RebaRelisheReading again in 2026 - part 3

January
1. The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick***1/2
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen*****
3. Clear by Carys Davies *****
4. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw**
5. An Enemy in the Village by Martin Walker****
6. A Simple Story by Elizabeth Inchbald*****
7. The Paris Bookseller by Keri Maher****
8. Evensong by Stewart O'Nan*****
9. Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler**1/2
10. Memories of a Cottage by the Sea by Rebecca Alexander***
11. Belinda by Maria Edgeworth *****
12. True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop by Anne Darling**

February
13. Last Days of Cafe Leila by Donia Bijan*****
14. my grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry by Fredrik Backman***** (reread)
15. The Old Manor House by Charlotte Smith****
16. The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox DNF**
17. Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome***1/2 (audio)

March
18. Call the Nurse by Mary J. McLeod (audio) ****
19. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi*****
20. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell*** (audio)
21. Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah (audio) ****
22. The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry (audio) *****
23. The Worlds of Jane Austen by Helena Kelly ****
24. Nurse, Come You Here by Mary J. MacLeod***(audio)
25. Emmeline. The Orphan of the Castle by Charlotte Smith ****

April
26. Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley ****
27. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen **** (reread)
28. Cecilia by Frances Burney ****

May
29. The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien**1/2
30. The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung***1/2
31 An Enemy in the Village by Martin Walker **** (audio) partial re-read

June
32. Evelina by Frances Burney ***
33. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout ****
34. In the Woods by Tana French ***1/2 (audio)
35. The Queen's of Crime by Marie Benedict ***1/2
36. A Murder in Springtime by Martin Walker *** (audio)

July
37. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen*****

Here we are in May already (how did THAT happen?!?!). As you can see above my reading slowed somewhat in April but that was largely because I read the 900+ page Cecilia. I still plan to read Burney's Camilla which is 913 pages and her Evelina which is only 406 pages plus re-read Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion. When those are done I will deem Austen duly honored and move on :)

Also had a nice discussion of plans for the garden on my last thread. So far I have removed the strawberry plants but have not yet gone to the garden center to do anything about replacing them :(. It's currently 92 degrees outside at 4:25 in the afternoon so I think it's time to get going with that project too.

So the goals for the next couple of months are clear -- finish Austen and start garden.

Here we are in May already (how did THAT happen?!?!). As you can see above my reading slowed somewhat in April but that was largely because I read the 900+ page Cecilia. I still plan to read Burney's Camilla which is 913 pages and her Evelina which is only 406 pages plus re-read Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion. When those are done I will deem Austen duly honored and move on :)

Also had a nice discussion of plans for the garden on my last thread. So far I have removed the strawberry plants but have not yet gone to the garden center to do anything about replacing them :(. It's currently 92 degrees outside at 4:25 in the afternoon so I think it's time to get going with that project too.

So the goals for the next couple of months are clear -- finish Austen and start garden.

Here we are in May already (how did THAT happen?!?!). As you can see above my reading slowed somewhat in April but that was largely because I read the 900+ page Cecilia. I still plan to read Burney's Camilla which is 913 pages and her Evelina which is only 406 pages plus re-read Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion. When those are done I will deem Austen duly honored and move on :)

Also had a nice discussion of plans for the garden on my last thread. So far I have removed the strawberry plants but have not yet gone to the garden center to do anything about replacing them :(. It's currently 92 degrees outside at 4:25 in the afternoon so I think it's time to get going with that project too.

So the goals for the next couple of months are clear -- finish Austen and start garden.

From Thread 2 - Thanks Meg. I appreciate your good wishes and, yes, I think modern books will seem easier after Burney (although I'm currently rereading Pride and Prejudice and it's quite easy too.

Happy New Thread, Reba! 92 degrees today! Wow, that is hot!

Happy new thread, Reba. You are doing great with your Jane Austen homage.

Hi Reba my dear, Happy New Thread, dear friend.

Well, since I completely lost track of the last thread due in large part to no Internet, hopefully I can keep up better here.

BTW - From your last thread, I really liked Isola too.

Hi Deborah, Beth, John and Stasia! Lovely to have visitors to my new thread :)

Reba, you're having a heat wave! I wouldn't blame you if you just stayed indoors rather than braving the heat to start your garden.

Happy new thread, Reba.

Good luck with your garden, but take it easy in that heatwave.

Hi Laura. Well at 2 p.m. today it's 71 degrees so can't really complain -- but thank you for exonerating me anyway :) I've been running errands this morning and now have a bunch of "dest stuff" to do so don't think I'll be getting out to buy plants/seeds today either (excuses, excuses, excuses)...

Happy new thread, Reba!

Congratulations on your new thread, Reba.

Thank you for stopping by Jim and Paul!

I walked into our pantry yesterday morning and somehow ended up giving it a thorough clean-out! I've been thinking I should do that for ages (but hadn't obviously) but I now have a tidy pantry with no out-of-date items and everything visible and orderly.

After Hubby went to bed last night I also got a few chapters of Pride and Prejudice read. I do love Austen's writing (and have flagged a couple of examples that I particularly enjoyed to share with y'all once I finish my re-read).

Happy Wednesday everyone!

>17 RebaRelishesReading: what a satisfying project! And I completely understand how the cleaning impulse can hit you out of nowhere. The fridge and junk drawer are my most likely targets but the pantry always benefits from it too.

Glad P&P is making you happy!

>18 lauralkeet: I manage to keep the fridge pretty much under control (most of the time) but hadn't done a pantry clean-out since we moved here 5 1/4 years ago!! Now I can actually see what's in there :)

Happy new thread!

I need to clean my fridge, Reba. Not that it has old stuff in it, it just needs cleaning. Who enjoys cleaning ? Not me.

Happy new thread, Reba! Nice to have a clean pantry after the impulse to straighten it out hits. I'm currently working on my basement but that's a lot bigger and infinitely slower job.

Thank you Jennifer.

Hi Deborah. I probably should empty my fridge and give it a good wash down inside but it isn't bad enough to bother -- little spills wipe up pretty easily and avoid the big job lol

Hi Meg -- we don't have a basement so that problem is avoided. We do have a three car garage with only one small car so it tends to accumulate "stuff" but it a shorter/easier walk to the curb to get rid of things so not as big a problem as a basement would be I imagine.

I am still working on Pride and Prejudice -- hoping to finish it today. Next in order they were written is Northanger Abbey which I read just a few months ago so I'm going to skip that one and go to Mansfield Park...my least favorite Austen.

Only other thing on the agenda today is a trip to doctor this morning for a shot in my right shoulder joint. It's been sore and not moving well for a while. This happened a few years ago and was miraculously "cured" by a shot -- hoping this one will work as well :)

I am still working on Pride and Prejudice -- hoping to finish it today. Next in order they were written is Northanger Abbey which I read just a few months ago so I'm going to skip that one and go to Mansfield Park...my least favorite Austen.

Only other thing on the agenda today is a trip to doctor this morning for a shot in my right shoulder joint. It's been sore and not moving well for a while. This happened a few years ago and was miraculously "cured" by a shot -- hoping this one will work as well :)

I'm also having a hard time posting lately. I click on "post message" and nothing happens. I wait and wait and wait and wait then finally press it again and, apparently , manage to post multiples of that message. I'm sorry -- don't mean to be clogging up everyone's mail :(

>17 RebaRelishesReading: I very much enjoyed my wanderings through Austen a couple of years ago, Reba, and am so glad to hear that you are loving her writing!

>21 vancouverdeb: Me either. I informed my husband before we got married that I was in no way, shape, or form a housekeeper.

>25 RebaRelishesReading: I think your problems posting are happening quite a bit, Reba. It is not just you.

Have a fantastic Friday!

Hi Stasia! This is my second time through Austen. The first was many, many years ago and I think I mostly enjoyed the stories but this time I'm really noticing and enjoying her use of language. I'll be finishing P&P this evening.

Thanks for making me feel somewhat better about the posting problems!!

I have finished my re-read of Pride and Prejudice and I think I enjoyed it more than the first time I read it. The story is so familiar I don't think I need to remind this group what it's about but, as mentioned above, I really found myself enjoying the language this time. Here's just one sample -- not one that moved the story along to any extent but just written in such a delightful way.

"Her fellow travelers the next day were not of a kind to make her think him less agreeable. Sir William Lucas, and his daughter Maria, a good-humored girl, but as empty-headed as himself, had nothing to say the could be worth hearing, and were listened to with about as much delight as the rattle of the chaise."

My RL book club is meeting at the house of a member who moved away a little over a year ago so it will be an all-day affair and I won't be able to go :(. My next book, however, will be Isola which is the book they're reading for the meeting next Monday.

In addition, I continue to read a chapter of The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper from time to time (thank you Laura).

I have finished my re-read of Pride and Prejudice and I think I enjoyed it more than the first time I read it. The story is so familiar I don't think I need to remind this group what it's about but, as mentioned above, I really found myself enjoying the language this time. Here's just one sample -- not one that moved the story along to any extent but just written in such a delightful way.

"Her fellow travelers the next day were not of a kind to make her think him less agreeable. Sir William Lucas, and his daughter Maria, a good-humored girl, but as empty-headed as himself, had nothing to say the could be worth hearing, and were listened to with about as much delight as the rattle of the chaise."

My RL book club is meeting at the house of a member who moved away a little over a year ago so it will be an all-day affair and I won't be able to go :(. My next book, however, will be Isola which is the book they're reading for the meeting next Monday.

In addition, I continue to read a chapter of The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper from time to time (thank you Laura).

Congratulations on finishing P&P, Reba. I've re-read a couple of Austen's books (most recently Northanger Abbey), but I should do a more comprehensive re-read one of these days. I wonder if you'll feel differently about Mansfield Park this time around?

I'm really glad you're enjoying The Notebook, too.

>30 lauralkeet: Turned out Northanger Abbey was a new read for me and I don't plan to re-read it again so soon. I do wonder how Mandsfield Park will strike me this time too. We'll see in a couple of weeks.

It's a beautiful day today, sunny and currently 79 degrees, so I joined the rest of Clark County at the garden center and bought: 1 large red cherry tomato, 1 medium yellow cherry tomato, 1 medium red bell pepper, 12 little lettuce, 6 small carrots and 12 small marigolds. They are now all planted out in the raised beds. I took a photo to share but can't get it to move from my phone to my computer (why, oh why did Apple have to make all of these changes?!? It was all working so well).

It's a beautiful day today, sunny and currently 79 degrees, so I joined the rest of Clark County at the garden center and bought: 1 large red cherry tomato, 1 medium yellow cherry tomato, 1 medium red bell pepper, 12 little lettuce, 6 small carrots and 12 small marigolds. They are now all planted out in the raised beds. I took a photo to share but can't get it to move from my phone to my computer (why, oh why did Apple have to make all of these changes?!? It was all working so well). Not to mention that everytime I try to post on LT lately it takes for ever and then doesn't seem to go or posts multiple times...grrrrr

https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/17/41/17419343-x-h50-w50-pv25_65452f4...

I took it in the late afternoon so plants will actually get more sun than it looks like in the photo.

I also went to the Garden center today. The only food item I purchased were 2 mint plants. The rest were flowers and container plants. I did get two Hibiscus bushes - and they were on sale today for 15% off. Also got my big containers planted this afternoon and most of the other plants. Tomorrow morning I will have to string out my hose and then I can start watering them.

I still want to get an eggplant, some thyme, oragano,and basil. I also want more mint. I am going to plant it among the rocks around the deck to keep the weeds down. It is the one case where I do want the mint to spread and since it is hardy in this part of Kansas it should work well where I am going to plant it.

>35 benitastrnad:. It's that time of year for sure :).

I watered by hand today but we're supposed to have a couple of days of rain starting tomorrow which should be very helpful.

Woo hoo! Way to go Reba! Your garden looks absolutely fabulous.

>34 RebaRelishesReading: We are not quite to the planting stage yet, Reba, but soon. I usually put plants in the ground around Memorial Day.

>37 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura!! I appreciate all of the good advice you and the other gardening mavens provided :).

>38 BLBera: Hi Beth. We had a very warm winter this year and all of the existing plants are actively growing now so it seemed to be time. We were supposed to get some rain today, which I thought was very well timed, but so far nothing. I'm thinking about dragging the hose out but think I'll probably wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Happy new thread, Reba!

>34 RebaRelishesReading: The garden looks nice. I hope you get the rain you are expecting.

>40 atozgrl: Thank you, Irene. Thanks for coming by. So far, no rain -- I didn't hear the weather report this evening but will keep hoping we get some tomorrow. Otherwise...will have to get the hose out.

Yesterday I discovered that I had 5 credits available at Audible -- so I added some new books to those waiting for me including two by Tana French. I usually only listen to audible books while doing something else (knitting or driving mostly) so I guess I need to get busy (walking? gardening?)

>42 RebaRelishesReading: definitely an incentive. If I just sit and listen, I sometimes fall asleep. But if I have a book I really want to listen to, I will walk, do exercises, sort the laundry... Anything that doesn't have its own words.

>34 RebaRelishesReading: Ah! It's that time of the year again! Love it!

>42 RebaRelishesReading: Nice surprise! I'm trying to use up all my Audible credits so I can change over to Libro. Trying to stop using everything Amazon, though it's not easy. It has its tendrils into everything.

>43 ffortsa: Exactly, Judy! Weather is so nice lately that I really should be walking more (although I hesitate to leave Hubby alone much). But I hope good weather + good book will help :)

>44 Storeetllr: I hear you about trying to get free of those tendrils...but the services offered are just so darned helpful!!

>34 RebaRelishesReading: Looks really nice- good luck with your Summer growing!

Thanks, Jennifer. Rain that was promised didn't come so I'll have to get the hose out later today...hope I can continue to be a good caretaker to the patch...it's not exactly my long suit.

>47 RebaRelishesReading: There's an adage in gardening: water for the weather you have, not the weather you expect. Or something like that. One thing you might consider, is making watering a thing you do on a regular schedule, regardless of what the weather is doing. If you say to yourself I'm going to do this on these days at this time it would become more of a routine vs having to remember to check the soil, think about the weather, etc. Or take it to the next level: connect a small sprinkler or soaker hose to your water source and put it on a timer. I don't enjoy watering and tend to forget about it. These methods have helped me a lot.

>42 RebaRelishesReading: I listen to audio books when I do puzzles, which is almost every evening . Nice that you have 5 Audible credits, Reba.

>48 lauralkeet: Thanks for the tips, Laura. There are actually sprinkler heads at each end of the bed and that system is on a timer. I'm not sure how far the spray reaches ... or whether sprinklers (which will wet the foliage) are the best way to water veggies. A soaker hose sounds like the best idea but I don't really want to mess with the system to change it.

When I went out to water yesterday I discovered that the nozzle on the hose I was going to use is broken and seems to be firmly stuck on the hose...so I watered with a watering can :(. I'll try to keep an eye on them and adjust my approach as we go ... maybe the automatic sprinklers will be OK.... ??

>49 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I started The Resistance Knitting Club last night while knitting (seemed appropriate). I don't remember buying that one but somehow it got onto my phone and was the sort-of easy-to-listen to thing I needed right then. Since I'm almost always doing something that requires at least some of my attention along with audible book listening I generally choose fairly light-hearted audible books.

We're supposed to get rain for a few days starting tomorrow. Perhaps the same system will also bring you wet weather, Reba.

>50 RebaRelishesReading: I started reading at this post, and saw you with sprinklers on both sides of your bed, what? Then realised you were talking about gardening. But thanks for the funny mistake.

I usually wait till I see my plants drooping a bit. Can be dangerous when those are really sensitive plants. I’m not starting avocado plants anymore, super sensitive. But other plants can deal with a bit of stress safely.

>51 Familyhistorian: They're forecasting clouds and maybe 1/4 inch of rain -- not really enough to help I'm afraid.

>52 EllaTim: sprinklers on both sides of the bed makes morning showers easier...right? LOL

Happy new(ish) thread, Reba!

>54 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Nice to "see" you.

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny OBrien**1/2

I have no idea how this came to be on my phone but there it was and I was looking for a quick, easy read so I started listening to it.

Lenny is from Guernsey and has recently moved to London at the beginning of WWII. She loves to knit and she is fluent in French (growing up in the Channel Islands, French was her first language). She finds a job with the British government and then decides to apply to be sent to France undercover. Her knitting skill, her language skill and her tenacious personality help her through the rigorous training. A light diversion while I was busy knitting myself.

I'm reading Isola which my RL bookclub read for meeting last week. I wasn't going to the meeting but wanted to read the book anyway but I will admit I'm struggling to stay interested. The type is tiny and the story isn't grabbing me but others have praised it so I'm trying to connect.

I made a little more progress on Isola last night and am now about 1/3 of way through it. I'm starting to get a bit more interested. No place I have to go today so plan to stay home, change beds and launder sheets (such fun) and otherwise read and knit. It's quite cool outside (50 degrees (10 C) at 8 a.m.) with clouds so looks like a pleasant day to stay inside.

Hope you all have a lovely day!!

Best of luck with Isola, Reba. I tried but ultimately bailed on that one.

Thanks, Meg -- always nice to know others feel the same way. :).

Sorry that Isola isn't working for you, Reba. Women's history is so poorly documented; I appreciate when an author is able to create an interesting and more-or-less plausible story based on the scant records available to them. I once read a biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine that was much more about King Henry II and their sons, than about her. Frustrating!

I'm up to Part V, "The Isle 1543" now. It's still not my favorite book but I'm more engaged than I was at the beginning and definitely plan to finish it.

>57 RebaRelishesReading: I tried starting Isola a couple weeks ago but set it aside. It used to be that trade paperbacks were reliable in their type size but I’m finding more and more that the font in some is just too small. It’s frustrating. I prefer a print book to my Kindle but sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

I can relate to your cool weather - it’s in the low 40s here and damp. Brrrr!

>35 benitastrnad: Wow! Sounds like you have been busy. Love the big container plants.

I decided to brave a trip to the local garden centre today. It was extremely busy so I only bought tomato, basil and butternut squash plants. I usually get carried away when buying flowers so I decided to take stock of what I have and write down what I need and where ( shade plants vs full sun).

Happy gardening :)

>62 RebaRelishesReading: I finished Isola yesterday, reading it for my RL book club. I thought it was good overall, but I have to say that I was expecting more from it after hearing such positive reviews on LT. Laura's comments in >61 lauralkeet: are pretty much in line with how I feel. I also agree with some of the comments on the font. A darker font would have been much more readable. However, I do see a note at the back of the book that the typeface was adapted from a 15th century type, so I guess that's why it was used.

>34 RebaRelishesReading: *sigh* It makes me very sad that I have 2 black thumbs instead of green ones. I am jealous!

>62 RebaRelishesReading: I am glad to hear that Isola is working better for you. I ended up liking it quite a bit so, of course, I want you to love it too, lol.

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

>63 Copperskye: Hi Anne. You're right about the print in Isola -- it's TINY!! I, too, prefer a "real" book to reading on Kindle. In fact, I pretty much only read Kindle when traveling.

>64 figsfromthistle:. We have a very low-maintenance garden which is pretty much fine with me. But every once in a while I get a bug and, this time, decided to see about growing some veggies. Hope your garden goes well.

>65 atozgrl: Hi Irene. I finished last night. I agree with you and Laura that it's nice to have a book focused on a strong woman. Also agree with you and Anne that the font didn't make for a pleasant read.

>66 alcottacre: I liked it better as it went along, Stasia but I definitely didn't love it. As to thumbs -- I hope your comment doesn't mean you think I have green thumbs because that definitely isn't the case!!

Isola by Allegra Goodman ***

In the early 1500's Marguerite is born to wealth and comfort in France but after she is orphaned her guardian leaves her alone (with minimal staff) in the house she has inherited and uses her money to fund his own adventures. He ultimately sells her home and takes her with him on a fortune hunting trip to the New World where he abandons her on an uninhabited island with only two servants and minimal provisions. I appreciate the fact that the story portrays a strong woman (two actually) but I'm generally not a fan of books set in the Middle Ages and I found this rather a slog.

A friend mentioned to me that there is a program on PBS Documentary about the woman who wrote the diary that Frozen River is based on. It's called "A Midwife's Tale". I watched it last night and found it very interesting.

I also started reading The Last Mandarin last night. I know not everyone here is a fan but I have read every book Louise Penny has written and enjoyed them all (guilty pleasure I guess). This one is co-written with Mellissa Fung (with whom I'm not familiar). I'm 63 pages in and I'm going to take my cuppa and delve back in right now.

A friend mentioned to me that there is a program on PBS Documentary about the woman who wrote the diary that Frozen River is based on. It's called "A Midwife's Tale". I watched it last night and found it very interesting.

I also started reading The Last Mandarin last night. I know not everyone here is a fan but I have read every book Louise Penny has written and enjoyed them all (guilty pleasure I guess). This one is co-written with Mellissa Fung (with whom I'm not familiar). I'm 63 pages in and I'm going to take my cuppa and delve back in right now.

---
Couldn't get this message to post with touchstones in place (seems to be a never ending problem lately) so I've removed them and will see if it will go now

Hi Reba! It's great that you are getting lots of reading in.
I figure that as far as reading goes, no pleasure is guilty.

How is your husband doing? Has he mostly recovered?

>70 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, yes, I watched that documentary last year when our book club read Frozen River. It was definitely interesting.

>70 RebaRelishesReading: Ha! It DID post, with touchstones, and now it's there twice, one with and one without! Duplicate posts is also a frequent glitch here lately.

>69 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! Good that you found a book that has captured your attention immediately. I looked it up The Last Mandarin and liked the description. Seems like a really interesting thriller. Have fun.

>67 RebaRelishesReading: You have greener thumbs than me, that is for sure, Reba!

>68 RebaRelishesReading: Sorry you did not enjoy that one more. I hope your next read is better for you!

>69 RebaRelishesReading: I will be curious to see what you think of The Last Mandarin when you are done with it, Reba.

Have a fantastic Friday!

>69 RebaRelishesReading: A Midwife's Tale sounds interesting. We give money to our local Public Broadcasting station and watch it really a lot less than we should.

>71 banjo123:. Hi Rhonda. Always lovely to see you whether in person or in print :). Thanks for your concern about Hubby. He is doing pretty much the same...in bed way too much and parked in his recliner when not in bed. Also, I actually agree that no reading pleasure needs to be "guilty".

>72 atozgrl:. Hi Irene. I wish I had known about the documentary when my bookclub read The Frozen River. It would have made the discussion even more interesting I think

>73 laytonwoman3rd: I'm afraid, Linda, that everything I post lately either doesn't go at all or goes multiple times...and there aren't always touchstones involved. I sure hope they find a way to fix it soon.

>74 EllaTim: I'll keep you posted on The Last Mandarin -- may not get back to it today though.

>76 magicians_nephew:. Hi Jim. I too support PBS and don't watch as much as I should -- even though there are some really good things there. We also subscribe to PBS/Documentaries on cable and often find things there that we enjoy.

Speaking of which...for other Austen lovers. There is a new series (6 episodes so far) on PBS Documentaries called "The Other Bennett Sister" in which the main character is Mary, the third and most serious of the sisters. I've watched them all and can't wait until the next one drops. If you like Pride and Prejudice you will surely like learning more bout Mary!

>77 RebaRelishesReading: I didn't actually see the documentary until after our book club met to discuss The Frozen River. I can't remember if someone mentioned it at the meeting itself, or if we did get an email mentioning it before the meeting. If it was the second, I didn't have time to watch it before the meeting. But I am glad I got to it afterward.

I support PBS too, and it makes up a large portion of my TV watching these days. I appreciate having educational programs to watch.

>71 banjo123:. Hi Rhonda. Always lovely to see you whether in person or in print :). Thanks for your concern about Hubby. He is doing pretty much the same...in bed way too much and parked in his recliner when not in bed. Also, I actually agree that no reading pleasure needs to be "guilty".

>72 atozgrl:. Hi Irene. I wish I had known about the documentary when my bookclub read The Frozen River. It would have made the discussion even more interesting I think

>73 laytonwoman3rd: I'm afraid, Linda, that everything I post lately either doesn't go at all or goes multiple times...and there aren't always touchstones involved. I sure hope they find a way to fix it soon.

>74 EllaTim: I'll keep you posted on The Last Mandarin -- may not get back to it today though.

>76 magicians_nephew:. Hi Jim. I too support PBS and don't watch as much as I should -- even though there are some really good things there. We also subscribe to PBS/Documentaries on cable and often find things there that we enjoy.

Speaking of which...for other Austen lovers. There is a new series (6 episodes so far) on BritBox called "The Other Bennett Sister" in which the main character is Mary, the third and most serious of the sisters. I've watched them all and can't wait until the next one drops. If you like Pride and Prejudice you will surely like learning more bout Mary!

>79 RebaRelishesReading: If you like Pride and Prejudice you will surely like learning more bout Mary! I probably would if I ever watched anything, lol.

Have a super Saturday, Reba!

>79 RebaRelishesReading: We've been enjoying The Other Bennet Sister too Reba. I loved seeing P&P from Mary's point of view in the first two episodes. We've now seen 4 episodes and it's a fun watch.

I've set my pre-Austen reading aside for a bit partly due to library holds coming in, and partly in planning for my vacation which begins June 2. My next Austen influence is Radcliffe's The Romance of the Forest which isn't a huge tome but also isn't what I want to read on holiday.

>80 alcottacre: Too bad, Stasia...but now you know it's there if you get the itch :)

>81 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. I binge watched the first four episodes the other night and then watched the fifth the next night. I'm anxiously waiting for the rest...and there must be more given how we were left hanging at the end of 5.

Vacation? Where are you going (or have you said and I just don't remember -- if so, sorry).

I still have Burney's Evelina and Camilla (another chunkster) staring at me from Mt. TBR -- I'll get to them soon(ish).

>82 RebaRelishesReading: I can't remember where I saw this, but I think there are going to be 10 episodes altogether Reba. As for vacation, we're going to our usual place in Occitanie, France to soak up the Mediterranean climate and enjoy wine and good food. We've been to this area several times as a family or just a couple, but on this trip my brother and SIL will be joining us.

I do hope your hubby feels better soon! Give him my best.

>83 lauralkeet: Your vacation sounds like heaven. I've thought several times that if Hubby is ever able to travel again I would like to get the info on your friends' B&B and spend some time there myself.

The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung***1/2

Alice Li is a food blogger in a difficult relationship with her mother, a Chinese dissident who escaped to the U.S. after Tiananmen Square and is now a well-known activist. When security alarms start going off around the world Ms Li and her mother are called to Washington to try to unravel what is happening. Leaders from opposing countries are holding back-channel chats trying to figure out what is going on as strange, frightening things happen. Who is doing this? What's next? What's the end game?

This is a hair-raising story of how the world could end and how unprepared the world's leaders might be in such extreme circumstances. It has an odd, and rather unbelievable, twist to have such relatively "common" people playing such a huge role in trying to safe the situation...but that may have been intentional.

The story did grab my attention and will stick with me I think....but, actually, I missed Three Pines.

*Waves to Reba*

I'm on a mission to visit all my LT friends, even if I have no hope of getting caught up. Thanks for keeping my thread warm :)

>79 RebaRelishesReading: Visiting a few threads today. Liking your reading choices! I'm waiting my hold turn for The Resistance Knitting Club, but your rating makes me think I should be in no hurry.

I haven't seen the PBS documentary about Martha Ballard, but my guess is it's based on the book A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Recommended.

>86 RebaRelishesReading: That sounds like a different one, Reba. I guess Louise Penny is getting into collaborating with different writers maybe as a way to go beyond Three Pines?

>87 katiekrug: Hi Katie -- lovely to have a visit!

>88 ReneeMarie:. Hi Renee! Glad I to be one of the few :). The Resistance Knitting Club wasn't bad and did have the twist of knitting playing a role but other than that it didn't seem terribly original to me.

My understanding is that the PBS documentary is "based" on the diary that "inspired" the novel A Midwife's Tale. I assume that means that the PBS production is closer to actual facts than the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed them both.

>89 Familyhistorian:. Always nice to see you Meg. This is her second collaborative novel. The first was a few years ago with Hillary Clinton and she has written three "Three Pines" since. Miss Wolcott's Ghost, the 21st Gemache novel will be out October 20 this year so she hasn't given up on the series yet :) but the two collaborative ones do take her in different directions (and perhaps give her friends a chance to publish a novel).

I've been falling somewhat behind on knitting baby sweaters so decided to make my next book audible so I can knit and read at the same time. To be totally decadent while doing this I started the latest Bruno, Chief of Police novel An Enemy in the Village last night :)

>90 RebaRelishesReading: Ulrich, the author of the nonfiction work A Midwife's Tale, is a historian. My guess is that the PBS documentary and Ariel Lawhon's book The Frozen River both owe their existence to her and the source material she investigated.

(I like Martin Walker, too.)

The Last Mandarin sounds interesting, Reba.

>93 vancouverdeb: It is interesting and thought-provoking, Deborah. Interesting because it has world leaders (fictional future ones) talking to each other outside the public eye, trying to figure out what is going on, desperately trying to not let the world come apart. "Thought provoking" in that I have worries/fears about what AI could become and this book certainly adds fuel to that.

I hope you read it because I would love to have your take on it.

>91 RebaRelishesReading: So I started listening to An Enemy in the Village and fairly soon realized I had already listened to it :(. Since I was busy knitting and needed something to listen to I continued on and I'm so nearly done now that I think I'll just keep on going. Oh well :(

>26 alcottacre: I informed my husband before we got married that I was in no way, shape, or form a housekeeper.
ha! I love it. Though I never stated it, my lovely other found out pretty fast.

Hi Reba, I am behind on the threads so hadn't realized there were health woes in your house- sorry to hear it. Thank goodness for reading (Austen!) in these times, right?

>96 LovingLit: I had a housekeeper, well a woman who cleaned once a week, for years before I had a husband. Keeping one was a necessity.

>96 LovingLit: >97 quondame:

THE WHISTLING SEASON has lovely coverage of a new housekeeper!

>97 quondame: I keep having to replace mine. Some have been long term, some only sort of on call. I should make it a regular thing again.

As I got further into An Enemy in the Village I concluded that I had started it but never finished it -- now I have. It's nice, light reading and I enjoyed it.

I wouldn't say that "I'm not a housekeeper" but having help once a week certainly adds to my enjoyment of retirement :). (and given that my husband really isn't able to help much any more it seems fair to have some outside help)

Today was full of doctor/pharmacy appointments for Hubby and grocery shopping for me and I have choir practice tonight -- always fun but this week I'm totally unprepared :(.

>99 ffortsa: We had one for around 20 years and haven't been able to replace her. Tried a couple of times, and have had in some blitz cleaners, but perfect is hard to replace.

>92 ReneeMarie:
I figured that there was some confusion regarding the title A Midwife's Tale. The book that was written by Ulrich is a work of nonfiction. It is written by a historian and won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1991. It was one of the first works of nonfiction regarded as "Women's History." It took Ulrich 8 years to write it because she investigated entries in the diary as thoroughly as she could. This book paved the way for the creation of "Women's History" as a speciality in academe. The book itself is not only a biography of a common person, that is not of the New England aristocracy, but it is a wider look at the lives of common women in that period of time. It was a groundbreaking book when it was published.

The book has an LC (Library of Congress) classification number that begins with the letter F. Most of the time, that indicates that it is a work of nonfiction. (Works of fiction usually begin with the letter P).

The PBS show is a documentary (some places class it as a docudrama), and is a part of the American Experience series. It was aired in 1998. I think you can watch it on YouTube without a subscription, because it is so old.

Hi Reba. Yes, I'm actually here on LT, doing some visiting around. I hope you are doing well! (I've skimmed through but it's hard to get detailed info with so much catching up to do!).

Beth is coming to Portland in July and P & I will drive over, hoping for a Portland-area meetup on Saturday, July 11. I think Kim will post in the Oregon Meetups thread with some planning details. I would love to see you!!!!

>103 EBT1002: What Ellen said, Reba.

>103 EBT1002:, >104 BLBera: How exciting! Would love to see you too! I've put July 11 on the calendar for an LT meetup :)

I forgot to mention that last Tuesday was my 18th Thingaversary! Doesn't seem possible that it's been that long. It is an important part of my day. What a wonderful community to belong to!

Happy Thingaversary!
I had my 18th in March, so we joined almost the same time :-D

>106 RebaRelishesReading: congratulations, Reba!

Very happy to have you as part of this little community Reba

Happy 18th Thingaversary!!!



And thanks for keeping my thread warm. And, also, here's the link for our next potential OR meetup. : )

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

I subscribe to Louise Penny's newsletter and this month she wrote about the writing and publishing of The Last Mandarin. I thought you might enjoy the following clips from that newsletter:

"We knew it would involve the US and China in a high-stakes race to stop ever more horrific global attacks. We knew we wanted to explore Chinese culture, history, myths, politics. And to not make the Chinese the de-facto “bad actors”, but to make it more nuanced, and to humanize all the players.

We also knew that the core of the story, propelling it forward, would be an estranged Chinese mother and daughter. Over time, and dim sum, the main characters emerged. The mother, Vivien, would be a world famous human rights activist, a dissident who’d been at Tiananmen Square. And the daughter, Alice would be…a disappointment. At least in her mother’s eyes. A promising journalist who instead chose to follow her passion and become a food blogger.

These two would unexpectedly find themselves uniquely placed to stop the final horrendous attack and to uncover whoever was really behind it.

That’s the broad strokes. We wanted it to be human, recognizable, laugh out loud funny at times. Edge of the seat scary at times. While neither a polemic nor a lecture, we hoped maybe readers would discover things they didn’t know about China. About technology. Maybe even about themselves."

Not about books, but about current day life -- David French has a most thought-provoking op ed piece in the NY Times today.

>111 RebaRelishesReading: Interesting quotes! Who is the "we" (Louise Penny and ??) and side note --the link goes to the wrong book.

Happy Thingaversary, Reba! It was my 18th Thingaversary this year too.

>113 Berly: Thanks for pointing out the bad link. The "we" is Louise Penny (who was writing) and her co-author on The Last Mandarin, Mellissa Fung.

How fun Meg and Jennifer that we all joined the same year. Can you believe how long ago that was?! Time really does fly when you're having fun I guess :). And, thank you Jim, Laura and Kim for the kind words.

Happy Thingaversary, Reba.

>117 BLBera: Thanks Beth. Remember when we used to celebrate by buying the number of books to match years at LT? Don't do that any more lol.

I've been busy with Hubby's health "issues" lately plus distracted my knitting so not reading much (: I hope to correct that somewhat today.

Happy Thingaversary, Reba! I join you all in having my 18th anniversary this year. Mine will be in August. I'm just sorry that it took me so long to get involved in the social side of the site. I was late to the 75ers.

Happy 18th Thingaversary, Reba! Husband's health issues, they do take up time.

Thanks for the Thingaversary wishes Irene and Deborah (and you are definitely right about Hubby health issues Deb). I did get some reading done while waiting for dental appointment though :)

I just came back from the dentist where I had a filling (that was found to be loose and about to fail) replaced. Half of my chin and jaw are somewhat numb and very itchy right now. I haven't had any dental work other than cleaning for a long time and am not used to this strange feeling.

Reba--Hope the anesthesia has worn off by now!! And Happy Thingaversay!! No, I don't buy books for mine anymore, unless you count all the ones I buy throughout the year. ; )

>124 Berly: Hi Kim!! So nice to see you regularly again :)

Anesthesia has worn off but my jaw is quite sore :(

True, if you count the books purchased between Thingaversaries I'm sure I buy enough to match the years I've belonged :>

I dropped by (oh, OK, so I made a special trip there) White Oak Books this afternoon and checked five things on my wish list off:

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus (this year's Pulitzer winner for fiction)
Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. (guilty pleasure)
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. (a favorite author's newest)
Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton (LT recommendation...Laura?)
Whistler by Ann Patchett (another favorite author's newest)

RL bookclub is going to be talking about books for coming (book club) year -- I won't have time to read them before we meet on Monday -- what shall I suggest????

>126 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh... I didn't realize that Patchett had a new one out.

Have you read Clear by Carys Davies? It's a good book group book. Or we had a good discussion with Tove Jannson's The Summer Book. Or there is Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake; which is not as literary, but interesting and ought to bring out a lot to talk about.

>126 RebaRelishesReading: Queens of Crime sounds like fun, Reba.

>126 RebaRelishesReading: Nice book haul! Don't think you can go wrong with any of them for bookclub.

Happy Thingaversary Reba! I see you did start buying at least some books. I’m sorry, can’t help you with the book club question.

>126 RebaRelishesReading: - I haven't read any of them, but from what I gleaned about Whistler at the event with Patchett, it does sound like it would be a good book for discussion.

>127 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. That's a good idea. I read Clear a year ago, Rhonda, and gave it 4 !/2 stars. Now that you mention it I may add it to the list. The other two sound interesting but my list is starting to get a bit long so I may just hang on to those ideas for next year.

>128 vancouverdeb: I enjoy Benedict's fictionalized biography and have been thinking about reading this one for quite a long time. Now that I'm nearing the end of my (self-imposed) Jane Austen commemorative year I need to look for some other things. I'll report when I get to it, Deborah.

>129 Berly: Hi Kim! Thanks, Kim. I'll let you know what (if any) they choose. Looking forward to seeing you and hope you're feeling better soon.

>130 EllaTim: Ah yes, Ella, when I get near a bookstore I pretty much always buy several (Thingaversary or not).

>131 katiekrug: Seems I always have several books on my want list with "(Katie)" after them. This time it's a double whammy since I have read several books by, or recommended by, Ann Patchett and liked them all. I'll let you know what is chosen (but I intend to read them all even if books club doesn't)

>126 RebaRelishesReading: I just added Ruins to my library hold list after reading about it on Beth's thread. I hope you enjoy it, Reba!

Reba, I enjoy your comments regarding the weather! Also, congratulations on reading Pride and Prejudice once again. I admit to never reading this, but hope to do so.

Weatherwise, I live in NE Pennsylvania. It's been a very hot summer with many days of mid-high 90 degree weather. Yesterday, a five o'clock storm lashed the rain sideways, moving items on my deck plastered against the opposite side. It lasted longer than I would have liked, but in reality it was 45 minutes.

>131 katiekrug: Count me in the Ann Patchett fan club.

>126 RebaRelishesReading: What a terrific haul! I want Ruins and Whistler and I need to dig back into Strout (she never captivates me the way she does so many other book buddies). And I'm trying so hard not to purchase hard cover editions..... argh!

I'm looking forward to our meetup next month!

I had a lovely lunch with the other three remaining members of my RL bookclub today. It was so much fun we decided we're fine going forward and may become the "ladies lunch and book club" lol. We talked about possible group reads for next year (we meet on a more-or-less academic year basis) but didn't make any decisions.

>133 Familyhistorian: It won't be my very next read but I am looking forward to Ruins, Deborah. Maybe you'll get to the top of the library list about when I get to it and we can read it together :)

>134 Whisper1: Thanks Linda. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Austen book. Hope you get to it soon (ish). Here in the way-north-west we've not been over 70 except for a very few days so far this year. It's 5 p.m. and 58 degrees outside right now. Also raining now, which is a nice change, because we haven't had very much rain (or snow) so far this year.

>135 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. I'm looking forward to the meet-up too. It's been way too long.

Evelina by Frances Burney ***

Evelina is a young woman entering the social scene in the late 1700's. Her mother and father had been married "secretly" and, when Evelina was born, her father had not acknowledged the marriage. Her mother "ruined", Evelina was adopted by a clergyman who proved a good father. She had a sheltered childhood in a small town but when she was a teenager her adopted father allowed her to go for a long visit with a family in London. The book tells the story of her experiences through a series of letters to and from her adopted father.

I found the bones of the story interesting but the epistolary form made the story drag for me and I was glad when it reached its (rather predictable) conclusion. I still have a copy of Camillal by Burney but I'm going to skip it (at least for now). (for one thing it's 913 pages long!!!)

I've started Strout's new book The Things We Never Say. One background source I consulted on-line (when putting together my list for book club consideration) says the following:
"plot: An accident shifts Artie's perspective, leading him to re-examine his life, his marriage, and his relationship with his son, who experienced a tragedy years prior.
Themes: the novel delves into loneliness, grief, free will, the secrets people keep, and the profound, often unspoken, connections between individuals."

I'm 35 pages into it and I think I'm going to need a lot of Kleenex!!

>139 vancouverdeb: I finished The Things We Say last night, Reba and really enjoyed it. I didn't need any kleenex, but it was a good , thought provoking read.

>139 vancouverdeb: I hope to get back to it this afternoon. So far it's leaving me rather sad.

Hi Reba! I'm catching up after vacation. Nice book haul up there, and I'm interested to see what your book club chooses. Maybe some day we'll tackle Camilla together? I can't face it right now either. I need to get back to my pre-Austen reading but it won't be with that one.

Hopefully today I'll catch up on my own thread. I've been slow getting back into the groove.

>141 lauralkeet: That would be great, Laura (co-reading Camilla but not for a while please). Nice to have you back and glad you had such a nice trip. Enjoy the post-holiday slow-down and ease back in at a comfortable pace!

I hope you are having a super Saturday, Reba!

>140 RebaRelishesReading: Too bad. I hope the book grabs you eventually. I suppose that yes, it is a sad story for the most part,Reba .

>140 RebaRelishesReading:, >144 vancouverdeb: I loved The Things We Never Say. Sorry it hasn't grabbed you, Reba. For me, besides the story itself I also loved the way Strout wrote it. She's such a great author.

>142 RebaRelishesReading: And yes, it will be a while before I'm up for Camilla! Besides just generally feeling ready for it, I need to space out the super-chunksters in my reading diet.

>144 vancouverdeb: >146 RebaRelishesReading: I had a nice chunk of time last evening so I picked The Things We Never Say back up and really got into it. I also re-read a description of it (see below) that I had which also helped. I wouldn't say it's my favorite Strout but I liked it a lot.

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout ****

from a description of the book I found on-line

"The Things We Never Say focuses "on a high school history teacher Artie Dam, who grapples with loneliness, grief, and the meaning of life after a life-altering accident forces him to confront his past and present, exploring themes of fate, freedom, and the unspoken truths in human relationships. The book follows Artie's internal struggles and his interactions with his wife, son and students, set against the backdrop of a changing world and the 2024 election".

>143 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia. My Saturday was OK but I hope yours was super!! Nice to see you here.

I haven't been focusing on my knitting for a while so decided my next book should be audio. Looked through the list of ones I have and decided to start The Dublin Murder Squad Series. I'll be heading back to "my" chair and my knitting when I finish here.

>149 RebaRelishesReading: Oooh, Dublin Murder Squad! I enjoyed those books.

>150 lauralkeet: I've heard good things from several LR sources including you, Laura. That's why I decided to try them. Interestingly , I'm listening to what claims to be the first in the series but I read (or listened too, don't remember) the story of the previous murder referred to a few years ago. I've been crocheting and listening all afternoon -- most pleasant :)

>136 RebaRelishesReading: I paused my library hold on Ruins until the end of July so I won't get to it until after that date, Reba. If you hold out that long maybe we can read it together.

>152 Familyhistorian: Mt. TBR is big enough that I can probably wait until the end of July for Ruins. Keep me posted on when you're ready :)

>147 RebaRelishesReading: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again! Glad to see that you enjoyed it so much.

>149 RebaRelishesReading: I hope you enjoy The Dublin Murder Squad as much as I did, Reba!

I sort of wish I had become adept, or Evan vaguely capable at knitting or crocheting. I just can't listen to audiobooks while painting! Haha.

Enjoy the Dublin Murder Squad series. They're fun.

Hi Reba! I am so sorry your husband continues to be unwell.

Happy Thingaversary! Just looked mine up - mine is next week and it will also be 18 years for me. What a gift this community is.

Thanks Anne. After a trip to the ER he's now in a facility where he will get 1-2 hours per day exercise which we hope will have him strong enough to function at home again.

To fill my time while all of this was going on I alternated between listening to The Dublin Murder Squad (audio) and Benedict's The Queens of Crime ("real" book). I'm finding them both interesting and entertaining but I have to be careful to keep the clues, etc. straight between the two cases -- probably would have been better to grab something other than the Benedict to go with this audio but so far I'm managing.

>157 RebaRelishesReading: I am sorry to read you have been to the ER with your husband, Reba. I hope the facility he is in will help him able to function again at home. Hugs, Reba. It's hard when our husbands are not well.

>157 RebaRelishesReading: Oh my Reba, I'm sorry to hear your hubby had another visit to the ER. I hope the treatment he receives in the facility works its magic. I'm sure this is all quite worrying for you, and hope the books are enough of a distraction. Take care, my friend.

Sending wishes for a speedy recovery to your husband, Reba. I hope he is back home soon. Take care.

That kind of rehabilitation worked very well for my mother after her fall. She lived by herself and part of her problem was that she wasn't eating well. She said that the rehab people were very strict with her and she wasn't happy about that, but in the end, she was able to come home and function quite well. I am sure that it will help Emery, but it is going to be tough work for him.

I'm so sorry to hear you had another trip to the ER. I hope the rehab and exercise regimen allow him to get home tout de suite!

Hi Reba. Very sorry that your husband is not well. I hope rehabiliation will help. I also have had a good experience with my mother’s rehab, and that of an elderly neighbor.

I read about your idea for a lunch and book club? It sounded just the thing.

Thank you Deborah, Laura, Beth, Benita, Katie and Ella. Your concern and kind words mean a lot to me. I visited him this morning. It was a beautiful day and we sat out in a patio/garden area and talked with the occupational therapist. He's still in the in-take process and I was pleased to see the attention he was getting.

His younger daughter is going to visit him this evening. Some years ago she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle down a fairly major street and ended up in a rehab as the end of her recovery. She's going to talk about her experience, how she hated it, and also how important it was to her recovery. I'm hoping being reminded of that will give him strength to really do his best at the therapy he will be offered.

I'm so sorry, Reba, to hear that your husband is still struggling. I am very hopeful that the rehab will help. My DH has had outpatient PT several times after operations, and has really appreciated it, as it helped him recover well. In-patient rehab should be even better. I'm sure what your husband's daughter can tell him about her experience should be reassuring to him. I hope for a quick recovery for him!

Oh Reba, I am sorry to hear this. I hope that his time in rehabilitation will make a big difference for him and for you. I am keeping you in my thoughts.

>164 RebaRelishesReading: She's going to talk about her experience, how she hated it, and also how important it was to her recovery.
That's so helpful! It's always best to hear that sort of thing from someone who's been through it, and whom you trust.

Rehab is such an interesting subject. It is easy for those of us who have never had to do it to say just get on with it and bully though. However, it is a very difficult process. I remember a colleague who was quite athletic, in her 50's and had to have a knee replaced. She was single so had to spend 30 days in a rehab center while she recovered and got back to normal. She said the whole experience was very difficult. Mostly she thought that the rehab center was very noisy. She said it didn't quiet down until about 9 PM.

So sorry about your husband. Hopefully the rehab turns out to be just what he needs.

Thank you all Irene, Anne, Laura, Benita and Rhonda. I spent late morning and early afternoon with Hubby at rehab. The weather is beautiful again today so we sat out on the patio for a while. All of the staff we have met are friendly, competent and a joy to be around but the room itself really is dreary/small/crowded so it's nice to escape. He was able to stand himself to transfer from the wheelchair to the bed when I left -- that's a nice improvement from last weekend...so...PROGRESS :). At the hospital the doctors predicted 10-14 days in rehab but PT staff today said 3-4 weeks so that isn't so nice.

In the Woods by Tana French ***1/2 (audio)

On my drives in the car yesterday I was listening to this again and when I got home I picked up my knitting and continued listening...until almost 2 a.m.!! That got me close enough that I finished it on the drive this morning. A complex, interesting book. It's bugging me though that I remember reading (or listening to) the story of the two children that went missing in the woods that is referred to in this one but the list of The Dublin Murder Squad Series in order lists this one as the first in the series 🤷‍♀️

Now back to finish up The Queens of Crime

>170 RebaRelishesReading: Too bad about hubby's room, Reba. I'm glad might not be too long that he is in rehab. Only rehab I've had to do is after I fractured a wrist, and I just has to go the hospital twice a week for an hour or so, for about 6 weeks, and then once a week. But I recall how frustrating it was getting my wrist to move and go through all the motions was. I had daily home exercises for it too. I'm glad he is making progress and I am sure he feels the same way.

>170 RebaRelishesReading: The results are encouraging, Reba. Sorry that his stay might be longer than originally stated. I'm glad you're keeping busy with the books, and your knitting needles too of course.

Rehab sounds like a good idea for your hubby’s recovery. I hope his daughter’s pep talk sells him on putting in maximum effort. Take care of yourself, Reba.

I hope rehab goes well, Reba.

Thank you all, Deborah, Laura, Meg and Beth! I could see progress today when visiting Hubby 😃.

He has an appointment with his cardiac surgeon next Thursday (check up from stents placed into aneurysms last year) and needs to have blood drawn in advance for that. I was also concerned about how we were going to get him there since it's in Portland some 15 minutes or so south of rehab. Turns out the clever, efficient folks at the rehab have already done the blood draw AND the physical therapist spent time today demonstrating and then checking us out on procedures to get him safely into the car. It's so nice when people do their jobs so well.

Meanwhile, last night I finished....
The Queen's of Crime by Marie Benedict ***1/2

I somehow expected this to be a series of mini-biographies of women crime writers -- wrong!! It's actually a crime novel itself in which Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy solve the case of a young woman who disappeared mysteriously after taking a ferry to France for a day trip with a friend. A fun read.

Now I think I get back to Austen for a reread of Mansfield Park.

The weather has been spectacularly beautiful the past few days so I'm going to turn off the computer and go for a nice walk before dinner :)

>176 RebaRelishesReading: Three cheers for the rehab team. I'm sure it's a relief not to have to worry about all the little details. I hope your walk was restorative.

>179 lauralkeet: Indeed! I was most impressed with them.

After morning visit to Hubby today I decided to stop at my favorite Indy bookstore on the way home. I ordered Goodbye, Killer Robots: Why Artificial Intelligence Won’t Destroy Humanity since Richard promised me it would help me stop freaking out about the future of AI.

>176 RebaRelishesReading: I am so glad you could see progress with your hubby, Reba. So encouraging. Enjoy your new book.

I decided my next book should be Mansfield Park since Austen's anniversary year is slipping by and because I watched a special about her last night and learned that this one was sparked by her concerns about slavery. I didn't know that when I read it many years ago and think it will be an interesting point of view with which to approach my re-read.

A Murder in Springtime by Martin Walker *** (audio)

Another in the Bruno Chief of Police series. I enjoy these for light reading/listening because of the picture of rural life and French food they portray and for the delightful characters but I also like the mysteries they present. This one tipped a bit too far toward the rural life in France for me with the murder and crime solving almost forgotten. Still it was pleasant to listen to as I drive 45 minutes or so each way to visit Hubby.

Good news about Hubby - The trip to visit the cardiologist went very smoothly yesterday so rehab has decided he's strong enough to come home on Tuesday!

On the reading front, I"m making progress with Mansfield Park -- but I'm pretty sure it's still going to be my least favorite Austen.

I finished A Murder in Springtime by Martin Walker in audio last night. One thing I like about the Bruno series is the discussion of food/life in rural France but this one over did it imo. The story was almost all about Bruno's love life and life in the perigord. Fun, but a little more balance could have been nice.

>194 RebaRelishesReading: rehab has decided he's strong enough to come home on Tuesday!
*tosses confetti*
That's great news Reba!!

>184 RebaRelishesReading: What great news! I'm so glad he's doing so well.

>184 RebaRelishesReading: Excellent news about your hubby, Reba! I’m glad he is doing so well.

>184 RebaRelishesReading: Hooray for the good news about your hubby, Reba!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Great news for your hubby!

Thanks so much for sharing my happiness Laura, Susan, Deborah, Stasia and Rhonda!! It will be nice :)

>184 RebaRelishesReading: That is wonderful news about your husband, Reba! I'm glad to hear it.

It's been so long since I read Mansfield Park that I don't remember what I thought about it. I guess that means it's time for a reread.

I'm still plugging along with Mansfield Park and still trying to see the connection with slavery. I can't decide whether to start Whistler or Land next.

Good to see that hubby will soon be coming home, Reba!

Thank you Irene and Meg. I'm having "carer" training this morning and feeling more unsure about all of this...

Meanwhile continuing to reread Mansfield Park. I'm trying hard to see the connection between this book and Austen's concerns about slavery (as the special I saw recently claimed there was). I will do more research on that once I finish the book. About 2/3 of the way through it and it's still definitely my least favorite Austen.

Reba, with all time spent taking care of your husband's heart issues, still, you manage to read. This is most impressive! You deserve a lot of credit. I'm also glad that your husband will soon be home. Do you have anyone to help you when he comes home?

I hope you are taking care of yourself as well. It's hard to remember self care when you are primary care giver to your husband. You are to be commended for all your hard work helping him find answers and then helping with all of that.

Kudos to you!

Glad to hear the good news!

>194 RebaRelishesReading:
Re: carer training, I hope it training went well and that it helped ease some of your concerns, Reba.

About Mansfield Park and slavery, I remember looking into this the last time I read the novel. Did I bookmark my sources? Well, no. But the gist of it is that Sir Thomas Bartram owns a sugar plantation in Antigua, which undoubtedly included enslaved people. He was also a Member of Parliament at a time when Britain was seeking to abolish the slave trade. Contemporary readers would have immediately picked up on that. There's also the "dead silence passage," which is often cited as evidence of Austen's anti-slavery stance, but the author of this essay unpacks in a different way:
https://www.lonamanning.ca/blog/cmp36-the-dead-silence

Lauren Groff wrote a great essay in the NYT about MP. I'll (gift) link to the full thing, but this is the most salient part:

"But I find particularly seductive the arguments that the critic Helena Kelly makes in her 2016 book “Jane Austen, the Secret Radical.” Though centuries of readers have found fault with “Mansfield Park” for being insufficiently morally interested in the enslavement of Black people on the Antigua sugar plantation that makes the Bertrams’ lives back in England so comfortable, Kelly argues that Austen put so many markers of slavery into her novel that Regency audiences would have been made constantly — and overtly — aware of the book’s engagement with the issue.

For one, a contemporary audience would have been well aware of the real-life Lord Mansfield, a judge who, having no children of his own, adopted his great-nieces, one of whom was Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed-race daughter of Mansfield’s nephew and an African woman. Lord Mansfield was notorious, both celebrated and excoriated, because he, without entirely meaning to, had presided over a trial that, in effect, outlawed slavery in England in 1772. By naming her book “Mansfield Park,” Austen is keeping the idea of slavery constantly before the reader’s eyes.

Kelly likewise unleashes an avalanche of details from the novel, all of which would have brought the contemporary reader’s attention back toward either abolition or slavery, and all of which would have been legible to the average educated readers of the time. These range from Fanny quoting the poet William Cowper, the poet of abolition of his era, to the name and characteristics of Aunt Norris being a sharp echo of a pro-slavery activist of the same name, to a passage in Laurence Sterne’s “A Sentimental Journey,” alluded to during an especially fraught moment on a trip to a neighboring estate, a passage that ends like this: “Disguise thyself as thy wilt, still, Slavery! Said I, — still thou art a bitter draught! and though thousands in all ages have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account.”

On and on the examples build up, weaving a thick and convincing fabric of Austen’s likely intention. To force readers to constantly turn their thoughts toward something as unpleasant as slavery is extraordinarily bold and risky.

Another thing that perhaps made “Mansfield Park” seem dangerous was that Austen did not quail from expressing overt criticism of clerics in this novel, none of whom are particularly good shepherds of their flocks or even more than lukewarm in their faith. This rankled some of her own family; Austen’s father was an ordained cleric and rector of the Church of England; two of her brothers were also clerics.

The most radical criticism that Austen levies in the book, according to Kelly, is that the writer obviously and intentionally reminds her readers of the well-known fact that the Anglican Church, under the aegis of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, still enslaved human beings in the Caribbean at that time, not simply keeping the enslaved persons that it had been given, but buying new humans and even branding them as church property.

Austen literally links slavery and the church; when Fanny’s brother William gives her an amber cross from his travels, Edmund, the good kind cousin who was intended to be ordained by the church for a living, gives the girl a chain. The cross and the chain are not simply symbols; they are materially linked as ornaments on the very person of Fanny Price.

Fanny, too, is the only person in the book who dares to mention slavery out loud. When this painfully shy girl asks her uncle about it, she is met with only terrible and ringing silence."

The whole essay is worth reading; it deepened my appreciation for the novel.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/books/review/jane-austen-mansfield-park.html?...

Well, I picked Hubby up this morning -- got him into the car there and out and into the house at home!! Turns out the wheelchair provided is too wide to fit through our laundry room (which is the access to the garage) and I'm not strong enough to pull it with him in it over the step into the house at the front door -- so he walked in using the walker...which is good actually :). We had a sandwich and some potato chips while watching a couple of episodes of Jeopardy and now he's in bed (and very glad to be back in his own bed in our own room!!).

>195 Whisper1: Hi Linda. Thank you for your kind words...amazing what one can do when necessary :) Reading keeps me sane so I try to find room for it in my life :).

>196 mstrust: Thanks Jennifer!!

>197 lauralkeet:, >198 katiekrug: Thank you, Laura and Katie, VERY much for the info and links!! I'll read the articles as soon as I finish here. Fortunately I'm not yet finished with Mansfield Park and what I have read is still very fresh in my mind so the new information will be really useful. Interesting that she used place and character names that would have had significance to readers of the day.

>199 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad to hear that your husband is back home and was able to use the walker to get into the house. That sounds like very good news! I'm sure he's happy to be back in his own bed. I hope that there won't be too much on you to take care of him. Good luck with it all!

>198 katiekrug: That is SO interesting! Thanks for sharing it, Katie. I need to keep this on hand for whenever I get back around to rereading Mansfield Park.

Reba, I'm really glad to hear hubby is settled in back home and especially glad he was able to use the walker to get indoors. It would have been a shame to leave him in the garage. Just kidding! Hope today goes well for you both.

So good a walker came in handy to help your husband recover!

>199 RebaRelishesReading: I am so glad your husband was able to get into the house with a walker, Reba and glad to read you had cooler weather as we did today.

Back when we spent our summers at Chautauqua we enjoyed the tradition there of celebrating Canada Day as well as 4th of July (because it's nearly on the boarder AND there are a LOT of Canadians who also spend part of their summers there). I really liked that and mentally sang it in honor of all of our Northern Neighbors and their wonderful country today.

It's good news that your husband is back home, Reba. Take care of yourself. Interesting stuff about Mansfield Park.

What great news that your husband is out of the hospital and back home with you...and your books!! What an experience. When I read that the wheel chair could not accommodate your needs, my first reaction was to think how many things you overcame during this stressful time. And then, I thought of all the components of this journey. I truly am amazed at all the details you handled! Together you overcame quite a lot. Kudos to both!

>198 katiekrug:. Thanks for pointing out Lauren Goff's essay. It enhanced my reading of book and after I finished Mansfield Park this evening I went back and re-read it. It's most interesting and thought provoking.

>197 lauralkeet: I also reread Lona Manning's blog that you so kindly point out, Laura. It also really enhanced my reading of the book.

Examples of why LT is such a great place. Not only a source of great books to read but also a source of deeper information to make them even better!

>206 Whisper1: Whisper1: What kind words, Linda. Thank you. We are making progress but we still have a lot to overcome, but with encouragement like that we'll keep on keeping on.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen*****

I finished a re-read of Mansfield Park this evening and, with the help of the info provided by Katie and Laura enjoyed it a lot and will be thinking about it for some time to come. If you plan on reading or re-reading this book do yourself a big favor and look up the two cited articles and read them first.

And, with that, and with the start of the second half of the year (how on earth has that happened already?!?!?) I'm going to start a new thread. Please come and visit me there.