Chatterbox Welcomes 2021: Act I

For the Anniversary of My Death
by W.S. Merwin

Every year without knowing it I have passed the day
When the last fires will wave to me
And the silence will set out
Tireless traveler
Like the beam of a lightless star

Then I will no longer
Find myself in life as in a strange garment
Surprised at the earth
And the love of one woman
And the shamelessness of men
As today writing after three days of rain
Hearing the wren sing and the falling cease
And bowing not knowing to what

The art for my first thread of 2021 is by Canadian artist Lawren Harris; I plan to use a work by one of the other members of Canada's Group of Seven for each subsequent thread.

The poem is by an American poet, W.S. Merwin (1927-2019). I read a very short (three lines) poem by him at the graveside service of one of my closest friends, who died in mid-December. The combination of that loss and the dreary winter weather with the long days explains this selection, above.

I'll use American poetry and Canadian art to head each thread this year, in honor of my dual citizenships!

I'm baaack. Rarely have I greeted a new year with more enthusiasm, because it absolutely MUST be better than 2020. That's a very low bar for most of us, I suspect. Too much isolation; too much loss. The plus side will take longer to recognize: circumstances that force us to redefine what's most important in our lives; the creativity required to accomplish the most basic things.

I'm going to be spending a chunk of January planning a Zoom memorial service for my friend Gideon, and then probably a chunk of the entire rest of 2021 helping to sort out his estate. When he died very suddenly, he had been in the midst of making me the official executor, but hadn't signed the documents, so I know a bit more than most others about what's what but won't have an official role. Still, helping out his cousin keeps everything from being tangled up in the overwhelmed, COVID-logged court system. So there's that.

I'm hoping to do a lot more reading, and find some better books than I managed to read in 2020. I ended up doing a lot of re-reading of old favorites and listened to a lot of audiobooks, after I fell and fractured my wrist/elbow in June. (Yeah, there was that, as well as everything else in 2020...) My non-fiction was very good; my genre reading (eg mysteries) was pretty good, but I also had a fair number of disappointing books and/or DNFs (did not finish) on my lists. I'll wrap up 2020 with about 407 books, about average for me, but the caliber wasn't universally amazing. Still, I did finally get around to reading and listening to the Jodi Taylor time travel novels set in the hilariously bizarre world of St. Mary's.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Suzanne and I'm a bookaholic. As the numbers above suggest, I read a heck of a lot. I tend to chat less than I read, partly because I'm trying to find new work -- I'm a freelance journalist/editor/writer/ghostwriter -- so much of the time. My part-time retail job furloughed me back in April (the last day of work was March 16) and unemployment insurance just doesn't keep wolves from both front and back doors. I'm in the process of launching a ghostwriting business with a friend and former colleague, which will be known as Singular Stories (website will be ready in January...)

I hang my hat in Providence, Rhode Island, where I share my home with two cats: Sir Fergus the Fat, whose lifetime ambition is to devour every single cat treat in existence, and Minka the Velveteen Kitten, who I adopted just over a year ago. Minka isn't a kitten any more, but still believes she is; she's a sleek black cat with a tiny stub of a tail (two inches long) who is rapidly evolving into a lap cat. Although her definition of "lap" tends to be my shoulders/neck, which can sometimes be a bit awkward (and leave me with a mouthful of cat fur, if I'm not careful). Unsurprisingly, one of my favorite books of 2020 was Feline Philosophy by John Gray, all about why we should learn how to live from our cats.

Thankfully, I started the pandemic with a mountain of books to read, and still have a mountain of books here. I'm also grateful that the Providence Athenaeum remains open, at least for curbside pickup/dropoff. (For two or three months, we could actually go INSIDE in part of the building and browse, with masks! Then the second wave struck, and...)

I'll list the books I read here, but I just don't have the bandwidth/energy to do mini-reviews on everything. I'll flag the books I find most entertaining, appealing or compelling -- or disappointing. My ideal book? Anything in which I can completely immerse myself, and at the end, wish I hadn't read it, so that I could read it again for the first time... Which is why I like to re-read some favorites each year. If you want my thoughts on anything I've read, feel free to ask! Every year, I set out to imagine my thread as being a cyber version of my ideal literary salon would be like, and in this year, well, there ARE no real salons. I think of LT as a better kind of Zoom, because I don't need to make sure I'm camera-ready.

This is the sixth year (wow, already?) that I've hosted/organized/coordinated/whatever the non-fiction challenge. 'Challenge' is a bit of a misnomer, since it's really just a series of monthly themed reading threads devoted to non-fiction, hopefully giving participants insights into books they might otherwise never stumble across. Each month's theme can be something standard, like Nature and the Outdoors, or a bit more esoteric, such as "Group Biographies" or "From Byzantium to the Ottoman Empire". Check out the year's first thread for an introduction to 2021... https://www.librarything.com/topic/327929#

As always, the only "rules" of the road for this thread: please treat each other and everyone else's views with courtesy, civility and thoughtfulness, and leave the politics and drama for other kinds of social media. Pretty please.

Wishing you all a happy new year of reading pleasure!

I always read far more than 75 books a year and so just keep a single ticker to track my total reading. I'll start new threads when the total number of posts hits between 250 and 300. I will try to keep the list current but keeping up with mini-reviews of the books I read, with capsule comments, has defeated me. So, once again I will simply acknowledge that it's not possible.

This year I'm setting my goal at what for me is a relatively modest level: 401. I just topped that in 2020, so hopefully will succeed in doing so once more in 2021

If you want to see what I have been reading in real time, your best bet is to go to my library on LT, and look at the dedicated collection I've established there, under the label "Books Read in 2021". As I complete a book, I'll rate it and add it to the list. I'll also tag it, "Read in 2021". You'll be able to see it by either searching under that tag, or clicking on https://www.librarything.com/catalog/Chatterbox/booksreadin2021.

I do have some reading objectives -- I refuse to call them challenges or targets or anything else -- ranging from specific books to themes and even authors I plan to re-read. I'll note those down in the coming posts.



My guide to my ratings:

1.5 or less: A tree gave its life so that this book could be printed and distributed?
1.5 to 2.7: Are you really prepared to give up hours of your life for this?? I wouldn't recommend doing so...
2.8 to 3.3: Do you need something to fill in some time waiting to see the dentist? Either reasonably good within a ho-hum genre (chick lit or thrillers), something that's OK to read when you've nothing else with you, or that you'll find adequate to pass the time and forget later on.
3.4 to 3.8: Want to know what a thumping good read is like, or a book that has a fascinating premise, but doesn't quite deliver? This is where you'll find 'em.
3.9 to 4.4: So, you want a hearty endorsement? These books have what it takes to make me happy I read them.
4.5 to 5: The books that I wish I hadn't read yet, so I could experience the joy of discovering them again for the first time. Sometimes disquieting, sometimes sentimental faves, sometimes dramatic -- they are a highly personal/subjective collection!

The list starts here...

The January list:

1. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (finished 1/1/21) 3.8 stars
2. The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike (finished 1/1/21) 4.1 stars (A)
3. Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis by Jeffrey Jackson (finished 1/2/21) 4 stars
4. Third Girl by Agatha Christie (finished 1/3/21) 3.4 stars (A)
5. *Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon (finished 1/4/21) 4.2 stars (A)
6. Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life by Louise Aronson (finished 1/4/21) 5 stars
7. Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power and History's First Global Manhunt by Steve Johnson (finished 1/6/21) 4.2 stars (A)
8. Away With the Penguins by Hazel Prior (finished 1/7/21) 4 stars
9. The Finisher by Peter Lovesey (finished 1/8/21) 4.1 stars
10. The Last by Hanna Jameson (finished 1/9/21) 4.2 stars
11. *Divine Comedy by Elizabeth Pewsey (finished 1/10/21) 4.1 stars (A)
12. When She Was Good by Michael Robotham (finished 1/10/21) 4.2 stars
13. *Unholy Harmonies by Elizabeth Pewsey (finished 1/12/21) 4.1 stars (A)
14. *Unaccustomed Spirits by Elizabeth Pewsey (finished 1/14/21) 4 stars (A)
15. A Matter of Life and Death by Phillip Margolin (finished 1/14/21) 3 stars
16. *The Ghost by Robert Harris (finished 1/15/21) 4.2 stars (A)
17. When You See Me by Lisa Gardener (finished 1/17/21) 3.7 stars
18. The Great Secret: The Classified World War II Disaster That Launched the War on Cancer by Jennet Conant (finished 1/18/21) 4.1 stars
19. The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World and Globalization Began by Valerie Hansen (finished 1/19/21) 4.3 stars
20. Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir (finished 1/20/21) 3.7 stars
21. *Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (finished 1/21/21) 4.2 stars (A)
22. Butcher's Crossing by John Williams (finished 1/22/21) 4.7 stars
23. A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements (finished 1/22/21) 4.2 stars
24. The Only Living Witness by Stephen Michaud (finished 1/23/21) 4 stars
25. *The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin (finished 1/23/21) 3.85 stars (A)
26. *Vertigo by W.G. Sebald (finished 1/24/21) 4.35 stars
27. Red Widow by Alma Katsu (finished 1/25/21) 3.15 stars
28. *Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin (finished 1/26/21) 3.8 stars (A)
29. The Silver Collar by Antonia Hodgson (finished 1/27/21) 4.2 stars
30. Ethel Rosenberg: An American Tragedy by Anne Sebba (finished 1/28/21) 4 stars
31. *A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin (finished 1/28/21) 4.1 stars (A)
32. Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano (finished 1/30/21) 4 stars
33. Stop at Nothing by Michael Ledwige (finished 1/31/21) 2 stars (A)
34. Dark Salt Clear: Life in a Cornish Fishing Town by Lamorna Ash (finished 1/31/21) 4.3 stars
35. *The Darcy Connection by Elizabeth Aston (finished 1/31/21) 3.8 stars (A)

(A) -- audiobook
* -- re-read

WHY ARE TOUCHSTONES NOT WORKING YET AGAIN??????

The February List:

36. *I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes (finished 2/2/21) 4.35 stars (A)
37. The Far Side of the Sky by Daniel Kalla (finished 2/4/21) 3.35 stars
38. *Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston (finished 2/4/21) 3.65 stars (A)
39. The Velvet Rope Economy: How Inequality Became Big Business by Nelson Schwarz (finished 2/5/21) 4.1 stars
40. The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany by Gwen Strauss (finished 2/6/21) 4.3 stars
41. *To Shield the Queen by Fiona Buckley (finished 2/7/21) 4 stars (A)
42. The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed Mahmood (finished 2/7/21) 4.7 stars
43. *The Doublet Affair by Fiona Buckley (finished 2/8/21) 3.9 stars (A)
44. The Kidnapping Club: Wall Street, Slavery and Resistance on the Eve of the Civil War by Jonathan Daniel Wells (finished 2/9/21) 4.1 stars
45. Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March (finished 2/10/21) 3.7 stars
46. *Queen's Ransom by Fiona Buckley (finished 2/10/21) 3.85 stars (A)
47. The Mercenary by Paul Vidich (finished 2/13/21) 3.75 stars
48. The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston (finished 2/13/21) 3.65 stars
49. Hitler: Downfall 1939-1945 by Volker Ullrich (finished 2/14/21) 4.5 stars
50. The Old Enemy by Henry Porter (finished 2/16/21) 4.1 stars
51. *To Ruin a Queen by Henry Porter (finished 2/17/21) 3.5 stars (A)
52. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (finished 2/20/21) 4.3 stars
53. M, King's Bodyguard by Niall Leonard (finished 2/22/21) 4.2 stars
54. *Vox by Christina Dalcher (finished 2/22/21) 4.3 stars (A)
55. You Don't Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War by Elizabeth Becker (finished 2/24/21) 5 stars (A)
56. The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan (finished 2/24/21) 3.3 stars
57. *The Janus Imperative by Evelyn Anthony (finished 2/25/21) 3.4 stars
58. Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker (finished 2/26/21) 4.35 stars
59. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (finished 2/27/21) 5 stars
60. *Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst (finished 2/27/21) 4 stars
61. Five Little Indians by Michelle Good (finished 2/28/21) 4.7 stars

The March List:

62. Death and the Maiden by Samantha Norman/Ariana Franklin (finished 3/2/21) 3.7 stars
63. A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore (finished 3/3/21) 3.2 stars
64. The Voter File by David Pepper (finished 3/5/21) 3.3 stars
65. *A Place of Execution by Val McDermid (finished 3/6/21) 4.3 stars (A)
66. The Moscow Rules by Antonio Mendez (finished 3/7/21) 3.75 stars (A)
67. Behind Closed Doors by Catherine Alliott (finished 3/9/21) 4.1 stars
68. Citizens of London by Lynne Olson (finished 3/10/21) 4.2 stars (A)
69. Fallen by Linda Castillo (finished 3/13/21) 3.9 stars
70. *The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye (finished 3/16/21) 3.5 stars (A)
71. The Brandons by Angela Thirkell (finished 3/17/21) 3.45 stars
72. The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn (finished 3/19/21) 4.4 stars
73. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (finished 3/20/21) 4.1 stars
74. Wedding Station by David Downing (finished 3/23/21) 3.8 stars
75. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (finished 3/24/21) 4.45 stars
76. *Pen Pals by Olivia Goldsmith (finished 3/25/21) 3.7 stars (A)
77. *Farthing by Jo Walton (finished 3/26/21) 4.15 stars
78. The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear (finished 3/27/21) 3.6 stars
79. *Ha'Penny by Jo Walton (finished 3/28/21) 4.2 stars (A)
80. Aftershocks: A Memoir by Nadia Owusu (finished 3/28/21) 4.8 stars
81. *Half a Crown by Jo Walton (finished 3/28/21) 3.65 stars (A)
82. Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (finished 3/29/21) 3.75 stars (A)
83. Stakes Is High: Life After the American Dream by Mychal Denzel Smith (finished 3/30/21) 4.4 stars
84. Travels With Epicurus by Daniel Klein (finished 3/31/21) 3.75 stars

The April list:

85. *The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman (finished 4/1/21) 3.6 stars (A)
86. The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale (finished 4/2/21) 4.3 stars
87. The Socrates Express by Eric Weiner (finished 4/3/21) 4.2 stars (A)
88. The Plague Year by Lawrence Wright (finished 4/3/21) 4.1 stars
89. Miss Kopp Investigates by Amy Stewart (finished 4/4/21) 4.1 stars
90. *The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman (finished 4/4/21) 3.5 stars (A)
91. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (finished 4/5/21) 5 stars
92. *Queen of Ambition by Fiona Buckley (finished 4/5/21) 3.6 stars
93. *Venetia by Georgette Heyer (finished 4/7/21) 3.7 stars (A)
94. Turn a Blind Eye by Jeffrey Archer (finished 4/8/21) 3.6 stars
95. End of Spies by Alex Gerlis (finished 4/9/21) 3.9 stars
96. Death in Delft by Graham Brack (finished 4/9/21) 3.65 stars (A)
97. Look What You Made Me Do by Elaine Murphy (finished 4/10/21) 3.75 stars
98. Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters by Andrew Morton (finished 4/10/21) 3.7 stars
99. The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson (finished 4/11/21) 4.1 stars
100. The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray (finished 4/11/21) 4.2 stars
101. You Can Run by Karen Cleveland (finished 4/12/21) 4 stars
102. Northern Spy by Flynn Berry (finished 4/12/21) 4.1 stars
103. Untrue Till Death by Graham Brack (finished 4/13/21) 3.6 stars (A)
104. Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson (finished 4/14/21) 4.1 stars (A)
105. Another Time, Another Place by Jodi Taylor (finished 4/15/21) 4.2 stars (A)
106. The Main Enemy: The Inside Story of the CIA's Final Showdown with the KGB by Milton Bearden & James Risen (finished 4/17/21) 4 stars (A)
107. Triple Cross by Tom Bradby (finished 4/18/21) 3.95 stars
108. The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream by Charles Spencer (finished 4/20/21) 4.35 stars
109. Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz (finished 4/20/21) 4.15 stars
110. Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig (finished 4/21/21) 3.85 stars
111. *Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman (finished 4/22/21) 3 stars (A)
112. The Lost Pianos of Siberia by Sophy Roberts (finished 4/23/21) 4.3 stars
113. The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda (finished 4/26/21) 4.75 stars
114. Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Girlhood by Cheryl Diamond (finished 4/27/21) 4.15 stars
115. The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women's Rights by Dorothy Wickenden (finished 4/28/21) 4.85 stars
116. *Dictator by Robert Harris (finished 4/28/21) 4.35 stars (A)
117. Mudlark: In Search of London's Past Along the River Thames by Lara Meiklem (finished 4/29/21) 4.4 stars
118. *Stormy Petrel by Mary Stewart (finished 4/29/21) 3.75 stars (A)
119. The Left-Handed Twin by Thomas Perry (finished 4/30/21) 4.1 stars

The May list:

120. An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helen Tursten (finished 5/2/21) 4.5 stars
121. *The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey (finished 5/3/21) 4.8 stars
122. Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty by Maurice Chammah (finished 5/4/21) 4.7 stars (A)
123. The Freedom Line: The Brave Men and Women Who Rescued Allied Airmen by Peter Eisner (finished 5/5/21) 4.2 stars (A)

(A) -- audiobook
* -- re-read

Reading Plans for 2021

Mysteries

The Silver Collar by Antonia Hodgson Read
Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner
A Noel Killing by ML Longworth
The Blitz Detective by Mike Hollow
Cold Kill – Rennie Airth
Salt Lane – William Shaw
Bad Blood in Meantime by Murray Davies
Entry Island by Peter May
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano Read
The Seeker – S.G. Maclean
A Match Made for Murder by Iona Whishaw
A Million Drops by Victor del Arbol
The Budapest Protocol by Adam LeBor
Play the Red Queen by Juris Jurjevics

Canadian Content

Blaze Island by Catherine Bush
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good Read
The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart
The Finder by Will Ferguson
First Snow, Last Light by Wayne Johnston
Reproduction by Ian Williams
Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Close
Lost in September by Kathleen Winter
Consent by Annabel Lyon
The Wagers by Sean Michaels
Greenwood by Michael Christie
Five Wives by Joan Thomas

Non-Fiction

Demagogue by Larry Tye
A Sound Mind by Paul Morley
Water, a Biography by Giulio Boccaletti
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
The Churchill Complex by Ian Buruma
Mythos by Stephen Fry
The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream by Charles Spencer Read
The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science by Seb Falk
Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener
North by Shakespeare by Michael Blanding
Big Dirty Money by Jennifer Taub
Ravenna, Capital of Europe by Judith Herrin
The Anarchy by William Dalrymple
The Socrates Express by Eric Wiener Read
Ghostways by Robert Macfarlane
Dark, Salt, Clear by Lamorna Ash Read
Austen Years by Rachel Cohen
On Corruption in America by Sarah Chayes
The Lost Pianos of Siberia by Sophy Roberts Read
Sovietistan by Erika Fatland
The New Map by Daniel Yergin
War: How Conflict Shaped Us by Margaret Macmillan

More Reading Lists for 2021

New-To-Me Authors

Deacon King Kong by James McBride
White Ivy by Susie Yang
The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Pilgrims by Matthew Kneale
Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March Read
Nightshade by Annalena McAfee
Red Widow by Alma Katsu Read
Shelter in Place by David Leavitt
Blue Ticket – Sophie Mackintosh
Virginia Woolf in Manhattan by Maggie Gee
The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed Masood Read
The Editor by Steve Rowley
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Red Pill by Hari Kunzru

Historical Fiction

The Honey and the Sting by EC Freemantle
The Mask of Apollo – Mary Renault
The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart
Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas
Dark Matter by Phillip Kerr
First Actress C.W. Gortner
Now We Shall Be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
The White Russian by Vanora Bennett
Resolution by A.N. Wilson
Tsarina by Ellen Alpert
The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike Read

Short Story Anthologies

The Decameron Project by various New Yorker contributors
The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
Here the Dark by David Bergen
A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth by Daniel Mason
One Point Two Billion by Mahesh Rao
Pack of Cards by Penelope Lively
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel

Series & Sequels

Karolina and the Torn Curtain by Maryla Szymiczkowa
You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
The Brandons by Angela Thirkell Read
The Heights by Parker Bilal
The Red Horse by James Benn
The Cold Way Home by Julia Keller
Impolitic Corpses by Paul Johnston
Hold your Breath, China by Qiu Xiaolong
Hammer to Fall by John Lawton
Kit’s Hill by Jean Stubbs
I Saw Him Die – Andrew Wilson
Freya – Anthony Quinn
A Winter’s Promise – Christelle Dabos

And more reading lists...

The TBR of Shame

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
Trio by William Boyd
The Charmed Wife by Olga Grushin
The Glass Kingdom by Lawrence Osborne
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
Mother Land by Leah Franqui
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Read
These Women by Ivy Pochoda
Independence Square by A.D. Miller
A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millett
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdich
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Reading Globally

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara (India)
Transcendant Kingdoms Yaa Gyasi (Ghana/USA)
The Unknown Terrorist by Richard Flanagan (Australia)
Retour Indesirable by Charles Lewinsky (Switzerland)
Out of Darkness, Shining Light by Petina Gappah (Zimbabwe)
Biografi by Lloyd Jones (New Zealand)
Soviet Milk by Nora Ikstena (Latvia)
The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck (Germany)
I’m Staying Here by Marco Balzano (Italy)
Are You Enjoying? by Mira Sethi (Pakistan)
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (Japan) Read
The Death of Comrade President by Alain Mabanckou (Congo)
The Republic of False Truths by Alaa al-Aswany (Egypt)
The Secret Sister by Fotini Zalikoglu (Greece)
The Immortals of Tehran by Ali Araghi (Iran)
The Frightened Ones by Dima Wannous (Syria)
Brotherhood by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr (Senegal)
The Second Rider by Alex Beer (Austria)
Sacred Darkness – Levan Berdzenishvili (Georgia)
Katalin Street – Magda Szabo (Hungary)
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopia)
The Convert by Stefan Hertmans (Belgium)
2084 by Boualem Sansal (Germany/Algeria)
Priceless by Zygmunt Miloszewski (Poland)
10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World by Elif Shafak (Turkey)
Apeirogon by Colum McCann (Ireland)

Lighter Stuff

Escaping Dreamland by Charlie Lovett
Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer
Flowers of Darkness by Tatiana de Rosnay
Camino Winds by John Grisham
Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
Behind Closed Doors by Catherine Alliott Read
A Springtime Affair by Katie Fforde
Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig Read
Mum & Dad by Joanna Trolloppe
The Liberation of Brigid Dunne by Patricia Scanlan
The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag
A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore Read

Saving this one for later...

Saving a final one in case the lists multiply...

Hi Suzanne - wishing you a better year in 2021. I'm enjoying Troubled Blood right now.

Best wishes for a better 2021!

Welcome back, Suz.

Ooh, The Honey and the Sting goes onto the TBR immediately.

I hope 2021 sees more good than bad for you, Suzanne.

Welcome back! Here's hoping 2021 is a better year!

Suzanne, I am so hopeful for a Much Improved New Year (I hardly dare use the word Happy!)

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

Happy reading in 2021, Suzanne, I hope 2021 willl be a MUCH better year.

Happy New Year Suzanne!

Hope 2021 is kind to you!

Wishing you a happier 2021!
I'm resolving to spend a little more time here so I hope to take inspiration from your voluminous reading. Book bullets here I come!

Hope your 2021 is filled with lots of great reads!

Happy new year, Suzanne! I really hope 2021 is much better for you than 2020. I vanished on here last year (not just lurking, not even checking on the site for months) but am hoping that this year I'll be back. We'll see how it goes once school goes back though...

Welcome to all my bibliomaniacal friends!

I've finished my first two books of the year, both escapist reads. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a kind of wish-fulfillment novel -- you get to try on lives, and have epiphanies. I think it's supposed to be inspiring, but actually struck me (at nearly 59 years old) as a wee bit depressing. I just don't have that much time left for a do-over! The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike is the second in what I think/hope is an ongoing series about the lands that would become England and Scotland in the centuries to come, set in the 6th century CE, with the main protagonists being Britons and Picts fighting off Angles, and a big plot theme of Druids vs Christians. The characters and stories and intriguing, and it's great for anyone who read/enjoyed Linnea Hartsuyker's series (which focused on Viking communities pre-1000 CE).

>25 Chatterbox: Druids vs Christians would make a lovely bowl game don't you think?

Remember reading Gore Vidal's Julian about the early Roman Empire and the last ditch battle between paganism and the new Christianity

Ah, what wonderful lists you have! I'll peek from time to time if I get stuck for a new title. While you are reading, have a much better year than that awful one we just kicked out the door.

Dropping a star, Suzanne, and wishing you happy in 2021.

Howdy and all. Your reading voraciousness terrifies me. Keep up the magnificent work. All the best with all your ancillary endeavors: helping sort out a tangled estate, launching a new business venture, all that jazz. Show time!

I'll be trying to keep up.

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

I'm resuming my reading of the Agatha Christie oeuvre, re-reading books I liked and reading some I never picked up decades ago. Bit of a mixed batch. Right now I'm listening to the audiobook (library borrow) of Third Girl and it's mildly entertaining.

Started reading Elderhood, and that seems likely to be very good. Perhaps because of my age...

>25 Chatterbox: Some people seem to absolutely love The Midnight Library, don’t they? I thought it was a decent enough read, but I certainly didn’t find it inspiring. It didn’t depress me though!

>32 SandDune: I think it's just my age. What others may find inspiring, I actively find (slightly) depressing. I struggled to relate to the main character, not because of her situation but because of her wimpiness. I think I would rather re-read some Terry Pratchett to be charmed by his whimsical views, if I'm going to delve into the world of fantasy! Or re-read Rook by Daniel O'Malley, for some fantasy suspense. I'm annoyed I have to wait until APRIL for the next Jodi Taylor book.

Finaly found you! Have a happy rading year and yes 2021 is going to be better than 2020.

Late to the party!
Here's to a fab (or at least a far, far better) 2021 :)

Mystery book package donor, please identify yourself!! I just received an apparently anonymous gift of three second-hand books, all of which are on my "I really want to read this" list -- one about music, one travel book and one about WW1. It's wonderful, a surprise and three books I WANT to read and HAVEN'T read. But there's no note telling me who sent me these, so I don't know who to thank...

Well, THANK YOU to whoever you are, oh mysterious book benefactor.

I'm sure it was someone on LT, since all three tomes were on my LT wishlist but not on Amazon wish list. And it had to be someone who had my address. Please send me a PM so I can say a proper thank you!!

>36 Chatterbox: & >37 Chatterbox:
I would guess that you have not received the Christmas epistle that was sent in an envelope with a first class USPS stamp on it. Strange that you would get the books before the letter. Oh well - the mysteries of the USPS are many and not easily parsed. Especially since the election.

>38 benitastrnad: THANK YOU Benita!! Nope, no Xmas epistle yet. That said, a friend sent me something on December 7 that arrived on January 7 -- and it had (a bit) less distance to travel, coming from North Carolina. There's still a chance...

A friend called me a few days ago. She received the Christmas card I mailed one month to the day after its postmark.

Mail has been freaky slow this season. Hope things will pick up in the new year

A year ago in February a friend of mine was vacationing in Rome, Italy. She sent me a post card from Rome on March 9, 2020. I got it in the mail in May. We figured it was slow due to the lockdown in Italy.

I think that all the mail is slow starting around September 1 in the USA. I think it is due to the crazy rules that the USPS implemented to slow down the mail in ballots. It will take us years to get all of this mess straightened out and I think it is doubtful that the USPS will ever recover and get mail delivery back to normal.

Looking at my reading list so far this year and I'm feeling underwhelmed. Partly it's my mood, which is pretty dark, and partly it's the migraines. Lots of re-listening to old faves on audiobook that demand very little of my attention, or other mystery/thriller books that are quite escapist in nature.

So, I've made up a list of all the books I have ARCs, e-galleys or other copies of that showed up on one of the lists the Millions publishes twice yearly of the most anticipated fiction and non-fiction, and I'll try to read a few of those in the remaining days of January and into February.

Hands down the best book I've read this year so far was Elderhood, although I quite liked Valerie Hansen's non-fiction book about The Year 1000, mostly because it delivers all kinds of fascinating factoids. (The root of the word slave is "Slav", because of the Norwegian/Russian trade in Slavic slaves... Bluetooth got its name from a Nordic adventurer... etc.) It's good, if not great, and has piqued my curiosity in a whole bunch of other issues.

Good to see you here Suzanne.
Little know facts like that always tickle me.

I think I knew about the Bluetooth thing

So, 35 books in January. A lot of re-reading (due to the bleahs), and a lot of audiobooks (due to migraines). There was a notable dearth of memorable/great reading. The best were Elderhood, by Louise Aronson, which I already flagged, and the final book in John Williams' canon, Butcher's Crossing. (Yes, I know there's at least one other novel by him in print, but since the author himself disavowed it later, I don't really want to read it.) In genre fiction, the best book was The Silver Collar by Antonia Hodgson, set in the London of 1720s, thus proving that less popular time frames can still be the settings for compelling mystery stories.

Happy Birthday, Suz (because it is already there)!

>45 Chatterbox: I liked the first Thomas Hawkins mystery. I'd since lost track of the series, and I see I have some catching up to do.

I hope you feel better in February.

>46 ronincats: Yes, I'm lurching into late middle age... (59) Ho hum. Watching the blizzard safely, from indoors with cats!!

>47 libraryperilous: It's a good series. This one was perhaps a bit over-the-top melodramatic, but I find the characters appealing and the setting fascinating.

Re-listened to I Am Pilgrim as I geared up for G's memorial service. Finished the book last night, and the memorial service this afternoon. Completely zonked.

Weekend reading included The Velvet Rope Economy by Nelson Schwartz, about the way that the affluent increasingly find ways to bypass all kinds of queues and get everything from priority access to top amusement park rides to better education/healthcare. What makes this work is that it evaluates the impact on both sides of the "velvet rope" -- those who can pay and those who can't. It's still a bit predictable, but worthwhile reading if you're just starting to read about economic inequality.

Great novel-reading -- The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed Masood has a cover that makes it look like a romance set among the Muslim diaspora in California. Well it is -- but it's nothing like you would expect, either. Sure, there's romance, but there's a compelling/twisty plot, comparing the experiences of voluntary vs involuntary Muslim immigrants in the US. Very well written, perhaps a little trite at times, but with an appealing hero who can infuriate you just as much as he makes you chuckle. Not serious Literature, but definitely worth reading. Especially for the character of Bhatti, the landlord/owner of a run-down apartment complex, who has never experienced intense passion for anything in his life but recognizes it, and so gives everyone who moves in some kind of discount on their new digs so that he can can help and feel engaged. When the reader first meets him, he's written as a cliché, but Bhatti becomes one of the strongest and most intriguing characters in the novel by the end.

I am going to re-read/listen to the first few novels in Fiona Buckley's series of Elizabethan mysteries, and then play catchup with them.

A quick update to flag another five-star book!

You Don't Belong Here by Elizabeth Becker focuses on three women war correspondents/writers/photographers in Vietnam and Cambodia and how they transformed how journalists approach covering wars (and how the establishment learned to cope with women battlefield reporters). It's brilliant. Well, Becker is a fabulous writer who knows whereof she speaks (she was in Cambodia in the final stages of that war, and wrote about her return visit in the fascinating When the War Was Over). And her subjects are equally compelling. I remember sitting in the library in my grad school in Japan in the early/mid 1980s and devouring Frances Fitzgerald's The Fire in the Lake (spent a week's earnings for the paperback at Kinokuniya) and then used it to prove to misogynist professors that women had intellect, insight and the ability to synthesize their observations with rigorous analysis (which didn't make me any more popular with those professors, who seemed even more intent on getting me out because they still thought women didn't belong in advanced education, but whatever...) (Later, I discovered that Frankie is part of the extended WSJ "family", being married to a former colleague of mine.) I had seen Catherine Leroy's photographs, and in fact they were some of the first images of the war that I remember seeing, but knew very little of her personal story. Kate Webb is someone I knew almost nothing of.

Whether you're interested in this period, in journalism, in women carving unique and distinctive paths to professional accomplishment in a time of tremendous social and political upheaval, in war and conflict studies, etc., YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. 5 stars. Then go read more by Becker and Fitzgerald.

I may be talking to myself here, but...

for those who loved The Salt Path, a sequel, The Wild Silence will be out this spring. I just got an advance copy, and the publicist has told me that she's writing a third book now, or at least a third book will be coming soon, about another epic trek, this one in Iceland.

Always checking in, just don't necessarily have anything to say, Suz.

>51 Chatterbox: oooh, a 5-star book! I have not had one of those for ages. All my ones this year have been 3.5 or below (bar Ethan Frome, which I just finished now, and am still cogitating on).

>54 LovingLit: I'm having the same problems, especially with my fiction selections. I realize that part of this comes down to that word -- selection -- but part of it is that some books have just been, well, disappointing. Either that, or I'm being more demanding or my tastes are changing -- again. Nonfiction has been easier to relish, for some reason.

Hi chatterbox. I hope all is well with you.

I am dropping a star. your selections and comments are always fascinating.

I mentioned it sometime last year but I am taking another crack at A Castle in Wartime. Did you have a chance to take a peek at it?

>56 brodiew2: Thanks for the star! I did end up reading A Castle in Wartime; I thought the backstory was fascinating, even if I didn't always love the writing style. Thanks for being one of the people who nudged me into reading it!

I'm listening to the audiobook of Spies of the Balkans and remembering how good some of Alan Furst's earlier 1930s spy novels were, especially when compared with the last three or four. The characters are so much richer and the plots much more thoughtfully developed.

Hi Suzanne. I hope to be more present in 2021 than the last few years.

It sounds like 2020 was a rough one for you. I hope this one is a lot better.

All good wishes.

Hi Suzanne, I'm a regular lurker, always interested in what you have to say. You Don't Belong Here is definitely a must read for me. It sounds interesting in many ways.

I have read most of Alan Furst's novels and really liked the first few I read. But I agree that in his more recent books, the quality has fallen and I felt a sameness in them.

Thanks for all your great comments.

Another five-star book!! Hope this is the beginning of a trend...

Finished The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, which is an allegorical/metaphorical novel that operates on the same level as Exit West by Mohsin Hamid or Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad. Fantastical and yet ordinary elements combine, in this case on an island where things literally disappear -- birds, roses, green beans -- and then the meaning of those words no longer conjures up a memory. As physical existence becomes more constrained, the narrator (a novelist) finds herself writing about a woman who loses her voice first. This is a multilayered, thought-provoking tour de force -- what are memories? What role do objects play in memories? What is loneliness or isolation? What keeps us "integrated". I can see myself re-reading this novel repeatedly to delve into the heart of all these questions.

Hidden Valley Road is excellent, but very depressing. The chronicle of a dysfunctional family (even without the schizophrenia), in which six of 12 children born over a span of 19 years developed some kind of psychosis-based illness (schizophrenia was the fallback diagnosis, but in some cases likely complicated by bipolar and other diagnoses that weren't even separated out in the DSM at the time.) Juxtaposed with the study of research into the illness that initially seemed almost as frustrating as the family's battle to cover up what was going on, but that became more fascinating as it went on, so that I'm going to read Siddhartha Mukherjee's book about genes later on in the year.

Nice to see you back in these parts, Suzanne.

I have a copy of Spies of the Balkans on my shelf here i've made more than a few sorties into reading it but it just sends me scooting back to better earlier Alan First books.

>62 magicians_nephew: Yes, this was the last of his decent ones, IMHO. It did make me want to revisit the books featuring Jean Casson. The last three or so have been absolutely dire and depressing. Dialed-in novels with flickers of suspense.

It's nice to drop in and see some five-star books! The Memory Police sounds wonderful. Did you ever read The Housekeeper and the Professor? It's by the same author, and I remember memory was a key component of that book. And your command about You Don't Belong Here is duly noted.

I have Hidden Valley Road in my possession but have not gotten to it yet. I've seen a couple of enthusiastic reports so I should probably move it up.

Wedding Station arrived today. It's the prequel to the series of novels featuring John Russell and revolving around Germany from the 1930s to the dawn of the cold war, by David Downing. I was disappointed by his other series, but really enjoyed the six books in the Russell series, so have been looking forward to this!!

>65 Chatterbox:
I didn't know that he had another "Station" book coming out. I will want to know how it reads. I enjoyed the other books in that series.

Hello chatterbox. I've got a couple of fiction titles that I am presently making my way through but I would love a recommendation for a good World War II nonfiction title for audio. I prefer the European theatre. I listen to a 2 or 3 of Ben Macintyre's books but there a few of his I have not gotten to get.

>67 brodiew2: might put in a word for All Hell let Loose Max Hastings' one volume book on the Second World War. He doesn't do chronological - he does topics. He's a wonderful historian writer. His Inferno is out there also.

>67 brodiew2: Are you looking for something that's a military history, or a political/social history? Max Hastings is a good call. Also, if you want to dial down into a topic, look at Lynne Olson's books; as an audiobook, I particularly liked Last Hope Island, which captures the relationships between the Brits, the Americans and the governments in exile. It includes some great narratives about the 1940 campaign(s) in Norway, Belgium, France, etc., as well as what happened in Poland and Czechoslovakia. It's compelling.

I can't address the caliber of this as an audiobook, but The Bohemians by Norman Ohler is a very gripping story about people at the heart of Germany who formed what the Germans called the Rote Kappelle, or Red Orchestra, "espionage" ring. As spies, they weren't that effective, but they really captured the spirit of those who opposed Hitler, and included military, cultural, political leaders -- and their wives. Includes the story of the only American woman executed by the Nazis. (she was married to a German economist.) If you've been reading Ben Macintyre and like espionage yarns, this is even better than stuff about D-Day spies, IMO. Another book about the German conspirators is Defying Hitler by Gordon Thomas.

The Splendid and the Vile is an interesting book dealing with the British at bay, in the period early in the war. By Erik Larson.

You could also take a look at Ian Kershaw, who, in addition to a bio of Hitler, has written books about the 1944-45 period; about key decisions earlier in the war. I just read Volker Ullrich's Hitler bio (the second volume, dealing with the war years) and while it revolves around Hitler, there's a lot in there about how the war was conducted from a German POV and written by a German. It's newer than Kershaw's (the second volume is just out) and the audiobook of this also is good.

Finally, there are a LOT of new books out and due out about individual spies in occupied Europe. But instead of reading those, I strongly recommend A Life in Secrets by Sarah Helm, which is the story of Vera Atkins, her role at SOE and her quest to find out what happened to the agents who went missing during the war. An incredibly thorough biography, compelling reading, with lots of rich context about the war, the secret war, England, pre-war Balkans, etc. The audiobook of this also is good.

Pure military history -- I tend to read less of in general, I confess. And in terms of military history, I think I've read more about the war in the Pacific, at least when it comes to non-fiction. I've also read a lot about the immediate aftermath of both global wars, because that environment fascinates me -- how societies try to rebuild. Ian Buruma's book about Year Zero: A History of 1945 is a case in point, though it wasn't as good a book as the ones I've mentioned above.

>64 AnneDC: I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally read some very good fiction... I feel as if I've been in a dry spell. This is the first novel by Ogawa that I've read, although I think I picked up one of her others in a Kindle sale a while back. I'll have to dig it out now!!

>68 magicians_nephew: Thank you for the rec, magicians_nephew.

>69 Chatterbox: Wow! That's quite a list, chatterbox. I have enjoyed some of erik Larsen's books, but not all. Garden of Beasts was one I was considering. Splendid and the Vile caught my eye, but I am not presently interested in the Blitz or the plight of the Brits during that time.

Have you hear anything about A Woman of No Importance?

I downloaded Last Hope Island and will give it a shot. I'll keep you posted.

>71 brodiew2: I read Sonia Purnell's book about Virginia Hall. It was one of the better books in the current crop of "here's the story of another woman SOE agent in occupied Europe", which are multiplying like rabbits left unattended. Some are good, some are deeply meh (eg Code Name Madeleine, about Noor Inayat Khan and some are just underwhelming (eg D-Day Girls). What I'd like to read right now is more about resistance in central/Eastern Europe. I recall reading Isaac's Army several years ago, which emphasized Jewish resistance in/around Warsaw and Poland, but there seems to be less interest (perhaps because it was primarily local people and not glamorous young women who parachuted in...)

Somewhere out there in the video streaming world there's an excellent Norwegian film (with English subtitles) about the king's attempt to evade and resist the Nazis following that invasion. It's very intense and compelling. I've also seen an excellent French multi-part series set in Paris and Lyons and revolving around members of an early Resistance group at the Musée de l'Homme, and later dealing with Jean Moulin. I think it's simply called Resistance. Finally, there's the heartbreaking film, "La Rafle", about the Vel d'Hiv roundup of Paris's Jewish population in the summer of 1942. If you need a break from the books...

I think what interests me about that point in time in England covered by Larsen in his latest book (from mid-1940 to mid/late 1941) is that Britain was completely on its own, with the odds stacked against it. When we look back today, we do so with 20/20 hindsight, unable to avoid knowing what happened eventually. Living through it was something else altogether: it's tough to imagine the kind of anxiety and fear. I wonder whether any of us would rise to the occasion as these folks did? So that's why I read and enjoyed it, however limited it was.

>69 Chatterbox: Some good recommendations there, Suz.

Brodie you may also look out for Anthony Beavor. Richard J Evans gives a detailed account of the Reich and Robert Gildea does a grand job of recreating the situation in France.

>72 Chatterbox: Finest Years by Max Hastings is pretty good about the "England Stands Alone" period of World War II.

Im currently reading Hastings's book on the Viet Nam Conflict which is very good

More great recommendations. I wasn't connecting with Last Hope Island on audio so I made a change to a book I saw I Barnes and Noble, Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare by Giles Hilton. It is narrated by the author and is off to a great start. Given its roots in guerrilla warfare, I wondering if it will Colin Gubbins 'Auxiliary Units' and 'Special Operations Executive' will cross paths with the SAS. I greatly enjoyed Ben McIntyre's Rogue Warriors (touchstones are not showing the complete list.

>74 magicians_nephew: Hastings' book Inferno is a possible read for me this year. Always readable.

>75 brodiew2: I've read both the Macintyre book on SAS and Milton's book; neither interested me as much as did some of the socio-political chronicles, though. I have liked others by both authors much more.

Our discussion did prompt me to get the audio version of another book by Lynne Olson -- about three Americans crucial to building the Churchill/Roosevelt relationship, at the time Lend Lease was being considered: the new US ambassador (who replaced Joe Kennedy), Averell Harriman and Ed Murrow. Quite different figures in different roles, and it's starting off as interesting.

>76 PaulCranswick: I read Inferno several years ago and thought it was excellent.

I've started watching The French Village about the German occupation of France during WWII. I'm only a couple of episodes into a seven season program but I like the depiction of the villagers as they begin their resistance. It's in French with subtitles on Prime Video.

I'm a huge admirer of Edward R Murrow as I am of anyone who creates something out of nothing.

His work and his broadcasting during World War II is breathtaking.

Have to find the book I read about his life but it was a good one.

>61 Chatterbox: I looked into getting that nook, but the library had it on one-week loan only (at a cost). So I figured I would do with every current book that I want to read: either wait until it is available 2nd had, or hope that a friend buys it and I can borrow!

>79 magicians_nephew: Sperber wrote a bio of Murrow, published in the 80s. One of the first non-fiction chunksters I ever bought.

>80 LovingLit: My copy came from a UK Kindle Daily Deal, and isn't shareable, alas. Hope one materializes for you rapidly!

>75 brodiew2: Aha, and just after commenting about Giles Milton, I opened NetGalley (which offers free e-galleys to reviewers) and found that Milton has a new book coming out later this year, which I promptly requested and was approved for. (Henry Holt is the publisher). It's about the final stages of the war, the race for Berlin and the roots of the Cold War, so perhaps not squarely on target.

I had an entertaining listen over the weekend while battling migraine and not being able to read: The Moscow Rules by a former CIA agent Antonio Mendez. A lot of great backstories to some of the cold war stuff that I knew about. Fascinating.

I started reading the sequel to The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, The Wild Silence, hoping that it would be a "comfort read" and boost me out of my fit of the bleahs. Instead? She begins on a somber note -- the drawn-out death of her mother and the recognition that her husband's health (he has a neurodegenerative disease) is declining and that he's heading in the same direction. Even setting to one side my own neurological anxieties (a tremor that has popped up occasionally in my left hand and my growing problems speaking without weird spasms interrupting me and making it difficult to communicate coherently), in the last week alone, two people in my life have succumbed to illness: the Wall St. Journal editor who fought the powers that be to give me a break by bringing me to NYC, and who then promoted me three times in four years, ultimately sending me to the London bureau, and the son of a friend, who died in surgery while being treated for a fast-moving cancer. So, it wasn't a comforting read, in most ways. On the flip side, it WAS set partly in Fowey/Polruan, which I kinda think of my the home of my heart. For Winn, these twin villages (on either side of the Fowey estuary) are too full of people and not wild enough: for me, having spent all my life in cities (mostly megacities) they are wonderful out of the high season in July/August, giving ready access to the Cornish coastal path and other great country walks, quiet mornings, the ability to watch the sea and the birds. Ultimately -- this was a good book, but not as good as The Salt Path, since it's more scattershot and episodic.

If that underperformed, The Rose Code delivered more than I expected. Yes, it's a "pulp" kind of romantic suspense novel, but Kate Quinn clearly understands Bletchley Park code breaking (which I'll never manage!) and managed to make implausible plot lines completely believable while reading. She draws on reality with just enough links to make her fictions convincing.

I'm going to continue reading Angela Thirkell's "Barsetshire" novels, although the first half of The Brandons was a long, slow slog. Still, the character of Tony Morland is hilarious, and I'd probably read them just for that reason.

Glad to see all this reading, Suzanne! Peace to you!! Keep it going!!!

You got me completely with A Life in Secrets, so thank you for that. I read Thirkell now and then and have a hard time remembering which is which, but you're right about Tony Morland. He's always good for what ails me.

Id like to have a look at The Rose Code see how well they do with it.

I liked The Bletchley Circle on TV for good writing and characters but historically accurate is something it will never be accused of

>83 Chatterbox:
you got me with a BB - even if it isn't as good as the first one I tend to be a completist and this title sounds like it is a decent book.

>85 magicians_nephew: I can't vouch for authenticity, but it felt very well-researched to me. It's primarily a work of romantic suspense, so govern your expectations accordingly!!

The one point that really didn't work for me was a reference to one of the characters being excellent at solving crossword puzzles. The problem? They given an example, but it's of a typical US-style crossword, not a cryptic crossword of the kind that the Times of London actually used/uses. They are truly tricky, relying on everything from homonyms to anagrams, and requiring solvers to think creatively when trying to solve them. Eg: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-08/learn-clues-on-how-to-complete-cryptic-cr.... The example of this super-solver working her talents relies on what's known as a "quick" crossword, which is really about definitions, trivia, etc. etc. in contrast to the wordplay that lies at the heart of the cryptic crosswords. So it was irritating that someone would be dubbed Bletchley material for being able to solve a bog-standard kind of crossword. FWIW, I'm reasonably good at the quick crosswords, but cannot begin to tackle cryptics. To me, it feels like the mental equivalent of 3-D chess. Which is probably why it was a good way for Bletchley to identify new recruits...

>83 Chatterbox: I do need to get around to The Wild Silence even if it’s not as good as The Salt Path.

>87 Chatterbox: I can’t do The Times crossword to save my life (or any of the other major newspaper cryptic crosswords for that.) And when I say I can’t do it, I don’t even get a single clue. Not one. I have bought a couple of books in the past to learn this skill, as it annoys me that I can’t. (After all, I know lots of words and a fair bit of other stuff - in my mind I should be able to do it.) But I can’t even get the simple examples given in the books right.

when The Imitation Game movie came out the Times published one of the puzzles that was used by the Bletchley talent scouts.
Alan Turing Puzzle

Sorry to say that while i enjoyed it The Imitation Game mucked up the actual facts of the story pretty badly

>4 Chatterbox: I just noticed you finished book 75 on the 24th, Suzanne, congratulations!

Congrats! Somehow I missed it.

>90 FAMeulstee:, >91 drneutron:, yes, I'm behind on where I should be (based on my own targets) but did cross the 75 mark! Thanks...

I see you are reading Travels with Epicurus. I just finished it. Will be curious to learn what you think.

>93 benitastrnad: So far, I'm ambivalent. I find it very male-centered in terms of the approach to aging, but since it's a memoir... is that even an appropriate response? Still, I think that some of what he's addressing is or should be universal. Also, it's one of those books that so clearly comes from a "place of privilege" that it makes me a bit crazy. So far, there's little attempt to understand how his personal situation might differ from those who live on the margins; little curiosity about how people not just like him approach the question. What about the lives of these Greek men on Hydra?? I'm nearly halfway through now and am a bit frustrated by what he seems to ignore or overlook, whether consciously or unconsciously.

>94 Chatterbox: I stalled on reading it. I started it last summer and it just sort of dribbled out of mind. Then I started carrying it around in my backpack, but couldn't mount the enthusiasm to finish it.

I agree with your assessment. I think the author sort of started out to write a memoir and then got bogged down in thinking heavy thoughts and so smooshed them together. I did like his chapter on organized religion and his thoughts about it. However, throughout the entire book there is a sense of aloofness, almost a snobbishness about his observations. He is engaging when he writes about the scenery and how that affects his moods. I also like the way he brings bits of many different philosophers into his thinking. Might he be a cafeteria philosopher? Sort of like a cafeteria Catholic?

>95 benitastrnad: I suppose I wasn't expecting a work of philosophy, or even an academic work or a book that offered fresh insights into Epicurus. There have been lots of new books written by laypeople about their personal interactions with classical philosophy, and I think that can be an interesting genre when well done. My expectations may have differed from yours, but the author still didn't meet them. More unproductive, smug navel-gazing than thought self-analysis.

I could compare this as a memoir to Nadia Owusu's grueling Aftershocks, which involves just as much navel-gazing by a young woman coming of age (versus an older man confronting old age, etc.) and find much to prefer about the former. Odd, as I am rather bored with the coming of age tropes, and want to find some compelling and creative approaches to aging, but Owusu is dealing with what I think of as "real" issues: identity, race, sense of place & belonging. She questions herself constantly, whereas Klein really doesn't. That's the big difference for me.

>88 SandDune: As to solving those (#)*@$^& crosswords, " I know lots of words and a fair bit of other stuff - in my mind I should be able to do it, I am right there with you 100%. I
once took the US Navy's online test for cryptologist and made 100 on it, but it was almost all language-centered. The bit of Italian I'm still doing with DuoLingo is making me question my ability though.

Hi, Suzanne. I'm also like Peter Wimsey: philosophy is a book closed to me.

>97 LizzieD: I find that the older I get, the more intrigued I become by philosophy. Not so much the modernist thinkers that deal with questioning reality/truth, etc. but the "how to live a good life" stuff, or at least, how not to go absolutely nuts. I'm reading general stuff about the Stoics right now, but ultimately would like to have another crack at Plato and Aristotle, especially the latter. Then try to tackle Kant, perhaps. I'm intrigued by the existentialists, as well, but suspect I believe I know more about them that I actually do. One of the more intriguing books I've read is by Mark Lilla, The Reckless Mind, about how philosophical ideas can be incredibly damaging when used/abused by politicians and "public intellectuals". I'd def recommend that to someone who doesn't want to read philosophy (and have their minds entangled as if in a cat's cradle) but who is interested in getting a POV on how philosophy affects the, ahem, real world.

>98 Chatterbox: I've always found philosophy something of a struggle myself, but your rec of the Mark Lilla book piques my interest. I did enjoy Sara Bakewell's glimpse of Montaigne a few years ago, and was thinking of reading it again.

>99 ffortsa: Have you read her book about the existentialists? I confess I bogged down in it when I started it a few years back, but def. plan to start from scratch again, as I liked Bakewell's book about Montaigne (she's smart and an articulate/elegant wordsmith) and I've read a reasonable amount by Sartre and Camus and bits and bobs about their circle, but not enough to lay claim to some kind of comprehensive overview of the whole phenomenon. Also, I struggle tremendously with Sartre's politics -- and the conflict between de Beauvoir's sexual politics in theory and in practice. Ah well, the world, it is a complicated place.

>100 Chatterbox: I listened to her book on the existentialists, and didn't have trouble sticking with it, although I'm not sure how much of it actually stuck in my brain. But it was entertaining and informative throughout. All quite neutral in terms of hagiography.

Hmm, just taking a gander at my reading for March; it fell off the cliff both in quantity and (perceived) quality, with fewer than half of the 23 books I read being rated 4 stars or above. No five-star books. Klara and the Sun was good, but not up to Ishiguro's best; Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu was an excellent memoir, and I finished Stakes is High at the end of the month, by Mychal Denzel Smith, and have to applaud the caliber of the argumentation/logic/writing. He really reframes some of the key issues in the ongoing social justice debate in a compelling way. I'm not convinced we should abolish the police (as a society, are we ready to live in a way where the community self-governs without turning into vigilantes?) but he certainly convinced me that we should devise something better. There's a ruthless honesty to this guy's writing that makes it compelling and important -- for those able/willing to pay attention.

>101 ffortsa: I will try to get back to it this month. Heck, I need to find some great books from somewhere.

You caught me with a BB for Stakes is High. I had noted its publication but didn't put it on my TBR list. I will move it.

I did lots of reading but, this month wasn't nearly the blockbuster month that I wanted it to be. I finished Jim Crow's Children early in the month and I am sure that one will be a high ranking read for the year, but it was the only nonfiction to make it on my Best of ... listings. I listened to a really good work of historical fiction Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. This is one that I got the ARC in Philadelphia. The public library had the recorded version of it, and I happened to see it one day when I was there. This was a really good production. The narrator was very good. I think she captured the character and flavor of the heroine of the story very well and transferred that to the person listening to the book. It was skillfully and soulfully done and by far the best book I have listened to in a long time. I already put this book on my Best of the Year list and gave it 5 stars. Well really, it was a 4.75 but I can't give it 3/4 of a star. If you have this ARC I am recommending it. It isn't a taxing book, but just a nice good book that you won't have to think about too hard.

>104 benitastrnad: I do have the ARC, and I noted that it's available via the Athenaeum on Hoopla. I'm not a massive fan of their audiobooks, as it's difficult to find my place again (no easy chapter breaks, as Audible provides) but might try the audiobook anyway as now that it's april I have 10 new "borrows" at my disposal!

A really, really slow reading month in March -- only 23 books! And not very many stars, though I thought Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu was brilliant, and relished Ishiguro's prose in Klara and the Sun, even though the novel's plot is far from his strongest. Others worth mentioning include Stakes is High and the portion of Citizens of London by Lynne Olson that addresses the least known of the three American men whose fate was shaped by World War II and the US-British relationship -- the ambassador who replaced Joseph Kennedy, John Gilbert Winant. A fascinating character.

April reading starting on a decent note. The Ballerinas is an upcoming novel by Rachel Kapelke-Dale (it won't be out until December, I just realized, so it's kinda unfair of me to have read and relished it already) that goes well beyond its initial premise. It's set against the background of the ballet, mostly in Paris, and at first seems to be a decent rehash of chick lit books involving trios of friends facing challenges. But then it morphs, as the women (in various ways) begin to understand the complex relationship that devoting their lives to dance has had on the way they view themselves, the world and their relationships -- and the way men view them as beautiful accessories or tools. I never thought I'd see a feminist chick lit novel, but this could be it. The characters are all damaged and driven in different ways, and while it's not great literature, it is a thumping good read. I literally couldn't put it down today.

Finally, a five-star novel... Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy is a debut (I think) by an Australian novelist about a future world in which most animal and other non-human species have become extinct in the wild. It's about mortality, about obsession, about the ties between humans and nature. It's about wildness of all kinds. The backbone of the story is the annual migration of Arctic terns from one end of the globe to the other (arctic to antarctic) -- and a woman obsessed with tracking what may be their last attempt. Completely intense and compelling. Perhaps not for all tastes, but I loved it. It's not dystopian, per se -- the context is simply the way the author chooses to frame a much broader narrative about humanity. Can't wait to see what she does next.

All the Georgette Heyer audiobooks have been pulled from the Audible website. Those that I had purchased, I still own and have in my library, thankfully, but the only ones left are the abridged and foreign language versions. WTF? This happens occasionally, and I'm assuming it's a rights issue. But it does remind me that if I want to have something in my libbrary, especially a backlist title, I'd better bloody well get it while it's on offer. I'm dealing with Moderna virus shot #2 aftermath, and thought that Heyer audiobooks would get me through well, but the ones I want to listen to, I can't! I know, first world problems. So I listened to Venetia again. OK, but this may be my final re-read of the novel.

I'm sorry to hear that Moderna 2 is affecting you badly. Surely it will let up soon, and you can rejoice that your immune system is so strong.
Venetia is my least favorite Heyer that appears on everybody else's *Best* list. You don't say that, but you come as close as anybody I've ever seen. Incidentally, I read some Arabella last night to go to sleep by, and I had my Heyer biography for my hour-long wait for the ENT man yesterday. Seems to be my time for her.

Aarrrgggghhh, how frustrating. Hope you feel better soon and that your access to Georgette Heyer is restored.

>110 LizzieD: I liked Venetia the first few times (!!) I read it as its heroine is older. (Like Lady of Quality) And the heroine is almost as feisty as The Grand Sophy. The two Heyers I first read were Arabella and Regency Buck, at the age of 10! I don't think Venetia is my least fave (reserving that for the ones that feature ingenues being silly), but meh. I also think my tastes have changed/evolved.

>111 elkiedee: I still have access to the Heyer novels I had already purchased, but wanted to listen to Bath Tangle rather than read it and now can't do that. Piffle. I've got plenty else to choose from, but I wanted something I didn't need to concentrate on. Shall hop over to Hoopla and see what Agatha Christie titles are on offer that I haven't already read/re-read.

Got a surprise free book from Europa today! Hardcover of In the Shadow of the Fire by Hervé le Corre.

And Audible turned up a 90 minute special freebie featuring Yo-Yo Ma, so I don't need to feel as if I missed out on not hearing him play when I got shot #2 (he played at his local vaccine clinic in the Berkshires after getting his own shot...)

>109 Chatterbox: This news made me panic, even though I have all my audio copies downloaded to my computer. I had a look at Audible and it seems as though there are new recordings of most titles. Depending on the new performances I may update some of mine, although I am very fond of my favourites and the audio versions that I don't particularly care for are my least favourite titles in print anyway.

>113 CDVicarage: Sorry to make you panic! Once you buy a book from Audible, you will always have it, at least that's my experience. I've got several titles that fall into this category, including titles by Josephine Tey, Robert Goddard and Olivia Manning. It's just that if you sample a series, and want to buy sequels later, those titles may not be there.

>114 Chatterbox: Yes, I knew that really! But I still went to check.

Remembering the ho-horaw when Amazon unceremoniously pulled back copies of Brave New World' some years ago - certainly made them less eager to cause that kind of uproar again

So, this was among the top stories at the New York Times today. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/10/business/media/wall-street-journal-murdoch.ht...

Given the historic rivalry between the Times' biz pages and the WSJ, there's a bit of subdued gloating happening. That said... It's sad. I know both Matt and Almar, and both have a lot of energy and creativity. I wish they had found a way to transcend their differences.

>112 Chatterbox: Just to be clear Venetia is far from my least favorite (that dishonor goes to Charity Girl, at least so far). She's just my least favorite of the Heyers that readers LOVE. I found her a hair or so too modern. I also tend to prefer the older heroines with my favorite being Jenny in A Civil Contract.

That's it for me. I have to say that I don't do Audible, but I buy a lot of Kindle books. I always choose the option to download to computer. That means that as long as my Kindle of choice works, I have my books saved and don't have to go online to get them.

Did you see the NY Times review of SUSAN, LINDA, NINA & COKIE
The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli? I worked at a NPR station for a couple of years in the mid-70s and listened to all of them for years. Loved Susan's voice. The reviewer had a few reservations but mostly about things she would have liked the author to go more into.

>119 ronincats: Nope, hadn't seen that!

I've been reading/listening to more non-fiction recently, so I should check that out, though.

Just finished the new book by Charles Spencer (yes, Diana's brother), which is a brisk trot through early Norman England's civil conflicts, The White Ship. Actually, it's quite good, puts this 1120 disaster (the loss of Henry I's sole legitimate male heir) in almost complete context, tracing the battles that led to his ascension and the need for a clear line of descent, to the chaos that followed Henry's death. The only thing Spencer doesn't address in this is the longer-term legacy. Henry's insistence on bequeathing his kingdom to his daughter -- in spite of the lack of any tradition for female inheritance/rule in a woman's own right, in spite of the clear preference on the part of the nobles for a monarch who could be a military leader, in light of recent events -- produced a massive, prolonged civil war, during which, famously, it was said that "Christ and his saints slept." That really set the stage for the much later kerfuffle by Henry VIII and his own need for a male heir. Today, we tend to view both that and the 12th century civil war through our modern perspective, especially post Queen Victoria, who created a model for a stable, successful monarchy headed by a woman. But when she inherited, it already had been more than a century since an English king had led troops in battle. In Matilda's era, in spite of the existence of strong women (and many more of strong women leaders by the mid-16th century), the idea of a woman ruling was terrifying. And that terror probably helped produce the very same chaos that everyone feared most, ironically. More irony: Stephen of Blois (still the only King Stephen in English history, and a name that was never used again by the royal family) (a) was descended from William the Conqueror through the female line (as opposed to Matilda, a female descended from the reigning monarch...) and (b) was a relatively weak/irresolute monarch. Both Stephen and Matilda were their own worst enemies.

Spencer -- who I confess I had dismissed as an upper-class twit (he may still be that, of course) does have a knack of identifying interesting topics. A previous book of his that I read focused on the quest to capture and punish those who had signed the death warrant of Charles I in the wake of THAT civil war in the 17th century. Several of those guys ended up taking refuge in New England, a couple hid out long-term in New Haven. Think of it as the monarchical equivalent of global Nazi hunting? I'd always found that twist in fortune fascinating, and enjoyed the overview that Spencer provided. His research seems to be thorough, his writing is more than competent.

>119 ronincats:
I seem to recall that Spencer had a career in South Africa as a newspaper reporter? Or Writer for newspapers? Or something like that. I figured it was his attempt to be Churchillian.

The Brother Cadfael medieval mystery series takes place in the time of the War between Matilde and Stephen - for the peasant class it didn't matter a heck fo a lot who sat on the throne

>120 Chatterbox: Spencer's previous book sounds like one I need to find.

>123 drneutron: I'm particularly interested in the aftermath of wars/conflict, and how accounts are settled (or not...) That said, I hadn't really thought about this particular war and ITS aftermath (although I knew that Charles II forgave everyone except those who had signed the warrant for his father's execution after the Restoration in 1660) until I picked up The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent, set in New England and with a plot that revolves around this quest to find those responsible or involved. And of course, once my curiosity was piqued, I found myself tripping over other stuff. Christopher Buckley wrote a somewhat funny novel, The Judge Hunter, about one of the pursuers. And then these events are the backstory to Andrew Taylor's excellent new series, The Ashes of London and the three subsequent books.

>122 magicians_nephew: Yup, read all those mysteries back in the 80s! I remember finishing working, walking to the bookstore on Yonge St. in Toronto, and buying the next book or two in the series, and going home to read them. And then repeating that a day or two later...

It's interesting how reading one books sends you straight to another. I've decided that, after reading the non-fiction about the White Ship, I'll try re-reading the first chunkster by Sharon Kay Penman in her Plantagenet series, which starts off with those events. Her writing tics are a bit annoying in audiobook format, alas, but this was one of the better books in the series.

Also, I have just finished reading Four Lost Cities, which is a non-fiction book about four ancient cities that we can only really explore through archaeology today. One is in Turkey, one is Pompeii, one is Angkor Wat and the final one is Cahokia, the pre-Colombian mega-opolis just outside St. Louis of today. Two of these I've visited; I've visited ancient sites in Turkey (but Hittite, not this world's first city). It was fascinating, especially the way new techniques have brought about new understanding of how these cities worked and their societies (eg data archaeology, geographical mapping of sites via lidar). If I were 18 today, I'd want to pursue a career in that direction, I think. That said... I decided to follow the Angkor line, and pick up a book by Elizabeth Becker (whose newest book I read and loved earlier this year) about Cambodia prior to, during and following the Khmer Rouge era, When the War Was Over. She does a bit better job than Newitz did in giving a context for the Khmer history during the Angkor era.

>121 benitastrnad: I think Spencer had what I think of as a "vanity career" -- his name got him in the door, largely. Most of his work revolved around using his name and connections (including stints as a royal TV correspondent). Then when he first moved into books, the same thing: books about his family, his family's houses, etc. Lots of British aristocrats have done that. Slowly he's morphing into a kind of popular historian -- he wrote about Prince Rupert (a bit hagiographic) and then these other two books that are more distanced from his family, connections or anything personal. These two, at least, I suspect MIGHT have seen the light of day even if not written by Diana's brother, although that certainly made it significantly easier. Still, they are notably better than they might have been. I wouldn't have expected the book about the White Ship to be published in the US, however, had it not been for his name and ability to use it to market the book. OK, call me cynical....

>120 Chatterbox:
I have to admit that I find the family history very interesting. The Spencer-Churchill family and all the ins and outs of that family all the way to today. A few years ago I read Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire and it was at that point that I realized the connection between the Spencer and the Churchill families. Probably because of the family genealogy charts that were in the front of that book and were very helpful in sorting out people.

>124 Chatterbox:
I have a copy of Wolves of Andover somewhere, but I had not idea that was the subject of the book. I may have to drag it out from whatever box it is hiding in and read it. Did you like it?

>126 benitastrnad: Benita, you might want to be sure that you're flagging the right people in your comments. I think the post above, and the previous one, all flagged the wrong people?

I liked Wolves of Andover; it was very atmospheric without letting the atmosphere overwhelm the plot. I think I later read its predecessor but don't think I liked it as much. I haven't seen much new from the author recently.

>126 benitastrnad: I always found it amusing that the Churchills actually re-adopted the name sometime in the early 19th century, as the first duke didn't have any surviving male heirs. The title of Duke of Marlborough went through the female line, via the first duke's daughter, Henrietta, who was allowed to be one of the few women in English history to hold a title in her own right. (I can think of only a few other examples: a medieval member of the Mowbray family, I think, was a duchess or countess of Norfolk in her own right; Anne Boleyn was made marquess in her own right before she married Henry VIII). So the title went through the Spencer family, who were earls of Sunderland. I was also intrigued, when I looked at the family history, to realize that an earlier Lady Diana Spencer became an artist.

Hi, Suzanne. I have nothing to say for myself. Dull! Dull! Dull!
This does let me say that I'm glad that you're in this world as well as the real one and adds another post toward your destination of 150.

>129 LizzieD:
I second that.

I love your erudite comments about books and things of this world.

How did your first day back at work go?

>131 benitastrnad:, ha, it didn't happen. A horrible migraine happened instead. So it will be this Saturday (4 to 8) and then Sunday (1 to 5). Ho hum.

>129 LizzieD: Thanks for the visit, though! I have begun to feel neglected here. My own fault, of course, as when I drop in others' threads, I don't usually do more than read.

I'm currently on a non-fiction binge. From a book about mudlarking on the Thames, I have learned the root of the phrase "crooked sixpence" (remember that nursery rhyme?) and picked up all kinds of trivia from reading The Agitators, about three women (one of 'em Harriet Tubman) whose lives overlapped in Auburn, NY, and who fought for rights for enslaved Black people and for women. Enthusiastically recommend the latter; am still finishing the former book.

I didn't read any nonfiction for awhile, but in the last week finished two. One for the nonfiction challenge and the other was River Horse by William Least Heat-Moon. This one I have had on my shelves for years and I finally decided it was time to read it. Did so and enjoyed it greatly.

>133 Chatterbox: so, what is the root?

>135 fuzzi: Apparently, guys who were in love with a girl used to bend a sixpence into a kind of s-shape, don't ask me why, and give it to the girl. If she accepted it, she reciprocated the feeling. But some got tossed into the river or otherwise discarded...

I also was reminded of the meaning of the phrase "Dutch courage" -- referring to taking a drink to boost one's ability to cope with something tough. Apparently, it came from the habit of quaffing gin (17th century onwards), which came from the Netherlands.

There are LOTS of other tidbits in Mudlark by Lara Maiklem. It's kind of weirdly fascinating; a history of ordinary life rediscovered via the discarded remnants of ordinary objects. The author has a website and FB page, which is how I discovered the book -- there are images of her finds there.

>136 Chatterbox: thanks! I love words and their origins.

>137 fuzzi: I always love picking up little details like that!

I'm struggling to finish listening to The Last Bookshop in London; the topic is fascinating, but the writing is wince-inducing. Can someone really have a handsome smile?? Yeah, that kind of writing. But... it's about a bookstore. And London.

Meanwhile, got approved for the e-galley of the new Jane Whitefield novel by Thomas Perry! I love this character, feisty half-Seneca woman who takes people whose lives are in danger out of the "world" and into new lives. Pursued, of course, by bad guys. Yes, they have become formulaic, and the first four or five are much, much stronger, but they are still great reads.

>138 Chatterbox:
I have not heard of the Jane Whitefield books. I will have to check out this series.

I just finished Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson and I liked it but did not find it extraordinary. In fact I am wondering why it was so popular. I really didn't like the ending. It needed more resolution and a longer denouement. This is funny, as I often think books are too long and could have used a good editing. This book had an abrupt ending and needed a bit more length to suit me.

Nice to see you posting in these parts again Suzanne

I've been reading backwards through your thread -- I loved the Bakewell on Montaigne -- think of him often this last year as during one outbreak of the plague he closed the gates of his walled demesne and that was that, no one in or out and no one got sick.

I've had a few odd experiences with Audible along those lines -- always seems to happen with series too.

A side comment but perhaps relevant is that I've been shifting lately to being drawn to more non-fiction on Audible. I get so worked up sometimes with novels! I see that I could almost keep up with your non-fiction thread as I have just finished, in April, an 'ancient' (if Celtic counts?) history book, well really, lectures.

>141 sibylline: Completely agree with you about non-fiction on Audible. I seem to be gravitating in that direction as well.

So, I finally had my first retail shift back at Banana Republic today. Unpleasant surprise: no one had told me that the dress code is now ALL BLACK, not even scarves with patterns. Now, I've never dressed in unrelieved black; I don't like feeling as if I'm in mourning (especially when I am, which I am now...) Add to that the fact that I have added too much weight and NO LONGER FIT INTO MY BLACK PANTS. And that my black t-shirts have rips or weird marks on them (they are seven to ten years old, so they're entitled...) So I have to be an entire wardrobe in order to work. I don't see this ending well. If we get one more ghost-writing gig, I'll have to bid farewell to this. It's absurd, given that we're supposed to help customers select garments. How on earth is dressing in solid black remotely helpful?? Plus, some of the younger women have zero idea of how to pull this off. One today was wearing a dress that reminded me of something a ten year old might wear to the ballet or a favorite uncle's funeral -- poofy skirt with raised velvet pattern and a BOW on the waist. Ye gods.

OK, rant over.

And black is NOT a color that some of us can wear without looking totally washed out!!! Yuck. Here's hoping for another ghost-writing gig soon.

And here I am to help boost your count to 150.

I don't enjoy wearing black either. Even to funerals. I prefer dark navy blue as a neutral color.

>142 Chatterbox: Any close Thrift shops?

>145 m.belljackson: Nothing. Target is 2 hours each way on buses, and besides, based on what I see online, there's nothing in black in my size.

I have given them two weeks' notice. A decision that was confirmed by one manager's response. She went on a tirade. I had demonstrated exceptionally poor judgment by deciding not to invest $100 plus on clothing only to maintain a minimum wage job that already costs me 3 hours of commuting time per four-hour shift. (the latter point is mine.) I noted that this was my decision, not without thought and due consideration, and instead of dropping it, she just kept telling me how stupid I am. Erm, I don't need that shit.

Thanks for the boost toward 150.

>146 Chatterbox: here's another boost for you. Sorry about the employment issues.

>146 Chatterbox: Hey, no problem on the 150 = my next suggestion, had you not wisely decided to move on =

was a couple of boxes of Black Dye.

I think probably a good decision overall. I didn't realize you had such a long commute.

>146 Chatterbox: After reading John Bolton's take on Trump in The Room Where It Happened,
maybe you could write a retail expose' or a taxi expose'...

Today, my daughter had to take a cab to her dentist on the other side of town
(too far for me to drive with cataracts). On the return trip, the driver told her
that he had COVID two times and that now COVID was an "expected" part of driving a cab.

I'm a bit late to add to your 150 but wanted to say that, although I'm normally just a lurker here, I love reading your comments and the range of works you read. I've picked up several good books here so thanks!

>149 ronincats: Once I get ON the bus, it's only 10-15 minutes (about 2 miles). If I walk, it takes me about an hour, but I can't walk it with arthritis in my ankle and toes. The problem is that there are only 3 buses per hour, each of which is at 50% capacity. So they drive right past my stop. It can take an hour to get on a bus. At the other end, it's a 20 minute walk to the mall (preferable to waiting for a bus that gets me slightly closer.) Ho hum.

Thanks for getting me above 150 posts, folks!! I'll set up a new thread tomorrow.

>151 Oregonreader: so glad that I've been delivering good book bullets!!! That provides just as much meaning in my life as recommending holiday outfits/interview outfits, etc. Or more, as I care more about words, language, reading, than I do about clothes.

>148 m.belljackson: black dye is a non-starter! The mess... (I tried it once...) And I realized that I don't have stuff that I want to dye or that could be dyed, either. If I were Harry Potter with a magic wand, I could temporarily change an outfit to all black for the day, and that would be just fine.

My migraine is finally abating, hurrah.

I've been watching the price of Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes on Amazon UK (the Kindle edition) and it finally tumbled into affordable territory this week. (I think it comes out in the US shortly, but I got for less than I would have had to pay here, lol -- Kindle arbitrage!!) I loved her books about Jocasta and other ancient Greek women -- novels, thus far, including one that took a play by Euripides into a modern day setting. So I'm really looking forward to this one...

Meanwhile, thanks to the migraine, I've been "audiobooking" it. Finished a surprisingly dramatic book about the Comet escape/evasion line by a guy called Peter Eisner -- initially I was a bit annoyed that he seemed to start it in the middle, in late 1943, but I realized that he was trying to combine several narratives over a critical period and it pretty much worked. One thread is about a particular American escaper's experience, but that (thankfully) doesn't swamp the whole story, which deals with everyone from Basque mountaineers to treacherous Belgian infiltrators and heroic young men and women.

Another non-fiction book was about the death penalty, seeing it through the eyes of everyone from legislators, attorneys to death row inhabitants (both convicts and guards) and jurors. The author's main argument -- an interesting and convincing one -- is that in the US, we are uniquely democratic in how we apply the death penalty in that citizens really can't escape (collectively) some kind of responsibility for the decision to apply the death penalty. Unlike other countries that execute large numbers of criminals (or that at least put them on death row...) that decision is not made by some kind of supreme authority or undemocratic government. We vote for the politicians who make and shape the laws, and often for the chief prosecutors who decide whether or not to pursue a death penalty; we are the jurors and we often choose the judges. Belief in or fear of our views shapes decisions that affect lives. I oppose the death penalty (it doesn't bring anyone back to life; it doesn't seem to deter anyone; waiting decades for it to be carried out seems to harm victim's families as much as the "closure" MAY help them; it's tremendously costly -- and most importantly, it's applied almost at the whim of prosecutors, isn't helped by a lack of effective legal representation for those at the bottom of the economic scale who most often face its threat, disproportionately punishes people of color, etc., while the system itself can and does forge ahead with the execution of people who are innocent of the crime they were convicted of. We execute those who commit their crimes before they are old enough to drink legally, or enlist in the army -- before their brains have finished forming. I could go on, but....) All the above said, the author is remarkably even-handed in his view of this topic, and doesn't dwell on "murder porn" or death row voyeurism, both of which I find exploitative. The book is Let the Lord Sort Them by Maurice Chammah.

I'm now listening to the new book by Michael Lewis, which kinda takes off where The Fifth Risk ends, with a specific emphasis on communicable disease and the pandemic. The Fifth Risk is probably my fave of Lewis's books (I find his recent financial industry tomes woefully lacking...) so I'm hoping this will be as intriguing.