Deborah (vancouverdeb) reads in 2024 Thread 5

Vancouver, Canada Place, and Vancouver, Lighthouse Park.

I'm Deborah, 41years happily married to Dave, who retired March 21 2024. . We have two adult sons, Daniel, 39, and William, aged 34. William is married to Serenade, and they have blessed us with two grandchildren, Melissa, 6, and Miles, 3. Besides reading, I do love to do jigsaw puzzles, walk -with or without our dog, Poppy, likely a Poodle- Maltese mix . I've been here on LT for nearly 15 years, and I enjoy historical fiction and mysteries , as well as many other genres. I'm keen to read book prize contenders, lately mainly the Women's Prize for Fiction and the Booker Lists. Last year I read 41 books and I expect to read about the same number this year. In previous years I have managed to read 75 books, but my love of jigsaw puzzles has changed that.

January

1) Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Relationships by Nedra Glover Tawwab American, F, 4 stars library
2) The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, American, M, 3.5 stars off the shelf
3) Absolution by Alice McDermott , American, F, 3 stars library
4)The Little Book Of Icelanders by Alda Sigmundsdottir Icelandic, F, 3 stars New
5)Reykjavik by Ragnar Jonasson , Icelandic, M, 4 stars Library

February

6) Silas Marner by George Eliot , British, F, 3.5 stars , library book / audiobook
7) The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson , British, F, 4 stars my book.
8) The Road from Belhaven by Margot Livesey, British, F, 4 stars, library.
9) The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo American, F, library, 4 stars
10) The Book of Days by Francesca Kay, British, F, ebook, 4 stars

March
11) Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie , F , New, 4 stars
12) Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville,Australian F, library, 4 stars
13) The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright ,Irish, F, library, 2.5 stars
14) The Prey by Yrsa Sigurdardottir , Icelandic, F , New, 4.5 stars

April
15) Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, British/ Palestinian, F , library, 3 stars
16) Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan, Irish, F, New, 4.5 stars
17)The Maiden by Kate Foster , Scotland, , F, New 4.5 stars
18)The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher, F, UK. Library, 4 stars
19)The Brotherless Night by V.V Ganeshanathan , F , American ,new 5 stars

May

20)The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, F,British, new, 5 stars
21)Soldier Sailor byClaire Kilroy , F, mine, Irish, 4 stars
22)Long Island by Colm Toibin , M, library Ireland, 4 stars
23)The Household by Stacey Halls, F, new, UK 4 stars

June

24)To Track a Traitor by Iona Wishaw, F , ROOT, 4 stars Canadian, 4 stars
25)River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure, F, mine, American, 4.5 stars
26) Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout, F, library , American, 3 stars
27)The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Neal, F, new, UK, 5 stars

July

28) The Framed Women of Ardemore House: A Novel byBrandy Schillace , F, library, 2.5 stars
29) The God of the Woods by Liz Moore F, American, library, 4 stars
30) The Coast Road by Alan Murrin, M, Irish, mine, 5 stars
31)The Briar Club by Kate Quinn, F, American, mine, 4 stars
32)The Spoiled Heart: A novel by Sunjeev SahotaM, UK, 5 stars

August

33) My Friends by Hisham Matar, M, American , mine, 4.5 stars
34)This Strange, Eventful History by Claire Messud, F, American, library 3 stars
35)The Safekeep by Yael van Wouden, F, library,Israeli/ Dutch, 3.5 stars
36)The Story Collector by Evie Woods,F, mine, Irish, 3.5 stars
37)Enlightenment by Sarah Perry, F, mine, UK, 2.5 stars

September

38) Death At The Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson, library, F, British, 3.5 stars
39)Stillwater by Darcie Friesen Hossack , mine, F, Canadian

Prize winners and nominees

Silas Marner by George Eliot 1001 books to read before you die
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie Womens Prize for Fiction Longlist 2024
Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville Women's Prize for Fiction Short List 2024
The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright Women's Prize for Fiction Short List 2024
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist 2024
Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2024
The Maiden by Kate Foster Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2024
Brotherless Night by V.V Ganeshanathan Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist, 2024, Carol Shield Prize shortlist 2024
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy , Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist, 2024
River West, River East by Aube Rey Lescure , Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist, 2024
My Friends by Hisham Matar George Orwell Prize Winner 2024, Book Prize Longlist 2024
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud, Booker Prize Longlist 2024
The Safekeep by Yael van wouden , Booker Prize Longlist 2024
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry , Booker Prize Longlist 2024

Currently reading
Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson

Welcome to my new thread! All welcome! Please drop a star, delurk, or lurk. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy 5th thread, Deb. I'm happy to get here first!

>12 PaulCranswick: Thanks for stopping by , Paul! Great to see you!

>1 vancouverdeb: what wonderful photos

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Deborah!

The newest puzzle that I purchased for Mother is this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MWR7634?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_detail...

She loves the Ravensburger Large Format puzzles so those are the ones that I tend to buy for her.

Happy new thread Deborah, no I am going back and catching up slowly. Nice puzzle!

Sweet Thursday, Deborah. Happy New Thread. Love those Vancouver toppers, along with the painting.

Happy new one Deborah.

Happy new thread, Deb. Gorgeous toppers, both >1 vancouverdeb: and >2 vancouverdeb:!

Happy new thread Deborah!

>1 vancouverdeb: What glorious scenery stunningly captured!

Happy new one, Deborah. I hope you're sharing in the cool-down here in the NW :)

Keep on keepin' on, Deborah.

>1 vancouverdeb: Nice lighthouse.

>2 vancouverdeb: Whose work is this? Nice colorful painting.

Happy new🧵!

Happy new one, Deborah! Thanks for sharing those lovely photos of your part of the world. The water looks especially appealing to me right now. I'd like to take a swim to cool off :)

Happy new thread, Deborah! Those are gorgeous photos of Vancouver in your topper.

Happy new thread, Deborah.

>2 vancouverdeb: I love this, one! Nice colours, nice atmosphere.

Happy new thread Deborah. The photos in >1 vancouverdeb: are beautiful! Lucky, lucky! I used to do lots of hiking in Lighthouse Park.

>14 figsfromthistle: Thanks , Anita!

>15 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! I am quite sure I purchased that puzzle for my sister, not because she likes large format, but she does love cats. I've done that puzzle too. Great fun for your mom.

>16 Kristelh: Kristel, sadly the picture at #2 is not a puzzle. I wish it was though, because I'd love to do it. I just really loved the image.

>17 msf59: Hi Mark! I'm having a nice easy day, reading and working on a puzzle. I was out walking the past couple of days in the heat , so I decided to laze around today. Vancouver is beautiful!

>18 charl08: Thanks Charlotte!

>19 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley! I think I read that you going away for a bit of holiday for 5 days. I'll have to come and check you thread

>20 quondame: Thanks Susan! Such kind words.

>21 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. What a relief to have a cool down here in PNW, yes. I'm glad you are enjoying it too.

>22 weird_O: Great to see you, Bill. Unfortunately , I don't whose work that is. I took a screen shot of it , and I think it was in my instagram feed, but I did not note who the artist was.

>23 Storeetllr: Thanks Mary!

>24 katiekrug: Hi Katie. I do feel fortunate to live in this beautiful corner of the world. I'm sure the water would be refreshingly cool.

>25 atozgrl: Thanks Irene. It is beautiful here.

>26 EllaTim: Thanks Ella! Yes, I loved the image at #2. I really wish someone would make a jigsaw puzzle of it.

>27 mdoris: Thanks Mary. West Vancouver, the lighthouse really, as you know. I haven't gone hiking there in a couple of years. Dave and I will have to try to get over there this summer. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much for hiking. Great spot!

>28 vancouverdeb:, wow, I guess I made an assumption. It would make a great puzzle.

Those are familiar images up top, Deborah. Happy new thread! Good to see you are feeling better. You got me with The God of the Woods.

Happy new one, Deborah!

Happy new thread, Deborah! I have The Coast Road checked out from the library but I don't know if I'll get to it.

Happy Friday, Deborah. I am enjoying a Jackson Day! 😀

Happy new thread, Deborah! Hope you're having a good weekend.

Happy new thread! Your pictures are lovely and bring back memories of our visit to Vancouver. Hope your weekend is going well.

I'm going to sneak in a Happy New Thread too before it's no longer new!

Vancouver, WOW! Those pictures are fabulous!

I have loved puzzling too, Deborah, and favor Ravensburger 1,000 piece ones. I started and took up the golden library one and won't have time or place to try again in my foreseeable future. *sigh* I wish you may be enjoying one now or maybe a good book or maybe a fine excursion in your beautiful outdoors!

>33 Kristelh: An easy assumption to make, Kristel, since I didn't specify what the image was ! :-)

>34 Familyhistorian: Yes, for anyone dwelling in the Vancouver area , those are familiar images, Meg. I think you will really enjoyed The God of the Woods .

>35 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>36 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne. I have not yet created a review for The Coast Road, but it was excellent! I gave it 5 stars.

>37 msf59: I'm glad you are enjoying a Jackson Day, Mark! Always fun!

>38 bell7: Thanks Mary. Yes, I have had a good weekend. I got quite a bit of reading in , among other things

>39 witchyrichy: Hi Karen! Great to see you! I'm glad you enjoyed Vancouver when you were here. It is a beautiful city.

>40 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I'm glad you enjoyed the Vancouver pix. I'm glad you enjoy puzzling too. I always have one on the go, and many waiting just likes books. I'll have to check out the golden Library puzzle that you mention. I'm sorry you won't get a chance to work on your puzzle for a while. I did get out for walk today, but it is still on the warm side for my tastes.

Happy new one, Deborah!! Wishing you lots of puzzles and books this thread. : )

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 4 stars

This is a propulsive read with many interesting characters. In the early morning of 1975, Barbara Van Laar is discovered to have gone missing from her cabin at camp. Her well off family owns the camp, and sadly her elder brother, nicknamed Bear, also disappeared during a hike nearby some fourteen year prior, never to be found. This was a fascinating read as we got to know the sad story of Barbara and Bear's distressed mom, Alice, her less than kind father, and the many troubled members of the family. Meanwhile, young investigator Judyita is doing her best along with other of the police force to track down the whereabouts of Barbara. A mystery, a story of troubled families, friendships, and conflicting social circles.

Recommended.

>44 Berly: Thanks Kim! Same to you!

Hi Deborah, I skimmed past your recent review since I will soon be reading this book myself. I'm glad to see 4 stars and your comment on my thread about how much you enjoyed it.

I'm only 60 or so pages into The Coast Road and I'm enjoying it. Thanks for the encouragement to get to it!

Good day, Deborah, wishing you a good week!

>45 vancouverdeb: I really liked Long Bright River but hadn't come across this one. Thanks Deborah.

Good review of The God of the Woods. It is on the list.

Thank you for sharing images of where you live in Canada. Years ago, my family camped in Canada each summer at a place called Jones Falls. I remember the bugs were bothersome, but the water, and surrounding land was so very pretty.

Thanks for sharing this, and also for the excellent review of The God of the Woods

>47 lauralkeet: I hope The God of the Woods works out well for you, Laura.

>48 Copperskye: Yes, Joanne, I just loved The Coast Road. A five star read for me. I'm really glad you are reading it.

>49 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel. So far a good week. A warm day for my walk today.

>50 charl08: I hope you enjoy The God of the Woods too, Charlotte. Long Bright River was what drew me to this new book as well.

>51 msf59: Thanks Mark. Glad the review helped. Glad it's on your list.

>52 Whisper1: You are so welcome , Linda. I think it very beautiful in this part of the world. I'll have to look up Jones Falls, because I don't know where that is in Canada. We are quite fortunate that the Vancouver area doesn't have many bugs, but I know a lot of areas do. I had a couple of camping adventures when I was a kid and there plenty of mosquitos and horseflies. Not something I enjoyed. Thanks re my review of God of The Woods.

I haven't written a review yet, but I had a five star read with The Coast Road by Alan Murrin. I watched a vlog about possible Booker Longlist possibles, and this was one that was thought to be possible. It was a very good read, and my library has it.

This is a two minute video from the author of The Coast Road on what the book is about and what authors inspired him.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-e&q=alan+murrin+youtube#fpsta...

Hi Deborah, what a great topper.

>45 vancouverdeb: interesting looking

>56 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. Vancouver is a beautiful place.

>57 The_Hibernator: The God of the Woods was a good read,Rachel. If you get a chance to read it, I hope you enjoy it.

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin 5 stars

This debut novel was excellent. It is set in 1994 Ireland, in a small town , Ardglas, County Donegal. The story takes place before divorce was legal in Ireland, and we witness the heartbreak of that. Colette Crowley left her unhappy marriage for man in Dublin, and when that did not work out, she returned to Ardglas. However , her husband Shaun refuses to let her visit her three sons. Without any source of income, Colette rents a small cottage from Dolores and Donal Mullen, another unhappily married couple. Donal cheats on his wife, and also beats her. Meanwhile, Izzy and James also live in Ardglas. Izzy is less than happy in her marriage, particularly as her husband sold her flower shop shortly after they were married. At this point in her life, she would like to return to this work, but her husband won't allow it.

A fascinating , character driven novel, and eye opening as far as the power men had over their wives.

As a priest friend of Izzy's remarks p 263 " when you have a job like mine, people are coming to you every day - telling you things, terrible things. People have terrible, difficult, hard lives. And when you hear that , you realise you've never really had a bad day."

Highly recommended.

>59 vancouverdeb: Great review, Deborah.

>59 vancouverdeb: Excellent review, Deborah. I didn't realize legal divorce was such a new thing in Ireland. That sounds like an excellent book but can I summon the energy to read about so much misogyny?

Hi Deborah! Happy newest thread, rather late.

Line in the sand, mostly.

However, I love the day trips you and Dave have taken since he’s retired, and the pic of your grandchildren, the ‘Last Day’ ones from your previous thread, are sweet.

I’m glad to read that the fodmap diet seemed to help with your tummy issues.

Puzzles done, good reviews, and etc.

Good review of The Coast Road. You are knocking out some fine books. Another one for my obese TBR. So many good books coming out of Ireland. Wow.

Happy Friday, Deborah.

>59 vancouverdeb: Good review, but I’m with >61 lauralkeet:. Not sure I’m strong enough right now to deal with the subject, what with what’s going on in the US these days.

You did get me with a BB though. God of the Woods sounds good. Do I need to read Long Bright River first?

>45 vancouverdeb: The God of the Woods got a rave review on one of the morning shows (CBS I think) this morning, so you're not the only one recommending it. Maybe I'll get to it one of these days.

The link for The Coast Road brought me back to your thread, Deborah. It sounds interesting but maybe depressing?

>60 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara, it was a great book.

>61 lauralkeet: I was surprised that divorce wasn't legal in Ireland until 1996 too, Laura. It was a great read. There are some good men in the book, the priest - and I don't want to reveal any spoilers.

>62 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Good to see you. Yes, it's been a big relief that the Low Fodmap diet has worked so well for my stomach. Why I suddenly couldn't'tolerate those foods is a mystery though. But I've heard it happens to other people. Yes, Dave and I are enjoying his retirement.

>63 msf59: Thanks Mark. I think you would like The Coast Road very much . I do feel I've with most of my reads lately, which is great. You are right about the number of great Irish writers . I find a lot of them I love .

>64 Storeetllr: Mary, I try not to think too much about what is going on in the USA right now. I loathe Trump, though of course he should not have been shot. I can't understand you might wish to stick with less heavy books. No, you certainly don't need to read Long Bright River before The God of the Woods. They are both stand alone novels and don't have anything in common.

>65 atozgrl: I'm glad that The Coast Road got a rave review on CBS today, Irene. I watched a book tube video on predictions for the 2024 Booklist and whomevers book tube channel it was ( I can't remember) mentioned that it might be on the Booker Longlist for 2024. Who knows, but that is what drew my attention to it. I was in to a book store a couple of days ago and they had a lot of copies of The Coast Road, so I hope it proves as popular as is expected. I really felt it was a great read.

>66 Familyhistorian: Well, it's not a cheerful read, Meg, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless . I was into Chapter's at Broadway and Granville on Wednesday and they had maybe 12 copies, I didn't count. So I am hoping it will be popular. My library has at least one copy. Maybe borrow it from the library and see if it is too depressing for you or not ?

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn 4 stars

An interesting and engaging story that takes place during the McCarthy era . In 1950 Washington D.C., Briar House is a down at the hills boarding house , filled with female tenants , and over seen by a strict woman, Dolores Nilsson. All of the women have secrets and often difficult lives. Among them is the gracious and friendly widow, Grace March. She brings the women together with a weekly Thursday night supper club. Grace also hides perhaps a bigger secret than any other of the boarders, and when an act of violence threatens to tear the house apart, her secret comes to light.

Recommended.

>69 vancouverdeb: It was actually The God of the Woods that they liked so much. They didn't mention The Coast Road.

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin made two Booker prediction utube reviews thate I viewed today; Gunpowder, Fiction and Ben Reads Good.

>71 atozgrl: I guess I was so fixated on The Coast Road that I misread The God of the Woods for The Coast Road, Irene. Duh on my part !

>72 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel. I think heard about The Coast Road on Ben Reads Good. Thanks for letting me know, I listened to his youtube prediction again and also listened to Gunpowder and Fiction.

I finished The Spoiled Heart last night and I loved it. Five stars, but I have yet to create a review for it.

>59 vancouverdeb: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Deborah!

>70 vancouverdeb: Adding that one to the BlackHole too! Your thread is a dangerous place for me.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

The Spoiled Heart is getting mixed reviews on LibraryThing. Was it "just" a romance?

>73 vancouverdeb: I've added The Coast Road to my Wishlist. Ireland is a country that has gone through such profound changes over the last decades.

>75 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia! It's our 41st anniversary today, so we are just heading for dinner. Just our once a year trip to Fish and Chips place. Sorry my thread is such a dangerous place for you! :-) I think you will enjoy both The Coast Road and The Briar Club. I hope you library has both or at least one of them.

>76 The_Hibernator: No, Rachel, it's not just a romance. In fact while there is romantic relationship between a couple of characters, the idea that The Spoiled Heart is a romance never occurred to me. Here is the blurb from the book.

Nayan Olak keeps seeing Helen Fletcher around town. She's returned with her teenage son to live in the run-down house at the end of the lane, and—though she's strangely guarded—Nayan can't help but be drawn to her. He hasn't risked love since losing his young family in a terrible accident twenty years earlier.

In the wake of the tragedy, Nayan's labor union, long a cornerstone of his community, became the center of his life: a way for him to channel his energies into making the world a better—fairer, as he sees it—place. Now, he's decided to mount a run for the leadership. But his campaign pits him against a newcomer, Megha, who quickly proves to be a more formidable challenger than he anticipated.

As Nayan's differences with Megha spin out of control, complicating the ideals he's always held dear, he grows closer to Helen—and unknowingly barrels toward long-held secrets about how their pasts might be connected. Suddenly, much more is threatened than his chances of winning.

In one sense a tragedy in the classic mold, tracing one man's seemingly inexorable fall, The Spoiled Heart is also an explosively contemporary story of how a few words or a single action—to one person careless, to another, charged—can trigger a cascade of unimaginable consequences. A vivid and multi-layered exploration of the mysteries of the heart, how community is forged and broken, and the shattering impact of secrets and assumptions alike, it is a blazing achievement from one of Britain's foremost living writers.

>77 SandDune: Quite right , Rhian, Ireland has undergone profound changes over the the last decades. The legalization of divorce and abortion, the end of the Troubles. I think you will enjoy The Coast Road.

Happy anniversary, Deb!
I had fish and chips the other day, at a Bookcrossing meetup. Enjoy!

>80 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley! We will be heading out in a few minutes. I always feel a little guilty eating fish and chips, but I guess once a year is okay. I'm glad you enjoyed your fish and chips the other day. I can almost taste them right now! :-)

Happy anniversary 😘💖

Happy Anniversary, Deborah!

Are you going out for fish and chips? No need to feel guilty, enjoy!

Happy Anniversary Deborah! 41 years, way to go!
😍 🥂🍾

Happy anniversary!

Happy anniversary, Deborah! Chris and I celebrate 41 years in August. We haven't made any plans yet and now you have me thinking about fish and chips!

>78 vancouverdeb: I didn't make it onto LT yesterday so sorry to be late but I'm hoping you had a lovely anniversary dinner and wishing you a happy anniversary!

>78 vancouverdeb: Added this one to the wishlist.
And adding my good wishes as well for the anniversary dinner.

A belated Happy Anniversary, Deborah. I hope the fish and chips hit the spot!

Belated happy anniversary! I too hope your dinner was a good one.

>82 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara, for the Happy Anniversary Wishes!

>83 EllaTim: Thanks Ella!

>84 mdoris: So kind, Mary! Yes, 41 years. Daniel will be 40 this December, so it's a good thing :-) We were quick off the mark with our first son, but then struggled to have the second , so there are 5 1/2 years between our two sons .

>85 bell7: Thanks , Mary!

>86 lauralkeet: Congratulations on your upcoming 41st Anniversary, Laura and Chris. I hope you enjoy fish and chips if you decide on that. We had a nice dinner out, then walked for a mile or more, and then drove to the airport and watched a few planes land. It was a nice , casual evening.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba, we did have a nice evening and dinner together.

>88 charl08: I'm thrilled that you are adding The Spoiled Heart to your wish list. It's another book that is a possibility for the Booker Longlist and luckily I loved it! 5 stars. I really hope you enjoy it too. Thanks for the good wishes.

>89 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. We did have a nice time. I enjoyed our dinner, but I was less keen about the fish and chips than I anticipated. I dug my halibut out of the batter and the server noticed and suggested I try light batter, or just pan fried halibut next time we go there, which I will do. They don't have it on the menu, so I didn't realize. She did say that at very busy times they would not be able to make the pan fried. But it was great to find that out. Dave gobbled up my batter, but he is very slim , so that was no matter for him.

>90 atozgrl: Thanks Irene! We did have a nice night out together.

Sweet Thursday, Deborah. Happy Anniversary. Hooray for 41 years. You mentioned Kate Quinn up there- Have you read The Rose Code? A friend (non-LT) recently recommended it. I have not read her.

A belated "Happy Anniversary!" from me too, Deborah!

Well I thought I had wished you a happy anniversary but I don’t see it. I must have just “thought” it. Hope your day was special and that you’ll share many more great years together.

>94 msf59: Thanks Mark. No, I have not read The Rose Code. I've just read The Alice Network and The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. But I would imagine The Rose Code is a good read, as I enjoyed the two books I read by Kate Quinn.

>95 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia!

>96 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel. I hope we will have many years more together.

Belated happy anniversary, Deborah. I look forward to The God of the Woods. The Murrin book also sounds great.

>70 vancouverdeb: I am trying to read books I already own so am happy to see a good review of The Briar Club as it is on my Kindle!

Bob and I celebrated 32 years last week. Happy belated anniversary to you!

Did you see they published the longlist, Deborah? Some I'd not come across at all, time to hit the library reservation list!

>100 charl08: The Booker longlist in case you have not seen it, Deborah:

Wild Houses by Colin Barrett

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel

James by Percival Everett

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

My Friends by Hisham Matar

This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud

Held by Anne Michaels

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

Playground by Richard Powers

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood

I have yet to read a single title on this list although I have been trying for several months to get hold of the Percival Everett book from my local library. . .

The Booker Longlist 2024

Wild Houses by Colin Barrett
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
James by Percival Everett
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
My Friends by Hisham Matar
Held by Anne Michaels
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
Playground by Richard Powers
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood

>98 BLBera: I hope you are enjoying The God of the Woods , Beth and I hope you love The Coast Road as much as I did.

>99 witchyrichy: Happy Belated Anniversary to you and Bob, Karen. I hope you enjoy The Briar Club, it was a good read!

>100 charl08: Oh , yes indeed, Charlotte, I woke up early for me and had a look at the Longlist. I'm quite excited about it.

>101 alcottacre: Thanks so much for posting the Booker Long list for me, Stasia! I'm very excited about it.

As far as the Booker Longlist goes, I am half way through My Friends by Hisham Matar and I think I can recommend it now. The first 40 pages or so seemed very slow to me, but now it has really grabbed me. As luck would have it, I had Wild Houses and Enlightenment out from the library, but they are both due in a few days. So I put hold on them with Dave's library card for " him" but really me, because I won't get a chance to read them right away. I have This Strange Eventful History out from the library, so I think that will be my next read. I own James, so I will get to it eventually. There are others I am interested in reading , but so far that is what I have done.

I'm going out soon to visit my sister in law, so I'll get caught up on the threads this evening, I hope.

I am a bit disappointed in the longlist to be honest, Deb. No Murrin, no O'Hagan, no Obioma, no Alexis Wright, no Ferdia Lennon.

The Booker is not the Pulitzer or the American Book Awards and should not, in my humble opinion have six novels from USA authors listed on there. I like American authors but Commonwealth authors need the platform that a Prize like the Booker presents.

That said I look forward to reading most of the longlist.

>93 vancouverdeb: Mmm, halibut and chips. Too bad there was too much batter, Deborah. Enjoy your Booker reads.

>5 vancouverdeb: I enjoyed The Fox Wife. Have you read The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo as well? I recommend that one if you haven't.

>107 PaulCranswick: I am looking to forward to reading the Long list too, Paul. I'm very much enjoying My Friends by Hisham Matar, which I am close to finishing. Up next is This Strange Eventful History, I think , as I have out from the library. I hope you enjoy the Booker Long List too, Paul . I won't read it all, but I'll read as much I can get my hands on and what appeals to me.

>108 Familyhistorian: Yes, I was a bit disappointed in the amount of batter on the halibut, though it was as usual. Next time we go back, I'll ask for pan fried or light batter. Thanks, yes , Meg, I will enjoy my Booker Reads - I hope. Occasionally a book can be slog! :-) But I can always DNF a really bad Booker Book.

>109 ocgreg34: Hi Greg! Great to see you, thanks for visiting my thread. I did really enjoy The Fox Wife . My library has The Night Tiger and I purchased a copy of The Ghost Bride by the same author as my library did not have a copy of that. Lots of books to get too. Thanks for the recommendation.

>107 PaulCranswick: Like PC, I'm not a happy bunny with the Booker list being the American Book Awards. Ferdia Lennon was absolutely robbed! *grrr*

Anyway, it's #WITMonth now. I'll be bearing down on that one to forget my anger.

Anyway...*smooch*

>59 vancouverdeb: Oh this looks interesting!

>70 vancouverdeb: I am on the waiting list for that one. I have read four of her books so far.

Glad you had a nice anniversary dinner!

>102 vancouverdeb: Thanks for sharing this Deborah. I loved both James and Orbital. I also really liked Wild Houses. I am interested in Playground but your touchstone is incorrect. Looks like I have more books to check out.

I requested The God of the Woods from the library but it looks like a very long wait. Sighs...

>111 richardderus: I think the reason I'm not too troubled by the number of American authors listed on the Booker Prize is two fold. There are a lot of Americans compared to people in Canada and the UK, thought perhaps not the Commonwealth . And Canada has a number of prizes that pay well to the author and also help sell books, The Governor Generals Prize, The Giller Prize, and The Roger's Prize for writing. So Canadian authors have quite a few prizes. And those are just the big prizes. I'm going to have to check what WITmonth is, Richard, as I am not in the know! Forgive me, good sir. *smooch*

>112 figsfromthistle: Yes, The Coast Road is a good one, Anita. I saw it at Shoppers Drug Mart, or was it London Drugs ? It is literary fiction, so I didn't expect at the drugstore. Briar Club was a good read too, a bit lighter than some of my recent reads. I've just read The Alice Network prior to this book, but I'll have to look her older books. I think maybe The Rose Code might interest me most.

>113 msf59: Glad to have shared the Booker Prize Longlist, Mark. I'm quite excited about it! Thanks for correction on my touchstone on Playground as I did not notice that. I'll fix it as soon as I have finished this post. I was lucky to be first on the hold list with God of the Woods. It's a good one. I hope you get it soon. I have Wild Houses in on a hold, though I have not picked it up. I hope it will work for me. I understand it is partly a Western , which is not usually my thing, though I really enjoyed Sisters Brothers . I have James so I will get to it eventually.

The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahota 5 stars

This was an excellent read that I highly recommend. Nayan Olek decides to run for union leader of his company he works for. He is pitted against a woman, Megha, who proves a formidable opponent. Things spiral out of control as the two battle for leadership. This proved more interesting that I anticipated, but the more touching and compelling part of the plot concerned Nayan's tragic loss of his young family some years ago, and his newly budding interest in Helen Fletcher and her teen aged son. Poignant and well worth the read.

>115 vancouverdeb: Sounds interesting! Five stars, huh? Added to my WL. : )

>116 Berly: I thought it was a really good read, Kim. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it. So many books, not quite enough time!

My most recent puzzle, I finished it yesterday. River Town by Ravensburger, 1000 pieces.

>118 vancouverdeb: Love it!!

>117 vancouverdeb: No kidding! LOL.

Hi Deborah, you were such a great source of reviews for the Women's Prize that I am now glued to this thread for your take on Booker nominees. No pressure LOL.

>118 vancouverdeb: Very pretty. Fills me with impatient anxiety.

>114 vancouverdeb: ...and now you know!

Your reasoning for the calm response to the Booker being all-American (figuratively speaking) does your tolerance credit. I'm a little more bolshy about it because the sheer number of Indian, Nigerian, hell even Scottish prose writers using English could benefit, and could benefit their potential readers, far more than PubCorp using the prize as a publicity externality to pay their shareholders more can return in benefit.

>105 vancouverdeb: I am going to be reading This Strange Eventful History in August (it works for one of the TIOLI challenges) but that is likely the only one of the Bookers I am going to get to soon. August is a short month for me because I am heading to New Mexico on the 25th.

>115 vancouverdeb: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Deborah!

>118 vancouverdeb: Nice!

>118 vancouverdeb: - Oh, I love that one, Deborah! It seems different than most of the Ravensburgers I see. It has an eeBoo-esque quality...

The Spoiled Heart sounds good.

Hi Deborah. Your pictures of Vancouver are so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

>59 vancouverdeb: Book Bullet! I am a sucker for books set in Ireland. I’m also intrigued by The God of the Woods as I am a Liz Moore fan.

Thanks to you and Stasia for posting the Booker Longlist. I read (and loved) James recently. There are many “new to me” books on that list. I will be checking for available titles from the library.

Finally, congratulations on your 41st anniversary! I hope you and your Dave have many more happy years together. ❤️

Hi Deborah: Thanks for posting the Booker longlist. I've only read Orbital, which I loved. There are some others I have been waiting for from the library.

The Spoiled Heart sounds like a good one. I will look for it.

>118 vancouverdeb: Nice puzzle.

>102 vancouverdeb: I am determined to read at least a couple of these.

>103 vancouverdeb: Thanks! It was a low key day after all these years.

>118 vancouverdeb: Nice puzzle!

Hope all is well!

Thanks from me, too, for posting the Booker long list. I'll look forward to your thoughts.

I haven't read any of them yet, but I do have James by Percival Everett and Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange on the hold list at the library.

I copied your list for my thread, but I may not get serious about reading them until the short list is announced.

Nice Puzzle Deborah. I am planning to read a few of the longlist Bookers but probably won't get much done before the shortlist is announced.

Hi Deborah, saw this on Litsy and thought of you.
******
Do you read books by Canadian authors? Help us come up with a Best Canadian Books of the 21st century! I am linking Jolene's video about our joint project:

https://youtu.be/CUL6zHKBfZE?si= Wlusqr2CWNCqVfqK

You have until August 11 and you can access the voting form here:
https://forms.gle/UuemWkZdpo2n9641A

https://litsy.com/p/eGY2RHlQZWs0

>119 Berly: Thanks Kim! I enjoyed putting the puzzle together.

>120 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I'll do my best with the Booker Reviews! :-)

>121 richardderus: Well, I think I have couple of possibilities for WIT month, Richard. I have a book out from the library that is translated from Japanese, Mr Kato Play Family by Milena Michiko Flasar or perhaps The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende. Let's hope I can book horn one of them in , with my Booker Prize fever reading ! :-)I think the older I get, the less I am troubled by stuff beyond my control.

>122 alcottacre: I just started This Strange Eventful History, Stasia, and so far , so good. But I am only 16 or so pages in. I have it out from the library, and another person is waiting for it, so I have to get cracking. My short review of The Spoiled Heart doesn't do the book justice, so do read it when you get a chance. Are you heading out on a holiday later in August ?

>123 katiekrug: It didn't occur to the me that the puzzle had a ebboo - esque quality to me, Katie. I confess I ordered it from The Yorkshire Jigsaw Puzzle Store here - https://theyorkshirejigsawstore.co.uk/ . They have some quite different puzzles from what we have in North America, but the shipping is quite expensive, so it's a rarity that I shop there. The Spoiled Heart is excellent!

>124 Donna828: Hi Donna. I do feel very lucky living here, as it is beautiful. My dad's job brought us here when I was about 3 years old, from Winnipeg, and I often think , that though I missed my extended family, we are lucky that landed us here. Like you, I am trying to find most of the Booker List from my library. Coast Road was excellent. There a lot of good books coming out of Ireland, I agree. Thanks for the Anniversary wishes.

>125 BLBera: Beth, I just finished reading My Friends from the Booker Longlist, so I have lots more books to read from the longlist too. I don't plan to read them all, just those that appeal to me and are not to hard to find. I don't do The Spoiled Heart justice. It really was a good read for me.

>126 witchyrichy: Let me know what book your read from the Booker Longlist, Karen. I'm interested in what other people think of the books. Our 41st anniversary was quite low key too. I did enjoy the puzzle.

>127 streamsong: Hi Janet! I have a copy of James to read and have heard a lot of good things about it here on LT. I look forward to your thoughts on what you read too, Janet.

>54 vancouverdeb:

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?type=type80260-743007149&param1=35551644...

>128 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel . I do enjoy my puzzles. I'll look forward to what you think of whatever Booker Prize books you read.

>129 charl08: Thanks for thinking of me, Charlotte. I do read Canadian authors, and I watched the video you linked. I will vote for my 5 favourite books . I'll have to have a bit of think about it, but some of the first that come to mind are Five Little Indians, The Book of Negroes, Sisters Brothers ,Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue: A Novel and The Jade Peony. The more I think about , the more books come to mind.

>133 Whisper1: Thanks for the link, Linda. It looks like a lovely place , though very far from me, about 1740 Miles.

My Friends by Hisham Matar 4 stars

Khaled is a young boy growing up in a small , close knit family in Benghazi, Libya. Eventually Khaled moves to the U.K. to attend the University of Edinburgh . He quickly realizes that even there, he must be careful , as there are " wires" or " writers", fellow students who report back to the Libyan government. He becomes good friends with Mustafa, who convinces him to attend a protest against the Qaddafi regime at the Libyan Embassy in London. There, both Khaled and Mustafa are badly injured, and come to the attention of the Libyan government. Thus, Khaled finds himself hiding in London, unable to return to his university or his country of origin. He dares not speak of this to his parents and sister in Libya, either by phone or by letter as it is likely that the Libyan government has tapped his phone and opens letters.

Later, a chance encounter leads Khaled to meet a Libyan author, Hosam Zowa. Hosam wrote a controversial story that was broadcast in Libya, and it influenced Khaled's early life. Khaled, Hosam and Mustafa form close friendships, which are eventually strained by Mustafa's desire to return to Libya to fight in the Arab Spring.

I learned a lot about Libya and the conflicts there. A slow , reflective look at the bonds of friendship, family and living in exile.

Recommended.

I am skimming reviews until I read them myself Deborah, I will come back when I have had a chance to read it. The most important point (ha!) I do much prefer your cover to the UK one.

I read both of Matar's previous books so I have some expectations about how much I will get from it.

Your review of My Friends puts it firmly on my tbr list.

>136 vancouverdeb: oh hell

*trudges off to Ammy*

>131 vancouverdeb: Yes, we are heading to New Mexico on August 25th and then going from there to Longview to visit my mother. I will not be home until September 5th.

As far as The Spoiled Heart goes, I checked both my local library and Hoopla and neither of them has the book unfortunately.

>136 vancouverdeb: I am going to get to that one eventually - I hope!

Have a super Saturday!

I liked Matar's previous books so I need to put My Friends on the list.

>137 charl08: Ironically I prefer the UK cover of My Friends, Charlotte. I had not read anything by Hisham Matar, so I went in without any particular expectations, though I do read reviews and so I hoped I would like it.

>138 streamsong: I hope you enjoy My Friends when you get to it, Janet.

>139 richardderus: Drat, eh , Richard ? Another ammy purchase. We have to keep them in business somehow!

>140 alcottacre: Enjoy New Mexico, Stasia and your visit with your mom. That's too bad about your library not having The Spoiled Heart . I looked up the population of your town compared to my city and I guess that explains the lack of books at your library. I think Spoiled Hearts is worth the read, and I hope your library has it, Stasia.

>141 banjo123: I hope you enjoy My Friends when you get to it, Rhonda. I have not read any of his other books, but I think I would like to read his memoir, the name of which I have forgotten at the moment. I did check and my library has his memoir.

Nice puzzle, Deborah! I didn't realize that UK puzzles were so much different from the ones we're able to get here. The next time I head over there I'll have to check out puzzle stores as well as bookshops. At least puzzles weigh less!

Hi, Deborah. In regard to your comments up there- Wild Houses is not a western- it is set in a working-class village in Ireland. Gritty and tough. The Spoiled Heart also sounds very good. You have been landing on some very fine reads. Hard to keep up.

>144 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. Yes , some of the UK puzzles are very different than the ones I can find here. I'm not is shipping from the UK would be more expensive than taking one home in your luggage. You are right , puzzles do weigh less, but they might have a larger size in your suitcase.

>145 msf59: Mark, thanks for the correction re Wild Houses. I've been making that mistake mentally several times, that Wild Houses is western. I got two books out from the library at the same time, with similar covers and sizes , and I keep mixing them up. One was The Heart in Winter which is actually a western. Plus, I kept saying Wild Horses for Wild Houses. Thanks to you , I have now put a hold on Wild Houses Here are the two covers that I mixed up.



You'd think I could not read! :-)

>147 vancouverdeb: Wild Horses isn't a western either, but is a good Dick Francis mystery and those are often very good.

Not to change the subject. I'm just curious. No caption to this, and I'm wondering if this might be Vancouver airport.

          

>149 weird_O: Very likely it is the Vancouver Airport, oh weird one! I was just walking across from the airport a couple of days ago, and I do believe I witnessed this.

>148 quondame: My dad used to read Dick Francis when he was alive. Sadly, I lost my dad to cancer when he was just 65. I will keep his books in mind. Thanks, Susan.

This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud 3 stars

The story takes place over 70 years from 1940 to 2010 . But this is a generational family saga. World War 11 and the war for Algerian Independence are just background events. Patriarch Gaston and his wife Lucienne appear to have the perfect marriage, and their two children , Francois and Denise , aspire to have the same. Francois eventually marries a Canadian woman named Barbara, and they have two children, Loulou and Chloe. The story of Denise was quite interesting , as she struggles to find a husband and battles a mental illness. Eventually we reach the end of both Gaston and Lucille's lives , and this proved to be very touching. Much later , following a stroke, Francois muses "what he would not do to drive the Mazda one more time....How swiftly this life vanishes.. What he wouldn't give to take the kids to the Beach House one more time...hold Barb's hand one more time under the table like high school sweethearts...All that was most banal was revealed to him ,again, as beautiful, each physical sensation a tiny explosion of life , a burst of life..." page 388

Where this book falls down is in the vast amount of superfluous detail, which makes reading this book quite a slog. I was grateful read about 1/2 of this as a physical book, and the other half as an audiobook, as otherwise I might not have made it through the 423 pages.

This is a story taken from Claire Messud's grandfather's memoir, with Chloe , the daughter of Francois and Barbara serving as a Claire Messaud. This would have worked better as a more concise , non - fiction memoir.

>152 vancouverdeb: So Hisham Matar over Claire Messud for you so far, Deb?
Interested that your preference for Sunjeev Sahota's latest book somewhat reinforces the point I made about the reduced opportunity for British and Commonwealth writers by the inclusion of six American authors on the Booker list.
I do think that the Pulitzer and the American Book Awards which are exclusively American should be enough for our premier prize to exclude American books, but never mind.

Oh, yes, I definitely preferred Hisham Matar over Claire Messud by a longshot , Paul. After I have read more from the Booker LongList I may have to upgrade My Friends from 4 stars to 5 stars. I did really love The Spoiled Heart and I am sorry it did not make the Longlist. It was very touching and interesting, though so was My Friends. The Safekeep came in from the library today , so I may read that next.

>154 vancouverdeb: I have The Spoiled Heart on the shelves already, Deb and I will prioritize it since our tastes in books so often coincide.

Another of my jigsaw puzzles. Jazzy by Ravensburger, 500 pieces. I was glad to put this together as I listened to the audio book This Strange Eventful History, though I also read 1/2 of the book in print.

>155 PaulCranswick: Great idea, Paul. I hope you enjoy The Spoiled Heart as much as I did. You are right in saying so often our taste in books does coincide. We certainly felt similarly about The Women's Prize for Fiction earlier this year.

>152 vancouverdeb: I started on that one yesterday and read about 60 pages. I am finding it slow going.

>153 PaulCranswick: I do think that the Pulitzer and the American Book Awards which are exclusively American should be enough for our premier prize to exclude American books

I agree with this! I do not understand why the British do not exclude American books either.

>156 vancouverdeb: I like it!

Sweet Thursday, Deborah. I love the "Jazzy" puzzle. I have been having a good week, with pickleball and the books. As a bonus, I got some Jackson time in, along with some fine weather.

Greetings Deborah! Your review of This Strange Eventful History does not make me want to read it. I really like that puzzle. Looks like a fun one. Have a great day!

Love that puzzle, Deborah!

I'm enjoying your thoughts on the Booker long list...

>156 vancouverdeb: Corking puzzle, dear lady. I am amazed at how much variety there is in the jigsawing choices!

Thursday *smooch*

Deb, I very much live Ravensburger puzzles. The pieces are thick and I've never had a problem with missing pieces. The last two puzzles I did, 1,000 pieces each, and both had a piece missing when I finished them.

I am very careful while putting them together, so I really believe I did not lose the piece.

It is so darn disappointing to spend all that time only to have a piece missing in the end.

After seeing your puzzle, I am tempted to start putting them together again. A friend previously came to the house Friday night and we would start a new puzzle.

I have three large plastic containers in the basement that contain beautiful puzzles. And, I have a small cabinet in my dining room filled with puzzles that I plan to work on first.

Thanks for this inspiration.

>158 alcottacre: This Strange Eventful History is slow going, Stasia. I was glad I had a library copy and also had the book on audio, so I could listen to it while I puzzled. It's overall a good read, so just to much detail . And you know we both loved The Bee Sting last autumn, and that had some 650 pages or so, and it fairly flew by.

>159 msf59: I thought the Jazzy puzzle was a lot of fun and pretty easy at just 500 pieces , Mark. Sounds like you are keeping busy between the pickleball, books and Jackson time! Are you still picking up the kids as a part time gig - or maybe not now in the summer when the kids are out of school?

>160 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel . I did have a good day! Out for a walk, renewed my car insurance, got a puzzle from amazon and now I can get to some reading for a while.

>161 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I was sure glad to have This Strange Eventful History as an audio book as well as a print book from the library. Jigsaw puzzles and audio books go well together.

>162 richardderus: Thanks Richard! I do have fun with my jigsaw puzzles and I look far and wide to try find image I like for puzzles. Happy Thursday to you too. * smooch*

>163 Whisper1: Hi Linda. You should try doing some jigsaw puzzles . I know, it's so frustrating when a jigsaw puzzle is missing a piece, or pieces. I have also had that problem more than once. I put together a Ravensburger puzzle about 3 years ago and it was a 1500 piece puzzle , and it was missing 3 pieces!! GRR! I have it happen a couple of other times. Once it was an ebbo Puzzle , and I contacted the company by email and they sent a replacement puzzle via Fedex in about 3 days. I understand Ravensburger will do the same, but I didn't know that when I was missing the 3 pieces. They just ask for a photo of the puzzle with the missing pieces ( put together) and Eeboo was very good about.

The "Jazzy" puzzle is very striking, Deborah. I like mixing it up with 500 piece puzzles every once in a while. A long time ago I put together a 2500 piece puzzle and there were 3 pieces missing. I blamed that on the cat but after reading your post, I'm not so sure.

Hi Deborah - Great comments on My Friends; I will add it to my WL. I like learning about different countries, and I don't know much about Libya.

I have been wanting to read Claire Messud's book and will probably pick it up when a copy becomes available. I hope I like it more than you did!

Great puzzle.

I have to admit that I rarely put puzzles together as a child but I think it looks like it would be nice and relaxing. My uncle ( who is 78) is obsessed with the 3D wooden puzzles and they look quite cool.

Anyhow, enjoy the rest of the weekend!

>166 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. I also like mixing it up and do some 500 piece puzzles. It's nice to do a puzzle a little more quickly and easily that larger puzzles sometimes. Wow - a 2500 piece puzzle My biggest puzzle was a 2000 piece and I did enjoy it. As for missing pieces, I think it definitely does happen . I follower jig puzzlers on Facebook, and other people have pieces missing, and sometime extra pieces , or even duplicate. I've talked to both of my sisters, who also do puzzles, and my sister Tannis declared that one of her 500 piece puzzle was missing a piece and she said it was " Impossible " that she would have lost such a large piece. My other sister says she has thought she was missing a piece her once or twice, but thought it was her fault.

>167 BLBera: Thanks Beth. It's not a bad book, This Strange Eventful History, it's just a such a slog. I won't be surprised if it makes the shortlist, although I feel more certain that My Friends will be on the Short List. I hope you do enjoy - or find This Strange Eventful History less of slog that I did. I know Stasia is finding it a slog too.

>168 figsfromthistle: I didn't do jigsaw puzzles much as a kid either, Anita. I did the usual ones that kids do when I was a preschooler and maybe Kindergarten, but not after that. When our kids were a little older, we did a few 1000 piece puzzles as a family. But about 5 or more years ago, both of my sisters were keen on jigsaw puzzles, and I thought maybe I would give it a try and here I am.

I finished The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden this evening and I'll have a think about what to rate it and create a review tomorrow. That's my third from the Booker Long List. I think I may read some sort of cozy mystery next for a change.

>170 vancouverdeb: Variety is what keeps my interest in reading sharp. It's also why I dislike TV...now that I can design my own network with streaming services, I'm much more interested than ever before.

Happy Sunday, Deborah! *smooch*

Have a great Sunday, Deborah. Waiting to read your review of Safekeep. I wasn't certain that I wanted to read it so waiting to see what you think.

I agree that mixing up one's reading is important to keep it fresh.

Have a great weekend, Deb.

>170 vancouverdeb: You are going great with the Booker list, Deborah. I have been distracted by work (boo). Hope to find more time to pick up the books this week.

>152 vancouverdeb: I just wrote up my own review of that one. I agree completely that I would have preferred a nonfiction memoir to the mess that is this novel. I gave it 2.5 stars.

>171 richardderus: I agree, Richard. I much prefer streaming services to TV. I rarely watch cable TV now that we have streaming services. And yes, variety keeps reading sharp or interesting.

>172 Kristelh: I'm just about to post my review of The Safekeep, Kristel . I hope that helps you decide if it is for you or not.

>173 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. We had nice dinner out at my sister and BIL's last night as their son is town from Amsterdam for a couple of weeks.

>174 charl08: Well, I have 3 books from the Booker List behind me, Charlotte. I hope you do have more time for reading this week. Sorry work has been so busy!

>175 alcottacre: I enjoyed your review and posted on your thread , Stasia. Yes, agreed, it would have made a much better concise memoir, if Claire Messud can write concisely .

The SafeKeep by Yael van der Wouden 3.5 stars

Isabel, Hendrik and Louis are three siblings living in 1961 Netherlands. Their parents have passed away.

Isabel lives by herself in her late mother's large home in country, the rural province of Overijussel. Isabel is quite neurotic, counting spoons, dishes etc to be certain that the maid is not stealing from her. She is an unfriendly, rigid sort, and prefers to be on her own . Her life is turned upside down when when her eldest brother Louis, insists that his new girlfriend, Eva, comes to live with Isabel while he is out of the country. An interesting and quick read . What did not work for me was the erotica in Part 2.

>178 vancouverdeb: Erotica works, I find Deb, only if it is absolutely essential to the wider story and only if it is sublimely written. Very rare in my experience.
Lovely cover though.

>178 vancouverdeb:, I agree with Paul, sexual content needs to fit the situation and still, does it really need to be so explicit? I knew the book was about a sexual relation.

I like the cover art, also.

Hi, Deborah. You asked about Kids Kab. School starts this Friday, so I will start my shift next week. 2 or 3 days a week. As long as they agree to my terms, I will continue to work for them. I got lucky with this little job. They also knew well in advance about our Big Trip in September.

Hi Deborah! Somehow I lost you a few months ago and am just skimming through your thread now.

I'm hoping to be in Vancouver at the end of August (a side trip from Seattle) and hoping to meet Meg on the morning of Saturday 24th August. It'll be Downtown somewhere but we haven't decided exactly where yet. If you can make it, please drop by my thread and we can work it out (and please add yourself to the LibraryThing_Meet-up_Wiki). superboy and I are globetrotting on the way to dropping him off at university in Leicester, so we're hoping to do LT meet-ups along the way (Seattle, Vancouver, DC, London & Leicester).

I hope you are able to make it to the meet up with Nina on August 24, Deborah. I'm looking forward to it.

>156 vancouverdeb: What a nice puzzle. As soon as I catch up from having a friend here for a week, I will start a 1,000 piece puzzle of Van Gogh's sunflowers. Thanks for your motivation.

I haven't even heard of your most recent reads, Deborah. But I like the puzzle! I have been doing a few too this winter :) Now that the kids are older and the kitten is a cat, I don't have anyone to meddle with the pieces!

>179 PaulCranswick: Not being a reader of erotica, I'm not sure if this is well written or not , Paul. Is it essential to the the wider story ? I don't think so, personally.

>180 Kristelh: Hi Kristel. I agree, does the sexual content need to be so explicit ? I think not. They slept together or they went to bed together is sufficient for me. The Safekeep is about more that a relationship, to give the book some credit. I learned some interesting information about how some of the Dutch people treated the Jewish people during and after WW11 that was new to me. It's about family relationships as well.

>181 msf59: Hi Mark! I'm glad the Kids Kab gig is working out well for you. Glad to know that you are returning on Friday. Here , school does not start until early September, after the Labour Day long weekend. And I think Kids Kab got lucky when you agreed to work for them , not the other way around!

>182 humouress:
>183 Familyhistorian: Sorry Meg and Nina, no, I will not be able to come to your meet up in Vancouver . I hope your both really enjoy the morning together! And your son too, Nina. Vancouver is very beautiful city, if it is not raining and I hope you have a clear, sunny day.

>184 Whisper1: Thanks , Linda! I hope you enjoy your Van Gogh puzzle. It sounds challenging! I hope you are enjoying your friends company.

>185 LovingLit: Most of my recent reads are from the Booker Longlist, Meghan. I'm glad that you able to puzzle again now that your kids are older and your kitten has become a cat. I know more than one person with a cat who has had to stop puzzling, thanks to the " help" provided by their cats.

Happy 14 LT Anniversary. Sorry I missed your LT Anniversary, August 8. On to 15!

>187 vancouverdeb: Oh, that's a shame. Thank you for the good wishes.

Happy Thingaversary! There seem to be lots in August.

Hi Deb. Swinging through for a quick visit. I love the photo of Lighthouse Park up at the top.

Interesting that The Safekeep (which I have not yet read) gives some insight into the Dutch treatment of Jewish people during and after WWII. House on Endless Waters, which I read with Kim and Beth last month, is partially set in Amsterdam during that war. It was a very interesting read!

My stepdaughter has been puzzling pretty well with 5 cats around. But she folds it up in a puzzle-minder when she's done. That probably helps.

>178 vancouverdeb: My local library does not have that one, but it does not sound like I am missing much. Unless it makes the short list, it is doubtful that I will read it.

ETA: My local library has exactly one more book on the list, Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. I can obtain two more through Hoopla, Wild Houses by Colin Barrett and Orbital by Samantha Harvey. None of these are happening in August though!

>189 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel! I am pretty low key about my Library Thing Anniversary as don't purchase any books or anything. It will be fun to get to 15 years and get a badge.

>190 humouress: I hope you have a wonderful trip, Nina, and day in Vancouver!

>191 EBT1002: Great to see you Ellen, as I have not seen you on my thread in quite a while. I'll have to keep House on Endless Waters in mind since it is also about how the Jewish were treated in The Netherlands during and after the war. It was something I did not know much about. I'll be curious what you think of Safekeep if you read it.

>192 The_Hibernator: That's a good idea for your stepdaughter, the puzzle minder. We used to use a roll up mat for puzzles when our kids were young , but now I have a puzzle board. I hope she is enjoying puzzling!

>193 alcottacre: Well, I was not keep on The Safekeep personally, Stasia, but I listened to a youtube reviewer last night and he was a really keen on The Safekeep. But you know, your mileage may vary. No rush to read it, I don't think . I'm glad your library at last has Wandering Stars . I've looked at Wild Houses and it is short. Orbital is also short, but is it for me ? I have a hold on both at my library. Today Held came in to the library on a hold , and I picked it up today, so it will probably be my next read.

Dave wanted to go out for Fish and Chips tonight, so went back to Dave's Fish and Chips. This time we both had panfried fish instead of battered, deep fried fish and we both much preferred it that way. I had halibut and Dave had cod. So we had a nice dinner out.

>194 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah :0)

>196 vancouverdeb: Yum!

Hello Deborah, just cruising by for a quick hello. Lots of puzzling and reading going on over here! 😎

>197 humouress: You are welcome, Nina! The pan fried halibut was very good , as were the chips.

>198 mdoris: Hi Mary! Good to see you! Yes, lots of reading and puzzling indeed. I'm reading a little bit more slowly the past few days.

Booker Longlist Read, in order of preference

My Friends by Hisham Matar
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Hi Deborah, I think I found (or rather, Google image search did) the artist for >3 vancouverdeb: They go by 'IllustNation Nakata' and the art is even available to buy here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1765482806/framed-poster

Hope your Booker reading continues to go well.

I have My Friends on hold at the library, Deborah. I liked In the Country of Men by Matar when I read it in 2006. James is my favorite book of the year so far. We shall see if the others I want to read overtake him. I also have Held and Playground on my hold list. Richard Powers is one of my all-time favorite authors, so my "money" is on him. Haha.

>201 charl08: Thanks Charlotte! I had at it via your link. I may consider purchasing a print. Yes. thank for the good wishes re the Booker Long List.

>202 Donna828: I really enjoyed My Friends, Donna as you can see. I've not yet read anything by Richard Powers, so that will be a new one for me. I do own James so I hope I will eventually get to that read. So far my money is on My Friends, but it is early days as yet.

>200 vancouverdeb:. It's good to see an illustrated book on the Booker long list. I've added My Friends to the tbr list.

Hi, Deborah. I hope you had a good weekend. The kids are back to school, so I will start "working" today. BTW- How is Dave enjoying retirement?

>204 Whisper1: Linda, the touchstone in >200 vancouverdeb: is pointing to the wrong book. The My Friends of the Booker Long List is by Hishim Matar.

Although the illustrated book looks good too!

Karen O

Monday orisons, dear lady!

Hi Deb! Hope you have a good weekend! How many of the longlist will you have read before the shortlist comes out?

>204 Whisper1: Ah, Linda, I think you have the wrong My Friends. It's this My Friends , which is not an illustrated book , though your choice looks lovely too.

>205 msf59: Dave is really enjoying retirement. He seems to find no shortage of things to do and I don't think he can imagine working now. Perhaps the rainy days of winter might prove different for him, but I doubt it. I did have a good weekend yes, nothing special , but nice. I hope you are enjoying being back to the Kids Kab.

>206 klobrien2: Thanks for the correction,Karen. As you say, the other illustrated book looks good too.
>207 richardderus: Thanks RD! *smooch*

>208 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! I'm not sure how many from the Long List I will have read when the Shortlist comes out. I'm on my fourth LongList Booker now, Enlightenment, and I think I will fit at least one more in, maybe more. I was at the library today and there were quite a few tempting non - Booker Long list books that I took out.

I finished
The Story Collector by Evie Woods a couple of days ago , and I enjoyed it, but have yet to write a review. I'm about 100 pages into Enlightenment from the Booker Long List, and I'm not sure if it " enjoyable " yet, but it's holding my interest and it's a bit weird. I've not read anything by Sarah Perry before, so I don't really know what to expect.

I did finish a puzzle, Alchemist's Orchard by Eeboo, 1000 pieces. I reallly loved the image and it was a lot of fun.

Glad to hear Dave's retirement is going well Deborah.

I hope that Enlightenment works for you. I am at a similar point and also thinking it's rather odd.

>213 charl08: I got 20 pages into Held and it was just so slow and impressionistic, Charlotte. I'll try to get back to it, or listen to it by audiobook. But yes, Enlightenment is weird. I don't feel much of any connection to the characters so far, in Enlightenment, but I hope I will. I think that is often what a makes a book good, or great. Best of luck to you too, Charlotte, with the Booker reads.

>212 vancouverdeb: Beautimous indeed! Enjoy the slide into the weekend.

>212 vancouverdeb: Your puzzle resembles many of the jacquielawson.com cards - really intriguing.

>212 vancouverdeb:, I love that puzzle Deborah. I need to find that one!

>212 vancouverdeb: Beautiful! Makes me want to get the puzzle, and I’m not much into jigsaw puzzles. This one, tho.

I’m with Dave. LOVE retirement!

I love the puzzle, Deborah!

Hi, Deb. That’s a pretty painting up in >2 vancouverdeb:, and I like that puzzle in >212 vancouverdeb:.

Like you and Dave, Debbi and I have been married for 41 years. Debbi says the secret to our long marriage is she let me live.😅

I’ve been retired for 8 years, and think it’s the best thing ever. It sounds like your hubby is enjoying it, yes?

I saw you’re thinking of reading James A Novel. It’s my book of the year so far. Really well written, clever, and fun to read.

>215 richardderus: Thanks Richard. I am enjoying my slide into the weekend. Weekend *smooch*

>216 m.belljackson: I really did love that puzzle, thanks, Marianne.

>217 Kristelh: It's a recent puzzle by Eeboo,Kristel, it should be fairly easy to find. Amazon, a puzzle seller.

>218 Storeetllr: Lately my fingers have been itching to do jigsaw puzzles. I always have one on the go, but lately I want to work on the puzzles that much more. I am listening to an audiobook, Enlightenment when I puzzle ( though I also have the physical book) so I can do two things at once, Janet. Dave does love retirement,yes!

>219 BLBera: Thanks , Beth!

>220 jnwelch: Congratulations on 41 years of marriage, Joe and Debbi! I'm not sure what the secret of marriage is - patience,a sense of humour , and picking the right person ? Commitment. Yes, like you, Dave is very much enjoying retirement,Joe. And yes, I have James to read. I hope I enjoy it as much as you do.

Happy Saturday, Deborah. Love your puzzles. I don't have time for them but I like the idea, especially if I could listen to audiobooks while doing them. Enjoy your weekend.

Hi Deborah! We're back in Seattle from Vancouver. We didn't have a gorgeous sunny day, as in your topper photos, but Vancouver is a pretty city. Familyhistorian (Meg) and I had a great meet-up in Indigo and I picked up a couple of souvenirs :0)

>223 msf59: Thanks Mark! I do enjoy my puzzles, and yes, listening to an audiobook at the same time is a bonus. Had a good weekend, thanks.

>224 humouress: I hope you are enjoying Seattle. It was raining here today, so I imagine you had rain in Seattle too. Yes, Vancouver is a beautiful city, but so much more so when it is sunny. I very glad you and Meg were able to met up and get a few souvenirs. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

I finished Enlightenment, the fourth of the Longlisted Booker's that I have read, I have to decide on a star value and create a review, but it certainly not a favourite read for me. Disappointing. I think my next book will not be a Booker Longlist, just a fun / enjoyable read.

Booker Longlist 2024 Order of Preference so far.
My Friends
This Strange Eventful History
The Safekeep
Enlightenment

Only My Friends strikes me as short list worthy so far.

>227 vancouverdeb: I will try to read 4 of the Longlist next month, Deb.

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry 2.5 stars

Enlightenment had promise, I thought as I began to read it. Unfortunately it did not live up to my hopes.

Thomas Hart is a man living in the small town of Adleigh, Essex. He attends a strict Baptist Church , and struggles with his faith vs. his life as a closeted gay man. Grace Macauley is a close friend of Thomas, though she is three decades younger than him. Both attend the same church and labour with their beliefs vs. the natural world. Over time, both deal with unrequited love. Thomas becomes obsessed with a married man, who is not interested in returning his affections. Grace becomes equally obsessed with a young man , Nathan. Initially, Nathan returns Grace's love, but soon the relationship is torn apart. This is a story about unrequited love, which is reflected by the orbit of the planets and comets. It is also the story of adherence to strict Christian faith , and desire to pursue natural urges.

I felt this story had promise, if only Sarah Perry had delved deeper into the two main characters thoughts and conflicts. It was very much longer than it needed to be. I am not much interested in astronomy , so the abundance of writing on this topic was a drag for me.

I look very forward to your thoughts on what you are able to read from the Longlist, Paul. I hope you have a better experience than me. As I mentioned, so far My Friends is the only book I did enjoy and felt was worthy of the shortlist .

>229 vancouverdeb: I think in the end I liked this more than you did. I was thinking about that this afternoon and I think some of that is the character of Thomas and his relationship with the church. I do like books about people looking back at membership of religious communities (but usually memoir not fiction). I think she did that well.

I will be starting James because the hold came in today.

>2112 I just started a crossword one- no clues filled in on the cover, but on the actual puzzle pieces they are completed, so its a puzzle within a puzzle!

>227 vancouverdeb:, Hi Deb. I've added My Friends by Hisham Matar to my TBR list. The book line defaulted to an illustrated book I read lately. Sorry for the confusion. thanks for listing the Booker Longlist of your preference thus far.

Hi Deborah. Impressive reading from the Booker longlist. So far, I am not seeing great comments about Enlightenment. I guess maybe that is one I could skip.

>231 charl08: Yes, unfortunately I think you did like Enlightenment less than you did, Charlotte. I do enjoy books about about people in religious communities, or looking back at them, with one of my favourite authors writing Mennonites Don't Dance and I have just ordered StillWater by Darcie Friesen Hossack. But this just did not work for me. I know others have been much more keen on the book than me.

>232 Kristelh: I hope you enjoy James, Kristel. I have read and heard a lot of good things about it, so , likewise I plan to read it and actually own it. I get to it fairly soon I think. I'll look forward to your thoughts.

>234 Whisper1: You are so welcome, Linda. I sure hope you enjoy My Friends like I did. Some books have so many different touchstones it is so easy to get the wrong one, I know myself.

>235 BLBera: Hi Beth! Yes, this years LongList in not impressing me that much yet, but I have many more to read. I'm hoping StoneYard Devotional will be a good read, but I am waiting for it to arrive at my library. Perhaps the new Richard Powers book, Playground? But it is not out yet. I think you could safely skip Enlightenment.

I was thrilled to find a hold came in for me today at the library, Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson. I am happy to read something entertaining and I hope that will be just that!

Happy Wednesday, Deborah.

>238 vancouverdeb:, I’ve seen that one and thought it looked like a good one. Will look forward to your comments, Deborah.

Happy Wednesday, Deb. I will watch for your thoughts on Death at the Sign of the Rook. I think her writing quality has tapered off the past few years. Maybe, she has improved.

After playing pickleball yesterday, I stopped by and saw Jack for a bit. Last time before we leave on our trip. Of course, he was adorable. He says- "Come on, Grandpa- let me show you something downstairs, " which means "Lets play!".

>212 vancouverdeb: Oo, I really like that one!

>229 vancouverdeb: I will probably give that one a pass even if it does make the shortlist - assuming that I could get my hands on it at some point. I certainly hope your next read is better for you!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

I often don't like books that end up on the Booker list so I tend to ignore it. I will be reading James though because my RL bookclub has picked it for January. Your thoughts on those you read could lead me to try them too, of course.

>241 msf59: Ooh - sneaky tactic.

>239 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. I did have good day .

>240 Kristelh: I've only managed to get 20 pages into The Death At the Sign of the Rook so far, Kristel, but it seems promising so far.

>241 msf59: I'll let you know how it goes with Kate Atkinsons book, Mark. I think I last read Big Sky and Transcription and I enjoy them both. Glad you had fun with Jackson yesterday. We will finally see Miles and Melissa and family on Sunday.

>242 alcottacre: Yes, I really loved that puzzle too, Stasia. I've started on another one of course, maybe not as nice looking, but I like it. I was not keen on Enlightenmentso I think you can safely give that a pass.

>243 RebaRelishesReading: I think last years Booker Longlist was a lot better, Reba. I'll probably read James as my next Booker read, so I hope to enjoy as much as so many people here on LT

>244 humouress: Kids, eh Nina!

I am anxious to read the latest Atkinson, Deborah. Lucky you to have it already.

>247 BLBera: I am enjoying The Death At the Sign of the Rook, Beth. I about 100 pages in and it seems very enjoyable to so far. I think my next book will be What Time the Sexton's Spade doth Rust as I can see it is in cataloging at the library and I am first in line for it.

I hadn't realized Kate Atkinson was that prolific. Is the series good?

Just finished The Safekeep. I see our ratings are similar. I would have given it 5 parts except for the middle section heavy use of erotica.

>250 Kristelh: I do enjoy the Jackson Brodie series, Rachel , and most of her other books, yes, Rachel. I think you would enjoy them too.

>250 Kristelh: I agree, Kristel, The Safekeep would have been a better read without the erotica section. I think you liked it more than I did though . I think I would have given in perhaps 4 stars without the erotica.

Please follow me to my new thread!

>252 vancouverdeb: I subtracted more because of the erotica than you did, so you rated it higher in the end than I did.