Mdoris (Mary) reading in 2025 thread # 1

Welcome to my thread in 2025.

Hello, my name is Mary. I live in Comox, on Vancouver Island. I have been a member of LT since 2011 and I love it here. It is great to see what people are reading, to follow threads and to make new friends. I am a slow reader (it will be a miracle to reach 75!).

Almost all my books are from the library. I love cookbooks and do get lots of them too but do not list them in my grand total count. I do love non fiction, reading and trying to make sense of the crazy things happening in our world but can't resist a great novel too!

I have 4 daughters who have all flown the coop. They are all living far away and they now have little ones. Now I am Gramma to 9, 4 boys and 5 girls. I was passionate about kids' books when our kids were little and still read lots of the newly published ones too. I am a retired Speech/Language Pathologist and loving retirement.

WELCOME! Please come and visit!

2024 was a low reading year for me! I have been captivated by podcasts but even those give me wonderful reading ideas.

I'm so glad to see you back, Mary! Happy New Year! I wish you many Happy Reads ahead! I am quite sure that is a hummingbird in your topper, but I can't think which one. It looks lovely.

Happy 2025, dear Mary.

That is a lovely topper. Needless to say I will be along in these parts often in the coming months.

Glad to see you here in 2025. Look forward to following your thread.

Happy reading!

Happy New Year Mary.

Welcome back, Mary!

Hi Mary. Found and Starred! Wishing you a wonderful year of good books and memorable life experiences.

Good to see you back, Mary - I hope I will be on LT much more this year and visiting your readings more often.

>1 mdoris: Love the picture, Mary! I am so happy to see you back for another year.

Happy New Year! All the best in 2025!

Hope you have a fantastic year of reading!

Thank you my wonderful L.T. friends, Deborah, Paul, Anita, Beth, Jim, Donna, Carsten, Stasia and Lori for the warm welcome back. I have been absent from L.T. a lot and reading little but so value being here and with keeping me on track with wonderful reading ideas. My reading is down from other years, must get my eyes checked but have kept adding to all the lists of books I want to read so perhaps I will do better in 2025! You guys are the BEST, so inspiring!

Now to watch the brand new release of Vera season 14 first episode. There will only be two episodes in the season and then Vera is done. That is a sad moment as this series as been fantastic! Watching it on Britbox..

>12 mdoris: I have not gotten to the Vera series (in print as I pretty much never watch anything!) I am still working on Cleeves' Shetland series.

Have a fantastic Friday, Mary!

I just started watching the New Vera series last night, I will go to watch another hour or so soon, Mary. It is sad to think it is the last of the TV series, but I get Brenda Blythen would like to retire.

Yes Deborah. She is fabulous and it is such a good series and I will miss it too!

The good news and the bad news.
The good news is that I can garden all year long.
The bad news is that I can garden all year long.
This is what I found blooming in my garden today, a cyclamen and rose buds.
Don't get excited, the rest of the garden looks pretty grim!
Yikes how do I make them smaller! Oh I figured it out!

>16 mdoris: I have no idea what it is, but it is pretty :)

Thank you Stasia!

#1 First book of the year!



The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith
This is #25 in the series. Wow, he is such a prolific writer. They are always a breath of fresh air, a comfort read! I saw it on the Express read shelf (must be completed in 7 days) and i grabbedi it!

>16 mdoris: Looks very pretty to see some flowers after all the rain we have had, Mary. Monday is supposed to be sunny for us here, so I look forward to that. Congrats on your first read of the year!

Thanks Deborah. How is Dave? Thinking of you all! Loki is a bit of a case and a challenge about being left on her own so I sympathize.

>22 vancouverdeb: Dave is quite well. The soft tissue injuries are healed it seems, but his hearing in his left ear is still not good. He has a phone appointment on Tuesday with our GP re the CT scan of his ear. I don't think they found anything, but I don't know. He doesn't see the ENT doc until mid May. Maybe seeing an audiologist would be helpful and could be done much sooner. I guess he can ask the doctor on Tuesday. It's our long ago family doctor, who I started seeing when I was about 21. He retired some years ago, but is doing a locum for our current GP.

The separation anxiety that Muffin has is a " bad case' , but is very common in shelter dogs, as I think I mentioned. We left for a few minutes today.and could watch her bark and howl on the Furbo camera. We will take it slow, and we are going to try her in a half day of dog daycare in Richmond.
The owner says she will take Muffin under her wing and that she specializes in separation anxiety, so I hope that works out.

We have left Loki a few times in dog care, most recently for almost 2 weeks when visiting Karin and Claire and families in Denver. She did fine but if we are to leave her by herself at home she is definitely not fine and by the time we get home she is semi frantic. It is a bit of a problem.

I am glad that Dave is feeling better. An audiologist is a good idea and can do a hearing aseessment.

Happy New Year, Mary. Happy New Thread. Love the hummingbird topper. Do you know what species this is? Yep, I am a bird geek. Looking forward to sharing another bookish year with you.

Sorry Mark I have no idea about the hummingbird what species he is. I saw the picture and I simply loved it! We did see a gang of merganser ducks in the water yesterday. There were probably about 40 to 50 of them swimming with purpose all heading north except one young deliquent one who was heading in all sorts of different directions. It was fun to watch.

Wishing you a year of great reading. I will be visiting!

>19 mdoris: Great to see you staying with this series - have only read the first two, and glad to know they are still comfort reads.

>26 ctpress: Hi Carsten I will be visitng you too! Yes I have read them all but have not ventured in to his other series.He is amazing! I once attended one of his presentaitons at our local library as his sisters live in my former community. He talks just as he writes. The books are full of goodness and common sense which is often uncommonly used!

This is a vast website and one I visit at the end of every year because it is an excellent source for recommended books for the year from al sorts of places and for all sorts of categories. I often use it to find recommended cookbooks so that I can then put them on reserve at the library but as I say it is vast and many hours could be spent here. Have a peek!
https://largeheartedboy.com/2024/11/27/essential-and-interesting-best-books-of-2...

Happy New Year, Mary. I'm slowly making my way around the 2025 threads. Hope you have a wonderful year, filled with interesting reads.

#2 Time of the Child by Niall Willliams



Loved it! Love his writing, love his story telling told from the heart and love his use of language. It is like listening to wonderful music!

>29 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, Hope your year of reading is fantastic too! I will be following your thread!

Mary, I've add Time of the Child to be reading list. I'll check to see if my local library has this book.

#3 Milk Street Bakes



I get a LOT!!! of cookbooks from the library and this was is a big winner and I am sad to have to return it to the library tomorrow.

>32 Whisper1: Linda I have really liked all of his books that I have read. Sure hope you can find it!

Time of the Child by Niall Willliams , I have a hold on it at the library, Mary. I've not read anything yet by the author, but thanks to your enthusiasm, I'm going to give it a try. Your cookbook sounds scrummy! Too bad it has to go back to the library. I'm just waiting for a batch of my hamburger / veggie soup to finish and I then I will let it cool , and I'll portion it for the freezer.

Muffin had a blast at doggy daycare today, I'm told and made lots of new friends. I'm quite sure she did have fun. That is a relief! And came home in on piece!

The Time of the Child looks like an interesting one, Mary.

>33 mdoris: I wouldn't mind being invited to some pie, Mary :) the only cookbook I use at the moment is a book on soups. I have a plan to cook my way through it like in Julie & Julia, but I don't know if I'll ever make it. Have a nice weekend.

I have some books by Williams on my shelf. Time to pull them off and read them, I guess.

>28 mdoris: What a great website! Thanks for posting the link, Mary.

>30 mdoris: I have not yet read that one, but really need to get to it. Thanks for the reminder!

Have a fantastic Friday!

>35 vancouverdeb: So glad Deborah that Muffin is adjusting well and had a very positive experience at doggy care. Did you see the video on Apple News of the dog in Turkey who brought her very sick new born puppy to the local vet? How did that happen? I have made soup today too, mushroom soup and like you I will divide up and be happy to know that I have some "free" dinners tucked away! The cookbook was wonderful. It was one of 6 that I returned. It was all about desserts and I sure don't need to purchase another one of those but fun to peek!

>36 Familyhistorian: H Meg, I seem to be smitten by the Irish writers. HOpe you like it if you decide to read it!

>37 ctpress: Hi Carsten. I would be very happy to make you a pie. What kind would you like? I was thinking of making an apple pie on Sunday. Would you like to come for dinner? We could talk about books (and pie!!). I loved the book Julie and Julia. Good luck with the soup book. I have a very old series of Time/Life cookbooks and make most of my soups from that one. It is the provincial France one. I got it out today to make mushroom soup. Yum. I will make giant popovers to go with it for dinner. Soups are the best!

>38 BLBera: Hi Beth, he is the kind of author for me that I wait (im)patiently for him to write another book! i hope you like his books too when you get to them. For me they have an old fashiioned feel to them.

>39 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Yes that website is riveting and way too time consuming but a great place to get ideas. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I like your idea of taking a tech break on Sundays. I might just try to do that too!

>42 mdoris: Thanks for the invitation, Mary. Could it be a standing invitation to pie and book talk, as I'm afraid I can't make it? :) I haven't read the Julie and Julia book but have seen the movie several times. I like it a lot. It makes me hungry. Hope you had a good dinner - sounds perfect with French mushroom soup and popovers. As for French cooking have you seen the movie "The Taste of Things" (La passion de Dodin Bouffant)? - I have never seen such exquisite cooking in my life.

The book I use for soups is this one in a Danish translation: Soup: Superb Ways With a Classic Dish - I'v made about 25-30 soups following the book, so I have around 100 more to finish it :) Although, it's likely not going to happen. I like it because it has soups from many countries - I do tend to go back to my favorites, but should explore more.

>43 mdoris: Maybe this will be the year.

>45 ctpress: Hi Carsten drats, the book you mentioned is not in our library system but if I search on "soup" there are 542 choices. I do have a cookbook that is just dedicated to soups so I will get that out and have a look. Your making of 25 to 30 soups is very impressive! I have limited and just rotate through them (mushroom, split pea/ham, chicken/veg, turkey/veg, carrot, onion, fish soup, leek/potato, squash, bean) but for sure not as many as you make.

I ❤️ soup!

>46 BLBera: Hi Beth, Lots of book pressures, I know!

#4 Melania by Melania Trump



This is a recently published memoir and I thought it guarded and quite mild and polite. I found it interesting. It made me think of those wonderful lines Julia Roberts says to Hugh Grant in the movie "Notting Hill" that she is just a regular girl looking for love. Anyway Melania is not a "regular girl" but she has had an interesting life and a great deal of responsibility in her role as First Lady and mate of you know who! She is a very loving mother, wife and daughter and has to deal with a lot of challenges living in a fish bowl. I knew little of her personal areas of support "Be Best" supporting women and children (especially foster children) or about her international friendships with others, gained from her role. Woman to woman my heart goes out to her with these recent assasination attempts.

P. 180 "Our nation stands at a pivotal moment. We have a choice: to be torn apart by violence, hatred and division or to unite in a spirit of love kindness and shared humanity. It is a critical that we choose the later before it is too late."

p. 181 "Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy and political games are inferior to love."

$5 Slow Cooked by Marion Nestle



This is a memoir written by a person who has had an academic career in nutrition. She is a good writer and I found the book very interesting especially as she was on the forefront for women having an academic career as a professor. She is now 88. I first read her book Food Politics many years ago and was astounded to find someone who was writing about the food producers and their influence on government policy and their influence with professional associations and much more. She identified how schools were receiving money from Coka Cola and Pepsi and the more of these sugary drinks the students drank the more money the schools would receive. She is in ways a food hero exposing behind the scenes influence. She has written many books and some about the pet food industry.

I am such a simple person, I have only two soups on rotation . Minestrone and Hamburger veggie soup . Lately I have been eating the Hamburger Veggie soup each day for lunch. I confess I don't much like chopping vegetables, but I do like the soup, so I do it.
Carsten's number of soups is impressive! I know you are an accomplished soup maker and baker and cook, Mary.

Hello Deborah, NO CHOCOLATE for lunch? Oh my. Are you trying to cut back? I'm afraid my lunch alwasy ends with a bit of choc. Your soups sound very delicious.. I too am not a big fan of chopping and being in the kitchen but I am a fan of eating so there you go! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and so glad that Muffin is settling in to her new life! She is a lucky puppy to have found you and Dave.

Indeed, Mary, I am trying to cut back. Not the chocolate though. So things one must have! I found out I have high cholesterol back in September and my doctor told me to try to lose 25 lbs. So, so far I have lost 8 lbs. It's a start. He thinks I may be able to go off the lipitor if I lose 25 lbs in total . I want to lose 35 lbs myself. Fingers crossed for that. But I still have 3 pieces of Lindt Chocolate each day, just not at lunch. We are loving Muffin very much, Mary. What we would have done without her after Poppy passed so suddenly, I'm not sure. I have my chocolate pieces shhh - one with my breakfast tea, one after dinner and one with a glass of (skim) milk before bed. Shhh!

Hi Deborah, We chocolate addicts are of course sworn to secrecy. I will not tell. My two squares are after lunch of Lindt 85%. Peter has 100% with dates. We should buy shares in the company!

Yes, Muffin saved the day and I'm just so pleased that the match was made.

Happy Saturday, Mary. Just checking in. Time of the Child does sound good. Your touchstone is incorrect. I would also like to read This Is Happiness.

>55 msf59: Hi Mark, Thank you the touchstone is now corrected! I really like his books and hope you do too!

>53 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. You impress! You have lost 8 lbs. Well done!

Mmm, soup and chocolate. I love homemade soup but don't make it anymore because I would be eating it forever. I couldn't do without chocolate though.

Hi Meg, Do you have a freezer? I make a pot of soup and then stick left overs away for another dinner.It is like finding gold in the freezer! Yes chocolate is so completely necessary!

>59 mdoris: Exactly. I always make enough to put two or three "soup-meals" in the freezer for a rainy day.

Hi Carsten. I like it....."rainy day soup"!

I freeze my soups too, Mary, Meg and Carsten. They make a perfect light lunch.

Well, Mary, Dave and I are so eager to see what breeds Muffin might be , that we bought an Embark DNA test for her. It just arrived today, so I have to read about it and also set up an account for Embark. Takes about 4 weeks from when I take a sample until we get the results. Supposedly Embark is the most accurate DNA test for dogs,so we'll see.

Thanks re the weight I have lost so far.

#6 Weird, I did a write up about this book and it has disappeared. I will do it again!

Blind Spots by Marty Makary



This is one FABULOUS book. I don't know where I got the idea to read it from but it sure was an eye opener. It is about the many things medicine gets wrong and how the brotherhood closes ranks around new ideas and how much that is presented as fact...."safe and effective"....is a belief system not based on science or independent research. For example HRT Hormone Replacement Therapy was discouraged years ago because of the connection to breast cancer. Well guess what!!! There is no connection and those many women who would have greatly benefited from HRT were denied support by zealous misinformed doctors. The book is packed with examples and very interesting if not disturbing.

Makary has just been appointed the new head of the FDA so hoping he will be doing some major shaking up!

>62 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, hope you are having a good weekend. We had snow flurries this morning. I don't think my primulas and hellebore about to bloom will be very happy with this cold weather.

>50 mdoris: Oo, that one sounds interesting. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mary!

>63 mdoris: Adding that one to the BlackHole too.

Have a super Sunday!

>28 mdoris: Interesting! Thanks for the link.

>47 mdoris: I have to admit that I have a rotation of a few soups that I enjoy the most and are easy/quick to make. I will have to try to make different kinds this winter and see if I find a new favourite

Happy weekend reading

#7 Sickening How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It by John Abramson



Another eye opener and lots needs to change.

>65 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Hoping you have had a good weekend too!

>66 figsfromthistle: Hello Anita. Soups are the best! I do love having some tucked away in the freezer for those lazy days that I don't feel like making dinner!

Well, Mary , I did not love tramping through the snow this morning at 9 am with Muffin. She seemed to be very happy though. I imagine it is the same situation tomorrow morning,and I am on am dog walk duty. The snow is pretty much gone now, but it's supposed to snow overnight and again on Tuesday.

More tramping this am with Muffin, Mary! But the snow was just starting and it was slippery! But Muffin is very keen on the snow. Dave has taken her out for a long walk and who knows what now. We don't let of the leash , at least not yet as her recall is not good . But Dave takes her to off leash parks and also to empty tennis courts, where he closes the doors and she can run around . Dave and I purchased a DNA dog test, Embark, and I swabbed her yesterday and Dave mailed off the DNA swab just after lunch today. So maybe we will know her breeds in 2 - 4 weeks. I can't wait to find out. Supposedly it is the most accurate of Dog DNA Tests. The things we do for our dogs.

Hello Deborah. Snow here too Deborah and agree very slippery under foot! Please take care! i think more to follow. The snow gets very heavy here so we must take a broom to the trees to knock off the snow or branches break. Lucky Muffin getting so many walks and lovely attention. It will be fun to find out her DNA and her breed combo. Please keep me posted! Those many walks must be keeping you and Dave fit.

>59 mdoris: I only have the fridge freezer, Mary. It doesn't make sense for me to have a larger freezer as one person especially as I rarely used the one I had when I lived with a family of three.

Sounds like you have more snow now. We have more too and more is forecast.

Hi Mary. Enjoyed the soup talk here. So many options! For recipes I nowadays often look at the internet, but a cookbook is more versatile I think.

>63 mdoris: Very interesting.

>67 mdoris: Looks like an important read, Mary.

I hope your month is off to a good start.

Soups are mentioned and will - like a magnet - draw me here, Mary!

Great to see you posting a lot and enjoying your reading. xx

>72 Familyhistorian: That makes sense Meg about soup and your freezer space. Ugh to more snow. I think we are getting more soon too. But it does look pretty.

>73 EllaTim: Hi Ella. Nice to see you visit.

>74 msf59: Hi Mark. Kind of snowed in at the moment but hope to do a library run tomorrow. Hope your February reads are wonderful. I'll come for a visit!

>75 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, Soups are the best on these winter days. I've been visiting your threads but being a bit of a ghost. Next time I'll be a presence! Hope all's well. xx

>76 mdoris: No problem, Mary. I have been slothful around the threads myself this year so far.

Well, Mary , I just finished chopping the veggies for my hamburger soup. I find if I chop the day before I cook it, it goes faster. I listen to ColdPlay with my earbuds and that make the chopping more tolerable. Yes, it was great to get out the house today. I think a bit more snow is forecast in Richmond tomorrow, but I hope it won't be much. I have had enough of tromping around in my snow boots.

>77 PaulCranswick: Well Paul I know you have been suffering from a horrible case of food poisoning. That must have been awful. I remember having it once when the sailing Olympics were on in Kingston Ontario and we were living there at the time. Oh boy was I ever sick! Glad that you are better now.

>78 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, The snow and ice are slippery, very slippery so take care when you are out with Muffin. The kitchen chopping time is not the best time but necessary. Your hamburger soup sounds yummy. We are having leek pie tonight and roasty cherry tomatoes. Life would be so simple if we didn't have to eat!

Well a friend of mine's daughter-in-law just had a new born baby boy and now mom is in ICU fighting for her life with a vicious and unusual infection. Any prayers are most appreciated for Arianne a first time mom.

>67 mdoris: Unfortunately I do not think anything is going to change the pharma industry at this point. Too much money involved, not to mention politics. I am curious about the author's ideas though, so I am going to see if I can track down a copy.

>80 mdoris: Prayers going up! I am a big believer in the power of prayer.

Mary, you get some interesting weather up there. Flowers AND snow! We've had one snowfall that lasted too long. Usually we get a few inches and it's gone in a couple of days. Our seven inches in mid-January was followed by very cold weather and stuck around for almost ten days. Penny sure missed her walks, but it was treacherous there for a while.

I am definitely praying for Arianne. Is the baby in any danger of catching the infection? I'll be checking back to see how things progress.

>81 alcottacre:, >82 Donna828: Thank you Stasia and Donna for your good prayers for Arianne. I do know that the new baby is thriving and has regained his birth weight. I am not asking my friend for any regular updates as she has her hands completely full at the moment and of course her heart completely drained. Fingers crossed but it is a brutal thing the new mom is dealing with.

Mary, I just want you to know I have prayed for your friend's daughter in law. I will continue to do so as she comes to mind. I pray that the infection is healed and that it responds to antibiotics and treatment. I'm glad the new baby is thriving.

I have also seen the start of crocus, but yes, snow too. I'm getting used to driving and walking in the snow now, but yes I am careful. I'll be glad when the snow is gone.

Deborah thank you for your kind thoughts and words. It is really troubling times. Poor mom has already had 7 surgeries since baby was born a week ago.

That is so awful, 7 surgeries in the week. I pray for a complete recovery It is troubling times.

100 % dark chocolate - even with dates sounds bitter, but I guess P enjoys it. I saw on my Instagram feed the Purdy's has a new product , dark chocolate covered dates with shredded coconut . Maybe P would enjoy that, and it now, go for yourself.

Well, Mary, I am sorry to tell you that the dark chocolate date chocolates are only at " select Purdys" stores , whatever those are. Just 3 in the Lower Mainland and then 3 more in Victoria, Kelowna , perhaps. I guess the bigger centres where they think the new chocolates will have bigger appeal. I noticed they not longer make my favourite chocolate, salted chocolate peanut butter. I guess it is for the best as I am trying to continue to lose weight.

Sorry to hear about your friend's daughter-in-law, Mary. I hope you hear good news soon.

Hi Meg, I will let you know when I hear some news. I think the extended family is so busy looking after the new born and the difficult hospital visits that it leaves no time for correspondence. My fingers are so crossed and prayers happening. Thanks for your concerns.

#8 Playground by Richard Powers



Well this was a very interesting book taking my brain all over the place. There are lots of "bits" to it, gaming, youthful friendships (love and competition), dementia, AI, development of self in relation to family and community (race and class), environmental concerns, computer programming and more and most enjoyably all wrapped up around the ocean with much of that viewed below the surface. The parts of the book exploring and explaining below the surface of the ocean were the most intriguing for me, stunning and beautiful, showing the life and wonder there. The story weaves around several separate story lines and doesn't combine until near the end. The ending perplexed me as if there are multiple realities or imaginings. With the title "Playground" i wondered if Powers was playing with his readers! Or is Powers saying that AI might take us to a dangerous place that is not a playground at all.

I'm continuing to think and pray for your friend's daughter, Mary. I hope things are improving.

I skipped Playground. I'm glad you found it interesting. I think it is beyond my ken. (understanding).

Hello Deborah. That is the best thing about LT as glowing reviews take you to books you might never read. I put these ideas on my library request list and sometimes wait for forever and then the book appears. Who was enthusiastic about the book is long forgotten. Hope you are having some wonderful reading these days!

>90 mdoris: This is on my list already. I am closer in line to getting it from the library. Looks like a fantastic read.

Happy weekend reading

>93 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, wishing you very happy weekend too and I will come visit!

>92 mdoris: I have added and read and enjoyed so many books that I would never have gotten to without this wonderful group, Mary.

>95 PaulCranswick: Yes Paul, it is a wonderful place and resource and good place for friendships.

>96 mdoris: Wholeheartedly agree. I am thoroughly blessed by my friends here in this group and my Canadian pals as much as any other.

Happy Saturday, Mary. I loved Playground. It was one of my top reads of last year. So much to chew on. If you have not read The Overstory, I highly recommend that one too.

>97 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, We seem to be able to agree on all sorts of things!

>98 msf59: Hello Mark. I probably got the recommendation from your wonderful threads! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend with some Jackson time.

Just a little update. Arianne the new mom is still in the hospital and in critical condition. Your prayers and thoughts and good wishes about her have been most appreciated. New baby is doing well and being expertly looked after by his doting grandparents, our friends!

>99 mdoris: Great minds and all that, Mary.

>100 mdoris: I will pray for mom's full recovery.

>101 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul.

I am so sorry about your friend's daughter. I have been praying for her,Mary. What terrible time for Arianne and all involved. You don't expect such terrible things to come to pass for a mom after birth in this day and age. I pray she recovers fully.

Thank you Deborah.

#9 The Night of the Scourge by Lars Mytting



This is a whopper at 519 pages and is the 3rd book in a trilogy. While the previous stories in the first two in the trilogy do come back while reading the 3rd., it might be best to read them in closer proximity than I did to keep memory fresher. The story takes place in a remote mountain village in Norway in the time of WW ll and the occupation by German soldiers. There is a moving plot of resistance and hardship for the time. It is a riveting story, well told and described.

This book sounds good. I'll see if my library has it.


I hope you will have a great weekend of reading.

>105 mdoris: Night of the Scourge sounds interesting, Mary. I will keep it in mind. I am only on my 8 th book this year so far.

Hi Mary, I hope there have been some improvements for the new mum. Did you feel the earthquake today?

>106 Whisper1: Hi LInda, Hope all's well in your neck of the woods. I'll come for a visit!

>107 vancouverdeb: Deborah, I really liked all the books in the trilogy. My brain is still in the mountains of remote Norway. I will probably never get there in person though!

>108 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I will let you know about the new mom when I get some news. I have just sent a gorgeous big teddy bear to the new baby. No wasn't aware of any rumbles from the earthquake. Were you?

>105 mdoris: I'm glad the newest Mytting book gets the nod of approval from you, Mary. Since I'm still waiting for my copy, I might just grab the first two for a "quick" reread. I do love his books.

>110 Donna828: Hi Donna, I hope your wait for the book won't be too long! Have a great week.

#10 No Apologies How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage
Lessons from the Silenced Majority by Katherine Brodsky



I thought this was a a really good book, well written and well researched about the critical topic of cancelation and the impact that has for individuals and for society. Brodsky interviewed 16 brave/courageous people who found their voices and acted on their own assessment of truth to confirm their own principles. I knew about many of the stories but there was some additional ones that were wonderful to read. Stories were from musicians, artists, authors, librarians, knitters, professors, and more.

p 149 (Winston Marshall-musician) There are various topics where people fear losing everything if they speak out on them, which is really not a healthy place for us to be in. This silencing culture is a really serious problem says Winston because if people can't talk about the this stuff, that means that the ideas that they cannot talk about are not challenged. And if they not challenged then they're open to turning in to pretty bad ideas. And so if you want to actually get rid of these extremist or bad opinions you need to engage with the people. When you stop engaging with bad ideas they grow more extreme and create worse outcomes for society.

Cover Quote. Brodsky uncovers lessons for all of us in the silenced majority to push back against the dangerous illiberalism of the vocal minority that tolerates no dissent- and to find and free our own voices.

#11 The Women by Kristin Hannah p. 464



I zoomed through this book, a Christmas gift that tells a riveting story. The story tells of Frankie and the friendships she had with 2 other women doing "time" as nurses in Vietnam during the war. There are many aspects to the story, the trauma of the experience, the subsequent impact it has on mental health, the impact on family and relationships once back trying to integrate again. The story does a good job bringing the various aspects of history of the time, the politics, the music, the fashion, the changing roles of women, the needed recovery. There has been very little recognition of the role that women played in Vietnam, of the great sacrifice and value they contributed and this story does a good job bringing that to our attention. War is insane. It should never happen.

#12 My Good Bright Wolf by Sarah Moss
Thanks to Beth for the idea to read this book. i have read other books by Moss and especially liked her non fiction one on Iceland.



memoir
anorexia/eating disorder (mysterious illness)
reading/ formative literature
identity politics
feminism
painful
disturbing
neglected
family dysfunction
amazingly told

You are doing really well with your reading, Mary. A couple more good books read!

The Women's Prize longlist was released today! Shortlist tba on April 2nd. Winner tba June 12

Good Girl by Aria Aber
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Somewhere Else by Jenni Daiches
Amma by Saraid de Silva
Crooked Seeds by Karen Jennings
All Fours by Miranda July
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie .....reserved at library
Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell .....reserved at library
A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike
Birding by Rose Ruane
The Artist by Lucy Steeds
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout ..... read and loved!
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

>115 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, Thank you! Yes it is a reading time of year for me. I see that Nesting made the list and I know you have read it and really liked it recently. I had better put it on my list!

Thanks for your updates, Mary. I'm especially interested in the Women's Prize Longlist. The Adiche grabbed my attention. Like you, I also read and appreciated the latest by Elizabeth Strout. So many unknown to me authors. I must be living under a rock these days!

Oh, and I have My Good Bright Wolf already checked out from the library. I love the Bullet Points review. I will start it soon...right after I read the next books for my (Two!) book groups. I am behind as usual.

#13 Clear by Carys Davies



A compact short novel full of influence and atmosphere and set in time. The place is a small remote island between Orkney Islands and Norway and the telling of a story is between three people in the times of the clearance in Scotland (1843). Beautifully told and I couldn't put it down.

>119 mdoris: I am glad you enjoyed Clear. I have meant to read it, but so far have not yet. And now the Women's Prize Longlist is out.

>118 Donna828: Hi Donna, I will come over for a visit soon to see what you think of the Sarah Moss book! HOpe you are having a wonderful weekend.

>120 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. I think today is a perfect day for reading. I had to do the full gortex this morning for Loki's walk. No raincoat for her though, just a resulting very soggy towel when we got home.

>100 mdoris: Behind on threads. I am sorry to read about Arianne. I hope she is doing better now!

>122 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, Thank you for your good thoughts. She is still in ICU so all is difficult.

#14 Knife by Salman Rushdie



This horrific knife attack on Rushdie is well documented in this recent book. The physical, the psychological, the impact for self, for family and friends are all intimately told. My quibble and disappointment is when he often ventured into politics which seemed to have nothing to do with his story. He was very well taken care of and the experience did not move him away from his atheist views. For me the good part in the telling is his wandering through many literary works and visits with accomplished writers.

>109 mdoris: Hi Mary, I did feel the earthquake. I was on a Zoom call and all of us felt it. From reading about wetness and weather, sounds like I chose a good time to be away.

>121 mdoris: I wore full goretex that same afternoon for my Muffin afternoon walk. Today was quite rainy too. I just did a short morning walk with Muffin , as she had a 1/2 day at doggie day care today. She gets lots of exercise and socialization there. She came home quite muddy , very muddy actually, despite the day care giving her a rinse off. Dave gave her a bath. It will be nice to get more sun in the future.

>125 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, That is sort of scary to feel the tremors from an earthquake. Hope they continue to register to be small ones! Yikes!

>126 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Nice dog walking weather today, thank heavens!

#15 Under Cover, Inside the Shady World of Organized Crime and the RCMP by Garry Clement



There has been a lot in the press lately about illegal drugs, opioids and fentanyl (and more) and that many of these drugs are manufactured here in Canada with original content ingredients from China. These drugs are then sent throughout North America. I wanted to know more about this and how it relates to organized crime here as well in Canada. The book is written by a retired undercover person who worked in these areas primarily in Vancouver and Toronto. He does have many suggestions on how Canada could improve the policing within the RCMP!

There were more deaths from drug overdoses than Covid deaths in the Covid years.

Clement does not have a positive thing to say about "safe" drug supply policy and urges for treatment instead of jail time. This to be seems like a very sensible urging.

#16 Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves



I read this because I have 4 grandsons and I wanted some ideas about what is going on in their world and what concerns there are and how their future world could be made better. There were a lot of obvious ideas and some over generalized stereotyping (not appreciated) but overall some good ideas based on research (boys should start a year later in school than girls, having two years of kindergarten) And yes there is a difference in biology between girls and boys much to the horror of present day "progressives"! There were many references to other books if the reader wanted a further delve.

I'm glad you've been enjoying your reading lately, Mary. I've praying for your daughter's friend. I hope she is recovering and out of ICU.

#17 Water by John Boyne



This Irish writer has delivered another wonderful and intense family drama and he tells the story so well. i am a fan! I will read the others in the series when they are published. Water, Earth, Fire and Air.

>130 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah for your good wishes.

>124 mdoris: Book Bullet! I have loved several of Rushdie's books and was curious about this one. I may gloss over the political bits but like the idea of "wandering through many literary works" with a good guide.

>131 mdoris: I might also check into this series. I loved The Heart's Invisible Furies when I read it quite a few years ago.

Hope all is well with you and yours, Mary.

>133 Donna828: HI Donna, So nice to share some BBs as I get lots from you as well! Hope you are having a very good weekend. I am going to read more of JB. I also loved The Heart's Invisible Furies. Yes, me too!

#18 Lies I Taught in Medical School by Robert Lufkin



This is a wonderful book full of easy to access information about the many things medicine got wrong (diabeties, weight loss, cardio-vasc. disease, statins, dementia, longevity, fatty liver, hypertension, cancer, mental health) and then he comes up with a plan of how to combat these massive challenges to our healh contributing to metabolic disease and more. The author did have several of these challenges and with the help of his friend and mentor (the amazing Gary Taubes) he was able to change course bettering his health outcome. it is written in a very accessible way. Three cheers. And now I must cut back further on my sugar intake!!!! Sugar, seed oils, carbs and processed food are the demons. We know that and now we must do something about it!

>135 mdoris: Interesting book, Mary. We could all learn more about how eat healthily. Cut back more on your sugar intake? You don't mean less that two pieces of Lindt chocolate per day , do you? Say it isn't so!

>90 mdoris: I own that one, I just need to get it read. Thanks for the reminder, Mary!

>100 mdoris: Continuing to pray for Arianne.

>105 mdoris: That is a trilogy I need to get back to. I have only read the first book, The Bell in the Lake. The problem for me is getting my hands on the other two books as my local library did not have them the last time I checked - and still does not as I just checked again.

>119 mdoris: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Mary!

>135 mdoris: Best of luck with cutting down on sugar, Mary.

>128 mdoris: Sounds like an informative book to read. I agree about treatment instead of jail time however, if a person does not want help no amount of forced treatment will work. There has to be a different solution that meets somewhere in the middle.

Many great reads so far, Mary!

I hope Arianne's health has improved.

>136 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. It was a very good book for to see a medical person be so critical of the medical information presented to us as patients. The medical content needs to be examined that has been told to us a medical gospel but not based on secure medical research that con be reconfirmed consistently. We are maybe taking a lot of medicines that are not needed.

>137 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Nice to see you visit! I'll come and see what you are up to!

>138 Familyhistorian: HI Meg, I know cutting down on sugar is a hard one. Any ideas?

>139 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. I have just read over on your thread that reading in the spring seems to lessen. I know the feeling as the outside pulls us......well outside! But I am sure loving the return of sunshine.

#19 Jennie's Boy by Wayne Johnston



This memoir was recently one of the contenders in the 2025 Canada Reads and got voted off on day two. I am not much of a follower of C.R. but I did think this book would be interesting to read as I do love stories about Newfoundland! It is the story told by the adult Mr. Johnston of time when he was 7 years old living near St. John's in a place called The Gould. He was a very sick child in a poverty stricken house, in a large Catholic family and with another baby on the way. Parents tried their best but alcohol for the dad and cigarettes smoking for the parents featured prominently with never enough money for all the medications needed for the sick boy. Wayne's relationship with his maternal grandmother was close and wonderful, a saving grace! It is a difficult story to read in many ways but somehow the book won the Stephen Leacock humour award in 2023. This seemed strange to me as in some ways the story was pretty grim and difficult. Mr. Johnston is the author of 13 books mostly fiction but some non fiction as well.

>141 mdoris: This is memoir I'd like to read, Mary. Like you, it came to my attention via Canada Reads. As yet I have not read it, and I in the midst of my Womens Prize Reading, as well as having had a number of holds come in from the library, but Jennie's Boy is on my TBR. It sounds interesting, if a difficult read. Thanks for your review.

>140 mdoris: I have never attempted to cut down on sugar so no tips from me in that regard, Mary.

Sweet Thursday, Mary. Finally catching up. I am currently enjoying The Women on audio. My first Hannah. I also LOVED Clear. The Rushdie memoir is on the obese TBR. I hope all is well with you.

>141 mdoris: Thanks for the recommendation and review of the Johnston book, Mary. I have only read one of his books, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, and would not mind reading his memoir too, if I can get my hands on a copy.

I hope you have a thoughtful Thursday!

#20 It's Not You by Ramani Durvasula



This was an excellent book written by a therapist with an expertise in treating people dealing with narcissist behavior from others. It was very practical and informative and thorough.

>142 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. I hope you find Jennie's Boy a good read when you get to it! I know you are very busy with the Women's Prize books!

>143 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, There are lots of books now talking about the evils of sugar.

>144 msf59: Hello Mark. I was following all your recent travels. It sure sounds like you had an amazing time. But always good to be home and back to Jackson visits!

>145 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Me too, the only other Johnston book that I have read is Colony of Unrequited Dreams and that was centuries ago. Now I would like to read the memoir written about his father and grandfather Baltimore's Mansion. But the wish list is long as you know!

>147 mdoris: Sugar has been seen as evil for quite a while now, Mary, and I know it is bad for me but I haven't done anything to change how much I eat.

#21 The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke



This very wonderful book has recently been short listed for the 2025 Womens Prize for Non Ficiion. It is the true story of two families one on the donating end and one the receiving end of a transplanted heart for their respective children. It is such a difficult story but so well told. The author was a journalist before becoming a doctor and has a very sensitive and informative approach to telling the story. There is much background discussed about the history of transplant surgery, the characters involved and much description into the complexity and utter emotional caring that goes into the transplant team's management. This book while difficult to read is a rewarding one and highly recommended.

>147 mdoris: My 'wish list' became the BlackHole rapidly, Mary, so yes, I do know! I could have worse problems, I suppose :)

>149 mdoris: I just received a copy of this one last week. I hope I like it as much as you did.

Have a marvelous Monday, Mary!

#22 Earth by Jphn Boyne



This was another gripping story with some underbelly intensity by Boyne. He sure can tell a story! This was # 2 in the Elements novella series of Water, Earth, Fire and Air.I greatly look forward to the next story!

>150 alcottacre: Hello Stasia. Sure hope you have had a very good weekend. Here in Canada tomorrow is election day so it is a nail biter for many!

Interested to see that you like the John Boyne elements series books, Mary. I recently bought the first one.

Glad to see you are fine after the horrific incidents near you this last weekend.

I hope that the election day turns out well for you and for Canada. x

A nail biter of a day tomorrow, indeed, Mary! Glad you enjoyed your last John Boyne.

>153 PaulCranswick: Hello Paul, Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

>154 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. i will come over for a visit and see what you are up to!

I'm not reading much these days. Life got busy with visitors.

I hope you are enjoying your visitors, Mary. The books will be waiting for you.

>157 Familyhistorian: Hello Meg., I hope you are enjoying this spectacular day. Nice to have you visit!

>80 mdoris:
Finally I do have some good news about the young mom who delivered her first baby at the end of January, had an awful infection with many surgeries, was in ICU for many many weeks (53 days) and has just now been allowed to go home with more frequent visits to come to the hospital for continued care. I am thanking you all for your concerns, your prayers and your thoughts of improved health for my friend's daughter-in-law. Oh my what a very difficult roller coaster it has been for this family.
💐

>159 mdoris: I am so glad to read that the young mom is finally home , Mary. That is a very long time to be in hospital. I will bet at has been a real roller coaster for this family.

I had a family member, not close to me, die quite suddenly. He had a sore back and contacted his family doctor several times by phone. The doctor thought it was just a sore back, as, did Kim, but it was sepsis and he died after about 10 days in hospital . He was 72, but was otherwise healthy, and leaves behind a wife, two kids and several grandchildren.

>160 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah for your kind words. I am so sorry about your family member and the challenges he faced and his sudden and unexpected death.

>159 mdoris: That is really good news, Mary. xx

Happy Wednesday, Mary. Just checking in. Sorry to hear about your friend's DIL. Glad it turned out okay. I hope those books are treating you fine. I was not familiar with Boyne's novellas. I will have to check them out.

>162 PaulCranswick:, >163 msf59: Thanks Paul and Mark. She survived against all odds and has a long healing road ahead of her. Fingers crossed but so grateful for the thoughtful prayers and caring of our L.T. pals.

Mary, I have no idea how I lost track of you. I will catch up over the next few days.

>165 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline. Losing track is very easy to do! I will come and visit you too very soon! Hope all is well.

Hi Mary, I've finally caught up.

>80 mdoris: >159 mdoris: Jeesh how scary. So glad that it looks like things are heading in the right direction. Will keep them all in my thoughts.

>63 mdoris: Of course, a book bullet. It was revealed here that it was only in the last couple of years that it was obligatory for male doctors to train about menopause (and many didn't)!!!!

>90 mdoris: This will definitely be a June/July book, I've had it a while.

>105 mdoris: What... I still haven't read Vol 2. Fortunately I still remember a fair bit about volume 1 (which isn't a given!).

>124 mdoris: It was a horrendous attack, in an interview I saw with him recently he was quite sanguine.

>149 mdoris: Another that will be read soonish.

>167 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the visit Caroline. You have reminded me to visit with you way more often! Happy retirement days ahead!

>159 mdoris: I am glad to hear the good news that the young mom is able to recover at home.

# 23 Permanent Astonishment by Tomson Highway



This wonderful memoir written by the well known Canadian writer, playwright and musician Tomson Highway is about his growing up in a very loving and large family in Northern Manitoba in a Cree family in an isolated community. It was wonderful for this reader to sit on his shoulder to see his life as he takes us through his school years in a Residential School and with summers in fishing camps in the far north with his family. He writing is wonderful, so full of humour related to the Cree language and with wonderful descriptive language of his natural world. He was born in a snowbank -40 This book was a tribute to his much loved younger brother Rene. Rene was am amazing dancer and sadly died of AIDS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW3u3TicDqA

>169 figsfromthistle: Hello Anita. Thank you for your good thoughts and wishes. I think it will be very long recovery for this family.

Just stopping by to make sure that all is well with the world over here, Mary. xx

Hello Paul, Nice to have you visit my friend! i have just visited your thread and I like the personal philosophy you describe! I am a big fan of free speech too and I have the brand new Andrew Doyle book ordered. I do like his writing!

>159 mdoris: So good to hear that the young mum is finally out of the hospital. What a hard time for everyone concerned especially for mum and baby.

>174 Familyhistorian: Thank you Meg for your concern.

Loki has separation anxiety as well ,Mary.Oh dear. I am hoping the Muffin can overcome hers as one of previous dogs did. Short leave takings and anti anxiety medication from the vet. it took 9 months with Daisy, so I am hopeful. Fingers crossed!

I’m so glad to hear that your friend’s DIL is on the road to recovery. I’m sure the baby snuggles will be good medicine.

Mary, you have intrigued me with your thoughts on Permanent Astonishment, especially the fact that he was born in a snowbank. Sounds like a good book to read when the summer heats up.

#24 The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon



This riveting story has had glowing remarks on L.T. It is the story of a midwife in late 1700's Maine of her community and her busy family life with a murder and sexual assault twist to the plot. The author loves people and the story is based on research she did from a real life midwife who left diary entries of her work. The author managed to write this story during locked in COVID times amongst a busy life with 4 teenaged boys. A triumph if not an impossibility!

>176 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. It is our own fault. But now almost 6 Loki is set in her ways! Good luck with your training of Muffin.

>177 Donna828: Thank you Donna. Sure hoping the healing continues for this young family!

>179 mdoris: It's never too late, Mary! We adopted Daisy when she was 8 years old from Richmond Animal Services. I don't know whether she had separation anxiety prior to being adopted to us, but it is very common in shelter dogs after being left in a shelter. It did take 9 months with Daisy and it likely won't be any quicker with Muffin, but it would be nice if was. I'm sure hoping she will overcome it. Otherwise I am in my own kind of dog jail.

>178 mdoris: Think you got me with this one Mary.

>178 mdoris: That's one of the books I have on the go at the moment, Mary. It's a good one.

>178 mdoris: I loved The Frozen River earlier this year, Mary.

>182 Familyhistorian:, >183 vancouverdeb: Hi Meg and Deborah! Hope you are enjoying this luscious fabulouls weather! I love it! I bet I got the recommendation for The Frozen River from you Deborah. Thank you and hope you like it too Meg!

#25 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff



I have been meaning to read this little gem of a book for ages and finally did! It was delightful. it is the correspondence over many years between a second hand bookseller in London, England and a writer living in New York City and the relationships that build over time.

I'm glad you enjoyed Frozen River, Mary. I loved it too. I enjoyed 84 Charing Cross Road some years ago.

Happy Tuesday, Mary. I am also a fan of The Frozen River. I love these type of stories. I have been meaning to reread 84 Charing Cross Road. It is an absolute gem.

Are you having to deal with any fires, out your way?

>185 mdoris: One of my favourite books Mary, I have read it several times and always love doing so. There is a very fine film of it with Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft in.

>185 mdoris: Good to see that you got to 84 Charring Cross Road, Mary. I enjoyed that one when I read it.

>186 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah, I don't think there is a negative review of 84 Charing Cross Rd. or if there is it would surprise me!

>187 msf59: Hello Mark, No fires our way and the weather has turned cooler and lots of high cloud and brief rain showers.. Not much new news about fires thank heavens that I have read about.

>188 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline, I was just so surprised with myself that I hadn't read it having heard about it often here on L.T. Glad I got to it and glad you love it too!

>189 Familyhistorian: Hello Meg, It for sure is a popular one!

Well I am in the reading doldrums. I get to about page 50 or 100 in novels and just don't engage so do a switcheroo and then the same things happens with the next novel. I will keep trying and keep visiting my pals here on L.T. for inspiration. I have some books waiting for me at the library. Maybe they will do the job!

>191 mdoris: In sympathy!

I struggle intermittently with my reading mojo too, Mary. Hope that it dissipates soonest too because, in my case, it is quite frustrating and a sign normally of a more general malaise / black mood.

>192 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul, I hope for you these lapses are non existent or short lived in the future. Don't think it's the black mood (this time) but poor selections, just not a match. I think over time we change our needs and I have been greatly leaning non fiction and trying to read anything to help me understand our crazy present world. We want to chase away the general malaise for sure. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. I know you have been crazy busy with work and just hoping you can wind that up soon and head to the U.K.with family.

>191 mdoris: I find a good way to get past that is to reread an old favourite Mary, doesn't always work, but often does.

Thank you Caroline. I picked up Fire from the library yesterday, a new one in the Elements series by Johy Boyne, and it is doing the trick. But your suggestion is a very good one, much appreciated.

#26 Fire by John Boyne



This was an intense book by Boyne showing the harms then repeated harms done by abuse. It was a bit of a psychological nail biter and disturbing. Boyne sure knows how to tell a story. This is part of the Elements series and I have only Air left to read. He manages to revisit some of his characters from the other of the Element series Earth,and Water weaving the stories loosely together.

Fire sounds very interesting and I will have to it keep in mind, Mary. I'm a john Boyne fan. I'm glad a book worked well for you.It's tough when you get in a reading funk.

>196 mdoris: Good to see you got a book that worked for you, Mary. Hope the next one does too.

Have a lovely day, my friend.

I hope you enjoyed Canada Day, Mary!

A belated Happy Canada Day, Mary. The Boyne sounds really good. I am a big fan of him. As a matter of fact, I recently snagged an e-galley of The Elements, which comes out in September. It also sounds promising.

>197 vancouverdeb:, >198 Familyhistorian:, >199 PaulCranswick:, >200 vancouverdeb:, >201 msf59: Hello Deborah, Meg, Paul and Mark. Thank you for the thread visits and keeping my thread warm. i have been very busy with summer family viists so far with 5/9 of the grandkids and more to follow soon. Whew, it has been busy and fun and the weather has been superb with lots of ocean swims and adventures but very little reading. More reading will happen when the dust settles (and the laundry done and the kitchen cleaned up!). Soon......Hope all's well with everyone's summer so far!

>201 msf59: Mark I think The Elements is a combo of all four. I am waiting for the last one Air.

#27 Sweetland by Michael Crummey



I have been waiting for this one for a long time from the library and it did not disappoint. I seem to love anything written about Newfoundland and the special and unique characters who live there and their unique communities. Crummey is a very good story teller!

Great to see you back on the threads, Mary. It sounds like you have been very busy with the grands. Summers going well for me. I'm glad you had some time to read.

>205 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah, I squeezed the book in between visits. I am glad that summer is going well for you. I see you are on fire with the puzzles. They look very challenging but fun! i'm loving this hot weather but I know it must be a little too hot for you. Poor Loki with her black fur wants cooler days!

Nice to see that you've been enjoying visits from the grands, Mary. Plenty of time for reading when there are less people to see.

>207 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg, you are right, there is lots of time for reading when the rains come!

Hi Mary.
Grandkids are the best reason to be away from LT and books. It sounds like they are coming in waves so you aren't overwhelmed by having them all at once. Enjoy the rest of your summer. The books will be waiting for you when you have recuperated.

It's been over ten years since I read Sweetland so I have only a vague memory of it. I read The Innocents in 2020 and will never forget it. I see he has other books...time to revisit a favorite author. Thanks for the nudge.

Oh, I am on fire with the puzzles alright, Mary. I choose a difficult one this time and I think it will keep me busy for a while. I'm sure you enjoying the heat.

Hello Donna and Deborah. The reading that I am doing is Goldilocks and the Three Bears and many others of the same category. Does that count? Such great visits with the grandkids and more are on their way. Busy days and fun days, Donna I will not ever forget The Innocents: A Novel either and Deborah your new puzzle sounds really, really challenging. Hope you post a picture of it when it is finished. Yes, you are on fire!!!!

>212 mdoris: Of course reading to grandkids counts! It is probably even more important than reading on our own, right? We need new generations of readers :)

>213 alcottacre: Yes Stasia I agree. Tonight I read Amelia Bedelia and the Baby a goofy book (all play on words) for nearly new readers. What a lucky person I am to be visiting with the 2nd set of 6 and4 years old grand daughters. I am having lots of fun and getting lots of hugs. Lucky me!

Oh, fun, Mary, reading to your grandchildren! And Amelia Bedelia and the Baby. Since I had sons I have not read that one, and Melissa reads to herself or with her parents right now. Miles is a bit impatient with books- I think he said he does't like books right now. What a great summer you are having, with all of the visiting grandchildren. I bet you are busy.

>215 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, 8 loads of laundry busy today and made applesauce with transparent apples that simply make the best applesauce in the world! No time or energy for reading but soon....very soon. I have a new Robert McFarlane book waiting for me at the library. Sure hope you are having a wonderful summer. Boys and reading. It will come. Maybe investigate some non fiction books for Miles. (dinosaurs and big machines etc.)

Wow! 8 loads of laundry, Mary and time to make applesauce. You are very busy. The reading will come . Miles really likes dogs and construction machines, but he does not have an interest in reading even those sort of books as yet. My boys were keen readers when they were young. But now . Oh well.

>214 mdoris: Lots of fun and lots of hugs sounds like you are a very lucky lady, Mary!

Your summer sounds wonderful, Mary. Enjoy!

>217 vancouverdeb: HI Deborah. You can lead a horse to water...... I bet Miles will be a reader in time (with his grandmother's wonderful influence)!

>218 alcottacre: Agree Stasia. I am a lucky one. Everyone is gone now and I'm missing them all.

>219 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. It has been an intense time for visitors and now it is quiet again. I guess I have to get used to that! Hope you have had a very good summer too!

#28 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo



My grandson will be 13 tomorrow pressed this book into my hands and said I just HAD to read it! While reading it i had the feeling that I have read it before but no record on L.T. so maybe not. Anyway it was a moving and wonderful story and glad I read it.

>221 mdoris: I think it is tremendous that your Grandson is recommending reads to you, Mary! There is hope for the future still. xx