Squeaky is puzzling in 2024 - 2nd Quarter

(Continued from here.)

This year I've been dedicating my threads to a fun pastime that I started doing more often during the pandemic...jigsaw puzzles! I'm posting on this thread pictures of puzzles that I've completed with my family and friends.

When I'm not puzzling, I'm either trying out new recipes, reading, playing Pokemon GO, exercising to fight my newly diagnosed osteoporosis, working on my TIOLI challenges, or watching free streamed movies on Kanopy. I have been posting my Kanopy film reviews on this thread. Come join me there!

Here are my 2024 stats so far:



Pages Read YTD: 2,475
Pages Read per Day: stable at 14
Books in My To Read list: increased to 402
Bookcrossing Books in My Home (to eventually be released elsewhere): increased to 2,070

April:


1,000 pieces “Japanese Maple Tree” by Peter Pauper Press

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. Kensington International Day of the book Street Festival in Kensington, Maryland, USA

COMPLETED:
5. The Whole-Body Approach to Osteoporosis - R. Keith McCormick. - TIOLI #2: Read a book for the Zodiac challenge: Aries - has a word on the first page from the ram-related list (that few ever see) - 220 pages

May:


1,000 pieces “The Home of Famously Low Prices” by Fred

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. Gaithersburg Book Festival in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA

COMPLETED:
6. The Book of Jones - Ralph Steadman - TIOLI #4: Read a book with a title to spell out MOTHER (T) - 76 pages
7. War Story - Gwen Edelman - TIOLI #1: Read a book whose title, subtitle, or author's full name begins or end in the letter "Y" - 168 pages
8. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century - Yuval Noah Harari - TIOLI #13: Read a paper book - 278 pages
9. Thing: Inside the Struggle for Animal Personhood - Sam Machado TIOLI #4: Read a book for a rolling challenge to spell out MOTHER (T) - 227 pages

June:


1,000 pieces “Legend of the Jaguar Shaman” by Art and Fable

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. BookCrossing Meetup in Alexandria, Virginia

COMPLETED:
10. Maigret in New York - Georges Simenon - TIOLI #4: Read a book that fits a category on the 2024 Seattle Public Library Book Bingo Card (borrowed from a library) - 184 pages
11. The Wolf Hunt - Ayelet Gundar-Goshen - TIOLI #13: Read a book where the title and author's name are in different colours on the cover (white/orange) - 278 pages

Happy new thread, Madeline! I love the puzzle pictures.

Happy new thread Madeline!

Happy new thread, Madeline.
Love the puzzles.

Happy new thread, Madeline! And I love the puzzles too!

>5 atozgrl: >6 quondame: >7 Helenliz: >8 Kristelh: Thanks, all!

Now that I’ve started watching films on Kanopy, I can’t seem to get my old reading rhythm back. I feel as if I’m catching up with all the movies I haven’t seen for all the years I’ve been wearing hearing aids. Modern technology of captioning is so precious to me!

I’ve recently been starting books, putting them down and starting other books. I can’t seem to read one long enough to finish it. I think my anxiety is starting to surface again, but I’m trying hard to keep it under control. World news doesn’t help although I try to limit what I read.

Happy new thread!

Thanks, Lily!

>9 SqueakyChu: - Happy new thread, Madeline. I hear you on the reading/putting down/ picking up something else. I feel like I've been doing that for months, if not longer!

I actually bought 2 puzzles in the last 2 weeks. I must be going crazy because I haven't done a puzzle since the boys arrived and I honestly don't know when I'll begin. Plus, I have at least 5 on my shelf, unopened. I will have to crack open the new puzzle mat and see if that might work! Your >2 SqueakyChu: is stunning!

>11 SqueakyChu: Your Welcome!!

>12 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley.

I’m so sorry about the loss of your mom, but I’m glad your life will hopefully be less stressful going forward. And that “High Tea”! I’m guessing you’ll be doing that with Madeleine? :).

I found other puzzlers in my BookCrossing group so now we swap puzzles as well as books at our meetups. I swap with 6of8, bluemozaic, and KateKintail. We just don’t register them. However, we do our “puzzle journal” right on the box (date completed, how many days, where & by whom). So much fun!

We still rent puzzles from Completing the Puzzle. All of the puzzles on the thread are from that puzzle rental company. The Japanese Maple Tree was the hardest puzzle we’ve ever done.

Happy new thread, Madeline!

>15 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Happy new thread, Madeline!

>9 SqueakyChu: I’ve recently been starting books, putting them down and starting other books. I can’t seem to read one long enough to finish it. I think my anxiety is starting to surface again, but I’m trying hard to keep it under control. World news doesn’t help although I try to limit what I read. I understand that and hope that the anxiety stays at bay.

I join in the puzzle love!

>17 alcottacre: I think my anxiety might lessen a bit once the weather warms up, and I can garden. I never suffered from anxiety ever in my life before pandemic/Trump. Now it seems to come and go but never goes entirely away. Too many things to worry about as I age and read the news! I long for the those olden days that nothing seemed to bother me!

Art and Fable has become my favorite puzzle company.

Happy new thread and a very happy new Quarter, Madeline. xx

>19 PaulCranswick: Thank you so much, Paul.

Happy new thread, Madeline!
Thanks for featuring such lovely jigsaw puzzles.

>9 SqueakyChu: >18 SqueakyChu: So sorry you feel this way, anxiety is hard to live with.

Happy new thread!

>4 SqueakyChu: Wow! that is striking. You can't even tell it's a puzzle.

>21 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita.

Some of the jigsaw puzzles are amazing!

>22 figsfromthistle: Art and Fable puzzles have a matte rather than shiny finish and feature stunning works of art. That’s why I love this puzzle brand so much. They’re pretty challenging to do as well.

Found you! Happy new thread! Wishing you more puzzles and less anxiety.

>24 Berly: Thanks, Kim.

>18 SqueakyChu: Anxiety about the world situation I can fully comprehend. The news media these days seems totally bereft of balance and seems intent on setting agendas.
I am extremely distressed by the obvious and quite virulent anti-semitism that seems to be back in vogue at the moment and we are in a dangerous place.

I suppose we must be fatalistic Madeline and realize that it is beyond our power to affect monumental change and just do our own little bit to do good on the micro level in the meanwhile. I genuinely believe that people have more goodness than they have badness in their souls and platforms such as this do raise my spirits about the joy, peace, stimulation and comfort inherent in small communities such as ours here. If only we could bottle it and pass it on!

Keep your chin up dear lady.

>26 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I try to find happiness in family, friends and small things, but I am always worried in a way that I never was before.

The worldwide antisemitism is deeply painful to me, especially since October 7th did not even need to happen. Now the world has turned upside-down for those of my religion, and I won't even go into the sad situation for my family and friends in Israel or the devastating situation for everyone in Gaza. An especially upsetting incident happened recently to a cousin-in-law of mine. She is an Israeli, away from her family in Israel, living alone near me and teaching in a private Jewish school for one year. I make it a point to get together with her, usually having her here with our family for Friday night meals. She told of an incident in which she recently met another Israeli she knew in a retail store and they were both happily conversing in Hebrew (which she rarely does here in the U.S.). The owner of the store heard them speaking Hebrew and threw them both out of the store. This was in the heart of Montgomery County, Maryland. Our population is 10% Jewish. We feel fearful so much now.

On a better note, two of my kids went west today to view the total solar eclipse. My son said it was the coolest thing EVER. My husband and I got to watch the eclipse here in Maryland where it was not total. We had 87.9% coverage of the sun. It was fun to watch on this beautiful day today plus I got to do a little garden work.

>27 SqueakyChu: Oh Madeline! How extremely distressing. And so startlingly blatant! I feel for your cousin and you as well.

>27 SqueakyChu: That's horrible!! I am sorry for your cousin, and you, and all people who feel threatened because of their religion (or any other reason).

>28 quondame: >29 Berly: Susan and Kim, I felt so sad when she told me what happened.

>30 SqueakyChu: Sad and a little disgusted. Isn't this supposed to be the 21st Century? Haven't we learned nothing from the lessons imprinted so tragically upon our forbears?

>27 SqueakyChu: Was Montgomery county in the Confederate part of Maryland?

>31 PaulCranswick: Some people do not learn a thing from history. Sadly, history eventually always seems to repeat itself.

>32 m.belljackson: Yes, because it was south of the Mason-Dixon Line. All of Maryland was south of the Mason-Dixon Line. However, Montgomery County is now a very liberal, diverse place to live. I usually feel more comfortable here than in some other parts of Maryland.

>33 SqueakyChu: The scenes in Michigan with protestors screaming for "Death to America" and obviously Israel too are frankly as disgusting as they are disturbing. Why on earth are those people enjoying American freedoms if they hate you all so vehemently.

I know you have free speech and that that free speech is protected by the constitution but surely that is either treason or seditious. The authorities must do something about this nonsense.

>34 PaulCranswick: My husband, who is a native Salvadoran, always thinks that people in the U.S. (he's now an American citizen) have too many rights. I'm more worried now about our right wing Supreme Court than I am about the wording of our Constitution.

5. The Whole-Body Approach to Osteoporosis - R. Keith McCormick


--------------------------------
TIOLI #2: Read a book for the Zodiac challenge: Aries - has a word on the first page from the ram-related list (that few ever see)
--------------------------------
Having been recently diagnosed with osteoporosis, I borrowed this book via inter-library loan through my own public library. This is a very comprehensive book about osteoporosis told from the vast experience in this field by R. Keith McCormick, doctor of chiropractic. The book is full of information and very detailed.

This book worked less well for me than I had hoped. I was overwhelmed by the amount of detailed information and cannot say that I even understood all of it. I also found it terrifying. It was really more than I wanted to know from a person who is not a medical doctor. I have no less regard for doctors of chiropractic than for medical doctors, but I feel that medical doctors are more likely to order medication at the first sign of osteoporosis so what I really wanted to know was more about the medications and how they would affect me. I am not one to second guess my own medical doctor and tell her what tests to order. By the end of this book, I had had enough and just skimmed the last few pages to be done with it.

I think this book has great merit for those who are trying to avoid osteoporosis medication and take control of managing all the aspects of their disease mostly through diet and exercise. This is just not me.

Rating - 3 stars

You want to do enough exercise to tell your bones that they're needed, but not so much that you risk breaking one.

6. The Book of Jones: A Tribute to the Mercurial, Manic, and Utterly Seductive Cat - Ralph Steadman


-------------------------------------
TIOLI #4: Read a book with a title to spell out MOTHER (T)
-----------------------------------
What a gorgeous book! Actually, it made me cry. Ralph Steadman, author and artist, drew fantastic ink drawings of a cat named Jones who lived at the mountain home of author Hunter S. Thompson. This cat was master of his own fate and owed no one anything. Years ago, I had a feral cat named Lord Bravery who was just like Jones. Therefore I loved reading about this cat's interactions, however brief, with others. For the beautiful artwork and the author's appreciation of a cat's personality, I say that this is a book not to be missed by those who love individuals of the feline persuasion.

Rating - 5 stars

Jones treated him and the rest with similar detente. Everypne was a moving thing to tease his whim with respect and worship at the altar he had made his own.

Nice to see you posting my friend.

I hope everything is ok with you despite the madness going on all around us.

>38 PaulCranswick: Every day is indeed pure madness here in my country and around the world, Paul. That being said, I enjoyed a wonderful Passover holiday with family and friends and was honored to host two Israelis (one a long-time dear friend and the other, her cousin) at our house during the week of Passover. It was really a delight. Despite the work involved, I was so happy and anxiety-free...a real change for me.

7. War Story - Gwen Edelman



———————
TIOLI #1: Read a book whose title, subtitle, or author's full name begins or end in the letter Y
—————————
This is a moving story of Kitty, a young aspiring writer, who meets Joseph Kluger, a much older published author and Holocaust survivor. They quickly become lovers, and she learns to tolerate his crude behavior and listen to his war stories. He had survived the war because his Viennese parents sent him to a foster Dutch family as the war years began. The novel traces Joseph’s life, the pair’s relationship, and their final breakup. As the novel opens, Kitty is traveling to his funeral in the Netherlands, and the book is the story of their relationship over the years they were together.

Rating - 5 stars

I have had many names, he said with a shrug. The fate of a Jew my darling. He must constantly metamorphose to stay one step ahead, to remain alive.

8. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century - Yuval Noah Harari


-----------------------------------------
TIOLI #13: Read a paper book
----------------------------------------------

This is the second book by this author which I have read. I like how he puts problems we face on a global basis rather than an individual or national basis. In order to survive in the future, we need to have a plan that will work for future generations. He talks about many subjects which will affect our lives in the future. For me, his most profound thoughts arise out of his belief that our lives consist of myths and stories which encompass such things as nationhood, religion, and other categories with which each of us self-identifies. What surprised me the most was at the end of the book where the author finds meaning and solace in meditation.

One thing I especially love about Harari’s writing is that he writes about each subject clearly and objectively. Whether I agree or disagree with what he writes, I understand perfectly what says. I also delight in the ways he expresses himself (i.e. “What my people lack in numbers and real influence, they more than compensate for in chutzpah.”). This author’s truths are so factual they oftentimes make me laugh in their simplicity.

Books like this one are exceptional in forcing readers to think about how objectively they see the world in terms of such things as religion, politics, and truth. I am eager to continue reading the brilliant writing of this author.

Rating - 5 stars

It is fascinating and terrifying to behold people spending countless hours constructing and embellishing a perfect self online, becoming attached to their own creation, and mistaking it for the truth about themselves. That's how a family holiday fraught with traffic jams, petty squabbles, and tense silences become a collection of beautiful panoramas, perfect dinners, and smiling faces; 99% of what we experience never becomes part of the story of the self.

And for fun, I had ChatGPT review the same book using my thoughts. Here is what it wrote:

Having delved into Yuval Noah Harari's previous work, *Sapiens*, I approached *21 Lessons for the 21st Century* with high expectations. Harari did not disappoint. At 67% through the book, I find myself both challenged and enlightened by his global perspective on contemporary issues. Harari deftly shifts the focus from individual or national concerns to a broader, global context, emphasizing the necessity for plans that ensure the survival and prosperity of future generations.

Harari’s book covers a wide array of subjects that are poised to shape our future, from the rise of artificial intelligence to the threats posed by climate change and nuclear war. For me, the most profound insights stem from his exploration of the myths and stories that define our lives. Harari posits that concepts such as nationhood, religion, and personal identity are constructs—narratives we create and perpetuate. This perspective is both unsettling and illuminating, prompting a reevaluation of the foundational stories we tell ourselves.

What truly sets Harari apart is his ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and objectivity. Whether or not I agree with his conclusions, I always understand his arguments. His knack for distilling intricate subjects into comprehensible and thought-provoking narratives is evident throughout the book. I particularly enjoy his witty expressions, such as, “What my people lack in numbers and real influence, they more than compensate for in chutzpah.”

Harari’s writing compels readers to reassess their views on religion, politics, and truth. His observations often resonate with a simplicity and clarity that are both startling and refreshing, making me chuckle at times. The simplicity of his truths is disarming, inviting readers to engage deeply with the material.

One of the most surprising elements of *21 Lessons for the 21st Century* is Harari's personal reflection on meditation at the end of the book. In a work filled with data-driven analysis and historical context, this introspective turn underscores the importance of mindfulness and self-awareness in navigating the complexities of modern life.

*21 Lessons for the 21st Century* is an exceptional book that forces readers to think critically about the world around them. Harari’s deep thinking and clear writing make for a brilliant combination, ensuring that this book is not only informative but also profoundly engaging. Whether you are a returning reader of Harari's work or new to his insights, this book offers a compelling examination of the forces shaping our present and future.

...and, no I will not use ChatGPT to formulate any of my future book reviews!

9. Thing: Inside the Struggle for Animal Personhood - Sam Machado


----------------------------------
TIOLI #4: Read a book for a rolling challenge to spell out MOTHER (T)
---------------------------------
What an interesting book! I came across this advance review copy in my Little Free Library. I'm forever thumbing through graphic novels so I gave this book a quick browse.

I was surprised to find that it was a nonfiction book, in the style of a graphic novel and was about the idea of "personhood" for animals. What?! They are not people; they are "animals".

A case is presented of an elephant named Happy who is struggling to get the same rights as humans, particularly liberty, because elephants are sentient living things with high cognitive capabilities. It's an intriguing idea and probably one whose time has come as man has dominated so many animal species simply because humans have not before been aware of animals' sensitivities.

A group called the Non-Human Rights Project (nhrp) is working on cases presently to grant some animals "personhood", particularly elephants, chimpanzees, and orca whales. It will be interesting in the future to see how this develops. This was a new and surprising discovery for me. I'm so glad I found this book!

Rating - 4.5 stars

The NHRP's experts state that African and Asian elephants share numerous complex cognitive abilities with humans, such as self-awareness, empathy, awareness of death, intentional communication, leaning, memory, and categorization abilities. Each is a component of autonomy. (Justice Tuitt)

I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis some years ago, after suffering a compression fracture in my vertebrate. T5 I think it is . It took over a year from when the extreme pain began. I was just 48 or 49 and I guess the doctors just did not expect me to have a compression fracture. After a year - the pain subsided after about 3 months, I convinced my family doctor to send me for an x ray of my spine. From there, they did see a healed fracture and then I had a proper bone scan and was diagnosed. I did find it frightening. I still do , but much less so as time has gone by. I also slipped in my foyer a few years following the diagnosis, and fractured my wrist and foot. I did see an endocrinologist about it, but I felt his only answer was drugs, which once I read about them seemed very scary and not necessarily effective. I did find that physiotherapist I saw at the same time very helpful in helping me know what sort of movements, lifting , exercise etc I should avoid. The dietician was quite helpful too. I always did drink milk, but now I drink 3 glasses of skim milk a day, and I cut out things like sit ups, touching my toes, lifting over 10 lbs , though occasionally I lift more, but I am careful about it. Twisting etc - like throwing the ball for our dog, I also cut out. Fingers crossed, I have been free of any further fractures for 13 years, I think it is. I also walk about 2 - 3 miles most days. I hope you are feeling better about the diagnosis as time goes on , Madeline.

>44 vancouverdeb: Thanks for sharing your personal experiences with osteoporosis, Deb. Since I read that book about osteoporosis, my thoughts about the meds have changed a lot!

My doctor wanted me to start a med called alendronate (generic Fosamax). The more I learned about that med, the more frightened I became! Some people take it with no side effects; others have terrible side effects. I delayed starting it with my doctor’s permission because I didn’t want side effects from it during Passover when I had two house guests and was hosting a Seder for 22 people! Then I had a blood test which showed I had hypercalcemia after taking 1500mg of calcium daily for two years but developed osteoporosis over that same time anyway!

The last straw was when my dentist said his practice would not work on dental surgery for me if I were on that med! The last time he sent me outside of his practice was a disaster.

I declined taking the alendronate at this time. I now drink three glasses of high calcium beverages (no more calcium pills!!) daily and am trying to walk or garden at least 15-30 minutes a day. The latter is a bit harder as I feel very tired from a recent internal bleed.

I go back for another DEXA in two years. If the numbers get worse, I’ll probably start the med at that time. :(

A lot has changed in my thoughts about osteoporosis since I was first diagnosed!! I am less scared now, but I am thrilled to have avoided the medication for at least two years. :)

10. Maigret in New York - Georges Simenon


----------------------------
TIOLI #4: Read a book that fits a category on the 2024 Seattle Public Library Book Bingo Card (borrowed from a library)
---------------------------
This was my first ever book about the French detective Maigret in the series by Georges Simenon. Not big on mysteries, I had been left a copy of this book in Hebrew, but I knew there was no way I could understand it so I opted to get an English version via Interlibrary loan.

The story starts with Maigret being hired in France to accompany a young man to New York because this man fears something is going to happen to his father who lives in that city. Upon their arrival in New York by boat, the young man suddenly disappears so Maigret has to not only figure out what danger there was to the young man's father, but also what happened to the young man who made the trip across the ocean with him!

Being the forgetful reader that I am, I made a list of all the characters as I read this book so I would understand the interrelationships between people. It took me a while to finish this rather short book. I liked the character of Maigret and probably would agree to read another book in this series if it could be as short as this one.

At the end of the book, though, I felt that I didn't understand enough of what happened so I went to look up a plot synopsis online. I'm not sure if it was just me or if the plot was that confusing. I have a feeling it was just me.

However, despite my slight difficulty with this novel, I was happy to be introduced to the character of Maigret, and thrilled not to have had to figure out this story in Hebrew!

Rating - 3 stars

“…Imagine this: I, too, would like to engage the services of a private detective.” (Maigret)

Simenon's Maigret was the first book I ever read in French (and frankly, the last, too), when I was taking French back in school. It was too hard for me to follow and understand and though I don't remember now, I doubt I finished it. Your review makes me think that maybe the plot was just too convoluted to be suitable for a non-native speaker of the language, but I also think I just didn't have enough French to be able to really *read* a book in that language. My French skills, sad to say, have not improved since...

>47 jessibud2: Funny that you read the same book in the language it was written and also had a hard time with the plot!

And the vocabulary. And the grammar. And comprehension. I guess when it comes to reading. I'll stick to my first language! lol

To be fair, I have no idea if it was the same Maigret as the one you read. There are many Maigret books.

>49 jessibud2: To be fair to books written in Hebrew, I did fairly recently find a book in “easy Hebrew” about a paratrooper dog in the IDF written by Motti Gur. It was written for readers with only a limited knowledge of Hebrew and footnotes of harder Hebrew words translated into English. I loved reading that book!

Do you remember in Israel there was a newspaper called “Hamatchil”? It was a newspaper in easy Hebrew for new immigrants. For years after I lived in Israel, my Israeli aunt Emma used to mail me a copy of that newspaper each month. Great memory.

My friend Nina who left the Maigret book for me said that book by Moti Gur was “too old”! LOL! She said she’d send me newer books to try in easy Hebrew. She also left me another novel in Hebrew, but I won’t try it as I know it would be too hard for me to understand. However, I’m going to try to get an English translation of that novel as well as I’m familiar with and like the author. She is Ayelet Gundar-Goshen who wrote Waking Lions.

We had that newspaper in our ulpan. My spoken Hebrew is much much better than my ability to read it. I can write what I can speak, though I'm sure with plenty of mistakes but I have always struggled with reading and have never been tempted to try to read an actual book. My last year living there, I had enrolled at U of TA, in English linguistics, with an eye toward teaching English. As luck would have it, a couple of the text books were written by Israelis, in Hebrew. I was sharing an apartment in TA with my (Israeli) cousin at the time and she would have to read the texts to me. Listening to her read them, I could understand but truly could not have read them on my own. That's when I left and decided to come home. I figured if I was going to flunk out, it ought to be because I didn't have the intelligence to succeed, not because I couldn't read the textbook! Plus, I told her that if I had managed to graduate, the degree would have to go to her!

>51 jessibud2: That's interesting, Shelley. I wondered why you came back to the USA, but I never thought to ask you. I only returned because my dad was still alive then and was living alone. My aunt really hoped I would make aliyah. If it hadn't been for my dad being alone in the US, I probably would not have returned and would still be living in Jerusalem to this day! As it turned out, a colleague from my work in the US ended up making aliyah with her husband because she had a son living there. She lives in Jerusalem. :D I also have had some cousins on my dad's side of the family who have made aliyah to Beit Shemesh. Yes, they are religious, but they are terrific people. My mother's family are all Israeli - 100%.

I will soon be posting on my next quarter's thread.

Dear Madeline, I had a fairly heated exchange with my wife's cousin's husband on genocide and Palestine yesterday and was seething at the bigotry and misinformation that seems to being indoctrinated into the minds of Muslims throughout the world.

I asked him (normally a very sane and moderate person) to define for me genocide and then when he was not really able to I told him that by any definition what Israel is doing - whether you agree with all of it or not - it is certainly not genocide, but that what Hamas openly espouse is the eradication of the state of Israel and by extension all its Jewish population and that is - by definition - genocide.

The West needs to stop trying to be all things to all people and stand by the side of its friends and allies.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali warned The West and The World many years ago to increase Muslim surveillance.

Few listened and none in charge of a country.

>54 PaulCranswick: Paul, I agree with you, but what feeds this misinformation is antisemitism. I feel that most people who make the claim of "genocide" happening in Gaza have no deep understanding of the situation in the Middle East. They see everything as either all right or all wrong. There are so many sides to this issue. What is needed is a moral stance by both sides. I disagree with the Netanyahu government, but I more strongly disagree with the Hamas goal to eliminate Israel (and, by extention, my close relatives) completely.

>55 m.belljackson: That was an excellent book which I read in 2014. I recommend it to others. Its message still prevails today.

>56 SqueakyChu: Yes sadly you are right, Madeline.

>57 PaulCranswick: :(

11. The Wolf Hunt - Ayelet Gundar-Goshen


---------------------------------
TIOLI #13: Read a book where the title and author's name are in different colours on the cover (white/orange)
-------------------------------
Wow! This was a fantastic, page-turning read which I highly recommend to others, particularly those who are familiar with Israel, the Israeli people and Israeli culture. I was captivated by this book because the author detailed so well the nuances of Israelis living in America. The subtle nostalgia about Israel within the pages of this novel I also found very moving.

Most of this thoroughly engaging novel, though, focuses on the psychological relationship between an Israeli mother living in Silicon Valley, California, with her always-preoccupied-with-business husband, their one son, high school student Adam, and a new Israeli family friend, Uri, who is a Krav Maga instructor. The story begins when Jamal, a Black student in Adam’s school dies of a drug overdose at a party they both attend, following which Adam suddenly becomes obsessed with learning self defense skills in Uri’s course. The mom seems to alternately suspect and then deny her son’s involvement with Jamal’s death throughout the novel. The dad seems to completely deny it. It helps that the author is a clinical psychologist as she is so adept at describing the mother's thoughts and the other characters' actions, both of which need ongoing analysis by the reader to form an opinion of what is going on with everyone.

This book reminded me a bit of the novel Defending Jacob by William Landay in which a father refused to believe his own teenage son was capable of murder.

It wasn’t until near the end of the book that I fully realized how deftly the author wove her story line, bringing all the characters alive with their complex relationships of one to the other. This was a great story, and now I am so ready to read more work by this author!

Rating - 5 stars

When we decided to stay in the States, I told my mother that I wanted to raise Adam in a place that had no wars. Now I was afraid that we'd been wrong. We thought we were protecting Adam from the Israeli insanity, but maybe we were actually exposing him to a different kind of insanity.