Mdoris (Mary) reading in 2025 thread # 2

Welcome to my thread #2 for 2025! Summer is a slow reading time for me as we have 9 grandkids and they all visit in the summer and I am chained to the kitchen and laundry machines but happily as they are so much fun. "They" being the kids and not the machines! Come visit and I regularly visit your threads to catch up on your lives and your wonderful book recommendations.

Happy new thread, Mary.

I love the topper and I suppose you are right in that it is difficult to see people with books these days. It is something that usually occasions comment to myself as I always have a book with me, even in business meetings!

happy new thread!

I am always pleased to see someone reading in public but it is definitely rare these days.

Happy New Thread, 🧵, Mary!

Happy Sunday, Mary. Happy New Thread. Love that topper. Enjoy all those dear grandkids and try to find some book time now and then. 🤞🤞

Ha, ha, like that topper, Mary. Whenever I read a book on the metro I feel like I'm sending an important message to the world. Stop scrolling, start reading. We are an endangered species for sure.

I read on Sky Train, though I don't ride it that often. All of those phones! I can't bear it. I always look around and if someone is reading - great ,and bonus points if it is a library book. And I do see them!

Happy new thread, Mary. I love the photo at the top.

Happy new thread, Mary!

Thank you, thank you for your visits Paul, Anita, Deborah, Mark, Carsten, Deborah (again!!), Beth and Jim and the greetings for my new thread. Love that you also like the photo of the little boy riveted by his book ! Yes those pesky addicting phones, books are way, way better!

Happy new thread, Mary. A very rare species that, someone quite young with a book in their hands voluntarily!

#29 Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane



Macfarlane asks the question with his own family and then with adventures in the Cloud Forest of Ecuador and then in the very compromised river in eastern India and then again in remote Northern Quebec on a natural river considered for development of hydro power. Each place he has interesting, complex companions devoted to answering the question. It was interesting to learn about the Nature Movement. Each destination demanded personal and physical challenges. He is quite the writer!

So is a river alive? Should it have rights like humans do? What would those rights involve? Would it be that it could run from source to ocean unimpeded? Would it be that it could be as healthy as possible, no pollution or damage? Good questions!

>11 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I would be proud to be his parent!

>12 mdoris: Glad you enjoyed your last read,Mary.

>14 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah. Of course I follow your wonderful reads!

>15 mdoris: Well some of my reads aren't that wonderful, Mary.

Hi, Mary. I have added Is a River Alive? to the obese TBR. I am a fan of Mcafrlane but had not heard of this one.

I hadn't heard of that McFarlane yet, Mary. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

>16 vancouverdeb: Ha, Ha Deborah, I guess I got carried away. I know I have some BAD reads and i guess I mostly ditch them and try to forget about them! So I can relate!

>17 msf59:, >18 Familyhistorian: Hi Mark and Hello Meg. Yes I think the Macfarlane book is a recent one (2025). i must have found it on some list of future publications and got my name down on the library reserve list pronto. I hope you like it when you get to it. He is quite the write as you well know!

#30 The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue



I am a fan of E. Donoghue's books and this one did not disappoint. She took an historical event, a train wreck in Paris in 1895 and developed a story around it with some made up characters and other people who did live at the time but were not on the actual train except in Donoghue's imagination. What a unique story this was! It read more as a play with little plot but with much character development with personal stories and secrets revealed. The fear and concern of terrorists features prominently! Donoghue must have done extensive research to understand steam trains, let alone the fashion and culture of the time.

>12 mdoris: I will look out for that, Mary. I do appreciate the work of Macfarlane.

This fall I will be reading Andrew Doyle new book The End of Woke How the Culture War Went Too Far..... I have been following him now for a some time and have read his other books which I thought were excellent. I have been watching this podcast and it is very worthwhile as are other podcasts where he is interviewed. Please feel free to follow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SczdlOEShI!

>21 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, There are still a few Macfarlane books I haven't read yet. Daughter #2 read the mountain one this summer and maybe that will be the next one on my list. Which ones have you read and liked?

>21 PaulCranswick: I read and liked The Wild Places, Mary, but I have a couple more on the shelves too.

Paul I haven't read that one yet.
but
I have read these ones.
Underland: A Deep Time Journey, The Old Ways, Landmarks, The Lost Words,The Lost Spells, The Gifts of Reading, Holloway. (thank heavens for the library!)
You have the great advantage of being able to recognize these many landscapes from your childhood.
I think my next one might be Mountains of the Mind. Daughter #2 is an outdoor instuctor and this is her world!

>25 mdoris: I have Underland, The Old Ways and Mountains of the Mind on the shelves.

>20 mdoris: This does sound intriguing and exciting, Mary. I have put it on my shelf at the audiobook app I'm subscribing to. We'll see when I get to it :)

Nice comments on The Paris Express. I really liked it as well.

>27 ctpress: Nice to hit you with a book bullet Carsten as I do get lots of ideas from you!

>28 BLBera: Hi Beth. I think it from your thread that I got the inspiration to read it so a big thank you!

>20 mdoris: The Paris Express looks like a good one. Thanks for the review, Mary.

>30 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, She sure knows how to develop suspense. I hope you like it when you get to it!

I enjoyed Paris Express earlier this year too, Mary. I think I have enjoyed almost all of her books.

>20 mdoris: I have this one and one other of hers in the pile Mary. Glad it was a winner.

#31 Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks



I finished this book today, a memoir about grieving the loss of Brook's husband's sudden death Tony Horwitz. I finished the book on the same day as the horrific death and assassination of Charlie Kirk. The reading of the book sure made me think of Kirk's family and what horrendous emotions they must be dealing with right now. I have read other books about grieving and this one adds to the list of essential reads on the subject. Those books were Joyce Carol Oates A Widow's Story, C.S. Lewis A Grief Observed and Joan Didion A Year of Magical Thinking.

>32 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. I must double check if there are nay of E.D's book I have not read yet!

>33 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline. I know you are dealing lots of book pressure at the moment and I wish you well with it! It is not easy to feel the pressure to reduce the number of books you have!

>34 mdoris: I haven't read anything by Geraldine Brooks - but have just read a couple of books on suffering from a Christian perspective. A Grief Observed is a must - I agree. One I will reread very soon. I'm doing some teaching in church on sorrow and loss in a couple of weeks, so thanks for the recommendation of other titles.

#32 Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton



This gem of a book was short listed recently for the Women's Prize for Non Fiction 2025. It tells the author's experience of rescuing a day old leveret (baby hare) and nursing it back to health and existence. The experience alters both lives and the story told is infomative, fascinating and moving. I loved it!

>36 ctpress: Hello Carsten. You will learn so much by teaching and the group will learn so much from your teaching. Grief and the stores told are very difficult and tender.

>37 mdoris: I am with you on that one, Mary, I loved it too. One of my favourite reads this year so far.

Hi Paul, I am so glad that you loved it too! i didn't want it to end.

Well, Mary, I know you like the warmer weather. Today was not much cooler , but it is right now. Did you enjoy the cooler weather yesterday ? I am not so keen on rain, which we had Sunday morning when I walked Muffin, but I guess I'll have to get used to it again.

Hello Deborah, I am loving this warmer weather. I guess it is the last kick at the can for summer and for sure it is tough to think of the rainy days ahead. Boo on rain! I bet Muffin would agree. But my plants are so thirsty that they loved that Sunday morning rain. I am back to bit more reading in these early fall days so that is good! Hope all is well with you and family. xx

Interesting reads up thread. Looks like you are back in the reading grove, Mary.

Rain ahead on the weekend, Mary, which I am not looking forward too. But the cooler temps are suiting me and Muffin.

# 33 Held by Anne Michaels



Well clearly I was not the perfect reader for this book. I can see there are many wonderful reviews for it but I found it vague, unconnected, forceful in the writing form and couldn't figure out what the author was trying to say except perhaps to be "HELD" and loved is critical and part of the human journey. She writes about different places, different people, different times, almost as if it was short stories. She does ask a lot of probing questions. Please someone help me figure this book out! My former bookclub is reading it in June 2026 and I would like to sit on someone's shoulder for that evening! It did win the Giller prize in 2024.

>43 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, Yes it feels good to be back in the reading grove. Although you win some, you lose some! I am following your reading these days and you are reading up a storm!

>44 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. I guess we had better get used to these cooler temps and rainy days. You're right I love the hot days of summer. Enjoy your walks with Muffin! w

#34 The Elements by John Boyne



Today I finished the 4th story "Air" in The Elements book by Boyce and he weaves the previous 3 stories together in his grand finale. The stories are riveting and about recovery and trauma. It is easy to overlook the many coincidences that pop up as the stories are so good to read!

Hi there, Mary.

>47 mdoris: Yup, this was a winner for sure. I can’t stop thinking about it.

I wish I could help you with making sense of Held. I read it a few years ago and gave it 4 stars. I seem to recall that the author is a poet. Perhaps that is why the writing was so disjointed. ??

Edit: This is what I wrote in September of last year… I could have sworn it was longer ago than that! I gave it 3.8 stars.

“This is the second book I've read that was longlisted for this year's Booker Prize. Two in a row! The writing in Held is stunning and I can see why it was nominated. However, I only had partial success finding a cohesive story in this small book loosely connected by love over generations of art, science, and war. If you don't mind a loose structure and love poetry, this may be the book for you.”

Thank you Donna. You pretty much summed up the impressions that I had reading this book. Hope all is going well for you and you have especially wonderful books on the go!

I could not make sense of Held, Mary and I DNF'd it after about 25 or 30 pages. Congratulations on making it through the book. I am hopiing to get the The Elements series eventually. A bit of a " victory" with Muffin. You know we have been working on her separation anxiety with her since January, leaving her alone each day for gradually increasing lengths of time and she takes a medication as well ( not sure if that really helps) . Well, if I leave the house when Muffin is out with Dave, she seems to fine when Dave leaves. We have only left her for about 45 minutes by herself . But, when I leave home, or both of us leave home together , she cries and howls and barks and tries to " escape" through the front door. But some progress made. I feel there is hope. I don't know why she is more attached to me, since Dave does so much with her .

>45 mdoris: >50 vancouverdeb: Sorry this one didn't work for you both. I've long been a follower of her work, but it does split readers, no middle ground.

>50 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah for your point of view on Held. I almost ditched it at the same point as you did but for some reason I persevered, maybe because it was a prize winner.

Good luck with your Muffin training! You are wise to have a regular independence program that you are following. We on the other hand have our life controlled by "her majesty" (Loki!) but you inspire. In our house Peter does almost everything for the dog but she still considers me the emotional support system. Maybe that's the same in your household!

>51 Caroline_McElwee: Hello Caroline. I could see that in the reviews. People loved it and other people not so much!

50 Canadian fiction books for fall.
https://www.cbc.ca/books/fiction-preview-fall-2025-1.7595672?cmp=newsletter_CBC%...

and

non fiction
https://www.cbc.ca/books/45-canadian-nonfiction-books-to-read-this-fall-1.757995...

Any suggestions?

I also loved The Elements, Mary. Boyne writes beautifully.

Hi Beth, and he takes on such big tough subjects! And I agree he does write beautifully with lots of insight.

>53 mdoris: No recommendations on the Canadian books for fall, Mary, but I own All Things Under the Moon, and have Pick a Colour on hold at the library. I have yet to read the previous installment of Iona Winshaw's series, but I will keep my eye out for A Season for Spies.

# 35 Ripeness by Sarah Moss



This is a very involving story about a family. The alternating chapters are the same narrator but from two different ages and times. The first is a 17 year old girl just finishing high school sent on a difficult family task and the other is the same person but now 73 years old and living in our contemporary times with all the concerns that involves! But who is she telling this story to? We find out as we read along. The writing is superb at times funny, playful and full of language play bringing the personalities of those she holds dear in to the story (idioms). Scenes are vividly described with all senses involved so it is easy to feel that you are in the pages and the scenes she describes. There are concerns that the author must personally feel that are easy to find in the story (belonging, migration, assimilation, motherhood, marriage, personal autonomy, MEN/WOMEN, to mention a few). At first I found the writing style difficult with long sentences, long paragraphs and no quotation marks for dialogue. This didn't last long for me though and I so enjoyed the language of the writing and the heartfelt story.

>56 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. I guess in a way I don't need recommendations. I just looked at my reserve list and the number is 62! YIkes. Some are cookbooks. I see what the "hot" cookbooks newly published recommendations are and then I get them from the library. You are always finding amazing books to read. I know you must do lots of research behind the scenes!

>57 mdoris: Great comments, Mary. I loved Ripeness as well.

>59 BLBera: Thank you Beth!

#36 Three Days in June by Anne Tyler



This is a story about marriage and family. It was a little too one dimensional for me. I know I am a bit out of favour here has it has had many 5 ⭐️ reviews!

I didn’t realize a new Lane Winslow book was out until a bookstore I go to left me a message that I could get a discount on a preorder of A Season for Spies. I have a thing for origin stories so I ordered one.

Hi Meg, So fun to have a book ordered that you can hardly wait to read. I am like that with the Alexander McCall Smith series in Botswana! Enjoy when it comes. Thinking of you my friend!

Wow, 62 books on the reserve list! I think I have about 9 books on hold. I do some research on the books I read, but it's fun to just have a " find" like Mrs Spy was for me this year at the library. That was such a fun and interesting read. I managed to pick up 3 " Lucky Day " books at my library today. That means they are in demand and you can only have them for 21 days and no renewals. No guarantee I will read them, but I picked up The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Pick a Colour and Everything is Tuberculosis.

>64 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, Yes 62 books but a very long wait for some and many are cookbooks. I am lookiing for some inspiration instead of the same old/same old meals! You are doing fabulous reading as I follow all.

>37 mdoris: Replaceable You by Mary Roach.



This is my first Mary Roach book and her most recently published one. It does quite the body tour of a focus on body parts and what is happening with them to improve, repair, replace and preserve and to understand their historical story. She does an amazing job interviewing some characters, providing descriptions and anecdotes of doctors and scientists and also regular people with medical challenges. She gives us a glimpse to the future of medical research. There was so much I didn't know and so much I learned about from this book. Bodies are so complex and the repairs are of course complicated too!

>65 mdoris: Well, I have read more books so far this year than I have in many years, Mary. I'm glad you enjoyed your first Mary Roach book. Best of luck with your cooking inspiration! Dave and I are very boring eaters for the most part. The same thing nearly every day. I must admit I'm a occasionally a wee bit weary of porridge at breakfast, but I found the bread - the gluten - was troubling my tummy , porridge it is.

Dave took Muffin for a two plus hour walk late this am, so I won't have to do much with Muffin this afternoon. ? I'm glad it was raining lightly earlier. I was anticipating an hour long walk in heavy rain this afternoon. Now I think we can do a 1/2 hour or so.

Happy Sunday, Mary. It looks like I haven't been by in awhile but I am caught up now. I also really liked Memorial Days, Raising Hare, The Elements and Ripeness. Wow! We do have similar taste. I love it. I will have to get to the new Roach. I am a big fan of her.

>67 vancouverdeb:, >68 vancouverdeb: Yes Deborah you are leaving me in the dust with your book reading rate and totals. I am so slow and find it hard to fit more numbers in but oh well! The wind and rain here created much sweeping and clean up outside. Fall sure has hit! You sound like P with his porridge for breakfast. He has it with his blueberry "goop". He orders 120 lbs. a year! Enjoy your walks with Muffin. I love reading your updates about your gorgeous pup!

>69 msf59: Hi Mark and a happy Sunday to you too! Yes, we do have very similar reading tastes but you get so many more books read than I do. My grand total is small and I should have been kicked out of this 75 group ages ago! Oh well! Enjoy that grandson of yours! We have 9 and they are all so far away and I only get to see them in the summer. I envy that you can visit with Jack so often. Loved the recent wedding pictures of your son and his beautiful bride!

I love Mary Roach. She has a knack for making almost any topic fascinating.

>72 BLBera: HI Beth, but the horror of all the things that go wrong with the human body is very revealing when you read her latest book! What books of hers would you recommend?

>63 mdoris: I won't get to the Lane Winslow book right away even though I've picked it up. Thinking about reading it is all part of the experience. Unfortunately, I often forget about books instead of continuing to think about reading them and so they pile up on my shelves.

Just waving Mary. Hope all is well.

#38 The Long Call by Ann Cleeves



i grabbed this mystery off the shelf left by a visitor. "Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive........".It is the first in the 3rd series of Ann Cleeves mysteries, a Detective Matthew Venn is featured in the book. .

>74 Familyhistorian: Hello Meg, I am like you a big library user so those books come in sometimes after a very long wait and bump the ones in piles on the home front. Oh such problems!!!! I went to the library yesterday and about to start a new Miriam Toews book. I can hardly wait!

>75 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline, waving back at you! I am greatly enjoying the photos on your thread of the beautiful gardens. I just had a peek at my storm drenched garden and my yellow primula are starting to bloom. What? It is so out of season! I have sympathy for you for all those books you must pass on or store. So many decsions must be made! I don't buy many books as I am tyring to pare down in all categories but still they seem to pile up.

Mary, I have read and loved several books by Mary Roach and will look for her newest one. They are quirky and interesting reads. It's been a while since I've read anything by her so I'm glad you gave me a "heads up".

HI Donna, I will search out more of her books. The book was difficult to read at times because of the huge medical challenges that people have to deal with and how much can go wrong with our bodies. Is there one of her books you would especially recommend?

#39 A Truce that is not Peace by Miriam Toews



I loved this book but I know it would not be everyone's cup of tea. I am a M. Toews fan and have read many of her books. She was asked to answer the question "Why do I write?" to be a participant in a conference in Mexico with that as a theme. This was her response to that request. It is an exposed, intimate and insightful response to that question. She has a lot to say based on her life experience, her family background and her intense family life. A few months ago she had a short story published in the New Yorker as well as an interview. Here are the links.

https://www.newyorker.com/books/this-week-in-fiction/miriam-toews-08-25-25

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/25/something-has-come-to-light-fictio...

>73 mdoris: Bonk is hilarious. But Roach can make pretty much anything interesting.

>80 mdoris: Thanks for the links. I love Toews.

>80 mdoris: Hi Beth, I didn't want the Toews book to end.

Wow! P orders 120 lbs of oats per year!That's amazing. Dave eats a lot of steel cut oat, a sort of overnight oats that he created with blueberries, cinnamon, chia seeds , protein powder and I know not what else. He might eat as many oats as P. I eat rather less.

>83 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. No P orders 120 lbs of blueberries that he eats with his oatmeal in the morning. I have no idea how many packages of rolled oats I buy in a year, plenty I would say! Sounds like our husbands are breakfast pals!

Oh, sorry for the mistake. I was talking to Dave this morning about his oats,and I mentioned that I thought P ordered 120 lbs of oats to eat each year. Dave said I bet I eat the same amount. It sounds like like our husbands are breakfast pals indeed. I eat 1/4 cup of oats each day - which makes 1/2 cup cooked. That's a lot of blueberries. I don't know how many pounds of blueberries Dave eats as he just / or I just purchase frozen blueberries as needed. But a LOT! Dave like the wild blueberries, but I like the domesticated.

Hi Deborah, so you are part of the oatmeal club. Not me! I like Eggs Benedict! Just kidding!

>86 mdoris: Long ago, I occasionally had Eggs Benedict if we were out for brunch. Now I face oatmeal and blueberries daily. What do you eat for breakfast ?

>87 vancouverdeb: Oh to go out for brunch. How great would that be and then I really would order Eggs Benedict. The local place makes one with spinach and gruyere cheese and mushrooms too. Wow. So for me, toast and home made jam and a bit of cheese or my home made granola and yogurt and sometimes a home made waffle (made with lots of organic cornmeal) that I pop in the toaster from the freezer. I like some variety! I love how you said....."I FACE oatmeal and blueberries". I do too but they are in P's bowl! You made me laugh!

#40 A Street Through Time by Anne Millard



This was an interesting and finely illustrated children's book looking at what a street would look like over the various human stages of development and progress over time for the past 12,000 years. Yes lots and lots of tough times occurred and when finished I had to affirm what lucky times we live in presently!

>76 mdoris: I really like the Matthew Venn series, I think it is my favourite series by Ann Cleeves. I hope you enjoy it, Mary!

>80 mdoris: Adding that one to the BlackHole. I have read a couple of Toews' books and enjoyed them. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>90 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I will have to check out more of the M.Venn series. Thank you!

>91 alcottacre: Hello Stasia, Toews is really an amazing writer. I hope you like it as I did!

#41 Heart be at Peace by Donal Ryan



Yes, I really like Irish writers. Is it their mastery of story telling? Is it their love and great ability with language? And more......This is the first book of Ryan's that i have read and I was very impressed. It was unique, creative and very topical. It tells the story of many characters in a community, some connected, other not but united under a central theme. It is something that is destroying the community, that is drugs. This is a very critical topic for us all and Ryan did a brilliant job of it!

I'm glad you enjoyed Heart Be At Peace , Mary. I have had it in mind, but I understand that The Spinning Heart comes before it, so I need to read that first. I have read a couple of other books by Donal Ryan, Strange Flowers and The Queen of Dirt Island and enjoyed them both. Like you, I like a lot of Irish authors.

>93 mdoris: I really wish I had access to more than one of Donal Ryan's books! I have already read the one I can get hold of and my local library does not seem to be inclined to get any. The one that I read I obtained through Hoopla.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Mary!

>94 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah, Sadly my library system does not have Spinning Heart. I may just have to get it on ILL once the book dust has cleared around here. (Ha, Ha, when does that ever happen?)! How are you doing? How is Muffin? How are you managing the dog walks between the down pours? How's breakfast!!!! HOw are the winds for Dave's kite flying?

>95 alcottacre: That is frustrating Stasia to not get your mitts on the books you want in your library system. Arrrrgh.

"Yes, I really like Irish writers." Me too!! Glad you enjoyed your first Ryan. I had the same experience with Dirt Island. Maybe we can do a shared read of The Spinning Heart at some point.

Happy Wednesday, Mary!

My copy of Spinning Heart was a a copy I had had for years, Mary. I found it an uneven read, but I do plan to read Heart Be at Peace. I'm doing well, but we are not making a lot of progress with Muffin and her separation anxiety. With Daisy, we left her on her own each day for increasing time for about 9 months and she got over it. But not so with Muffin. So now we are trying something called " the door is a bore' . We go out the door ,wait for her to bark few times, and then return inside and do it again, many times. And we try to do it several times a day. I do find the separation anxiety hard, I really hope she can overcome it. We have on medication too, and luckily to half days at doggy daycare, which she loves. I booked her into her doggy day care for boarding December 24 - 26th way back in March so we can out for Christmas together. She is a lovely dog other than that problem. Loves everyone, loves every dog. And she has spent a couple of nights at her daycare place, and she likes that too, which is a relief. She actually sleeps with the owner, who lives on the premises , as do several other dogs. They have " social boarding " too , where the dogs sleep in separate areas, but I like the idea of her being with the owner. We need to do some Christmas shopping for Muffin as they open stocking for the dog on Christmas Day and send the owners pictures. I do like the place and I am so glad Muffin loves it too.

Oh, I was going to say, she seems more attached to me, so Dave can sometimes leave her for an hour if I am not at home when he leaves. Dave walks her so much and is so good to her, that I don't know why that is . Her first owner was female, we know that. Dave suspects also a smoker, because he says if someone is outside smoking , she rushes over to see them. The memories dogs form are long lasting.

>97 msf59: Hi Mark, Where did the week go? It is almost a week later and happy Tuesday to you! I wish I could be reading more books but life just seems busy with lots of yard and outdoor work and dog walking. Thank you for the recommendation for the Zusak book about dogs in our lives! We can't live without 'em!

>100 vancouverdeb:, >101 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah, if it makes you feel any better we are not making much progress with Loki either. I'm afraid she is welded at the hip. You are smart to figure out back up for Muffin so you can get some get away time figured out, especially for Christmas.

#42 Three Wild Dogs and the Truth by Markus Zusak.


The author is the one of The Book Thief fame! This was a recommendation by Mark, Thank you Mark! It is a love story of devotion to the three dogs and 2 cats in the life of a family with all their mischief, their horrors, their expenses and their loves. He tells it like it is!

#43 Fi: a Memoir of My Son by Alexandra Fuller



I have Beth to thank as I read about this book on her thread! It is a very personal account of the experience of the tremendous loss of the early and unexpected death of Fuller''s 21 year old son Fi. I read her book Don't Lets Go To the Dogs Tonight a million years ago and knew that she would be a very good writer to describe this very difficult time of grief.

It looks like the long rains of the winter are upon us, Mary. I hope your reads are keeping you entertained.

It was sunny here today, Mary , which I enjoyed. But yes, largely the long rains of winter are upon us, as Meg said.

>103 mdoris: Already in the BlackHole (thanks to Mark) or I would add it again.

>104 mdoris: I also read Don't Lets Go To the Dogs Tonight years ago so I will definitely be looking for Fi: A Memoir of My Son. Thank you for the review and recommendation, Mary.

Have a marvelous Monday, Mary!

Hooray for Three Wild Dogs. I am so glad you enjoyed it. Have you ever read The Book Thief? If not, it is wonderful. I also have really enjoyed Fuller's earlier memoirs but had not got to this one. Sounds like a heart-breaker.

>105 Familyhistorian: Hello Meg, I guess we had better look for our winter woolies. It is cold out there!

>106 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Yesterday was a really gorgeous day! I got lots done outside doing my 5th raking clean up of our 3 apple trees. Today it is cold. Brrrrr.

>107 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Wishing you a happy Monday and excellent reading!

>108 msf59: Hello Mark. Yes I have read The Book Thief years ago and loved it. My favourite dog story is from Scotland about 2 labs. The videos are also fantastic. Andrew Cotter Olive, Mabel and Me. I also love the James Herriot kids books illustrated by Ruth Brown. Have you read those to Jack? There is a very wonderful one The Christmas Day Kitten.

I love lists! At this time of year I love to look at the daily changing and accumulated list of Large Hearted Boy. He adds "best of's" or "favs books" from a wide variety of sources. The list just gets more tantalizing as we get closer to the New Year! You can spend hours, as I do and have my link open to the library and put some gems on reserve. Have a peek!

https://largeheartedboy.com/2025/11/17/essential-and-interesting-best-books-of-2...

>110 mdoris: So many lists of books, Mary, my mind is " blown" ! Today was cloudy, but not much rain at all when I walked Muffin in the afternoon. I'll take what ever I can get!

>111 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Aren't lists the best! Hope you have fun with the Large Hearted Boy lists. I sure do! Dreary, grey and rainy here. Good day to sit under a blanket and read. Even Loki is not impressed.

#44 Sea Runners by Ivan Doig



I got the idea of reading this from Mark's thread. Thank you Mark! I knew it would be a good fit for me and it was long past due that I read another Doig book. I loved it and why? My husband Peter built 3 ocean going canoes 23 ' each, with cedar and a fabric skin. They have a square back stern so hold a motor. As a family we have been doing canoe trips on this same coast as Doig's tale from Alaska to Vancouver in different trips over 27 years. So this book of Doig's reminded me of the stunning beauty, ruggedness, wildlife seen, danger and variety of our adventures so it was a great pleasure to revisit memories that reading this book had me visit again. The writing is unique and stunning. I read it slowly to savour the language but wanted to read it quickly to follow the story. Such a dilemma!

The story is based on a true story from the 1850s of 4 men escaping from a Russian settlement in Alaska by stealing a native canoe and supplies and heading south to Oregon along the very rugged coast.

It was bad weather on Tuesday, Mary. Luckily Muffin had her doggie daycare, so neither of us had to walk her in the afternoon. Muffin does not mind the rain, but her daycare has undercover and indoor areas for rainy / snowy / hot days. So that was great. That is quite something, Peter building 3 ocean going canoes. Dave and I canoed a bit when we were younger, but we stayed to pretty safe waters, Ruby Lake on the Sunshine Coast, Alta Lake near Whistler and Okanagan Lake.

Hello Deborah. Ruby Lake resort is where Karin, daughter #3 was married. We had a cottage on Sakinaw Lake just below Ruby so there was some canoeing done there but in more standardized canoes! I guess more rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. Nice that Muffin has a bit of a life of her own at the day care place then you and Dave can escape for an adventure.

#45 Don't Be Canada by Tristin Hopper



This is a must read for all Canadians and any citizen in another country that doesn't want to make the mistakes that Canada has made. Hopper is a journalist for the National Post and has a lot to say and he says it very well!

>116 mdoris: That looks like an interesting read, Mary.

My car was covered in frost this morning when I looked out at 10:00. I'm not ready for the cold, are you?

>117 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, Brrr. Yes I up-ed the warmness factor today on dog walks and switched to the long puffy coat full of down. I'm afraid it is down season. I am just about to pick up a book from the library about eider down collection on an island off the coast of Norway. I've been waiting for this book by James Rebanks The Place of Tides for ages. I guess you will be doing some steady scraping of your car for frost now!

>113 mdoris: I am so glad you got to this one, Mary and I love the canoe connection with your family. That is awesome. What a great photo.

You expressed interest in reading Strange Flowers with us. Are you still in? I just started it.

Happy December!

Hello Mark. I will be late to the party as it is coming slowly from the library wait lists. Enjoy your group read and thank you for thinking of me! Happy December to you and hope you don't get too much snow for your shoveling efforts.

#46 Songs of Love on a December Night by David Adams Richards



This is the 5th book of his that I have read and I must read more as I really like his writing but it has been a while. He makes small town people from New Brunswick come to life and weaves the challenges of the day into the plot (MAID, feminism, activism) . He looks at faith, forgiveness, the value of relationships and does a good job doing so. He is aware of the underbelly of poverty, pain and deceit and how love is redeeming. I couldn't put it down!

>121 mdoris: I will have to check on my library for Songs of Love on A December Night, Mary. I have only read one of his previous books, Mercy Among the Children, but it was good. Another fabulous sunny day here, perfect for a walk.

#47 The Place of Tides by James Rebanks



This is the third book of James Rebanks that I have read and I have really liked them all. They are part memoir, part nature, part ecology concerns, part personal observation and takes you to places not otherwise explored. This is to the remote islands off the coast of Norway where eider is collected from ducks in the old fashioned way and by observing the people who are committed to doing so. Rebanks captures the emotion of making personal changes in a different environment and he very capably describes the beauty of these remote islands and his working relationships with the women who make this story happen.

I have a hold on Songs of Love on a December Night , Mary, but it will be a while , by the look of things. Glad you enjoyed your latest read.

https://largeheartedboy.com/2025/11/17/essential-and-interesting-best-books-of-2...
updated list of lists from large hearted boy 2025.

#48 In the Time of Five Pumpkins by Alexander McCall Smith



This is # 26 in the Botswana series and like the other books it is a positive blast of fun and human nature and a bit of intrigue. I almost need a little fix of this from time to time! I just can't figure out how McCall Smith is such a prolific writer though!

#49 From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan



Well this book was as big a contrast to my previous book (#48) that you could possibly get! It is told in a series of parts that seem unrelated until the end and they you can see the connections. They describe intense relationships in a strongly Irish culture forever influenced by the Catholic Church and family dynamics. It is at times raw and always powerfully told. This is my second Ryan book that i have read recently and I will certainly read more.

>124 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. I almost missed you! How are you doing? How are you loving all this rain?

>128 mdoris: Hi Mary! I'm doing well. I don't love the rain, but it is better than snow. I was out this morning walking Muffin and briefly there was no rain, but it quickly started to rain lightly. Yesterday though, I walked Muffin in the afternoon and it was cloudy, but no rain! That is a reason for happiness! We had a nice walk along the West Dyke that looks out to the Ocean and an arm of the Fraser River.

Hello Deborah. Our walks with the ever walkable Loki is usually down to a pretty rough and natural beach with lots of birds eagles, geese (dreaded geese!) and lots of ducks. We can walk there easily from our house so an added bonus. We love it too and a big reason for happiness.

#50 The Christmas Tree Two Tales for the Holidays by David Adams Richards



After reading his book in >121 mdoris: and realizing tha D. A. Richards had written a Christmas story I then hunted the book down. These are 2 tales drawn from his childhood memory of growing up in New Brunswick, one about a puppy as a Christmas gift and one about locating a Christmas tree for his mother. I love Christmas stories and these were very good too! 🎄

Dreaded geese is right , Mary. I have not seen much of them where I walk so far this year. Today along the dyke we saw a coyote out on the marsh and I hope it is the coyotes and bald eagles that are keeping the geese away. Dave tells me they have made plenty of mess at the nearby school yards that we sometimes take Muffin too, so I avoid that completely. We do have to drive to the the various dyke trails, but a fairly brief drive, thankfully.

The Christmas Tree Two Tales for the Holidays sounds like a good read.

Looks like you are getting into some seasonal reads, Mary. Getting into the holiday spirit?

>132 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas with Dave and Muffin and family!

>133 Familyhistorian: Hello Meg. Yes I am getting into the Christmas spirit. I might just cook a turkey tomorrow! Wishing you the best for Christmas and the season.

#51 The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng



This was a captivating read full of information about war conflicts, war crimes, Japanese garden designs, tattoo culture and history and more (romance and intrigue)! Much of the action takes place on or near a tea plantation of the Cameron Highlands near Kuala Lumpur and also flashback to past memories in other locations. To be honest I did not warm up to the Japanese garden designer/main romance character in the book. I found him to be bossy, controlling, aloof with quite the superior attitude. Not my kind of guy!!!

Merry Christmas to you, P and Loki, Mary!

Merry Christmas, Mary, to you and yours.

>137 ctpress: Hello Carsten. So nice to see you visit! Wishing you a very wonderful and peaceful Christmas. 🎄

Best of luck with the turkey, Mary. I hope Santa left you plenty of reading material under the tree!

>136 vancouverdeb:, >137 ctpress: >139 Familyhistorian: To my LT pals Deborah, Carsten and Meg, wishing you all a very, very Merry Christmas and may your stockings hung by the chimney with care and be full ti the brim with wonderful books! All the best in 2026!

>113 mdoris: I have not yet read that one by Ivan Doig. I really must get to it!

>121 mdoris: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mary!

>123 mdoris: I am scheduled to read that one in January. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did, Mary.

>127 mdoris: That is the lone Ryan book that I have been able to get through my local library and I very much enjoyed it. I wish I could get hold of more of his works.

>135 mdoris: I love all of Eng's books!

Happy Christmas, Mary!

>141 alcottacre: Hello Stasia and wishing you and family a very Merry Christmas. Hope your stocking is full of books and best wishes for 2026! May the CFS be chased away forever!

Have a lovely festive season, Mary my dear friend.

I must say that you have read some great books this year.

>143 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul, I would say very much the same of you too and I sure pick up some good reads from your thread. ! Hope you have a wonderful visit with your son.

Happy Holidays, Mary. I hope you are having a great time with the family and getting some book time in too. 🤞🤞

Hey there, Mary. Happy New Year! I will get over to the new group sometime soon, probably New Years Eve. Muffin, knock on wood, seems to be doing a little better at staying home alone. We changed her medication and that seems to have helped. Still , we only leave 1/2 hour max ,and keep an eye on the Furbo camera. Just over a year of short departures nearly every day and medication. I'm still going to book her in for daycare boarding next Christmas, because who knows ? Yikes!

>145 msf59: Hello Mark, I am just half way through a game of "GO FISH" with my 7 and 5 year old grand daughters. It seems to be a looooong game! Have a Happy New Year and a great year of reading!

HI Deborah. You are very wise to be on a scheduled training programme with Muffin. Not sure if Loki can be trained out of her craziness but we have to try! Smart too tp book for next Christmas. Those spots fill up very fast. Happy New Year to you and Dave and family and great year of reading. I will be following your thread when you post it!