Laytonwoman's Third Quarter 2015

Charlas75 Books Challenge for 2015

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Laytonwoman's Third Quarter 2015

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1laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Oct 3, 2015, 12:31 pm



Featuring my husband's cousin Don Freas this month, as I love his poetry.

And his woodcraft.





And his sculpture, some of which can be seen in public places in Olympia, Washington.



The link above should take you to my second 2015 thread, where you can read all about me if you care to. I'm not going to repeat all the biographical stuff here. My earlier reading threads can be found:

First thread for 2014.
Chapter Two is here.
And Chapter Three.
The Fourth and final chapter for 2014 is here.

This is my last thread for 2013.

My first thread for 2013 is here.

Here's where I began my 2012 reading record. And I continued with a second thread for 2012. Yet one more thread for 2012 can be found here.

My first 2011 thread is here. and Part Two and Third and final thread for 2011.

My 2010 reading thread can be found Here. and Here and
here

Links to my 2009 threads at Laytonwoman3rd ups the ante for 2009

and its spin-off here with yet another extension here.

My 50 Book Challenge thread for 2008 is here
This is my 2007 thread

2laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Nov 7, 2017, 1:20 pm

EDIT 11-7-17 Tickers removed due to McAfee warning about TickerFactory.com

3laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Oct 3, 2015, 12:37 pm

My reading record for the first six months of 2015:

The titles on this list will link to the post below (or in a previous thread) where I review or at least comment on each particular book.

* Indicates a book borrowed from the public library.
LOA means I read this selection from a Library of America edition
ROOT means it qualifies for the count on the second ticker in No. 2 above, that is, it's from my own shelves, and has been waiting to be read for over a year.

JUNE This 'n' that...as I am moved.

43. Disarmed by Ginger T. Manley
42. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner ROOT, AAC
41. A Lucky Life Interrupted by Tom Brokaw
40. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
39. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

MAY Murder & Mayhem; finish my Erdrich selection for April's AAC; perhaps read Dodsworth for May.

*38. Sycamore Row by John Grisham Audio, with some print reading to speed it along
DNF Dodsworth by Sinclair Lewis ROOT, AAC
37. The Bedquilt and Other Stories by Dorothy Canfield Fisher ROOT
36. Skin Tight by Carl Hiaasen ROOT
35. The Mincing Mockingbird Guide to Troubled Birds by Matt Adrian
34. Rituals of the Season by Margaret Maron, ROOT
33. Burning Bright by Ron Rash e-book
DNF With a Crack in Her Voice by Judi Dench and The Christmas Carol Murders by Christopher Lord 2 ROOTs
*32. The Shadows in the Streets by Susan Hill
31. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich for AAC, ROOT

APRIL Atwood April; finish Julius left over from March's BAC; Maugham for April's BAC; Louise Erdrich for the AAC (Can I do all that?)

30. An Open Life by Joseph Campbell and Michael Toms
29. Doc by Mary Doria Russell
28. Arthur and Guen by Jon Koons
*27. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood for Atwood April
26. Julius by Daphne DuMaurier BAC, ROOT

MARCH Mystery March, DuMaurier for the BAC, and Richard Ford for the AAC

25. The Secret Place by Tana French
24. Canada by Richard Ford for the AAC
23. The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler LOA ROOT
22. The Upstairs Wife by Rafia Zakaria ER, ROOT
*21. Wings of Fire by Charles Todd
20. The Death of Santini by Pat Conroy

FEBRUARY Short month=short books

DNF Pepper, Silk & Ivory by Marvin Tokayer ER, ROOT
19. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh Audio & print, BAC, ROOT
18. Bayou Suzette by Lois Lenski
*17. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
16. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters OK, not so short, but a fast read just the same. For the BAC, ROOT
15. The Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett
14. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri ROOT
13. The Aspern Papers by Henry James LOA, for the AAC, ROOT
*12. A Little yellow Dog by Walter Mosley

JANUARY

11. Life & Death on the Loxahatchee by James Snyder ROOT
10. Negotiating With the Dead by Margaret Atwood ROOT
*9 Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke
*8. The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively for the BAC
*7. If You Ask Me by Betty White Audio
6. The Cutting Season by Attica Locke ROOT
*5. Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
4. A Commonplace Book of Pie by Kate Lebo
3. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers LOA, for the AAC, ROOT
2. Practise to Deceive by Frances & Richard Lockridge ROOT
1. Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island by Will Harlan

4laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Nov 25, 2015, 8:32 am

And in this one I will list my newer reading, from July forward. (Most recent at the top, links take you to the post where I talk about the book.)

SEPTEMBER When the autumn weather, turns the leaves to flame...
(Series and Sequels month)

66. A Question of Identity by Susan Hill S&S
65. The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill S&S
64. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
*63. A Fine Summer's Day by Charles Todd S&S
62. Flannery O'Connor, A Memorial by J.J. Quinn, SJ
61. Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor ROOT, AAC, LOA
60. X by Sue Grafton S&S

AUGUST Lazy, hazy days...

59. The Nine Mile Circle by Pati Hill ROOT
58. This Gun For Hire by Graham Greene ROOT, BAC
57. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp, and Camille Kingsolver ROOT
*56. Bad Boy Brawly Brown by Walter Mosley Audio
DNF Pleasantville by Attica Locke
55. Crazy Horse by Larry McMurtry AAC, ROOT
54. Frost in May by Antonia White ROOT, Virago
53. Frances & Bernard by Carlene Bauer ROOT
*52. The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie
51. Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell
50. H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

JULY Suuuumertime.....

49. The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck
*48. Zigzagging Down a Wild Trail by Bobbie Ann Mason
47. Gillespie and I by Jane Harris
46.5 DNF's Three non-starters that almost make a book
*46. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
45. Virginia Military Institute (Campus History) by Keith E. Gibson
44. The Unvanquished by William Faulkner ROOT, LOA

5laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Oct 3, 2015, 12:50 pm

2015 American Author Challenge
This is the second year of this challenge, hosted by Mark, msf59. It's a marvelous way to read books I already own, reacquaint myself with old favorites among the Americans, and get around to some of those authors I haven't sampled yet.

This list includes books I have read up to the time of the most recent edit, and those I contemplate reading through the rest of the year. As to the latter, it is somewhat tentative, and incomplete at the moment.

January Carson McCullers -- The Heart is a Lonely Hunter finished 1-15-15

February Henry James --The Aspern Papers finished 2-7-15

March Richard Ford -- Canada finished 3-21-15

April Louise Erdrich -- The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse finished 5-3-15

May Sinclair Lewis -- Dodsworth DNF
June Wallace Stegner -- Angle of Repose finished 6-19-15
July Ursula K. Le Guin probably not reading her, at least not in July
August Larry McMurtry Crazy Horse finished 8-19-15
Sept. Flannery O' Connor Wise Blood finished 9-6-15
October Ray Bradbury
November Barbara Kingsolver -- Flight Behavior
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle finished 8-27-15
December E.L. Doctorow -- City of God?

6laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Oct 3, 2015, 12:53 pm

2015 British Authors Challenge

PaulCranswick is hosting a British Authors Challenge in 2015, which I won't commit to entirely, but I will be following along to see what's going on, and will dip in and out as the spirit moves me. I'm not about the total planning thing, especially when it comes to reading. He has picked some interesting authors, though, and I'll keep track here for my own ease of reference.
(You'll note there is one male and one female author for each month.)

January : Penelope Lively & Kazuo Ishiguro
February : Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh
March : Daphne Du Maurier & China Mieville
April : Angela Carter & W. Somerset Maugham
May : Margaret Drabble & Martin Amis
June : Beryl Bainbridge & Anthony Burgess
July: Virginia Woolf and B. S. Johnson
August: Iris Murdoch and Graham Greene
September: Andrea Levy and Salman Rushdie
October: Helen Dunmore and David Mitchell
November: Muriel Spark and William Boyd
December Hilary Mantel and P. G. Wodehouse

With the American Authors Challenge also on my plate, I will pick from the books on hand, and participate as far as that allows. The list below will be current as to what I have read as of the most recent edit; potential choices for the rest of the year follow:

Penelope Lively -- Read The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
Sarah Waters -- The Little Stranger finished 02-16-15
Evelyn Waugh -- Brideshead Revisited Listened to the audio version narrated by Jeremy Irons in conjunction with some print reading. Finished 2-26-15
Daphne duMaurier -- Julius finished
Somerset Maugham -- Of Human Bondage currently reading
Beryl Bainbridge -- Watson's Apology currently reading; and/or short fiction from Mum and Mr. Armitage read the title selection
Virginia Woolf -- Three Guineas gave it a try, found it too "of its time" and set it aside; May read either A Room of One's Own or Mrs. Dalloway (which I think I've read before).
Iris Murdoch -- The Green Knight, The Red and the Green, Acastos, Under the Net, The Book and the Brotherhood Skipped our Iris
Graham Greene-- This Gun For Hire Finished 8-30-15
Salman Rushdie-- Midnight's Children Reading
Helen Dunmore -- A Spell of Winter
David Mitchell -- Cloud Atlas (The copy I have is my daughter's, and circumstances may take it out of my possession, or I may decide to read it sooner than October 2015)
Muriel Spark -- The Mandelbaum Gate, Symposium or Territorial Rights
Hilary Mantel An Experiment in Love or, I hope The Mirror and the Light, which I will buy, if available in time, and make an exception to the "off the shelf" nature of my reading for this challenge.
P. G. Wodehouse -- Oh, my, the choices here: Meet Mr. Mulliner, Joy in the Morning, The Clicking of Cuthbert, or The Brinkmanship of Galahad Threepwood, Lord Emsworth and Others

EDIT: Well, the latest word from the author herself is, it could be another 18 months or more before The Mirror and the Light sees the light. *sigh*

7laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Oct 3, 2015, 12:53 pm

Books Acquired in 2015
I haven't kept track of this information by the numbers before; I'm scaring myself!

September

1. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill
2. The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill
3. The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham
4. Murder in a Hurry by Frances & Richard Lockridge
5. Stand Up and Die by Richard and Frances Lockridge
6. Robert Penn Warren, a Biography by Joseph Blotner
7. Cold Hand in Mine by Robert Aickman
8. Prosper by Pati Hill
9. Impossible Dreams by Pati Hill
10. Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake
11. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
12. Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
13. Demelza by Winston Graham
14. Jeremy Poldark by Winston Graham
15. The Black Moon by Winston Graham
16. The Four Swans by Winston Graham
17. The Angry Tide by Winston Graham
18. The Stranger from the Sea by Winston Graham
19. The Loving Cup by Winston Graham
20. The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham
21. Women Crime Writers; Four Suspense Novels of the 1950s Library of America

August

1. Women Crime Writers: Four Suspense Novels of the 1940s: Laura / The Horizontal Man / In a Lonely Place / The Blank Wall (Library of America) by Vera Caspary and others
2. The Straight and Narrow Path by Honor Tracy
3. Edith Wharton: Four Novels of the 1920s: The Glimpses of the Moon / A Son at the Front / Twilight Sleep / The Children (Library of America)
4. X: A Kinsey Millhone novel by Sue Grafton

July

1. H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
2. Virginia Military Institute (The Campus History Series) by Keith E. Gibson
3. Homer & Langley by E. L. Doctorow
4. Anecdotes of Destiny and Ehrengard by Isak Dinesen
5. Nashville 1864 by Madison Jones
6. Bruno, Chief of Police by martin walker
7. Margaret Mitchell, Reporter by Margaret Mitchell, edited by Patrick Allen
8. The Velvet Horn by Andrew Lytle
9. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
10. Meanwhile There are Letters edited by Suzanne Marrs and Tom Nolan
11. Belzoni Dreams of Egypt by Jon Clinch

June

1. Troubles by J. G. Farrell
2. The Puttermesser Papers by Cynthia Ozick
3. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
4. Swallowing the World, New and Selected Poems by Don Freas
5. Disarmed, An Exceptional Journey by Ginger T. Manley
6. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
7. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
8. The Classic Rockers' Reunion With Death by R. J. McDonnell (Kindle edition)
9. Our Nig by Harriet E. Wilson
10. Jews, God and History by Max I. Dimont
11. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
12. Zealot by Reza Aslan
13. Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi

May

1. Seasoned Timber by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
2. The Mincing Mockingbird Guide to Troubled Birds
3. The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck
4. A Distant Trumpet by Paul Horgan
5. Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney

April (These are nearly all my daughter's fault too--she's HERE, and we have to visit all the book shops and library sale shelves...)

1. Doc by Mary Doria Russell
2. Jacob's Oath by Martin Fletcher
3. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
4. This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash
5. My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
6. Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
7. Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples
8. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
9. Stuart Little by E. B. White
10. Arthur and Guen by Jon Koons
11. Christmas Mourning by Margaret Maron
12. Vanity Dies Hard by Ruth Rendell
13. Colonel Jack by Daniel DeFoe
14. The Confederate Reader edited by Richard B. harwell
15. A Question of Identity by Susan Hill
16. The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill
17. Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson
18. Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell

March
ONLY ONE! (And that's my daughter's fault; she sent it to me)
The Secret Place by Tana French

February

1. Death's Half Acre by Margaret Maron
2. The Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett
3. Bayou Suzette by Lois Lenski
4. Judy's Journey by Lois Lenski
5. The Upstairs Wife by Rafia Zakaria (An ER book)
6. The Essential Tales of Chekhov Edited by Richard Ford
7. Winter's Child by Margaret Maron
8. Lost Everything by Brian Francis Slattery
9. Life: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth by Richard Fortey
10. Hard Row by Margaret Maron
11.- 14. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings leather-bound boxed set
15. Burning Bright by Ron Rash (e-book)
16. The Town by William Faulkner First UK edition, because I NEEDED another copy of this novel!
17. The Death of Santini by Pat Conroy
18. Dreams of My Russian Summers by Andrei Makine
19. In the Salt Marsh by Nancy Willard (poetry)
20. A Bit on the Side by William Trevor
21. My Old Sweetheart by Susanna Moore

January

1. The Christmas Carol Murders by Christopher Lord
2. Fear and What Follows by Tim Parrish
3. Children of the Dark House by Noel Polk
4. The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case by Michael A. Ross
5. Rituals of the Season by Margaret Maron from PBS
6. A Commonplace Book of Pie by Kate Lebo

8NanaCC
Jul 11, 2015, 9:56 pm

I hope I'm not too early, Linda, but wanted to say I love following your reading. I may not always post, but I'm looking on. You are definitely part of the reason that my wishlist is totally ridiculous.

9laytonwoman3rd
Jul 11, 2015, 9:59 pm

>8 NanaCC: Thanks, Colleen. You're welcome to lurk, but I love it when you comment!

10tymfos
Editado: Jul 11, 2015, 10:37 pm

De-lurking to say happy new thread. Amazing thread topper woodcraft!

11Familyhistorian
Jul 12, 2015, 12:45 am

Happy new thread, Linda. I love the look of that wooden furniture. >7 laytonwoman3rd: Keeping track of book acquisitions can be scary. I started keeping track last year and acquired 160 in total. Seems like I am on track for that again this year at 89 at the end of June (see, your figures aren't as scary as you thought). I think I am going to have to start reading faster or end up getting buried under all my books!

12Caroline_McElwee
Jul 12, 2015, 1:40 am

>1 laytonwoman3rd: I love the woodcraft Linda, and just ordered the poetry.

>7 laytonwoman3rd: I dare not have a books acquired entry, despite, on the whole, reducing my acquisitions this year.

13weird_O
Jul 12, 2015, 7:01 am

Acquisition Anxiety? >7 laytonwoman3rd: >11 Familyhistorian: >12 Caroline_McElwee: I believe I've acquired about 200 books this year (since February). An ebay purchase of 125 or so Heritage Press books, followed by four library book sales. Oh my... Maybe I ought to make a list just to see. Oh what have I done?

Just finished reading the 56th book of the year.

14lauralkeet
Jul 12, 2015, 7:32 am

Nice new thread Linda! Love the woodworking, those pieces are beautiful.

15scaifea
Jul 12, 2015, 7:46 am

Happy new thread, Linda!

16laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Jul 12, 2015, 1:14 pm

>10 tymfos:, >11 Familyhistorian:, >12 Caroline_McElwee: Isn't that wood work amazing? I think he mostly works on commission, and if I ever win the lottery, I will own something of his.
>14 lauralkeet: I knew you'd appreciate what goes into those pieces, Laura. You and your husband ought to plan a trip to the west coast and visit...I'm sure there would be interesting conversation on the subject of selecting just the right piece of wood for the project under consideration...and YOU could just pop up to Portland, go to Powell's and leave them to it!

>12 Caroline_McElwee: Caroline, I think you'll enjoy the poetry. Some of it is very personal, and hard for me to read on that account. I'll be interested in how it reads to someone who didn't know his parents, for example.

>11 Familyhistorian:, >12 Caroline_McElwee:, >13 weird_O: I approached the counting with a lot of trepidation...I tend to splurge on books several times a year, at library sales, and on vacation when we nearly always visit some amazing used book stores (and often in company with my daughter who is an enabler!) I knew the numbers would be high, but I decided I needed to know. I may only do it this one time.

My latest haul:

17charl08
Jul 12, 2015, 4:25 pm

Love the furniture:beautiful objects I would love to have in the house. Maybe if I win the lottery! Great book haul too. I am enjoying H is for Hawk very much, I also succumbed and bought my own copy.

18BLBera
Jul 13, 2015, 5:03 am

Beautiful new thread, Linda. I love the woodwork and will check out the poetry. Oh, and my acquired list just hit 100 - you are not alone.

19ffortsa
Jul 13, 2015, 9:38 pm

Wow, that furniture is gorgeous! I agree, a post-lottery order would be in the cards.

20msf59
Jul 13, 2015, 9:46 pm

Happy New Thread, Linda! Love the woodcraft up there. Very impressive.

I hope you can move H is For Hawk to the top of the stack. It is such a great read.

I know you commented somewhere on the passing of James Salter. I have never read him and I've seen very little LT activity, in regards to his books. I have heard him mentioned on Book Riot on several occasions, where they are crazy about him. I do have a library copy of The Hunters, which I plan on reading soon.
Which are your favorites?

21laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Jul 13, 2015, 10:27 pm

I think Donnie owes me a few referral fees!

>20 msf59: I haven't read Salter myself, Mark. I've just heard him warbled about, probably on Book Riot as well, and possibly by one or two LT'ers. I think his memoir, Burning the Days was specifically recommended to me, but I don't remember by whom.

22msf59
Jul 13, 2015, 10:38 pm

Well, we may have to start a Salter trend over here, my friend. I have heard the Hunters was a good place to start.

23laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Jul 14, 2015, 6:58 am

>22 msf59: Yes. It's what we DO!

24laytonwoman3rd
Jul 14, 2015, 8:10 am

I'm crashing and burning on the British Authors Challenge this year. Started Of Human Bondage, got about half way through (enjoying it, btw) and set it aside "for a while". Picked up Virginia Woolf's Three Guineas, read 20 pages and decided it was too wordy and wasn't making any point yet that I could see, so I quit. I think I get a bye on that one, because it seems to belong almost entirely to its moment. Now I've read one Beryl Bainbridge short story, which was OK, and half of Watson's Apology, which I'm finding awkward and disjointed. Not spending any more time on IT, either. Maybe I'm just not in a British state of mind this summer? In any case, I think I'll give the whole thing a break until September. Unless I feel moved to finish the Maugham.

25rebeccanyc
Jul 14, 2015, 10:16 am

>20 msf59: >21 laytonwoman3rd: I am a fan of James Salter and I think The Hunters is a fine place to start. I also really liked Light Years, but it's a very different book. Burning the Days is more of a memoir. I have several other books of his on the TBR.

26laytonwoman3rd
Jul 14, 2015, 10:57 am

>25 rebeccanyc: Maybe you were the one who brought him to my attention, Rebecca. You're responsible for a lot of books on my TBR towers!

27RBeffa
Jul 14, 2015, 11:24 am

>24 laytonwoman3rd: The British Challenge has been harder on me as well. I only gave Woolf about 20 pages and was bored/put off with the stream of consciousness or whatever it was style. I've done a number of the authors so I don't mind skipping several.

I thought I would be ambitious and read a "famous" Le Guin story as a bonus on the AAC. Fail. I quickly found "The Left Hand of Darkness" too strange. I read the author's intro and the first chapter and that was more than enough. I can see why I never became a fan of her stuff way back when and found her hit and miss.

28rebeccanyc
Jul 14, 2015, 11:30 am

>26 laytonwoman3rd: I don't think I've read Salter since I've been on LT, or at any rate reviewing books, but I might have mentioned him.

29laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Jul 31, 2015, 8:23 am

>27 RBeffa: I've read Woolf, and while she isn't my favorite, I do appreciate her style when I'm in the mood for it. (Sorry, Caroline_McElwee, knowing how you feel about Virginia!) As I said, I was enjoying Of Human Bondage (which I think I also read years ago, BLT), but it is looong, so I thought to have a change of pace and just didn't get back to it yet. As for Bainbridge, I think I can say I've tried and leave her to others now. She verges on the absurd, and I think I want to sympathize with her characters, but am not expected to.

>28 rebeccanyc: Hmmm...

30laytonwoman3rd
Jul 14, 2015, 12:24 pm

Having pretty much decided to read Go Set a Watchman eventually, but to wait until the dust settles a bit, THIS may be the next book I simply must pick up...Meanwhile There are Letters. Eudora Welty and Ross McDonald? Who knew? Eudora Welty and Reynolds Price, sure. Eudora Welty and Diarmuid Russell, uh huh. But Ross McDonald?

31Caroline_McElwee
Jul 14, 2015, 12:46 pm

I am feeling the same about Go Set a Watchman, I watched the midnight rush at a London bookstore to acquire a copy, and the whole thing feels like a publishing manipulation to me. I expect they will make more out of it than Lee or her reputation quite frankly.

Letters... I do love letters, enjoy.

BTW: forgiven re Virginia, she's an acquired taste. I haven't yet got to that volume myself.

32Matke
Jul 14, 2015, 8:59 pm

I loved Bruno, Chief of Police! Such a fun book!

I remember reading Of Human Bondage which is a really good book and really really long. I've read a couple of his shorter works and fell in love, although there's an undercurrent there...sad and not nice.

I've decided to pass on Go Set a Watchman. I may be simple-minded, but I love To Kill a Mockingbird and don't want that book spoiled in any way.

33tymfos
Jul 16, 2015, 6:29 pm

>16 laytonwoman3rd: Nice book haul!

I have Bruno, Chief of Police waiting on the shelf -- must get to it.

34laytonwoman3rd
Jul 16, 2015, 8:20 pm

>32 Matke:, >33 tymfos: Well, I know I've heard good things about Bruno around here from somebody...I'm glad to see such enthusiasm for it.

35tloeffler
Jul 16, 2015, 8:29 pm

Just stopping in for a quick "Hello!" while your thread is manageable, since you're so faithful about stopping in to see me when you can!

Happy Reading!

36Whisper1
Jul 16, 2015, 9:54 pm

>16 laytonwoman3rd: What a great book haul.
And, I am impressed with the talents of your brother in law! Look at what he can do! I cannot draw a straight line even with a ruler.

>30 laytonwoman3rd: Will and I went to Barnes and Noble for a cup of coffee and a triple choc. chip cookie. We both grabbed a chair and a copy of Go Set A Watchman. I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I read about 50 pages. Harper Lee was so severe in stating she would never publish again. She is exceedingly senile. I simply have some nagging doubts about how this all came about.

37laytonwoman3rd
Jul 17, 2015, 8:23 am

>35 tloeffler: Welcome, Terri!
>36 Whisper1: Hi, Linda...so glad you're up to visiting threads. I know what you mean about GSAW...I'm very ambivalent about it myself. Yet, she has friends who insist she does know what's happening, and approves of it....some of them seem totally uninvolved in the publication process. Maybe someday it will be clearer. I bought the book, but I think I'll wait for the "right moment" to read it, whenever that may be. In the meantime, I'm with Opus, who's BACK!!! after 25 years:

38lauralkeet
Jul 17, 2015, 1:03 pm

>37 laytonwoman3rd: I have you to thank for making me aware of Bloom County's return earlier this week. I have "liked" the Facebook page and thought today's cartoon, above, was fabulous.

I requested GSAW from my library months ago and was #42 in the queue. My library system bought something like 90 copies so my name came up right away. I hope to pick it up tomorrow and dive in as soon as I finish my current book.

39laytonwoman3rd
Jul 17, 2015, 2:05 pm

>38 lauralkeet: I'm spreading the word about Bloom County's revival wherever I can, Laura. Now if only we could get Calvin and Hobbes back...

40tloeffler
Jul 17, 2015, 6:29 pm

OMGosh! Bloom County is back? I caught up with you just in time! I like that almost as much as I like my Pogo cartoons! Thank you!!!

41laytonwoman3rd
Jul 17, 2015, 6:43 pm

>40 tloeffler: Are you on Facebook, Terri? I'm getting the daily strip there, by liking Berkley Breathed's page...it comes up on my feed automatically.

42tloeffler
Jul 17, 2015, 8:08 pm

I am, and I just liked the page! Thank you Linda! This just makes my heart happy!

43EBT1002
Jul 17, 2015, 11:51 pm

Hi Lynda,

I've already crashed and burned on the British Authors challenge. I will return to it and see what I can do but I just lost interest in some of them. Still, I have been introduced to some delightful new (to me) authors such as Penelope Lively, Daphne du Maurier, and China Mieville.

Harkening back to your prior threads: I really appreciated your review of Angle of Repose. I read it at least 20 (25?) years ago and didn't even remember much about it other than my sense that Stegner's prose was breathtaking and that the story was compelling. I wonder how it would land on me now. As some others have said, I love your phrase "too much author" and I know exactly how that feels when reading a novel.

I also just went an liked Berkley Breathed's page on FB. :-)

Re Go Set a Watchman: "I simply have some nagging doubts about how this all came about."
Me too. I have a copy of it waiting for me when I get home from this vacation and I'll be reading it for RL book group as well as re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird which is still one of my all-time favorite novels. It will be interesting to read and to discuss the novels and the issues surrounding GSaW's publication.

44EBT1002
Editado: Jul 17, 2015, 11:52 pm

By the way, I love Don Freas' woodworking and sculpture!

45kidzdoc
Jul 18, 2015, 7:29 am

Bloom County is back! I can't wait to see what Berkeley Breathed does with Trump, Cruz, Walker and the other Republican clowns.

46rebeccanyc
Jul 18, 2015, 10:15 am

The very first time I'm sorry not to be on Facebook!

47laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Jul 18, 2015, 10:58 am

>44 EBT1002: Isn't he talented, Ellen? He takes great photos, too.
>45 kidzdoc: Me too, Darryl...me too.
>46 rebeccanyc: Well, yes... he says this way he can "publish" when and what he wants. So I assume that means we can't count on a new strip every day. I'm surprised he doesn't set up a Bloom County 2015 web page, though.

48ffortsa
Jul 18, 2015, 12:45 pm

>16 laytonwoman3rd: Ah, new, shiny books. They look great.

I've been lurking now and then. Just stopping by to say hello.

49laytonwoman3rd
Jul 18, 2015, 1:28 pm

>48 ffortsa: Glad you came out from behind the book piles, Judy! Oh, and I just opened an Amazon box with two more books in it (3, actually, but one I already own, and this is a copy for my mother, so it doesn't count!). I've added Go Set a Watchman (which my timepiece-collecting husband calls "Go Set a Watch, Man"), and Meanwhile There are Letters, as predicted in >30 laytonwoman3rd: above.

50weird_O
Editado: Jul 19, 2015, 1:19 pm

"Go Set a Watch, Man"

Hahahaha

51EBT1002
Jul 19, 2015, 7:41 pm

52Caroline_McElwee
Jul 19, 2015, 7:49 pm

>16 laytonwoman3rd: I really enjoyed Don Freas's poetry Linda. Once I've digested and reread a few again, I'll put up a review.

53msf59
Jul 20, 2015, 7:25 am

Morning Linda! Hope you had a good weekend. I found Go Set a Watchman on audio, so I will probably visit it, in that format.

Good news: I really enjoyed my first Salter! The Hunters was a solid first novel. A nice introduction and it is a shorty. I am looking forward to trying more of his work.

54laytonwoman3rd
Jul 20, 2015, 7:59 am

>50 weird_O:, >51 EBT1002: Irreverent, those watch collectors.

>52 Caroline_McElwee: Well, I'm glad, Caroline! I was just re-reading a couple of them myself this morning.

>53 msf59: That is good news, Mark. Well, as if I needed another author to plomp onto the pile...but still!

55laytonwoman3rd
Jul 21, 2015, 9:18 pm

47. Gillespie and I by Jane Harris After a bit of a slow start I settled in to the pace of this novel, and found it totally engrossing. In 1888, Harriet Baxter, having lost the aunt whose caretaker she was, and having inherited a comfortable living from her grandfather, decides to take the train from London to Glasgow for an indefinite visit, primarily to attend the International Exhibition recently opened along the banks of the River Kelvin. While she is there, she meets and befriends an up and coming artist, Ned Gillespie, and his young family. In fact, you might say she insinuates herself into their lives with determination. We learn about the events of that Exhibition year from Harriet herself, in a self-serving "memoir" that begins by telling us how intimately she became acquainted with Gillespie...no, not that way...just as dear friend and "soul mate". Well, it's easy to discern fairly quickly that Harriet is a bit unreliable as a narrator, but how is the reader to know what to believe, when no objective observer is available to balance her account of things? Ah...well, see, that's the fun part. This is historical fiction, psychological thriller, Victorian mystery and pull-the-covers-over-your-head scary story all rolled into one. Oh, and there's courtroom drama of the 19th century Scottish variety as well. I lapped it up.

56kidzdoc
Jul 21, 2015, 9:24 pm

Nice review of Gillespie and I, Linda. I loved that book!

57NanaCC
Jul 21, 2015, 9:25 pm

>55 laytonwoman3rd: Quite the endorsement, and, happily, I have it on my Kindle.

58lauralkeet
Jul 22, 2015, 6:23 am

Great review Linda, brings back memories of an enjoyable read.

59Caroline_McElwee
Jul 22, 2015, 6:46 am

I have it on the shelf too. It could get nudged up.

60msf59
Jul 22, 2015, 7:19 am

Morning Linda! Sorry, to hear about Doctorow. Glad I had added him to the AAC. A perfect send-off.

Good review of Gillespie and I. I have had this one on shelf...FOREVER!!

61laytonwoman3rd
Jul 22, 2015, 7:43 am

>56 kidzdoc:, >58 lauralkeet: I remember your enthusiasm.

>57 NanaCC:, >59 Caroline_McElwee:, >60 msf59: Go on, get around to it!

>60 msf59: Yeah, Mark, I'm really bummed out about Doctorow. I consider him one of my personal "finds"---one of those authors I picked up years ago, knowing nothing about him at all, who turned out to be a reliable favorite. I still have a couple things to read, and someday I declare I will read and understand his City of God, which stumped me in the past. I'm so sorry he's gone.

62RBeffa
Jul 22, 2015, 12:23 pm

I'm always going to have a soft spot for Doctorow. The last one of his I read was Billy Bathgate when it was more or less new, which tells you how long it has been since I read him. I happened by complete chance upon ragtime shortly after I graduated from college when it was a new book. I was a voracious reader in those years after college since I could now read whatever I wanted. Not that the school stuff was bad, far from it, but now I had the time to read without all the stuff I had to read. I have no idea how I would react now, but then as a young twenty-something I adored Ragtime. Ragtime isn't in my LT inventory but I do have that old paperback stashed away in a closet somewhere.

Doctorow wasn't exactly a prolific author and I eventually stopped reading him for no good reason that I could say. I was glad to have him in this year's AAC as a prompt to make amends. I intend to do The March and/or Homer and Langley.

63Matke
Jul 22, 2015, 4:56 pm

Gillespie and I Oh my! Must get that one.

64laytonwoman3rd
Jul 22, 2015, 10:04 pm

>62 RBeffa: Yes, it was Ragtime I read first, and it was amazing. I have re-read it, in the last five years or so, and found it every bit as good as the first time. (And have you seen the movie?...that's great too. Mary Steenburgen, a very young Mandy Patinkin, a very old Jimmy Cagney, Moses Gunn, Norman Mailer, unknowns like Elizabeth McGovern and Samuel L. Jackson.

>63 Matke: No argument from me!

65RBeffa
Jul 22, 2015, 11:03 pm

>65 RBeffa: Yes Ragtime the movie was very good and gave me a little crush on Miss McGovern at the time. Racing with the Moon helped it along.

I can see I should re-read Ragtime one day ...

66charl08
Jul 23, 2015, 12:52 am

>55 laytonwoman3rd: Great review. I think I have this on the shelf somewhere, must pick it up as it sounds great.

67laytonwoman3rd
Jul 23, 2015, 8:21 am

>65 RBeffa: McGovern's "Now just a damned minute!" is one of our favorite movie lines. Also, Coalhouse Walker, Jr.'s "I read music so good white folks think I'm fakin' it".

68laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Jul 24, 2015, 8:55 am

48. Zigzagging down a Wild Trail by Bobbie Ann Mason I love Bobbie Ann Mason's writing, and the title of this one was irresistible, so I snagged it from the library shelf. But even though she can create a living breathing character in 2 or 3 sentences, and put me smack in the middle of a situation with no hint of an author lurking behind the curtain, she can't make me "get" her short fiction. I get all caught up in the lives of her people, and what they're dealing with, and then, often with a final brilliant mental image, she just leaves them and me stranded. To be fair, I have this reaction to most short stories. They never seem to have an end or even a point. There have been grand exceptions, but this collection isn't one of them. Many of these stories feature women trying to start life over, not after any great tragedy or loss, just after having closed another door and entered the corridor to whatever is next for the second or third time. There is no overlap or interconnectedness, other than that common theme. I suspect they are sterling examples of the form, if only I understood it better.

From the Amazon description:
"I felt strange, says Chrissy in "With Jazz", as though all my life I had been zigzagging down a wild trail to this particular place. In "Charger" a teenage boy races along the interstate, seeking the father who abandoned him years before. In "Rolling into Atlanta", a young woman searches for the kind of authenticity she remembers from her rural childhood. In "Proper Gypsies", Nancy deals with the shock of being robbed in London. In "The Funeral Side", Sandra comes home to try to fulfill her responsibilities to her family, but yearns to escape again to Alaska and the northern lights that haunt her. Writing in the spare, precise, beautifully nuanced language for which she is famous, Bobbie Ann Mason expands her art here in dramatic and illuminating fashion. "

69rebeccanyc
Jul 24, 2015, 9:52 am

I haven't read Bobbie Ann Mason since the 80s! Sounds like I might not want to try this one!

70laytonwoman3rd
Jul 24, 2015, 10:57 am

I enjoyed her Girl in the Blue Beret, which I read 3 years ago...and her memoir was wonderful. I was slightly less impressed by In Country, as I recall, which I think I read pre-LT. I have another novel Feather Crowns and another collection of short fiction on the TBR tower. I am drawn to her prose, and will probably read everything eventually.

71rebeccanyc
Jul 24, 2015, 11:25 am

I read In Country and Shiloh and Other Stories back in the 80s -- which means I have no recollection of them at all!

72weird_O
Jul 24, 2015, 1:49 pm

Bobbie Ann Mason. I recall there was a big flap because The New Yorker was going to run a story by her, and Mr. Shawn, the magazine's legendary managing editor, wanted her to excise a single word from the piece--can you guess what word?--but she refused. So her short story was the very first the magazine printed that had the word f**k in it. Oh, how times change.

73Whisper1
Jul 24, 2015, 2:00 pm

>55 laytonwoman3rd: This book is on the tbr pile since 2011..time to find where I have it stored in the house...somewhere...somewhere. Oh, if I could only find a system that works.

74laytonwoman3rd
Jul 24, 2015, 2:48 pm

>72 weird_O: What an interesting bit of literary trivia! Thanks for sharing that.

>73 Whisper1: Well, you know, the fun of rummaging around looking for a "lost" book is that you always find something!

75laytonwoman3rd
Jul 25, 2015, 8:24 am

49. The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck This novella set in a small town in Florida explores a white woman's conscience and consciousness in the late 1970's as she and her black maid come at some ugly truths with distinctly different approaches. When a black child is raped and the white teenager responsible is stabbed to death, Mrs. Ora Beckwith, a recent widow with an outlook she considers enlightened, believes she knows the best way to handle things. Some of her solutions, though, are rejected outright by the individuals she tries to help, and others have long-term consequences she could never have anticipated. The story begins in the country's bicentennial year, and is told by Miss Ora 25 years later, when she is the last of the principals still living. She feels the need to clear her conscience by telling the truth that only she knows about the "Pecan Man" who has died in prison serving 25 to life for the murder. Miss Ora's self-examination and soul-searching are the point of the story, and well played out on the page. The motivations of other characters are more subtly presented, sometimes barely hinted at, but just as clear upon close reading, and equally important to the impact of this brief, moving tale.

76NanaCC
Jul 25, 2015, 12:53 pm

>75 laytonwoman3rd: The Pecan Man sounds like a good one.

77Caroline_McElwee
Jul 25, 2015, 4:56 pm

>75 laytonwoman3rd: sounds interesting Linda, not a writer I am familiar with.

78laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Jul 29, 2015, 8:30 am

>77 Caroline_McElwee: It's her only book to date, Caroline. I wish I could remember how it came to my attention, but I know I instantly put it in my Ammie cart. I've added a couple of web links to her author page. I think she may be an author to watch for in the future.
Edit: I've now added an author photo provided by Ms. Selleck to her author page. She replied very kindly to my e-mail request, and now she's even higher on my list for being nice!

>76 NanaCC: I think you'd enjoy it Colleen. For the most part it does not have a "first novel" feel to it. I was immersed in the story from the very beginning, and my mental editor never kicked in....a good sign!

79laytonwoman3rd
Jul 29, 2015, 8:29 am

Just posting the Booker long list here, mostly for my own ready reference. Some of these are already on my radar, others I've never heard of; have read and loved Lila, and Anne Tyler surprises me. Although I enjoy reading her, I don't think she rises to Marilynne Robinson's level, for example.

Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
The Green Road by Anne Enright
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami
Satin Island by Tom McCarthy
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
The Illuminations by Andrew O'Hagan
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Sleeping on Jupiter by Anuradha Roy
The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota
The Chimes by Anna Smaill
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

80kidzdoc
Editado: Jul 29, 2015, 3:32 pm

I haven't read anything by Anne Tyler, and I couldn't name a single book that she's written. Oddly enough, that makes me more, not less, eager to read A Spool of Blue Thread, which I'll do next month.

Which longlisted books do you think you'll read?

81laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Jul 29, 2015, 5:07 pm

I think my favorite Anne Tyler so far is Saint Maybe. The Accidental Tourist is very good as well. But as I've said elsewhere, I don't think she can match Marilynne Robinson for depth and power. I have read Lila already, and recommend it highly, but you should read Gilead and/or Home first.

I will probably read The Green Road, A Spool of Blue Thread, A Brief History of Seven Killings, The Moor's Account, The Fishermen and maybe The Year of the Runaways. Unlikely I'll get to any of them before the short list is announced, though.

82lycomayflower
Editado: Jul 29, 2015, 5:09 pm

>81 laytonwoman3rd: You should read A Little Life because OMG (I say, even though I haven't finished it yet). It's tough though. (As in, wrecky.)

83laytonwoman3rd
Jul 29, 2015, 5:47 pm

>82 lycomayflower: I saw that on your pile, and when I read the description I would have bet you'd never read it! Well, OK, I'll add it to my list too.

84kidzdoc
Jul 30, 2015, 7:16 am

>81 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for those Anne Tyler recommendations, Linda. I normally don't read many American novelists, and I was very disappointed by the American novels chosen for last year's Booker Dozen, but this year I'm looking forward to all five books written by US authors, and to finally getting around to reading Marilynne Robinson and, to a slightly lesser extent, Anne Tyler.

This year's Booker Prize longlist is outstanding on the surface, and I'm as excited to get started on it as I have been in any year since I started following the prize closely in 2007.

I just mentioned on my thread that The Book Depository is currently offering the hardback edition of The Year of the Runaways, which isn't currently available stateside, to US customers for $17.90, with free shipping, which is cheaper than the £14.99 list price (that's roughly $23.42 US). I'll wait until I return to London in September to buy it, since most (nine) of the 13 longlisted books are currently available in the US.

85ffortsa
Ago 1, 2015, 6:22 pm

oh, no Marilynne Robinson at all? Housekeeping just etched itself on my heart, I think.

86laytonwoman3rd
Ago 1, 2015, 9:35 pm

50. H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald What a brilliant, eye-opening book this was for me. Lost in grief after her father's sudden death, Helen MacDonald, an experienced falconer, decided to try to bury herself in the wild world by training a goshawk, one of the most difficult raptors to work with. The project took her to a very lonely place, and brought her back from the brink; ultimately, it changed her outlook about many things, including love, loss, wildness and humanity. Reading about it taught me a new vocabulary, a bit of the history of falconry, and justified my excitement at the sight of a circling hawk over my neighbor's fields. It did not make me want to take up hunting with a hawk, but I certainly appreciate why some people do. This book deserves a place on the shelf next to Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek for its insight into the natural order of things, and the beauty of its prose.

87NanaCC
Ago 2, 2015, 6:58 am

Your review of H is for Hawk is the straw that has put this book on my wishlist, Linda. I've seen so many great reviews, and yours was the icing on the cake.

88laytonwoman3rd
Ago 2, 2015, 8:54 am

BB's are on the house, as always, Colleen!

89msf59
Ago 2, 2015, 9:40 am

"What a brilliant, eye-opening book this was for me." I am so glad you loved H is For Hawk. It remains one of my tops reads of the year. What a special book.

Happy Sunday, Linda! Hope the weekend is going well.

90Caroline_McElwee
Ago 2, 2015, 10:32 am

It's getting a nudge up my pile.

91EBT1002
Editado: Ago 2, 2015, 1:21 pm

>55 laytonwoman3rd: Great review of Gillespie and I. I was another fan of it!

And I have H is for Hawk on hold (in the queue) at the library but I really, really want to read it soon. I may have to break down and purchase a copy. It sounds like a book to keep.

92EBT1002
Editado: Ago 2, 2015, 1:22 pm

I'm surprised and disappointed not to see The Buried Giant on the Booker long list. But I haven't read any of those that did make the list, so I can hardly weigh in with credibility!

93Whisper1
Ago 2, 2015, 1:32 pm

>75 laytonwoman3rd: The Pecan Man sounds like something I would like at this point in my reading. I've recently read a lot of Civil Rights books. Interesting that she choose the last name of Beckwith. ‎Byron De La Beckwith was on trial twice and acquitted of the murder of Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers. The final, and third trial sent him to jail for long-awaited justice to occur.

94charl08
Ago 3, 2015, 5:31 pm

>86 laytonwoman3rd: I've never heard of Annie Dillard, but I loved H is for Hawk, so on that basis will look out for that one.

95Caroline_McElwee
Ago 3, 2015, 7:44 pm

>94 charl08: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a favourite book of mine, as is her book on writing The Writing Life. I haven't read her novels yet. But with the two books mentioned it is the tone and rigour I like.

96sibylline
Editado: Ago 9, 2015, 10:10 am

You are reading some fabulous books!

Your cousin-in-law's woodwork is exquisite.

Annie Dillard is a classic! I am also nuts about several other women who write thoughtfully about natural history, managing a mix of the personal and the factual -- Terry Tempest Williams leaps to mind, also the classic classic classic book about the southwest by Mary Austin. It's a rich vein.

Presently I am reading Among Whales by Roger Payne which promises to be wonderful. There seem to be certain people who are tapped, it would seem, by a certain animal -- anything from a deer to an elephant to a chipmunk to an ant -- and from then on their entire lives revolve around this creature that has captivated them. Earlier this year I read a remarkable book by a turtle-o-phile. (I know there is surely an official words for that!). Inspiring!

Didn't like Gillespie and I but I was in a minority. Do like Mason, Doctorow, and am a mad fan of Virginia, but I do understand fully that she wouldn't be to everyone's taste.

Chortled over the Bloom County, thanks for posting it!

97laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Ago 9, 2015, 6:05 pm

Hi, Lucy! I'm glad to have your recommendations about other natural history writers. I see both authors you mention are included in the Library of America volume, of Environmental Writing Since Thoreau. (And of course, Thoreau was my introduction to this subject.) Have you read Barbara Kingsolver's High Tide in Tucson? There are some good essays in there about the fragility of the natural world from a scientist's perspective as well. And, one of my best reads of recent years was the first one I read this January--Untamed.

98tiffin
Ago 9, 2015, 6:04 pm

I don't know what has happened with me this summer but I'm losing people's threads all over the place. I just found yours! I absolutely LOVE that desk and chair. Now to catch up with your reading.

99laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Ago 9, 2015, 6:21 pm

I have missed you here, Tui! And just to make it harder for you...

51. Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell The further adventures of Doc Holliday and the Earps, leading up to those fateful 30 seconds on Fremont Street in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1881. More grand story-telling, and I have to keep reminding myself that I have never met Doc, or Wyatt, or Josie Marcus...they are so utterly real. My only quibble is that Russell goes on after the shootout to the end of Wyatt Earp's life--he lived until 1929, traveling all over the country, and died in poverty in Los Angeles--giving nearly 200 pages to that period, but making it feel a bit like a biographical summation. Doc was a 5 star read; this one gets 4 1/2.

100tiffin
Ago 9, 2015, 6:24 pm

You are up to 51 already, Ms. Steady-As-She-Goes! I shall go and look at my relatively weed-free garden to console myself.

101Whisper1
Ago 9, 2015, 6:36 pm

I hear so many praises regarding Doc. I need to read this one, and now, I've added Epitah to the tbr pile, after I read Doc.

102laytonwoman3rd
Ago 9, 2015, 6:49 pm

>100 tiffin: I did some outside work yesterday myself. Unbelievably friendly weather for August this weekend.

103NanaCC
Ago 9, 2015, 7:10 pm

>99 laytonwoman3rd: I really need to get to Mary Doria Russell.

104lauralkeet
Ago 9, 2015, 8:16 pm

Nice to read your comments on Epitaph, which I will get around to one of these days.

105tymfos
Ago 11, 2015, 12:29 pm

Both Epitaph and Gillespie and I have been on my radar. I need to move them up the TBR list. Great reviews!

106laytonwoman3rd
Ago 13, 2015, 9:32 pm

>101 Whisper1: Both books should really suit you, I think, Linda.
>103 NanaCC: I think you'll find her a treat, Colleen.
>104 lauralkeet: Fairly confident you'll enjoy it, Laura, since you like Doc so well.
>105 tymfos: Thanks, Terri. There's good reading ahead!

107laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Ago 13, 2015, 9:38 pm

52. The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie. I was amazed to discover that I had not read this, one of Christie's most famous Poirot investigations. And further, that I didn't know the "surprise" that awaits the reader in the solution. So, a real treat to read and try to figure it out. Knowing that the ending WAS meant to be a shocker, I naturally set my mind to working out what could be so surprising, and about half way through I was fairly confident I had it. Then I went forward searching for support for my theory. I didn't pick up the significance of all the clues that led Poirot to figure out how it was done, but I was right about the who and the why, and surmised one or two other less important elements of the plot. Great fun...I had forgotten how delightful Christie can be.

108Caroline_McElwee
Editado: Ago 15, 2015, 8:00 am

That's my favourite of the ACs I've read Linda, though I've probably only read 8-9. Glad it was new to you and worked its magic.

109NanaCC
Ago 15, 2015, 7:01 am

Linda, I think that may be a Christie that I haven't read either. I love her books.

110msf59
Ago 15, 2015, 7:32 am

Happy Saturday, Linda! Glad you loved Epitaph. 4.5 is still pretty darn good. I agree, it isn't quite as pitch perfect as Doc but I am sure glad she wrote it.

111rebeccanyc
Editado: Ago 15, 2015, 7:36 am

I went on a Christie binge with a friend when we were about 13. I haven't read her since and I'm delighted she holds up. (And I might have missed a lot then too!)

112laytonwoman3rd
Ago 15, 2015, 10:04 am

I always wished Christie had written more of the Tommy and Tuppence stories.

113Caroline_McElwee
Ago 15, 2015, 12:45 pm

We are enjoying a series on TV of those stories at the moment Linda. Sunday night viewing.

114Whisper1
Ago 15, 2015, 2:29 pm

>107 laytonwoman3rd: My partner Will just told me he has this book upstairs. I'm heading up to look for it. It sounds like a fun read.

I hope your weekend is a good one.

115laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Ago 15, 2015, 7:03 pm

>109 NanaCC:, >114 Whisper1: Oooh...I'm firing BB's instead of being hit by them for a change!
>113 Caroline_McElwee: Is that the old series with Francesca Annis, or is there something newer that I don't know about?

116laytonwoman3rd
Ago 15, 2015, 6:19 pm

53. Frances & Bernard by Carlene Bauer At a writer's retreat in 1957, Frances Reardon and Bernard Eliot, a novelist and a poet, respectively, meet and find a tiny bit of common ground, upon which they begin to build a relationship that will develop and change over the next 11 years from friendship through love, on to rejection, and beyond. We see this happening through letters alone...mainly between Frances and Bernard, but also between each of them and a confidant. The writing here is exceedingly sharp and engaging. Some of the earliest letters are heavy on theological discussion, and that wore a bit thin with me, but by and large, I enjoyed this book very much.

117Whisper1
Ago 15, 2015, 6:53 pm

I checked and found that Frances & Bernard is on the tbr pile since 2011

118Caroline_McElwee
Ago 15, 2015, 8:51 pm

>115 laytonwoman3rd: it's a newbie Linda, two three parters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02vf6rn

>116 laytonwoman3rd: glad you enjoyed it.

119laytonwoman3rd
Ago 18, 2015, 9:06 am

54. Frost in May by Antonia White This is a Virago Modern Classic, in fact the first book issued in that series. It is the story of a young girl coming of age in a convent school in the years just before World War I. To my thoroughly protestant and currently non-observant-of-anything outlook, this is the story of the systematic destruction of minds and souls in the name of "love" and obedience to an utterly perverse supreme being. Any expression of joy, kindness or love for fellow humans, appreciation of beauty, or even excellence is somehow suspect, and if taken too far, grounds for mortification. Our protagonist, Fernanda Grey, struggles with her desire to be a proper Catholic set against her terror that she may receive the "call" and be destined to take the veil, or worse, that she will miss the message, and be doomed to live life having rejected a vocation without realizing it. This reminds me of the terror of MY adolescence, born of precisely the same adult-fostered ignorance, that any number of perfectly innocent interactions with boys might result in having a baby. The most disturbing thing about this novel, I think, is that I'm not sure whether the author means us to feel what I feel while reading it, or whether she is presenting Nanda's story as some sort of cautionary tale. I suspect this will be made clearer in White's three "sequel" novels, and as cranky as this one made me, I am contrarily eager to read those too.

120tiffin
Ago 18, 2015, 10:54 am

I think this was the first Virago published, wasn't it? It made me cranky too. I didn't read the sequels.

121lauralkeet
Ago 18, 2015, 10:55 am

>119 laytonwoman3rd: I love your take on Frost in May! I went back to read my review (from 7.5 years ago!!), and while I wasn't as direct in my comments it looks like I picked up on similar themes.

Keep going -- I rated Frost in May 3 stars, and gave 4 stars to The Lost Traveller. which takes you beyond the convent school and is more of a coming of age novel.

122laytonwoman3rd
Ago 18, 2015, 11:05 am

>120 tiffin:, >121 lauralkeet: As you both read it, I will point out that I felt at the end as though I owed it to Nanda (who I realize gets changed into another but similar character in the sequels) to see what happens later in her life, because if I didn't, I would be judging the book the same way HER novel was judged in Frost in May...based on incomplete information. And the writing was good enough to make me want to read more.

123tiffin
Ago 18, 2015, 11:16 am

Oh hang on, I think I did read The Lost Traveller. Memory like a sieve.

124laytonwoman3rd
Ago 19, 2015, 10:44 am

55. Crazy Horse by Larry McMurtry McMurtry is the August author for the AAC, and this was the only unread volume of his in the house. It's a short form biography of the Sioux legend, whose life is, naturally, almost completely undocumented other than for the episodes in which he fought (or is thought to have fought) against the whites. As McMurtry points out, that fact hasn't prevented a good many historians from writing at length about Crazy Horse, primarily basing their texts on interviews with very old people who knew him or were present at his untimely and unconscionable death. McMurtry succinctly places Crazy Horse in the context of his life span, and leaves us with a portrait of an almost hermit-like man who nevertheless felt a great responsibility for his people, which was the motivation at last for him "coming in", surrendering to the Agency system in the belief that this was what was best for the people under his protection.

125Whisper1
Ago 19, 2015, 10:59 am

Two great reviews on your most recent reads! I'm adding both to the TBR pile. I hope your day is a good one!

126LauraBrook
Ago 19, 2015, 6:50 pm

Hi Linda! Hope you're having a nice summer!

127laytonwoman3rd
Ago 19, 2015, 9:13 pm

>125 Whisper1:, >126 LauraBrook: Nice to see you ladies here. And thank you, I did have a good day and the summer has been pretty good as well!

128kidzdoc
Ago 20, 2015, 12:42 pm

Nice review of Crazy Horse, Linda.

129EBT1002
Ago 21, 2015, 10:35 pm

Great review of Frost in May, Linda, and I'll be interested to see how the next ones land on you. I haven't joined the Virago mania but I keep getting tempted. I think I'll wait, though, to see what you think of the author's intent. (I guess the intent doesn't really matter, the effect itself does, but still...).

I also appreciate your review of Crazy Horse and think that perhaps I should have tried that one for the AAC. I couldn't finish The Last Picture Show.

130msf59
Ago 22, 2015, 7:32 am

Happy Saturday, Linda. I remember reading Crazy Horse many years ago. It was part of a bio series, right? Small hardback volumes?

Did you read Empire of the Summer Moon? If not, I highly recommend it.

131laytonwoman3rd
Ago 22, 2015, 12:11 pm

>129 EBT1002: None of McMurtry's fiction ever hit me quite as straight-on perfect as Lonesome Dove.

>129 EBT1002:, >130 msf59: Crazy Horse is very well written, and it is part of the "Penguin Lives" short form biography series.

132NanaCC
Ago 22, 2015, 4:41 pm

Lonesome Dove was pretty perfect. I think the only other McMurtry's I've read/listened to were the books in the Berrybender Narratives series. Alfred Molina was the narrator and he did a decent job, but they were not as good as Lonesome Dove.

133laytonwoman3rd
Ago 26, 2015, 7:52 am

56. Bad Boy Brawly Brown by Walter Mosley Standard Easy fare...our Mr. Rawlins is called upon by old friends to do what parents and police cannot or will not do---pull young Brawly Brown's nuts out of the fire before he's completely toast. How he goes about it is unconventional, but it works. Along the way, Easy also gains some insight into dealing with his own young son's singular way of maturing, and it's all to the good. I listened to this one on audio, and I have to say the various characterizations were quite good...but the little kids and women didn't always work just right. I think the reader tried just a little too hard. I did appreciate that this audio recording cued the end of the last track on each disc (I'm listening in the car) with gentle, appropriate music. I really hate having the last track end and getting 2 minutes into the FIRST track again before I realize I should have swapped out the disc.

134jnwelch
Ago 26, 2015, 11:49 am

I love the Easy Rawlins series, Linda. So glad he's picked it back up again.

I know what you mean about listening to CDs in the car. That sounds like a good way to cue the listener in that the particular CD is ending.

135weird_O
Ago 26, 2015, 3:23 pm

>133 laytonwoman3rd: I read BBBB earlier this year, then snapped up four more Mosley titles at a library sale. Guess I'll be reading them next year. Already overbooked this year.

136cameling
Ago 26, 2015, 4:11 pm

I finally have a chance to do more than lurk on your thread, Linda.

I'm so glad you are going to give the sequels to Frost in May a chance. I loved the writing although I felt on edge throughout my reading of it. I'm 26th on the wait list at the library for The Sugar House

137charl08
Ago 26, 2015, 4:19 pm

Love this series, only discovered it this year but have been gobbling my way through the library's collection.

138laytonwoman3rd
Ago 26, 2015, 4:21 pm

>134 jnwelch:, >135 weird_O: Nice to see there are other Easy fans out there. I loved Denzel Washington in Devil in a Blue Dress, so naturally I see him in my mind's eye as I read the series. I've read the first of Mosley's Leonid Magill series as well. A different take on similar themes.

>136 cameling: Welcome, Caroline! Thanks for de-lurking. I think I have all of the White novels on hand, so will probably pick up the next one before the year is over.

139jnwelch
Editado: Ago 26, 2015, 4:27 pm

>138 laytonwoman3rd: We actually stood on a line that ran down the sidewalk (yes, there was a long line in Chicago!) to see Devil in a Blue Dress in a movie theater when it first came out. I love that movie, too. How about Don Cheadle as Mouse? Scary and perfect.

I heard Walter Mosley speak once (and also read from BBBB, coincidentally), and he said he doubted Denzel would ever be in another movie based on one of Mosley's books, because he costs so much now. (He got a big laugh).

140laytonwoman3rd
Ago 26, 2015, 4:46 pm

"Do you want me to kill him, Easy?" "NO, Mouse..no."

141jnwelch
Ago 26, 2015, 5:07 pm

142laytonwoman3rd
Ago 26, 2015, 6:53 pm

>139 jnwelch: I was hoping Denzel would do more Easy Rawlins movies, but I always doubted that he'd want to be tied into a series, or be identified with any one character. He also did a fantastic job of Lincoln Rhyme in The Bone Collector, and that could have been a permanent recurring gig for him as well. Which reminds me...I don't recall seeing anyone talking about that series around here. I read them avidly through No. 8 or 9.

143jnwelch
Ago 27, 2015, 11:10 am

>142 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, I've seen The Bone Collector and you're right, he's fantastic in it. I hadn't thought about it, but you must be right that he doesn't want to do recurring roles.

My wife and daughter love the Lincoln Rhyme books; I haven't tried them yet.

144laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Ago 28, 2015, 11:31 am

57. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver This book has been on my shelf since it came out, in 2007. I have no idea why I waited so long to read it. Kingsolver is one of my favorite writers, and the subject matter is fascinating, as well as significant. After years of spending summers at her husband's farm in southwestern Virginia, growing as much food as possible, Kingsolver and her family moved there permanently from Tucson, with a plan to spend one full year living off what they could raise themselves, or obtain from local sources, and documenting the results. No Twinkies, bananas, or pre-packaged anything. A very few exceptions were allowed---coffee (as long as it was fair trade), flour (for which a local source turned out to be a disappointment), olive oil (from Italy where they KNOW about organics and sustainability in a way that Americans just don't). This is the story of how that year went, and it's fascinating, instructive and entertaining. Ain't no way I'm going to be a self-sustaining gardener, and my deed restrictions won't let me have so much as a couple laying hens on the property even though we're pretty rural here (I live in a tiny subdivision surrounded by farms and fields, but the man who cut it up ~50 years ago put a farm animal restriction in the original deeds, and it follows down in perpetuity. I often wonder if anyone else who lives here now would actually object if I put up a tiny little coop down in my half-acre woods. I mean, the next property up the road, outside the subdivided section, has chickens, and a loud rooster, horses, and a braying jackass...) but I do favor the idea of knowing where your food comes from, being mindful of the seasonality of things, and understanding the true cost of those bananas and almonds and New Zealand lamb chops in the overall scheme of things. A criticism I sometimes hear of Kingsolver, is that she "gets preachy"...well, there's no doubt she has opinions and is proposing that things should change, but I never detected a self-righteous tone or got any sense that she felt she had the Solution for Mankind. When she points a finger, it is at Monsanto, not at individual consumers. She does not try to make us feel guilty for where we are, but offers a map for where we might go from here. She pokes fun at herself (there is a LOT of humor in this book), acknowledges that most people cannot do what she and her family did, admits to her failures, lets us in on HER guilty secrets (inability to function without Ziplock bags or live without coffee; constant presence of boxed mac & cheese in her pantry for one of her younger daughter's friends who simply would not eat anything else--"No child is going to starve on my watch"), and offers practical advice on how to make the changes you CAN make. She and her husband are both scientists, and the research offered in the book is impressive without being oppressive. Some of the data suggests that even small adaptations in the way we shop for food could make enormous differences in our dependence on agribusiness and fossil fuels over time, which in turn could improve our health, and the health of our planet. There are recipes, and sidebar essays written by her daughter, Camille, who at the time was studying biology at Duke. I checked to see whether Camille had written anything more, and found this update from HarperCollins Publishers: "Camille Kingsolver graduated from Duke University in 2009 and currently works in the mental health field. She is an active advocate for the local-food movement, doing public speaking for young adults of her own generation navigating food choices in a difficult economy. She lives in Asheville, N.C., and grows a vegetable garden in her front yard." The book includes a list of organizations that offer support for the local food/sustainability movement. Of the first 12 websites listed, only one link was defunct when I checked it, so the book remains a viable resource for current information on an important subject. Highly recommended.

145NanaCC
Ago 28, 2015, 9:59 am

>133 laytonwoman3rd:. I really do need to try Mosley again. I was disappointed in The Man in my Basement, and haven't tried another.

>144 laytonwoman3rd: I have this one on the shelf. I've enjoyed a couple of Kingsolver's books, but haven't been pulled to this one.

146laytonwoman3rd
Ago 28, 2015, 11:17 am

>145 NanaCC: Yeah, The Man in My Basement is not representative. I didn't care for that one either. If you really want to appreciate Mosley, I recommend you read The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. It's a masterpiece.

147jnwelch
Ago 28, 2015, 12:27 pm

^"Like"

148RBeffa
Ago 28, 2015, 2:58 pm

>144 laytonwoman3rd: I don't know why I haven't read my copy either, though I've had it only perhaps 5 years. You certainly make it sound worth reading even more than I thought (I did have some doubts). Perhaps it should be the one I pick for the AAC.

149laytonwoman3rd
Ago 28, 2015, 3:01 pm

>148 RBeffa: It might be more to your taste than some of her fiction, Ron.

>147 jnwelch: If that was for me, thanks! If it was for Mosley, that's good too!

150jnwelch
Editado: Ago 28, 2015, 3:25 pm

>149 laytonwoman3rd: It was for your comments about the books in >146 laytonwoman3rd:. :-) I didn't read Man in the Basement because I just didn't like the sounds of it. But I thought Ptolemy Grey, with its unusual premise, was terrific.

He's a brave writer, and willing to take risks. He's written some sci-fi I respected, but wasn't moved by. I probably mentioned this, but one of my favorites of his is Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, about ex-con Socrates Fortlow trying to make it in the world.

151laytonwoman3rd
Ago 28, 2015, 3:28 pm

AOAO was probably the first Mosley I read. There are more Fortlow books, but I haven't gone back to him yet.

152jnwelch
Ago 28, 2015, 4:02 pm

I did read Walkin' the Dog and The Right Mistake (the other two SF's), but the first one remains my favorite. AOAO is a great one to have started with!

153cameling
Ago 28, 2015, 6:24 pm

Gosh, you're not the only one. I've had this Kingsolver in my TBR Tower for years too. I don't know why it's taking me so long to get to it. Every time I reach for it, something else on the shelf catches my eye and interest. I wonder if it's the cover that's not that enticing. I really should do something about this. Maybe I'll put it on my nightstand where I'll see it every night and one evening this will prompt me to crack the spine and start reading it before I go to sleep.

154EBT1002
Ago 28, 2015, 7:30 pm

>144 laytonwoman3rd: I am also a huge fan of Kingsolver, and I've also had Animal, Vegetable, Miracle on the shelves forever. Great review. Like you and Caro, I don't know what has gotten in my way. Fear of pedantry?

I think I should give the Walter Mosley series a try. I'm kind of struggling in my relationship with mystery/thriller novels these days. Once upon a time they were standard fare for me. I do have the first Nicola Upton on my bedside table, wanting to give that series a try.

155lauralkeet
Ago 28, 2015, 8:01 pm

I really liked the Kingsolver. Glad you did too!

156laytonwoman3rd
Ago 28, 2015, 10:35 pm

If all you hesitant readers do have a fear of pedantry as >154 EBT1002: Ellen suggests, I think I can put your minds at ease on that point. I just didn't get that vibe from A,V,M at all. I think we'd all be comfortable with Barbara Kingsolver (and Camille, and probably Lily by now), as active members of the 75'ers. I imagine it's pretty clear to most of us already that if we don't wise up, it's all over for the human race, but she hasn't given up hope that there's still something we can do about it.

157weird_O
Ago 29, 2015, 11:32 am

> 146 Ah ha... Just checked the stacks in the basement and determined that one of the four Mosley's I mentioned getting (in > 135) is The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. In very cherry hardcover. Maayybe I can jam it in this year's reading.

158laytonwoman3rd
Ago 29, 2015, 11:38 am

>157 weird_O: Stacks? Of books? Really? How strange. Never heard of such a thing. There must be a support group for that. Oh. Wait. I think this is it.

159kidzdoc
Ago 29, 2015, 11:46 am

>158 laytonwoman3rd: LOL

Thinking of this group reminds me of the Scottish man I spoke with on a London bus several years ago. He was on his way to a mid morning Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Soho, and to prepare himself he stopped at a pub and had several drinks first.

160katiekrug
Ago 29, 2015, 3:31 pm

>144 laytonwoman3rd: - I've also got this one on my shelf. Someday....

Though, um, I have a bit of a problem with one of her "exceptions" - olive oil all the way from Italy. Talk about enlarging a carbon footprint.... Don't get me wrong - my olive oil is from Italy but I'm not writing a book about eating locally, sustainability, and the environment - ha!

I get frustrated sometimes with people who feel passionately about a cause and devote a lot of energy to it but can quite easily decide that an exception is okay for convenience's sake. It seems a little too easy to me and oftentimes affects my view of their commitment. But I can be cranky like that :)

161laytonwoman3rd
Ago 29, 2015, 4:07 pm

>160 katiekrug: I had no problem with Kingsolver's exceptions at all. She wasn't pretending to be perfect, made no excuses for herself, and pointed out where sometimes the best option is NOT a local one. She and her family do continue to live in the real world. They didn't ride horses to work and to school. They didn't give up technology. Raising or buying locally 90% of what you consume sure beats the heck out of what most of us do. I think the only way to embrace a 100% locavore lifestyle would be to withdraw completely from civilization. Every choice we make has its positive and negative results...I think Kingsolver's whole point in writing this book was to encourage her readers to think about those consequences and make informed choices.

162katiekrug
Ago 29, 2015, 5:12 pm

>161 laytonwoman3rd: - Yeah, I get that. It just seems to me like olive oil isn't really a must have, and if she feels that strongly about the issue, why is that exception necessary? I guess my point is that everyone's exceptions add up. Again, I'm not claiming a moral high ground here, just trying to understand what her limits are. If I'm trying to live in a certain way and write a book about it to educate others and my only option is imported olive oil, then my "informed choice" would probably be to forego olive oil. But to each her own. I should probably just read the book to understand her perspective better.

163weird_O
Editado: Ago 29, 2015, 10:04 pm

>158 laytonwoman3rd: Yuck yuck yuck! Har dee har har! I was meaning "stacks," as in a library, in the dark basement. Where the ghosts lurk. I do have bookshelves in our basement that hold the overflow.

>160 katiekrug: Perhaps you might view the carbon footprint as being a given, and what Kingsolver is doing is reducing it. Her use of Italian olive oil is simply leaving the footprint's little toe intact, while the others are lopped off switching to local sources. On balance, her family's carbon footprint is much reduced but not completely eliminated.

164laytonwoman3rd
Ago 30, 2015, 11:00 am

>163 weird_O: Yes, well, "stacks" in that sense is what we all mean, I'm sure, even when they are toppling over on the floor next to beds, desks and sofas, without benefit of shelving. Such is life for us book maniacs.

And yes, exactly. Well said. Thank you.

165laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Ago 10, 2019, 2:02 pm

58. This Gun For Hire by Graham Greene BAC, ROOT (Apparently the original British title of this book is A Gun for Sale, which I find a little baffling. The phrase "gun for hire" or "hired gun" has a lot of history in the U.S., and refers to a hired assassin, or in the old wild west, any man whose skill with a pistol might be in demand for law enforcement, protection, etc. "For Sale" and "For Hire" don't connote the same thing to me...anyone else have some insight into this symantic puzzle?)

The story involves a poor sap named Raven with a harelip and a sorry background, who takes on a contract to kill an "old minister" for 250 pounds, while the world is on the brink of another big war. There is some suggestion that world events will be influenced by this man's death, but how is never made plain. The "agent" who arranges the assassination ultimately pays in either counterfeit or marked bills, leaving Raven destitute and desperate. The plot gets tangled when the girlfriend of Scotland Yard's investigator is taken hostage by Raven. It's a peculiar convoluted tale, and I didn't think the author's style suited the action very well. He kept lulling me into a near-stupor when he should have had me on the edge of my seat. I'm not sure whether I'll try another Greene.

166scaifea
Ago 31, 2015, 7:40 am

Ooof, that one doesn't sound great. Sorry it didn't work out better for you. I've not tackled Greene before, but I know he's on some of my lists, so I will eventually. You've not made me excited about it, I'm afraid. Ha!

167rebeccanyc
Ago 31, 2015, 7:59 am

>165 laytonwoman3rd: I'm not sure whether I'll try another Greene.

I just started reading Greene last year, although I've had him on my shelves for decades. I really enjoyed The Power and the Glory and liked The Quiet American although I felt it had some flaws. I had never heard of the one you read.

168laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Oct 13, 2015, 8:44 am

>166 scaifea: You should not listen to me, Amber. I'm increasingly thinking I picked a dud--even my favorite authors don't please me every time. I know there is a lot of appreciation for Greene around here.

>167 rebeccanyc: I'm pretty sure I would like either of those titles better, based on your reviews and some others, Rebecca. I read what I had on hand, instead of taking recommendations, so it's not surprising me that I may not have made the best choice.

While we're on the subject of duds, I also threw a DNF at Pleasantville by Attica Locke. I read 80-some pages and decided to bale. The story just wasn't grabbing me. And, there was one unpardonable goof that wrecked a whole scene for me. It had nothing to do with the plot, per se, but it made me lose trust in the author, I'm afraid. Atty. Jay Porter met with one of his plaintiffs in a bar, and the other man ordered scotch and water. On the next page, the man "raises his glass for a refill", and "gives a nod of thanks as the bartender pours another glass of Ezra Brooks." Ezra is Kentucky Bourbon, not Scotch. And, of course, since he ordered scotch and water, the bartender wouldn't just have poured him another glass...he would have had to mix it. This is insignificant, except it has the same effect as watching an actor do a bad job of smoking in a movie...spoils the moment, and sets my mind to looking for the next gaff, instead of concentrating on the story.

169scaifea
Ago 31, 2015, 8:12 am

>168 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, I'm not really listening to you, in the sense that I'll most definitely read him. He's On The Lists. So, yeah, it's gonna happen. Must Obey the Lists.

170laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Ago 31, 2015, 8:17 am

>169 scaifea: Oh, I'm not really listening to you. Story of my life! But most people aren't that honest about it.

;>)

BAG, as Mark would say...

171michigantrumpet
Ago 31, 2015, 9:33 am

Interesting discussion above about locavore lifestyles, Linda. The best I can do is take the Commuter rail into the City every chance I get and frequent the local farmer's market on Saturdays...

172laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Sep 4, 2015, 6:06 pm

59. The Nine Mile Circle by Pati Hill Finished this last night (August 31), but long busy day today, so comments will have to wait. VERY GOOD, though!

Edit: Pati Hill came to my attention about a year ago, probably through Book Riot or one of the other sites I follow on Tumblr or Facebook, when she up and died at the age of 93. I had never heard of her before, but a reference to William Faulkner in her obituary made it inevitable that I would seek out her work. She wrote novels in the 1950's and 1960's, and then turned to creating art with the use of an IBM photocopier. This, apparently, turned out to be her true "thing", and she gave up writing fiction.) Earlier, she hung out in France with the ex-pats, including George Plimpton and the founders of The Paris Review. The Nine Mile Circle is rooted in her own childhood, and it's a free-wheeling ride down the hot dirt road its title refers to...."Look, Ma! No Hands!". I loved it, but it took a bit to get into its rhythm and style, which flirts with stream of consciousness (hence, I suppose, the linkage with Faulkner). There is, however, no single consciousness, and the stream meanders lyrically through the countryside. The action takes place during one summer, when Mrs. Carter languishes in the late stages of her third pregnancy (which she isn't the least bit happy about), leaving her adolescent daughter, Linda, to fend for herself with a new friend, Jan, who's spending the summer with aunts nearby. We drift from Mrs. Carter's head into Linda's, then off to the old aunts' (spinsters, naturally) as well as various other past and present residents of the small town, whose histories we begin to piece together. It's short, intense and compelling, and I immediately scrounged around e-Bay and Amazon to find a couple more of Hill's books. They are scarce and sometimes mighty pricey, but I did manage to score copies of Prosper and Impossible Dreams without breaking the bank. I'd highly recommend The Nine Mile Circle to like-minded readers, but I'm afraid you'll have trouble locating it. Keep your eyes open at those fall library sales! Here's a link to her essay on cats published in the Paris Review in 1955. Enjoy.

173scaifea
Sep 2, 2015, 9:21 am

>170 laytonwoman3rd: BAG right back atcha!

174EBT1002
Sep 2, 2015, 9:38 am

Good morning, Linda.

Good conversation going on here. I think I'll dig around when I get home, see if I can find my copy of A,V,M. It's impossible to eliminate one's carbon footprint, of course, but I do try to be intentional in order to reduce mine. Interesting discussion about making choices, too. When is it a rationalization and when is it "necessary" and when is it just compromise? Personal decisions, all. I once read that the single most impactful way to reduce one's carbon footprint is to choose not to have children. Now, that's a loaded discussion to wade into! And I'm not suggesting we do so! Just saying that we can each think about what we are willing to do, not willing to do, make choices as rationally and unselfishly as we can......

Ha, and I haven't even read the book yet! :-D

I read The Power and the Glory and thought it was quite good. I will read more GG but will be a bit selective. He's not an author whose entire oeuvre I plan to read!

175laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Sep 2, 2015, 9:02 pm

>174 EBT1002: "I once read that the single most impactful way to reduce one's carbon footprint is to choose not to have children." Well, sure...did the author of that advice quote Jonathan Swift too, by any chance?

176laytonwoman3rd
Sep 2, 2015, 9:03 pm

As it is September, and I've set myself up for quarterly threads, I should be starting a new one. There's a long weekend coming up, so I will make that one of my little projects.

177Matke
Sep 2, 2015, 10:32 pm

Just jumping in to say I loved The Power and the Glory and to a somewhat lesser extent The End of the Affair. Greene is tricky. The Third Man was an interesting example of what is essentially a film script. I liked that, too.

178lauralkeet
Sep 3, 2015, 5:56 am

>176 laytonwoman3rd: strictly speaking, you have a month. The fourth quarter begins Oct 1. That said, I won't begrudge anyone a little Labor Day weekend LT project.

179laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Sep 3, 2015, 3:10 pm

>178 lauralkeet: You're right! I'm thinking September because quarter=4 and there are 4 months left...silly brain. Also, of course, quarterly tax payments are due in September. Maybe I'll just wait a bit.

>177 Matke: , >174 EBT1002: I'm seeing a lot of Greene love, here and on the AAC thread. I think I'd better give him another chance one of these days, maybe with The Power and the Glory.

180Whisper1
Sep 3, 2015, 8:18 am

I'm stopping by to wave hello. You are reading some great books!

181laytonwoman3rd
Sep 3, 2015, 8:39 am

>180 Whisper1: Aww...hi, Linda! Nice to see you visiting around the neighborhood.

182laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Sep 6, 2015, 11:51 am

60. X by Sue Grafton Just gobbled up the latest installment in the Kinsey Millhone series, in which Kinsey follows leads left behind by her former colleague, Pete Wolinsky, who was killed in a robbery attempt. In going through Pete's disorganized left-behind paperwork to help his widow with an upcoming IRS audit, Kinsey finds an undelivered mailing envelope over 20 years old, a coded list of apparently unrelated women's names and addresses, and no clues as to what they mean or why Pete had gone to the trouble to hide them. With no real client, Kinsey is fulfilling some inner need to "tidy up" and "make things right", which is one of the reasons we love her. Naturally, this is also one of the traits guaranteed to get her in trouble eventually. Meanwhile, new neighbors are getting her hackles up as she feels they are imposing on her too-kind landlord, Henry. Finally, there is a high-profile couple whose marriage has ended with a custody battle over houses, art, and jewelry, and....yup, Kinsey thinks THAT was all a silly mistake by two stubborn people, and she might do something about it. Although she does manage to set a few things straight, the ending leaves a thread or two dangling, so I suspect "Y", whatever it may be, is already percolating in Grafton's brain. Sure hope so.

183NanaCC
Sep 6, 2015, 1:06 pm

>182 laytonwoman3rd: You make me want to get back to Grafton, Linda. I haven't read this series in years. I can't remember where I stopped. I might just have to start over again.

184rebeccanyc
Sep 6, 2015, 2:57 pm

I've been disappointed in the recent Graftons, and I think I skipped W, but maybe I should catch up with that first.

185laytonwoman3rd
Sep 6, 2015, 3:37 pm

>198 tiffin:, >184 rebeccanyc: This wasn't her best, but I really enjoyed W is for Wasted, and this one had its moments.

186laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Nov 25, 2015, 8:33 am

61. Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor The two words most commonly used to describe this novel are "grotesque" and "gothic". It is certainly both of those things. It is also a bit bewildering, even on a second reading, even with some critical assistance. It is primarily the story of an angry young man proselytizing against Christianity by preaching from the hood of his car (which is also his home, and symbolic of his doomed journey). Hazel Motes thinks he is rejecting the teachings of his upbringing by touting the "Church Without Christ"...he is in earnest, unlike the charlatan evangelists with whom he crosses paths and figurative swords, but really, he protests too much. Hazel's need to convince others that "there was no Fall because there was nothing to fall from and no Redemption because there was no Fall and no Judgment because there wasn't the first two", and that blasphemy is the only way to truth, only convinces the reader of his need to believe in something with the same passion as any other religious fanatic. How can there be blasphemy without something to blaspheme against? "Your conscience is a trick", Hazel preaches. "It don't exist...and if you think it does, you had best get it out in the open and hunt it down and kill it, because it's no more than your face in the mirror is or your shadow behind you...If you don't hunt it down and kill it, it'll hunt you down and kill you". If the man truly believed that, then why bother to preach at all? O'Connor's writing is wonderful; there is human understanding in her depiction of a slew of unlikeable, even despicable, characters. Her dialog is pitch-perfect. And she certainly made me uncomfortable, which was her oft-stated intent. I "get" it...but that doesn't mean I buy all of it.

62. Flannery O'Connor, A Memorial ed. by J. J. Quinn, S. J. This is a fascinating little book I bought many years ago (in the last century, I'm sure) at the University of Scranton bookstore in one of my rambles (it's within walking distance of my office, and sometimes the only place in the city to buy books except the drugstore). It was published by the University, which is a Jesuit institution, and which had a slight connection with O'Connor at one time. She contributed to its campus magazine, Esprit in the 1950's. This book was originally a special edition of that magazine, published shortly after her death; it contains a wealth of tribute from critics, colleagues, friends and many Catholic educators, some of whom spoke of the woman, and others of whom went into her work in some critical depth. Some of it is useful in understanding where she was coming from. It includes a full review of The Violent Bear it Away, and an essay on writing by O'Connor herself. Among those offering remembrances or observations were Cleanth Brooks, Saul Bellow, Alan Tate, Robert Lowell, Elizabeth Bishop, Katharine Ann Porter, Thomas Merton and Robie Macauley.

187ffortsa
Editado: Sep 8, 2015, 11:31 pm

>186 laytonwoman3rd:. The memorial set of essays on O'Connor sounds interesting. I'll have to look for it.

Regarding Greene, I would suggest Brighton Rock as one in a similar genre to This Gun For Hire, but with some interesting comments on good/evil vs right/wrong.

188laytonwoman3rd
Sep 9, 2015, 8:31 am

>187 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy. I think some others have recommended that one as well. The Power and the Glory seems to be another favorite.

189EBT1002
Sep 9, 2015, 11:25 am

Hi Linda.

I bailed on the Grafton series a number of years ago, somewhere around M or N, maybe O.... I occasionally think I'd like to pick them back up again. I loved the early ones and just lost interest. But I'd be interested to see how she has developed Kinsey over the years. I'm actually encouraged by the fact that she slowed down in her production as it leads me to hope that she thoughtfully developed the character as our society changed.

>186 laytonwoman3rd: Wise Blood is the O'Connor I plan to read this month. Along with Levy's The Long Song, I took it to (and brought it back from) Cape Cod with me. I'm looking forward to your comments. And Flannery O'Connor, A Memorial looks very interesting!

190laytonwoman3rd
Sep 9, 2015, 12:27 pm

>189 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! Welcome back to the "real world". So, you didn't get around to O'Connor while lolligagging about the Cape, eh? Just as well, I think! I put some comments on the O'Connor thread. I'm struggling with what to say about Wise Blood---don't want to give it short shrift, but man, it's a tough nut.

191laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Sep 13, 2015, 1:00 pm

>186 laytonwoman3rd: I've done my review of Wise Blood now. I will move on to more of Flannery O'Connor one of these days. She's too important, and her ouevre too limited, for me to be comfortable not reading all of it.

192laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Sep 13, 2015, 6:08 pm

63. A Fine Summer's Day by Charles Todd My second read for September Series and Sequels. This is a prequel, actually, which fills us in on Inspector Ian Rutledge's life before WWI turned it all inside out. In the summer of 1914, Rutledge has asked his lady love, Jean, to marry him, and she has accepted. He is embroiled in a series of death investigations which he sees as connected, but which his superiors want him to tidy up individually and quickly, with none of this "there's a killer loose and his work isn't finished" nonsense if you please. And, of course, Europe is about to erupt in the wreckage and horror of modern warfare. Fine reading, although a little more editorial attention could have been paid to grammatical antecedents.

193EBT1002
Sep 13, 2015, 11:06 pm

>191 laytonwoman3rd: I have requested A Good Man is Hard to Find (and other stories) from the library and thinking I'll read that for this month's AAC installment. I like your comment about her work being too important and her oeuvre (one of my favorite words) too limited not to embrace it wholly. But perhaps a bit slowly. :-)

194laytonwoman3rd
Sep 14, 2015, 8:27 am

>193 EBT1002: Yes, I think O'Connor is best taken in small doses.

195Whisper1
Sep 14, 2015, 9:59 am

Linda, If you haven't read,


A Good Hard Look bu Ann Napolitano

https://www.librarything.com/work/11110421/book/77022223

you might be interested in this novel, which concentrates on the last years of Flannery O'Connor's life. It was fascinating to read.

196tiffin
Sep 14, 2015, 10:48 am

Catching up after falling waaaay behind, therefore:
>162 katiekrug:: olive oil is a necessity for me. I cook with it constantly and make all my dressings with it. It would be a definite exception for me. I think trying to lower our carbon footprints even a bit would be productive. My lads were saying that how our family cooks and eats isn't the norm (everything made from scratch, local veggies in the summer, locally sourced meat from a butcher rather than the supermarket, etc.), that most people they know eat lots of prefab and heavily packaged foods. So if people could go back to preparing their food themselves, I think that would be an excellent start.

Graham Greene: give him another try, Linda. I think you picked a dud there. He's not one of my favourites but he's a decent writer, if The Power and the Glory was anything to go by. Someone up there said he isn't someone who makes you want to read his entire oeuvre: yes to that.

I bailed around G in the Grafton series. I seem to prefer cosies set in mouldering English houses with villages and endless pots of tea involved.

Don't know a thing about Flannery O'Connor, so I'll say toodle pip for now.

197laytonwoman3rd
Sep 14, 2015, 3:27 pm

>195 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda. I will look for that.

>196 tiffin: Hey there! Glad you browsed around in here a bit...I think I'm getting the message on Graham Greene. I may just toss the omnibus volume I have (no one has mentioned the other two novels in it either, so perhaps all 3 are duds), and check my library's holdings.

"If people could go back to preparing their food themselves, I think that would be an excellent start." That is a very concise statement of Kingsolver's message.

198tiffin
Sep 16, 2015, 10:03 am

P.S. I love visiting and seeing that desk up top. It's wonderful, like William Morris meets The Hobbit.

199laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Sep 16, 2015, 10:43 am

>198 tiffin: Oh...neat description! I will have to tell Don and see what he thinks of that. You can see more of his woodwork here.

200tiffin
Sep 16, 2015, 11:50 am

>199 laytonwoman3rd:: he's amazing, Linda. AMAZING! You know how I love handcrafted things.

201Caroline_McElwee
Sep 19, 2015, 8:01 am

I agree, it is beautiful work.

Love your description Tui.

202laytonwoman3rd
Sep 19, 2015, 8:59 pm

64. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Luminous, intensely personal intersecting stories of a blind French girl who contributes in a small way to the Resistance with a secret radio, and a talented German orphan who has been trained to seek out just such transmissions. So many lovely passages in a book about the horrors and deprivations of WWII... Doerr put me in the moment brilliantly over and over again with descriptions of air, sound and light as well as more solid things like water, rock and metal. This is not about the "big picture", but rather about the thousands of small moments that make up life, even in the midst of earth-shattering events.

203Caroline_McElwee
Editado: Sep 19, 2015, 10:38 pm

That is on my pile Linda, and will be travelling towards the top. I've enjoyed both his fiction and non-fiction writing. I loved his book about a year in Rome. It is the quality of writing.

204lauralkeet
Sep 20, 2015, 7:46 am

>102 laytonwoman3rd: I like your take on that one...

205NanaCC
Sep 20, 2015, 11:44 am

>202 laytonwoman3rd: I have All the Light We Cannot See on my wishlist. So many books I'd like to get to.

206laytonwoman3rd
Sep 20, 2015, 5:38 pm

>203 Caroline_McElwee: His writing just captivated me, Caroline. I will be looking for more of his work.

>204 lauralkeet: Thank you!

>205 NanaCC: I wouldn't have got around to this one for a long time, probably, except that a woman at work was reading it, and she offered it to me when she was done. I'm glad I did, because it's one I might have left alone, because of all the hype.

207laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Sep 23, 2015, 8:36 am

65. The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill Sixth in the Simon Serailler series, and it's the usual fine writing, with the characters' lives taking center stage much more than the crime being investigated. Thank goodness it wasn't a serial killer this time. One peripheral character seemed to be included merely to explore the topic of assisted suicide for the terminally ill; her story, as well as one or two other loose ends were left dangling. I think I will need to read the next one fairly quickly so as not to lose those threads...luckily I have A Question of Identity on hand.

208NanaCC
Sep 23, 2015, 8:49 am

>207 laytonwoman3rd: this is a series you had put on my wishlist in the past. I will need to get started I think.

209sibylline
Editado: Sep 24, 2015, 11:18 am

Went crazy over Frost in May when I first read it - my first Virago actually!

Some Greene works for me, some doesn't.

Wise Blood is a strange one, innit? I think I loved Flannery's letters more than anything else of hers.

210laytonwoman3rd
Sep 26, 2015, 3:51 pm

>7 laytonwoman3rd: An awful lot of books have come into the house this month.

211charl08
Sep 26, 2015, 4:01 pm

Looks like you're going to be busy for a while there...

212RBeffa
Sep 26, 2015, 6:40 pm

>202 laytonwoman3rd: So glad you read "All The Light ...". My favorite book for 2015 that started the year on a high note for me, and one of my rare 5 star awards.

I would not write off Graham Greene without reading one of his betters, such as The Quiet American which I read fairly recently and The Power and the Glory which was quite some time ago.

213msf59
Sep 26, 2015, 7:16 pm

Hi, Linda! Happy Saturday! I loved your thoughts on All the Light. That is a perfect description. It's nice when a book lives up to the hype.

The Bradbury thread is up. Anything in mind?

214laytonwoman3rd
Sep 26, 2015, 9:55 pm

>213 msf59: I said on the thread that I might just read a short story from the Library of America collection, but then again...if our library has Dandelion Wine, I might give that a go. I've read Fahrenheit 451 a couple times, also Something Wicked This Way Comes, and there's nothing else in the house...

215laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Oct 2, 2015, 10:05 pm

66. A Question of Identity by Susan Hill Carrying on with Simon Serrailler, because I couldn't resist. In this one, he has a new love interest, but of course there are complications. And his sister's job as medical director of the hospice is in jeopardy, due to financial constraints, and her kids are acting out. And his stepmother doesn't seem as happy in her marriage as she used to be, but insists everything is fine. AND, someone is strangling old women in their bedrooms in a new "sheltered housing" estate. This was one of the most riveting of entries in the series so far. The red herrings were very well handled. There were a couple quibbles. Hill required me to say early on: "OK, I don't understand why the police would DO that, but it's another country, so maybe..." and on the last page: "I don't quite buy that reaction, but let's see how you handle that element in the next book". I'm not entirely sure Hill got the murderer's psychology exactly right, either, but this was a cracking good read, just the same.

216tymfos
Oct 2, 2015, 8:02 pm

Great review of A Question of Identity. My reaction to the book was much like yours.

217laytonwoman3rd
Editado: Oct 2, 2015, 10:16 pm

I read and enjoyed a Ray Bradbury short story, "The April Witch". Nothing spectacular, not scary, just good writing and an engaging supernatural tale.

I also "read" a book I picked up at a visit to the U.S. Military Academy at
West Point on Sunday, a "postcard history" of the fort and post, consisting of...well...copies of postcards, captioned to give a sketch of the place, its buildings and grounds, origins, traditions and significance. Wouldn't have meant too much without having toured the place, but it's a nice adjunct to that.

218RBeffa
Oct 2, 2015, 11:14 pm

>217 laytonwoman3rd: The April Witch is in one of my favorite Ray Bradbury collections, The Golden Apples of the Sun. If my enthusiasm doesn't wear out I really hope to read more than one of his books this month.

219laytonwoman3rd
Oct 3, 2015, 9:07 am

I read "The April Witch" from the Library of America's collection American Fantastic Tales. We also have A Treasury of Great Science Fiction and Bradbury must be represented in that. I'm going to pull that off the shelves today and explore.

220PaulCranswick
Oct 3, 2015, 11:40 am

Bradbury is a cut above most SC-FI writers isn't he? I surely have something of his on the shelves somewhere to read for Mark's challenge if I can ever get caught up.............mmm just checked, I have only got stuff unread on my blasted and largely unused/unloved Kindle.

Have a great weekend, Linda.

221laytonwoman3rd
Oct 3, 2015, 12:19 pm

Thanks, Paul.

I'll be starting a new thread, topped with a photo of today's haul from the Friends of the Library book sale. Stand by for a link!

222Caroline_McElwee
Editado: Oct 4, 2015, 7:19 am

I must get to the Susan Hill crime series, I do have the first one.

Caved in and downloaded the first four books to kindle.