Donna828's Summer Reading: Ch. 4

Some of my reading will be easy…but I do plan to read A Suitable Boy which doesn't fit that category at all. I started reading it at the beginning of 2016 which is too long ago for me to remember details, so will be starting at Page One again.

Well, my Photobucket account is holding my pictures hostage until I pay them way too much to be able to post pictures here. Forget that, PB! I will do it the old-fashioned tried-And-true LT method. What a pain!

My summer was starting in the most wonderful way…


Here I am relaxing in my hammock chair, blissfully reading The Nightingale on my Kindle.
I love to read outside under the big trees in my yard…

But I'd better be careful in the future. I came home from lunch with friends
on the second full day of summer to a big mess…


Here is the remainder of one of the 75-foot Wild Cherry trees in our yard.


This is what it looks like sprawled over our new neighbor's garage. It took out part
of one of their trees on its way down. That must have been quite a wind!
I was not home, so missed the explosion.

I hope the rest of my summer contains more reading and less excitement!

From My Shelf: A Suitable Boy…still plugging along.

Audio: South Pole Station

Library: Home Fire


My Favorite Books from 2016 in the order I read them:

Sacred Hunger
When Breath Becomes Air
Just Mercy
This House of Sky
The Orenda
Wintering
Miss Jane
A Gentleman in Moscow *My only 5-star book for the year*
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Boys in the Boat

Rating System:

One Star......Not worth my time
Two Stars....Finished grudgingly
2.5 Stars......Fair, but not for me
Three Stars..Liked it pretty well but had reservations
3.5 Stars.....Good but not great
Four Stars...Great book; I recommend anything with a 4-star and beyond rating
4.5 Stars.....Excellent - a keeper
Five Stars....Superb - Timeless, a real treasure.

Suggestion for a summer meet-up…

My Favorite Books so far this year:

January: Jimmy Bluefeather - Fiction
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - NF

February: Nobody's Fool - F; Evicted - NF

March: War and Turpentine -F; West With the Night - NF

April: The Woman Next Door -F
The Stranger in the Woods - NF

May: Seven For A Secret - F
The Lost City of the Monkey God - NF

June: This Is How It Always Is - F
Out of Africa - NF

July: Beartown - F
The Bridge Ladies - NF

August: Days Without End - F
At Home in the World - NF



54. Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais. 3.5 stars. comments.
55. 10% Happier by Dan Harris; audio by author. 3.5 stars. comments.
56. Swing Time by Zadie Smith. Review
57. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. 4.6 stars. Review.



49. At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider. 4.5 stars. comments.
50. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance; audio by the author. 4 stars. comments.
51. Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout. 4.2 stars. comments.
52. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman. 4.2 stars. comments.
53. Days Without End by Sebastian Barry; audio by Aidan Kelly. 4.4 stars. comments.



45. Dust Tracks On A Road by Zora Neale Hurston. 3.3 stars. comments.
46. The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve. 3.5 stars. comments.
47. The Bridge Ladies by Betsy Lerner. 4 stars. comments.
48. Beartown by Fredrik Backman. 4.3 stars. comments.

Books Read in June:
38. A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry. Mine, 308 pp., 4 stars. comments.
39. Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes by Robert Kull. Hoopla Audio read by the author, 384 pp., 3.6 stars. comments.
40. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen. Mine, 389 pp., 3.9 stars. comments.
41. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Kindle, 592 pp., 4.3 stars. comments.
42. The Dry by Jane Harper. Library, 328 pp., 4.1 stars. comments.
43. This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. Library, 324 pp. 4.5 stars. Review
44. The Leavers by Lisa Ko; audio by Emily Woo Zeller. Hoopla, 352 pp., 3.8 stars. comments.

Books Read in May:
31. The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston, Library, 318 pp. 4 stars. comments. comments.
32. The Wailing Wind by Tony Hillerman, My copy, 334 pp., 3 stars. comments.
33. The Blue Hour by Laura Pritchett. Library, 240 pp., 4.4 stars. Review.
34. Siddhartha's Brain by James Kingsland. Hoopla Audio by Steven Crossley, 352 pp., 3.3 stars. comments.
35. Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. Library, 418 pp., 4.2 stars. comments.
36. Seven For A Secret by Lyndsay Faye. Hoopla Audio by Steven Boyer, 496 pp., 4.5 stars. comments.
37. Everybody's Fool by Richard Russo. Library, 477 pp, 4 stars. comments.

Books Read in April:
24: Mary Coin by Marisa Silver. Mine, 323 pp., 4 stars. comments.
25: The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel. Library, 203 pp. 4.3 stars. comments.
26: The Zookeeper's Daughter by Diane Ackerman. Mine, 323 pp. 3.9 stars. comments.
27: Celine by Peter Heller. Library, 335 pp., 4 stars. Review.
28. The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso. Library, 280 pp. 4.1 stars. comments.
29. Island of the Lost by Joan Druett. Hoopla, 272 pp., audio by David Colocci. 3.5 stars. comments.

I guess I'm first. Good luck and good reading on your A Suitable Boy journey.

Hi Donna!

Yipes. So glad you weren't close to that tree when it went down.

Happy new thread!

Oh, my! The loss of a tree is awful, but it would have been so frightening to have been home at the time.

Love your hammock!

Happy new thread, Donna.

What a lot of good books you've read so far this year. Good luck with A Suitable Boy.

I hope all of the rest of your trees stay in place!

Book No. 43: This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. Library, 324 pp.. 4.5 stars.

"…Roo had been sulky and sullen all summer, gloomy since they announced the move, moody still now that they were here. And so she missed it, his warning, his fledgling teenage foresight that secrets are miserable things, that secrets, be they deliberate or accidental, will out, and then it won't matter where you live, for no place anywhere can protect you from the power and the fallout of a secret once exploded." (140)

My Review:

I love books about family life, especially when the family functions with love and acceptance. The Walsh-Adams family is not dysfunctional, but it is quirky to the point of being weird. Penn and Rosie have four boys in their Madison, Wisconsin farmhouse and decide to try once again for a girl. Instead they got Claude who was immediately loved for who he was and became an integral part of this boistrous family headed by their physician mother and stay-at-home father who wrote his book when he had free time from parenting.

Those of us who are parents know how exhausting and exasperating it can be at times. Penn and Rosie had more than the usual problems, however, and it was so refreshing to see how they worked together as a team to make almost impossible decisions. After a series of unfortunate events, they moved the family to Seattle where a "little" secret soon dominated their lives. This was a very thought-provoking book about how one family member's needs can affect the entire family. Despite some heavy issues, the writing style is mellow especially when circumstances take Dr. Rosie and Claude to Thailand with its Buddhist influence. This is a book that I won't forget. I think I'd better take a look at Frankel's previous two books to see if they will speak to me as loudly as this one does.

>6 dallenbaugh: Thanks, Donna. I may call on you for support. I love reading a big book in the summer. At 1,474 pages, A Suitable Boy qualifies! Thanks for taking the lead.

>7 karenmarie: Karen, I hope my dog wasn't in his normal window bed while that storm was going on. He sure didn't want to have anything to do with the fallen tree.

>8 countrylife: Hi Cindy, I love my hammock chair, too. I have a strap in a big cedar tree I can hang the chair from to be freer, but I think I'll be happier with my feet on the ground. The trees around me look pretty sound, but then, so did the fallen tree… I am living dangerously these days.

>9 BLBera: Thank you, Beth. I need good luck for my Big Book and for my trees. It is sad to lose one and expensive to have the clean-up done. We are waiting to hear from our neighbor's insurance about their garage. Thank goodness no one was hurt.

>2 Donna828: Oh dear! What a mess. Did it damage the neighbor's garage? We seem to lose about a tree a week in our neighborhood. Yesterday morning we woke to a HOA message that there was a tree blocking the road at the entrance and did anyone have a chainsaw? It was a pretty big tree. Fingers crossed our trees stay up for a while.

>10 Donna828: This looks like a pretty good book. I'm adding it to the pile.

What a beautiful spot you have to read, Donna! I love your hammock chair. Hope that summer excitement is over in terms of losing beautiful trees.

>11 Donna828: It helped that I did it with other LTers: 2017 Category Challenge : 2nd Quarter Group Read of A Suitable Boy

I love that hammock .. what a delightful reading nook you have. And what a great idea for a summer meet up .. I'm looking forward to a few beach days this summer with some good books too... work should give time off for mental health days, right?

>12 nittnut: Jenn, there is a small hold in the roof which they patched in case it rains before they can get it fixed, and the guttering on that side will have to be replaced. Their inspection is on Tuesday. This is the second tree we have lost to high winds. We also had one tree cut down because we could see through it and knew it posed a danger. The other two looked fine. I love our trees and feel sad when we lose one.

The Frankel book was very good about a very sensitive topic.

>13 lit_chick: Yes, Nancy, I can do without that kind of excitement. I will take my chances and still read amongst the trees. I'll be sure to come inside if the winds pick up, though.

>14 dallenbaugh: Thank you so much for that information, Donna. I have starred the topic and will check it out when I need encouragement. Judy does such a good job with leading a group. I miss her in the 75ers.

>15 cameling: Hey there, Caro! There are not many beaches in Missouri so I will live vicariously through that picture. I am trying to convince DH that we need a condo in Florida but we're too stuck in our ways to be that cool. Lol. Thanks for visiting!

Happy new thread! Sorry the tree got knocked down, but really glad nobody got hurt.

Goodness! What a sight to come home to! So glad all is mostly well other than losing one of your dear trees. The apartment building I live in is situated on a lot designed for easy mowing with a riding mower — no trees, no shrubs, no flower beds, just grass. It does not inspire me to spend much time outside on the patio!

>4 Donna828: Just say where and when!

I hate losing trees and that one was HUGE! Glad no one was hurt.

From your previous thread, I too, am resisting reading The Nightingale and I have no idea why. Glad you loved it! I've moved it up on my tbr!

Happy new thread, Donna. xx

Happy new thread. I'm so sorry you lost that beautiful tree though and hope the mess gets cleaned up soon. Is your neighbor's garage totaled?

Happy New Thread!

I know you're the very one who probably stops by with a thoughtful welcome gift for new neighbors - oh dear - what an initiation to the neighborhood! It sounds like it could have been much worse, though!

I love your review of This is How It Always Is. I think I need a book where " the family functions with love and acceptance". Onto the wish list it goes!

>18 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. Garage roofs and downed trees can be fixed much easier than broken people!

>19 rosalita: Hi Julia. I'm grateful for our lovely setting but it is a lot of upkeep. DH would probably like the ease of mowing at your place. Do you have a nearby park where you could go for a nature fix?

>20 Copperskye: Joanne, I think The Nightingale was praised to the skies...so much that I was suspicious of it. That beach setting looks appealing, doesn't it?

>21 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul.

>22 RebaRelishesReading: Not even close to totaled, Reba. Thank goodness. A little roof repair and new gutters should fix it up nicely.

>23 streamsong: I don't think my usual plate of homemade cookies will cover the shock of the tree landing on their house, Janet. Luckily, we got some kind and understanding neighbors. I hope you like This Is How It Always Is...I sure didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I like good surprises!

Happy New Thread, Donna!

In our urban lot, once our kids were grown up, we exchanged grass for a brick patio and pathways, along with a beautiful garden. Your DH may like mowing more than I do; I am quite happy to not be doing it any more.

Hi Donna!

>25 Donna828: whew! glad to hear it.

Happy new thread! Enjoy your summer reading!

Happy New Thread! Love Donna in the hammock chair. You look right at home. Good luck with that summer reading. I am sure you have a lot of good ones lined up.

>4 Donna828: Sign me up for that meet up!
Have a wonderful reading summer. Scarey story about the exploding tree in the wind. We have lots of old firs and arbutus about.

Happy new thread, Donna, nice picture of you in your reading hammock!
I completely understand after the pictures of the fallen tree that you say: "I hope the rest of my summer contains more reading and less excitement!", I hope the same.

>26 jnwelch: I like your approach to yard work, Joe. It would be difficult to convert our acre lot to a garden, but I would love to have such a place in a corner of it. DH would still have plenty left to mow!

>27 The_Hibernator: Hi back, Rachel!

>28 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. Things could have been so much worse.

>29 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. I plan to spend the morning reading outside before it heats up.

>30 msf59: Thank you, Mark. Donna in the hammock chair is a happy woman!

>31 mdoris: Mary, it looks like there is plenty of room on that beach for all of us. It's nice to dream about. 🏝

>32 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Our neighborhood is a lot quieter now that the chain saws have done their work. I plan to take advantage of this beautiful morning!

Happy new(ish) thread, Donna. So sorry about your tree! Oh, dear.

>35 tymfos: Thank you, Terri. Yes, it is sad to lose a tree…and to damage a neighbor's house.

Book No. 44: The Leavers by Lisa Ko; audio by Emily Woo Zeller. Hoopla, 352 pp., 3.8 stars.

This book reiterates that there are always two sides to every story. When Deming's mother goes to her job in the nail salon in New York City and doesn't return home, it seems like she has abandoned him. Money has been tight and Polly would like to start life over in Florida, but finds resistance from both Deming and her boyfriend Leon. After months of not hearing from Polly, Leon's sister Vivian, who has been caring for him, arranges for foster care by two college professors in upstate New York. Deming is miserable being the only Chinese-American in a small town.

At this point, it is easy to blame the mother (as happens way too frequently imo), but it is not until later in the book that we hear the other side of the story. It's a coming-of-age story for Deming who has been renamed Daniel, and a story of second chances and forgiveness. This one will pull at your heartstrings.

I did not care for the narrator who was overly emotional in her interpretation. I prefer that narrators don't put too much of themselves in the story. Just read the words and let the listener decide how to feel about what is happening. I might have rated it slightly higher if I had read the print version.

I read the print version and loved it, Donna. Although I thought the teenage angst dragged on for a few too many pages.

Hi Donna! Happy Saturday to you.

>38 BLBera: There was alot of that going on for sure, Beth. The narrator made the mother sound very whiney so it was a double whammy for me. I wish I had read it rather than getting the audio version.

>39 karenmarie: The week end and today was mostly spent working in the yard, Karen. I love doing it but don't enjoy the sore muscles. Tomorrow is a day of rest which I'm looking forward to.

Book No. 45: Dust Tracks On A Road by Zora Neale Hurston. 3.3 stars.

"Well, that is the way things stand up to now. I can look back and see sharp shadows, high lights, and smudgy inbetweens. I have been in Sorrow's kitchen and licked out all the pots. Then I have stood on the peaky mountains wrapped in rainbows, with a harp and a sword in my hands." (227)

ZNH has a delicous way with words. She had an overactive imagination as a child telling her mother about how she walked on the lake and saw the fish beneath her. Her grandmother and her father were very impatient with her "stories" while her mother encouraged them. Zora's mostly happy childhood came to an end at the age of 9 (or perhaps 13 - Zora changed her age at will) when her mother died. She had the proverbial evil stepmother who she once tried to kill with her bare hands. There are many examples of candid honesty in her story of her life up to the age of about 50 when she wrote her autobiography.

Unfortunately, the book became a bit of a puzzle after she described her childhood and schooling. She switched to writing in essay form. Much of it was interesting, but I found my attention wandering and have to admit that I skimmed some sections that didn't appeal to me. I thought her best "essay" was "My People, My People" which was an intimate look at how black people perceive each other. All in all, the book was a bit of a disappointment, although it did include some real gems of writing.

I hope all my American friends are having a wonderful Independence Day!
And I hope the rest of you are enjoying a Happy Reading Day!

Happy new thread Donna and kudos for not giving up on A Suitable Boy like I did. I will read it.... some day.

>2 Donna828: - Love your hammock chair! and what a lovely picture of you relaxing in it with a book/ebook.

It is always sad when a tree comes down, but glad that no one was hurt.

Hi, Donna. Hope you are keeping cool and that the mosquitoes and chiggers are leaving you alone as you are reading in your wonderful chair!

It sounds like you are having a fantastic family-filled summer, Donna! And getting some reading done, too; you are a woman of many talents.

Happy new thread, Donna! Oh, wow! You're another reader I respect who liked Just Mercy! I'm about to start it and it's looking like I'll need to put the housework aside for this one.

Don't tell me the tree struck by lighting was the tree you used for your reading hammock?! Say it ain't so!!!

I am quiet these days, but still enjoying a summer filled with T-Ball games, duplicate bridge, morning walks, and of course reading! My time with A Suitable Boy is tough to come by these days, but is still most enjoyable.

>43 lkernagh: Lori, I am so glad I decided to start over with A Suitable Boy even though I had read a considerable chunk of it well over a year ago. It seems familiar yet also seems new to me. I think I will get much more out of it this time. I am so glad you are stopping by occasionally. I need to do better about visiting threads.

>44 ronincats: Deet is my friend these days when I am reading outside. The time of day helps, too. I stay away from very early mornings and later in the day when the mosquitoes are out in abundance. We haven't had any of those "sauna" mornings yet thank goodness. I try to get my walking in early when it's still fairly cool.

>45 rosalita: Hi Julia! I'm not sure how talented I am except when it comes to enjoying life. I am learning to prioritize and put family and friends before the things that don't make me happy. I am accepting that housework and cooking are not my talents!

>46 Carmenere: Lynda, I'm glad you're home from your amazing trip and getting back to important things like reading and LT! Just Mercy is indeed a Life interrupter. Thank goodness we have lots and lots of other big trees in our yard. I can hang my swing from the big cedar tree down by the lake which is always cool even in the summer or, better yet, use my old glider structure and keep my feet firmly planted on the ground. I love to hang but, sad to say, I can suffer from motion sickness if I am up in the air too long. Lol.

>37 Donna828: La la la! Not reading this because I just started it for my RL book group next week. I'll come back and check it out later. : )

Love your reading spot up top and your topper image. Summer sounds like it is treating you well. Reading all your activities made me realize I miss playing bridge. My husband and I use to play with his parents all the time, until his mom started losing her memory and now she doesn't want to embarrass herself. She used to be an amazing duplicate player.

Happy Friday!

>49 Berly: Kim, that is so sad about your mother-in-law. My mother suffered from Alzheimer's for almost ten years. Worst decade of my life! I can still get depressed when I think about it. She's been gone for ten years this month and I am just now able to remember the happier days before her memory started slipping away. On a happier note, I hope you like The Leavers. It will make for an excellent discussion I'm sure. In fact, I'll just pop over to your place and see if you've met yet.

I'll be right back to report on TWO books that I finished recently. I need more month! I am beginning to think I won't make my goal of reading 100 books...

Sooo…I'm back. The month is more than half gone and I've read two and listened to one book this month. What am I doing you say? Well, I am reading, although very slowly, a very good and very long book set in India. A Suitable Boy is just my kind of book. It has depth and makes me read slowly with all my attention. I read well into it early last year and am starting over because I want to do it justice. I am taking breaks with other books that (ahem) don't require nearly as much concentration. Hey, it's summer, right? My last two books surprised me. I thought I would like the first one better and expected the second one to be a little on the silly side. Wrong! They were both easy reads which offered me a reprieve from heavy reading, but the memoir had much more depth than I was expecting.

Book No. 46: The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve. Library, 241 pp., 3.5 stars.



I love this quote from The Hamlet, but I knew I was in for a love story which is not my favorite kind of book. However, I read somewhere that this is one of Shreve's best works and it is based on a historic fire that swept across the Maine coast in 1947 so I took a deep breath and started. This would make a good beach book. It is an interesting enough story about a woman in a loveless marriage who finds her strength when a raging fire takes her husband and her home. She saves herself and two young children by burrowing in the sand at the edge of the ocean. She has nothing left…except the mansion left vacant after her mother-in-law died. I won't tell more of the story, but did find it to be contrived and too "fluffy" for my tastes. I think I would enjoy it on a beach, however, so don't rule this one out.

Book No. 47: The Bridge Ladies by Betsy Lerner. Hoopla, audio by Orlagh Cassidy. 4 stars.

I'm not sure what I expected from this book other than a few bridge tips, but I was pleasantly surprised to see an in-depth look into a mother-daughter relationship that did an amazing turnaround. In this memoir, Betsy Lerner ends up living a few miles from her mother in the Connecticut town where she grew up. Mom needed help after some surgery and soon Betsy found herself spending time with the ladies who had played Monday bridge for the past 50 years. I am a budding bridge player so this appealed to me. She did write about the intricacies of bridge as she took lessons and learned that duplicate bridge is both complex and fascinating…a lot like life. As she interviews her mother's long-time friends, the age gap is diminished and she begins to understand her mother at last. I don't think this book will appeal to everyone, but I enjoyed the tender and sometimes humorous story of a mother and daughter becoming friends after a lifetime of looking at the world in very different ways.

I recall that you grabbed my attention last year with A Suitable Boy, Donna. Glad you have picked it up again. Sounds like one I would love to read too.

>50 Donna828: and >49 Berly: Hi Donna. I'm Michael. I was touched by this exchange. My mother's Alzheimer-related dementia lasted only about 6 years, but boyoboy... I lived in a different state, so had placed her in a really lovely memory care facility. I'd visit every other month, and it would only take about an hour before shed demanded that I get out of her life forever. Fortunately, by the time of her passing she had grown more quiescent, I guess you'd say, and I was with her for her last few days. That was a sufficiently beautiful experience to nullify the awful memories. Good luck to you.

Hi Donna - A Suitable Boy sounds great. I just finished another wonderful novel set in India, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. I think I'll have to save A Suitable Boy for next summer.

Nice comments on the Shreve and The Bridge Ladies.

Hi Donna!

Whew. Memories of mothers gone. Mine's been gone 7 months after a stroke and rapid decline. Her finances were a mess and I'm executor of her estate. My sister was her medical power of attorney and is going through a phase of being very angry with her again right now for some reason. This is hard to listen to but understandable as my sister lived only 30 miles away and was called upon at all hours of the day and night when she fell or had other medical crises. My goal is to age gracefully and make everything as easy as possible financially and legally for my daughter.

>53 Donna828: I tried bridge but seriously embarrassed myself a couple of times - once with my mother's bridge group and once with my husband's step-grandmother's. *shudder* Nevermore.

Happy weekend, Donna.

Wow, Donna, this has been a most thought-provoking thread to catch up with.

I'm glad you're tackling A Suitable Boy. I've wanted to read it for several years, in fact have a copy calling to me, but have avoided it because of its length. Well, I've read many lo-o-o-ong books before, and you're giving me some courage.

Re: The Stars Are Fire. My husband, who was just 11 at the time of the Maine Fire, had vivid memories of helping to fight it along with his father. Since I Shreve is one of my guilty pleasures, I'll be reading it soon.

And bridge...I don't play actively now since our ancient bridge group has broken up, but I have some great memories of it, not the least of which is the infinite patience shown by two friends and my husband as they taught me how to play.

Looks like a great summer for you, Donna.

We have had kids and grand kids visiting from Kansas City and Denver since last Friday! The KC crew has gone home, but Hope and parents are still here and will stay for at least three more days. At least I have a good excuse for my LT absence this time.


Haley (6), Audrey (13), Sadie (15)
Hope (3), Molly (4), Griffin (9)


Having fun on stage at Itty Bitty City yesterday.

Donna, you must be having so much fun with the little ones, but keeping you BUSY I'm sure! They are so cute!

>54 lit_chick: I'm not making quick progress, Nancy, but I am enjoying A Suitable Boy even more this time around.

>55 majleavy: Welcome to my thread, Michael, and thank you for sharing your Bittersweet memories of your mother. Mine was never belligerent but it broke my heart to see how sad she was. It actually got better toward the end of her disease when she seemed to accept her life as it was. When she still had speech, she would tell people her friend had come to visit.

>56 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I love books set in India and will add The Ministry of Utmost Happiness to my list. I hope you are getting lots of Scout time this summer.

>57 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I know you had an exhausting time settling your mother's estate. I hope you are recovering now that you are home again. I have had plenty of embarrassing times at the bridge table. I don't make too many big boo-boos anymore, but I will never be a very good bridge player I'm afraid. I still love the game and get a good brain workout.

>58 Ameise1: Thanks for that beautiful field of sunflowers, Barbara. We see them like that in late summer when we drive across Kansas to Colorado. I hope all is well with you.

>59 Matke: What a Happy surprise, Gail! A Suitable Boy is longer than War and Peace and Infinite Jest which are the longest books I've read up until now. I think you will love reading the new Shreve book since you have that connection to the Maine fire. And bridge...a game requiring infinite patience for sure. I'm afraid I'm hooked! I play at a bridge studio and have met some very nice people there.

>61 mdoris: Almost missed you up there, Mary. Yes, we are having lots of fun. Things have gotten quieter with only Hope and her parents staying here. I always sleep with the younger kids on air mattresses in the basement. We have lots of empty bedrooms upstairs now that my daughter's family has gone home but Hope still wants to sleep "on air". I will get my bed back on Friday or Saturday.

All the grandDonnas are getting so tall and grown-up! It must give you a pang, but they are a lovely looking group.

Sounds like a wonderful July.

Someday I'll tackle A Suitable Boy. It sounds well worth the effort.

My 'long book' goal this year is Les Miserables which I've never read.

Lovely family! Glad you are having a good visit with all your grand babies!

Love it when you post photos of your grandchildren, Donna! Enjoy the rest of your visit with Hope and family. My, they are just growing so fast!

Hi Donna! Love the photos and how Hope would still rather sleep on air!! I have very fond memories of playing bridge with my in-laws. Maybe someday I'll find another group to play with again. I have Infinite Jest somewhere in the pile, but not Suitable Boy, nor do I feel inclined to purchase another door stopper. Forgive me. LOL

Great photos, Donna! What a crew! They are all getting so big.

>60 Donna828: They grow up so fast! Scout asked her mom if she could have a baby yesterday. Her mom said no, "If we had a baby, we couldn't go camping." Scout answered that aunt Kelsey could keep the baby safe while they are gone. :) Still, I think Miss Scout is going to be the one and only. So, I really do have to enjoy every minute.

>60 Donna828: What a lovely bunch of grandkids!! How fun to have them all visit at the same time.

Donna, I have been awol for too long. I love the photos of the grandkids.

Keep enjoying your summer!

I'm a day early, but already want to wish a happy August! Echoing everyone - lovely family, thank you for the pics! :)

Stopping by to get caught up. Looks like you have had some wonderful summer reading and what a fabulous pictures of the kids in >60 Donna828:!

Beartown by Fredrick Backman. Library, 418 pp., 4.3 stars

I knew I would love this book when I read It's only a game. Everyone who plays it gets told that from time to time. A lot of people try to tell themselves that it's true. But it's complete nonsense." Backman is talking about the game of ice hockey but I immediately thought of bridge and my struggle to conquer a difficult brain game. I think of it as a perfect analogy for life which may be "but a dream"; however, it's also a serious struggle in which hard work often pays off. Backman knows how to tell a story, and he also knows how to slip in some words to live by while he is creating his memorable sense of place and developing a large and varied group of characters.

The place Backman creates is in the back woods of Sweden. It kind of reminds of me Three Pines in the Louise Penny mystery series. "Say what you like about Beartown, it can take your breath away. When the sun rises above the lake, when the mornings are so cold that the oxygen itself is crisp, when the trees seem to bow respectfully over the ice in order to let as much light as possible reach the children plaing on it, then you can't help wondering how anyone could choose to live in places where all you can see are concrete and buildings." Beartown is a lovely secluded place and depends on ice hockey to put it on the map. This is a story about the parents and fans of a winning team who let nothing stand in the way of adoration to the team leader. When bad things happen, they refuse to believe it, and stand up for the star of the team. It's not a perfect book, perhaps it has just a little too much repetition and foreshadowing, but it's one that made me think about what is most important in life…winning the game or doing the right thing?

Aha, this one is already on my list because it has received several strong reviews. Sounds like you really enjoyed it too, Donna. Did you also read A Man Called Ove? I just loved that one!

Good morning, Donna! I hope all is well with you.

Ove is one I've hear a lot about. There seems to be a lot a octogenarian feel good books popping up these days. They seem to be an emerging subgenre. :-)

Just a quick hello, Donna, to wish you a happy Thursday!

Catching up in order to wish you a lovely weekend, Donna.

Hello Donna, and happy weekend to you!

Big thanks to my visitors who keep my thread alive. I have good intentions but then life intervenes. I know I'm not the only one with this problem so I really appreciate those who stop by and post greetings despite my absences.

>65 rosalita: "GrandDonnas"! Julia you do have a way with words. Thanks for the chuckle. And, yes, they are all getting taller every time I see them.

>66 streamsong: July was a blast, Janet! So many good times with family that I am still smiling from the memories.

>67 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. You are doing a great job of keeping up around here, especially considering you have a new baby. And a darling addition to the family, I might add.

>68 lit_chick: I'm glad you enjoy the pictures, Nancy. I enjoy sharing my grands with my LT friends.

>69 Berly: I am not making the best progress on my door stopper, Berly. Too many good books from the library keep rolling in. Bridge is a good game when you find compatible people to play with. I have three different partners who make the game interesting.

>70 ronincats: Hi, Roni, and thanks from the crew!

>72 BLBera: Beth, it looks like Hope is going to be the one and only, too. I'm sad that there will be no more babies. Yes, my plan is to enjoy as much time as I can with each of my grandchildren. They are unique and fun to be around.

>73 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, it is a fun time when all six grands are together. The older ones are so patient with the littles. They kind of take over so DH and I can get caught up with our grown kids while the young ones enjoy each other's company.

>74 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. My summer is going great. I hope yours is as well. I think the northeast is getting some of our hot weather. August has been such a pleasant surprise. I love the cool mornings for walking. I got so behind on my steps when the grandkids were visiting. You would think I'd be getting more steps in, but I spent a lot of time playing card and board games which doesn't require much movement. lol

>75 Deern: A Nathalie sighting! Thank you for the August wishes. I was ready to turn the calendar page even though this is the month I become a septuagenarian. I had to look up the spelling on that one! I'm looking forward to becoming wiser…

>76 lkernagh: Lori, my summer reading has been good if somewhat sparse. July was a downright embarrassing reading month for me. At least I had a good excuse for reading only four books.

>78 lit_chick: Nancy, I loved the book and the movie adaptation of A Man Called Ove. Beartown is a very different kind of book but still has a lot going for it. I hope you get a chance to read it soon.

>79 brodiew2: Brodie, you are so right about Ove being a feel good book. I sure don't mind some happy books on occasion to offset my beloved dark stories. Beartown is more on the dark side. Other than being too busy, all is going well in my world. Thanks for stopping by.

>80 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, Karen!

>81 PaulCranswick: We've been getting rain this week end, Paul. With the moisture we are also getting a bonus batch of cool days. If the sun comes out today, I will be heading outside to read.

>82 AMQS: Are you back from your trip, Anne? Cyprus and Greece are gorgeous places. How lucky you are to be able to spend so much time visiting relatives in those beautiful locales. I hope to make it out your way in late September or perhaps early October. We are planning to spend some time in the mountains on this visit. Have a great week end!

I finally got around to posting my thoughts about Beartown upthread.



Book No. 49: At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider. Library, 176 pp., 4.5 stars.

"Two opposing thigs can be equally true. Counting the days till Christmas doesn't mean we hate Halloween. I go to church on Sundays and still hold the same faith at the pub on Saturday night. I shamelessly play a steady stream of eighties pop music and likewise have an undying devotion to Chopin. And perhaps most significantly, I love to travel and I love my home." (10)

There is only one review of this excellent book so I am trying to promote some interest by posting these thoughts on the books' page...

I love a good travel memoir, and this is one of the best ones I've read. The author made me actually want to visit these countries rather than just enjoy reading about her family's travels through Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe. She and her wanderlust husband traveled on a budget with three young children and, not only survived, but became closer as a family.

The countries that spoke to me the most were Thailand, New Zealand, Morocco, and Turkey. I have always wanted to visit New Zealand, but the draw of the other countries came as a surprise and were the result of Oxenreider's appealing descriptions. In all they spent nine months living in twenty different countries and found something to love about each one of them. The home-schooled children made friends without knowing the different languages and learned that laughter and play are the same all over the world.

The author sums up their year of lugging their backpacks around four continents with these heartfelt words:

"Traveling means touching, tasting, smelling the world. It means the chance to explore hamlets and boroughs that citizens the world over call home. Through travel, you can know, firsthand, the difference in taste between the bread in Sri Lanka and Turkey. You'll add years to your life with more layers, thicker skin, and a softer heart because of it. Travel is a gift." (258)

Hi Donna! I know from FB that you're having a fun summer with grandkids. I am neglecting LT a little, but I don't mind too much. Kids are home and life is full of fun.

At Home in the World is on my list. I've been avoiding it a bit because I am missing NZ and wishing for another adventure, only Miss M has requested that she not have to change schools anymore. So I have to sit tight for 5 years, minimum. *grin*

>89 nittnut: Jenn, I grew up in a military family and changed schools fairly often. The one that messed me up, though, was leaving Michigan in the spring of my senior year to move to Missouri. I thought I was going to die. Instead I met my future husband when I started college and everything has been good since then! I can guarantee that you will like At Home in the World. She writes so lovingly of New Zealand, though, that it might put you on an airplane to head back there. I'm so glad you are having a fun summer with the kids.

Hi Donna. Beartown sounds interesting. I have looked at Ove so many times in various bookstores. Brodie's comment about the sub genre of octogenarian feel good books cracked me up!

I basically stopped wearing my fit bit after I broke my toe on July 9. Planning to start wearing it tomorrow as I start riding the light rail to work again, which involves a fair amount of walking. It will take some time to get back up to my average of about 15K steps per day.

>88 Donna828: Sounds like a great book -- onto the futures list it goes.

Good morning, Donna!

>88 Donna828: Excellent review of At Home in the World. Now I know why The Way, My Way caught your attention. This one looks like fun. I'm adding it to the list.

>91 EBT1002: Brodie's comment about the sub genre of octogenarian feel good books cracked me up!
Me too, Ellen. But I am glad for the trend as I am entering the septuagenarian decade!

I hope the toe is well-healed by now and that you are having a wonderful birthday!

>92 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, as a frequent traveler, I think you would get something special out of At Home in the World. Be sure and let me know what you think if you decide to read it.

>93 brodiew2: Hi there, Brodie, you giver-of-smiles-you! (see my message to Ellen in >91 EBT1002: if this doesn't make sense to you) I do love me a good travel book, and if there is a spiritual theme, it is even better. I particularly enjoyed the author's visits with a spiritual teacher in Thailand in At Home in the World.

>94 Donna828: It is always a pleasure having you visit, Paul. I think of you often these days. Thank you for not giving up on me. ;-)

I am having a very slow reading year compared to my usual rate of devouring books. I think I am becoming more reflective and I know I am striving toward more balance in my life. It is interesting to see how much playing bridge on a fairly regular basis has cut into my time and made me a more gregarious person…at least compared to my old self. I am only halfway through my goal of reading 100 books, but it won't be the end of the world if I don't make it. I am still plodding along in A Suitable Boy which will be a big boost to my pages read. Stay tuned for more reading and life updates...

Book No. 50: Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance. Hoopla, audio by the author, 272 pp. 4 stars.

Stability. This is the key word that I took away from this memoir about growing up in poverty with an abusive and alcoholic mother. Vance candidly writes about all that was wrong in his young world and also gives credit to the saving grace of having grandparents who deeply cared about him and provided the stability he needed in order to escape the culture surrounding him. He also gave credit to the military life that taught him self-discipline. It is quite remarkable that he overcame his disappointing school record and went on to be a successful graduate of Yale Law School. I love true stories about success and overcoming the odds but I was a bit puzzled about why reading this book should be tied to the recent Presidential election. I guess I am succeeding in not letting politics influence the way I think.

Book No. 51: Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout. Library, 254 pp., 4.2 stars.

“...he had felt—undeniably—what he could only think was the presence of God, and he understood why angels had always been portrayed as having wings, because there had been a sensation of that—of a rushing sound, or not even a sound, and then it was as though God, who had no face, but was God, pressed up against him and conveyed to him without words—so briefly, so fleetingly—some message that Tommy understood to be: It’s all right, Tommy.

Elizabeth Strout is the master of linking stories together and making her readers care about flawed characters. I felt for these citizens of Amgash, Illinois, which could be Anywhere, Small Town USA. Surprisingly many of these wounded children grew up to be successful in realizing the American Dream. Lucy Barton is the most prominent example, although Strout shows that the painful childhood she suffered had ramifications that affected her deeply. I was not enamored with the book Lucy Barton and wish I had read the two books closer together. I think I would have had more empathy with Lucy Barton if I had known what she endured as a child. Also, I kept thinking of Olive Kitteridge and the deep impression it made upon me. This book came fairly close, but after the let-down of the abrupt ending, I decided that it fell short of the 4.5 rating I was planning to give it.

OK, I've put At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe onto my phone and will listen to it next (we have similar reading taste so I'm sure I will enjoy it). I ducked a BB withHillbilly Elegy since I've already read it but will have to add Anything is Possible to the wish list even though I have a couple of hers in the queue already.

>97 Donna828: I also read and liked Hillbilly Elegy, and struggled to connect it to the election. If we let politics influence the way we think, I think we might be crazy.

Hi Donna!

I'm glad that bridge playing has made you more gregarious and leading you to more balance. I agree that it's not the end of the world if we don't meet our book-reading goals, but it's so nice when we do.

>97 Donna828: I went to Barnes & Noble with my husband's aunt yesterday. We were there for an hour and a half, and I seriously debated buying Hillbilly Elegy, but with my serious case of BAD (book acquisition disorder), I stayed strong and only got one book from the bargains bin. I do want to read it eventually, though.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Wonderful reviews, as always, Donna of Hillbilly Elegy and Anything is Possible. Find it very apt that you've assigned stability as the key word in the first. Haven't read the latter, but I am a Strout fan, so onto the list.

>97 Donna828: >98 RebaRelishesReading: bam! You got me. Hillbilly Elegy is on my hit list- it has already made it to the bedside table. And Elizabeth Strout is a favourite too.
Alas, I just bought The Buried Giant today though, so that will duke it out with Hillbilly Elegy for the next read book. :)
Aaah, the scuffles and vying for position that my bedside books engage in :)

I loved these "moon bubbles" on our recently refurbished deck. It was eerily quiet during the eclipse today.

>99 nittnut: Good move, Reba. I hope you enjoy the "journey".

>100 karenmarie: Agreed, Jenn. I read to get away from our confusing and disappointing political situation.

>101 lit_chick: The week end was good, Karen. The finishing work got done on our two decks. It was a weekend project that took about a month. I'm not exactly gregarious but I do get out more often now that I've discovered duplicate bridge.

>102 LovingLit: I'm a Strout fan, too, Nancy. This one hit the mark and had the added bonus of making me appreciate Lucy Barton more as it filled in some of the blanks in the story that bothered me.

>103 Donna828: Megan, thanks for that image of your scuffling books. Makes me smile to think of it. I used to think of books as being patient, but I'm not so sure anymore. Haha.

Hi, Donna! Good reviews of Hillbilly Elegy & Anything is Possible. We had similar feelings about Hillbilly and came close on the Strout but that one really rocked my boat. I gave it 5. I would still give Olive the edge, but what a pair they are.

>104 Donna828: Love your eclipse photo. We had mostly clouds. Boo!

Hope life is treating you well, my friend.

>104 Donna828: Hi Donna, Loved the moon bubble picture. What a nice refurbished deck! Your grass is so green. Ours is every shade of brown you can imagine. The poor desperate grass is extremely thirsty.

Moon bubbles: phenomenal!

Hi Donna. I am slowly makng the rounds to get caught up. Glad to see your great summer has continued. I have to admit that I have never learned the game of bridge - backgammon is the game in our family - but happy to see that you are finding a nice RL balance in the process of your bridge playing.

>104 Donna828: - What a fabulous picture. Love the moon bubbles!

>107 mdoris: Hi Mark! Life is treating me just fine. The only thing I would change might be more reading time, but I'm not ready to give up my sleeping habit yet! Olive is my favorite Strout book. I may have to visit her again someday soon. Our weather couldn't have been better for the eclipse. Too bad about your clouds.

>108 lit_chick: Our grass is usually brown and crunchy this time of year. We've had a much cooler than normal August and have broken some records for precipitation, too. I usually get so tired of watering my plants in late summer but haven't had to do any dragging of hoses around for several weeks now. The only downside is that my husband hasn't had much of a break from mowing.

>109 lkernagh: I loved the effect of the moon bubbles when I looked down. The safest way to view the eclipse!

>110 Donna828: I've never played backgammon, Lori. Bridge seems to be a game for older people. I am one of the "young" ones at the bridge studio where I play. Love it!

Book No. 52: The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman. Library, 296 pp., 4.2 stars.

Epigraph: "The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human." ~Adolf Hitler

I have read many books about the holocaust, but none like this. I think this graphic memoir where the Jewish people are depicted as mice and the Nazis are cats works well in telling about the atrocities of genocide in a different manner than the novels and nonfiction books I've read. The author is slowly plucking out the story of his father's experiences in Poland during WWII through the difficult visits with the crotchety old man. Father and son are both victims of the holocaust because they both lost Anja, wife and mother, when she committed suicide after the war. To make matters worse, the author learns that his father burned her journals, so he never learns about her hardships.

There is so much going on in this book as memories are exhumed and everyday frustrations are barely tolerated. Aging parents can be difficult, but in this case they are exacerbated by the extreme tortures of surviving Auswich and the guilt about getting angry with an old man with this history. Spiegelman doesn't sugar coat either his frustration or his father's tales of horror. I have been wanting to read this book for quite some time, and I'm glad I finally got to it.

Book No. 53: Days Without End by Sebastian Barry. Hoopla, audio by Aidan Kelly, 272 pp., 4.4 stars.

I love Sebastian Barry's books but was hesitant about this one set in the USA during the Civil War. I should have trusted this amazing author to tell the story of a young Irish immigrant in a very special way. 17-year-old Thomas McNulty joins the U.S. Army and fights in the Indian Wars and then the Civil War. It was hard to experience the cruelties of war and the vivid battles through the words of an Irish boy who tried his best to maintain his sense of right and wrong in a world gone crazy. His rock is John Cole, his fellow soldier and soul mate. Together they can face just about anything, and Thomas relays their experiences in a lyrical and lilting voice. I'm so glad I chose the audio version so I could listen to the very capable Irish narrator, Aidan Kelly.

>112 Donna828:, >113 mdoris:, Donna, great book reviews! Before my move a year ago I was in a bookclub for over 30 years. One time I suggested we all read a different Graphic Novel and then come and share about it. As it was my suggestion I did the background research about how they got started,( the history). Of course Maus was one of the selected ones, as Spiegelman is a giant in this graphic world and it was a fantastic introduction for us all. I chose the Alison Bechdel books and then researched more about the Bechdel test for movies and great imbalance male/female in Hollywood. It was very interesting and the bookclub members still talk about that evening.

I thought Days Without End} was fabulous too. Glad you were impressed! I did a bit of research into why Barry chose the relationships he did for the main characters of the book.

>112 Donna828: >113 mdoris: Nice comments, Donna. Maus is a favorite of mine. I'll have to look for an audio of Days Without End. I may get to it sooner if I listen to it.

>113 mdoris: That sounds like one worth reading, Donna. Lovely review.

Maus was the first graphic novel I read, and I was uber-impressed! Great reviews, Donna! I've got Barry's Days Without End on my list.

>111 Donna828: It was simply amazing to drive through New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas and see all the green grass this time of year!! Unprecedented!!

Hi Donna. I haven't been as active as I usually am. I do miss my friends here, including you. I am so sorry that your summer began with a tree smashing into your neighbor's area.

I hope August finds you well.

>112 Donna828: What a great review of Maus!

I will take advantage of the vagaries of the time zones to wish you a very Happy Birthday, Donna, slightly earlier than you may otherwise expect. xx

Happy Birthday, Donna!

Good morning, Donna! I hope you had a great Birthday.

>112 Donna828: I agree that this is an excellent review of Maus. I read it many years ago when just out of high school. It is a powerful story.

Happy Birthday, Donna! Hope you are having a good one.

^Hope you are having a fantastic day, Donna!

And hooray for The Complete Maus & Days Without End! I am also a big fan of both!

Great review of Day's Without End. I'm trying to read a few of the Booker 2017 Long listed prizes and that one is in my sights.

>113 mdoris: You've helped me bump up Days Without End. Maybe I'll try the audio version sometime. I'm glad you liked it!

Happy birthday to you!

Donna--Happy Birthday!! I love your review of The Complete Maus and I really want to get to that one. Great deck photo with the moon shadows. Okay, I am caught up again! Carry on. : )

P.S- Do enjoy Eleanor Oliphant when you can get to it! I loved it - it has been my second favourite book so far this year. That intriguing , quirky and fascinating book that one hopes to find each year. I'm not even sure what made me pick it up. I kept seeing at the bookstore and then at the library, so I took a chance and was greatly rewarded.

Hope you had a nice birthday, Donna!

>114 BLBera: Mary, I sure wish you were in my book group. We could use a good researcher! I had fun when I was leader for The Crane Wife. I found music, poetry, and info about origami to share.

>115 rosalita: Beth, I fell in love with the reader's lilting Irish voice. It added that extra dimension of reality for me.

>116 lit_chick: Thanks, Julia. It was a worthy book. Have you read any of his other books? They are mostly set in Ireland.

>117 ronincats: Nancy, It was the first one I've read where the illustrations were in black and white. Very dramatic to match the story.

>118 Whisper1: it has been nice to see how green everything stayed over the summer, Roni. I hate it when the grass gets crunchy.

>119 PaulCranswick: I'm so glad you stopped in, Linda. I have been pretty quiet on LT, too. August has been a good month for me. I hope your health has been improving. You have been through so much.

>120 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Paul! We started partying early so you are just in time. I played my first game of air hockey in the big play area at the restaurant, but drew the line at entering the trampoline area!

>121 brodiew2: Thank you, Chelle. Happy Anniversary to you!

>122 ronincats: Thanks, Brodie. The birthdays are coming too fast for me! Powerful is a good descriptive word for Maus. I think it would have made an even bigger impression had I read it as a young person.

>123 msf59: Thank you, Roni. My birthday was fun but exhausting!

>124 vancouverdeb: Thanks for that birthday book, Mark. Fantastic birthday...check. We are still in tune with liking the same books. I wish you were reading A Suitable Boy with me. I need someone to keep me on track with that big baby!

>125 Copperskye: I hope it makes the Booker Short List, Deborah. We'll see. There is a lot of good competition on this year's list.

>126 Berly: Thanks for the birthday wishes, Joanne. I hope you get to Days Without End soon. It's a good one!

>127 vancouverdeb: I am carrying on, Kim, despite my advanced age. Haha. I thought I was the only one who hadn't read maus. I think you will be another fan!

>128 katiekrug: I was glad to get the recommendation, Deborah. I'm looking forward to it when my number comes up at the library.

>129 Donna828: Thank you, Katie. It was a good day. Ready to get back to real life now.

Hi Donna!

>104 Donna828: Wonderful photo.

Happy Belated Birthday!

Happy belated birthday, Donna.

>130 Donna828: Thank you Donna, I would love to be the researcher in your bookclub but the commute might just be daunting and challenging! Your reseach for The Crane Wife sounds very good and fun.

>135 BLBera: I'm glad you liked the moon bubble picture, Karen. And thanks for those birthday wishes.

>136 mdoris: Thank you, Beth.

>137 Donna828: I guess we could use FaceTime or Skype, Mary!

I wish I had a new book to report on as the month winds down. Instead, I'll share the photo of my bookish birthday presents. I said "no books" so I got two t-shirts, a pillow, and even a pair of socks in my favorite color!

Wow, great presents!! What does the blue shirt have printed on it?

>138 ChelleBearss: Those are all great! Love the shirts and the pillow! And I have those socks in a different color - actually two different colors - one is red and the other green.

Happy Belated Birthday Donna and Happy Weekend!
Great presents, especially the pillow!

I read the first part of "Maus" at a very young age (10 or 11?) and was shell-shocked. Couldn't talk about it with anyone and was only able to read the "Complete Maus" some years ago. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea reading it alone in the library while waiting for the bus. That first unattended encounter with the Holocaust of which I knew next to nothing at that age is something I'll never forget, and yes - it being in "comic" form with cats and mice (I thought it was a childrens' book) made it even more shocking.

Oh, I can imagine the Barry was great as an audio!

Belated birthday greetings, Donna. Love the presents (although I can't imagine saying "no books please")

>104 Donna828: What an awesome and unique picture of the eclipse, Donna! You ought to enter that in some sort of contest!

I knew this would be a dangerous visit as soon as I clicked on your thread. I'm adding Beartown, At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe, Hillbilly Elegy and Anything is Possible (even though I didn't care much for Lucy Barton) to the list I'll be bringing to my library book sale. I just love a good hunt.

Also love the bday gifts! Best Wishes for a fabulous year!

>138 ChelleBearss: Ha! I have the same socks and the stamp shirt! Love outofprintclothing.com!

Also, Happy Birthday!!

>139 Copperskye: Thanks, Chelle. Those are just random dates printed on the blue shirt representing the "old school" date due stamp on library books. I'm very old school so it's perfect for me and my memories of checking out books before computers.

>140 Deern: I see more of those socks in my future, Joanne. They feel so comfy, can't wait to wear them when the weather gets cooler.

>141 RebaRelishesReading: Nathalie, that must have been a shock to you when you thought you were getting a cat-and-mouse comic book story and learned about the Holocaust at such a young age. I can't remember when I first learned what happened but I do remember seeing war damage when we lived in Germany when I was a child…and being chased home from school by the German locals one time when my older brother wasn't with me! Kids…

>142 Carmenere: Reba, I probably could have come up with a short list of books I want, mainly books I've already read and loved…and perhaps Norse Mythology, but then what would I look for when the fall book sale comes around in October? It's so much fun to search for those beloved books and get a bargain at the same time. Thanks for the birthday greetings.

>143 scaifea: Thanks, Lynda. I was so excited when I saw the cool patterns on the deck and driveway. I also didn't share the general love for Lucy Barton, but knowing the backstory would make me appreciate it more although there are too many other books I want to read to revisit it. Thank you for the good wishes.

>144 Donna828: Amber, I love that outofprintclothing supports libraries in Africa with some of their profits. The shirt is soft and comfy, too. Now I have a new wardrobe to wear to my book group which is starting up again soon. Yay!

Book No. 54: Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais. Library, 420 pp., 3.3 stars.

"…here I am, sitting in one of the pews of the Regina Mundi church in Rockville--the largest Roman Catholic Church in South Africa--and all around me is proof of the attack that took place here three days ago… How is that the apartheid government claims to be such a religious government? How can they assert that South Africa is a Christian state when its police officers attempt murder in a church? What kind of men fire bullets at terrified children in a house of God?" (97)

Those are the words of Beauty in 1976 when she learns that her teen-age daughter, who went to Johannesburg for an education, is one of the missing after the Soweto Uprising where many young people were injured and several dozen lost their lives. She leaves her sons behind and makes the arduous journey to the city where Nomsa disappeared. The same night of the Uprising 9-year-old Robin loses both of her parents in a senseless act of violent retribution. The book alternates between the stories of Robin and Beauty in a very personal story of what it was like to live in an atmosphere of distrust and hate for people of different races. To complicate matters, I learned that eleven different languages were in common use in South Africa which influenced the title.

I expected to love this book but was ultimately disappointed when Robin's story took over the book and became a girl-detective Nancy Drew type of book. I kept looking to make sure I wasn't reading a story written for young adults. Her thoughts and actions were quite advanced for her age and would probably be enjoyed by a middle school reader. The ending became a series of coincidences that had me shaking my head. It was a quick read and I did like the idea and Beauty's story, but I wish I had done more due diligence before I read it as it wasn't really my kind of book after all.

I'm sorry I missed your birthday, Donna, but I love all your presents! A shame your last read didn't live up to your hopes, though.

>138 ChelleBearss: - What fabulous birthday presents! Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you, Donna!

>138 ChelleBearss: Love those! Especially those socks. : ) Hope your birthday was wonderful and here are wishes for a great year ahead.

>148 lkernagh: Thanks, Julia. I loved my presents, too. I have one of my new shirt on now. Books are tricky that way sometimes. The ones I think I'm going to like can disappoint me, but the good surprises far outweigh them.

>149 Berly: Thanks for those wishes, Lori!

>150 Donna828: I love the socks, too, Kim. I will be decked out in style for my book group tonight. We have been on hiatus for eight long months after the library renovation. I'm just glad they are giving our small group a slot in their lineup of events. We will be discussining Swing Time by Zadie Smith…more on that later...

Book No. 55: 10% Happier by Dan Harris. Hoopla audiobook, narrated by the author. 3.8 stars.

I love the subtitle: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story. Apparently Dan Harris is a fairly well-know television reporter, but I was not familiar with him or with the TV meltdown that led him to try meditation. He is a good poster boy for meditation as he skips over the Buddhist part of it and focuses on the helpfulness of mindful breathing to calm the monkey mind. He has some interesting experiences at a week-long silent retreat and even made me laugh out loud a few times. Anything that can downgrade the Ego of a journalist has got to be effective, right? On a side note, I have been meditating with the help of the Calm app for several months now and have had good results. My goal is not to be happier but to be more at peace with myself and others. I have even learned to forgive myself for spending less time on LT!

Happy Belated Birthday, Joanne! I love your birthday presents! How cute!! Interesting book, 10% Happier. I'd heard of the calm app, but did not know what it was. I confess I rarely read a self help book. Enjoy your book group tonight!

Hi Donna!

I haven't watched TV news since I lived at home (left for college in 1971) so have never heard of Dan Harris. I just did a bit of YouTubing and the book sounds fascinating. So does the Calm app. I just deleted two rarely-used apps and am installing it right now.

mindful breathing to calm the monkey mind *smile*

Stopping by to wish you a glorious weekend, Donna. xx
I wish I could be 10% happier.

>153 karenmarie: I thoroughly enjoyed the revival of my book group, Deborah. I love "talking" books here, but it is so much easier in a face-to-face group of like-minded readers. Our new facilitator is a YOUNG man. I want to adopt him as he is so adorably earnest about reading. I am picky about the self-help category; mostly enjoy memoirs of how people expand their minds and interests.

>154 PaulCranswick: We can all use a little more Calm in our lives can't we, Karen? I had a fun but over-stimulating weekend helping a granddaughter celebrate her 7th birthday. I remember when a cake, some balloons, and a few cheesy games with prizes made for a fun birthday celebration. Now they all seem to involve events and spending way too much money. I am so old-school…

>155 Donna828: It would be great it we could all be 10% happier, Paul! I know it makes me happy to see your posts when I am so negligent about return visits. Thanks for contributing to my 10%!

I am in love with Google Photos so have forgiven Photobucket for their bad business practices. I'm still not happy that they took down all my photos from years past, but I am having so much fun making collages and animations on Google. Here is one that is a little different from the one I posted on FB regarding Haley's 7th birthday party at a pottery studio. 17 girls and boys aged 4-8 were there painting pottery in close proximity! I was the proverbial fly-on-the-wall and enjoyed not having to plan or clean up from that production. Now my daughter-in-law has to pick up the fired objects and distribute them. It's a crazy world out there…but Haley had fun so I'm clearly in the minority about keeping birthday parties simple…



Haley painted the elephant, sister Molly painted the cat. I'm not sure who painted the ballet shoes…
and I have no idea why the pictures are fuzzy. Hmmmm….

ETA: I switched from laptop to iPad and pictures transferred more clearly. Add that to the growing list of things I don't understand! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Book No. 56: Swing Time by Zadie Smith. Library, 446 pp., 3.5 stars.

"She was a dancer: she'd found her tribe. I, meanwhile, was caught completely unawares by adolescence, still humming Gershwin songs at the back of the classroom as the friendship rings began to form and harden around me, defined by color, class, money, post code, nation, music, drugs, politics, sports, aspirations, languages, sexualities… In that huge game of musical chairs I turned round one day and found I had no place to sit." (215)

In this book about friendship and growing up in 1980s London, the unnamed narrator seems to be drifting through her life. She was influenced to the point of being subdued by her best friend Tracey, another 'half-caste' girl growing up in the projects. The narrator's mother had little time for parenting because of her political aspirations. She left the daily minutiae of childcare to her white husband who provided some stability to this young girl trying to find her place in the world. She found solace in her dance class but Tracey was clearly the one with talent and drive. She attended college and ended up as the personal assistant to an Australian pop singer, yet another overpowering personality which kept her in the shadows.

It was painful to read this ambitious story that covered all the bases in that long list of topics in the above quote. It didn't help that the timeline and setting jumped around as much as a young girl metaphorically searching for her place in a game of musical chairs. I think Zadie Smith is a talented writer who tried to do too much in one book. I would have liked to read an entire novel based on one of the side stories set in an African village rather than hop across the ocean to New York City and then back to London. My favorite Zadie Smith book is still White Teeth; this one comes last in the group of the four books I've read by this author.

>147 rosalita: I have had my eye on Hum If You Don't Know the Words, (I love the cover) but I was biding my time until an LTer recommended it. Not sure this qualifies. LOL.

>158 msf59: Good review of Swing Time. I also recently finished it and I liked it less than you. I did not engage with any of the characters and for the most part, they were unpleasant. She is a talented author, so I was expecting more.

Hi, Donna! Always nice to see you posting around.

>156 Donna828: What a lovely thing to say, Donna. Thank you. xx

Hi Donna! Haley's party looks fun. I think a lot of parents are preferring to pay a place to host the party, especially one that includes something to take home, in lieu of total chaos at home and probably a near similar cost. It depends on what you do, but I have sure loved paying the gym $100 to host the pool or sport party and I just have to bring cake.
You've taken a few for the team book-wise lately. 10% happier - seems like a doable goal. Love that.

>157 Donna828: Glad that Haley had a great birthday party! Painting pottery looks so fun! Perhaps I'll have to find something similar here for one of Chloe's next birthday parties

>159 PaulCranswick: Hi Mark, I can see why you loved the cover of Hum...love those birds! I had to go back and read my comments to see why I didn't care for the book. I had forgotten it already! I made a list of summer reads from the internet. That's what I get for getting away from LT Friend recommendations!

>160 nittnut: You are most welcome, Paul. I do appreciate your visits.

>161 ChelleBearss: I think the bottom line when it comes to doing things for your children and grandchildren lies in creating good memories. Taking advantage of different venues --and no mess at home-- makes sense. I was just feeling overwhelmed by being surrounded by 17 kids with paintbrushes in hand! Looking back, it was a fun time. Thanks for your words of wisdom, Jenn.

>162 Donna828: I think a pottery party would be just the thing for your creative Chloe! I want to go back and paint a mug with the names of my six grands on it. The people in the "quiet" room looked so relaxed and happy.

Nice comments on Swing Time, Donna. White Teeth is my favorite Smith as well.

Great comments on Swing Time, Donna! Even when my two boys were growing up, I recall each year trying to come up with a fun birthday party. Laser Tag seemed to be quite popular with the boys, specialized indoor playgrounds when they were younger , even McDonalds with a playground in the early years was okay. It was quite a thing to come up with something special each year for the boys. I agree, I preferred going somewhere rather than chaos at our place , but also it was the expected thing that you would take the kids somewhere special. None of that old fashioned games, hotdogs and birthday cake like back in my day.
Boys- possibly more challenging to think of party ideas! My boys enjoyed a bit of pottery painting on their own with me, but not suitable for a group of boys. sigh!

Hi Donna!

>158 msf59: Thanks for reading Swing Time for me so I don't have to read it - I'm not a fan of Zadie Smith at all. *smile*

When my daughter was young we had parties here at the house. I took cake decorating classes for her birthday cakes, so we had Simba, Prancing Pony (twice, I think), poisonous dart frogs, SpongeBob Square Pants, and several teddy bear cakes. Lots of fun, huge effort, daughter still remembers them all with pleasure. We had one at a small bowling alley near us too, one time, totally charming. Perhaps if daughter gets married and has a family I could be persuaded to dust off the old cake decorating skills.....

>152 vancouverdeb: Hi Donna, I'm a little late to the party as I have not been on LT for quite a while ....busy day, busy people.....but I loved your review of the Dan Harris book. i read it ages ago and greatly enjoyed it for his concrete orientation to challenges, his honesty for sharing his story and his great sense of humour. I did read the book and did watch him interviewed by Charlie Rose and found it very interesting. At one point he says he's 10% happier but according to his wife he is still 90% an assh......!" That really made me like him!

Cannot believe Haley is 9 already--I remember her baby pictures here!!

>169 lit_chick: I do, too! Where does the time go?

>165 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Beth.

>166 karenmarie: Hi Deb, there were several (maybe 5?) boys at Haley's party and they seemed to enjoy themselves. I believe there was more than one dragon statue in the lot to be fired.

>167 mdoris: Karen, my aunt was a professional cake decorator who gave me a few tips. I passed them along to my daughter, and she has created some amazing cakes! I was glad to pass the torch, modest as it was.

>168 ronincats: Did you move, Mary, or is my memory failing me...again? Life has a way of compromising our LT time, but we keep coming back to this inspiring group. I loved your comments on Dan Harris. He came across as a good guy in the book. I liked his humility.

>169 lit_chick:, >170 Donna828: Roni and Nancy, if it makes you feel any better, Haley is only 7-yrs-old. It still seems like yesterday that she was a baby, though. Same with all the other grands. My Sadie is driving to school now! 😳