2026 - Banjo reads in place!

Hello! It's Rhonda, AKA Banjo; back for another year of reading and friendship in this amazing group. I am starting my thread with a photo I took at the Columbia Gorge.

I am a semi-retired social worker, living in Portland, Oregon, with my wife (AKA Mrs. Banjo), an adult daughter (Banjo, jr) and two wonderful, but naughty, cats, (Banjo and Turkish). My reading is eclectic, but leans toward literary fiction.

I am hoping this year to focus on place in my reading; with a special nod to books from the Pacific Northwest. I am starting with a quote from Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams which I have just started.

“What does it mean to grow rich?
Is it to have red-blooded adventures and to make a ‘fortune,’ which is what brought the whalers and other entrepreneurs north?

Or is it, rather, to have a good family life and to be imbued with a far-reaching and intimate knowledge of one’s homeland, which is what the Tununirmiut told the whalers at Pond’s Bay wealth was?

Is it to retain a capacity for awe and astonishment in our lives, to continue to hunger after what is genuine and worthy? Is it to live at moral peace with the universe?”

― Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams

Top Five Reads for 2025 (Re-reads excluded)

Beach Music by Pat Conroy
The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft
The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson
Clear by Carys Davies
Long Island by Colm Toibin

2026 Reading:

1. The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
2. Feathers by Thor Hanson
3..Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

4. March Book 1 by John Lewis
5. South to America by Imani Perry
6. The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
7. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

8. Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson
9. War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
10. So Far Gone by Jess Walter
11. While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
12. March Book 2
13. March Book 3
14. The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt

15. Fox and I
16. Giving Up Is Unforgivable
17. The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alemedinne
18. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
19. The Verifiers by Jane Pek

20. Fair Play by Tove Jansson
21. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
22. What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
23. Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
24 Common Sense by Thomas Paine
25. Stay True
26. The Light Eaters

27. The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy

Currently Reading

The Federalist Papers
On Freedom
The Feather Wars

Cat Pictures!

New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.

Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026.

Glad to be first here, Rhonda

Happy New Year, Rhonda. I love the photo at the top! Wow! I look forward to following you this year.

Happy New Year, Rhonda!

>3 banjo123: Oh, I loved Arctic Dreams. Happy New Year!

Happy new year and new thread, Rhonda!

Welcome back, Rhonda!

>7 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul, that's a great picture! I hope you are feeling proud.

>8 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. That's Dry Creek Falls, in the Gorge. I loved the rock face.

>9 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah!

>10 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy, I think I am going to love it as well. I started with the audio book, but switched to print so that I can savor.

>11 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley

>12 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Happy New Year, Rhonda. Wishing you a healthy and book-filled 2026. I want to read more Carys Davies.

>13 banjo123: Yes, Mark! I do as well. One of our neighbors read The Mission House and really liked it.

All the happy new years for 2026!

>5 banjo123: >10 ffortsa: I too really loved Arctic Dreams when I read it way, way back in the day.

>4 banjo123: Happy to see Clear on your list. I have a copy in my suitcase :)

Wishing you a happy 2026 and hope to see you soon(ish) like maybe next month :)

Happy New Year, Rhonda! I look forward to seeing what you read this year.

>16 Berly: Thanks, Kim!

>17 justchris: Thanks Chris! And hooray for Barry Lopez.

>18 RebaRelishesReading: I bet you will like Clear, Reba. It was a favorite for my bookgroup. And hope to see you soon.

>19 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene!

Hi Rhonda, I'm returning the visit. Love the topper.

Thanks, Meg! It was really a lovely spot.

>4 banjo123: I also want to get to Clear soon, Rhonda. I read her other novella West and I have to say she is not far behind Claire Keegan in short form fiction.

>23 PaulCranswick: Clear was a bookgroup favorite, Paul, so I hope you get to it soon.

Hi Rhonda and Happy New Year! I'm just now getting started on LT for the new year, hoping to keep up a bit better but also giving myself permission to, well, to do what I can when I can. I DO hope to manage a couple of in-person meetups in the PDX area this year!

I always love the cat photos and look forward to feline adventure stories as the year moves along.

Take good care of yourself.

>24 banjo123: I have decided that I will read it this month, Rhonda and probably start and finish it sometime this month.

>25 EBT1002: Happy New Year, Ellen! I do hope you get to PDX soon.

>26 PaulCranswick: That's great, Paul! I think you will like it.

Though, I really have no business recommending books to other people right now, when I can't manage to finish anything myself. Right now I am reading The Harmony Silk Factory, which I am liking but not loving. Real life has been busy, and I haven't had a ton of reading time.

I HOPE to finish it off this week, because on Sunday we are leaving for a 2 week trip to Costa Rica, birdwatching. I have plenty of books on my kindle and would rather not carry any physical books.

Birdwatching in Costa Rica sounds fabulous!!!

With the exception of his waffling on hunting and narwals, Berry Lopez' ARCTIC DREAMS is valued for his wisdom in a 3rd reading!

>28 EBT1002: I will report back, Ellen! I am very excited, although now have entered the travel anxiety stage.

>29 m.belljackson: He is such a good writer! I am going slow with it; so I haven't gotten to that section yet.

>30 banjo123: His study of the Musk Ox is enthralling...one that keeps readers coming back.

I've been thinking Costa Rica would be a great trip, Rhonda. Safe travels.

>31 m.belljackson: So cool!
>32 BLBera: Thanks, Beth--we leave tonight so I am excited.

And I did finish reading my first book of 2026! I think the slowest start I have ever had to a reading year.

It's The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw. Unreliable narrators X3 and lots about colonialism, Malaysia and WWII. This is Aw's first novel, and has some flaws and also leaves one with more questions than answers. But I liked it overall, and am glad that I read it.

>33 banjo123: I have read a couple of his novels and I think "flawed" is a good description. A lot to admire and like about them to be sure but also something not wholly satisfying either.

Safe travels and happy birding, Rhonda!

I hope your Costa Rica adventure is going well!

Safe travels, Rhonda.

>20 banjo123: Indeed I did -- gave it (Clear) a full *****.

You should be coming back from Costa Rica soon -- sounds like an amazing trip!! Can't wait to hear about it.

>35 jessibud2:, >36 EBT1002:. >37 PaulCranswick: and >38 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you Paul, Shelley, Ellen, and Reba!

We did have an amazing trip, loved Costa Rica, and lots of amazing birds. I will post some pictures soon.

Have a great trip!

>41 banjo123: Fantastic bird photos. That pink is quite stunning!

>43 banjo123: Scary!

>43 banjo123: Thanks! I did not actually take any of these pictures--my cell phone isn't really adequate for birds. But our guide and some of the other group members posted these.

Our guide, Erick, was FANTASTIC. He is local and has been leading groups for 15 years, so he could find birds that none of the rest of us could see. And very generous; he made sure I saw almost every bird. I ended up with 299 species. Also the rest of the group was fantastic, and we had a lot of other talented birders, who helped the beginners. I definitely improved with my binocular skills.

Wow -- 299 species!! That's amazing. We were there some years ago on a cruise stop so didn't do much bird watching but we'd love to go back.

That's incredible! What a fantastic trip! : )

>45 banjo123: 299 species is amazing! And those photos are great! Thanks for sharing. It sounds like a wonderful trip.

Such great photos, Rhonda! (except for the croc! I covered the screen with my hand. Those things give me the creeps! *shudder*!)

Lovely that you had such a good time!

Wow! I completely forgot that you were vacationing in Costa Rica. I LOVE C.R.!! I also love the bird pics. Glad your guide was able to share them with you. 299 species? That is wonderful. We were not on a guided trip so my birding was on my own. Love the toucan. I got a pic too but it wasn't this close. I think the 2nd one is a spoonbill and a motmot.

What areas did you cover? I am sure you also got sloth and monkeys?

When we were in Costa Rica we went on a tour in a boat -- maybe 20' long and sitting low in the water. At one point the driver pulled to the side of the shallow water we were on right next to a HUGE croc (who he said was called Ben Laden). The guide got out a huge chunk of meat, jumped out and dangled it in front of the beast. I realized that the croc's tail actually extended under the boat we were in and I nearly panicked in fear that he would flip us over. I managed to hold myself in, not scream, jump, run, cry etc....while the guide taunted the huge beast and then, finally, gave him the meat and jumped back into the boat. One of my least favorite travel memories!!!

>50 msf59: The pink is a spoonbill, on the dock is a brown pelican and a bunch of terns. I think they are Royal Terns. And yes, it's a Lesson's Motmot. Motmots are cool!
We were in Northern Costa Rica, and were in the lowlands of Sarapiquí, the wetlands of Caño Negro National Park, the lush rainforests of Arenal Volcano National Park and a private refuge along the Gulf of Nicoya. And yes, lots of monkeys, a couple of sloth, caiman, iguanas, and a coati.
It was a pretty intense trip, although I guess slower paced for a birding trip. But pretty much birds, birds, birds from 5:30 AM until we collapsed after dinner. (unless there was an owl walk.) We did see 6 different owls; the ferruginous pygmy owl, pacific screech own, black and white owl, spectacled own, crested owl and two barn owls in a supermarket.

>51 RebaRelishesReading: Quite a story, Reba! The boat tours were the BEST. But we didn't get that close to any predators.

And time for some book reporting. Honestly, January was a slow reading month--I ended up with 3 books for the month. I hope to pick things up for February!!

Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle by Thor Hanson

Hanson is one of my favorite natural science writers. This book is from 2011 and I learned a LOT about feathers, which was interesting, though not as good Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid .

Here is a quote that I really liked:

Like fishermen, bird-watchers have been known to exaggerate. But unlike fishing, where the tall tales develop afterward and can be blamed on memory or cheap beer, bird-watching hyperbole begins with the very name of the activity. For the most part, the phrase should really be bird identification, Though we may set out intending to watch birds, we don't often meet the definition: "to observe attentively; typically over a period of time." Our binoculars seem to have minds of their own, swinging quickly as soon as we can put a name on the species: House Wren, Laughing Gull, flicker, chat. It;s a dangerous trap, because the true wonder of birding lies in the watching, soaking up the fine details of plumage, behavior, and habit. Even common birds do uncommon things, and every sighting is worth more than a glance and a tick on a checklist. I try to be vigilant, but on the one day I saw a bird of paradise, I totally blew it.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

This is marketed YA; and is historical fiction/lesbian romance about a young Chinese American woman in San Francisco in the 50's. The historical parts are really well done, I enjoyed reading about Lesbian bars in the 50's; anti-comunist rhetoric against Chinese americans, and women in the aero-science field. I did get a little tired of the romance and teen-age angst parts of the book. The writing was OK; but not great.

Fascinating coincidence; in this book they talk about Werhner Von Braun, a German Nazi rocket scientist, who later worked for NASA as director of the Marshall Space Flight Center. Ironic as Chinese scientists were black-balled for being communist (although mostly they were decidedly not.) I am also reading South to America by Imani Perry and she also mentions Von Braun.

>54 banjo123: I'm not a bird watcher, but this sounds good, Rhonda.

>51 RebaRelishesReading: I would have been screaming. When I was in Scotland last year, an Australian who was in our group, kept showing pictures of crocodiles on causeways in Australia and generally scaring the crap out of us.

What fabulous pictures, Rhonda, even if they are from the tour guide. What a great trip that must have been. I love the pink spoonbill in particular.

>41 banjo123: >42 banjo123: >43 banjo123: I agree with the others that the photos are beautiful. Love the spoonbill especially. Always a favorite species just from the species name said in Spanish: Ajaia ajaja - Ah-HAI-ah ah-HA-ha (though it looks like the genus has been updated to something else).

>45 banjo123: I spent a semester of my junior year at the University of Costa Rica, and taking ornithology there was one of the best experiences of my life. But I got nowhere near 299 species over the course of several field trips. Congrats! Sounds like a fantastic vacation!

February seems to have been a busy month--not quite sure what I have been busy with, but not with reading or coming onto LT!

>56 BLBera: Beth, this book isn't really about bird-watching. More about feathers and their evolutionary purpose.

>57 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah! The Spoonbill picture was from an evening boat ride that was just magical.

>58 justchris: That's great that you got to take ornithology in Costa Rica! I have to give all credit for the 299 species to our guide. It was very entertaining, we'd be just driving down some gravel road, past little houses with chickens, children, and clotheslines, and he'd shout to the driver to stop, we'd all hop out of the car, and there would be a lesser ground cuckoo next to the water-tank. Then Erick (our guide) would do a little dance and say "What a bird! What a bird!) He grew up in Northern Costa Rica, so I think that the birds were in his blood.

Reading-wise, it's been a bit of a desert here. I did finish my re-read of the Graphic Novel, March Book 1 by John Lewis. I am going to be leading a book group on this next week, for our local Indivisible group.

I liked it the second time around as well! Two take-aways: very entertained that as a small boy Lewis wanted to be a preacher, and would practice preaching to the family chickens. Secondly, and more importantly, awed by the discipline and commitment to non-violence that it took to integrate those lunch-counters.

>59 banjo123: Makes me think of my one trip to Australia and taking photos of birds that I found very exotic and interesting that I'm sure the locals consider as commonplace as robins or chickadees. So glad your guide had such a good eye while in transit. Reminds me of some experienced mushroom hunters who could spot roadside shiitakes or morels while driving down the highway.

>60 banjo123: I hope the book club discussion is rewarding. Sounds like a very accessible memoir of key historical moments.

>61 justchris: The book group is next week, so I will report back. So far, the response has been positive.

>60 banjo123: You remind me that I meant to pass my copies of these to Scout. She loves graphic stuff and I thought she might be interested in these.

>63 BLBera: Hopefully, Scout will like these books. Our bookgroup was very positive!

Happy March, everyone! My 2026 reading continues to be slow; it's kind of ironic that I have more free time, since I'm only working 2 days a week, but I just don't seem to have any more time for reading. Also not that much time for LT!

But I did complete a couple more books in February, so will comment on them.

South to America by Imani Perry

Perry spoke at Portland's Arts and Lectures last month, and so I decided to read this book that is about the American South, and about African American identity in the US. Her primary point is that the South is an integral part of the US, and interwoven economically and socially; rather than an isolated outpost of racism. Perry is super-smart (teaches at Harvard, after all) and makes her points well.

In general, the book is told as a series of essays covering her travels to different parts of the south. At times her style is meandering, so I can see why some folks didn't love this book. However, I found it interesting and thought provoking.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

I am a huge fan of Egan's writing, loved The Goon Squad and so this has been on my TBR shelf for a while. It's a historical novel, different than her earlier work. I can't really give too many specifics without spoilers. I will just say that I really liked the first part, but felt that the story lost momentum in the second half. A lot of stuff was happening, but the ending didn't work for me.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Another book that I thought was good but not great, and where I can't really give details without spoilers. I liked reading it, and I learned some things about the Netherlands. But there were a few difficulties with plot and character for me.

Great comments, Rhonda. The Perry book sounds interesting. I would like to hear her. I liked Manhattan Beach but don't remember much about it.

>69 BLBera: Perry's talk was brilliant, Beth. She tied everything to Toni Morrison's A Mercy

I missed out on Perry last month, but hope to hear her lecture when they post it at Lit Arts. Nice job already fitting in some books in March!! : )

>52 banjo123: "But pretty much birds, birds, birds from 5:30 AM until we collapsed after dinner." Sounds like our birding trips. LOL. I really wish I could have done more serious birding while in C.R. 9 owls? That is fantastic. I saw none.

Howdy, Rhonda. How is retirement going? Dumb question? Have you done any local birding?

>71 Berly: I think you will like her lecture, Kim! I think it was my favorite of this year (this has not been a great year, IMO, but sometimes things don't work as planned.

>72 msf59: Yes, Mark, that's what the more experienced birders on our trip told us. It was actually 6 owl species. Though, actually, I think it might've been 9 total owls. If you get a chance to go back to Costa Rica, I could recommend the Road Scholar birding trips. You would have loved it.

Retirement is great! I am now calling myself "semi-retired" as I am working 2 days a week. But it's been great for getting more time for exercise, and spending more time outdoors. I am getting some local birding in -- I am still enough of a beginning birder that it's a bit embarrassing. People see me with binocs and ask what I am looking at, and I have to say, "not sure but I heard something over that way." Wendy and I do have a trip planned with the Bird Alliance in May, to Malheur, so looking forward to seeing lots of new birds there!

>68 banjo123: I didn't love The Safekeep either, Rhonda. I'm glad semi retirement is going so well.

>75 vancouverdeb: I had remembered that The Safekeep had a mixed reception on LT. Probable that was good, I didn't have too high of expectations. Overall, I did like it, but it had some flaws.
The book group actually liked it pretty well. I was the only one who figured out the plot twist ahead of time.

I hope everyone is enjoying March reading. I have unfortunately had a cold the past couple of days, and had to lay a bit low. The advantage is that I did get some reading done. I am feeling better, but I still have a nasty cough.

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

This was a book group pick, I think wanting something a bit lighter than we had been reading. It's urban fantasy, I am describing it as a Rock Band novel, set in Minneapolis, with Fairies. It was written in 1987, and it's pretty good.

This book did meet my criteria of having a strong sense of place---really the city of Minneapolis is a character.

So Far Gone by Jess Walter

Another book with a good sense of place. I was thinking that you could read this book and think that the characters and plot are a bit much, but if one is from the Pacific Northwest, it feels pretty realistic.

It's about Rhys Kinnik, a former journalist, living off the grid outside of Spokane, who gets reeled into the real world to help his daughter and grandchildren deal with the right-wing religious cult his son-in-law has involved them in. Everyone in the book makes a series of bad decisions, which goes badly.

Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson

This auto-biography by the Supreme Court Justice was an Everybody Reads pick here in Multnomah County. It was interesting, and I gained a big appreciation for Brown Jackson. The problem is that as a public figure, she can't say anything negative about anybody (and she probably wouldn't anyway; she seems a relentlessly positive person.) So it's pretty much a straightforward story of a Type A, high-achieving, brilliant woman who becomes the first black woman on the Supreme Court. As a bonus, she has a husband and two daughters who seem very nice.

So yay, I am glad she is where she is and hope that the current grind doesn't destroy her positive vibe. I am giving the book 3.5 stars.

>77 banjo123: I would be up for a book set in Minneapolis, but with Fairies? Probably not.

So Far Gone is on my WL. I haven't read anything by Walter yet, and I've heard lots of good things about him.

>79 banjo123: Maybe I'll wait and read her tell-all after she retires?

I hope you feel better soon. There is a lot of stuff going around.

Beth, I think you will like Jess Walter. I think you might want to start with The Cold Millions though.

I am feeling a bit better; hopefully it continues in that good direction.

>80 BLBera: >81 banjo123: Glad to find some other Jess Walter fans out there. He's on my automatic author list. I loved both So Far Gone and Cold Millions

My favorites are The Financial Lives of the Poets and Beautiful Ruins. Its been a long time since I read Poets tho. It might be time for a re-read.

>81 banjo123: Thanks for the Jess Walter recommendation!

>82 mahsdad: >83 BLBera: Hooray for Jess Walter. I heard him speak at the Portland Book Festival a couple of times, which was fun. I did love Beautiful Ruins, but I haven't read The Financial Lives of the Poets, I should look for it.

Beautiful Ruins is one I own, so I will probably start with that.

I enjoyed So Far Gone, Rhonda. I think it was Mark that convinced me to read it.

"Retirement is great!" Isn't it though? Glad you are enjoying it. I hope you get out birding more. Is there a local birding club you could join? Attending field trips is very helpful for learning the birds. You live in such a perfect area for it too. Pickleball has over-taken my birding but I am trying to ease back into it. I still love those birdies.

>87 msf59: I've been thinking about getting involved in pickle ball. Look like fun!

>85 BLBera: It's great, Beth, I think you will like it.

>86 vancouverdeb: Mark is a great Jess Walter booster!

>87 msf59: Mark, retirement is great, but I didn't understand before I got here, how much time it takes. People used to say, "now that I am retired I don't know how I ever had time for work" and I thought--how can that be? But it's true. Between my various exercise classes, volunteer things, and working a couple days a week; it's hard to fit anything new in. I do get out birding, and sometimes with the Oregon Bird Alliance, but not as often as I thought I would.
I have been doing some hikes with the Portland Parks, which are great, but they want everyone to walk a 25 minute mile, not enough time to see many birds. Wendy and I try to get birding weekly, and that's been fun. Yesterday we went with a friend to Oaks Bottom, which is a nearby wildlife refuge on the river. We did see lots of birds: kinglets, chickadees, junco, bushtits, spotted towhee, robins, swallows, scrub-jay, yellow-rumped warbler, some bald eagle, a sharp-shinned hawk and a number of great blue heron.

>88 ChrisG1: Pickleball sounds fun, I've been thinking of trying it--not sure how it will be for my back.

I have got some reading in lately. The other week, when I had a cold, I read Stacey Abrams When Justice Sleeps; which is a legal thriller. I am not normally a thriller person, but I enjoyed this one. (The plot was pretty complicated, which I liked because usually with thrillers I guess what's going to happen and then it's nothing but action.) I probably will look for the rest of the series sometime when I want something fun and non-literary to read.

I also read Book 2 and Book 3 fromJohn Lewis's graphic novel, March. We are going to discuss them in our civil resistance bookgroup, and it should be a great discussion.

>89 banjo123: Welcome to retirement. I really do not know where the days go.

>90 banjo123: I have to pull the John Lewis books from my shelves. I have been thinking that Scout might like them.

>91 BLBera: The John Lewis books would be good for Scout. My group really enjoyed the first one, which I think is the best. It gets a lot of historical information out in an emotionally impactful way.

ETA: We have an ex-teacher in the group, who had taught the books at a high-school level in the past.

Another book read, The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt, which is a novella, or maybe really a long short-story. Very cleverly done. It was, maybe, a little too clever for me. It's about a young woman, heiress to a large fortune, who finds out that her life is not what she thought.

>87 msf59: & >89 banjo123: My hopes would be to spend much more time in the fresh air in places like Scandinavia, Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand. Ambling around at my leisure with my good lady by my side (or probably a little in front as she is the fastest walker I know!).

I gave The English Understand Wool four stars, but I don't remember much about it at all... I will have to go back and review my comments.

>92 banjo123: Scout is a fan of graphics, so I think this might catch her attention.

>94 PaulCranswick: Definitely the chance to spend more time outdoors is an upside of retirement!

>95 BLBera: I will probably also go for 4 stars--it's super clever, but I don't know that it will stick with me.

I hope everyone is enjoying the springtime! It is lovely here. And all the little birds are singing their hearts out! I haven't completed any new reading, but hopefully soon...

It is rainy and miserable here. At least it isn't snowing.

>97 BLBera: Hopefully you get some spring weater soon!

I wanted to mention that we had a small rally in our neighborhood on No King's day, before going downtown to the big rally. Our neighborhood rally was Statue of Liberty themed, and the motto was "Keep the Torch Lit"

I like the motto!! (Much better than No Kings imo)

>99 banjo123: I love it!

>100 RebaRelishesReading: -- Thanks, Reba! One of our indivisible member came up with the theme, and then an artsy member taught us to make crowns out of paper plates and torches from toilet paper rolls.

>101 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!

Fox and I by Catherine Raven

I completed this book, which is about a quirky scientist and outdoorswoman, who befriends a fox on her plot of land. She relates to Fox in a number of ways, including reading to him from The Little Prince. Per Raven: “Saint-Exupéry said that explaining things to people who were never going to understand was exhausting. So he just ignored people.”

She had considered herself a loner, and the Fox friendship moves her to expand her connection to others. I liked this book, though definitely not for everyone. (don't read if you can't handle any violence to animals. Though that's not a prominent part of the book).

Otherwise, if you like books about nature, and about relationships between humans and other animals; this is a gem.

Giving Up Is Unforgivable by Joyce Vance

I read this for our civil resistance book group. Honestly, I did find this a bit dry; the focus is on legal concepts--the rule of law, constitutional law, etc Probably it's good to have more background on this. It will be interesting to see how the discussion goes.

Hey, I will be in Portland mid July, so let's try to meet.

>105 BLBera: Great idea!! Are you up for planning it Rhonda?

I don't think we need to do a lot of planning...Powell's and a place to eat...

>105 BLBera: Hooray! We will definitely plan something.

We can talk as it gets closer. I think Ellen will also be in town.

>109 BLBera: Looking forward to seeing you, and Ellen, too!

Powells and places to eat and a meet-up with three of my favourite 75ers......I am jealous!

Have a great weekend, Rhonda.

>111 PaulCranswick: Hopefully you can visit one of these days, Paul!

I have been focussed recently on trying to read more. As a result, I do have a couple of books to report on, and hoping to have more soon.

The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alameddine was for a book group. Not my favorite author; I didn't like his writing style in An Unnecessary Woman and it turns out I still don't. Also, this book is in 2nd person, which, for some reason, is like nails on a chalk board to me.
That said, I imagine that others WOULD like this book. The second person narration actually serves a purpose; I think trying to show how community can help get us out of the funk of non-action. The book takes place on Lesbos, where our narrator is responding to the Syrian refugee crisis.

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

i picked this up in January, when we were in Canada. It's an award-winning, dystopian YA novel; in which indigenous people are being exploited for their abilities to dream, and ability that others have lost due to unexplained environmental disasters. The hero is a teen boy, who is trying to evade the "recruiters" who would try to take him to one of the schools (echoing the residential schools.) He becomes part of a multi-generational band trying to survive and build community.
It's actually pretty good. Not a ton of character development, and the plot is a bit rough around the edges at times, but that fits for a YA novel, and I did end up crying at the end. (just a few tears.)

Happy Sunday, Rhonda. Sorry, I haven't visited in awhile. I am so glad you have been staying busy and getting plenty of walks in. Of course, I love the fact that you both are getting some birding in. You live in such a great area for bird-lovers.

We will have to compare notes, when we get back from Portugal. Our tour covers a good portion of the country, which will be perfect. Definitely looking forward to Algarve.

>114 banjo123: I've read a couple by Dimaline and really liked them. She is very good at atmosphere. Not sure about this one...

>115 msf59: It's such a great time of year for birds! We only got to Lisbon and environs when in Portugal. I would love to go back and explore more.

>116 BLBera: Oh, if you liked Dimaline, you should try this. It is very atmospheric. I had read Empire of the Wild; which is why I picked this up.

Another completed book, bringing my 2026 total to ... 19. I think the slowest start to a year since joining LT.

The Verifiers by Jane Pek

A mystery about internet dating sites, and a family story about a Chinese American family in New York City. This was for the Lesbian Book group, and I liked it pretty well.

Fair Play by Tove Jansson

This was sweet, a series of short vignettes about two women in the 70's, both artists with lots of character; and their day to day lives in Finland.

I read this for the lesbian book group--which meets tonight. The Verifiers was also for this group, but it turns out that I read it too early. We don't discuss it until June. Hopefully I will remember it well enough when we discuss it!

>119 banjo123: Tove Jansson always appeared to me something of an inconsequential writer when I first started reading her work, Rhonda, but not only do I appreciate her writing nowadays, I find that I can recall more of her books than many others. That ability to leave an impression is something I am starting to value more as I get older.

>120 PaulCranswick: That's interesting, Paul. I do have that happen pretty frequently, that I read a book and think it's middling, but then end up thinking of it a lot later. Or the opposite where I think a book is awesome, but never think of it afterward.
If I had time and was more organized, I would review books twice, one right away and then again in 3-4 months.

Anyway, everyone in the book group liked Fair Play; which made for a boring discussion. I do think that The Summer Book was better.

A couple of book completions-- I read the graphic version of Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny. The art is so good, it really enhanced it.

Also read Ian McEwan's What We Can Know a climate change novel mixed with a literary mystery. I really liked it.

Thanks for your kind words regarding Dave and his heart issues, Rhoda. I hope it will be resolved soon.

>122 banjo123: I am on the reserve list for McEwan's new one. Good to know it's worthwhile.

I will look for the graphic version of On Tyranny.

>123 vancouverdeb: I will keep sending you and Dave positive thoughts until this is resolved.

>124 BLBera: Definitely take a look at the graphic On Tyranny. It is beautiful.

I finished Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez

Such an interesting, beautiful book. Not a fast read however. Really a meditation on place, and the relationships between place and the people and animals living there. Some parts I really appreciated:

About muskoxen: "thy were so intensely good at being precisely what the were. The longer you watched, the more intricately they seemed a part of where they were living, of what they were doing. Their color, their proportions against the contours of the land, were exquisite."

“Hunting in my experience—and by hunting I simply mean being out on the land—is a state of mind. All of one’s faculties are brought to bear in an effort to become fully incorporated into the landscape. It is more than listening for animals or watching for hoofprints or a shift in the weather. It is more than an analysis of what one senses. To hunt means to have the land around you like clothing. To engage in a wordless dialogue with it, one so absorbing that you cease to talk with your human companions. It means to release yourself from rational images of what something “means” and to be concerned only that it “is.” And then to recognize that things exist only insofar as they can be related to other things. These relationships—fresh drops of moisture on top of rocks at a river crossing and a raven’s distant voice—become patterns. The patterns are always in motion.”

"Oldsquaw and eider ducks ride the ocean swell close to shore in the lee of the storm, their beaks into the wind. Between gaps in the dune I catch glimpses of the dark tundra, swept by wind and snow. My thoughts leap ahead to the cabin, to something warm to drink and then return. I watch the ducks as I walk. Watching animals always slows you down."

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

I decided to read this after reading Joyce Vance's books. She mentioned that at the time of the American Revolution, one of five households had a copy of this. Hard to imagine any piece of serious writing being so influential today! The copy I had is part of the Penguin Books Civics Classics, with a very good intro by Richard Beeman.

This isn't hard to read, but obviously quite dated. It does give a different picture of the American Revolution, so I was glad to read it.

It also includes his essay "The American Crisis" which opens with the following:

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. "

Ah yes, famous words indeed. I have a vague memory of having read Common Sense back in undergrad days but a revisit wouldn't be a bad idea.

Hi Rhonda. Both Arctic Dreams and Common Sense sounds like good reads. I am pretty sure I have a Thomas Paine reader somewhere, probably my son's, the history major.

>126 banjo123: Though Barry Lopez and I part far away on hunting (the narwhal!),

here comes another favorite quote:

"I felt a calmness birds can bring to people; and quieted,
I sense here the outlines of the oldest mysteries:
the nature and extent of space, the fall of light from the heavens,
the pooling of time in the present, as if it were water."

>126 banjo123: I enjoyed Artic Dreams. It is my favorite by Barry Lopez though I liked Crossing Open Ground a lot and Of Wolves and Men remains a classic.

>128 RebaRelishesReading:-- My college major was Political Science, so I am re-treading old ground here.

>129 BLBera:-- These were good reads. Not easy, but worthwhile.

>130 m.belljackson: What a way with words! I could never be a hunter, but that's kind of hypocritical of me, since I do eat meat, etc.

>131 Oberon: Barry Lopez is definitely a treasure. I haven't yet read Crossing Open Ground--maybe soon?

Hey, Rhonda. I also thought Arctic Dreams was excellent and agree that it is not always an easy read but so worth it. Have a great time visiting that National Forest. It sounds wonderful.

>133 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I am really looking forward to the trip.

Stay True by Hua Hsu

This is a memoir about Hsu's college years at UC Berkeley, and his friendship with Ken Ishida; who was killed in a car-jacking in 1998. There are some sweet parts to the book, some insights about coming of age in the 90's and about music, friendship and loss. Also insights about being Asian American, and how diverse that community is.
I enjoyed this book in the beginning, and parts were quite funny. But although it's quite short (193 pages); by the last 50 pages, I was anxious for the book to end.

Here's a passage that I like:

"There's always been a mutual suspicion between people from Northern and Sountern California, and 99 percent of the people at Berkeley seemed to be from one or the other. The only unifying element was that everyone wore Adidas slides. I thought people from Sountern California were superficial and unserious. They spent too much time in the sun. Where the Bay Area was known for politics and counterculture, they were known for Disneyland and Hollywood. It sounded ditzy they way they referred to the highway that ran through the state as the 101 rather than just 101."

The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger

This is a fascinating book about plant intelligence. I learned SO much from reading it. Like I learned that ferns don't have seeds, they have spores; and that they reproduce with swimming sperm, and that ferns will emit a hormone that causes the sperm from neighboring, competing sperms, to slow down, in order to give their own sperm an advantage. Isn't that wild?

Schlanger is a science writer who interviewed a lot of different botatists writing this book.
Schlanger is clear that some information on plant intelligence is well researched, other times it's more speculative. And, plant intelligence is very different from our own intelligence. So much to think about! Here's a quote about plants and memory:

"As I sat through the winter, the cold in my bones, I thought about how the garlic cloves in the frozen ground, waiting, taking note of the deep freeze that gripped the earth like a vice, counting its passage. Perhaps most instructive of all is that plants know how to wait, how to endure the inhospitable, knowing that their time has not yet come but will, and that their flourishing is not a questions of whether, but when."

>136 banjo123: Oh, sounds very interesting. I must see if I can get an audio of it - it's the kind of thing I like to listen to while exercising.

eta: Yes! The library had an audio copy. Yay.

>137 ffortsa: Hooray! It should be a great audio.

>136 banjo123: Garlic cloves are The Best for unpredictable winters and drought - lovely green stalks!

>138 banjo123: So far, it's pretty interesting. I think it's being narrated by the author, and her voice is not the best for listening. But clear enough.

I talked to Kim yesterday, and we are thinking Saturday, July 11, for a meet up. Check our threads for updates.

Hi Rhonda!! What Beth said. LOL. Hope you can make it!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/384682#n9208120

Jealous of you guys getting to have so many meet-ups. I have always relished my much less frequent meet-ups.

Thanks, Beth and Kim! I am looking forward to it!!

And Paul, yes, we are lucky.

Last weekend we had our Malheur Foray--birding in Southeast Oregon. It was amazing--it looks like I saw more than 70 species. Probably the Great Horned Owls were the highlight--there is nothing like having an owl fly right next to you. We also saw short-eared and burrowing owl; and saw a screech owl--but not as close looks.

My photos are not great, as my iphone doesn't really capture birds well. I decided to focus on seeing the birds, rather than buying a fancier camera. But here are a few photos, more of scenery than the birds.

Rhonda, those 3 photos are stunning!

>146 jessibud2: Thanks! It's a beautiful part of the world.

>145 banjo123: Great pictures, Rhonda! Dave was lucky enough to see a barn owl last night out walking the dog. It's so rare to actually see one, at least for me.

Nice pictures, Rhonda, especially the one with the dark clouds with the light peeking through.

Catching up with your thread prompted me to look for a library copy of The Cold Millions. I really liked So Far Gone. I also like one of your more recent reads, The Verifiers, so much so that I went and got the next book, The Rivals which I haven't read yet.

>145 banjo123: Looks beautiful, Rhonda (and I think you have your priorities straight). See you soon :)

>145 banjo123: Thanks, Deborah! And great that Dave saw an owl on his walk. That's not so common.

>149 Familyhistorian: Thanks, I do like Jess Walker. I am thinking of reading The Rivals also...

>150 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba, and looking forward to seeing you soon!

I have been trying to read more; and it looks like I have had some success with this--I completed 7 books in May, which is pretty on track for me. And I have just finished my first June book, which was a good one.

The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy

Written in 1972, this is the memoir of Conroy teaching African American children on one of the remote, sea islands of South Carolina, accessible only by boat. He was fired after that year, for being too independent and for caring too much about the children. It's a lovely book, touching, funny, and sad. Conroy is able to see his own faults and to make fun of himself, which helps the book quite a lot. He also shines a light on the impact of racism and the pitiful state of education for black children at that time. Here's a quote:

"Yet all around me, in the grinning faces of my students, I could see a crime, so ugly that it could be interpreted as a condemnation of an entire society, a nation be damned, a history of wickedness--these children before me did not have a goddam chance of sharing in the incredible wealth and affluence of the country that claimed them, a country that failed them, a country that needed but did not deserve deliverance."

>145 banjo123: Awesome photos! And nice job getting 7 read in May. : )

>153 banjo123: Read The Water is Wide long ago - what a compassionate man. Great title.

I remember reading that one (probably in the late '70s) and learned a lot about the sea islands in it. A lovely, memorable book.

>153 banjo123: >156 RebaRelishesReading: Reading Pat Conroy's Life online is quite an experience, a major novel in itself.

>153 banjo123: - Rhonda, a very good movie was made from the Conroy book (I LOVED the book). I believe the film was simply called *Conrack*. It starred a young Jon Voight and I thought it was a decent adaptation. It may be available online, or maybe your library would have it.

>154 Berly: Thanks, Kim! See you soon!

>155 m.belljackson: It really was a great read.

>156 RebaRelishesReading: We visited that area of South Carolina last year, and so this book has been on my list for a while.

>157 m.belljackson: Yes, that guy did not have an easy life, but he made the most of it!

>158 jessibud2: I will have to look for that movie!!!

>145 banjo123: Amazing photos. It sounds like fun.

Thanks, Beth! It really was fun.