RebaRelishesReading 2024 - page 3

I joined LT in 2007 because I wanted to catalog my library but didn't truly appreciate the full wonder of the place until I found the 75'ers in 2012 (I think that's the year). It's a favorite part of my morning now. I also love meeting other members in person when possible.

For those of you I don't know, I'll introduce my self a bit. I'm a Californian by birth and have lived there much of my life but late in 2020 Hubby and I decided it was time to leave our condo in the Uptown district of San Diego and move to some place quieter and, most importantly, nearer our youngest grandchild. We have two older grandchildren who we adore but both are away studying now and probably won't be living near us anymore even if we had stayed in San Diego. Quinn is just six so we will have many years enjoying him growing up as we did the other two. So I've added Washington State to the list of places I've lived at various times in my life (California, Arizona, Connecticut, the Netherlands, England, the Netherlands, California, Ireland, California) and I'm enjoying becoming a north-westerner.

I read mostly fiction with a helping of biography or history thrown in. A couple of years ago I finished a personal challenge to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winning fiction. I've also challenged myself to read the Pulitzer wining biographies but I don't seem to be making much progress on that score.

My ranking system:
Superb *****
Excellent ****1/2
Very good ****
Good ***1/2
Average ***
Don't bother **
Terrible *

I try to keep this in mind when I'm assigning stars but I know I'm also influenced by my current mood, etc. so don't take it too very, very seriously.

BOOKS READ IN 2024

JANUARY
1. Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry****
2. A Song of Comfortable Chairs by Alexander McCall Smith***1/2 Audio
3. The Elephants of Thula Thula} by Francoise Malby-Anthony ****Audio
4. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus*****+
5. Lessons by Ian McEwan**
6. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman***1/2

FEBRUARY
7. A Future We Can Love by Susan Bauer-Wu***** (reread)
8. An Immense World by Ed Yong*****
9. Day by Michael Cunningham****1/2 (audio)
10. A Chateau Under Siege by Martin Walker***1/2 (audio)
11. These Precious Days by Ann Patchett ***** (audio)
12. The Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett ****1/2 (audio)
13. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin****

MARCH
14. "O" is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton***1/2
15. Work Song by Ivan Doig ****
16. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig ***

APRIL
17. Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton
18. An Irish Country Love Story by Patrick Taylor
19. Mannerly Forever: A Biography of Daphne du Maurier by Tatiana de Rosnay
20. The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy
21. You'll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron
22. Mrs. Osmond by John Banville
23. Georgia by Dawn Tripp
24. Sleep Like the Dead by Alex Gray
25. The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies

MAY
26. Long Island by Colm Toibin
27. R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton ***1/2 (audio)
28. S is for Silence by Sue Grafton **** (audio)
29. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton ***(audio)
30. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton **** (audio)
31. The Women by Kristin Hannah *****

JUNE
32. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton ***1/2(audio)
33. Night Watch by Jane Anne Phillips *****
34. From a Far and Lovely Country by Alexander McCall Smith ***1/2 (audio)
35. W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton ***1/2 (audio)
36. X by Sue Grafton ***1/2 (audio)
37. The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard ****
38. Marking Time by Elizabeth Jane Howard ****
39. Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard ****

JULY
40. Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard ****
41. Clear by Carys Davies ****1/2
42. Activating the Common Good by Peter Block ***
43. All Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard ****
44. Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton ***1/2 (audio)
45. Sipsworth by Simon van Booy ****1/2
46. All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams***1/2 (audio)
47. The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende ****
48. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride ****1/2

AUGUST
49. Naar De Overkant by Santa Montefiore (audio re-listen)
50. Enough by Cassidy Hutchinson *****(audio)
51. The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich ****

And welcome to all who stop by :) -- I look forward to hearing from you

Happy New Thread, Reba! I was admiring the gorgeous baby sweater sets that you knit on your previous thread. How lovely and such a wonderful cause too .

>6 vancouverdeb: Welcome!! and thank you Deborah.

re the knitting - I do the same thing over and over (which means I don't have to give it much thought) and find it very relaxing. The charity assembles a bigger-than-king-sized-pillowcase cloth bag full of clothes and necessities for new borns which are distributed by a hospital social worker at hospitals who serve new moms who would otherwise have trouble getting a "layette" together. It gives me great pleasure.

Happy new thread, Reba!

Happy new one, Reba!

Happy new thread! And it was great to see you yesterday.

Happy new thread, Reba.

I could do with one of those badges in >1 RebaRelishesReading:

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Reba!!!

Thanks and welcome Anita, Jim, Rhonda, Paul, Anita and Roni!! (We could all use one of the badges I imagine Paul 😁)

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips*****
2024 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner

This is a heart-wrenching, painful, beautiful book that is worth every difficult minute it takes to read it. In the early days of the Civil War, a young man in the north west of Virginia tries to take his pregnant wife north to safety while he fights in the Union Army. She goes into labor while they're in crossing the Allegheny mountains and he leaves her, and their infant daughter, with a woman who had been his nursemaid after his mother died when he was a child. The book is largely the story of the wife and daughter as they try to survive the war and the disruption in the years after the war. The writing is beautiful, often poetic, and the story is complicated and intense. Highly recommended.

>1 RebaRelishesReading: I identify with that pin!

Happy new thread, Reba!

>15 RebaRelishesReading: That looks interesting.

>15 RebaRelishesReading: I got Night Watch in from a hold at my library. I hope I will enjoy as much as you do, Reba. I'd like to finish reading the last book from the The Women's Prize Shortlist, so I think my next read will have to be River East, River West. I also got Enlightenment in from the library , so as a slow reader, will see what I can get to.

I wish I knew how to knit. Many years ago my grandma taught me the basics and I attempted a sweater for my then 3 year old son. Unfortunately my grandma lived about 1500 miles away, so help was not easily had. I did get most of the sweater knit but then I could not figure out how to sew it together , so I boxed it up and mailed to my grandma and she did that for me.

>17 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene

>18 vancouverdeb:. Hi Deborah. I didn't find Night Watch to be an easy read but, as you can tell, I really liked it. Beautiful, almost poetic, language and a difficult story. Hope you like it too.

There are some great places to learn to knit on You Tube (or yarn shops often offer classes). The pattern I use for the baby sweaters is knit from the neck down and I adapted it to make the body all one piece (no seams). You have to put the stitches for the sleeves onto holders while you finish the body and then go back and pick them up on double-pointed needles but in the end the only sewing is closing up a little hole under each arm and weaving in the ends. I like it because I've never been any good at making nice seams in knitting. Laura, on the other hand, makes all kinds of things with that I imagine often involve seams and they are absolutely beautiful!! I do find knitting very relaxing and it makes it possible for me to watch TV with Hubby -- if I had to just sit there with my hands in my lap I would lose my mind!

>15 RebaRelishesReading: I already have that one in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

Happy new thread, Reba! I came by to thank you for your recommendation of The Elephant Whisperer. I finished it today and loved it!

>19 RebaRelishesReading: Laura, on the other hand, makes all kinds of things ...
Reba, that's such a nice thing to say!

Deborah, if you ever want to try knitting again don't hesitate to reach out; I can point you to some good tutorials and good patterns for first projects.

>21 lauralkeet: Just the truth ma'am -- just the truth.

From a Far and Lovely Country by Alexander McCall Smith***1/2

Mma Ramotswe decides it's time to give Charlie a case of his own -- with problematic results. She also meets an American woman who is in Botswana looking for distant family connections. As always, Mr. McCall Smith delivers a charming story.

Your opening topper made me laugh, Reba. I can relate to that. Happy new thread!

>24 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. I imagine many of us can relate to that button :)

Hi Reba my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend.

>15 RebaRelishesReading: I have Night Watch on my TBR. Hope to get to it soon. Funny, but true, topper!

Checking in on you, Reba. I hope all is well there.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Hi Tess and Stacia -- thanks for stopping by. We're doing OK, Stacia -- thanks for asking. Hope all is well with you too :)

I'm having back "issues" this week -- pain from my neck to my mid-back and no response at all to ice or heat or stretching or anything. Poor me :(

Last week Hubby decided we should have our heater/air conditioner serviced since we've now lived here for 3 1/2 years and it runs all of the time. I checked Yelp and picked the company with the highest (5 star) rating and made an appointment. Guy came last Thursday and now nothing is working. Hubby doesn't want him back again (and I agree) plus the system is 24 years old and probably due for replacement so we've decided to get a heat-pump. This time I asked long-term resident friends who they use and called the two references we got. Company #1 guy came yesterday and we were very impressed. He spent a lot of time explaining the ins and outs of heat pumps, answering our questions and left us with what seems like a reasonable quote for what we want. Company #2 is due any minute. If he's as good we'll have a hard decision to make.

>30 RebaRelishesReading: I'm sorry to hear about your back issues, Reba. I hope it's getting a little better every day ...

How was the meeting with Company #2? It's good to have choices, but it also sounds like you'd be in good hands with Company #1. As you may recall we exchanged our old heating & AC units (of similar vintage to yours) with an electric heat pump last fall, thereby also decommissioning an even older oil-fired boiler. We've been very happy with the new setup, although the first time we turned the AC on it didn't work. It took a couple of service calls for them to find the little widget that was not connected properly (sorry for being so technical ha ha). But now things should be humming along during all seasons.

Good luck with your project!

>31 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Good to hear from someone who has recently gone the same path. Any tips you want to share? Do you have a back-up for the heat-pump at low temps? We've talked to both companies now and they say very similar things -- one of which is they propose a back-up gas-fired furnace that will kick-in when temps drop below 40 degrees (company #1) or 35 degrees (company #2). That doesn't happen often here in coastal NW but I does happen a few times each year. I'm assured the gas only fires when needed (to constantly-on pilot light) so I'm comfortable with that. Company #2 came spot on time yesterday and said much the same as #1 did the day before. #1 gave us their bid while he was here -- #2 promised it by tomorrow night. We'll make a decision over the weekend (I hope -- see next post).

So, just to add to the fun...Hubby has been steadily gaining strength since his February fall and was doing quite well...until yesterday afternoon when I noticed his walking slipping back into the feeble slid/tiny step/pause version from right after the fall. Then in late afternoon he was unable to get up from the couch without help. A bit later he couldn't get off the toilet even with all the help I could provide and use of the walker and a wall-mounted handle. We struggled for nearly an hour when I finally said "OK, I'm getting help. You choose: s-i-l, pseudo-s-i-l, friend who lives a few blocks away or paramedics. He choose pseudo-s-i-l (who lives about 20 minutes away). I called and the dear man showed up promptly. He struggled but finally got Hubby up and to the bedroom and then almost lost him only the floor. He called for me and we managed to get him up on the bed. I had to "come running" because I had been on the phone with our health care provider asking if they thought I should take him to urgent care. They said "call 911" so I did and we were off to the emergency room. In addition to the extreme, sudden weakness he had a fever and his heart rate was high. Final diagnosis...Covid!! So he's now in a nice quiet, private room and on Paxlovid. (Just for the record -- we are both completely vaccinated. He got the most recent booster about a month ago and I got mine last week - I tested negative this morning).

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton ***1/2 Audio

My quest to listen to all of Sue Grafton books is nearly ended. In this one she becomes friendly with a small group of people living in a homeless shelter and she also learns more about her father's family meeting some new relatives. There is one sort-of-accidental murder and another intentional one, a scientist cheating on his funded study, unlikeable cousins Kinsey had never heard of, reappearance of old boyfriend, etc. A fun book to listen to while knitting and driving ... as are all of Grafton's books imho.

Oh no!! I am so sorry he came down with Covid. Dang. Well, hopefully it doesn't get any worse and his limp will go away again when he gets stronger. I hope you don't get it -- the recent booster should really help.

Love all the cute sweaters from your last thread -- adorable!! And is W the last of the Grafton books? I think I am still back at J or something. Sending good wishes to you both. Hugs.

>35 Berly: Hi Kim. Yes, we're hoping that recent booster will help him get over this quickly and keep me from getting it at all.

Thanks for comment on the sweaters. I enjoy doing them and they go to a good cause so win-win :)

No, W isn't last. I just added "X:Kinsey Millhone" (which is described as the "darkest and most chilling" of the books). I'll start it on the way to the hospital in a while. There is also still "Y is for Yesterday". I remember hearing that her daughter was going to finish the series using notes Sue had left when she died but I can't find any reference to it on-line so it must not have happened.

>32 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, we don't have a backup for the heat pump. I don't remember the specifics but I *think* it has some kind of auxiliary heat for extreme conditions. We had a fairly cold winter and it performed just fine.

>33 RebaRelishesReading: No way! That poor man. It sounds like he is in good hands. Taking him to the hospital was a wise move in light of the other complications. I hope he remains comfortable and you remain fit as a fiddle.

>33 RebaRelishesReading: I hope your husband gets over the COVID posthaste and that you don't catch a bit of it - the same for pseudo-s-i-l!

Sorry to read about your husband having Covid, Reba. I'm glad he is hospital and I hope he will soon be feeling much better. I hope you remain covid negative.

>39 vancouverdeb: Ditto. That must have been a nasty surprise. I hope he is responding well to the Paxlovid.

I'm so sorry to hear about MrReba having COVID. Very glad you decided to call in the professionals!

>37 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Both companies here suggest including a gas-fired heater which would only kick in at temperatures under 40 (or 35 in one case), which doesn't happen here but for at least a few days each winter it seems to. I wonder that's the same as your "auxiliary heat" .

>37 lauralkeet:, >38 quondame:, >39 vancouverdeb:, >40 ffortsa:, >41 katiekrug: Thank you Laura, Susan, Deborah, Judy and Katie for the good wishes. Good news this morning is that I'm still testing negative. I just got a call from the "release coordinator" (or some such title) asking lots of questions to figure out if Hubby can come home from the hospital and when.

>42 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. I was sorry to hear about your husband coming down with COVID. I hope he'll be able to come home soon, and that you continue to test negative. And I'm sending good vibes your way that your husband will have a much better second half of the year! I think he's been through enough already.

Hi Irene. Thank you for the good wishes and I definitely agree Hubby has been through enough this year!! His doctor called this morning and he is being released today...however, picking him up is going to be awkward because I tested very positive this morning!! So my understanding is that I will mask-up, pull up at the hospital and let them know I'm there and they will bring him to the car. D2 is going to go to the pharmacy to pick up Paxlovid for me and something doctor has prescribed for him and bring those to us this afternoon. I would love to just crawl back in bed for the day but doesn't look like that's going to happen :(

I’m sure MrReba is ready to be released but … but … what if he catches it again, from you?! And you definitely need to rest. I hope you have help at home to get you through all this.

>44 RebaRelishesReading: Oh no, not you too! I hope you are both home in bed by now, with the medicine at hand. Now sending vibes for a quick recovery for you both.

Thank you Laura and Irene. I doubt he could catch it again while he still has it ... but who knows? I'm feeling almost fine this morning. Still a lot of nose blowing but head ache is gone. I can confirm that Paxlovid leaves a horrible taste in your month though. Hubby is still sleeping at 10:30 but he seemed to be doing very well last night and he does love his sleep so I'm not really concerned.

I finished X from the Kinsey Millhone series yesterday. Another fairly light read (listen) although this one does describe some crime that is violent and leaves an evil man at large. Laura's Cazalet series will be arriving today and I would like to start it but I may go ahead and finish up the alphabet series first. Since I can't run errands I should have a nice long, quiet day to read/listen :)

X by Sue Grafton ***1/2

This series is largely pretty "crime light" but this one goes further with stealth trails suggesting someone with evil intent is after both Kinsey and one of her clients. As with all of Grafton's books it's an entertaining read.

>49 lauralkeet: Laura's Cazalet series
Mine??! I don’t think I can accept full responsibility for these books!

I’m glad you and your hubby are both doing okay.

I'm glad your feeling reasonably well, Reba. Take care!

Only upward health trends *whammy*

Can't be doing you, Reba, so feel better soon.

>49 lauralkeet: The stack of tomes arrived yesterday -- just when I had finished my last book so when I finish here I will go and start #1

>49 lauralkeet:, >50 katiekrug:, >51 richardderus:. Thanks for the concern and good wishes Laura, Katie and Richard. We're both feeling pretty good. Only thing I have left is the horrible Paxloid taste in my mouth -- MAN is that stuff foul!!! Hubby isn't complaining about it though and seems to be pretty much his (recent) old self...but then he had a three day head-start on me.

Oh, sorry you've picked up the plague. I wish a speedy recovery for both of you.

>53 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy. We're doing fine actually -- now to just wait out the quarantine and survive the Paxlovid nasty mouth :)

>52 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad to see you're both feeling better, Reba.

I commented on the Cazalets over on my thread. You have a treat ahead of you! I was daunted by the page count when I first started, but found I read them pretty quickly so I stopped worrying about it.

I am very glad to hear that you are both doing much better. I hope the plague is soon completely gone and you can return to normal activities.

I'm glad you are both feeling better. Sorry to hear about the nasty taste Paxlovid mouth gives you.

>55 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I'll run over to your thread when I finish here. The stack of 5 paperback Cazalets was indeed daunting but I'm well into the first volume and enjoying it. I'm so grateful for the cast of characters at the beginning though or I would be busy creating one on my own!!

>56 atozgrl: Thanks Irene. I think we're really both over it now. It would be pretty quick for me but then I did have my last booster just over a week ago so I would think my immunity was pretty high before I got it. I feel just fine though and don't mind having a reason to stay home :). I could do without the nasty taste but think I should probably finish out the Paxlovid so I'm just sucking my way through a bag of mints.

>57 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah. Really could have been/be much worse. Hubby being so weak was rather frightening but he's OK again now.

The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard****

This first book in a 5-book series introduces the reader to the Cazalet family, a very affluent, large Victorian family with houses in London and a large country estate where they all gather for a summer holiday. I was very grateful for the family tree and cast of character provided at the beginning of the book and referred to it often.

This volume takes place in 1937 and 1938 at the country house. The beginning of the book presents an interesting portrait of the family members and of pre-WWII upper-class life in England. The emphasis in the 1938 section which follows is on concern about and preparation for war. It presents a lovely view of upper-class English life in the early 20th century with (lots of) interesting characters. I think I'm going to enjoy this series. Thanks Laura :)

Hello Reba, I am so sorry to hear of your COVID battles - your husband's case sounded serious and scary! I hope you both are feeling better very soon.

We have lived in our Lakewood, CO home for 22 years (we moved in when Marina was a baby, so I always know how long we've been here). We've never had cooling of any kind and we finally broke down and are getting air conditioning. Part 1 is done, and part 2 is tomorrow. We thought we'd be in great shape in early June but it has been unbearably hot already so we're doing the right thing. We've been told our house is hard to cool, so we're going with the ductless split route, which will give us the european-style room units in the three bedrooms plus the family room/kitchen. We've always relied on fans and windows but it's just too hot, not to mention too pollen-y and too wildfire-y for that to be our only solution.

I hope everything goes well for you and that you feel better!

>59 RebaRelishesReading: yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the first book!!

Thanks for the good wishes, Anne. They must have worked ;) because we're both fine. Hubby took the last of his Paxlovid a couple of days ago and just kept on getting better. He's still really showing his age since the fall last February but that may just be the new normal. I never was sick with the Covid but decided it would be wise to take the Paxlovid. I finished that up last night and still feel fine. We've both been symptom-free for several days now.

>61 lauralkeet: Hi Laura! I'm hoping to find time to start on the second one today :)

>62 RebaRelishesReading: This is great news, glad both of you are doing so well.

>63 RebaRelishesReading: Wow! I plan to read the fifth (and last, sob) book in July. At the rate you're going it could be a shared read!

>64 lauralkeet: A shared read would be fun. I rarely have as much time to read as I did yesterday so I doubt I'll keep the pace up...but we'll see!!

>62 RebaRelishesReading: - Good to hear you are both feeling well now, Reba. Enjoy your weekend!

>66 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! Having a very pleasant time so far -- hope you are too.

It has finally cooled off today for which I'm very grateful. I'm a total wuss when it comes to dealing with heat (or any temps over about 75) and with our HVAC out and temps around 90 I have not been a happy camper the last few days. Right now it's 60 outside and supposed to be a high in the 70's today -- then tomorrow they start putting our new system in (and are supposed to finish on Tuesday) so I think I'll survive :)

Meanwhile, making good progress on Cazalet Vol. 2 and started watching the series on Prime last night.

>68 RebaRelishesReading: Oh my. When the HVAC in our building was out in the middle of May, I took icebags to bed with me. Cooled me off in no time, made it easy to sleep. Now we are reveling in functional AC, and I'm keeping the blinds closed to make sure we don't add to the load. There may be disadvantages to facing south in the summer!

Happy Cazalet-ing this coming week, Reba! I myownself am deeply stunned it's almost July.

*smooch*

>69 ffortsa: Hi Judy -- yes, I can imagine facing south in hot summer weather can be trying but glad you have good AC now. Our house "faces" south but that side is mostly the garage. The actual "exposure is mostly on the north side where we have a deck across the entire back side of the house and several HUGE trees. It was fairly tolerable out there so the only really uncomfortable part was sleeping -- even though our bedroom is actually the coolest room in the house. The end of last week was pretty awful (by NW standards) with temps up to the low 90's. I didn't take ice to bed with me but I did sit with an ice-pack against my back for much of the day. Yesterday was lovely, however. I'm not a lover of summer like some folks are -- it's my least favorite season by a long shot.

The crew is due in the next 30 minutes to start installing our new heat pump system. I think things are supposed to start warming/heating up again today and our system isn't due to be finished until tomorrow but at least there's relief in sight.

>70 richardderus: Hi Richards. Thank you. I'm enjoying the Cazalet's and making good progress -- over half-way through the second book. I also looked up the TV series and started watching it. Interesting to see how the actors matched up to my mental image of the characters (or didn't).

Stay cool and have a lovely week, ya' hear?

and....HVAC guy just arrived and is starting work!!!!

>71 RebaRelishesReading: Interesting to see how the actors matched up to my mental image of the characters (or didn't).
Funnily enough, most of them didn't match my mental image but watching the show permanently updated my mental images, and I pictured those actors for the rest of the books.

>72 RebaRelishesReading: Hooray for the punctual HVAC guy! I hope the installation goes smoothly.

>73 lauralkeet: Thanks for the HVAC wishes. I'm excited about our move to Heat-pump system and very much looking forward to having cooling function again!! He warned that what he has to do may trigger our smoke alarm system and/or may cause some other issues (which I have conveniently blocked out)...just keeping the end in sight.

The characters that matched least in my mind were Edward, Zoe and Villy but I think I will have the same realignment of my mental images to match the show once we watch another episode or so. I'm hoping to find enough time to finish vol. 2 today :)

Hi Reba. Wow, so much has been going on with you. That evil Covid is still around. I'm sorry it hit your DH so hard. Thank goodness the medicine was effective. How is your back? I keep a massaging pillow at the ready and use it quite a bit after doing yardwork. It's so much fun getting older, right?

At least it sounds like you will stay cool with your new system. I remember life without air conditioning and it wasn't fun! Hope all your recent woes are behind you.

Hi Donna -- finding a post from you was a lovely way to start my LT session :). My back is the part of my body that gives me the most grief -- generally for doing things that don't seem like they should be a problem :(. Last week it seriously unhappy but this week it's doing fine. We'll see how long that lasts, lol.

HVAC installer returned right on time this morning (8 am) and plans to finish the job today. Yesterday was lovely and cool and that's the forecast for today too so...if they're right...we should have the system up and running before we seriously need it. Now if I could just get Hubby "up and running" ...

Marking Time by Elizabeth Jane Howard****

Volume II of the Cazalet Chronicles takes us from September 1939 to winter 1941. The war drags on. The family is at Home Farm full-time. Rupert is still MIA. Louise is at drama school and is falling in love with a much older artist. Sybil is seriously ill. The Brig is nearly blind. Hugh and Edward are running the business in London. All together a fairly accurate picture of a large upper-class English family during WWII.

>77 RebaRelishesReading: On to #3!

>78 lauralkeet:. Yep!! I toyed with reading Clear first but started Vol III instead. Hoping to go for a pedicure today which will provide some nice reading time if I do :). I think you said you've read all but Vol V -- right?

>79 RebaRelishesReading: That's right, Reba. I'm planning to read Vol V in July.

>80 lauralkeet: I'll try to keep pace and then perhaps you'd like a joint read? I did make a start on Vol III yesterday but today is going to be a very busy day so I'm not sure I'll get much reading time.

>81 RebaRelishesReading: that would be fun, Reba! I will need to request the book from my library, but these books are old enough that there's been no waiting (*knocks wood*), and should be available for pickup within days of my request. I'll keep watch on your reading so I know when to pounce on it. And if something comes up and a joint read is no longer convenient, just let me know -- I promise no hard feelings!

>82 lauralkeet: sounds great

50+ posts behind again, Reba. Sorry! I hope both you and your hubby are doing better what with the back problems and COVID.

>77 RebaRelishesReading: I am not going to get that one finished in June as I had hoped, but will finish it in early July and then I am on to the third! Very much enjoying the series as I see you are too.

Hi Stacie. Nic to see you and thanks for the good wishes. We're both over Covid (and I never was sick -- he didn't have usual Covid symptoms but was terribly weak). My back is an on-again, off-again issue that will be with me for the rest of time I suspect :(

I've had a couple of busy days so am not making great progress with the Cazalets at the moment but hope to have more time for it over the weekend and next. Laura and I are planning to do a joint read of Vol V in a couple of weeks. I'm not really sure how the joint- and group-reads work but perhaps we could read at the same time if you're ready then.

Hi Reba, glad that you are over the COVID (so fast!) and that the HVAC will be working soon.

>86 banjo123: Hi Rhonda! Actually the HVAC was installed by Tuesday evening, but then promptly blew a fuse which was replaced early Wednesday a.m. and we've had a wonderful, cool house since!! The company was wonderful to work with and the system is great.

My Covid was no big deal -- I may not ever have known I had it were it not that I was testing because of exposure to Hubby. He's fully over the Covid now too...although still now his "old self" from before the fall in February. PT starts again on Tuesday. I hope that will help him get stronger and more confident.

The Cazalet Chronicles Volume III: Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard ****

This volume follows the family from March 1942 to May 1945. Younger members start leaving home for romance/marriage and career. Members of the oldest generation show signs of aging and some pass away. Life in war-time England continues to be difficult but met with courage. V-E Day finally arrives but the family still hasn't heard from Rupert.

On to volume IV. I should be able to finish it by mid-week and will then hold up pending joint-read(s) :)

Reba, what would you think about starting Cazalet V around July 8? My reading time will be limited over July 4 weekend, because Julia and Noah are coming to visit.

>89 lauralkeet: Sounds good.

>90 RebaRelishesReading: Great! I just requested it from the library.

I'm about half-way through Vol IV. I'll probably finish it today or tomorrow and then I'll read something else until you have your copy and are ready to go.

Sorry to hear about the COVID, Reba. I hope you are getting back to normal. I am currently listening to "I" in the Millhone series.

I got busy reading and knitting yesterday and never made it to LT!! That's most unusual for me. Also unusual is reporting on cooking (because I don't really like to cook plus I'm a utility cook at best) but I was so darned pleased with last night's that I had to share. Local supermarket had some nice looking fresh corn yesterday so I got our first for this year. Thawed a couple of boneless/skinless chicken breasts and marinated them in Paul Newman's Caesar dressing, At dinner time I sautéed the chicken in bacon fat, submersed the corn for 3 minutes into boiling water and made up a bag of TJ's Broccoli/Kale Slaw. It was a total success :)

>93 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I was never sick so "normal" wasn't far to go. Hubby has been weak since his fall last February. He is able to stand up without help again (losing his ability to rise on his own was his "only" Covid symptom really) but he is still weak. Age and a bad fall have really changed him this year :(

This morning I'm taking Hubby for his first PT appointment since we got back from our trip and since his Covid. I'm really hoping this will help him get stronger and regain some confidence in his walking.

>94 RebaRelishesReading: - Dinner sounds good. I often marinate chicken breasts in salad dressings, as it's so easy.

I hope the PT can help MrReba regain some strength!

I feel really sad for poor Emery. I so enjoyed our conversation that afternoon at Chautauqua. If I ever get out to Portland on my Beverly Cleary memorial tour of the town I want to have another conversation with him.

>92 RebaRelishesReading: Sounds good Reba.

And congrats on the successful dinner! It sounds like a perfect summer meal.

>94 RebaRelishesReading: That sounds good, and easy. I haven't tried marinating chicken in salad dressing, but it sounds like I should give it a go. Thanks for sharing!

I'm so sorry to hear about your recent bout with Covid, Reba, but glad that you and your husband are feeling better! And I hope PT goes well this week.

I was due for another vaccine this spring but I keep putting it off because when we got our updates last fall, we both got Covid a couple weeks later. I know that's silly, though, and you've reminded me that I really need to make an appointment.

>97 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. Turned out the PT was only about his shoulder (the one that broke int he fall last February). He hasn't got much movement there so it's good but it's not going to make him any stronger.

>98 benitastrnad:. How nice, Benita. It would be great to see you in the NW some time and I'm sure Hubby would like to converse :)

>99 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I'll finish volume IV today and be ready to resume when you have your copy of V.

>100 atozgrl: Hi Irene. Thanks for visiting. Hope you give salad dressing marinade a go and like it :)

>101 Copperskye: Hi Anne. I had my most recent booster about a week before Hubby came done with it and I'm crediting that for my having no symptoms at all. Hope you weren't sick with your recent bout.

Reba, I picked up Vol V today but Julia and Noah arrive this evening so that’s why I’m holding off til Monday. This one’s a chunkster isn’t it?!

>103 lauralkeet: They all are chunksters - my vol. IV has 626 pages vs "only" 573 for Vol. V -- but, yes, it is! I haven't decided what to read in the interim but I'm thinking Clear or maybe Sipsworth. I'm about half-way through Activating the Common Good so maybe I'll try to finish that one. We'll see.

Meanwhile, hope you have a great 4th! I know you'll enjoy the visit.

Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard****

From July 1945 through summer 1947. The war has ended. The cousins are in their 20's and trying to start new adult lives...careers, romances. The middle generation is trying to pick-up their lives and deal with relationships torn by absence during the war years. The oldest generation is facing the end of life. Everyone is facing the need to adapt to changes in society brought by the war.

Clear by Carys Davies****1/2

I had a quiet afternoon which I spent reading Clear, a very powerful book...so powerful I'm feeling rather stunned by it. I will definitely be thinking about it for a long time.

Description from Google Books: "1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep. Unaware of the stranger's intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them. Meanwhile on the mainland, John's wife Mary anxiously awaits news of his mission."

>106 RebaRelishesReading: Clear is waiting at the Library for me to pick up. I may even be convinced to read it in paper if my hands at all allow it.

>104 RebaRelishesReading: I guess the page counts depend on the editions we read, Reba. The first 4 books that I read were all the same publisher and maybe the font was smaller or something.

>106 RebaRelishesReading: that was an amazing book, wasn't it?

>108 lauralkeet: I would think the relative length would be the same within one publisher's series but I don't know. They're all pretty long but worth it though.

Yes, Clear was amazing and will stick with me a long time I think. Much to ponder about the future for them.

>106 RebaRelishesReading: I need to get around to Clear very quickly.

>110 SandDune: Good news is you can read it in an afternoon :)

Activating the Common Good by Peter Block***

This slim volume argues that we should replace the current "business model" of decision making by a consensus model. He would, for example, replace large scale "charities" with localized efforts who form plans and actions through small group, leaderless, discussions. It's a concept but would require a major shift of how things are done which I'm not sure is possible. Interesting though.

Hi Reba! I just wanted to let you know I finished my current read today so I'm ready to start reading All Change. Not that we need to start at exactly the same time, but I wanted to let you know we don't need to wait until Monday.

>112 RebaRelishesReading: Lovely idea, like libertarianism, to run a few hundred people with a common goal. Could it survive contact with a room full of people with twenty-six dozen different ideas about how to do something, and even more about whether to do it? Nope.

Hi Reba, I keep seeing Clear highly regarded on threads - it's definitely on my list.

>113 lauralkeet: I just found this (late Sunday afternoon). I may have a chance to start tonight but think it's more likely to be tomorrow afternoon. Go ahead and I'll try to catch up.

>114 richardderus: true Richard. Interesting, utopian idea though.

>115 AMQS: It's a really quick read, Anne so maybe you'll find a little space where it just fits before long :)

I'm a utility cook too, Reba. Virtually every night I put two marinated chicken breasts in the instant pot. I purchase the chicken breasts already marinated from the store. Your dinner sounds very good!

>116 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. I did start reading it yesterday. All I can say is, thank goodness for the family tree! By vol 4 I pretty much had it memorized but this book is set about 10 years later and let's just say the Cazalets have been busy ha ha.

>119 lauralkeet: I'm going to make baby layettes at 10 and then will start it when I get home. Even reading the first four one-after-the-other I still was checking the family tree from time to time. Maybe I'll copy that page so I can refer to it without having to flip to the front of the book all of the time :). I think I may be sad when the series ends though.

>118 vancouverdeb: Sounds like an efficient way to get dinner ready. I've never had an instant pot but perhaps I should consider one.

>120 RebaRelishesReading: Copying the family tree is a good idea Reba. I know I'll be sad to say good-bye to the Cazelets.

Glad you have newish HVAC and hoping it’s performing well in this heat and keeping you comfortable. Out heat pump is definitely the MVP this week!

Sorry to hear you both got Covid and hoping all is well.

I have added the Cazalet series and Clear to my wish list ;-)

New-week *smooch*

>122 lauralkeet: I've been watching the TV series too but I'm paused right now because I don't want to get ahead of what I've read. I just reported to you on a PM that I finished Parts One, Two and Three of Volume V this afternoon. :)

I love the instant pot, Reba. I am not sure if I would have thought to get one, but one of my sons gave it to Dave and me as a Christmas gift several years ago. It's proved a great addition to our household. My sister in law has one two and she makes stews and all kinds of things in it, but so far I just steam the chicken breasts.

Hopelessly behind, but Hi! Glad you have a way to stay cool and that Covid wasn't too bad. Now I'll try to keep up here. : )

>125 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, you are zipping through Vol V! I had less reading time yesterday than on Sunday, and am currently in the middle of Part Six. Please continue at your own pace. We can compare notes along the way. Yesterday I read the section in Part Four where Neville falls in love with his half sister, takes her for a drive. I kept checking the family tree and asking myself, what was Elizabeth Jane Howard thinking?! When Neville said that incest is a bunch of hooey I realized EJH wasn't the problem; rather, Neville has not matured well.

I'm also surprised that Louise is now willing to spend time with her father, and that they seem to have a good relationship. Maybe I missed something but thought she would have continued to put distance between them.

You mentioned having paused the TV series. No need to worry -- the series covers only the first two books. They had to reach slightly into the third book in order to wrap up some plot threads, for example: Sybil's death and Louise's marriage happen at the very end of the series. I watched the series before starting book 3 and while those were technically spoilers, they also made sense and didn't bother me. It would have been weird to end the series without those two events. But anyway, you're well beyond that point so it's safe to watch.

>128 lauralkeet: Instead of coming to the computer first thing (my usual habit) this morning I headed for "my" chair and read parts 4 & 5. I have a fairly free afternoon today (at least that's the plan) and plan to spend it with the Cazalets.

I was shocked when I checked, then double check the family tree and found that Neville was hitting on his under-aged half-sister. Howard seems to treat pedophilia and incest rather casually it seems to me. . And, I thought Archie was a white knight -- what's up with him falling in love with a student?!?!?. I also thought we could have used a little more explanation about .

>123 SuziQoregon: Hi Julie. Yes, the new heat pump system is working beautifully -- thank heavens!! If they hadn't been so prompt with installing it we would have had to go to a hotel or the coast or both!!

We are both well over Covid. Hubby is still weak but it's mostly just not recovering well from his fall last February I think.

>124 richardderus: Hi Richard!! Hope you have a good one

>126 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I'm afraid I keep becoming less and less of a cook so I'm not sure getting new equipment would be worth it. We eat out a LOT, and then have leftovers for other nights. Yesterday I got ambitious, though, and decided to make empanadas -- I was exhausted by the time they were made, eaten and the kitchen was cleaned up. They were quite good but perhaps not worth the effort.

>127 Berly:. I know you're awfully busy, Kim! It's lovely to have you visit when you can though.

>129 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, just checking in with a Cazalets update! I'm now in the middle of Part Seven. Your comment about Howard's treatment of pedophilia and incest is really insightful. I keep expecting Neville's secret will be discovered and that will be the end of it, but then I hoped Edward would suffer consequences for sexually abusing his daughter. That never happened and now everyone seems to have moved on and the focus is more on family divisions regarding the business and Edward's second marriage.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still enjoying the book. Your comment just made me realize Howard may have held some views that wouldn't be acceptable today (I can't believe they were acceptable back then, either ...)

>130 RebaRelishesReading: Cooking. Ah yes. We use mealkits from HelloFresh, which I'm moderately satisfied with as long as I remember to choose from their menu, and not accept the default for the week. It makes cooking more mindless and Jim and I can share the work. I used to cook all the time, but very simply, just for myself, lots of salads and roasted chicken and fish. No sauces. Now, when we don't cook, we generally order in, which is getting boring. Also, there are things lingering in the freezer I'd better get to. Maybe now that it's so hot in NYC and our air conditioning is working, I'll pull some of them out.

Sending air-hugs because actual ones would be too gross in this heat. Super glad to read that the heat pump is working in spite of the challenges.

>131 lauralkeet: I had a block of time this morning so I'm now mid-part IX. Things are starting to be wrapped up a bit. I was amused by Hugh being driven by his chauffeur in his Bentley on his way to the meeting where they're told their loans are being foreclosed on and the partners will be bankrupt...except for their own houses which they have put in their wive's names...interesting ploy that. I find it interesting that she has made Villy into a sympathetic character instead of the vengeful dumped wife (but then, I've always liked her better than Diana). Speaking of whom, she's not taking cutbacks to her staff of 3, over spending in the shops, etc. very well. And then, Rachael...don't you want to just hug her!! What a sweetheart!

>132 ffortsa: Hi Judy. I've thought about trying some of those meal kit services but instead we just eat out a lot :) lol. I don't make sauces either and generally good simply although night before last I made empanadas (from scratch except for the dough) and I was exhausted by the time I finished and cleaned-up! They were good though :). Tonight we're going out to Olive Garden (and with any luck there will be enough left-overs for tomorrow). Here in the suburbs I don't know any one who "orders in" and other than once or twice (many, many years ago) I haven't ever ordered in -- and that was just pizza delivery.

>133 richardderus: Cool, dry hugs back to you Richard. Things are supposed to cool down here starting today (and it looks that way as it's only 90 at 2:30 in the afternoon) -- hope you get some cooler air too.

I've finished Part IX of All Change and finished for the day. Only additional comment is that Sabrina's family is a hilarious example of social climbing nouveau riche. . I just Googled Ms. Howard and was struck by how this series reflects her own life.

I'm ready to move on when you are, Laura :)

>134 RebaRelishesReading: Good morning Reba, I finished Part 8 and started Part 9 yesterday. The situation with the family business was a long time coming. I have come to loathe Edward, but at least he had ideas for saving the business. Hugh (who is so much more likable) just couldn't accept reality and was stuck in the past in terms of how to run the firm.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for Diana either, although it amazes me how both she and Edward could be so clueless about their personal spending. I'm happy to see Villy finally starting to turn her life around. She was one of my favorite characters in the earlier books and was so unfairly treated by Edward (did I mention how much I dislike him?!)

Thank goodness Neville's parents were able to intervene in his relationship with his half sister. I would have been greatly disappointed in EJH if she'd let that go on much longer.

>136 RebaRelishesReading: I've only just met Sabrina so I'll come back to this comment later, after I've finished Part 9. Caro (@Caroline_McElwee) read the series earlier this year and then read a biography of EJH. I vaguely remember some comments from her about her drawing on her own life & family in these books.

Please move on at your own pace, Reba. It looks like you could finish the book today and I'm totally fine with that. As long as you keep putting your comments behind spoiler tags, I can read and respond when I get there.

Hi again Reba, I'm nearly finished with Part 9 now (just taking a break for lunch). I love your comment about Sabrina's family! What a hoot.

I'll start Part 10 this afternoon.

>138 lauralkeet: It's afternoon where you are now and I'm just finishing up my "morning computer stuff" so I think we're pretty much on the same time line. I'll start X in a few minutes when I finish here.

I agree that poor kind, loyal Hugh really was blind to what was happening with the business and also agree that Edward is not likable. He and Diana deserve each other. I appreciated how supportive Villy was of Sybil and generally find her likable. I hope the intervention with Neville works and that they don't just pick up again -- age is NOT the only issue here!!

Off to finish up :)

I am zipping through part ten now. I have nothing on my schedule this afternoon and I am totally absorbed in it!

And … done! Looking forward to comparing notes with you Reba.

>141 lauralkeet: and I just finished too! I have to go and make dinner and Hubby is anxious to watch the news so I may save my comments for tomorrow morning -- looking forward to hearing yours -- maybe before mine?

I've never read any of the Cazalet's, but you are tempting me, Reba. Which book are you reading? The empanadas sound delicious, but a lot of work, yes.

>143 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Laura and I just completed a joint read of the five volumes of The Cazalet Chronicles The Light Years, Marking Time, Confusion, Casting Off and All Change. It's quite an undertaking because they're each about 500 pages long but it's an engaging read about a well-to-do family in England from between the World Wars to the end of 1958. I would recommend reading the whole series.

I just finished going through The NY Times list of 100 "books of the century". Turns out I’ve read 30 books on the list ...

My Brilliant Friend ● The Warmth of Other Suns ● The Known World ● The Underground Railroad ● Gilead ● The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao ● The Road ● Pachinko ● The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay ● The Sellout ● The Overstory ● Americanah ● Sing, Unburied, Sing ● Salvage the Bones ● A Visit From the Goon Squad ● The Goldfinch ● Trust ● Life After Life ● Nickel and Dimed ● Middlesex ● Demon Copperhead ● The Great Believers ● Olive Kitteridge ● Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow ● The Story of the Lost Child ● The Emperor of All Maladies ● Frederick Douglass ● The Sympathizer ● The Days of Abandonment ● Bel Canto

That's what comes from hanging out on LT, my #1 source of good reading recommendations :)

>145 RebaRelishesReading: Amazing how easy it is to find new-to-you writers isn't it. I'm glad every time, even when I don't end up sharing the 75er's joy because learning is the aim for me...do I not like poetry/GNs/romances as a class, ot just the ones I've read so far?

Willingness to challenge my ideas is always the gift I myownself get in this (expensive!) group.

Morning Richard :). I like to learn from reading too but I also enjoy reflecting on human nature/the world as well as just getting lost in a good story -- hence I read a lot of fiction.

Hope your day is going well. Thanks for stopping by :)

So...the final volume in The Cazalet Chronicles...I concluded that Polly and Gerald are my favorite couple -- loving, kind and down-to-earth. I was happy to see that Juliet has come to her senses and found a new, non-family romance. I continue that story by believing that Neville marries in Cuba -- and I wish her luck I liked the way she brought the story together at the end by bringing the family to Home Place for a last Christmas together -- a bit forced perhaps but it worked for me. I also found it interesting that while nearly everyone in the family is facing bankruptcy and probably poverty they still had one last bash of gifts and huge meals for Christmas. I liked the simile (hope I'm using that word correctly, I haven't had a literature class in over 50 years) of the decrepit state of Home Farm reflecting the state of the family.

I was pleased that Villy was invited, and came, to the final gathering and that Edward seemed to have realized his mistake (how can he not have seen how awful Diana was before then?!). Villy seemed to be recovering which was good too and Diana and Edward's future doesn't look very bright either -- getting what they deserve :) -- interesting though for an author who seems to have been rather like Diana in real life

I wish she had written more books following the main characters so we could see what happens to them next.

Thanks for making me aware of these books, Laura and for reading along with me :)

Reba, I just posted a review of All Change over on my thread. I love your favorite couple too, although Zoe and Rupert come in a close second for salvaging a marriage that seemed unlikely to survive the war. I also really like Clary and was pleased with the way things turned out for her in this book. Oh, and Rachel. My goodness, I feel so sad for her, losing Sid. And Edward? He can go to hell, ha ha.

Your simile -- if that's what it is, I have no idea! -- is spot on. I felt that as I was reading but didn't have words for it. And like you, I wish there were more books! I enjoyed reading along with you, Reba -- thanks!!

Laura. Just read your review which was excellent. I agree with you about Zoe and Rupert and am also happy for Clary...hope Archie behaves more like his early self than the later slip. I believe Edward has pretty much gone to hell already :)

Reading along with you, Laura, made this a much more enjoyable experience for me -- so thanks right back at you :)

Have time for a bit of a sit-down this afternoon and decided to watch the rest of The Cazalets series which started with a couple of awful characters I forgot to highlight: . I also neglected to mention that I adored Rachel...poor Rachel 😢. Watching the series reminds me how much I like Hugh and both of his wives -- granted he's largely responsible for the failure of the family firm but he's a good guy: loyal, kind. loving, good husband, good father

For the future, I have high hopes that Archie and Rupert are successful as artists and their families live on in harmony. I hope Rachael finds something or someone to fill her life with happiness. I hope Diana winds up scrubbing floors for a living and Edward finds himself permanently impotent 😆 . OK, enough of that now 🤭. I'm through, I really am.

>151 RebaRelishesReading: It's hard to say good-bye to the Cazalets isn't it? I'm sure it's even more difficult for you since your back-to-back reading means you more or less moved into Home Place for a few weeks ha ha.

Who are the awful characters you hadn't mentioned before?

Isn't Hugh Bonneville the perfect Hugh Cazalet?

I love your hopes for the future, and would only add my hope that Villy finds a way to be happy. She seemed headed in that direction.

>152 lauralkeet: I intended to put the "awful characters" behind a spoiler and obviously didn't do it correctly. They were Michael Hadleigh and his totally awful mother "Z". Yes, Hugh Bonneville was perfect in the role and I, too, really hope Villy's life improves.

My enjoyment of this series was much enhanced by reading along with you, Laura. Thank you

So now the books are finished and I've lined them up on the shelf to find that the spines, in order, form a lovely picture:

Oh yeah, those two characters are really awful. I really enjoyed reading along with you too, Reba! And those spines ... that's really nice.

It seems like you had a great time with the most recent read! I should give Howard a try.

>153 RebaRelishesReading: That looks cool. I love it when publishers (or whoever) thinks up extra touches like that. Good to see that you are both over the unexpected COVID, Reba.

>154 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura -- let's do it again some time

>155 banjo123: It was fun, Rhonda. It was a good read and a fun way to do it.

>156 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. Funny thing was that I didn't notice until I shelved the books.

>153 RebaRelishesReading: What a nice shelving surprise!!

I have used HelloFresh food deliveries. I really like their recipes for the most part. I just don't like all the packaging leftovers, which are not really recyclable. If they would offer to pick those up and reuse them I'd start up my subscription again.

>158 Berly: HelloFresh has switched from some of the hard-to-recycle stuff to more recyclables, but there is still too much plastic for my taste, and the coolant containers they use are still not to my liking; lately they come in soft-sided plastic which is said to be recyclable, but who really knows?

We are still disinclined to cook in this horrible hot weather, even though our apartment is pretty comfortable. I hate to put the oven on, so if we do cook, we generally choose stove-top dishes, which are quicker and distribute less heat in the kitchen.

>158 Berly: Indeed it was a fun surprise.

>158 Berly:, >159 ffortsa: I've never given any of those services a try although I know many who have. We subscribe to a service, Ridwell, that recycles some things that you can't recycle through the local trash system...I wonder if that would help with the packaging. I really should look into them.

>160 RebaRelishesReading: The plastic packaging recycling is a bit of a scam, alas. it was invented by the plastics industry to give us a sense of control. HelloFresh puts its proteins, some vegetables and herbs in plastic that isn't recyclable, at least in NYC. But for the most part these days their packaging is paper, which is fine with me.

>161 ffortsa: Paper is recyclable but it is made from trees...which are important to getting carbon out of the air...not easy to avoid these consequences in modern life :(

Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton ***1/3 (audio)

So this finishes Sue Grafton's alphabet series. I had heard an interview on the radio shortly after she died which indicated that Ms. Grafton's daughter was going to write "Z" based on notes left by her mother but it hasn't happened.

This one includes two story lines. On the one hand, Kinsey is hired to help a family to stop a demand for payment to stop the release of a tape created by their son and his friends when they were teenagers. The tape shows rape of a very drunk underage girl. The other track follows the story of a previous book as Kinsey is threatened and attacked by a man who had raped and murdered several young woman. A worthy end to the series.

Congratulations on finishing the series, Reba. I've only read "A". Ha. Maybe I'll get back to it one of these days.

>162 RebaRelishesReading: I know. I can only hope that this paper filler is recyclable. The best choice for me is the local greenmarket, but that would involve both planning and cooking. Too much else to do these days.

>164 lauralkeet: Good morning, Laura.I did them all with Audio which really helped. They're fun though.

>165 ffortsa: And good morning to you too, Judy. I agree the best choice is buying it unpackaged and put it into your own reusable to take it home (or growing your own at home I suppose but I'm not a very successful farmer)...I enjoy going to the weekly market except it's way too far to walk and parking is the pits!!

>166 RebaRelishesReading: I used to love the Union Square Greenmarket that I think Judy's talking about. Such a great thing, greenmarkets! But they do require both planning AND flexibility when something you planned to get isn't there.

We have a weekly greenmarket in Long Beach that I sometimes go to...always once in peach season, always once in apple season...for truly fresh fruit. A HUGE luxury but so worth it.

>166 RebaRelishesReading: I sometimes fantasize having a back yard (as when I grew up) so that I could plant a vegetable garden, and maybe plant fruit trees like the peach trees we had. So nice to see things growing. As it is, I don't even have enough of a window sill to grow herbs, and no room for an indoor light garden. Oh well.

>168 ffortsa: Growing up we had a small yard front and back but it was so rocky we really couldn't do anything with it. Mother managed a few geraniums (which are almost weeds in inland So. Cal) but that was about it. I has a raised bed in the side yard here and have been pretty successful with strawberries but not much else. The front and back yards were "done" when we got here and the gardener keeps them in line...but no place for veggies. We have a wonderful farmer's market (street market covering three blocks) on Saturday and Sunday during the summer but it's a zoo. Much too much of a crowd for Hubby right now (he would likely be knocked over) and parking is a zoo...I keep thinking about going but has only happened once so far this summer. I did go to a store called New Seasons today (an somewhat environmentally friendly place) and got some local blueberries that I could scoop into my own net bag, some loose kiwi's and some strawberries packed in paper baskets. The only apricots they had were in clamshells however. I guess 3 out of 4 isn't too bad :)

Sipsworth by Simon van Booy****1/2

Helen was born in an English village but moved to Australia in early adulthood, married and had a son. After 60 years away, her husband and son both dead, she returns to England and a lonely life. Then she gets curious about some trash her neighbor has put out for collection and meets mouse. A warm, engaging, delightful story ensues.

I always look at The NY Times just before my daily LT visit. This morning I discovered their "List of the best 100 books of the century, so far..." which seems to have come from the comments they received on their previous list of 100 best books. I ran through it and found I've read 35 of them - 5 more than I have read of the original Times list.

Katie posted the link to the list if you're interested.

All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams***1/2 (audio)

A novel dealing with the two World Wars and the German occupation of Paris. Through the early 20th century three generations of women from an aristocratic family live in the Paris Ritz hotel. Their husbands remain on the family estate while they become involved in various ways with men on both sides of the conflict. It was an interesting book but one I found somewhat difficult to follow in audio version.

>172 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! Happy week-ahead's reads.

>170 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, I'm so glad Sipsworth has found another fan, Reba! It was such a delightful little book but doesn't seem to have gotten much attention around here.

I do want to read Sipsworth, Both you and Joanne have enjoyed it so much. Unfortunately my library does not have it, so maybe I will get it on my kindle to read. I am not keen on e - reading, but sometimes for a shorter but expensive book, it's worth it. Glad you enjoyed it too.

>173 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. You too!!

>174 Copperskye: I agree, Joanne. I hope it will catch on eventually :)

>175 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I hope you find a copy. It's charming and heart warming.

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende****

The story begins in 1930's Austria. After a Jewish doctor is seriously injured on Kristallnacht, his "Aryan" best friend urges the doctor's wife to send their only child, a 5 year-old boy to England with the "kindertransport" organized by a Dutch woman. Meanwhile, she is trying desperately to get an emigration visa to Chile for the entire family.

Fairly quickly, however, the story changes to a woman fleeing danger El Salvador, trying to get herself and her young daughter to safety in the United States in current times. The similarity of the stories is obvious and they appear to be just parallel tales until the heart-warming conclusion.

My only, slight, criticism of this book was that I found the language, especially in the chapters set in Europe, to be somewhat dry. I'm an Allende fan and have always enjoyed the language used as well as the story. Of the eight books by Allende already in my library, three were translated by Allende herself, four were translated by Margaret Sayers Peden and one by Magda Bogin. This one was translated by Frances Riddle and didn't have the lovely flow of the others. Nevertheless the story was compelling enough for me to highly recommend the book.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride****1/2

Pottstown, PA is a divided little town. The "Chicken Hill" neighborhood was once occupied by the Jewish community but they have largely moved to more affluent parts of the flatlands at the bottom of the hill and have been replaced by members of the African American community. Chola, wife of a fairly prosperous theater owner, has run the store on Chicken Hill for years and refuses to move. Instead she continues to operate the store providing credit (never requiring payment) to help her new neighbors as well as her old ones.

From the book jacket: "In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania were digging the foundations for a new housing development, the last they they expected to uncover was a human skeleton. Who the skeleton was and how it got buried there were just two of the long-held secrets that had been kept for decades by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and AFrian Americans lived side by side, sharing ambitions and sorrows."

This book is an engaging story about human relationships, love, prejudice, struggle, survival. The title somehow turned me off for a long while after I bought it but the praise of others on LT finally moved me to pick it up --it's a great read!

That sure was a great read -- quite a sprawling story but I loved it.

>179 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. I think you were probably one of the reasons I finally read it. Thanks!

Some months ago I read Long Island without realizing it was a sequel to Brooklyn so I'm making up for that now and really enjoying it.

Otherwise, there is not-a-thing on my calendar today, tomorrow or Wednesday!!! 😊. I'm hoping to get a lot of reading done.

And so... I started reading Brooklyn and it seemed very familiar so I checked and, indeed, I have it listed as "library" as well as "audio". My defense is that I read it in 2015!! I think I'll keep the rest of the reread for another time and move on to something new now.

>182 RebaRelishesReading: Ha! Been there.

I requested Brooklyn from the library but so did lots of other people, no doubt because of Long Island. I actually thought I'd read Brooklyn, but it's nowhere in my LT records. Maybe I was thinking of Jacqueline Woodson's Another Brooklyn. So anyhoo, I'm looking forward to reading both Brooklyn and the sequel.

>183 lauralkeet: Thanks for the comaraderie, Laura :). I'm a bit tempted to reread Brooklyn but I have so many books in Mt. TBR that I think I'll pass and move on.

Hope your week is going well.

>183 lauralkeet: - I'm surprised you haven't read Brooklyn, Laura. It seems like a "you" kind of book. I loved it myself.

>184 RebaRelishesReading: - What are you going to move on to, Reba?

>145 RebaRelishesReading: I know, right?! I might have watched the movie, but I can’t say for sure. If the book seems familiar, I’ll know.

Good morning Katie and Laura!!

As to what's next...I have moved The Master Butchers Singing Club from Mt. TBR to the table next to "my" chair. I spent last evening knitting and watching TV so haven't started it yet though. Perhaps when I finish here. :>

I have been glued to the TV and the Olympics every night. Such exciting things to see on the broadcast!

I enjoyed both Brooklyn and Long Island. I'm glad you are enjoying Long Island too, Reba.

Popping in to say Hi!! Glad you enjoyed the The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store -- hope you enjoy the next read, too!

>188 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. I wish it was easier to find the things I want to watch on Olympics but I am enjoying what I can track down :)

>189 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I did enjoy both of them. Have you read Brooklyn?

>190 Berly:. Hi Kim! How nice of you to stop by, taking time out of your amazingly busy life!! I'm watching too much Olympics and listening to an audio book while knitting the rest of the time so it may be a while before I actually open a new physical book :).

>191 RebaRelishesReading: I'm watching lots of the Olympics and not getting much reading done either. I'm glad to know I'm in good company.

What have you been watching, Irene? Today I watched women's trampoline (didn't know that was an Olympic sport!) and finals for team Show Jumping. Really enjoyed both. I'm getting quite a bit of knitting done thanks to all of these fine athletes :)

>193 RebaRelishesReading: I have mostly been watching gymnastics, swimming, a little bit of skateboarding and BMX, and other individual competitive events that are on the main NBC network, like the bike races which took place early in the Olympics. I have been trying to watch the equestrian competitions as well, and have gone over to E! to see what I can there. I didn't get to see as much of the eventing as I wanted to, but I did get to see a good portion of the live team jumping finals there this morning. I'll probably be watching a lot of track and field this coming week. For some reason, I seem to enjoy the sports that have more individual competitions in the Olympics rather than the team sports.

I have seen a little bit of trampoline in previous Olympics, though not a lot. I only saw a couple of competitors doing trampoline today.

I always enjoy the Olympics, and it's nicer this year that the competition times work better for watching, for the most part. The team qualifications in gymnastics were much too early; why they scheduled the US teams in the first group for both men and women, which put them in the extreme early hours on the east coast here, I don't understand. Plus the Canadians too in at least one of the competitions. But for the most part, the time schedule is working pretty well, especially since I'm retired and can watch without conflict during the day.

I hope you continue to enjoy watching them as well. Just too many sports to watch!

I am watching the Prime time broadcasts only. I don't have streaming and can't seem to figure out how to run it in hotel rooms, so I watch what they put on the major NBC channels. But - it is working for me! I am not much interested in the women's gymnastics or the women's beach volleyball but other than that I find the variety of sports interesting.

>193 RebaRelishesReading: >194 atozgrl: Oh, and diving too. Unfortunately, I think the live rounds have either been too early or have been up against something I was watching on another channel, so I've only been able to watch the recaps on NBC in the evening. As I said, too many interesting sports to watch everything I want to.

I did read Brooklyn, yes, Reba and I liked it a bit more than Long Island though both were good reads. I might read The Wind Knows My Name this month, as Richard has let me know this is Women's Book In Translation month. We'll see if I can tear myself away from the Booker Longlist. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I am now locked out of the Olympics on TV. I am bereft. I just got the cable TV turned on in the Kansas house after having it shut down for 3 months. I went with the cheapest package with only Live TV and featuring the local channels out of Nebraska. Last night I turned it on and started searching for the NBC station we always watched. I quickly learned that there are NO NBC affiliates in our local region. Since I am not going to be here full time until November 1st I don't want to spend the money to add Peacock. I will be totally dependent on the local newspapers to see the Olympics.

>194 atozgrl: Lot's of similarity there, Irene. I too generally prefer individual competitions to team sports. I enjoyed the team jumping (and hope to come across the individual competition too). I watched some of the men's gymnastic floor exercise today -- amazing what they can do with their bodies!! I also enjoy the diving competitions but haven't come across much so fare. Indeed too much to watch though.. Hope you find lots of good things to watch next week.

>195 benitastrnad:. Hi Benita. I've set the NBC broadcasts to record but it isn't easy to find what I want to see. I certainly can't plan ahead -- just check what's on live and what is recorded every time I have time to sit with it a while. >198 benitastrnad: -- bummer!! I've resisted adding Peacock too -- we already have so many channels -- but I was tempted because I don't find the Olympics coverage easy to deal with.

>197 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. The Wind Knows My Name eh? I'll have to check that one out Deborah. Good luck with the Booker list -- I'm trying hard to ignore I because I really need to make some progress with the stacks that are taking over my house.

We had a little outing today. I'm a fan of loose-leaf tea and like to be able to buy it by weight put into my own containers. For a while I could do that at a shop in downtown Vancouver but 1 1/2 years ago. or so they had a big rent increase and closed the shop. A woman in a town about 20 minutes from here took over selling the same tea on-line but, of course, it has to come packaged. I went on line this morning to order some and found that "pick up" was now an option and that it was being sold in conjunction with a coffee shop.cafe...so I announced an outing for brunch and we headed out in the car. Turns out the tea is indeed sold in the shop but as a small line in a busy cafe. Since I hadn't placed an order, and the tea owner wasn't there, I could only choose form the rather limited varieties in stock -- not including the one I wanted :(. Nice manager of the cafe tried to help me get in touch with tea lady but she didn't answer phone (and apparently her father-in-law passed away last week so may be out of town). Back home again I ordered the tea I want, indicated "pick up" and hope I'll get a message when it's ready for me.

Sadly, the only place I know where I can take my own jars and have them filled in the store is an amazing place (with 60 or 70 different teas available) in Gig Harbor, WA -- but that's 3 hours or so away :(

Oh yes, and...I went into the kitchen this morning and started running some water to wash up some left over containers from yesterday only to have water run out of the cabinet under the sink onto my feet!! I have the cupboard empty, water sopped up and a pan under the leak, have called the plumber (but not heard back yet). Guess I have a good reason to not do much cooking this weekend :)

>200 RebaRelishesReading: That rots about the tea venue changing, Reba. I'd never heard of Gig Harbor, and now I know it's a tea mecca. No idea what I'll do with that knowledge but it'll come in handy some day. Or not.

Two Carribbean-osland ladies won golds...and first-ever medals...in track and field! One was from Dominica, which is how I heard about it, one of the staff is from Dominica. One of the US women was favored, Sha'Carri Richardson, so sad for her but yay! for first ever Olympic medals!

>200 RebaRelishesReading: Not tea of course, but I'm sad I can no longer buy my coffee by the ⅓ or ½ pound. Peet's no longer sells anything but 1 pound bags. I have sent off for Ceylon (should it now be Sri Lankan) tea, which I love with cream, but since I don't do caffeine in the afternoons any more, I gave that up.

>200 RebaRelishesReading: What a bummer about your favorite tea, Reba. On the plus side, you can visit the cafe again when your order is ready.

>201 RebaRelishesReading: OMG what a mess! I mean at least it was just water, but it sounds like there was a lot of it. I hope you're able to get it fixed quickly.

>202 richardderus: Gig Harbor is a charming little town west of Tacoma and the tea shop there is amazing!!!

St.Lucia was the other island country to win first medal. It's one of my favorite places int he Caribbean. I'm delighted that two tiny countries were able to get medals.

>203 quondame: Hi Susan. I have never learned to drink coffee (and I have tried, really I have) but I love tea. I drink all sorts -- black usually for first thing in the morning but my IV Tea Company has an herbal called Summer Harvest that makes a wonderful iced tea for summer afternoons :). I have now ordered some on-line and hope I'll get a message that I can come and get it soon because I'm OUT!!

>204 lauralkeet:. Hi Laura -- indeed I can, and plan to, visit the cafe again when order is ready. It's only about 20 minutes away so not so bad.

I still haven't heard from the plumber but the cabinet under the sink is now quite dry and the towels I used to sop it up with have been washed and dried and seem no worse for wear. I also have an excuse to eat lunch out today :)

>199 RebaRelishesReading: I'm sure there will still be plenty of the Olympics to watch this coming week, even after gymnastics finishes up tomorrow. There's plenty to keep me interested.

>198 benitastrnad: I am so sorry to hear that you can't watch the rest of the Olympics. What a pity! No NBC affiliates? That's tough. But I can understand why you wouldn't want to pay much right now, since it will be months yet before you are settled in full time.

>205 RebaRelishesReading: I hope you hear back from the plumber first thing Monday, and can get your sink fixed ASAP. At least you were able to clean up the cabinet quickly. Good luck!

Hope the plumber comes soon!

We got Peacock for the Olympics, it's been totally worth the $8. But we are soccer nerds and spent half of yesterday watching the quarterfinals.

Also, regarding possible meet-ups; I am trying to revive the Oregon Meet-Up thread. https://www.librarything.com/topic/356633#n8561501

Hi Irene -- plumber was here this afternoon and has fixed the problem :). I have cleaned under there and replaced all of the bins that hold cleaning products, colanders, sieves, chopping boards, etc. and the kitchen is restored :)

Hi Rhonda -- I just was over there responding to you and posting about Ronincats visit next month. Please check it out Northwesterners and September visitors to the NW!!

>209 RebaRelishesReading: Great news about the plumber, Reba. I hope you made the most of it by having lunch out as you mentioned. 😀

>209 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad to hear that the problem is fixed and everything is back to normal again. Sorry you had to deal with it though.

>210 lauralkeet:, >211 atozgrl: Thanks for the sympathy Laura and Irene -- well plumber came in the afternoon so no lunch out but we did go out for breakfast yesterday. All is well in the kitchen again. Cleaners are due this afternoon so the house should be in good shape by evening.

>212 RebaRelishesReading: I loooove going out for breakfast. We don't do it often so it's always a treat.

I came to deliver a ::side-eye:: in person to your pineapple-pizza-eatin' self.

*smooch*

Too bad about the tea, Reba. I feel for you. I have a favourite tea that I drink in the morning and then after dinner, Stash Christmas Morning tea. It's a black tea with some green and jasmine. I think it is just about perfect. I can almost always get it from Amazon. Stash does not seem to make the tea except around Christmas time , so I can't order from them directly. Still have not watched any live Olympics. Just catch the highlights, but that's okay.

I have a lot of different tea (in teabags) on the shelf, but I tend to drink Bengal Spice. Delicious, no caffeine. But occasionally I use a regular tea bag of something or other. Since I'm a morning coffee drinker, the tea is occasional, at least until winter, when it is the most warming of drinks.

>214 richardderus: lol

>213 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. I agree. We seem to go "in spurts" (as my mother would have said). We'll go out every week for a while and then not at all for a couple of months. We do have one favorite place though, which is where we went the other day.

>215 vancouverdeb:. Hi Deborah. Tea issue is all resolved. The woman who owns the business was out of town because her mother-in-law had passed away. She got my order together as soon as she got back and I picked it up yesterday. I have a couple of favorites. For hot tea my #1 is a vanilla bean black tea. For iced there is an herbal mixture called Summer Harvest that I really like, brewed medium strong and with some sweetener and a bit of lemon juice in it. I'm set for both of these for a bit.

>216 ffortsa: I have never learned to like coffee (and that is a strong understatement) but I love tea -- especially flavored teas, brewed from loose leaves. I start the day with a freshly brewed cup or two and move on to iced later in the day. I have a little metal Japanese pot that holds two nice-sized mugs worth of tea -- just finishing this morning's brew as I type.

I have knitting group this morning and that is half-way to New Seasons Grocery (where I need to go for berries and a few other things) which is just 1/2 block from White Oak Books...I have a long list ready for the last stop :)

>218 RebaRelishesReading: I have never learned to like coffee (and that is a strong understatement)

...pineapple pizza...sweet sammy bread...no coffee...drinks tea...

*gasp* You're English aren't you! Don't front! You are!!

>219 RebaRelishesReading: I am eagerly awaiting a full report!

What Laura said. Looking forward to hearing what you pick up at the bookstore!

I am a fan of the Simpson & Vail teas. I like the Jane Austen tea. It is a black tea with a hint of lavender in it. Some think it is a bit floral, but I like it. I drink hot tea mostly in the afternoon. It provides me with a gentle soothing relaxation. I started making a cup of hot tea during my afternoon break at work and that time suits me.

>220 richardderus: LOL -- born and bred here but all but 5% of my DNA comes from the British Isles -- Scot, Irish, Welsh...but not much English (as far as I can tell)

Hi Laura and Katie

OK -- so I got the following because they're scheduled for my FL bookclub in the coming year:

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s
The Paris Daughter
James: A Novel

and North Woods: a Novel because I heard great things about it here.

I looked for the Balkan Trilogy but they didn't have it :(. May just have to order that.

>223 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. I got started with IV Tea because they had a store near here where I could take my glass jars and they would fill them from their glass jars. I loved that! Unfortunately they got a serious rent increase and closed the store but a woman in a small town outside Vancouver bought it. For a year or so I could only get mail-order which meant buying a pretty large quantity or pay shipping costs but the new owner just made a deal with a coffee shop/cafe in her town to sell the (bagged) tea and to allow pick-ups there -- which will be my new procedure (even though I mourn the ability to get my jars filled directly).

>224 RebaRelishesReading: hmmm

It's churlish to doubt a person's word on their own thread.

::side-eye::

Happy weekend-ahead's reads! *smooch*

>227 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. You too :)

You got me with your review of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, Reba. Enjoy your tea!

>229 Familyhistorian: Hope you enjoy it Meg!! (and I'm enjoying a cuppa as I write -- it's lovely)

So happy about this success I have to share...I found a recipe for using up rotisserie chicken which sounded good but like a fair amount of work so I simplified it to this:

bite-sized broccoli florets
bow-tie pasta
left-over rotisserie chicken
Bertolli Alfredo sauce

Steam the broccoli. Cook the pasta in salted water. Warm the chicken in the sauce. Combine. So easy and so tasty!!!

Otherwise I've been off doing some "medical things" which turned out well so not much reading going on (have done a fair amount of knitting though). Things are back to normal now so hope to make some progress with The Master Butchers Singing Club today.

>231 RebaRelishesReading: that sounds delish, Reba! I love a good sauce in a jar, it makes prep so easy.

>232 lauralkeet: Indeed!! Hubby can be a bit unenthusiastic about food but he really liked this -- said so several times :). I never quite no what to do with left-over rotisserie chicken so this was a win on that score too.

Hope your Wednesday is going well, Laura.

And....it's here and it's huge (3 books in l after all) but since others are reading it now (looking at you Laura 😁) I'm going to start as soon as I finish The Master Butchers Singing Club (which is excellent btw).

Enough by Cassidy Hutchinson***** (audio)

A description of Cassidy's time in the Trump White House as a junior Republican staffer including fascinating details about the working life of Washington staffers in general. She wrote the book because she observed the Jan. 6 insurrection up close, including being in the car with Trump as he was forced to return to the White House after his incendiary comments to the mob. When she was originally subpoenaed to testify she was unable to find an attorney to accompany her pro bono or that she could afford. As a result she accepted an attorney paid for by Trump supporters who pressured her to give as little information as possible with "I don't recall", "I'm not sure", etc. as her stock answer. After she watched Liz Cheney look for the truth with her committee, Cassidy approached her and offered to provide all of the information she had adding significantly to understanding of Trump's role in the events that took place. Fascinating read --- especially in light of this year's election.

>234 RebaRelishesReading: You took the plunge! I love it.

>235 RebaRelishesReading: that does sound really interesting.

>235 RebaRelishesReading: - As an erstwhile junior DC staffer, I might just have to read this to compare experiences with her. Not that I had a front row seat to an attempted coup or anything...

Hi Laura and Katie -- I really recommend it. She reads the Audible version herself but the written one would be good too I'm sure.

I plan/hope to finish The Master Butchers Singing Club this afternoon and then The Balkan Trilogy will be up next :)

The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich****

In a departure from her usual stories about Indian groups in the upper mid-west, this book is drawn from the German heritage of her father. Set mainly in the period between the World Wars in a fictional small town in North Dakota, the story's main characters are Delphine (of Polish ancestry), her alcoholic father, Fidelis and his wife Eva (recent immigrants from Germany and the better of two butchers in town). The story of the relationship between Eva and Delphine drives the story.

Erdrich is a favorite author of mine and I expected great things from this book. For the first 2/3 or so I would have given it a strong ***** but I found the last 1/3 much less complelling. I also was mystified by the title since the singing club had no particular significant that I could see. Still a very worthwhile read over all.

This is getting a bit unwieldy I think...so time for a new thread. Please join me on page 4