RebaRelishesReading 2024 - page 4

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 ****
52. More of Poirot's Finest Cases by Agatha Christie***(audio)
53. The Great Fortune (Vol. 1 Balkan Trilogy) by Olivia Manning **** (audio + print)
54. The Spoilt City (Vol 2 Balkan Trilogy) by Olivia Manning **** (audio)

SEPTEMBER
55. How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard ****1/2
56. The Danger Tree (Vol. 1 The Levant Trilogy) by Olivia Manning****
57. North Woods by Daniel Mason**
58. Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout****
59. The Last Light Over Oslo by Alix Rickloff**** (audio)

OCTOBER
60. The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich **1/2
61. Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall***1/2
62. Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard****1/2 (audio)
63. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout****
64. A Grave in the Woods by Martin Walker***1/2 (audio)

OK, all done and open for "business" -- look forward to seeing you all often!

Happy new thread, Reba!

Hi Katie!! Thanks for being my first visitor :). Such a pleasure to go make a cup of tea and come back to find you here!

Hi there Reba! I just read your review of Master Butcher's Singing Club and just wanted to say I agree with you, that lost something about 2/3 of the way through.

>8 lauralkeet: Nice to have a supporting voice from one I trust :). At the half-way mark I thought it was going to be my favorite Erdrich (and I like her a lot) but....
...and that last chapter was interesting but sort of came out of space imo.

Ah well -- off to the Balkans soon.

>9 RebaRelishesReading: I revisited my review after reading yours, Reba. I, too, mentioned that last chapter: "The last chapter is perhaps the most beautiful part of the novel, almost as if Erdrich wrote this first and then created a novel to showcase it." Yes, out of nowhere!

I am sure you'll enjoy the Balkans.

Happy new thread, Reba.

Happy new thread and happy travels, Reba.

Happy new thread Reba!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Reba! I did enjoy Old God's Time last year when I read it. Sipsworth is one I'd like to get too, but my library does not have it.

>10 lauralkeet: Ah...great minds :). I made a brief start on the Balkans yesterday. I've always wanted to travel on the Orient Express :)

>11 BLBera:, >12 PaulCranswick:, >13 quondame:, >14 banjo123:, >15 vancouverdeb: Thanks Beth, Paul, Susan, Rhonda and Deborah!! Nice to find your greetings first thing in the AM :)

Hi Reba, just got caught up with your last thread... I enjoyed following along with you and Laura in the Cazalet books. Thanks for posting the series picture. I created my own tableau with Anthony Powell's 4 books in A Dance to the Music of Time. We should have a Book Lover's Art Page! It would go well with our Book Travels. Have fun in the Balkans!

Happy new thread, Reba!

>17 Donna828: Hi Donna. Can you show you A Dance to the Music of Time tableau? I don't think I'm artistic enough to make one up but it was fun to discover one from the publishers when I shelved the books. Hoping to spend some time with the Balkans today.

>18 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. It's all possible because of you :)

Happy new thread!

>21 figsfromthistle: Thank you Anita.

With my current walking/knitting goals plus the difficulty of holding the thick Balkan Trilogy volume I've decided I should do at least some of it on Audible...which I find has it and where I had some credits sitting -- now on my phone and next-up after I finish the Poirot mysteries I'm currently listening to.

>23 RebaRelishesReading: You find interesting Audible stories, Reba. New-thread *smooch*

Happy new thread, Reba. Poirot mysteries on Audible sound interesting.

>25 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! It was a collection of short stories. I've seen a couple of them on TV which was rather fun. I like audio that lets me do other things while I listen and these were good for that.

More of Poirot's Finest Cases by Agatha Christie***1/2 (audio)

I enjoy watching films based on Christie's work but this is the first time I've read/listened to any of her stories. The book included:
Evil Under the Sun
Sad Cypress
Murder in Mesopotamia
Lord Edgeware Dies
Halloween Party
Murder on the Links
Five Little Pigs
All fine entertainment to listen to while driving or doing needlework -- which is what I ask of my audio books :)

The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning**** (paper + audio)

Guy spent a year teaching in Rumania and then, while on summer leave back in the U.K., met and married Harriet. As the book opens they are on the train heading back to Rumania for him to resume his post. On the train they meet Prince Yakimov, who is to become a major character and in my opinion a very annoying one...but. maybe that's the point.

This first volume of the Balkan Trilogy follows their lives in Bucharest in the year before WWII reaches them. A time when there is concern about the building war but also a sense that Rumania isn't in the path of the war and will be OK. This first volume ends as France is occupied by the Germans.

When I saw how thick The Balkan Trilogy is when published in one volume (which seemed to be the only way to purchase it), and in acknowledgement of how I like to knit while "reading", I decided to get the Audible version of the three books. I did, in fact, read some of the book "with my eyes" but mostly I listened to the audio version.

Our 36th wedding anniversary today. Plans are for a quiet day and then an early dinner at a lovely restaurant on the banks of the Columbia River. :)

Happy Anniversary!

>29 RebaRelishesReading: happy anniversary!

>29 RebaRelishesReading: Congratulations, y'all!

Happy anniversary! Congratulations!

Happy anniversary! Enjoy the dinner celebration.

Happy Anniversary!!

Happy Anniversary. Enjoy dinner.

That sounds like a nice way to spend an anniversary. I also have a copy of Balkan Trilogy and it seems intimidating. At least it hasn't called out to me to read it - as of yet. I am about 100 pages into the novel. I am listening to Christie Affair in my car and am not finding this one to be easy to listen to. It is one of those duel story novels - it tells the story of the woman Archie is having the affair with, and it also tells Agatha's story at the same time. Since it is the same narrator doing both I am finding the jumps in persona to be a rough transition. I finally went to the library and checked out the hardcopy so I could figure it out if it wasn't making sense. I am thinking that this is one of those books that should be read rather than listened to.

Thank you Katie, Elorin, Richard, Susan, Judy, Roni, Beth and Benita!! How nice to find all of your good wishes when I logged on.

We ended up not going to the restaurant on the river front because they were fully booked so instead we went to a Spaghetti Factory. We haven't been to one in several (many?) years and never here but the meal was truly delicious. I had Crab & Lobster Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce paired with a nice Sauvignon Blanc. It was served with a loaf of yummy warm bread. I remember SF as OK but not great but tonight really was excellent.

All by all, a very, very nice anniversary!!

Happy belated anniversary, Reba! Sorry your anniversary dining plans where thwarted (must be something in the air this week!), but looks like you made the most of it.

I'm also glad to see you enjoyed The Great Fortune. I agree with you about Yakimov!

>38 RebaRelishesReading: Plan B worked out well, so all the YAY! I hope it's an omen for the year ahead.

>39 lauralkeet: Hope you get your anniversary pizza before too long!! Our change did indeed work out well. Hubby loves spumoni ice cream, which Spag. Factory has on their permanent menu so we had that for dessert and then bought a gallon to take home with us -- so happiness will reign for a while yet.

>40 richardderus: Hope so, Richard -- for all of us.

Happy belated birthday, and great that Spaghetti Factory rose to the occasion.

>42 banjo123: Hi Rhonda -- thanks for stopping by. Even the ice cream was creamier and tastier than we remembered (or they have changed vendors, or have a different vendor here )-- whatever, it was really good and we now have a gallon in the freezer so the party can go on :)

>43 RebaRelishesReading:
I haven't been to a Spaghetti Factory in years, but I did enjoy the one in Atlanta. (I haven't been in Atlanta since 2017 either!) I am back in Kansas with another vanload of stuff. The bulk of the load this time was my yarn collection and end tables for the bedrooms. I will be here a week and will beg or force people to come get the furniture that they say they want, because I am moving in at the end of October! I am not sure that people are getting that date fixed in their heads. It is so much easier to move into an empty house!

I took care of my insurance woes this morning and got the form to the post office in time for it to get postmarked today. (Wasn't due until August 31, but I wanted it done and in the mail.) I am going to spend some time unloading the van this morning and later this evening because it is too hot to work during the afternoon. Yesterday it was 100 degrees F when I drove through Kansas City and Lincoln Nebraska had 101. Today is going to be just as hot, but then it will start cooling down on Thursday. That will mean that I can sit and knit and listen to my recorded books in the afternoon. It is too hot to do anything else.

Ack!! Moving is hard enough without having to deal with things in the new house that don't stay not to mention 100 degree weather!! Enjoy your knitting/listening as much as you can.

The Spoilt City by Olivia Manning - The Balkan Trilogy book 2
****100% Audible

The German army has reached Romania and life is getting difficult for the British living there. Guy and Harriett now have Yaikov and a Romanian deserter living with them . Life is getting more and more difficult.

The Audible version of this series is very well read imo and I'm thoroughly enjoying listening to it while I knit...speaking of which...off to continue listening to the third volume of the trilogy

I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner out at the Spaghetti Factory, Reba. We had not been for many years - 20 + years, but my mom made a request to go there for dinner about a year ago and we really enjoyed it too. Happy Belated Anniversary.

Skimming past your review of The Spoilt City, Reba. I will read it soon though!

>47 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the good wishes,, Deborah, and glad to hear there's a good Spaghetti Factory in Canada too.

>48 lauralkeet: Somehow I thought you had already read the whole series, Laura. I'm hoping to finish the 3rd book today. It's a fairly quiet week so I'm finding lots of knitting/listening time. I'm so glad I found the Audible version so I don't have to wrestle with that super-thick paperback.

>28 RebaRelishesReading: I am going to be listening to The Balkan Trilogy this year as well, Reba, for the War Room challenge. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed it.

>29 RebaRelishesReading: Happy Belated Anniversary!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>50 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia -- hope yours is wonderful too :)

Wishing you a very belated Happy Anniversary! I'm glad you had such a good anniversary dinner, even with the change in plans. We don't have a Spaghetti Factory anywhere near here, and based on your description, I'm sorry that we don't.

Hi Irene -- thanks for the good wishes. If you're ever traveling and see a Spaghetti Factory you might want to give it a try. IMO they used to be an OK place for the family to eat out. Kids seemed to like the decor (some of the tables are in trollies for example) and the food. The decor is still the same but the food much improved imo.

Friends and Heroes by Olivia Manning**** (audio)

In the final volume of The Balkan Trilogy the Pringles have made it to Athens along with several British ex-pats they knew in Romania. The Greeks are kind and welcoming, they like the climate and have thoughts of staying there permanently. Some fellow-employees of "The Organization" are there. Some are old friends but there is also jockeying for positions, jealousies, and in-fighting. Then the war threatens to catch up with them.

This third and final volume of the Trilogy wraps things up nicely while continuing to keep the readers interest with uncertainty about the war and continued infighting among members of The Organization. I really knew very little about WWII in the Balkan so it was also something of a learning experience for me. A good "read" (actually a good "listen" since I was busy knitting and "read" it all by ear.)

Just looked Manning up to see more about her life and found there is a sequel to The Balkan Trilogy, the Levant Trilogy. Must see if I can find a copy of that one.

And...I found and ordered a copy of The Levant Trilogy on Thrift Books .

I have both trilogies in my gargantuan TBR list. I actually own a copy of the Levant Trilogy. I might have to dig it out for the long winter nights here in Kansas.

>55 RebaRelishesReading: Oh myyy, you've become a true Olivian, eh what?

I hope it makes your heart sing as much as the Balkans one did.

>56 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. I think I may pick up The Levant Trilogy as soon as it comes so my memories of The Balkan Trilogy will be as fresh as possible. Sounds good for long winter nights too though.

>57 richardderus: "Make my heart sing"?-- I wouldn't go that far, Richard, but it was interesting and engaging enough that I'm up for the sequel.

Once again I scrolled past your review but as mentioned on my thread, you inspired me to order the Levant trilogy too!

>59 lauralkeet: Shall I wait until you get to the Levant Trilogy?

>60 RebaRelishesReading: Oh no, there's no need to wait! I've only read the first book in the Balkan Trilogy, with the second planned for September. I *might* get to the third, but I also have a few holds I expect to come available, so I might not. Please carry on!

>61 lauralkeet: My Levant won't be here for a while so I'm going to start North Woods today and we'll see where it goes from there :)

The local PBS station is doing their fund raising so there isn't much to watch on TV right now. I took a page from your book (and my sisters) and started listening to Big Lies in a Small Town while I was knitting. It is a great entertainment pass time. I knit and I read at the same time. I was totally engrossed in the book and then ... my cousin and her husband showed up yesterday evening. They came to get the bed and dresser from my bedroom here in Kansas. We took the bed apart and got it loaded but then we were stymied when we couldn't find a screw driver to take the dresser mirror off. They are going to come back tomorrow night or early Monday morning to get the dresser. Their children will be here this weekend so they will have help to load it. I hope that they come tomorrow because I need some help to move a heavy table to the carport for storage until I can find a furniture restorer to repair it. I have to admit that I was discouraged about the moving because it seemed that it was going so slow, but I can see progress and I am still on track to have the movers come in the latter half of October to get my Tuscaloosa furniture.

>63 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. Glad you've discovered the audio/knitting combo way to spend time. I do better knitting that way than with the TV/knitting because I keep my eyes on my work :)

You're really earning your retirement with all of the moving it's requiring!! Hope it continues to go well.

I guess I'm taking a break after moving through The Balkan Trilogy so quickly. I didn't read on Friday and yesterday I picked up North Woods but only read a few pages before I got distracted by a team of 5 young women who came to wash our windows -- much needed since we've never had them washed in the nearly 4 years we've lived here and who knows how long before we came. The windows look wonderful now and I hope to do better on the reading front today. It looks like the Open will be the only distraction today.

>65 RebaRelishesReading: Oh windows. We are not allowed to wash our windows in the apartment building unless we have a terrace (if only!) to stand on. That's fine - I don't relish hanging out one window to wash the next one. But I'm very lax about hiring someone to come to do it, and our windows really need that care. With all the pollution in NYC, they get pitted if not kept clean.

>63 benitastrnad: pledge drives are a trial, especially to a steady contributor. I'm glad you are able to dispose of so much of the furniture in the house so that you can make the place your own. Anything but a professional clearout will take time, alas. I tell myself that every time I go through a box of books!

>66 ffortsa: Judy, at the risk of hijacking Reba's thread (sorry Reba), I've always envisioned you living in a hi-rise tower and it never occurred to me you'd have to clean your own windows. As you know my daughters live in Brooklyn, both in 3rd floor walkups, and I bet they are supposed to clean their windows but I also bet they don't. Ha.

>67 lauralkeet: (no apology needed, Laura -- anyone is free to comment on posts here). Also, I agree with you. In San Diego we lived on the 6th floor and all of our windows were washed on the outside as part of our condo dues -- they even did the ones on the terrace. That probably partly explains why I hadn't done anything about the windows here in so long -- not used to it being my problem :)

We've been having lovely weather for a week or so -- temps in the high '70's to mid-'80's but it supposed to get a lot warmer this week I believe. I did notice several Liquid Amber trees starting to change color today though so fall is on the way HOORAY!!

>69 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad the nice transition out of the hellscape that is summer progresses apace there, too. It's a superb day today here! I'm having a first-worlder's grump ATM because a publicist friend reminded me I'd promised a review of one of her books today so I felt obliged to do it. Made my Wednesday plan go south, which meant Friday became Wednesday, and...well, you see that it's truly a spoiled person's little peeve not a real problem.

Still, *grumble*

The weather has been nice, hasn't it? I don't really mind a bit of warm weather, if it gets cool at night.

>70 richardderus: Hi Richard -- hope your days get unscrambled soon :)

>71 banjo123: Hi Rhonda. I'm looking at Richard's post above and thinking "a spoiled person's little peeve not a real problem" certainly applies to me where heat is concerned. I usually have no place I actually have to go and we have a wonderful new heat pump which keeps our house lovely and cool...I do love fall though so I always look forward to its arrival :). And, you're right, the weather has been lovely the past couple of weeks.

I finished listening to How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard (thank you, Katie, for leading me there). I'm going to wait to comment on it until I've read Count the Ways which Katie says I should have read first and which will make the whole experience better.

A stretch of busy times is coming. Some very welcome house guests will be here interspersed with appointments, volunteer duties, etc. Should be a fun month -- but I hope it gets over the 100+ temperatures very soon!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Muchova v Hadad Maia match yesterday at the U.S. Open. I love tennis when the shots are controlled and well chosen not just fast and powerful.

100+ temperatures?! Yikes. It's coollng off here, and I'm pretty happy about that.

I'm enjoying the second Balkan Trilogy book. That Yakimov ... what a pathetic leech.

>76 lauralkeet: I'm hoping we'll cool off and really head into fall soon.

Glad you're enjoying the Balkans. Looking forward to your take on Yakimov after the third volume.

>77 RebaRelishesReading: ooh, you're such a tease Reba. We watched the TV adaptation back in the 80s but I'm finding I remember very little of it.

Hi Reba! Yes, I am looking forward to cooler weather here. Just a few more scorchers and then it should be nice. : ) Glad your windows are all cleaned up -- now you can enjoy the fall foliage when the leaves turn!

Wow, it's hot there, Reba! 100F plus! It was supposedly 84 F with the humidex, but it didn't seem to be too bad as I was out walking.

It is strange that you have such hot weather out there and the weather here in Alabama has been very pleasant. Low humidity and reasonable temperatures in the low 80s.

>74 RebaRelishesReading: I'm sorry you're experiencing such big heat. I hope it lets up for you without making us hot in exchange. (It always seems to be a teeter-totter, temperature-wise, from east to west in the US.) We're currently having pleasant temperatures with highs in the 80's, so we're happy. But that kind of heat seems so out of place up in the northwest.

Have fun with your visitors and other activities!

>79 Berly: Hi Kim! I, too, am looking forward to fall -- my favorite season. The clean windows won't help me enjoy it too much though because most of the trees around us are evergreens :)

>80 vancouverdeb:, >81 benitastrnad:, >82 atozgrl:. Hi Deborah, Benita and Irene. Yep, it's pretty hot here but until a couple of days ago we'd had a stretch of beautiful 70's/'80's so can't complain too much. I just hope this is the last heat for the year -- could be once the jet stream changes again. Of course, what we have is likely to be what the rest of the U.S. has in a few days since the weather patterns do tend to move west to east. Sorry guys, nothing I can do about it :(

Today and tomorrow look to be shaping up as nice quiet days. No obligations outside of the house. My copy of The Levant Trilogy hasn't come yet or I would start it ...when I finish here I'll have to look at Mt. TBR and decide what's next.

>84 RebaRelishesReading: Sounds like a lovely day indeed, Reba. It's hot here today, drat it. All the way up to 74°! Imagine!

*chuckle*

I got a message from Thrift Books that the Levant series will be delivered today. I didn't get around to starting anything yesterday so will be ready and waiting when they/it arrive.

Quite smirking, Richard! It isn't attractive lol

>86 RebaRelishesReading: sorry Reba I couldn't quite read that from under the blanky I need to ward off the 69° chill

brrr

I hope you are now immersed in the Levant trilogy, Reba. I have about 100 pages left in Balkan #2 and things are heating up in Bucharest. I’m thinking I’ll go straight to #3.

>87 richardderus: Hope you managed to stay warm, Richard lol

>88 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Levant arrived in the mail which I picked up about 5:00 p.m. so haven't opened it yet. I could wait while you read Balkan 3 if you're going straight to Levant afterwards. What do you think?

>89 RebaRelishesReading: We're much warmer today, Reba...all the way up to 72°! hehehehehe

>89 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, that's so sweet of you. I would love to do a shared read of Levant, although I probably won't read it straight through because I'll probably need a break at some point. Also, my start date could depend on library holds. I'm at the top of the list for the new Elizabeth Strout and Richard Osman books, both out this month, but I don't know how soon the library will have copies in circulation. And those aren't my only holds ... yikes.

I don't want to hold you back from reading a book you've been eager to start. So please do whatever your reading mood tells you to do.

>91 lauralkeet: OK -- I'll see what my time and moods bring. My BFF is coming for a visit starting tomorrow and Roni is coming later this month. It's going to be a wonderful, sociable, fun month but reading probably will suffer. I have the new Strout book on my list for next book store visit too...then there's the stack off "next up" next to "my" chair plus the double stack of "next" books on my desk... So, indeed, we'll just see what happens.

I'm interested to hear your Yakimov thoughts once you finish the Balkan series.

Hi Reba! Just wanted to let you know I finished Balkans #2 last night and have just started #3. Our dear Yaki is back ... somehow I knew he'd turn up again.

>93 lauralkeet: I'm anxious to hear what you think of him by the end of the book.

I know Reba! You’ve really piqued my curiosity.

>95 lauralkeet: Ah...met my goal, eh? lol

Indeed! I parked myself in a comfy chair most of Monday afternoon and am now fully immersed. The Pringles have just learned they cannot leave Athens.

Hi Reba - You and Laura are good promoters of the Balkan Trilogy. I've had it on my shelf for a long time. Maybe this year I will dust it off and read it. Thanks to you!

>97 lauralkeet: Sounds lovely, Laura. I finally got going on North Woods yesterday. It was a slow start for me -- but I'm stubborn and now I'm liking it better. Glad you're making progress on Vol. 3 :)

>98 BLBera: I hope you like it too Beth.

>99 RebaRelishesReading:
Daniel Mason is usually a slow burn kind of author. I have not read North Woods but I have read Piano Tuner and just recently Winter Soldier and both books were slow starters. The other thing about Mason is that he can really set a scene. When he writes scenes they just seem to stick in your head and create exactly whatever atmosphere he desires. Both of the books I have read by him have that atmospheric quality.

>100 benitastrnad: Thanks for the encouragement, Benita :). I'm making good progress and starting to "get" it (I think)

Hi Reba, I'm nearing the end of the Balkan trilogy and will could very well finish it today. No library holds yet, so I can move on to Levant next, like today or tomorrow. How does that sync with your reading? I could probably grab a quick mystery if you'd like me to wait a bit.

>102 lauralkeet: Sure, let's go for it! :). I doubt I'll read as much as I did going through the Balkan trilogy but I'll try to keep up :). I have about an hour right now so I'll go and give it a start.

Hope you have a great weekend, Reba!

>103 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. I figured I'd check with you because I was the one saying "wait hold on a minute" and now I'm (almost) ready to go LOL. I haven't had any reading time yet today but Levant #1 is definitely up next.

Looks like you are enjoying your current reads, Reba. Have a wonderful time with your visitors this month!

I've not read North Woods yet either, Reba. One day!

I finished The Balkan Trilogy last night, Reba. I admit when I saw the title of the final section (The Funeral), I guessed what you may have been hinting at. But somehow it was still unexpected and sad. Yaki endeared himself to me early in the third book, when Harriet was feeling guilty for having treated him like crap and he told her how much he appreciated Harriet and Guy taking him in when he was in need.

Boarding the ship to the Levant today ...

>104 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie -- you too!

>105 lauralkeet: Well, don't remember what it was but something got in the way and I haven't started Levant yet-- but I will soon!!

>106 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. It's fun to have company and we are enjoying :)

>107 vancouverdeb:. Hi Deborah. Quite honestly, I'm not sorry to put North Woods aside for a while. I can't really say I'm loving it. I will get back to it and finish it and may like it better in the end but it's an odd one imo.

>108 lauralkeet: Yep, Laura - it was what Yak said to Harriett that warmed me to him. Poor soul.

I have a busy day ahead but I hope to spend at least a little time on The Levant Trilogy. I'm really looking forward to it.

Reba, you make the Balkan Trilogy sound enticing. I was feeling burnt out on reading WWII literature, but maybe?

>110 banjo123: The Balkan Trilogy seemed different to me than the usual WWII books, I think because it's set in an area that wasn't involved in the fighting and the characters weren't in their homeland but weren't "refugees".

>111 RebaRelishesReading: That's a great way to describe it, Reba. I've read a lot of books set in wartime but they are usually either about life on the home front (e.g., The Cazalets) or life at the front (All Quiet..., Birdsong, etc.). The Balkan and Levant books depict an aspect of life during the war that I haven't read about before.

>112 lauralkeet: I agree, Laura. I found some quiet time this afternoon and made it to page 72 in The Danger Tree. The "we're here let's go sight-seeing" attitude amused me. I don't think that would have been the first thing on my mind. Now that I've become fonder of Yaki I have Gracey. Will that jerk ever disappear from the story?

I completely agree about your spoiler, Reba. How many pages are in your edition of The Danger Tree? Mine has 207, and I'm around p112 now.

>114 lauralkeet: Mine ends on pg. 205 -- nearly the same. I'm about to go see if I can read some more before the household is awake :)

I had a bit of quiet time this afternoon and finished the first book of The Levant Trilogy (The Danger Tree). No time for comments now except to say I'm enjoying it.

It's good to know that it's okay that I have put The North Woods on the back burner, Reba. I'm putting my planned books from the short list on the backburner for now too, James and Stoneyard Devotional. I'm just going to read whatever grabs me.

>117 vancouverdeb: Sounds like a plan -- although, The North Woods has received a lot of love around here so maybe don't put too much stock in my opinion.

>116 RebaRelishesReading: I finished The Danger Tree last night, Reba. What an intense ending.

One of my library holds is ready for pickup so I think I'll start reading it today. I'm currently planning to start the next Levant after that, but if my Elizabeth Strout hold comes in I'll give it priority.

>119 lauralkeet: Intense indeed -- poor Simon. So sad for him. Glad Harriett and Guy are back together though Guy had better watch his step of I'm coming for him!! Pinkrose has redeemed himself a bit in my opinion -- still marginal though.

I'm good to wait a bit with the next two books. I probably won't have much time to read the rest of this week and I'll be going to Powell's on Saturday and will be adding to my huge stacks of "read soon/next" so plenty to choose from.

Thanks Reba! I knew you had a busy weekend coming up with Roni's visit and the meetup. I'm busy next weekend with Kate's wedding! So I think we should probably not try to synchronize our reading so much, and just read the next Levant whenever we can.

>121 lauralkeet: That's fine. I will be pretty busy for the next week too so we'll wing it and see how we end up :)

Hi Reba my dear, a very belated Happy New Thread and 36th Wedding Anniversary, dear friend.

North Woods by Daniel Mason **

This much praised book just didn't do it for me. A meandering story of the many people who have lived on a remote plot of land and of the plants, animals they encounter and the house they build left me cold. I'm also not a great lover of poetry and the story is interrupted by/partly told in rhyme. I should have Pearl Ruled it but I'm stubborn and I kept hoping I would find the charm but in it. Never did.

>124 RebaRelishesReading: I have studiously avoided that book despite reading some praise on the threads. My library says I read his debut novel The Piano Tuner in 2008 and I gave it only 2.5 stars. I remember none of it by my review says it was full of cliches. So that has kept me from being tempted by North Woods and I think you just sealed it.

Hi Reba, yesterday I finished the memoir I was reading. The new Elizabeth Strout novel, Tell me Everything, is "in transit" to my local library and I should be able to pick it up during my Monday volunteer shift. Of course I needed a book to read in the meantime! So I started Levant #2.

I'm sorry I've been kind of all over the place about my timing for reading these books. It makes it hard for you to plan.

>126 lauralkeet: No problem. I started Only Woman in the Room yesterday only to realize I'd already read it so I'm between books too. We have a meet-up today so I'll be busy buying books and talking books but I'll start The Levant #2 ASAP. Perfect timing.

>127 RebaRelishesReading: Oh I'm so glad!

We had a lovely meetup this morning with Portland area locals and visitors. Thank you Robyn for helping get it turned the right way round.

Left to right/bottom
to top around the table: Roni, Kim, Julie, Lynda, Reba, Ellen, Kris

Of course, a trip to Powell's happened after brunch. My haul was:
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo - recommended by my granddaughter
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - for real life bookclub
We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman - for real life bookclub
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich - because I like her books and don't have this one
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout - I'm a fan and this one just came out

>129 RebaRelishesReading: Happy to see all y'all! Looks like a good haul, too, Reba.

Looks like you guys had a fun time.

>130 richardderus:, >131 benitastrnad:. -- We did have a lovely time. - good company, good talk, good food, good books

The meetup sounds like a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing the photo even if I had to turn my laptop sideways LOL. And look at you, snagging your own copy of Tell Me Everything! Will we have a "shared diversion" from the Levant Trilogy?

>129 RebaRelishesReading: Try editing the photo before uploading, just crop a tiny bit or something and save it.

>133 lauralkeet: I did start 'Shared Diversion" while waiting for others to finish shopping at Powell's but then I also started Vol. 2 so I can go either way. Which do you prefer?

>134 elorin: Hi Robyn. Thank you for the suggestion. As a second try to get it to straighten up I rotated it a full 360 using the edit tool. I'll go back and see if a little cropping will help.

>135 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, my copy of Shared Diversion (no touchstone?!! ha!) hasn't arrived at my branch yet but it seems likely it will be in tomorrow's delivery, and I'll be working my volunteer shift so I can bring it home with me. I'm making good progress with Levant Vol 2 so my current plan is to finish that before starting the Strout. But hey, you do what feels right for you my friend!

After the earlier message I had some quiet time and picked Levant #2 again and finished chapter 3. I too would prefer to continue on with it. Poor Simon and poor Harriett 😢.

>129 RebaRelishesReading: Looks like a wonderful time was had by all! Thanks for the picture.

Wonderful to see you again. We need to plan a lunch. Maybe sometime mid Octoberish?

>129 RebaRelishesReading: I love the picture!!!!! I see the empty chair beside Roni; doubtless it was for me, and I missed out. *sigh*

Glad you had such a wonderful time, visited Powell's, and found such a restrained number of books to your liking!

>138 atozgrl:. We did have a nice time Irene.

>139 SuziQoregon: Yes, let's do -- mid October sounds good. PM me with a date ?

>140 LizzieD:. I'm sure that chair was indeed for you, Peggy. When will you be in town? :>

The Battle Lost and Won (Volume 2 of The Levant Trilogy) by Olivia Manning

For the first time in this series the war gets close to the Pringles. Rommel and his German troops are advancing on Cairo from the south and characters of the book are involved in the fighting. Because of that this was my least favorite volume in the series. There is still enough about the lives of the ex-pats to keep me reading though.

Thanks for sharing your meet up photo, Reba. Nice book haul, too. Portland is a great book city.

>143 BLBera: You're welcome, Beth :>. As always, it was a fun event.

Hi Reba! I finished Levant #2 this afternoon. I agree with everything you posted on my thread. Pinkrose got what he deserved, the schmuck. But it still came as a surprise. And Simon ... he's had a rough time of it hasn't he? Guy may not be having an affair, but he certainly has no time for a wife. And the nerve of him, barely making it to the train in time. Good for Harriet, though, going to Damascus instead of back to Guy. I wonder whether she let Guy know about her change of plans, or does he think she died on the ship?.

I guess all will be revealed in volume 3. But now my library holds are in. 3 books altogether: Tell me Everything, Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent, and We Solve Murders. When it rains ...

>145 lauralkeet: I agree completely. I'm delighted that Harriet is moving on. I hope it will be a wakeup for Guy and that perhaps he will pay more attention to her. He treats her terribly imo

I pulled out Tell Me Everything and was going to go back to it (I've only read the first chapter). Why don't I do that while you attack your library holds? The suspense of what happens in Damascus can build :)

Hi Reba, I just responded to you over on my thread. I read quite a lot of Tell me Everything this afternoon, but I'm also still thinking about Harriet and Simon.

What a great picture of the meet up, Reba! You all look great and like you are enjoying your time together.

The Levant Trilogy by Olivia Manning ****1/2

The second part of the story started in The Balkan Trilogy begins as Harriet and Guy arrive in Egypt and follows them to near the end of the war. They face challenges including Guy's struggle to find employment and Harriet's struggle to find a true life-partner in Guy. The war draws nearer with the German advance northward through Egypt. Guy encourages Harriet to take a ship back to England that is being prepared for women and children. He is too occupied with his job/activities to spend much time with her and she is tempted. An engaging, entertaining story start to finish.
Overall rating for the two trilogies ****1/2

Hubby and I got the latest Covid vaccine plus this year's flu jab yesterday. My right arm was so sore I didn't get much sleep last night. Added to that my nose was stuffed up and I couldn't breathe -- so a not-very-good night. Since I got up I can breathe and I'm not trying to lie on my sore arm so feeling better, if a bit tired, this morning. Eye exam (routine check) this afternoon but otherwise a quiet day. I hope to get back to Ms Strout later today.

>150 RebaRelishesReading: The same inoculation hit my sister hard too. She felt for a day as if she had the flu, and was relieved to wake up the next day feeling pretty much over it.

Jim and I plan to have our shots in a week or two. Jim has some medical stuff going on, and we want to make sure it doesn't interfere.

How did I manage to get 100+ posts behind again?? Bad Stasia. Bad, bad Stasia.

>150 RebaRelishesReading: I hope you recover from the effects of the shot soon!

Have a wonderful weekend, Reba!

>151 ffortsa: Hi Judy. I usually feel little to nothing from vaccinations but this one (don't know which one to blame because I didn't ask which arm was which shot) really hit me hard. I slept about 10 hours last night though and now feel pretty decent -- arms tender to the touch but otherwise not hurting.

>152 alcottacre: You're more than welcome any time Stasia!! Hope your weekend goes well too.

My desk is covered by piles of things "to do" so I think I will be here most of the day. I would rather spend it reading Ms. Strout but needs must :(

The moving company is scheduled to come to the house on Tuesday morning to do a walk-through and to set a target date for moving. They told me that I could pretty much pick my date because with the really soft real estate market they don't have much to do right now. I am hoping that I can target October 21 for the furniture and boxes going out.

I also have my flu/COVID shot scheduled for this week. My sister said that when she got hers she spent the next day in bed. I hope that doesn't happen to me because I have too much to do in the next two weeks. Losing one day would be a bad thing.

Hi Reba! I get my Covid and flu shots on Friday. It seems that they are hitting people a bit harder than last years, so I will need to plan a quiet weekend. Hope you are all recovered now.

>155 benitastrnad: Good luck with the move Benita.

>155 benitastrnad:, >156 banjo123: I had one really bad night and the next day was a bit tough because I was so tired but I slept OK the second night and by the following day my arm was a little sore to the touch but otherwise no problem. So...lots easier than having Covid or the flu but tougher than previous years. Hope it's easier for you Benita and Rhonda.

Proud Mama Moment. If you happen to be watching the National League wild card game Wednesday and if they show the 7th inning entertainment...the guy singing God Bless America will be my son :) (he's always been my son but I couldn't think of a better way to phrase that lol). Wednesday, October 2, ESPN 2, 5:30 PDT.

>158 RebaRelishesReading: How cool is that? Proud mama, indeed!

>158 RebaRelishesReading: Major Mama-kvelling, Reba! How wonderful for him, and exciting for you.

>158 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, how cool! I will try to remember.

>158 RebaRelishesReading: That's exciting Reba! Congratulations!

Thanks, Chris, Richard, Irene and Laura. He's a great son all-around but most of it doesn't get broadcast on TV lol. He has sung the National Anthem and God Bless America for Padre's games before but never one broadcast nationally.

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout****1/2

This is my 9th Strout novel and I have enjoyed them all. I particularly liked this one because she brought many of her old characters together and it was interesting to see their varied personalities interact. More importantly, however, I loved the discussions about life, love, character, and what really matters in this world. A typically gentle, thoughtful book from a wonderful author.

I went to the bookstore first thing this morning because I had been told that Louise Penny's new book was going to be released today...inside, however, today's clerk said it won't be released until the 29th :(. However, Louise Erdrich's new one was released today and that was on my wish list too so...next I'll be reading The Mighty Red.

At the book store today, sounds like fun! Well, Louise Penny's new book is set in Canada, I imagine , so there you have a book set in Canada. I have Tell Me Everything on hold at the library. Did you purchase anything else from the bookstore, or is that a secret ? I guess you must have purchased The Mighty Red today ?

>166 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Yes, I bought The Mighty Red but that's all this time :). I started it yesterday but didn't make too much progress. May get back to it when I finish here. Also the cleaners are coming this afternoon and I always need to keep out of their way so will probably make more progress then. If the weather is as beautiful as it was yesterday I may take myself out to the deck for that.

The moving company representative was here yesterday to do a walk through with me about what I was going to move and how to move it. I thought the date would be October 22 (original conversation had that as the target date) but we set a preliminary date for October 25th. She said that three or four days later my stuff will be in Kansas. I changed the date because I told her that I couldn't get to Kansas from here in 3 days, so we moved it to a weekend because they don't like there drivers to be out on weekends. They will load the stuff on Friday and start for Kansas on Monday, so I will be moving into the house in Kansas on either October 30 or 31. That works for me because I registered to vote in Kansas when I was there in August, so I will be there to cast my blue ballot in a red state on November 5.

I do have lots of packing to do, but the rep said that I was doing it right, so just continue.

>164 RebaRelishesReading: I was a touch less enthusiastic than you, but Strut does keep me reading so I can't complain of her talent.

Have a wonderful October day!

>168 benitastrnad: Moving is a HUGE job, as you well know!! Wishing for you that all goes well and that you'll be nicely settled back in Kansas soon. Your vote will likely not be enough in your Red state while mine won't really be needed here in WA. Still and all I always vote...and, actually, in the case of our Congresswoman it may actually matter.

>169 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. Our weather is near perfect at the moment and I don't have anything onerous to do today so it should be a "wonderful October day" indeed. Hope yours goes well too.

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich **1/2

Erdrich is a favorite author of mine so when I happened to be in the bookstore on the day her newest book was released I couldn't help but snap it up. I ended up only finishing it because I'm stubborn that way and optimistic too...always thinking it will get better.

My first problem with the book is that it is written in a series of very short (generally 3 or fewer pages) chapters which are collected into five longer "parts". This gave the whole thing a choppy feel to me which may have been intentional although I don't see what that added to the story. The central characters are a mother, Crystal, who supports the family driving a sugar beet truck, and her daughter, Kismet who is bright but slides into an unfortunate marriage with the son of her mother's boss, a major sugar beet farmer, after her father disappears after having lost a great deal of money entrusted to him for investment by neighbors and the church building fund.

There is a thread of comments about the harm modern farming does to the environment which I appreciated but over all not my favorite Erdrich.

Uh oh … that doesn’t bode well for my reading experience Reba. But you’ve also piqued my curiosity.

>172 lauralkeet: Sorry, Laura :(. I'm interested to hear what you think of it.

>171 RebaRelishesReading: Singing “la, la, la, la,…” really loud and dragging my eyes from your review. That one is on my list to read and I don’t want any preconceptions!

Karen O

>174 klobrien2: I'll be interested to see your thoughts when you've read it, Karen.

Good luck with the packing and moving. Quite a substantial task.

I like Erdrich - generally. However, I have found that her later books aren't as good as her older titles. This makes me think that she suffers from successful-author-syndrome. When publishers know that an author's book is going to sell no matter what, they don't devote any editing time to it and make the assumption that the author's judgement is all that is needed. We readers, know that isn't true. But this practice saves the publishers money so it will continue.

I have not been attracted to many of Erdrich's later titles simply because the blurbs and reviews haven't attracted me to the books.

>177 benitastrnad: You may be right about the syndrome, Benita. I've liked all of her books that I've read until this one but I may be a bit more skeptical before embarking on a new one in the future.

Interesting thoughts on Erdrich. Her last book, before The Mighty Red, was The Sentence, and I thought that was excellent. I think the next most recent I've read is The Round House and that came out in 2012.

Maybe part of my problem with the newer Erdrich books is that the blurbs are poorly written? It seems to me that there is an art to writing those just as there is to writing a whole novel.

>179 katiekrug: Hi Katie! This was my 7th Erdrich and I've liked all of the others a lot, including The Round House (I haven't read The Sentence though -- must get to that one). I'm really looking forward to seeing what others thing of this one.

>180 benitastrnad: Of the 6 previous Erdrich reads for me I gave 5 **** and 1 *****. I just found The Mighty Red strange in a not-for-me sort of way. Katie mades me think I should get a copy of The Sentence and clear my palette.

I finished The Sum of Things today, Reba. I thought this one was just a tad weaker than the previous books. Partly because you had three characters, each alone in their respective stories. And while I applauded Harriet for going out on her own for a while, I thought her encounters with people she knew, just as she most needed them, were a bit of a stretch. I mean, the middle east is a big place! But I liked the ending. I wish Guy's grief, and his joy when he learned Harriet was alive, would have changed his behavior, but that would have been too much of a fairytale ending. I like to think they were both changed by their experience and fully committed to one another, while both remaining fundamentally the same people.

The Last Light Over Oslo by Alix Rickloff**** (audio)

Audible's description sums the book up well: "Based on true events, this gripping historical novel set in Norway and Sweden in 1940, follows one of the first female US Ministers, Daisy Harriman, and her niece as the two are unexpectedly caught up in the German invasion of Norway." I listened to the author's note after the book and I want to know more about Daisy Harriman...will be looking for a biography of her.

I saw Erdrich talk about her new book. I tend to prefer her earlier work although I did love both The Round House and The Sentence. One thing I found interesting is the fact that she said since she has owned a bookstore, she reads more, and now she has come to believe a plot is really important. In her earlier novels especially my favorites Love Medicine, Tracks and The Last Report of Miracles at Little No Horse, plot is not so important.

>182 lauralkeet: I think you're right about the fairytale ending but I would have like a little improvement in him anyway and I agree, it was the weakest of the books.

>183 RebaRelishesReading: She had to be one of the most interesting women of her generation. Very much ahead of her time!

>186 richardderus: Indeed, Richard, indeed!

Too bad that the Erdich didn't work. I am not a big fan of hers, though I did like Love Medicine. I have been meaning to read The Sentence as I have heard good things about it.

>188 banjo123: Hi Rhonda -- nice to find a note from you here. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Hubby had surgery to reinforce several aneurysms in his abdomen. The surgery went very well. His lovely young surgeon told me she thought parts of it might be a bit tricky but that it all went smoothly -- she had a very happy look on her face and sound to her voice. So that was all great -- he's being a bit of a pill about drinking water, however, so is somewhat dehydrated. This morning I'm hanging out waiting for morning traffic to calm before I head back to the hospital to pick him up (I hope)!

>190 RebaRelishesReading: that sounds unpleasant, Reba, so I'm really glad that it went well. Here's hoping hubby cooperates with water-drinking and any other rehabilitative steps once he's home!!

>190 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, interesting. I'm glad someone found those aneurysms before they gave way.

>190 RebaRelishesReading: Happy smiling surgeons are a Good Thing to see. I'm glad it's done! Swift complete recovery vibes!

Happy healing to Mr. Reba!

Glad things went well!

Aneurysms are scary. I'm glad they found the problem and that the surgery went so well. Sending wishes for good healing and a quick recovery for your husband.

I'm glad your husband's aneurysm surgery went well. I recall my grandpa had an abdominal aneurysm many years ago that they spotted on a an abdominal ultrasound, and his surgery went well.

>190 RebaRelishesReading: glad all went smoothly. Wishing your hubby a speedy recovery

Thank you Laura, Judy Richard, Katie, Jim, Irene, Deborah and Anita. Your support helps. Turns out Hubby's problem was outflow not intake so that is being dealt with and I'm learning new nursing skills (not something I ever really aspired to but...needs must). (sorry if that's TMI). He came home yesterday afternoon and has been in bed most of the time since which gave me time to finish Looking for Jane.

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall***1/2

"Jane" was the underground code name for a group of people who provided safe abortions in Canada before they were legal. As described on the cover "weaving together the lives of three women, Looking for Jane is an unforgettable debut about the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice--and the enduring power of a mother's love". The book was powerful in describing the consequences of not allowing women safe, legal help when they want or need to terminate a pregnancy but somewhat less so when introducing the "enduring power of mother's love". Since I'm inclined to think Canada always handles human rights things better than the U.S. it was also interesting to learn that, in this case, the history was pretty much the same. All by all a very worthwhile book chosen by my RL bookclub for the October meeting.

>199 RebaRelishesReading: hang in there, Reba. Hopefully it won't be long before the "outflow" is working well on its own.

>200 RebaRelishesReading: that sounds really interesting!

>201 lauralkeet: Looking for Jane was my RL bookclub pick for this month. It was a decent story but I mainly liked it for the portrayal of past conditions in Canada.

Otherwise, Hubby isn't up yet so I'm not sure what today will bring. It has to improve soon or we're going to have to try a different path.

>200 RebaRelishesReading: Strength and patience for this testing passage in SirReba's healing.

The Janes were some impressive women, I'm glad their stories are being told. Happy weekend-ahead's reads.

>202 RebaRelishesReading: Hmmm I hope you've seen some improvement today, Reba.

>203 richardderus: Hi Richard. I knew nothing about The Janes or about the situation in Canada so it was enlightening for me. It is a story that needs telling, indeed.

>204 lauralkeet:. Yesterday was a bit better than the day before. He isn't up yet so not sure about today but hopeful. :)

Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard ****1/2

I listened to the sequel to this book How the Light Gets in last summer and thoroughly enjoyed the story of a complicated family and I now discover I failed to comment on it here. Even though I read them chronologically reversed both books are wonderful and I'm grateful to Katie for pointing to them.

The main character of both books is Eleanor. She was orphaned as a child when her parents were killed in a car crash. She has always loved to paint and draw and writes/draws a children's book about a girl who travels around the world having marvelous experiences. It becomes a best seller and sparks a series of books which leave Eleanor financially comfortable at an early age. At 19 she buys a dilapidated farm in New Hampshire and turns it into the cozy, comforting home she longs for. She meets Cam, a young man who crafts beautiful bowls. They marry and they have three children together on the farm. The story follows the family through very human joys and trials

In How the Light Gets In Eleanor returns to the farm on her own to build a new life. Her children are now grown and she seeks to strengthen her relationships with them. Quoting the publisher: "How the Light Gets In follows Eleanor and her family through fifteen years (2010 to 2024) as their story plays out against a uniquely American backdrop and the events that transform their world (climate change, the January 6th insurrection, school violence) and shape their lives (later-life love, parental alienation, steadfast friendship). With her trademark sensitivity and insight, Joyce Maynard paints an indelible portrait of characters both familiar and new making their way over rough, messy, and treacherous terrain to find their way to what is, for each, a place to call “home.”

Both are excellent reads (or in my case "listens"). It would be preferable, but not necessary to read them in chronological order.

In Washington we vote by mail or drop box. Our ballots arrived Saturday, we sat down and filled them out yesterday and I walked them over to the drop box (which is in the parking lot of a school two blocks away). I'M DONE!!!.... (now I don't have to hear any more ads or get any more political texts...right?...please 😁

>206 RebaRelishesReading: - I'm so pleased you liked these as much as I did!

>207 RebaRelishesReading: - Wouldn't it be lovely if all ads and texts ceased once a ballot was cast? Not that it would matter for me, as I like to vote in person on Election Day, as my mom always brought me with her when she voted when I was a child :)

>208 katiekrug: I think we've traded comments on favorite ways to vote in previous election years :). WA is perfect for me (for voting and lots of other reasons) but you would miss the polls.

Looking forward to more Maynard-like recommendations from you. I really did like them VERY much.

I am very very close to finishing Count the Ways, Reba. I'll definitely read the sequel at some point. Katie is a great source for book recs!

We voted early here too (in our case, by mail). I like the idea of making the ads stop!

>210 lauralkeet: Wouldn't it be lovely if it was possible -- this year I'd settle for the texts to stop. I mean...I care strongly about who wins and I have donated what I plan to contribute. Multiple daily texts asking for more are just annoying!!

Yes, Katie (and you) is (are) a great(s) source of book recs. I hope you get to How the Light Gets In soon.

I have finished both my audio and my paper books so need(get) to choose a new one today. Sometimes I have one "on deck" that I'm waiting to get to but right now I have a lot of books stacked around the house but nothing that I've already committed to as "next" (probably should have said "up to bat" to continue the metaphor ... oh well). I have got So You Want to Talk About Race going but it's one that requires some mulling over and doesn't have to be read in one go. Such a lovely problem.

Reba, I finished Count the Ways this afternoon so now I can mention the one thing that drove me a bit batty and see if you picked up on it too. I noticed three instances of repetitive information. The first was when Eleanor described what she enjoyed about going to the softball games: not the game, but connecting with other women. This was mentioned the first summer she went to the games, and again the next. Later something similar happened in relation to Coco, something about describing the way she interacted with the kids (both instances were when she was still just the babysitter). And the third was with Darla, where it was twice mentioned that Darla shared a lot of information about her relationship with her husband, and Eleanor did not. All three of these weren't exactly verbatim but noticeable enough to make me say "yes, we know that already".

>212 lauralkeet: I did notice that but since I was listening to the book I thought I had just accidentally slipped back a bit (it happens to me sometimes because I listen on the phone and when I get interrupted and leave the app sometimes I don't transition smoothly). Since I was blaming my own clumsy self it didn't bother me lol

>213 RebaRelishesReading: Oh yeah, I can see how that could happen Reba. I was reading a print edition, so it was more noticeable. It felt to me like an issue in the editing process, like a decision to move a passage to an earlier point in the novel but not deleting the second occurrence. If she really wanted to just remind us of the character dynamics she should have worded the second occurrences differently. Full disclosure: I didn't attempt to find the first occurrence of each passage, and if it had only happened once I would have assumed I was wrong. But three times ... well anyway it was weird. I still loved the book though!

>212 lauralkeet: - I noticed this, too, and agree that it was probably a revision/editing miscue.

I don't usually get texts. But, At&T can send them to me - about everything related to my AT&T account. but I ran into a big problem this morning with them. I tried to change the billing address on my account. I didn't know I had a PIN #, or what it was. I had the bill with the account #, the secret account #, but that wasn't good enough. They texted me the PIN. I never got it. I spent 37 minutes on the phone trying to get the address changed and no go. I have to go down to the store, with ID, and they will issue me a new PIN and THEN, and only THEN, can I change the billing address. I was aghast. I know it is because I had AT&T block international texts from my account and the company who is outsourced to handle customer service is "offshore." (the manager told me that much when I finally got to talk to them.) The irony is that I had a text from AT&T last week telling me that they were working on the tower that serves my area and that my service might be disrupted. I get those just fine, but not from the offshore service department.

I am not sure how long I will have this account anyway because AT&T has no local towers in the area of Kansas to which I am moving, so I may be switching providers anyhow, but this runaround was very trying. I am doing better with the packing and think I might make it by Monday.

>216 benitastrnad: There was an article in AARP magazine a couple of months ago about "phone cloning". Seems criminals take over your phone and then use it to access and drain your bank accounts. This may be a pain but at least it sounds like AT&T is trying to keep their accounts secure.

I'm sorry to read that things are not going so well yet for your husband, Reba. I hope things soon improve. I read Looking for Jane last year. I had never heard of the Janes before. An interesting book.

I hope your husband is doing better now, Reba. I didn’t know there was a way to screen for stomach aneurysms. I had a friend who died from one in his 50s.

>218 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah.

I had never heard of the Janes either and agree it was very interesting -- and touching.

>219 Familyhistorian: aneurysms show up in MRI's and CatScans -- turns out they "run in families" so good to check if you have blood relatives with them. Hubby's sister had one which led to us finding out about his first one -- now he has a whole bunch of them!!

>216 benitastrnad: >217 RebaRelishesReading: AT&T (or a third party they work with) was victim of a major hack (or two) earlier this year. I was notified that a bunch of my information was stolen in the first hack. AT&T changed the PIN on all affected accounts at that time, and I had to log in and update my PIN to a new one of my choice. I was not really aware that I had a PIN before that. I suspect the original PIN was part of my SSN, though I don't know for sure. Now every time I log in to pay my bill, I have to enter the new PIN, which was not part of the process previously.

>221 atozgrl:
While I was waiting for the people at AT&T to figure out how to fix my problem. The thought occurred to me that the problem might be the phone. The shop clerk finally got the right person on the phone and they changed my billing address. I then immediately purchased a new phone. As soon as we transferred the SIM card to the new phone, three text messages from AT&T with the two party authentication codes dropped. The problem was that my phone was too old to handle the security upgrades that At&T has imposed. New phone solved the problem.

>222 benitastrnad: Interesting that it was the phone! I hope you'll be able to use the new phone when you move. And I also send best wishes that your move goes smoothly!

>223 atozgrl: What kind of phone did you buy? And are you happy with it? I'm on track to buy a new phone sometime soon, and the plethora of choices is disconcerting, as are the prices. If I could add a second line, I could get a great phone for a significant discount, but Jim and I each have our own phones and I see no point in changing the home line to mobile. So I'm hoping to check out phone prices on Black Friday, and maybe wait until after Christmas for post-holiday sales.

>224 ffortsa: sticking my neck out to recommend Backmarket. My daughter bought a refurbished iPhone from them and recommended them to me my phone died recently. We're an Apple family so I was definitely getting an iPhone but brand new phones of the most recent model can be very expensive. I was retiring an iPhone 12 and chose a refurbished iPhone 14. It was MUCH less expensive than a new iPhone 14 (let alone the latest model iPhone 16), and it was further discounted by a trade-in. Plus, you're doing something good for the planet by not buying yet another new bit of electronics. *adjusts halo*

>225 lauralkeet: Another piece of wisdom from Laura! I have an Apple 11 (I think, maybe it's a 12) which is still working fine problem is that I chose the small size when I got it (about 1 1/2 years ago) because it fits in my purse so well but now I find myself doing so many things on my phone that I used to do on my lap-top and I wish I had the bigger phone. I'm making note of Blackmarket and will check them out when/if I actually decide to get a new phone.

I took Hubby to a doctor's appointment early this morning. Progress is slow but I do think he's improving strength-wise. Now I'm all caught up with my daily computer rounds and I'm going to pour myself another cup of tea, move from my desk to "My" chair and pick up Olive, Again again. I ran across it in Mt TBR the other day and, fresh (sort of) from Tell Me Everything decided to start it. It's really a collection of short stories (usually not my favorite) but connected enough that I'm enjoying it...so...second cup of tea, perhaps a small slice of pudding cake, quiet house, good book...ahhh.

>171 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, your thoughts on The Mighty Red were spot on. I didn't like it at all in the beginning and had to start over. It only started to grab me about midway through. I rated it higher than you mainly because of the extra time I put into it, and she actually made me like (or at least understand most of the characters) as the book went on. The beginning was a hot mess! ;-(

>190 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad your husband's surgery went well. I hope he continues to improve...and drinks lots of water.

>227 RebaRelishesReading: Olive Kitteridge and a husband who is getting his strength back both sound like very good things. Hope life continues in this vein for a long time.

Sorry I got behind again, so I am skipping a ton. I hope all is well with you, Reba!

>226 RebaRelishesReading: I hope the info is useful when you need it, Reba.

>227 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad to hear hubby is improving!

>228 Donna828: Thank you Donna. I'm glad your extra effort on The Mighty Red were worth it. I'm not going to spend any more time on it, however. Thanks for the kind thoughts for Hubby.

>229 alcottacre: I understand the getting behind -- glad you stopped by :)

>230 lauralkeet:. I've put a note on the bulletin board over my desk so I can see it and won't forget where I put it :)

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout ****

This 2019 book by Strout is a series of short stories in which Olive Kitteridge is always the main character but paired with different individuals/groups in each story. The stories are chronological as to events in Olive's life but otherwise there is little to connect them except Olive. For those who find Olive a bit too cranky, she shows her softer side in several of these stories. I am usually not a fan of short story collections but there was just enough connection in these to satisfy me and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

>224 ffortsa: I'm not the one who bought the phone, that was >222 benitastrnad:.

>227 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad to hear your husband is improving, Reba. Sorry that he's had such a tough year this year.

>234 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene. I will be happy to see the end of 2024!!

I bought a used iPhone 7. I only use a phone for calls and for texts. I don't have internet access on my phone so had no reason for an expensive phone that is really a hand-held computer. I only want a phone so if the iPhone 7 is supported for another 2 years or so I will consider myself well served.

Hey there Reba! My sister was here for a few days so I've been largely absent. Dropping in to leave a happy-weekend *smooch*

>236 benitastrnad: Sounds like you found just what you need :).

>237 richardderus: Hi Richard! I was over on your thread before I checked mine. Sounds like you had a lovely visit with your sister (other than the car). Too bad you live on opposite coasts. Hope you have a restful weekend to recover use of your legs :)

>232 RebaRelishesReading: Nice comments, Reba. I am also an Olive fan. She reminds me of my grandmother.

>233 atozgrl: I loved both of the Olive books. She is such a character!

Reba, you'll enjoy this: my hubby is now reading The Balkan Trilogy. He's currently reading the second book and yesterday announced, "Yaki is an ass." I just smiled.

>239 BLBera: I think I might like your grandmother, Beth :)

>240 lauralkeet: That literally made me laugh out loud, Laura. I'm so glad you introduced me to that series :)

It has been another day with adventures in moving. This evening about 6 PM I got a text message from the moving company telling me that they were going to be at my house between 8-9 AM. I called immediately because the time they had given me before was between 1-2 PM. I had lined up two friends to help me pack the pots and pans and remaining items in the kitchen. I wasn't that happy with the change in plans, but I said it was OK. Called my friends and told them not to come over because the moving company told me they would send one extra person to help with the packing - at no charge - due to the change in time. I can live with that. They are even going to throw in the boxes needed because I won't have time to go to Home Depot and purchase them.

The name of the company that is doing the actual moving is UPACK. That was a surprise because my brother-in-law had recommended them and when I called UPACK directly I got a quote that was $1,000 higher than what I am paying New Start Relocations. All these middle men is making this a very interesting industry. I wonder if there is a book on it?

>242 benitastrnad: Ah the joys of moving!! How nice that the movers are going to pack the last bits for you and at no charge too!! I would prefer to never move again but we'll have to see where life takes us I guess. So I'm guessing you'll be heading NW tomorrow. Hope it all goes well.

A Grave in the Woods by Martin Walker***1/2 (audio)

I ran across the most recent of the Bruno Chief of Police books at just the right time. I was really in the mood for something light and entertaining to go with my knitting. In this most recent volume in the series, an Englishman wants to purchase a vacant and somewhat run-down estate and plans to turn it into a vacation destination. The deed of the property shows a grave, which may not be disturbed, on part of the land. Bruno is drawn into the effort to find out who is buried in the grave, whether it can be disturbed and how to keep it from stopping the sale of the property and its redevelopment. This is a typical Bruno story involving the usual residents of the town and lots of eating and horseback riding. A delightful listen while knitting (or driving or walking or lying in the sun...)