Alcott Acre's Home, Room 3

Thanks for stopping by my third thread of 2022! All visitors are welcome - with the exception of spammers!

Excellent Reads from 2022 (thus far and in the order in which I read them):

5 Stars
The Writing of the Gods by Edward Dolnick
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
The Singapore Grip by J.G. Farrell
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale by Art Speigelman

4.5 Stars
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
Square Haunting by Francesca Wade
Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith
A Mortuary of Books by Elisabeth Gallas
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Speigelman
Watercress by Andrea Wang
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan

4.25 Stars
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
The Fall of Light by Niall Williams
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Lenny's Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict by Tamara B. Orr

2022 Goals - I am going to record the titles as I finish them:

Reading (or rereading as they case may be) all of Jane Austen’s novels this year
- Sense and Sensibility - Completed January 13, 2022

The St. Mary’s books
- Just One Damned Thing After Another - Completed January 14, 2022

The In Death series - started in 2021
- Vengeance in Death - Completed January 9, 2022
- Abandoned in Death - Completed February 8, 2022

The Decker/Lazarus series - started in 2021
- Sacred and Profane - Completed January 23, 2022

The Outlander series
- Outlander - Completed February 12, 2022

The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series - started in 2021
- The Murder of Mary Russell

The Murderbot series - started in 2021

The Three Pines series

The Maisie Dobbs series

Classics - at least one a month; could be children's classics, modern classics, scifi/fantasy classics
1. Kim by Rudyard Kipling - Completed January 7, 2022
2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - Completed February 5, 2022

Continuing my Civil Rights/ African & African American experience reading (at least one book per month)
1. How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith - Completed January 21, 2022
2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - Completed February 5, 2022

Continuing my Holocaust/Jewish experience reading (at least one book per month)
1. We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter - Completed January 16, 2022
2. Sala's Gift by Ann Kirschner - Completed January 25, 2022
3. A Mortuary of Books by Elisabeth Gallas - Completed February 4, 2022

Books on Berly’s Indie List:
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra - Completed February 1, 2022
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - Completed February 6, 2022
Moonglow by Michael Chabon - Completed February 11, 2022

Monthly Nonfiction Challenge:
January - The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson Wallace - Completed January 20, 2022
February - The Anthropocene reviewed : essays on a human-centered planet by John Green - Completed February 17, 2022

February TIOLI Challenges:

Challenge #1: Read a book in which both the title and the author's name have a qualified set of double letters
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra - Completed February 1, 2022
Lenny's Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee - Completed February 1, 2022
A Mortuary of Books by Elisabeth Gallas - Completed February 4, 2022
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan - Completed February 20, 2022

Challenge #2: The Lincoln Challenge: Read a pair of books, one fiction, the other nonfiction, with the word "Lincoln" or "Lincoln's" in the title/subtitle in honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday this month. Please indicate on the wiki which book is fiction and which is nonfiction
Lincoln’s Dreams (Fiction) by Connie Willis - Completed February 3, 2022
Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney (Nonfiction) by James F. Simon - Completed February 16, 2022
Lincoln and the Abolitionists (Nonfiction) by Fred Kaplan - Completed February 27, 2022
Lincoln in the Bardo (Fiction) by George Saunders - Completed February 6, 2022
Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (NonFiction) by Doris Kearns Goodwin - Completed February 24, 2022

Challenge #3 : Rolling Challenge : Read a book by an author whose surname first letter goes towards the spelling of "ISRAEL"
Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings - Completed February 20, 2022
By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey - Completed February 14, 2022
Mighty Justice by Dovey Johnson Roundtree - Completed February 23, 2022
Conjure Women by Atakora Afia - Completed February 1, 2022

Challenge #4 : Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title
A City in Its Fullness by S.Y. Agnon - Completed February 18, 2022
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green - Completed February 17, 2022
From Oslo to Iraq and the Road Map: Essays by Edward Said - Completed February 10, 2022
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Struggle for Middle East Peace by Tamra B. Orr - Completed February 13, 2022
Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan - Completed February 19, 2022
When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

Challenge #5 : Read a book from the Colorado Blue Spruce Awards Nominee list found on LT
Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2005) by Laura Hillenbrand - Completed February 20, 2022

Challenge #6 : Read a book where the main character(s) is/are in a biracial relationship
Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman - Completed February 4, 2022

Challenge #7: Read a book with a number in the title
Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Speigelman - Completed February 6, 2022

Challenge #8: Read a book first published or set in the 1980s
Maus by Art Spiegelman - Completed February 6, 2022

Challenge #9: Read a book that has the word red in the title or author’s name
The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas - Completed February 23, 2022
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson - Completed February 13, 2022
Redemption Ground by Lorna Goodison

Challenge #10: Read a book with an animal in the author's name
Hard Evidence by David Fisher - Completed February 27, 2022
A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird - Completed February 25, 2022
None So Blind by Alis Hawkins - Completed February 22, 2022
The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee - Completed February 11, 2022

Challenge #11: Read a book connected to the Lunar New Year.
Watercress by Andrea Wang - Completed February 8, 2022
When the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin - Completed February 20, 2022

Challenge 12: Read a book about the airline industry
Nine Minutes Twenty Seconds: The Tragedy and Triumph of ASA Flight 529 by Gary Pomerantz - Completed February 6, 2022

Challenge #13: Read a book that is at least the 4th book you have read by that author
Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb - Completed February 8, 2022
Moonglow by Michael Chabon - Completed February 11, 2022
The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King - Completed February 16, 2022
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - Completed February 12, 2022
A Sword Named Truth by Sherwood Smith - Completed February 1, 2022

Challenge #14: Read a Canadian work of fiction that ISN'T by LM Montgomery, Margaret Atwood or Louise Penny
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston Completed February 21, 2022

Challenge #15: Read a book that does not bring up the first touchstone
The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate - Completed February 13, 2022

Challenge #16: In honor of Black history month (and to fit my book club book into a challenge), read a classic by a Black author.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - Completed February 5, 2022

Challenge #17: Read a book with a 2-word title, by an author with 2 names
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells - Completed February 20, 2022
Dear Zealots by Amos Oz - Completed February 10, 2022
Nursery Crimes by Ayelet Waldman - Completed February 9, 2022

Challenge #18: Read a book tagged "future"
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari - Completed February 13, 2022

My biggest challenge this year is for the Asian Authors Challenge. I am so stoked for this one. I want to try and read at least 3 books per month toward this challenge.

February's proposed reads are:
The City in Its Fullness by S.Y. Agnon - Completed February 18, 2022
From Oslo to Iraq and the Road Map: Essays by Edward Said - Completed February 10, 2022
Dear Zealots by Amos Oz - Completed February 10, 2022

Just added:
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari - Completed February 13, 2022

Hope to get in:
To the End of the Land by David Grossman

Shared/Group Reads:

A Sword Named Truth by Sherwood Smith - shared read with Nina - Completed February 1, 2022
Moonglow by Michael Chabon - Shared read with Kim and Mark - Completed February 11, 2022
Night Haunts by Sukhdev Sandhu or Redemption Ground by Lorna Goodison - shared read with Caroline and Paul - FEBRUARY
Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings - Group Read - FEBRUARY
Empires of the Plains by Lesley Adkins - Shared read with Peggy and Lucy - FEBRUARY

On hold currently:
Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart Postponed at Karen’s request
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon Ruiz Postponed at Karen’s request
Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson - shared read with Lynda and Kim - MARCH
Here I Am by Jonathan Safron Foer - shared read with Kim - Moved to MARCH
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine - shared read with Mark - MARCH
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - shared read with Mamie - MARCH
White Mughals by William Dalrymple - shared read with Paul - APRIL
Taft by Ann Patchett - shared read with Mark - JUNE

Pick a Shelf Challenge - Goal is 2 a month - I literally just chose a shelf in my library and emptied it of books. I will mark them as I complete them - and then pick another shelf!

The Art of War in the Western World by Archer Jones
The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte
The Yard by Alex Grecian
Killing Mister Watson by Peter Matthiessen
Hard Evidence by David Fisher - Completed February 27, 2022
The Italian Boy by Sarah Wise - Completed January 27, 2022
Day After Night by Anita Diamant
Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks - Completed January 9, 2022
Witness to a Century by George Seldas
Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
The Maker of Heavenly Trousers by Daniele Vare
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill
The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne
Nursery Crimes by Ayelet Waldman - Completed February 9, 2022
Gillespie and I by Jane Harris
Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov
A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary E. Pearson

The next one is yours. . .

I'm pleased to be first. Happy new one, dear Stasia. #3 is the healing thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Stasia!

So many reads planned :-)

Happy new thread Stasia.

Third already! Happy new one, Stasia.

I am so sorry to read that you were sick with Covid. I hope that you are recovering! Sending healing thoughts your way!

Happy Sunday, Stasia. Happy New Thread. I hope you are feeling better. This will be a packing day but I also plan to read and watch plenty of football.

Good morning, Stasia, and happy new thread! I hope you continue on the road to recovery and get lots of good reading and naps in.

I do not normally get online on Sundays until late, but I wanted to come by and update everyone: Kerry is much better and will be returning to work tomorrow. I am still struggling somewhat - I am off to nap shortly - but I am better than I was earlier in the week.

Thank you, Paul, Anita, Anita, Adrienne, Shelley, Cyrel, Mark, and Karen for visiting the Acre!

>18 alcottacre: Good news! Now don't push yourself to do more than you feel up to. Everything but the books can wait.

>18 alcottacre: I suspect napping is an important part of the recovery process. I am trying to take it easy when I go home in the evenings and on my weekends so I'm rested enough that I can hopefully fight off something a little better WHEN I catch it. (At this point, I suspect it is a matter of "when" rather than "if"--even though I've had 3 shots.) I'm glad you are feeling better overall. Glad you are able to read.

Have I told you yet about the amazing business opportunity called "disability"? You, too, can earn up to $200 a month from your own home!! Heck, even your bed on bad days!

...I'm going, I'm going...

Napping is the best for getting better. Sure hope it works for you! Lots of great reading plans here for February.

>3 alcottacre: Best Wishes that you are recovering well.

Good Luck with your reading Goals - I just finished Diana Gabaldon's latest Go Tell The Bees that I am Gone
and was totally and happily surprised at how much more mellow reading it offered than the previous terrors.

Happy new thread, Stasia. I'm happy to hear that Kerry's feeling much better, and hope you continue to improve every day.

Happy new thread!

I'm glad to hear that Kerry is better and you are mending. Nap on until this all goes away!

Happy new thread, and good to hear Kerry is doing better! I'm sure you'll feel better very soon, but you can still nap.

Happy new one!

>19 laytonwoman3rd: I am trying not to push myself too much, Linda, and napping when my body says to nap. I am not really happy about it though!

>20 thornton37814: I think it is too, Lori, which is why I am listening to my body when it says to nap - even if it needs 3 naps a day or to sleep 13 hours straight.

>21 richardderus: Unfortunately, I do not qualify for disability, Richard. Otherwise I would take you up on your wonderful opportunity!

>22 mdoris: I hope napping works for me too, Mary. Otherwise I am wasting a good bit of my day in bed these days!

>23 m.belljackson: I am working my way toward Go Tell the Bees I Am Gone, Marianne. Slowly working my way towards it. . .

>24 bell7: >25 quondame: >26 mstrust: >27 drneutron: Thanks, Mary, Susan, Jennifer, and Jim!

My last 2 reads for January:

38 - Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire by John Maclean - Nonfiction; The South Canyon Fire was a wildfire in Colorado that got out of control and ended up costing 14 of the fire fighters their lives. This book is a look at the fire, the manner in which it became uncontrollable even though it could have been put out early on, and the mistakes made that cost so many lives. Maclean does not overglamorize the fire fighters, nor does he take away from their sacrifices. He does a good job of placing blame where it needed to be placed and encouraging the reader to believe that lessons can be learned from this disaster; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

BTW - John Maclean's father, Norman Maclean, wrote the classic Young Men and Fire. If you have not read that one and the subject is of interest, I would recommend that one to you as well.

39 - Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin - The fifth book read for the Asian Authors challenge this month and I very much enjoyed this one. The beginning is a bit slow and I almost feel like it had to be - we are dealing with diplomats and bureaucracy after all - but after that the story picks up the pace as we feel the desperation of the Jews in France who are attempting to flee; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

>29 alcottacre: Tremendous effort for January, Stasia, especially considering your last 10 days or so.

Your view on Kulin's book mirrored my own.

>30 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I am very happy that I was able to get the Kulin book read. It is one I think I will hold on to, at least for a while.

I am sneaking off to bed now before I fall over. . . Hold down the fort everyone!

Happy New Thread, Stasia!

I loved Young Men and Fire, and of course A River Runs Through It. Have you read his hilarious letter to Alfred A. Knopf? http://literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/2012/04/finest-fuck-you-prose-at...

They came back to him after his success, after rejecting his early writing.

P.S. I’m glad you’re feeling somewhat better, and Kerry, too. Sorry you’ve had to suffer through this.

All caught up with you, Stasia. I am sorry that you and Kerry have been sick, and very glad that you are starting to feel better. 39 books in January is jaw dropping for me who has never even managed 20 in a month. And 5 for the Asian Authors Challenge!! Well done.

Hi Stasia!

>18 alcottacre: Good news on the Kerry front, for sure. I’m sorry you’re still struggling, but naps help. At least you’re better than you were earlier in the week.

>23 m.belljackson: I have it on my shelves, Marianne, but need to read a detailed synopsis of #8, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, which I read in July of 2016, to refresh my memory.

>33 jnwelch: Joe, that’s wonderful. I laughed out loud.

Glad to hear Kerry is back into the swing of things and hope you're not too far behind. *Monday hugs*

>33 jnwelch: Thanks for sharing that link, Joe! Mclean's response to Knopf was priceless.

>34 Crazymamie: Thanks for stopping by the Acre, Mamie!

>35 karenmarie: Still struggling today, Karen. I was hoping I would be done with it once and for all by now - but it has only been 6 days. Six really long days.

>36 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

Today's update on the Stasia front: Not good. I am still not well and today my back decided to kick in and have spasms. Coupled with the diarrhea that will not go away and the need to sleep every couple of hours, I will be glad when this day is over!

Hiya, Stasia! Have a great reading week ahead.

>38 alcottacre: Commiserations. I do hope that these afflictions will be gone soon.

>39 richardderus: Good thing that I have books to keep my mind off what ails me!

>40 quondame: Thanks, Susan. Me too!

I forgot to mention earlier that the "I cannot seem to get warm" thing is back too. I am not sure if I am progressing or regressing at this point.

I hope you are feeling better soon! You seem to be able to read regardless, which is probably a consolation.

>42 AnneDC: I have to read, Anne, or I would be going bonkers. I hate being sick, I hate taking naps (sleeping in general), so the books help keep my mind off other things!

OH dear Stasia just when we all thought you were getting much better. Sorry to hear this!

>44 mdoris: I am OK, Mary, certainly better than last Tuesday-Wednesday, but I am still not well and extremely frustrated at it at the moment.

Sorry I am not better company these days! I hope to be back to "normal" soon.

You were first on my catch-up list today, and what a catch-up it's been, with rampaging Covid and yet 39 books in January! I don't think anyone would argue that you shouldn't throw January off the calendar even after just one year like this.

I'm really sorry to hear you are still not well. Having done everything right, it seems an insult to get laid low anyway. I hope each day is better, and the books continue to be good.

Get well soon, Stasia.

>45 alcottacre: You are always good company.

>38 alcottacre: I hope you're hydrating!

Oooof, sorry today's been so tough, Stasia, and here's hoping that tomorrow is a better one.

Sorry you are not feeling better! Hoping tomorrow is a better day

>46 ffortsa: Yeah, it really does not seem fair that even with both shots and the booster that I should get sick, but I know it is happening to a lot of people, not just me. I want to throw January out of the calendar because historically it has been a terrible month for me!

>47 PaulCranswick: I am trying, Paul, really I am! No, I am not always good company. Most of the time, in fact, I am terrible company. I never know what to say :)

>48 laytonwoman3rd: I have been drinking tons of hot tea, Linda. Hydration has not been an issue, trust me on that.

>49 bell7: >50 jayde1599: Thanks, Mary and Jess!

Finished my first book for February:

40 - A Sword Named Truth by Sherwood Smith - This was a shared read with Nina; I had not read any of Smith's books up to this point so was unfamiliar with her work, but this book is a good point to jump in - it is the start of a new subseries for her. There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this book - my main quibble with the book is that she is adding new ones clear up until the end - by Smith does a very good job of telling the back stories for the most part. I never felt lost as to who was who. The book is lengthy (over 600 pages) and I think that some of it could have been more tightly edited; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

Many thanks, Nina, for reading this one with me!

>51 alcottacre: Then you do just as well as I do at hiding my demons of depression.

>51 alcottacre: I never know what to say Happens to me all the time, Stasia :-)
I hope you feel a bit better today.

Hi Stasia.

>38 alcottacre: and >41 alcottacre: Worrisome symptoms. I am so sorry. I hope today brings some relief.

>45 alcottacre: You don’t need to be better company. You just need to take care of yourself.

Happy new thread! Sorry your recovery is not going quickly at present. You'll get there!

Oh dear. I'm sorry to hear you aren't improving right now, but it'll get better. Slowly, slowly.
You're the first adult I've ever heard say that they hate naps :-D

>53 PaulCranswick: Probably. It is easy to do over the Internet.

>54 FAMeulstee: I do feel better today, Anita. Thanks for checking!

>55 karenmarie: I am trying to take care of myself, Karen, I really am. I feel better today, but I do not think I am up to my normal 16,000 steps in a day just yet :)

>56 foggidawn: Hey, foggi! Thanks for dropping by!

>57 mstrust: Too slowly for me, I am afraid, Jennifer. Regarding naps - I just hate sleeping. I never know what I am missing!

Today's update on the Stasia front: Much better than yesterday, although still not classifying myself as "well" yet. I definitely feel a nap coming on, but still better than yesterday. Progress!

>59 alcottacre: Your progress toward good health is certainly taking its time. Sending healing vibes and thoughts of caring to you. Feel better soon, Stasia.

>60 SqueakyChu: Yes, it is, Madeline, which is extremely frustrating, but probably what my body needs. Thank you for checking in on me!

>59 alcottacre: I'm glad you're feeling somewhat better and hope you continue to improve rapidly.

>53 PaulCranswick: You do pretty well at hiding it.

>59 alcottacre: Progress! Yay!

>62 quondame: Thank, Susan!

>63 richardderus: Yep, finally!

New books in-house today:

For my personal library:
The List of Books by Frederic Raphael and Kenneth McLeish - I took a BB from Paul on this one!

From the public library
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - I have a copy of this one on order for my personal library too
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari - for the Asian Authors challenge and one of the TIOLI challenges

I went out to check the mail earlier and realized that it was the first time I had been out of my house in a week. A week! Yikes!

Stasia, I am glad that you are feeling better today than you were yesterday - hoping this continues.

Me too. Hope you're feeling better every day.

>66 alcottacre: Hope that fresh air gave you a lift.

Gosh, I missed you starting a new thread. Happy new thread Stasia!

I’m glad you’re feeling better (again); I hope this time it sticks. I’m glad Kerry has recovered too.

I’m happy you enjoyed A Sword Named Truth (though I rated it a bit higher - but I’ve been exploring Smith’s universe for a while, including through her website). I hope DAW bring out the next books in the series soon. I know they’re available from Book View Cafe but I like the books in a series on my shelves to be in the same edition. Yes, I know, that’s being too fussy, but still …

You might be interested in her Inda series, set in the same world but about 400 years earlier. Similar feel but it focuses around one character and his family and friends.

Good news that all seems to be gradually healthier at the Acre. x

>67 Crazymamie: I hope it continues too, Mamie! Thanks.

>68 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. I appreciate it.

>69 laytonwoman3rd: It was nice just to be outside of the house. BTW - I finished Conjure Women tonight. You recommended it last December - thanks for that. I very much enjoyed it.

>70 humouress: Thanks, Nina! I will have to check out the Inda series. Thanks for reading A Sword Named Truth with me.

>71 PaulCranswick: Yeah, I am getting there, Paul. Slowly, but surely. Not completely over COVID yet - still napping, for example - but I feel much better today than yesterday.

Finished tonight:

41 - Conjure Women by Afia Atakora - This was a recommendation from Linda (laytonwoman3rd) and I am so glad that my local library had this debut novel from Atakora as it is very good. Set during and after the Civil War, the novel tells the stories of Rue and her mother, May Belle, who are healers ("conjure women") among the slaves on a plantation where the daughter, Varina, becomes friends of a sort with Rue as they are the same age. We see how the plantation life was for the slaves through the eyes of the ladies who were expected to treat them for injuries, childbirth, etc using only herbs and natural items to heal - the white man's medicine was not going to be wasted on slaves; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

42 - Lenny's Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee - Juvenile Fiction; This is the story of Lenny and her "little" brother, Davey - who cannot stop growing. Davey is perfectly normal as the story begins, but by the time he is five, he is over 4 feet tall. Lenny and Davey have a very close relationship, having been abandoned by their father, and living with an overworked single mom. The relationship between the siblings is further cemented by the arrival of regular installments of a set of encyclopedias and the fascination that the siblings have with the topics that each installment discusses. Lenny, however, starts coming apart as her brother continues to grow and needs medical treatment. She resents her brother at times and is not sure what to do with those feelings, let alone how scared she is for him at having to go to the doctor and be operated on for a pituitary tumor. This book was a recommendation from Kerry (thank you!) and i am very happy to have read it; Highly Recommended (4.25 stars) Library Book

43 - A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra - Man, did I want to like this book much more than I did. The book opens in 2004 as a war is going on in Chechnya. It then proceeds to move back and forth in time - I have no problem with this (see review of Conjure Women above - but I have a problem with the idea that the main characters of the book continue to run into each other - in a war! - throughout all of these changes in time. I enjoy historical fiction, but this book just did not do it for me - however, I am definitely in the minority on this one!; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Library Book

Happy to read you are improving a bit each day, Stasia.

>73 alcottacre: At least it doesn't keep you from reading :-)

Gosh! You're already 40 books ahead of me this year. I'm glad books are still working for you.

ETA: which TIOLI challenge would you like to put A Sword Named Truth in?

Yay! Good news that progress in being made on the health front, Stasia! I'm hoping improvement continues!

I think you had mentioned you'd be interested in a group read of Winesburg. There's this if you're still interested
https://www.librarything.com/topic/339258#n7745832

>74 FAMeulstee: No, COVID does not keep me from reading. If anything, it makes me read more to keep my mind off COVID.

>75 humouress: I am not sure we can fit it into any of the challenges this month, Nina. If we get back to "S" on Rolling Challenge #3, it would fit there. I have not read enough books for it to qualify for Challenge #13, but you might have, so I could insert it there as a shared read. Just let me know!

>76 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. I am feeling much better today. I appreciate the link as I am definitely still interested!

Today's update on the Stasia front: Even better than yesterday, so I think I have finally turned the last corner!

We are expecting snow, sleet and ice tonight into tomorrow. I have been asking for snow (yay!) but not for ice, which tends to down power lines and shut down roads around here. If you do not see me tomorrow, I probably have no power :(

>78 alcottacre: Yay! I'm delighted that you're feeling better each day.

>77 alcottacre: I've read more than 4 books by Sherwood Smith, so I'll go ahead and put it into Challenge 13, shall I?

I'm so happy to hear that you have finally turned the last corner on Covid, Stasia!

Yikes to the awful weather heading your way, especially the ice. I hope it's mostly snow and sleet instead, for sure.

>78 alcottacre: That is good news. I'm sorry it took so long and glad that reading helped as it so often can.

Hi Stasia, Paul's book finally arrived, so shall we start it next week?

I sincerely hope you do not lose power during this winter storm. I know all to well how how horrible it is, especially when it stays off for days at single digit temps.
I also have fingers crossed my power will not be affected. Hope we'll both be posting tomorrow.

Great to see that you are almost in the pink, Stasia. Thank goodness.

>83 Caroline_McElwee: As Caroline points out, I should be able to get my book on Friday after the holidays. Early next week would suit me fine.

>79 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>80 humouress: I see that you did and I have added it there as well. Thanks, Nina!

>81 karenmarie: The forecast is not good, Karen. The freezing rain is already coming down and is going to continue for the next few hours followed by snow and wintry mix for the next 12+ hours.

>82 quondame: Reading has kept me from going nutso, Susan. I can channel my energy into my books instead of worrying about being sick.

>83 Caroline_McElwee: Sounds good, Caroline. I already have Redemption Ground set aside.

>84 Carmenere: Yeah, if we lose power it is going to be bad. Luckily we have a gas fireplace and we are going to light it up this evening and just let it keep going until the storm has passed. It makes it difficult to read in the dark though :)

Huh, I read the duology Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith and somehow thought that was all she'd written. I'll have to look for more of her books!

Hope you continue to feel better and *fingers crossed* that you don't lose power in the storm.

>78 alcottacre: Glad to hear you are doing well, Stasia, and mostly rid of that nasty illness.

>88 ArlieS: Yep, mostly gone. If it would get all the way gone, I would be happy!

Well, we had freezing rain for 12 solid hours last night and then snow on top of it, but we kept our power and water despite the weather. It is a crisp 21 degrees here. Kerry did not go to work today and it does not look as though he will be going to work tomorrow either, so he and I will be playing games and enjoying each other's company while housebound.

I will be back later!

Hi Stasia my dear, a belated happy new thread my dear friend.

>90 alcottacre: I'm glad to see you posting, Stasia! We're still getting snowed upon, most everything is closed and a Level 3 Road Advisory is in effect. Continuing to hope power & water stays on for you and me.

Hi Stasia.

That's it, that's the post.

>93 richardderus: Pretty much what RD said or didn't say.

Just pleased you are much better.

>91 johnsimpson: Thanks for stopping by, John!

>92 Carmenere: Lynda, I am sure it is colder in Ohio than it is here. Most of what we got was ice - around 1/2" - and snow on top of it. I hope you do not have to deal with that! I hope you do not lose either water or electricity!

>93 richardderus: Hi, RD. Message received.

>94 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

Finished tonight:

44 - Lincoln's Dreams by Connie Willis - As near as I can tell, this was Willis' first published novel and it marks a good start to her career as a writer. I love the premise of a character being able to step into the dreams of an historical figure, in this case Robert E Lee. The book is centered around Jeff Johnston who works as an historical researcher for an author who is extremely interested in Abraham Lincoln. Into Jeff's life walks Annie who is a patient of his former college roommate, Richard. Annie, it turns out, is dreaming Robert E Lee's dreams. Jeff's boss has started becoming obsessed with Abraham Lincoln's dreams. I liked this book for the most part although I thought it dragged in the middle. I found the ending very appropriate for this one; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

>96 alcottacre: That is the most dream like experience I've ever had reading. And the end is perfection.

>97 quondame: Interesting that you should describe the book as "dream like," Susan. I felt that way too at certain points. Totally agree about the ending!

I hope you and Kerry are having a relaxing time. 21F is cold! We got down to 37 overnight, which is pretty cold for Phoenix.

>96 alcottacre: Agghh... hit... falls to the ground...

I loved *L's Dreams* too. Glad to be in good company.

Well, you got your snow, Stasia - sort of.

>99 mstrust: We are having a relaxing time, Jennifer. It has been down in the teens here with wind chills of 5 below zero. It is warming up to 35 today though so the ice and snow are going to melt.

>100 Caroline_McElwee: I hope you enjoy the book when you get a chance to read it, Caroline, my melodramatic friend :)

>101 LizzieD: I am a Connie Willis fan - another one of my LT discovery authors - and trying to read everything she has written. Good to know you enjoyed Lincoln's Dreams too, Peggy.

>96 alcottacre: I gave Connie Willis a brief try last year, as she was one of the authors selected (yes, selected by me, based on recommendations) for the American Authors Challenge. She did not grab my attention in To Say Nothing of the Dog. She isn't my usual fare, at all, but now you have me wondering if I might like Lincoln's Dreams.

>103 laytonwoman3rd: Lincoln's Dreams is very different from To Say Nothing of the Dog, so there's that.

Hi Stasia, sending weekend-ahead's smooches!

Oh, Stasia, what a time you've had! It sounds, though, that you're feeling better and that you enjoyed some snow/cold-bound days and that was nice. I hope you have a good and healthy weekend.

>103 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I would think that you might like Willis' Doomsday Book or Lincoln's Dreams better than To Say Nothing of the Dog. I loved Doomsday Book so of the two, I would recommend it over the other. Her Blackout series is also excellent.

>104 quondame: Very true, Susan. Thanks!

>105 richardderus: Thanks, RD!

>106 AMQS: Thanks, Anne. I am still not fully recovered, but so much better than I was. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Finished tonight:

45 - A Mortuary of Books by Elisabeth Gallas - Nonfiction; I first learned of this book through Paper Brigade, a publication of the Jewish Book Council and that is highly appropriate since the book tells of the real life Paper Brigade that worked after WWII to establish the provenance of books and other cultural items stolen from the Jews that were victims of the Nazis. Imagine the possessions of millions of people and trying to figure out to whom they should be given or returned. There were several agencies involve in trying to make sure where the victims things should go and one of the drawbacks of the books is the number of acronyms that are used, but there is a chart at the beginning of the book giving a handy reference list; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

"Following the Jewish scriptural tradition, books and the written word always played an outstanding role in the construction of the Jewish collective self-understanding and identity. The German Jewish writer Lion Feuchtwanger neatly summed up the core of this phenomenon, which found its most iconic expressions in the notions of the Jews as 'People of the Book'. . ."

46 - Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman - This is the fourth book that I have read this year that has a corpse talking to the reader and it is the one that I liked the least. It is 1965 and Madeline Schwartz has decided to leave her husband to step out on her own. She ends up working at a local newspaper after she discovers the body of a murdered child. She starts working her way up the chain by trying to solve the murder of a young woman - the corpse who is talking. First off, even though this book was supposed to happen in 1965-66, I really never got a sense of being in that era other than a couple of comments made by the characters (Maddie and her new lover not being able to get married, for example, as they were an interracial couple). I want "show me, not tell me" and I never felt like the book did that. I also did not particularly care for Maddie as a character and I did not like the way that Lippman inserted other characters randomly telling their stories, but never identifying them by name, only by title(? not sure if that is the correct term or not). I really did not care for the ending either. I have enjoyed Lippman's books in the past, but this one was a fail for me; Not Recommended (3 stars) Library Book

>108 alcottacre: You got me again with A Mortuary of Books Stasia.

Happy Saturday.

>108 alcottacre: 45 (45! wow!) - A book about books, always tempting.
46 Why does that sound so familiar. Nothing to do with King Arthur of course, once one of my enthusiasms.

Hi Stasia!

I am still not fully recovered, but so much better than I was. Every bit of improvement counts, right?

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Hi Stasia. I hope you're still feeling better and you're thawing out from the winter storms.

I've made a note of Lincoln's Dreams. I'm not generally a science fiction reader, with the exception of time travel to the past, so I do love Willis's time travel books. I might give Lincoln's Dreams a try at some point.

And you got me with A Mortuary of Books.

A Mortuary of Books goes along with The Vanished Collection, I see...there are so many tendrils of Nazi atrocity all over the world, aren't there? In every little nook and cranny of the Culture, Inc., world...all over medicine...all over banking...it's just astounding.

Have a good weekend!

>109 Caroline_McElwee: I hope you enjoy Mortuary of Books when you get to it, Caroline.

>110 quondame: Mortuary of Books is not really a book about books, Susan, rather it is about getting the books and other treasures back to where they belonged or to the appropriate libraries and cities.

>111 karenmarie: Yes, but I sure wish all of the symptoms would go away! I hope you have a wonderful weekend too, Karen!

>112 cbl_tn: I hope you enjoy both of the books when you get to them, Carrie!

>113 richardderus: there are so many tendrils of Nazi atrocity all over the world, aren't there? Yes, there are and the discussions that went on as to whether Germany should get any of the books was lengthy (as related in the book). ((Hugs)) and **smooches,** RD!

Only 1 new book in-house today: Dinner with Churchill by Cita Stelzer.

I am off to read for a bit. . .

Finished this afternoon:

47 - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - Nonfiction; this was a re-read for me, although I originally read it so many years ago that I cannot remember when. Angelou makes me feel that I am in the rural South when I read this book. She does not miss any punches when she describes what it was like for her growing up and knowing that she lived on the wrong side of the tracks. Her main stabilizing forces were her love for her brother, Bailey, and their grandmother, Momma. She learns to love "her people" and herself along the way, despite being raped by her mother's boyfriend when she was 8 and an early pregnancy at age 17, both events that could have taken her down another trail entirely; Highly Recommended (5 stars) Library Book (although I have a copy for my own on the way

"The Black woman in the South who raises sons, grandsons, and nephews had her heartstrings tied to a hanging noose."

"The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste, and even belligerance. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance."

>116 alcottacre: Any adult Negro in the USA who supports others deserves boundless respect.
I'll have to read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

>117 quondame: I agree, Susan. I hope you appreciate the book when you get to it!

>116 alcottacre: I should re-read this one day soon too.

Happy weekend to a hopefully fully recovered team on the Acre. x

>119 PaulCranswick: Still not fully recovered, Paul, but we are getting there. I slept forever today!

Finished in the wee hours overnight (I will be glad when I get back on my normal sleeping schedule!)

48 - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - Another book with dead people talking to me! The book is about the death of Willie Lincoln, witnessed by the dead people who share the graveyard with him. Kind of a weird premise, but Saunders makes it work. Some of the dead do not even realize that they are dead, but others do; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

49 - Nine Minutes, Twenty Second by Gary M. Pomerantz - Nonfiction; This is the true story of a commuter plane that crashed. Pomerantz tells the tale in chronological order, making it easy to follow what happened on the plane before, during, and after the plane had crashed. He also takes a look at the NTSB personnel who were involved in discovering the cause of the crash as well as the aftermath of the legal cases that sprang from it; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

50 & 51 - Maus I and Maus II by Art Speigelman - I am grouping both of these graphic novels together as the first begins the tale and the second one finishes it. Spiegelman, in the guise of a mouse, wants to learn more about the father he has never gotten along with, in order to understand his father better. The first volume begins before 1939 when the Nazis invaded Poland up until his parents being transported to Auschwitz. The second volume continues the tale from Auschwitz until the Allies defeat Germany. Both of these graphic novels are terrific, although I like the first one slightly better than the second. If you have not read these or think graphic novels are just for kids, read these!; Highly Recommended (5 stars/4.5 stars, respectively) Mine

>116 alcottacre: It s years since I read this, or any f her other work Stasia. Glad it was a hit with you.

I watched a documentary only a week or so ago, repeated from a couple of decades ago 'Angelou on Burns' when she visited Scotland and joined a group of Burnites for an evening of celebration.

>121 alcottacre: I'm glad to hear you liked Lincoln in the Bardo, Stasia. There are so many good reviews, and it sits here calling to me...

Would you share your comments on the Spiegelman over on the AAC thread for graphic reading? Thanks.

>121 alcottacre: I was surprised to find I enjoyed the Saunders book as much as I did when I read it.

Hi Stasia!

>120 alcottacre: Glad you’re getting there.

>121 alcottacre: I’m very happy to hear that you liked Lincoln in the Bardo 4.5 stars worth. It seems to be a love it or hate it book. I loved it too. If you ever want to ‘re-read’ it, I highly recommend listening to the audio book with the paper book in hand. The audio book has a stellar cast to play the roles.

I've got a copy of Maus due on February 16th. As a rule I don't like GNs, but really want to like this one and want to support the author in the face of the ridiculous McMinn county TN school board ban on it.

>73 alcottacre: Hi - a strong and powerful non-fiction connection with Conjure Women is The 1619 PROJECT.

>121 alcottacre: Wow! Are you ever leaping to the heights! It looks like you've got lots of reading in. Sorry about any lack of sleep, that can be a drag.

I would like to read Philida this year. When you get around to starting it please post it here and I will try very hard to join you. I just started Moonglow today.

>128 benitastrnad: I started Philida this morning, Benita and it has made a strong impression already. Brink was a favourite writer of mine. Brave fellow in that he spoke out against apartheid there whilst inside the country.

Happy Sunday, Stasia.

>121 alcottacre: Slow down! Four books today read?!!

>115 alcottacre: You sure made up for it on the books-read front!

I hope you're feeling quite the thing now, smoochling.

>122 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the mention of the documentary, Caroline. I will have to see if I can get hold of a copy.

>123 laytonwoman3rd: Give in to the voices, Linda, you know you want to! I have posted my comments on the AAC.

>124 thornton37814: I was not at all sure what to expect, Lori, but Karen (karenmarie) told me she loved it and since we have somewhat similar tastes in books, I figured I would too. I am glad I finally read it!

>125 karenmarie: I will give the audiobook a try in future, Karen. Thanks for the input! I think Maus might surprise you!

>126 m.belljackson: I have no idea what The 1619 Project is, Marianne, but I will check it out. Thanks!

>127 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I more than made up for the lack of sleep Saturday by turning in very early yesterday.

>128 benitastrnad: Currently I have Philida slated for June, Benita. I will try and remember to post about it here when I finally get it started.

>129 PaulCranswick: Hey, Paul. Glad to see that you are already enjoying Philida.

>130 PaulCranswick: Happy whatever, Paul!

>131 richardderus: Hey, RD. I am feeling up to snuff today. Let's hope it continues!

I just want to say:



LET'S GO!

>134 PaulCranswick: Funny - I just posted on your thread about starting it today myself :)

>135 alcottacre: Great minds and all that and then there was us!

>134 PaulCranswick: >135 alcottacre: >136 PaulCranswick: Yay.

Here's the running thread for thoughts:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/337035#n7752364

>136 PaulCranswick: Yep!

>137 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the link, Caroline.

Happy week-ahead's reads, Stasia!

Hi Stasia!

I hope you finally shake Covid this week. I also wish you a great reading week.

>139 richardderus: Thanks, Richard.

>140 karenmarie: Karen, today is the first day in almost 2 weeks that I actually feel "well." I am hoping that this trend continues! Thanks.

>133 alcottacre: >141 alcottacre: I'm glad you're feeling real improvement. I hope it augers well for your week!

>142 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I hope so too!

I am extremely tired tonight despite 2 naps during the day, so I am heading off to bed.

Just stopping by to wish you a happy Tuesday, Stasia (coming soon for you and almost halfway over for me).

>141 alcottacre: >143 alcottacre: I'm glad that the trend is generally upwards.

>116 alcottacre: I I have had this one on my shelf for ages and never seem to pick it up. I will movie forward to read sooner. Excellent review!

*smooch*

That is all.

>141 alcottacre: Woot! Glad to read that you are feeling actually well, and hoping that when I get to your comments from today I won't find that to have changed.

>143 alcottacre: Rats. You still have the exhaustion, or did as of the end of yesterday. I hope that's better today.

>143 alcottacre: I made it through yesterday with only a half hour nap!! We rock!!

>144 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>145 humouress: Yep! Thanks, Nina.

>146 figsfromthistle: I hope you like the book when you get to it, Anita!

>147 richardderus: **smooches** back at you, RD.

>148 ArlieS: Unfortunately the exhaustion persists, Arlie. I have been fighting to stay awake today despite going to bed early last night, sleeping late today, and having a nap.

>149 Berly: One of us rocks, Kim, and it is not me - at least not today.

Today has been a struggle. Luckily, I got the latest In Death book in late yesterday evening of I am afraid the entire day would have been a waste!

Finished today:

52 - Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb - The latest In Death book sees Eve investigating the death of one woman and the disappearance of two others at the books outset. It also has some echoes for Eve of her own mother and worries on a personal level for her friend Mavis. I had no idea who the villain was in this one, which was nice as I hate when I figure it out early on; Recommended for fans of the series (4 stars) Mine

53 - Watercress by Andrea Wang - Juvenile (ages 4-8); This book is genuinely lovely from the story to the artwork. Wang tells of an incident in her childhood where, traveling one day, her parents spy some watercress growing alongside the road and stop to pick it. When her mother serves the watercress for dinner that night, the child refuses to eat it - and learns a lesson from her mother's childhood, when food was tight and insufficient to go around. The watercolor artwork is gorgeous in this one; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library Book

Stasia, I'm sorry to hear that you are still struggling with the aftereffects of Covid. It's a tricky disease and seems to have different effects on people.

I finally read the book you sent me. I really liked it. Thank you. It makes me want to read more books set in South Africa. So many books so little time!

I am currently reading From Oslo to Iraq and the Road Map: Essays by Edward Said. These essays are over 20 years old for the most part, so I am afraid they are out-of-date, but honestly do not know. My knowledge of the Middle East and the Palestinian situation specifically is sadly lacking.

Can someone point me in the direction of a book in which I might learn of the current Palestinian/Israeli situation?

>152 Donna828: I tell you, Donna, the exhaustion is killing me. I cannot seem to sleep enough hours in the day. When you pile that on to someone who already suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, it is not a marriage made in heaven!

I am glad that you enjoyed the Galgut book. Have you read his Booker Prize winner, The Promise, yet? If not, you should give it a go! It is also set in SA.

>154 alcottacre: Well, cannot tell you to go and sleep as you seem to be doing enough of that, Stasia! Maybe you need to reset your body clock somehow - a marathon watch through of a netflix classic series perhaps. All four seasons of Ozarks maybe? The whole 492 episodes of Ertugrul?

Take care of yourself. xx

Everything Palestinian I have, except for that one graphic novel, is science fiction. POWER BORN OF DREAMS: My Story is Palestine by MOHAMMED SABAANEH got 4.5* from me, though.

>155 PaulCranswick: I do not have Netflix, Paul. I have no idea what Ertugrul even is!

>156 richardderus: Noted, RD. Thanks!

>153 alcottacre: I really like Oxford University Press's Very Short Introduction series. There's one on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It was published in 2013 so not current but more recent than 20 years ago. Also, I haven't read it. The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict by Martin Bunton

>158 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie! I will see if I can find a copy of it.

Finished this morning:

54 - Nursery Crimes by Ayelet Waldman - This is the first book in a new-to-me cozy mystery series that I hoped I would like, but did not. I did not care for the main protagonist very much at all and I found the "villain" of the book too easy to spot. The prose is pedestrian at best. I cannot recommend this one; Not Recommended (2.5 stars) Mine

New book in-house today:

Having recently read a library copy of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I bought myself a lovely hardback copy from ABE Books.

Sigh. Another 13-hour sleep for me, too, and I am still exhausted. I see a nap in my future. Very frustrated that this will not go away. Empathy hugs. : P

>162 Berly: You and I should live together, Kim. Maybe we could sleep in shifts, lol.

>157 alcottacre: It is a historical drama about the foundation of the Ottoman Empire, Stasia. Fabulous show but there are almost 500 hours of viewing pleasure and it would definitely keep you awake.

>162 Berly: & >163 alcottacre: I could sit patiently in the next room with your coffee, books and croissants at the ready. I have the opposite problem to both of you in that I struggle to sleep.

>163 alcottacre: Two hour nap and I still have no energy today. I call second shift. Does that work for you?

>164 PaulCranswick: You are hired my friend! I like chocolate croissants. S'il vous plait. : )

Hi Stasia - hope you are feeling better.
As far as current thought on Israel / Palestine I would suggest you widen it to Israel / Arab and look at the bigger picture especially as the Abraham Accords are showing so much promise and will surely eventually influence the conflict.
I'm not up on the latest books as generally I'm looking for history or biography. I usually read indepth articles on the subject and have a couple of blogs I follow that point to a variety of articles worth reading. There's so much bias and polemic writing around that you have to be careful. I generally read the 1 star reviews of political books, much more illuminating than all the 5 star effusive reviews.
It's also hard to consider what is happening now without having a good background on the history and also the US/European/Russian/UN influences on the area.
I have marked Russia and the Arabs: Behind the Scenes in the Middle East from the Cold War to the Present (2009) for reading.
Israel: A History by Anita Shapira (2012) - brings you fairly up to date, most reviews note her balanced writing on issues.
Catch the Jew by Tuvia Tenenbaum (2014) - not everybody's cup of tea, but he does talk to people on the ground, journalists, activists, politicians etc...
Son of Hamas by Mosab Yousef (2010) - a memoir
The Israel/Palestine Reader ed. by Alan Dowty (2019 edition) - I haven't read this but it sounds interesting.

Edward Said clashed with the more traditional historian Bernard Lewis and that's an interesting to read.

>160 alcottacre: Waldman is married to Michael Chabon and while I enjoy his fiction I've never managed to get through one of her books.

Hello Stasia, I am very sorry that you are still fighting fatigue. I'm glad you can get the rest you need.

Ah, wasn't Watercress just lovely?

Dropping in to say hello. I hope the fatigue goes away soon!

>164 PaulCranswick: Oh; at first I thought you were offering to drink their coffee, eat their croissants and read their books for them :0)

>169 humouress: I'd take that gig! 😀

>170 drneutron: Move over and I'll join you. I have sleep issues too - or rather sleep timing issues. I always seem to live about 4 time zones away from where I actually am.

Ladies, you don't mind, do you?

>164 PaulCranswick: I think I will pass on the 500 hours of viewing pleasure. I watch almost no television except for sports. I do not think I am up to the task! Kim can have the chocolate croissants since I cannot eat them anyway. I will pass on the coffee too - I am a tea person all the way :) I am not sure if you can be trusted with my books. . .I am not sure I trust anyone that much, lol.

>165 Berly: I was in bed by 8 last night, Kim, and slept intermittently. I wish I could have managed the entire 12 hours down. You can have the second shift. I will just sleep as I can today, lol. With Paul as our personal valet, we have it made!

>166 avatiakh: Yeah, I am trying to avoid the polemic writing if I can. To view the "other side" of Said's, I am currently reading Amos Oz's Dear Zealots to add some balance. Thanks for the list, Kerry. I will see if my local library has any of them, especially the 2019 book as it sounds the most up-to-date.

I knew Waldman is married to Chabon. I cannot say that I am anxious to read another of her books any time soon. I am enjoying his Moonglow though, the seventh book from him that I have read.

>165 Berly: I really would be honoured!

>166 avatiakh: That made me smile, Kerry. Lewis and Said were academic enemies! They seemed to delight in taking pot shots at each other and often took polar opposite positions on everything.

>169 humouress: Yikes, that sounds an even better idea!

>170 drneutron: Gatecrasher! (you can have the croissants but I'm keeping the coffee).

>171 humouress: The rations are going to get divided up a lot!

>172 alcottacre: I'll brew you up some tea too but you are right not to trust me with the books!

>167 AMQS: Yeah, the fatigue just will not let me - or Kim - be. Good thing that I am retired! Yes, Watercress is just lovely. I forgot to mention that both the text and the illustrations are done by Chinese Americans. I think that makes it even more special.

>168 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita. Me too! I figured it would be long gone by now!

>169 humouress: Well what is the fun in that?

>170 drneutron: I bet you would, Jim!

>171 humouress: Nope, works for me. The more, the merrier - even if we are all asleep!

>174 PaulCranswick: Yep, you are a highly suspicious character around the books!

*smooch* for a Thursday of the finest, mellowest reading sort.

New books in-house today for my personal library:

From Kim's INDIEspensable List
Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss
The Wilding by Benjamin Percy
The Report by Jessica Frances Kane
Dark Lies the Island by Kevin Barry
The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison

NOT From Kim's INDIEspensable List
Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Walking with the Wind by John Lewis
Nobody Said Not to Go by Ken Cuthberston

Now I am going to take a nap. . .

>177 richardderus: Thanks, RD!

Finished tonight:

55 - Dear Zealots by Amos Oz - Nonfiction; this is a short collection of three essays by Oz, each of which tackles a different topic within the framework of modern Judaism: the first is about fanaticism, the second is about Judaism as a culture, and the third - the one in which I was most interested - is about the Israeli Jews and how there needs to be some kind of reconciliation between them and the Palestinians. I found the book to be very interesting and think that if Mr Oz had ever sat down with Mr Said (see review below), I believe the two gentlemen would have found much to discuss and much on which they could agree; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"Winston Churchill defined the fanatic as 'one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.' It still holds true."

"There is an old story that my beloved teacher, the late Mordechai Michaeli, told us when I was a pupil at Tachkemuni, a religious school for boys in Jerusalem. In the story, an elderly father instructs his son: If you seek shelter from the wind and rain, erect youself a tent or hut. If you seek a place to dwell in for the rest of your life, build a house of stone. If you wish to take care of your sons and your sons' sons who come after you, build a walled city. But if you want to construct a building for future generations, write a book."

"The Palestinians and Israelis cannot turn into a happy family overnight. We need two states. Sometime later there might come cooperation, a joint market, a federation. But first the country must be a duplex because we Jewish Israelis are not going anywhere. We have nowhere to go. The Palestinians are not going anywhere either. They, too, have nowhere to go. The quarrel between us, fundamentally, is not a Hollywood Western pitting good against bad, but a tragedy of justice against justice. That is what I wrote almost fifty years ago and I still believe it today. Justice against justice - and often, to my sorrow, injustice against injustice."

56 - From Oslo to Iraq and the Road Map: Essays by Edward W. Said - Nonfiction; another book of essays, all of which were written in the early 2000s (Said died from leukemia in September 2003) and all of which defend the Palestinian position, mourn the way the world looks at Palestine, and denounces the way the U.S. has basically turned its back on Palestine. I wish these essays were more up-to-date! I know pretty much nothing of the situation in the Middle East to know whether things have changed in the ensuing 20 years or not, but I felt like Said's points were well-reasoned without dipping into the territories of pathos and bathos. Had the book been more updated, I would have given it 4 stars, but as it is, the datedness works against it - unless you are someone interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the early 2000s; Guardedly Recommended, if interested in history of the region (3.5 stars) Mine

"What they the essays show is that Said in his final years was consistently pursuing three themes: the urgent need to tell the world (above all Americans) the truth about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians; the parallel urgency of getting Palestinians and other Arabs to recognize and accept the reality of Israel and engage with Israelis, especially the Israeli opposition; and the duty to speak openly about the failings of Arab leadership."

"This is the problem with unedifying labels like Islam and the West: they mislead and confuse the mind, which is trying to make sense of a disorderly reality that won't be pigeonholed or strapped down as easily as all that."

"The Palestinian struggle is a collective miracle, I think - that a people should endure such unremitting cruelty from Israel and still not give up - but why can't the lessons of living (as opposed to suicidal, nihilistic) resistance be made clearer and more possible to follow?"

"a tragedy of justice against justice" Such a heart-breaking situation. If you can get your hands on it, Stasia, My Promised Land by Ari Shavit is another excellent look at this whole problem.

Wow you've been doing an awful lot of really great reading Stasia. I'm sorry your COVID is hanging around but it seems to hit everyone differently. My granddaughter Mia has it right now but she'll be fine.

>181 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you for that recommendation, Linda. Since I know so little of the situation, I am anxious to read more on it.

>182 brenzi: The biggest issue for me has just been the exhaustion, Bonnie. I cannot seem to stay awake during the day even if I have slept 13 hours the night before! I am glad to hear that Mia is going to be fine!

Finished this afternoon:

57 - Moonglow by Michael Chabon - Group read with Kim & others; I am so glad that Kim made me aware of this book as I am a Chabon fan. He and I are about the same age - he is a year younger - so a lot of the events in this book I could relate to, especially those having to do with the space program. When I was young, I lived in Florida where the space craze was in full swing - I remember distinctly when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon - and we built rockets when I was a kid. These memories were brought back to me as I read Moonglow and I could appreciate the book for them, if for nothing else. However, I love Chabon's telling of his grandfather's life as his grandfather related it on his deathbed - it was not an easy one and Chabon does not seem to hold anything back. The book is labeled as "fiction" because as he says in an author's note at the beginning of the book, "I have stuck to facts except when facts refused to conform with memory, narrative purpose, or the truth as I prefer to understand it." One of the things I appreciate about the book is that Chabon consistently refers to his grandfather, grandmother, and mother in just those terms - he does not use their first names because he did not call them by those names as he was growing up; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"My grandfather, Bill Donovan wrote, 'suited to a T,' but until the invasion could be arranged, he would need to be 'distracted, his mind kept activated, lest he get himself killed out of sheer boredom."

"I'm disappointed in myself. In my life. All my life, everything I tried, I only got halfway there. You try and take advantage of the time you have. That's what they tell you to do. But when you're old, you look back and you see all you did, with all that time, is waste it. All you have is a story of things you never started or couldn't finish. Things you fought with all your heart to build that didn't last or fought with all your heart to get rid of and they're all still around. I'm ashamed of myself."

Finished tonight:

58 - Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune - I loved Klune's prior book, The House in the Cerulean Sea, and while I did not love this one, it is still very good. The tagline of the book is "Death is only their beginning." The book tells the story of Wallace, a recently deceased lawyer, who refuses to believe that he is dead. However, a Reaper named Mei has shown up and introduces him to Hugo, the ferryman that is supposed to facilitate his crossing. Wallace does not want to go and a whole lot of things spiral out from that decision. Parts of this book are laugh-out-loud funny, others are heart breaking. I am not very fond of the ending, although I could see it coming, but it was just a little too pat for me; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

"In death, Wallace had never felt more alive."

59 - The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee - Nonfiction; This book is a memoir, a tribute to Buzbee's life in bookland (yes, there is such a place!) as he is an author and a bookseller both. He truly loves bookstores and his love of them is reflected throughout the book, from the time he started working in a bookshop as a teenager, through his 20s where he continued to work in them, until this book was written. He takes a look at the history of the book up to the introduction of e-books. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I think that probably every reader would. I do wish that it was updated in regard to the effect of e-books on the market as I bet those numbers have changed since this was published back in 2006. I would also be curious to see if updated with the COVID pandemic in mind; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"Then there! on that heaped table, or hidden on the lowest, dustiest shelf we stumble on it. A common thing, this volume. There may be five thousand copies of this particular book in the world, or fifty thousand, or half a million, all exactly alike, but this one is as rare as if it had been made solely for us. We open to the first page, and the universe unfolds, once upon a time."

>184 alcottacre: & >185 alcottacre: I really do need to add Moonglow and read more of Chabon - I only read a couple of his books to date.

Buzbee is on the shelves and I should prioritise!
Hani is reading the TJ Klune at the present.

>178 alcottacre: Have a nice weekend, Juana. x

>186 PaulCranswick: I hope you have a nice weekend too, Juan :)

Moonglow makes the seventh book by Chabon that I have read, so I guess I am officially a fan. I had never heard of him before LT, making him another of my LT discoveries.

Has Hani read Klune's first book? I would be curious to see how she liked it if she did.

>187 alcottacre: She hasn't as far as I know, Stasia, and I can imagine she picked it up because the cover caught her eye and then she read the blurb. Should I recommend the first book to her?

>188 PaulCranswick: Definitely! If the cover of this one appealed to her, the cover of the other ought to as well. I prefer his first book, as a matter of fact, so if she enjoys his style, I cannot see her not liking The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Happy Saturday, Stasia. Slowly making my way through the threads. Always a monumental task, as you well know. Good review of Moonglow. I should have my library copy soon and I plan on starting it after The Memory of Love.

My experience with Chabon has been mixed. I really liked Gentlemen of the Road and The Final Solution. I am not a fan of The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

Glad to see you're continuing on the road to recovery, and here's hoping your sleep straightens out soon for you.

Happy weekend!

>185 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, delurking to say you did what I often do, stay up late to finish a "good read". Generally, I wake up feeling groggy the next morning at my usual 7-am-ish time, and regret the compulsive reading.

I answered your question, btw...

Hi Stasia!

>150I’m so sorry the exhaustion persists. 🤞 that it will go away soon.

I got Abandoned in Death on the 8th. However, I’ve decided to read all the in-betweens that I have on my shelves that I’ve never read. I also just bought the last 3 in-betweens in 3 separate anthologies. THEN I’ll read Abandoned. And #55, Desperation in Death, is due out in September.

My sleep issues are the opposite – I sleep in 2-3 hour increments with the occasional luxury of a 4-6 hour stint. The pain in my right knee is already returning. I need to see an ortho soon to see if the diagnosis of loose bodies can be verified, and if I can then get arthroscopic surgery.

I hope you have a good weekend. I forget – do you watch NFL? Will you be watching the Superbowl? We don’t have a real horse in the race, but as I’m from LA we’ll cheer for the Rams.

*smooch*

I wasn't a fan of Cerulean Sea so you can't book-bullet me with that'un; I read the Buzbee in the Aughts; so I skedaddle unwinged!

Wheeeeeeeeeee

>190 msf59: I hope you enjoy Moonglow as much as I did, Mark.

>191 cbl_tn: Carrie, I was not a big fan of The Yiddish Policemen's Union either, which was a surprise to me as I expected to love it. I did, however, love The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, so if you have not read that one yet, I highly recommend it.

>192 bell7: Thanks, Mary. Happy weekend to you, too!

>193 SandyAMcPherson: I appreciate the answer to my question, Sandy. Thank you! I hope you get some rest today.

>194 karenmarie: I read the "in-betweens" every time I re-read the series, so I am very familiar with them. I hope you enjoy them! Yes, I do watch football and I want both teams to win this time, lol. My husband and I are huge Joe Burrow fans as we root for LSU during the college football season and I have been a Matthew Stafford fan since he came into the league - and I feel terrible for him playing on that pitiful Detroit team for years.

>195 richardderus: Maybe next time, RD!

Hi Stasia, hope you are feeling better each day. Lots of reading going on over here! i must try some Chabon books.

>196 alcottacre: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay has been on my radar for a while. I'll try to get to it soonish. We have a copy in my academic library so it should be readily available whenever I can find time to squeeze it in.

>198 cbl_tn: I would read along with you, Carrie, as I need to read that one sometime soon too.

Happy sleepy time, Stasia.

>197 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. If you are going to try Chalbon, I recommend The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay or the two that Carrie mentioned in >191 cbl_tn: above. Those are all excellent, as is my recently read Moonglow.

>198 cbl_tn: Cool beans, Carrie! I hope you like it.

>199 PaulCranswick: I hope you like it too, Paul. Yep, I am off to nap for a bit.

Finished this afternoon:

60 - Outlander - I first discovered this book in audio form way back when there were only 3 books in the series and Gabaldon spoke of capping it at 7. It is hard to believe this big sprawling epic was Gabaldon's first book. I have loved it since I first listened to the audiobook 10+ years ago. This story of Claire, who time travels back 200 years, only to find her soulmate in James Alexander Malcolm McKenzie Frasier, an outlaw, is wonderful. I love the history - Gabaldon did her research and did it well. Yes, you can see that she means to continue the series into another book at this book's end, but I have no problem with that; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

New book in-house today for my personal library:

A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety by Donald Hall - I have yet to read any of Hall's poetry, but I sure do like his prose! His Life Work is one of my all-time favorite books. I hope this one measures up!

I don't read a lot of poetry, Stadia, but I do love Donald Hall. His collection, Without, is especially lovely.

>202 alcottacre: I like his prose, too. Christmas at Eagle Pond is very nice. I haven't read Life Work, but it's on the list.

Hello Stasia, I am SO sorry to hear that your fatigue - and Kim's - persists. That's awful. I continue to send good thoughts your way.

Marina got Under the Whispering Door for Christmas after LOVING Cerulean Sea, which I sent to her after she successfully petitioned to stay on campus the entire semester last year, which meant no spring break travel (her school had a low-density plan involving only half of the student body on campus at a time). I enjoyed Cerulean Sea but can't say that I loved it (so >195 richardderus: I'd like to know more). Marina enjoyed Whispering Door but not as much as Cerulean Sea.

>203 katiekrug: I will check to see if my local library has a copy, Katie. Thanks for that recommendation.

ETA: No, it does not have a copy. Rats.

>204 laytonwoman3rd: I hope you enjoy Life Work when you get to it, Linda. My local library does not have Christmas at Eagle Pond either.

>205 AMQS: Thank you, Anne! I am with Marina in not enjoying Under the Whispering Door as much as I enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Finished tonight:

61 - Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari - Nonfiction; I found this book to be a fascinating read as Harari delves into what he imagines the future of mankind is going to look like. I completely disagree with his assessment that men are going to evolve into gods and I disagree with some of his other premises - I argued with the book a lot, silently under my breath - but the book made me think and I find thought-provoking books, on the whole, worthy reads; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

"The main products of the twentieth century will be bodies, brains and minds, and the gap between those who know how to engineer bodies and brains and those who do not will be far bigger than the gap between Dickens' Britain and the Mahdi's Sudan."

62 - The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate - This book introduces a new cozy mystery series featuring Hayley Burke, the new curator of "Lady Georgina Fowling's First Edition Library," a place that I wish really existed, lol. Hayley has never read Christie, Sayers, or any of the other greats of the Golden Age of Mysteries, but has somehow managed to become the curator of this library and unfortunately, also finds a dead body in said library and now has to deal with the brouhaha surrounding that and along the way figure out who killed the now dead person in her library. I think that as I get older, I am less inclined to read these cozy mysteries because they all seem "same old-same old" to me. There was nothing new here either, but it was a pleasant enough way to pass a few hours; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Library Book

63 - The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict by Tamara B. Orr - Nonfiction; This book was written for middle graders. I picked it up since I know so little about this conflict, the history behind it and where we stand at present. This book benefits from being published in 2020, so it is fairly current. I thought Orr did a terrific job of being balanced in her discussion of the conflict, given both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. She also includes both footnotes about her sources and a "For More Information" section that includes books and websites to be consulted; Recommended (4.25 stars) Library Book

64 - Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson - I loved this book. We see Melody, a sixteen-year-old, on her birthday having a party that her mother never got to have as Iris got pregnant with Melody at age 15. We see Melody's family, from her mother and father to her grandparents, and their histories are given in flashback, all leading up to Melody; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library Book

"We got quiet. Maybe all over the world there were daughters who knew their mothers as young girls and old women, inside and out, deep. I wasn't one of them. Even when I was a baby, my memory of her is being only halfway here."

Oh Red at the Bone sounds good.
I was completely charmed by Outlander but couldn't get through the second book.
I have to pull Moonglow off the shelf, you make it sound quite enticing.

>207 alcottacre: I haven't even made it through the first chapter of Homo Deus as I'm finding myself taking a lot of notes. I agree with your assessment so far. It's making me think, and I love books that do that, even if I don't agree with everything the author says.

Morning, Stasia. I also loved Red at the Bone. Woodson is a terrific writer.

Happy VD, Stasia!

>207 alcottacre: You liked the Wingate book better than I did.

>207 alcottacre: Gods? I'm skeptical already.

And yay for Red at the Bone love! Such a good book.

>208 avatiakh: I hope you enjoy Red at the Bone when you get a chance to read it, Kerry. I believe this is the first of Woodson's books that I have read, but it will not be the last. I understand about Dragonfly in Amber, but it has actually come to be one of my favorite books in the series. Yes, do pull down Moonglow! I would love to hear what you make of it.

>209 cbl_tn: Carrie, I had sticky notes everywhere in that book. I think that he did a great job of explaining things in laymen's terms too. I forgot to note that earlier.

>210 msf59: Glad to know that, Mark! Any recommendations for further Woodson books?

>211 richardderus: Thanks, RD. Same to you!

>212 thornton37814: Yeah, I only gave it a marginal recommendation, so I can see how that would be, Lori.

>213 swynn: Glad to hear you loved Red at the Bone too, Steve. I actually think you would like Homo Deus.

Finished this afternoon:

65 - By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey - I think that this may be the first Lackey book that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Natalie (curioussquared) recommended it as one of her "comfort" reads. I am not sure that it will turn into such for me, but there is sure a good story here. Kero, the hero of our story, tracks down her kidnapped sister-in-law after seeking help from her mage grandmother and then returning for further training after her attempt to return her sister-in-law is successful. The book goes through Kero's training and then her career as a mercenary. For me, there was a bit of a hiccup when all of a sudden the story advanced 10 years, but that is a minor quibble with this book. This is pretty much a standalone book, but I am going to see if I can track down more of the Valdemar series; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

I am heading to bed now since I have been falling asleep for the past hour. See everyone tomorrow!

>216 alcottacre: I hope you had a better night's sleep than I did. I tossed and turned all night. As my mother would have said, "Old Arthur kept me awake." (I really do think it was a little of the arthritis in my knees affecting it.)

>214 alcottacre: You should look for Brown Girl Dreaming by Woodson — it’s really good.

Happy new day, smoochling, may your energy be on the upswing all day long.

Hi Stasia!

>201 alcottacre: Oooh, Outlander. I’ve got Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone on my shelves, just need to read a detailed synopsis of Written In My Own Heart's Blood to refresh my memory and get in the right frame of mind for a big’un.

>217 thornton37814: Unfortunately, no. I was up and down all night long. Sorry to hear you had a poor night's sleep too, Lori!

>218 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi. I will do that!

>219 richardderus: I feel like death warmed over today, Richard. I certainly hope that improves, lol. I am supposed to be meeting up with Beth and Catey today.

>220 karenmarie: I also have Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone waiting for me, but I want to read the rest of the series again first.

New books in-house today for my personal library:

Goldberg's Angel by Dan Hofstadter - Richard mentioned this one on a thread recently (it might even have been mine, I have no idea) and it looked good to me, so I picked up a copy
Taft by Ann Patchett - I know that Katie thinks highly of this one and I will be doing a shared read of it later in the year
The Cruel Stars by John Birmingham - Someone, I cannot remember who, recently recommended Birmingham's books on their thread, so I picked up the first in the series
White Mughals by William Dalrymple - As far as I know, no one has recommended this one recently, so I do no have to try and remember who did!
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby - a recent recommendation from London

>222 alcottacre: I do like Darymple's writing Stasia and I have that one on the shelves.

Have you totted up how many books you have added this year so far, Juana?

>223 PaulCranswick: No because I am afraid to look, lol.

I have not read any of Dalrypmle's works to date. If you want to do a shared read of that one at some point, just let me know. I think it is the only one of his books that I actually have.

>224 alcottacre: I would of course be up for that, Stasia.

* goes off to tot up Juana's book additions and will return*

>224 alcottacre: I counted 72 additions so far which includes two entries for I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and quite properly because they were physically different books.

>225 PaulCranswick: Just let me know when - with the stipulation that it not be March. I am going to be out of town the first 2 weeks of the month and already have a full plate for then :)

>226 PaulCranswick: Not as bad as I had feared. One of the entries for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings would be the local library copy that I read for the TIOLI challenge.

>222 alcottacre: I mentioned Dalrymple and his oeuvre as well as Goldberg's Angel in my review of The Vanished Collection last month.

*smooch* for feeling like Death's mean big sister soon.

>228 richardderus: I will tell you, Richard, that this being exhausted is exhausting. I feel like I get nothing done other than read (thank goodness for that!) and sleep. Even on nights when I am going to bed early I feel like I do not get enough rest and by the time I get up, half of the day is gone. It is extremely frustrating.

OK, I am glad to know where I got the suggestions from! Thanks.

>227 alcottacre: I will think about April for it then, Stasia.

Hi, Stasia. You asked up there about any Woodson recs. I highly recommend Brown Girl Dreaming and I also liked Another Brooklyn. I will join you on Taft.

Sorry to see that both you and Kerry have been sick, Stasia, and that your fatigue is lingering on. Good thing your reading hasn't been affected. Lots of good books read here and it looks like your reading is keeping you going through this trying time.

>230 PaulCranswick: OK, I will add it to "the list" for April (or beyond).

>231 msf59: Thanks for the recommendations, Mark. I show us slated to read Taft in June. Let me know if that is still OK with you.

>232 Familyhistorian: Reading is about the only thing keeping me from going nuts, Meg. I will be very glad if and when the lingering fatigue goes away!

Seconding Mark's recommendations for Jacqueline Woodson. I really loved Red at the Bone when I read it for book club last year. Less recently (2006) I read Locomotion and really enjoyed that, too, but I didn't review it so can't tell you much about it.

>178 alcottacre: I love your recent book buys and that they are from my INDIEspensable or NOT from my INDIEspensable list! LOL

>184 alcottacre: I am only a third of the way into Moonglow. Too many people moving in, medical issues, not mine this time thankfully, except for the COVID sheer exhaustion. But I am making progress!! Thanks for being a co-reader with me. : )

>185 alcottacre: Dang! Book Bullet for Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. I loved The Cerulean Sea and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

Sleep well!

>234 bell7: I checked my local library to see what it has of hers and it actually has quite a few including Brown Girl Dreaming and Locomotion. It does not have Another Brooklyn yet though. I would not be surprised if I work my way through all of what it does have.

>235 Berly: Yep, I am getting to the point where there are not a lot more that I need to purchase as I can get some of them from my local library and I have bought the rest.

I am sorry to hear about medical issues going on. I am glad to hear that you are making progress on Moonglow and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Sorry, not sorry, about the BB!

ETA: Come to find out I bought Another Brooklyn about 3 years ago. I just need to find where I put it!

>2 alcottacre: aw, I really liked Lenny's Book of Everything. I bought it for my Lenny, but had second thoughts about giving it to him when I realised Lenny in the book was a girl, so just read it myself. (He was already a reluctant reader so had wanted to get him something relevant as poss.)

Lincoln in the Bardo however....I was not a fan ;)

>164 PaulCranswick: 500 hours of viewing! Whaaat? I can barely cope with any long term viewing...and in the event that I do get hooked I can tend to resent it! I am very complicated ;)

Shockingly, I have not visited this thread yet- this is my first Stasia's 3rd thread visit! So hello :)

>237 LovingLit: I am pretty sure that you would get hooked, Megan. If it wasn't for the lockdown last year I could have finished up in serious trouble.

Stasia dearest. I trust I find you well and hale, all recovered from The Plague.

*smooch*

>237 LovingLit: I am sorry you did not care for Lincoln in the Bardo, Megan, but then we cannot all like the same books, can we? I was a big fan of Lenny's Book of Everything! I love seeing all the great new middle grade and young adult books that are being published these days.

>239 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I actually feel pretty good today, but I said that last week and it came back to bite me, so fingers crossed that it continues. *smooches* right back at you, you old curmudgeon, you.

Finished today:

66 - The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King - This is probably my least favorite book of the series as much of the focus of the book is away from Russell, who is the main reason I love the series so much, and instead focused on Mrs. Hudson. We get Mrs. Hudson's life story in detail all wrapped around the mystery of what has happened to Mary Russell. I also felt at times that some of the verbiage here was padding and I never like when an author does that; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

67 - Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney by James F. Simon - Nonfiction; Despite Lincoln being my favorite president, I knew little of Chief Justice Taney who was the chief justice of the Supreme Court when Lincoln became president and had been for some time (he assumed the office in 1836, well before Lincoln was elected in 1860). The main thing I knew about Taney was the Dred Scott decision, one of the worst decisions in Supreme Court history, in my opinion. This book follows the careers of both Taney and Lincoln as well as discusses not only the Dred Scott decision, but the Merryman case in which the legality of Lincoln's decision to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in the border states. I learned a lot from this one and overall, thought the book well done; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Hi Stasia my dear, this is another lovely book by Jack Sheffield. His Teacher series starts with him taking over at Radley village school as Headmaster in 1977 and runs through ten books and then he changed tack and went back to 1952. 1952 is significant as when he starts the series in 1977 he is taking over as headmaster from John Pruett who has retired after 25 years as headmaster, 1952 shows John Pruett starting as Headmaster of Radley village school. The next book jumps to 1963 and continues the story of Radley Village school. Book 13, which i have just finished begins at the start of the school summer holidays in 1969, the school where Jack is teaching has closed and so he is in need of a job. This is the blurb on the back of the book:

The year is 1969 and Jack Sheffield is a young teacher in need of a job. In a room full of twenty-nine other newly qualified teachers, he's overjoyed when he's appointed to Heather View Primary. Jack is excited to start his first year there and to begin shaping young minds in a beautiful new location on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

But Heather View isn't as idyllic as it first sounds. In fact, it looks more like a prison than a primary school. With less than adequate funding and a Head Teacher who doesn't seem to care, it's no easy task to give the kids the education they deserve. But Jack's determined to do just that.

I hope that this gives you a flavour of the book, they are funny, sad, interesting and he gives a nice vivid description of Yorkshire, especially around the Dales area. The next book starts in 1976 and after six years as Deputy Headmaster he decides it's time to look for a Headmaster role.

Although since the end of book ten he has gone back in time, you could start with book Eleven and work your way through. The title listing would be as follows:

11. Starting Over
12. Changing Times
13. Back to School
14. School Days
1. Teacher, Teacher!
2. Mister Teacher
3. Dear Teacher
4. Village Teacher
5. Please Sir!
6. Educating Jack
7. School's Out!
8. Silent Night
9. Star Teacher
10. Happiest Days.

Only 1 new book in-house today: History of the Arabs by Philip K. Hitti, which was recommended by Edward Said in his From Oslo to Iraq and the Road Map: Essays.

>240 alcottacre: I'm glad you're feeling better and hope it continues. It's been way too long the other way.

>240 alcottacre: Yes, it has, Susan. Thank you!

>242 johnsimpson: Not sure how the subject of his books came up, John, but I also like the Jack Sheffield books. Could describe them as a gentle version of James Herriot but substituting teachers in the place of vets!

Happy midweek, Juana.

>246 PaulCranswick: A gentle version of James Herriot sounds way too gentle for my palate.

>151 alcottacre: Aren't illustrated books so very lovely? Especially those that have a gripping accompanying story to tell. I'm surely adding Watercress to the TBR pile. I am quite sure that since this group began, yours are the threads wherein I added the most books to the to be read list.

It was good to talk to you via phone after I came home from the hospital. I know you are looking forward to your family vacation at the end of this month. And, I pray you will have enough energy to enjoy it.

>247 quondame: It lacks some of the high jinx and belly laughs of Herriot but he is pleasant and engaging writer.

It is set in the countryside outside York which of course makes John and myself a little biased.

I am struggling today, people. I will be back tomorrow when I am (hopefully) doing better. Sorry.

I hope you are feeling much better tomorrow.

>250 alcottacre: I hope tomorrow is a better day for you, Stasia.
(((hugs)))

Hi Stasia, So sorry that you are feeling so crummy. I thought for a second you were really on the mend only to hear otherwise. Hoping by tomorrow things will be better.

>241 alcottacre: You are further along with that series than I am. I just finished the second instalment.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow!

((((((HUGS))))) to you dear lady.

>242 johnsimpson: Thank you, John! I appreciate all of the information.

>246 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Juan.

>248 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. I am hoping that I can stay awake while the family is on vacation after another day in which I slept 14 hours. This has got to stop.

>251 mstrust: >252 FAMeulstee: >253 mdoris: Thanks, Jennifer, Anita, and Mary.

>254 figsfromthistle: It is one of the series that I am trying to get back on track with, Anita. I very much enjoy it overall.

>255 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. It has been a pretty rotten day and the hugs are desperately needed.

Finished tonight:

68 - The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green - Nonfiction; I read this book for February's nonfiction challenge of reading about the anthropocene period (the period in which we are living now) but this book is only lightly related. The essays in this book are Green's evaluation of different things now in existence: Diet Dr. Pepper and Teddy Bears, for instance. There are also things like Halley's comet that have been around for a while but are still in the anthropocene period. Green discusses the topics and then gives a grade from 1-5 for it. On a scale of 1-5, I give the book 3.75 stars. I prefer Green's fiction; Guardedly Recommended (3.75 stars) Library Book

"When people point out the bias of AC settings in office buildings - especially when women point it out - they've often been mocked for being overly sensitive. After the journalist Taylor Lorenz tweeted that office air-conditioning units are sexist, a blog in the Atlantic wrote, 'To think the temperature in a building is sexist is absurd.' But it's not absurd. What is absurd is reducing workplace productivity by using precious fossil fuels to excessively cool an office building so that men wearing ornamental jackets will feel more comfortable."

Crawling back into my hole now. I am hoping to be in better fettle tomorrow!

>256 alcottacre: & >257 alcottacre: Stasia. Please take care of yourself.

>257 alcottacre: Invisible Women really tells the story of the 'male default' Stasia, it's scary, but a page turner. It was the first time I heard about the AC issue!

I hope you are feeling better today.

Hi Stasia!

>221 alcottacre: You read so quickly that I know you’ll probably get to Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone before I do!

>229 alcottacre: I’m sorry the fatigue is not going away.

>240 alcottacre: 🤞

>241 alcottacre: I listened to Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney in May of 2019, and gave it 4 *s, too. I even bought the book after finishing the audiobook.

>256 alcottacre: 14 hours and a rotten day. Many hugs to you, dear one.

>257 alcottacre: I listened to the podcast of The Anthropocene Reviewed and wished there were more episodes. I wonder if there are more chapters in the book?

I, too, hope you’re feeling better today, with more energy.

Thank you all for checking in on me. I am still not doing better today. I am beginning to wonder if my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has piggy backed on my COVID just to make me miserable. Again my apologies for being such a bad host and not getting round to everyone's threads. I am hoping to be better soon - especially as we are going on family vacation February 28th!

Hi Stasia my dear, sorry to hear you are not feeling well, the threads will still be here when you are ready and able to peruse them. In the meantime just get well and hopefully be able to enjoy your family vacation. Sending special Yorkshire healing love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

Finished this afternoon:

69 - A City in Its Fullness by S.Y. Agnon - I read Anatomy of a Genocide (highly recommended!) last year, a nonfiction account of the town of Buczacz, Poland, by writer Omer Bartov in which he mentions this book. Agnon's book is nothing like Bartov's. Agnon's book is a love letter to the city of Buczacz, whose Jewish population was decimated by the Nazis in WWII. Agnon takes us through the history of the city in a series of short stories and vignettes. Agnon loved Buczacz, which was where he was born, and makes no secret of his love for the city and his hatred of those who destroyed it. This book is long - over 500 pages - but well worth the read, although reading it straight through is not the way I would read it again. I think I would just choose a story or two at a time. The book comes with a handy glossary, which I very much appreciated, being unfamiliar with some of the Hebrew terms used throughout the book; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"This is the chronicle of the city of Buczacz, which I have written in my pain and anguish so that our city was full of Torah, wisdom, love, piety, life, grace, kindness, and charity from the time of its founding until the arrival of the blighted abomination and their befouled and deranged accomplishes who wrought destruction upon it. May God avenge the blood of His servants and visit vengeance upon His enemies and deliver Israel from its sorrows."

>262 johnsimpson: Thank you, John!

*smooch* for the sudden and complete return of full function

Happy Friday, Stasia! I am sorry to hear you are struggling. I sure was sure praying you were at the end of that. Try to enjoy the weekend and those books.

>265 richardderus: Thank you, Richard.

>266 msf59: Books are the only things keeping me sane at the moment, Mark, so I am basically burying myself in them. I will come up for air again when I am better. I do not want to continually drag everyone down on my roller coaster of "Better-not better" that seems to be a daily occurrence these days.

Sorry to hear you're still dealing with fatigue, Stasia. I was reading that it is one of the most common lingering affects of the disease. I hope for your sake that you're feeling back to normal soon and can get off the roller coaster.

>268 bell7: Thank you, Mary. I hope so too.

New books in-house today for my personal library:

The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer
Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - I got myself a nice boxed set since I love the books and wanted nice copies of them

>267 alcottacre: "I will come up for air again when I am better." You're not dragging us down, dear lady, and you know we worry, so please don't stay away too long. We'll assume the worst.

Hi Stasia. I wondered if the fatigue was multiplied by your CFS, and hope that it is not so.

In the meantime, please don't worry about visiting our threads or doing more than read and record your reads and acquisitions!

Have some virtual hugs and good wishes. And let me echo what others have said: you aren't dragging me down. If you have the energy to stay engaged, and want to, please do so.

>270 alcottacre: The Pickup! I devoured that back in the Aughts. I hope you enjoy when its turn at the top comes.

*smooch*

Hope that you are sleeping yourself towards a full recovery. Take care of yourself, Stasia. xx

>271 laytonwoman3rd: I will continue to check in with what I am reading, Linda, so you needn't worry. I do not want to stress out my friends!

>272 karenmarie: I hope it is not so too, Karen, but I really whatever it is to go away. I do not want it to ruin our family vacation.

>273 ArlieS: Thanks, Arlie.

>274 richardderus: Not sure when I will get to the Gordimer book, RD, but I am glad to hear that it was good enough you devoured it.

>275 PaulCranswick: Eleven hours of sleep last night, Paul, and 2 more naps during the day (another 3 hours sleep). I am trying to take care of myself, but my body is not cooperating.

Another DNF for me today: Nine Lords of the Night. I gave up after 60 pages in. The typos alone are ridiculous. They were driving me to distraction, which I am fairly sure the author did not intend.

Finished tonight:

70 - Empires of the Plain by Lesley Adkins - Nonfiction; Adkins has given us a biography of one of the truly remarkable men who worked for the East India Company, Henry Rawlinson. Rawlinson was an outstanding diplomat, much respected by the company and the local governments in British occupied Afghanistan, who happened to have a talent for languages. In his spare time, Rawlinson began deciphering cuneiform. I think that Rawlinson did a good job with this biography - it is obvious that she admired the man, but she did not deify him, rather showing him warts and all; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

71 - Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan - Stewart O'Nan is one of my LT discoveries - his Emily, Alone is one of my all-time favorite books and Last Night at the Lobster is one of Katie's favorites, so I decided it was high time I read it. This book one in which not much happens, but I would not call it a character study - more of a slice-of-life. Manny, the manager of the Red Lobster, has been told that the restaurant is closing the next day and he and several of the crew there will be moved to a different restaurant. So we see the final night at the restaurant through Manny's eyes - the people he will miss, the people he will not, his hopes and fears for the future. I loved this quiet little book; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

>278 alcottacre: You got me with both of those, Stasia. I had never heard of O'Nan before Mark added him to the American Author Challenge one year and, although I have only read one of his books, it was very worthwhile and I now have a couple more on the shelves.
Rawlinson was an interesting character so Adkins had great material to work with.

I managed to break my logjam and got three books finished with hopefully a couple more today.

The sleep may be frustrating but it cannot be doing you any harm. x

>278 alcottacre: The Adkins book is a shared read with both Peggy and Lucy, Paul, so you may want to wait for their thoughts on the book. I am glad that I got you with the O'Nan book for sure!

Glad to hear about the broken logjam. I still have 15 more books to finish before February ends. Not sure if I am going to make it or not, but I will try. Since I am spending my days doing nothing but sleeping and reading, I might have a chance, lol.

I am looking for a good biography of John Quincy Adams. Anyone have any suggestions?

>278 alcottacre: I remember enjoying The Last Night at the Lobster Stasia. I have a couple of his other novels in the TBR mountain, I must shuffle them up.

Happy Sunday, Stasia. I hope you are feeling better. Hooray for Last Night at the Lobster. Such a gem of a book. I am having a busy weekend, so I am not getting much reading in. Really enjoying Moonglow, when I have time to read a few pages.

I'm glad you liked ...Lobster, Stasia!

And I hope you get your energy back soon.

>278 alcottacre: I enjoyed “Last Night,” too, Stasia, but Emily, Alone was not on my radar. That omission has been rectified, thank you a bunch.

Hope your recovery continues!

Karen O

Happy task, needing to read fifteen more books before the 28th. I need nine more to stay on track for my stretch goal of 275 reviews for the year.

>282 Caroline_McElwee: I hope you enjoy the O'Nan books when you get to them, Caroline!

>283 msf59: Glad to hear that you are enjoying Moonglow, Mark, and hope you continue to do so. Very much agree about Last Night at the Lobster!

>284 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie, on both counts!

>285 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen. I think you will enjoy Emily, Alone. I need to read the follow up book yet and am hoping it is as good.

>286 richardderus: I know you can do it, Richard!