Joe's Second Book Cafe of 2026

Street Art

The BBC put together a fascinating list of the Top 100 British novels in 2015, based on polling 82 non-British critics from around the world.

The critics named 228 novels in all. These are the top 100.

100. The Code of the Woosters (PG Wodehouse, 1938)
99. There but for the (Ali Smith, 2011)
98. Under the Volcano (Malcolm Lowry,1947)
97. The Chronicles of Narnia (CS Lewis, 1949-1954)
96. Memoirs of a Survivor (Doris Lessing, 1974)
95. The Buddha of Suburbia (Hanif Kureishi, 1990)
94. The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (James Hogg, 1824)
93. Lord of the Flies (William Golding, 1954)
92. Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbons, 1932)
91. The Forsyte Saga (John Galsworthy, 1922)
90. The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins, 1859)
89. The Horse’s Mouth (Joyce Cary, 1944)
88. The Death of the Heart (Elizabeth Bowen, 1938)
87. The Old Wives’ Tale (Arnold Bennett,1908)
86. A Legacy (Sybille Bedford, 1956)
85. Regeneration Trilogy (Pat Barker, 1991-1995)
84. Scoop (Evelyn Waugh, 1938)
83. Barchester Towers (Anthony Trollope, 1857)
82. The Patrick Melrose Novels (Edward St Aubyn, 1992-2012)
81. The Jewel in the Crown (Paul Scott, 1966)
80. Excellent Women (Barbara Pym, 1952)
79. His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman, 1995-2000)
78. A House for Mr Biswas (VS Naipaul, 1961)
77. Of Human Bondage (W Somerset Maugham, 1915)
76. Small Island (Andrea Levy, 2004)
75. Women in Love (DH Lawrence, 1920)
74. The Mayor of Casterbridge (Thomas Hardy, 1886)
73. The Blue Flower (Penelope Fitzgerald, 1995)
72. The Heart of the Matter (Graham Greene, 1948)
71. Old Filth (Jane Gardam, 2004)
70. Daniel Deronda (George Eliot, 1876)
69. Nostromo (Joseph Conrad, 1904)
68. A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess, 1962)
67. Crash (JG Ballard 1973)
66. Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811)
65. Orlando (Virginia Woolf, 1928)
64. The Way We Live Now (Anthony Trollope, 1875)
63. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Muriel Spark, 1961)
62. Animal Farm (George Orwell, 1945)
61. The Sea, The Sea (Iris Murdoch, 1978)
60. Sons and Lovers (DH Lawrence, 1913)
59. The Line of Beauty (Alan Hollinghurst, 2004)
58. Loving (Henry Green, 1945)
57. Parade’s End (Ford Madox Ford, 1924-1928)
56. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (Jeanette Winterson, 1985)
55. Gulliver’s Travels (Jonathan Swift, 1726)
54. NW (Zadie Smith, 2012)
53. Wide Sargasso Sea (Jean Rhys, 1966)
52. New Grub Street (George Gissing, 1891)
51. Tess of the d’Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy, 1891)
50. A Passage to India (EM Forster, 1924)
49. Possession (AS Byatt, 1990)
48. Lucky Jim (Kingsley Amis, 1954)
47. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Laurence Sterne, 1759)
46. Midnight’s Children (Salman Rushdie, 1981)
45. The Little Stranger (Sarah Waters, 2009)
44. Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel, 2009)
43. The Swimming Pool Library (Alan Hollinghurst, 1988)
42. Brighton Rock (Graham Greene, 1938)
41. Dombey and Son (Charles Dickens, 1848)
40. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll, 1865)
39. The Sense of an Ending (Julian Barnes, 2011)
38. The Passion (Jeanette Winterson, 1987)
37. Decline and Fall (Evelyn Waugh, 1928)
36. A Dance to the Music of Time (Anthony Powell, 1951-1975)
35. Remainder (Tom McCarthy, 2005)
34. Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro, 2005)
33. The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame, 1908)
32. A Room with a View (EM Forster, 1908)
31. The End of the Affair (Graham Greene, 1951)
30. Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe, 1722)
29. Brick Lane (Monica Ali, 2003)
28. Villette (Charlotte Brontë, 1853)
27. Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe, 1719)
26. The Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien, 1954)
25. White Teeth (Zadie Smith, 2000)
24. The Golden Notebook (Doris Lessing, 1962)
23. Jude the Obscure (Thomas Hardy, 1895)
22. The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Henry Fielding, 1749)
21. Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad, 1899)
20. Persuasion (Jane Austen, 1817)
19. Emma (Jane Austen, 1815)
18. Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro, 1989)
17. Howards End (EM Forster, 1910)
16. The Waves (Virginia Woolf, 1931)
15. Atonement (Ian McEwan, 2001)
14. Clarissa (Samuel Richardson,1748)
13. The Good Soldier (Ford Madox Ford, 1915)
12. Nineteen Eighty-Four (George Orwell, 1949)
11. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813)
10. Vanity Fair (William Makepeace Thackeray, 1848)
9. Frankenstein (Mary Shelley, 1818)
8. David Copperfield (Charles Dickens, 1850)
7. Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë, 1847)
6. Bleak House (Charles Dickens, 1853)
5. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë, 1847)
4. Great Expectations (Charles Dickens, 1861)
3. Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf, 1925)
2. To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf, 1927)
1. Middlemarch by George Eliot

I do love Middlemarch. Fun to see it at the top. As this is UK authors only, James Joyce is not on the list.

Here’s a fun BBC article on why Middlemarch deserves to be #1.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20151204-why-middlemarch-is-the-greatest-bri....

Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens, have four titles each on the list.

Our much-missed LT member, the late Ellie Moses, would have been thrilled that Old Filth by Jane Gardam made the list.

Books Read in 2026

January 2026

1. This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki*
2. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
3. The Day the Moon and Earth Had an Argument* by David Duff, The Crystal Heart* by Aaron Shephard, and The Knives* by Brubaker/Phillips.
4. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens.
5. Drawing on Walls* by Matthew Burgess.
6. Isola by Allegra Goodman. Good but not great story of parentless Marguerite growing up spoiled by her rich circumstances, but still good-hearted, in a medieval castle-type setting, until her guardian uncle sells her lands and takes heron a journey to the New World - Canada. She ends up left on an empty stony island where she overcomes her coddled upbringing and survives under animal and weather duress. She finally makes herway back to France and is reunited with her dear friend Claire, and all turns out well.
7. The Correspondent by Allegra Goodman. An epistolary novel. The life of in-her-70s Sybil Van Antwerp, as revealed in letters to and from her, and some unsent ones. She mentors a brilliant but socially teenage boy, who lives with her when things are their worst. She spars with her daughter Fiona, both of them longing for a better relationship but can’t figure out how to get it. She reveals all - almost all - to her best friend Rosalie, who has exchanged letters with her since they were little girls. Sybil lost her young son under heart-rending circumstances that broke her family apart and caused her husband to leave her. Now, at her advanced age, she finds herself caught between two men who both want her. And she unexpectedly learns she has a closely similar sister in Scotland she knew nothing about.. Well done and worthy of the popularity it has attained mainly through word of mouth.

8.Twelve Months by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is back, in another corker of a story. Queen Mab of the winter court has appointed Harry her Winter Knight, and told him he will be marrying Lara Raith, currently head of the White Court of Vampires. Harry is still mourning the loss of Karrin Murphy, a cop who battled alongside him and who reciprocated his love.. Harry., as usual, is not inclined to be easily compliant to authority, but Lara is intoxicatingly beautiful and brilliant in her own right, and Queen Mab has sufficient power to make it stick. Meanwhile, Harry is dedicated to freeing his half-brother Thomas (a vampire) from the clutches of a Hunger demon, and to free Thomas’s kidnapped pregnant wife, too. Lots of good ingredients for a juicy tale, and as usual Butcher manages to blend them into a tasty and satisfying dish.

February 2026

9. Stolen in Death by J.D. Robb. Another solid Eve-Roarke procedural, centered around stolen jewelry and a seemingly unnecessary death. Roarke had connections to the jewelry, and a woman from his past surfaces.

10. Villette by Charlotte Bronte. See review below.

11. A Bride’s Story 15 by Kaoru Mori. In this one we’re mostly in England instead of the Silk Road, as Smith brings Talas home with the intention of marrying her. His parents disapprove, of course, and think she must be from India (she’s from Turkistan, IIRC). They settle in his family’s enormous “cottage”, with sheep for Talas to happily tend. Mori’s drawing skills continue to impress and even improve.

12. Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Review below.

13. Anti-Hero by Gregg Hurwitz. Descent into the sordid porn and abuse of women business. During an epileptic seizure in public, Anca is kidnapped by four teenage men who proceed to brutalize and rape her, then sell the film to a porn site. Evan, with the help of his techno-wizard adopted daughter Joey, and former nemesis Candy, rescues Anca, tracks down the young men and brings them to justice via new nemesis FBI agent Naomi Templeton, who’s wiiling to work with him on this. He also straightens out a falling añart billionaire genius, who in turn helps him destroy the porn site that is fomenting the abuse.

March 2026

14. Antarctica by Claire Keegan. Short stories by the author of Foster and Small Things Like These. She was able to convey a lotbin those short novels, and the same happens here. The title story is a masterwork as a woman dissatisfied with her marriage goes on a risky adventure. The author has a knack for ending a story sooner than you’d expect, with perfection, so that you’re satisfied yet your mind carries on the story into what happens beyond. Looking forward to her next novel.

15. Murder in Mistake by Anne Cleeland. Kathleen Doyle once again uses his truth-sorting powers and dream visits from a ghost to help her husband Lord Acton solve a complicated set of murders where veiled motives cause misdirection. There’s a new baby girl who needs breast-feeding, but Doyle handles a busy maternity leave with her usual aplomb. Love this series; always a pleasure to reunite with Doyle and Acton.

16. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.* A competently done graphic version. This story is always appealing, but I kept thinking of the much more magical illustrations of Inga Moore.

17. Lucas Wars by Laurent Hopman.*

* Denotes a graphic work

My favorite book of '25



When Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen . What a wonderful, simple, devastatingly real book. Former sawmill worker Bo is nearing the end of his life. Once physically imposing, he’s now frail and assisted by rotating carers under Sweden’s humane system. His wife has succumbed to dementia and is in a local hospital, and he has his big dog Sixten and his lifelong friend Ture, whom he mostly talks to over the phone. His son Hans loves him, but they’ve forgotten how to communicate, exacerbated by Hans’ belief that Bo has gotten too old to properly care for Sixten. Reminding me of Claire Keegan, the author brings us completely inside Bo’s life. Thank goodness for his carer Ingrid, who understands Bo and intervenes at key moments. An unforgettable reading experience.

The gang in Pittsburgh at Thanksgiving

Happy new thread, Joe! Keep it flowing.

>1 jnwelch: What colorful people! Something cheerful is so welcome.

>5 jnwelch: Great picture! Fina is such a star!

>6 jnwelch: Perfect!!!

Happy new one, Joe!

And pursuant to the convo at the end of your last thread - I was DnD before DnD was cool. 😂

>6 jnwelch: Joe - Wild Paintings - thank you!

And, I hope you will enjoy my Review of Silas Marner.

Happy new one, Joe. Absolutely love the street art and what a lovely family pic!

Happy New Thread, Joe. Love the street art. I also really like the BBC Top 100 novels. I am pleased at how many of these I have read- out of the top 21, I had only missed 3- Vanity Fair, Clarissa, (which I had not heard of) and The Waves, (which sounds really good). Have you read any of these? If so, any thoughts? I have also not read Tom Jones or Jude the Obscure. Hey, nobody's perfect, right?

It turns out I read Stray Bullets back in 2014 and completely forgot it. I do not have another GN going so I will continue.

ETA- Clarissa is 1,500 pages long. WTH? This would take a mighty endorsement. 😜

New-thread orisons!

Happy new thread Joe.

I have read 56 of the books listed in >2 jnwelch: and 6 of the top 8 but not Middlemarch yet, I am ashamed to admit.

Happy new one!

>7 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. I’ll keep it flowing, and try to remember to move the flow this time when we get around 250 posts.

I’m glad you like the toppers. Particularly for those of us caught in the snow and ice season, color and good cheer help, don’t they.

Ha! Our Fina! She is such a lovely little light, dancing all about.

Isn’t >6 jnwelch: a good one? That’s not in Chicago, but street art is catching on more here, as building owners are coming to understand what a cool addition it is to the streetscape.

>8 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim. Do you know other DnDers? My first thought was I wish we’d had you and Erik on hand when we were watching Stranger Things. That made me wonder whether DnDers ever had Stranger Things watch parties. Maybe the younger ones?

Happy new thread, Joe!

I've read 32 on that BBC list, with several more on my shelves/Kindle that I want to get to. I guess I should finally get around to Middlemarch...

>9 m.belljackson:. You’re welcome, Marianne. What’d you think of Silas Marner? I know Middlemarch apparently was meh for you.

>10 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley! Yay re the street art, and the family photo. Thank goodness someone, probably Debbi, thought to have someone take that pic.

>11 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. I’m glad you’re enjoying that street art, and the BBC list. The three from the list that you mention: I loved Vanity Fair and can recommend it. An old partner of mine and I used to have a good time discussing Becky Sharp. My goddaughter loves The Waves, her favorite VW, so this is a good kick in the keister to get that one read, and Clarissa I will likely never read, unless someone here changes my mind.

Yeah, the late Anita in Amsterdam is the one person who might have gotten to every one on the list; my memory is she used to read 300+ books a year, which can cover a whole lot of ground.

Seeing you read Stray Bullets in ‘14 made me realize you’ve been reading GNs a long time now! What treasures along the way, eh?

>15 jnwelch: Yeah, there's still a few of us older ones hanging around here at work. I haven't played in decades, though - just not enough time.

No watch party, but I definitely enjoyed all the references.

>12 richardderus:. Thanks! May blessings from the Celestial Library fall upon your shoulders, amigo.

>13 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. 56 is an impressive amount to have read from that list. Kudos. You have a treat in store when you get to Middlemarch. If there’s ever a group reread, I’ll probably join.

>14 figsfromthistle:. Thanks, Anita!

>16 katiekrug:. Thanks, Katie! That’s a goodly number to have read from the list; it makes me once again appreciate what a great group of readers we have here!

As I said to Paul, you have a treat in store for you with Middlemarch. I’m so pleased that it made it to #1. And those two Virginia Woolfs at 2 and 3, even though I’m not the biggest fan of To the Lighthouse. I am, of Mrs. Dalloway.

>18 drneutron:. See? I bet you enjoyed all the references, Jim. Sigh. If Stranger Things was a book, someone would bring out an annotated edition.

I don’t think our nerdesque son ever got into DnD, but he’s always loved board games, and he has a group at work he plays those with.

P.S. Have you tried reading Dungeon Crawler Carl yet? Silly fun. It even briefly made the Publishers Weekly bestseller list.

>17 jnwelch: Joe - Silas Marner Review is a brief one!

>21 m.belljackson:. You make me work hard, Marianne! There are 169 reviews, but I did find your shorty. I’m glad you liked Silas Marner. Ditto.

I’m not happy about this:

“Mass market paperback books are being phased out and will soon be discontinued. Publishers Weekly reported that ReaderLink, the largest distributor of hardcover, trade, and paperback books to booksellers in North America, stopped distributing mass market paperbacks at the end of 2025.”

>18 drneutron: So there is a group that I remain on text thread with that plays every weekend more or less. It has probably been two years since I have played but I still have all the books and keep up on it.

Today’s Bargain: Wild by Cheryl Strayed for $1.99 on e-readers.. I loved this one. Great memoir of the author pulling her life back together while hiking the lengthy Pacific Crest Trail. Bracingly honest.

>22 jnwelch: Guess the other 1,393 Reviews might not be your choice!

^^^^^

with all the other Reeling that we wake up to,
the Omar Ilhan spraying was still a shock...
the Big Guy sure moved fast to protect her!

^^^^^

I'm totally enjoying GOOD TALK - have you read it?

>20 jnwelch: Danita has been listening to the first two books and loved them. So, yeah, they're on the list for this year!

Today’s Bargain: Wild by Cheryl Strayed for $1.99 on e-readers.. I loved this one. Great memoir of the author pulling her life back together while hiking the lengthy Pacific Crest Trail.

Happy new thread, Joe! I've read 44 from the BBC list, 20 from the top 25. And I have about 10 on my TBR shelves. I love Middlemarch, too--I've read it in print twice and on audio twice; certainly in the top 5 for me from this list.

ETA: just noticed no Elizabeth Gaskell on this list. Oh, well.

>26 m.belljackson:. It was rough enough at 169, Marianne. Let’s forego doing that next time.😀

Yeah, that Omar Ilhan news was very disturbing. We need to get out of this Trump era. If not that, I’ll have to settle for greatly diminhed power after the midterms. I’m so glad the attack on her turned out all right. I’m waiting to hear what was in that suringe.

Mark and I, and a number of others here, LOVED Good Talk!! I’m so glad you’re reading it. A great book from start to finish. I hope she’s working on another one. We keep a copy handy for guests staying with us.

>2 jnwelch: Alas, only 44 and I'd violently kick 2 or 3 of those out of the top 1000.

>2 jnwelch: I am a huge Middlemarch fan too, Joe, so I am happy to see it at the top of the list. Thanks for sharing it! I will have to check out those that I have not already read.

>4 jnwelch: Already put that one in the BlackHole thanks to your recommendation. I just need to get hold of a copy!

>5 jnwelch: Love seeing the gang!

>25 jnwelch: Oh yeah, that one was a dandy!

Happy new thread, Joe. Hopefully I will do a better job keeping track of you this time, lol. Stay safe! Stay warm!

>27 drneutron:. Oh good, Jim. Like Danita, I got a kick out of the first two Dungeon Crawler Carl books. I bet they were a blast on audio. Perfect for that medium. I’m taking a break, but I’m sure I’ll try the next ones when I’m in the mood for something light and offbeat.

>29 kac522:. Hiya, Kathy. You and Judy and Paul are power houses on this BBC list, it’s wonderful. I just stubbornly don’t want to count. What a pain I can be.

I envy you and salute you for those Middlemarch rereads! As you can tell, that’s something I want to do. How did the audio compare to the print as a reading experience?

It is hard sometimes to turn away from the delights of new releases, or ones I otherwise haven’t read, to commit to a reread, but I’ve always been happy when I’ve done that. Debbi and I have been on a slow boat to China with me reading to her from an old favorite, Dandelion Wine. Life keeps intervening, and we have to recommit. It has been a beautiful re-read, though. Having his ideas and scenes etched in my memory, i sometimes forget what lovely writer he was, and how much he obviously loved writing. As Debbi says, he has some exquisite sentences.

Elizabeth Gaskell!! I was asking myself who wasn’t on the BBC list. Good catch! What reason would there be for her books not traveling as well to non-UK critics. Of course, for all we know, she has the next three slots after 100.

Another one I was thrilled to unexpectedly see on the list is Wind in the Willows. Rather impressive company for such a modest, charming tale. As I mentioned before, Dark Materials likewise pleased and surprised me.

>31 quondame: Ha! 44 is a really good number Susan, you should be happy about that. I imagine we all think 100/100 would be the most satisfying. What ones would you kick off the list?

>32 alcottacre:. Hiya, Stasia. Yay for Middlemarch! This feels like the best book list I’ve ever seen, and it is so good for missed-reads reminders. I know that I already have Villette teed up.

Right - I want to keep reminding people about When Cranes Fly South. Not to be missed, if possible. Debbi and I read it some time ago now, and we still talk about it. Claire Keegan, Patricia MacLachlan, the children’s author, and now Lisa Ridzen, are three authors who write with striking word economy and emotional depth. The more such authors the better as far as I’m concerned. That combination makes for long-lasting impact.

I’m glad you liked the photo of the gang, some of whom you’ve now met in person.

Wasn’t Wild a dandy? I also enjoyed her advice column book, tiny beautiful things.

Thank you for the warm wishes. I hope winter is not being too harsh in your neck of the woods.

Another bargain: Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck for $1.99 on e-readers.

This one is related to, and set 10 years before, my favorite Steinbeck, Cannery Row. It likewise features a colorful cast of characters situated near Monterey, CA.

P.S. The sequel to Cannery Row is Sweet Thursday, another favorite of mine, and the source of Mark and I wishing each other a “Sweet Thursday” on the appropriate weekday.

Hooray for Tortilla Flat! I just went through the BBC list and it turns out I have read 43 which I think is respectable. Honestly there our a few books on there that I would really like to read but there are many more I have no interest in. American snob? You betcha! How did you do overall?

I was hoping you would have detested Vanity Fair so I could skip those daunting 850 pages. 😜

>33 jnwelch: I am easily swayed from new and shiny and unknown to a beloved re-read. They calm my soul. And heavens know we need it these days. I listened to the amazing Juliet Stevenson read Middlemarch. She does a fantastic Casaubon. Dandelion Wine is wonderful and I would imagine works really well read out loud. Schedule it in--give yourselves a mini-break from streaming.

>36 msf59: I give you permission to skip Vanity Fair, Mark. I hated it. Two women take center-stage: one is very, very bad and the other is very, very good. No real nuanced women. But it is a classic.

>34 jnwelch: Atonment is on my loathe list and Never Let Me Go is more just meh manipulative drivel. Being well written doesn't make retread ideas profound, or plot driven nonsense worth the time, just disguises that the time was wasted.

Happy new thread! I love the murals, especially the one of the toddler drawing a sun.

>4 jnwelch: I had heard of When the Cranes Fly South. Thanks for the synopsis. Actually you had me at “reminding me of Clare Keegan”.

>36 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Hooray for Tortilla Flat! I just added a P.S. to that post to mention Sweet Thursday. I hadn’t thought of those two and Cannery Row as a trilogy, but I guess they kinda are. And what a trilogy! Sweet Thursday is a direct sequel with Doc and everybody, while Tortilla Flat is more loosely related, but I still think it works.

Yes, 44 is a most excellent number. As I said to someone, I imagine all of us would be most satisfied with 100/100. What’s my count? You can fire me, but as I’ve been telling others, I’m not going to count mine up. These days I have to keep my to-do list moving, as I understand I’m much closer to my final destination train station. I’m not going to make time for counting those books. I can’t claim it’s logical, but there it is.

Vanity Fair: Kathy in >37 kac522: says thumbs down, so that may help you. Kathy surprised me, so I’ll give it some thought. Becca and I both liked it. There was a meh 2004 Vanity Fair movie with an Indian director I like, Mira Nair. I was really looking forward to it and was let down. I’m pretty sure Becca was, too.

>30 jnwelch: Waiting here from Thrift for The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing, Mira Jacob's first novel...and

see that, while no new books are out, she is one of the authors included in (forgot the name):

FOURTEEN DAYS from 2024. (Also ordered via Thrift - sounds like an odd one.)

After reading GOOD TALK twice in a row, I did a Search for Jed Rothstein and son Z.
(JED is really hot - AND super talented!)

>37 kac522:. I admire your innards, Kathy. You’re made of stern stuff, and attentive to high quality. Unfortunately for me, even when my reading time far outweighs tv time, and even excludes it, i continue to be drawn to the new and shiny and unknown at the expense of re-reads. Cases in point: I’m all excited about a new-to-me author Jason Mott, a lot because he doesn’t seem to play by the rules, and I’m all excited about Lisa Ridzen and When the Cranes Fly South, in part because her writing has the virtues I love in Claire Keegan’s books. And yet I yearn to re-read Middlemarch and others. I just re-read Our Mutual Friend with Mark, and it was hugely more interesting than my scant memories of large dust heaps and Boffins and a key hidden identity. In sum, I’m shrugging and mulling.

You surprise me with Vanity Fair. My first thought was that it was a dude of that time writing about the two female characters you point out, and that may be the source of the fatal deficiencies you found. And yet I liked the book! I’ll ponder.

I’ve heard naught but accolades about Juliet Stevenson narrating, so that sounds like a mighty good choice. Causubon! He haunts me to this day. Just the kind of character I yearn to throttle. If I could go back and get him out of Dorothea’s life much sooner than it happens, I would.

>39 foggidawn:. Thanks, Misti! I’m happy to hear you love the murals. I’m a street art nerd. One of our favorite things to do in London is a guided tour of the latest and greatest. Isn’t that a joyful one with the little boy drawing?

>40 NarratorLady:. Hiya, Anne. I have high hopes for your enjoyment of When the Cranes Fly South. Please let me know what you think, and whether you agree she shares writing virtues with Claire Keegan.

Have you seen the Cillian Murphy Small Things Like These movie? Ditto re the movie based on Foster.

I thought of you with that BBC book list up top. I said somewhere that our dearly departed Ellie Moses would have been (is? I’m not sure how all this works) delighted that Old Filth was on the list. I still remember the two of you teaming up to make sure I read that and its followups.

Do you like the narrator Juliet Stevenson? She has been raised with me more than once as a par excellence, but I’ve never heard her narrate.

>42 m.belljackson:. Ha! I’m intrigued to hear that Mira Jacobs’ hubby Jed Rothstein has a high degree of hotness. I’m not drawn to her novel, but I’d snatch up another graphic book instanter. How does the little boy look? Is he a teen now?

Joe - not sure about son; if you click around Jed Rothstein, you can find movies he made which you may have seen.

>45 jnwelch:👍. Thanks, Marianne.

Hi Joe, mate. Happy New Thread and it isn't over 50 posts before i left my mark.

>48 johnsimpson:. Hiya, John, buddy. Thank you. Woo, you just squeezed in under 50! Well done.

How’s your health? Man, you’ve had a lot going on..

>37 kac522: Since I consider you the Queen of the Classics, Kathy- I completely trust your opinion. 😀

Sorry, Joe. We still pals? 😀

>50 msf59: I don't claim any sort of royalty, but would like to put in a positive word for Vanity Fair. I admit I rather like the disreputable Becky Sharp - being sharp is the only way she has a chance at anything above subsistence while Emmy, being born to money, is protected enough to be good and never has to be particularly interesting.
And, well, it's all Regency and Napoleonic war, which I much prefer to the Victorian times in which it was written.

>50 msf59:. 👍. I suspect you’re going to stumble over something related to Vanity Fair, and be tempted again to read it, Mark. I’m guessing it’ll be a satisfying read if you try it. But that’s for another day. But the Queen of Classics has spoken, and William Thackeray will just have to bear with it.😀

P. S. What do you think of picking one of these for a group read? I’m flexible, but I haven’t read Moll Flanders, for example.

>51 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. Yes, I do think Becky Sharp is a memorable, captivating character, Kathy. I bet she’s the main reason for Vanity Fair’s eternality.

Interesting thoughts about Regency and Napoleonic War. I’ve never thought about these classics in those terms. I’m certainly fascinated by that period, and have eaten up the Sharpe books. Hmmm.

. Today’s Bargain: The Woman Who Borrowed Memories by Tove Janssen for $1.99 on e-readers.. For fans (like me) of Finnish TJ’s The Summer Book and her Moomins, these are selected “spare, slightly off-kilter” stories.

I’ve only read 16 of those top books!

>54 seasonsoflove:. Well, get cracking, you speedy reader, you. Some are much more enjoyable than others, so we can discuss if you want. I’d start with Wind in the Willows if that’s not among your 16. 😀

>49 jnwelch:, Hi Joe, mate, i am feeling fine at the moment. The Catheter and tap is working well, i have to have a Kidney and Bladder scan on the 25th February. They are making sure that everything is OK with me whilst i wait for the operation which could be at the end of the year or early in 2027. The longer i am waiting for surgery on my spinal column in the neck, my balance, walking ability etc is getting worse.

After the Urology scare, i am fine, my reading mojo is back and i am getting on with things as best as i can, Karen is keeping me wrapped in cotton wool.

Happy new thread, Joe! I love the colourful start with the street art and the whole family photo!

>56 johnsimpson:. Hey, buddy. My goodness, you’re through a lot. Sending you muchas healthy vibes across the pond.

I’m glad the catheter and tap are working well. There’s probably no good answer, but why do you have to wait so long for the spinal column surgery? I see why Karen is keeping you wrapped in cotton wool, with your balance getting worse. I still have to do exercises for my balance after that dratted stroke. Worrisome as se get more vintage.

What are you reading now? There are plenty of good possibilities up top in that BBC reading list. I’ve started Villette by Charlotte Bronte.

>57 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg! I’m glad you’re enjoying the colourful street art and the family photo. Others have liked the street art, too. I may do more of that in future cafes.

Hope the winter isn’t too rough in your neck of woods. It’s a cod walloper here in the states.

BBC List:. I’m starting Vilette, and I’m thinking New Grub Street might be the next one after that from the BBC list. Has anyone read either?

>59 jnwelch: I have read Villette, but it was a very long time ago and somewhat dark and brooding. Unless you are a whiz at French, be sure your edition translates the many French passages in the novel. I've been thinking I should re-read it at some point.

I liked Shirley a bit better; I've read The Professor, too, but it was long ago, and if I recall, has similar plot lines to Villette.

I've only read The Odd Women by Gissing and I wasn't all that impressed with that one, but I'm an outlier in that opinion (as with Vanity Fair). Many people found it very pro-woman, but I actually got a different vibe. The jury's out as to whether I'll try New Grub Street.

Happy new thread, Joe, and thanks for posting the BBC list! I'm also a big fan of Middlemarch and it's probably time for a reread. I was also delighted to see Mrs. Dalloway up there near the top - I'm leading a seminar on that starting in a few weeks and am really looking forward to it.

. Today’s Bargain: The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan for $1.99 on e-readers. . Our birder friend Mark gave this one a thumbs-up. I was tempted at the much higher price. At this price it’s a no-birdbrainer.

>60 kac522:. Thanks for responding, Kathy. At least Villette doesn’t have a thumbs-down rating from you. I’m finding it sedate and soothing so far. They didn’t race around like we do in the 21st. I’m not spiffy with my French; I hope I have good translations, as you say. We’ll see.

New Grub Street snagged me because of that title, and it sounded interesting when I read about it. I’ve not read George Gissing before. From what I’ve read, it’s viewed as his best novel. What fun this list is turning out to be!

>61 h_here:. Hi, Hellena. Thank you for the happy thread wishes, and you’re welcome for the BBC book list. Isn’t it a good ‘un? After all these years, it’s my favorite. There are a lot of books on it that I’ve enjoyed, and a lot I’m now curious about. Middlemarch at the top, with the two VWs following, is really cool, as is Wodehouse squeaking in at the end.

Oh my, I’m sure I’m not the only one wishing I could attend your Mrs. Dalloway seminar. Is any of it accessible online? Mrs. Dalloway is the first VW I truly enjoyed. The other one so far is A Room of One’s Own. As I said, I need to read my goddaughter’s favorite, The Waves.

If anything thread-appropriate is said at the seminar, or you think of something you’d like to share about the book, and time permits, would you please let us know?

Hi Joe! A Room of One's Own is great - I've also really enjoyed Woolf's essays in The Common Reader which can be a nice way to dip in and out of her writing. Interested to hear what you think of the The Waves!

The seminar isn't published anywhere online unfortunately, but the nonprofit organization I volunteer with is called the Catherine Project. They do free great books seminars on a semester-ish basis - there's a brief application but it's pretty straightforward and they're definitely geared towards laypeople who just have a strong interest in the classics (like me!). You can take a look at what they've got going on this spring and get on their mailing list for the next semester, and of course let me know if you have any questions. I'll definitely report back on our Mrs. Dalloway reading as well.

>64 h_here: Hi, Hellena. Thanks for The Common Reader suggestion for VW essays. Wasn’t A Room of One’s Own well done?

Huh, the Catherine Project is new to me. I shall check it out. I’ve enjoyed a Jane Austen educational project out of the Carolinas along the way. Have fun leading the way on Mrs. Dalloway (I’m sure you will!) and TIA for reporting back.😀

Today’s Bargain: Mona Lisa Overdrive by my favorite living sci-fi author, William Gibson, for $1.99 on e-reader.

This concludes the Sprawl Trilogy that begins with Neuromancer, but it also can be read on its own. Two girls get drawn into a cyberspace battle involving corporations and high tech outlaws, the Yakuza, and a mysterious AI.

Monday’s Bargain: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak for $2.99 on e-readers.. An enduring, outstanding modern classic. Over 1.6 million 5 star ratings on Goodreads.

>44 jnwelch: I’m pretty sure I’ve read all of Claire Keegan’s books and yes, I did see Small Things Like These and thought it was excellent. Also narrated Foster many years ago for the Library of Congress. It was published in a compilation of the best short stories of that year and was my introduction to Claire Keegan.

I’ve been an audiobook narrator for 31 years now, so long ago that when I started, audiobooks were not mainstream as they are now. So driving to and from the studio where I worked in New Hampshire, I naturally listened to audiobooks … (on CDs from the library!) And Juliet Stevenson is the absolute gold standard. Listening to her, I learned how to modulate my voice when speaking as the narrator, rather than a character, and her subtle changes when switching from male to female characters were a revelation to me. I’ve long considered her to be my own private tutor!

Woo, if you haven’t seen del Toro’s Frankenstein movie, I heartily recommend it. I’m thrilled - finally a movie that is faithful to the complex, thought-provoking book! (Some differences, of course). An articulate creature who holds up a mirror to us and asks, who is the monster? Jacob Elordi, a young actor, is terrific as the creature. Easy to see why he and the film were Oscar-nominated.

>69 jnwelch:
I may have to see this movie. I thought that Frankenstein was one of the best books I have ever read. Your one-line review of the movie is also a great review of the book.

>68 NarratorLady:. Hiya, Anne. Hat off to you for reading all of Claire Keegan’s books; I’m headed in that direction. I just read her disquieting Antartica short story in the collection of that name. I’m glad you have seen the movie adaptations. I recently saw Cillian Murphy in another modest and great film called “Steve”, in which he’s the head of a school for troubled kids.

Yeah, the role of audiobooks has increased so much in prominence since I started as a bookseller. Graphic novels, too, I’m happy to say. Your studio is in New Hampshire - how great. I’m imagining bucolic.

Juliet Stevenson as the gold standard - love it. I will make a point of hearing her narrate. What a great “tutor” you must have. I’d like to find one of yours, too.

Happy Mid-week to you! I hope the winter isn’t too harsh where you are. Both my sisters moved to California; I’d miss the seasons too much.

The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather for $1.99 on e-readers.. A very different Cather book; small town Thea strives to be a world -renowned opera star. A memorable addition to your Cather collection.

Morning, Joe...got a Kindle deal for ya. The Man Who Spoke Snakish, and Estonian fantasy novel/cultural juggernaut, is only $2.99 now! I've finally written my review after who-knows-how-long because I have to shed tree-books and that's one I'm deaccessioning.

Stay warm, and de-ICE!

>73 richardderus:. Thanks for the heads-up, RD. I’ll have to check out you review of The Man Who Some Snakish.

It’s actually warming up some her, thank goodness, after a long stretch of chill. In a week we’re going to Costa Rica for a welcome change of pace that includes muchos pajaros and sloths, too.

>74 jnwelch: Eat some chavirre while you're there. It's a melon, whitish-green, with supersweet moist flesh...tastes a bit like dates.

>73 richardderus: Oh....excellent. That has been on my shelf for yonks, and your review will probably tell me whether I actually want to read it.

>76 laytonwoman3rd:. Hi, Linda.👍

>76 laytonwoman3rd: I really recommend it, Linda3rd!

>77 jnwelch: :-)

Today’s Bargain: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie for $1.99 on Kindle.. Our daughter’s favorite and, IMO, her best.

>79 jnwelch: absolutely the best! Top three books of all time😊

>80 seasonsoflove:. Love it! Thanks, Hon. ❤️

Sweet Thursday, Joe. Glad you snagged a copy of the Amy Tan book. Maybe this will inspire you to put up some feeders in your wonderful backyard. 😜

I was not familiar with Bronte's Villette. Thanks for putting it on my radar. As you can tell, I am loving The Wayfinder. Since you have a copy, I sure hope you can bookhorn it in. So was Adriana a fan?

I also really liked the latest adaptation of Frankenstein and I agree with you on Jacob Elordi. Have you read Hamnet? That was also an excellent film adaptation from a great book.

Thoughts on this big Bulls shake-up? Wow!

>79 jnwelch: Oo, that is a bargain! I agree with Becca on this one.

.>83 alcottacre:. Right, Stasia? Such a good one.

Today’s Bargain: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots for $1.99 on e-readers.. “Fiendishly clever”, as the blurb says. A propulsive challenge to superhero worship and the casual acceptance of collateral damage.

Happy Saturday, Joe. I hope your treating Debbi like a queen today. 🎂

>86 msf59:. Ha! Thanks, Mark. I am indeed treating her like a queen. I’ll text you a photo of her enjoying her birthday. Last night we kicked off birthday weekend with dinner at Shaw’s Crab House, so I’m in her good graces for a little while. Her plan is birthday weekend turns into birthday week turns into birthday month. So I need to be on my toes.

We were talking about book narrating, and DIL Adriana is headed to New York to narrate her new book The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War. She talked the publisher (Scribner’s) into it, and I think it’s so cool. She’s ridden the heights as a slam poet, and has a great performing voice. This should be a great audio book.

Joe - More Congratulations to Adriana and hope she introduces a Column like Robert Reich.

I'm reading off my Save Shelves and found and in two nights read THE BOOK OF JOE!

Back it will go on the Save Shelf and I will search out the best reviewed Jonathan Tropper on Thrift.
(My old reviews ranged form 5 to 2.)

Remembering that both you and Mark liked Jazz, you may be inspired by my book and website listings
on the Non-Fiction thread for February.

>89 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. I know Adriana will be writing in some form; she's so darn good at writing her column that I hope she continues with it in some form, too. We'll see.

The Book of Joe certainly has an attractive title, doesn't it. I wonder whether there'll ever be a book titled Joe's Book Cafe. If so, that'd be a hard one to resist. I'm not familiar with Jonathan Tropper, but the book's description certainly sounds interesting. Returning to your original hometown after burning a whole lot of bridges, hmm. I've never been a bridge- burner, so it'd probably be good to get a different perspective.

I'm nearing the end of Villette, and it has been far from a two night read. As I said to Mark, they don't write them like this anymore. A rich, insightful, contemplative, unceasing cascade of words that could just keep going forever, although I know I'm nearing river's end. Is anyone else trying books off that BBC list? I know I'll be returning to it.

Thanks for your heads-up on your Nonfiction thread listings.

Today’s Bargain: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney for $1.99 on e-readers. If you missed this one, it’s definitely worth your spare change. The titular 85 year old poet wanders Manhattan’s streets, visiting favorite spots and reflecting on her life. Captivating.

>90 jnwelch: Joe - for Nonfiction Challenge , you have to scroll up a bit as many people continued with January entries - very confusing.

^^^^^

Once you get past the first sentence (!) in THE BOOK OF JOE, you will find many 5 Star Joe tales!

Madame MBH (Debbi), shown here picking apples at her aunt's place in western Massachusetts, is celebrating her birthday this weekend. We plan to extend that through the end of this month.

Hijo and the nietos.

>93 jnwelch: >94 jnwelch:. Great pictures! Happy celebrations. There should be a book titled Joe’s Book Café

>85 jnwelch:
I read Hench and enjoyed the book. If you like funny novels that make a point by not making one, this is for you. If you like books about super heroes this is for you. If you like books about culture and taking a good look at that culture this book is for you. At this price, I would say just buy it and read it. It is a fun rollicking read.

Great street art up there ..... always with a visit here for the street art you post 🤓

Today’s Bargains: Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Allan Bradley, each gor $1.99 on e-readers.

The first is a moving novel about a shy girl who loses one close friend only to unexpectedly find another who changes her life. Really well done.

The second is thecstart of a beloved mystery series featuring precocious 12 year old detective Flavia de Luce.

>98 jnwelch: Both of these are delightful reads.

Hi Joe. I posted this on my thread but thought to let you know, as well, in case you weren't aware:

A reminder that tonight on PBS at 9 o'clock, the documentary The Librarians will air. I saw it in the theatre when it first came out but I may watch it again. It is, in my opinion, a thought-provoking, disturbing but very important film.

>94 jnwelch: Every time I see an image of those two incredibly beautiful grandchildren, I smile! Their blue eyes are stunning. And, they seem to always smile.

>100 jessibud2: Deeply, deeply disturbing, very angering, and upsetting to me.

Hi Joe!

>102 richardderus: - Agreed, Richard, but important nonetheless. In the end I did not watch it again. I chose to catch the skating events of the Olympics and read. Far better for my mental health!

>103 jessibud2: Awomen.

>95 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. I’m glad you’re enjoying those photos.

Maybe we could collect all the Joe’s Book Cafe threads into book form? We’ve certainly all been brilliant and entertaining and insightful, haven’t we?

>96 benitastrnad:. Thanks for those additional thoughts and your endorsement of Hench, Benita. De acuerdo. Pay heed, cafe patrons! It’s a good ‘un.

>97 roundballnz:. Is that you, Alex? Feels like it’s been a while? Good to have you back, buddy.

Isn’t that street art loverly? Is street art a thing in your upside down part of the world? I bet it is. Sure improves the cityscapes.

>99 ffortsa:. Aren’t Tell the Wolves and Sweetness at the Bottom delightful reads, Judy?

Sometimes I just plain feel lucky to be a reader. And if I somehow lost my sight, I’d just move to audiobooks. And if I then lost my hearing, I’d learn Braille. And if I then lost my sense of touch? Jeez Louise. I’d be quite the unlucky guy, but we’d figure something out.

>100 jessibud2:. Oh man, thanks, Shelley. Slowpoke Joe missed your timely tip on the documentary The Librarians, but I’ll see if I can find it. Some disturbing elements, eh? I’m guessing book banning and moves to cut off funding? Like the amazing national parks, the public libraries are something collectively we really did right.

>101 Whisper1:. Ha! Thanks, Linda. Rafa and Fini are a happy couple of mini-galoots. Reminds me of Debbi being asked what kind of dog she’d like to be if she could pick. Her answer: “Juli and Don’s”. Juli and Don are our neighbors who pick great dogs and raise them so well. Why do I mention it? If asked what kind of child I’d want to be, it would be very tempting to answer, “Adriana and Jesse’s”. There’s a reason those two cute nietos are so happy. 😀

>102 richardderus:. Hmm. Now I’m really intrigued by that Librarians documentary, Richard. Incurred your ire, hmmm.

>103 jessibud2:. Allright, now I know to follow the documentary with Olympic skating. Wssn’t that American ice dancing couple beautiful to watch? Chalk and Bake, or something like that - married.

Jeez, i think of libraries as peaceful, benign places. What has you two riled up?

>104 richardderus:. I’m genuflecting Buddhist-style now, Richard. (But how does one do that?)

Villette by Charlotte Bronte. . This is my first one off that BBC list up top, and it won’t be my last. What a long, lovely, tranquil boat ride down her river of words. As I said to brother Mark, they don’t write like this these days. Her writing isn’t economical in the least, but it’s not verbose either. Hard to think of an artist to compare her to, maybe Bruegel the Elder, with lots of beautiful detail from many walks of life.

Lucy Snowe is a brave young impoverished woman who decides to leave England and seek a new life in France, while not knowing anyone there, or how to speak French(!). It reminded me of my early 20s, when I hitchhiked around the country with little money but faith I’d make do wherever I decided to go. She’s intelligent and resourceful, and receives some fortunate (minor) help in her journey, ending up at a school for young ladies in the town of Villette, where her knowledge of English and ability to learn French is put to use.

She’s not a beauty, and is eclipsed at times by girls who are, but she has great integrity and poise, which win her friends over time. She is the book’s main attraction, along with her and the author’s insights into other characters as Lucy builds a life. Will she find true happiness, one way or another? As I now know, the book is famous for, among other things, giving a bit of a reader’s choice resolution at the end. You’ll see what I mean.

As Kathy warned, there are snippets and swatches of untranslated French. In my edition, there were translations in Notes after the book’s ending, but that was kind of bittersweet after having finished it without them. I used my schoolboy French and the context for most of it, with Google translate where appropriate.

>107 jnwelch: - Joe, I have such admiration for all those who stood up and spoke up. It wasn't only in Florida and Texas, sadly, but the right wing, ignorant homophobic crazies are all about as intelligent as trump and only slightly more coherent. I feel most sorry for the children who have to grow up in such a restrictive, tunnel-vision environment and all that they will miss out on, and have access to learn and know. I'd say it ought to be illegal, what is going on there, but under this current criminal regime, *legal* is a term that apparently no longer has much meaning. This is what I find so disturbing. I am not naive enough to think it can't (and hasn't) happen here but so far, our extremists aren't quite as bad as those Texas and Florida extremists, when it comes to book banning. Did you happen to catch the segment on 60 Minutes this past Sunday? (I believe it was a repeat because I know I've seen it before). It was an interview with Margaret Atwood. I am not a fan of her writing, generally speaking, I'll admit, but she is nothing if not a straight shooter when it comes to what she thinks of book banning.

Isola by Allegra Goodman. Good but not great story of parentless Marguerite growing up spoiled by her rich circumstances, but still good-hearted, in a medieval castle-type setting. That's until her guardian uncle sells her lands and takes her on a journey to the New World - Canada. After perceived misbehavior, she ends up left on an empty stony island where she overcomes her coddled upbringing and survives under animal and weather duress. She finally makes her way back to France and is reunited with her dear friend Claire, and all turns out well. I think others enjoyed this more than I did. The writing was fine. the story didn't take off for me like it must have for others.



The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. An epistolary novel. The life of in-her-70s Sybil Van Antwerp, as revealed in letters to and from her, and some unsent ones. She mentors a brilliant but socially inept teenage boy, who lives with her when things are their worst. She spars with her daughter Fiona, both of them longing for a better relationship but can’t figure out how to get it. She reveals all - almost all - to her best friend Rosalie, who has exchanged letters with her since they were little girls. Sybil lost her young son under heart-rending circumstances that broke her family apart and caused her husband to leave her. Now, at her advanced age, she finds herself caught between two men who both want her. And she unexpectedly learns she has a closely similar sister in Scotland she knew nothing about.. Well done and worthy of the popularity it has attained, mainly through word of mouth. Sybil is someone you'll want to meet and come to know.

>107 jnwelch: Oof. Needless to say, i abhor book banning, too. The only silver lining is it often causes more people to read the book than might otherwise happen. it show such an unhealthy, counter-productive distrust of our children and teachers. As most here would say, I imagine, my parents let me read whatever I picked, and whatever my teacher assigned, in my liberal town of Ann Arbor. I'm all the better for it. I wonder whether there's ever been a study of people raised my way vs. people raised the TX/FLA way. there are so many variables it may not be possible.

I will say this much: I'll bet dollars to donuts that those favoring book banning are the same Christians that don't follow Christ's teachings that we encounter elsewhere. (Maga is chock full of them).

We've got to outnumber them and outsmart them. It's daunting, but there's no way around it.

PS - I LOVED The Correspondent :-)

>111 jnwelch: Ditto, Shelley. Did I do The Correspondent justice? Anything you'd add?

>111 jnwelch: Ditto, Shelley. Did I do The Correspondent justice? Anything you'd add?

A Bride's Story by Kaouru Mori







I'm on the 12th volume (the newest) of this outstanding series about life along the Silk Road in the 19th century. There's a young British photographer/explorer, there are Russians contemplating land grabs, but mainly the tale centers on life within the many tribes of the time, a time now long gone. Kaoru Mori's attention to historical detail, and her storytelling skill, combined with her extraordinary drawing prowess, make this one of my favorite graphic series ever. Last I knew, Crazymamie's daughters, especially artistic Abby, were also fans. Worth your giving the first volume a try to see what you think. Some minimal, appropriate nudity in the middle of the series,, but otherwise safe for family consumption.

>113 jnwelch: (and >114 jnwelch:) - Just that I loved how the layers peeled back to reveal the many facets of Sybil. Some of which I did not see coming. I was very sad when the book ended.

I just started another book yesterday, not epistolary but rather, NF. It's Canadian and called Walking With Beth about the friendship between two women, one, 101 years old and the other, 71. One, looking back and the other, looking for guidance as she looks ahead. So far, I am loving it.

>116 jessibud2: Yes! I also loved how in The Correspondent the layers peeled back to reveal the many facets of Sybil. Some of which I didn't see coming either.

I seem to be coming across more well done novels these days featuring characters 0f advanced age wisdom, That's part of what appealed to me so much about When the Cranes Fly South. it mirrored to some extent what I went through with my elderly dad. Walking with Beth sounds like it might be another good one. Let me know what you think

I made quite a transition from the old-timey Villette to futuristic NYC with cop Eve Dallas and her hubby Roarke in Stolen in Death. I'm also continuing with Claire Keegan's excellent short stories in Antarctica.

>115 jnwelch: I’ve only read the volumes of Bride’s Story that my daughter owns, 6 I think. Lovely.

Joe = See 89 and 92 above = I'm having laugh out loud fun with Tropper's THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU
- opening with one of his vintage Holy Geez entries.

Also found PLAN B on Save Shelf, but can't remember it...
and ordered two others of his from Thrift.

(I usually only buy one NEW book every year - am wavering between THE BOUNDLESS DEEP
and RAISING HARE.

>119 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne, including for your patience with me. Idid answer >89 m.belljackson: in >90 jnwelch:. I’ll look at >92 m.belljackson: and this one and add more. Trying to grab some dinner!

>2 jnwelch: Many thanks for posting the BBC list of 100 books to read. I know I won't get to all of them, but I will try to get at least ten this year.

>121 Whisper1:. Oh good to hear, Linda. You’re welcome. Nice to have someone else taking advantage of that most excellent BBC list. I just read Villette off of it, and there’ll be more. I still can’t get myself to read Wuthering Heights; i feel like I know enough about the story and don’t need more.

Good luck with the ten. I’ll stop by to see what you think of them.

>119 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. You’re on a Tropper spree! Laugh out loud fun is a high tribute indeed. I used to get that with the early Stephanie Plums, which turned to chuckles as Evanovich stuck to the same formula. I don’t know Elizabeth Levy’s books, so I’ll wait to hear what you think of Raising Hare.

I can’t believe you only buy one new book a year! I love the library, but I don’t have anything close to that kind of discipline. I’m sure Levy would be honored to hear that you picked hers or The Boundless Deep.

>92 m.belljackson:. Lots of Five Star Joe tales - what’s not to like? Thaks for the NF Challenge tip.

>122 jnwelch: Yikes - This is where I leave you suddenly got way too serious. - no more laughs -
Sure hope Plan B lives up to Tropper's usual.

I order from Abe.com for all the oldies since the Library is too far away.

>123 m.belljackson:. Ah, gotcha, Marianne. The lower used book prices help a lot I’m sure. I’m still impressed with your new book discipline.

Good thing you already had a Plan B when Plan A didn’t work out.😀

Today’s Bargain: Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts for $1.99 on e-readers..

If you’re an Oz book fan, you’ll want to read this. This well done historical novel is built around author L. Frank Baum’s widow Maud. She is determined to make sure Baum’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz is respectfully adapted into the movie, and, after seeing the callous mistreatment of star Judy Garland, is equally determined to help her. The Baums’ lives are quite interesting, as is Letts’ portrait of 1930s Hollywood.

>93 jnwelch: Now there is a great idea on how to pick apples….a long stick. I will have to try that instead of the unruly tall ladder.

>94 jnwelch: Always good to see happy faces

>110 jnwelch: I can't wait to read the correspondent . I have a while to wait at the library. At least I have a few other books to read while I wait ;)

Happy Thursday!

Adriana’s newest article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, entitled “We Need More Book Critics, Not Fewer”

The Washington Post is closing its book section. As have other venerated newspapers. The Associated Press quietly eliminated books from their coverage a few months ago. As will we when this newspaper closes its doors in May.
The argument is that these sections get too few readers and, more importantly, bring in little advertiser money.
A few mainstream publications like The New York Times and The Atlantic will continue running book reviews, understanding the inherent cultural value in offering good book criticism. As will the serious magazines and smaller publications devoted to books.
People who love book reviews will flock to the publications that still publish them. But people who were only likely to encounter such a thing gracing the pages of their local newspaper will lose out.
Which is to say, the closing of the Washington Post book section, and the AP’s, and the other newspapers’, will not make us, or the books we read, smarter.
Take a look
As someone who got her start writing reviews and edits a book section, I’m heartbroken. As someone with a book coming out in the near future, I’m worried. As someone who cares deeply about accessible literary criticism, I’m gutted. I cannot tell you all the gems I’ve discovered reading the books section of my local newspaper, as well as places like the Washington Post.
I’ve always been a book nerd and an admirer of good book critics. There are a handful of book reviews that I keep bookmarked, so that I may reread them for the sheer joy of the critic’s prose.
One of my favorites is Lionel Mordecai Trilling, with the great and imposing name, a Columbia professor who was first and foremost a literary critic. He was also one of the most beloved public intellectuals of the mid-1900s, and someone who cared deeply about books.
His words about art in general apply to today’s readers. “At the present time art cannot be said to make exigent demands upon the audience,” he noted in his book “Sincerity and Authenticity,” published in 1972. “The audience likes or does not like, is pleased or not pleased — the facility of ‘taste’ has reestablished itself at the center of the experience of art.”
Trilling is castigating us for reducing all art to something to be consumed instead of wrestling with its possible meanings. To be a book critic is to be in conversation with the book, letting it speak in its own voice as well as in dialogue with the audience reading the review.
To reduce the number of easily accessible prominent cultural wrestlers will make our taste dumber, less willing to endure those “exigent demands.” Few will engage an art form that ever fewer are willing to take to the mat. We will gravitate toward what is easier to be understood and consumed.
It’s in a book
Good critics can be trusted precisely because they have a discernment that allows us to turn to them as arbiters of what is worthy of our time. I like to read book reviews after I’m done with reading, so I may argue with the critic and thus test my own opinion.
Others like to read a review beforehand, getting a sense of whether or not the time-and-page commitment is for them. I love both approaches.
To be clear, books are not dying. Given the surge of self-publishing, there are more and more books available to every reader than ever before. And Americans are still buying $1 billion in books a year, even if data suggests they aren’t reading them.
An estimated 2.6 million books are published annually. For an individual title to stand out, aside from a massive financial investment in a book tour and marketing, it has to be talked about. It has to become a part of the conversation.
Book review sections in newspapers used to anchor those conversations and often begin them. A beloved reviewer could make or break an author’s debut. Now, at places like the Post, they won’t.
Ways to grow
Newspapers had another important thing going for them: They were pretty objective and diverse in their critics. People of all backgrounds and many different points of view wrote book reviews.
There was something fun about seeing major critics in major newspapers disagree about a book, oftentimes using the same quotes to prove their points. Art was being wrestled with, before our very eyes. What a treat!
There is an irony to Jeff Bezos, who began as a book seller, getting rid of the books section of the Washington Post. People who read will continue to buy too many books — sadly, probably on Amazon instead of their local bookstore — while the people who don’t will have plausible deniability.
After all, how can one find a good book critic in the wild if there is no wild anymore

>124 jnwelch: Plan B, Jonathan Tropper's first effort, was overlong, overworked, and not at all funny!
Though, it did have a sweet ending...

^^^^^^^^

I'm hoping for redemption from books coming in the mail
and,
even better, returning to Saves upstairs,
I found Four Richard Powers Books!

Starting with the evocative cover photograph for Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance -
the first chapter is memorable enough to read again - just in case the rest of the book isn't that perfect.

>126 figsfromthistle:. Hi, Anita. That nifty apple-picking stick has a hinged basket up top that you close around the apple you’re picking (via a trigger in the handle). That really helps with the ones that cling. We had fun apple-picking to help out. Luckily she only has a few apple trees. Her aunt’s up the hill/mountain from Bartlett’s Apple Orchard in Richmond, MA. They have the best apple cider donuts ever.

We love those smiling faces of Rafa and Fina. Believe it or not, they get glum and aggravated sometimes (no, really?!) but the storm usually passes pretty quickly.

Debbi is going to read the Correspondent, too. I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Sweet Thursday!

Touchstones are recalcitrant today. I tried to link to the Steinbeck book for Sweet Thursday.

>128 m.belljackson:. Wish Plan B had been better for you, Marianne.

Oh, I’m a Richard Powers fan, as you know. I’m working my way through his backlist. The Overstory, Bewilderment and Playground were recent ones I liked. What hidden treasure you found! Let me know what you think of Three Farmers and the others.

Adriana got a starred review from Booklist for The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War:

https://www.booklistonline.com/products/9817998

She’s also the May book in Roxanne Gay’s book club. It’s all starting. Here we go!

>130 jnwelch: Joe - buy THREE FARMERS just for the cover = a novel in itself!

Richard Powers first book.

^^^^^^
Minocqua Brewery has a compelling headline:

"Wanna fight ICE? Go to Church!"

It discloses all the Religious leaders in Milwaukee uniting to march against ICE.

>127 jnwelch: - As always, excellent. Articulate, to the point, but sadly, the ones who most need to heed her warnings, won't. Those of us who read, as she said, will find our way to those who write (including critics and reviewers) but a huge swath of those who need what is now missing, won't. And that is the tragedy.

>127 jnwelch: I feel physical nausea contemplating the world the tech scum, the religious fascists, and the authoritarians want to summon into being. Are we, the readers and writers about reading, the Western Roman educated elite watching our culture disintegrate, break apart, slide into the abyss of ignorance? Or are we the wild-eyed passionate scholars of Cairo, Baghdad, Timbuktu in the 700s building our universities to serve humanity, especially the unborn?

I saw a depressing, but unnerving, observation the other day on (I think) YouTube: Is ours the bridge generation between the old heights and the new lows destined to be the Irish monks fanning flickering flames?

I want urgently not to be correct about either, and thus for things to muddle along. Increasingly it feels that is not the case as I watch horrors being trumpeted as saving the world.

Joe - Joining the February Birthdays on Friday the 13th...

From Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler:

"Because I'm eighty-two years old. That's why."

Today’s Bargain: The Man Who Tasted Words by Guy Leschziner for $1.99 on e-readers. A PW-recommended book on how the brain functions and misfunctions. Even before my stroke I was a sucker for brain books, and fascinated by synesthesia. I think it’s also why I’m fascinated by neurodiversity/autism.

>135 m.belljackson:. Happy Birthday, Marianne!🎂👏💙👯‍♀️😻🎉🍧👏❣️

Enjoy your day! Maybe a visit to a bookstore? That’s what I often do.😃

>137 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe!

The bookstore came to me - my side of the kitchen table is overflowing
with miniature trains and their tracks rolling onto books!

Linda may help send a photo.

>133 jessibud2: i know, why doesn’t everyone love books as much as we do, Shelley? I bet the world would be a much better place if they did. Of course, I’m the same guy who wants all our favorite foods to be healthy and good for us. Eat more sugar! It’s so good for you!

Yeah, we’ll all find book reviews. Newspapers are disappearing, period, and I’m sorry to see that happen. I guess it’s all going to be a battle for eyes online, much of it free. Buddhism says I need to accept everything and let go, but easier said than done.😀

>135 m.belljackson:. Here’s a guy who accepts everything and lets it go, even if there’s some howling and gnashing of teeth. Good morning, Richard!

Hopefully we’re all preservers, not fiddlers as it burns down. If there are enough of us and we’re loud enough, we’ll still have unfettered universities and libraries - and reviewers. If there isn’t, it may be clandestine Fahrenheit 451- type groups, doing their best.

The Kindle version of Someone to Run With, a novel by the acclaimed Israeli novelist David Grossman, is on sale for $2.99 today. I had a $1.50 credit, so I only paid $1.49 when I downloaded it this morning. It has an average rating of 4.08 stars on LibraryThing.

>140 kidzdoc:. Good to know about Someone to Run With, Darryl, thanks.

P.S. It looks good! I’ll add it to the tbr.

Here’s a NYTimes article about Haruki Murakami’s writing that I really enjoyed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/books/haruki-murakami-profile.html?smid=nytco...

A friend sent it to me free of subscription requirements, so I’m hoping it’s that way for you.

>139 jnwelch: I badly do not want to live in the fireman's world. But here I am....

Weekend-ahead's orisons!

>125 jnwelch: I understand you thoughts on re-reading Wuthering Heights. Both Netflix and Hulu seem to cover this often. However, Jane Eyre is at the top three of my all-time favorite books. I never tire of this story.

Today’s Bargain: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery for $1.99 on e-readers.. Both the cantankerous concierge of a Paris apartment building and a quiet 12 year old girl living there have depths that they hide from others. A kind, sophisticated Japanese man arrives and uncovers those depths, and an unlikely and lovely friendship endues. A beautiful book.

>145 Whisper1:. Oh, I love this one, Linda, as you knew I would. Who’s the illustrator?

>144 Whisper1:. I love Jane Eyre, Linda, and I imagine that will be a re-read at some point. We saw an excellent play adaptation of it at the National Theater in London, with a memorable portrayal of the madwoman in the attic in a flaming (!) red dress.

>143 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. Ditto.

The next week and a half will be spent in Costa Rica (!) with a National Geographic tour. So it’ll be orisonal for sure, I’m hoping.

I’ve started Poisonwood Bible. Aspersions? Enconiums? Mehs?

As I mentioned to RD, we fly to Costa Rica today for 10 days. Yippee! So I won’t be on LT as often.

>118 quondame:. I missed this one, Susan. I’m so glad you got to see the first six Bride Storys. Aren’t they lovely? This is #15, and I’m hooked for the duration. Mori’s impressive drawing skills only seem to get better. I wish I could hang one or two large ones in our house.

>148 jnwelch: Safe travels, Joe.

>147 jnwelch: Safe journey, lovely visit, and a happy homecoming to y'all!

Have a great trip, Joe!

Have a wonderful trip, Joe!

>58 jnwelch: No, the winter hasn't been bad here. The spring blooms are starting!

Thank you, Kathy, Richard, Shelley and Meg. I’m glad winter hasn’t been too hard on you, Meg.

Today’s Bargain: Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell for $1.99 on e-readers. . I love books by and about booksellers. This one features a used books store in Scotland.

Joe - Stay Safe! Peace, Marianne

>108 jnwelch: I very much enjoyed Villette when I read it years ago. I probably need to re-read it since it has been at least 10 years since I read it the first time.

>110 jnwelch: I have read Isola and am dodging that BB. I really need to get to The Correspondent!

>127 jnwelch: What a great article about such a sad occurrence. While I admit that I do not read newspapers or their book sections, they are so very important to those who do!

>146 jnwelch: I love that one! I recently re-read it.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Joe!

>154 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. We’re with a National Geographic group and feel quite safe. Peace is permeating our fibers as we relax here. Everyone has been so friendly!

>155 alcottacre:. Hi, Stasia. Good to hear about Villette. I really enjoyed it, too. Unlike anything else I’ve read. What beautiful, flowing writing, and i was pulling for the intrepid Lucy.

I was one of those who was not enchanted by Isola. Meh from me, unfortunately. But The Correspondent! Well, methinks you’ll love it. Debbi and I sure did. I read an interview with the author and liked a lot her and her journey to publication.

Wasn’t The Elegance of the Hedgehog a beaut? What a cool friendship.

We did have a terrific Tuesday, thanks. Hard not to here. I hope you did, too.

Tomorrow we start the hiking and learning and agogging. Hoping for a perezoso (sloth) or two along the way. Debbi’s fascinated by them, as am I. Zootopia 2 has a wonderful scene in which sloths are running the DMV. Perfect.😀

Today’s Bargains: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett for $1.99 and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick for $2.99 on e-readers.

The first is the noir classic, and the second is the basis for the Blade Runner movie by a sci-fi master.

I hope some of you can follow along on Facebook. Debbi’s posting photos, videos and a few remarks every night. We’re having a most excellent time. Yesterday was featured an amazing group of 20-30 spider monkeys Tarzan - ing through the tree tops, occasional with long, long drops before grabbing another branch, capuchins, howler monkeys, iguanas, a shy sloth, crocodile-like Caymans, a host of lovely birds with mor egrets than I’ve ever seen, and more wonders of nature as we quietly made our way down the river.

>158 jnwelch: I'm enjoying Debbi's photos and videos. I didn't recognize the bats until she took a close up photo of them, as they blended so well with the color of the trees.

>158 jnwelch: Por favor post photos here for those who don't use Facebook!

Gracias!

>147 jnwelch:
I read Poisonwood Bible many years ago for a real life book club (about 25 years ago) and loved it. I remember the coup in the Congo back in the early 1960's because my Aunt was a graduate of Wheaton College. There were lots of her classmates in The Congo as Christian missionaries. One of her dorm sisters was one of the people rescued from the American Embassy by helicopter. When you are a small child you remember when the adults in your life are worried and we had a special prayer session for her safe rescue at my church. Poisonwood Bible gave me an entire different way of looking at this historical incident and caused me to think about that entire CIA led coup in a totally different way. For that reason I think that Poisonwood Bible is a very important work of fiction and one of the important books in my life.

>160 m.belljackson:. Maybe I’ll do some after we get back, Marianne.

>159 kidzdoc:. I know, Darryl, it was hard for all of us. Our guide is unbelievably good at spotting the smallest (and biggest, and evrrything in between) things. I hope you also saw the spider monkey videos of them flying through the trees. 20- 30 of them traveling together. Wow!

>161 benitastrnad:. Fascinating, Benita. That’s the kind of special connection that would’ve helped me a lot with Poisonwood Bible. Without it, I’m struggling to enjoy the book, although I like the little girls. And their older sister.

Happy Sunday, Joe. It sounds like you are having a fantastic time in C.R. Enjoy every minute, my friend. I have really been enjoying Debbi's FB posts.

>164 msf59:. Hey, buddy. Same time zone, but somehow it turned into Monday here. Happy Monday!

Such a great day yesterday, ending among the treetops on those long hanging bridges. So great. My favorite place to be so far. I could live there, among the howler monkeys. Didn’t see your favorite resplendent bird, unfortunately.

Today we’re among the mangroves. Shorts weather. Checked Chicago weather: “Feels like 6F”. Oof. You’ll still probably have some young looneytunes wearing shorts.😀

I made a special pilgrimage to Ann Patchett's bookstore in Nashville. I managed to buy 4 new books from the store and left them over $100.00. I loved the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR. It was fantastic and worth a visit. It would be a day's drive for you but you would love it.

>165 jnwelch: Sloth Photos?!?

>166 benitastrnad:. Sounds great, Benita. Anything noteworthy to say about AP’s bookstore? We’ve talked about making that pilgrimage. Glad you enjoyed the museum. I wish more successful authors would open bookstores. It would be nice to have more independents with financial resources behind them.

>167 m.belljackson:. Request noted, Marianne. Sloths after we get back. But I recommend borrowing a friend’s Facebook account. I can’t post videos here, and Debbi has a knockout one of a sloth crossing a grassy area to get to a different tree.

Today’s Bargain: Say Nothing by Patrick Keefe for $1.99 on e-readers.. Probably my favorite NF in the last decade, along with Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson, about scientist Jennifer Duda and the amazement that is gene editing. Say Nothing features the mysterious kidnapping of a mother in Northern Ireland, the story of which Keefe expertly threads through an exploration of the Troubles. Beautifully structured and written.

Another Bargain: The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge, a Hugo-winning sci-fi-er that I remember fondly, for $1.99 on e-readers. On Tiamat the Winter colonists are pitted against the Summer primitives as transition looms, and galactic politics play their part. A classic of high quality.

Yet Another Bargain: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin for $1.99 on e-readers.. Our daughter’s favorite book ever. 16 people gather for the reading of Samuel Westing’s will; they learn they can become rich if they successfully play his game. Full of wordplay, tricky twists and humor. A great fun read.

I also visited the Pea Ridge National Battlefield and now I have to go back and read Rifles For Watie by Harold Keith. It is a Civil War novel that won the Newbery Medal in 1957 and part of the book takes place at the Battle of Pea Ridge. I really need to stop taking these trips because they just add to my reading list.

>165 jnwelch: Hooray for Costa Rica! Sorry you didn't see the quetzal. We were lucky to see it in 2 places in Monteverde. I remember hearing and seeing the howler monkeys as they navigated across the treetops. We did not see any other monkeys.

ENJOY!!

>168 jnwelch: Thanks for advice on FB, Joe, but none of my family or friends have it -

and I gave it up after every Republican from Proviso West High School and Washington DC
decided to contact and convert me.

>172 m.belljackson:👍

>171 msf59:. Last day here, Mark. Lot of time helping a project to save the leatherback sea turtles here. Fascinating. We were the beach clean up crew, to make it easier for the mamas to dig and lay the eggs, and for the hatchlings to scramble to the ocean before they get picked off by a predator. Yesterday it was reforestration, which really caught our fancy, and with which we’re going to stay involved. Back home tomorrow.

>170 benitastrnad:. That’s what happens to avid readers, doesn’t it, Benita. Good for you. A Newberry winner is always of interest. We picked up a Spanish/English sea turtles tale to read to the grandkids when the time comes. We have a trip coming with them to Alaska in June.

We’re home safe and sound, and the weather is reasonable - athough we dropped 60F in making the return - from 91F to 31F!

It’s nice to be back after one heckuvan adventure. I finished Poisonwood Bible. I wasn’t the right reader for this one. Respect but no love. An abusive Christian zealot father in the Congo, trying to convert natives he has no interest in getting to know. A traumatized wife and four daughters trying to find their way in a dramatically different environment. Very well done; thoughtfully written; lots of quotable lines. A rarity from me, but I’m grateful I’m no longer reading it. I had heard/read it praised so many times that I felt I had to give it a go, but it was hard not to DNF it. That father was a unbudgeably committed nightmare. . One daughter admitted that she fantasized about setting his bed on fire and killing him, and would have done it, except her loving oppressed mother was in the same bed.

>174 jnwelch: I despise the kind of people in that book. Deeply.

Glad y'all're home safe and had such an excellent time in CR. Magical being in the process of bettering a place isn't it?

The Evening Darkens Over

By Robert Bridges

The evening darkens over
After a day so bright
The windcapt waves discover
That wild will be the night.
There’s sound of distant thunder.

The latest sea-birds hover
Along the cliff’s sheer height;
As in the memory wander
Last flutterings of delight,
White wings lost on the white.

There’s not a ship in sight;
And as the sun goes under
Thick clouds conspire to cover
The moon that should rise yonder.
Thou art alone, fond lover.

Your vacation posts sounded like you had a fabulous time on vacation. I'll have to try and picture what you described because I don't have access to the photos. Enjoy some downtime at home, Joe.

>175 richardderus:. I get it, RD. I found the Bible-blinded father particularly intolerable. His negative impact was extensive.

>177 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg, it was indeed a fabulous time. What a whirlwind of experiences. We woke up mighty early today and wondered why. Then we realized that’s what we did the whole time in Costa Rica , having breakfast and then off on adventures. Lectures, hands-on helping, meeting with the enthusiastic people making conservation, reforestration and wildlife preservation happen in Costa Rica. CR is 100% green energy - hydroelectric, solar, geothermal, windmills, and more. They take a lot of pride in being a world leader in environmental matters. If we had the will, of course, we could take a page from their book here.

>174 jnwelch: I had the same reaction to this one, Joe. So grim and awful. Blech.

>179 scaifea:. Oh, thanks, Amber. Much appreciated. I was puzzled to be disliking so much this oft-mentioned book, Poisonwood Bible. Ugh. I wish she’d relegated the father to a broom closet, and brought the full of potential mother to the forefront, with her instead of the father having emphasized impact on the girls. In other words, I wish she’d written a completely different book.😀

>180 jnwelch: Ha! That was definitely NOT the book for you, Joe. Luckily there are a few other books out there 🤭

Karen O

>180 jnwelch: *snork!* I agree 100%.

I think the comments you made about Poisonwood Bible are exactly the reason why the author wrote the book. The copyright date on it is 1990 and I think Kingsolver saw lots of what was coming in our cultural and political future and wanted to explore these nacissant movements to the right. She wondered where it came from and so she explored religious zealotry. That is essentially what the book is about. Readers are ment to hate the father. He is an evil character masquerading as a good person. A real hypocrit.

There is also the fact that the religious zeal hid the behind the scenes shinanigans that the CIA was doing in interferring the newely formed African nations. The Congo, the setting for this novel, was a case in point. Its first elected leader was assinated by the CIA. This left the country in turmoil and violence. That left the door open for the CIA to point a finger and say "'see, I told you so. These people can't govern themselves." I guess the real word to use to describe this novel might be hypocrisy.

I didn't like the father either, but I liked the novel. It is not an easy novel to read because it makes you think. The reader has to ponder and wonder why and how could things have been changed.

>183 benitastrnad: I agree with your thoughts on The Poisonwood Bible, Benita. I read it back when it was first published. I'd read other books about awful white westerners preaching their "values" in places they don't belong. I knew nothing about the political interference or, for that matter, Barbara Kingsolver. Having read much more of her writing since, and seeing the way she uses her gifts to illuminate these types of issues, I can see why she wrote this book. The father is absolutely awful but he's supposed to be, and overall I thought it was excellent. I wonder what I'd think of it now ... ?

>184 lauralkeet:
I wondered what I would think of it now, as well. However, I also know that they way I read it now would be influenced by what I thought about it then.

>181 klobrien2:. Ha! Thanks, Karen. Tell me about those other books. 😀.

I went directly from The Poisonwood Bible to an action thriller, Anti-Hero by Gregg Hurwitz, featuring Evan, the Nowhere Man. (Can’t find the book’s touchstone). It was very good, but sordid, involving the porn industry and sexual abuse. Not my favorite in the series, although I enjoyed the character development of the regulars. There’s a short review up there in my books-read list near the top. Now I’m reading The Crossroads by C.J. Box, the newest Joe Pickett mystery. Soon I’ll have The Poisonwood Bible washed right out of my hair, uh, scalp. The hair’s all gone, darn it.

>182 scaifea:. 😂. Kindred spirits, Amber. Thanks.

>183 benitastrnad:, >184 lauralkeet:, >185 benitastrnad:. Good points all, Benita and Laura. I knew, of course, that Kingsolver’s authorial choices were all deliberate and worthwhile, including the loathsome father. As I said, I was the wrong reader for this one.

I thought I'd read another Kingsolver, but apparently not. I’ll study up on what it’s about before I do read one. Her writing talent is undeniable. That’s also true, for example, of Rohinton Mistry, and I’ve never read another of his since A Fine Balance, a great book that also is the saddest book I’ve ever read.

Today’s Bargain: Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro for $1.99 on e-readers.. When people ask abot “the perfect novel”, I think of To Kill a Mockingbird and this one. What a remarkable book.

Costa Rica was gorgeous.

Spectacular photos!! So amazing to see wildlife in its normal place!

Karen O

Those pics look wonderful, Joe, except I wish I could unsee the last one...shudder...

Debbi and I before our hike up the Arenal volcano. In 1968 the warning signs were not understood, and many nearby villagers were killed when it blew. CR is on the Continental Divide, is about the size of West Virginia, and has aprox. 200 volcanoes, virtually all of which are now dormant. One result is deep, deep amounts of rich volcanic soil, fostering lush plant growth without the need for crop rotation to avoid soil depletion. Similar to Colombia, the fruits and fruit juices were staggeringly good. The tap water is drinkable there, too. Also, great coffee and hot chocolate. Colombians and Costa Ricans spar over who has the better coffee -we got to see that up close and personal, as one of our guides was Costa Rican and another Colombian. Very good-humored and funny.

>180 jnwelch: Exactly, Karen. What a thrill it was. Almost all the photos were taken by the talented Debbi on her phone camera. This is only a small sample of what she posted on Facebook. I wish I could post her videos here. The ones of the patient, slow-mo sloth and of 20-30 spider monkeys swinging Tarzan-like and racing together through the treetops are jaw-dropping.

>181 klobrien2:. Thanks, Shelley. The scary-looking Cayman is smaller than a crocodile and common in that area. Another one whose camouflage is very effective.

I’ll post some more tomorrow when time permits.

I'm still not gonna go poke a caiman in the chops, small or no. Those teeth are plenty big enough to do damage.

What fabulous vacation photos. The sloth video sounds epic! That's a lot of volcanoes!

This human life
Maggie Smith*

must look so small, undetectable even,
from the vantage point where I imagine

a god could see me, and I do sometimes
imagine a god like a sentient star

out beyond where our instruments
could find it, then I talk myself

out of the image. Out of the concept
entirely. From a distance, I know

I’m an ant tunneling my way
through sand between plastic panels,

watched—or not—from outside.
My puny movements on this planet,

all the things I’ve done or built
with my own body or mind, seem

like nothing at all. But from the inside
this life feels enormous, unlimited

by the self—by selfness—
vaster even than the sparkling

dark it can’t be seen from

* The poet who wrote the terrific poem “Good Bones”

>196 jnwelch: "vaster even than the sparkling dark it can’t be seen from" Oh this is wonderful.

>194 richardderus:. “Never poke a Cayman in the chops”. Words to live (!) by. Thanks, RD.

>195 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. It was indeed fabuloso. Kinda sorta what I thought we were getting ourselves into, but much, much more. Doing it with National Geographic turned out to be a real boon.

That’s a lot of volcanoes all right. What a fascinating part of the world. As I mentioned before, the country runs on 100% green energy, and they are so connected to nature.

I’ll post a sloth photo or two. I wish the video would work here.

A hanging bridge near the treetops, in the "cloud forest", my favorite part of the trip, even among a lot of highlights. i'd be happy to live up there if it were possible.



Looking way down.



That cool lady.



The view from above.

>197 quondame:. Isn’t that a great conclusion to the poem, Susan? I’m always happy to see a new one by her.

Great photos, Joe! The hanging bridge reminds me of one of my favorite (work-related) trips to Ghana, after which some friend-colleagues and I made a trip to the rain forest and did an anxiety-inducing but totally worth it trek across a series of bridges in the tree tops. Just unbelievably cool.

Costa Rica looks lovely. It’s somewhere i’ve always wanted to visit, but never got to.

Welcome home, Joe. Love the C.R. pics. Glad you included some birdies. I think we also stood at that Arenal rock. Beautiful region. I also loved the cloud forest in Monteverde.

Thanks for sharing the Maggie Smith poem. I planned on doing the same. A good one.

>201 katiekrug:. Thanks, Katie. Poor Debbi was quite worried about negotiating those hanging bridges before we got there, but was reassured once she saw how sturdily made they were. They came about because people living or working in those areas wanted a convenient way to travel to neighboring areas without having to go down and hike back up. There were howler monkeys living up there, but only one of the guides was successfully able to photograph one. Lots of photo-sharing is going on, so if it turns up I’ll post it.

>202 SandDune:. We can certainly recommend visiting Costa Rica, Rhian. I’ve yet to talk to anyone who didn’t enjoy it. Besides all the natural wonders and beauty, the people were very friendly. I was impressed with how proud they were of their country and concerned about taking proper care of it. The favorable exchange rate also is a draw. We became close with a couple of transplanted Londoners (to Wisconsin), and they indicated that Brits get more vacation time than USA-ians, and that CR is a popular destination.

>203 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. The abundance of interesting birds there must’ve had you jumping for joy. As you know from Facebook, we encountered a lot more than what I’ve posted here. If I get time today, I’ll post a few more photos from the trip, including sloth photos as Marianne specially requested.

Another good poem from Maggie Smith, right? Her Good Bones poem is one of my favorites ever. Divine inspiration.

>204 jnwelch: they indicated that Brits get more vacation time than USA-ians Oh definitely, legal minimum here for full-time employees is 28 days (including bank holidays), with many jobs offering more. I think I got 36 (which included the 8 bank holiday days) in my last job. And people are expected to take it - if they are unable to take the time off for exceptional circumstances through no fault of their own then the employer must carry forward days or pay out.

The last company I worked for (for reasons that are a complete mystery to me) introduced a U.S. H.R. package which failed miserably when it came to holiday. It couldn’t cope with the fact that a British worker starts to accrue holiday on day one of their employment (so it’s not uncommon for an employee to actually have a negative holiday balance depending on what time of the year they started) and women will also accrue holiday whilst on maternity leave.

Here’s Adriana’s newest column, about bookstores:

Battles and the booksellers

ADRIANA E. RAMÍREZ
Booksellers, publishers, press and other book-industry people mingle at the Feb. 25 Winter Institute Conference held by the American Booksellers Association in Pittsburgh. Bookstores have always been political sites of conflict, argues Adriana E. Ramírez.

By Adriana E. Ramírez
As a U.S. and Israeli-driven war in the Middle East that may change the world ramps up, it seems strange to care about books. But we have been telling stories as long as we have been conquering and defending civilizations, trying to make sense of the world that surrounds us, to understand how many have survived and made lives in the middle of extraordinary violence.
There is a natural relationship between literature and bloodshed, I suppose. Both are deeply invested in conflict. On the economic side of it all, books, and the bookstores that carry them, are cultural battle sites.
Bookstores are places of resistance, of banishment, with sections devoted to women, children, ethnic and affinity groups. Bookstores are woke, or decidedly unwoke, by nature, inherently concerned with the possibilities contained in human expression and taxonomy.
Bookstores host authors, book clubs and other gatherings intended to discuss literature, militant in their devotion to new ideas. I know of a bookseller from Seattle who hosts workshops on avoiding arrests while protesting.
Another from Brooklyn works with nonprofits to subsidize books for children. A bookseller here in Pittsburgh owns a mobile bookstore that caters to often-neglected neighborhoods.
Anytime booksellers are together, the conversations cannot help but be political, even at an industry conference, a location that normally exists to discuss topics like “eCommerce trends” and “Building Your Bookstore’s Media Presence.” But bookstores being bookstores, the political cannot be helped — bookstores are sites of inherent opposition, containing too many opinions to be neutral on anything.
All my books are on loan
Last week, the American Booksellers Association held its Winter Institute Conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
While the Winter Institute is an industry conference with standard industry panels and discussions (even on eCommerce), it also features several dozen authors, all selected by their publishers, prepared to highlight their work and autograph their manuscripts.
As one can imagine, a booksellers conference is full of books. The galley room alone was a thrill, with special-edition covers for the conference itself and hundreds of titles available to take home for free.
I ran into the co-owner of White Whale Bookstore in Bloomfield, Adlai Yeomans. We took a minute to geek out about the titles on display. There were books about war, about gender, about love, about battles internal and external, conflicts won and lost.
“So,” I asked him, “this feels like it’s an industry conference, a publisher’s showcase, a fan event for big-deal authors and a staging ground for the revolution all at once?”
“You’re not wrong,” Yeomans replied.
The reference section
In between panels on how to partner with Instagram influencers and how to design spaces for young readers, booksellers mingled in the hallways of the convention center. Everyone I spoke to seemed energized about the work their shops were doing or worried about the future, but all of them referenced national politics.
I spoke to a bookseller from Minnesota, who mentioned keeping whistles in their shop. I spoke to a bookseller from Arizona, who keeps masks and a sign informing shoppers that COVID-19 infections have not ended. I spoke to a bookseller from Texas, who talked about the risks in displaying banned books.
All declined to speak on the record, perhaps aware more than anyone, as purveyors of words that have landed plenty of good people around the world in hot water, including prison or expulsion, that speech is both a right and carries tremendous risk. As I often say, Freedom of Speech is not freedom from consequences.
Even innocent speech. One of the banned books displayed in that Texas bookstore is “And Tango Makes Three,” the true story of two male penguins who incubate an egg together.
“I couldn’t imagine a more wholesome story,” the bookseller told me. “But it’s the title we get the most angry messages about keeping prominently displayed – over 20 years after publication.”
“They’re just penguins.”
The attendant’s eye
But it’s never just penguins. Books have agendas, because they are written by authors, who have agendas. I know this, because as I wrote my book, I wanted to make sure the reader understood the absurdity of state-sanctioned violence. It’s a book about war that’s decidedly anti-war.
And right now, the United States is a nation at war. We’re at war in the Middle East, we’re at war against undocumented civilians living in our country, we’re at war against the truth. And one of the best and most dangerous places to get information on all these topics, outside of a local library, is a bookstore.
I know this, because I was indoctrinated in my local bookstore, indoctrinated to read voraciously, to inform myself and fact check, to understand good sources and bad actors. Bookstores are where I’ve met authors, where I’ve gone on first dates, where I’ve found refuge after a breakup.
Bookstores are where I’ve attended poetry slams, found invaluable sources for my work, and once heard a song that still makes me weep in memory of the girl I was when I first heard it. If I ever find myself in the revolution, it will because I first heard about it at my local bookstore.

>205 SandDune:. Wow, that sounds really good, Rhian. Civilized and humane. Lo those many years ago, I had to push hard where I worked just to institute reasonable maternity and paternity leave policies. We are so far behind you all on this kind of thing. If I could I’d import your holiday policies tarriff-free(!) and institute them immediately. What an improvement it would be to our more-than-difficult-enough work life here. Oh well, I imagine we’re still better off than the poor Japanese workers. But you all are doing it right. Our stay on the planet is brief enough without filling it near to the brim with work hours.

>186 jnwelch:
I have been thinking all day about your statement that you were the wrong reader for this book. I am not sure that is true. First of all, you finished the book. That is a sign of something - if nothing else, that you were wondering why all those other people liked it. I think you are a critical reader. As such, you found things you didn't like about the book and that's not bad. It is those differences in viewpoint that make a discussion about the book exciting and interesting. It also opens parts of the book for many readers that they didn't see before.

It may never be your favorite book, but I hope that you keep your critical inner eye working as it often makes me think about what I liked about a book and what I didn't. And why. Crtical analysis is sadly lacking right now, and we need more critical readers - not fewer of them.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned our actress niece Any Landecker here, the one martied to Bradley Whitford. She’s now directed a new movie called “For Worse”, with Bradley in it, which is being shown at Chicago’s Music Box Theater this Thursday, 3/5 at 7 pm. We’ll be there, of course, and would be happy to anyone her who can make it.

Here’s some background on her and the movie:

“Amy Landecker’s filmmaking style, particularly as a writer-director in her debut feature For Worse (2025/2026), is characterized by a "super indie," grounded approach that blends raw, personal storytelling with a "rom-com" sensibility. Drawing on her extensive background as a character actress and improviser, she emphasizes actor-driven, emotional, and authentic performances over elaborate visual aesthetics.

Key Elements of Landecker's Filmmaking Style:
"Small-Scale" Intimacy: Her work focuses on personal, often humorous, yet raw stories about life transitions, such as navigating divorce, sobriety, and middle age.
"Darcy Dynamic" Rom-Com: She incorporates classic romantic comedy tropes—misunderstandings, witty conflict, and eventual resolution—into modern, slightly gritty indie narratives.
Actor-Driven Direction: Having spent years in acting, she focuses on "feeding the seals" (providing validation to actors) and encourages high-level improv, which she honed while working on projects like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Transparent.
Directorial Preparedness: Despite the improvisational feel, she approaches directing with technical precision, mapping out lighting, camera angles, and actor positions beforehand to ensure efficiency on set.
Vulnerability and Humor: She brings a "fearless" and "bawdy" tone to her work, comfortable with showing, as she calls it, the "tiresome, often humiliating" aspects of starting over, particularly for women over 50.

Landecker made her directorial debut with short films for Transparent and has also created projects for Funny or Die. Her work, including in For Worse, is described as a "valentine to the ladies, love & loss" that balances sharp comedy with deep, relatable emotional stakes.”

Hi Joe! We were also recently in Costa Rica, and loved it. How great to be in a country without an army? Not that they don't have problems, but I loved that they were prioritizing health, education and bio-diversity.

I DNF'd Poisonwood Bible years ago. For some reason, which I can no longer remember, I found the portrayal of Africa very annoying.

ETA: Adriana's books sounds so interesting! I will look for it.

The poetry, Costa Rica, the article about bookstores by Adriana --- it's nice to be here again. : )

>209 jnwelch: Will "For Worse" be released on Netflix (or other) so we could all see it?!?

Debbi and I with new friends in San Juan, Costa Rica, the city which we flew into.



The view from our hotel room. That's Arenal (a dormant volcano) in the distance.

>210 banjo123:. Hi, Rhonda. I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed Costa Rica. I was so impressed with what we saw, including their wide-ranging environmental efforts. There was a real sense of pride and forward-looking optimism about them, and about the country’s bountiful natural assets. One criticism: we did have to negotiate in the bus a lot of very bumpy roads. One such trip wore poor Debbi out.

>211 Berly: Ha! It’s nice to have you with us again, Kim. 😀. I’m glad the poem worked for you, and the other cafe activities. How is Portland doing? I felt you all were fellow sufferers with Chicago from the ICE thuggery.

>212 m.belljackson:. Nice one, Marianne. I hope “ For worse” makes it to a streaming service like Netflix. Right now it’s just finished a round of Film Festivals, and is launching in artsy theaters like The Music Box. I’ll post something here if it makes it to streaming. Fingers crossed.🤞

I just started Theo of Golden, the surprise bestseller. Has anyone here read it? So far it seems very much my cuppa.

>215 jnwelch: - I read it and reviewed it in my last thread (before this current one). Loved it

>214 jnwelch: The roads are bumpy! We had the best driver EVER, through Road Scholar. At one point he backed the bus up, I think about half a mile, and it was smooth as butter. (we had to back up either to use the bathroom or to see a bird, not sure which.)

>110 jnwelch: I have both Isola and the The Correspondent up for my RL bookclub later this year. Glad they both went over well for you.

>213 jnwelch: You make friends so easily!! : )

>215 jnwelch: Loved Theo of Golden!

>215 jnwelch: I have it on hold after hearing good things from a couple of my library positions. I'll look forward to your thoughts on it!

>216 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley. Just what I hoped to hear. Theo of Golden certainly seems lovable so far.

>217 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhonda. Our bus driver was great, too. Tough country to drive something that big in! Not just the bumpiness, but the narrowness. He was wonderfully level-headed and patient. Our head guide said he also was very funny, but I wasn’t good enough in overhearing fast Spanish to confirm that.

>218 Berly:. Hi, Kim. Isola was okay for me, but a little disappointing after the build-up I read. Readers vary. The Correspondent was great for both Debbi and me.

Ha! Those new friends in >213 jnwelch: were a quiet bunch, but very welcoming.

Yay for Theo! Thanks for letting me know. I’m really enjoying it so far.

>189 jnwelch: Excellent photos. Looks like an interesting trip.

Joe - How did the Book Launch go?!

>186 jnwelch: I read The Poisonwood Bible years ago and it put me off reading Kingsolver for a long time for the reasons you mentioned. But then someone recommended The Lacuna and Unsheltered, both of which were terrific, so that when Demon Copperhead came along I was an eager fan. She has a new one coming this year based on the real pirate Grace Kelly!
Must put my name on the library list….

Wowsers, we went to the Chicago premiere of “For Worse” last night and it was very funny and really, really good! . We’re so happy for our niece Amy! It would’ve been aces if she’d just written such a good movie, but to have also directed it and starred in it, oh my goodness. It’s about a woman in her 50s who is just getting over a divorce and accompanies a much younger man to a wedding. She’s hilariously honest about herself and a charming mess. Amy has become such a fine actor. We’re all so proud of her, and she’s happy as a clam at high tide.

Her real life husband Bradley Whitford is great in it, too, and the two of them appear together today on Kelly Clarkson. There’s no advertising budget for the movie, so they’re doing the rounds as best they can, and were just on The View. There’s movie was made for under a half million and shot in eleven days(!). It won film festival awards and a big distributor bought it, and it opens today in 72 theaters across the country. If it’s showing near you I recommend it! I think it’d be a great, if unlikely, date night movie. It’s so funny and honest.

>221 figsfromthistle:. El viaje fue muy interesante. The trip was very interesting, Anita, thanks. A few more photos to come today.

>222 m.belljackson:. The book launch for Adriana’s The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War is mid-April, Marianne. Last night was the premiere of our niece Amy Landecker’s new movie, “For Worse”. It was a wonderful night and the movie was terrific. It turns out a big distributor bought it, and it opens in theaters across the country. So I now believe it will eventually make it to a streaming service like Netflix. I’ll keep you posted. It’s at AMC theaters in Chicago.

Today’s Bargain: The Adventures of Sherlock and the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle fror $1.99 on e-readers.. All of the stories in one lightweight place! A perfect book(s) for Kindle.

>223 NarratorLady:. I knew I’d read and loved another Kingsolver, Anne, and couldn’t think of which one. It was Demon Copperhead. So good. I’m now open to others that don’t have a Christian father or tone deaf Christians in Africa. It shows one off-putting novel doesn’t sink an author. I hated East of Eden, and it put me off Steinbeck for years, until the LT Steinbeckathon re-opened my eyes.

You’ve intrigued me with Kingsolver’s upcoming pirate book.

Happy new thread! I love all the pictures. :)

Hi Joe. I will keep my eyes open for the film!

I never read the Kingsolver you (and others) disliked, thank goodness but have read others of hers that I loved. Some novels, some essays, one, a memoir of sorts. They include: Small Wonder, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Prodigal Summer which was the first of hers that I read. I will admit, I have tried a few others that didn't work for me but those three were standouts.

>225 jnwelch: Yikes - I got your Two Major Events reversed in time!

Can't wait to see "for Worse" on Netflix!

Hi Joe: Great pics of your trip and congrats on your niece's film.

I think my favorite Kingsolvers are two collections of essays: High Tide in Tucson and Small Wonder. I can allow for her strong points of view in essays, but I think it's harder to take in a novel like The Poisonwood Bible.

>231 kac522: - Oh, I forgot that one, High Tide in Tucson. I loved that one as well.

The film sounds great, Joe. I see it's playing at two theaters in NYC, but it sounds like one my more local independent theater might get, so I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Happy Friday, Joe. Hooray for "For Worse" and your very talented niece. How very cool. I also enjoyed all of your C.R. pics. Thanks for sharing.

I heard a review of the movie on the local NPR station and thought it sounded like one I would like to see. When it comes around here I will try to make it to see it.

I just finished Dutch House by Ann Patchett and really liked it. I can't wait to discuss it with the local book discussion group.

Today’s Bargain: Looking for Alaska by John Green for $2.99 on e-readers. . A beloved John Green YA novel. We’ve liked all of his.

>235 benitastrnad:. Thanks, Benita. I think you would like it, too.

It’s been getting great reviews. I’m very hopeful that it’ll do well. It deserves to.

>228 rowendelle:. Hi, Kim. Thanks! Nice to have you stop by. I’m a William Gibson fan, too. Aren’t we due for a new one from him? I think there’s finally going to be a tv adaptation of Neuromancer. I liked the adaptation of Peripheral with Chloe Moretz.

>229 jessibud2:. You’d love “For Worse”, Shelley. I hope it shows up near you.

I haven’t read any of those Kingsolvers, but I sure was impressed with Demon Copperhead. You saw what we disliked about Poisonwood. Obviously, some readers reacted differently. I read it because I thought it was viewed as her best and most noteworthy.

>230 m.belljackson:. No worries, Marianne. I don’t know how close you are to Madison, but Amy and Bradley were just there promoting the movie (Amy went to UW), so it must be showing there.

>231 kac522:. Thanks, Kathy. I thought of you, and I hope you can make it to Adriana’s reading/signing next month of The Violence: My Family’s Colombian War at Women and Children First on Broadway. I’m pretty sure it’s on April 14. Should be a fun event.

Essays, eh? I don’t know those two collections. As long as they’re not themed with oppressive Christianity, I’m open-minded.

>232 jessibud2:. Helpful to hear, Shelley, thanks.

>233 katiekrug:. As a connoisseur of snark, you’ll have a great time at “For Worse.” It’s chock full of it.😀. Fingers crossed for it showing up near you. 🤞

>234 msf59:. Happy Friday, buddy. Man, I’m still on a high about “For Worse”. What a fun time. We didn’t get to spend as much time with Amy and Bradley (one of the nicest guys ever) as we’d like because they had to flyoff to be on Kelly Clarkson’s show the next day, so we’re all trying to figure out a get-together time. Usually this time of year we fly to LA to see them and others, but this year it was Costa Rica.

Thank you for the kind comments about the CR photos. As you well know, LT doesn’t make it easy. I hope to at least get some sloth photos up this weekend. With all the birds they have, I imagine you’re contemplating another visit to CR some day.

>

Our sloth sighting in Costa Rica. Don't worry about the unusual feature on his back. It's a male gland. Sloths only descend from the trees once a week to defecate. Yes, they have very slow digestion to go along with very slow every thing else. (The movie Zootopia 2 has sloths clerking the DMV - hilarious). This particular guy decided to cut across the open space to move to a different tree, and was curious about so many onlookers but not noticeably perturbed. He was successful, and once up the new tree, became nearly invisible.

>240 jnwelch: Hey Joe - so Good it was Defecation Day and you could get Great Photos -
Daughter was impressed!

>241 m.belljackson:. Glad to hear it, Marianne. We were so lucky to- the sloth was the one animal that Debbi wanted to see on the trip, and man did we. We did see one in the trees later on, but this was spectacular.

>242 jnwelch: For Christmas 2025, I got my daughter The Sloth Calendar -

which we still have hanging on the small Tree on kitchen table -cheerful little guys, they are!

From poem-a-day, another good ‘un

March 9, 2026
Our Lady of the Garden
Pádraig Ó Tuama

All this time, I felt like I had to describe
the things I did, and what was done to me,
how I had to wander a strange world for years,
needing to be busy, sleeping in strange beds,
searching through cities for chapels to weep in,
learning the stitches that keep a ripped heart
together for a while, when what I really need
to say is that it rained all night and morning,
and the drops were a percussion on the trees,
and after the sun rose, I saw an insect land on the railing
and take shelter, and a bird drank from a leaf.
Wild pigs exploded from the bushes where they’d hid,
and the sage in the bowl smelt of memory and musk.
A toad sat—still as any god—on the wet stone.

>244 jnwelch: Isn’t that s good one?! When I read the author’s description, I realized the poem has to do with grief—which I didn’t catch at first. If you don’t mind, here is the description:

“I’d been waiting—for what felt like a few years—for a particular poem to land. One morning, while on a residency at the Merwin Conservancy on Maui, Hawai‘i, the poem arrived, with metaphors and images for grief. But even as soon as the poem came, it was clear that it was asking for much more: location, sound, birds, beasts, weather, smells, senses.”

Wow! This is one I saved.

Karen O

>245 klobrien2:. Love it, Karen. Thanks for the additional info. I hadn’t read the commentary on this one, and should have. I’ll read it again with grief in mind.

>243 m.belljackson:. A sloth calendar? I’ll have to keep that in mind for Debbi, Marianne. She’s thinking her next tattoo will be a sloth. That’ll be a challenge for the tattooist! They are cheerful and endearing, aren’t they. And so slowly and deliberately different from the other animals.

>240 jnwelch: Such an amazing photo, Joe! When we traveled to Costa Rica a few years ago, it was my daughter's sole desire to see sloths. We spotted quite a few, and I remember that we had all expected them to be soft and cuddly looking, but they most definitely weren't! And those claws! Glad you had such a great trip.

>246 jnwelch: - Joe - there are a bunch of regular Sloth Calendars - the one you truly want for Debbi is the Fun Advent Sloth Calendar.
Amazon might still have one. The Holiday and dates won't matter!

>244 jnwelch: Wonderful poem. A reminder to allow yourself to sit still.

Lucas Wars by Laurent Hopman..

I just finished this excellent graphic novel, Lucas Wars. I’ll add some illustrations later. It’s all about George Lucas learning filmmaking, and the making of Star Wars - and how the movie almost didn’t get made. Fascinating. He had a ton of doubters, including the board of the movie company (Fox), but stuck to his vision. I remember seeing it in NYC when it first came out, and the long line and all the excitement. If you love Star Wars or have a keen interest in filmmaking and the film industry, you’ll want to make time for this one.

>248 m.belljackson:. 👍. Thanks, Marianne.

>249 ffortsa:. Agreed, Judy. I’m so glad you enjoyed the poem. This is a new poet for me; I’m going to follow up about him. A reminder to let ourselves sit still is always a good thing, right?

The new cafe is open. See you there!