Beth's Reading Spot (BLBera) - Part 1

This is my other reading spot. My dad made the green bookshelves.

My name is Beth, and I am a recently retired English instructor. I love retirement, especially being able to travel during the school year! This year I plan to see Scotland and Iceland with maybe some shorter trips thrown in. Besides travel and reading, I also like to sew and spend time with my granddaughter Scout -- who is ELEVEN. She is almost as tall as I am.

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

In 2025 I plan to continue my rereading of Shakespeare's plays and I hope to read some books set in Scotland as well.

Best of 2024

Clear
Orbital
Chenneville
Enter Ghost
Collected Poems Jane Kenyon
Intermezzo
Lolly Willowes
Fire Exit
Being Mortal
Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma

These were the books that stuck with me long after I read them.

Honorable mention to:
From Savagery
How to Read a Book
Anita de Monte Laughs Last
The Future
American Mermaid
Glorious Exploits

Currently Reading

Plans?
Book Club
January: Three Guineas by Virginia Woolf ✔️
February: Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees ✔️
March: Percival Everett month - Read something by this author ✔️
April: Oh Pure and Radiant Heart by Lydia Millet
May: In the House of Brede by Rumer Godden
June: Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

Shared Reads LT
February: Silas Marner
April: The Husbands
June: The Mighty Red

Women's Prize for Fiction and Nonfiction

Library Challenge

Books for Cannon Valley Elder Collegium course: From Colonialism to Independence: Caribbean Writers Tell Their Stories:
A Small Place ✔️
The Children of Sisyphus ✔️
Another Life ✔️
A House for Mr. Biswas

Read in 2025
❄️January❄️
1. The Shadow Murders
2. The Serviceberry 🎧
3. Three Guineas*
4. A Small Place
5. There Are Rivers in the Sky 💜
6. The Ministry of Time
7. The Philosophy of Modern Song*
8. The Measure* 🎧
9. Framed in Fire
10. Blackwater Falls*
11. The Two Gentlemen of Verona*

January Reading
Books read: 11
By women: 8
By men: 3

Novels: 6
Translation: 1
Essays: 3
Memoir: 1
Play: 1

From my shelf: 5
Library: 6

💌February💌
12. Catalina
13. The Children of Sisyphus*
14. The Comedy of Errors*
15. Lud-in-the-Mist*
16. Glass Houses
17. My Good Bright Wolf
18. Locked In*
19. Another Life
20. A Presumption of Death 🎧
21. James

* From my shelves
💜 Favorite

You Must Read This
These are my comments when I read this in 2024. If you love language and reading, you might find this very original story rewarding.



Glorious Exploits
"...and then he started into the first book of The Odyssey, and for a while, I didn't care that I was poor or that Ma and I were alone...I didn't care about anything but the words he was saying."

Set in Syracuse in 412 BC, Lampo, the narrator of Glorious Exploits, and his friend Gelon are in love with the poetry of Homer and Euripides. The Athenians have been defeated, and the prisoners are confined to quarries. The plan is to let them rot there. But Gelon takes food to the prisoners, asking them only to recite something from Euripides. When this isn't enough to satisfy Gelon's craving for poetry, he decides to stage Medea, using the Athenians as actors.

The premise sounds crazy, but it was what made me want to read this novel. I ended loving it, but the build up was slow. Lampo, the narrator, is kind of a loser. He drinks too much and basically follows Gelon around. However, as the novel progresses, Lampo changes, and the last 100 pages rewarded me. Anyone who values the written word will understand and applaud Gelon's impulse.

Reading Report 2024
Books Read:123
By women: 96
By men: 23
Various editors: 4

Novels: 76
Essays: 6
Young reader/YA: 8
Plsys: 3
Short stories: 2
Poetry: 8
General nonfiction: 11
Graphic novels: 3
Memoir: 5
Lyrics: 1

I read more diversely among genres in 2024, with fewer novels that usual. I am happy with that although I still want to read more in translation.

About half my reading was from my shelves, so that is good. I always resolve to read more from my collection, but as soon as those new books come out, well, let's just say that I am not good at resisting temptation.

Happy New Year Beth. Love seeing your lovely room again.

Happy 2025, Beth.

>1 BLBera: That sure looks quite the place to read.

Happy New Year, Beth! You're always a good source of reading recommendations and I'm looking forward to seeing what you get up to this year.

Happy New Year! Looking forward to following your 2025 reading!

Happy New Year Beth!

Thanks for sharing all the books!

Visitors! Happy New Year to Caroline, Paul, Laura, Jennifer, Rhian, and Karen. I look forward to reading with you all this year.

Happy new year, Beth!

I sincerely wish you a happy, healthy and fulfilling new year. May all your wishes come true. Happy reading 2025.

Hello! I keep meaning to get around to Monster: A Fan's Dilemma - it is up my alley and I've heard so many good things. Love the shelves.

Starred to try to keep up!

Happy new year, Beth. I'll be following along of course.

>1 BLBera: I can't believe she's 11! Where's the time gone?

Happy 2025, Beth!!

Happy new year and new thread, Beth!

Happy new year, Beth, and happy reading.

Welcome back, Beth!

Happy New Year, Beth! Scout, eleven?! Oh my goodness!

>6 BLBera: Ooooo, Terrific! I just purchased this book and very much looking forward to it. I'm glad you have it your stamp of approval.

Happy new thread and New Year Beth.

Happy New Year, Beth! I cannot believe that Scout is ELEVEN. How did this happen?!

I have several of your favorites from 2024 in the stacks - Enter Ghost, Clear, and Monster: A Fan's Dilemma.

Like Ursula, I love the shelves your Dad Made.

I hope I don't miss anyone. These first few days are crazy.
Happy New Year to Katie, Barbara, Ursula, Charlotte, Reba, Shelley, Ella, Jim, Lynda, Erik, and Mamie!

Happy New Year Beth! I always love seeing your best of list--always gives me ideas. I wasn't around much in 2024 but hope to do better this year.

Happy New Year Beth!

Happy New Year, Anne. Ditto. I can't wait to see what you come up with this year.

>30 swynn: Thanks Steve.

Hope you have a great year of reading!

Happy reading in 2025!

Thanks Lori and Anita.

Happy New Year, Beth.

I loved Lolly Willowes. Very different from what I thought it would be, and a rewarding read.

And that recommendation? Wow. I must read Glorious Exploits. It sounds like a good fit for me.

Happy New Year, Beth! I'll be following along of course! I have Intermezzo out from the library. But then I wondered if I wanted to read a book about two brother's failed romances. Is it better than that ?

Happy New Year! I look forward to following your reading this year.

Starred, of course!! : )

Happy new thread, and

Happy New Year, Beth!

Hello Beth, I will be following your reading plans for 2025. Wishing you a wonderful year of reading!

>6 BLBera: I already have that one in the BlackHole so I do not need to add it again :)

Happy New Year, Beth!

>35 Matke: Hi Gail. It started slow, but the end made it all worthwhile.

>36 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. It is more than that. Give Intermezzo a try.

>37 karspeak: Thanks Karen. Happy New Year to you.

>38 Berly: Hey TwinK! All moved? I hope Walt is better.

>39 quondame: Thanks Susan. Happy New Year to you.

>40 mdoris: Thanks. Happy New Year to you.

>41 alcottacre: Hi Stasia.

Hi Beth, I noticed that you will be reading In This House of Brede with your book group in May. I pulled my ancient copy off the shelf so I can be a silent member of your book group. I'm an oldie that likes the oldies!

Good luck with your 2025 reading. I have placed Glorious Exploits on my WL.

Have a nice reading year, Beth - I too have plans of reading In the House of Brede this year. It has been on my bookshelf unread for far too long - and I've even waited to watch a movie adaptation - so now I look forward to both.

>43 Donna828: You are welcome to read along, Donna. I have an ebook.

>44 Tess_W: Thanks Tess.

>45 ctpress: Hi Carsten. It's always nice to see what other people think about the books I am reading. I will watch for your comments.

Happy New Year, Beth!

Hi Beth. Just swinging by to say Happy New Year, my friend!!

Hi Beth. I've placed my star here and I am looking forward to following along with you in 2025. I will be starting some rehab in January and hope this helps me with my motor skills. I can tell hat my mind is working slower than before and could use a tune up. Hopefully 2025 will find me getting back to normal.

Look forward to following along this year again, Beth.

Happy New Year, Beth.

I hope I don't miss anyone. Apologies if I do. Happy New Year to Nora, Ellen, Judy, Alison, and Lucy. Here's to a great year of reading.

Bob Dylan's comments on "Your Cheatin' Heart":
He says that the song could be taken a couple of different ways and that Williams sings it perfectly: "The fiddle and steel guitar phrases are a great part of the melody. Each phrase goes hand in hand with the voice." He says too much ornamentation would ruin the song. Then he continues, "That's the problem with a lot of things these days. Everything is too full now; we are spoon-fed everything. All songs are about one thing and one thing specifically, there is no shading, no nuance, no mystery."

For most of the songs, Dylan first writes an impression about the song. Then he comments on the artist and/or the song in the second part. I am enjoying this collection, which is also very attractive visually, with pictures of album covers, the artists, and great graphics.

I have that Bob Dylan book. You make me want to read it as you're doing, listening to each song as you read the chapter. It's wonderful how you can find most things on Spotify.

I am enjoying it, Deborah, and hearing some new-to-me music. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but it did surprise me how well he writes. And visually, the book is so much fun.

>54 arubabookwoman: has anyone seen new dylan movie?

>55 BLBera: I read his Chronicles: Volume One years ago and was very impressed. (Still waiting for Volume Two). Even though he's a good writer and one of my favorite musicians, I don't think he was Nobel worthy.
Haven't seen the Dylan movie yet, not sure I want to see Timothy Chalmet portray one of my musical icons.

>56 cindydavid4: Hi Cindy.
>57 arubabookwoman: I don't have strong feelings about the Nobel Prize, but it did give my students good topics for persuasive essays for a couple of semesters! After I recovered from the shock of one of them asking, "Who is Bob Dylan?"

I have had Chronicles: Volume 1 on my shelf for years, maybe this will be the year I pick it up. I think you might enjoy this volume. Not all of the entries are of equal quality, but that's true of any essay collection.

I'm not sure about the film either.

>58 BLBera: LOL. I keep forgetting how old we are and that our younger selves lived in ancient history times to today's students!

>59 arubabookwoman: I retired at a good time!

1. The Shadow Murders
I've enjoyed the Department Q novels although at times they are a bit gory for me. But Adler-Olsen is good at plotting, and with Carl, Assad, and Rose, he has created a team of characters, who, over the course of the series, have evolved.

Department Q investigates cold cases, but as this novel opens in December 2020, in the height of the COVID pandemic, everything is changing. The case starts with the suicide of a woman whose baby son was killed in an accident years before. But was it an accident? Carl's boss wants him to look into it, and before long, the Department Q team finds a disturbing pattern.

Adler-Olsen alternates point of view, so we know the identity of the culprit before the detectives do. I generally don't like this device; I enjoy trying to figure things out along with the detectives, and this time it made me feel that the book was dragging; I wanted the detectives to figure things out. Still, it kept me reading.

It ended on a cliffhanger, which I dislike, so I will be reading the next one, the final book in the series before too long.

If you like smart well-plotted mysteries with interesting characters, you might like this series.

Next: I need to finish my book club selection, Three Guineas, and I have There Are Rivers in the Sky from the library.

I've considered continuing with Department Q - I stopped around book four or five - bommer about the cliffhanger.

I’m about to finish a general introduction to Bob Dylan right now, so the Dylan song book looks like a good follow-up, hearing his own thoughts on songs in general. He's an enigma, that guy.

>61 BLBera: Nice review, Beth, I own The Shadow Murders, or maybe Dave does. He enjoys the series, so he has read it, but I have not yet read it. This year . Maybe soon!

>61 BLBera: I have read seven books in this series so far. You reminded me that I could read the next volume in 2025.

Hi Beth! Happy New Year to you.

>1 BLBera: Love your other reading spot. Those green bookshelves are gorgeous.

>3 BLBera: My massage therapist is a very serious Dylan fan. I’m assuming she’s read this book, but will ask her when I see her later this month.

I hope to be a regular, if possibly infrequent, visitor this year. Last year really got away from me.

Happy New Year and happy new thread!

I saw the Dylan film the other day, A Complete Unknown. I thought it was well done but I also think that unless you know his back story, the people in his life, a lot might go over your head and the story line might feel a bit disjointed. I have always loved his lyrics but never liked his voice, so I don't own a single piece of his music sung by him, although I have plenty that are covered by others. I am a serious folkie so I knew who Alan Lomax was but if you don't, then that part, too, might go right by you. Edward Norton was spot-on as Pete Seeger but I will admit, I knew none of the other actors in the film (except Chalamet, who was quite good as Dylan). Still, worth seeing, in my humble opinion.

>62 ctpress: Overall, I have enjoyed the Department Q series. There is only one left, so I will finish it. Dylan's comments on music are interesting, as is his collection of songs. LOTS of country songs.

>63 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah. It was a page turner.

>64 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. There are ten in total, so you are close to finishing it.

>65 karenmarie: Thanks Karen. My dad loves projects, so I am happy to get lovely bookshelves. I think I have some in every room. Happy New Year to you. I know what you mean. It is hard to keep up.

>66 LibraryLover23: Thanks! Happy New Year to you as well.

>67 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. I have been toying with the idea of seeing the film. Good to know it's worthwhile. Thanks.

Bob Dylan on "Blue Suede Shoes"
He says, "There are more songs about shoes than there are about hats, pants, and dresses combined...Shoes reveal character, station, and personality. Maybe someone can't afford a car, but they can afford a popular brand of shoes.

About the song specifically he says although Carl Perkins wrote it, we think of Elvis when we think of it, and that if they were alive today, Elvis would be the one with the Nike deal. :)

Happy Saturday, Beth! I am enjoying you sharing Bob Dylan's thoughts with us.

Thanks Mamie.

Happy new year and new thread!

Happy New Year and Happy New Thread!

I look forward to your recommendations this year - you always have good ones and are a danger to my tbr mountain.

I'm enjoying the Bob Dylan talk. I also hope to get to the movie, but don't really know his backstory, so perhaps I should study up a bit :) before seeing it.

Hi TwinB! Happy Sunday.

>73 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda.

>74 streamsong: Thanks Janet. I am enjoying the music and the essays in the Dylan book.

>75 Berly: Happy Sunday to you TwinK!

From Bob Dylan:
"Everybody Cryin' Mercy" by Mose Allison
Dylan compares this song with "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations, saying, "Each of these songs offers a jaundiced view of the current state of the world...But where the Tempts sand a frenzied jumble of words exploding from the center of the fray, Mose is the bemused detached observer of a few extremely carefully chosen words, resigned to our foolish foibles but unwilling to let them pass without comment."

Dylan also points out that mercy comes from the same Latin root "that the word mercantile or merchant comes from. It's hard to see the connection, but Mose does. That's why he slips in 'just as long as it's business first.'"

I am a Mose Allison fan, but I haven't listened to him for a long time. This is a good reminder.

Hi Beth, and happy new year! a few of your favorites were some of mine as well (Clear and Being Mortal). Stelios received Orbital for Christmas, which means that I did :)

You never steer me wrong so I am looking forward to your 2025 reads!

2. The Serviceberry is a short book, basically a long essay that argues that the gift economy, which is based on gratitude and reciprocity is healthier for people and the earth. Kimmerer uses the serviceberry as the example that threads through her book. She points out examples of the gift economy: mini free libraries, buy nothing stores, free stuff for students. Receiving gifts, she says, makes us want to gift things in return.

I loved Braiding Sweetgrass, and if you read and loved that, you will probably like this as well. She touches on some of the same issues that she addresses in the longer collection.

I listened to the audiobook, but I think reading it would work better, at least for me. I found it easy for my mind to wander.

>78 AMQS: Thanks Anne. I think you will like Orbital. And I will continue to rely on you for tips on books for Scout. She got some books recommended by NPR for "budding bookworms" for Christmas. She chose Dear Dad and Uprooted.

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/18/nx-s1-5196283/best-kids-books-2024

>80 BLBera: That's a great list! Pretty soon Scout will be reading above middle grade, which is my students are.

>81 AMQS: Yes, she is growing up way too fast!

>79 BLBera: - I have both book and audiobook on request from the library. I think the audiobook will come in faster than the book so I will take it as it comes!

Happy New Year! >61 BLBera: I keep meaning to try the Department Q series but I haven't managed to get to it yet. Maybe this will be the year.

>83 jessibud2: I did the same thing, Shelley. The audiobook was surprisingly quick to become available.

>84 cbl_tn: Thanks Carrie. It's a good series.

Hi Beth, Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to getting some great book recs from you again this year!

I was able to put Orbital on reserve. I'll pick it up at the library tomorrow -- I'm anxious to read this one!

>79 BLBera: This sounds lovely and reminded me that I want to read Braiding Sweetgrass as well.

>86 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne. Ditto.

>87 Whisper1: Hi Linda. I hope you enjoy Orbital.

>88 witchyrichy: I have enjoyed both books by Kimmerer, Karen.

3. Three Guineas
I love Virginia Woolf, but this collection of three essays was hard to read. I read it for my book club, and most everyone described it as a "slog," if they even finished it. We had a good discussion, but this was not one of her better essays.

The premise of Three Guineas is that Woolf is responding to three requests for money and/or support: one to prevent war; one to rebuild a women's college; and one to help professional women. Woolf begins with the letter requesting for help to prevent war (from a man). Her initial response to this is amazement that a man would ask for her opinion -- she goes on to connect the inequalities in women's education and status in the professions to the prevention of war.

She uses a series of questions and answers, with extensive footnotes. There is a lot of repetition, but in the end the point is clear. The patriarchy is responsible for war. Still she could have made her point more concisely.

Bob Dylan's song of the day: "Keep My Skilled Good and Greasy" originally recorded in 1924.

Dylan says, "The song is related to the talking blues. It's like Walt Whitman if he was a musician. The song contains multitudes."

It's about a chicken thief. 😅 Still, it did get my toe tapping. Dylan says it's because of the repetition, you have to sing things three times times times...

Hi Beth. Happy Saturday. I like the image of your toe tapping to Bob Dylan! I'm not toe tapping, but I am sleeping a lot as a result of the flu bug. I haven't felt this rotten in a long time. I'm trying to read, but cannot concentrate.

Oh Linda, I am sorry you are sick. There is a lot of stuff going around. Feel better soon.

>90 BLBera: I agree on Three Guineas. I read it in a volume with A Room of One's Own, which I really enjoyed, but Three Guineas was a polemic which felt like it went on and on.

It's surprising to me how Woolf can write so wonderfully and then Three Guineas. Maybe her grief over her nephew's death and anger at the indoctrination of young men overcame her critical abilities?

>61 BLBera: I need to give that series a try.

I think you'd like it, Ellen.
I am reading a great novel by Elif Shafak right now that I think you would like, There Are Rivers in the Sky.

Hi Beth! Pass on the Woolf essays, but I like your latest suggestion >97 BLBera:. : )

I'm in a book funk in that I simply cannot find a book that holds my interest. Do you have any suggestions?

>98 Berly: It is sooo good, TwinK! I should finish today or tomorrow.

>99 Whisper1: For something short, Small Things Like These or The Uncommon Reader, if you haven't read them? Sometimes if I am having a hard time finding a book I want to read, I pick up an old favorite...

>97 BLBera: I just got this last month and looking forward to reading it

I will watch for your comments, Cindy. I should finish it tonight or tomorrow. It's pretty great.

>100 BLBera: I am 60 on 11 copies....!

I'm enjoying the Dylan comments, Beth, and it looks like my library has the book so maybe I'll have a look and a listen myself. Enjoy your reads!

>103 Berly: I imagine you will find something to read while you are waiting. ;)

>104 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. It is a fun read.

I loved Elif Shafak's latest novel. It is panoramic, traveling from ancient Assyria to modern day Great Britain and Middle East. It's about poetry, the environment, and genocide. Mostly I loved King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums, her main character. My biggest criticism of the novel is that Shafak switches among three timelines, and when she left Arthur, I was always anxious to get back to his story. And what a story!

In her note at the end, Shafak tells us that Arthur as inspired by George Smith, the man who discovered and translated Gilgamesh. Arthur is remarkable. His thirst for poetry in a world of ugliness and poverty motivates him to rise above his surroundings. I am sorry to say good bye to him.

Shafak does list some of her sources, and I will look for nonfiction works about Assyria and Gilgamesh. They include:
Assyrian Discoveries by George Smith
The Chaldean Account of Genesis by George Smith
The Buried Book
The Ark Before Noah
Myths from Mesopotamia
Ninevah and its Remains

Really good historical fiction.

>106 BLBera: Adding this - thanks!

>107 vivians: It's only fair, Vivian. You always have so many great books that I want to read. I just started The Ministry of Time, and I think it is going to be fun. Very original premise.

In his discussion of "Black Magic Woman," Bob Dylan gets very philosophical about music. He says analyzing it is futile. He quotes E. B. White's saying about humor: "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested, and the frog dies of it. But that has never stopped people from depending on facts, laws, rules, and structure so much that the joy of discovery is leached out and the magic in the melody is sucked away." He says "Black Magic Woman" is a good example of this. Analysis, he says, "doesn't speak to the heart of the song." He says the lyrics by themselves aren't impressive, but when they are "married to music, the combination becomes hypnotic."

>109 BLBera: Love that E. B. White quote!

>110 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie - Yes, who knew we'd find E. B. White in Bob Dylan's book!

>111 BLBera: *grin*

>112 Crazymamie: There was also a Rosemary Clooney song today.

>106 BLBera: That one is definitely on the wish list. I loved 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World and very much liked The Architect's Apprentice. I also gave 4.5 stars to The Island of Missing Trees.

It was so good, Ellen. I haven't read 10 Minutes 38 Seconds, but I loved the other two.

I recommend 10 Minutes 38 Seconds.

>109 BLBera: I like this. I think it's true, there are things that may appeal to one person more than another but even then ... Morgan and I often talk about albums that seem like they were produced in the factory where music we like gets made. Every single thing about them is "right" for one of us, and yet we're left cold by it. Or the opposite, of course, where something doesn't seem like it would appeal to me at all but I love it.

>116 EBT1002: It's on my shelf, Ellen. :)

>117 ursula: I think this is so true, Ursula. I find it hard to articulate why I like or dislike certain types of music. Dylan, throughout the book, always starts with his impressions. That is a good starting point, I think.

I am enjoying my music every morning. Maybe I'll have to follow in your footsteps and start a program of listening.

>109 BLBera: Interesting -- and it certainly rings true. I missed your comments about morning music.... You are listening every morning? Music? Podcast? (sorry - I've skimmed back but just can't find the info)

I am reading Bob Dylan's The Philosophy of Modern Song. Every morning I listen to a couple of the songs and read his comments.

Got it. Thanks for the explanation.

Are you watching the Aussie Open???

I haven't been. I need to figure out times and where I can find it.

Did I see on someone's thread that you are going to Orkney, Beth? That's one of my favourite ever places! We've spent two lovely holidays there. (Last time we went Jacob was 3 - we had to unpack our luggage at the airport as the stone which he'd found on the beach and insisted on bringing home looked very like plastic explosive under the X-Ray!) Do you know where exactly you will be going yet? If you want an Orkney read then I recommend The Outrun by Amy Liptrot - there's a recent film of that too which we saw last year.

>123 SandDune: Thanks Rhian. I don't know exactly where we are going. We are doing a tour for the island part of the trip. I am really excited. I will look for the book.

>106 BLBera: Hi Beth! I purchased There are Rivers in the Sky because , as a wanted to be archaeologist, it sounds right up my ally! I'm glad you liked it and I look forward to reading it soonish.

I read Jamaica Kincaid's collection of memoir/essays A Small Place for my course on colonialism and the Caribbean. We had an interesting discussion about it in class yesterday.

In this short collection of essays, Kincaid's rage emanates from every page. I think part of that is due to the fact that what the British did can't be undone. she talks about how everywhere the British went they turned the place into England -- though it could never truly be England. They erased the culture and language that existed and destroyed land. Kincaid sees lasting influences of colonialism in the corruption of the government.

The professor leading the class thought Kincaid was too hard on Antiguans and that since she hasn't lived in Antigua since she was a young woman that her criticism is too harsh.

Our next text is The Children of Sisyphus.

>125 Carmenere: Hi Lynda. I hope you enjoy it. I also made note of some of her sources. I also love archaeology.

Happy Friday, Beth!

>113 BLBera: Rosemary Clooney!! Which song?

I have taken two book bullets from your thread even though they were not books you have read. A dangerous place. One from Ellen for 10 Minutes 38 Seconds and one from Rhian for The Outrun.

It was "Come On-a My House." Mamie.

I am always happy to send people away with more books for their wishlists. 😁

Hi Beth,Years ago we had a wonderful visit to the main Orkney island (Mainland) as we had a daughter at the time studying in Edinburgh and thought we would have an explore. It was early April so tourist wise we had it to ourselves which was wonderful and fascinating. So much history there it is a good idea to get some knowledge of it before you go! We had no line ups to tour the Scotch distillery the furthest one north I think in Scotland Highland Park and no barriers around the stone formations, all completely natural. We also had scallops caught right from the local sea for dinner.

Enjoy your trip!

Oh, a trip to the Orkney Islands sounds lovely, Beth! I am sure you will enjoy it. I think you will enjoy both The Frozen River and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop . Though I wasn't overly enthused about the latter book, I'm still glad I read. I was curious to see what is was about since it has been popular for quite a while. I still plan to read the next book in the Morisaki bookshop " series" . As far as I know there are just two books. As you say, they are short.

Hi Mary. We have done some reading and have more on the list. I read The Britannias last year and will probably revisit that before we go.

>131 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Thanks for the recommendations. When I finish The Ministry of Time, I have the next Iona Whishaw book to read, and after that, we'll see.

Interesting opinion piece about Neil Gaiman. It brings back memories of Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma.

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/18/nx-s1-5265623/neil-gaiman-sexual-abuse-allegation...

Dylan's song of the day:
"Viva Las Vegas" - "This is a song about faith...The type of faith where you stand in the marble lobby of an opulent hotel with neon flashin' while being served free drinks by a thousand pretty women wearing sequined leotards flirting for tips in a bright-light city full of pawnshops and suicides and you still think you're going to win."

The Polar Vortex is here -- the next few days will be good ones for staying inside with a fire and reading.

The Ministry of Time
It's hard to describe this entertaining and thought-provoking debut novel. Yes, there's time travel, but there is also love, adventure, and spies.

The unnamed narrator works for the government as a translator, but she jumps at the chance for a new job with a huge increase in pay. The only hitch is that she doesn't know what the job is. When she gets the job, she finds out that she will be a "bridge" for an "expat" who has traveled in time from 1846. Captain Graham Gore is one of five people who have been rescued from death in the past and brought to the twenty-first century. It is the narrator's job to facilitate Gore's assimilation to modern life. There is also a woman dying of the plague from the 17th century (Margaret), Lieutenant Cardingham also from the 17th century, Anne from the French Revolution, and Arthur from WWI, the Battle of the Somme.

Some of the expats adjust better than others, but when someone tries to kill the narrator and kidnap Gore, they begin to realize that the government is keeping information from all the participants.

I liked the characters, especially the narrator, whose mother escaped from Cambodia's killing fields. The narrator realizes, "The time travel project was the first time in history that any person had been brought out of their time and into their far future. In this sense, the predicament of the expats was unique. But the rhythms of loss and asylum, exodus and loneliness, roll like floods across human history."

The novel has an interesting approach to time travel. How would a Victorian sea captain view life in the 21st century? Oh, and I loved the Wilfrid Owen Easter egg.

Graham Gore was a real person, but the author, in her note, explains that she invented him from a couple of notes that existed.

Very fun.

>136 BLBera: The more I hear about this book, the more intrigued I am. It's now officially on my wish list.

Edited to change not to now!

>133 BLBera: That is an interesting article. And it's the approach that I have taken; although in my case it's not our of principle, but just because once I learn something like this, I can't really enjoy the author's work in the same way.

>137 labfs39: It is pretty fascinating, Lisa. Not the usual time travel book.

>138 banjo123: I think Claire Dederer says it "taints" the work, Rhonda. That's the way I feel as well.

>136 BLBera: Everyone seems to enjoy The Ministry of Time rather more than me. I thought it started off O.K. but made less and less sense to me as it went on.

I'm glad you also liked The Ministry of Time. I also noted your quote about the "rhythms of loss and asylum," comparing the expats to today's immigrants. I'm sort of thinking that the author may intend a sequel to this at some point.

>140 SandDune: Hi Rhian. I thought it was a different take on time travel, and as the narrator said, "the moment you start to think about the physics of it, you are in a crock of shit." That gave me permission to go along for the ride without expecting too much sense. Whenever I read about time travel, if I start to think about it too much, I get confused.

>141 arubabookwoman: I hope she doesn't. Sequels almost always disappoint me. It was a fun read, for sure.

The Philosophy of Modern Song

Last Dylan song:
"Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" by Pete Seeger
Dylan talks a little about the history of the song, how it was cut from Seeger's appearance on "The Smothers Brothers Show" when he performed it in 1967. Dylan points out that at the time it made news because everyone was watching the same TV shows: "We all shared a baseline cultural vocabulary...Today, the medium contains multitudes and man needs only pick one thing he likes and feast exclusively on a stream dedicated to it. There's twenty-four hours of blues, surf music, left-wing whining, right-wing badgering, any stripe of belief imaginable." Dylan claims it's a good way to shut people up, that people will watch only what they already know about or agree with, that, "They devour pale retreads of the familiar and perhaps never get to discover they might have a taste for Shakespeare or flamenco dancing."

I enjoyed this collection of essays. Not only is Dylan a good writer, but his knowledge of music is amazing. He writes about artists as diverse as Rosemary Clooney, the Fugs, Willie Nelson, and Elvis. His impressions and analyses of the songs are insightful and interesting.

I also liked the visual aspect of the book, with photos, record covers, and graphic art. It's a beautiful book.

>Hi Beth, the Dylan book sounds very interesting. Thank you I have put in a library request for it.

>143 BLBera: Dylan for someone who broke so much new ground was actually quite imitative in his work, borrowing freely from popular song. His brilliant early work including "Girl from the North Country" which clearly borrows melody from Scarborough Fair.

>144 mdoris: I will watch for your comments, Mary.

>145 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. "Borrowing" is quite in the tradition of folk music, so Dylan is following in the footsteps of those who cam before him.

>143 BLBera: I've enjoyed your posts about this book, Beth.

Thanks for sharing the discussions about your class too. I don't know anything about Antigua but that "you weren't there" argument always makes me uncomfortable as someone who spent a lot of time working on places and periods I only knew from others' accounts. It kind of denies the power of listening and learning. Which is not to say that your professor isn't more informed, of course. I'll add this to the wishlist.

I still think about Monsters, such a good read.

>133 BLBera: It's an approach I understand. If the author/artist is alive, I don't consume any more of their work. I haven't had the situation that I've had any physical media that I needed to think about, but I think it would depend on the situation. In most cases, it would probably mean I wouldn't want to interact with it anyway so unless there are other sentimental reasons to keep it around, I'd probably get rid of it.

When the person is (recently-ish) dead once the allegations surface, it's possible it could be different. (People long dead are on their own trajectory here, there's no point in doing more than letting the knowledge be reflected in how you experience their art.) I haven't had that situation often so far - Alice Munro, I'd read 1 or 2 of her books, I liked them but will not miss reading any more, and Cormac McCarthy, whose books I loathed anyway. I guess I'll find out once something really hits home.

>106 BLBera: This one is near the top of the pile Beth.

I've been enjoying all the discussion about Dylan. My friend owns this book so maybe I will borrow it at some point.

Have you seen the new film yet?

>147 charl08: Regarding the class, I kept feeling she wanted us to come to her point of view and not give Kincaid a pass, but I didn't get there. I can see that Kincaid might see that her only choice is to leave.

>148 ursula: That's why I liked Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma so much; Dederer explores so well how we respond differently to different artists. For example, my kids and I loved "The Cosby Show," but we could never watch it now. I like Sherman Alexie's work, but wouldn't teach it. I might read the books I own by him, just to see if the "taint" overpowers the work.

>149 Caroline_McElwee: I loved it, Charlotte. It's my favorite read so far this year.

>150 jessibud2: I haven't seen the film, Shelley. I will probably see it at some point.

The Measure
I've been struggling with comments for The Measure because while there were things I really liked, overall, I felt like it could have been so much better.

The premise is that one day, everyone in the world older than 22 wakes up to a wooden box with the inscription, "The measure of your life lies within." Inside the box is a string. The string shows the length of a person's life. The novel is set in the US, and, of course, politicians jump on the strings to take advantage of the situation, and soon there is conflict between short and long stringers.

The book follows a group of people who come together in a short string support group. The people are generally likable, but they are superficial; there are no real changes or surprises. Also, the message is a bit heavy-handed.

I listened to the audiobook, which was well done. This might make a good book club choice with lots of questions. Would you look inside your box? Is the measure of your life its length?

I know many have liked this book more than I did, so if the premise sounds interesting, give it a try.

>79 BLBera: I still need to get to Braiding Sweetgrass! Thanks for the reminder, Beth.

>90 BLBera: Too bad about that one. I guess I will give it a pass - not that I have nothing else to read, lol.

>106 BLBera: I am definitely going to need to find a copy of that one. The couple of Elif Shafak's books that I have read I have really enjoyed. Thanks for the recommendation!

>136 BLBera: I have already read that one so I get to dodge that BB.

>153 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! The Shafak book is so good. I will have to check out your comments on The Ministry of Time. Did you like it?

Henry IV, Part 2
Part 2 begins where the first part ended. The rebellion hasn’t yet failed, although it ends when the rebels present their grievances and Prince John agrees to address them. The rebels disband, and in an act of betrayal, Prince John immediately arrests the leaders. King Henry IV dies, and Henry V ascends to the throne. Falstaff thinks he has it made, but King Henry V tells him, “Presume not that I am the thing I was, “ and Falstaff (and misrule) is exiled.

Some of the same themes persist in this play: the transformation of Hal and the battle between vice and virtue, here seen more as the conflict between rule and misrule. There is also a lot of concern about the legitimacy of the king. While Henry IV, took the crown, Hal is inheriting it.

What the critics say:
W.H. Auden says Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 are the best history plays ever written. He points out a lot of the antitheses in the plays, such as youth v. age; sophistication v. naïveté; old order v. new order; and private v. public.

He also points out that there is a lot of disease imagery in the play.

Kenji Yoshino in A Thousand Times More Fair says that the Henriad is "Shakespeare's deepest meditation on how a ruler establishes legitimacy."

Yoshino also claims that Falstaff represents misrule and would destroy the state and that he is not as harmless as many portray him. Hal has to reject Falstaff to prevent chaos from reigning.

Harold Bloom loves Falstaff and says that Falstaff really owns these plays.

Marjorie Garber also points out the disease imagery present in the plays and agrees with Yoshino that Hal has to reject Falstaff in order to rule. She also says that we see that Hal is starting to realize the burden of the crown, and that when he chooses the Lord Chief Justice over Falstaff, he is choosing law over lawlessness.

Next: The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Morning, Beth!

>129 BLBera: Thanks for that!

>133 BLBera: Thanks for the link. It is an interesting article. I started reading Monsters, a Fan's Dilemma last year and then got distracted by life - I need to get back to it.

>136 BLBera: I read this one last year! I have a thing about both Orwell and Polar exploration, so I loved it. Can you explain about the Wilfrid Owen Easter egg? It's been too long since I read it, and I cannot recall anything about Wilfred Owen.

Mamie: I will make this a spoiler, so anyone who hasn't read it can find it on their own. Arthur, the one from 1916 wears a signet ring that was given to him by one of his fellow soldiers, Owen, who is always writing poetry.

>157 BLBera: Thanks for that, Beth!

You are welcome. I guess we are both sitting on our computers, trying to catch up! :)

Schools closed here today due to the extreme cold. Our high temp for today is -5. Wind chills are in the -30 to -40 range. Oh well, tomorrow it will be better. And I am sure the kids are enjoying their day off.

Hi Beth. I am intrigued by the Bob Dylan book and I see that my library has it available. I am going to place a hold on it so I can get it into my hot little hands!

>143 BLBera: The Philosophy of Modern Song is a book I would like. I'll see if my local library has this one!

>160 DeltaQueen50: Enjoy it, Judy!

>161 Whisper1: I hope you can find it, Linda.

>159 BLBera: Our schools close for much less cause, Beth. When Minnesota closes schools, you know it's really cold! Stay warm!!

I have a friend who grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, Laura, and he says the only time schools closed there was if the buses didn't start.

Framed in Fire
This is another good book in the Lane Winslow series. In this one, Lane is visiting a friend when he discovers skeletal remains in his garden, and the Vitalis, owners of the Italian restaurant in Nelson, are victims of arson.

In addition to the mysteries, we see how post WWII society is changing. A waitress at the café wants to become a policewoman, and the area is becoming more diverse.

All of these threads combine to make a good story. I continue to enjoy this series.

Lots of interesting stuff going on here! You’ve hit me with several book bullets, so thanks!
I’ll be looking for the Bob Dylan book, sounds interesting.

>164 BLBera: Wow, that's incredible, Beth. I hope things are a bit warmer up your way today. Maybe I should say "a bit less cold" because no way is it warm!

Hi Beth, it's been bitter cold here, too, with lots of snow and wind. I'm looking forward to seeing how your travel plans shape up - you're visiting places I've always wanted to go.

The Bob Dylan book may have to be added to my real life bookshelf. Thanks for the reviews.

I only knew about David Sedaris from NPR and one or two books. I happened upon his supposed eulogy for his sister and was just appalled. His self deprecating style masked his cruelty.

I was considering a Shakespeare theme myself as I have a lovely edition of some of the plays along with Judi Dench and Bill Bryson for companion reads.

I have The Philosophy of Song on my shelf, and hope I can get to it in an as organized a fashion as you. I do know Dylan is/can be a very good writer. I loved his book Chronicles One when I read it a number of years ago. Have been waiting for Volume Two ever since.

I need to dig back into the Iona Wishaw series; I'm on the fifth installment.

I'm quite keen on the Iona Wishaw series. Perhaps partly because she is a B.C author. I have read her latest installment, Lightning Strikes the Silence. I really enjoyed I am you sure you will too, Beth, when you get a chance to catch up.

>166 EllaTim: I really enjoyed it. It was nice to start the day with music.

>167 lauralkeet: It was warmer yesterday, Laura. In fact, when I picked up Scout from school, there were kids with shorts-- I mean it WAS 30 degrees! :)

>168 AMQS: We all wish that we had snow, Anne. There's not much to do in just the cold.

>169 witchyrichy: I am enjoying the Shakespeare. I am just starting The Gentlemen of Verona, which I haven't read. Some people think it may have been the first play he wrote.

>170 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah. I've had Chronicles on my shelf for years. This would probably be a good time to read it, while my mind is on Dylan.

>171 EBT1002: I've liked the series so far, Ellen. I have to get them via interlibrary loan, so I tend to forget about them.

>172 vancouverdeb: It is fun to read things set in your part of the world, I imagine. The setting sounds absolutely lovely. I am not as far along as you are, but it's good to know that they are still good.

>173 BLBera: OMG Beth, shorts?! To be fair, I see lots of guys around here wearing shorts long after summer has ended too. Crazy, IMO.

I think some kids' thermostats are set differently, Laura. I don't think my son ever wore a winter coat.

I have two of those boys! My 12 year old, in particular, is completely comfortable in shorts down to about 30 degrees. I've been making him wear pants and at least a hoodie since we've had lows in the single digits. When they were really little, we had lots of fights about wearing coats, hats, gloves etc. but at a certain point I gave up and figure they are old enough to know if they are really cold.

Dropping in to wish you a wonderful weekend ahead.

>165 BLBera: I have not heard of this series. I will have to check it out.

I've finally started reading How To Read a Book by Monica Wood , Beth, and I'm really enjoying it. I am quite sure it was you who sent me that BB, so thanks!

>175 BLBera:, >176 japaul22: I remember my mom and my brother having "issues" about this when he was young. I missed out on this phenomenon, having only daughters.

>178 vancouverdeb: We are reading it in our book club in March.

>176 japaul22: Yes, at some point, I gave up as well.

>177 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita. I really enjoy the Lane Winslow series. The setting is great.

>178 vancouverdeb: I loved that novel, Deborah. And not just because a retired English teacher is one of the main characters!

>179 lauralkeet: Do you think it's a boy thing? Come to think of it, I usually only saw young men in shorts and hoodies in the deep of winter... And my daughter is always cold.

>180 labfs39: It is a fun book, Lisa. I will watch to see how it is received.

>181 BLBera: Both my husband and daughter go out in shirtsleeves when I'm in layers. They also run around hat-less more often, but then they tan nearly instantly.

>143 BLBera: Thanks for putting my attention to this Dylan-book and your quotes. It's a must-read for me. Have a nice weekend, Beth.

More snow this weekend here. I have SO many kids get out of cars in either shorts or with a hoodie and not a real coat. And a lot more kids who get out of cars in full snow gear including snow pants and boots. Mountain kids either brush it off or are all in:)

>182 quondame: Everyone has a different thermostat, I guess. I have a kid who is always cold and another always hot.

>183 ctpress: Enjoy it. It was a fun read. And I got to listen to some good music.

>184 AMQS: Hi Anne! I hope we get some of the snow.

I think you might be correct , Beth, everyone has a different thermostat. I was out walking the dog in -2 C this morning and I was people in hats , jackets and gloves and people - not a lot in - in shorts. I was fine with just a warm jacket.

I do love How to Read a Book and I'm not a retired English teacher. I think it has a broad appeal.

Hi Deborah! I am glad you are loving How to Read a Book.

Hi Beth - Lots of good stuff going on over here. I've requested The Philosophy of Song as an audiobook. Apparently Dylan reads some of the chapters. :) We'll see how it works in that format.

As you might remember, I loved The Measure. It was not one of the deepest or most well written books that I read last year, but somehow the premise resonated down to my toes, landing it on my top five list. Some times it's just a matter of a book being read at the right time. A friend recommended it to my RLBC so it will be interesting to get a variety of opinions.

How to Read a Book sounds lovely - I've also added it my library request list, but it seems like there is a line for this one.

Hi Janet. I will have to see if my library has the audiobook. I'd like to hear Dylan read some of the chapters. I wonder if they play the songs on the audiobook.

I remember that you did love The Measure, and while I liked it a lot, I was disappointed in the depth of the characters. Still it was a fun read with an interesting premise, and I think it might be a good book club choice. Would you look in your box?

How to Read a Book is worth the wait.

Blackwater Falls is the first novel in a new series by Ausma Zehanat Khan, who wrote the excellent Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty series. This new novel, set in Blackwater Falls, features Detective Inaya Rahman, a member of the Denver Police Department's CRU (Community Response Unit). The CRU is called to the town outside of Denver to investigate the murder of a young Syrian refugee.

The characters are complex and diverse and Khan portrays a variety of refugee and immigrant experience. I especially enjoyed that part of the novel, which is very timely although this was published in 2022. It's nice to read a mystery from an immigrant perspective.

The plot was very convoluted, and I think there was too much going on. I got lost at times. Still, this is a good start to the series. If you liked the Khattak/Getty series, you will probably like this.

>189 BLBera: Hi Beth - I would definitely look in my box, but I would not let others know what mine held. Neither would I want to know the length of string for anyone in my life. :) How about you?

I wouldn't look, I think.

I've almost gotten used to seeing men in shorts all year round but lately I've seen women outside wearing sleeveless tops when I have my winter coat on.

Blackwater Falls looks interesting but I think I'll check out some of the author's earlier works first.

>193 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. Khan's earlier books are very good. I am sorry she is not continuing the series.

January Reading
Books read: 11
By women: 8
By men: 3

Novels: 6
Translation: 1
Essays: 3
Memoir: 1
Play: 1

From my shelf: 5
Library: 6

My favorite novel was There Are Rivers in the Sky and I really enjoyed The Philosophy of Modern Song. Last year I noticed that I read more nonfiction than previously, and the trend seems to be continuing this year.

I continue with my reading of Shakespeare with The Two Gentlemen of Verona, which many think may be his first play.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The two gentlemen of the title are Valentine and Proteus. They are friends, and when Valentine goes to Milan, Proteus stays in Verona because he is in love with Julia. Eventually, Proteus is sent to Milan to join Valentine, where Proteus promptly forgets Julia and falls in love with Silvia, the woman that Valentine loves. So, Proteus is not only betraying Julia but also his friend. Because of Proteus, Valentine is banished to the forest, where everyone eventually ends up.

While this early play contains many of the elements of later comedies (masculine disguise of Julia, use of clowns as commentators, themes of travel, the use of the forest as a place where people drop disguise), this play is not as well constructed. There are multiple short scenes and the resolution in the final scene is unbelievable. In about ten lines, Valentine goes from denouncing Proteus to forgiving him and offering him Silvia, something that has confounded many readers.

I did love Launce and his dog Crab.

W. H. Auden comments
Auden says the play is not very funny. He says the point of it “is their final attainment of self-knowledge and that the forest is a criticism of respectable society.

Harold Bloom
Bloom says the play is the weakest of Shakespeare’s comedies and says it was never very popular. He says the best thing about the play is Launce and his dog Crab, but that the play is not good enough for them. Bloom claims that Crab “has more personality than anyone else in the play except Launce.”
He does make the rather enigmatic comments that Valentine has a “repressed bisexuality.”

Marjorie Garber (SAA)
Garber doesn’t really discuss the quality of the play; she focuses more on analysis. She does say it’s a “deliberately superficial play.”

She identifies many of the elements we see in later plays – the escapes to the forest; the disguise… Garber also says that we see the ideal male-male friendship interrupted by romantic love that we see in many of the comedies. She also points out that there is often an erotic element in these male-male friendships.

Garber also says that Shakespeare in “play after play {explores and explodes} conventional systems of social practice and belief by setting them at odds with one another.”

She also comments on Launce and his dog and how the servants reflect the masters.

In conclusion: An early play that was never very popular, and while it reviews future elements, it doesn't use them as deftly.

Next up: The Comedy of Errors

Catalina
I loved Catalina, the story of Dreamer Catalina Ituralde. Catalina was brought from Ecuador to live with her undocumented grandparents in the States when she was a preschooler. Her parents had been killed in a car accident when she was a baby and she lived with her aunt and uncle until she was sent to the States.

The stress of being undocumented is evident from Catalina's rather disjointed narrative. She tells her story using first person point of view, with no order in the events she tells us about. The story loosely covers her last year at Harvard and because of her status, her future is in limbo. She is a hot mess. Still I loved her voice from the first few sentences of the novel:

"In the summer of 2010, the year Instagram launched, there was a cricket invasion in Queens. Something to do with global warming and, if you believed my grandfather, yet another sign that America was lagging behind Cuba in scientific advances. He was not a communist, he just had a bit of a thing for Fidel."

Catalina's story, although fictional, exemplifies the plight of children who were brought to the US at a young age and have no memory of their country of birth. This might be autobiographical although Corenejo Villavicencio currently has legal status.

Recommended for those who like character-centered novels. If you are looking for a plot, this may not be for you.

Hi Beth, I'm back with a big thank you for steering me in the direction of Bob Dylan's book. I loved it and it has become my first 5 star book of 2025!

>198 DeltaQueen50: I am so glad you liked it, Judy! And you wrote such great comments. They make me want to read it again!

Making a note of Catalina...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Beth!

>197 BLBera: Sounds like a fantastic read!

Happy week ahead :)

>197 BLBera:. This sound good. And coincidentally there is a copy in my house. I think maybe it’s my daughter’s.

>152 BLBera: Nice! I enjoyed The Measure and it was a good bookclub discussion.

>175 BLBera: I remember when I lived in MN, no one wears a coat unless it's already below 32F. Like here in Oregon, you don't use an umbrella if it's just misting, it has to be POURING to warrant protection. You just get used to the weather where you live. ; ) Although I tend to run cold, and my sister runs hot, so there's that, too.

>197 BLBera: Catalina sounds intriguing...

Happy Monday!!

>200 katiekrug: Hi Katie. It's a good one.

>201 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita.

>202 banjo123: I think you would like it, Rhonda.

>203 Berly: I think I first heard about The Measure from you. Would you open your box? Catalina is great. Happy Monday to you. I hope you have a healthy week. :)

>196 BLBera: I agree Two Gentlemen of Verona is a mess. I remember being told that Elizabeth was a big fan of Launce & Crab.

>205 swynn: It just doesn't have any of the spark the other comedies have. and the last scene is ridiculous. I do love Launce and Crab though.

The Children of Sisyphus
Orlando Patterson was only twenty-four when he wrote The Children of Sisyphus, a couple of years after Jamaican independence. Unlike much of previous Jamaican literature, Patterson sets his story in an urban slum, the Dungle. His varied characters include Dinah, a prostitute; Cyrus, a sometime fisherman and a Rastafarian; Brother Solomon, a leader of the Rastafarians in the Dungle; and Shepherd John, an Evangelical leader. All want to escape the Dungle one way or another, but we see how hard that is. There isn't much hope in this bleak vision of society.

I read this for my class on colonialism in the Caribbean, and I look forward to our discussion.

If you are in the mood for hopelessness and the violence of poverty, this novel is for you.

>207 BLBera: They're really making you read the heavy stuff, Beth. Your description reminded me of Marlon James. Although that may say more about the thinness of my reading from Jamaica than anything else.

I haven't read any James yet, Charlotte. I think the prof chose this one because it was groundbreaking but it certainly isn't a cheerful book.

I recently read How to Say Babylon by Jamaican poet Safiya Sinclair. It's a memoir about her childhood and her Rastafarian upbringing. I found it very interesting, in part because I am so ignorant about Jamaican life beyond the cliches. As I said on your other thread, I am noting Children of Sisyphus, but saving it for a time when I'm less depressed about the world.

Thanks for that, Lisa. I will look for How to Say Babylon; I'd like to read more about Rastafarianism. I think you are wise. The world is so depressing these days that I need to find something more cheerful to read.

>211 BLBera: I agree with you Beth. The world is depressing. Just when I thought Mr. Orange couldn't get worse, now he is wanting to purchase Gaza??? I hope I misunderstood this intention. I usually keep politics out of the threads, but Trump is scaring me.

I think I'll keep reading nice and easy beautiful illustrated books. All good wishes to you!

>190 BLBera: Hmmm, I don't think I know the Khattak/Getty series....
But I think I'll check out the next Iona Wishaw novel to read on the plane to Kauai next weekend. We leave in 9 days!

It is hard to keep our heads up these days, is it not?

>212 Whisper1: Picture books sounds like a good choice, Linda.

>213 EBT1002: It's a good series, Ellen. You would like it. Lane Winslow is a great Hawaii companion! How long will you be gone this year?

Hi Beth, it is fun catching up with you on this nice long thread.

>190 BLBera: I am (or was) a fan of the Khattak/Getty series and was hoping it would go on a bit longer. I will give Blackwater Falls a try when I have a larger window of reading so I can concentrate on the plot. Maybe the next snowfall?

>207 BLBera: I will never be in the mood for hopelessness/poverty so will take a pass on The Children of Sisyphus. I have my own despondent read going on with Roots which I've ignored for too many years now. I am finding tiny little glimpses of hope in it. :-)

Hi Donna! Blackwater Falls is the first in a new series. If you liked the Khattak/Getty one, you might like this one as well. There are a lot of the same issues.

Yes, The Children of Sisyphus is not a happy book; I wanted to make that clear in my comments.

The Comedy of Errors
The play begins with a story within a story. Egeon, a merchant from Syracuse, appears in Epheseus and is condemned to death unless he pays a ransom. He tells the Duke that death would be welcome and in a long speech, relates the story of how he lost his wife and one of his twin sons to a shipwreck.

The comedy centers on these two sets of twins who were separated at birth, Antipholus (son of Egeon) and Dromio (servant to Antipholus). The play is set in Epheseus where Antipholus of Epheseus lives with his wife Adriana. His servant is Dromio of Epheseus. When Antipholus of Syracuse arrives with his servant Dromio, the confusion begins. The fact that the twins have the same name and must be dressed the same is part of the element of farce, where we the audience agree to accept even the wildest and most coincidental plot elements. Eventually, of course, all is revealed.

Harold Bloom
Bloom says the play is better than The Two Gentlemen of Verona and the Henry VI plays.
He also points out that the Antipholuses show less joy at their reunion than do the Dromios, that “…it remains touching that Shakespeare, from the start, prefers his clowns to his merchants.”

Marjorie Garber
Garber talks about how like many of Shakespeare’s comedies, this play begins with the threat of death. There are also other elements that will recur in later comedies: a storm; female roles; mistaken identity, etc.

Garber, like Bloom, thinks that the play is often underestimated. She sums up her discussion: The Comedy of Errors maps in clear and recognizable terms a pattern that we will find throughout Shakespeare: losing is finding, confusion the path to sanity; the stern edicts of the law may give way to mercy; and madness and confusion offer a path to transformation.”

I still don't like the play as much as Garber and Bloom do, too farcical for me.

Next: Titus Andronicus

>217 BLBera: That comedy sounds far too confusing! I think I’ll try watching a performance before reading the play.

And uh-oh. Reading Titus Andronicus isn’t exactly a happy way to spend some time. I’ll be interested in your thoughts on the play.

>218 Matke: Yeah, I am not looking forward to Titus Andronicus but it is one I haven't read, so I am biting the bullet.

The Comedy of Errors isn't really so confusing to read. I have seen it on stage, and it is very funny, but it's too much of a farce for me.

Beth, I'm enjoying your analysis of the Shakespeare plays. I'm not a big fan of farce either, so I could see how this one might not be a favorite.

>214 BLBera: I am loving being back and more active on LT, but it wreaks havoc on my wishlist! Haha. I was just over on Laura's thread and I want to dig into the Mistress of the Art of Death series, now I have two series by Ausma Zehanat Khan to explore, and there are, you know, all the series I have started and not yet finished. Like the Lane Winslow series. I want to keep reading it, partly because I love the setting in British Columbia, but it is one I can only take in small doses. I always want the writing to be just a wee bit smarter.

We're on Kauai for two weeks this time around. I imagine we'll skip next winter since we are booked for a 14-day trekking trip in New Zealand in late October/early November.

>220 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. It is fun to revisit them. I do look forward to getting past the early stuff to my favorites.

>221 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! Mistress of the Art of Death is a great series! I most recent Lane Winslow brought up a lot of interesting social issues. I look forward to continuing the series.

Enjoy Kauai! You have some things to look forward to this year. We need this.

http://www.womensprize.com/announcing-the-2025-womens-prize-for-non-fiction-long...
Women's Prize for nonfiction longlist - alphabetical order by author surname:

Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World by Anne Applebaum
Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age by Eleanor Barraclough
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV by Helen Castor
A Thousand Threads by Neneh Cherry
The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
Ootlin by Jenni Fagan
Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Fearless WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka by Clare Mulley
By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle
Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin by Sue Prideaux
What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World’s Ocean by Helen Scales
The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale
Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men by Harriet Wistrich
Tracker by Alexis Wright
Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China by Yuan Yang

Last year, I think I only read one, so I have a low bar to surpass. Several of these look interesting, and there is a nice variety.

Nice to see a new book out by Kate Summerscale. I enjoy the crimes that she digs up. It must be a particularly good one if it made the non-fiction list.

Thanks for posting the Long List for Women's Non Fiction Prize, Beth. I look forward to the Women's Fiction Prize Longlist to be announced too.

>223 BLBera: Oh, good, a list. :-)

This year I may focus more on the Women's Prize than the Booker Prize. I feel like we need to focus on women writers, queer writers, and writers of color. Marginalized voices need amplifying. And yes, I'm looking forward to Kauai!

I really want to read Embers of the Hands. But I’m 76th in line on Overdrive… I may have to buy that one!

>224 Familyhistorian: That caught my eye as well, Meg.

>225 vancouverdeb: It's a fun time of year. This is my favorite prize.

>226 EBT1002: We love our lists of books! Maybe we could pick one or more to read together. I think Kim would be up for it. Have a GREAT time in Kauai.

>227 drneutron: Hi Jim. Embers of the Hands is one that I am interested in as well. My library has a copy. I'll have to check on the hold list.

YES to reading a couple of the Women's Prize nominees together!

>223 BLBera: I had a fabulous British history professor in college named Geoffrey Barraclough - now I'm so curious if Eleanor is a relative! I've added Embers of the Hands and am looking forward to it too.

>229 EBT1002: Yes! Happy Friday!

>230 vivians: I wouldn't think it's a common name, Vivian. I am so happy to see that my library owns many of the NF prize long listed books. First, I have to finish my class on Caribbean literature! I am reading My Good Bright Wolf right now -- it is SO good.

Lud-in-the-Mist is a city of law. After a corrupt Duke was overthrown, the merchants and middle class who took over outlawed "all things fairy. This was not to be wondered at. For one thing, the new rulers considered that the eating of fairy fruit had been the chief cause of the degeneracy of the Dukes." But as time goes on, there seems to be something missing from the city.

This was our February book club choice, chosen because of its mention in Square Haunting. Its author, Hope Mirrlees was a long-time companion to Jane Harrison. Most of the club members are not readers of fantasy, but they liked the book. They found humor and loved the detailed, poetic description. I thought the book was an allegory, which some others agreed with. One member thought it was about the dangers of isolationism, while I thought it showed how dull the world is without art.

Mirrlees does a good job of world building. An interesting book.

>223 BLBera: Thanks for posting the list. Several interesting sounding titles. Will start looking for them. I’d wanted to read Anne Applebaum.

Lud-in-the-Mist sounds nice!

Have a nice weekend.

>223 BLBera: Lud-in-the-Mist sounds like an interesting one. Did it bring back memories of Square Haunting?

>233 EllaTim: The list does sound interesting, Ella. There is a lot of variety this year. My library has many of the books, so I hope to read at least a few. I only managed one last year.

>234 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. It was certainly outside my usual reading, but I enjoyed it. I did look back to see what Wade said about Mirrlees.

Glass Houses
This is my first novel by Madeline Ashby, and I will definitely read more by her. I do like dystopian fiction, and this novel, about a tech company trying to "map" emotions in order to make AI more human is a good one. In some ways it reminds me of The Future.

Kristen is the "chief emotional manager," a position created by her billionaire boss Sumter. When the plane carrying the company's chief executives crashes on a deserted island, the ten survivors find a mansion, also deserted. Can they survive? As members of the party disappear, I was reminded of And Then There Were None. At the same time, we get Kristen's back story.

The novel ends with a turn that I certainly didn't see coming, but it also makes me think about the downside of living on social media, the limits of AI, and women in tech. As Kristen notices at a tech conference: "The tech industry weeds out all the ones who don't look like Fox News anchors or magical girls. There are some women who get to look like themselves, who get to have natural hair and natural waistlines, but they're always elder stateswomen, women with their names on the portfolio masthead. That's real success: the freedom to be yourself. To have a private life. To not fear judgment. To get fat."

I think this would appeal to those who liked The Future or dystopian lit in general and to people who like twists. I am still thinking about the end.

That one sounds good, Beth. I'll have a look for it at the library.

I think you would like Glass Houses, Katie. I picked it up from the new releases wall of my library.

>236 BLBera: Sound like this is for me! I loved The Future.

I have long wanted to read something more than a New Yorker essay by Anne Applebaum.

Ellen, I read (listened) to the Applebaum late last year. It was very good.

>236 BLBera: I don't usually do dystopian but Glass Houses sounds interesting. On to the wish list it goes.

>239 banjo123: Hi Rhonda. I think you will like it.

>240 EBT1002: Yes, the Applebaum looks timely. :( How's Hawaií?

>241 katiekrug: I will look for the audio, Katie, although sometimes I do have trouble listening to nonfiction.

>242 Familyhistorian: I'll be interested to see what you think of it, Meg.

COLD here today. Many schools are closed. Upside: I get to spend the day with Scout.

>243 BLBera: - It's pretty short. I only did the audio because it was available from the library before the e-book edition :)

Good to know. I will check my library.

>236 BLBera: A while ago, I read the first two books in Ashby's "Machine Dynasty" trilogy, but just never got around to the third and at this point I'd probably have to re-read them to enjoy the last, but I do remember liking them. (Although the second turns darker in a way that "liking" is a term of art.) It's a vision of machine intelligence as an outlet/target for humans' antisocial impulses, which is both bleak and probably accurate. Your positive response to Glass Houses makes me think I need to complete that series and then sample what else she's done.

I haven't read anything else by Ashby, but if you like dark turns, you will love Glass Houses. I will look for more by her.

>243 BLBera: It might take me a while to get to Glass Houses, Beth. My hold list is full so it only got to my "for later" list. Thing tend to languish on there but I'll try to keep an eye on it.

It must be very cold if they closed the schools.

Our highs have been in the minuses for the last couple of days. That doesn't count the wind chill. They worry about kids waiting outside for the bus.

\
My Good Bright Wolf
Sarah Moss's memoir is incredible, often hard to read. Shockingly honest, she recounts her unhappy childhood, which contributed to her eating disorder. Parts II and III of the book jump to her present life, revealing the constant struggle she has surrounding her anorexia. The writing is just brilliant. She also looks at models women have and talks about favorite writers.

Some food (pun not intended) for thought:
"There was no delusion in your idea that women are rewarded for being thin and punished for being fat."

"It took you years to understand and then to say in public that a person can be good at making jam and ballgowns and fancy knitwear and lectures and ideas."

"Wollstonecraft is not wrong, then or now, that a woman displaying feeling is considered to be in charming need of protection if she is young, white and pretty, but hysterical or threatening in any other case, and the conclusion that therefore it is necessary to repress feeling if we are to be taken seriously is logical enough."

>250 BLBera: Excellent review, Beth. I definitely want to read that sooner rather than later.

It was so good, Laura. It also reminded me that I have a couple of novels by Moss to read.

>250 BLBera: Will add this to the wishlist.

I'm going to skip the dystopia: the world feels too bleak already.

>250 BLBera: My Good Bright Wolf looks interesting, Beth I will have to check that out.

>236 BLBera: I don't think I can handle a tech-based dystopia at the moment, that feels like the daily headlines.

I'm interested in your Shakespeare project--are the comments you're posting from Garber and Bloom part of the Shakespeare anthology you are reading? Or are there multiple books you're keeping track of?

I have my own Shakespeare project I'm slowly doing which involves a three-volume collected works I inherited from my mother. I started with the Tragedies but I could definitely use a companion book to offer commentary on each one.

>253 charl08: Hi Charlotte - well, the dystopian novel is usually worse than the headlines, so there is some comfort in that.

>254 AnneDC: I love Sarah Moss, Anne, and this is so beautiful and painfully honest. I have many companion books for my Shakespeare reading project. The Bloom is not very good. I much prefer Marjorie Garber. She has several volumes, but Shakespeare After All is the most complete commentary. I also like W. H. Auden's Lectures on Shakespeare.

First I read the play, then I read the commentary. I am going in roughly chronological order although I did read a couple of the histories out of order. I've read most of the plays except the histories. My next one is Titus Andronicus, which I haven't started yet because I am reading for my class on literature of Caribbean colonization. Once I am done with the class, I will get back to the Shakespeare.

Library books checked out:
Men of Maize
The Voyage Home
James - Finally!
We Lived on the Horizon
Silas Marner
The Volcano Daughters
Passiontide

I am anxious to read all of these, so my off-my-shelf reading will not progress very far in the next little while.

>250 BLBera: Hi Beth, that one sounds good. I have just reserved it, with thanks!

>257 mdoris: I will watch for your comments. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Finally James Beth. I hope you enjoy it, I am sure you will .

>250 BLBera: I put that one on hold after Vivian's comments about it. I'm looking forward to it.

I hope you enjoy James.

I rather loved Silas Marner.

>259 vancouverdeb: I am looking forward to it, Deborah.

>260 EBT1002: I love Moss; I am happy to see she has a new novel coming later this year as well. I am looking forward to both James and Silas Marner; the later I read in high school, which was a few years ago.

>261 BLBera: Hi Beth - do you know the title of Moss' new novel?

Hi Vivian: Ripeness, expected in May, it looks like from her website.

Thanks!

I count Sarah Moss among my very favorite authors. I'm excited to hear she has a new novel coming out. Yay!

>264 vivians: you are welcome.

>265 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. I know. It reminds me that I still have a couple of earlier books by her that I haven't read.

Hi Beth. I hope you are having a lovely weekend. We are experiencing rain, rain and more rain. Windy, rainy and icy cold, I find myself wishing for Spring!

Hi Judy. It is in the double digits here today, and sunny, so we are happy, after suffering the Polar Vortex. I am ready for spring.

Locked In
Locked In picks up where The Shadow Murders ends, with police detective Carl Mørck being arrested for murder and drugs. His situation seems dire as most of his colleagues have turned their backs on him, and he isn't given any kind of protection in jail. He only has his Department Q colleagues to help him.

There are lots of twists and turns, and I thought it was a tad long, but overall this is a satisfying end to the Department Q series.

Another Life
This poem/memoir begins with Walcott's childhood on Saint Lucia and ends with a return to a changed place. At times challenging, this work is, in the end, an amazing reading experience. Walcott's language and description are exquisite.

If you are willing to take time, you will be rewarded. I read most sections at least twice. It was worth it.

Presumption of Death
In this continuation of the Peter Wimsey series written by Jill Paton Walsh, Harriet is in the country at Tallboys with her children and with her nieces and nephew while Peter is somewhere abroad on a secret mission. When a murder takes place, Superintendent Kirk from Busman's Honeymoon asks Harriet to help him with the investigation. When Peter finally returns, he is eager to lend his help, but there are complications. Set in 1940 at the start of the war, it is interesting to see the changes in society as the country prepares for war.

This is a faithful continuation of the series, and I really enjoyed this. I listened to the audiobook read by Edward Petterbridge, and it was very well done.

>270 BLBera: OMEROS is 4-5 Star Poetry!

>272 m.belljackson: Thanks. I will be reading more of Walcott's poetry, for sure.

>270 BLBera: Sounds good Beth, I've wishlisted it.

Hi Charlotte; it was great. I had never read any Walcott, but I am glad I finally did.

Locked In in sounds good, Beth. I confess I have not kept up with the series, but have the previous book in the series on my shelf to read. Dave enjoys the series, so he has read that book, but I will let him know about Locked In . Shadow Murders, I think that is the previous book.

>250 BLBera: Thanks for that thoughtful review of Sarah Moss. Yes, yes and yes, to those observations. I will be looking for her book, but here in Holland she isn’t well known as an author.

>276 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Yes, The Shadow Murders is the one that comes before Locked In, which is the final book in the series.

>277 EllaTim: Thanks Ella. I love Moss's writing, and this memoir was really good.

Just waving Beth. A bit behind on threads at the moment.

Waving back! I am also behind, Caroline.

Hello, Beth. I am slowly catching up with the threads.

>236 BLBera: Adding this to The List - great review!

>250 BLBera: Like you, I love Moss. Another for The List, and I loved your comments on it.

>255 BLBera: "I have many companion books for my Shakespeare reading project. The Bloom is not very good. I much prefer Marjorie Garber. She has several volumes, but Shakespeare After All is the most complete commentary. I also like W. H. Auden's Lectures on Shakespeare." You were commenting to Anne, but thanks for this!

>263 BLBera: This I did not know - most exciting about the coming novel from Moss.