Vivian's 2021 Reading

Happy New Year to all my LT friends - I'm hoping for a happy and healthier one for everyone.

And welcome to any new visitors! I love to hear what everyone is reading and have widely expanded my reading since joining the 75ers.

I live just north of New York but consider myself a city person since I grew up there. I am an independent financial advisor, a career I came to about 20 years ago and which I really love. I have four grown children, ages 19-35, 2 grandchildren and another one on the way, and have been married to Gary, a retired dentist for almost 38 years (AK!).

2020 Favorites, Fiction

Ducks, Newburyport
The Mirror and the Light
Weather
This is Happiness
Once Upon a River
The Street
Hamnet (#1, by far)
Tidal Zone
The Mercies
A Burning
Shadowplay
Utopia Avenue
Summer
Shuggie Bain
Here We Are

2020 Favorites, Non-Fiction

A Promised Land
The Splendid and the Vile
Spying on the South
Caste

#1 Troubled Blood Robert Galbraith
A very satisfying chunkster for my first read of the year. Cormoran Strike and his partner (business partner, that is) return to solve a 40 year old cold case: the death of a feminist GP in 1974 London. Lots of subplots concerning other cases and personal lives. Yes, it was incredibly long, but I was completely absorbed throughout.



#2 The Less dead Denise Mina
Costa Prize shortlist - a mystery which pales in comparison to the Galbraith. A pregnant GP in Glasgow searches for her biological mother and finds that she was a sex worker who was murdered in a still unsolved case 30 years earlier. Meh for me.

Happy new year, Vivian! It's nice to see you here.

Happy reading in 2021, Vivian!

>2 vivians: I thought similair about Troubled Blood, now the long wait for the next book...

Welcome back! Hope you have a great year of reading.

And keep up with my friends here, Vivian. Have a great 2021.

Yay, you're back!

Happy New Thread, Vivian. Happy New Year. Looking forward to following your reading life for another year. I am currently loving Homeland Elegies. Is this one on your radar?

Happy New Year, Vivian. This year has to be better, right? Once again, I look forward to following your reading.

Here you are. Happy New Year Vivian

Happy New Year, Vivian! And happy reading. You're off to a flying start.

Thanks for all the good wishes - Laura, Anita, Lori, Paul, Katie, Mark, Beth, Bonnie and Judy!! You've all become such great correspondents and I really treasure LT more and more as the world gets crazier.

Slow reading start to the year for me but picking up a little now:



#3 Star of the Sea Joseph O'Connor
Last year I read and loved Shadowplay, and Katie reminded me that I hadn't read this one. Hard to imagine this won't be one of my top ten of 2021 - the story of the 1847 Irish famine played out on a coffin ship's voyage to New York. A mystery novel and historical thriller, very layered and compelling.



#4 Memorial Bryan Washington
NY Times top 100 list. A gay couple living together in Houston: a Japanese-American chef and a Black American daycare provider. Add the complication of one of them flying off to care for his estranged and dying father while his mother moves in with his boyfriend, and that seems like a good enough set-up for any novel. Half of the audio was read by the author and his emotionless and monotone voice was a problem. The sections set in Japan were far more interesting. Overall I was disappointed that it didn't come together very well.



#5 A Bird in the House Margaret Laurence
Manawaka series, book 4. Eight interconnected short stories narrated by Vanessa Macleod, mostly about her family and her developing insights into the adult world. Beautiful prose.



DNF Trick Mirror Jia Tolentino
January "Now Read This" book group pick. A series of essays and I jsut didn't have the patience or interest.



#6 In the Morning I'll Be Gone Adrian McKinty
Best yet in the series. Duffy has to track down a childhood friend, now an IRA explosives expert, who escaped from a high security prison. He also confronts a cold case of a possibly murdered woman in a locked room. Lots of historical events, including pivotal action involving Margaret Thatcher. Great dialogue, humor and action.

The McKinty is the next up in the series for me. Maybe February....

>13 katiekrug: I've been really enjoying this series. McKinty is amusing on Twitter too!



#7 Land of Wolves Craig Johnson
This series has lost some of its shine for me. The snarkiness of the deputy has become tiresome, and the sheriff's agonizing over his mortality is repetitive. Some interesting nuggets about wolves in Tetons and in Wyoming, otherwise very meh.



#8 Luster Raven Leilani
Glowing reviews and lots of mentions on “best of 2020” lists, but it didn’t work for me. Unlikeable people, all acting in ways that were entirely baffling to me. A very detached account of a 23 year old Black woman and her involvement in the open marriage of a much older white man and his successful wife. I didn’t see the appeal of the writing, although it has been cited by many as raw and emotional.



#9 Beheld TaraShea Nesbit
Read for book group, chosen from NYTimes Best 100 list. A well-researched book about tensions among settlers about 10 years after the Mayflower landing, and the first murder in the colony. Told from the perspective of two women, the wife of the governor and the wife of a former indentured servant. A bit of style that bothered me: constant foreshadowing, as in “if only we had known what would happen later that day.” Otherwise good historical fiction, if not captivating.



#10 Big Girl Small TownMichelle Gallen
Costa debut novel shortlist set in a fictional village near the Northern Irish border some years after the Good Friday agreement. The story follows the life of Majella, a young, possibly high functioning autistic (not diagnosed) woman working in a local chip shop who lives with her alcoholic mother. Her father disappeared years before, her uncle was a victim of the "troubles" and her grandmother has just been brutally murdered. We view her world through an extensive list of "things she wasn't keen on." The audio is terrific but I needed to slow it down from my usual 1.5x because of the intense brogue.

I'm glad to see you liked Beheld, Vivian. Yes, there was a lot of foreshadowing (cue the music). Somehow for me that helped to build tension. But I agree she used it a lot.

>14 vivians: I agree with you about Beheld. I ended up giving it 4 stars, but it was still a good read in spite of its stylistic problem.

I'm on the reserve list for Beheld and am adding Big Girl Small Town to my list, Vivian. You're starting 2021 with some great reading.

And happy inauguration day! We can all breathe again.

>15 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - my book group will be discussing Beheld on Monday and I'm eager to hear everyone's thoughts. Some were a little reluctant to delve into historical fiction; that's a genre I usually love.

>16 thornton37814: I'm glad it was on the NY Times 100 list, Lori, otherwise I hadn't heard much about it.

>17 BLBera: Hi Beth - it feels like an enormous weight has been removed! It was an inspiring day and I really feel hopeful for the future.

No kids at home which is a bit sad, but on the other hand it means I'm not hearing "mom, you HAVE to watch this with me" every night and am therefore reading more!



#11 The Eighth Detective Alex Pavesi
A really inventive and enjoyable novel. A math professor comes up with a theory about crime fiction and then writes seven short stories to demonstrate his theory. Years later, he lives in seclusion and is visited by an editor who would like to reissue his collection. She finds inconsistencies in the stories and she herself becomes the eighth detective.



#12Love After Love Ingrid Persaud
Costa shortlist, set in Trinidad with three main characters: Betty Ramdin, a widow whose husband was an abusive drunk, her son Solo, and Mr. Chetan, a closeted gay man who becomes their tenant. The second half turns quite dark with some heavy themes of domestic abuse, self-harm and homophobia, but overall a great atmosphere a d terrific character development.



#13 Summerwater Sarah Moss
Another winner by Moss, who has become one of my favorites. Linked short stories about a single rainy summer day in a Scottish holiday camp. The lives of 12 vacationers are told in a stream of consciousness as their lives briefly intersect. One chapter, about a young woman’s musings during sex, had me laughing out loud; in another a mother’s inability to enjoy a one hour respite from her toddlers evoked a flood of empathy. Very atmospheric, with a slightly menacing sense throughout. Highly recommended!

Hi Vivian! I need to get hold of Summerwater. I have the Pavesi on my Kindle...

Hello Vivian, you have got such an interesting reading list! Despite (or because?) the risk of being shot by many book bullets here I will leave a star here... Happy reading weekend!

I'm glad you liked The Eighth Detective, Vivian. I found it very original. I'm waiting for my turn with Summerwater and will add Love after Love to my WL.

Hi Vivian, as usual, lots of book suggestions here. I will definitely look for The Eighth Detective and the new Moss. I have Beheld on my Overdrive list and since historical fiction is my favorite genre I don't think I'll be skipping that one.

Oooh, the Pavesi sounds very good - adding it to my list.

Great reviews!

Summerwater is another gem by Sarah Moss. Her ability to get into the heads of ordinary people and make them and their lives interesting and compelling is extraordinary. She's on a shortlist of writers whose books I'll buy as soon as they are published, regardless of the topic, as she has never failed to enlighten and entertain me.

>19 katiekrug: You need to Katie - it's so good!

>20 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks Kathy, and welcome! I'm not too good at commenting on threads, but I do lurk and will add yours to my list.

>21 BLBera: Always glad to pass along BBs, Beth! Looking forward to your thoughts about Summerwater.

>22 brenzi: Hi Bonnie!

>23 scaifea: Hi Amber - I'm SOOOO enjoying your comments on Katie's threads!

>24 kidzdoc: Darryl! I finally found you on the Club Read thread. I'm an avowed Moss fan too.



#14 Paradise Lodge Nina Stibbe
Light and amusing sequel to Man at the Helm. In 1970s England, 15 year Lizzie takes a job at a nursing home to escape school and her dysfunctional (but loving) family. Lots of humor and great dialogue.



#15 Siege WinterArian Franklin
I think I owe thanks to Katie for this one. Set in 12th century England, there is a civil war over the throne. Dead King Henry's daughter, Mathilda, is trying to establish her ascendancy, and her cousin Stephen opposes her bid. A Breton mercenary saves the life of an abducted child, and together they make their way to Kenilworth Castle. Great historical fiction.



#16 A Fearsome Doubt Charles Todd
Ian Rutledge, #6 and a good entry. Rutledge revisits a pre-war conviction, and questions whether he sent an innocent man to the gallows. There's also the search for the murderer of WWI disabled veterans in the Kent countryside.

Oh, I'm so glad you liked The Siege Winter, too!

I love Ariana Franklin's historical fiction; I wish there were more of them.

>27 BLBera: This was my first Franklin....what titles do you recommend?

>25 vivians: Ha! I'm happy to entertain.

I think the first one was the best, Mistress of the Art of Death, but all of them are very good, especially if you like historical fiction set in this timeframe.

Happy Saturday, Vivian. Bummer about Memorial. I was looking forward to that one. I think I will try his last story collection instead.

>25 vivians: I have visited Kenilworth Castle more than a couple of times having studied at fairly nearby Warwick Uni. It is a very interesting period of English history.

>26 katiekrug: Great rec, Katie!

>29 scaifea: Hi Amber!

>30 BLBera: Thanks Beth, on to the list it goes.

>31 msf59: I think I’m a minority opinion about Memorial, Mark. It’s gotten some rave reviews. I know you're a Hochschild fan - I really recommend Half the Way Home.

>32 PaulCranswick: I continually add to my list of must-see places, in Scotland, Ireland, well all over the world really! Kenilworth is the latest- how great that you’ve been there Paul!

Two feet of snow provided me with several days at home. Of course I could have been doing work, but just didn’t.



#17 A Swim in A Pond in the Rain George Saunders
I took several Russian lit classes in college and was really glad to revisit these authors. The audio narrations of the stories were provided by terrific actors (including Glenn Close, Nick Offerman) and the analytical parts were read by Saunders himself. The book is essentially a writing class provided by Saunders, who dissects seven 19th century stories in terms of the craft of writing itself, as well as the reader’s interpretation. I’m not a short story reader and some of the analysis seemed a little too deep for me, but overall a very good read.



#18 Half the Way Home Adam Hochschild
And…I’m not a frequent memoir reader but this one was a five star read for me. Hochschild is one of my favorite non-fiction authors (the unforgettable King Leopold’s Ghost and the equally gripping Spain in our Hearts are two of the best), and this view into his early life in a family of great wealth and privilege is moving. Highly recommended.



#19 Dear Miss Kopp Amy Stewart
The sixth book in the series and the first one to be told exclusively through letters. Excellent historical research places Norma in France in 1918, near the front with her pigeons; Constance chasing saboteurs as the only female agent in the nascent FBI; and Fleurette on stage, entertaining soldiers on bases throughout the country. A great sense of time and place, with historical notes at the end to add context.



#20 Gun Street Girl Adrian McKinty
Slightly weaker than the last terrific installment, but still a great mix of fiction and historical events. Set in 1985 during the failed Anglo-Irish “Agreement”, DI Sean Duffy investigates a double murder and suicide. Stolen missiles are the central mystery, but Duffy’s self-deprecating personality, his love of music and his difficulties in his social life are even more entertaining.

>33 vivians: I enjoyed Dear Miss Kopp when I read it.

Glad you're enjoying the McKinty books -- I really relished the series, but his other books haven't grabbed me, yet.

I spent January re-reading (or listening to, rather) Ariana Franklin's "Mistress of the Art of Death" series, so that I can read the posthumous book cowritten by (I think) her daughter, Death and the Maiden.

You have reminded me that I MUST read Hamnet. For now, I'm still stuck on comfort re-reading and nonfiction.

I LOVED Spain in our Hearts, Vivian and will look for this memoir.

Oh King Leopold's Ghost.....soooo good Vivian. I may have to look for Half the Way Home.

Hi Vivian! I've found your 2021 thread now that it is February. 🙄

I'm a Sarah Moss fan deciding whether to order Summerwater and Ghost Wall. I do still have a copy of Signs for Lost Children on my TBR shelves.

oh dear, lots of BBs. I had already noted the Sauders, but I didn't know about the fourth McKinty. I really have to move some books along.

Absent on my own thread - but happy to have visitors!

>34 thornton37814: Hi Lori - according tot he epilogue Stewart is planning to contiue the series, so that's good news.

>35 Chatterbox: This was my first Franklin, Suzanne, but I'm glad to hear there are more waiting for me.

>36 BLBera: >37 brenzi: I'm a huge Hochschild fan, Beth and Bonnie, although the last one (Rebel Cinderella) fell a little short of his others.

>38 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I've got a slow moving thread, so no worries!

>39 ffortsa: You're so right Judy, just too many books.



#21 When We Were Orphans Kazuo Ishiguro
I took this one from my shelves where it had been languishing for years. It was mesmerizing, with the intensity coming from a narrator with a distorted perception of his life and his world. Christopher Banks is an Englishman whose childhood in the International Settlement in Shanghai is interrupted by the disappearance of his parents, both of whom are involved in different facets of the opium trade. He is sent to England where he becomes a prominent detective (although it’s unclear whether his success is real or imagined). He returns to Shanghai in 1937 to finally solve his parents’ case, by which time the city is war-torn and under invasion. Lots of strands, some never resolved, but underlying it all is an indictment of colonialism and the damage it caused.



#22 The Survivors Jane Harper
Another winner from this Australian author. A coastal town in Tasmania is reeling from the tragic events of a storm that took three young lives. Twelve years later, a murder reveals secrets in a very slow burn. Very atmospheric (tides, caves, beach) and great characters. I especially liked Kieran, who had to overcome dep psychological damage from his part in the storm, and returns to Evelyn Bay as a young father. Great on audio.



#23 The Duke and I Julia Quinn
Totally Katie’s fault (and my daughter Jo's as well, as she is insisting I watch the adaptation, which of course I can’t do without first reading it.) Completely enjoyable.



#24 Irish Country Family Patrick Taylor
These are getting a bit boring, and a bit tone-deaf to the sectarian troubles brewing in the 1960s. A very saccharine picture of village life, but quite enjoyable to listen to while commuting.

Hi Vivian! I love your book roundups.

I have the Ishiguro on my shelf, and you are making me want to move it up the To Read ladder...

The Harper sounds good. I'll have a look at the library for it.

And yay for the Bridgertons! Are you going to keep reading the series? There is a reveal at the end of the first TV season that isn't revealed until Book 4 - just FYI.

>41 katiekrug: Hi Katie and thanks! I'll definitely finish the Bridgertons before watching. Ishiguro has a new one out this month but I haven't heard any details yet.



#25 Crooked Heart Lissa Evans
My first Evans, thanks to Beth. A totally different and wonderful take on London during the Blitz. A 10 year old preternaturally intelligent orphan is foisted as an evacuee upon a mercenary and unscrupulous con artist. A relationship develops between these two misfits, never sentimental or sugary but very heartfelt and life-affirming. I really enjoyed this one.



#26 Heresy S.J. Parris
Great start to a series. Giordano Bruno, an excommunicated Italian monk, makes his way to Oxford where he is drawn into the religious wars of 16th century England. He becomes embroiled in a series of grisly murders. Great companion to the Arthur Phillips and CJ Sansom books set during the same time.



#27 Network Effect Martha Wells
Lots of action in this very amusing S.F. - a real palate cleanser. The murderbot is as cranky and sarcastic as in previous novellas, and the reappearance of ART (Asshole Research Transport) is fun. I got a little lost in some of the action and the technical details of the rogue security unit, but that didn't spoil the enjoyment.

You got me with Half the Way Home, Vivian. Thanks. It is officially on the list. I also think I have When We Were Orphans on shelf. It might be time to move it up in the stacks.

I'm adding Crooked Heart to my list - it sounds really good!

I'm so glad you loved Crooked Heart, Vivian. She has two other novels based on those characters. I've read Old Baggage, which is also very good.

I think I have Heresy on my shelf. It sounds like another one to move to the top of the pile.

>43 msf59: Both of those were great reads for me, Mark. I know you're a Hochschild reader and this memoir was worthwhile.

>44 scaifea: Beth's doing, Amber, and it was good!

>45 BLBera: My library has Old Baggage in audio so I'll probably get to that one soon.

Anybody interested in a copy of The Survivors by Jane Harper? I listened to it on audio and forgot I had ordered a hard copy from Book Depository. Happy to pass it on. (It was great.)



#28 Rain Dogs Adrian McKinty
Another solid Sean Duffy mystery, with lots of historical references (Muhammed Ali's visit to Northern Ireland, the Troubles, the Jimmy Savile scandal). A financial journalist is a presumed suicide in the courtyard of Carrickfergus Castle in a classic locked room mystery. Lots of humor, as usual, as well as changes in Duffy's personal life.



#29 The Yield Tara June Winch
Recommended by Books on the Go podcast and winner of the 2020 Miles Franklin award. Three threads: in current days a young woman returns to Australia from the UK for the burial of her beloved grandfather Albert; Albert himself through his compilation of a native language dictionary; and a 1915 account of a German missionary who ministered to the aboriginal population. Very impactful story of a family, a people, and the loss of land, heritage and identity.



#30 The House on Vesper Sands Paraic O'Donnell
Satisfying Victorian mystery with three memorable protagonists: Gideon Bliss, a Cambridge theology student dropout, Inspector Cutter, a caustic but effective police officer, and Olivia, a bicycle riding investigative journalist. The plot is a bit dubious (I'm not a fan of supernatural explanations) but I enjoyed the atmosphere of 1890s London, the pervading spiritualism of the time, and the humor.

And one more -



#31 The Ladies in Black Madeleine St. John
My next RL book group choice. A nice diversion about a department store in 1950s Sydney. Very light, still trying to figure out why it was chosen. I think there's a movie adaptation. Enjoyable but a bit weightless - a one day read.

>46 vivians: These all sound good, Vivian. Darn!

Oh, I see that you read the first in the Bridgerton series. Glad to hear it was enjoyable because I loved the Netflix production!!

And I have The House on Vesper Sands on hold at the library since it was nominated for the Edgar award. :-)

I'd take that copy of The Survivors if no one else has claimed it yet.... :-)

Oh Vivian, I listened to the audio of Old Baggage and it was excellent.

The Yield is actually available right now on Overdrive so maybe I will get to it soonish.

>48 BLBera: Glad to hit you with a few recommendations Beth!

>49The Survivors is on its way Ellen! I wish I could part with a few more as I'm totally out of room.

>50 brenzi: Glad to hear that Bonnie - I'll probably get to Old Baggage soon and I think my library has it on audio as well.



#32 The Soldier’s Curse Thomas Keneally and Meg Keneally
Suzanne recommended this series a while ago and I finally got the audio. Superb historical fiction, set in 1825 Port Macquarie, a penal colony for second offenders in New South Wales. Hugh Montsarrat is an educated convict clerk, working for the colony commandant and on his best behavior awaiting his release. A crime occurs and Montsarrat is drawn in. (A plot point overlap with my all-time favorite show, Doc Martin, only increased the enjoyment.) Absolutely pitch-perfect, from the setting to the characters to the plot.



#33 The Mermaid of Black Conch Monique Roffey
A fictional Caribbean island is the location for this Costa Prize winning novel about mythology, colonialism and power. A mermaid is captured by US fishermen and rescued from their truly evil clutches by David Baptiste, a local fisherman. He gradually learns her story as she transforms into a woman. It took a little while but eventually I was completely drawn in, particularly by one of the subplots of a white landowner and her deaf son. All in all a very unusual and compelling book.



#34The Diviners Margaret Laurence
The last, and in my opinion best, of the Manawaka series. A fiercely independent orphan, Morag Gunn’s story is told through her memories and through the stories of her ancestors. I imagine the feminism had even more weight when published in 1974.

Hi Vivian! I'll have to have a look for the Keneally series...

>51 vivians: I totally agree with you about The Diviners, Vivian. Your comments evoked an emotional response, a memory of having loved this book. Sure enough, I rated it 5 stars. Here's something I wrote in my review:

Near the end of The Diviners, Laurence makes a powerful emotional connection back to The Stone Angel’s Hagar Shipley that was absolutely perfect, and that’s when I knew for sure I was reading a 5-star book.

I admit I don't remember exactly what that was, but I do remember being strongly affected by it.

I want to start the Laurence books, Vivian. The Mermaid of Black Conch also sounds good.

>51 vivians: The Survivors arrived today, Vivian. Thank you!

"I wish I could part with a few more as I'm totally out of room." Well, by all means, if I can be of assistance, I'm happy to help. LOL.

<52 My library doesn't have the series so it was an Audible credit for me. I haven't checked if the rest of the series is available...



#35 Monogamy Sue Miller
NY Times 100 best of 2020 list. Contemporary story about a 30 year marriage, infidelity, grief, adult children. Nothing at all special, in fact fairly boring.



#36 Daughters of Erietown Connie Schultz
The author is a former journalist, now married to Senator Sherrod Brown (my hero after he berated Rand Paul on the Senate floor re mask wearing), with a great Twitter presence. In some explicable way this felt like a slew of novels I read in high school: multi-generational family battles teen pregnancy, alcoholism, adultery, etc. I think the goal was to present the life of a blue collar family in the 50s and 60s and how radically changed the next generation became. It wasn’t bad, just underwhelming.

DNF The Tunnel A.B. Yehoshua
NY Times 100 best of 2020 list. Premise sounded good: a civil engineer faces the very beginning of dementia, but I just couldn’t get into it.



#37 The Viscount Who Loved Me Julia Quinn
Bridgerton #2, predictable and fun.

Currently listening to the 7th Ian Rutledge and reading Signs for Lost Children.

Hmmm you seem to be on a parade of fairly mediocre books Vivian. Been there. Except for The Diviners of course. I have the last two in that series to read yet and I keep going back and forth considering whether to reread the early ones. Hope your next read is a really good one.

Oh, I had high expectations for the Connie Shultz novel, Vivian. I loved her memoir ...and His Lovely Wife, one of the best political campaign memoirs I've read.

There's a sequel to Crooked Heart out there, with links to Old Baggage as well. She's a new discovery (Lissa Evans), and I'm about to settle down with another of her novels that I've yet to read, about the BBC in wartime.

>56 vivians: I have the Roffey and the Laurence on the shelves and it looks like a made a good choice.

Have a lovely weekend, Vivian.

>57 brenzi: Your good wishes led me to some wonderful reads, Bonnie! Not included below (because I'm not quite finished) is a terrific Sarah Moss that I'm really enjoying as well.

>58 BLBera: The Schultz book was fine, Beth, maybe I sounded too critical. But nowhere near as good as the two by Lissa Evans.

>59 Chatterbox: I'm so impressed with her, Suzanne, and will definitely read her others.

>60 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

Just got a vaccine appointment for Friday so I'm thrilled.



#39 A Cold Treachery Charles Todd
Ian Rutledge #7. Rutledge investigates the murder of a farming family in the Lake District during a 1919 blizzard. The same tropes as before: Rutledge’s PTSD, his ghostly companion Hamish, and his consistently jealous and ineffective superiors. The writing in this series often seems overly descriptive and repetitious, but I enjoy the characters and psychological insights.



#40 Nomadland Jessica Bruder
Bruder is an experienced journalist who explores the subculture of retirees surviving on the edge of poverty, living in vehicles and traveling around the country to find low-wage paying jobs. A damning indictment of US social policy, including the lack of safety nets and our horrendous health system.



#41 Old Baggage Lissa Evans
I was enjoying this novel immensely, but when I belatedly made the connection to Crooked Heart (I was totally dense and didn’t realize until close to the end) I loved it even more. Set in 1928 London, it tells the story of a militant suffragette who is at loose ends following the movement’s victory. It all worked for me: the writing, the humor, the feminist history and the brilliant characters. Beth’s recommendation and greatly appreciated!

I loved Old Baggage Vivian. I actually listened to the audio. Now I have to get to Crooked Heart.

I felt the same as you about Nomadland.

I'm so glad you loved Old Baggage, Vivian.

Nomadland sounds like one I would like as well.

Congrats on getting your jab scheduled.

>61 vivians: The book by Jessica Bruder looks like quite a vital one, Vivian. These things shouldn't be happening in the 21st Century.

>62 brenzi: I really loved both Evans. I hope you enjoy Crooked Heart too, Bonnie!

>63 BLBera: First vaccine done! What an enormous relief. Thanks again for the Evans recommendations.

>64 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul - Nomadland was quite an eye opener for me. We had an RV when the kids were little and we took many trips all over the country, but it never occrurred to us that for many people it was a way of life out of necessity rather than choice.

Has anyone read any Val McDermid? She was a guest on the "Backlisted' podcast referred to below, and she sounded like someone I'd like to read!



#42 Miss Pym Disposes Josephine Tey
Set in 1946 and not a conventional murder mystery since the actual incident only occurs ¾ of the way through the novel. A best-selling author of a pop psychology book visits an old friend who is the head teacher at a women’s physical education college. Lots of excellent slow build-up and subtle social psychology. I read this after listening to an episode of the “Backlisted” podcast, which did its usual great job of delving into an author’s biography and works.



#43 The Secret Lives of Church LadiesDeesha Philyaw
Shortlisted for the National Book Awards. A series of short stories focusing on the lives of black women, all of whom have complicated relationships with families, faith and communities. Very good, even for a non-lover of short stories like me.



#44 Signs for Lost Children Sarah Moss
I have yet to read a Moss novel that isn’t brilliant. This one is quite a bit longer than the others I’ve read, and I was disturbed to find out it’s actually a sequel. I never read books out of order, but this could easily have been a standalone. Fabulous story about an unusual married couple in 1880s England. Alethea (Ally) is a newly minted medical doctor with an interest in mental health, and Tom is an engineer who travels to Japan to oversee the building of lighthouses. Absolutely fabulous, and I will eagerly look forward to Bodies of Light.



#45 Exciting TimesNaoise Dolan
Women’s Prize longlist, a debut novel from a young Irish writer frequently compared to Sally Rooney. 22 year old Ava leaves Dublin and moves to HongKong, where she takes a position as a poorly paid English teacher. Her life eases considerably when she meets Julian, a wealthy banker, and moves in with him. It’s a very transactional relationship that eventually grows on them both. Complications arise when Ava falls in love with Edith. I thought this was a bit tedious at times, and I felt very little for any of the characters. My Australian book bloggers at “Books on the Go” just completed a podcast on this entry and were mixed as well.

Hi, Vivian. I will have to get to the book Nomadland. I recently saw the film and it was excellent.

Hi Vivian, Miss Pym has been sitting on my shelf for ages so you've given me a good reason to finally read it. And the Sarah Moss....how am I supposed to resist that? I've only read Ghost Wall which I liked but found the father's physical abuse hard to take, so I'd like to read more of hers and this one is readily available on Overdrive so....

>66 msf59: I haven't seen the movie yet, Mark, but I've heard Frances McDormand is amazing.

>67 brenzi: Hi Bonnie - I'm a real Sarah Moss fan and have not been disappointed in any of her novels.



#46 Prophecy S.J. Parris
Entry #2 in in the Giordano Bruno series finds the excommunicated monk caught up in the 1583 "great conjunction" during which astrological alignments foretell the end of Elizabeth's reign. Bruno acts as a spy for Francis Walsingham as he has temporary residence in the French embassy. Great intrigue among the Catholics promoting Mary Stuart, the Scots who see James as Elizabeth's heir, and the French and Spanish who are eager to benefit from the rifts. I also love the atmosphere of 16th century London, particularly the use of and dependence on the Thames.



#47 The Book of Eels Patrik Svensson
Read after an intriguing interview with the author on NY Times Book Review podcast. It alternates between a memoir of his Swedish boyhood and his relationship with his working class fahter, and a scientific exploration of eels and what we do and do not know about these creatures. Fascinating narrative, with references to Aristotle, Freud (who studied eels at age 19!), migration patterns, climate change and more.



#48 Restoration Olaf Olfsson
Set in Tuscany at the end of WWII as the Germans retreat north. A British expat, estranged from her husband and managing a large tenant farm, gets caught up in Nazi art theft. The narrative alternates beween her story, told in 1st person, and that of an Icelandic art restorer who flees Florence and makes her way to the villa. The shift every chapter was disruptive but overall I really enjoyed the plot and the prose and would recommend it.

Hi Vivian!

I had the eel book on my mental "Maybe" list, thanks to someone else around here who read it last year and liked it (don't ask me who, as it's all I can do to remember what's on my mental "Maybe" list :) )

I have a copy of the Olfsson sitting on my shelf....

Hi Katie - thanks for being a faithful commenter!



#49 Olive, Mabel and me Andrew Cotter
Light and entertaining read. Cotter is a Scottish sports commentator whose videos about his two gorgeous labs went viral at the beginning of the pandemic. He capitalized on these with this memoir, which is full of humor, great storytelling, beautiful photos and warmth.



#50 Police at the Station and They Don't Look FriendlyAdrian McKinty
McKinty continues to deliver a riveting storyline combined with developing characers, historical details and a great sense of place. Sean Duffy has moved on in his personal life but remains stymied by politics and corruption. A low-life drug dealer is murdered by a crossbow, and the very cultured "fenian peeler" is on the case. Each one I read is the best so far.

>70 vivians: I love Olive and Mabel! I was afraid the memoir might be a bit too hokey. I'm glad you enjoyed it, Vivian.

>70 vivians: I sent those videos to everyone I knew because they were so delightful Vivian. I'll have to look for the book.

>71 lauralkeet: Well.....it is a little hokey but still enjoyable. Plus, you have a lab, right Laura?

>72 brenzi: I thought so too Bonnie - they were definitely a bright spot last year. He's made a few more but the first ones were just so inventive that they made more of an impression.

Re Adrian McKinty series: last week he tweeted (in a friendly manner) that any reader who didn't realize that his Sean Duffy book titles were quotes from Tom Waits songs must be pretty dense.....I clearly fall into that category but now at least I understand the source!



#51 Driftless David Rhodes
Thanks for this rec, Bonnie , what a gem! Rural Wisconsin and great characters, including Amish carpenters, a young repairman mourning his long deceased wife, two sisters, one of whom is wheelchair-bound, a pastor struggling with her faith, a corrupt agribusiness cheating local farmers and finally the best of all: July Montgomery, who somehow brings them all together. Highly recommended.



#52 Klara and the Sun Kazuo Ishiguro
Read for book group and still mulling this one over. The more I read interviews and reviews, the more I am appreciating it. So many issues are explored: sentient artificial robots, inequality and genetic engineering, loneliness and grief. Very worthwhile and the kind of book that will benefit from discussion.



#53 No One Is Talking About This Patricia Lockwood
I wasn't going to read this longlisted title from the Women's Prize because I was not a fan of her memoir, Priestdaddy. But it was available on overdrive and is very short. It's billed as fiction but seems very memoir-like. The first half is stream of consciousness by a narrator who is obsessed with the internet. It reads like a stand-up routine: lots of zingers and snark, most of which didn't appeal to me. The second half is about the birth of her niece, who has tragic birth defects (apparently autobiographical). I didn't get the humor of the first part and found the two sections totally at odds.

Yes we do have a lab, Vivian. He's 13 now but just as dopey as always. That's definitely why the Olive and Mabel videos appeal to me.

I'm glad to see you enjoyed Driftless. Bonnie & Mark got me with that one, too. I've been reading mysteries during our move but I think I'll be ready for Driftless when I finish my current read.

I'm so glad you loved Driftless Vivian. I always worry that I love some books too much or much more than anyone else ever will lol.

I went back and forth about reading the Lockwood book. The reviews have made me think hmmm, this sounds like it's way out of my comfort zone but the reviews also made it sound like it's amazing. Plus it was available to everyone with no wait at the NYPL but I'm glad I held off because your view of it certainly clinches the fact that I'll never read it.

>73 vivians: Klara and the Sun arrived in the last week or so at the library. I think I noticed it had already been checked out when I looked at the shelf late last week.

>74 lauralkeet: Driftless was definitely a hit for me, Laura. I hope you get to it soon (not like you don't have anything on your plate these days!)

>75 brenzi: Hi Bonnie - the Lockwood was not for me but you're right, it has gotten great reviews and is all over the bookish press. I didn't like Priesdaddy either, and was certainly in the minority with that one.

>76 thornton37814: My book group is meeting this week, Lori, and I'm eager to hear what everyone thought about Klara and the Sun. I've been listening to Ishiguro interviews and reading reviews (now that I've finished the book), and there's lots of acclaim. Overall I think critics are loving it, but slightly less than some of his other works.



# 54 Consent Annabel Lyon
Women’s Prize longlist. Two seemingly unconnected sets of sisters, each pair having one responsible sibling and one irresponsible one. Events eventually bring them together in a very dark and twisty way. Every male character is despicable, and every tragic issue is covered: grief, death, death of a sibling, death of a parent, death of a child, car accident, infidelity, substance abuse, alcoholism, suicide, toxic relationships. A bit over the top but kept me reading.



#55 An Offer From a Gentleman Julia Quinn
Bridgerton #3 – a Cinderella retelling and just as much fun as the first two.



#56 Detransition,Baby Torrey Peters
Women’s Prize longlist. Not a plot driven novel, rather a character study of two trans women: Reese, who has had multiple horrific relationships and desperately wants to be a mother, and Amy/Ames, a detransitioned trans woman. I knew nothing of the transgender world and this certainly was an education. Very overwritten in parts and an incomplete ending, but certainly an eye opener into a very different world.

I must say I love that you're enjoying the Bridgerton books so much. The next one is a favorite of mine :)

>77 vivians: Before I ordered it, I had one of the other librarians look. We both agreed we had an audience for the book--not just because of Ishiguro's name, but also because it sounded "different." Sometimes AI books don't work with our folks, but we thought this one would.

I think I have read a couple Val McDermid novels way back when. She is on my retirement reading list. :-)

>78 katiekrug: I’m doing about one a month – now really looking forward to the next one!

>79 thornton37814: Hi Lori – see my comments below about book club reactions. I’m hoping to see more LT thoughts about it.

>80 EBT1002: Thanks for the Val McDermid response Ellen! I’m trying to decide where to start as she has a long list. As will you in retirement!!

Last night our book group had one of our most engrossing book discussions ever about Klara and the Sun. We’ve been together for more than 25 years and typically spend at least half the time (even on zoom) in a catch-up chat. This time we only discussed the book: everyone had thoughts, insights and questions, and we would have gone on even later if we didn’t all have day jobs. It made me think even more highly of Ishiguro and this latest work.



#57 Trio William Boyd
Set in Brighton in 1968, this novel focuses on three characters, each of whom is also involved in some kind of trio. Talbot is a middle-aged, closeted film producer, Anny is an American movie star with a history of troublesome relationships, and Elfrida is an alcoholic novelist who hasn’t written anything new for more than ten years. The tumultuous times and political upheavals provide a great backdrop to the disastrous film production that brings all three together. Enjoyable and light, but not as mesmerizing as Boyd’s great work, Any Human Heart.



#58 My Policeman Bethan Roberts
This is currently being filmed and will star Harry Styles – my daughter’s intense current obsession. Since I know we’ll be seeing the movie, I had to read it first. Second novel in a row to take place in Brighton, this time in the 1950s and present day. Punishing times for gay men and a fairly predictable story of love, regret and betrayal. Ok but nothing great.



#59 The Dictionary of Lost Words Pip Williams
Longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize. I loved this debut novel and would recommend it unreservedly. In Oxford in 1887, Esme is the young child of a lexicographer working on the first edition of the ambitious project that would become the OED. She collects words, first as an entry into her father’s world, then eventually as she realizes that women’s words were ignored and rejected from publication. This novel is filled with fabulous characters, set against the backdrop of the suffrage movement and WWI. A bit slow to start but perfect otherwise, it brought me to tears several times. Definitely a five star read for me.

The Dictionary of Lost Words is going onto The List.

Hi Vivian: I'm waiting to get Klara and the Sun from the library. It sounds like maybe it would be a good one for my book club as well.

The Dictionary of Lost Words is definitely on my list. I will check my library.

And I'd be adding The Dictionary of Lost Words if it wasn't already on my Overdrive list Vivian. Still, good to get verification from one of my most reliable recommenders😉

Chiming in as another one adding the Williams to my list - it sounds really good!

I just put The Dictionary of Lost Words on hold at the library. :-)

Woohoo - glad to hit you with a book bullet, Katie, Beth, Bonnie, Amber and Ellen! Now I just hope you'll all agree!

Reading slowed a bit after a 4 day headache after the 2nd Moderna. But it was totally worth it and I'm thrilled and grateful.



#60 Their Finest Lissa Evans
I loved both Old Baggage and Crooked Heart and this didn't quite measure up. Still good though....It's about the making of a propaganda film in London duirng the blitz, about an incident that allegedly took place during the Dunkirk withdraal. Memorable characters, all the more so after watching the 2016 movie with Bill Nighy, a great cameo by Jeremy Irons, and Sam Claflin.



#61 Reasons to be CheerfulNina Stibbe
Third in the trilogy, amusing but not much else. Set in 1970s London, 18 year old becomes a dental assitant and is surrounded by characters much more unlikable and less intelligent than she is.



#62What Angels Fear C.S. Harris
A new series, thanks to LT, and one with great promise. The backdrop is 1811 England and the beginning of the Regency. Sebastian St Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is amurder and must exonerate himself. There's a tangled web of deceit and lies, encompassing French spies, sexual peccadilloes, blackmail and murder. At times his numerous escapes from constables seem to stretch reality, but the book reads very well, with a fast moving plot and well drawn characters.

Oh yay another Sebastian St Cyr fan! I just read the third one. I’m really enjoying the series.

I also enjoyed Their Finest, Vivian. It may have been the first one I read by Evans, and I loved the humor. I need to watch the film.

I must continue with the St. Cyr series; I've read the first two.

>88 lauralkeet: I think you're the one who convinced me to start St Cyr! So thanks!

>89 BLBera: The movie is pretty good, Beth, although it skips a whole subplot (Edith, Mme Tussaud's, and her marriage to Arthur) which I really enjoyed.



#63 The Consequences of Fear Jacqueline Winspear
The latest Maisie Dobbs, focusing on intelligence work and the resistance in France in 1941. It's a solid entry in the series, a good mix between the development of Maisie's personal life and her involvement in Special Operations. A ten year message runner witnesses a murder during a particularly bad night of London bombing, and Maisie investigates.



#64 A Bell in the Lake Lars Mytting
A Norwegian best-seller, more appropriately named "The Sisters Bell" there. In 1880, a pastor in a small, isolated village decides to sell off the medieval Stave church to raise funds for a new church. A German architect is sent to supervise the deconstruction for the relocation to Dresden. A village girl with a "restless mind" and a familial conneciton to the church, its bells and its history, struggles between preserving tradition and making a new life for herself. I loved this vivid and emotional book and am glad to hear it's only the first of a trilogy. I've visited Stave churches in Norway and that ony increased my enjoyment.



#65 A Long Shadow Charles Todd
Ian Rutledge #8 - still solid. Rutledge is sent to a small village to investigate the bow-and-arrow shooting of a village constable. He realizes the incident is connected to the disappearance of a young girl, just two years earlier. Rutledge is also being stalked by a mysterious stranger who leaves shell casings as clues. Each book follows a formula: Rutledge is sent out of London, is greeted with suspicion by locals, sleeps little and encounters an obvious red herring, meets an intriguing young woman, and eventually solves the case with the constant interference of the ghost of Hamish. This is a long series so unless something changes I may have to give it up.

LOL re your analysis of the Charles Todd mysteries -- you nailed it. luckily for the author(s), I started reading these early and have read new offerings as they appear, but wow, the formula becomes annoying. I find it more problematic with the other series, featuring a WW1 nurse.

I liked Klara and the Sun, and was especially smitten by the writing and Ishiguro's ability to capture Klara's distinctive voice. It's fascinating, but not the best of his that I've read, in terms of plots/themes. Still, a good-ish Ishiguro novel is still better than 90% of other books out there, so....

Consider me another book bullet recipient of the rec. for The Dictionary of Lost Words. Oddly, I had just stumbled across it while looking at lists of new books.

I got freebie hardcovers of both the Annabel Lyon and William Boyd novels, so of course I haven't cracked the covers. My right wrist still doesn't like holding things for long, so I'm turning more and more to my Kindle. Sigh. I hate this aging thing.

A Bell in the Lake has been on my list since Donna loved it last year Vivian. I'm going to have to push it up the list I guess.

I need to get back to Maisie Dobbs, Vivian. I'm a bit behind.

I'm currently reading Klara and the Sun.

>91 Chatterbox: Hi Suzanne! Sorry to hear of your wrist woes. I still don't have a Kindel, but once in a while read on my laptop.

The more I think about Klara and the Sun, and the more Ishiguro interviews I read/listen to, the more I appreciate it.

>92 brenzi: I'm sure I read about it on Donna's thread too, Bonnie. I've read that it's just the first in a trilogy but I'm not sure if the other two have been translated yet.

>93 BLBera: Looking forward to your comments, Beth!

I just want to keep track of upcoming releases by some of my favorite authors later this year:
Amor Towles
Andy Weir
Anthony Doerr
Donal Ryan
John Boyne
Ann Cleeves
Sarah Winman

>94 vivians: - Oh, Sarah Winman has a new one coming out?!?! Good to know.

Hi Vivian :)

Hi Katie! Yup - Still Life out in November.

I've put it on my watch list. I still have A Year of Marvellous Ways to read...

Lauren Groff and Jhumpa Lahiri also have new ones coming...

>97 katiekrug: Hmmm, I don't think I read that one. On it goes!

>98 BLBera: I guess there's no such thing as "catching up!"



#66 PiranesiSusanna Clarke
I'm one of the few people who didn't like her last tome, and I'm not a fan of magical realism, so I hadn't intended to read this Women's Prize shortlisted fantasy. But it's short, and once I got over being annoyed at the capitalizations and deliberate chaos, it was not a bad read (although it remains completely confusing to me). Piranesi lives in a watery labyrinth and never seems to question his past or his imprisonment. There's a lot of ambiguous imagery and symbolism, and the resolution is equally mystifying.



#67 The Exiles Christina Baker Kline
19th century Australia - 3 women forced into exile. Two are accused of crimes in England and are sent for transportation, the third is an aboriginal girl adopted and then abandoned by the British governor. (The latter is based on a historical figure.) Multiple perspectives, solid historical fiction.



#68 Remember Lisa Genova
Genova's first non-fiction after writing numerous novels, all centering on brain diseases and malfunctions. Written in a very accessible and personable style, this is a mix between science and self-help. She is the long-time girlfriend of a business associate, so I've met her and listened to her presentations numerous times - the first time with Katie at an author forum!

I haven't been convinced that Piranesi is for me, either, Vivian, and your comments don't reassure me... I'll probably give it a try when my turn comes.

Oh, Louise Erdrich has a new book out later this year as well. :)

>100 BLBera: Thanks for the Erdrich update!



#69 The Walking People Mary Beth Keane
Keane's first novel, about the "traveller" community in Ireland and the immigration of three young people to NY in the early 1960s. It's way too long but otherwise a really compelling family saga, filled with cultural and historical references.



#70 Romancing Mr. Bridgerton Julia Quinn
#4, best one yet, great story about Penelope, Colin and the Mrs. Whistledonw secret. I think I'm redy to watch the series now.



#71 When Gods Die C.S. Harris
Very strong second installment of the St. Cyr series. A plot to depose the Prince Regent George IV in 1811 results in another murder for Sebastian to investigate. This time family secrets as well as political machinations are involved. One slight reservation, same as in book #1, is that there are too many murderous confrontations and unlikely escapes.

Next up Human Croquet (my only unread Atkinson) and on audio How Beautiful We Were.

I'd try the Keane; I loved Ask Again, Yes.

I'm going to read Fever at some point soon too, Beth.



#72 How Beautiful We Were Imbolo Mbue
Hihgly recommend this novel about a fictional African village caught between an American oil company polluting the land and a corrupt dictatorship which benefits from the arrangement. The viewpoint shifts among several characters, often with an oral story-telling effect.



#73 Human Croquet Kate Atkinson
A little weirder than her later novels (of which I'm a huge fan), and somewhat exhausting to keep straight. Isobel Fairfax is coming of age in a 1960s British suburb, once a feudal estate and home to Shakespeare. Her family is hugely dysfunctional, and she experiences weird time warps. I think I missed a lot and might try a reread at a later time.



#74 The Lamplighters Emma Stonex
Good premise, disappointingly executed. Three lighthouse keepers in 1972 Cornwall disappear, and 20 years later a number of survivors try to piece together what happened.

I loved the Mbue as well, Vivian and had a similar reaction of Human Croquet. I think I'll pass on The Lamplighters.

You are almost at 75! Have you chosen a special one?

I have Fever on my shelves, so that will probably be the next Keane I read.

The upcoming Donal Ryan novel is excellent; I think his best after The Thing About December.

>104 BLBera: 105 Woops- I almost didn't pay attention to the 75 milestone, Beth, but luckily I read a good one! Thanks for noticing. Fever is on my list too.

>106 Chatterbox: How great that you've read it already, Suzanne! I'm really looking forward.



#75 The Galaxy and the Ground Within Becky Chambers
Another home run - the 4th in the Wayfarer series. Four distinct alien species with incredibly different physiologies are stuck together for a week in a small habitat dome with no communications to the outside. Hugely optimistic while exploring themes such as genocide, cultural and physical differences, resource scarcity, colonialism, etc. Loved it.



#76 Memories Live Here Marc Sheinbaum
Read because the author is an acquaintance who will be hosting a zoom event to discuss the book. Three brothers, a deceased mother's mysterious diaries, and mixed in with dysfunctional family drama is a tech thriller about a revolutionary AI project. A little stilted and choppy but an ok read.



#77 An Irish Country Welcome Patrick Taylor
Another meandering tale of a medical practice in a small Irish town in 1969. A little more attention is paid to the Troubles, but it remains a cosy village drama with an engaging cast of characters. A new trainee is added to the mix - an upper crust Cambridge graduate.



#78 Riviera Gold Laurie R. King
Mary and Sherlock mingle with Picasso, White Russian aristocracy, Zelda and Scotty, and others on the Cote D'Azur and in Monaco in 1925. The mystery involves Mrs. Hudson and her past. Not enough Sherlock in this one.

Congratulations on reaching 75, Vivian!

Hi Vivian - I need to get back to the Chambers books. I liked the first one in the series.

Is that a new one by King? I thought I had read all of them, but this doesn't sound familiar.

Congrats!

So happy to share some wonderful news: our son Gideon and his wife Monica just had their first child, a daughter named Kai. Everyone is healthy! Covid rules still in effect at our hospital so we won't be able to see her until she's home - we're staring at photos for the moment.

>108 FAMeulstee: Thanks for your good wishes Anita!

>109 BLBera: Hi Beth - I'm not a science fiction aficionado in general but I love love love the Chambers series.

>110 drneutron: Thanks Jim!



#79 Sacrilege S. J. Parris
This historical fiction series is a winner for me. #4 is set in 1584 London and Canterbury, where religious division and politics mix with a murder mystery. Bruno's old flame reappears and is about to be charged with and hanged for the death of her husband. The cult surrounding the Thomas Becket relics and its place in an attempt to restore Catholics to the crown is a fascinating addition. Lots of historical detail.



#80 How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House Cherie Jones
Women's Prize shortlist. I can't explain why this contemporary story set in Barbados which is unremittingly filled with abuse, misogyny, poverty and drug trafficking was such a gripping read. But it was and I recommend to those with strong constitutions. Lala is raised by her grandmother, who, despite her faith and her own crippling history, cannot keep Lala safe. At 18 Lala is married to a gangster/psychopath and is pregnant. Mia escapes the island's poverty by marrying a wealthy Brit, and faces tragedy when she returns as an entitled tourist. Great language and atmosphere, but very violent.



#81 Four Lost CitiesAnnalee Newitz
Read for book group. Four ancient cities abandoned because of natural disaster, climate change/poor urban planning, overcrowding, etc. Most interesting was the anaylsis of archeological methods and the amount of guesswork and false theories involved. I'm not sure how much will stick with me (I felt as if I should be taking notes) but this was interesting in part because it focused on the daily life and culture of the common people.



#82 The UnmournedMeg KeneallyThomas Keneally
This series is maintaining its high quality. The now ex-convict Hugh Montsarrat and his best friend and housekeeper return to Paramatta. As a clerk in the colonial governor's office, he is tasked with solving the gruesome murder of a prison warden. Really wonderful.

Congrats on the new addition to the family!

Best wishes for your new grandchild Vivian. How wonderful!

Congratulations on your new granddaughter, Vivian. I hope you get to see her soon.

As usual you've added to my WL. Four Lost Cities sounds like one I would like. I'm not familiar with the Monsarrat series, but I will check it out. The others were already on my list.

Aw, congrats on the grandchild! Kai is a lovely name.

Congratulations on the new granddaughter, Vivian! How exciting. I hope you get to see her soon.

>111 vivians: We received a copy of that one (One-Armed Sister) in the library, and I debated whether or not I want to read it. I think your review pushes me in that direction since you call it gripping.

Thanks Katie, Bonnie, Beth, Amber and Laura! Everyone is healthy and we've had two brief viewings already. Kai's parents are completely in love and are transfixed by what we call "baby TV." They're totally spoiled because Monica's mother is here from her home in Beijing and is doing all the shopping, cooking, laundry and cleaning. They don't know how lucky they are!

>117 thornton37814: Hi Lori - How the One-Armed Sister has really stayed with me. I think it richly derserves its place on the Women's Prize List.

Lots of reading so these will be brief:



#83 Open Water Caleb Azumah Nelson
Debut novel of two Black Londoners who are best friends and eventually fall in love. Very introspective and poetic. I couldn't get past the very dramatic second person narration - just didn't work for me.



#84 The Bass Rock Evie Wyld
Winner of the 2020 Australian Stella Prize. Gothic novel set in northern Scotland. Three different eras, all sharing the physical, emotional and psychological abuse of women, inclduing accusations of withcraft and insanity. In the 18th centruy a young girl is accused of being a witch and is forced to flee her village. Post WW2 Ruth has married an unfaithful widower and struggles to parent his two sons. The contemporary storyline follows Ruth's alcoholic step-granddaughter. I found the timelines jumped around way too much and interfered with feeling any sense of connection with each story.



#85 Unsettled Ground Claire Fuller
Women's Prize shortlist - really terrific. 51 year old twins Julius and Jeanne leave in rural isolation and poverty near Oxford with their mother. When she dies, they are forced to adjust, secrets are revealed and their relationship changes. This is my first Fuller and I'll now eagerly search out her backlist. Depressing but very engaging.



#86 The Sicilian Method Andrea Camilleri
Another Montalbano, another affair, lots of food and a weirdly controlling theater director whose murder perplexes Salvo. I think this might be the last one in the series, and was published after Camilleri's 2019 death.



#87 Fever Mary Beth Keane
Fictional accoount of Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary). Very sympathetic account of a hard-working Irish immigrant, great details of NY life in the early 1900s.

I have been looking forward to the Fuller and Fever, Vivian. The Wyld, we'll see...

I've got Unsettled Ground on my Overdrive list and will get to it sooner or later Vivian, but with your comments I'll probably make that sooner.

>118 vivians: So sad to see the end of the Montalbano series.

Hi Beth, Bonnie and Lori and thanks for your comments.

Here's our newest cutie:



Kai was born on 5/24 and she's pretty adorable. We're still Covid restricted from being inside with her, as her mom Monica is waiting a few more weeks before she gets the vaccine. I totally disagree but have learned to keep my mother-in-law mouth firmly shut.



#88 Blacklands Belinda Bauer
First in the Exmoor trilogy. As in her Booker-nominated Snap, the adolescent voice is perfect. A very different crime novel, with its emphasis on the effects of violent crimes on succeeding generations. Great dark, moody atmosphere, and a sinister portrayal of a cat-and-mouse game between an imprisoned serial killer and a twelve year old boy. Bauer is a terrific storyteller and this was well-paced and gripping. I'll definintely continue the series.



#89 To Sir Phillip, With Love Julia Quinn
This was the best Bridgerton yet, for me, as I think Eloise is a great character. Add mischievous twins and a brooding single father, and the result is perfect romance.



#90 A False Mirror Charles Todd
As is usual with this series, there is too much repetition and too many red herrings. And credulity is strained: the wife of a severely beaten foreign service officer arranges to be held hostage by her former lover while Rutledge investigates. I like the main character but hte plots are beginning to bug me.

So glad you liked Blacklands as much as I did. I haven't read a bad book by her.

And yes to the Quinn. It's probably my 2nd favorite in the series. Have you watched the show yet? There is an interesting connection...

The next in the series is also pretty good (and very steamy) but the last two are my least favorite. Still worth reading, though :)

ETA: Kai is adorable!

Awww, it's so nice to see a photo of baby Kai! I hope you get to cuddle her in person soon, Vivian.

>122 vivians: What a cutie Vivian🥰

Kai is adorable, Vivian.

I've heard lots of good about Bauer; I should give her a try.

>123 katiekrug: Hi Katie - I've only watched the first two Bridgerton episodes, and will wait until I finish all the books to watch the rest. I loved the screen Eloise, and maybe that's why I enjoyed this last installment so much.

>Thanks for the Kai love Katie, Laura, Bonnie and Beth. Her mom is getting vaccinated today (thank goodness) so we should be allowed a little more access. So far it's been only outside, which has been challenging with the heat and then rain last week.



#91 Light Perpetual Francis Spufford
This was on my radar after hearing a NY Times Book reivew podcast about the premise: the imagined future lives of 5 young children killed in 1944 London by a German rocket. If I used the star system, this would easily earn 5. Cannot recommend highly enough.



#92 The Narrowboat Summer Anne Youngson
A very gentle and pleasant read: three strangers, each at a crisis point in her life, are afforded second chances. Great details about narrowboats and the canal system. Uplifting story about friendship and change.



#93 At Night All Blood is Black David Diop
Winner of the International Booker Prize, a novella about a Sengalese Black man fighting for the French in WWI. Very intense, graphic and harrowing, but a worthwhile read about colonialism, racism, and a young man's descent into madness.

You and Bonnie are really tempting me with Light Perpetual, Vivian. My library doesn't have it, at least not yet. But that could change ...

Hi Vivian - >127 vivians: All these books look good. Light Perpetual is on my summer reading list - your description reminds me of Kate Atkinson. The Youngson and Drop also sound good.

>127 vivians: I love the cover art on The Narrowboat Summer.

>128 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - how are you finding your new library system in general? Mine is getting better and better, with tons of titles available on overdrive and hoopla in addition to physical borrowing.

>129 BLBera: Atkinson's A God in Ruins is one of my all-time favorites, and Light Perpetual has a very similar feel.

>130 thornton37814: It's a little weird that this book was retitled from the UK version Three Women and a Boat. But I agree, Lori, it's a beautiful cover.



#94 The New Yorkers Cathleen Schine
Set on the Upper West Side (where I lived post-college) in contemporary times, this book felt as if it were set in pre-digital New York. Nice dogs, pretty "meh" humans. Ok but not great.



#95 Why Mermaids Sing C.S. Harris
I'm really enjoying the St. Cyr series. Sebastian has to solve multiple murders of prominent young men who have no immediate connection to each other. Recurring characters continue to develop in interesting ways.



#96 Steeple John Allison
I enjoy reading graphic novels but this fantasy was not a winner for me. A new curate is sent to a Cornish village to battle the forces of supernatural evil.



#97 Migrations Charlotte McConaghy
Read for RL book group and I'm eager to talk to others about this. Set in the near future, most species have become extinct due to climate change. Franny Stone, a traumatised and passionate young woman, is compelled to track the near extinct Artic tern as it migrates from the Arctic to the Antartic. Her character is extremely well-drawn and sympathetic, but I had trouble with Captain Ennis, whose motivations were much less clear. I also thought it was odd that the cataclysmal effect of a planet devoid of most animals was not even discussed. Other than those quibbles, a really good read.

>131 vivians: Vivian, I am super pleased with the Loudoun County Library system. Their selection is pretty good, they fulfill holds efficiently, they ordered a title that I requested (Summerwater), and they have a pretty good schedule of events for children and adults. Most of these have been over Zoom but I suspect will shift to in-person soon, since the branches are fully open now.

I must get to Migrations, Vivian. How do you manage so much great reading! I always mean to get back to the Harris series as well. I think Why Mermaids Sing is the next one for me.

>132 lauralkeet: Three cheers for a great library system, Laura! We have a tiny but well-run library in our town and have access to the whole Westchester County system which has about 40 branches.

>133 BLBera: Haha Beth it feels to me like I’m never reading enough! Audiobooks definitely help: I get two hours every day with my morning walk and my commute.



#98 The Plot Jean Hanff Korelitz
Frustrated novelist Jacob Finch Bonner appropriates the plot idea of his dead student’s unwritten novel. Entertaining literary thriller, a quick an enjoyable read.



#99 Black Buck Mateo Askaripour
Heavy-handed satire about an intelligent but unambitious Black man who becomes an aggressive sales associate in a racist start-up company. Too much melodrama and exaggeration for me.



#100 The Power Game Meg Keneally and Tom Keneally
Montsarrat #3 finds the ex-convict and his housekeeper on a remote penal colony, Maria Island, investigating the murder of blackmailing boatman. I thought this one was slightly inferior to the first two, but still well written with interesting characters and back stories. The Irish independence struggle once again plays a part.



#101 The Guncle Steven Rowley
A former sitcom star living in isolation in Palm Springs takes in his grieving niece and nephew for one long, hot summer. Full of humor, some grief, and totally enjoyable to read.

The Guncle sounds like a fun summer read.

I agree with your assessment of The Plot.

Stay cool!

Hi Vivian - I'm on the waitlist for The Plot. I hope it comes when I am in the mood for it. The Montsarrat series sounds like one I would like.

Wow. I haven't visited recently and you are reading up a storm! Props for not shying away from the tough ones.

I answered you on my thread re Little Island. No benches that I can recall, no shade. Lots of stairs.

>135 katiekrug: Hi Katie - I thought Rowley was very witty in places, but affecting as well, which I think is a difficult combination.

>136 BLBera: Yup, I think you'd enjoy Montsarrat Beth!

>137 ffortsa: Hi Judy and thanks for your Little Island reply.

Not much time but I want to at least make note of these:



#102 Widows of Malabar Hill Sujata Massey
I really enjoyed the story of Perveen Mistry in 1921 Bombay. She's Oxford educated and the first female lawyer in India, but is still subjected to misogyny and prejudice. A dual timeline provides her formative experiences as well as her attempt to solve a murder mystery while representing three widows who practice purdah. I think there are two more in the series which I'll definitely track down.



#103 Darkside Belinda Bauer
Exmoor #2, equally as gripping as the first. Very intense psychological thriller about a village cop and multiple murders of infirm locals. Incredibly taut and well-written. As good as Tana French!



#104 When He was Wicked Julia Quinn
A really good Bridgerton novel, about the widowed Francesca and her rakish cousin-in-law. A real slow burn and so much fun. I've now finished watching series 1 and look forward to the next.



#105 Liar's Dictionary Eley Williams
This started off very strong, with great wordplay, definitions and allusions, but faded towards the middle. A 19th century lexicographer, crippled by his introversion and bored with his work, inserts his own rogue words in the dictionary. A contemporary intern is tasked with routing these out. The plot was a bit thin, but it was still a worthwhile read.



#106 Jews Don't Count David Baddiel
Short but powerful: the eloquent British comedian and writer examines how antisemitism is dismissed and ignored by progressives.

Jews Don't Count sounds interesting and very important, so I just purchased a copy of the Kindle edition of it.

Vivian, your thread is, as always, both delightful and dangerous!
I have the first C.S. Harris novel on my library "for later" shelf and I really want to start that series.
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments about How the One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House.
I recently checked out The Liar's Dictionary from the local library. I don't have time to get to it and now your comments are kind of reassuring about that.
Adding Jews Don't Count to the wishlist. (ETA: I just pre-ordered it instead.)
I also enjoyed The Widows of Malabar Hill -- an interesting time and place.

I'm so pleased that you liked the Bauer and Quinn so much!

>139 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl - Baddiel is also known as the author of the football anthem "Three Lions - It's Coming Home" which was certainly heard a lot over the past month! He's a very progressive, secular Jew, and Jews Don't Count is quite an indictment of the British left. Of course it goes without saying that right-wing antisemitism is still a dangerous scourge, but it is more frequently recognized as such.

>140 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! So many books! My TBR just doesn't stop growing.

>141 katiekrug: You never steer me wrong, Katie!



#107 Next to Last Stand Craig Johnson
This latest Walt Longmire was the best of the last few, mostly because it was rich with historical detail about Custer's Last Stand. The sheriff's depression due to ageing, a factor in the last few installments, is tiresome.



#108 In a Lonely Place Dorothy B. Hughes
This 1947 noir thriller, set in post-war L.A. and the basis for a 1950 Bogart movie, was the subject of a recent "Backlisted" podcast. It's an exploration of a serial killer from the mind of the sociopath himself. No explicit violence or graphic scenes, just a taut and engaging story with a lot of interior detail. The killer's identity is never in doubt, but despite that the atmosphere is very dark and foreboding.



#109 Telephone Percival Everett
I had not heard a word about this novel, which was listed as a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize. Only after finishing it did I read that there are actually three distinct versions, and now I’m more than a bit curious to hear about the others. Zach Wells is a laid back university geology professor with a wife and much loved daughter. There are three plot lines: interactions with staff and students and his research; the grim diagnosis his precocious teenage daughter receives; and Zach’s attempt to rescue a group of women forced into slave labor. I’m intrigued about the other versions.



#110 So Long See You Tomorrow William Maxwell
A fundraiser for the 92 Street Y: John Lithgow reading this short novel. I’d listen to him read the phone book, and he does a masterful job with this deeply affecting memoir of 1921 Illinois. Maxwell remembers his youth, the loss of his mother at a young age, and the murder of a neighbor farmer which deeply affects him. Powerful, moving and beautifully written.

Hi, Vivian. It always puts a big smile on my face as I scroll through your recent reads. You have such an interesting and far-ranging taste in books. I want to read Unsettled Ground, At Night All Blood is Black & So Long See You Tomorrow. I love the cover of The Bass Rock. Sorry, to hear it fell a bit short.

>142 vivians: That's an interesting tidbit of information about Baddiel, Vivian! Unfortunately football did not come home to England yesterday, as you know. I'm curious to know his thoughts about the disastrous former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was overwhelmingly felt to be anti-Semitic by Jews in Britain. One of my closest British friends, Paul Harris (Polaris-), a former LTer with whom I keep in close contact on Facebook and met up with in London at least half a dozen times, is Jewish and grew up in East London (although he currently lives in Wales), and I'll have to ask him if he's heard of and read Jews Don't Count. I'll probably get to this book sooner rather than later, and I would definitely like to read it before my (fingers tightly crossed) return to London in October.

I'm anxiously awaiting my September work schedule, so that I can make plans to return to Lisbon that month. I won't soon forget our first meet up there three years ago, and that epic seafood meal we had with your friend Connie and with Donah and her husband Nuno at Restaurante Cabrinha in Cacilhas. I suspect that was the first and so far only LT group meet up in Portugal!

ETA: I'll have to buy and read Telephone sooner rather than later.

I also loved So Long See You Tomorrow. And John Lithgow reading it ~~ I can imagine how wonderful that was.

And In a Lonely Place looks/sounds pretty wonderful, too. I've put it on hold at the local library.

Hi Vivian - Telephone sounds interesting. I may have to look for a copy -- or two?

Please add my name to the So Long, See you Tomorrow fan club. What a lovely book. I've always meant to read more Maxwell, but haven't gotten around to it.

>143 msf59: Hi Mark! And here I was, thinking I got so many recommendations from you! You’re always a terrific source.

>144 kidzdoc: I’m so thrilled that you’ll be returning to Europe, Darryl. I’m eager to travel but have no plans yet, other than a quick trip to Denver in August. I’ll be meeting Connie there, who is traveling from Israel for a wedding. I can so easily bring back the memory of that fabulous meal in Lisbon as well as the ferry ride and the lovely walk around the neighborhood. One of the highlights of that trip! Hope you’re planning a NY visit soon.

>145 EBT1002: Hi Ellen – one of the NY Times editors, John Williams, spoke about So Long, See You Tomorrow as a favorite of his, so when I read about the John Lithgow reading I just jumped on it. He was really the perfect narrator. I don’t know if that version is available (it was a short-term fundraiser) but I certainly hope so.

>146 BLBera: What a different premise, right Beth? I think one of Ali Smith’s novels did something similar – there were two versions of the book. But in that case it was a question of how the two timelines were ordered, not completely different plot elements.

>147 lauralkeet: If you do get to more Maxwell, Laura, I’ll be interested to know which you choose.



#111 Under the Udala Trees Chinelo Okparanta
Set in Nigeria during and after the Biafran war. Nigeria has passed stringent anti-homosexual laws, and this is a story of Ijeoma, a young woman who wrestles with her mother, her faith, her desire for other women and society’s expectations. Very good, but a rushed ending.



#112 Fresh Water for Flowers Valerie Perrin
Chosen for RL book group because it was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal. A great premise – about a cemetery caretaker in a small town in Burgundy. Some of my complaints: way too many timeline shifts and a poor choice of narrator (whose execrable French included mispronunciations such as “Pugit” (Peugoet), “Camis” (Camus),”mon-sir” (monsieur), etc.). There are some wonderful characters and I did love the parts about Violette’s care of the graves and their mourners. The author is a screenwriter and the description was very cinematic. Violette’s earlier job was as a barrier guard at a train crossing – I can just picture many of the scenes.



#113 Sorrow & Bliss Meg Mason
I heard well-deserved raves about this portrait of mental illness on one of my favorite podcasts: “Books on the Go” from Australia. A very honest and funny book about the tumultuous ups and downs of an undiagnosed, then diagnosed, illness suffered by a bright young woman. One reviewer said this is “Fleabag meets The Bell Jar.” Martha’s interior perspective is heartbreaking (“I seem to find it more difficult to be alive than other people”) but totally compelling. Highly recommended.

>148 vivians: Sounds good, Vivian. Say hello to Connie for me when you travel to Denver in August.

That was an unforgettable seafood dinner at Restaurante Cabrinha in Cacilhas! The most surprising aspect to me what how little it cost; from my Facebook post we paid roughly 25€.



I'll meet Nuno, Donah's husband, the first full weekend that I'll be in Lisbon. She'll be back home in the Philippines visiting her parents during that time.

I'll have to get to Under the Udala Trees at some point...

>149 kidzdoc: Thanks for sending that wonderful photo Darryl - such a great evening that was!



#114 The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor Event Joshua Cohen
This was a very funny, intelligently written novel about academia: an upstate NY college rife with anti-Semitism in the late 1950s. The real-life father of Bibi, an unpleasant historian desperate for a job, visits the campus along with his family and is reluctantly hosted by the only Jewish professor, modeled after Harold Bloom. I'm certainly not a fan of that family's politics but it made me very uneasy to read such a vicious attack, albeit fictional. Bibi's older brother, whose life was lost in the Entebbe raid in 1974, is particularly cruelly portrayed. It received rave reviews, including the cover of the NY Times Book Review, but mostly it made me wince.



#115 Strange Flowers Donal Ryan
Another 5 star read from one of my favorite Irish writers. A multi-generational story about Moll, the only daughter of Catholic farmer and his wife, who disappears in 1973 at the age of 20. Her eventual return, and the turbulent changes she brings, make up the plot, but most rewarding of all are the characters and their relationships. Just beautiful.



#116 Razorblade Tears S.A. Cosby
Totally propulsive (and quite gory) - I couldn't get through this fast enough. What a premise! Two fathers in rural Virginia, both ex-cons, one black and one white, avenge the violent deaths of their married sons. A worthwhile ride: gripping and incredibly well-paced.



#117 House on Endless Waters Emunah Elon
Yoel Blum, an Israeli writer born in Amsterdam during the war, returns to Holland to explore his family's history. There are two timelines: present day Yoel doing his research, and the story of his mother, Sonia, and how she survived as Holland's Jews were exterminated. I thought the timeline shifts were not handled well (too frequent and therefore blurry) but otherwise a solid read.

Why do I keep putting off reading Donal Ryan?!?

I've got The Netanyahus on my Overdrive list but I'm probably not getting to it anytime soon. Any Donal Ryan is good for me too. Last year I tried listening to Blacktop Wasteland and I gave up after a very short time. Maybe I'll try the print version of Razorblade Tears

Great comments, Vivian. I'll skip The Netanyahus and am not sure about gory, but the Ryan and Elon are both on my WL.

>151 katiekrug: Hi Katie, Bonnie and Beth - you're all such faithful commentators - thanks for your visits!



#118 Treachery S.J. Parris
Very solid Giordano Bruno entry. Sir Francis Drake's expedition is delayed by a murder on board his ship, and Bruno investigates. Set in Plymouth, with plenty of historical detail combined with intriguing plot and interesting characters.



#119 The Sweetness of Water Nathan Harris
Booker Prize longlist. Heartbreaking yet hopeful novel set in Georgia immediately after the Civil War. George and Isabelle, two white, uncoventional landowners, employ two recently freed black brothers to work their farm. A powerful debut.



#120 A Town Called Solace Mary Lawson
Booker Prize longlist. My first Lawson, although I've had Crow Lake on my TBR for ages. In Solace, a small town in northern Canada, a teenager runs away, leaving behind her devastated younger sister. Told from the 7 year old's point of view and two other voices (the elderly neighbor, Mrs. Orchard, and a newcomer, Liam Kane, who moves into Mrs. Orchard's home), the pace flows very well. Lots of emotional connections and flashes of grief, regrets and understanding. Really enjoyed it.

I've added The Sweetness of Water and A Town Called Solace to my library list. Darn you! *shakes fist*

Vivian - it's that you always have such great books. Both the Lawson and the Harris are already on my WL, so not much damage done on this visit.

I read the Lawson a few months ago Vivian, and I'm reading The Sweetness of Water right now. So I'm afraid I escaped for once from your usual deadly recommendations lol.

>154 vivians: Hm. I seem to have listed a first edition of Crow Lake here on LT. Guess I have to look for it and read it.

I'm glad that you liked The Sweetness of Water and A Town Called Solace, Vivian. I'll get to both books this month or next.

I started my first Booker Prize longlist book today, Second Place by Rachel Cusk, which is very good so far.

>155 katiekrug: Just repaying my debts to you, Katie!

>156 BLBera:, 157 Hi Beth & Bonnie! I'm trying to read the Booker longlist...we'll see how far that gets.

>158 ffortsa: Hi Judy - I've been meaning to get to Crow Lake for ages, and now that I enjoyed Lawson's Booker entry I'll probably move it up.

>159 kidzdoc: I'll be interested in your thoughts on Cusk, Darryl. I tried one of her earlier books (Transit, I think, but it just wasn't the right time for me. I will definitely give Second Place a try.

We just returned from a 4 day trip to Colorado, so I'm behind on logging my reading. It felt strange to travel again. We stayed in a condo and just went hiking each day - simply beautiful (despite the haze from the California fires). Weather was great. A terrific break.



#121 Finders Keepers Belinda Bauer
A strong end to the Exmoor trilogy. She's a terrific writer and had me racing to get through to the end. Missing children, a deranged huntsman and the return of damaged policeman Jonas Holly. Great thriller.



#122 Still Life Sarah Winman
I loved loved loved this novel about the accidental meeting of a middle-aged art historian and an British soldier in Florence in 1944. Can't recommend this enough.



#123 Intimacies Katie Kitamura
An unnamed narrator takes a job as a translator a the International Court in the Hague. The story toggles between her professional life during a war crimes trial and her relationship with a recently separated man. It was totally interesting and my only complaint is that it seemed too pared down.



#125 Darkness Falls from the Air Nigel Balchin
Recommended by the Backlist podcast and written in 1942, this is said to be the classic Blitz novel. Bill Sarratt, a civil servant, deals with crippling bureaucracy at work, and infidelity at home. Definitely dated a phenomenal amount of drinking went on!



#126 Project Hail Mary Andy Weir
One man's desperate attempt to save the world. Completely gripping but I skipped most of the hard science. Read for book group.



#127 It's in His Kiss Julia Quinn
Another Bridgerton gets satisfactorily married. I liked Hyacinth a lot, and the treasure mystery was fun. Not a fan of the new epilogues, which wrap things up a little too neatly.

Hi Vivian!

I'm adding Strange Flowers to my wish list. I also love Donal Ryan's work.

I finished A Town Called Solace last evening and I just loved it.

Adding Still Life by Sarah Winman to the list, too. I have Tin Man on my shelves and still haven't gotten to it.

You got me with Still Life and Intimacies, Vivian, darn! Luckily, the wait list at my library is not TOO long.

Finders Keepers is next up for me with Bauer. Looking forward to it.

And I can't wait to get to Still Life - I'm a firm Winman fan at this point.

<161 Not enough love for Donal Ryan on LT or elswhere! I've loved everything he's written. I still haven't read Winman's first, When God was a Rabbit.



#128 The Promise Damon Galgut
Booker Prize longlist. The story of the disintegration of a white, privileged South African family over three decades, told through the eyes of three siblings: Astrid, Anton & Amor. After their parents die, they disagree about fulfilling a promise to their devoted maid. The backdrop is the end of apartheid and the raised and then falling hopes of a new era. Highly recommended, with my only complaint being the too frequent shifts of POV.



#129 Where Serpents Sleep C.S. Harris
St. Cyr #4, Sebastian puts aside his wallowing in misery over Kat and confronts the cover-up of the murder of eight prostitutes in a halfway house for fallen women. Great characters and political intrigue.

FWIW, I really liked When God Was a Rabbit...

I also loved When God Was a Rabbit. I'll be reading it again; my book club chose it for December.

>165 katiekrug:, >166 BLBera: Ok, Ok, I promise I'll get to it!

Happy to share good news (seems so rare lately): Marcus and daughter-in-law Yona welcomed their baby girl named Shai on Wednesday! She joins brother Rafa (2 1/2) and sister Malka (1) so they'll be quite busy with three under three. Everyone is healthy and back home in Brooklyn already and we're hoping to meet her this weekend.



It feels shocking to suddenly have 4 grandchildren in less than 3 years. We're limited to seeing them outside and with masks but we're feeling very grateful that everyone is healthy and that they are nearby.

ETA: I can't seem to get the photos to work but they are in my profile for now.

Congrats on another granddaughter, Vivian. You are so lucky to have four! And all healthy and close.

Congratulations, Vivian! I can't see the photo in >167 vivians:, though.

>168 BLBera: Thanks Beth - yes, so grateful!

>169 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl - I can't get the photos to appear, very frustrating today!

Congratulations Vivian. You certainly are blessed.

Congratulations Vivian! Three under three will really keep them hopping, but in a good way. I enjoyed the cute pics on your profile page.

Congrats on the newest grandchild, Vivian. Very exciting. We are savoring our time with our first. Visited with him again yesterday. He remains perfect.

Wow! You are churning through an amazing amount of interesting books. Strange Flowers & Still Life have been added to my WL. The Cosby and Lawson are all ready of there.

Thanks Bonnie, Laura and Mark! I'm enjoying seeing my two oldest sons as Dads and I'm loving being with the kids.

I'm behind on posting:



#130 China Room Sunjeev Sahota
Booker longlist, two timelines. The earlier one, set in rural India in the 1920s, is about 3 young brides under the strict control of their mother-in-law. The 1999 timeline of her British great-grandson returning to the farm in order to overcome his heroin addiction is less successful.



#131 Great Circle Maggie Shipstead
Booker longlist, read for RL book group, two timelines again. Orphaned Marian Graves becomes an aviator and disappears in 1950 attempting a north-south circumnavigation of the earth. Great back story of her and her twin Jamie, and lots of fascinating historical detail about women aviators. The second timeline, shorter and less effective features Hadley, a current-day movie star involved in a film about Marian's life. I enjoyed it overall but it was way too long (23 hours on audio!)



#132 Second Place Rachel Cusk
Booker longlist. Lots of praise for this one but way too much introspection and lack of plot for me.



#133 The Satapur MoonstoneSujata Massey
The second in a series about a Parsi lawyer in 1922 India, this time sent to a remote royal state to manage a succession issue. Very good.



#134 Night WakingSarah Moss
Another winner, and thanks to Laura for the recommendation as well as the hard copy. (I'd be happy to send it along to anyone else.) Loved, loved loved this novel about an Oxford fellow, struggling to complete a book while being a full-time mother, all the while stranded on a Hebridean island while her distracted husband researches puffins. Lots of humor, absorbing thoughts about motherhood both as a burden and as a gift. Great connection to Signs for Lost Children, which I also loved. I can't recommend this enough.

>174 vivians: Some great reading here, Vivian. Great Circle comments seem divided between those who gave it five stars and those who thought it was too long. Like you, I didn't love the Hadley storyline.

I also loved Night Waking; I think it's one of my favorites this year.

I'm waiting my China Room, which sounds interesting to me and the Cusk. We'll see.

Hi Beth - my list keeps expanding and I just can't keep up! I really love my work but sometimes imagine a retirement of fulltime reading...



#135 A Psalm for the Wild Built Becky Chambers
A novella and the beginning of a new series called "Monk and Robot." I've loved all of Chambers' "comfort science fiction" and her world building, and this was no exception. Humans have built a new society after a technological age in which robots became sentient and walked away. A non-binary monk named Dex takes a journey to seek a higher purpose and makes first contact with a robot. Optimistic and exceptionally refreshing, particularly in these tough times.

I know what you mean, Vivian. I think that retirement for me will be next year. I am enjoying the school year and seeing my colleagues again after a year most of them spent online, but I think I'm ready to move on to other things.

I loved the first one by Chambers. I must continue with her.

I can't wait to delve into the new novel by Francis Spufford -- so loved his previous book.

I think I liked the Valerie Perrin novel a lot more than you did, but possibly because I was reading and not listening to it.

I have just started the Katie Kitamura novel, and am loving it so far. Luckily got an Amazon gift card, and used part of it for that!! I'm really struggling with my eyesight AND my glasses, so 'real' books are an ordeal at the moment.

I've just started listening to Belinda Bauer's novels. So far, so good! And now I will stumble off in quest of "Still Life"!

I hate to break this to all of you future retirees but the fact is since I retired ten years ago I have less time for reading, not more. I've been so busy that I often wonder how I ever had time for work lol.

>179 brenzi: Bonnie! You're raining on my parade!

Congrats on the new granddaughter, Vivian! I can't see the photo but I know you are enjoying another little one in that next generation.

I looked for both Strange Flowers and Still Life at Powell's when we were there a couple weeks ago. Neither was on the shelf! I still haven't read anything by Sarah Winman and I clearly need to fix that.

I'm currently reading Second Place and I know what you mean by "too much introspection." I'm about 40% through it and while it's skimming right along, I'm not yet sure what "the point" is.

Oh, I have Night Waking on my shelf so I'm glad to hear it's another winner by Sarah Moss!

>181 EBT1002: And I lied. They didn't have the Sarah Winman at Powell's, but they had Strange Flowers and I bought it! :-)

3 lovely days at the Cape, some of the time babysitting Kai while her parents were off at a wedding. One day of total deluge all day long, but that just meant more time for reading.

>177 BLBera: It's great that you have a timeline in mind, Beth. I'm enjoying work more and more, tbh, and am even in the process of expanding my business. So it will be a while for me.

>178 Chatterbox: Hi Suzanne! We blew by Providence in our travels and I thought of you. I think you'll love the Winman.

>179 brenzi: I believe it Bonnie, so many retirees I know are busy day and night.

>180 BLBera: I really hope you like the Donal Ryan, Ellen. He's one of my favorites. I saw your review of Second Place on your thread and I think you nailed. it.



#135 On the Way to the Wedding Julia Quinn
I’m sad to be done with the Bridgertons – I really enjoyed the series (thanks Katie, I wouldn’t have picked them up without your rec).



#136 Conspiracy S.J. Parris
Giordano Bruno #5 takes place in Paris, where religious politics in the court of Henri Valois (and his mother Catherine de Medeci) have reached a boiling point. Perfect historical fiction if a little too intricate at times.



#137 A Pale Horse Charles Todd
A good Ian Rutledge (#10) with lots of motoring around Yorkshire. Tow mysteries converge: the disappearance of a “person of interest” and a body found in the ruins of an abbey.



#138 The Fortune Men Nadifa Mohamed
Bonnie sent me her copy of this and I’d be happy to pass it along. Booker Prize longlist, a gripping story of a wrongful murder conviction in Cardiff of a Somali seaman in 1952. It highlights the prejudice and fear of the outsider, even in the diverse community of Tiger Bay. Based on the true story of Mahmood Mattan – there’s a wonderful video of an interview with his widow https://vimeo.com/194263366.



#139 The Guide Peter Heller
Heller is a terrific writer – I’ve loved all his novels. This one brings back Jack, a reflective, well-read young rancher, who takes a job as a fly fishing guide at an exclusive Coloradan resort. First novel I’ve read that incorporated Covid. Highly recommended.

Wow! You sailed right through the Bridgertons! I'm glad you enjoyed them - I know they're not your usual thing :)

I keep meaning to read The Dog Stars, which has been on my shelf for years. The Fortune Men sounds like a good one, as does the Parris. I think I have one of those as well. I always start the year with the intentions of reading from my shelves and then get distracted by those shiny new library books.

It's great that you love your job, Vivian. I enjoy what I do, but I think it's time to move to other pursuits. If the pandemic ever ends...

I keep meaning to read The Dog Stars, which has been on my shelf for years. The Fortune Men sounds like a good one, as does the Parris. I think I have one of those as well. I always start the year with the intentions of reading from my shelves and then get distracted by those shiny new library books.

It's great that you love your job, Vivian. I enjoy what I do, but I think it's time to move to other pursuits. If the pandemic ever ends...

Hi Vivian. I'm adding The Guide to my wishlist. And if no one else has "claimed" the traveling copy of The Fortune Men, I'd be happy to receive it.

I'm also reminding myself that I want to give the S.J. Parris series a try. I forgot to look for the first one when I was at Powell's. I can probably get it from the library.

>185 katiekrug: Your doing! :)

>186 BLBera: Dog Stars is one of my favorites.

>188 EBT1002: I'll send it your way, Ellen. I love this book sharing!

>184 vivians: Thanks for that video Vivian. Really quite wonderful. I've read and enjoyed two of Heller's books but I still haven't gotten to his last one and now he has a new one out. I really loved The Painter.

>184 vivians: I came across something recently that incorporated COVID, but not well. I think I might want to take a look at that one sometime. Also, I knew there was another series with a "Bruno." Looks like it is your S. J. Parris one I was thinking of.

The Fortune Men arrived safe and sound, Vivian. It made the short list so I'm happy to have it to read soon. Thank you!

>190 brenzi: I think Dog Stars is still my favorite Bonnie, although I lvoed the last two.

>191 thornton37814: Hi Lori - I'm sure there will be lots of Covid related books coming soon.

>192 EBT1002: Bonnie gets the thanks, Ellen, it was her copy! I really liked it.



#140 The Fire and the DarknessSinclair McKay
Superb narrative non-fiction about the bombing of Dresden. I'll never remember all the details but the overall horror will stay with me.



#141 The Heron's Cry Ann Cleeves
Matthew Venn #2 really lived up to its predecessor. Matthew and his team investigate murders in North Devon, and their private and professional lives play equal parts. I loved the Shetland series and haven't yet delved into Vera. I'm waiting for a Brit to explain the fact that Matthew needs to pass through a tollbooth each time he goes home?



#142 Fugitive Telemetry Martha Wells
Another great Murderbot novella, this one dealing with the trafficking of human slaves.

>193 vivians: I'm glad the #2 in that Cleeves series worked well for you. I just ordered the library's copy. It will arrive sometime in the next month--depending on the book company, the mail, and the campus post office. When I had a shipment of books that should have arrived after another arrive, I called the company because it showed all but one book from the order had been shipped. They told me it had been received by our campus post office a week earlier. I called them. Sure enough--the books were over there but the campus mail carriers had not brought it. (The regular guy was out, and the substitute didn't bring it. It's odd he brought the later one.)

I also loved The Heron's Cry, Vivian. I look forward to the TV version. I wonder how long it will be.

The Dresden book also sounds good.

>109 BLBera: Hope you get your copy soon Lori, I really enjoyed it.

>110 drneutron: Hi Beth!

A 4 day conference to LA provided lots of reading time but not a drop of sunshine :(.



#143 Early Morning Riser Katherine Heiny
A real winner, recommended by Bonnie. An elementary school teacher moves away from her exceptionally critical mother to make a life for herself in a small town in Michigan. Over two decades her unconventional life develops with lots of humor and endearing characters. I loved the portrayal of Patrice, a much-loved but very difficult child.



#144 A Passage North Anuk Arudpragasam
My favorite Booker nominee (I think). Krishan is a single man who has returned to Colombo from an academic career in India to live with his mother and grandmother. The 30 year civil war has just ended and the country is in tatters. I thought this would be a difficult read because there is no dialogue, only Krishan's thoughts and recollections, but it was immersive and gripping.



#145 When God Was a Rabbit Sarah Winman
I was about halfway in when I realized I had read this a couple of years ago. No matter, I still enjoyed it and found it completely fresh. Elly and Joe grow up in a loving (if eccentric) family in Cornwall in the 1970s, and their bond persists in the face of trauma and tragedy.



#146 Once There Were Wolves Charlotte McConaghy
Five stars and highly recommended. Inti leads a team of biologists who are reintroduing wolves into the Scottish Highlands to try to rebalance the local ecosystem. She herself suffers from a fascinating neurological condition called synethesia, which results in her physically feeling the pain of others. She is accompanied by her traumatized twin sister Aggie, and both are in need of healing. Beautifully written, well-paced and very atmospheric.

Great reading and summaries, Vivian! Bonnie put Early Morning Riser on my list, too. And I am a Winman fan - WGWaR was one of my first ER wins and I loved it.

Great reading, Vivian, as usual. I'm waiting for Early Morning Riser; there's a long waiting list.

Glad to hear you enjoyed A Passage North. I have Once There Were Wolves waiting on shelf. An October read. My LT pals all seem to love it. Great sign.

Ok now I can't wait for A Passage Northbecause I guess I was just waiting for your recommendation Vivian lol. I also have Once There Were Wolves on my Overdrive list. I just can't read fast enough.

I'm glad that you also liked A Passage North, Vivian. It will likely get my vote as the best novel from this year's Booker Prize shortlist, and the best novel of 2021, although I still need to read Bewilderment by Richard Powers and Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead to finish the shortlist.

I have dipped my toe into A Passage North too and think I am going to love it.

>197 katiekrug: 198 Bonnie hit me with a BB for Early Morning Riser and, as usual, her instincts were correct!

>199 msf59: I think you're going to love Once There Were Wolves, Mark. Great nature writing, a creepy atmosphere and disturbing but realistic environmental issues.

>200 brenzi: I know the frustration, Bonnie. The books just keep on coming.

>201 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl! I'm torn between A Passage North and Bewilderment as my Booker pick, although I loved The Promise as well. I've read the longlist except for An Island - it was a really strong list this year.

>202 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I thought A Passage North was unusual and memorable. I hope you'll feel the same.



#147 The Devotion of Suspect "X" Keigo Higashino
Recommended by some podcast - can't remember which. A really interesting Japanese police procedural in which the mystery is solved in the first chapter and then needs to be unraveled with the help of a brilliant physics professor. This is a series but not all have been translated. Worked fine as a stand-alone.



#148 Bewilderment Richard Powers
A five star read for me despite its heaviness.



#149 Yours, Cheerfully AJ Pearce
The second in a lighthearted series (despite the WWII backdrop) about a young editor of a women's magazine in 1941 London. Enjoyable but nothing special.



#150 The Man Who Died Twice Richard Osman
Another enjoyable and light mystery solved by the Thursday Murder Club, a group of retirees in Kent. Great dialogue.

You must keep plowing through the books, Vivian! I read the Higashino last year and found it very intriguing but haven't read any others.

>203 vivians: Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Vivian!

Congrats on your double! I'm close--just one more!

I agree, Vivian; this has been a very good year for the Booker. I'll read Bewilderment next week, and based on previous reviews I expect that it will challenge A Passage North as my favorite book from the shortlist, although The Promise and The Fortune Men were superb as well.

I love Keigo Higashino's crime novels. Slooowwwly they are being translated (but not fast enough for me.) Try The Aosawa Murders if you're looking for something in a similar vein, by Riku Onda.

I, like you, adored the Charlotte McConaghy novel and I think Katherine Heiny is a national treasure. Her short stories remind me of Laurie Colwin: emotionally honest, eloquent but not fussy.

I still have to read the Booker shortlist. (Did read some of the novels on the longlist). Amazingly, I possess some kind of version (e-galley, Kindle, audiobook, whatever) of all six of them (now that the Powers book has finally been published. I think I'm going to start out with Galgut's novel, since I love his writing.

I'm so glad you loved Once There Were Wolves, Vivian!

So behind on my own thread.....just swamped at work during the week and spending more time with my mother on weekends. She's 96, still fully independent but having more and more physical ailments. She's fiercely determined to remain on her own, doesn't want to be a "burden", but it's clear that she'll need some sort of help. She can still speak 4 languages at the drop of a hat and is furious that she isn't what she used to be.

>204 katiekrug: Hi Katie!

>205 FAMeulstee: >206 thornton37814: Thanks Anita & Lori - I hadn't even noticed!

>207 kidzdoc: I'll wait to hear what you think about Bewilderment, Darryl. My book group discussed it earlier this week - one of our most far-reaching dsicussions because of the many themes on which it touches.

>208 Chatterbox: Hi Suzanne - I'm eager to hear your thoughts on The Promise. It was my first Galgut but I plan to read more. Glad we agree on Heiny and McConaghy!

No time for reviews but here are my latest:



#151 Matrix Lauren Groff
Great - recommended



#152 Beautiful Country Qian Julie Wang
Memoir - read because my daughter-in-law is Chinese-American. This was recommended on Liz Egan's NY Times live instagram interview. Not great.



#153 What Remains of Heaven
One of the best St. Cyr so far. The Bishop of London is murdered and is found in a previously sealed crypt next to another victim, murdered 30 years before. Great historical characters, including Benjamin Franklin's son, as the war with the former colonies seems imminent. Great plot and character development.



#154 Hell of a Book Jason Mott
National Book award list. A sarcastic, alcoholic, unnamed Black novelist is on a book tour through the post-George Floyd U.S. A parallel thread follows Soot, a bullied child growing up in the South. Creative and thought-provoking but also very erratic and hard to follow.



#155 I Couldn’t Have Loved You More Esther Freud
My first by this author, although I know she's very prolific. Three generations of women: an Irish woman during the Blitz who returns to Ireland, her daughter Rosaleen who attempts to be an independent working woman in London in the 60s, and Kate, in present day London, an artist who is married to an alcoholic and struggling to find her birth mother. Really good.



#156 Damnation Spring Ash Davidson
Long but really powerful book about a Pacific Northwest logging town in the 1970s, and the loggers whose livelihood is threatened by the expansion of National Parks as well as EPA restrictions on the use of chemicals. Way too much detail about felling trees but otherwise a terrific debut with memorable characters. A great companion to The Overstory.

Your mom sounds amazing, Vivian.

I've put the Freud on my library wish list!

Hi Vivian - Your mom does sound amazing! Some great reading as well. I also loved Matrix; at this point, I'll read anything by Groff. Damnation Spring, Freud, and Harris are all on my various WLs. I've never read Freud either and picked up this one when I heard people discussing her.

>210 vivians: When our copy of Groff's book arrived in the library, I read the description and thought . . . that sounds interesting. Glad to see you enjoyed it.

I'm listening to Matrix right now Vivian and it is wonderful. I will have to search out her other books.

Your mother sounds amazing.

Happy Friday, Vivian. I remember enjoying The Devotion of Suspect "X" too. I also really liked Damnation Spring. I am about to wrap up Once There Were Wolves. A terrific read. She has quickly become a favorite. I will be starting Bewilderment soon. Glad to see you gave it the full boat.

>211 katiekrug: This was my first Freud, Katie, and I think I'll look for her backlist.

>212 BLBera: Hi Beth - she's truly amazing and I count my blessings that she's remained so healthy.

>213 thornton37814: Hi Lori - Matrix was excellent historical fiction - Groff chose an obscure character and recreated an entire world.

>214 brenzi: We continue to have remarkably similar taste and reading lists, Bonnie!

>215 msf59: Hi Mark - glad to hear of all the reading successes. SO many great books this fall. I'll be starting The Lincoln Highway for book group.



#157 The Madness of Crowds Louis Penny
Best Penny in a long time - terrific post-Covid treatment concerning a provocative and morally repelling theory of scarce resources.



#158 When Ghosts Come Home Wiley Cash
Not his best but still great. 1984 coastal North Carolina: a plane crash and murder ystery expose hatred and racism confronting the local sheriff.



#159 Oh William Elizabeth Strout
When I first read Olive Kiterridge I wasn't a fan. But a subsequent reread, and the Lucy Barton novels converted me. This third installment of Lucy's story is about the enduring connection between divorced spouses. Filled with humor and empathy and a joy to read.

I really liked the latest Louise Penney too, Vivian. I thought it was an excellent way of addressing the pandemic in a long-running series. Even Three Pines would not be immune, after all.

I'm waiting on the new Elizabeth Strout from my library. Copies are on order and not yet in circulation. I enjoyed the previous Lucy Barton novels, although I think I like Olive a bit more. At least as of now, we'll see how I feel after this new book.

More great reading, Vivian! I still have Cash's The Last Ballad to read, but WGCH is on my list.

I am waiting for my library copies of the Strout and the Penny -- good to know they are worth the wait.

>217 lauralkeet: I saw your Oh, William review, Laura! So glad it worked for you too.

>218 katiekrug: Wish I had more time, Katie!

>219 BLBera: I think you'll enjoy both, Beth.



#160 Something In DisguiseElizabeth Jane Howard
Terrific stand alone from the author of the Cazalet Chronicles. 1969 family saga, strongly recommended. Followed up with great episode of Backlisted podcast.



#161 A Line to KillAnthony Horowitz
Another well-crafted Hawthorne novel which takes place at a literary festival on the Channel island of Alderney.



#162 The Lincoln HighwayAmor Towles
For book group next week. A Gentleman in Moscow is one of amy all-time favorites but I tried to reduce expectations when reading this one. I ended up really enjoying it although it did drag in the middle. But great characters, historical references and settings. 18 year old Nebraskan Emmett Watson is released from juvenile detention and sets off on an extended road trip with his 8 year old brother.



#163 Beautiful World Where are You Sally Rooney
Rooney evokes a lot of controversy, both for her writing and for her world views. I didn't like her first,loved her second, and found this one very mediocre.

DNF The ProphetsRobert Jones Jr.
I'll try this in print another time - audio did not work for me.

I can't wait to get to the Elizabeth Jane Howard book Vivian. It will be my next read but I'm just getting going on a really long book so it'll be awhile. Yesterday I went through all the past episodes of Backlisted to see how many I have to look forward to for books I've already read or own and hope to get to soonish: 14. Good times ahead. Lol.

>220 vivians: I see we felt similarly about both Oh William! and the Sally Rooney. I just had such a hard time connecting with Beautiful World Where Are You?. It was disappointing and I wondered if I'm just not the right demographic (i.e., old). Sigh.

>210 vivians: "She can still speak 4 languages at the drop of a hat..."
That is impressive!

I was also a non-fan of Olive Kitteridge. I liked it better on rereading and I find myself wanting to read the three in the trilogy (is it a trilogy?) together and in order.

>221 brenzi: Wow Bonnie, good for you for going through the episode list. They just hit 150! I love listening to them, even when the talk goes over my head.

>222 lauralkeet: Not old, Laura, we just know our preferences (Ok, maybe a little old.)

>223 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I''m not a big re-reader but I really felt I had missed something in dismissing Olive Kitteridge the first time around. I'm glad to be a Strout fan now.



#164 A Matter of Justice Charles Todd
Rutledge #11 begins with soldiers in the Boer War and a revenge that is twenty years in the making. This was a good one.



#165 Cassandra at the Wedding Dorothy Baker
A dark but beautifully atmospheric story about identical twins in 1960s California. Greatly enhanced by the discussion on the Backlisted podcast.



#166 Notes from the Underground Fyodor Dostoevsky
Another Backlisted inspired read. I'm sure I read this in high school but have no memory. An unnamed, middle-aged ex-civil servant first provides his philosophy of life and then illustrates a number of humiliating events from his youth. Still largely incomprehensible to me, but quite an eye-opener about the interior life of an angry, bitter and frustrated egotist.

DNF: The Year Without Summer Guinevere Glasfurd
Walter Scott prize longlist. Supposed to be 5 separate stories about the impact of the 1815 volcanic eruption in Indonesia, but I couldn't concentrate on all the fragments. Might revisit at some point.



#167 Passing Nella Larsen
Fabulous novella about race and identity. Two childhood friends take very different paths and meet as adults. Clare and Irene are light-skinned Black women in 1920s Chicago. Irene marries a doctor and lives a middle-class life in NY and Clare "passes" and marries a racist. Great dynamic between the two - a mix of jealousy and desire. Raises more questions than it answers.

I read Passing earlier this year and was glad I finally did. I believe it's the choice for November for the WNYC/NYPL book club.

Are you going to watch the new Netflix film of it?

>224 vivians: Great comments, Vivian. I want to reread Passing before I watch the series. I have only the vaguest recollection.

>225 katiekrug: Yes I'll definitley watch it - have you heard anything about it?

>226 BLBera: Thanks Beth! Oh - it's a series, not just a movie?

Happy Wednesday, Vivian. Wow! You have been churning through some fine books. The Cash, Strout & Towles are all on my TBR. I also recently read and loved Passing. The Netflix film has been getting great reviews. I hope to see it soon.

>227 vivians: - No, I haven't heard anything about it except that it exists. I will be checking out myself sometime soon.

I misspoke, Vivian. I think it's just a movie.

>228 msf59:, 229, 230 Hi all - I haven't watched Passing yet but have it in my queue. My new recent obsession is "Last Tango in Halifax" which starts the great Nicola Walker and the even greater Derek Jacobi. It's several seasons and is cutting into reading time.

I jsut received my Book Depository copy of The Fell and am looking forward to reading it soon. Happy to pass it along when I'm done - I know there are a lot of Sarah Moss fans out there!

Hi Vivian - I also ordered a BD copy of The Fell! Great minds...

A Thanksgiving to Friends (Lighting the Way)

In difficult times
a friend is there to light the way
to lighten the load,
to show the path,
to smooth the road

At the darkest hour
a friend, with a word of truth
points to light
and the encroaching dawn
is in the plainest sight.

Vivian, to a friend in books and more this Thanksgiving

Thanks Paul!

Behind on short reviews:



#168 Where Shadows Dance C.S. Harris
This series seems to improve with each installment. Sebastian once again is mired in international intrigue, body snatchers, and great relationships.



#169 Exit Belinda Bauer
Terrific, twisty thriller with a premise of assisted suicide.



#170 The Bombay Prince Sujata Massey
The Prince of Wales visits Bombay in 1921, where calls for independence are mounting. A Parsi college student's mysterious death is ruled a homicide and Parveen's persistence and intelligence are called upon. I hope Massey continues this series.



#171 Cloud Cuckoo LandAnthony Doerr
Complex, beautifully plotted, this certainly ranks in my top reads of the year. Five characters are connected over hundreds of years by an ancient text (not real), written in the first century CE by Diogenes. Anna and Omeir in 15th centry Constantinople, just as the siege begins, Seymour and Zeno in a small town in present-day Idaho, and Konstance on an insterstellar ship in the 22nd century. Highly recommended.



#172 Miss Benson's Beetle Rachel Joyce
Marjorie Benson is a single, desperately unhappy schoolteacher in 1950s London, who goes on a quest with a decidely ill-matched assistant. Predictable and enjoyable.



#173 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet Pamela Paul
Paul is the editor of the NY Times Book review. These are short essays, very light and browsable.

and one more:



#174 Execution S.J. Parris
Very suspenseful plot as Bruno continues to spy for Frances Walsingham in order to infiltrate a plot against Queen Elizabeth. He impersonates a newly arrived Spanish priest to gain acess to the conspirators and find the murderer of Walsingham's ward. Best one yet, with one criticism being the rather forced romance.

>235 vivians: I own the first one in that series. If I can dig it out, maybe that should be one in my "first in series mysteries" for next year.

I need to get back to the Sebastian St Cyr series. I really enjoyed the first three books. I'm making a note to read one this month or next.

>236 thornton37814:, 237 I've really been enjoying the St. Cyr series, Lori & Laura, and recommend highly!

Just posting these quickly because I'm so behind:



#176 Harlem Shuffle Colson Whitehead
I really enjoyed this - very propulsive writing, terrific characters, set in Harlem in the early 1960s.



#177 A Room Made of Leaves Kate Grenville
Walter Scott shortlist. Fictional tale of the wife of John MacArthur in the penal colony of Sydney. Seemed a bit of 21st century projection, particularly Elizabeth's sympathy for First Nations people.



#178 Our Country Friends Gary Shteyngart
I was very disappointed in this one after so many stellar reviews. I just didn't find it amusing or even interesting: 4 entitled couples, appropriately diverse, at a country estate at the beginning of the pandemic.



#179 When We Cease to Understand the World Benjamin Labatut
Another NY Times recommendation. A mash-up of fiction and non-ficiton about scientific advances in physics and math, and their destructive powers. I had trouble concentrating on this one.



#180 Dead I well May be Adrian McKinty
A very different offering than his fabulous Sean DUffy series. (Free with Audible subscription.) Very fast-moving thriller about an uneducated but well-read Irish gangster working for a gang in Harlem in the 1990s. Entertaining to say the least.



#181 The Fell Sarah Moss
Short novel by one of my favorites, set at the beginning of the pandemic in a small English village. Four characters capture the isolation, claustrophobis and anxiety of those days. Beautiful writing, would have liked more from these characters.

Copy available for any Sarah Moss fan.....



#182 Crying in H Mart Michelle Zauner
Memoir about grief and loss. Ok, not great.

Hi Vivian! It looks like I enjoyed A Room Made of Leaves a bit more than you did. I can see your point, it just didn't hit me that way when I was reading.

Raising a hand for The Fell, if no one else has asked yet. Happy to pass it along after I've read it too, just like The Sisterhood of Traveling Still Life.

>239 lauralkeet: - Dibs after Laura!!

Hi Vivian. You got me with the McKinty - I'll look it up.

Wow! So many good reads! I am going to try and bookhorn in Cloud Cuckoo Land early in the New Year, along with Harlem Shuffle. Sorry, to hear that about Our Country Friends. I had also heard good things about that one.

And I loved the Grenville exactly as much as Laura did and was too, er, ignorant, to pick up the flaw that you discovered Vivian 🤷‍♀️

But I'm glad to see you loved the Doerr book. I've hesitated to pick it up without some LT confirmation.

Love your comments as usual, Vivian.

I was underwhelmed with Harlem Shuffle, but I think I'm the only one.

I had the Labatut collection from the library but returned it after finding myself reading two pages over and over. It seems like one I would like; I'll try again in the future.

I hope to get to The Fell over break. Like you, I purchases a copy.

*sigh* You read so much and read it so well, Vivian. I'm adding a star for this thread for future reference --- came to see what you had to say about *Lincoln Highway*, which I'm still considering. Thank you!

>239 lauralkeet: Could I be in line for the passing along of The Fell after you read it, Laura?

Hi Vivian! Enjoying your brief but enticing comments about your many reads.

>240 katiekrug: Oops, I guess I'm asking Katie to pass it along to me after she reads it after Laura reads it. ;-)

>246 EBT1002: - Noted!

>246 EBT1002:, >247 katiekrug: also noted! Not that it matters to me, I just have to get it to Katie. But I love the idea of sending it all over the place.

The Fell U.S. Tour 2022.

We'll have to get the t-shirt.

Have a lovely holiday, Vivian.

>239 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - I'm picturing The Fell soaring around LT! It's on its way to you to begin its travels!

>240 katiekrug: I think this McKinty series falls in the "revenge" category rather than crime, Katie, but his writing is still a pleasure and the story is propulsive. I'll be curious to hear what you think.

>241 msf59: Hi Mark! I think you'll love Cloud Cuckoo Land when you get to it.

>242 brenzi: Don't hesitate Bonnie! Doerr is really ambitious in taking on so many story lines but it worked for me.

>243 BLBera: I haven't heard any other comments about The Fell, so I'm awaiting yours Beth(and all the others as it gets passed around.)

>244 LizzieD: Thanks for stopping by and hope you get to Lincoln Highway soon, LizzieD!

>245 EBT1002:-9 Love this!

>250 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul and thanks for the good wishes.

Very quiet here for the holidays! Jo is home on winter break and it feels like having a 15 year old again instead of a college junior. She's lonely and bored - absolutely nothing going on and nobody getting together. Both older boys are isolating with their kids as cases surge in NY, so we're only seeing them outside. I understand their caution but am finding it difficult. Marcus has three kids (3, 1 1/2 and 5 months) and I've never held or hugged the younger two! Gideon has a 7 month old and lives 4 miles away, but we're back to just taking walks, seeing them all bundled up. (Other son Oren works for FEMA and is deployed in California -he's having a blast skiing, mountain biking and, because he's tested every day for work, feeling much less anxious.)



#183 Small Pleasures Clare Chambers
Longlisted for the Women's Prize and finally available here! I really enjoyed this story about a journalist for a local newspaper in post-war London. Jean Swinney lives an insular and rather unhappy life with her demanding and difficult mother. Her life changes when the paper receives a claim from Swiss-born Gretchen that her daughter Margaret is the product of a virgin birth. Very enjoyable.



#184 The Manningtree Witches A. K. Blakemore
Costa first novel shortlist, based on the true story of Matthew Hopkins, a "witchfinder" in 1640s rural England. Rebecca West, her mother, and several other women in the village of Manningtree fall under suspicion of withchcraft and are betrayed by their neighbors. The story dragged for me in the middle and the language was unnecesaarily poetic at times. Just an ok read.

DNF: Deadwood Pete Dexter
A Backlisted episode was devoted to this Western, and the hosts gushed quite a bit. I read about half but couldn't get into it.



#185 Five Tuesdays in Winter Lily King
I really enjoyed these stories as I was reading them but they've now reinforced my problem with short stories: I find it very difficult to remember what I've read. The two that stand out are "When in Dordogne", about a boy whose parents leave him with two college students while they travel in France, and the title story, about a bookseller who tries to overcome his curmudgeonly nature.

>251 vivians: The Fell arrived today, Vivian. I was surprised to see it so soon. I'll plan to read it in January so we can keep it moving. Thank you so much for sending it!

>252 lauralkeet: Turns out the post office was pretty efficient this year! I'm glad it arrived so quickly.

Last reads of the year:



#186 What is Left the Daughter Howard Norman
Thanks to Katie for recommending this powerful novel structured as a long confessional letter. (I loved The Bird Artist and now have to search for Norman's backlist.) Orphaned and scarred as a teenager, Wyatt Hillyer matures in rural Nova Scotia as WWII breaks out. He lives with his aunt and uncle, and their adopted daughter Tilda, who falls in love with a German student just as Uboats are menacing Canadian shores. Highly recommended.



#187 The Red Door Charles Todd
The Ian Rutledge formula is getting a little tiresome so I'll probably take a break from these. A complicated (and unlikable) wealthy family is somehow involved in the murder of a woman in Lancashire, and Rutledge predictably motors back and forth to London solving this case as well as a local murder.

>253 vivians: - I'm so glad you loved the Norman, too. I happened to find two of his novels in a used bookstore we visited over Christmas in Fredericksburg, VA. I'm excited to sample more of his work.

Happy New Year!

Hi Vivian. I haven't been keeping up this year, but wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and lots of good books. 187. Wow.

Forget your stresses and strains
As the old year wanes;
All that now remains
Is to bring you good cheer
With wine, liquor or beer
And wish you a special new year.

Happy New Year, Vivian.