

That said, there is an iconic concert venue here in Toronto, called Massey Hall where he has played a concert every year for eons. It closed just prior to covid for much need repairs and refurbishing. He was the final concert to play just before it closed down and when it opened again in late November, he was the first concert on the bill.

Still, he is a Canadian icon, that's for sure.

>198 thornton37814: I love the guy, Lori, but he isn't always the best influence!

>199 jessibud2: Many of those top seventies performers were not the most likeable or approachable characters were they, Shelley? Still that is quite a sad story in many ways.

The woman has been at it again:

Now she is in Indo China making two types of spring roll - I must admit that I'll go for the fried ones - simply delicious with that rich homemade chili & tamarind sauce:

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>200 PaulCranswick: - The same year my friend and I had that backstage experience, we also went to the same Montreal venue to see Neil Diamond in concert (we were such groupies, lol). Diamond, at the extreme opposite end of the personality scale, was wonderful. He took time, asked us our names (which he used in his autograph inscription), and asked us how old we were, what we wanted to do after we finished school. Seriously. Somewhere in a box, I still have that autograph and probably the pen he wrote with, lol! I am quite sure I threw away the Lightfoot autograph.

>202 jessibud2: Neil Diamond always comes across as a nice fellow, though, doesn't he?

My dear mum was a big fan of Neil Diamond and I believe that a concert of his in the UK was probably the last concert she ever went to. Poor old girl couldn't carry a tune but her version of Sweet Caroline was as enthusiastic as it was excruciating!

Hi Paul!

>74 PaulCranswick: Ah, a steak sounds lovely. I’m not completely off beef, but am cutting back on it. And Ernie to fix it – what a luxury. I reminded her again that fish do not have fingers. LOL

>78 jessibud2: I’ve got my laptop off to the right and am looking at an external oversize monitor, with a wired keyboard and wireless mouse. The only time I deal with the laptop itself is to press the Start button in the morning to let me log back in. One or other of the kitties occasionally actually walks on the laptop, causing strange typing, but so far it hasn’t been harmful and only amuses me. I pay $5/month for 24/7 Dell support for my laptop. I’ve used it twice so far, saving me hundreds of dollars, so it’s been totally worth it.

>96 PaulCranswick: I’m sorry work is heavy-going. Getting one of your guys in there was a good idea.

>101 PaulCranswick: Belle is reporting your book acquisitions to Hani? Boo, hiss.

>102 alcottacre: I am once again reminded that my husband is special – he doesn’t read books but respects my need for books and reading and is always happy to hear that new books have made it into the house.

Ooh, Belle turns 18. *blinks*

>110 PaulCranswick: Realistically, Paul, you’re going to get as many books as you want to get, right? They aren’t called Cranswickian hauls for nothing.

>137 PaulCranswick: Oh no! I hope he recovers quickly. Fingers crossed.

>155 PaulCranswick: That looks scrumptious.

>182 PaulCranswick: I’m not convinced Omicron is the dying breath of the virus simply because it’s percolating in a large portion of the world’s 7.9 billion population, strengthening and weakening and mutating like crazy. I’m sure there are still folks out there getting the first version of Covid, much less Delta and/or Omicron. Of course I’d like to be wrong, and would love to see Covid become endemic and simply require a booster or annual shot. In the meantime, after being vaccinated and boostered, I’m still masking up, using hand sanitizer after going into any building, and limiting my exposure to rehab, doctors offices, pharmacy, grocery store, dentist, and PO. Haven’t had a hair cut since March of 2020, stopped getting my nails done ditto (and have stopped biting them after 59 years!). If I get Covid, it won’t be because of letting down my guard.

>201 PaulCranswick: *whimper* Gorgeous.

>203 PaulCranswick: They played Sweet Caroline at rehab yesterday, and I told the therapist, who is only 26, that I saw him perform it, and before she was born. It was at the Greek Theatre in LA in the 70s. He acknowledged the tree people, too…

Well! All caught up. For the nonce.

>204 karenmarie: I'm still not fully used to having an external keyboard, Karen and will unthinkingly start typing on the MacBook keyboard until I see the slash sign all over the screen.

I guess that I am an eternal optimist and am also a little weary of all the controls and medical regimen we have all had to endure. Malaysia has basically no choice - you will not get into any store or mall unless you are at least double jabbed and are wearing a mask. There is a potential $250 fine for not wearing a mask or not wearing it properly. Here we do as we are told.
It is mandated at my working place (jabs, boosters, masks and fortnightly tests) and to be honest we are all used to it and we are pretty sure that it is unlikely that anyone in that huge office (400 or so people) will be spreading anything.

Sweet Caroline will always bring an image of my mum to mind but won't always make me tearful.

WHERE DID THE YEARS GO?

My little girl is 18 and not particularly little any more. The most sensible member of the family and often our collective social conscience, Belle, is well known for not showing emotion too much. Her mum will finish every call with "Love you, Belle" and always get the reply "Ok"!



Here she is in the days before she was too serious!

She's got common sense: when all about you are likely to go mad at any moment, stay cool and collected.

Stick to your guns, Belle!

I? A poor influence? Faugh! Pshaw! I am not any such of a thing. I practice Realpolitik, me...go with, not against, the tide & you'll get ever so much farther towards your goal.

>182 PaulCranswick: I find this so hard to understand. If I were offered a shot that gave me 50% less risk of severe disease if I took it once ever 6 months maybe even monthly, I'd take it. There are many diseases and conditions that require regular injections, it's no biggie. At least as far as I can see.

>207 richardderus: Well RD to be fair, with the books all around me, your influence seemed better than benign!

>208 quondame: Probably just frustration just leaking out, Susan. I mean I have had all my jabs, wear my masks, do all testing but I am seriously starting to disbelieve and dislike these Pharma giants and the scientists who, with their meddling have put us all here in the first place and then tried to cover it up to safeguard science. The latest emails disclose yet more conniving from Fauci and his cohorts. I'm sure if faced with it I'll finish up taken their boosters but the dishonesty of the lot of them is astounding. Hopefully the ant-virals will provide the answer eventually.

She is adorable, Paul. How about an 18-year-old pic, to update? ;-)

>210 jessibud2: Let me go and find one Shelley. She doesn't like her photo taking much these days.

>206 PaulCranswick: Daughters are the best! Mine is both the youngest & wisest of my three. Her brothers married early & badly (but have much better 2nd marriages). Katie doggedly (not always patiently) waited for the right man & married at 33 & he's a keeper. She's always been careful with her money & has far less financial stress as a result. Oh, and loving & kind. OK, I'm a proud papa...

>212 ChrisG1: I am blessed too, Chris. Had all the tribe on a group whats app and I realised what a fair job Hani and I had done with them - especially Han. Wish that they could be together soon.

Happy Birthday, Belle! My granddaughter Audrey will be 18 in April. Where DID those years go?

Congratulations on your huge bookhaul for your Thingaversary, Paul. I may take a different approach when mine rolls around in March. I plan to donate the 16 books I'm "entitled" to. I am determined to lower the number of in-house books and use the library more frequently.

>209 PaulCranswick: I've never found it plausible that scientists are responsible. Some people have been predicting an eventual significant epidemic for most of my life. I figure this merely fulfils the prediction. And this one's mild, as such things go, but we utterly failed to contain it, unlike e.g. SARS the first.

OTOH, just-in-time supply chains, repealing any and all precausions (not just with regard to health) because the thing they were meant to prevent hasn't happened recently, and politically-popular budget cutting across the board; these have all contributed to this situation being worse than it needed to be. Of course this may be better than their track record with non-medical crises, some of which they pretty well created (2008 for example).

I've been expecting modern medicine to become less effective, and in particular the sweet spot of my childhood and youth to be gone forever, mostly because of antibiotic overuse, but with a nod to the sugar lobby and its obesity crisis, the effects of various polluants, and inequality/cost cutting. At least we're not yet in the situation my great grandparents would have considered routine - on average, half your children die before becoming adults. Yet, anyway.

>206 PaulCranswick: Happy 18th birthday to Belle!

>214 Donna828: We really should be neighbours, Donna, then your loss could easily be my gain! I must just say again how great it is to have you back in the group.

>215 ArlieS: The collective decision by the West to rely on China for its manufacturing has paid a catastrophic dividend for sure, Arlie and definitely made things worse. It is something I have been railing against since the 1990s as it cost so many jobs at home and I would rather have paid an extra $10 for a pair of shoes than put local shoemakers out of business and then contribute to their unemployment welfare.

What is becoming increasingly obvious is that the scientific community - the virologists - have been utterly reprehensible in how they originally concluded the likelihood of a lab made virus in Wuhan and then in panic and cunning closed ranks to pretend otherwise. They thought their experiments were worthwhile - the millions dead and their loved ones and the $26 trillion damage to the world economy would attest otherwise.

I would cease trading with China with immediate effect and take whatever short term blows that brings and I would certainly boycott their Winter Olympics until they own up and pay up.

>218 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Anita. She seemed pleased last night with her midnight cake!

WEEKLY WEIGH IN

Weight at Start of Year : 273 lbs (124 kgs)

Weight at End of Last Week : 264 lbs (120 kgs)

Weight at end of Week Two : 260 lbs (118.3kgs)

Weight loss in week/year : 4 lbs (4 kgs)

Weight loss this year : 13 lbs (5.7 kgs)

I was hoping to go below 118kgs this week but at least the trend is down
I hope to get to 110kgs (242 lbs) by the end of this month.

1. No cakes
2. No cookies
3. No sugared drinks / carbonated drinks
4. No potato / corn chips
5. Only one spoonful of rice with Korean soup
6. No alcohol
7. No processed foods
8. No ice cream

Intermittent fasting started after booster doing 16/8 diet (since 4/1/22).
Reduced carb trying to eat "good" food.

Goal for upcoming week.

115 kg
Start more exercise. Increased swimming, walking, stretching & yoga.

>185 PaulCranswick: >192 FAMeulstee: The Order of the Day is a great read.
Birthday wishes to Belle. Hard for the youngest when the older ones have left the nest.

I remember when we were hitchhiking in 1981 Norway, we were somewhere like Trondheim and could hear music playing in the distance. My husband-to-be recognised it as Gong and we walked in to some festival that was almost wrapping up. Heard their last song and got to meet some of the band members just by walking up to the stage as they were packing up.
Personally never ever going to be a fan of Gong but my other half was in heaven.

>220 avatiakh: You are right on the difficulties sometimes of being the youngest and to some extent, the one left behind. It was really great to see the interaction between the three of them on the group WhatsApp call yesterday. Kyran also looked great considering his positive COVID test and has no symptoms at all - Vive le jab!

How extraordinary to go for a walk in the Norwegian countryside and stumble upon a music festival and then to have one of your favourites (in your husband-to-be's case at least) playing there.

I'm so glad that Kyran is faring well so far. I have family members who are out of the country right now and had to delay their return by a few days due to COVID. They both have had 2 Moderna shots plus booster. They started feeling ill last Thursday. By Sunday, one of them had recovered enough to test negative but the other still tested positive. I saw them both on Zoom Sunday evening and they seemed fine, other than a lingering cough for one and sniffles for the other. They are fully recovered now and tested negative this morning so they will be allowed to fly tomorrow. In their case, the shots worked as advertized to prevent severe illness.

I hope to finish Last Train to Istanbul tonight. I thought it started slow, but I'm finding it harder and harder to put down as the tension builds.

>222 cbl_tn: Yes, Carrie, I do think our understanding over both COVID and the jabs has evolved and we have to be realistic and fair in our assessments and analysis.

It quite clearly works "as advertised" as you say and the political hyperbole both over what it can as well as what it cannot do is generally unhelpful. I am sure that if people rationally studied the statistics (me and my stats) then there would be much less resistance to getting the shots.

I am pleased to see that your family members are well on the way to full recovery.

Last Train to Istanbul is a slow burner isn't it? I will finish it this weekend and it has grown on me too.

>221 PaulCranswick: In 1973 the New Zealand version of Woodstock, Ngaruawahia Music Festival, was held on a farm just up the road from our farm. Yes, we went, I was quite young, my father was in hospital recovering from an operation, so after we'd milked the cows, my brothers, cousins and I would jump onto the tractor and roar up the road to the festival. I got to see Black Sabbath, Fairport Convention and lots of other bands, many playing for only the first or second time (Dragon, Split Enz).

>224 avatiakh: One of my absolute favourite albums is the very first Fairport Convention album from 1968, Kerry. Some of their early music was simply sensational.
Black Sabbath wouldn't have given your father much rest in his hospital bed as I bet they made themselves heard even across the Sound in the South Island.

>201 PaulCranswick: Ooh, I love spring rolls!

And lots of lovely books!

Karen O

>226 klobrien2: I go for the fried ones, Karen, which are delicious but the other ones are very delicate.

I go for the books even more. x

Happy birthday to Belle! Sorry to hear about Kyran getting Covid, and hope it stays mild and he's feeling better soon.

Happy weekend, Paul!

>228 bell7: Thank you, Mary. I feel a little bit of serendipity creeping in as I was over at your thread catching up just as you were here. x

Oh happy birthday to sweet Belle? What's coming up for her this year? University? I'm sorry to hear that Kyran tested positive but glad he seems to be doing OK. And happy new thread? Depressing to be so far behind already.

>230 AMQS: She is hopefully starting upon her A Levels, Anne. Poor kid lost a full year already because of the pandemic. She wants to be a pathologist eventually the cheerful young tyke!

Thanks for the wishes - I also trust that her doppelganger (Marina) is doing fine.

>231 PaulCranswick: Marina just turned 20, which is hard to believe. She has another week at home before going back to Pennsylvania for school. She's being as careful as she can not to have any delays (or remote learning) but I teach 75 kids a day so... She's thriving at school and I am so proud.

>232 AMQS: Isn't it funny how we take such a vicarious pride and pleasure in the progress and development of our respective 'children' in the group?

I'm sure that she will continue to thrive in Pa and wherever else she chooses to be.

Happy Birthday to Belle!!! I hope she enjoys dinner tonight.

I'm glad to hear Kyran seems to be only suffering mild symptoms.

>234 fairywings: Thanks Adrienne. She looks happy at the moment because her best friend has stopped by and I'm happy because my long working week is done!

>210 jessibud2: Not yet a 18 year old photo, but this is Belle last year getting more attention than she normally likes to endure.

I have Ron to thank this weekend for recommending to me an album by a group called Blue Cheer for my 1972 music Weekend Two.
He was jolly right the lead song Hiway Man is a revelation and it is going to get a lot of play by me.





Blue Cheer - Oh! Pleasant Hope
Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill
Wishbone Ash - Argus
Cat Stevens - Catch Bull at Four
The Eagles - The Eagles
Stephen Stills et al - Manassass

>162 drneutron:. Well said, Jim. I’m with Linda; I’d like to see that post all over the place. Would you mind if I copied it and re-posted it on my thread?

Hi, Paul!

Man, I love that b&w photo of Belle in >206 PaulCranswick:. How great. >236 PaulCranswick: is a sweet one. Happy Birthday wishes to Belle. 18 is a special one.

I’m glad Kyran is doing okay. Over here Fauci is predicting that Omicron will find just about everyone, and we sure see it happening all around us (but thankfully mild).

Do you read Bernard Cornwell? I’m happily embarked on his first new Sharpe book in a long time, Sharpe’s Assassin.

>219 PaulCranswick: You are doing great, Paul!

You think you feel old - my youngest just turned 31 yesterday! How did that happen??

>237 PaulCranswick: Blue Cheer! I can not recall the last time I hear that name. What a past-blast that was. *happy old man sigh*

>219 PaulCranswick: Doing great, Paul! Keep it up!

Happy Birthday to dear Belle!

>185 PaulCranswick:
Free Food For Millionaires is Min Jin Lee's first book. It precedes Pachinko by about 5 years. It is also a very good book, but is about the immigrant experience in the U.S. It is a much darker book than Pachinko. I also thought that Pachinko was beautifully written while Free Food had some flaws. Nevertheless, both are good books and it doesn't matter what order one reads them in. Enjoy both of them.

>237 PaulCranswick: I'm glad it resonated with you Paul. Gary Yoder was an excellent songwriter and vocalist. One of the big highlights of my college years and beyond. He could also write and do a passable Donovan type song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNcrjPoFIxw And ya wanna dance? I can't tell you how many times I danced in clubs to this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l85npJTQ88w

>236 PaulCranswick: Such a sweet photo! Happy birthday wishes to Belle!

I love all the music talk and feel lucky to have come of age in the 70s and to have had an older brother who let me play his albums when he was out. I try to keep up with new music and appreciate a lot of the newer indie artists, but I can’t help but wonder which ones will have the staying power to be talked about fondly 50 years on. The 70s really were the golden age of rock.

>238 jnwelch: Go right ahead!

Congrats on the weight loss, Paul! That's hard work.

and happy birthday to Belle. Glad Kyron is recovering well.

Hi Paul, congrats on the weight loss mate. Hope that your weekend is going well apart from the Cricket (again). I am amazed at the ways Burns finds to get out for a duck but was pleased for Billings. I was very pleased that Broad got his bunny (Warner) again, a second pair in Ashes Cricket for him. I just hope that we can roll them over quickly so that we are chasing 250 or less and then to bat sensibly and win the bloody game.

Love and hugs to the Cranswick Clan wherever they are around the globe.

Happy birthday Belle!

>238 jnwelch: Lovely to see you make it over here, Joe.
Fauci should know that isn't it his virus?!
I do read Bernard Cornwell and need to get back to the Sharpe series too. My favourites are the Uhtred books but Sharpe is a great creation too.

As I also said, Jim's comment is the common sense that our politicians have left behind.

>239 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia.

My eldest turns 25 next month and is so independent already it isn't true but then again when I think back I left home at 18 and never took a penny piece from my parents thereafter.

>240 richardderus: Another happy old man sigh from me too and more resoundingly as I hadn't heard of them until Ron put me on the right path. A few of the tracks on that album are spectacularly good.

>241 msf59: Thank you, Mark. I don't have a grandson or granddaughter yet to keep me fit. :D

>242 benitastrnad: Yep I see that you are right, Benita and I did actually wonder why this "new" book didn't get much in the way of a fanfare!

>243 RBeffa: It did indeed resonate, Ron. I played much of it three times already. I had also forgotten just how good that Steely Dan debut album was too or the brilliance of the twin guitars of Wishbone Ash. Thanks so much for the reminders.

I'm not the greatest of dancers. In fact I am so bad I can often find myself with a bemused crowd around me observing some of my musical "interpretations"!

>244 Copperskye: Thank you, Joanne and her birthday is close to yours so she is in excellent company.
I think that so many of us agree about music that it either proves the point or gives away our age!

>245 drneutron: I could of course have predicted that Jim.

>246 banjo123: I took Belle to one of my favourite spots yesterday, Rhonda, and was still able to reign in the portions. Not heavy on the sides and, in a place that I normally wallow in three pints of stout, I enjoyed a couple of glasses of sparkling mineral water!

Who the heck am I?

>247 johnsimpson: Thank you for the good wishes John (and Karen).
It does seem to be jobs for the boys somewhat doesn't in the cricket. Root has the temerity to say that Silverwood is the right man to carry on. Let's hope that they do overhaul the game in England and realise that the disaster started with the introduction of central contracts and the carving up of the domestic cricket season. Why did Pope, Burns and Stokes play. Stokes isn't fit and we need five bowlers. Burns is not the answer and though I don't really think Hameed is he would have had a better chance on this pitch than the last two. Lawrence and Bess toured and we have lost 3-0 for sure anyway so they ought to have played. I would have really shown faith in Woakes and played him as the all-rounder at 6 - he has gotten runs almost every time he has gone to the crease.
Nice to see Billings play at least he is a more genuine keeper of the wicket and brings enthusiasm and a will to succeed to the team and I would play him in the West Indies.


The other obvious ones is stop it with so many international games. A longer tour to Australia with plenty of first class practice rather than forcing in a test tour to West Indies. The international schedule is ridiculous.

>248 LovingLit: Thanks dear Megan. x

Have a great weekend followed by an amazing week!

Karen O.

>255 klobrien2: Thank you, Karen. I hope that is not too much to hope for!

Funny but I was over at your place giving good wishes to you while you were over here doing the same for me!

>256 PaulCranswick: Isn't that funny?! I'm trying my best to be present on others' threads, and to not get too behind because then I'll never catch up.

Here's to Library Thing!

>257 klobrien2: I'll second the hurrah for the site in general but this group in particular which often keeps me sane but occasionally drives me crazy in all the right ways. x

I have stopped worrying about falling behind, Karen, as I keep up as I can and know that my pals are often doing the same. x

Huh, could've sworn I posted this evening, but I can't find my post now!

>229 PaulCranswick: Isn't it funny when that happens? It seems to every so often when we're all reading through the threads together and never fails to make me smile when we cross-visit/post. Hope you're having a great weekend!

>259 bell7: And we just did it again!

It is the pink and purple hair that does it, Mary!

>185 PaulCranswick: You have me beat by 1. I've managed to add 24 books so far this year, and can only blame 14 of them on my Thingaversary ( unless I put the new rule in effect of 2 books per year, in which case I'm due a few more).
Congratulations to Belle--18 is a biggie. And congrats to you and Hani for having all of your kids adults now.
And huge congratulations on the weight loss. It's an immense challenge, very difficult, and I admire how you are sticking to it. Results don't lie.

>261 arubabookwoman: Lovely to see you, Deborah just as I am ready for a new thread. I was planning to slow down the additions this year until Richard intervened with his good idea.

The kids are a great reflection of the effort Hani put into motherhood and I am incredibly proud of all three of them for growing into such wonderful people. Kyran is the gentlest soul imaginable, Yasmyne has a tremendous joie de vivre and work ethic and Belle is incredibly sensible, frugal and serious.

I think my struggles in November and December huffing and puffing to work and that scary weigh in on January 1st convinced me that I really did need to act now before it was too late.

Blue Cheer's "I'm the Light" which I hope is one you are enjoying must be one of the secret psych songs of the era.

My wife tells me (correctly I believe) that I have acquired more books this past month than I have in the last 2-3 years total. I'm am putting my upcoming thingaversary to great use. I think I have catalogued at least 60 books and I have more to go. I can partly thank my friend who gave me the box of 29 books ( 6 0f which I already had so we only count 23 and I still haven't added several yet that I am undecided on keeping or not!) . On the plus side I took 3 boxes of donations to our friends of the library this morning to sorta make room for the new arrivals.

>263 RBeffa: Yes that is one of the stand-out tracks for sure, Ron.

I had a "good" month for additions last month and really need to slow down to be honest especially if a relocation to the UK is going to happen this year.

Good luck with all your splendid additions. Can only help boost our reading numbers too.