Beth's (BLBera) Books in 2024

Amphitheater in Mérida, Spain.

My name is Beth, and I am a recently retired English instructor. I love retirement, and last year I was able to travel to Hawai’i, Spain, and Portugal. I also attended book festivals in Iowa City and Portland. Besides travel and reading, I also like to sew and spend time with my granddaughter Scout.

I read eclectically, mostly fiction, but I do tend to always have a volume of poetry and a book of essays going as well. I belong to a book club that has been going since 2002, and I do group reads here on LT. Otherwise I don't plan my reading. I always resolve to read more from my shelves, but those shiny new library books do distract me.

I look forward to following my LT friends in 2024.

Favorite Reading of 2023

Currently Reading

Plans??
Book Club
Jan. The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny ✔️
Feb. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Mar. Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin
April The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
May Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner
June Square Haunting by Francesca Wade

LT shared reads
January - Vaster Wilds ✔️
February - Chenneville ✔️
March - The Lost Journals of Sacajewea
April - Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma

Read in 2024
🎉January🎉
1. Collected Poems Jane Kenyon*
2. Sorry
3. Northwest Angle 🎧
4. The Postcard
5. Space Invaders*
6. North Woods
7. The Invisible Hour
8. I Must Be Dreaming
9. Poems of Akhmatova*
10. Judgment Prey
11. Chenneville*

*From my shelves
💜Favorites

You Must Read This
One of my favorite books from 2023. My comments then:

This is wonderful. I love that each of Millet's novels is so different from the previous ones.

In Dinosaurs she's written a novel that is hard to put down although if you ask me why, I have a hard time articulating what is so compelling about Gil's story. He is a man who lives alone, who volunteers to pass the time, and becomes involved in the lives of his neighbors. Yet, I think that is Millet's point -- all lives are connected. In Gil's life, we can see our own.

At the beginning of the novel, Gil leaves Manhattan for Arizona and decides to walk because "he wanted to feel the distance in his bones and skin, the ground beneath his feet." He moves into a house that is next door to a house with a glass wall, and when a family moves into the "glass" house, he becomes first an observer, then a participant in their lives.

I love Gil and this quiet novel. If you're looking for a plot with lots of action, this isn't for you. It is a wonderful character study and I will think about it for a long time.

There's a lot about birds here. I need to think about how they fit. I will revisit this novel for sure.

Happy New Year, Beth!!

I see you're currently reading Sorry. It's been quite a while since I read that, but I loved it. It was a 5-star read for me.

BTW, I expect to start reading Prophet Song today. I'm still planning to send it your way when I'm finished, unless you've found a copy already.

Happy New Year, Laura! I am still tweaking here, and I will stop by threads.


Yes, I would love Prophet Song when you are finished with it. No hurry. I do have reading material here.

Happy new year, Beth! I look forward to following your reading for another year.

Will 2024 be taking you anywhere? Hard to top Hawaii, Spain, and Portugal!

Happy New Year of Reading, Beth. I think you should rename your thread “The Danger Zone”. You got me with a book bullet on the Millet book. I love quiet reads, especially in the winter.

Your list reminds me that I need to unfreeze The Whalebone Theatre. It will have to wait until we get back from CO.

Happy new year, Beth! I hope it's filled with good things!

Making note of Dinosaurs, which is available from one of my public libraries.

Took some BB's from your 2023 books. Good luck with your 2024 reading!

Happy new year! Reading more poetry is on my list so the Jane Kenyon sparked my interest.

Happy New Year Beth. I must get to those Atwood essays, they have been winking at me for a while. And I have that Kenyon volume too. Must pull it off the shelf again.

And Happy New Year!!

Happy new thread and happy new year, Beth.

>10 katiekrug: Hi Katie. No big trips planned for 2024. I had to build a new garage, so I need to have my pennies before another big trip.

>11 Donna828: Hi Donna - thanks - maybe I will call my thread "the danger zone" next time. :)

>12 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie. The Millet is SO good.

>13 Tess_W: Hi Tess. Thanks for stopping by.

>14 witchyrichy: Hi Karen - I'm almost done with the Kenyon and will have to decide on my next poetry volume. Kenyon translated some Anna Akhmatova, and I have a volume of hers, so I might give that a try next.

>15 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. I will be reading the Hustvedt book for a while yet.

>16 Berly: Hey TwinK! I hope your new year is starting off great. I had the kids over for our Christmas Eve meal; we had to reschedule because my daughter had COVID over Christmas. :(

>17 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley.

Welcome back, Beth!

Hi Beth!

Wishing you a great one!

Happy New Year, Beth! And oof - you got me straightaway with Dinosaurs: A Novel. It's on the lost.

eta: or on the list, rather:)

>2 BLBera: Black Butterflies has been on my radar lately as I have seen it pop up everywhere.

Happy reads ahead! >3 BLBera: It looks like you have a great start.

Hi Beth. I'm glad to see Black Butterflies on your best-of-2023 list. It was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year, as well. I'm surprised to see The Whalebone Theatre up there; I knew you liked it but I didn't have the impression you liked it that much! I had it on hold and then let the hold expire. Maybe I'll consider adding it to the already burgeoning list!

Happy New Year to you, my friend!

Happy new year, Beth! I definitely also have Black Butterflies on my radar.

Happy New Year, Beth. Of your favourite books I have read and enjoyed Black Butterflies , Poisonwood Bible and The Bandit Queens. I'm sure we will find many books in common that we both enjoy this year too.

>18 BLBera: Glad you got your Christmas meal in and that everyone is over the dang Covid!! Although that worked in my favor this year. Daughter was supposed to go to CA for the holidays, but her SIL came down with C, so they wound up staying here and coming over for Christmas - yay for me! : )

Dropping a star so I can get hit by more BBs this year.

Dropping a star!

Happy reading in 2024, Beth!

Happy New Year Beth!

Thanks Jim, Susan, Anne, Anita, Ellen, Rhonda, Deborah, Ardene, Diane, Anita, Kristel

Happy New Year to all!

Happy New year, Beth. May 2024 be a good year for you and yours. And may yours be full of good books.

>6 BLBera: You may the book sound intriguing!

Of your 2023 favorites, I’ve only read The Poisonwood Bible. That was way back when I could indulge in many rereads. I loved it enough to read it twice.

Last year I only followed you over in Club Read, and I hope you decide to set up a thread over there too. If not, I'll be following along here! And after reading your comments about Dinosaurs at >6 BLBera: I immediately checked it out of the library.
I hope you are liking Sorry. That was a book I chose for a Litsy Monthly Postal Book Club I was in and I really liked it, as did the other participants. Perdita. What an evocative name!

Happy New Year, Beth! How old is Scout now? I remember you getting her books as a toddler, but I suspect she's at least in the middle of elementary school by now. And congrats on retirement--it's great!

Hi Beth! Following you here...

Happy New Year, Beth!

Happy New Year Beth to you and your family! Dropped a star and will no doubt pick up some BB's.

Happy New Year, Beth! Thanks for dropping by my place with your good wishes.

>32 Matke: Hi Gail. I read The Poisonwood Bible for my book club. Most of the members had read it before, and it made for a good discussion. I kept my copy and may read it again someday.

>33 arubabookwoman: I'm not sure about keeping up two threads, Deborah. It was a lot of cutting and pasting. We'll see. I am loving Sorry.

>34 ronincats: Scout is 10, Roni! It's hard to believe. She is growing up too fast.

>35 lisapeet: Hi Lisa. Thanks.

>36 Storeetllr:, >37 mdoris: Hi Mary :)

>38 tiffin: Thanks for stopping by.

Happy new year, Beth. I'm hoping to do a better job of keeping up this year.

Hi Beth and happy new year! Lots of overlap on our favorite 2023 titles. I'm looking forward to getting lots of new recommendations from you this year.

Happy New Year!

Hi Beth, stopping by to wish you a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2024!

Happy New Year, Beth!

Found and starred you. Weren’t you in Club Read last year?

>40 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. Me too.

>41 vivians: Ditto, Vivian.

Thanks Chelle, Lori, Lynda.

>45 kjuliff: I was, Kate. I haven't decided yet whether I'll have a thread there as well. Last year, I mostly cut and pasted, so it hardly seems worthwhile.

Hi Beth. I hope your week is going well so far!

>46 BLBera: That’s true. I was in 75 Challenge last year and ended up dropping it and stay in CR. But 2023 was the first year I was acting in LT groups. Is there much interaction between members on the 75 Books Challenge?

>47 EBT1002: How's retirement?

>48 kjuliff: Kate, the 75ers are a very chatty bunch.

>47 EBT1002: Ellen, I just got a notice from the library that North Woods is ready to pick up.

I didn't realize that you travelled to that many places last year, Beth. Looks like you timed your retirement right!

Happy New Year Beth! I'll be sure to follow your thread this year. I look forward to learning what you are reading. All good wishes.

Hi Beth, I've got Dinosaurs on the shelf, thanks for the nudge to pick it up. I found a copy in a charity shop shortly after you first mentioned it: now I just need to read it!
Happy new year.

Happy new year (it feels passé to say that even though it's my first visit here and it's only morning on the 3rd)!

I've had years where I only had a thread in one or the other of Club Read or the 75ers and I obviously do my share of cut and pasting, but last year I found that the discussions evolved differently and were about different things in the two threads so I'm continuing on that way in 2024. But there have also been years when I abandoned everything by May. ;)

>50 BLBera: Happy New Year Beth! I hope you like North Woods. It was my favorite fiction read for 2023

I am a bit sluggish so far this year, Beth, but I have finally tracked you down!

Happy new year.

>51 Familyhistorian: It was a great year for traveling, Meg.

>52 Whisper1: Hi Linda. I was looking for your thread but didn't see it. I'll look again.

>53 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. Enjoy the Millet. I see she has some nonfiction coming out this year.

>54 ursula: Hi Ursula. I will follow you in both places. You did have a busy year.

>55 Oberon: Maybe we'll have a meet up this year, Erik.

>56 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. Happy New Year.

And for those who love lists (and books):

https://lithub.com/lit-hubs-most-anticipated-books-of-2024/

Some books I look forward to in 2024:

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
The Hunter by Tana French
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
Until August by Gabriel García Marquéz
James by Percival Everett
The Morningside by Tea Obrecht
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud
The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez
Memory Piece by Lisa Ko
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
Fire Exit by Morgan Talty
Bear by Julia Phillips
The Palace of Eros by Caro de Robertis

I've already reserved some of them at the library. 😁

Some of the touchstones don't work yet.

Hi Beth! Happy New Year to you.

>6 BLBera: Added to my wish list.

>39 BLBera: Wow. Scout is 10. Unbelievable.

>57 BLBera: Drat. Four on my wish just from January.

Thanks Karen.

>57 BLBera: I know, right? Too many new books! My resolution to read from my shelves is already seeming impossible.

The final section of Jane Kenyon's Collected Poems is devoted to translation of a few Anna Akhmatova poems. Kenyon writes a short introduction to the translations noting that the poems are "free-verse versions of rhymed and metered poems. Losing the formal perfection of the Russian verses...has been a constant source of frustration and sadness...Because it is impossible to translate with fidelity to form and to image, I have sacrificed form for image."

I have another collection of Akhmatova poems and looked to see if there was crossover and I found one!

Kenyon's translation:
The memory of sun weakens in my heart,
grass turns yellow,
wind blows the early flakes of snow
lightly, lightly.

Already the narrow canals have stopped flowing;
water freezes.
Nothing will ever happen here --
not ever!

Against the empty sky the willow opens
a transparent fan.
Maybe it's a good thing I'm not your wife.

The memory of sun weakens in my heart.
What's this? Darkness?
It's possible. And this may be the first night
of winter.

Translation by Stanley Kunitz:
Heart's memory of sun grows fainter,
sallow is the grass;
a few flakes toss in the wind
scarcely, scarcely.

The narrow canals no longer flow,
they are frozen over.
Nothing will ever happen here,
oh, never!

In the bleak sky the willow spreads
its bare-boned fan.
Maybe I'm better off as I am,
not as your wife.

Heart's memory of sun grows fainter.
What now? Darkness?
Perhaps! This very night unfolds
the winter.

Translation is fascinating. I will read the Akhmatova collection next. It does have an introduction, and I am anxious to see what Kunitz says about the choices he makes.

1. Collected Poems Jane Kenyon

My first completed book of the year! It was a wonderful collection of Jane Kenyon's poems. She writes about life in New England, depression, nature, and death. This is a collection I will come back to. There are so many lovely poems, but this is one toward the end:

Otherwise

I got out of bed
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birch wood.
All morning I did
the work I love.

At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.

Some of her poems about nature remind me of Mary Oliver. Kenyon's verse is very accessible for those who want to start reading poetry.

May your new year be blessed.

>62 BLBera: I love reading poetry like this, so I will be looking for Jane Kenyon. Thanks for the reccie!

Karen O

>62 BLBera: Lovely poem, Beth. Thanks for sharing. I've added it to my poetry journal.

I don't read a lot of poetry, but several years ago I read Without: Poems by Donald Hall, who was married to Jane Kenyon. There are some very moving poems about her and his grief in the collection.

>62 BLBera: no wonder that looked familiar- https://www.librarything.com/topic/355952#8328923
Thanks for sharing.

>66 katiekrug: “read Without: Poems by Donald Hall, who was married to Jane Kenyon.”

That’s why his book popped up when I was looking for Jane Kenyon! I think I have to go find his book, too.

Karen O

Hope you have a great year of reading!

>58 BLBera: That is indeed a list of books to look forward to! I think I'll see what might be available sooner than later and see if my RLBG might be interested.

I have one of your books that you are looking forward to on my 2024 books I am looking forward too, and that is This Strange Eventful History. I only have a few listed on my thread, book that I read about in the Globe and Mail Newspaper, and one or two that I was aware of myself. Happy reading , Beth.

>63 Tess_W: Thanks Tess

>64 klobrien2: Kenyon is great, Karen.

>65 rosalita: Hi Julia. I want to hear more about your poetry journal.

>66 katiekrug: I will check it out, Katie. I think Hall was better known than his wife, but then she has been dead for a long time.

>67 dianeham: Hi Diane, yes, I used the same one I posted in the poetry thread. I will come up with new ones. I just added two new poetry books to my library, Richard Blanco's new collection and Queen of a Rainy Country.

>68 klobrien2: Go for it! Happy to add to your WL.

>72 BLBera: I keep my poetry journal in the Day One journaling app. I just copy poems and song lyrics that I find meaningful or worth reflection into it. Sometimes they are things that are posted here or on social media, but I also subscribe to the Poets.org "Poem-a-Day" email and have found some gems there as well.

This is one of the poems I saved last month:

Saying Less Is Incredibly Helpful

saying less is incredibly helpful. every
thought is not valuable. every feeling
does not need to be voiced. what is
often best is slowing down to spend
time developing a clearer and more
informed perspective. ego rushes
and reacts, but peace moves
intentionally and gently.
                        — by Yung Pueblo

Hi Beth!

>60 BLBera: My current modus operandi is to read mostly Kindle Unlimited, with occasional forays into books on my shelves and audio books in the car. I tag each book's reading status, and currently have 2,734 books tagged ‘tbr’. Sigh.

>69 thornton37814: Thanks Lori.

>70 EBT1002: I look forward to them, Ellen, but know that it will not be good for my reading from my shelves.

>71 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I look forward to see what you pick up in 2024. Happy reading to you.

>73 rosalita: I love that poem, Julia. And what a great idea. I might steal it from you. I've been trying to write more, and this might be a good impetus.

>74 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I think I have a similar list of tbr books.

2. Sorry
There is a lot to think about in this wonderful novel by Australian Gail Jones -- words/language, family, colonization, war -- but at the heart is Perdita and her "family" of Mary, an Aboriginal girl hired to care for Perdita, and Billy, a deaf neighbor boy. Set in western Australia around WWII, the novel centers on Perdita, the only child of Nicholas and Stella, both of whom are deeply unhappy and who didn't want a child. A tragedy separates Perdita, Mary, and Billy, and Perdita has to come to terms with that.

Stella, Perdita's mother, can quote vast passages of Shakespeare from memory, with emphasis on the tragedies, and we can certainly see the influence of Shakespeare here as well as the importance of words and language.

In some of the more heartwarming passages, Mary and Perdita read books, and "Mary had a theory that when people read the same words they were imperceptibly knitted; that there were touchings not of the skin, and apparitional convergences. Some kind of spirit inhered in words that one might enter and engage with; there were transactions, comminglings, adjacencies of mind and of sense." These words linked Perdita and Mary.

There's an author's note at the end of the novel about the meaning of "sorry." There is a National Day of Healing for All Australians that originated from a "Sorry Day," to apologize for the treatment of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. There was resistance to this apology for a long time.

This is a wonderful novel, and thanks to Lisa, I think, for mentioning it. It was a great way to start 2024.

>77 BLBera: - Sounds great! I have a copy in my stacks.

It is so good, Katie. It's a short novel, but there is so much to think about. And the character of Perdita is just great.

>77 BLBera: I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, Beth. I loved it.

It was amazing, Laura, and a good start to my year -- and I heard about it here on LT!

>58 BLBera: I have a lot of those books on my ethereal pile too. Looking forward to a year of good reading for both (all) of us.

3. Northwest Angle
This latest in the Cork O'Connor series is a real page turner -- not sure what the audiobook equivalent is...Working a 1500-piece puzzle gave me time to listen to this audiobook, which is very well done.

Krueger, in his author's note, tells us that the novel is inspired by a monster storm in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The system of straight-line winds known as a derecho did extensive damage. Krueger moves the storm to the Lake of the Woods, a huge lake on the border between Minnesota and Manitoba. Cork is vacationing there with his children Jenny, Annie, and Steven, and his sister-in-law Rose and her husband Mal.

When the storm strikes, Cork and Jenny are in a dinghy on the lake. Jenny finds shelter on an island with a small cabin. In it she finds the body of a young murdered woman. That sets the story in motion. Why was she killed and who killed her?

Krueger knows how to plot; this story moves along, never pausing too long an any single event. But we also learn more about Cork's family, especially his older daughter Jenny. And, of course, the setting is spectacular. We get a sense of the storm's devastation as well as the beauty and isolation of the various islands on the Lake of the Woods.

This is an excellent addition to the series, and the audiobook is good.

>82 lisapeet: It should be a good year of reading.

Another one I'm looking forward to is Say Hello to My Little Friend, a new novel by Jennine Crucet Capo. I loved her first novel, and her collection of essays.

Happy New Year, Beth!

I know I will get many great rec's from you this year as always. I've already added Dinosaurs: A Novel to my library hold list.

Congrats on three books done already?

Do you plan on more travelling this year?

Hi Beth. >77 BLBera: sounds wonderful. I'll stick it on the wishlist. I love Julia's poem. Too much to stick it on the office door...?
Hope your writing goes well.

>ok ok, it looks like l'll just have to add the Cork O'Connor series. Just what I needed (but it looks so good.)

>86 charl08: I think your office door is the perfect place for that poem, Charlotte!

>62 BLBera: Wonderful!

>73 rosalita: I also subscribe to the poem a day email and enjoy listening to the poems being read. I love your idea of saving them into a journal. The latest update to my iPhone includes a journal app built in. Maybe will try it out.

Hi Beth. I am slowly making my way around the threads and I have placed my star here. I am looking forward to hearing about new books, discovering lists and hearing Scout stories. I'm leaving with a new list of books to add to my ever-growing list.

Happy New Year, Beth. Love your best of the year list. Have a safe & healthy 2024.

>83 BLBera: I actually tried to find the next in series for me the other day, but it was checked out. I'll get to it soon, I'm sure. I'm glad the books are still holding up!

>89 witchyrichy: The new iPhone Journal app would be perfect for this.

>85 streamsong: Hi Janet - I don't plan any big trips this year. I had a construction project (a New garage) that emptied out the piggy bank.

>86 charl08: Hi Charlotte - I think you would like Sorry. I think Julia's poem could go on your office.

>87 vivians: If you like series rooted in place, you will like this, Vivian. Generally the series is still good. I've read a couple that I didn't like. The first one in the series isn't one of the better ones.

>88 rosalita:. >93 rosalita: Thanks Julia. Nice to see you around.

>89 witchyrichy: Hi Karen. It seems like we have a lot of poetry lovers around here.

>90 DeltaQueen50: Enjoy, Judy.

>91 msf59: Thanks for stopping by, Mark.

>92 thornton37814: What is the next one for you, Lori? I think I am only about halfway through.

I have Sorry in my TBR pile, but when I will get to it, I'm not sure. Nice review. My husband is a fan of the Cork O'Connor series, but I have just read his stand alone, Ordinary Grace. May I ask what 1500 pieces puzzle you are working on, Beth ?

Hi Deborah - The puzzle was one with a bunch of desserts. Very colorful, but the pieces didn't hold together very well. I donated it to the library this afternoon.

>75 BLBera: Yeah, the looking forward to new books doesn't bode well for the "plan" to read off one's shelves. Having done the culling I just did, I really want to read more of the books I already own.

I need to return to the Cork O'Connor series (which, I'll note, I do not own -- sigh).

>83 BLBera: I was reading your review when I realized that the name Cork O'Connor was very familiar. I am currently reading Iron Lake the first in the series written in 1998 and I have to read it quickly because there are two holds on it. Pretty impressive for a book that was written in the last millennium. Nice to know that I have more of the series to look forward to.

Hi Beth! I'm looking forward to following along with your reading again this year. Your thread continues to be a dangerous one for my tbr pile.

>2 BLBera: I loved The Poisonwood Bible when I read it years ago. I have Black Butterflies to read and bought a copy of The Whalebone Theatre for myself after reading your comments when you finished it. I hope to get to them both soon!

>83 BLBera: I have several books in this series, including Iron Lake, that I've picked up at library sales over the years. Since I have the first one, I know I could/should get started on it, and plan to this year. (I think I said that last year, too...) I know both you and Donna love it.

Boy, threads sure do move fast over here in 75 Books land. Wishing you a belated Happy New Year! I'm sad to see you leave CR, but understand the desire to maintain only one thread.

>77 BLBera: I'm glad you enjoyed Sorry. I've read it twice, and it got me both times. I hope to get to more of her works this year.

>94 BLBera: I'm up to Mercy Falls. This is a series I will probably bump up in my rotation because I enjoy them.

Hi Beth!

>77 BLBera: Added to my wish list. WWII is not my favorite period to read about, but Australia is endlessly fascinating to me. I also may have just bought a copy on eBay, being into instant gratification.

>97 EBT1002: I will see if I can do some culling in the coming weeks, Ellen. You are inspiring me. Also, it would be nice to have my books on shelves.

>98 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. Yes, the Cork O'Connor series is popular. I know his books are always checked out here; I thought maybe because he is a local author. I thought Iron Lake was not as good as the following ones, just to warn you.

>99 Copperskye: Hi Joanne. Happy reading. I hope you enjoy them.

>100 labfs39: Hi Lisa. Thanks for hopping over here. I will be visiting your thread. Thanks so much for the Gail Jones discussion. Sorry was a great novel. I will be thinking of Perdita for a long time.

>101 thornton37814: If I remember correctly, Mercy Falls is a good one.

>102 karenmarie: Hooray for instant gratification, Karen. I got my copy via interlibrary loan, so I had to wait for it.

>103 BLBera: and all the other posts regarding William Kent Krueger…I’ve got the very-in-demand The River We Remember in my hot little hands right now (the paper copy). It’s a stand-alone novel, and it’s shaping up to be a very good read. My mid-size library system has 300 requests on 50 copies. Krueger is a Minnesota author, and he’s really supportive of the local libraries so I wouldn’t be surprised if he donated at least some of the copies.

I’ve read a few of the Cork O’Connor series; maybe I’ll start up again when I finish one of the other series I’m on.

Karen O

Happy new year of reading Beth!

>62 BLBera: I am not familiar with the poetry of Jane Kenyon, Beth, but I liked the look of her collected poems and the poem you feature does have the stamp of Mary Oliver.

Have a great Sunday.

Hi Beth! May this year bring many good books!

>104 klobrien2: Krueger does a lot of readings and signings at small indie bookstores as well, Karen.

>105 WhiteRaven.17: Thanks. Happy New Year to you, too!

>106 PaulCranswick: Kenyon died young, in the 1990s, Paul, but her poetry is lovely.

>107 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel.

I've put Boundary Waters, the second Cork O'Connor novel, on hold at the library. I hope to read it while in Hawaii.

Happy New Year Beth! I've added Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet to my tbr pile for 2024. Thanks for this recommendation. And, I've also added Black Butterflies.

That was the first one that I read, Ellen. It was much better than Iron Lake. I really like Krueger's world, and we get to know the characters better as the series progresses.

Isn't Sunday evening nice, now that there is no work on Monday?

>110 Whisper1: Opps, I see that I added Black Butterflies to my tbr book last year. I will move it up to be sure to read it soon.

Hi Beth, have a great reading year. I see you've already made a great start.

Good morning, Beth! I've added Sorry to my list - looks like a good one.

>84 BLBera: I was able to snag a copy of Make Your Home Among Strangers recently - a high school was weeding a copy and though our discard lists are intended for libraries, I figured grabbing one copy for personal reasons would be OK. After all, you said I must read it:)

>112 Whisper1: I hope you get to it, Linda. It is a good one.

>13 Tess_W: Hi Barbara. Thanks. I hope you have a good year as well.

>114 AMQS: Hi Anne! I loved Make Your Home Among Strangers; I really look forward to Capó Crucet's new novel. And yes, you MUST read it. :)

Happy New Year Beth!

You've convinced me on Dinosaurs--I knew I was in trouble stopping by here. I can't remember if I've read Sorry--I may just own it. You've sold me on that one too.
Was this the first time you'd read Poisonwood Bible or were you one of the members of your book group who had read it before?

Happy New Year to you, Anne. It was the first time for me with THe Poisonwood Bible. It had been on my shelf for years, too. I look forward to see what you read this year.

Adding Make Your Home Among Strangers to the list. I'd not heard of it before.

I'm enjoying having more time to read during the day!

I read it a few years ago, Ellen. I really liked her collection of essays as well My Time Among the Whites. She has a new novel coming out that I am really looking forward to.

Retirement is great.

Talk later.

Happy Tuesday!!

Back atcha!

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/01/10/historic-all-woman-st-paul-city-council...

Maybe there is hope!

4. The Postcard
Thanks to LTers who brought this book to my attention.

The author, Anne Berest, calls this a "true novel" because the story tells us what happened to her family members. She invented some dialogue and thoughts and changed the names of some characters. But the events reflect what she discovered in her research. The story is a compelling one, and while it is the story of one family, it can also be viewed as a universal Holocaust story.

The story begins when the author's mother receives a postcard with four names: Ephraïm, Emma, Noemie, and Jacques. Ephraïm and Emma were Berest's great grandparents and Noemie and Jacques were their children. Berest's grandmother Myriam was the only family member to survive the Holocaust.

The search for the author of the postcard is a good frame for the story, which is told in four parts. The first part is the story of Ephraïm and Emma, who move from country to country in an effort to avoid persecution. They finally feel safe in France, thinking that if they are productive members of society, they will be secure. This part is hard to read because we, the readers, know what happens. The second and third parts detail the author's memories and struggles with identity, while book IV is Myriam's story.

The frame works well, as do the details of the research that the author and her mother did. As the author learns about her family, she also learns about herself. The addition of current events emphasizes the importance of the story and why we can never, should never, forget the Holocaust.

>123 BLBera: This fits my "women in translation" theme this year and looks excellent. Thanks for the review!

Great comments on The Postcard, Beth. On my WL!

Nice review, Twin!

>123 BLBera: Hi Beth, I really look forward to reading this book when my library turn happens. I have read such good things about it and appreciate your excellent review.

>123 BLBera: Glad to see you liked it! I'm reading it now, but only at chapter 10, but enjoying it so far.

>123 BLBera: Nice review. As you may remember I read that last year and it made my list of best reads of 2023.

>129 arubabookwoman: I think your comments may have pushed me to pick it up, Deborah. It was so well done.

>128 bell7: Hi Mary. I'll watch for your comments.

>127 mdoris: Thanks Mary.

>126 Berly: Hi TwinK!

>125 katiekrug: It's a good one, Katie.

>124 japaul22: Thanks Jennifer.

5. Space Invaders
This very short novel is a series of vignettes narrated by a group of classmates, starting in 1980 when they were ten years old. It ends in 1991, a year after Pinochet left power. At this point, the classmates were dispersed but still trying to make sense of what happened.

School lives are regimented, lots of lines and, of course, uniforms: "Our uniforms neat. Top button of the shirt fastened, tie knotted, dark jumper below the knee, blue socks pulled up, pants perfectly ironed, school crest sewn on at the proper chest height, no threads dangling, shoes freshly shined." But while they live with a lot of rules, lots of things don't make sense to them, as unfamiliar words appear in the news: politics, "degollados." Family members disappear, some never to return.

All of these glimpses into life during the Pinochet regime (1973-1990) give the reader a good idea how oppressive it was to live in Chile at this time. Although this novel is short, it is very descriptive, building atmosphere with details. I have another novel by Fernández The Twilight Zone that I will pick up soon.

If anyone would like my copy of this short novel, PM me your address, and I will send it your way.

I am still reading A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women but I am reading the middle section, a LONG essay on the mind-body problem. Hustvedt discusses scientists and philosophers and the efforts to make a computer that thinks.

Just to give you an idea of the discussion, today's section starts with questions:
"What is thinking? Are thoughts the utterances of each person's internal narrator? Are thoughts identical to inner speech? ... Do unconscious thoughts use words? Do thoughts take place only in a person's mind and/or brain? Or does one think with one's whole body? Do babies think? Could a false pregnancy be a form of bodily thought? Can the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems symbolize wishes and fears? How are a crow's thoughts like mine? How is it possible for me to think what I have never thought before?"

And later on in the essay: "Where do poems and music and fictional characters come from?Can we find an algorithm for Emily Dickinson's work..."

So, this gets the blood circulating in my brain in the morning.

>123 BLBera: As I mentioned the other day, I bought this last May and now I'm motivated to get to it sooner than later.

Happy Thursday!

You will like it, Ellen. Safe travels. Raise a glass for me in Hawai'i.

>123 BLBera: - This has been on my wishlist since I first saw it. I am hoping it comes out in paperback soon as I don't want to add more hardcovers to my already groaning shelves. Thanks for the great review, Beth.

It's worth waiting for, Shelley.

Space Invaders has been claimed.

Hi Beth!

>123 BLBera: Added to my wish list.

>132 BLBera: So, this gets the blood circulating in my brain in the morning. I only read serious things in the morning. By the end of the day my brain is mostly mush.

Hi Beth, sorry we're losing you from CR this year, but will keep up with your reading here.

>137 karenmarie: Hi Karen. Yes, my brain capacity goes down as the day progresses.

>138 AlisonY: Thanks for the visit, Alison. Since I was mostly cutting and pasting last year, two threads seem like a wasted effort. I will visit you on CR.

One week until we fly to Kauai. I'm ready!

I think after the next week of subzero temps, I will be ready to go as well. I am enjoying North Woods.

>141 BLBera: I feel like we were lulled into a bit of a belief that we could skip winter all together after a basically snow-free Christmas.

I'm also weary of sub zero temps, at least on the Celsius scale. It was - 15 C today. Very cold for us and my dog would only walk about a 1/4 mile this afternoon. I think it was the salt the bothered her the most. We have several cold days ago. I had to go back out by myself for a proper walk to get my steps in.

Some very interesting reading going on over here this year, Beth. Not familiar in the slightest with either of your last two reads but they do look intriguing.

Have a safe, warm and book filled weekend.

>132 BLBera: This sounds fascinating. I have been making deep dives into AI and this sounds like a good addition.

Happy weekend!

>142 Oberon: I don't mind a little snow, Erik, but it doesn't have to come at once. We got about a foot. But, with the help of my son-in-law, I am all shoveled out and got my cardio in for the day.

>143 vancouverdeb: We are expecting subzero temps for the next week, Deborah, but that is pretty common for January. We have had a mild winter so far, so I can't complain too much.

>144 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. Thanks for stopping by. I am trying to read new-to-me writers, especially young ones from South America.

>145 witchyrichy: It is fascinating, Karen. Some quotes from today's section: "The idea that abstract concepts and thoughts emerge from an embodied form of internalized movement has been gaining ground..." She's showing how the mind and body can't really be separated, which poses a problem for a lot of the developers of AI, who have kept them separate.

Also: "Perception is not about registering an objectively given world but about how an individual nervous system -- frog or human -- creates what is there through its interaction with the environment." The old, "is the table there if we aren't looking at it" argument.

Cheers!

Still reading and enjoying North Woods; parts remind me of The Overstory.

Hi, Beth. Glad to hear you are enjoying North Woods. What a nice surprise that book was. I hope you are staying warm & snug. Our temps are dropping rapidly. Ugh!

Yes, I am glad I am done with the shoveling, Mark. It is pretty cold.

Hi, Beth! I thought I’d posted last time I visited, but I guess my mind was playing tricks on me. Interesting thoughts on, well, thoughts—what they are and where they come from. I may have to check out A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women, which sounds really interesting.

Upthread, you said something about Sunday evenings being so much better when you don’t have to go to work on Monday. After being retired for over a decade, I can attest. I no longer cry myself to sleep on Sunday nights, but there is still a bit of PTSD attached to Mondays, and I still don’t like to make appointments that morning.

Stay warm!

>132 BLBera:. Wow! Intriguing, but maybe more thinking than I can handle first thing in the morning.

Everyone seems to be loving Northwoods.

Hi Beth, I too, have The Poisonwood Bible on my TBR and I am hoping to actually get to it this year. I have loved everything that I have read by Kingsolver so I am really looking forward to this one!

Glad to see your reading has got off to a good start this year Beth. Mine is a bit slower, but partly because one of the books is a slower read.

Happy New Year.

>149 Storeetllr: Hi Mary - yes, I am loving retirement. Winter has finally arrived here, with about a foot of snow and Arctic temps, so I will have time for reading in the next week or so.

>150 banjo123: Hi Rhonda - The Hustvedt book is fascinating. I wonder how she has time to do so much reading while still writing. She is amazing. I am enjoying North Woods.

>151 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. I thought I was the last person to read The Poisonwood Bible! I'll watch for your comments.

>152 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline - Well, I did start the Kenyon collection last year, and one was an audiobook, so I imagine my reading will be back to its normal pace. It is nice to be able to post some finished reading at the beginning of the year.

I know you don't love the snow, especially all in one large dump, but I am envious of the foot of snow all at once. I mean, I don't want it to happen now that my flight to Lihue approaches, but after we get back it would be okay. Haha. Hang in there and stay warm, my friend.

I recommend The Poisonwood Bible. I have even thought I might like to reread it one of these days.

Also, I notice we've both expressed some interest in House on Endless Waters over on Caroline's thread. Maybe we could do a shared read, perhaps in the summer? I've put it on hold at the library. They only have one copy but there are no current holds (it is checked out) so I think I could access it fairly easily.

I would be interested in a shared read of House on Endless Waters. I actually own a copy, so any time would work for me.

I don't mind the snow so much, but these zero temps are no fun. Good reading weather, I guess. Hawai'i sounds pretty good right now.

6. North Woods is a beautifully written novel with lovely descriptions of the Massachusetts woods in which it is set. Some parts of this novel remind me of The Overstory. The novel follows one house in the Massachusetts forest through centuries. As time passes, the house, its inhabitants, and its environs change, and there are ghosts.

With novels like these that follow different people's stories, there is always the risk that some stories -- and people -- are more compelling than others. I found that to be true here. I loved the beginning and the ending, but the middle was a slow read for me. I wanted more Osgoods.

Still in the end, I loved this book, and anyone who is interested in trees and nature will love it as well. I did love the artwork and the pages from the Farmer's Almanac as well.

>156 BLBera: I am glad you liked North Woods! Also totally agree about wanting more Osgoods.

>156 BLBera: I'm looking forward to this one, Beth, and so glad to see you liked it. You've also reminded me that I still have The Overstory to get to.

Yep, same about more Osgoods.

>157 Oberon: Hi Erik - This is one for your little free library!

>158 Copperskye: Hi Joanne. I think it's one you will like.

>159 EBT1002: Hi Ellen - Lots of Osgood love here. Safe travels.

Happy Friday, Beth!! I have power, and a TV and I'm watching me some tennis! : )

Happy Friday back! Who are you cheering for? I do like Coco. On the men's side, anyone but Djokovic.

>156 BLBera: Lots of love for North Woods around here, Beth. It's on my library hold list. I finally picked up The Whalebone Theatre on your recommendation, and hope to get to it next week. Stay warm!

" On the men's side, anyone but Djokovic."

But especially Ruud, my lucious little lutefisk :D

I seem to have mostly players I don't want to win on the men's side, but there are a few I wouldn't mind, including Katie's lutefisk.

I enjoyed your thoughts on North Woods, Beth. I loved the book too. I recently picked up The Winter Soldier which I will read later this year. I heard The Piano Tuner is very good too.

Loved your comments on North Woods, which I already have on the list!

I'm reading North Woods now and loving it.

Sadness. Ruud is out. And I agree--anyone but Djokovich. Also I am a Coco fan. : )

>163 Donna828: Hi Donna - I hope you like The Whalebone Theatre; I'll pop over to see what you think.

>164 katiekrug: Too bad Ruud didn't make it through, Katie. I like Alcaraz as well and I like Tsitsipas but he never seems to make it past the third or fourth round.

>165 ursula: Hi Ursula - I guess I will cheer for one of the youngsters.

>166 msf59: Hi Mark. Thanks. I think I have The Piano Tuner on my shelf.

>167 AMQS: Hi Anne - I will watch for your comments when you get to it.

>168 japaul22: I'll watch for your comments.

>169 Berly: Hey TwinK!

7. The Invisible Hour
I have really liked some of Alice Hoffman's novels, but this is not one of them. It starts out with promise. Mia Jacob and her mother live in a cult in western Massachusetts. Kids are not allowed to read, and there is a strict code of behavior. When Mia discovers books, she starts to plan her escape. The Scarlet Letter is a book that she feels drawn too; her life in the Community seems to have parallels to the Puritans. After Mia escapes from the Community, she becomes obsessed with Nathaniel Hawthorne.

This is where the novel takes a turn, and not one for the better. Mia time travels and meets Hawthorne. I found this ridiculous. I love a good time travel novel, but this device didn't work in this novel.

>171 BLBera: I have been burned too many times by Alice Hoffman and have sworn off of her books.

8. I Must Be Dreaming
Roz Chast's dedication: "This book is dedicated to the Dream District of our brains, that weird and uncolonized area where anything can happen, from the sublime to the mundane to the ridiculous to the off-the-charts bats."

I like Chast and loved Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?. This new book is amusing; Chast draws her dreams and mixes in a bit of theories about dreams. It's an OK afternoon read, but I didn't feel there was much substance here. Maybe if you are really interested/fascinated by dreams, you will love this. It was just OK for me.

After two rather disappointing books, I am escaping into Judgment Prey, about which I have no expectations other than a decent mystery (I hope).

>172 AMQS: Anne, I think I am done with her as well.

I used to eagerly await each new Alice Hoffman book but it's been years now since I've found one to interest me.

>153 BLBera: I have not read The poison wood Bible yet either. It is on my shelf though.....

Happy week ahead!

I am a relative newcomer to Alice Hoffman having read and enjoyed three of hers so far. I just finished The Red Garden and gave it 4 stars. I can see that one could tire of her so I will proceed with caution. :)

I like Hoffman's older works. Her new ones don't interest me much. I had thought The Invisible Hour might be one that would work for me, as I love The Scarlet Letter, but time travel is really not my cuppa, so I'll definitely pass on it.

>171 BLBera: Bummer. I have read many Alice Hoffmans's and they have all been 3 or better for me. I'll skip this one.

Have a great week!

Hi Beth!

>156 BLBera: I’m still working on North Woods, at a happy and leisurely pace. Glad you liked it, sorry some of the middle bits were slow for you.

>162 BLBera: I don’t follow tennis any more – I guess I was a Federer fan, not a tennis fan – but I was always ABD – anyone but Djokovic.

>171 BLBera: Well, NOT a BB. And, I have two Hoffmans on my shelves, never read, one from 2007 and the other from 2019. I’m going through a happy deaccessioning phase, and will remove them both today to take to the Friends of the Library for their spring sale. And, thanks for the NOT BB – I found a total of 6 books to remove from my shelves permanently while looking for the Hoffman in my Library.

>175 Copperskye: Hi Joanne - I see that I have several on my shelves. I think I might pass those on although I have heard good things about Turtle Moon.

>176 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita - I'm glad I wasn't the last one to read it!

>177 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy - I think The Red Garden was one of my favorites of hers.

>178 katiekrug: Hi Katie - I have a couple of old ones on my shelf. I might keep those and give away the newer ones. Too many books and not enough time.

>179 Berly: Hey TwinK - I will send you some more Hoffman. :)

>180 karenmarie: Hi Karen - I'll watch for your comments on North Woods. I'm happy to help you with your deaccessioning!

>181 BLBera: - I gave Turtle Moon four stars when I read it last year.

>175 Copperskye: Oh, I loved Turtle Moon! I hope you'll give it a chance sometime. I've read and loved most of her older stuff.

>149 Storeetllr: Even though I worked from home for most of my career, Mondays were a work day. Now, I make a point of going back to bed with a cup of coffee and a good book, sometimes only emerging for a second cuppa. Oh, happy retirement!

>156 BLBera: You, and the other commenters, got me with North Woods.

>182 katiekrug: I will give Turtle Moon a try, Katie. I have another older one, too, that I might keep. I'll look at the others.

>183 Copperskye: Good to know, Joanne. I won't just divest my shelves of all Alice Hoffman.

>184 witchyrichy: Hooray for retirement Mondays, Karen.

No, no, no, Turtle Moon was the first time Hoffman did me dirty. I was SO INTO the story and then (redacted). I should have stopped there.

>186 AMQS: I'll keep that in mind, Anne. There seems to be a difference of opinion on this one.

From A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women - "Delusions of Certainty"
This 200-page essay discusses the "mind-body problem," especially in relation to the creation of AI. Hustvedt has done extensive research in both science and philosophy and spends a lot of the essay talking about the computational theory of mind (CTM). Separating and simplifying the mind makes it easier to create models, but brings with it problems. I find this discussion fascinating, and at times really difficult. In the end, Hustvedt opines that it is impossible to separate the mind and the body, that we don't feel and think separately from our body, and she predicts that CTM will eventually give way to another theory that incorporates the body. She says, "I believe that formulating an adequate notion of the 'mind' requires an expanded idea of the imagination and the passions, concepts that have been subordinated to reason since the Greeks."

Now, on to the last section of the book: "What Are We?"

9. Poems of Akhmatova
This is a good introduction to the poetry of Anna Akhmatova. There are notes about the poems and translation, as well as a brief introduction to the poet. The Russian and English appear side by side. The poems selected vary from lyric to dramatic and span the poet's career.

I would like to read more by her -- this fairly brief selection doesn't really give me a good sense of the span of her work -- I'm not sure whether the translation is a barrier. It would be good to read other collections with different translators.

Now, I have to decide on my next collection. I have Richard Blanco's new collection, so I might pick up that.

>189 BLBera: It looks like there are several volumes of Akhmatova's poetry in translation, and I've been comtemplating purchasing one. Haven't made up my mind which one though. I wish one of her memoirs had been translated as well.

Hi Ardene - I think before I pick up another volume of Akhmatova's poetry, I will do some research about the various translators. The volume I read I picked up in the library bookstore.

Coco is going to have to step it up -- yeesh! : )

>192 Berly: It certainly made me feel better about my game. :)

10. Judgment Prey
When a federal judge and his two sons are murdered in St. Paul, US Marshall Lucas Davenport and BCA agent Virgil Flowers are asked to join the investigation. There's the usual banter and twists and turns. In the end, of course, they figure out the identity of the killer although I was left wondering about the motive...

Still, this is an entertaining entry in the series, if not one of the best ones. Maybe the series is getting a little tired? Still, Sandford knows how to plot and kept me turning the pages.

>189 BLBera: You remind me I need to revisit her Beth.



I got to see this great portrait of her by Nathan Altman, in the canvas a few years ago.

That portrait is gorgeous, Caroline. Thanks for adding some beauty to my thread.

>195 Caroline_McElwee: I ❤️ blue so that painting really impresses.

Aloha, Beth!!!

>171 BLBera: Oof, thanks for taking one for the team. Alice Hoffman is an author I have been wanting to revisit in my retirement; I shall skip The Invisible Hour. I'm less patient with time travel tales than you are, so if this one didn't work for you, it is most certainly not going to work for me!

>197 mdoris: Hi Mary

>198 EBT1002: I should have listened to Vivian, Ellen. She didn't like The Invisible Hour, either.

From A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women
"Borderlands: First, Second, and Third Person Adventures in Crossing Disciplines"
Hustvedt begins the essay with an epigram by Neils Bohr: "We must, in general, be prepared to accept the fact that a complete elucidation of one and the same object may require diverse points of view which defy unique description."

This is a perfect summary of the point she is trying to make. She discusses how researchers in "hard" science forget their own points of view and their effects on the subjects of their research. She argues that the "I" and emotion enter into almost all research, and in fact, that is not a bad thing. Hustvedt wants to "blur hard-and-fast borders" and "create zones of focused ambiguity," which she says is not a bad thing.

>194 BLBera: I’m not sure how or why, because I enjoy mysteries, but I’ve never read a Sanford. Perhaps I should.

I enjoy the Sandfords because they are set in Minneapolis, for the most part, and Sandford, who has a journalist background, is a decent writer. I think the series is getting a bit tired, and there were some in the beginning when I was tempted to stop reading, but overall, they are entertaining.

What should I start with? Do they have to be read in order?

OMG!! Tennis!! Men's Semifinals!

>203 Storeetllr: I'd probably start at the beginning.

>204 Berly: Sinner is my hero! 😂

>205 BLBera: Absolutely!!

Hey TwinK, did you watch the finals? I just saw the highlights.

11. Chenneville
Paulette Jiles owns Texas in the immediate post-Civil War era. I loved both News of the World and Simon the Fiddler, but Chenneville is even better.

John Chenneville wakes up in a Virginia hospital after a head injury, his recovery miraculous. Eventually he makes his way to his home near St. Louis, only to find that his little sister and her family have been murdered. All through his journey to revenge his sister's death, we see the effects of the war.

Chenneville is a wonderful, complex character who is revealed little by little as he travels through the various Texas landscapes.

I loved this novel. Fans of the previous Jiles novels will love this as well.

Very nice review, Beth, and the tipping point that got me to request it from the library. I liked News of the World and Simon the Fiddler so I don't know why I was holding back.

>208 BLBera: "Chenneville is a wonderful, complex character who is revealed little by little as he travels through the various Texas landscapes."
I agree 100%. And an interesting cast of supporting characters!

>209 lauralkeet: I loved News of the World and liked Simon the Fiddler. I LOVED Chenneville.

>208 BLBera: Adding to my wishlist, thanks Beth. I didn't realise she had a new one. Hopefully the library will be able to get hold of it for me.

I am still reading Chenneville!! : )

Oh, man, guess I should have bought Chenneville at Powell's yesterday. I loved News of the World.

>208 BLBera: Lovely review Beth. On to my list it goes.

I've never read any Paulette Jiles! I'll have to remedy that.

>209 lauralkeet: Laura, if you liked the others, you will love this. There is even a nod to Captain Kidd and Simon in the novel.

>210 EBT1002: Yes, Ellen, I am wondering if we're going to get a novel with Lemuel's adventures?!

>211 charl08: She is so good at historical fiction, Charlotte.

>212 Berly: How is it going so far? Does it meet with your approval?

>213 banjo123: I did buy it, Rhonda. I knew it would be a keeper.

>214 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba.

>215 japaul22: If you like historical fiction, you will love Jiles.

>208 BLBera: Oh good Beth another Paulette Jiles book to add to the list. With thanks for an excellent review.

>216 BLBera: "I am wondering if we're going to get a novel with Lemuel's adventures?!"

Ooh, that would be cool. Maybe you could write to Jiles and make the suggestion -- LOL

>217 mdoris: Jiles is so good at the time period.

>218 EBT1002: Maybe I will. Did you notice the brief call outs to Captain Kidd and Simon?

I had Chenneville checked out from the library over the holidays but had to return it unread. Regretting it now, but I'll get to it. I loved both Simon the Fiddler and News of the World.

So, what did you think of the tennis finals? : )

Another Jiles fan here - really looking forward to Chenneville!

>220 Copperskye: You will love Chenneville then, Joanne.

>221 Berly: I was happy for Sinner. Sabalenka, meh. You?

>222 katiekrug: You will love it, Katie. I am sorry it is done.

Hi Beth - I had seen talk here of Paulette Jiles's books, but you have finally pushed me over the edge and they are officially added to the TBR list. Your reviews are compelling!

Thanks Anne! I think you will like them. She has great characters and settings.

Although my Thingaversary isn't until June, I am assembling a list of my choices now and Chenneville has been placed on it. I have loved everything by Paulette Jiles that I have read!

Hi Judy: If you love Jiles, I think Chenneville is maybe her best yet.

From A Woman Looking at Men Looking at Women
"Why One Story and Not Another"
Hustvedt begins this essay with the question that authors often hear-- where do your ideas come from -- and takes off from there. She claims: "It is the accumulation of years of reading and thinking and living and feeling. It is the result of autobiography in the loosest sense -- not as literal facts, but as the creation of a story that appears from a writer's depths and feels emotionally true to her." Again, she returns to the mind-body question. She thinks that one can't separate imagination from the body. This is a fascinating discussion of the source of creativity and there's also an aside about bias against women writers.

Hustvedt also points out that "readers animate a novel" and that which "tastes good" to one reader may not appeal to another. Like the writer, readers bring experiences of reading and life to their reading, which makes the experience individual. She ends with why we read: "The great force of literature lies precisely in its evocation of a particular life or lives...In reading a novel, as in writing one, we shift our perspective and enter the world of another person to travel with her or him for the duration of the book. The story's truth or falseness lies in a resonance that is not easily articulated, but it is one that lives between reader and text -- and that resonance is at once sensual, rhythmic, emotional, and intellectual."

>228 BLBera: Beth that sounds like such a good book! I have been following your write-ups about it.

Hi Beth! Just catching up after a couple-three weeks away... boy your thread moves fast! You've read a lot of books that are on my virtual nightstand, greatly upping my anticipation! Especially North Woods, which I started and then had to put down because of work/book club/library hold books taking priority, but I really want to get back to it (after I finish my current library hold and book for review for LJ... I never learn). My copy is an e-galley, so I hope they included the almanac images you mentioned. I love getting galleys but am sad when they leave out the artwork.

The Hoffman is NOT on my nightstand, though—I've actually never read anything by her. What would be a good book to start with?

It is very thought provoking, Mary, which I love, though sometimes I think I should drink my coffee first! I usually read it with my coffee in the morning.

>221 Berly: I was happy with both of them. I have found Sabalenka quite amusing in her interviews and I don't really know Zheng at all. Sinner is an up and coming player I think. Now what am I going to do with all my free time? Oh, right. Read!!

>230 lisapeet: Hi Lisa! I think my favorite Hoffman was The Red Garden, but you probably could not read her... Yes, I think North Woods is best read as a hard copy - there's a lot of art and other stuff.

>232 Berly: I know, TwinK. I always have tennis withdrawal after the major is over. I didn't really care about the finals this time. I was happy to see Sinner win, I guess. It's good to spread the trophies around.

>233 BLBera: The Red Garden was the last Hoffman I attempted, but after the bear I abandoned the book and the author.

>219 BLBera: I thought I caught the brief callout to Simon, but I missed the other one. Rats.

I like her work so much, I could imagine going back and rereading more closely together in time to catch that kind of thing. :-)

>234 AMQS: Is that a TW for those of us who don't do well with animals in pain?

>235 EBT1002: Yes. And I had a similar issue with Turtle Moon along with another plot point.

Anne: I might just donate the Hoffmanns I have on my shelves. There are too many good books.

Hi Ellen - It was a brief mention of someone who reads the news, no names. Jiles owns post-Civil War Texas, as far as I am concerned.