Whew! Made it through last week. Our weather here was ice, ice and more ice, with some snow piled up on it. The library was closed on Thursday and Friday last week, with a late opening on Saturday. We still have snow piled around town, but we survived without the terrible power outages they had here in 2009. I did do some reading last weekend, though!
This week, I’m reading a graphic novel that has been banned numerous times. It’s about a middle school that is putting on the spring musical, Drama by Raina Telgemeier. I have a copy of Art Spiegelman’s Maus on backorder. I think everyone in the country wants to read it since it was banned by a Tennessee school board. There are over 5,100 copies backordered from one of our library vendors for this graphic novel about the Holocaust. We have a waiting list at the library, and I’m having a hard time getting copies. If mine comes in before the library copies, I’ll donate it to the library. But, those parents and the school board put a thirty-year-old graphic novel back on the bestseller lists.
I decided to order a copy of Drama because it’s about theater and drama, one of my passions. Why is it banned? It’s been banned different places for a few years now. In 2020, the author, Raina Telgemeier, answered that question when the book appeared at #8 on the American Library Association’s Banned Book List.
“Drama is the story of Callie, a girl in middle school who loves stage crew and theater and who has twin best friends who are gay. The characters in that story are based on real people, real friends of mine. In high school I had two best friends who were gay twin brothers, and our relationship pretty much mirrors what you see on the page, except I fictionalized it and made it for a young audience.
“When Drama first started showing up on the Banned Books List, I had a lot of people asking if I wanted to make a statement. I always say that my statement is the book. My viewpoint is it’s better to live in a world where we love and accept each other than one where we don’t!“
So, that’s what I’m reading, and my best friend asked to read it when I’m finished. So, I’ll be passing it on. What about you? What are you reading this week?
Days of full sun here, doesn’t even seem like winter.
I read an oldie, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, and a couple of books you reviewed.
Started Richard Powers latest, Bewilderment. Excellent so far although maybe a bit more science than some are comfortable reading. A love story of an astrobiologist and his unusual son. Lesa you would appreciate his description of the library “he loved the benevolence that the stacks held out, their map of the known world…the all-you-can-eat buffet of borrowing”
Happy reading everyone!
You’re so right, MM. I love that description, especially “the all-you-can-eat buffet of borrowing”. Thank you!
DRAMA sounds good. MAUS was a classic.
Cool and rainy here yesterdy, but getting back to “normal” Florida weather in the 70s today. (61 yesterday.)
A little aside about why I didn’t finish a book. I’m on record as a big fan of P. J. Tracy’s Monkeewrench series. Each of the series characters is memorable and I can easily picture them in my mind. When she started a new series, moving it from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, I was willing to give it a try, and the first book (so unmemorable I have to look up the title – DEEP INTO THE DARK. I thought it was a decent start. Now Det. Margaret Nolan is back. What do we know about her? Well (SPOILER ALERT), she killed someone in the line of duty last time.(END SPOILER) That’s pretty much it. I read 120 pages and she is barely there on the page. I know nothing about her other than her brother was killed in Afghanistan and she is attracted to fellow cop Remy. The other main character, severely injured vet Sam Easton, is more interesting, but has so little to do so far that he is barely there either. It is all plot and no character development. A cult in the desert, Russian oligarchs, etc. 120 pages and I just didn’t care. Why waste my time when there are so many other books I want to read?
Unfair, perhaps, but I couldn’t help comparing this series with a superficially similar one, Lee Goldberg’s Eve Ronin series. Whatever you think of the books, Goldberg knows how to create vivid characters. I bet if you’ve read any of them you remember things about Eve (how she got the job, her awful parents, her sister the nurse, etc.) and her partner Duncan (about to retire, constantly eating, etc.). Tell me anything about Margaret Nolan. So, that’s why I quit the book after 120 pages and that’s why Jackie won’t be reading it either. Give me the Monkeewrench crew and Magozzi and Gino. YMMV
/end semi-digression
So what did I read, you ask? Mostly short stories, though again nothing memorable. Ed Hoch’s non-series stories are, as I’ve mentioned before, not in the same class as his best series character stories, but he is always clever and worth reading. A couple were better and I should finish the collection soon. I got and have started Peter Lovesey’s new collection, Reader, I Buried Them, a memorable title. I’ve been reading him for nearly 50 years.
Jackie finished the first of Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick’s Burning Cove series, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, and was pleased that the author fooled her as to who the killer was. She’s now on book two, The Other Lady Vanishes, having already read the third in the series. These are set in pre-WWII California.
Most of my reading time this week was with a book some of you will want to avoid, especially if you don’t like graphic violence and many killings. But if you are a ‘thriller’ fan, Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series is definitely one you should try. Evan Smoak (probably not his real name) is a Jason Bourne-like character, plucked from East Baltimore at 12 and trained in the ‘Orphan’ program to be a sanctioned killer for our government. Somewhere along the way he quit, went over to helping others who needed help to get out of impossible situations, while still hiding from his former masters who want him, The Nowhere Man, dead with extreme prejudice The second book, The Nowhere Man, finds Evan in very dire straits for a good two-thirds of the book, captured and held prisoner by a very dangerous man who wants the money he has secreted away around the world. Every escape attempt is thwarted, his enemies are brought in to bid millions for the privilege of killing him themselves, and things get very bleak before things shift, as we know they must (since he is the hero and the series didn’t end here). Good action, plenty of violence, a little long, but keeps you turning the pages.
Up next? Either Arsenic and Adobo or The Maid, which I am picking up from the library today.
Have a good and safe week. Drive carefully!
Jeff – it’s always hard to decide not to finish a book, especially one from an author you enjoy. But you are right, there are so many good books waiting to be read, who has time for books that aren’t grabbing us.
Oh, nice weather! Enjoy it!
Well, that answered the question as to why I can’t get into PJ Tracy’s new book. Thank you, Jeff. I’m just going to quit since it doesn’t sound as if it gets any better. And, I read for character. That’s funny. I can tell you quite a bit about Eve Ronin!
Jeff, I still go by the 50-page rule, if I’m not enjoying or at least sufficiently curious to continue, away it goes. I finished the Lovesey collection last night, liked it.
Good to hear, Rick!
Apology for the bolding thing up there
Good morning and happy Thursday!
I am reading Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. This book has received many 5 star ratings, and in some cases, viewed as one of the best books so far this year. The book has started out good but I am not far enough into it to know if it is a 5 star for me. I am very stingy with my 5 stars.
On audio, I am listening to We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange. An Irish family drama set in NY. It is a character driven story. I am loving it.
A couple of Netflix movies I watched that I highly recommend are Munich-The Edge of War (based on the book Munich by Robert Harris) and Official Secrets (with Kiera Knightly).
Have a wonderful week!
I’ll be interested to see what you think of Black Cake, Kathleen. I’ve seen some of the same ratings you have.
Good morning all!
Our weather has been boring – which is a good thing. Typical January weather. We are expected to get some snow and possibly wintry mix later today.
This week I was able to read The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natusukawa recommended by Lesa. I really enjoyed it. I tend to like Japanese writers. I liked the main character Rintaro immediately. I also liked his grandfather who we meet through Rintaro’s memories of him. The quests that Rintaro and the cat go on were an interesting way to point out some of the challenges that we face as readers. Best of all, the translator and the illustrator have notes at the end of the book. I always appreciate the added depth those give to a book.
Next I read Dead Wrong by Vannetta Chapman. This is the first book in a cozy mystery series called Agatha’s Amish B&B. Vannetta Chapman is a favorite author of mine, but somehow I missed this series. Agatha is a widowed Amish woman who relocates to Texas to run a B&B after her brother and his wife are killed. When one of her guests is found dead, she enlists the help of her neighbor, a retired detective. One thing that stood out to me was that this felt more like a police procedural than a cozy mystery and I mean that in a good way. The bulk of the investigation is done by the retired detective.
Have a great week!
Boring weather sounds so good, Gretchen!
I’m glad you enjoyed The Cat Who Saved Books. And, you’re right. I liked both Rintaro and the cat. And, like you, I appreciate the notes in books.
Good morning. It was warm enough yesterday afternoon that we were able to get out and check out our local bald eagle nest. The hike out to the viewing platform was muddy and a bit icy in a few sports but this time of year it’s easier to see the nest before the trees leaf out. They must have eggs because one was in the nest the whole time we were there.
This week I read WAYWARD SOULS by Devon Monk. A rather pointless fantasy book about a couple, a ghost and his half is dead wife, who are doomed to travel RT 66 unless they can break their curse. The story is left open ended so obviously the author is going to stretch this into multiple books.
GRACE AMONG THIEVES by Kari Bovee. Set in 1920s Hollywood this mystery begins in Czarist Russia and France and has paranormal elements. I hadn’t read the previous books in the series but this works well as a standalone story.
The latest noodle shop mystery by Vivien Chien is HOT AND SOUR SUSPECTS. I enjoy these but I do get a bit tired of Lana Lee’s always winding up in dangerous situations and having to be rescued.
Cleo Coyle’s latest Village Blend mystery was a quick read but the story wasn’t very realistic, although there were parts that I enjoyed, and this is another series with a main character who’s too stupid to live a lot of the time.
Sandy! That sounds so good that the eagles are there and have eggs! I wish them good luck.
Don’t you get so tired of characters who are too stupid to live? I can make my own stupid mistakes in life. I don’t need theirs.
Sandy, I agree about the Noodle Shop Mysteries. It is a good series, but I also get a bit tired of Lana getting in dangerous situations. I need to have a lot of space in between reads.
Books banned and trying to change laws to keep people from voting -very scary and depressing. Read What’s Done in Darkness by L. McHugh which also was depressing as it was about a girl living in an oppressive religious cult and she gets kidnapped. It was a fast read but reading about cults makes me nervous. We made it out of the very cold with no ice and now temps have moderated so I can’t complain -sorry to hear that you had to deal with ice Lesa as that’s the worse. Wishing everyone a nice weekend and a Happy Valentine’s Day on Monday.
You’re right, Donna. I feel the same way about banned books and voter suppression. It is scary.
I don’t often read books about cults either.
Thank you! Enjoy your weekend, and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Good morning. Here’s what I’ve finished this week:
As several of you have said, THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE by Richard Osman is a worthy successor to The Thursday Murder Club, and I hear there are two more in the works. The club members from the first book, all living in an upscale retirement community, are on the case again, led by ex-spy Elizabeth, who still has valuable contacts from her previous life. Whimsical Joyce is still cataloguing the goings-on in her journal and Ron is a willing participant in the group’s investigations. Only poor Ibrahim, who suffers a mugging at the beginning of the book, is taking it easy after a hospital stay. And of course, his fellow members are determined to take revenge on his attacker. What makes these mysteries different from others with elderly protagonists is that there is real mayhem and danger here, which each of the members handles in his/her own inimitable way, and all are committed to making sure justice is done.
In Rachel Lynn Solomon’s second romcom for adults, WEATHER GIRL, Ari is a Seattle TV meteorologist who has worked for her idol, Torrance Hale, for three years and is still intimidated by her. Torrance and her ex-husband, news director Seth, spend most of their time bad-mouthing each other in the workplace, leading to a hostile work environment for everyone, and Ari hasn’t gotten the mentor she needs. But sports reporter Russell thinks he detects a glimmer of love between the feuding exes and talks Ari into helping him find ways to get them together that remind them of their earlier loving relationship. In the process, of course, Ari and Russell form a close bond, although no-longer-engaged Ari is keeping her clinical depression a secret and Russell is co-parenting a precocious 12-year-old, Elodie, with his ex-wife and hasn’t been on a date in 5 years. It’s the perfect setup for a light-hearted contemporary romance with some serious undertones. Secondary characters such as Ari’s brother and his hilarious 5-year-old twins, adorable and unpredictable Elodie, and Ari’s estranged mother help to keep the plot moving.
The real star of SUMMER LOVE by Nancy Thayer is Nantucket, the beach community where the author has lived for many years. Who wouldn’t want to spend idyllic hours on the island of Nantucket, as richly described over two timelines. Alternate chapters cover summers 25 years apart in the same location. More than two decades ago, four recent college grads get to know each other as they come together in basement apartments in a hotel undergoing renovation. Together and individually, they have adventures, try out jobs that may or may not be temporary, and make decisions about what they want their lives to be. Over a one-week reunion in the present, in the now-luxurious hotel owned by one of their own, they reunite to show their children the glories of Nantucket, to reminisce about that original summer, and to contemplate whether their current lives are what they envisioned way back when. At the same time, their children are going through experiences mirroring those of their parents decades ago. If you would like to escape the troubles of daily life for a while in paradise, this may be the book for you. Personally, I felt it was lacking the depth and nuance that I know Thayer is capable of accomplishing. My favorite book of hers is The Guest Cottage. (May)
I’m sad to say my older son, who lives a 2-hour drive away, has been in the hospital for 10 days, mostly in the ICU, with kidney failure and other issues. No visiting at that hospital, so we make do with videochatting. Looks like he might have to have dialysis indefinitely. Your prayers and healing thoughts are welcome.
Oh Margie I am sorry to hear about your son’s illness. A loved one’s troubles just hurts your heart. I will keep you all in my prayers.
Thank you, Susan,
I’ve been through kidney failure myself, and it’s no fun. I sure hope your son recovers quickly.
Prayers ascending, Margie!
Thank you for your prayers, Trisha.
So sad to hear about your son. Praying for strength and healing for him and your family.
Thank your for your kind words and your prayers, MM.
Thinks my of you, Margie and sending prayers.
Thank you so much, Kaye.
I am so sorry to hear about your son Margie, and I hope he feels at least a little better soon. My own son has been ill since May of last year, though with different issues, so I know it is not an easy time for anyone. (I am relieved to say that mine seems finally to be on much more effective medication.) Not being able to visit in hospital is so difficult, though I appreciate that it is done to protect everyone. I will be thinking of you and him.
I still haven’t read any Richard Osman. I think the immense amount of hype is putting me off – same thing happened with Eleanor Oliphant, despite numerous people telling me how good that was. I am far too stubborn for my own good sometimes.
Thank you, Rosemary. I hope your son continues to improve. I know how you feel about books that are getting a lot of acclaim. The Osman books are fun, but I think they are a bit overhyped. I did love Eleanor Oliphant, though.
Margie, I’m so sorry to hear about your son. As everyone else said, sending prayers.
It almost seems trite to talk about books when that’s so serious. I’m sure they were a much-needed distraction for you. So hard when you can’t be there with him. Sending you hugs.
Thank you, dear friend. One of the hardest things is waiting to hear from the doctor! And, of course, not being able to see Nick. I’m thankful for Facebook Messenger video chats.
Margie – I’m so sorry to hear about your son’s illness. Not being able to visit is so difficult. I will keep you all in my prayers.
Margie, all best from both of us to you an your son. That is really tough. My brother in law had kidney issues, had to go through dialysis for a long time. He needed a transplant, but after promising him one of her kidneys, his sister reneged. He did get another one, though not as good a match as the other had been, which sucked, Best of luck.
Margie, I am so sorry to hear about your son. He will definitely be in my prayers.
We had the same weather as you, Lesa last week. Everything was shut down on Thursday and Friday. We started with ice and ended with snow. Temperatures close to 50 pretty much melted everything but it will be cold again this weekend.
I have to say it is pretty exciting to be living in a city with a Super Bowl team. It is just crazy with all the Bengals paraphernalia and Who Dey signs everywhere. As a native Clevelander, I will always be a Browns fan, but I am rooting for the Bengals on Sunday.
I have a hard time with banned books. I remember checking out some teenaged angsty book from the Willowick Public Library and the librarian asking me if mother knew I was going to be reading that. So, there was never any reading restrictions in my house except for books by Betty Ren Wright. My oldest daughter read The Dollhouse Murders and it scared her enough to give her nightmares. We agreed no more books by that author. By the time #2 daughter got to be that age, we forgot all about it. Darn it all if she didn’t read The Dollhouse Murders and was up all night with nightmares! I will be purchasing your book for my middle school age grandson’s birthday next month.
I am still spending most of my days piecing quilt blocks, so I only read one book this week. Both Lesa and Margie reviewed it here. I enjoyed The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett with 90-year-old Queen Elizabeth as the behind-the-scenes investigator of a murder at Windsor Castle. I especially enjoyed all the end notes about Windsor Castle.
Now I am reading Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner. It is thriller about a pregnant woman who meets a younger single pregnant woman at a birthing class. Rachel, the younger woman, starts invading Helen’s life and eventually becomes an unwanted house guest. Then she goes missing. I have 100 pages left to go. I couldn’t stay awake last night to finish it but it is very good.
Apologies for being so long winded today.
Happy Reading!
I’m looking forward to the second in the SJ Bennett series, out soon. Titled All The Queen’s Men for the US edition.
I bet it’s exciting to be in Cincinnati right now, Sharon! Enjoy all the fuss. Aren’t you glad, though, that the game itself isn’t there? There are a lot of us who used to live in Ohio who are cheering for the Bengals, whether or not we were fans when we lived there.
As someone who is not the parent of two daughters, I find that funny about Betty Ren Wright’s The Dollhouse Murders. Poor girls!
I was with my Dad at the library once, and we checked out a pile of books, taking them home for the rest of the family, too. The librarian called my Mom to say, “Do you know how many books they checked out?” I was WITH my Dad! Librarians can be weird sometimes.
I’m so glad we made it through last weekend without losing power!
That librarian was a nosey parker.
Thank you so much, Sharon. I really appreciate it.
I am glad I can join in somewhat early in the day. I am super busy, which somehow makes me read more than usual. Anyway, this week I read a couple of Lady Adelaide mysteries by Maggie Robinson. I think she does a good job of being in her characters’ heads, and I enjoy picturing the beautiful people, settings, and clothes. I also read Payback’s A Witch by Lana Harper (also fun in its treatment of social dynamics) and a not so great book on Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety.
I do try to catch up with people during the day, Trisha, but I know it’s more fun if you can chat with the other readers during the day.
I appreciate how you respond to every comment, no matter when it comes in!
I try, Trisha. If someone else’s response is more appropriate, though, I don’t intrude. I think it’s great that people here talk with each other.
Margie, I am sorry to hear about your son’s hospitalization and I know it must be difficult not to be able to see him at this time.
Things have settled down here following my husband’s surgery. He cannot do much with his blurry vision and he still gets fatigued easily, which we did not expect. But his mood, and mine, has improved.
READING: I finished NEMESIS by Jo Nesbo. My final thoughts are, a good book, good writing, but I am not motivated to continue the series.
The next book I read was more satisfying and I finished it more quickly: DRESSED FOR DEATH by Donna Leon. It is the third in the Commissario Brunetti series; I read the first two books in the series in 2011. Brunetti has to go to Mestre to handle a case because the Commissarios there are all unavailable. The dead body of a man, badly beaten, is found near a slaughterhouse; he is dressed in women’s clothing, and the face is so mutilated that identification of the body is difficult.
I am still reading CARRY ME HOME: BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution. I finally have gotten through the sections on the May 1963 demonstrations and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in September 1963. I was dreading reading that part and now I only have 75 pages more to read in the book.
Carry Me Home does sound like tough reading, Tracy.
I’m glad to hear your husband is continuing to get better. I hope that continues!
Thank you, I’m glad you and your husband are feeling better after his surgery.
‘be read some very b good stuff!
Something Wicked by David Housewright (ARC) – 19th book in the series. “In David Housewright’s next hardboiled mystery Something Wicked, Rushmore McKenzie, who promised to retire after his last nearly-fatal case, gets talked into doing an old friend a favor involving a castle, a family fighting over an inheritance, and at least one mysterious death.
Rushmore McKenzie was a detective with the St. Paul, Minnesota PD until unlikely events made him first a millionaire and then a retiree. Since then, he’s been an occasional unofficial private investigator – looking into things for friends and friends of friends – until his most recent case put him into a coma and nearly into a coffin. Now, at the insistence of his better half Nina Truhler, he is again retired.”
Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith (ARC) – “From the award-winning author of This Close to Okay comes the irresistible story of a woman remaking her life after her husband’s betrayal leads to a year of travel, art, and passion in Paris.”. I loved this book, but was disappointed with the ending.
Chateau des Corbeaux by Lise McClendon – 17th book in the series. “Come along to France — and the world– with the five sisters, lawyers all, with the series called “deliciously cozy chronicles of sisterhood, international travel … with a soupçon of danger.”
Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb – 54th book in the series. “Homicide detective Eve Dallas must untangle a twisted family history while a hostage’s life hangs in the balance—in Abandoned in Death by New York Times bestselling author J. D. Robb.”. This was another reason excellent entry in a terrific series, but it’s really all about the characters J. D. Robb has so meticulously created.
And to Margie, please ignore the scrambled mess auto correct made of my note to you! Sending prayers your way. Also, I agree with everything you said about the new Nancy Thayer book. I live her work, but this one was quite a disappointment.
Donna would agree with both of you, Kaye. She’s found Nancy Thayer’s last couple books to be disappointing, and she was always one of her favorite authors.
Darn. I hate it when the ending of a book is disappointing. But, at least J.D. Robb never disappoints. I knew you’d be happy with Abandoned in Death.
Sending hugs!
Not to worry, Kaye–I got the gist. I’m glad you agree about Nancy Thayer. I’ve really loved some of her books, but this one seemed so superficial and lacking in style.
So, Kaye, “Deliciously cozy chronicles of sisterhood” is the name of a series? I’m running away as fast as I can!
And so would i, Rick. I chose poorly for a descriptor, I’m afraid. The series is, I would say, traditional. Set, mostly, in France. The sisters are close, do not always agree with one another. The series is character driven, with good plotting and exceptional writing. The Bennett Sisters series is a series I recommend. All 17 books in the series.
Are they sisters, or Sisters as in a monastery?
They’re sisters, not Sisters in a monastery, Rick.
Good morning! Another sunny day here. Should be close to 80, but windy again, at least when I go for my run at lunch time. I really wish the wind would die down.
After work, I should be finishing NUN BUT THE BRAVE by Alice Loweecey. The main character is a former nun turned PI. It’s had me laughing, although the laughs are fewer as we get closer to the climax, which only makes sense.
80 and sunny, Mark, my perfect temperature! That’s just what I like, but I agree with you. I don’t need the wind.
I should check out Alice Lowecey sometime.
P.s. autocorrect is trying to push me over the edge.
When you see a comment from me that reads as though it was written by a very mischievous poltergeist child who constantly changes the word love to live and other crazy stuff – it was. Said poltergeist lives in my Kindle.
You do know you could have blamed Annabelle, Kaye.
Lesa, I also meant to comment on the new popularity of Maus. I had not even heard about the banning of the book, and it is amazing to hear that it is so hard to get all of a sudden. I bought a copy of Maus a few years ago to reread (and haven’t done that yet). I have a hardback that also includes And Here My Troubles Began, which I haven’t ever read, and a paperback of just the first book.
Oh, yes, Tracy. The author, Art Spiegelman, did an event for a Jewish group in Tennessee. It was a Zoom event, and they had 10,000 people watch from around the country.
Sunny, and way too dry here. It’s in the 80’s, when it should be in the 50’s, and wet.
This week, I read:
Unfrozen by Regine Abel and Master of the Hunt by Lisa Blackwood; Fantasy romances. In the first, a lady falls for a space goelm, in the second, it’s a centaur. Maybe those myths about Zeus turning into a goose and seducing women weren’t so far-fetched after all.
Assault and ButterCream by Leighann Dobbs; Theres a dog show at the retirement community, a jewel theft, a dog-napping, and murder! Nobody at that community should be driving.
Quarry’s Blood by Max Allan Collins; Quarry’s nearing 70 years old, and has been out of the killing game for years. Then someone knocks on the door, and he’s right back in. Great old man action.
Critical Response by JT Sawyer The Chi-Coms and the Cartels join forces to use a microwave gun against America’s security apparatus. Lots of shooting.
I love the sound of that weather, Glen, but I understand when you say it’s not seasonal.
Love the comment about Zeus as a goose. And, I just don’t pick up books anymore if they mention cartels.
The weather has been dry and cool, no rain so far this month which is bad, but hopefully rain will come soon.
The Peter Lovesey short story collection arrived as expected, and I’m reading it along with a couple of other short story collections / anthologies. Though, I’ll admit, I am a little lacking in reading enthusiasm, the Lovesey is quite enjoyable. Best story featured Peter Diamond. Nothing else grabbed me of late, but I’ve so many books piled up I’ll keep plowing on.
After enjoying Rosamunde Pilcher’s Winter Solice, I started her September. I quit after just over 50 pages, not because it wasn’t good, but because there were too many characters to keep track of, and I was losing the thread of whatever plot was developing. Perhaps I just wasn’t clearheaded enough. So I’ll continue with short stories for now. Meanwhile we’ve been watching Winter Olympics, though we find NBC’s coverage wanting.
Valentine’s Day, and our Anniversary the day following, are almost here. No special plans in this time of Covid, but we’ll enjoy the days. Best to everyone here at Lesa’s.
Have a lovely anniversary, Rick. How nice to have it paired with Valentine’s Day.
Thank you, Rick. And, as Tracy said, have a lovely anniversary.
And, you’re right. The coverage has been just so-so, but I imagine it’s not easy to get excited about covering an event when you can’t be there. Oh, well. I did stay up and watch the ice skating last night to see Nathan Chen.
Very sorry to hear about your son. This morning, I read anarticle about the comedian George Lopez int the magazine Brain amd life. He has a struggle wiithneuropathy that is connected to kidney failure. He didn’t get help until he almost died due His panic males like to claim that nothing is wrong with them.https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/george-lopez-sheds-light-on-neuropathy-kidney-disease/ I am hoping and praying for the best for your son.
I am down to my last two audiobooks Now listening to The Fallen by David Baldacci. I have had it for a long time and was relucant to start. It is the 4th in the Memory Man Series. The first disc was OK but I am tired of the serie after book #3 was depressing. It has interesting forensics in it but lacks a lot when it comes to character developement.
Also, almost finished reading From the Hood to The Holler by Charles J, Booker. The authr is a black who grew up in the West End of Louisville. His mother worked hard to raise money for food and rent, and they lived in poverty in an area loaded with gangs and guns. His grandmother and their church were a strong force in guiding him to college, law school, state government is running for U.S, Senator in Kentucky this year. He tells of his political journey and his battle with Type I Diabetes. I have Type II but I know that diabetes is nothing that you can ignore. He did try to do that when he didn’t have the $800 a month for the insulin shots. It is not the usual political book from a candidate. He is very truthful and when he cannot deal with what is going on, he cries.
I thought that was brave of him, I had always been told to hold nack my tears in tough moments, but my father and mother let me cry when needed and I think his grandmother and mother did too.
Charles Booker’s memoir is the one that sounds interesting, Carolee. Thanks for mentioning it.
Library informed me The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natusukawa is ready for pickup.
Good evening all,
Lesa, Madeleine has a copy of MAUS and likes it a lot. She also rates Alison Bechdel’s FUN HOME. I am appalled to see books being banned in what is supposed to be a free country. I too have never censored my children’s reading matter in any way. (When my son seemed to read nothing but Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, I’d have been so pleased to see hime read something – anything – else but *somehow* I kept out of it and now he reads very widely.) I see that Florida is now seeking to ban discussion in schools of non-heterosexual relationships. I find this approach so repressive, and really quite paranoid.
I am back from my second visit to town in two days, when I normally only go in maybe once in two months. I had boots to collect from the cobbler, so trailed all the way in yesterday only to find a note on the door saying he would be unexpectedly closed until today….so this morning back I went, and he was open – but then could not find my boots for 10 minutes. He did locate them in the end, but I had visions of them having been returned to the wrong person.
This actually happened to my mother and me when I was still at school, but the ‘object’ was not footware but our cat! We were very uninformed in those days, and had boarded our poor tabby in what I can now see was a terrible cattery, but we had no idea. When we went to get her they could not find her, but instead had a surplus tabby kitten. Our cat was very far from kittenhood, elderly, and with wobbly back legs that she had had ever since suffering cat flu before we adopted her. It turned out that the man who had taken her home had only acquired his kitten just before having to be away, so when the manager told him ours was his cat, he took her word for it. He brought her back as soon as he was asked – he had probably wondered what on earth had happened to his energetic young kitten in the space of a couple of weeks. After that we did more research into good catteries.
I’m glad your weather has calmed down Lesa. Ours today is horrid; very, very cold, windy and wet. I am so glad I don’t need to go out again today. On Tuesday Nancy and I had a fine walk on the Finzean estate, with some excellent views of Clachnaben – ever since then the weather has been getting worse; tomorrow I am supposed to be walking with another friend at Kemnay, north east of here – but at this rate we might just end up in a coffee shop.
This week I finished RUNAWAY by Claire MacLeary; I think i wrote about her on here a while back when I reviewed another book in the same series, PAYBACK. Runaway actually comes before Payback in time, but it doesn’t really matter. I enjoyed reading more about Maggie Laird and Wilma Harcus, two Aberdonian women trying to make a go of Maggie’s late husband’s investigation agency while at the same time holding down their low-paid jobs and coping with their often difficult grown up children, elderly parents and demanding partners. When I mentioned the book on twitter, the publisher let me know that there will be a new addition to the series this year, and I will look forward to that.
I am now reading LETTER FROM REACHFAR, a kind of autobiography by Jane Duncan, who wrote numerous books whose titles all started ‘My friend….’ (eg MY FRIENDS THE MISS BOYDS, MY FRIEND MURIEL – and lots more.) I do have some of those books but I’ve not yet read any of them. Letter from Reachfar was mentioned by another book blogger, who was talking about the ‘My Friend’ books and saying she wished she could read Duncan’s autobiography, but it was virtually unobtainable except at ridiculous prices. I decided to try my library, and lo and behold, there it was in the reserve stock catalogue. I imagine this might be because Duncan grew up in Scotland, and returned here in later life.
Duncan was born on her family’s croft in the Black Isle of what was then Ross-shire. As her father was a policeman in Glasgow, she spent school terms in the city and holidays back on the croft, which she loved. She even travelled there alone at the age of 5, in 1915, when her father could not get leave, and her mother would have needed a passport, which she did not have, to enter what was then a protected wartime area owing to the North Sea Fleet having one of its main bases in the Cromarty Firth. Jane, being a minor, was allowed to travel:
‘my poor parents, in desperation, pinned a label with my name and address and a little money inside my coat and my father took me to Buchanan Street station in Glasgow and put me in the charge of the guard…I do not remember being handed, as I am assured I was, sound asleep, from the arms of a large Australian soldier into those of my Uncle George at Inverness.’
Imagine that now.
When she left university Duncan had a series of uninspiring jobs, mainly as a companion to elderly rich ladies, so when the Second World War broke out, she immediately joined up, and had a great time in the WAAF. When she later married she lived for many years in the West Indies where her husband had a job, but on his early death she returned to Ross-shire, took up residence in the coastal village of Jemimaville, and got on with her writing.
So far I am enjoying this book very much.
I am also reading THE BELL JAR – I have no clue as to why I haven’t read this before, it is brilliant. I told my elder daughter Anna about it, and she replied that she had read it when she was 18 – I had no idea! She said, and I tend to agree, that she finds Plath so much easier to read than Virginia Woolf. As I may have said last week, I have been listening to MRS DALLOWAY on BBC Sounds, and Woolf does not improve! I feel this must be a failure in me, akin to my inability to appreciate what i am told is the genius of Agatha Christie. Now I want to read the new biography of Plath, RED COMET: THE SHORT LIFE AND BLAZING ART OF SYLVIA PLATH by Heather Clark.
On Sounds I also finished John Creasy’s THE TOFF ON THE FARM, which was fun. I always find with this sort of thing that i imagine a far more complicated denouement than the one the author eventually provides, but i still enjoy the stories.
I have now downloaded Sounds audiobooks of WINTERING BY Katherine May and PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke. So many people have loved Piranesi. I am not at all sure if it will be for me – I flipped through it in the library and put it back, but I’ll try the first 14 minute episode when I am out walking.
On TV I am enjoying this series of CALL THE MIDWIFE – last Sunday’s episode was heartbreaking but also very good. One of the things it highlighted was the campaign to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated against measles, and the different approaches that had to be tried to persuade them. In those days, although there was obviously some reluctance, there doesn’t appear to have been anything like today’s opposition to the vaccine. None of my children has had measles, because they were all innoculated against it at a young age – but I read that this awful virus is making a resurgence in unvaccinated communities.
We are also watching IAIN ROBERTSON’S WALKS, a BBC Scotland series – it’s simpy recorded by Robertson himself using his phone, and this makes it much more engaging and real than some of the more glossy programmes. Robertson is an actor in River City, a long running soap set in Glasgow. I’ve never seen it, but he is excellent in this series – he is happy to share the things he loves, but also doesn’t hold back in complaining about the midges, flies, bad weather and overgrown paths he encounters. He camps out at night, putting up his own tent and cooking his own tea. The current walk is the Southern Upland Way, which is over 200 miles long and challenging in places. He started on the west coast at Portpatrick, and I think the next episode will take him through Aviemore, Nethybridge and Cromdale, all places that we know well.
My husband found it so interesting that i had to say ‘Don’t even think about this as a fun holiday’ before he started buying a map. It’s great to watch on TV, and I have nothing against walking, but the conditions that Robertson is putting up with are not for me these days (especially the flies and midges, which are ferocious on the west coast in the summer months.)
Since I had to go into town twice, I could not, of course, avoid a few little side trips into charity shops. Among the books I bought were:
SHUGGIE BAIN by Douglas Stuart – I really got this for my husband, as although it won the Booker Prize, and I am thrilled to see a Scottish author do so, I don’t think I can cope with all the unrelenting misery of this story about a young (gay) boy and his alcoholic mother living in run-down public housing in 1980s Glasgow.
LADY IN WAITING by Anne Glenconner
A BETTER MAN by Louise Penny
THE REAL KATIE LAVENDER by Erica James
THE CHILDREN WHO LIVED IN A BARN by Eleanor Graham (which I’ve already read in the Persephone edition, but this is a Puffin [Penguin] paperback illustrated by Mary Gernat, and I could not resist it.) It was written in 1938, when – presumably – the concept of Mother and Daddy taking themselves off to look after Granny, who has gone to some European spa for a ‘cure’ (clearly not a very good one!), and leaving five children to look after themselves, then disappearing altogether, was perfectly OK! I The children, harrassed by the family’s landlord, decide to move into a barn and fend for themselves.
ROGUE MALE by Geoffrey Household – I’ve heard of this but never read it; it was first published in 1939 and this is a lovely new-ish edition by Orion. I see from the frontspiece that Household wrote well over 30 books – he must have been famous in his time.
I will stop now! On Thursday of next week Anna is coming for a short visit during her half term, so if I don’t get a chance to contribute here, I’ll hope to be back the following week.
Have a lovely weekend all, especially those of you jammy people with good weather!
Rosemary, enjoyed your Jane Duncan section. When I was buying books all over Britain for resale, a friend who supplied me with many things sent me a paperback of one of her books in an early Pan edition. It sold immediately, so after that I was always on the lookout for her books, as I knew there was an audience in the States too.
I probably read THE BELL JAR nearly 50 years ago. Interested in your opinion.
Rosemary,
Douglas Stuart, the author of Shuggie Bain, has a new book coming out in April here. It’s called Mungo, and, it too sounds depressing. I haven’t read Shuggie Bain. Just too depressing for me.
That comment about your husband made me laugh – “Don’t even think about this as a fun holiday.” He certainly has different ideas of a fun holiday than I would. And, unlike you, I wouldn’t be up for a walking holiday. I do cities, not countryside. I once went with my husband to a gorgeous resort hotel. I could play while he attended workshops. I was bored out of my mind. I am not a sit and relax sort of person unless I’m home with my books and my cats.
I cannot imagine arriving at a cattery and finding a kitten when I left an elderly cat. That is just so odd!
I love your posts. I’ll miss you next week!
I wish I could read right now. My vision is way off at the moment. The doc thinks I have COVID despite being vaccinated and boosted. Got tested today so I’ll know today or tomorrow for sure. I had delivery man last Thursday who came into the house with no mask. I quickly got one for myself, but he did not. That’s the only contact I’ve had with anyone other than my hubby since then. I feel pretty awful – chills, fever, body aches, headaches, shortness of breath, and more. I’m pissed I got this despite being careful for the entire pandemic! Well, I’m still reading Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series. I finished #9 earlier this week. Plus I’m reading the short stories between each novel. Just can’t see straight to read. Guess I’ll watch Olympic curling again tonight.
Oh, Sandie! That’s terrible. I haven’t had it yet, but I’d be pissed, too. I’ve been so careful, and I don’t have the health issues you do.
One of my team had COVID last week. Like you, he had been vaccinated and boosted. He said he felt terrible on Wednesday last week.
I’m sorry. Take care of yourself.
Oh, darn! Get better quick, Sandie!
Well, that’s terrible, Sandie. Feel better.
Sandie, I hope that you feel better quickly and Margie,sending prayers for your son.
So very sorry about the health stuff going on….I know several folks who were fully boosted and very careful and still got the new Omicron version of Covid.
Finished the arc of A KIND AND SAVAGE PLANCE by Rick Helms earlier today. I still have to write a review. Not in the mood to deal with doing that. Very good book. But, I am not in a good place mentally so this is not the time to try to write.
After cursing NETGALLEY for years and never getting anything, at the suggestion of a friend, I put in for the new book, THE IVESTIGATOR by John Sandford. First in the new series. It actually arrived this afternoon and I have started that.
We were 80 today and a front is coming through. While that front is dry, we are being warned that Wednesday night we will probably under some sort of storm watch as another front comes through. It is looking more and more like it might be our first twister watch of 2022 which also would mean the potential of large hail. Blah.
We might be under that same storm watch, Kevin. Twister area here, too, but not as much as your location.
I liked The Investigator. Didn’t love it, but it’s a fast, enjoyable read. Curious as to what you’ll think.
Sending hugs. Sorry you’re not in a good place right now.
Enjoying it, but not loving it. To me, it reads like a Lucas without Lucas. Not sure if that makes sense.
Grief is a beast. I know that is at least part of the problem as it has really flared up the last couple of days. Sorry to have brought some of my crap here. Again.
11:30 PM Sat Nite….
And I just finished it. Not entirely happy with the ending. Kind of expected it. Don’t want to say too much here and blow it for folks. Overall, I enjoyed it. But…. it just as easily could have been Lucas and not Letty. She is a female Lucas and the book reads like a Lucas one. At least with that f ing Flowers, it reads a little different.