RebaRelishesReading in 2019 - 2nd quarter

Photo by Ray Cleveland

What I've read this year:

JANUARY
1. Georgia by Dawn Tripp****1/2
2. The Library Book by Susan Orlean****
3. Cinnamon Gardens by Shyam Selvadurai****
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling****
5. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (audio)****
6. Snobs by Julian Fellowes ***1/2
7. Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes**** (audio)
8. The Chosen by Chaim Potok****

FEBRUARY
9. If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? by Alan Alda***1/2 (audio)
10. Night in Bombay by Louis Bromfield****
11. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley***
12. Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue by John McWhorter****(audio)
13. The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons*** (audio)
14. The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand** (audio)
15. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton****1/2 (audio)
16. Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor** (audio)
17. A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton**** (audio)
18. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley** (audio)
19. Feeding the Dragon by Sharon Washington*****(audio)

MARCH
20. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman****1/2 (audio)
21. A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain**** (audio)
22. That Month in Tuscany by Inglath Cooper**** (audio)
23. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton****
24. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling****1/2
25. Elephant Company by Vicki Constantine Croke*****(audio)
26. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling****1/2
27. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling*****
28. Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday**

APRIL
29. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn **** (audio)
30. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert ****1/2
31. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai ***1/2
32. A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett ***1/2
33. Milkman: A Novel by Anna Burns *

MAY
34. Book Towns: Forty-five Paradises of the Printed Word****
35. Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount****1/2
36. Tin Man by Sarah Winman ****1/2
37. In the Distance by Hernan Diaz ****1/2
38. The Pioneers by David McCullough ****1/2
39. A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith ****(audio)
40. The Mango Bride by Marvin Soliven ****
41. A Taste for Vengeance by Martin Walker **** (audio)
42. Honolulu by Alan Brennert *****

JUNE
43. White Banners by Lloyd C. Douglas ****
44. Doc by Mary Doria Russell *****
45. Invitation to Live by Lloyd C. Douglas ***1/2
46. The Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan****
47. Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell*****
48. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler*****

Welcome to my second thread for 2019! May 26 will mark my 12th anniversary as a member of Library Thing and this is my 8th year in 75er's. Checking the threads is still a joy as is meeting friends from the thread in real life. Book people are generally really good people I have found :)

I read mostly fiction with a large helping of biography thrown in. A couple of years ago I finished a personal challenge to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winning fiction and a couple of weeks ago I finished another to read the entire Harry Potter series. I've also challenged myself to read the Pulitzer wining biographies but I don't seem to be making much progress on that score.

Hubby and I love to travel and do a great bit of it (according to our friends). We spend our summers at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York state where we especially enjoy the music presented and the authors who visit.

Right now I'm working hard to get in shape because a friend and I are planning to walk from Reading to Bristol (95 miles point to point) in September. I've been wanting to do a cross-country walk in the U.K. for 20 years or more so I'm most excited.

Now the thread is open for visitors! (I just love having visitors to my thread)

Hi Reba! Happy new thread! I love your photo at the top.

Hi Susan -- nice to have my first visitor. Isn't that photo beautiful. We have nice flowers in the desert this year but I suspect that one is from Arizona since we don't have many saguaro's here.

It looks a bit like the place that has been overrun by the selfie-takers. https://inews.co.uk/news/world/poppies-tourists-safety-crisis-superbloom-instagr...

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Reba! Gorgeous topper.

Happy new thread, Reba. Lovely photo at the top.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Reba.

Lovely topper - I didn't imagine the desert having quite so much colour!

Happy new thread, Reba! No photos from your hike in Mission Trails?

Happy new thread, Reba. Love the topper!

Reba--Happy new one!! Love your topper.

Happy new one, Reba! Congrats on finishing up the Harry Potter series - all of us here at the Pecan Paradisio love those books.

>6 susanj67: Hi Susan! The flowers do look pretty much the same but the place the news item is about is Lake Elsinor which is north of here and there are no saguaro cacti (the one with "arms" in the middle of the photo) west of the coastal mountains (so not here and not north of here).

>7 drneutron: Hi Jim! Thanks for stopping by.

>8 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Thank you, ma'am :)

>9 BLBera: and you too, Beth!

>10 figsfromthistle: nice to see you "figsfronthistle"

>11 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul -- it doesn't always but this winter was a very wet one so it is out-doing itself

>12 ronincats: Hi Roni. I took some but the poppies are on the hillsides and, and make for a nice wash of orange, but too far away to make a good photo.

>13 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. Thank you

>14 Berly: Hi Kim. Thank you too.

>15 Crazymamie: Mornin' Mamie. I'm glad I finally got to them.

And thank you ALL for the visit. Made my morning to find all of those messages when I logged on!!

There will be 11 for dinner tonight and I'm sitting here calmly going through threads! A group I worked with in the '80's and '90's used to go out to lunch every Wednesday after staff meeting and for several years now get together with our spouses a couple of times a year. One spouse has died so we're 11 now. It's a pot luck which certainly helps but still I have to figure out how to seat 11 around my table in my condo-sized dining area, and get all of the beverages into the fridge to chill, and get the ham ready, and have the house presentable, etc. Better go now.

Good luck, Reba. And remember - the beverages take priority.

Hope the dinner was fun!

Thanks Mamie and Charlotte. It's 12:45 and I'm pretty much ready. I have so much wine in that it's almost embarrassing (we're all wine drinkers). I think we'll be fine. I may spend the afternoon reading Molokai. :)

Happy new thread, Reba!

Happy new thread Reba and good luck getting in shape for your walk. Sounds very challenging (and I'm a walker lol) but I'm sure you're up to it.

>21 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. Nice to have you visit :)

>22 brenzi: Thank you, Bonnie. I'm a walker too but haven't done more than 5.5 miles at once in a long time. I keep remembering that on the long days we can/will take a break or two (lunch, scenery, etc) so it should be OK but I want to be as "in shape" as I can before we go. So off to yoga in a few minutes :)

A new wall mural on the outside of an apartment building in Utrecht in the Netherlands (Holland). The artist asked residents for their favorite book and included those in the mural. My son was born in Utrecht in 1973 and I did graduate work at Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht in the early 1980's so I have a warm sense of connection to this lovely Dutch city.

>24 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh, I love that! I wonder if s/he would come paint my house (if I had a house!)

>24 RebaRelishesReading: I'd live there.

Mornin' Charlotte and Beth -- but what book would you choose to have represent you on the wall?

>24 RebaRelishesReading: That is just so cool, Reba!

Happy new thread!
Love that topper!

>27 RebaRelishesReading: That is a tough question, Reba.

>28 Crazymamie: Mornin' Mamie -- I think so too :)
>29 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle -- thank you :)
>30 BLBera: Hi Beth -- if you come up with an answer I'd love to hear it :)

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn**** (audio)

I really enjoyed this book. It has some history of spy activity in both WWI and WWII, some detective action, and a little love.

Summary by Audible:
"It's 1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

It's 1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads."

The above does sound like a good audio book.

How did the dinner for 11 go? Fine I am guessing!

Your topper photo took my breath away and then I love love love the book mural. Superb!

>33 sibylline: Hi Lucy. Finding a post from you is such a nice way to start the day. Dinner went fine. One couple got sick and couldn't come (but sent their delicious potatoes anyway) so I had to scramble to take the card-table-at-the-end-of-the-real-table away but that just made the seating work better. Food contributions were delicious and, as always, we had a great time talking, saving the world, and catching up.

Glad you like the photos. I'd love to go and see that mural for real. Time we went back to the Netherlands :)

>24 RebaRelishesReading: I like that!

Have a great Sunday, Reba.

>35 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. Yours is long over by now but hope you had a great Sunday too.

>24 RebaRelishesReading: That would make me do a double take if I saw the wall mural in person, very eye catching! Your dinner get together sounds like a wonderful tradition, Reba.

Happy new thread!

Hi Meg -- I had a great group of colleagues in that job (which is all that kept be sane for the 13 l-o-n-g years I was there).

Hi Rhonda -- thank you :)

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert****1/2

This was the One Book One San Diego selection a couple of years ago and although I bought the ebook version I never read it. A few weeks ago I went to an "author luncheon" to hear Mr. Brennert talk about the sequel and decided I really needed to read both books. I'm glad I did.

Moloka'i is the life story of a young girl who is sent to the leprosy colony on Moloka'i. It is a novel but based closely on the facts. It provides a clear picture of life in quarantine from the late 19th century to the mid-twentieth and is one of the most heart-breaking stories I have ever read. I had to take several breaks because I was crying too hard to see the words. It tells an important story and is well worth the tears and the read.

Oooh. That one sounds brilliant but heart-breaking. Noted and saved for when I can handle it. : )

>40 RebaRelishesReading: crying too hard to see the words

I'll have to put that off until I'm...idk...ready to have my heart torn out. I'm oddly drawn to the book though lol. Thanks Reba.

>40 RebaRelishesReading: Great review Reba. My grandad worked for BELRA, now LEPRA in various African countries back in the 30s and 40s, and then again when they retired. My mum has a bit of a collection on the subject as a result, so I'll get her this one too.

Hi Kim, Bonnie and Charlotte! All I can tell you is that it was worth the tears (some of which were because it was "touching" rather than "sad"). I hope to start the sequel Molokai's Daughter today.

>40 RebaRelishesReading: Was there mention of Father Damien (now Saint Damien) in the book? That's where I'd heard of Moloka'i - he worked there, turning it from an exile camp into something approaching a town, and eventually died of leprosy there, in 1889. I've heard his story a couple times (there's a link between him and my church here), it sounds like this book is about the same(ish) story from a different viewpoint.

>40 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, I loved Moloka’i when I read it several years ago. I want to reread it before I read the new one. I’d love to hear Brennert talk about them.

Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai was also pretty good if you’re interested in a non-fiction view. It was, as the title states, harrowing and sad.

>45 jjmcgaffey: Hi Jennifer. Yes, he's mentioned although the story takes place later (around the turn of the 19th/20th century). Main characters are other inmates and the nuns who run the hospital and facilities for the children.

>46 Copperskye: Hi Joanne. It is wonderful, isn't it. I'm really enjoying Daughter of Moloka'i too which is Ruth's life. Right now they're in Manzanar which is quite a story on its own. Thanks for the reference to the non-fiction version.

Hi Reba!

From your last thread, congrats on finishing up the Harry Potter series.

From this thread, happy new one. I'm glad your potluck turned out well - I had 10 at my house on the 7th for book club. It's always fun and I'm always glad when my yearly obligation is over.

>48 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Thank you (re Harry Potter) and I agree, the dinner party was fun but I'm glad it won't be my turn again for a couple of years :)

Reba, thanks for posting that lovely book mural picture. How wonderful that the residents get to have some of their favorite books presented like that. The Kansas City library has an awesome mural of books…or so I've seen in pictures. As many times as I go up there every year, one would think I would make the effort to seek it out. Bucket list!

>40 RebaRelishesReading: Book Bullet! I've already put in a library request. Only one hold in front of me. Do you recommend the sequel as well?

ETA: I guess I'll find out the answer to my question when you finish it...

>50 Donna828: ...and I just did (finish it) and yes I do (recommend it) :)

Hi Donna. I'll try to think of the K.C. library mural if we ever go through there again at a time of day that would allow a visit.

Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert****

The sequel to Moloka'i is another fine read. This is the story of Ruth (infant in Moloka'i story) which takes us from 1917 to 1970. Ruth is living in California during WWII and she and her family are interned at Manzanar and the story of their time there is a good chunk of the book. I've visited Manzanar and found Brennert's description of life there to be very accurate and compelling but the book is much more than just the story of America at its worst, it also the story of love, relationships, and sense of self. If you don't know about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII in the western U.S. you should read this book. If you do know about it you will still want to read it for the lovely story it tells.

A friend and I went to a "Writer's Festival" at the main library downtown yesterday and walked both ways. The event was interesting with lots of local writers and Piper Kerman as the keynote. We ended up going to sessions about writing memoirs, readings from local writers and three women talking about "women and ethnicity in writing". One of the three was Marivi Soliven and I bought a copy of her new novel The Mango Bride.

In the evening we went to hear a concert by a polyphonic singing group from the Republic of Georgia. Most interesting! They performed sacred music in the breathtakingly beautiful sanctuary of the Serbian Orthodox Church and at intermission we moved to the social hall for cookies and lemonade while they performed secular folk music in the same style. They said the secular version grew out of the sacred. When the Soviets banned sacred music they changed the lyrics to be about work, sport, etc. but kept singing the same melodies to keep the tradition alive.

I ended up with 7.25 miles on my "clock" for the day, the last 3 miles being uphill so I was pretty sweaty when I got home but otherwise I did O.K. Seven miles is the shortest day I will be doing on the walk in September, though, so I clearly need to keep pushing myself.

7.25 miles is great Reba. You go girl.

>54 brenzi: Thanks Bonnie :)

We watched Queen of the Desert last night which turned out to be an excellent, pretty accurate story of Gertrude Bell (of whom I had never heard). Wikipedia describes her as:

Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE (14 July 1868 – 12 July 1926) was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored, mapped, and became highly influential to British imperial policy-making due to her knowledge and contacts, built up through extensive travels in Greater ...

I'll be looking for a good biography of her to read and recommend the film to those interested in the story of strong women.

>56 RebaRelishesReading: Sounds good Reba. I must remember to tell my mum, she reads a lot of travel books but there is a whole section on Victorian women "explorers".

I didn't realise Bell's letters are available in a Penguin classic edition: tempting me...

>57 charl08: Yes I saw that one on line last night. I think I would prefer a biography if I could fine one that's well done.

I clan heartily recommend Gertrude Bell Queen of the Desert as an excellent biography.She was a fascinating woman who wielded a lot of influence.

>59 Matke: Thanks, Gail. It went straight onto my wish list.

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai ***1/2

I really wanted/expected to like this book better than I did since it has been doing very well in all of the major literary contests and because it (partly) deals with a very important subject but it just didn't hang together that well for me.

The Pulitzer web site suggests the story "contemplates the ripples of grief affecting generations of survivors." Ok...that fits but didn't seem to me to be a strong theme. The site also suggests that "The two intertwining stories take us through the heartbreak of the eighties and the chaos of the modern world, as both Yale and Fiona struggle to find goodness in the midst of disaster."

To me the novel has three, alternating stories. One deals with the gay "scene" in Chicago in the mid-1980's, another is set in 2015 and deal with parents trying to heal their broken families and a third, which spans the century is about an elderly woman honoring her love who died in WWI by trying to get his art shown along with masters of the early 20th century. The "intertwining" seemed somewhat forced to me.

That said, the story of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980's was powerful and very well done. While set in Chicago, it was a story familiar to people everywhere, especially in large cities. I remember well the loss and fear of the time. I would probably have given the book ***** if it had just been the 1980's chapters.

The story line of Nora and her lost love could also have made a fine book if it had been fleshed out a bit more but it's relationship to the 1980's story just wasn't clear imo. And finally the story of the broken families also had potential...on it's own.

A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett***1/2 (audio)

This was more of an adventure story than I would usually read but it made a good audio book for when I'm slightly distracted. The story begins in a Scottish mining village where Mac is about to turn 21 and, under Scottish law, become the property of the mine owner. Mac is a bright young man with courage and initiative and he challenges the owner ending up with him escaping first to London and then to America always looking for freedom. It's spine-tingling right up to the very end.

>62 RebaRelishesReading: - I remember being very entertained by that one when I read it years ago, Reba. Quite the page-turner!

Hi Katie!! Thanks for stopping by :)

I'm about 25% through Milkman and seriously hoping it improves (so far I'm bored stiff). But then, it's foggy outside I'm on day 9 of a bad chest cold and "the Queen" has invited the Idiot in Chief for a state visit...GOOD GRIEF!!!

Hope you're all having a lovely day :)

Hi Reba!

>56 RebaRelishesReading: I’d recommend Desert Queen by Janet Wallach. I found it fascinating.

>65 RebaRelishesReading: You’re the second person who’s not been thrilled with Milkman. No BB for me.

>66 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I wonder if that's the book the film was made from since it has the same title. I'll give it a look. As to Milkman I'm trying hard to finish it but will definitely reward myself when I do! We have a house full with son and (teenaged) grandkids this weekend so I get a break from it :)

Hi Reba! Hope your chest cold is better! and good luck with Milkman. It is on my list to read, but you don't make it sound very enticing.

Hi Rhonda -- Thanks, I'm recovering slowly, still coughing but much less and I have a bit more energy now. A friend and I had plans to walk today to visit several bookstores taking part in a San Diego Bookcrawl -- it would have been a great training walk for our big England walk in September. Still going but not walking :(

Milkman is not my cuppa but others like it so maybe try it and see what you think :)

Milkman: A Novel by Anna Burns*

For me the best thing about this book is the cover. A meandering wander through the thoughts and actions of an 18 year-old girl in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, this book never caught me. I found it deathly boring and only finished it because that's just what I do. Just not my cuppa.

I had a fun, and quite tiring, weekend with son and two grandchildren sleeping on air mattresses all over our condo. We played a lot of Apples to Apples and a little Clue plus watched many episodes of The Office which my granddaughter loves and was sure we would too. (I find it so cringe worthy I'm not sure I'll ever enjoy it). Even with all of the activity I do feel better, and am coughing a lot less, so I'm about to head out to the San Diego Independent Bookstore Crawl :)

>71 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh, which ones did you go to?

>72 charl08: Perfect question, Charlotte, because I just opened up to report :)



We visited 8 bookstores (the 9th participant, Run for Cover Books, was open on Sat & Sun but not today):
U.C. San Diego Bookstore
Warwick's Books
Mysterious Galaxy
La Playa Books
Bluestocking Books
Verbatim Books
The Book Catapult
bookstore at the Main Library

I bought 11 books for myself, got one little one as a gift with purchase and bought three for baby grandson. I doubt you can read all of the titles so here's the list:

In Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus (the freebie)
Book Towns: Forty-five Paradises of the Printed Word by Alex Johnson
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
In the Distance by Hernan Diaz
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Honolulu by Alan Brennert
Great Second Acts: In Praise of Older Women by Marlene Wagman-Geller
Radicalized by Cory Doctorow
Visionary Women by Andrea Barnet
See You in the Piazza by Frances Mayes
Bibliophile by Jane Meunt -- I think this one is your fault Mamie :)

Wee grandson is getting:
Mr. Brown can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue fish by Dr. Seuss
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

It was a fun day plus I got 6857 steps which is quite good imho given that I've been sick the past two weeks.

Good for you! I didn't even try.

>74 ronincats: I think it was a zoo on the weekend days (store in South Park said Saturday was their best day ever...by a lot) but the stores were busy but not crazy today. Many customers were carrying the "San Diego Book Crawl" bag that you got at your 5th store. It got me to some bookstores I didn't know where there and into Bluestocking Books for the first time and it's only a block from my house :)

Bravo you, Reba! I want to read Milkman, but I tried when the Booker prize was up. I made it to 110 pages or so, but it was such a grind I DNF. At least you can say you've read the Milkman.

>76 vancouverdeb: Yep, I can say I read it...which really is a testimony to my inability to DNF which is what I should have done :)

>73 RebaRelishesReading: Wow. That's a great day out. Although it's probably good for my bank balance that I don't live near the UCSD shop. Or any of them...!

>73 RebaRelishesReading: Nice haul!

Thanks Char and Lori -- I'm pleased :)

>70 RebaRelishesReading: Well I didn't rate it yet but I certainly enjoyed it more than you Reba. I guess you never fell under the spell of the audio narration like I did. Right now I'm finishing up a book on the Troubles (non-fiction) and it's really making Milkman jell for me.

Well, as far as book purchase go, I went mad at the bookstore yesterday. I'm not going to tell what I purchased :-) , but I had a $50 gift certificate , plus $5.00 in a loyalty program and it still cost me around $50.00. I mainly purchased some good old enjoyable comfort reading. It's good to those around the house for when a reading funk strikes.

>81 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. I read a paper copy so there was no narration to enhance my experience. Perhaps it would have helped.

>82 vancouverdeb: Good morning Deborah. Sounds like you had a good time at the bookstores too. Hope you enjoy all of that comfort reading. :)

Book Towns: Forty-five Paradises of the Printed Word by Alex Johnson****

This book combined two of my favorite things, travel and books, to make a delightful afternoon for me. It briefly discusses the "book town" "movement" and then (as the title says) introduces 45 of them from around the world with information about their history, what bookstores are there, any special events they have, etc. It's also beautifully illustrated. I'm making a short list of ones I want to visit :)

>84 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh! Wish listing that one. It looks beautiful.

>85 charl08: I think you'll like it

Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount****1/2

I can hardly imagine enjoying a book more than this one. I thought I had seen a photo of two pages from it on Mamie's thread, but now I can't find it so I must be wrong. Thank you to whomever it was who posted that because it caught my attention and made me buy the book on the Book Crawl Monday. Pages about all kinds of book-related topics are presented in apparently random order through the book complete with lovely illustrations. There are pages about "Beloved Bookstores", covers, writing rooms, striking libraries, books recommended by people in the "book business", book from different eras or different genres, etc. One of my favorites is "read around the world"



There is no information about how the list was created, who did the selection, on what criteria, etc. but, even so, I think it might be fun to try to read them (I never can say "no" to a list). In case you're interested here is the list:

Canada: Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
U. S.: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Greenland: Crimson by Nviaq Korneliussen
Iceland: The Blue Fox by Sjon
Cuba: Farewell to the Sea by Reinaldo Arenas
Dominican Republic: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Haiti: Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
Mexico: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Guatemala: The President by Miguel Angel Asturias
Ecuador:The Villagers by Jorge Icaza
Peru: Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa
Bolivia: Turing's Delirium by Edmundo Paz Soldan
Chile:My Tender Matador by Pedro Lemebel
Argentina: The Lizard's Tail by Luisa Valenzuela
Uruguay: Solitaire of Love by Cristina Peri Rossi
Brazil: The Head of the Saint by Cynthia McLeod
Venezuela: Dona Barbara by Romulo Gallegos
Samoa: Leaves of the Banyan Tree by Albert Wendt
Fiji: Kava in the Blood by Peter Thomson
Slovenia:Galley Slave by Drago Jancar
Sweden: Chronicler of the Winds by Henning Mankell
Denmark: The Woman and the Ape by Peter Hoeg
Germany: Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada
Switzerland: I'm not Stiller by Max Frisch
Netherlands: The Dinner by Herman Koch
U. K.: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Spain: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Morocco: Secret Son by Laila Lalami
Senegal: So Long a Letter by Mariana Ba
Guinea: The Dark Child by Camara Laye
Egypt: Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfoua
Ethiopia: Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste
South Africa: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Uganda: Abyssinian Chronicles by Moses Isegawa
Kenya: The River and the Source by Mararet A. Ogola
Turkey: The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
Saudi Arabia: Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea
Iran: Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Afghanistan: The Patience Stone by Afiq Rahimi
Bangladesh: A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam
Myanmar: Smile as They Bow by Nu Nu Yi
Cambodia: First They Killed My Father by Loung Ungrounds
Indonesia: The Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Philippines: Noli Me Tangere/Teach Me Not by Jose Rizal
Vietnam: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Japan: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Bhutan: The Circle of Karma by Kunzan Chidden
Nepal: Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay
Mongolia: The Blue Sky by Galsan Tschinag
Russia: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Australia: Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
New Zealand: Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff

Yeah, I thought that was a pretty random list! The Africa bit is pretty patchy. Looks beautiful though.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: I've been savoring this one as well, Reba. I can't imagine an LTer who would not love this book.

>88 charl08: Hi Char! I wish they had said how the list/map came to be but, if nothing else, it would/will get me to read more internationally which is always a goal and doesn't always happen.

>89 BLBera: Did I get it from you, Beth? I know I saw it on one of the threads I visit but didn't write down which one (I am so bad about that :( ). I agree that I can't imagine an LTer who wouldn't appreciate this beautiful book.

Didn't mention that I met-up with Roni for a fun lunch at a favorite restaurant and also took delivery of my wonderful new wall vase. I can't wait to hang it up on our Chautauqua porch and put some gladiolas into it. I'll post a photo when that has happened. Thank you, Roni!!

YOu are very welcome, and thanks so much for a lovely lunch!

>61 RebaRelishesReading: Awesome review of The Great Believers!! I agree completely. Just OK as a book, but it was a great book for my RL bookclub discussion.

>91 RebaRelishesReading: Hurray for meet ups!

Tin Man by Sarah Winman****1/2

I had a lovely afternoon reading yesterday and finished this little book in one sitting. It was an employee's recommendation at one of the bookstores on the book crawl and I'm so glad I bought it. I love the NY Times review on the cover so I'm going to quote it:

Winman has crafted something of a small miracle here....So much is contained in it--the complicated nature of love, the power of art to inspire and sustain, the half-life of grief and regret, the liberation of (French!) travel, the grace found in small moments of kindness....It seems impossible that it all fits, yet the slow build of emotion and the cascade of quiet, well-earned tears are testament to how rich this meditation on love, art, loss, and redemption truly is.

>93 Berly: Hi Kim! Nice to see you :)

>90 RebaRelishesReading: It's possible, Reba. I am not good at remembering where recommendations come from, either.

>94 RebaRelishesReading: This sounds good. I loved When God Was a Rabbit, so I will be reading more Winman.

>96 BLBera: Well, thank you Beth, because I do think it was from you that I got it. Also, thank you for recommending When God Was a Rabbit. This was my first Winman but I'm definitely up for more.

Morning, Reba! What a lovely book haul - thanks for sharing. I was thrilled to see that you purchased Tin Man because I loved that one - it was one of my favorite reads from last year. I went on to read When God Was a Rabbit, which was also beautifully done, but I loved Tin Man just slightly more.

I thought I had posted photos from Bibliophile when I read it, too - nope. LOL.

Hooray for your lunch with Roni - can't wait to see the vase on the wall.

Hi Mamie -- With you and Beth both praising When God was a Rabbit I'll be looking out for it. I guess I was just reading your mind about Bibliophile} :) Hope your carpel tunnel and internet woes are better now and that we'll be seeing you around more.

Great Second Acts:In Praise of Older Women by Marlene Wagman-Geller***1/2

The 28 mini-biographies of women who did great things well into advanced age make for a pleasant read. Some of them are definitely household names whose bios I knew quite well but some were people I was unfamiliar with. As a woman "of some years" I was impressed by what they had done but not really motivated to change my life. Perhaps I shouldn't admit how comfortable I am with my retired life...but I am.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: Isn’t that a lovely book! My ER copy was delivered just before my son came home for a visit and we had a great time talking about all the books and book stuff included. It’s a great book to leave on a coffee table and share with fellow book lovers!

>94 RebaRelishesReading: I picked this up at ALA last year. Such a wonderful, understated story. I’m glad you liked it, too!

>100 RebaRelishesReading: Onto the wishlist it goes! Library doesn't have it--yet (I just recommended the purchase!).

>101 Copperskye: Hi Joanne. I thought the same thing about it being a "coffee table book" but decided there was enough "stuff" on coffee table as it is so I put it in the shelves. I may well get it out to share with other book lovers, though. And, yes, I really liked Tin Man.

>102 ronincats: Hi Roni. She's a local author too so hope they buy it.

BFF and I went for a nice walk at Lake Murray yesterday (part of our preparation for the walking holiday in September). Many flowers are still out and the birds were busy singing and calling. My step total at the end of the day was 17000+ (6.7 miles) which is a good start but left me a little sore after being sick and inactive for the past three weeks.

I'm planning to read Tin Man soon. I picked up the gorgeous hardcover when it came out, as I was a big fan of When God Was a Rabbit.

<105 Hi Katie -- hope you had a good weekend :) I keep hearing good things about When God Was a Rabbit and will be getting a copy of that one soon. Tin Man was lovely.

You mean pictures like this? Well I posted a few when I read it Reba.



Tin Man is now on my list.

>104 RebaRelishesReading: Looks very dramatic, and 17k steps is impressive stuff. Hope the preparation continues to go well.

>107 brenzi: YES, Bonnie!! Thank you, now I know who to thank :) I hope you like Tin Man. I'm planning to get When God Was a Rabbit ASAP since so many have said they like it.

>108 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. I hope so too :)

In The Distance by Hernan Diaz****1/2

This book, which was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, may have been my reward for enduring Milk Man.
It's the story of a boy who leaves Sweden with his older brother to immigrate to America in the early 19th century. He gets separated from his brother when they have to change ships in Gothenburg and doesn't discover he is alone until the ship has sailed. The book is the story of his search for his brother. It's a gripping tale of the old west, of adventure, of loneliness, of perseverance, of human kindness and inhumanity. I'm not usually a fan of novels set in 19th century American west but this one was really excellent.

Hi Reba! I love your spring photo at >1 RebaRelishesReading:, and the books in >24 RebaRelishesReading:.
I read Moloka'i a while back and liked it. I don't think I realized there was a sequel!

In the Distance sounds like something I would really like. My great-great grandmother immigrated from Denmark when she was 4 years old, but at least she didn't lose her family along the way.

2 BB's for me tonight. :)

>111 nittnut: Always delighted to supply BB's :)

I have a wonderful day planned for today :) Hubby gave me a gift certificate for the spa at the Hotel Del Coronado for my birthday a while back. I decided to just save it and savor the idea for a while but today is the day. I have an 80 minute massage booked for 1:00 but you're also allowed to use the sauna, hot tub, pool, sound therapy room, etc while there so I think I'll go about an hour early and perhaps stay a while after. Since it's raining I won't be using the pool but the inside choices sound wonderful enough. Yesterday I worked out for the first time since I go sick three weeks ago so I'm a bit sore today which will make this extra nice :)

>104 RebaRelishesReading: That picture is stunning, Reba. It looks like a painting. Good for you getting all those steps in.

I'd say that is excellent timing for a spa day after your hike. Btw, thank you for recommending Moloka'i. I will be finishing it this week end. It is hard to believe people were quarantined for life. I seem to recall there was a similar place in Louisiana. Do you know? I may have to do some research when I finish the book.

>110 RebaRelishesReading: I've heard a lot of good things about this one, Reba. Onto the list it goes.

>114 Donna828: Hi Donna. Thank you. It was a beautiful day in a rainy day kinda way :) I had another active walking day on Wednesday and worked out with my trainer on Thursday so yesterday was a perfect reward. I slept almost 9 hours last night :)

I don't know about Louisiana but I'll go looking now.

>115 BLBera: Hi Beth. I hope you'll enjoy it (betting you will).

>113 RebaRelishesReading: That sounds lovely. Do you get to sit and look at the sea? I hope so.

Reba, it sounds like you've been putting in a lot of time on the fitness front. A spa day "reward" sounds like the perfect idea! I keep looking up Moloka'i - my reserves list is nearly small enough to start on some new things.

Your spa day sounds lovely! Hope you had a great day

>117 charl08: Hi Charlotte. I walked the sidewalk along the beach from car to spa and back again but I was only inside at the spa. The pool is outside on the ocean side but it really wasn't a pool day.

>118 susanj67: Hi Susan. I didn't do badly on the fitness front this week but for 3+ weeks before I was down with this cough thing (which is still hanging on but much improved). The spa day was wonderful (and I still have a bit left on the gift card for something when we get home in the fall).
I hope you get to Moloka'i because I think you'll really enjoy it.

>119 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. It was wonderful.

Hello, Reba! Just a few random comments:

>84 RebaRelishesReading: Book Towns looks and sounds lovely, and a must-Read.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: Bibliophile is a book for all of us, I think. Most of us love book lists! Right now I’m reading Palace Walk, among other things, from that international list.

>100 RebaRelishesReading: I’ll probably read Great Second Acts to as ire and learn about these women. I don’t want to change my life, except for a few very small habit adjustments.

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day, Reba.

The Spa Day sounds great! Happy mother's day.

Spa Day sounds absolutely wonderful and since I've been to the Coronado I now it's the ideal place. Lucky you Reba.

>121 Matke: Hi Gail! Yes Book Towns and Bibliophile are very likely to appeal to most LTers I think :) I agree, I don't want to change my life (generally) but I do like reading about strong women.

>122 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. It was delicious. Happy mother's day to you too :)

>123 brenzi: Thank you too, Bonnie. Hope you had a lovely mother's day.

The Pioneers by David McCullough****1/2

McCullough's latest book is subtitled "The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West" and details the earliest settlements of Ohio, particularly the very first at Marietta. I am a huge McCullough fan and wasn't disappointed with this book although I don't think it is his very best one (hence 4 1/2 rather than 5 stars).

>104 RebaRelishesReading: Lovely picture, Reba!
6.7 miles sounds more than like a good start to me, especially after being sick. We are walking daily for over a year now, but haven't managed to walk more than 6 miles yet.

Goede morgen, Anita! I've been trying to walk 3 or 4 miles a day for several years and now I'm working up to a 95 mile walk in September so I need to push that further. I'm busy getting ready to leave for the summer now though so haven't done much walking this week :(

A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith **** (audio)

A three-generation saga spanning the mid-19th to late 20th centuries, this book tells the story of a "cracker" family striving to "make it" in Florida. I've never read a pioneer story set in Florida and the fact that many of he challenges faced by early settlers in the south were quite different from those faced in the west made the book refreshing. The book was well written and well read and I really liked the characters. Recommended.

Hi Reba!

Just a quick hello - congrats on some good books read, getting back into your walking after being sick, and getting ready to leave for the summer.

The Mango Bride by Marivi Soliven****

This novel contrasts the lives of two young women born and raised in Manila. One from a well-to-do family, the other from a working class family. Both are seeking to escape. One from the constraints of her class the other from poverty. I really enjoyed the book on a straight-forward "it engaged me and was interesting to read" level but it had deeper levels too such as "what makes a mother?", the impact of shame and secrets on a life, what makes a place "home?". Worth a read.

Hard to believe that it's time for you to go already--but then, hard to believe it's Memorial Day weekend, especially with the weather we've been having. But be careful--that weather is trailing all across the nation. I forget which route you are taking--if a northern one you could actually hit snow, and the southern ones are lousy with tornadoes and thunderstorm systems.

I'm sure you'll be fine...

>131 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. We'll keep an eye on the weather reports. We're going south to Florida first (I-10 much of the way) then up the east coast. I hope that's far enough south (and east) to be away from tornadoes but who know with the new weather reality! Have a good summer. See you in the fall.

I knew you'd told me but couldn't remember until you told me again here. Safe travels!

>133 ronincats: Thanks. So far everything is going well. We were on the road at 8:30 this morning and I'm now relaxing in the shade on a beautiful patio in Tucson. Great start.

Safe travels, Reba!

happy travels!

Oh no - I've missed the start of the Great Chautauqua Road-Trip! I'm here now, looking forward to your updates. Have a great trip!

>135 katiekrug:, >136 banjo123: and >137 susanj67: Thank you Katie, Rhonda and Susan! We're doing well. We've planned days that aren't too long (so Hubby can get his afternoon nap) but even so we're about half-way to Florida already. We drove to Tucson on Friday, on to Van Horn, Texas yesterday and now we're in the Texas hill country (west of Austin). This area was settled by Germans so we're looking forward to a yummy German dinner tonight.



Never thought I’d say this, but west Texas was quite pretty today. It was overcast (so not so hot) and the median and both sides of I-10 were a blanket of wildflowers, mostly yellow but also red, orange, white and purple. Especially once we were in the hilly part it was lovely. Lady Bird would have been so proud!

We honeymooned in the hill country. Where did you stop? If you're in Fredericksburg, I recommend The Auslander for German food. It's our favorite. I love the jaegerschnitzel :)

Happy trails!! Glad you enjoyed the Texas flowers. Wishing you safe travels.

>139 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Wish I'd read that two days ago! We did stay in Fredericksburg and I short-listed The Auslander but we ended up down the street a ways in a large outdoor area (think front yard with gravel and a lot of big trees) where we both had excellent sauerbraten with spaetzle and fresh asparagus. It was very pleasant sitting outside and the meal was great so, actually, I have nothing to regret but I'll try to remember to try the Auslander next time.

>140 Berly: Thanks Kim. Things are going very well. We're in Destin, Florida now and looking forward to seafood overlooking the Gulf tonight. On to sister-in-law's in Sarasota tomorrow. We'll stay there for four nights and I am really looking forward to a few days out of the car (well, not completely, but only short on-town hops not hours on end).

>img width="150"
src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51svxyBpzOL._SL500_.jpg">

A Taste for Vengeance by Martin Walker**** (audio)

Hubby and I enjoy listening to Chief of Police Bruno novels while driving cross country so this most recent one came out in audio just in time. In this story an unknown woman is found dead in a shower and a bit later a man is found hanging from a tree limb in the woods. Who are they? Why did they die? Is it murder/suicide in a love affair gone wrong? or is there more to them than meets the eye? Of course there is plenty about French food and the lives of locals in the village where Bruno is Chief of Police too. Another really fun listen.

Reba your road trips make my jaunts to Denver seem like a trip across town. I like the way you take time to smell the roses (or Texas wildflowers) along the way. Aren't audiobooks a great companion when you're on a long drive? Our biggest problem is finding something that appeals to both of us. I usually have a backup downloaded just in case. Enjoy your stopover in Sarasota!

>143 Donna828: Hi Donna! We too have a bit of a problem finding something to listen to but a couple of years ago we discovered that we both like Bruno, Chief of Police and the Ladie's No. 1 Dectective series and this year there is a new one of each. Very good news, that, because we're going to be on the road much longer than usual. We both like history and biography too so that's another option.

Honolulu by Alan Brennert*****

I'm rather late to the party where Mr. Brennert is concerned but I'm certainly glad I've found him. He's written four books and I've now read three of them and enjoyed them all. Honolulu is about a Korean girl in the late 19th century who wants to learn but is not permitted to do so by her very traditional rural culture. She finds her way to Honolulu as a picture bride where she faces a set of new problems. Mr. Brennert researches his books very thoroughly so this one provides both a good look at traditional society in Korea and well as Honolulu in the early 20th century in additional to being an engaging story. Highly recommended.

Is it that time of year already? Have a safe and happy trip, Reba.

>146 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. We arrived in Sarasota yesterday and have a lovely hotel room. It's hotter than .... got too 102 degrees (F) for a while yesterday afternoon. Highest I saw today was in the low 90's but that's still ridiculous imho :(

We had a lovely brunch with Hubby's sister, cousin and cousin's wife this morning and then went to sister's house to look at old family albums which are now loaded in our car to take home with us. We'll see the family again tomorrow and Saturday and then head north on Sunday. I do like the family and Sarasota as a place, it's just the weather I object to.

Hi Reba! I am glad the road trip is going well. 102 is HOT. Thank goodness for AC.

>148 banjo123: Hi Rhonda. Thanks for stopping by :) Yes 102 is very hot. It hasn't been that bad since but is consistently 97 which is still way to hot for my taste. We left Sarasota this morning and are in Georgia tonight, on to North Carolina tomorrow. I keep hoping it will get better as we travel north -- we'll see :) Meanwhile, indeed thank goodness for AC.

My Facebook memory today is from 2010. I thought it worth repeating here:

Heard the concept "literary immortality" the other day (you don't die as long as you have unread books) which I like. Today it occured to me there should also be "travel immortality" -- you don't die as long as there are still trips you want to take

Hi Reba, I returned from a Florida trip this past Thursday. I was with my daughter's family at a water park resort in Winter Garden so the 90+ temps didn't bother too much. But I went to visit a friend in Jacksonville for a couple of days and it hit 104! Gah! That's not for me. Here in WNY you'll find cool temps (60s and 70s this week) and way too much rain😕

>151 brenzi: Hi Bonnie! The highest temp we had was 102 but even the 97 and 98 we had most of the time we were there was pretty awful. I've been hearing from our Chautauqua neighbors about the lovely 60's weather in WNY and can't wait to get there (should be Saturday evening). We'll be in North Carolina and the Virginia on the way there and looks like temps will be in the 80's instead of 90's so that's better. I have to laugh because I lobbied for visiting sis in spring (now) on the way to Chautauqua instead of in the fall on the way home because I hate the September temps in FL so much. Jokes on me I guess.

We arrived in North Carolina yesterday afternoon and are enjoying the high-70's temperatures. Right now I'm sitting in the shade on our friends' screened porch trying to forget the hell that was Florida. We head to Virginia either tomorrow afternoon or Thursday morning and are expecting rain there. Good thing our plans mainly involve museums.

White Banners by Lloyd C. Douglas ****

I've enjoyed reading these books that I inherited from my father in 1971 much more than I expected. He had several matched sets of books that had "always" been in the house and which I closely associated with his so I kept them after he died but really didn't consider reading until just a few years ago. I'm so glad I am.

White Banners is the story of a woman who gives up her child because she wants him to have a chance at a "better" life than hers. She is traditional and believes is the class structure and doesn't want him to be a servant like she is. Behind this plot is also the woman's firm belief that "doing the right thing" anonymously, showing moral courage, not only makes the world better but also makes the person acting that way happier and brings good things to their life. The book was written in 1936 and, to a large extent, its age shows but I thoroughly enjoyed it anyway.

We spent yesterday with friends at Lake Lure, North Carolina and took a walk in a park at the lake before we left this morning. It was beautiful. We spent much of yesterday sitting on their screened porch enjoying the temperatures in the low-70's. I think I may be recovered from Florida now :) We moved on to Virginia today and will spend tomorrow doing some family history research to see if we can find out where my 6th great grandfather, who was one of the first settlers of the Shenandoah Valley, was born. Then Saturday we'll press on to Chautauqua. After 2 weeks on the read we are both really ready to be home.

>155 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, that does look much cooler than Florida :-) I hope your family history research goes well.

>156 susanj67: Hi Susan! We have had beautiful weather since we left Florida. Today's family research went so well we've decided to leave a day early and head "home" to Chautauqua. We're both a bit road-weary at the moment and very much look forward to being in our own environment and not spending all day in the car.

On the family research front. We went first to the historical society in the county where my ancestors were among the first settlers. They didn't have any records but she referred us to the Local History Room at a library in the next town down the valley and to the archivist who works there. What a gold mine!! He just kept pulling things out. Among them I found a reference to a book that sounded helpful and which was to be found in a library about 10 miles further south. We headed there and found three whole shelves of books solely about the branch of my family that I'm researching (the McKay's) -- check this out!!





It really was a bit overwhelming. We only had two hours there but there were good indexes in the books so I really think I have found about all there is to know here in Virginia.

WOW! What a great find!

Sounds really exciting, Reba.

Oh my, lucky you Reba. How wonderful.

How exciting, Reba.

>158 ronincats:, >159 charl08:, >160 brenzi:,>161 BLBera:

It was indeed exciting but we only had a couple of hours so we used the indexes to search only for a 6th great grandfather we were hoping to find more about. I didn't find where he was born but I did find out more about his early life and as a side benefit was able to take one more line to the 6th great grandparents too. Three of my 6th great couples were founding settlers of Shenandoah Valley. Also neat was that we spent the night in an inn builtin 1797 which was while my family was still in the area (5th greats by then).



By Friday we were both suffering badly from road weariness so we decided to head for Chautauqua and were here by early afternoon. We're now unpacked, the laundry is done, groceries have been acquired, WiFi is working and we feel like we're home :)

(Tomorrow I'm going to the hardware store for advice on hanging my new Roni Vase on this porch and I'll post another picture when that's done)

Aah, you knew what I showed up hoping for!

>163 ronincats: Tomorrow probably but maybe Tuesday. I can't wait either.

Where do you think it should go? A little to the left of the door? or more in the bare space over the little table? May on the other wall over the little table?

I would say to the left of the door.

Doc by Mary Doria Russell*****

A very readable, enjoyable historical fiction about Doc Holiday and others who were with him in Dodge City including the Earps and Bat Masterson. I'm pretty sure it was Susan ("Hi" Susan) who recommended this book highly and since she's been the source of many enjoyable books about the American west (which hasn't really ever been an interest of mine) I "had" to read it. Very glad I did :)

Hi Roni! I went to hardware store yesterday and bought a fancy screw to hang the vase with. It's going to be a two person job though and Hubby's been busy with other things so it still isn't up :( Maybe tomorrow.

>166 RebaRelishesReading: I've loved all of Mary Doria Russell's books including this one Reba. She has a new one coming out in August that I can't wait for.

Hi Bonnie!! Hope you're enjoying this lovely weather! i had never read anything by Ms. Russell but I guess I'd better look up some more of hers. Are they mostly historical fiction? set in west?

Hi Reba, I’m glad you are out of the Florida heat and into the upstate New York Cool! Can’t wait to see Roni’s vase on your inviting front porch.

You are in for a treat with Mary Doria Russell’s books ahead of you. She is a very versatile author. I loved A Thread of Grace about Italy during WWII and The Sparrow about space travel. As I said, very versatile. Her upcoming book is set in my beloved Upper Peninsula of Michigan (where we are headed next month) so, like Bonnie, I am super excited about its release later this summer.

*tap, tap, tap, tap, tap*

>170 Donna828: Hi Donna. Of those two I think I'll try A Thread of Grace. I looked for her at the bookstore yesterday and they didn't have anything so I'll have to wait though.

>171 ronincats: :)

>157 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh, shelves of books about your ancestors. My mind boggles. What a find, Reba! But I do understand the road weariness. I hope you feel a bit more settled now.

>173 Familyhistorian: Pretty cool huh? I also found out there's a web site/group for descendants of my 6th great-grandfather McKay and they sometimes have reunions. I definitely plan to check the website from time to time. Also, to anyone who may be in the Blue Mountains and come across Chester Gap, that was named for another 6th great-grandfather, Thomas Chester, who operated a ferry across the Shenandoah River near there. Cool huh?

My Roni Vase is up and loaded with flowers :)

Here's the wider view

Wow! Looks beautiful. What a nice reading spot.

>176 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. It was wonderful out there this morning. Yesterday was cold and rainy and before that it had been a bit humid and warmer than I like so when today turned out to be cool, crisp and sunny I was delighted.

Oh, that's lovely, Reba! The vase, the flowers, , the porch, the reader!

>178 katiekrug: Thank you Katie (and being right on three out of four isn't bad)

>175 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, that DOES look nice!! And it does look like the size works quite well for your glads.

Gorgeous vase and gorgeous glads Reba. And it looks like you're enjoying your gorgeous reading spot.

>180 ronincats: So glad you like it! I'm really pleased. Glads are one of the signature flowers for Chautauqua and our favorite supermarket sells them all summer (imported from CA lol) for somewhere between $5 and $8 for 10 stems so I get a bunch every week and split them between the porch and the dining room table.

>181 brenzi: Thanks Bonnie. Yes I did enjoy it. Wasn't the weather glorious today? Hope you got to enjoy some of it too.

Invitation to Live by Lloyd C. Douglas***1/2

Douglas was a well known author of his time and had some of his books made into movies (Disputed Passage, The Robe, The Big Fisherman, Demetrius and the Gladiator, Magnificent Obsession, Green Light). I started reading his books because I have a set of six that were owned by my father and, even though they show their age a bit, I have enjoyed every one of them.
He was a retired Lutheran, the Congregational, minister when he started writing and there is a definite thread of moral questions in his books but I don't find them "preachy". They're just good stories of interesting people facing challenges in their lives.

The two main characters in Invitation to Live are young people of means who are struggling to find their true selves. The young man is being forced to be a banker by a well-meaning but controlling aunt and uncle even though he hates the work. The young woman is afraid people only like her for her money. They, and a few other minor characters, visit the wise minister of a cathedral in Chicago (who appears it at least one other Douglas book), who helps them find their way.

A pleasant, rather old-fashioned, read.

>175 RebaRelishesReading: Lovely reading spot as long as it's not buggy. We're suffering through a gnat infestation here. Very annoying.

>175 RebaRelishesReading: Lovely!

>184 BLBera: We had quite a few bugs about a week ago but haven't seen any recently. That porch faces south-west so I don't sit out there in the afternoon in summer but we have a bigger porch on the opposite side of the house which is very nice for summer afternoons.

>185 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. Didn't Roni do a wonderful job?

>155 RebaRelishesReading: Beautiful view!!

>175 RebaRelishesReading: Love that vase!

I'm so far behind Reba -- but I'm catching up. Glad you had a good road trip and saw the hill country of Texas in flower -- it is pretty! and now you are in Chatauqua! Mayhap this will be the year when I make it to see you there. I am hoping to get to Geneseo in late July-early August. So I will keep you informed!

BTW - None of your book covers except ones you've photographed and put into LT yourself. Nothing from Amazon direct shows up here anymore, who knows why. They have to be "member uploaded" or uploaded by you into LT first. Just another hoop to jump through.

Hi Reba!

Your Roni Vase filled with gladioli is perfect. Lovely picture with it, them, and you.

>187 ChelleBearss: Thank you Chelle :)

>188 sibylline: It would be wonderful to have you visit us here! We will definitely be here in late July/early August. Bummer about the book covers. I've noticed a lot of people's covers don't show up for me but didn't know why. I haven't photographed any myself though so if some are showing up there is something else I'm accidentally doing right.

>189 karenmarie: Thank you Karen :)

The Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan**** (Audio)

This is the second of three in the Mure Island series. Flora has decided to stay on Mure and operate a cafe/bakery. As a young girl she had always dreamed of living in a city but after years in London she was called home when her mother died and found she loved the village on the remote Scottish island. She has a sort-of relationship with her ex-boss who is also planning to leave his job at the law firm where they worked. This being a romance novel there are challenges on many fronts some of which are resolved by the end of the story. It's an audio book, chosen to be good company on my walks and it was :)

>190 RebaRelishesReading: -- You don't have to photograph the cover. Simplest is to look for your book cover in the member-uploaded ones and exchange the automatically loaded one (when you enter your new book) for one of those. It is an extra step which is annoying but simple even so. If there is no cover like yours you can just copy the http stuff and then "grab" it and it will automatically make your book cover an LT uploaded cover and bob's yer uncle. That involves two steps. I don't know what they changed or why, but that's the latest wrinkle, apparently. Maybe a safety/security issue????

So does my cover in >191 RebaRelishesReading: show? I uploaded it from the Audible site.

Epitaph by MaryDoria Russell has arrived! For the past two days I've been trying to read Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (which was a Book Passage First Editions Club offering in 2013) but having a hard time getting into it so I think I'll just put it back on the pile and start Epitaph later today.

>193 RebaRelishesReading: Shows to me! Love the porch pictures up above!

>195 ronincats: Thanks for letting me know, Roni. Glad you like the porch. My Roni Vase is definitely the highlight of it!

I can see all your covers Reba🤷‍♀️ I'm using my iPad. Somehow I think that makes some kind of difference.

>175 RebaRelishesReading: That looks like the ideal reading spot and the vase enhances it so well (the reader doesn't hurt either.)

>197 brenzi: Good to know, Bonnie. Isn't it interesting what can matter in cyber world?

>198 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. I'll read there less and less and summer arrives because that side faces west and it gets to hot for afternoons which is when I mostly read. However, that's our front door and it will still make for a nice welcome for guests (and for us too actually) :)

Hi Reba! Your travels to Chautauqua sounded like quite a road trip. No wonder you were pleased to arrive :-)

>175 RebaRelishesReading: What lovely photos! Roni's vase is beautiful, and it's in the perfect place.

>166 RebaRelishesReading: If you mean me up there, then it wasn't, but that is a book I've heard good things about.

>200 susanj67: Hi Susan

I did mean you and it's a good thing I thought you had recommended it because otherwise I might not have picked it up. I usually don't read things about the American west but some of the books about women homesteaders/pioneers/etc. that you put me on to a few years ago were really good so when I thought you were liking this one I got it. It really was excellent and now I'm reading Epitaph by the same author and it's really good too. Since you weren't the source, let me recommend them to you. I think you would enjoy them.

"Season" is starting this weekend and I can already feel the difference in the energy on the grounds and see the impact on my schedule. I sat down this morning and circled all of the things I want to do the week and it's quite a list. I fear it will impact the time I have available for reading so I'm trying to make as much progress and I can in Epitaph (maybe even finish it tomorrow). I don't know why I was unfamiliar with Mary Doria Russell until someone praised Doc but I'm certainly a fan now!

Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell*****

This sequel to Doc tells the story of the events leading up to the gunfight at "The O.K. Corral" and the main characters lives afterwards. It's an interesting story which is well told. I particularly like that Ms. Russell has included the stories of the women who partnered the Earp's and Doc Holliday. I highly recommend both this book and Doc. Thank you Bonnie and others for your recommendations.

Yay Reba. I knew you'd love this follow up to Doc: A Novel. Where would we be without our LT recommendations?

>204 brenzi: Definitely so, Bonnie!

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler*****

Edana is a young African American woman living in Los Angeles in 1976 and trying to become a writer. She meets Kevin, several years older than she, white with a successful novel published. They fall in love, marry and all seems well until Edana suddenly finds herself on a plantation in Maryland in 1813. She looks different, she dresses differently, she speaks differently and she certainly has different ideas but she must find a way to survive as a slave until she can figure out a way to get back home.

This book was published in 1979 but selected as a Chautauqua Literary Society book for this season. It is thought-provoking and just plain a good read. Recommended.