LovingLit reads once more ~ thread i

Kia ora fellow readers. January 1st is here, and with it, my 2024 thread!

Happy New Year everyone, and good tidings. I am Megan, mother of sons, analyst of qualitative data, researcher of social things, partner to the lovely other, New Zealand native, and reader of books! Presently I am down with an ear infection and lingering strep throat...which has no symptoms now, but was very sore 2 weeks ago, which is when I *should* have gone to the doctor...anyway...ART.


Cyclists keep left. Footpath photo by me, 2023.

This thread shall be used to keep track of my reads, and I really hope people come visit me more than I tend to visit others (!!) Sadly, I am sometimes lax with my attention to the threads. Maybe my new year's resolution should be to get up earlier and take my coffee with a perusal of the LT threads!!! I am increasingly drawn to audio these days, as it helps me to drift off to sleep, and in my noisy house, I cannot seem to find a quiet time in which to focus on reading paper books (I will bide my time on that one).

See you on the threads!!

My last few books of the year took me to a grand total of 48. Not too shabby, even if I do prefer to get to 52 and round off at a book a week.


December
45. The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt (fiction)(audio)
46. I'm Glad my Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy (audio)
47. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (fiction)
48. Let me tell you What I Mean by Joan Didion (audio)

2024 books

January
1. A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan 🎧
2. Grand: Becoming my Mother's Daughter by Noelle McCarthy 🎧
3. ❤️ A Month in Siena by Hisham Matar
4. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro 🎧
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

February
6. The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor 🎧
7. Arrangements in Blue by Amy Key 🎧
8. Between You and Me by Johanna Horton 🎧

March
9. ❤️ Such Kindness by Andre Dubus III 🎧
10. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood 🎧
11. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren 🎧

April
12. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy 🎧
13. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 🎧
14. Concerning my Daughter by Ye-Jin Kim
15. ❤️ Notes from an Apocalypse by Mark O'Connell

Books read in 2023




Favourites of 2023... in the order they were read.

❤️ Euphoria by Lily King
❤️ Rest and be Thankful by Emma Glass
❤️ Readme.txt by Chelsea Manning
❤️ The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
❤️ All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
❤️ House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
❤️ Not Set in Stone by David Vass
❤️ The Bell in the Lake by Lars Mytting
❤️ Women and Power: A manifesto, by Mary Beard

>1 LovingLit: That is an intriguing topper, Megan.

I hope that your nose and ears don't get in the way of a splendid new year.

Happy New Year and all the best for 2024, Megan!

Hello Megan and a Happy New Year to you and family. i have got you starred and look forward to your reading plans.

Happy New Year and new thread! Hope 2024 is kind to you and your family

>1 LovingLit: Empty nesting has its delights, Megan, be patient. Glad you're all well and happy as we head into another interesting year in these interesting times.

Happy New Year! Thanks for visiting my thread.

Happy New Year Megan!

>5 PaulCranswick: Paul, my number 1 visitor and my number 1 Kuala Lumpurian. Thanks for coming :)
On this, the second day of the new year, I shall go to work! A relaxed afternoon shift to get some stuff done, and at time and a half pay rate, worth it. I wont start til 1pm, so can enjoy mu kids' sleep in now with a coffee and LT sesh.

>6 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks Kathe! And to you too :)

>7 mdoris: You may already know that my plans for reading are scant; I am usually like a magpie in my reading...that is, see something shiny: read it.

>8 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! I have enjoyed seeing you and the family on FB...here's to more LT time for me this year to make it more about books.

>9 richardderus: Patience, not my middle name. But I know better than to wish my children's childhoods away. They are still fun and good to be around most of the time, even if W is MUCH taller than me by now! And 'Little" Lenny is gaining....

>10 banjo123: Thanks for coming to mine too! Happy new year.

>11 SandDune: Thanks! You too. I love the new LT year, when I am so full of LT potential...haha. I forgive myself though for not being 'better' at LT, as who needs strict rules around reading and friends, right?

Currently reading


A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan, A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, and - half-heartedly- How to think like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius* by Donald J. Robertson.

*side note: when I bought this book at a second hand store, the counter person said "oh, he's got another book out at the moment, it's about meditation, it's really good". And I said "Donald J. Robertson?", and she said "no, that other one, Marcus Aurelius". I was quite surprised, but said I'd keep an eye out for it.

I have also been puzzling! It is so satisfying :) And it seems I have a 'style'.

And Happy New Year!! Hope you have wonderful books and a puzzling life. ; )

Welcome back, Megan!

Hi, Megan! I, too, am beginning to prefer audio books because they eventually put me to sleep. I have a quiet house, so I don't know why as I age I am having trouble sleeping! Good luck with your 2024 reading!

Happy New Year, Megan!

Hi Megan. Happy New Year!

P and I have booked a 14-day hiking trip on the NZ South Island for November of this year. Also planning a few (probably less active) days on the North Island before we head home. :-)

Happy New Year, Megan. I hope 2024 is good to you, and that you get well soon.

I love your jigsaw puzzles, Megan! I particularly love the one you have in process. I'm sorry to read that you recovering from strep throat and an ear infection. That is painful and tiring. Wishing you a Happy New Year! Drama Free is proving to be a helpful read.

Hi Megan!

Wishing you a great one!

Happy reading in 2024, Megan!

Happy New Year, Megan!

That slyboots Marcus Aurelius...creating new books from WAAAY beyond the grave. Something tells me his agent is Divine and super-skilled as a negotiator.

Happy new year, Megan!
My mom always has a big jigsaw going at her house, and I can't help it, when I'm there I sit down and start working on it.

How are you enjoying A Bakery in Paris? It looks interesting

Hi Megan, stopping by to wish you a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2024, including a speedy recovery from the strep throat and ear infection you are currently battling!

>16 Berly: Hi Berly- how's things? I'm pretty pumped to be getting tonnes of New Year's visits...the rush of a new group/new thread (I'm feeling it!!!).
Happy reading to you in 2024.

>17 drneutron: Dr N- howdy to you too

>18 Tess_W: There is something very comforting hearing someone speak books to you ;) I really enjoy listening as I lie, and the next day (or if I am commuting and listen) I will just go back 25 minutes and listen again.

>19 AMQS: Hi Anne! So glad to see you here again, and just in general :)

>20 EBT1002: Well that IS exciting! And may I say, South Island, good choice. I really hope our paths can cross!!! If you are flying in or out of Christchurch, then I am sure they will!

>21 BLBera: I am already on the mend- the antibiotics took 3 days to kick in, but I had been not all that well for almost 2 weeks, so it was about time.

>22 vancouverdeb: I am sorry you have cause to read Drama Free, Deb! Sometimes a book can really hit a home run, right? I will keep an eye out for it.

>23 quondame: Thanks! We have had great weather so far, and I had a productive day at work yesterday, but the best bit of 2024 so far was cloud watching on NYD...a pastime I perfected as a university student in the last 1990s. haha. Who says a university education isn't good for something!

>24 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita!!

>25 norabelle414: Thanks! I'm having some great lazy mornings so far...heading into work later as the lovely other is working early and finishing early before he takes the rest of January off.

>26 richardderus: too true, RD. Too true. It was a wee moment for sure...me and my mum raised an eyebrow to each other and left it at that.

>27 mstrust: That is actually how I got back into puzzles (kids and cats had dissuaded me in recent years)...our friend/neighbours always have one on the go, and we often sit over a coffee for a while and toil away.

>28 ChelleBearss: I really am enjoying A Bakery in Paris! It hadn't been on my radar, but I stumbled upon it and am running with it. It has dual plot lines featuring the same building in both 1870s and 1940s Paris.

>29 lkernagh: Hi Lori- the ear infection is on the wane. Thank goodness. It was at its zenith over our 2 hottest days of the summer just gone...we don't often go past 30 deg C (86F) but we did two days in a row with my aching ear!

The 2023 Year-End Meme! (Berly made me do it)

Describe yourself: Straight up
Describe How You Feel: Let me tell you what I mean
Describe Where You Currently Live: The Town
If You Could Go Anywhere, Where Would You go? Perfect Little World
Your Favourite Form of Transportation: All the Pretty Horses
Your Favourite Food Is: The Magpie Wing
Your Favourite Time of Day: Exit Management
Your Best Friend Is: Not Set in Stone
You and Your Friends Are: Women and Power
What's the Weather Like: Broken
You Fear: Euphoria
What Is the Best Advice You Have to Give? Rest and be Thankful
Thought for the Day: Absolute Certainty and other Fictions
What Is Life for You? Small Things like These
How You Would Like to Die: Natural Causes
Your Soul's Present Condition: Out of the Mist and Steam
What Was 2023 Like for You? Right after the Weather
What Do You Want from 2024? The Big Door Prize

Happy New Year, Megan. Wishing a safe and healthy one for you and the family in 2024. Nice 2023 favorite list.
I will try to get to House of Sand and Fog this year. I have had it on shelf forever. I also loved All the Pretty Horses too. I hope to reread the Border Trilogy. Great stuff.

>33 LovingLit: I made a google list to track LT recommendations and I've added that one! Thanks :)

>1 LovingLit: Hope you are feeling better and that the ear infection has cleared up!

Happy reading in 2024

>31 LovingLit: In fact, our hiking tour starts and ends in Christchurch, so maybe we can meet up. :-)

>35 msf59: House of Sand and Fog had been on my radar for a eternity as when the time was right it was read! I love it when one of those 'long stayers' gets checked off!

>36 ChelleBearss: Sounds organised! How does that list differ from an LT log?

>37 figsfromthistle: Thanks! I am half way through the antibiotics, and am only getting twinges now. So yes- I am certainly on the mend :)

>38 EBT1002: We are only 15 mins from the airport :) How convenient!! I am super excited at the prospect of a meetup but will stop short of pressing for one- no one needs extra administrative tasks on a holiday. If it works in- I am in!

A tiny bowl of perfect raspberries! What lovely little creatures. (Picked from our garden just now.)

Mmmm, beautiful raspberries! We moved our bushes a couple of years ago when re redid our landscaping and patio. They're not exactly thriving in their new location (moved to the front and right by the fence so the kids next door cold pick when they wanted) but raspberries are tenacious little suckers so I have hope!

>39 LovingLit: Doesn't differ much, except my WL has grown over time and I need to just dump it and start over. I decided to try and keep track of LT recommendations from this year to see if I actually end up reading any of them.

Hi Megan! Happy New Year to you.

>1 LovingLit: Love your bio and etc. Sorry about the sicknesses. Ugh.

Maybe my new year's resolution should be to get up earlier and take my coffee with a perusal of the LT threads!!! That’s actually exactly what I do, but last year really got away from me. So maybe we can try to work it together, eh?

>3 LovingLit: I read Euphoria in April of 2018, and agree with you about it’s being a favorite. I gave it 4.5 stars.

>13 LovingLit: My kidlet is 30 and currently living at home. I can see the time ahead when she’s once again not living at home, and I’ll really miss her as she’s been home for a year and a half and we get along so well. Enjoy ‘em while you’ve got ‘em.

>31 LovingLit: Antibiotics are wonderful. Glad you’re on the mend.

>40 LovingLit: Yum.

Hi Megan my dear, Happy New Year, i will be visiting throughout 2024 dear friend.

>41 AMQS: This is the first raspberry bush we have had, and I have been so surprised to see how well they fruit each year. I think the birds just don't see them under the foliage, so there are always more raspberries than there are strawberries.

>42 ChelleBearss: Dumping a whole wishlist!? That's a huge call. Haha. Book problems, huh??

>43 karenmarie: I see your point re enjoying the kids while I've got them...but the trouble is they seem to hate each other, they argue and fight, and I hate conflict, so it's not all roses. I much prefer them on their own, and am sure as older people will be more pleasant to be around.

>44 johnsimpson: Hi JS- good to see you around!

Happy New Year, Megan!

>39 LovingLit: Megan, meeting up with you would not be an administrative task! I would love to connect with you when we are in Christchurch if it works out for you, as well! Our tentative plan is to arrive in town November 7, and we meet the guide for the hiking tour mid-day (I think) on November 9. So, tentatively coffee or lunch or light dinner or something on November 8?

>40 LovingLit: Lovely raspberries!!

>40 LovingLit: Yum!

So good to see you here, Megan. I hope you can post a picture of your boys soon. I'm sure they would love to grace your thread with their handsomeness.

So happy to see The Bell in the Lake on your list of favorites. I love his books.

Mmmm...raspberries. It will be awhile until I can get a fix at the farmer's market. I crave fresh fruit. I'm drooling here...haha.

Wishing you 52 great books in the coming year. But you are so right about the numbers not being all that important. I just like to hear your stories about your family. ;-)

>34 LovingLit: Yay! The End-of-Year Meme! Love "Your Favourite Time of Day: Exit Management" and "What Do You Want from 2024? The Big Door Prize"!

>40 LovingLit: Rum! I love raspberries.

>45 LovingLit: Laughing about enjoying your kids when they are not together and arguing.

>47 EBT1002: I hope you pull off an international meet-up and then I'll be totally jealous!

>46 ronincats: Hi , and happy new year back to you!

>47 EBT1002: Excellent! I shall pencil something in for 8th Nov :)

>48 BLBera: They are so good, and there's a wee patch in the middle of the bush that produces larger berries. I can often be found seeking them out, they are so succulent!

>49 Donna828: My elder boy isn't that keen on having his photo taken! But I did get some of them kayaking this week, so I will put that up soon (see next post!)

>50 Berly: International meet-ups are the best! Although, I have had to face my sons' admonitions about meeting strangers off the internet...I did explain that it would have to be a rare thing that people manufacture their persona for 10 years plus, just to go to the other side of the world and do...what? I don't even know? haha.

We just had a fab 5 days away in the Marlborough Sounds, a place I have not visited for at least 30 years! It is a rabbit warren of bays and coves, with walking and boat access mostly. I water-taxi-d in with all our baggage and the lovely other and our kids, plus a friend and her kid all walked in.
Here is Mr W, my eldest, kayaking in Mistletoe Bay. they had just been out fishing but saw a shark so high-tailed it back very quickly. This will become the defining story about our trip I am sure. It was quite the fright!

The trip was mainly about swimming (jumping off jetty), walking up and down the hill to the cottage, fishing (2 red gurnard and about 40 small 'spotties'), and the awesome after dark activities of swimming in the bioluminescence and glow worm watching. Plus, the stars.... it was amazing.

How wonderful! I agree with Donna. It's not about the numbers. I also LOVE seeing kayaking and swimming when it's -15 degrees c!

>53 AMQS: -15 decC???!?! What the I can scarcely imagine...

It is 30 degC here today, a little too hot for me to be honest. But thankfully it was warm every day we were away, including being warm enough to swim in the dark (1030pm) so we could see the bioluminescence. It was a pretty special experience.

>52 LovingLit: That is breathtaking! Oh, good, good sense to pull away quickly when sharks show up!

>52 LovingLit: Gorgeous picture! Sounds like lots of fun (except the shark).

Lovely image of the raspberries and great picture of your son kayaking. It's also cold here, for us. -13 C , I think it is. We have several more days ahead like that until we get back up to ? 6-8 C , which is not bad in the winter here.

>52 LovingLit: How I miss beautiful NZ must come there again one day soon.

My goodness how time flies W is a young man already - where did the time go?

>52 LovingLit: Looks lovely and relaxing.

>55 quondame: indeed! Their faces told me they weren't kidding.

>56 mdoris: The kayaks were available for use at the place we stayed...all 4 of us were in the bunk room and my friend and her son were in the double bed in the other room. Cramped, but worked well in the end!

>57 vancouverdeb: That level of negative temperatures stops the whole city around here. We just aren't geared up for it. I guess a good down jacket is a must-have!

>58 PaulCranswick: Yes young W turns 16 this year. And he's antsy to leave school already at become an outdoorsman....we are coaching him surreptitiously to keep at it with school and then have the world at his feet :)

>59 SandDune: I went out on the kayak as well for a bit one afternoon, and you do feel a tad exposed just sitting on top. But they are so buoyant and stable, you don't feel like you might tip over, which is nice.

Also, books!


BOOK 1
A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan

A lovely tale taking place in the physical location of a...bakery...in Paris. The tales of two women and their immediate loved ones unfolds, one living in the late 1800s and the other in the the early 1940s. It is more about life, relationships, and forging your way than about baked goods, and is beautifully told.
*recommended*


BOOK 2
Grand: Becoming my Mother's Daughter by Noelle McCarthy

Noelle McCarthy is an Irish New Zealander who I am very familiar with owing to her role as a broadcaster on our national radio service. I know her as a bright, articulate, intelligent radio personality and noted her absence when all of a sudden she wasn't there any more. This is her story of reconciliation with her family, with their collective relationship with alcohol, and with herself. I listened to it on audio, and Noelle herself read it in her lovely Cork accent. Its a fairly lyrical story, with much attention to words and less to a linear plot (so to speak). In some places I wanted more details, but I guess there were sensitivities around other people's privacy to consider.
*recommended*

>52 LovingLit: Wow, sounds like a great trip! At least the kids will have a good story to tell their friends! Not everyone gets to spot a shark in their life!

>62 ChelleBearss: I know! It's a great tale for the sea that they can tell their teachers when school starts again :)

Meanwhile, I am almost finished a reread of The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (on audio), and a first time through of perennial favourite, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (paper back).

>61 LovingLit: Grand : Becoming My Mother's Daughter looks just the ticket, Megan.

>60 LovingLit: 16 already? My God where did the time go?

Hi Megan!

>45 LovingLit: My daughter’s an only, but I’m one of three, and although we didn’t hate one another, there were temporary alliances and ganging up. Mom and Dad clearly favored my baby sister, which rankled, and my poor brother got ignored a lot since he and Dad were so different. Perhaps as they get older they’ll realize that having a sibling’s something to treasure.

>52 LovingLit: Nice pic, great report.

>60 LovingLit: Yes young W turns 16 this year. And he's antsy to leave school already at become an outdoorsman....we are coaching him surreptitiously to keep at it with school and then have the world at his feet :) Oh my, good luck keeping him in school.

A Bakery in Paris sounds good.

>51 LovingLit: "I shall pencil something in for 8th Nov." YAY!!!

The picture of your son kayaking is lovely (that sky!) and I'm glad nothing disastrous occurred with relation to the shark.

I've seen A Bakery in Paris on the shelf so many times and wondered about it. It looks good!

>61 LovingLit: #2 Has she returned to the airwaves at this point?

>52 LovingLit: OMIGAWD!! A shark would send me paddling like mad though likely in the wrong direction because I think I would be too scared to think clearly. Kudos to W for being sensible.

*smooch*

>52 LovingLit:, >68 richardderus: Our first kayak trip on the Chesapeake Bay was near an island, we were in about 3 feet of water. All of a sudden, several small fins started breaking the water. Near as I can figure, we stirred up a group of sand sharks, probably 2-3 foot sized. No danger, but Mrsdrneutron got out of there *fast*! 😀

This is an alligator story, not a shark story (although growing up on Aruba I've always feared sharks). My three sons decided to take a "guy" trip to Florida a number of years ago (They then ranged in age from 23 to 35). They decided to go kayaking on a bayou/canal or whatever it was in a swamp. My youngest son. always a worry-wart kept saying to the other two, "But what about the alligators?", but they pooh-pooped the idea. They each had their own kayak, and the middle son was trailing, and he kept hearing these weird but threatening noises. He looked back, and sure enough there was a huge alligator who seemed to be following the kayak. He called out to the other two ahead of him, "Alligator! Alligator!" But they thought he was joking and brushed him off. When they finally turned around to look and saw they alligator getting nearer and nearer and its mammoth size, they panicked and did the worst thing they could possible do. They paddled rapidly to the bank, jumped out and abandoning the kayaks began to run back to civilization. I say it was the worst thing they could do because I've heard that alligators are very fast on land and can run faster than humans. But this alligator didn't get out of the water. The guys lost sunglasses, a shirt, sun screen and various miscellaneous items. And had a good story to tell.

>70 arubabookwoman: yikes! What a story!

>70 arubabookwoman: Wow, that would be scary! But, yes, also a great survival story :-D

>64 PaulCranswick: And he's the tallest in the house, and taller than both his (tall-ish) grandads! He also has an inordinate amount of confidence and assuredness about him....which could be mistaken for arrogance in the wrong light. But, he will learn.

>65 karenmarie: I always liked having a brother and a sister as a kid, even though I am very different to both of them. I am more like my mum and dad, who actually happen to be very different to each other (go figure!).

>66 BLBera: Yes- 'tis a lovely tale. On the light side so far as literariness goes, but a nice read.

>67 EBT1002: Well, I happened to have penned (rather than pencilled) the date in my diary this morning, so it's official :)
The sky that evening just kept getting better and better, and then all of a sudden it was dark. The reflections in the water tell a accurately story of how it looked.

>68 richardderus: It wasn't on my radar much, but when it became available on audio when I was casting about for something, I grabbed it.

>69 drneutron: I don't think I have had a close encounter with a shark- thank goodness!! I have had a couple of dolphin visits though, which by the sounds were much more pleasant than the sharks!

>70 arubabookwoman: The youngest are always the most sensible :) (yes, that's me!)

>71 AMQS: >72 mstrust: IKR- I am super glad we don't have that particular animal to worry about here. Or snakes...

Haven’t got any shark stories. I once nearly stepped on a crocodile …. but it was a very young one so I’m glad it was pointed out to me in time, as I’d have done it a lot more harm than it did me.

>75 SandDune: You've reminded me now...I almost stepped on a tarantula when I was in Chile (as an adult). I had to do a last minute adjustment of my stride to get over it, and then the 'quickstep' to get away.
When I was a child my dad showed me a tarantula by holding one out towards me on the end of a stick...when it started to walk up the stick towards him I freaked a bit, and he threw the stick as far away as he could. Still slightly traumatised by that and many a conversation was had about whether you'd rather be stuck in a box with a tarantula or a snake. kids huh?

>73 LovingLit: I think the confidence of a 16 year old is as much a show for contemporaries as it is the inexperienced certainties of healthy youth. The teenage seas are sharp toothed waters for those showing vulnerabilities, and the best way not to show them is not not let yourself feel them.

>76 LovingLit: One of my last BF's gave me a tarantula. It didn't survive long as I was skimpy in my research about its needs. Fortunately I do better with dogs.

>52 LovingLit: Looks like a lovely trip, despite the shark. Beautiful pic. W looks all grown-up now!

I hope those books are treating you fine. I loved The Buried Giant.

What a fantastic trip with the kayaking, stars and luminescence!! Good thing I like you so I dont' have to be totally jealous. ; )

Can't believe W is 16 and oh so tall! How did that happen?

A Bakery In Paris sounds yummy. (Tee hee)

BOOK 3
A Month in Siena by Hisham Matar

Purchased on a whim because of the cover and the blurb which said something like "art / reflections on life and loss", this one had me written all over it! And it delivered. The author reflects on art, many times for hours at a time of actual looking at it, and travels to Siena in Italy to view art that he has had an interest in for years. He observes the rhythms of town life, enjoying wandering about and taking it all in. He weaves in observations about life in Siena with his own rememberings, his past, and is basically cogitating about life in general and dealing with the emotional decompression that follows the completion of a book (that he has completed writing recently).
*highly recommended*

>77 quondame: well, your assessment of teenage life sounds spot on to me. I do think of how hard it must be for them compared to pre-social media days like mine. There are so many social pressures at school...and if his brain is growing as fast as his body (which I am sure it must be), it certainly explains his constant need for food and his tiredness!

>78 msf59: I squeezed in another book, even though I was certain I would finish the Buried Giant this weekend! See my post above...it was an impulse buy ;)

>79 Berly: It was really lovely. And to think I almost didn't book it as I was worried about money- I am so glad that 4 months ago I had faith that it'd all turn out, as it did :)

And another wee trip away this weekend just gone...not too far this time, and just one night to another (different from the usual one or two we have been known to visit) cabin in the woods!

No electricity, running water that needs to be boiled before drinking...seems to be our style as this is the third little gem that we have up our sleeve now for such occasions :)

And this is the toilet! I am quite proud of this shot.

Happy MOnday!

>82 LovingLit: That is a great shot! Love the way you captured the light and shadows.

>82 LovingLit: Great photo!

>82 LovingLit: Love the photo, *shudder* at the venue. Good that it speaks to something in your family, even though it seems to my spoiled American oldster self to be congenital madness....

That's the prettiest toilet shot ever!

>80 LovingLit: I've been meaning to read A Month in Siena for ages (I do have a copy). I've been to Siena several times (although not recently) and I love it.

>80 LovingLit: I purchased this book on a whim too. Well, really it was because my art history study friends and I are finally in the Italian Renaissance, to which this seemed relevant. I am glad you liked it--and had read one of his earlier books and was lukewarm about it.

>82 LovingLit: Well, that does impress on the viewer it's rarely acknowledged importance!

>83 figsfromthistle: why thank you! Monday was OK, I completed my part of one project at least...

>84 mdoris: >85 richardderus: >86 mstrust: why thank you, and you and you :)
The toilet is discretely placed out of the way of the hut, and even though Little Lenny (aged 12 and not at all little any more) was a little afraid to go there (he 'held on' til we got home??!) everyone else was happy enough to use it!

>87 SandDune: I think I would like Siena :) And to have the opportunity to wile away the hours there over a MONTH, well, that would be a treat.

>88 arubabookwoman: I do love the history of art. I came *this close* to studying it at university but owing to a timetabling conflict I abandoned it. i wonder where I would have gone if I had stayed with it!

>89 quondame: Doesn't it just!?

>82 LovingLit: I dont' think I have ever said "gorgeous" with regards to a toilet before, but that is a gorgeous shot!!

>80 LovingLit: You got me with that one! Onto the wish list it goes!

>82 LovingLit: That is a pretty amazing shot, Megan!! And it looks like an amazing spot for a weekend getaway.

>91 Berly: there is a popular coffee table book here featuring views from loos....because of all the tramping huts around and the spectacular places they are located, the "views from loos" can be pretty awesome!

>92 EBT1002: >93 EBT1002: we went away with an old friend of my family, who was basically my second dad when I was growing up, and, as a tree expert, he was able to tell us all about the trees in the area; the various features and characteristics of them, and how/why they grow as they do. It was quite fascinating, and, W (aged 15) expressed his enthusiasm when he said that the last time he went up there with him - "I learnt more from N in one weekend than I did at a whole term of school!".

For the record, the trees are Corsican Pines :)

>90 LovingLit: Many years ago I got together with several friends to study art history. All of us made "art" in one form or another, but none of us had any formal training. We started with prehistoric art, and we worked it out that we would each cover a particular topic--so we'd each do the research on that topic and then present to the others. We stayed on a topic as long as we wanted to keep delving into it or something related. So for example when we studied Greek art we also delved into the Greek gods and all the myths.

We used to meet weekly, but are less regular nowadays. There are only three of us, and since I'm now in Florida, we meet by Zoom. We are in the Italian Rennaissance and loving it. We probably won't get to the 21st century before we die, unfortunately.

>95 arubabookwoman: oh wow. That is such a great thing to do! I love the idea...tell me, what types of things are presented? I am really interested.

This was fun to compile! Where I haven't read the fiction winner, I looked in finalist and other categories for one I had read.

Pulitzer Prize winners (for fiction) in my lifetime

2023 - Demon Copperhead AND Trust (Hernan Diaz) (Own)
✅ 2022 - The Netanyahus
2021 - The Night Watchman
2020 - The Nickel Boys
✅ 2019 - The Overstory
2018 - Less...✅ In The Distance (finalist)
✅ 2017 - Underground Railroad
2016 - The Sympathizer (Own)
2015 - All the Light We Cannot See
✅ 2014 - The Goldfinch
✅ 2013 - The Orphan Master's Son
2012 - NO AWARD... ✅ Train Dreams (finalist)
2011 - A Visit from the Goon Squad (Own)...✅ Empire of the Summer Moon (finalist: Non fiction)
2010 - Tinkers
✅ 2009 - Olive Kitterridge
2008 - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Own)
✅ 2007 - The Road
✅ 2006 - March
✅ 2005 - Gilead
2004 - The Known World
2003 - Middlesex (Own)...The Blank Slate (finalist: Non fiction) (Own)
2002 - Empire Falls (Own)... ✅ The Corrections (finalist)
2001 - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Own)
✅ 2000 - The Interpreter of Maladies
1999 - The Hours (Own)... ✅ The Poisonwood Bible (finalist)
✅ 1998 - American Pastoral
1997 - Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer... ✅ Angela's Ashes (winner: Biography)
✅ 1996 - Independence Day
✅ 1995 - The Stone Diaries
✅ 1994 - The Shipping News
✅ 1993 - A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain
1992 - A Thousand Acres... ✅ Jernigan (finalist)
1991 - Rabbit at Rest (LOVED Rabbit Run, never read the follow-ups!)
1990 - The Mambo Kings
1989 - Breathing Lessons
1988 - Beloved
1987 - A Summons to Memphis
1986 - Lonesome Dove... ✅ The Accidental Tourist (finalist)
1985 - Foreign Affairs
1984 - Ironweed
1983 - The Color Purple
1982 - Rabbit is Rich... ✅ Housekeeping (finalist)
1981 - A Confederacy of Dunces
1980 - The Executioner's Song
1979 - The Stories of John Cheever
1978 - Elbow Room
1977 - NO AWARD...✅ Roots (Special Award)
I976 - Humboldt's Gift
1975 - The Killer Angels

>96 LovingLit: We kind of alternate. I can't remember much about the early days, but we would come up with topics and people would choose ones that interested them. We had 5 in the group then, and it was pretty much up to the person who chose the topic as to how deeply they went. Sometimes new topics came to light during the presentation. (This was all very informal, and there was and still is a lot of socializing).
For most of art history through the late medieval period, most artists were not named. As we began the Italian Renaissance our study is organized by artist. We first started by learning about Florence, all the famous buildings, convents, churches, and the Duomo, all where so much of the art is located. Then I made a list of artists (about 60-70) and listed them chronologically by date of birth. By the time we started this there were only 3 of us left, and I had moved to Florida so our meetings were/are by Zoom. I just went down the list of artists putting alternating our three initials to assign the artists. Sometimes for a relatively unimportant artists, there will not be much to find, and the presentation will be short. Sometimes there's so much information, so many paintings that have survived, that it will take weeks for the presentation. (This was the case recently when I presented Piero della Francesco). For the three "biggies", Botticelli, Leonardo, and Michaelangelo, we didn't assign these randomly but each of us picked one. We haven't gotten to these yet. (First up will be Botticelli). We're finding doing this on Zoom works very well since we can put the paintings and other illustrations on the computer screen, zoom in for details etc. When we met in person, we might have to pass heavy awkward books around.
Sorry to take up so much time. It's been a really rewarding experience for me. We've become very close friends, and since all three of us work on art we also talk about that, and how what we do relates to the various works we study. But as I said, I'm not sure we're going to make it to the 20th century in my lifetime. And I love Matisse and Picasso. I'd be interested in hearing if you pursue something like this.

>98 arubabookwoman: So much art! So little time!
I love this. I think I might start a list group- where we sit around making and becoming more familiar with and talking about lists; like David Bowie's top 100 books, or art from certain periods, or books that were finalists for a Pulitzer, or whatever.

I have read 21 of the Pulitzer fiction/novel prizes (haven't checked to include the shortlisted ones too).

Have a great remainder of your weekend, Megan.

ETA I have read another 15 books nominated for the Prize without winning.

>97 LovingLit: That does look fun.

There are a lot of people around here who like lists! I love them. And they can be dangerous....

>100 PaulCranswick: thanks Paul- my weekend was warm, and I chose the hottest part of the hottest day to help my mother in her garden. In addition to sweating, I managed to aggravate an adductor muscle strain that I got from *getting out of a car*.
Bear in mind I am not yet 50... Anyway, I cleared some weeds at my mums, and then sought refuge inside out of the heat.

>101 EBT1002: I decided a few years ago that all the lovely notebooks I have, get, and am given, would be used. And today I cleared out a section of my cook books to find several lovely notebooks that I have used over the years for lists! Books of lists!
Mainly things to take away on family trips, and whole pages of what food we will take etc. But quite fun to look back on them and remind myself of what goes into getting us all away for a few days.

BOOK 4
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

I read this in 2017 and remember enjoying the journey, and on audio it was also a rollicking read. However, I am not sure now, as I wasn't then, what was actually happening some of the time...dragons, evil pixies, King Arthur's knights...I think I need a tutorial.

ETA: An LT review of this book written by BerrinSerdar on 5 Dec 2023 reads:

I read the story in a haze and I thought it was due to the late hours I was reading it at. Having just finished the book, I now understand it was Ishiguro’s masterful writing that put me exactly in that position.

- I think that is also me!


BOOK 5
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This one has been on my wishlist for ages, and I had the book in my office at work for ages as well, and now I have finally read it! I also watched the film (starring Emma Watson as 'Sam') to complement my reading...only, I broke my own rules and didn't finish the book before watching, and, as it turns out, it didn't really complement my reading of it after all. It just made me compare characters to characters and plot-lines to plot-lines...and the film did not come out favourably.
Anyway, the book was great; punchy yet subtle in its revelations, it coolly and calmly told Charlie's story through a series of 'dear diary' letters to a third party (the reader). He's 15, very intelligent, but young, different to other kids, and is troubled. He finds a friend, learns lots, and grows up.
*highly recommended*

Remember way back when (>14 LovingLit:) when I said I was reading A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, and - admittedly half-heartedly- How to think like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius by Donald J. Robertson?

Well, I am not.

Now I have pivoted to The Best Country to give Birth?, about the politics of midwifery in New Zealand, and The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor. The first one I wanted to get myself for Christmas, but the cover is way too schmaltzy for me (it smacks of a Hallmark greeting card), so I got it from the library instead. And the second is on audio.

The Best Country to Give Birth sounds really interesting . I wonder what country - if any , the book will chose. I think it's pretty good here. My niece had a home birth attended by two midwives her in the Vancouver area. She was really happy with it , and had a previous uncomplicated first birth , so it was a good choice for her. I had complicated births for both - my first had to be resuscitated after birth - long labour and cord around his neck, and the second time my next son had shoulder dystocia, so that is an obstetric emergency, so I was very glad to be in hospital for my sons. As for pre -ordering a puzzle, I don't usually do it, but I follow a puzzle artist on Instagram and he showed a new puzzle he had out , or was to be out shortly, so pre order I did. I think it out Feb 2 and will get here Feb 5th. I'm looking forward to it.

>105 vancouverdeb: It is a very interesting read so far. I started by picking a chapter that interested me the most, and then realised I wanted more, so started from the beginning. It won't tell the reader which country is 'best' though, as it is more a social history of midwifery and childbirth in NZ. (Though it does mention the US, the Netherlands, and the UK a lot.)

It tells the fascinating history of how groups advocating against hospital births (and the medicalisation of childbirth more broadly) in the 1970s and 1980s were linked with second-wave feminism that was positioned firmly against doctors as the patriarchy. And how this resulted in heavy lobbying and support for the home-birth movement and, consequently, great changes in the ways that midwives can operate that extend to now. Ironically, the changes resulted in no great increase in the proportion of mothers who birth at home (which is still about 4%) but did change midwifery here from being a part of general practice (carrying out deliveries with GPs in attendance) to them operating independently OR being hospital midwives- both of which still call for almost all work taking place in hospitals.

I was very pleased to have had an experienced midwife who saw me all through both my pregnancy, the deliveries, and for 5 weeks after they were born. I know it is very different in Australia, where you are assigned whoever is on duty at the hospital that day, and so have no chance to build a relationship or develop any trust in each other prior. I was also glad to be in a hospital where W was *eventually* delivered by emergency C-section and where L was characterised as a *difficult delivery*!

My definition of a good birth experience is one where both mother and offspring are alive and without major damage. It wasn't anything to do with what happened during the birth, but having a full term + 2 weeks stillbirth ending my first pregnancy left me a bit short when women were discussing what they wanted from the "birth experience"

>103 LovingLit: I LOVED The Buried Giant when I read it a few years ago!!

>107 quondame: I would have the same definition, I think. I'm so sorry you had to go through what you did...the very definition of a nightmare.
I'm not fussed either way with home versus hospital births, but am finding the politics of it all very interesting in the book.

>108 EBT1002: I still think I might read some reviews of it, to get me more in tune with the plot. Also, it reminds me I must read more of Ishiguro!

New-week's reads *smooch*

>110 richardderus: indeed- the reads of the new week have been appointed lol. Luckily I had to leave work yesterday (on a public holiday) as W needed to go to the beach. SO I got to read my book for a couple of hours. :)

I adored The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I read it! Glad you loved it

>112 ChelleBearss: It was funny as once I had finished the book, I went to 'file' it away and saw that I had a second copy on my shelves that I hadn't remembered I had!
Always the way.

I also loved The Buried Giant; it's one that when I finished, I thought, "hmm, I want to read this again."

The Best Country to Give Birth sounds fascinating.

>114 BLBera: I couldn't have considered reading anything again a few years ago; there was just too much I still had to read for the first time! But nowadays I am really gelling with the idea of revisiting a book to see how it lands with some perspective. I guess I am losing my youthful exuberance!!!

Last weekend we went out on the water for a test run. My father, since having a brain haemorrhage last year, has not been able to drive and he has really missed getting out on his boat (which he can drive), so once the tides and the weather were right, we went out. This meant I had to drive the car and tow the boat/trailer, but luckily dad backed it down the boat ramp as I am not too experienced in backing trailers.
He also wanted to get W schooled up on handling the boat so that he feels comfortable taking them out and having another capable driver available if something goes wrong with his health. It was a success, and I was really pleased for dad :)



Me on the water! And, at the risk of becoming obsessed with remote, non-reticulated outside toilets...the view from this one was pretty good. We stopped here at this little bay as the swell was making us a bit seasick while fishing. The cute little shack is one my brother had told me about, and one that he has booked to stay at during the Sail GP which is being hosted here next month. He will take his motor boat and check out the action from the edge of the bay. And lastly, W carefully learning how to handle the boat.

What a great outing! Love those photos.

Your reference to the toilets made me laugh, Megan. It looks like a wonderful day out, and I am sure your dad is pleased to be training up the next generation.

>82 LovingLit: Love this shot!!

>97 LovingLit: We are doing a shared read of Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer next month. If you want to join us. Just sayin'. Once I finish that one, I will have read every one for the past 30 years. Maybe we could do Rabbit at Rest later in the year?

Hi, Megan. It looks like we are getting close to booking our Australia/NZ trip for March of 2025. It will be a fully guided tour. 15 days. I will share more details later on. 😁

>116 LovingLit: How great to get to go out with your Dad on such a meaningful outing. Glad that W is up for the boating lessons, since it will mean so much to his granddad.

*smooch*

>117 AMQS: it was a great outing! Really warm too, and I lost my cap to the sea (sadly) so my forehead doe sunburnt!

>118 lauralkeet: I seem to have come across some lovely 'long-drops' lately! There is a book about/called views from loos, I think. New Zealand has some great remote tramping huts which have loos with great views ;)

>119 msf59: If I am to read the 4th in the Rabbit Angstrom series, I will need to reread the first, and then get on to the second and third! So yes, later in the year might just suit. I have just checked, and my local library has the second in the series, so I am at least poised to begin.

And- YAY. A visitor! Does fully guided mean no spare time? Obviously I will be intercepting your guided tour for a meetup :)

>121 richardderus: W is *so* up for boating lessons; he is 15 going on 24 (and has been going on 24 since he was 9). He cannot wait to turn 16 so he can get his learner's drivers licence, and his gun licence (for hunting possums and deer- both of which are pests here).

Yes, you know I love me some books lists. : )

Thanks for the pics and I am glad you got out on the water with your dad and son. I miss being out on the boat, which happened a lot more when I lived near my folks in MN. Sorry about losing the cap. Oops.

Oh, and I am doing the Dressler read -- join us!!

Great pictures, Meghan, and wonderful that your son is learning how to handle the boat.

BOOK 6
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

I liked this one. Students at an arts college are followed about in turn, by chapter. I missed being able to follow them on once the chapter had ended, and although they did pop up again in other chapters as peripheral characters, I wanted to know more. Most of the characters were struggling with something, in most cases this was relationships but social status also crept in. There were some descriptive passages which could warrant a "caveat emptor re: sex" warning if you're not into that kind of thing.But I found it all relevant to the scene.
*very recommended* (which is just a little less than highly recommended)


BOOK 7
Arrangements in Blue by Amy Key

I perhaps shouldn't have persisted with this one. It was irritating me too much but, as always, I wanted to give it a chance to redeem itself. I liked the first third; the observations, the language, the lovely descriptive passages...all good! But then the middle third just felt like a re-worded first third, and the last 10% the same. The crux of the narrative is a conspicuous and regretful absence of romantic love - a phrase that is repeated too often, I think - in the author's life. She laments on this theme relentlessly, using Joni Mitchell's album 'Blue' as a touchpoint. Sounds good in principle, but I just found it a bit....self-obsessed? (Sorry, but I did.) I feel like broadening the lamentations to societal issues might have helped, and this was achieved in the chapter on grief and grieving.

>123 Berly: I can't say I am that much of a boat person, tbh. I made myself go out dad and the kids so that they could get amongst it, and had a good time despite myself. haha.

>124 vancouverdeb: I hope he gets the chance to have another practice!

My latest puzzling effort :)

Lovely puzzle, Meghan!

>128 vancouverdeb: It was a fun one! I am thinking about forking out for another and, luckily for me, the shop right across from my work has transitioned from a post shop to a book/toy/puzzle shop. The books are great too...but it could spell doom for my bank account!

>127 LovingLit: Nice!!
>129 LovingLit: Boo/Yay for the new shop across from work. : )

>116 LovingLit: It sounds like a fun day, Megan.

>127 LovingLit: I love the puzzle. It looks challenging.

>125 LovingLit: the Taylor book sounds good. I will look for it. No thanks to the Key.

I think your weekend is pretty much done, Megan, but I hope it was a good one!

>122 LovingLit: Deer, in the abscence of natural predators, are rats on stilts. They must be controlled or they will wreak havoc on the environment in excess of what humans do. I do not care what anyone does to possums, TBH, since they utterly disgust me on many levels including their destructive addiction to human garbage.

Yay for Wilbys ambitions, then! *smooch*

>130 Berly: boo/yay is right! But I am leaning towards yay.

>131 BLBera: :) I need to start a new puzzle.

>132 PaulCranswick: Aaah, the weekend; in which I facilitated W's ambitions of becoming an outdoorsman (see point below to RD). I drove him and his mates to go camping for 2 nights so that they could fish, putter about on the lagoon in a small inflatable with a small outboard motor, and have a hoon on some dirt bikes. Fun!

>133 richardderus: Aw, another endorsement of Wilby's ambitions. I am his #1 outdoor recreation and pest control endorser seeing as other options include gaming all day and hanging with his mates doing nothing.

Oh my gosh I almost forgot to brag say.

I am going to see Richard Ford talk at our local readers and writers festival...this weekend!!!!

Yes: Richard Ford...whose Frank Bascome (sp?) books kick-started my middle-aged-white-man's-existentialist reading phase (which was mainly comprised of Jonathan Franzen, Phillip Roth, Don DeLillo). I utterly loved The Sportswriter, and the second one; so much, in fact, that I saved the last one of the (then) trilogy for a treat for later and then never actually got to it. (I never claimed to be rational haha.)

I am excited!

My awesome author event today, featuring Richard Ford talking about his Frank Bascombe books, was so great!

A warm and engaging, and super intelligent and articulate guy; and, he signed my book!

>136 LovingLit: That's cool, Megan and it only took me two or three goes to decipher his writing.

>135 LovingLit: >136 LovingLit: That is wonderful, Megan!

Very cool, Megan!

>136 LovingLit: Neat!

>137 PaulCranswick: He took his time doing it...is 80 and still writes his books in first draft by hand!

>138 FAMeulstee: >139 vancouverdeb: >130 Berly: I told him I was really glad I'd come to see him talk, and he said he was glad that I'd come. Ha ha, what a charmer. Truth be told, I was there an hour early so that I could look at books and have a glass of wine prior. Which was a lovely part of the afternoon package :)

BOOK 8
Between You and Me by Johanna Horton

This was a wee gem of a find. The story is of two friends in their early 20s; they are young, fun, and living in the city doing all the young, fun things that good friends in the city do. And then one meets an older man who woos her, resulting in a shift in the friendship dynamic and a reassessment of priorities and allegiances for them both. A lot more than this happens though, and the reader is cleverly shown the ways in which the older man is in fact an ass-hole who really shouldn't have been so smitten with women so much younger than him.
It was also nice that this book was set in Australia, so much closer to home for me that the UK or US, where so many books are set.
*recommended*


BOOK 9
Such Kindness by Andre Dubus II

I loved this book. From having read his memoir, Townie, I had a fair inkling of his upbringing and life and could see why he was able to get into the heart and mind of his main character, Tom, so well. Tom has been subject to a series of misfortunes and is struggling to come to terms with his current circumstances, which is to say, poverty, pain, family estrangement, and loneliness. He is trying, he really is, and I think this book shows what it is like for many people who want to be better people but who are beaten down by circumstance.
*highly recommended*

Oh, and I forgot to mention I bought 2 books this week with a gift card I had since Christmas.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley...and oldie but hopefully a goodie...I bought this as am reading a set of essays by Rebecca Solnit and the one about this book (called "Ice", in the collection titled The Faraway Nearby) appealed.

And, Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver, seeing as it has been talked about on LT so much!

I hope to read Frankenstein sometime later this year, Megan. I read Our Hideous Progeny last year and that got me interested in the classic, Frankenstein. I did enjoy Demon Copperhead last year, so I hope you will too.

Hi Megan. I read Frankenstein a couple years ago and absolutely loved it. So different from the cultural images that have developed around this character.

We tried to book our accommodations in Christchurch for November and it looks like we may have waited too long! I thought 7-8 months in advance would be plenty of time but I see that November is second only to February in terms of popularity for visiting the area. Yikes. The place we were looking at is called Merivale Manor; it's where the hiking tour will be picking us up to start our adventure. Is there another hotel in the area you might recommend we try? It doesn't need to be as upscale as MM. *smile*

I hope you enjoy Demon Copperhead. I really liked it but I always worry that the hype around a novel like that can taint the reading experience of those who haven't yet read it. I know that has happened to me a time or two. Haha.

Another one- this time a group effort :)

I advised Lenny that I was having dinner and drinks with 'the girls' the other night...
Lenny: What girls?
Me: The neighbourhood girls!

So, I present to you, the neighbourhood girls :) (I am second from the right, not on the left.)
ETA: I am sometimes mistaken for Julia (on the left).

>144 vancouverdeb: Frankenstein is one of those cultural phenomenon ones...it's always nice to have read the source document!

>145 EBT1002: That does seem early to have been booked! I guess that accommodation is boutique, so might have fewer than average rooms. Hotel Montreal is supposed to be nice- not as close to your original accom, but easy enough to get there from what is a slightly more central location. Otherwise, Scenic Hotel Cotswold is not far from MM...and, coincidentally, my office is also very close - as in one intersection away! Maybe you could kip on the couch there haha ;)

Currently reading up a storm!



Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca Solnit, and Concerning my Daughter by Kim Hye-jin.

And my recently purchased Richard Ford book is waiting in the wings, as are (let's face it) about two dozen others.

Hi, Megan. I just wanted to swing by and report that we have BOOKED our Australia/NZ trip for next March. Hooray! It is a big, expensive trip but one we really wanted to do. Unfortunately, this tour doesn't stop in Christchurch but I hope we get close enough for a Meet Up or 2. I will share more details with you later. We also start in Australia on this tour. 😁

How are you today Megan?

>146 LovingLit: Nice pictureof the neighbourhood girls, Megan!
I did recognise you, no mistake for Julia ;-)

>149 msf59: oh no- no Christchurch leg of the trip!? We will have to converse on where your will be and I will see if I can be near somewhere you are. It would be criminal to miss a meet up.

>150 Owltherian: All good thanks Owl ;) Actually, I am, so I am not even lying.

>151 FAMeulstee: Excellent! We both have big foreheads you see...but I guess that now I frequently wear glasses, I am looking more like my own self.

>152 LovingLit: I will do my best to make that happen, Megan.

>146 LovingLit: Les Girls all look very cheery! I think the puzzle's very pretty, too.

Happy week's reads, Megan.

>153 msf59: hoorah! Have legs (and books), will travel ;)

>154 richardderus: We were pretty cheery, RD. The taker of the photograph was sassing us. And there had been wine.

Oh, and I am also reading (listening to on audio):


Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

>146 LovingLit: I love the puzzle, Megan! A great picture of you and the girls.

>146 LovingLit: Yay! Great pic of you and the girls! Glad you had fun. : )

>157 vancouverdeb: >158 Berly: and now but a memory. But a nice one!!! Haha.

Books 10, 11, and 12!


BOOK 10
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Although I admired the lovely writing, i could not get inside the character and wasn't really sure what was happening half the time. Maybe I need to read The Handmaids Tale and see if I really can call myself an Atwood fan.


BOOK 11
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

A lovely story that takes in trauma, loss, and relationships in an exciting but gentle way. Childhood best friends and soul mates lose touch and are reunited after a chance encounter, and the cleaving of their friendship is explained alongside their reacquainting themselves. A love story, a coming of age story, and an examination of friendship and relationships.


BOOK 12
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

A lovely, sad story of one of the last migrations of the Arctic tern, a bird I have had an interest in since reading The Voyage of the Arctic Tern many years ago. The premise is that it is the near future and there has been massive biodiversity loss, with dozens of reported extinctions. The protagonist is somewhat of a loner, a nightwalker, and an oddball. She is on a voyage to track and follow the terns' migration to Antarctica and, along the way, reveals her backstory in alternate chapters. A little far-fetched at times with regard to some of the character's decisions...but, a sweet and mournful treatment of life as well as death.

I am an Atwood fan, so give her another try!! ; )

And I am so sad about the mass extinctions we are headed for. It is happening. : (

>160 LovingLit: I must read Migrations, Megan. Can't remember who recommended it to me before. Bought it but still haven't read it (along with 5,000 more books of course!).

>161 Berly: And I have decided I cannot call myself a fan of Ann Patchett's writing now either. I really thought I was... haha

>162 PaulCranswick: I am sure I heard of it from someone here, but I cannot remember who. Either way, it is well worth a read, so I hope you got to it. Even if several thousand have to come before it!

Went away on an EPIC mission to Wellington and Auckland (one night only in each place) to see two bands, came back with a cold, 4 books, and memories of 2 great experiences.

I saw Beth Orton in Welly, with my old friend Lea (I have known her since I was 12) and then met up with my lovely other in Auckland to see The Dandy Warhols. Serious fun was had. AND, there were no kids there to slow my book-perusal down, so I came back with:



Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin
A Meal in Winter by Hubert Mingarelli
Notes from an Apocalypse by Mark O'Connell
The Long March by William Styron

Also, cos I cannot help it...some shots reminiscent of some cool places I visited.

. .

The Library (a cocktail bar, Courtenay Pl, Wellington) and two places on Karangahape Road (aka K Road) Auckland. The second is a bakery/cafe where we had breakfast this morning, and the third is the exterior of a bar we went to last night before seeing the band.

>164 LovingLit: Some great books there and I don't have any of them!

>164 LovingLit: Wow that sounds like a great time!

>165 LovingLit: A terrific way to spend non-Mom time, Megan, and some fascinating reads added to your TBR!

Sounds like a really fun couple of days! I wish we had a library themed bar here in Phoenix. I suspect people speak in hushed tones ;-D

>166 PaulCranswick: well Notes from an Apocalypse definitely has some great talking points in it, Paul. I can heartily recommend it. And it features a chapter on NZ (as well as one on Scotland)

>167 norabelle414: >168 richardderus: A fantastic whirlwind trip :) Closely followed by a whirlwind overnight tramp, which I will summarise shortly.

>169 mstrust: it was very 'loungey', as in, it looked like someone's lounge with all the leather couches (in the room not pictured) and the books, and the cosy corners. I loved it! (and the cocktails!!)

School holidays means we go from beachside batch (Kiwi language for a small holiday home), to a big-city getaway, to an overnight tramp (kiwi language for a decent walk in the forest/mountains). The pics below are from me and Little Lenny (in the red backpack) who went with our friends/neighbours for an overnighter to a hut next to Lake Daniells (a 2.5 hours drive away, then a decent 3 hour walk).
I now have blisters *and* a cold, and shall go back to work next week for some relaxation time!!!

BOOK 15
Notes from an Apocalypse by Mark O'Connell

Oh la la. This was a find. On my recent city trip(s) I was able to pop into any bookshop I felt like, so that I did. This one jumped out at me owing to the retro cover. It was actually published some time close to 2017 and is a beautiful example of literary non-fiction.

The book takes it chapter by chapter to examine both the author's obsession with the end of days, and the ways in which people across the world have decided they will deal with that. Doomsday is predicted by various groups to result from environmental collapse, societal chaos, political collapse, nuclear war... whatever you fancy. I loved the writing, the observations were on point, the lyricism, etc etc. Rave rave rave.

*highly recommended*

Hi Megan. It’s about time I got caught up with you. I appreciate your recent visits to my languishing thread.

>160 LovingLit: Oh, I loved Migrations. It earned the full five stars from me several years ago. I’m also an Atwood fan, although I don’t always completely engage with her books. Cat’s Eye and the MaddAdam Trilogy were my person favorites.

>171 LovingLit: Love the pictures of your family getaway (Little Lenny isn’t so “little” anymore)…and the earlier time in the cocktail bar/library. You find some very interesting places to visit. ;-)

>172 LovingLit: Gosh Megan, I wish this had been a good read for you. Too bad it left you so ~meh~ about its subject and execution. Here's hoping for better reads to come.

*scuttles away before Ammy gets richer*

>173 Donna828: I'm glad you enjoyed Migrations...from time to time I worry that books I take in via audio miss something for me, but this one proved that its the book over (and alongside?) its delivery system that shines through.

>174 richardderus: you had me for a second there RD! haha. I was pretty sure I *loved* it lol.
Yes- my tendency for the dark and gloomy had this one looking like a good fir for me from the start.
My lovely other has been instructed been invited to read it, as has our similarly-minded neighbour (who, by coincidence shares a name with my lovely other!!).

>172 LovingLit: Notes from an Apocalypse sounds good, as does Migrations.

>165 LovingLit:, >171 LovingLit: Looks like you've had some fun times.

Hi Megan. Sorry to hear about the cold but your holiday sounds pretty nice -- and certainly varied in activity! I loved Migrations when I read it a year or so ago, although I know what you mean about a few far-fetched moments in the story.

With our house-selling and such, we are going to postpone our New Zealand adventure by a year. On that, in general, would you recommend October or November for touring and tramping? (It will be one of those months in 2025 now.)

>172 LovingLit: there was some thematic consistencies between the two, so they complemented each other quite well.

>173 Donna828: Oh no! Sadness for me but it could mean you get your cake and to eat it too hopefully :)