Vivian's 2018 Reading, Part 2

Another thread!

2017 favorites

Oh, sure. Another thread. Stretch it out.

Happy new thread!

Hi Vivian, just thought I'd stop by to thank you for making me aware of Kate Atkinson's Transcription, which made me pounce on it while we were in Paris. I've now read it and really enjoyed it -- my review is posted with the book, and also at the end of my third thread (I just started my fourth).

One of these days I'll read The Immortalists as well, so we can compare notes. Other books keep jumping the queue. 😂

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Vivian! Sorry, to hear that Washington Black did not toot your horn. I have been getting very excited about that one...

Happy new thread, Vivian!

Happy new one, Vivian. I think I'll give Washington Black a try in the next couple of weeks.

Happy new thread, Vivian!

Thanks for all the visits to my new thread! This is the first year I've added a second one and it's thanks to all you lovely people.

Hi Bill (yup, really stretching it out!) and Anita.

Hi Laura - I'm still thinking you should pass on The Immortalists, sorry to say. You have so much great reading on your plate and it was just very mediocre. I'm still turning over Transcription and may go back and reread the last third or so....

Thanks Jim, Mark and Anita! Beth, I'll be curious to hear what you think about Washington Black. I was just on Ellen's thread and commented that my perspective may have been influenced by having read Sugar Money so recently.

Thanks Darryl! Hope your NY plans come together.

#111 Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves Rachel Malik
I loved this debut historical fiction (which made the Walter Scott shortlist), inspired by the true story of the author's grandmother. Miss Hargreaves leaves her family in Manchester at the beginning of WWII and hires herself as a land worker on a single woman's farm. The two unusual personalities mesh and they become lifelong partners, despite having to be itinerant laborers. Wonderful descriptions, gripping plot line, and completely empathetic characters.

Happy new one, Vivian!

>11 vivians: - I've been wanting to read that one. I should move it up the list.

We still on for the Kingsolver talk later this month?!?!

>12 katiekrug: Yes! Dinner in B'klyn before? The talk begins at 7:30, 245 Clinton Avenue.

Sounds good! I'm taking a half day off so am totally flexible.

This place appeals... http://www.oleabrooklyn.com/. What do you think? I'm easy...

I'll take the A or C to Clinton-Washington Ave.

Hm. The restaurant looks really nice. I've never read any Kingsolver, although I have some on the shelf, of course.

The restaurant looks perfect. I can drive you back into the city on my way home.

>16 ffortsa: Hi Judy - I've really enjoyed some of Kingsolver's works, especiallyThe Lacuna, The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees. She'll be talking about her newest, called Unsheltered.

We have an old friend who's a fanatic filmgoer and is a member of the New York Film Festival. He invites us every year (the most memorable being the 25th anniversary showing of the Princess Bride, with all the actors in attendance!) and last night we saw the new Coen brothers "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." Dark and funny, as are most of their movies, with some great performances. It's always a treat (especially seeing Liam Neeson!!!) but I'm paying for the late night now...

Well, it is Friday, Vivian, and it sounds like the late night was worth it. I just stared Washington Black, so I guess, after reading yours and Ellen's comments, that I'll wait a while before I read Sugar Money.

Have a great weekend.

Thanks Beth!

#112 Casting Off Elizabeth Jane Howard
Wonderful 4th installment of a terrific series. Post-war travails of the Cazalet family and their circle. Great characters and wonderful passages about unrequited love, among other life issues.

>17 vivians: Hm. That interview is on the 15th, and I think I have something doing then. If not, I may consider asking if I may gatecrash dinner to say hello.

Hi Vivian and happy new thread. Back to a comment on your prior thread, you said something about more work always being there... for some reason I had it in my head that you were retired. I guess not.

I wish I could join in for the NY meet-up!

>18 BLBera: Very wise, I think.

Happy new thread!

Happy Sunday, Vivian. One of these days I would love to a attend a NYC Meet Up. I hope it happens.

I have Unsheltered on shelf. I hope to bookhorn it in, later next month.

>17 vivians: I really should read some Kingsolver.

Do you know about the Museum of Modern Art 'contenders' series? They show movies that are likely to be chosen for Academy Award nominations. I don't know what the non-member cost is, but members pay almost nothing. It should be active about now.

eta: Hm. I don't see it on the calendar.

>20 ffortsa: >24 ffortsa: It would be great to see you Judy. Thanks for the MOMA heads up. I definitely don't get there enough.

>21 EBT1002: Not retired yet, Ellen! I actually started my own business about 10 years ago and have been working even harder since I've been on my own. Luckily it's something that I love doing, but I do mourn the lack of reading time.

>22 thornton37814: Thanks Lori!

>23 msf59: NY should be high on your list, Mark.

#113 The Pyramid of Mud Andrea Camilleri
These mysteries are short, narrated well, and are available on audio from my library. I frequently can't keep the names straight, but I do like the Montalbano character.

#114 French Exit Patrick DeWitt
This one didn't bowl me over the way The Sisters Brothers and Undermajordomo Minor did. It's the story of an entitled, widowed Manhattan socialite and her dependent adult son. They find themselves virtually penniless after years of profligate spending, and exile themselves to Paris. Despite the dark humor and great dialogue, I just wasn't satisfied.

#115 Necessary as BloodDeborah Crombie
I like this series a lot and am sad that I'm getting near the end. Each installment advances the Kincaid-James relationship, and additional characters are added or fleshed out. The different London settings, this time the East End with its mixture of Pakistani and British cultures, are wonderful. The mystery involves a young artist and mother who vanishes, followed by the murder of her husband a few months later. The investigation seemed to meander and the resolution seemed a little pat, but otherwise very enjoyable addition.

I'll pass on the DeWitt, Vivian. Thanks for reading it. :)

I love the Crombie series, but I either have to start rereading them or wait patiently for the next one.

>26 BLBera: I just hope Crombie keeps writing!

#116 Southernmost Silas House
An evangelical preacher in Tennessee slowly transforms his outlook on the world and becomes a tolerant humanist. After losing custody to his fiercely dogmatic wife, he kidnaps his son. I found the plot and the writing simplistic, and would have liked to hear the wife's point of view, since it's the one I most don't understand. Nothing wrong with this one but it didn't engage me.

>27 vivians: I didn't care for the book that much either.

Lori - I was surprised to see it on Carnegie list.

Re Booker prize: I was disappointed that The Overstory didn't win but I have to say that I really enjoyed Milkman and can understand the choice. I very strongly recommend the audio version to anyone who is considering reading it. The narrator is terrific, there's a fair amount of humor that for me might have been lost in print, and the stream of consciousness and lack of proper names just isn't an issue.

Katie and I saw Barbara Kingsolver in Brooklyn earlier this week. I thought she spoke very thoughtfully and well, and the interviewer Julie Orringer did not intrude or pontificate. I was disappointed to read the poor NY Times review but will read Unsheltered anyway. We had a great dinner (Katie's choice!) and a really enjoyable evening. (Plus I found a parking spot .)

I'm loving Virgil Wander a lot, and not too thrilled about Clock Dance. Lethal White is my current audio - just great.

I hadn't heard of Virgil Wander but it looks good! I added it to The List.

Well, VIvian, I got the Booker Prize news here! I just got a copy of Milkman in the mail.

Hi, Vivian. Glad to hear you had such a good time with Katie. I was honored to have met her, in Asheville, for one of the Booktopias. We had a great time. I hope to fit in Virgil Wander, in the next week or two.

Hi Katie, Beth and Mark. I've been absent on my own thread...

#117 Virgil Wander Leif Enger
Great story about a theater owner in a small Minnesotan town who is rescued from a near-death car accident in frozen Lake Superior. His brain seems altered by the experience and he has difficulty retrieving words, particularly adjectives. Beautifully written, rich characters, terrific and multiple plot lines and even some twists. Loved, loved, this book, will definitely be in my top ten for the year.

#118 Clock Dance Anne Tyler
In a typical Tyler way, not much happens in this story about Willa, seen first as a child, then as a fiancee, and finally as a widowed and newly remarried 60 something year old. The men in her life have been passive or have been bullies, and after a strange phone call (from Baltimore, of course) she finally finds her voice and her independence. Ok, not great.

#119 Lethal White Robert Galbraith
How does she do it? Another brilliant book in the Cormoran Strike series, filled with topical political references (it's set in London during the 2012 Olympics), perfect character development for the two main protagonists, a complex mystery set in Parliament, government corruption, mental illness, and 600-odd pages of great dialogue and description.

#120 The Friend Sigrid Nunez
Short and very good. Sometimes it read like memoir, sometimes just the author trying to make sense of the suicide of her dearest friend and her subsequent attachment to the enormous dog he left behind.

I really need to start the Cormoran Strike series. It's on tap for next month, I think - fulfills a PopSugar Challenge prompt :)

You and Beth have me intrigued by the Nunez... And the Enger goes on the list, except I think it's already there from your earlier comments about it when you were in the midst of it!

Glad I can repay you for the BBs you sent me!

Hi, Vivian. I finished and loved The Overstory. I hope to get to Virgil Wander next month. I have a healthy stack I am trying to make my way through.

I am also intrigued by The Friend.

I'm glad you liked The Friend, Vivian. I've added VIrgil Wander to the list.

I'm glad that you liked Milkman, Vivian. I started it a couple of days ago, and I hope to finish it by Monday.

Beth and Mark - I really loved Virgil Wander. I was in a Barnes & Noble last night and stood there for 15 minutes re-reading the last chapters.

Hi Darryl - I'm still thinking about Milkman so I guess that's a good indication of its impact on me.

#121 How To Be Safe Tom McAllister
A terrific narrator for this dark, satirical look at the year after a horrific school shooting. She is a suspended teacher, briefly considered as a suspect, who is trying to recover from the tragedy.The reaction of the town and its mayor are telling: pledges, SWAT teams, surveillance but the true cause, the availability of guns, is never addressed. I wasn't sure whether to take the dystopian elements seriously (did the sun really fall into the lake or was this just a manifestation of Anna's depression?) but that was my only gripe.

Last night we went to a live podcast of Preet Bharara interviewing Jeffrey Toobin. I'd really recommend the podcast ("Stay Tuned with Preet"). Horribly depressing to hear Toobin predict that Roe v Wade will be overturned within the next 18 moths, given the Supreme Court's upcoming cases. I'm adding Toobin's The Nine to my TBR.

I've heard Toobin predicting this, Vivian. Have you read Red Clocks? It seems less and less dystopian...

>39 vivians: - I'm so glad you liked the McAllister! I agree about the sun thing - I just sort of let my brain slide right over that :)

>29 vivians: Thanks for sharing your experience hearing Barbara Kingsolver being interviewed. She has long been a favorite and I'll also read Unsheltered, probably when it comes out in paperback.

I finished Milkman last week and, although I gave it but four stars, I think it was an excellent read. Your comment about some of the humor coming through in audio that might be lost in print interested me. I certainly chuckled out loud more than once while reading it. I could imagine rereading it at some point and maybe I would go with the audio version.

In the meantime, I will seek out and listen to that podcast, even though it may depress me. It's hard not to be depressed by the direction we are heading as a country. It has been clear (to me) that there are conservative voters willing to risk almost anything in order to overturn Roe v Wade and same-sex marriage. I pretty much trust Toobin's analysis.

I need to read How to Be Safe.

I am looking forward to reading Virgil Wander, Vivian. It is home from the library begging for my attention. First I have to formulate some coherent thoughts on Bridge of Clay, another long-awaited one by a beloved author. I almost gave up on it after the first 50-some pages…. I don't understand why Zusak chose to tell his story in such a confusing manner… I think he took well over a decade to write it.

Hi friends - just reeling from Pittsburgh events. I spent yesterday in the city with my mother - she's 93, a refugee from Nazi Germany (both she and my father were born in Germany and spent their teenage years fleeing through Holland, Belgium, France and eventually landing in Cuba for years bc no US visas were available). She was glued to CNN all day and couldn't stop weeping. What a world.

It's so awful, Vivian. Thinking of you and your mother, especially.

Thoughts are with you and your family, and all who are feeling besieged, Vivian. One would hope your mother could have some peace.

I cannot image how your mother's memories must become waking nightmares. How terrible for her.

Thanks Katie, Beth and Judy - such tough times.

#122 Where the Dead Sit Talking Brandon Hobson
This fell flat for me, although I decided to finish it. Nation Book Award longlist. Told entirely from the POV of a Cherokee teenage boy living in foster care in 1980s Oklahoma after his mother is jailed.

#123 Depth of Winter Craig Johnson
Quite a different installment in the Longmire series, this novel removes the sheriff from the Wyoming plains and sets him down in the Mexican desert on a mission to rescue his kidnapped daughter from a drug cartel. More a thriller than a mystery, too graphic and too many false endings for me.

#124 When God was a Rabbit Sarah Winman
I loved Tin Man and found this earlier book - her debut I think - very good (but not quite as good). I loved the family relationships of Elly, her older brother Joe, their parents, and their close network of friends. Some of the coincidences were jarring, and some of the events seemed too vaguely described to be understood, but all in all really worthwhile.

I'm so glad you liked When God Was a Rabbit. I will definitely look for Tin Man.

Just now reading about your mom and her experiences. Sending hugs to you and her. It is a terrifying world in which we are living.

I had not heard of When God Was a Rabbit, nor Tin Man. I will look for both.

>47 ffortsa: what Judy said, I can't imagine how difficult this is for your mother and, in turn, for you and the rest of your family.

On another note, did you see that Barbara Kingsolver's new novel was reviewed in this week's NYT Book Review? This time the review was more positive. I find it interesting that it was reviewed twice, I wonder what that was all about?

>49 BLBera: I listen to a British podcaster who raved about Tin Man when it first came out. It's always frustrating when those great British books have US publication dates so long away. That was true of some of the Booker nominees this year too. Oh well, more to look forward to, I guess!

>50 EBT1002: Thanks for your thoughts, Ellen. Our synagogue held a vigil last week which was filled with non-Jewish clergy and community members. There was an outpouring of support and solidarity that really felt wonderful. Now if only Tuesday can turn things around...

>51 lauralkeet: Thanks to you too Laura! I made a quick run to Philadelphia last week and thought of you! I took my mother to see her 2 great-grandchildren (my nephew's kids), one of whom is a sweet and adorable 5 month old. A lot of driving but well worth it for a few hours of cuddles.

I haven't seen the NYT 2nd review but will hopefully get to it tonight. I know the previous (weekday) review was written by one of the staff reviewers, Dwight Garner, and I bet the one in the book review was written by a guest reviewer. One of the highlights of listening to the book review podcast each week is getting to hear from the staff reviewers: what they are reading, both for themselves and for work, how they approach their craft, etc.

#125 All Change Elizabeth Jane Howard
I'm so sad to have come to the end of this series. It provided hours and hours of enjoyment, great characters and wonderful vignettes of wartime and post-war England. In this final volume, which seemed much choppier than the others because the cast had expanded so much, the Cazalet family faced upheavals and change. The whole series is tremendously worthwhile. (The narration by Penelope Wilson, of Downton Abbey fame, was perfect.)

I just started the new Kingsolver, Vivian, and the first 30 pages are good... I try not to read reviews, at least no closely when I know I'll be reading a book soon. I'll look at them after I finish it.

Fingers crossed for a blue day tomorrow...

I still haven't read the last Cazalet book. I almost feel like I should reread them because it's been a while.

Looking forward to your thoughts on the Kingsolver, Beth. I'll be reading it sometime soon. I really enjoyed the Cazalet series.

I'm in Austin for a conference this week, but voted before I left home. It was encouraging to see such a big turnout, and even here, driving from the airport, there were loads of "vote" signs everywhere. It would be so exciting to be here for a Beto win but it still seems like a long shot.

#126 The Dry Jane Harper
Thanks to Katie and maybe Ellen??? for this recommendation. I should keep better track of who posts what. Excellent mystery set in the middle of a devastating drought in the small Outback town of Kiewarra. Two storylines: a 20 year old cold case - the death of a teenager, and a brutal murder of a family. They are tied together by the presence of Aaron Falk, who fled from the town as a teenager and is now a federal investigator in Melbourne. His return is accompanied by animosity and threats, but he persists in trying to solve both mysteries. Very gripping and worthwhile.

#127 The Wardrobe Mistress Patrick McGrath
Walter Scott shortlist. Great companion novel to Kate Atkinson's Transcription - this takes place in post-war, freezing London, where the fascists are resurgent. I wasn't thrilled about the "Greek chorus" commenting along the way, but otherwise found this very engaging.

Hi, Vivian. I finished and really enjoyed Washington Black. I like the different directions that it took. Hooray for When God Was a Rabbit. I will have to get my mitts on that one.

I hope to get to Virgil Wander in the next 2 weeks.

I can't take any credit for The Dry, as I haven't read it (yet - it's on my Kindle)!

>54 vivians: I can't take credit for The Dry, because I read it before we knew one another, but I liked it!

I did recently read The Dry, Vivian, so if you liked it, I'll take credit. If you didn't, it's Julia's fault.

The Wardrobe Mistress sounds great; onto the list it goes. I'm hoping to get to Transcription this year. I am enjoying the Kingsolver.

Hi Mark - such great reading going on! I think you'll love Virgil Wander. It will definitely be on my best list of the year.

Hi Katie and Laura - ok, hereby giving credit to Beth for The Dry - thanks Beth!

#128 Trick Domenico Starnone
This short novel received a lot of press last year because of its translator, Jhumpa Lahiri, who had only recently become proficient in Italian. It probably makes sense to read the Henry James short story "The Jolly Corner" before reading this, because the main character, an aging artist, is tasked with creating illustrations for a new edition. He travels to his childhood home in Naples to babysit his precocious 4 year old grandson, and what follows is a battle of wills. Lots of themes are explored (ageing, marital relationships, generational differences) but not much happens. I didn't love this, and might not have finished it had it not been short (and had I not been on an airplane with only one other book with me).

You are welcome, Vivian. It's only fair I return the favor once in a while. :)

Here's one for you, Beth....I just started The Witch Elm, the newest Tana French, and so far it lives up to her others.

#129 No Mark Upon Her Deborah Crombie
I really enjoy these procedurals: great details (this one focused on the sport of rowing and its hallowed place at Oxford), strong supporting cast (including a K9 unit and dog heroes!) and the work/life balance faced by the two main characters. Each addition to the series has felt new and different.

I love Crombie's series, too. I think you are just one or two ahead of me.... Must catch up!

Hi, Vivian. As soon as I finish my Ron Rash story collection, I will dive into Virgil Wander. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Witch Elm. I am excited about that one.

I haven't read any French yet, Vivian. I have a couple on my shelf. Maybe during break. I have one for you - The Library Book -- I think it will be popular on LT - really a love letter to libraries.

>62 katiekrug: I'll be sorry to finish the series. Hopefully she's still writing them.

>63 msf59: I hope you love Virgil Wander as much as I did, Mark. I've loved all 3 of his books. I'm listening to Witch elm and so far I love it. I go that eh CDs from the library, and that limits me to listening at regular speed instead of at 1.5 which I do with audible books. So it will be a long haul....22 hours worth! Tomorrow I have a 5 hour car ride so that will make a dent.

>No Tana French yet Beth???? You're missing some great mysteries. I love listening to them because of the wonderful Irish accents. The Library Book is up next for me - it's our book group's selection this month.

#130 A Forgotten Place Charles Todd
WWI is over, but nursing sister Bess Crawford is still ministering to wounded veterans. A rash of suicides takes her to a remote Welsh village situated on a storm ravaged peninsula, which has been populated for centuries by English settlers. Great premise as she is stranded there and confronts several rather convoluted mysteries. Not a great entry in a pretty mediocre series but I keep hoping the next one will win me over.

Vivian, I'll watch for your comments on The Library Book. I will also be interested in the book club's comments.

You are more forgiving than I am about the Bess Crawford series. After the last one I read, An Unmarked Grave, I decided I needed a rest from them. Like you, I keep hoping they'll get better.

I must read the French. You're tempting me to look for the audiobooks.

Hi Vivian!

I need to get back to the Tana French series. I have Faithful Place and Broken Harbor waiting for me on the shelves. And I keep thinking I want to read Deborah Crombie and not getting to it.

One of the CAT challenges next year is a series challenge. I don't know whether I'm going to participate because some of the prompts may not be my cup of tea but I may create my own series-related personal challenge.

Hi Beth - I neglected my thread over Thanksgiving, whoops! I had a big crowd (19!) and was cooking and cleaning up for days. I just started The Library Book for my book group next week. I'm listening to it and am finding the author's voice slightly annoying but so far the content has really grabbed me.

Hi Ellen - The Witch Elm is a real chunkster (min-review below), but well worth it are all of hers. I love series, although I sometimes feel obligated to continue well after my interest has waned. The Cazalet Chronicles, which Bonnie also just read, were fabulous.

#130 Record of a Spaceborn Few Becky Chambers
The third volume in the under appreciated Wayfarers series is fabulous. Science fiction has not been a genre I've explored very much, but all three of these have been favorites. This last one concentrates on the Exodans - humans who were forced to abandon earth after having destroyed it. They build a new world aboard a fleet of spaceships, make contact (and are improved by) alien species, and struggle with issues of life and death, maintaining memories of their past, and passing on their values to the next generations. Great characters, lots of humor and pathos.

#131 The Witch Elm Tana French
I should just paste Stephen King's review from the NY Times, which I read after I finished this very long, stand-alone novel. He raved about it, and I totally agree. It's very long, and some of the dialogue seems to go on for hours. But it's totally absorbing. The narrator is Toby Hennessy, a young professional who has led an easy and luck-filled life until he is gravely injured during a burglary. But that's only the beginning of his fall from grace: he and his family are catapulted into a murder mystery and his compromised memory and PTSD prevent him from placing it in its proper context. Unlike her other novels, the workings of the detectives are only viewed from Toby's point of view. Highly recommended.

Hi Vivian - It sounds like you had a wonderful holiday and are ready for some quiet reading time.

I read the first Chambers and loved it. Like you, I'm not much of a SF reader. I will pick up the next ones at some point.

The Witch Elm sounds wonderful. Onto the list it goes.

I'm also reading a tome right now, Carlos Ruiz Zafón's new one, The Labyrinth of the Spirits, which comes in at 800 pages! Still, I am finding it riveting, which is too bad because I have a big pile of papers to grade.

Hi, Vivian. I always like checking in on your current reads. I am so glad to see that you gave The Witch Elm, a big thumbs-up. I am also looking forward to your thoughts on The Library Book.

I loved Virgil Wander and just finished Where the Crawdads Sing, which was another fine audio.

Hi Vivian, The Witch Elm sounds fabulous. I read and liked The Dry last year and have been meaning to get to Force of Nature. Too. Many. Books

Okay, you got me with The Witch Elm. I'm not sure when I'll get to it, but you've convinced me that I need to. Off to add my name to the library list.

>68 vivians: I'm looking forward to reading The Witch Elm sometime in the new year.

Okay, even though The Witch Elm is a standalone, I will dedicate myself to reading Faithful Place and Broken Harbor, both on the TBR shelves, so I can get to it. Although, I guess by that logic, I would need to acquire and read The Secret Place and The Trespasser, as well. Maybe I won't go that far.

Hi Beth - I think I read the first Carlos Ruiz Zafon several years ago but I have no memory of any details. How awful is that? Maybe it's time to revisit...

>Hi Mark - I'm so glad to hear more love for Virgil Wander. It will be on my favorites for this year.

>71 brenzi: I know the feeling Bonnie! I have lists and lists of books to read and never seem to make enough headway. I think I might have picked up The Dry because of you!

>72 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - glad to return the favor and add to your TBR! Not sure if I mentioned before that my last drive to Philly (the day of the marathon) was amazingly cut shorter by almost 30 minutes because of the new 95 connection that opened. It was a breeze....took only a little over 2 hrs to get there (from 35 miles north of NY). Of course I left the house at 6Am on a Sunday morning....

>73 thornton37814: I really enjoyed The Witch Elm Lori and hope you feel the same. I'm a little hesitant to recommend it given the length.

>74 EBT1002: Hi Ellen - I think all of Tana French's books are worthwhile but I know it's hard to add yet another series.

#132 The Library Book Susan Orlean
Read for book group meeting this week. The primary subject is the great Los Angeles Central Library fire in 1986, which was eclipsed in the news by the Chernobyl event on the same day. I have no recollection of reading about it, although it was reported all over the country. The book deals with the fire investigation, the potential arsonist, the history of the library and its directors, as well as the impact of the fire and its massive losses and the eventual rebuilding of the structure. But there are also multiple tangents: discourses on book burnings, arson, architecture, and a variety of fascinating subjects. Really worthwhile.

Hooray for a shorter drive! Where's that new I-95 connection located? I haven't driven to/from NYC in quite a while but I'm always interested in ways to improve that experience.

I'm glad you liked The Library Book, Vivian. I'll be interested to hear what the group thinks.

I don't think you need to remember too much of the Zafón. In this book, he notes that they can be read in any order, which I think is an interesting concept. I might reread some of them again, after reading this one. I really liked it. The 800 pages flew by. :)

I have The Library Book on my wish list and I'm kind of hoping it shows up at Christmas. If not, I'll buy it for myself! I do that now and then. :-)

I, too, read The Shadow of the Wind several years ago and don't really remember it (though I remember liking it). I'm thinking it may be time for a re-read.

Touchstones not working. Hmph.

>76 lauralkeet: I'm embarrassed to say that I have no idea- I just follow the GPS and it led me the new way! My nephew, who lives in West Philly, says it was long awaited and just recently completed. All I know is that I used to have to take a local route (maybe 273?) with many strip malls and traffic lights, and now I take 95 right into central Philly.

> My book group meets tonight so I'll report! We've been meeting monthly for about 23 years now, so I know the small group very well. My bet is that they will have loved it.

>Hi Ellen! My reading has slowed down this month and I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's because I'm working very long hours and can't stay awake at night to read. All my current reading is on audible during my morning walk and my commute.

>133 Murder in Thrall AnneCleeland
I saw this on Joe's thread and grabbed it because it was available on audio from my library. Great twist and terrific characters but a little creepy too..there's a very strange dynamic to the relationship of the two primary detectives. It's completely unrealistic and it felt uncomfortable to see a truly disturbed stalker treated as a romantic hero. Still I'm curious enough to continue the series.

>79 vivians: Oh okay, so it's on the Philly end of the drive then, not the NY end. I-95 seems to be constantly under construction around here so I'm not surprised. When we moved from the midwest to Delaware in the mid-80s, I-95N ended around the airport, so you had to use local roads to get into center city. And since this was in the days before GPS, we would routinely find ourselves very lost in very questionable neighborhoods.

Twenty-three years! That is a long-lived book club. Mine started in 2002, so we have had a good run as well, but I am still not very good at predicting which books will go over well. Which reminds me, I must get to this month's selection.

>79 vivians: "All my current reading is on audible during my morning walk and my commute."
So. Please tell me about your morning walk. Every morning? How far/long? Listening to audiobooks, it seems, yes?
Is it dark when you go for said walk this time of year?

>80 lauralkeet: I think this will mean even frequent trips to Philly for us. We're all close to my nephew and his wife, and their 2 children (3 and 6 months) are favorites of my daughter.

Speaking of her.....this week and next are the agony days of waiting for early decision notifications. She's remarkably calm, but as she once said to me when I was panicking about doing a canopy walk in the Amazon (not meaning to sound pretentious there) "Mom, I may look calm to you but I'm screaming inside!"

>81 BLBera: We're a very small group, which means we often have to rearrange dates if more than one person can't make it, but it's been a great mix of personalities. They do frequently get angry with me because I have already read many of their choices. I try to explain that my yearly numbers pale in comparison to so many LTers, but they never believe me.

>82 EBT1002: Hi Ellen - I'm a true creature of habit. I walk every morning, rain or shine, for about 50 minutes (slightly over 3 miles). I take the same route every day, a quiet dirt road near my house with very little traffic. There are two hills, but otherwise it's flat. During the week I start around 6AM so that I when I get home I can see my daughter before she leaves for school, then get to work by 8:30 or so. If I manage to sleep later on the weekends (pretty rarely), I just go whenever I get up. At this time of year I look like a Michelin tire with multiple layers, but I always wear a reflective vest because the first 1/4 mile is on a busy road (Katie knows it - Route 22!). I've been doing it for about 10 or 12 years by now, so it doesn't even seem like a choice. And I don't take a step without an audiobook. I used to carry a Walkman with CDs from the library, but it's a lot better with my iPhone.

Good luck to your daughter, Vivian. I remember those nail-biting days. If you ever find yourself in Philly with time on your hands, let me know and we can grab a coffee or something.

Your walk sounds lovely.

Fingers crossed that your daughter gets her first choice! If she has one.

Good luck to your daughter Vivian. I remember those nerve wracking days.

Hi, Vivian. I am really enjoying Heavy: an American Memoir. Excellent audio too. I am going to request the audio of The Library Book and might try to bookhorn it in before the end of the year.

I love your walking routine. Perfect dedication.

Hard to believe that your daughter is now old enough to think of college, but adding up the years...

I confess I preferred the police series set in Dublin to Witch Elm,but I did very much like the way Tana French created the central character and the twists and turns.

I've just succumbed to the first of a proposed trilogy of thumping good reads about the Vikings, The Half-Drowned King. It's not Great Literature, but it is a thumping good read. An indifferent audiobook, alas. That said, if you like book #1, I'll pass along the ARC of book #2 to you when I finish it.

If your book group can't believe the numbers of some LT readers, feel free to cut & paste my reading list and take it along to the meeting. It's a wild and woolly mix.

>84 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura - still waiting.....and I'll definitely be in touch about a Philly visit.

>85 BLBera: >86 brenzi: Thanks Beth and Bonnie. She's still remarkably calm, despite hearing results from many friends' early decisions. We'll know by the end of the month.

>87 msf59: Hi Mark! Not sure if I'll read Heavy: An American Memoir, although I'm tempted after reading Katie's review. If your sis equally glowing it may give me the push I need.

>88 Chatterbox: Thanks Suzanne, I'll look at The Half-Drowned King...just what I need, another series ;). I'm about to begin the next Jane Harper and am looking forward to it.

The Australian podcast I've been listening to just recommend a series by an Irish writer, Steve Cavanagh. It's the Eddie Flynn series - anybody hear of it?

#134 Wild Fire Ann Cleeves
Sadly the last in the Shetland series, featuring Jimmy Perez and the beautiful islands. It was a good wrap-up and a deftly handled exit for the troubled inspector. I'll continue to watch the BBC series, although it's only loosely linked to the books. The Shetlands are now firmly on my list of places to visit.

#135 Unsheltered Barbara Kingsolver
Long an ardent fan of Kingsolver, I began this book with some misgivings after the pallid reviews. But I ended up really loving it and suspect it will stay with me for a while. Yes, it was heavy-handed in its dealing with issues of the day (bigotry, lack of affordable health care, crushing student debt, poverty in the U.S., etc.) but these are all worthwhile issues to discuss. Her exploration of relationships, specifically between siblings (brilliantly written) and between mothers and daughters (so genuine and gut-wrenching), was Kingsolver at her best. Lots of interesting science too. So I'm glad to say I can recommend it unequivocally!

>90 vivians: - Oh, thank goodness! You've convinced me :)

>90 vivians: so glad to see this!!

>90 vivians: Great comments, Vivian. I'm glad you loved it as well. I think she did a fine job of dealing with current events as part of the plot. I didn't find it heavy handed at all. And I loved Willa.

The Shetlands are on my WL as well. Maybe we'll have to plan an LT outing. :)

Have a lovely weekend.

>83 vivians: Thanks for the description of your walking routine, Vivian. I'm obviously struggling with finding my rhythm for exercise in my new situation. I can't run every day but I was in a great routine in Seattle. I'd usually run 3-4 mornings a week and on the other days I easily got in lots of walking with my commute (about 12-15 minutes of walking at each end of my light rail ride). I'm not yet ready to give up my running so I just need to develop a pattern.

>90 vivians: I'm pleased to hear that! I'm also a long ardent fan of Kingsolver -- I still remember discovering The Bean Trees at Women & Children First (bookshop in Chicago) when it was first published. The lukewarm reviews of Unsheltered have been discouraging so I'm glad you liked it!

Oh, and I want to go to the Shetlands, as well! We've been to Scotland twice but haven't made it to those islands. We could see the Orkneys across the water from Dunnet Head. I like Kim's idea of an LT outing... *smile*

Hi Katie, Laura, Beth and Ellen -thanks for your visits. Great news to report: Jo was accepted at the University of Vermont with a hefty merit scholarship! She's so happy and relieved but is still waiting to h'ear from her first choice, American. I think UVM would be perfect for her - strong environmental dept (that's her current interest) and great liberal vibe. Plus Burlington! She'd prefer to be in DC as she's interested in politics as well. She'll be happy at either school so all pressure is off.

Re Scotland/Shetlands trip: this is high on my travel list and I'm itching to plan. This is the first year in over 30 that we don't have a summer family trip planned. Son #1 has a baby due next month, son #2 is getting married in September, son #3 is leaving next week on a 3-4 month New Zealand trek, and Jo will be working all summer and then will have to be somewhere for orientation. So rather than try to shoehorn in a trip I think I'll forgo one this year and wait until everyone settles down a bit!

#136 Ghachar Ghochar Viviek Shanbhag
I heard about this short novel on an Australian podcast, and was surprised that my library had an audio copy. A poor and extremely tight-knit family in Bangalore has to suddenly navigate newfound wealth. Its told in the first person by the son, who is most deeply affected by the change. A great look into middle class culture and a very smooth translation.

Congrats to Jo!

I am thinking of planning a small(ish) LT reading getaway over some summer weekend, so while it can't replace your exotic family trip, it could be a fun change of pace...

Yes, congrats to Jo! You did something right.

>97 katiekrug: Ooh, Katie, I might be tempted to the East Coast for something like that...

>96 vivians: Woo hoo, congratulations Jo! That's wonderful news.

>97 katiekrug: sorta like KatieBooktopia? That would be a blast!

>97 katiekrug:. I would be interested in that too Katie.

>97 katiekrug: I'm in!

Thanks Beth and Laura. It's nice to hear so early in the year although "senioritis" will surely be setting in soon.

>100 brenzi: A NY meet-up would be great, Bonnie!

#137 A Ladder to the Sky John Boyne
This is Boyne's newest, and I found it to be quite unputdownable. What a relief when a favorite author produces yet another good read. This one is about the ambition and narcissism of an odious psychopath who goes to any length to achieve his goal (and rationalizes his behavior throughout). As much as I loved Cyril Avery in The Heart's Invisible Furies, I hated the protagonist Maurice Swift in this book. Great dialogue and an imaginative and believable appearance by Gore Vidal. Hugely enjoyable.

Hmm, now I am going to have to figure out how such a "reading retreat" might work...

Interested parties duly noted!

>102 katiekrug: me too, Katie, depending on The date, of course.

>101 vivians: Sounds good, Vivian. Another one to add to my break reading list. I hope no one is counting...

"Jo was accepted at the University of Vermont with a hefty merit scholarship!"
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I hope she gets into American since first choices are, well, first. Still and all, it's good to have the pressure off.

Okay, realistically, getting there from here would be unlikely but the KatieBooktopia is very appealing. I will follow plans as they develop.

>101 vivians: "As much as I loved Cyril Avery in The Heart's Invisible Furies, I hated the protagonist Maurice Swift in this book."

With your enthusiastic endorsement, that is an interesting contrast. Onto the wish list goes A Ladder to the Sky (says the woman who just gave THIF a resounding five stars).

eta: It was already on the wish list as Mary had recommended it.

Interrupting my reading to announce the happy news: my son Marcus and his wife Yona had a healthy and gorgeous baby boy yesterday! Mom and baby are doing well and we're beyond excited. Photos soon!

Congratulations! That's wonderful news.

Woo Hoo Vivian. Welcome to the best club on earth🤗

Congrats!

Congratulations. Being a grandparent rocks! Name?

Congratulations on being a grandmother! And Happy Winter Solstice to you.

Happy holidays, Vivian x

Congratulations on the birth of your grandson, Vivian!

Happy Holidays, Vivian! And congrats on the new arrival! Hooray for baby boys!!

Scholarships and Grandsons! Good news in abundance at your house, Vivian. Can't wait for pictures.

Thanks for all the good wishes Laura, Bonnie, Katie, Beth, Ellen, Darryl, Mark and Donna! I added pictures to my profile - can someone give me a quick tutorial on adding pictures to my thread?

I have to post on Joe's thread as well, because the baby's name is Rafael, named after my father (Ralph) with whom my son was very close. I'm touched beyond all words! He is perfect and adorable and I'm loving being an "Oma" (German for Grandma). He'll be called Rafa, just like Joe's grandson!

Lots of reading to post, coming soon. Can't wait to rave about The Silence of the Girls which was fabulous and added to my best of 2018!

>118 vivians: It looks like no one has yet responded to your request for a tutorial....
I have a Mac so after I save a photo to my profile page, I right click on it, select "copy image address," then use html to post that picture on my thread.

Here is a link to a post in a thread that I keep starred for easy reference.

ETA: Okay, I didn't get that right (come to me for tech assistance -- not so much -- but give me a moment to work on this.)

ETA 2.0: I did it!

Woohoo - thanks so much Ellen!!! That post really helped.

SO, introducing Rafa - born 12/19 - everyone happy and healthy and I think I'm going to love grandmotherhood!

#138 An Irish Country Christmas Patrick Taylor
A pleasant next installment about small town Irish doctor living in a startlingly "troubles"-free village in the 1960s. Entertaining, seasonal, but I'm mostly reading them because they are readily available on audio from my library.

#139 Force of Nature Jane Harper
Second volume in series about an Australian forensics investigator. This one dragged a bit, with too much back and forth between the source of the mystery (the disappearance of a participant in an executive adventure outing) and the investigation itself. Good characters though.

#140 The Silence of the Girls Pat Barker
Brilliant and so highly recommended that it will make my "best of" list this year. It's a retelling of Homer's Illiad from the point of view of the girls and women. The main narrator is Briseis, the former queen who becomes Achilles' war prize after he murders her family and plunders her palace. It has a contemporary feel without betraying the story line, and it deftly explores grief, loss, resilience and pride. Retellings of Greek myths have dominated literary fiction lately - from Madeline Miller “Circe” to Colm Toibin’s “House of Names” (both of which I loved) to modern retakes like “Home Fire” (also terrific). Rather than feeling those are repetitive, I’m finding the more retellings I read the more engaged I am.

#141 My Sister the Serial Killer Oyinkan Braithwaite
A one-sitting read, totally absorbing, very dark but funny as well. Takes place in Lagos, Nigeria, and concerns two sisters. One is a respectable, single and unattractive nurse who pines for an unrequited love. Her sister is beautiful and and selfish, and has the nasty habit of disposing of her beaus once she tires of them.

#142 Murder in Retribution Anne Cleeland
Great second book int he series about this most unusual detective pair in current-day London. Not only are there many plot twists, the entire premise is an enormous twist and I'mr early enjoying these (thanks, Joe!).

>120 vivians: Welcome to the Nana club, Vivian! You will love it.

I also loved The Silence of the Girls and Home Fire, maybe Home Fire a little more...

And I've added My Sister the Serial Killer and the Cleeland to my list. Thanks, I guess.

You've read 142 books! Fabulous.

Happy New Year - I look forward to more recommendations from you in 2019.

My Sister the Serial Killer is on my list!

Rafa is a cutie :)

Rafa is a real sweetie. Thanks for posting the photo!

All the best to you as well, Beth! I'm hoping I can keep up the pace - so many books!

Hi Katie and Laura - quiet New Years' for us...we're bringing an early dinner to the Chelsea crew (an opportunity to hold that little guy) and plan to be home by 9PM to avoid any crazy drivers. Partying days are long over.

Thank you again Ellen for FINALLY getting me to figure out thread photos. It only took me 5 years...



#143 West Carys Davies
Katie gets the credit for this recommendation. A one sitting read, very reminiscent of the News of the World. This is set a little earlier, some years after the Lewis & Clark expeditions. A widower living with his young daughter on a Pennsylvania farm is consumed by the need to find the mammoth animals he's read about. His enthusiasm turns to obsession as he treks west, facing danger, loneliness and worry over Bess, the child he's left behind. Beautiful writing and vivid descriptions of his journey as well as Bess' challenges and heartbreak. One quibble: the bones about which he read were discovered in Kentucky, and yet Bellman travels west to cross the Rockies....I'm assuming he was just searching for undiscovered lands in the hopes of finding live dinosaurs, but I'm wondering why he just didn't make the easier trip of 600 or so miles to Kentucky.

>124 vivians: - I'm glad you liked it.

I read it as he assumed the giant creatures had to live in the vast expanses of the unchartered parts of the west, otherwise people would have seen them.

We are also having a quiet NYE :)

>120 vivians: Another Rafa. *smiles* So wonderful! Congratulations, Vivian!

And I need to give Patrick Taylor a try.

>124 vivians: I already have this one on reserve from the library, Vivian. Next year. :)

Thanks Lori - you too!

>126 katiekrug: yes, that makes sense.

>127 EBT1002: The Patrick Taylor series is very light, Ellen. Perfect as a palate cleanser between heavy books, and a very charming listen.

>128 BLBera: I think you'll enjoy it Beth. And it's very short!

New thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/301380#