Paul C's Roads Less Travelled in 2026 - 10

Association Football or, as you wrongly term it in the USA, soccer, was given to the world by the UK but it was made beautiful by Brazil and their class of 1970 in particular. The ringmaster of a wonderful team of such talents as Carlos Alberto, Gerson, Tostao, Rivelinho, Jairzinho was Pele pictured above. People will say that Maradona, Best, Cruyff, Messi or Ronaldo were better players - and it is deeply subjective - but for me there has never been a finer player before or since than the great PELE.

Opening Words

I am about to read, the much praised, Good People by Afghanistan born Patmeena Sabit.




".....And our eyes fell on the children. Little flowers born in war and grown in war, who of all the world knew only the things war brought and the things it took. Then we said: God, You have brought this on our heads and made us endure and we have endured. In Your great wrath at we know not what sins of ours, You have doomed this dirt and turned it into a graveyard for the living and the dead, But even You - even You have no right to these children."

Interested................................?

Poetry

Imtiaz Dharker is a British-Pakistani poet brought up in Scotland and living now, I believe in Wales. She is a distinctive and very clear voice in British poetry and is believed to have turned down the role of Poet Laureate before it was given to Simon Armitage.



This is her poem "Undone"

That tongue of yours is silver when you speak
and silver when the speaking’s done.
Those eyes have a look that turns my quick
to silver and proves my body’s not my own
but away on loan to your fingers, bold
in their skilful wheeling and their dealing.
Your mouth the alchemist, I am gold,
blown through the eggshell of the ceiling
into a clear Murano sky.
All that goes with me is the scent of you
which could be the scent of me, for there is no I
or you, flung as we are to glassy blue.
See how well I am undone
with one touch of your silenced silver tongue.

Books Read (First 75)

Books Read

January:

1. The Place of Tides by James Rebanks (2024) 285pp {Non-Fiction} Penguin/Allen Lane (Completed 1/1/26) 8/10
2. Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolano (1996) 204 pp {Fiction} Vintage (Completed 3/1/26) RLT Challenge/ TM Challenge 6/10
3. Girl by Ruth Padel (2024) 107 pp {Poetry} Vintage (Completed 4/1/26) 4/10
4. Shardik by Richard Adams (1974) 592 pp {SF/Fantasy} Oneworld (Completed 6/1/26) BAC/TM Challenge 7/10
5. Antarctica by Claire Keegan (1999) 209pp {Short Stories} Faber (Completed 7/1/26) 8.5/10
6. The Good Father by Noah Hawley (2013) 384pp {Fiction} Hodder TM Challenge (Completed 10/1/26) 7.5/10
7. antibody by Rebecca Salazar (2025) 139pp {Poetry} McClelland & Stewart (Completed 12/1/26) 3/10
8. Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li (2025) 172pp {Non-Fiction} 4th Estate (Completed 13/1/26) 7/10
9. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell (2017) 455pp {SF/Fantasy} Hodder (Completed 17/1/26) 7/10
10. Suspicion by Friedrich Durrenmatt (1953) 157pp {Thriller} Pushkin Vertigo (Completed 18/1/26)
11. The Wardrobe Department by Elaine Garvey (2025) 221pp {Fiction} Canongate (Completed 20/1/26)
12. The Hill Bachelors by William Trevor (2000) 245pp {Short Stories} Penguin (Completed 21/1/26)
13. Question 7 by Richard Flanagan (2023) 275pp {Non-Fiction} Vintage (Completed 23/1/26)
14. Before the Fact by Francis Iles (1932) 326pp {Thriller} Pan (Completed 24/1/26)
15. Scaffolding by Lauren Elkin (2024) 383pp {Fiction} Vintage (Completed 25/1/26)
16. Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987) 324pp {Fiction} Vintage (Completed 29/1/26)
17. The War of the Poor by Eric Vuillard (2019) 79pp {Fiction} Other Press (Completed 30/1/26)
18. The Distinctly Competent District Councillor by Jonas Jonasson (2026) 132pp {Fiction} 4th Estate (Completed 31/1/26)

February

19. Love Forms by Claire Adam (2025) 295pp {Fiction} Faber (Completed 2/2/26)
20. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo (1831) 501pp {Fiction} Penguin Completed (2/2/26)
21. Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan (2021) 279pp {Fiction} Vintage (Completed 3/2/26)
22. After by Morris Gleitzman (2012) 209pp {Fiction} Penguin (Completed 5/2/26)
23. What Happened to the Corbetts by Nevil Shute (1939) 245pp {Fiction} Vintage (Completed 9/2/26)
24. The Autumn Throne by Elizabeth Chadwick (2016) 484pp {Fiction} Sphere (Completed 18/2/26)
25. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin (2015) 399pp {Short Stories} Picador (Completed 18/2/26)
26. Becoming Ella Fitzgerald by Judith Tick (2024) 436pp {Non-Fiction} Norton (Completed 19/2/26)
27. The Separation by Christopher Priest (2002) 405pp {SF/Fantasy} Gollancz (Completed 23/2/26)
28. Poems from an Attic by Iris Murdoch (2025) 155pp {Poetry} Chatto & Windus (Completed 24/2/26)
29. Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving (1832) 304pp {Short Stories} Ebook (Completed 27/2/26)
30. Lublin by Manya Wilkinson (2024) 196pp {Fiction} And Other Stories (Completed) 27/2/26)
31. Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky (2024) 226pp {Fiction} Ecco (Completed 28/2/26)
32. Strange Pictures by Uketsu (2022) 236pp {Thriller} HarperVia (Completed 28/2/26)

March

33. Nobody Asked for This by Charly Cox (2025) 105pp {Poetry} One Place Many Stories (Completed 3/3/26)
34. Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands (2024) 388pp {Fiction} Phoenix (Completed 3/3/26)
35. Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst (2024) 258pp {Non-Fiction} (Completed 10/3/26)
36. The Cuckoo's Lea by Michael J. Warren (2025) 277pp {Non-Fiction} Bloomsbury (Completed 10/3/26)
37. The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (1993) 202pp {Fiction} W&N (Completed 19/2/26)
38. On Reflection by Richard Holloway (2024) 227pp {Non-Fiction} Canongate (Completed 24/3/26)
39. Fierce Elegy by Peter Gizzi (2023) 61pp {Poetry} Penguin (Completed 28/3/26)
40. Returning by Edna O'Brien (1982) 158pp {Short Stories} Phoenix (Completed 30/3/26)
41. Under the Skin by Michel Faber (2000) 296pp {SF/Fantasy} Canongate (Completed 30/3/26)
42. Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli (2019) 350pp {Fiction} (Completed 30/3/26)
43. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson (1919) 247pp {Short Stories} Penguin (Completed 31/3/26)
44. Vertigo & Ghost by Fiona Benson (2019) 90pp {Poetry} Cape Poetry (Completed 31/3/26)
45. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin (1833) 273pp {Poetry} Pushkin Press (Completed 31/2/26)

April

46. Supporting Cast by Kit de Waal (2020) 127pp {Short Stories} Penguin (Completed 12/4/26)
47. Water by John Boyne (2023) 166pp {Fiction} Doubleday (Completed 12/4/26)
48. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) 267pp {Fiction} Michael Joseph (Completed 15/4/26)
49. Cold Spring Harbor by Richard Yates (1986) 178pp {Fiction} Vintage (Completed 20/4/26)
50. Foretokens by Sarah Howe (2025) 80pp {Poetry} Chatto & Windus (Completed 21/4/26)
51. The Others by Sheena Kalayil (2025) 326pp {Fiction} Fly on the Wall Press (Completed 25/4/26)
52. Unruly by David Mitchell (2023) 403pp {Non-Fiction} Penguin (Completed 26/4/26)
53. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya (1972) 262pp {Fiction} (Completed 27/4/26)
54. The Hamiltons: Official Life in 1830 by Catherine Gore (1834) 367pp {Fiction} Open Library (Completed 27/4/26)
55. The Ode Less Traveled by Stephen Fry (2005) 352pp {Non Fiction} (Completed 28/4/26)
56. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (2025) 196pp {Fiction} Chatto & Windus (Completed 28/4/26)
57. The Pleasant Light of Day by Philip O'Ceallaigh (2009) 264pp {Short Stories} Penguin (Completed 28/4/26)
58. Belfast Confetti by Ciaran Carson (1989) 108pp {Poetry} Wake Forest (Completed 29/4/26)
59. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2004) 282pp {Fiction} Virago (Completed 30/4/26)
60. Gut by Giulia Enders (2015) 263pp {Non-Fiction} (Completed 30/4/26)

May

61. I, Claudius by Robert Graves (1934) 396pp {Fiction} Penguin (Completed 6 May 26)
62. Mama Amazonica by Pascale Petit (2017) 108pp {Poetry} Bloodaxe (Completed 6 May 2026)
63. A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough (2020) 247pp {Non-Fiction} Penguin (Completed 9 May 2026)
64. Openings by Lucy Caldwell (2024) 235pp {Short Stories} Faber (Completed 9/5/26)
65. The Horse by Willy Vlautin (2024) 209pp {Fiction} Faber (Completed 13/5/26)
66. Luck is the Hook by Imtiaz Dharker (2018) 122pp {Poetry} Bloodaxe (Completed 13/5/26)
67. Valley of the Sun by Louis L'Amour (1995) 177pp {Short Stories} Bantam (Completed 13/5/26)
68. The Wax Child by Olga Ravn (2023) 178pp {Fiction} (Completed 14/5/26)
69. Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior (2018) 276pp {Fiction} Verso (15/5/26)
70. Good People by Patmeena Sabit (2026) 383pp {Fiction} Virago (Completed 19 May 2026)
71. Homesick by Eshkol Nevo (2004) 374pp {Fiction} Vintage (Completed 19/5/26)
72. The Scent of Oranges by Kathy George (2024) 359pp {Fiction} HQ (Completed 24/5/26)
73. Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky (2025) 436pp {SF/Fantasy} Tor (Completed 24/5/26)
74. Excession by Iain M. Banks (1996) 455pp {SF/Fantasy} Orbit (Completed 25/5/26)
75. Viking's Dawn by Henry Treece (1955) 184pp {Fiction} Puffin (Completed 27/5/26)

Books Read (76-150)

May

76. Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai (1977) 146pp {Fiction} Vintage (Completed 27/5/26)
77. She Who Remains by Rene Karabash (2018) 155pp {Fiction} Peirene (Completed 27/5/26)
78. The Laird's Luck by Arthur Quiller-Couch (1901) 67pp {Short Story} Scribner (Completed 28/5/26)
79. All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve (2003) 340pp {Fiction} Abacus (Completed 29/5/26)
80. Frost in May by Antonia White (1933) 208pp {Fiction} Virago (Completed 30/5/26)
81. The Earth Compels by Louis MacNeice (1938) 46pp {Poetry} Faber (Completed 31/5/26)

Currently Reading (to reach 75)

Roads Less Travelled



THE AMERICAN CONTINENTs OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Our tour of the less well traveled pathways of the American continents in 2026.

I will not impinge on the wonderful American Author Challenge and I am not looking to repeat the Canadian author challenges that have featured as this is largely about everywhere else on the continent.

This will be our journey:

JANUARY - CHILEAN AUTHORS: https://www.librarything.com/topic/377059
1. Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolano

FEBRUARY - ANGLO CARIBBEAN AUTHORS : https://www.librarything.com/topic/378317
1. Love Forms by Claire Adam

MARCH - MEXICAN AUTHORS
1. Lost Children Archive by Valeira Luiselli

APRIL - HISPANIC NORTH AMERICANS : https://www.librarything.com/topic/383269
1. antibody: poems by Rebecca Salazar
2. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

MAY - BRAZILIAN AUTHORS: https://www.librarything.com/topic/384022
1. Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior

JUNE - NON-FICTION ABOUT THE AMERICAS
JULY - CUBAN AUTHORS
AUGUST - FRANCO CARIBBEAN
SEPTEMBER - COLOMBIAN AUTHORS
OCTOBER - FIRST NATION NORTH AMERICANS
NOVEMBER - ARGENTINIAN AUTHORS
DECEMBER - OTHER PARTS OF THE CONTINENTS

British Author Challenge (Hosted by my friend Amanda)



January - Cressida Cowell & Richard Adams https://www.librarything.com/topic/376836#n9049588
Shardik by Richard Adams, The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

February - Elizabeth Chadwick & Nevil Shute
What Happened to the Corbetts by Shute
The Autumn Throne by Chadwick

March - Obscure Books
Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands (64 LT Members)

April - Kit de Waal & Stephen Fry
Supporting Cast by de Waal
The Ode Less Traveled by Fry

May - MM Kaye & Iain Banks
Excession by Banks

June -

July -

August -

September -

October -

November -

December -

NON-FICTION CHALLENGE



Hosted this year by my friend Benita.

JANUARY : PRIZE WINNERS - Question 7 by Richard Flanagan
FEBRUARY : JAZZ - Becoming Ella Fitzgerald by Judith Tick
MARCH : RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY - On Reflection by Richard Holloway
APRIL : THE BODY - Gut by Giulia Enders
MAY : TRAVEL - A Life On Our Planet by David Attenborough

The Time Machine

I will be reading 200 books one from each of the last 200 years, I will read them in date order and limit myself to one book per author.
Starting 2025 and ending 31 December 2026. I am combining this with my 50 Modern Classics from last years and other years I covered last year. The older books I will try to read in sequence

1826 : The Last Man by Mary Shelley
1827 : The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni
1828 : Pelham by Edward Bulwer Lytton
1829 : The Misfortunes of Elphin by Thomas Love Peacock
1830 : At the Sign of the Cat and Racket by Honore de Balzac
1831 : The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
1832 : Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving
1833 : Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
1834 : The Hamiltons: Official Life in 1830 by Catherine Gore
1908 : The Blue Bird by Maurice Maeterlinck
1919 : Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
1932 : Before the Fact by Francis Iles
1933 : Frost in May by Antonia White
1934 : I, Claudius by Robert Graves
1939 : What Happened to the Corbetts bt Nevil Shute
1945 : The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
1946 : Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson
1947 : We Always Treat Women Too Well by Raymond Queneau
1952 : All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg
1953 : Suspicion by Friedrich Durrenmatt
1954 : The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
1955 : Viking's Dawn by Henry Treece
1960 : The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning
1961 : Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
1963 : The Experience of Pain by Carlo Emilio Gadda
1965 : Lost Empires by JB Priestley
1966 : Silence by Shusaku Endo
1967 : Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
1972 : Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
1974 : Shardik by Richard Adams
1975 : The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
1976 : Blaming by Elizabeth Taylor
1977 : Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
1978 : The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
1979 : The White Album by Joan Didion
1982 : Returning by Edna O'Brien
1986 : Cold Spring Harbor by Richard Yates
1987 : Beloved by Toni Morrison
1988 : The Pigeon by Patrick Suskind
1989 : Belfast Confetti by Ciaran Carson
1991 : The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis
1993 : The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
1995 : Valley of the Sun by Louis L'Amour
1996 : Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolano
1997 : God's Gift to Women by Don Paterson
1999 : Antarctica by Claire Keegan
2000 : The Hill Bachelors by William Trevor
2002 : Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
2003 : All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve
2004 : Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
2005 : The Ode Less Traveled by Stephen Fry
2007 : The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles by Roy Jacobsen
2008 : The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk
2009 : In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
2011 : What it is Like to go to War by Karl Marlantes
2012 : Nagasaki by Eric Faye
2013 : The Good Father by Noah Hawley
2014 : The End of Eddy by Louis Eduoard
2015 : Gut by Giulia Enders
2016 : Conclave by Robert Harris
2017 : The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann
2018 : A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley
2019 : The Other Americans by Laila Lalami
2020 : The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
2021 : The Heeding by Rob Cowen
2022 : Heart Lamp Stories by Banu Mushtaq
2023 : Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
2024 : The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
2025 : Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell

69/200

A-Z Challenge

A = 12 Books: Richard Adams, Claire Adam, Sherwood Anderson, Rudolfo Anaya, David Attenborough

B = 12 Books: Roberto Bolano, Lucia Berlin, Fiona Benson, John Boyne, Iain M. Banks

C = 12 Books: Cressida Cowell, Elizabeth Chadwick, Charly Cox, Ciaran Carson, Lucy Caldwell

D = 8 Books: Friedrich Durrenmatt, Imtiaz Dharker, Anita Desai

E = 6 Books: Lauren Elkin, Sophie Elmhirst, Virginia Evans, Giulia Enders

F = 8 Books: Richard Flanagan, Michel Faber, Stephen Fry

G = 12 Books: Elaine Garvey, Morris Gleitzman, Peter Gizzi, Catherine Gore, Kathy George, Robert Graves

H = 12 Books: Noah Hawley, Victor Hugo, Richard Holloway, Sarah Howe

I = 6 Books: Francis Iles, Washington Irving

J = 6 Books: Jonas Jonasson

K = 6 Books: Claire Keegan, Sheena Kalayil, Rene Karabash

L = 8 Books: Yiyun Li, Valeria Luiselli, Louis L'Amour

M = 12 Books: Toni Morrison, Iris Murdoch, David Mitchell

N = 6 Books: Megan Nolan, Tom Newlands, Eshkol Nevo

O = 6 Books: Claire Oshetsky, Edna O'Brien, Philip O'Ceallaigh

P = 8 Books: Ruth Padel, Christopher Priest, Alexander Pushkin, Pascale Petit

Q = 3 Books: Arthur Quiller-Couch

R = 8 Books: James Rebanks,Marilynne Robinson, Olga Ravn

S = 12 Books: Rebecca Salazar, Nevil Shute, Patmeena Sabit, Anita Shreve

T = 8 Books: William Trevor, Judith Tick, Anne Tyler, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Henry Treece

U = 6 Books: Uketsu

V = 6 Books: Eric Vuillard, Willy Vlautin, Itamar Vieira Junior

W = 8 Books: Manya Wilkinson Michael J Warren, Kit de Waal, Antonia White

X = 3 Books:

Y = 3 Books: Richard Yates

Z = 3 Books: Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Total 200

80/200

Best 100s

Best British 100: https://www.librarything.com/topic/378301#9103389

Best North American 100: https://www.librarything.com/topic/378301#9103390

Rest of the English Speaking World 100: https://www.librarything.com/topic/378301#9103392

Best in Translation 100: https://www.librarything.com/topic/378301#9103393

Books Added in 2026

Jan to March
Books 1-79 : https://www.librarything.com/topic/379636#9150056

April
80. The Hamiltons by Charlotte Gore READ
81. The Merge by Grace Walker
82. Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are by Robert Plomin
83. The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene
84. We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezon Camara
85. The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje
86. Eden's Shore by Oisin Fagan
87. The Unicorn Woman by Gayl Jones
88. Good People by Patmeena Sabit READ
89. Fire by John Boyne
90. The Nights are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar
91. Artists, Siblings, Visionaries by Judith Mackrell
92. The Others by Sheena Kalayil READ
93. Stay With Me by Hanne Orstavik
94. Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips
95. Ends of the Earth by Neil Shubin
96. Hayek's Bastards by Quinn Slobodian
97. Gut by Giulia Enders READ
98. The Deserters by Mathias Enard
99. On Earth as it is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia
100. The Charioteer by Mary Renault

May
101. Living Planet by David Attenborough
102. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton
103. Occupation by Julian Fuks
104. Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly
105. Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky READ
106. Excession by Iain M. Banks READ
107. The Scent of Oranges by Kathy George READ
108. Tortoise by Candlelight by Nina Bawden
109. Operation Heartbreak by Duff Cooper
110. Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

36 non-fiction
49 fiction
7 poetry
12 SF/fantasy
6 crime / thrillers

By Men 55
By Women 55

Read: 17

Book Stats 2026

Books Read : 80
Pages Read in completed books : 20,687

Longest book : Shardik : 592 pp
Shortest book : Fierce Elegy : 61 pp
Mean book length : 258.59 pp

Pages per day average in completed books : 137.91

Books written by men : 41
Books written by women: 39

Non-Fiction : 11
Fiction : 38
Poetry : 11
Thriller : 3
SF/Fantasy : 6
Drama :
Short Stories : 11

1830s : 4 books
1900s : 1 book
1910s : 1 book
1930s : 4 books
1950s : 2 books
1970s : 3 books
1980s : 4 books
1990s : 5 books
2000s : 8 books
2010s : 13 books
2020s : 35 books

UK Authors : 32
USA Authors : 20
Chile Authors : 1
Ireland Authors : 7
Canada Authors : 1
China Authors : 1
Switzerland Authors : 1
Australia Authors : 3
France Authors : 2
Sweden Authors : 1
Trinidad Authors : 1
Japan Authors : 1
Spain Authors : 1
Mexican Authors : 1
Russia Authors : 1
German Authors : 1
Denmark Authors: 1
Brazil Authors: 1
Israel Authors: 1
Indian Authors: 1
Bulgaria Authors: 1

Challenges :
Roads Less Travelled : 5 books
Non-Fiction Challenge : 5 books
British Author Challenge : 8 books
26 Short Story Collections : 11/26
Caroline Memorial Reads : 1
1001 Books : 4

Awards :
Baillie Gifford Prize : 1
Pulitzer Prize : 2
TS Eliot Prize : 1


Read : 80 books
Added : 123 books

Change to TBR : +43

January Books : 18
January Pages : 4,689
Pages Average : Per book : 260.50 Per Day : 151.26

February Books : 14
February Pages : 4,370
Pages Average : Per book : 312.14 Per day : 156.07

March Books : 13
March Pages : 2,932
Pages Average : Per Book 225.54 Per day : 94.58

April Books : 15
April Pages : 3,641
Pages Average : Per Book : 242.73 Per Day : 121.37

May Books: 20
May Pages: 5,165
Pages Average : Per Book 258.25 Per Day: 172.17

DEDICATED TO:

This thread is dedicated to my wonderful football team, my beloved LEEDS UNITED. Here celebrating a goal by our Japanese midfield dynamo, Ao Tanaka.
They have done my home area proud this year, competing and often beating other clubs who have a huge inbuilt financial advantage over them.

Welcome to my 10th thread of 2026

Happy New Thread!

>17 mahsdad: Nice to see you up first, Jeff!

Happy new thread!

>19 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. Lovely to see you so bright and early. xx

Happy new thread!

Dayum- you already have 10 threads- anyway happy new thread!

>21 amanda4242: Thank you dear Amanda.

I am hopeful that I will reach 75 this week which will be decent for me.

>22 louisisaloafofbreb: Indeed Lily and thanks in part to pals like you.

>24 PaulCranswick: I think that just means I talk a lot lol, hope you have a good rest of your night/morning whatever it is for you bc ik we have different timezones

Happy new thread, book twin.

>25 louisisaloafofbreb: Then what does it say about me, Lily?! It is 10.12 am here on Saturday morning.

>26 Kristelh: Thank you book twin. Out of curiosity I wonder how many of the 69 books I have read so far this year that you have also read and/or own?

Happy new thread, Paul! I completely missed your last one. We had to go out of town for my husband's aunt's funeral at the start of May. I was gone four days and off of LT five days, and your (then new) thread was too far gone for me to catch up. So I'm glad to be able to jump back in at the start of your new new thread.

Have a great weekend!

Hi Paul, Happy new thread to you!

>29 atozgrl: Always welcome, Irene, and I know as well as anyone how real life can impinge on our thread hopping! You have a great weekend too.

>30 mdoris: Thank you dear Mary

>4 PaulCranswick: I, Claudius is a good choice. The sequel is just as good, Claudius the God. I read them both years ago, back-to-back. Enjoyed them immensely.

>1 PaulCranswick: “Soccer” is, of course, a term derived from the “Association” part of “Association Football,” so not exactly incorrect.

>32 ocgreg34: Yes, Greg, I agree wholeheartedly that both of them are almost equally as good and hold the honour of sharing the James Tait Black Prize (the UK's oldest literary prize) in 1934.

>33 booksaplenty1949: Mmmn. And derived to distinguish another sport that is somehow called "Football" when only one player per side actually uses his/her feet to play the ball.

Happy new thread Paul!

Happy new thread Paul!

>35 humouress: Thank you, neighbour.

>34Is that also the case with Rugby Football (“rugger”)? I gather that was the original distinction being made.

These I have read.
16. Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)
20. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
41. Under the Skin by Michel Faber (2000)
42. Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli (2019)
43. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson (1919)
45. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin (1833)
48. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025)
56. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (2025)
59. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2004)
61. I, Claudius by Robert Graves (1934) 396pp

I am not sure how that compares with others years but your reading is more diversified than mine.

I am currently reworking my spreadsheets. I am doing separate ones for
1. Books I've read (that I can recall dates)
2. Books I own and haven't read yet.

I also work from various lists as do you. I thought you had read more of the Women's Prize list this year.

Happy new thread!

>27 PaulCranswick: haha, we both talk a lot I guess, I think that's what we have in common, along with being bookworms lol

>38 booksaplenty1949: Of course that is true but nobody in the UK refers to Rugby as Rugby Football.

>39 Kristelh: 15% of the books is not bad at all, Kristel.

I have most of the books but I am really trying to fit the books in for my A to Z challenge.

>40 foggidawn: Thank you, Foggi

>41 louisisaloafofbreb: Indeed so, Lily.

>43 PaulCranswick: it's fun talking to people about things, especially books since a lot of my friends don't read, or really talk to me honestly

>44 louisisaloafofbreb: Sometimes it is easier to express oneself honestly with the protection of a keyboard and I think it can help us with our communication in real life as you can gauge how people react to your thoughts and opinions.

>42 PaulCranswick: Do they call it rugger?

>46 booksaplenty1949: There are two codes: Rugby Union (probably the more internationally famous) 15 players. That may sometimes get called Rugger but most normally just Rugby or "Union"

and then there is Rugby League which is 13 players a side with slightly different rules. This was the original working man's game and broke away as a professional sport in the North of England. It is hugely popular in my home area and in Australia. They would never call it Rugger (that smacks of upper class schoolboys) and it would be Rugby or "League".

My home town is Wakefield and our only professional sports team is Wakefield Trinity Rugby League team.

Funnily enough I played Union at school as I went to a Grammar school with pretensions of grandeur!

>45 PaulCranswick: yeah, I think that's true

>48 louisisaloafofbreb: It is easier to open up on issues if you feel you are in a safe space.

Happy new thread!

>1 PaulCranswick: Pelé was a legend even in my little village in Pennsylvania. Thanks for the memory!

>49 PaulCranswick: which, this is a safe space for me honestly

>1 PaulCranswick: Happy new thread Paul!

>2 PaulCranswick: I like that quote. But I don’t know if I can find the book here.

I don’t know about Pele, but for me, I liked Cruyff a lot. The way he moved, how clever he was. He was a national person, and his aforisms are still quoted, like: “every disadvantage has it’s advantage”.

There you go, and I’m nog even a football supporter.

Have a nice week, Paul.

>50 witchyrichy: He was not only a superb player but also a wonderful ambassador for the sport - an obviously good man.

One of the reasons for me why racism would never have a chance is because of the joy of sport. Many of my heroes growing up:
Viv Richards/ Imran Khan - Cricket
Pele - Football
Ali / Foreman / Frazier - Boxing
Ed Moses/Daley Thompson - Athletics

Were non-white and show the powerful communal spirit of sport to break down barriers.

>51 louisisaloafofbreb: I am pleased to see that, Lily.

>52 EllaTim: Cruyff was a wonderful player and a complicated individual. I remember watching the brilliant Dutch team in the 1974 World Cup and especially their brilliant victory over Brazil - together with Neeskens, Krol and Van Hanegem they were an absolute joy to behold. What a shame that they failed to perform in the final or that JC refused to go to Argentina when they could well have won it with him.

Happy new thread, Paul!

Happy New Thread 🧵, Paul!

Just about the time I think I have caught up with you, you start a new thread! How dare you, lol.

Happy whatever, Paul!

>52 EllaTim: I was lucky to catch a game Ajax vs Den Haag some many years ago. Of the 9 goals that Ajax scored, Cruyff was involved with each one and he became my football hero after that outing.

>55 drneutron: Thank you, Jim.

>56 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deb. Always lovely to see you.

>57 alcottacre: Stasia, I'll seek permission next time xxx

>58 avatiakh: He was impudently brilliant, Kerry. I only saw him the once and I was a little too young to fully appreciate it. My beloved Leeds team met his Barcelona in the European Cup Semi-Finals back in 1975 and we beat them 2-1 with goals from Bremner and Clarke. I remember the atmosphere and the tension every time the ball fell to Cruyff but we had a player on him all the time and that Leeds team is probably the finest team I have ever seen.

>57 alcottacre: I know, right?

Happy new thread, Paul!

>61 humouress: Don't gang up on me!

>62 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg.

>54 PaulCranswick: Yes and yes, Paul. Really a shame, I guess because of politics. Our Queen Maxima is from Argentine, and there was a lot of ado, before she was accepted here, politics again.

>58 avatiakh: Good story, Kerry!

>64 EllaTim: I knew that it was a political reason but I didn't know about Queen Maxima's background.

In the last thread. I recommended 20 books choosing one book from certain categories. And got some splendid alternative choices from my pals (I am compiling these).

Here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/384069#9188775

Here is another list of twenty:

Recommend one YA Novel: Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)
This group has been so great for bringing out the merits of this genre.

Recommend one Biography/Memoir: Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee
Simply the most beautifully written book ever. I met Laurie Lee a time or two as a young me (me not him and he was a wonderful man)

Recommend one book on sports: Promised Land: A Northern Love Story by Anthony Clavane
It had to be about Leeds United and this is a book that I relate to almost as much as any other.

Recommend one travel book: A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor
The prose is simply chewable.

Recommend one book originally written in Spanish: Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I suppose Garcia Marquez wrote a technically superior book but this is such an enjoyable and atmospheric read.

Recommend one comedic novel: Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall by Spike Milligan
A book (indeed a series of books) that has me laughing out loud no matter how many times I read it.

Recommend one book originally written in German: The Trial by Franz Kafka
I have traditionally struggled with German authors but this is a fine book.

Recommend one graphic novel/book: Maus by Art Spiegelman
I don't have that many to choose from but this is excellent.

Recommend one Irish Novel: The Heather Blazing by Colm Toibin
Surprisingly tough to choose one.

Recommend one book of narrative non-fiction: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
A great piece of reportage.

Recommend one Holocaust book: Night by Elie Wiesel
Perhaps the most profoundly moving of categories and this is profoundly moving.

Recommend one Shakespeare Play: Hamlet
It has to be.

Recommend one book about Native Americans: The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
Dee Brown and Empire of the Summer Moon deserve honorable mentions too.

Recommend one book of nature writing: Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
Fascinating book.

Recommend one Booker winner: Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
He was tremendous in his prime wasn't he?

Recommend one Pulitzer winner from this Century: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
What a good author Whitehead is.

Recommend one Caribbean literature book: A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul
I know he is not for everyone but I love this novel whilst not liking anything by him overly much.

Recommend one classic love story: Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.
Romantic tragedy at its best.

Recommend one ghost or horror story: Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Not really my genre, I suppose, but I remember loving the atmosphere of this novella.

Recommend one alternate history book: Dominion by C.J. Sansom
Some great books in this genre but why would we want to imagine the Nazis winning?!

This was a hard one, Paul.....
Another Paul recommendation survey

Recommend one YA Novel: The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

Recommend one Biography/Memoir: The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion

Recommend one book on sports: Beartown - Fredrik Backman

Recommend one travel book: The Road to Oxiana - Robert Byron

Recommend one book originally written in Spanish: Love in the Time of Cholera

Recommend one comedic novel: the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe - Douglas Adams

Recommend one book originally written in German: Buddenbrooks - Thomas Mann

Recommend one graphic novel/book: Maus by Art Spiegelman, but Persepolis is good too

Recommend one Irish Novel: I agree with Paul, hard to pick a best Irish novel. The Master

Recommend one book of narrative non-fiction: The Spirit Catches you and You Fall Down

Recommend one Holocaust book: Survival in Auschwitz - Primo Levi AKA If this is a Man

Recommend one Shakespeare Play: Hamlet

Recommend one book about Native Americans: There, There - Tommy Orange

Recommend one book of nature writing:
Nature Obscura but I have many others too.

Recommend one Booker winner: Midnight's Children - Rushdie

Recommend one Pulitzer winner from this Century:
This was hard, I have so many favorites but I am going with Paul, The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead

Recommend one Caribbean literature book: A Brief History of Seven Killings - Marion James

Recommend one classic love story: North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell

Recommend one ghost or horror story:
Ghost Story Peter Straub

Recommend one alternate history book: Plot Against America - Philip Roth Agree with you Paul, who would want Hitler to win but this is a good reminder that this could have happened.

>67 Kristelh: Some great answers, Kristel and I could have easily followed suit with some of them especially Levi and Hodgson Burnett.

>60 PaulCranswick: OK, all is forgiven.

>61 humouress: Definitely, Nina!

>66 PaulCranswick: I do not have enough book knowledge to participate in these things. I feel positively illiterate, lol.

Happy whatever, Paul!

>69 alcottacre: Nonsense, Stasia, you read more books and a varied lot too than most of us could dream of.

Challenges: Speedily got through The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas for the American Roads Challenge. Am enjoying a reread of Memoirs of an Aesthete for my personal Bright Young Things exploration. Two more chapters to go in Le Ventre de Paris for the Émile Zola Group Read. But Wacousta, for the 200 Year Challenge, is proving a slog. At halfway point; still not sure I’ve got all the characters straight.

Happy New Thread!!!

For Sports, THE BROTHERS K.

Nature = the Sound of a Wild Snail Eating.

I'll take a crack at your next list of 20, Paul:

Recommend one YA Novel: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is considered by some to be the seminal novel of this genre (if we're using YA as in library terminology, meaning books for teenagers that center the teen coming-of-age experience). But I'd probably go with Looking for Alaska by John Green.

Recommend one Biography/Memoir: Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews -- I just read this, so it is fresh in my mind.

Recommend one book on sports: I reallllly don't read many sports books, so I'll fall back on another excellent YA novel, The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Recommend one travel book: Another category where I read very little. How about A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson?

Recommend one book originally written in Spanish: I'm shocked to find that I don't have anything book-length for this category. I'll offer up the short story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Recommend one comedic novel: My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (though really, anything by Wodehouse would do).

Recommend one book originally written in German: Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

Recommend one graphic novel/book: Nimona by N.D. Stevenson.

Recommend one Irish Novel: Foster by Claire Keegan -- a novella, but I'm short in this category as well.

Recommend one book of narrative non-fiction: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Recommend one Holocaust book: I would second your selection of Night by Elie Wiesel.

Recommend one Shakespeare Play: A Midsummer Night's Dream has long been my personal favorite. I do love Hamlet, though.

Recommend one book about Native Americans: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

Recommend one book of nature writing: The Wisdom of Trees by Lita Judge (this is a children's book, but I learned a lot from it).

Recommend one Booker winner: I have not read many of these, but I did love Orbital by Samantha Harvey.

Recommend one Pulitzer winner from this century: Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser. (I didn't have anything from the fiction category, so I found this one in Biography.)

Recommend one Caribbean literature book: I don't have anything for this category

Recommend one classic love story: Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Recommend one ghost or horror story: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.

Recommend one alternate history book: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. Napoleonic wars with dragons? Yes, please!

>74 foggidawn: Oh yes, I second you on His Majesty’s Dragon. Alternate nature as well.

Narrative non-fiction: Knife by Salman Rushdie.

>74 foggidawn:, Some good ones!

>71 booksaplenty1949: I haven't read that particular Zola and have never seen it in the Bookstores either.

>72 hredwards: Thank you, dear Harold.

>73 m.belljackson: That is on baseball, Marianne, is it not?

>74 foggidawn: Some excellent picks, Foggi. Especially notable for me are Claire Keegan, Bill Bryson and P.G. Wodehouse.

>75 EllaTim: Sounds like something I should definitely read then, Ella.

>76 m.belljackson: That book got a lot of people talking, Marianne. It is amazing to think that someone got so much hatred towards him for what was essentially a work of fiction.

>77 Kristelh: Yes, for sure, Kristel.

>4 PaulCranswick: Wow! Almost hit the reading target ( already!)

Happy new thread

>82 figsfromthistle: My reading is going along nicely at the moment, Anita.

Thank you and it is great to see you back posting.

Happy new-ish thread, Paul

>84 Matke: Thank you, dear Gail.

>66 PaulCranswick: I have a copy of Tess of the D'Urbervilles on my shelves and I read it at one point but mainly because some of my family came from Evershot, Dorset and had something to do with the Acorn Inn that shows up in the pages of the book.

>7 PaulCranswick: The Wager would be a good one for your non-fiction group read on the Americas. I recently read it and loved it so much that I gave it immediately to a friend (had I loved it just a little more I would have kept it on my shelves of glory for future).

re: soccer...which we are now to call football I understand...reminds me of how my mum *still* refers to netball as basketball, as that is what she called it in her day. Haha. My kids call it soccer to differentiate it and themselves as former rugby league players.

I never do these memes because I'm a Libran and can't pick (just) one book and I don't really have the breadth of reading, but I'll give this a go:

Recommend one YA Novel: I recently read and loved the Penderwicks series (still working on them)

Recommend one Biography/Memoir: I haven't read one in decades but I'll give you Dictionary of Biography of Ceylon Tamils because nepotism

Recommend one book on sports: not read

Recommend one travel book: NR

Recommend one book originally written in Spanish: NR

Recommend one comedic novel: PG Wodehouse's school stories (taking inspiration from foggi)

Recommend one book originally written in German: Ruby Red

Recommend one graphic novel/book: Paper Girls

Recommend one Irish Novel: NR

Recommend one book of narrative non-fiction: NR

Recommend one Holocaust book: I haven't read this but why not Brotherless Night

Recommend one Shakespeare Play: I probably haven't read one since school but Romeo and Juliet Act II Scene 2 (because all my exam quotes came from there)

Recommend one book about Native Americans: NR

Recommend one book of nature writing: NR (though I'd give you Attenborough if I could)

Recommend one Booker winner: NR

Recommend one Pulitzer winner from this Century: NR

Recommend one Caribbean literature book: not strictly in the genre but I'm currently reading and enjoying On Stranger Tides set in the Caribbean

Recommend one classic love story: hmmm ... I'm going with foggi's choice again; Persuasion - my favourite Austen

Recommend one ghost or horror story: not my thing; probably the closest I've read would be The Screaming Staircase

Recommend one alternative history book: ah, now you're talking my language ... but the choice, the choice ... .... .... I'll go with The Midwatch since I read it recently; or there's The Wheel of Time ... or ...

I never do these memes because I'm a Libran and can't pick (just) one book and I don't really have the breadth of reading, but I'll give this a go:

Recommend one YA Novel: I recently read and loved the Penderwicks series (still working on them)

Recommend one Biography/Memoir: I haven't read one in decades but I'll give you Dictionary of Biography of Ceylon Tamils because nepotism

Recommend one book on sports: not read

Recommend one travel book: I don't usually read travel books now but I did pick up The Alhambra of Granada on our Spanish trip last year

Recommend one book originally written in Spanish: ... so I'll just add it here too The Alhambra of Granada

Recommend one comedic novel:PG Wodehouse school stories (taking inspiration from foggi)

Recommend one book originally written in German: Ruby Red

Recommend one graphic novel/book: Paper Girls

Recommend one Irish Novel: American author but inspired by a British author born of Irish parents A Monster Calls

Recommend one book of narrative non-fiction: NR

Recommend one Holocaust book: I haven't read this but why not Brotherless Night

Recommend one Shakespeare Play: I probably haven't read one since school but Romeo and Juliet Act II Scene 2 (because all my exam quotes came from there)

Recommend one book about Native Americans: NR

Recommend one book of nature writing: NR (though I'd give you Attenborough if I could)

Recommend one Booker winner: NR

Recommend one Pulitzer winner from this Century: NR

Recommend one Caribbean literature book: not strictly in the genre but I'm currently reading and enjoying On Stranger Tides set in the Caribbean

Recommend one classic love story: hmmm ... I'm going with foggi's choice again; Persuasion - my favourite Austen

Recommend one ghost or horror story: not my thing; probably the closest I've read would be The Screaming Staircase

Recommend one alternative history book: ah, now you're talking my language ... but the choice, the choice ... .... I read The Midwatch recently ... or Eight Skilled Gentlemen (first book in the series is Bridge of Birds) ... or The Wheel of Time ... or ...

>86 Familyhistorian: That is a great story, Meg, and reason enough to read the book!

>87 LovingLit: I do recall that your boys were players of League rather than Union, Meg. I am in a pretty large minority of Yorkshiremen preferring the 15-a-side game. I used to watch the (then) five nations games of a Saturday afternoon with my late Uncle Bill and it left an indelible mark on my childhood.

>88 humouress: & >89 humouress:

So fascinating Nina that you gave me them twice! Brotherless Night was a very good novel for sure.

>91 PaulCranswick: Oops, sorry. I was going back and forwards looking for titles and the editing box kept popping up. I hadn't realised I'd posted twice in the end; you're just lucky it wasn't more than that.

>90 PaulCranswick: It was, Paul. I also got to have lunch at the inn with a fellow family researcher and his wife which made everything seem a little bit more real.

>92 humouress: I was happy to get it twice Nina and, amazingly, you pick all the same books second time around ( :D

>93 Familyhistorian: Hardy made an invented world (his Wessex) from very real places and landmarks and buildings. Fascinating, Meg.

I decided to give this one a go:

Recommend one YA Novel: Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Recommend one Biography/Memoir: A Fortunate Life by A. B. Facey - much loved Australian story, I used this for a Human Development paper on autobiography

Recommend one book on sports: The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jock Serong

Recommend one travel book: Tschiffely's Ride by A.F. Tschiffely - rides a horse from Argentina to Washington D.C.

Recommend one book originally written in Spanish: Lots to choose from but will go with The Secret in Their Eyes by Eduardo Sacheri. Made into a great film (2009) in Argentina and a very mediocre one in the US (2015).

Recommend one comedic novel: The Goddess of Buttercups and Daisies by Martin Millar

Recommend one book originally written in German: Why we took the car by Wolfgang Herndorf or maybe Siddahartha by Herman Hesse

Recommend one graphic novel/book: Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot

Recommend one Irish Novel: Again, many to choose from - The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney

Recommend one book of narrative non-fiction: Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom - not quite meeting the criteria but I want to recommend this one

Recommend one Holocaust book: Babi Yar by Anatoly Kuznetsov

Recommend one Shakespeare Play: A Midsummer Night's Dream, prefer to go to the theatre

Recommend one book about Native Americans: Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse

Recommend one book of nature writing: Far Away and Long Ago by W. H. Hudson

Recommend one Booker winner: Midnight's Children by Salman Rusdie

Recommend one Pulitzer winner from this century: The Orphan Master's Son

Recommend one Caribbean literature book: The Distant Marvels by Chantel Acevedo - possibly only Caribbean book I've read of late, also UK writer Nick Lake's YA In Darkness was great

Recommend one classic love story: Dr Zhivago by Boris Pasternak - long time since my last reread, so maybe more revolution and less love story?

Recommend one ghost or horror story: Both by Mal Peet - YA Keeper & children's Mr Godley's Phantom
Recommend one alternate history book: Fatherland by Robert Harris

>78 PaulCranswick: First modern translation of Zola’s novel is in print. I am finding his descriptions of Les Halles, the Covent Garden/Smithfield/Billingsgate of Paris, quite entertaining, although some of my fellow readers are complaining of the smells.

>89 humouress:. I agree that it is too hard to pick just one. I already want to do mine over but will wait until I am done cataloguing all my previous reads on a spreadsheet. Hoping it will help me find these books that are my favorites. But favorites is a moving marker and even the ratings I am finding are obviously not accurate. I think ratings often are influenced by what is happening at the time. One should rate these books a year later or more to see was the test of time does.

>79 PaulCranswick: Yes, Brothers K is an old, welcoming and relaxing Baseball gem.

>80 PaulCranswick: GOODREADS and others state that KNIFE is a "rare non-fiction"...

>99 m.belljackson: He isn't saying Knife is fiction; he's referring to The Satanic Verses, which is the novel people want to kill him for writing.

>100 amanda4242: Hi - see # 76 above. Thank you!

>101 m.belljackson: And? I was pointing out Paul isn't calling Knife fiction, but was talking about the novel that precipitated the attack Knife is about.

>78 PaulCranswick: Thanks! I felt like I had a wealth of options for humor, but the genius of Wodehouse cannot be denied!

>75 EllaTim: and >79 PaulCranswick: Paul, I do think you would enjoy His Majesty's Dragon. Maybe I should have listed it as my war pick in your last list!

Hi Paul, Happy New Thread mate.

>95 avatiakh: Plenty there for me to go and seek out Kerry! Thank you for that. Imagine riding a animal all the away across the greater continent of America!

>96 booksaplenty1949: I don't know what is wrong with me at the moment. I do have it on the shelves!

>97 Kristelh: That is part of the fun though, Kristel, reading the lists of some of our peers and thinking either:

1) Oh heck I forgot that one and it should have been on my list; or
2) I must find and read that one; or
3) I cannot understand how someone of usually such impeccable judgement could select that book!

>98 m.belljackson: I am not a lover of the sport particularly Marianne, but I cannot deny that it has spawned some more than decent writing.

>99 m.belljackson: 100% Knife is non-fiction, Marianne. I was referring as to why he was stabbed which is the writing of The Satanic Verses which itself was a work of fiction.

>100 amanda4242: Exactly, Amanda.

>101 m.belljackson: Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough above Marianne and sorry if I caused confusion.

I am not arguing with you that Knife is a work of non-fiction. I have it on the shelves and will read it sometime fairly soon.

>102 amanda4242: Exactly again, Amanda.

>103 foggidawn: Indeed Foggi - PG Wodehouse is always good value and I dare anyone to try reading one of his books without at least smiling at various stages throughout.

I will look for His Majesty's Dragon in the bookstore this Friday!

>104 johnsimpson: Great to see you, John. Beating Surrey by an innings and then some is a good time to say hello!

>70 PaulCranswick: Evidently I read all the wrong books, lol.

Happy whatever, Paul!

>110 alcottacre: Well we have shared more than a couple!

>111 PaulCranswick: True!

I have a house full of books I have not read, but want to at some point, then I get on here and see more and more that want to be added to my lists.

It amazes me that out of 26 letters there is so much joy, happiness, sadness, learning and incredulity.

I love Librarything!!

>112 alcottacre: I can't think of anyone better to share a read with, Stasia.

>113 hredwards: It is certainly a welcome hazard of group membership, Harold!

I used to have a lot of books, then I joined LibraryThing and my shelves have overflowed!

>115 Familyhistorian: I think that I can certainly echo those comments, Meg.

I used to sense a tinge of pride in Hani's voice when she talked about my books, but now I glean more than a hint of dismay!

>115 Familyhistorian: I have that same problem! (issue? exasperation??)

>117 alcottacre: The boss is already talking about bigger houses!

>118 PaulCranswick: LOL! More space for more books, right?

>115 Familyhistorian: That is true for me as well, but I have also become a library patron for the first time in many decades. Challenges and book discussions here have led me to distinguish between a book I would like to read and a book I would like to own. I do read many of the latter, of course, but ownership has wider implications.

>119 alcottacre: The books are also an excuse for more space!

>120 booksaplenty1949: I am nowhere near as subtle as you two! My magpie tendencies always come to the fore.

>120 booksaplenty1949: Me too!! I've started checking out more books and reading them rather than buying.
But my wife and I both love thrift shopping and I always end up in the book sections.

Hi Paul! I am going to have to look for the Clavane book--my daughter loves reading about football, maybe she'd like it.

>122 hredwards: I volunteer for an annual used book sale which accepts donations year-round. A kid in a candy store situation, I’m afraid. Often drawn to titles/cover art of books I would never dream of reading but have to own.

>122 hredwards: I think that the absence of a reliable lending library sort of forced my hand with the book buying, Harold, but I think that I would find it a habit quite difficult to discontinue.

>123 banjo123: It is a really well written book, Rhonda, but focuses as much on why Clavane supported my club as much as anything else and also segues into his growing up Jewish in Leeds. I hope she does read it to be honest as it could well pave the way for her to support my wonderful, wonderful club.

>124 booksaplenty1949: What a wonderful job that would be! I don't see me making much money though as I would "re-invest" the earnings into the very products I was supposed to be selling.

>126 PaulCranswick: Proceeds support a library and its host college. So buying up books galore is a charitable duty.

Here's the Memorial Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/384526

Hiya Paul! It's summer break for me now so I probably won't be able to be on much for about 2 and a half months but I got my Kindle working and j'll see if I can get LT working on it

>127 booksaplenty1949: So a salve to the conscience at the same time!

>128 SilverWolf28: Thank you, Silver

>129 louisisaloafofbreb: I would have thought that you would have gotten more time to visit!

FRIDAY LUNCHTIME ADDITIONS

111. Ghost-Eye by Amitav Ghosh
112. Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo
113. The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson
114. She Who Remains by Rene Karabash
115. The Director by Daniel Kehlmann
116. The Issa Valley by Czeslaw Milosz
117. The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
118. The Witch by Marie NDiaye
119. House of Splendid Isolation by Edna O'Brien
120. The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien

An all-fiction day. 3 from the Booker International, 1 women's prize, 2 by award winning writers and 4 that have been on my hitlist a while!

>131 PaulCranswick: I infact got it to work but it's so wonky being on my kindle on LT lol

>133 louisisaloafofbreb: Wonky is good!

>121 PaulCranswick: Nice how that works both ways!

>132 PaulCranswick: Nice additions, Juan! I only had 3 this past week, posted on the 'This Just In' thread.

Happy whatever, brother!

>125 PaulCranswick: I have also started borrowing audiobooks on CDs from the library to listen to while I’m driving. A lot more enjoyable than listening to the news, these days.

>127 booksaplenty1949: Paul, I feel for you not having a local lending library! We are a suburb of Kansas City, so we have the public library of KC and then we have another system that is called Midcontinent Public Library, that helps the more rural areas of our side of the state.
So we are pretty blessed when it comes to libraries.

Both our library systems used to have sale tables in the branches where they would offer used books for a small price. I hardly ever came away from there without buying something.
Sadly they discontinued this practice and I believe now do internet sales as they can raise more money, so I've heard.

But I do try to watch for book sales.

>136 booksaplenty1949: I agree!!!

>134 PaulCranswick: Wishing you a great weekend too, Juana. I will go and have a gander at what you have added.

>136 booksaplenty1949: Almost anything would beat the news. To play in the car whilst driving is actually a good idea.

>137 hredwards: I do feel the absence of a good library Harold and it is one thing that I constantly look forward to when I eventually return to England.

>138 hredwards: Even the good news is depressing at the moment!

A very belated congratulations on Leeds securing their place in the Premier League for next year, Paul.

>134 PaulCranswick: yup at least I can still be on here!

>142 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian! Please give my best wishes to my fellow fanatic!
I am sure that we will all enjoy a game next season in my brother's box. MrSandDune will love the football and you will love the food. xx

>143 louisisaloafofbreb: Always welcome.

The Summer Book Bingo is here and I will be joining in for the first time. Thank you to Kyler for setting this up.

111. Ghost-Eye by Amitav Ghosh, do not own, I have yet to read this author
112. Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo, do not own,
113. The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson, I think I have a hold on this one, 4 weeks out
114. She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, don’t have this one
115. The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, read, good one
116. The Issa Valley by Czeslaw Milosz, don’t know this one or this author
117. The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley, read
118. The Witch by Marie NDiaye, don’t have this one.
119. House of Splendid Isolation by Edna O'Brien, not aware of this one.
120. The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien, another author that I have yet to read.
Happy weekend Paul.

111. Ghost-Eye by Amitav Ghosh, do not own, I have yet to read this author
112. Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo, do not own,
113. The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson, I think I have a hold on this one, 4 weeks out
114. She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, don’t have this one
115. The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, read, good one
116. The Issa Valley by Czeslaw Milosz, don’t know this one or this author
117. The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley, read
118. The Witch by Marie NDiaye, don’t have this one.
119. House of Splendid Isolation by Edna O'Brien, not aware of this one.
120. The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien, another author that I have yet to read.
Happy weekend Paul.

>146 Kristelh: & 147

Milosz did win the Nobel Prize, Book Twin!

You are missing a real treat by not reading Amitav Ghosh.

Halfway through the alphabet (by author) reading one short story a day. Bracing to move from, for example, Henry James to Rudyard Kipling to Ring Lardner to Somerset Maugham. When I get to Zola I’ll start back with Marcel Aymé. Lots of fun.

>149 booksaplenty1949: That is a great idea! I might copy that one.

When you do get access to a library, don't do what I do, Paul. I buy books, put them on the shelf and then try and keep up with my library books because they have to be read by a certain date and the ones I own can wait. Only they've been waiting and waiting and waiting....

>151 Familyhistorian: Yes, I guess that is self-imposed stress!

I am seriously late, but happy new thread, Paul!

>125 PaulCranswick: >132 PaulCranswick: >140 PaulCranswick: Libby.

Just sayin'

>153 Dejah_Thoris: Never too late, Princess. Lovely to see you. xx

>154 humouress: Thanks for that, neighbour. I will take a look.

>151 Familyhistorian: Meg is right. Purchased books wait and wait and wait! I love the libray but oh what pressure it gives.

>144 PaulCranswick: im on my kindle now so if i have any mispellings or take longer to respond that's why

>151 Familyhistorian: I used to do that too, Meg. I mean, what if the library burns down? And then it did! I was very grateful that I had books on my shelf to read. Now, I am trying to concentrate on them - and still check things out in support of the public library.

Happy whatever, Paul!

>158 alcottacre: I have occasionally started a library book and then realised it is a book I want to own. But, I have to say, I have occasionally finished a book I owned (usually a mystery) and decided that it’s not something I need to keep.

>156 mdoris: I also feel a bit of pressure Mary from the books that have sat on the shelves, literally for years in many cases, waiting for their turn!

>157 louisisaloafofbreb: I try not to use my mobile phone for internet and especially for LT as it has a facility for autocorrect which can have fairly disastrous consequences if insufficient attention is paid.

>158 alcottacre: Oh dear, Stasia, you remind me to get my own fire insurance up to date!

>159 booksaplenty1949: Having a reliable library would have saved me some money I have no doubt but I cannot see it ending my proclivities for book buying entirely.

>160 PaulCranswick: I use my phone if I don't have my computer

>150 PaulCranswick: Read my first Vladimir Nabokov story in a collected vol of 65 stories. “The Wood Nymph.” Three pages. Knocked my socks off. Enjoying this project.

>162 louisisaloafofbreb: I don't like to expose my phone on line too much as it also houses my bank account!

>163 booksaplenty1949: I read that one a couple of years ago when I waded through those same collected stories. It is a strange little story as I recall and a bit haunting.

The Wood Nymph or Wood Sprite is of course typical of the writer and an augury in reality of his most famous work. Nabokov was a lepidopterist before turning to full time writing and a wood nymph is actually a type of butterfly.
Then in Lolita he of course referred to her as a nymph or nymphet.

>165 PaulCranswick: Will read again with these insights in mind. Thank you.

>166 booksaplenty1949: Welcome. I used to work with a Russian colleague who was something of an authority on Nabokov so I can't really claim any originality of thought there.

>125 PaulCranswick: Sounds good! I think she'd like it. She likes to read about clubs and fans, and since she's Jewish (Mrs. Banjo is Jewish); she'll probably be interested in that part. It looks like it might be hard to find in the States though.
I doubt she will end up a Leeds fan though...she mostly follows the Women's game. But you never know.

>164 PaulCranswick: true, I don't have a bank account yet!

>168 banjo123: Well we do have a Ladies Team that has had a decent season.
It is a good book though.

>169 louisisaloafofbreb: Is there an age limit before you can open an account in the USA?

>170 PaulCranswick: I'm not entirely sure honestly

>169 louisisaloafofbreb: >170 PaulCranswick:...I think you have to be 18 to open a bank account in the USA....under 18 you need a parent/adult to co-sign.....don't take my word I'm no expert....call a local bank and, maybe, ask their policy...

>165 PaulCranswick: On re-reading the Wood Nymph seems masculine although coat is buttoned on the “feminine side.”

Hey, Paul. Finally checking in after our trip to Europe. I hope you had a good weekend. Of course, I had to do some serious skipping on these busy threads- but I hope all is well. I am really interested in reading Good People.

>171 louisisaloafofbreb: How are you going to be paid?

>172 TSSTxym: who knows, I think I may wait till I get a job

>171 louisisaloafofbreb: Oh I see.

>172 TSSTxym: That is very similar to the UK and Malaysia, Tiss, I think.

>173 booksaplenty1949: Amazingly, I do recall him saying that in the story.

>174 msf59: Great to see you, Mark, and that you're safely back.

Good People is a winner, I think.

>175 booksaplenty1949: That is a good point! I recall having a savings account when I was young, but it was very much more of a cash culture in those days. My first bank account was with Lloyds Bank when I started at University.

>176 louisisaloafofbreb: It would certainly be useful to have somewhere to put your money if you do get a job.

>177 PaulCranswick: which I have been trying to get but people don't wanna hire me 😭😭😭

>179 PaulCranswick: I think the “pay packet” is obsolete. Even the paycheque is often actually a direct deposit, not a physical cheque.

>180 louisisaloafofbreb: Oh my goodness, you need a little more patience and positivity! How many days have you been looking for a job? What jobs are you looking for? It will come, you just need to be calm and positive.

>181 booksaplenty1949: Paycheque certainly gives away my age as I still think of my monthly stipend in those terms!

>182 PaulCranswick: I've gotten like 3-4 maybe but none have even messaged me back, and one is over with and it didn't message me back and I can no longer get that job

>183 louisisaloafofbreb: That doesn't really answer my question, Lily. Job hunting is a matter of keeping plugging away.

Did notice that I am getting behind on reviews so I will try to remedy that today.

BOOK #64



Openings by Lucy Caldwell
Date of Publication: 2024
Origin of Author: UK
Gender of Author: Female
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: 235 pp

Don't know what it is about the Irish and the writing of short stories. Caldwell is from Belfast, Northern Ireland and these thirteen stories are replete with originality.

I did notice that she has just released another batch this year and I will definitely look to add these to my collection.

Splendid.

BOOK #65



The Horse by Willy Vlautin
Date of Publication: 2024
Origin of Author: USA
Gender of Author: Male
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 209 pp

I was struck by one of the reviewers on the workpage who made the very well observed comment that this novel was like a Country & Western song in book form. Spot on.

This is my second of Vlautin's book and he really treads this sort of territory excellently. The sad tales of frustrated ambitions. Not losers exactly, but characters who could and should have achieved more but for circumstances and flaws in their natures.

Good on character. I would recommend Vlautin to those who like realistic human tales that leave a lump in your throat and a frown on your countenance when fictional life choices are squandered.

>170 PaulCranswick: I will tell her, but I think she follows the Arsenal women, so ....

But still sounds like a book she'd like.

BOOK #66



Luck is the Hook by Imtiaz Dharker
Date of Publication: 2014
Origin of Author: UK
Gender of Author: Female
Genre: Poetry
Pages: 122 pp

Born in Lahore, brought up in Glasgow a Calvinist Muslim. I am not sure what that is but it shows us the cultural hinterlands that Dharker is astride.

I have to say that she is rapidly becoming a favourite poet of mine. Her work is unfussy, uncluttered, direct and meaningful. This collection of hers is full of shortish poems that capture the essence of trying to find oneself in strange environments. There is a haunting, haunted quality to some of her writing, whether she is referring to family members or being bereft of loved ones in either more general or more specific terms.

The preciseness of her language is something most aspiring poets should try to aim towards but I would hazard few will achieve anything close to her mastery.

>188 banjo123: It is difficult to reassign one's loyalties in football once you fall for a team, Rhonda. The Arsenal team is certainly more successful than mine!

BOOK #67



Valley of the Sun by Louis L'Amour
Date of Publication: 1995
Origin of Author: USA
Gender of Author: Male
Genre: Western
Pages: 177 pp

Absolutely variations on a theme.

Stranger pitches up in a place where he is trying to make out as a cowboy or rancher. He gets swept up in a confrontation with bad actors that either want to steal his life, his girl, his dreams. It is revealed he is secretly a well known gunslingers and he puts his skills to the test and emerges alive amid a bloodbath and with a woman now dedicated at his side.

There were nine stories but I could have stopped after the first one because each one was a retelling of the other.

Not great writing, not literature by any reasonable stretch, but enjoyable guff nonetheless!

BOOK #68



The Wax Child by Olga Ravn
Date of Publication: 2023
Origin of Author: Denmark
Gender of Author: Female
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 178 pp

Remarkable. Remarkably disturbing too.

This is historical fiction with a difference. The difference is that Ravn uses a wax doll created by an accused purveyor of witchraft in order to tell what transpires against her mistress. It takes some mighty writing skill to animate with the inanimate, but she succeeds gloriously.

Based on real events in medieval Denmark and makes a forgiving reappraisal of our modern times almost necessary. Brutish and short a Hobbes described his times.

BOOK #69



Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior
Date of Publication: 2018
Origin of Author: Brazil
Gender of Author: Male
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 276 pp
Challenges: Roads Less Travelled

Magic realism often leaves me a bit bemused but it doesn't impinge my enjoyment of this grim little novel about the lives of impoverished black farming communities generations after slavery. They are pitted against a society and system that is entirely rigged against them and where prejudice, racism and greed is laid before them as a means to deny them any possibility of parity.

The two sisters central to the story are well created although I couldn't help asking myself what is the desire to taste the edge of a sharp, ivory handed, daggers?

BOOK #70



Good People by Patmeena Sabit
Date of Publication: 2016
Origin of Author: USA (born in Afghanistan)
Gender of Author: Female
Genre: Fiction (with a crime twist)
Pages: 383pp

I shall be astonished if this book ends the next year or so empty handed when it comes to receiving book awards.

The tragedy of one immigrant family told by multiple POVs of people who knew them or got involved in their story. The plethora of different voices telling the same story from their own perspective and with their own layer of personal prejudice makes this a novel that takes a while to get to grips with. When it does take hold though it doesn't let go.

At the outset we know that the daughter of the family has died but was it a tragic accident or something more sinister.

This is a novel that helps you see both sides to a story and to sympathize with both at the same time - I think that that is a superb achievement.

Recommended.

BOOK #71



Homesick by Eshkol Nevo
Date of Publication: 2004
Origin of Author: Israel
Gender of Author: Male
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 374pp

The purchasing of this book was the product of an LT meet-up in Golder's Green almost a decade ago, I believe. This book was strongly recommended to me by my friend and occasional group member, Paul Harris. A man of charm, fierce intellect and enthusiasm (don't tell him!).

It is another novel - a debut novel - using several alternating perspectives although it does so without indicating who is currently relating events which I did find a bit hard to cope with at times.

We are in-between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in a house housing several occupants in pre-divided flats. The newcoming couple are starting their lives together with hope and trepidation - their lovemaking can be heard through paper-thin walls and they act as a catalyst to reignite neighbours, and former occupants as they struggle to overcome the challenges of a life constantly in danger of being uprooted or torn down.

An author of obvious promise.

BOOK #72



The Scent of Oranges by Kathy George
Date of Publication: 2024
Origin of Author: Australia
Gender of Author: Female
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 359pp

Very engrossing reworking of the story of Oliver Twist told from the perspective of Nancy -worker of the streets and Bill Sikes long suffering girlfriend.

George adds an interesting if eventually aborted storyline and brings Nancy to life with aplomb. If I have one criticism it is that she relates the story with a faint patois that purports to be cockney English and which is unconvincing but not particularly annoying.

Of course there is plenty of licence taken here but the author has created a very absorbing novel by retreading old paths.

Recommended.

BOOK #73



Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Date of Publication: 2025
Origin of Author: UK
Gender of Author: Male
Genre: SF/Fantasy
Pages: 436pp

This book encapsulates both why Science Fiction will never be quite my genre but also why I should give it a try more often than I currently do so.

The jargon laden sections were a real problem for me and I don't know how much of it is technological wizardry and scientific limit stretching knowledge and how much of it was mere gobbledegook!

However when we eventually humanized the story (well sort of) it did become propulsive and enjoyable.

Good and bad for me but I will be generous and say that good beat bad on this occasion.

BOOK #74



Excession by Iain M. Banks
Date of Publication: 1996
Origin of Author: UK
Gender of Author: Male
Genre: SF/Fantasy
Pages: 455 pp
Challenges: British Author Challenge

What on earth is Space Opera when it is at home (or abroad)?

No idea and I don't really care. This is a book full of concepts that made and make little or no sense to me but which is overcome entirely by the fact that it is related by an author who can write for the stars (literally).

In terms of world creation this is an extraordinary achievement. To make a world in which the humans peopling it have less personality than the machines and ships that govern it and have them more sympathetic than the humans themselves, is jaw dropping stuff.

I am told now that this is not the right place to start the Culture series (although I had earlier been assured that it made no different) but if the earlier or later books are better than this, I am in for a confusingly special treat.

>186 PaulCranswick: I enjoyed Lucy Caldwell’s novels These Days but I haven’t read any of her short stories.

>199 SandDune: She has an aptitude for profundity, Rhian.

>192 PaulCranswick: If Megan hadn't already gotten me with The Wax Child, your review would have done it.

>197 PaulCranswick: I really thought I was going to get to The Shroud this month, but I don't think it's going to happen. I've seriously overcommitted.

>198 PaulCranswick: And I'm not doing very well getting to my Iain Banks book, either. Oh, well. One of these days......

>201 Dejah_Thoris: I was not surprised that I liked The Wax Child, Princess, but I was taken aback that I got so immersed in the Culture book by Banks.
I have had some fine reading experiences this month so far with the books by Kathy George and Patmeena Sabit being especially enjoyable and Vlautin, Banks and Ravn being real standouts too.

>198 PaulCranswick: I've only read two of The Culture series books (which I enjoyed), but it's less a "series" than a "shared setting." The characters change from book to book. Since you enjoyed the book & now have a taste of the setting, you should be able to go wherever you please with it in the future.

>203 ChrisG1: That is a good description of it, Chris.

>198 PaulCranswick: I've read & enjoyed 2 or 3 other Culture books, switched from this one to Inversions which my son liked more. Not far in as yet though .
I'm not sure if I should rely on my son's preferences as we differ in opinion on many books.
Yet to try Tchaikovsky.

>197 PaulCranswick: I'll be getting to Shroud soon-ish because I need to read it for the Hugo awards voting.

>198 PaulCranswick: I read a fair amount of sci-fi and still had trouble figuring out what's going on in Excession. I really liked it, but will never claim to understand it.

>205 avatiakh: I will certainly read more of them, Kerry. It will never be my genre but I do like Banks' writing style.

>206 amanda4242: Oh, were we supposed to even try to understand it?!

I have a few days holiday coming up so I am going into overdrive to try to get a long overdue TIOLI sweep this month - trust me to try and go for it when we have 23 as the sizeable target for the month.
I have 9 books to go in what is left of the month but with the Haj celebrations and then the Buddhist Wesak day straddling the weekend, I could well do it.

I will make it to 75 today.

>208 PaulCranswick: I noticed that you were one away! I can't wait to see what it is.

Congratulations Paul.

>208 PaulCranswick: Go Paul!!

Congratulations on your 75.

Congratulations on your first 75, Paul.

Congrats on your 75, Paul. I’m
All the way up to 15 so far this year. They were mostly all quite good reads, though, so I’m happy with that.

>209 Dejah_Thoris: You will be out of your tenterhooks within the next couple of hours, Princess!

>210 Kristelh: Thanks Kristel; I am almost there. Possibly the earliest I have made it since I have been on LT. My three years of University and a couple of my early days as a bachelor I comfortably made 200 books but I haven't made it to 200 since being on LT and I do still aim for that this time.

>211 avatiakh: Thanks Kerry. I cannot match your reading prowess of course.

>212 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deb, and you say that with sufficient confidence that I will reach at least another one this year!

>213 SqueakyChu: We all have our reading speeds, Madeline, and I cannot hope to keep up with Silver and Stasia and Suz and Susan (no S at the start of my name, I guess!).

It is always quality over quantity and reading for enjoyment that counts most.

Congrats, Paul!

It’s fun to see the list pile up—-we did enter the 75 Books Challenge, after all. But realistically a “book” can be The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction or The French Revolution: A History. The first has 106 pages of text, the second has 911. So a serious comparison of reading accomplishment would involve pages, not books.
For reasons involving the structure of the eye even the most literate and experienced reader can only take in around 300 words per minute. 240 wpm is more typical. The average book page is 300-400 words, so there is an upward page limit even to those willing to devote every waking moment to reading.

On another tangent, I am up to S on my personal One Short Story a Day Challenge, alphabetically by author. No book of short stories by anybody whose name starts with Q at the moment, but have ordered The Adventures of Ellery Queen although of course Ellery Queen was the nom de plume of two co-authors. Maybe others have better suggestions.

>217 drneutron: Thanks Jim

>218 booksaplenty1949: I agree with that of course. I do log my page reading and I am touching 20,000 pages in books read so far this year. About 130 pages per day on average.

>219 booksaplenty1949: Arthur Quiller-Couch certainly springs to mind and he wrote numerous short stories. Daniel Quinn is another with a short story collection although he is an acquired taste.

>218 booksaplenty1949: And that's why this spreadsheet maniac totals up pages read and reports both the total for the year and average pages per book.

>222 ArlieS: And this spreadsheet maniac totals up words too. :)

Pages is just the paper and ebook totals, but total words includes my audiobooks.

Right now, I'm at 34 books (total), 3,744 pages, 3,154,438 words and 9 days, 10 hrs and 15 mins of audio.

Average page is 267, audio is 11:18 and I should hit 82 books, if the current pace continues.

I use https://howlongtoread.com/ to find the word count. I have no idea if its actually accurate, but has found most of my books the last couple years. If it can't find it, I use the completely arbitrary 280 words per page.

:)

>222 ArlieS: I resemble that remark, Arlie. See >14 PaulCranswick:!

>223 mahsdad: That is even more maniacal than I am prepared for, Jeff! I'm not going to try and count the number of words read!

BOOK #75



Viking's Dawn by Henry Treece
Date of Publication: 1955
Origin of Author: UK
Gender of Author: Male
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 184pp

A blast from my past. Henry Treece's YA books about Vikings, Saxons, Romans, Greeks and Trojans helped fuel my love of history as a boy and I read so much of his work in the school library that it helped catch the eye of my teachers.

This is actually the first in a trilogy about the young man Harald who gets taken onto a Viking ship and adventures to Scotland. Misadventures is more appropriate because nothing seems to go particularly smoothly.

I can see why this would have excited my juvenile sensibilities!

>225 PaulCranswick: Congratulations on your 75th book, Paul! I hope you enjoyed your blast from the past.

>226 Dejah_Thoris: I did indeed, Princess. xx

>225 PaulCranswick: Congrats on 75!

>224 PaulCranswick: I've got my spreadsheet pretty wired now. I just record my reads and it pretty much does all my statistics for me

Jeff's 2026 B.A.S.S tracking document

The "New Results" tab is kinda like my control panel.

In total honesty, I did not create this from scratch, I found it on a Book Riot post about 8 or 9 years ago, I've modified it quite a bit over the years

>225 PaulCranswick: Congratulations on hitting 75!

>228 mahsdad: Wowzer. My recording of all my books is pretty detailed but not to the extent of word counts.

>229 amanda4242: I am satisfied, Amanda, as I think that may be one of the earliest I have hit the target since I have been on LT.

Congratulations on reaching the magic goal, Paul!

>231 SirThomas: Thank you dear Thomas

>221 PaulCranswick: Yes—“Q” himself! Will be on the lookout.

>233 booksaplenty1949: I am sure that the Open Library would have something. You might try The Laird's Luck and I would happily read it with you.

Congrats on reaching 75!!

>235 hredwards: Thank you, Harold. Well behind you of course, dear fellow, I am sure.

>>225 PaulCranswick: I think Henry Treece was Mr SandDune’s favourite author when he was young.

>234 PaulCranswick: You’re on! https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12923/pg12923-images.html

The June BAC thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/384636

>223 mahsdad: Tempting....

>223 mahsdad: >224 PaulCranswick: Spreadsheet maniacs of the world, Unite!

>225 PaulCranswick: Congrats on 75, Paul!

>225 PaulCranswick: I've recently read and enjoyed that trilogy - Harald Sigurdson - and I'm sure I read it when I was a child as I loved (and still do) Myths & Legends and Historical Fiction. When I say recently, I've just looked it up and it was three years ago!

>237 SandDune: Would certainly explain a shared love of history, Rhian, if not a shared love of Leeds United!

>238 booksaplenty1949: Yay! I will try and read it today!

>239 amanda4242: I will go over and start planning, Amanda. xx

>240 ArlieS: Hahaha I wonder if there is a correlation between spreadsheet adoration and LT membership?

>241 CDVicarage: Three years in the blinking of an eye, Kerry!

>243 PaulCranswick: Could be.

>245 ArlieS: Well, Arlie, we know three of us at least are similarly afflicted!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/384644

Thank you Silver. Should take me nicely into the 80s.

Friday Additions

121. The Shetland Way by Marianne Brown
122. How to Be a Revolutionary by C.A. Davids
123. Fox by Joyce Carol Oates

A bit abstemious today.

>234 PaulCranswick: Read “The Laird’s Luck” and was pleasantly surprised. Military narrative was predictably well-handled but the denouement was unexpectedly touching. Will press on to other stories in the collection when Q comes round again. What did you think?

>250 booksaplenty1949: I thoroughly enjoyed it too I have to concede very nicely told indeed, I thought. I will definitely read other stories of his and it was long enough to just about qualify as a novella.

BOOK #76



Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai
Date of Publication: 1977
Origin of Author: India
Gender of Author: Female
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 146pp

Anita Desai packs a lot into small packages. I think if I was travelling long distance she may be just the person to get the most out of limited luggage space.

An old lady retires to her house on the mountain for solitude which is shattered by the arrival of her great granddaughter recuperating from a debilitating illness. The inter-generational relationships are fraught and the crescendo is as blistering as the events leading up to it can seem ponderous.

A very skillful author indeed.

BOOK #77



She Who Remains by Rene Karabash
Date of Publication : 2018
Origin of Author : Bulgaria
Gender of Author : Female
Genre: Fiction
Pages : 155 pp
Shortlisted for the Booker International Prize.

This is a sort of Gender identity reworking of Ismail Kadare's famous work, Broken April.

Whilst parts of this were evocatively done, it simply was not really for me. The style was far too abstract and the work too disjointed for me to ever really take to it completely.

I can utterly get why some readers will love this (especially those not familiar with Kadare's book) but I was just appreciative that it was mercifully short.

BOOK #78



The Laird's Luck by Arthur Quiller-Couch
Date of Publication: 1901
Origin of Author: UK
Gender of Author: Male
Genre: Short Story
Pages: 67pp

Unusually for me I am counting this extended short story as a "book" read given that at 67 close spaced pages it is really a novella.

What a great technician Q was! Absolutely top notch at creating atmosphere (particularly the dark Scottish Highland night in the old castle), and the story rattles along at a fair old lick with a pretty satisfying denouement.

Thanks to booksaplenty1949 for reading this one with me. x

>198 PaulCranswick: I have not yet read Excession but I like Banks' Culture novels. I would suggest The Player of Games for your next try.

>255 RBeffa: That was the one I was looking for, Ron, but the bookstore didn't have it!

>225 PaulCranswick: Congratulations on getting to 75, Paul!

Thank you Irene!

>256 PaulCranswick: This is what I wrote about Player of Games in 2013. Keep your eyes out for it.

Everyone isn't crazy about it but here were my thoughts: An excellent almost outstanding novel, second in Banks series of Culture novels. Some novels grab you; this one grabbed me. I liked this much better than "Consider Phlebas". It is very well written. I'm not sure the WOW factor is as strong here, unless this is the first Culture novel one is reading. The characters are so much better drawn. We get a much better idea of what the Culture is like. The descriptions are so well done it was like I was watching a movie inside my head. The first novel now seems like almost a glimpse. I love the names of ships, I love the AI's, snarky and otherwise. I love the whole idea of the games being played here. On the downside, despite being well written, the story did seem too drawn out in places and momentum suffered. Also, as a personal thing, when idiomatic speech is used in a story like this, it is guaranteed to throw me out of the bubble. It may be cute, but having an AI open a conversation with "Hows Tricks?" ...

>259 RBeffa: Nicely done, Ron. I am definitely on the look out!

>254 PaulCranswick: If we count “The Laird’s Luck” as a book I have reached 50.

>261 booksaplenty1949: I will pass 80 this weekend, I reckon. I wanted to get to 83 but I don't think I will make it.

Congratulations on reaching your first 75 reads of the year, Paul!

Overachiever you!! LOL. Congrats on already reaching the 75ers goal. : )

>263 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. We have a few days off so Hani and I have gone for a short break to the historic city of Melaka. About 1.5 hours drive from KL

>264 Berly:. It could be the earliest I have got there on LT, Kimmers.

Read the title story of this collection today. Don’t judge a book by its cover, let’s just say.
Actually I collect books with covers by this artist, James Avati. Classic examples of drugstore paperbacks suggesting racy contents, generally inaccurately.

Another example:

The history of book covers is interesting. I have some of those cheap ones around too. I should check out which artist I have.

>267 booksaplenty1949: I have a few signet paperbacks at home but mainly westerns which is a genre I used to read avidly growing up. Surprising I guess for a boy from darkest West Yorkshire.

>268 booksaplenty1949: There looks to be quite a lot going on in that one.

>269 Kristelh: I must admit to preferring British book covers generally to their North American counterparts and I do usually try and buy the British version/edition of a book when it is in stores here. Usually they are about $4 cheaper also for reasons I cannot fathom.

Two good reasons to buy British books -- too bad I'd have to pay for shipping!

>270 PaulCranswick: “Looks” is the operative word.

Finally finished Wacousta and thus my first decade of the 200 Year Challenge.
1826 Woodstock by Sir Walter Scott
1827 The Christian Year by John Keble
1828 Rienzi by Mary Russell Mitford
1829 Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship and Travels by Goethe, translated by Thomas Carlyle
1830 Rural Rides by William Cobbett
1831 Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo
1832 Wacousta by John Richardson
1833 Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
1834 Lorenzaccio by Alfred de Musset
1835 Chatterton by Alfred de Vigny

>272 Berly: There is that of course, Kimmers. We often get the choice between the different editions here.

>273 booksaplenty1949: Yes indeed. The story might be completely underwhelming.

>274 booksaplenty1949: I am a year behind you! Maybe in a couple of days we will be on level pegging again.

I do like to be picky about my covers. I think Books published in Britain and sold here would run higher in price but I don't know if that is true. Our books sold in the US are usually marked with US price and Canada price and Canada is always higher. (is it determined by exchange rate?)

No, it’s a great true story, about a man who has a religious awakening and enters a Trappist monastery. Not sure what’s going on in the cover picture, however.

>276 PaulCranswick: Finished Backwoods of Canada for 1836 and currently reading César Birotteau by Balzac for 1837. A book which has been waiting a very long time on my shelf. Previous owner marked up first chapter and then apparently gave up, so I feel bad for it.

congrats on reading past 75 books!

>271 PaulCranswick: We get Australian covers for much of our general fiction paperbacks, most just go with the original cover but every now and then the cover is different, usually for the better.
I used to get the British covers when ordering through Book Depository.

Did you make the sweep? I gave up on my last two May reads including the Iain M. Banks book.

Well, I'm embarrassed! Your thread 9 became unstarred and I only noticed today that I hadn't seen posts from you for quite some time.

Happy old thread, Paul. I hope I follow you to 11!

>277 Kristelh: I don't see much of a reason for the UK covers to be readily available in the US or vice versa in the UK. I am fortunate that we get the choice of both by being neither!

>278 booksaplenty1949: I suppose that the white hooded character is therefore meant to be a trappist monk.

>279 booksaplenty1949: Or he got tired of making annotations?

>280 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.

>281 avatiakh: We do occasionally get Australian books, Kerry, but nowhere near as many as I would like and I am not really sure why.

I failed to make it on the Sweep - I got 21 out of the 23 so I did run it pretty close at least.

>282 quondame: No worries, Susan, I am grateful to see you here anyhow and I will give you an early opportunity to get to Thread #11 within the next 24 hours.

>225 PaulCranswick: Congratulations on 75 Paul!

>271 PaulCranswick: I say, no fair. I usually prefer British covers too but they tend to be a few dollars more than US covers.

>277 Kristelh: Probably because of the exchange rate. Books are more expensive in Canada than in the US also the US dollar usually has more value than the Canadian one although there was one wonderful occasion when I was working in a store in Charlottetown when the Canadian dollar was worth more.

Enjoy your time in Melaka, Paul!

>287 humouress: Thanks Nina.

Maybe Singapore is different but American covers are about $4 more expensive in Malaysia.

>288 Familyhistorian: It could be an exchange rate thing or a transport cost issue.

>284 PaulCranswick: I’m surprised you have never heard of Thomas Merton. A prolific writer on spiritual topics and social justice issues in the 60s. Over 5,000 copies of The Seven Storey Mountain entered on LT.

>290 booksaplenty1949: Merton doesn't ring a bell for me ti's true

>268 booksaplenty1949: I love the old paperback art covers!!

>184 PaulCranswick: Still haven't gotten any messages back and I've been trying for a few weeks, since even before school ended, and I've tried more jobs now