Deborah ( vancouverdeb) Thread 4

Dave flying a couple of kites, his favourite hobby.

Laurence King, A Book Lovers Garden Puzzle, 1000 pieces.

I'm Deborah, married for 42 years and counting. I have two adult sons and one is married and they have two young children. This will be my 16 th year in the 75's. Both Dave and I are retired and we have a dog named Muffin who just turned 2 at the end of December 2025.

1) The Wake by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, F, mine, Iceland, 4 stars
2) Ripeness by Sarah Moss, F, library, UK, 3 stars
3) Benbecula by Graeme MacCrae Burnet,M, library, Scotland, 3.5 stars
4)Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge, F, library, UK, 4 stars
5) The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold, F , library, F, UK, 4 stars
6)Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan, F, mine, Ireland, 3.5 stars
7) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, F, library, UK, 4 stars

February

8) Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsely, F, mine, UK, 4 stars
9) Missing Sam by Thrity Umrigar, F, library, India/ USA, 3.5 stars
10)A Christian Case Against Donald Trump by by Patrick Kahnke, M, mine, kindle, USA, 5 stars
11)Two Truths and a Murder by Colleen CambridgeUSA, library, M, 4 stars
12) ‎Jesus Calling, with Scripture References: Enjoying Peace in His Presence (A 365-Day Devotional) by Sarah Young , F, mine, USA, 5 stars
13) This Is Not About Us: Fiction by Allegra Goodman, USA, library, F, 3.5 stars
14)The Fourth Princess: A Gothic Novel of Old Shanghai by Janie Chang, Canada, library, F, 4.5 stars
15) The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon, USA, library, F, 4 stars
16The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera USA, mine, F, 3.5 stars

March

17) The Barbecue at No. 9 by Jenny Godfrey,UK, mine, F, 4 stars
18)When The Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen,Sweden, library F, 5 stars
19 )Dominion by Addie E. Citchens, USA, F, library, 4.5 stars
20) A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing: A Novel byAlice Evelyn Yang, USA,F, mine, 4.5 stars
21) A Family Matter by Claire Lynch, UK, F, library,4.25 stars
22) Audition by Katie Kitamura, USA, library, F,2.5 stars,
23)Flashlight by Susan Choi, USA,mine,F , 3 stars
24) The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery, UK, mine, 4 stars

April

25) The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine, Ireland, mine, F, 4 stars
26) We Begin At The End by Chris Whittaker, USA, library, M, 3.5 stars
27) Bookish by Lucy Magnan, UK, mine, F, 4 stars
28) Imposter by L J Ross UK, mine, F, 4 stars
29)A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar ,library, F , 3.5 stars
30 ) The Close by Jane Casey UK, library, F 3. 5 stars
31) Heart the Lover by Lily King, USA, library, F, 2.5 stars

May

32) Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth, Australia, library, F , 4. 5 stars
33)Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly, UK, mine, F, 2.5 stars
34)Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin, Canada, library, F, 3.5 stars
35) A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman, Australia, library, F, 4.5 stars

June

36) The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson, UK, mine, F, 4 stars

spare

Prize Winners and Nominees
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, 1001 books to read before you die
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen , Årets bok (2024)
Dominion by Addie E. Citchens Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist , 2026
A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing: A Novel byAlice Evelyn Yang. Women's Prize For Fiction Longlist,2026
A Family Matter by Claire Lynch, Nero Prize Winner 2026,
Audition by Katie Kitamura, Booker Short List 2025, Women's Prize Long-list 2026,
Flashlight by Susan Choi, Booker List 2025, Women's Prize Longlist 2026
Benefactors by Wendy Erskine Women's Prize Longlist 2026
A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar Women's Prize Longlist, 2026.
Heart the Lover by Lily King, Womens Prize Shortlist , 2026,
The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson, Women's Prize Shortlist , 2026

Currently Reading
Good People by Patmeena Sabit

The Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist 2026

Gloria Don't Speak by Lucy Apps
Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi
Moderation by Elaine Castillo
Flashlight by Susan Choi READ
Dominion by Addie E. Citchens READ
The Benefactors by Wendy ErskineREAD
The Correspondent by Virginia EvansREAD
The Mercy Step by Marcia HutchinsonREAD
The Others by Sheena Kalayil OWN
Kingfisher by by Rozie Kelly READ
Heart the Lover by Lily King READ
Audition by Katie Kitamura READ
A Guardian and A Thief by Megha Majumdar READ
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy READ
The Best of Everything by Kit de Waal READ
A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang READ

Welcome to my new thread! I am so glad to have time to start a new thread at last! Two more weeks and Dave should be able to walk the dog again , yes! Then life should go back to normal. Please drop a star, lurk, de-lurk , whatever! So glad to have you here.

spare

Happy new thread and I am happy to be first here, Deb, to wish you and Dave all the best.

>14 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! Dave seems to be doing well. Good to see you!

Happy new thread!

I am glad that Dave is closer to getting back to his normal routine.

>16 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita! I can't wait until Dave can walk the dog again! I'm walking about 15,000 steps each day and that does not leave me with a lot of time.

Happy new thread, Deborah!

>2 vancouverdeb: You do some really impressive puzzles!!

>18 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! That puzzle was a bit challenging. I''ll be glad to get more time with the puzzles and books.

Happy new thread, Deb. I was thinking today that I need to check in with you and see how Dave is getting on. Good to hear that he is progressing.
I haven't worked on a puzzle in ages.

Happy new thread, Deborah!

>2 vancouverdeb: What a collection of stories are illustrated in the puzzle! Is there a reason for the choices? Are all of them listed? (I don’t know any with a snake-holding priestess from Crete unless the silhouette in the window is Ariadne.

Added: Is it gardens?

Happy new thread, Deborah. I hope things are getting back to normal in your house.

Hello Deborah and happy new thread. So pleased that all is going well! Love the Dave topper!

Happy new thread Deborah. How are you, Dave, and Muffin doing?

Love the picture and the jigsaw puzzle.

Happy new thread, Deborah! I too really like the topper with Dave and the kites and the sun.

I am very glad to hear that Dave continues to improve. And that you'll have time for puzzles again. >2 vancouverdeb: That's definitely an interesting puzzle.

Hi Deborah, happy new thread. Glad to see from your currently reading post that The Mercy Step arrived. Hope you are enjoying it.

I am sending good wishes to you and Dave as he recovers.

15,000 steps a day sounds like a lot of walking. Do you listen to podcasts or audiobooks?

Happy new thread, Deborah! Good to see that things like walks, will go back to normal soon.

Happy thread #4, Deborah!! Glad life is on its way back to normal again. Best wishes to Dave, you and Muffin. : )

Happy new thread, Deborah! I'm so pleased that things are finally settling down for you and Dave.

That photo of him flying kites is beautiful.

Hi, Deborah! I'm glad to know that your husband is doing better, and that your lives and routines will return to normal soon.

I'll see my urologist next Friday to discuss the plan after Monday's MRI of my prostate, which showed a suspicious mass within the gland. I'm not sure, but I suspect he'll recommend that I get a prostate biopsy in the very near future, to see if I may have cancer. Needless to say I would appreciate all kind thoughts and prayers!

So glad to hear that things are getting back to normal and that Dave is recovering well! Sounds like he'll be back to flying kites in no time!

>2 vancouverdeb: That's a beautiful puzzle!

Happy new thread! That looks like a fun puzzle.

Glad Dave is doing well and that your life is getting back to normal.

>20 jessibud2: I almost always have a puzzle on the go, Shelley, just lately no time to get to it.

>21 quondame: I just dug out the pamphlet that came with the puzzle to answer your questions, Susan. The image is not that clear on LT . Yes, it is a garden and the author represented are Jane Austen , Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll , John Milton and many others. Some I was familiar with , others not, as far as the images in the puzzle go. I guess the artist chose authors/ works that he/ she liked. The snake represents a Greek Myth, the Labours of Hercules:The Apples of Hesperides.

>22 BLBera: Gradually things are getting back to normal here, Beth. The sooner the better!

>23 mdoris: Thanks Mary. I too am glad Dave is doing well.

>24 Kristelh: Dave and Muffin are doing well, and I am finding myself a little too busy for now, Kristel.

>25 atozgrl: Thanks Irene . I didn't recognize Dave's picture as he is wearing a hat and had to ask him if it was him. Thanks re the toppers.

>26 charl08: Yes, 15,000 steps is lot to me too, Charlotte. I don't listen to anything when I am walking the dog. I usually need to pay a good bit of attention to her, pulling towards rabbits , squirrels, other dogs and watching for traffic. I did finish Mercy Step last night and it was very good and I hope to find time to review it.

>27 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg, I sure hope things go back to normal here soon.

>28 Berly: Thanks Kim! Gradually things are normalizing here. Thanks for the good wishes.

>29 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I glad things are slowly going back to normal too. Thanks re the picture of Dave

>30 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl, for your good wishes. I hope that your appointment with your urologist goes well, and that the mass is benign. I have prayed for you, and will continue to do so, and all best wishes too.

>31 Storeetllr: Thanks Mary. I am sure he is very eager to fly his kites again- it will be some weeks yet.

>32 foggidawn: Thanks Foggi! It was a interesting but somewhat challenging puzzle.

>33 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. Life is slowly getting back to normal.

I hope you are able to get back to your puzzling ways very soon, Deborah!

>37 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. I've been reviewing the medical literature to get an idea of what the standard of care of a prostatic mass such as the one I have. It isn't completely clear to me, but given my age, race (African Americans are at much higher risk of both having prostate cancer and dying from it than men of other races), and history of a first degree relative with prostate cancer (my father had a high grade but slowing cancer towsrd the end of his life, for which he was getting chemotherapy, IIRC) it would seem that the most conservative approach would be to get biopsy specimens of the suspicious mass. On the other hand it's located in a region where benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is most likely to originate, the radiologist read it as being low risk or inconclusive for cancer, and my appointment with my urologist next week is only scheduled for 15 minutes, so he may want to repeat another serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), to see if it has increased significantly since it was last checked in December, and possibly repeat an MRI scan in six months or so.

Hi Deb my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend, hope that Dave is progressing nicely and i am impressed with the amount of steps you are doing daily walking Muffin. Sending love and hugs to both of you from both of us.

Sweet Thursday, Deborah. Happy New Thread. So glad to hear that you loved A Far-Flung Life. I will be starting The Light Between Oceans in about a week.

How is Dave doing?

Happy to hear things are going well and getting back to normal for you all, Deborah!

>39 Familyhistorian: I was able to find some time to puzzle listen to a part of a book on audio yesterday, Meg, so things are really looking up!

>40 kidzdoc: I have been thinking and praying for you, Darryl, and I hope the mass is benign. It sounds like you done quite a bit of research into it and we'll hope for the best. Keep me up to date.

>41 johnsimpson: Dave has begun sharing in the walk the dog issues, John and I am greatly relieved. Love and hugs to you too, John, I know you have many health issues too.

>42 msf59: Hi Mark. I did really loved A Far- Flung Life so thanks for the push. I think you will really enjoy The Light Between Oceans. I am currently reading another excellent book, Good People which I am quite sure would be your cuppa.

>43 Copperskye: Hi Joanne! I am so relieved that things are going back to normal. It's been a bit of long haul, though not compared to many other people's issues.

The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson , 4 stars

Mercy is the young daughter of Liv and Sonny. Her parents immigrated to the UK from Jamaica. She is one of many siblings, and some of the elder siblings were left behind in Jamaica. Mercy very much longs to be close to her mother, but her mother is busy with work, and obsessed with the church. Her father is abusive towards both his children and his wife. Over time, Mercy cannot understand why her mother does not leave her father, and Mercy feels it is her job to protect her mother. The family life is very chaotic and troubled. Mercy finds solace in books and her toy, Dolly.

A heart wrenching story, Mercy gradually learns that she must take a stand to survive. Though the story is heart breaking, there is still humour and hope .

Highly recommended.

I have now read all six of the short listed Women's Prize for Fiction books for 2026 .

I would be happy if Dominion, The Correspondent or The Mercy Step won, but I was not keen on Heart The Lover, Flashlight, nor Kingfisher.

>46 vancouverdeb:, >47 vancouverdeb: Congratulations Deborah on finishing all the short list. I hope to get to start Mercy Step soon but had to do Atmosphere first. It is do to return to the library in 3 days.

The fawn was the size of the min pin. it was following its mom in the morning dew.

I also did not think much of Heart the Lover but liked the second half better than the first and I think I rated it higher than you. I will not read Kingfisher.

>47 vancouverdeb: I will try to get to The Mercy Step soon based on your articulate enthusiasm for it, Deb.

>40 kidzdoc: I will add here, if I may, my thought, prayers and good wishes for dear Darryl and I hope that he will be fine and that any procedure will only uncover something (if anything) benign.

I had a prostate scare about half a dozen years ago which was seen and treated in good time so I well understand what is going through our friend's mind at the present moments.

>49 PaulCranswick: I appreciate your prayers, Paul. At the moment I feel comfortable that the mass won't be cancerous, or that it was caught in time to be curable. Sadly my best friend's prostate cancer, similar to Joe Biden's, wasn't detected until it had spread to his pelvic bones, and as a result his cancer can only be controlled, but isn't curable with current medical treatments.

>50 kidzdoc: Screening and early detection of these things is so important, Darryl, isn't it? I have a bit of a phobia against hospitals but I suffered from very severe testicular swelling (due to a urinary infection it seems) so obviously I rushed to the specialist. He did an ultrasound and wasn't satisfied and then after a physical exam I had an endoscope which identified some "pre-cancerous issue".
Had I not had the swelling I would not have gone to the hospital and I don't know what would have happened.

>51 PaulCranswick: Wow. That was quite a remarkable presentation of prostate pre-cancer, Paul! I'm glad that it was detected while it was still treatable. Joe Biden's cancer was caught at an advanced age, as was my father's, and Biden's malignancy called into question the timing of serum prostate specific antigen levels as a screen for prostate cancer. I can't remember off the top of my head but I'm all but certain that African American men and men at higher risk, e.g. those who have a family history of a first degree relative with prostate cancer, are recommended to get their first PSA 5-10 years earlier than men who are at low risk. Checking...yes. The American Cancer Society recommends an initial screening PSA at age 50 for men at low risk, 45 for African American men or men with one first degree relative who had cancer (high risk), and 40 for men with two first degree relatives with cancer (very high risk). So, I should have had my first screening PSA no later than 45, and possibly as early as 40, since I have two risk factors, instead of when I was 60. I saw my late father's urologist before I established my relationship with my current GP, and because of my father's cancer and my enlarged prostate, which he detected on a digital rectal examination (DRE) after I told him that I was getting up to urinate several times a night, he ordered a serum PSA on me, which was moderately elevated. I'm now taking three prescription medications for my prostate but my PSA is still elevated, and that was why he suggested that I get an MRI of my prostate.

African Americans of both genders are also at higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, so I've had three colonoscopies, and will need another one next year, as I'm on a 5 year rather than a 10 year schedule, because of my race and because I have polyps in my colon. These cancers are appearing much more frequently in younger people of all races in the United States, including the late actor Chadwick Boseman, who was diagnosed with advanced cancer when he was only 40, and the author and professor Ibram X. Kendi, who was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at age 36, when he was writing the best selling book How to Be an Antiracist, but thankfully he was cured of the disease.

>52 kidzdoc: I do hope research will be done, Darryl, to identify why different groups are more at risk for certain types than others. I would hazard - not being a medical type - that the propensity is societal more than a matter of genetics.
1. The education and culture to go and get checked
2. The financial wherewithal to pay for the screening

>53 PaulCranswick: The National Cancer Institute in the US has conducted extensive studies into the risk factors for prostate cancer. It's definitely a hereditary condition, as men, particularly Blacks of West African descent, who have it are much more likely to have genetic variations that put them at greater risk for it. According to an NCI article, "Prostate cancer is highly heritable. Up to 60% of prostate cancer risk is caused by inherited factors. This inherited risk is comprised of risk from common genetic variants and risk from pathogenic variants in moderate-risk and high-risk genes." In addition, this article states that "Risk factors for prostate cancer include age, a family history of prostate cancer and other cancers, genetics, and ancestry (such as West African ancestry)."

Having said that it's true that men are far less likely to see their GPs on an annual basis than women are—this was certainly the case for me during the 24 years I lived in Atlanta—and get recommended screening tests such as colonoscopies, labs such as a basic chemistry panel or a lipid profile, or a serum PSA. I'm not as sure but I believe that private and public insurance plans would cover all or most of the costs of recommended screening tests, but an increasing number of people don't have insurance, particularly if they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, the public insurance program for low income people, can't afford to pay for private insurance, or are too young to qualify for Medicare, the public insurance program for people 65 years of age or older, or younger adults with chronic illnesses who meet certain criteria, such as end stage renal disease.

Apologies for hijacking your thread, Kim! I hope that you're feeling better today.

>47 vancouverdeb: Congratulations Deborah for reading the short list and so many of the long list. It will be so interesting to know the grand winner on June 11th! Which one would you vote for?

>44 vancouverdeb: Puzzling while listening to an audio book - things are definitely getting back to normal, Deborah. Good to see it happen.

>48 Kristelh: Sorry, Kristel, it was my mistake in thinking the doe was the size of a min pin. For a moment, I forgot which was the doe and the fawn. I really hope you like Mercy Step when you get to it. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't like Heart the Lover because so many people did.

>49 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. I hope you enjoy / appreciate Mercy Step as I did. Which books from the short list have you read so far ?

>55 mdoris: Thanks Mary. I did enjoy reading the entire shortlist for the most part and even a most of the long list . I'm not sure which of the three that I really thought were good reads should win. Any of The Correspondent, Dominion or The Mercy Step would be fine winners . I think I rated Dominion the highest by a half star , though.

>56 Familyhistorian: I am so relieve that things are pretty much back to normal, Meg, as you say. I actually enjoyed my walk with Muffin today instead of thinking - again! Puzzling and an audio book - so perfect - and I even had time for TV last night.

Good People is so excellent, though I have not finished it, I think it will be a five star read and perhaps my best read this year.

>59 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. A five star read, those are rare and happy occasions. Enjoy.

I’m so glad to hear that Dave is doing well.

>57 vancouverdeb: Whilst I have all of them on the shelves, of the shortlist, so far I have only read The Correspondent. I liked it quite a bit but not as much as many of our peers.

I also read Audition by Katie Kitamura & The Others by Sheena Kalayil.

If I was ranking my three reads I would put Kalayil first, Evans 2nd and Kitamura 3rd.

>59 vancouverdeb: Agree with you on Good People. I thought it was excellent.