Ellen seeks balance in 2019 - Thread 4

Photograph by NITIN VAYAS, 2017 National Geographic

Greetings all! I'm Ellen, a university administrator living in Washington state with my partner Prudence (aka P) and my beloved elderly cat, Abby. I've spent the last 25 years or so in the Pacific Northwest (U.S.). I'm a handful of years away from retirement and looking forward to it more than I had expected. I love wine, milk chocolate, and ginger snaps. And popcorn. And salad (really!).

I'm a runner and walker (around town or in the woods), collector of bookmarks, and lover of books. 2019 will be my 9th year as a member of the 75ers (this month is my 8th Thingaversary!) and it is my most beloved on-line community. I try to read widely but my go-to genres are literary fiction and mysteries. LT has expanded my reading horizons more than I could ever have imagined. And, as Jim says in his description of this group, "...we care less about the numbers than we do about the exchange of book info and the community of readers." Yes.

I'm participating in a few challenges this year:
BingoDOG
RandomCAT
SeriesCAT
I''ll dip into the American Authors Challenge now and then as well as the Nonfiction Challenge.

I'm also participating in Kim's group read of These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore over the first four months of the year.

I love nothing so much as a LibraryThing meet-up and I hope to manage at least a couple of them in 2019.

Not my cat but I do love this photo. It illustrates three of my favorite things.

My Rating Scale:

= Breathtaking. Maybe a masterpiece.
= Excellent! Among my favorites of the year.
= A great read; truly enjoyable.
= So good. I'm glad I read this.
= A solid read. Generally recommended.
= This was an okay read.
= Meh. Pretty much a waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

Honestly, I'm rarely going to complete any book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. Death in a Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw
2. Blessed are Those Who Thirst by Anne Holt
3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
4. Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim
5. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
6. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
7. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
8. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
9. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens
10. Hotel Brasil by Frei Betto

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

11. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
12. Last Friends by Jane Gardam
13. The Proof of the Honey by Salwa Al Neimi
14. The Marauders: A Novel by Tom Cooper
15. True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
16. Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey
17. The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

COMPLETED IN MARCH

18. Becoming by Michelle Obama
19. Faithful Place by Tana French
20. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
21. How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs

COMPLETED IN APRIL

22. The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
23. Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom
24. The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
25. Berlin Noir Ed. by Thomas Wörtche
26. West by Carys Davies
27. Auschwitz Violin by Maria Angels Anglada
28. The Wife by Meg Wolitzer
29. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

COMPLETED IN MAY

30. Benediction by Kent Haruf
31. Dancing Fish and Ammonites by Penelope Lively
32. The Merchant's House by Kate Ellis
33. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

1. Author uses middle name or middle initial ~ Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom
2. Debut novel ~ The Marauders by Tom Cooper
3. Book about/featuring siblings ~ True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
4. Read a book bullet (meaning another LT member inspired you to read it) - House of Broken Angels (Joe)
5. Book mentioned in another book you have read ~
..... The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (in How to Love a Jamaican)
..... The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (in The House of Broken Angels)
..... A Whole bunch of books mentioned in The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
..... Another whole bunch mentioned in Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim
..... Mansfield Park or Dubliners, both mentioned in The Wife by Meg Wolitzer
6. Topic or character related to medicine/health ~ The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
7. Animal on cover/in title/plays a significant role ~ The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
8. Book with an artistic character ~ Auschwitz Violin by Maria Angels Anglada ~ violin maker and musician(s)
9. Eastern European author or setting ~ The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
10. Children’s/YA book ~ The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
11. Alliterative title
12. Part of a series ~ Death in a Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw
13. Read a CAT ~ The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (January RandomCAT)
14. Prize-winning book ~ The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens ~ 1970 Booker Prize winner
15. Weather (title contains a weather word, or book involves/centers around a weather event) ~ Stormy Weather by Paulette Jiles
16. Short stories or essays ~ Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim
17. Book made into a movie ~ Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
18. Fairy tale (classic or reworked)
19. Graphic novel
20. Main title has 6 or more words ~ A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
21. Cover has at least two human figures ~ Last Friends by Jane Gardam
22. Book in translation ~ Blessed are Those Who Thirst by Anne Holt
23. Food-related title or topic ~ The Proof of the Honey by Salwa Al Neimi
24. Book has an LT rating of 4.0 or more ~ Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
25. Title contains a homophone word ~ Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

RandomCAT

January: Your name in print ~ The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
February: We need a break! ~ Hotel Brasil by Frei Betto
March: Brexit Madness ~ Faithful Place by Tana French
April: Greetings from the Rooster! ~ The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
May = I Could Have Danced All Night... ~ Dancing Fish and Ammonites by Penelope Lively
June =
July =
August =
September =
October =
November =
December =

SeriesCAT ~ Hoping to whittle away on my TBR shelves

January: Series in translation ~ Blessed Are Those Who Thirst by Anne Holt, Anne Bruce (Translator)
February: YA/Children's ~ The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
March: Series by a favorite author ~ Faithful Place by Tana French
April: Series You've Been Meaning to Get Back To ~ Dark Fire 2nd in series by C. J. Sansom
May: Newest book in a favorite series ~ Benediction by Kent Haruf
June: Series that are definitely complete
July: Genre: fantasy
August: Series set in a country/region where you do not live (hosted by me!)
September: Genre: Mystery
October: Historical Series
November: Series with a female protagonist
December: Series that's new to you

Ellen's top (5-star) reads of 2018:

The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón
Florida by Lauren Groff
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass
The Overstory by Richard Powers

My 4.5-star (Honorable Mention) reads:

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
Happiness by Aminatta Forna
Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
Halsey Street by Naima Coster
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky: Stories by Lesley Nneka Arimah
Winter: A Novel by Ali Smith

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist ... and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman

Plans for 2019

January - April
These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore with Kim and others.

February
Last Friends with Karen (karenmarie), Bill, and others

March
The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker with Kim, Megan
The Sympathizer with Kim and Beth

June
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee with Beth and Kim

July
Frankenstein in Baghdad with Beth and Darryl

Year-long
RandomCAT
SeriesCAT
BingoDOG

Palouse in Spring

Barn on the Palouse painting by Leonard Heid

Currently reading:

Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom

and

These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore

I'm first!

LOL! I hope I did not arrive too soon. Barn on the Palouse is gorgeous, Ellen, as are all the rest of the images. I hope life is settling down a little.

>2 EBT1002: I love the cat too!

Happy New Thread, Ellen! And love the images. Glad the job(s) is (are) settling down a bit.

Palouse is beautiful!!! Happy new thread. Hope the job stuff settles a little and you can have more reading/LT time. : )

>2 EBT1002: the third being sitting in the sun?
Happy new thread :)

Happy new thread, Ellen! Love >12 EBT1002:, >13 EBT1002: !! So peaceful and calm.

Happy Saturday, Ellen. Happy New Thread. We sure miss seeing you around, my friend. I hope things slow down for you a bit.

Hey Ellen! Just paying your shiny new thread a courtesy call. Glad to see (from your previous thread) that all is well in your world, and I'm excited you have a Seattle visit coming up soon. I like the idea of stocking up on some art supplies and getting creative.

Happy new thread!

Hope you have a relaxing weekend :)

Checking in! Love the pictures of the rolling hills.

Happy new thread, Ellen.

You are making progress on your "unplanned" reading this year. ;)

>12 EBT1002:, >13 EBT1002: LOVE the art!

I hope you have a relaxing weekend filled with bb.

Happy New Thread, Ellen. I love all the photos, and the Palouse painting. The hammock-enjoying, book-reading cat may be my favorite.

Is there a Group Read thread for These Truths? If so, where would I find it? I’m not reading the book, but I bet it’s a good discussion.

>28 jnwelch: Is there a Group Read thread for These Truths?
I hope Ellen doesn't mind me butting in.

Yes Joe, in fact there are four threads, one for each of major section of the book. We read one part per month, beginning in January, but the nice thing about LT Group Read threads is they never expire!
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

Happy new thread Ellen my dear, hope you are having a good start to your weekend and send love and hugs dear friend.

I might have to cheer for Notre Dame tomorrow. https://www.npr.org/2019/04/06/710539614/we-don-t-have-enough-women-in-power-not...

I watched the YouTube video you posted. Did you look at the comments? They were vile.

Happy new thread. Very fun to be watching the women's basketball! Our daughter used to play at Gonzaga and it was always so great to watch those games.

Wishing you both a happy new thread and a wonderful Sunday dear Ellen.

Happy new thread and happy Sunday.

Happy new thread, Ellen! Hope your weekend is a relaxing one.

Happy new thread, Ellen. Great Palouse pictures but what about the photos for vacation inspiration?

I know you’re probably sad about the Championship game going Baylor’s way. It was an exciting finish!

Have fun jockeying between your two offices. Do you have different hats to wear so you know which job you are doing? Have even more fun in Seattle and your upcoming tropical vacation.

I am in the final stretch of The Sympathizer. I think I liked it more than you did. Our book group will be analyzing it Tuesday night. It should be a very good discussion.

Happy newthread!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

I'm glad you're still here, Ellen, even if I'm not a visitor as much as I'd like to be. Good wishes for job and reading satisfaction!

happy new thread!

I may join you for the discussion of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. My real life book discussion group is reading it. I am not sure of the date, but will check and maybe join you guys for the read.

Finally read through your previous thread - I'm so sorry to hear about Abby's diagnosis but good to hear that treating some of the symptoms is helping. (((hugs for all)))

I don't like hearing that work continues to be so stressful for you but I'm glad to read that taking care of yourself remains high on your priority list.

Yay for that next vacation on the calendar. We try to always have the next one scheduled.

I finished up The Red Collar over the weekend. Thanks for the recommendation. I loved it.

Happy new thread and best wishes for some time for rest.

Hi everyone! I have finished a couple more books:

23. Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom

A solid, engaging mystery set in 16th century London

24. The Friend by Sigrid Nunez


This is a wonderful novel with a nuanced first-person narrator who is processing the death of a dear friend while taking care of his aging Great Dane. Themes of grief, animal-human bond, literature and writing, solitude and community.... Just lovely.

It's Mom's Weekend on campus so a bit busy but tomorrow I fly to Seattle! I'm there for two nights and I will be meeting with some folks on the UW campus, trying to learn more about running a student health service. I will also be meeting up with friends and seeing my shrink (yay!). I will visit the U Bookstore for old times' sake and expect to purchase one or two (ha) items. I will take my iPad and hopefully do some catching up on LT in my hotel room.

>45 EBT1002: good to see you about Ellen. I'll have to revisit The Friend, I read a few pages last year, but wasn't grabbed, so set it aside. A mood issue I suspect.

Yay for your trip to Seattle, to be followed by that amazing vacation.

OK, am jealous. I wish we could figure out a moment to say hi, person to person. But you're busy, I"m busy. Life goes on.

Have a great time!

>45 EBT1002: I KNEW you would love The Friend! I'm glad you've been able to get some good reading done. Enjoy your time in Seattle.

If you're in a bookstore, you should look for Richard Blanco's new collection How to Love a Country - it is wonderful. And it's one you'll want to own, to return to again and again.

I'm glad to see your thoughts on The Friend. My book group *almost* chose it, and it piqued my interest.

Hurray for the Seattle trip for oh so many reasons!! One of these days we'll get together again, too. Have fun. : )

Good to see you check-in, Ellen!

Sigrid Nunez was a featured speaker at the local literary festival I went to last month, and she was delightful. I have a copy of The Friend and am looking forward to reading it soonish.

Have a fun (and productive) time in Seattle!

Hooray that The Overstory won the Pulitzer!

Why does sh*t keep happening???? We found out yesterday that my BIL (the one in Palau) has aggressive malignant tumor in the back of his throat. He is undergoing major surgery in Taipei -- they are taking out his larynx and everything else along with it. He has already survived tongue cancer and he also has early stage prostate cancer. Sigh.

Anyway, this means our trip will be changed. We were traveling through Taipei anyway so we'll likely just stop there, spend a week or so seeing him and supporting his wife, and then come home. I still plan to take the vacation days. P and I might hop in the car and just go wherever. Yellowstone or Nelson, BC, or Boise or ...

My trip to Seattle was wonderful. I did some good interviews with colleagues there, spent time with friends, purchased three books and a new rain jacket.... It was great!
The books I purchased are:

West by Carys Davies (which I already read and gave 4.5 stars)
How to Love a Country by Richard Blanco (thanks Beth)
Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday

Many thanks for the new-thread wishes from one and all!

My thread is hardly new any longer but I appreciate folks checking in now and then.

>21 LovingLit: Yes, Megan - cats, books, and sunshine. :-)

>24 lauralkeet: I had fun buying more art supplies, Laura. I didn't get to the really big art supplies store on Capitol Hill, but the U Bookstore has quite a good selection so I found some things to bring home with me. :-)

>27 BLBera: That image in >13 EBT1002: is a favorite, Beth. I would love to be able to create images like that with paint or pastels. Instead I just get to enjoy seeing them when I can. :-)

>28 jnwelch: and >29 lauralkeet: I'm glad you asked, Joe, and glad you "butted in," Laura. I have fallen desperately behind on reading These Truths but I will get back to it one of these days and then I will peruse some of the conversation in the group read threads.

>31 BLBera: I did not look at the comments, Beth, but I did watch the video and I cheered for Notre Dame because of Muffet McGraw's brave words. I like Kim Mulkey, as well, and I was glad two women coaches got their teams to the final. Notre Dame almost came back and nabbed the title!

>32 mdoris: I'm such a fan of women's basketball, Mary. My favorite sports to watch are football, women's basketball, softball, and tennis.

>36 Familyhistorian: Good point, Meg. I don't know why I didn't post more photos of Palau. Of course, now it looks like we won't be going there.... Instead, I think we'll be spending a week or so here:

>37 Donna828: Hi Donna. I like the idea of getting two hats to wear at my respective offices! I'm not doing what I came here to do but I am finding that I may be needed in this role more than I had realized, so....

I hope your group discussion of The Sympathizer was interesting. I did like it but I didn't love it.

>40 LizzieD: I'm not as much of a visitor as I'd like to be either, Peggy. I miss having the kind of free time I used to have to keep up with LT. Last night I was thinking about people (who ARE they??) who can't think what to do with retirement. I have a list!! Read, write, draw, exercise, travel (to the degree that we can), keep up on LT....!!!!!

>42 benitastrnad: It would be great to have you along for the ride with Pachinko, Benita. I assume we are still on for June.

>43 SuziQoregon: Juli, I am so glad you loved The Red Collar. It is a little book that has stayed in my memory quite well. Yay!

Thanks for the kind words. Abby has taken a turn for the worse in the past couple of weeks, we figure we're in the final days now. She is not in pain, but I do think she just doesn't feel well and she is starting to cry at night again in ways that indicate some discomfort. We will miss her little bean self SO much!!!!!!

And I will be in Portland July 1-3. Just sayin'. ;-)

>47 Caroline_McElwee: I think The Friend could definitely be mood-dependent, Caroline, especially at the outset. Once it settles in, it's pretty spectacular.

>48 maggie1944: Karen, I thought about trying to connect but was pretty sure my schedule wouldn't allow it. AND I will be back to Seattle again. And again. I have allowed myself to continue to claim it as "my city" and I love visiting there so very much. We'll connect one of these times.

>49 BLBera: Thanks Beth. It does feel good to be getting back into reading a bit more again. My concentration was so lousy in March; so far, April is better. And The Friend was right up my alley. :-)

>50 BLBera: Done. I haven't read the poems yet, but I have it on my bedside table. :-)

>51 lauralkeet: I think you would like The Friend, Laura. I'll be interested in your reaction if you do read it, book group choices notwithstanding.

>52 Berly: Hey Kim. I noted above that I will be in Portland July 1-3. I know that is heavy family time but I hope we can at least grab a bit to eat while I'm there.

>53 katiekrug: I would love to hear Sigrid Nunez talk, Katie. I bet she has a delightful sense of irony and humor. I will be interested in how you like The Friend when you get to it.

>54 streamsong: I was pleased by The Overstory's Pulitzer, too, Janet. It is another book that has stayed with me....

I started The Auschwitz Violin this morning. Thank you, Beth, for sending it to me!

Overstory won the Pulitzer? I guess I lost track of the winners. I really liked Overstory, but wish I'd read instead of listened.

I'm sure Taipei will be a lovely trip. I know someone who lives there and loves it, and another man who loved his visits there (he lives in Hanoi). Lots to see and do in the city.

But it ain't Palau!

I hope Abby has an easeful journey home.

*smooch* and a respectful handshake for P.

So sorry to hear about your BIL, Ellen. Take care.

>55 EBT1002: Sorry to hear your BILs news Ellen. I hope you can still cobble together some respite, while giving your family some support. Some people do seem to have more than their fair share of s**t happen.

Glad your Seattle trip was both productive and fun though.

I'm so sorry about your BIL. That's just awful.

Sorry to hear Abby has taken a turn. Glad she's not in pain but it's still tough for you. ((hugs)) for all of you.

I will be in town July 1-3 so we'll definitely have to figure out a meetup.

Nice to hear from you, Ellen, but so sorry to hear about your BIL. As Caro said, I hope you're able to get some much-needed R&R despite the change in itinerary.

Ellen: I'm so sorry to hear about your BIL and your beloved Abby. My daughter's dog Lola has been having some health issues as well, so keep your fingers crossed for her. She's part of Scout's family, as she always tells me, and if poor Lola dies or has to be euthanized, it will be devastating.

You sound crazy busy.

Portland July 1-3? Hmmm. I wonder what airfares would be?

Adding my sympathy re your BIL and sweet Abby. That's a lot to wrap your head around, all at once. Deep breaths...and {{hugs}}

Everything I have heard about Taipei is that it is a lovely city and the island has lots to offer tourists besides the city. There is a wonderful National Park there with some great hiking. Maybe you can get out of the city for a day and get some walking done.

My book club will be reading Pachinko for May 15th meeting. I started reading it last night.

I also picked up Red Collar from Inter-library Loan on Wednesday night. This was the result of a Book Bullett I took from you a few months back. I haven’t started it yet, but will do so before the end of May when it is due back.

Ellen--So sorry to hear about both your BIL and Abby. : ( Big hugs.

I am thrilled that you will be in town soon! Of course I will find time to hang out with you. Plans TBD. : )

It (life, etc.) can be so damned hard on some days, in some times. One thing I had to adjust to here at Silver Glen: I grow to know and love some lovely new friends, and then .... they go.

We had a nice good bye party yesterday for one who lives in our hall, has loved our dogs, is a dependable cheery person but now is deep and deeper into dementia, and is moving out on Monday. Good byes to our pets, good byes to our friends, and life just is.....

hugs to you and your family.

I'm so sorry about your BIL's recurrence (I assume it is related to his earlier cancer, being so close in location)...that is such a cruel one, as the treatment robs a person of normal communication at a time when that is so important. Gentle strokes to your dear Abby.

>64 The_Hibernator: I don't listen to as many books as some folks, Rachel, but I could see that The Overstory would not work as well in audio format.

>65 richardderus: Thanks Richard. I'm actually making the mental adjustment to Taipei for our little "vacation" although we learned yesterday that we will need a visa since we'll not be immediately boarding another plane bound for Palau. Yikes. We have almost 3 weeks to sort that out but we do need to get on it if we're doing this!

>66 katiekrug: Thanks Katie.

>67 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. This BIL is definitely one of those who has had more than his share! Still waiting to hear how the surgery went (*taps foot oh so patiently*) before finalizing our plans.

>68 SuziQoregon: Thanks for the kind words and virtual hugs, Juli. And I look forward to some kind of meet-up in July!

>69 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I do think we will manage some down time. We're figuring the week after the Taipei trip will be total vacation mode, even if we don't yet know where we'll go for that part of the month. Also, I fly to Denver May 28 for a conference so I'll also have a few days away from home. Of course, I have a trip to the Tattered Cover planned. :-)

>70 BLBera: Hi Beth. I will keep sweet Lola in my thoughts. It will be hard for Scout -- those early-life losses are hard to process.

I would love it if you would make your way to Portland for a meet-up in July!

>71 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. It does feel like it has been a lot to wrap our heads around. I'm getting all kinds of support at work and of course P and I are in it together. Still, it has been a tough emotional week.

>72 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. We'll look into that national park! We'll be there primarily to see Joel and support his wife Laura but we will also need some exploration time and, of course, walking/hiking is one of the best things for my soul.

How are you liking Pachinko so far? I want to read it (it has been on my Kindle for quite a while now) but I feel rather uninspired at present. And I hope you like The Red Collar!

>65 richardderus: and >76 EBT1002: Hmm, now it seems that we do NOT need a visa to visit Taiwan, as long as it's less than 90 days. Go figure.

Ellen, I was surprised by your comment about needing a visa for Taiwan. According to the State Department, tourists and short-term visitors (less than 90 days) don't require one. Your passport just needs to be valid for the entire length of stay, and you have to have a round-trip or onward ticket.

So maybe one less thing you need to deal with...

ETA: Cross-posted with you >79 EBT1002:!

>80 katiekrug: LOL!!!

I took the opinion of a co-worker as gospel but checking the internet I found the same thing as you!

>73 Berly: Thanks Kim. I am already looking forward to Portland in early July. I definitely want to find time to hang out together!

>74 maggie1944: Thanks Karen. Yes, life is.... Of course, I would never trade the connections I have, to humans or animals, in order to avoid the pain of loss. But sometimes it feels so damn heavy. I am savoring the time I have with Abby for now.

>75 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda. Yes, this surgery will be hard on Joel. He is a warm and compassionate and funny soul; making it harder for him to communicate will be a challenge. Thank you for the kind words regarding Abby, as well.

I finished reading Auschwitz Violin by Maria Angels Anglada this morning. What a sweet, poignant novella. It is a tribute to the power of music and connection -- and the resilience of the human soul when empowered by the ability to create. Four stars.

Thinking of you Ellen while you are sorting through your plans and dealing with such an emotional week. Not easy.

Ellen, I am so sorry to read about your BIL, and having to change your holiday plans. Glad that you and P will still plan a getaway at some point - you certainly live in an area that gives you some great destinations in just about any direction!

>84 mdoris: Thanks Mary. The up-side is that, for whatever reason, my reading concentration has returned. I've already read more books in April than I completed in March. *smile*

>85 DeltaQueen50: Hey Judy. Thanks for your kind words. Yes, we have lots of options for getaways to give us both a break from Real Life. :-)

I started reading Meg Wolitzer's The Wife this morning but I'm having a hard time focusing. Just wanting to spend time with Abby (the vet is coming at 1:30 today) --- and I made the mistake of checking my work email. Sigh. Honestly, my boss has been the least of my "problems" at work lately; rather, the very large department I inherited when the executive director left so suddenly is consuming my energy. It is perhaps the most dysfunctional organization I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. 😳

Tomorrow P and I are driving to Walla Walla to pick up our Mark Ryan wine club installation for spring. It will be so good to get out of town and have a one-day mini-adventure.

Oh, and UW Softball (ranked #3 in the country) is about to be on telly vs. Utah. Go Huskies!

Enjoy softball and your wine adventure, Ellen. Give Abby an extra hug for me.

Awww, sweet Abby. Thinking of you & P, Ellen.

>88 BLBera: and >89 lauralkeet: Thanks Beth and Laura.

We said good-bye to sweet Abby today. It was time. The vet came to our home (we love having a home-visit vet) and talked us through it, helped us make the decision without pushing us. She was kind and patient and warm and professional. We are very sad but both of us have said a few times in the past couple of hours that it was the right thing to do. We have tidied up the vestiges of having a cat -- we have been together for 24 years and have always had at least one cat!! -- and the house feels a bit empty. We went to the grocery store and bought a take-n-bake pizza and a pint of Häagen-Dazs chocolate chip ice cream (can you say comfort food?), and we are settled in for the evening. Sharing memories of that sweet cat who was part of our little family for 18 years.

This photo is from a few years ago: our house in Seattle and my hair is longer now, but Abby the Princess was at her prime:

Here she is again. This one is in Corvallis (I can tell by the wood floor we had in our house there) which means she was quite young.

RIP, Abby.

I am so sorry, Ellen. Abby was lucky to have such a wonderful family.

The pictures of Abby are gorgeous and thanks for sharing. Tough day for you and P. Comfort food sounds perfect! 18 years together is a long time.

Safe journey home, Abby. Your spirit can rest now.

What a beautiful cat - you are so lucky to have shared all that time together!

>90 EBT1002: I'm sorry. It's so hard to say goodbye to our fur babies.

{{{Ellen and P and Abby}}}

My time with my 2 is getting closer and I am not looking forward to it. I wish I had a home-visit vet.

Sorry, to hear about Abby, Ellen. How sad. Always tough putting down a pet. Hugs to you both.

>92 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I know she is in a more peaceful and less pain-filled place now.

>93 BLBera: Thanks Beth. We do believe she was lucky, as were we. We gave her a good long life and she brought so much joy and affection to our day-to-day lives. ♥️

>94 mdoris: Thanks Mary. 18 years is a long time. At one point today we noted that, other than one another, our respective relationships with Abby were our longest. I remember walking into the party where a friend had two kittens she had rescued from under her apartment complex. There was Abby, the cutest little kitten asleep on P's chest. P looked at me and said "I want to name her Abby." End of story.

>95 richardderus: Exactly Richard. She was getting more and more uncomfortable; now she rests in peace.

>96 m.belljackson: Thanks Marianne. You are so right -- 18 years was a good long time to spend together. We were very lucky to have her in our lives for almost two decades!

>97 thornton37814: Yes, Lori. The saying goodbye is so hard. They do reach in and wrap strings of lights around our hearts. We will miss her presence every day.

>98 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. I do hope you can find a vet who does home visits. It made all the difference not to have to pack her into the car and take her somewhere else. After she was gone, Dr. Merry wrapped her in a soft blanket, put her in a sweet whicker (wicker?) basket, covered her with a fleece cover, and took her away to be cremated. It was about as tender as it can be. I hope you can find a vet as amazing as your two approach their old age and end of life.

>99 msf59: Thanks Mark. We are raw and hurting, but also really clear that we did the right thing.

>45 EBT1002: I'm currently listening to Dark Fire and like it so far.

>90 EBT1002: I'm so sorry for your loss. It's always hard to lose a pet after such a long time toghether. It has always been a tragedy for us when one of our cats died in Methuselean age. The last two were especially bad because our daughters spent their whole lives with them.

I wish you and P a peaceful Easter weekend, Roni.

I'm so sorry that you've said goodbye to Abby. That's such a difficult decision to make, and even though it's done out of love and tons of selflessness (because of course we want to keep them with us as long as we can), I know that it comes with second-guessing, too (even though you *know* it's the right thing!). So lots of hugs all round for you both and I'm thinking of you.

Adding my sympathies to you and P. I know how heartbreaking it is to lose a dear furry friend. I hope the comfort food and the memories were good Ellen.

hugs

>102 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. I hope you keep enjoying Dark Fire.

I think P and I have a slightly different take on Abby's death -- it is terribly, terribly sad and our house feels so empty without her. But she was so old that it's not a tragedy. When we lost Edgar, very suddenly and at only nine years old, that felt like a tragedy. But I do get what you're saying: after so long in our lives, their absence feels exquisitely tragic in some way, too.

I love the chicken! :-D

>103 scaifea: Hi Amber and thank you. It was definitely a difficult decision. We had always said we would not prolong her suffering to postpone our own grief. The vet said "better one day too early than one day too late." I don't think she was in agony but I do believe she was uncomfortable and just didn't feel well at all. Her eyes had gotten a kind of glassy glaze to them. Thanks for the hugs. The house seems terribly empty this morning.

>104 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks so much, Caroline.

>105 maggie1944: Hugs are perfect, Karen. Right back atcha. xo

I managed to get more involved with the narrative of The Wife by Meg Wolitzer last evening. It's my first by her although I have at least one more on the shelves. So far, this one is good!

Hugs to you and P. I know how hard that decision is when we need to make choices for our beloved four footed family.

I'm also sorry to hear about your BIL.

I'm glad ypu have a trip planned.

The Wife is is one of the rare.instances where I saw the movie before reading the book. And also very rare that I may have enjoyed the movie.a bit more. But maybe that was.only because I knew the ending.☺

>109 streamsong: I haven't read the book, but the movie was excellent.

I'm sorry for your loss, Ellen. Even when it's not a tragedy, it leaves a big 18-year hole in your heart. Hugs.

So sorry about Abby. it is hard to decide, but often a kindness. I agree with your vet about better one day too early...

Your poor BIL! Especially as you describe him as warm and communicative - how frustrating to lose your ability to speak. I know some people who have throat operations learn to talk using their stomachs (I know, it sounds weird), but as he has already lost some of his tongue, that might not be possible for him. I hope this surgery will forestall further trouble.

And thanks for stopping by, It was lovely to read your comments.

So sorry about Abby. (hugs)

And your brother-in-law's situation sounds so rough, glad that you are going to have a chance to visit and offer support.

And hooray for a Portland trip in July!

Hi Ellen!

I’m so sorry about Abby. Tidying up and comfort food are good ways to cope, but I know how much you already miss her.

Ellen: I love Wolitzer, and this might be one of my favorites. I also love this essay by her, which I know I've shared on LT before, but it's worth a reread. :) \
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/books/review/on-the-rules-of-literary-fiction...

I hope you have a great week.

Sending my sympathies too Ellen - some difficult times for you and I'm sorry. I completely concur with your choices of comfort food.

>115 BLBera: thanks for posting that Beth, very interesting. I have one of her novels in the tbr mountain, must nudge it up. I saw the film of The Wife which I hadn't realised at the time was based on her novel, and thought it very good.

I agree with the issue as she defines it. A couple of years ago, I asked some of my male friends and colleagues (I've commented about this elsewhere, auto correct always wants to give 'Male' a capital!!!) about their reading habits, and although I found a couple who read novels written by women, most admitted if they read novels, they were generally by men, although they did read crime novels by women. Others read mostly non-fiction. At least most of our male LT friends prefer greater variety.

>115 BLBera: Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

A difficult decision for you and P, Ellen, but you obviously are feeling better that Abby is now beyond pain and is sleeping in peace.

Rest In Peace, Abby. Sending hugs and love, Ellen.

So sorry you lost your Abby. I know that empty house feeling. It’s comforting to know you did the right thing for her in the end. That’s so sad about your BIL. My goodness, you and P are going through a painful time. Peace and Hugs to both of you.

More sympathies from me, genuinely felt if imperfectly expressed.

>108 EBT1002: I've not read anything by her, I don't think. One to add!

28. The Wife by Meg Wolitzer


Thank you, Beth, for sending this to me. It is a wonderful exploration of the role of wife, especially in the 1950s and 60s (and beyond), and the dynamics of loyalty, interdependency, and ambition. Really good.

Hi...since you're game for some relationship stories, maybe read my review of the late Rachel Ingalls's four Sixties-marriages short stories (plus a biblical one that, amazingly, made me care about the whole Easter thing): Something to Write Home About on the book page or in my thread.

Not feelin' The Wife just ATM....

>124 richardderus: I will look into that, Richard. I'm intrigued, especially by the story that made you care about the whole Easter thing...!

I started reading The Silence of the Girls last night. My turn came up for the e-copy from the Seattle Public Library (how I miss my Douglass-Truth branch of that outstanding institution!) so it was time. Four chapters in, I'm pretty captivated so far.

It's a retelling of the story of Achilles from the perspective of Briseis, the wife of King Mynes, who was kidnapped during the Trojan War and enslaved by Achillles. Honestly, my knowledge of mythology is desperately basic. I've read Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I studied mythology in middle school. I tend not to retain the names and details of the stories. Perhaps this one will enable some details to stick with me.

Also, perhaps it's not mythology but history? Or a combination thereof. See. I'm hopeless.

Not sure why touchstones are not activating.

Upon editing, the touchstones are working.

>126 EBT1002: I started reading The Silence of the Girls just as I submerged into illness and had to return it to the library unfinished. The first bit was lovely; I like Pat Barker in general.

>126 EBT1002: Mythology based on some modicum of history (Troy was besieged and destroyed at some point).

And honestly, no one should ever let a lack of background knowledge keep them from reading retellings of mythologies, because that's what all mythology is, anyway - endless retellings. Those who have heard me talk about myths before can sing along: "The day myth stops changing, it dies." So, while knowing the older versions will certainly add nuance, never feel guilty for not having that knowledge.

I have The Silence of the Girls on my list and I really need to get to it soonish.

>126 EBT1002: I echo Richard - I really like Pat Barker, especially her Regeneration trilogy, and I loved The Silence of the Girls. Glad you're enjoying it! Last year I read another kind of myth retelling - by a Bard College classics professor who taught an annual Odyssey seminar. One year his 84 year old father, with whom he had a complicated relationship, decided to join the class, taking the 90 minute train from NY every week. The memoir is about the myth, the class, the father, etc. and was really wonderful. It was called An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic by Daniel Mendelsohn.

>129 vivians: I've had that one on my shelves for yonks. Another one I need to get to...

>126 EBT1002: Loved this, and I'm not usually big on Greek myth. She does lovely stuff about the unseen, long term consequences of war and colonialism. Subtle.

A hectic few days here, and I'm just seeing the news about Abby. I recognize all the jumbled feelings, and I'm sorry for your loss. How are you two doing today? You'll see her disappearing around doorways for a while, or catch yourself wondering where she's got to... She was such a pretty lady, and a hugger apparently.

>129 vivians: This one sounds good.

Ellen - I also enjoyed The Silence of the Girls.

>123 EBT1002: I'm so glad you enjoyed The Wife. I do love Wolitzer.

RIP Lola. I just got a text from my daughter. They decided it was time to euthanize her. I imagine the family is pretty sad today.

I also that Silence of the Girls was great. Actually, I loved the way history and mythology were intertwined, and it reminded me of how religion and belief in the supernatural were so different in the past.

And another plug for Daniel Mendelsohn, I also loved An Odyssey. >129 vivians:.

>90 EBT1002: I am sorry to hear about your loved cat. What a wonderful difference having an understanding vet can make.

>126 EBT1002: my knowledge of mythology is desperately basic
Mine is heinously lacking! I read Neil Gaiman's American Gods and couldn't catch any of the significant references.

I’m so sorry to hear about your loss of Abby, Ellen. Such a pretty little girl. Eighteen years is a good, long kitty life, but of course, not long enough. Take care of yourself.

Sorry to hear about Abby, Ellen. It is always hard even though you know it is time. Such disheartening news about your BIL and hard to turn your holiday of rest and relaxation into a visit of support. I hope you are able to find time to recharge on your time off before you go back to your stressful job.

I am about half done with Red Collar and am liking it. I wonder where the author is going with this story? Intriguing.

I am also about 100 pages into Pachinko. I like this novel and the people in it, but so far it is very slow moving. I found that to be true of Free Food For Millionaires as well - which I read several years ago. I am not giving up on Pachinko, but it is clear it will take some reading to get into the story.

It is Finals week here at UA and tonight I do my mindfulness mind break. We will have free hot chocolate in the CMC (Curriculum Materials Center) and I will read a children's book aloud to whoever is in the room studying. This year I have chosen stars as the theme. I will be reciting the poem found in the Coretta Scott King Illsutrator award winning book Stuff of Stars and reading the children's biography of Car Sagan titled Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos. All this will take about 20 minutes, and then it is over. This mindfulness event is more involved than those I have done in the past, but The Hole Story of the Doughnut was checked out.

>138 benitastrnad: I gave up on Pachinko, partly because I wouldn't be able to attend the related discussion, partly because it just didn't sing to me. I'll be interested in your reaction after you finish it, if you do.

A mindfulness break sounds soothing, as does listening to you read out loud.

I finished The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker this evening. I'm giving it 4 stars; it's a great read. I am reminded of why I tended not to enjoy studying mythology in school: too many weird stories with characters I couldn't keep straight and mostly they were all killing one another or taking vengeance in one way or another. This novel was the flip side of that: it was a subtle look at the experiences of the "collateral" casualties of war -- usually the women and children -- and the dynamics of loyalty and love in a bellicose culture. I wanted the characters to develop more richly but I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and the alternative perspective.

Several folks here have mentioned Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy, which I also loved. She seems to be preoccupied with the fallout from war. Lucky for those of us who read her work!

I have no idea what is next in my reading lineup. :-)

Hi, Ellen. I hope you had a great weekend. you are reminding me, that I NEED to be read more Pat Barker. I have been putting her off for years.

Dipping into any poetry, at all?

>141 EBT1002: ...the suspense, the suspense...

Whatever it turns out to be, I hope it's five-star worthy.

I sure wish I could stick a "I LIKE" button on some of the messages here. Like the one above.....

Karen

>143 richardderus: *snerk*

Belated condolences about Abby. Sometimes doing the right thing is just damned sad. ((hugs))

So sorry to hear about Abby. I'm just catching up after a couple of weeks absence so I'm a little behind.

>138 benitastrnad:
I am taking it slow with Pachinko. It is a slow gentle story with seething undercurrents of fear and anger. I am on page 140 and it is getting better and better as I go along into the story and get attuned to the way the author is writing and moving the novel into Japenese history in WWII years.

Oh, Ellen. I am so sorry to hear about dear Abby. Sending you and P hugs.

Did I miss something? Are we reading Pacinko now? I thought is was in June....

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend.

>150 Berly: I'm reading it in June - it's my book club selection.

Oh, hi Ellen!

>150 Berly: and >151 BLBera: I won't read Pachinko until June.

I finished my first May book -- Benediction by Kent Haruf.

Today was commencement at WSU so the summer season begins. It was also a beautiful day on the Palouse -- sunny and about 70F for a high. We sat on our back deck with books and watched the birds: white-crested sparrows, goldfinches, nuthathches, robins, quail, house finches, chickadees, and one hummingbird -- our first of the season. I attended a graduation celebration on campus this evening and then spent some time with my drawing exercises and finishing Benediction. Drawing exercises? -- you may ask. I'm working my way through Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I have this impulse toward creativity.....

This Thursday evening (May 9) we fly to Seattle and then to Taipei. P's brother is still in ICU there, having had a second surgery since part of the first one wasn't taking correctly. He is very ill and it's important that we get to see him. We're also reading about Taiwan and planning some exploration. I expect to see Pandas and eat noodles and dumplings. :-)

More soon, my friends.

Safe travels, my friend. I hope you have some relaxing time off. Good luck to your BIL.

I'm glad you're making the trip to see P's brother, it does sound like an important visit. And yet I also hope your leisure time is fun. Have a nice trip, Ellen.

Safe travels, Ellen, healing vibes to your BIL and happy exploring, a fine way to balance the stress with de-stress.

Jealous of those temps. Though as of today, we are supposed to shed our winter temps and have warmer days. Today is the only sun icon on our extended forecast - it's been rain and clouds from last week to next week. I will take it! I plan to be outside as much as possible!

>154 EBT1002: Taiwan is fascinating. Travel safely, if somewhat sadly.

I hope you're deriving joy from the drawings on both left and right sides of your brain.

Best wished for P.'s brother and a full recovery. And for your travels, of course.

I am so sorry that things are not going well with P's brother. I'm glad you will be doing some exploring in your down time.

Have a safe trip!

You are travelling on my birthday Ellen. I hope you get some quality time with your BIL, and some rest generally.

Things go quickly when we don't visit often.
My sympathy to you and P for losing Abby. She was a beauty! We are close behind you, I'm afraid, with our oldest cat Elle. My DH is keeping her going with pain meds for the mouth cancer and a slurry of cat food and water (the only way she drinks water now). So far, she eats, sleeps, and does her best to entice passers-by into a game of bag or string mouse or both. As long as she eats, plays, and purrs, we are thrilled to have her.
My heart to your BIL and his wife. Your visit will be mighty welcome.
Safe travel, AND great reading in transit!

safe travels!

The one think I learned from my drawing lessons, which I enjoyed greatly, was that it is all about looking. We are so fast with out looks, and, I guess I should say I... I don't take in the details. It is helpful to look at the details when trying to draw something. Good luck, have fun!

Bon Voyage! My sympathies to P. and her family, and you, also.

Tuesday we are having our Annual meeting, and either re-electing me, or not. Exciting.

I have been absent from LT for a bit...sending my love and healing thoughts to you for the loss of your beloved Abby and your BIL's illness. Safe travels!

>59 EBT1002: I am in full agreement about retirement: so much I want to do without any deadlines or external pressures. I love my work but I am seeing the end of it and not as sad as I thought I would be.

>150 Berly:
We are reading it in June. However, my real life book discussion group decided to read it for our May selection, so I am ahead of you guys. But right now I have lots on my reading plate and don't think I will have this 500 page novel done by the time our group meets next week. I do want to say that I LOVE this novel. It starts out so slow, but stay with it. I am on page 250 and can't wait to get back to it at night before I go to bed. But it didn't start out that way.

>165 witchyrichy:
I have the same feelings about retirement. I love the job, but I am so looking forward to not being evaluated and dancing through the hoops of work. I am thinking about all the things I can do with my days and my retirement is 2 years away.

Safe travels, Ellen. I hope you have a good visit with your BIL AND you get to relax.

Ellen--Good luck to P's brother and safe travels.

>166 benitastrnad: Good to know! I will make sure to stick with it. : )

>154 EBT1002:. Sounds like a lovely day, Ellen. What a lot of bird guests you get!

Sorry to hear about P’s brother. I hope what they’re doing helps and he has a good recovery.

Your Taiwan trip is almost here. Exciting!

Hey everyone -- I have been running, running, working 12-13 hours a day to get as much done as possible before my trip. We leave TOMORROW!!! Yay!!! It finally hit this morning and now I am excited. P's brother is out of the ICU so that is good news. We are looking forward to seeing him, but also excited about the food, the night markets, the walking around a large city that will be so new to us.

In books: I have been reading (when I have a moment) Dancing Fish and Amonites by Penelope Lively. I LOVE it!!!! I was thinking I'd finish it on the plane and then leave it in the Seattle airport or our hotel in Taipei or wherever, but I need to keep this. I'm in the section on memory at present. It is exquisite.

Thanks for all the kind words and for keeping my thread warm. I'm taking my iPad with me so I do hope to create some down time to do a bit of visiting around here. You all are so much a part of my felt community; I miss interacting with you more regularly.

Have I mentioned that I get to retire in 40 months?

>170 EBT1002: 39-3/4 months now, surely?

My favorite quote from that book:

You aren’t going to get old, of course, when you are young. We won’t ever be old, partly because we can’t imagine what it is like to be old, but also because we don’t want to, and—crucially—are not particularly interested.

I found the quote, traced it to the source, and put the book on my TBR.

Where it languishes to this day. You remind me that I need to read it, and why. *smooch*

I like the idea that one does not "get old" because it is just not all that interesting a prospect. Yes, I will declare that is my experience: at 74, soon to be 75 (in November), I am just not all that old.

Wise? well, sometimes. Experienced? Yes, that is true. Interesting? depends on who's looking.

Safe travels to you, Ellen! Wishes for P's brother to be better than you both have hoped.....
Ah, Lively! A BB for sure. At a month older than Karen, I agree completely. I remember clearly that at 19 I expected to live forever without getting old. Really. It hasn't worked out that way.

Have a GREAT time, Ellen. You remind me that I have the Lively memoir on the shelf. Hmmm. Maybe it's time to pick it up. Safe travels.

Hope you are having a GRAND time!!

>171 richardderus: Richard. Yes, read Dancing Fish and Ammonites. It has its slower moments but it's a wonderful and wise meditation on aging. I gave it 4.5 enthusiastic stars. And she talks about books. And reading. I thought I would leave it here for my BIL to read but he is out of luck. This one goes back home with me to live on my shelves.

>172 maggie1944: Well, methinks Penelope Lively would both agree and disagree with you, Karen. She would say that, in truth, we do get old (if we are so lucky) but imagining the state from one of youthfulness is impossible. I also think you would enjoy Dancing Fish and Ammonites. As I told Richard ^ it is a charming meditation on aging, and it's a delight for those of us who love books and reading.

>173 LizzieD: Well, Peggy, I'm happy to hit you with this BB. Penelope Lively captured my heart with Dancing Fish and Ammonites. I highly recommend it. I, too, remember looking on old age as something that I knew in the abstract would happen but it was as incomprehensible as flying to the moon. I still feel like I'm about 37 on the inside, while my knees and right hip and the bathroom mirror beg to differ. In any case, I recommend this "memoir" enthusiastically! Hang in there through the first 50 pages or so; she gets going and it's forthwith pure delight.

>174 BLBera: Beth, see my comments above to Richard, Karen, and Peggy. I definitely recommend Dancing Fish and Ammonites!

>175 Berly: Thank you, Kim. I'm not sure "grand" is the word I would use but I will in my next post tell you all about our adventures.

I am less adventurous than many of my LT buddies and this adventure in Taipei is turning out to be a challenge. It's also turning out to be a great adventure and an exercise in self-understanding.

First, let me say that it is HOT. We arrived just as a late spring heat wave arrived and it has been hot, muggy, and miserable the whole time. Today at one point they said it was 90F but "felt like" 106F. I believe it. The air quality sucks and of course, as is true of all cities, the heat and humidity just hunker down over the pavement and, I don't know.... maybe boil is the word. Simmer. Oppress. It's f*cking hot. Later today a breeze did work its way into the city and for that we were grateful. And we are acclimating. One does. One also sweats and heads back to the room in early afternoon for a much-needed shower.

The food. I'm not an adventurous eater. I don't think I'm a picky eater but I don't want to eat organ meats, many creatures that come out of the sea, or chicken feet. Still, we have become braver and tried some of the wonderful food stands and little restaurants on the streets of the ShiLin district, where we are staying, and have had some wonderful dumplings, noodles, and baked goods. ShiLin is the district in which my BIL's hospital is located so it's where we are staying. It's not as touristy as some areas of the city (my nephew, who was here a couple of weeks ago visiting his father, described our neighborhood as "local" -- spot on) and the markets and shops indeed cater to the locals. I like this but it has made the adjustment take a bit longer than would likely have happened had we been staying in a more upscale or "sanitized" area. The markets are amazing. Day markets and night markets. Small alleways lined with stalls selling fish, meat, cooked goods, clothing, trinkets, shoes, vegetables and fruit (oh, and the fruit -- it is magnificent!), anything and everything. This is where the locals buy their stuff. There is a small grocery store in the neighborhood (we just found it today) but folks who live here still shop in the markets for most of their needs. There is also the famous ShiLin Night Market nearby. Picture Bourbon Street on a Saturday night but without the booze, urine, or trash. And with alleys so much narrower. Again with the food, most of it cooked and ready to eat (whereas the day market caters to shoppers who plan to go home and cook), clothing, shoes, trinkets (need a new cover for that iPhone? I can recommend a few places), jewelry.... The smells in both markets are almost overwhelming, the crush of humans, the heat and the energy. It's all both wonderful and overwhelming. I want to emphasize my comment about no trash. Taipei is a remarkably clean city (except the air). People pack out what they pack in. Or pack in what they pack out. In any case, there is no trash in the streets or sidewalks. None.

Scooters. As far as I can tell, about 70% of the population gets around by scooter. The rules of the road are nearly imcomrpehensible to me; it appears that scooters can go pretty much wherever they want, including sidewalks and the narrow alleys making up the day and night markets. There clearly are rules and the riders in the city know them, but it's pretty crazy. Apparently, they are also a major culprit in the air pollution. And everyone rides them: old folks, teenagers, middle-aged workers, moms with young children, dogs... Yes, dogs. Picture a scooter with a corgi surfing along between its owner's feet. Or picture a scooter with two adults and two children riding all together. I don't know at what age children usually move from in front of their parent to behind their parent on the seat, but I bet it's a rite of passage that gets comment.

Our room is delightful and clean and blessedly air conditioned. The cost of the room includes breakfast which is anything from scrambled eggs to a hot dog in a bun. We don't order from a menu; they bring us whatever the breakfast of the day happens to be. So far, the breakfast of the day has been pretty good if also a bit odd.

Hi Ellen - I sympathize about the heat. I don't do well in it. The neighborhood sounds amazing. I hope you're able to relax some.

A few tourist highlights: the LongShan temple. Most of Taiwan's population is Buddhist and this temple is particularly large and holy. My favorite part was a cat sleeping by one of the tables on which visitors place offerings (when we first came in, we passed a place selling snacks! - it turns out that the cookies, crackers, Hi-Chew candies are offerings to be placed around the temple as one prays). Anyway, the cat: she was just lying on the ground, curled up sleeping. Many people didn't even notice her (one thing to know about me: I notice cats). One woman saw me admiring her and did come up and pet her. The cat barely moved. I had to watch closely to be sure she was breathing (she was). It was so sweet. My thought: about the safest public place for a cat to sleep unmolested is in a Buddhist temple.

We also visited the Chiang Kia-Shek Memorial. It is HUGE and magnificent. Picture the Lincoln Memorial and then add a gigantic National Concert Hall and an equally gigantic National Performance Art Theater. And gardens.

Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 2004. Someone else built something taller after about five years. Still, this skyscraper stands so high above all that surrounds it.

The Official ShiLin Residence of Chiang Kia-Shek (and Madame). This is just a short walk from our hotel and we visited today. Lovely grounds and an impressive residence. We didn't tour inside but enjoyed wandering around. The eco-garden is a jungly pond with hundreds of beautiful butterflies flitting about.

The hot springs of Beitou. Just a metro ride away, this is an area on the edge of the city that has tried to reclaim itself from ruin and poor reputation. During the Vietnam war, it was a favorite R&R spot for soldiers. It was also subject to brutal sulfur mining in the early part of the 20th century. At other times it has been a playground for rich and famous, but it has also been subject to neglect. The town is trying to capitalize on the natural sulfur springs to cater to a different crowd. We didn't take swimsuits so we didn't sit in the hot sulfur pools but we did soak our hands in a raised "pool" designed for this purpose. Even as hot as it was, the sulfur soak was soothing and wonderful. And the burn on the back of P's hand (from a close encounter with the oven rack back home), which was healing so very slowly, is now almost completely healed!

Taiwan is a very lush island. I think it's technically sub-tropical at 22 degrees latitude. Whatever. It's lush and beautiful.

>179 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I'm a whimp when it comes to heat but we are adjusting and making the most of it. Thank goodness for the air conditioned hotel room!

I'm also managing to relax some. I've been reading some, letting myself sleep as much as my body wants, and trying to avoid thinking about work. I made the mistake of looking at my work email on my phone today -- BAD idea. I'm back on the wagon now.

I finished and loved Dancing Fish and Ammonites. I was reading The Great Believers on my kindle but wanted to read one of the paperbacks I brought with me so I could leave it for BIL. So I finished The Merchant's House by Kate Ellis today. It's a fun mystery read. Now I will return to The Great Believers. I also have The Curse of the Pogo Stick on my Kindle from the library and I just got an email that Circe is ready for me on kindle from the library. They all come in at once.

>178 EBT1002: far too hot for me Ellen. Glad you are just about surviving your adventure. I'd have problems with the food, for sure.

How is the BiL doing?

>182 Caroline_McElwee: "just about surviving" may be the right words, Caroline. Obviously, I'm trying to make the best of it and working to build in some rest and relaxation but it's taking more effort than I would have liked. Oh, did I mention that P and I reserved our favorite place on Kauai for TEN DAYS at Christmas?? That will be the relaxing vacation I need!!

BIL is making progress. Thank you for asking. He cannot talk, will never talk again, but is alert and communicates with a small white board and his usual facial expressions. He is walking around the ward with just a hand on his wife's shoulder for support and balance. And they're talking about releasing him in a week or two. He will still need to stay here in Taipei for ongoing treatment and such, but I'm pleasantly surprised by his progress.

Good to hear about your BiLs progress Ellen. That must have been a lift.

The Christmas break sounds ideal, and you will need it I think.

Great update, Ellen, and good to hear that you are pacing yourselves and taking in the sights and sounds and smells and tastes! I also hate the heat (especially when combined with humidity) but yes, thank goodness for A/C! Good to hear of your BIL's progress. Slow is not a bad thing if it's in the right direction.

I'm glad your BIL is doing reasonably well, Ellen. Your description of the markets in your neighborhood are wonderful. I confess, I love exploring places like that and feeling completely immersed in a different culture. I think it's good for one's perspective.

I'm also glad you are finding some time to relax.

>179 BLBera: I don't know at what age children usually move from in front of their parent to behind their parent on the seat, but I bet it's a rite of passage that gets comment.
I've asked someone I know who lives in Taipei about that. Will advise response.

>180 EBT1002: Even as hot as it was, the sulfur soak was soothing and wonderful.
Hot springs in general are gloriously relaxing, and sulfur is darn near a miracle when it comes to healing properties. It's one reason I eat one hard-boiled egg a day come hell or high water...or pneumonia, which kept me from shopping, so I did without them and was sicksicksick for a month and a half! Causal connection? Dunno...maybe so.

>183 EBT1002: Excellent news! Will they be able to return to Palau at some point, or is the cancer such that he'll need to be near a major city's hospitals for the foreseeable future?

Have a swelteringly good time, my dear Ellen, and may P's brother get all that he needs for future happiness.

>171 richardderus: Love love love that quote. I have stolen it and made it mine!

The heat sounds miserable, I'm sorry for the reason you are there, but glad you are getting some adventuring in. Thank you for the wonderful, vivid descriptions.

I'm sending good thoughts that your BIL continues to improve. There's no place like home!

And hooray for Kauai !

So glad to hear of P's brother's recovery. Sounds as good as wanted!

I'm impressed with your adventuresome self! And equally happy to read of your reservation of a spot on Kaui'i this December. We are there from late October to early November, getting home to Bellevue in time for my November 11 birthday. Two full weeks. It is a challenge to save up the money, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it!

I'm reading Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing by Robert A. Caro, my fav history writer of all time. Loved his The Power Broker about Robert Moses and New York, and then all the five volumes about LBJ Impeccable research.

Safe travels.

Ellen--Wow, what great descriptions of everything!! I can almost feel the heat and the people all around. Glad you have a more relaxing trip planned for later, but this one will certainly make lots of memories. : )

Wishing all the best to your BIL.

That's good news about P's brother, Ellen, although how tough not to be able to speak again.

Offering cookies - that's my kind of temple! It sounds like you're having a great trip. Lush and beautiful.

I loved hearing about your adventures. A friend of mine here in Tuscaloosa is a native of Taipei. She loves to go to Taipei 101 and people watch.

I would love to have a vacation full of sleeping, books, and a little adventure. I know you have family duties, but perhaps rest is just as important for your well being.

Ellen, I enjoyed reading your candid thoughts about your vacation. I have not traveled in that part of the world much myself, but the things that wig you out would do me in, too. I'm glad you're getting in some R&R anyway, and that your BIL is doing as well as can be expected.

Hawaii at Christmas sounds amazing. Good plan!

>184 Caroline_McElwee: Yes, it has been good to see Joel's progress. They are now saying he may be able to go home to Palau in 2-3 weeks if things continue on this good trajectory. And, for P and me, 10 days on Kauai in December will be much needed and much appreciated!

>185 jessibud2: Hey Shelley. I have some great things to report about my own progress - my adaptation and adjustment to a culture so different from my own -- which I will do below. But yes, taking it slow and appreciating the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes. Rain has helped!

>186 katiekrug: Hi Katie. I will share more in a moment but I think today was a turning point for me -- I feel so much more comfortable in this mileu than I did for the first couple of days. It's wonderful!! I am feeling rather pleased at what I have noticed in terms of adjustment in the last 24-48 hours. Now I don't want our time in Taiwan to end!

>187 richardderus: Richard, my dear, I can't wait to hear what you learn about the rite of passage re: scooters. And I thought of you today: the country of Taiwan passed a same-sex marriage law today! We were here for it! We are so bummed that we did not know in advance or we would have delayed our trip to the National Palace Museum (which will, after all, be there tomorrow) and headed to the political center of the city for the celebration. P was looking on line -- rainbow flags everywhere! It is apparently the first Asian country to take this progressive step. Yay!

I hear you about sulfur and I'm thinking that, hot as it is, a soak for my right leg (it hurts from heel to hip) would be a good thing. We may squeeze it into our last four full days in country.

>188 streamsong: Hi Janet. Last night it rained and the air today was so much better. It's still hot and steamy but the air quality benefited by the precipitation. Climate and weather are so interesting...

BIL Joel has been told that he may be able to return home to Palau in 2-3 weeks if things continue in the current direction. This is such good news.

>189 maggie1944: Karen, my friend, I never think of Kauai without thinking of you. I am so pleased that you get another two weeks there this coming fall. My fantasy is to spend a full month there after I retire (so, maybe the early months of 2023?). We'll see if we can swing the finances.

Thank you for sharing what you are reading. I've not heard of Robert Caro so I will investigate.

>190 Berly: Hi Kim! Yep, this trip is creating lots of memories. Two days ago I was so immersed in my overwhelm, now I am SO glad we ended up visiting this amazing city and wonderful culture. I am learning so much and it is stretching my own worldview in really powerful ways. I'm becoming sort of a fan of Taiwan. :-)

>191 jnwelch: Hiya Joe. I wish I could have read more about the offerings in the Buddhist temple, but my monolingual status is so limiting. Still, it was a memorable visit. And yes, the island is lush and beautiful.

>192 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. Yes, the rest is as important as anything at this point in my life. I'm sleeping plenty but I would not have called this vacation restful except out of determination. Except that now it does feel restful -- as I have adjusted to the culture. Today we walked through day market more than once and I no longer feel that my senses are being assaulted. I'm so fascinated not only by the culture but by my own process of settling in.

>193 lauralkeet: Hi Laura! You can see from some of my comments above that I am less wigged out than I was for the first few days. This is turning out to be a gift of a vacation! Honestly, as my BIL "said" today, I would never - ever - have planned a vacation to Taiwan if he had not been hospitalized here. It turns out that I am so very glad to have done so. This is an experience I will cherish.

Still, ten days on Kauai in about 7 months is a good thing to look forward to. :-)

Progress report:

Last night it rained. Hallelujah!! This morning it was still raining -- and I do mean raining!! -- and so we gathered our wits and our umbrellas and took a taxi to the Grand Hotel. This is a huge hotel, the largest Chinese architectural structure in Taiwan, at which various rich and famous have stayed (Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Taylor, Lyndon B. Johnson, Nelson Mandela). It was a beautiful place in which to walk around, looking in the little shops. We almost ate at the buffet restaurant but it would have been the equivalent of about $60 for both of us. Please note this. We easily spend this amount eating at a restaurant, even in Pullman, certainly in Seattle, but we have adjusted to our local places in our ShiLin neighborhood where the food is less sanitized and the prices are, well, amazing. So, no. Instead we ate a granola bar and took another taxi to the National Palace Museum. It was still pouring rain out! Monsoon! The museum was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. It holds the largest collection of Chinese art in the world (yes, there is irony therein -- many of the works were essentially looted from the Chinese, but here they are in a magnificent collection). Calligraphy and painting, an AMAZING collection of ceramic and porcelain works from the Ming and Qing dynasties, some wonderful bronze pieces from several centuries BCE.... It was really wonderful.

Next, a taxi ride home, a brief rest, and then a walk through the market to visit Joel and his wife Laura in the hospital. We cut through the market because ... we have come to LOVE the market! I no longer feel "assaulted" by the smells and sounds and sights. I love the interactions with the sellers, I love the ever-changing variety of goods. Yesterday there was so much fish. Today there was still some fish but also baked goods. And always clothing, shoes, jewelry, trinkets, cooked food, vegetables and fruit.... It feels easy and interesting whereas three days ago it felt challenging and overwhelming. I love the human mind, my own human mind. I'm so glad to be spending this significant bit of time in a culture so different from my own -- and in an area that does not cater to tourists, an area that is "real" and day-to-day. I absolutely love it.

I should say more about the rain. I say hallelujah because, while it is no less hot, humid, and steamy, the air quality is improved. It feels like there is oxygen in the air again. The sun came out this afternoon and it was still so tropical. But it felt better. I am a fan of oxygen. :-)

Today Taiwan became the first Asian country to grant same-sex marriage rights to its citizens. And we were here. How cool is that.

I'm back into The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai. It is so good. And I recognize some landmarks from Chicago in the mid-1980s. I went to at least one of the bars she mentions! And the story is heartfelt, real, and compelling.

Thank for your comments and observations on Taipei. I'm not much of a traveler, although I would probably eat all the stuff you didn't eat - adventurous as long as I can skirt my allergies. Your descriptions are wonderfully details and visual - thanks.

And I'm glad your BIL is up and walking. Being mute will be a difficult adjustment, I'm sure.

>189 maggie1944: We were at a talk with Robert Caro at the New York Public Library, and it was being recorded for PBS, so keep an eye out for it on your local PBS station. He was fun to listen to.

Ellen, I've read all of your posts from >178 EBT1002: in one go...and I"m glad, because it was really interesting to see your shift from "this is all too much and too different" to "I absolutely love it", without having a lag between. What an experience for you and P (does she feel much the same as you do?). I hope your BIL's progress continues, and that he can soon go home to enjoy life, albeit without speech. It sounds as though he is already adjusting to that. I was interested to note you said he's making his usual facial expressions as he writes...that will surely help the communication process.

It's been a real treat to read about your adventures and your acclimation to such new surroundings. Your experiences certainly confirm the point that flitting in and out of cities as a tourist does not present an opportunity to learn and appreciate the culture. Glad to hear about the improvement in your BIL's health. Hope you enjoy the rest of the trip!

Thanks for sharing your adventures, Ellen. It's great that your BIL is improving. I knew you would love The Great Believers. So far, it is one of my favorites this year.

One or more cautions regarding Robert Caro. His area of expertise is how power is used in a democracy to get things done, it would not be as fascinating to everyone as it has been for me. I think I loved reading about both Robert Moses and Lyndon B. Johnson because I have a natural attraction to politics, which I know is not everyone's cup of tea. I also was gob smacked by his depth of research. No "one dimensional" actors here!

I think reading Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing would be a good start, a dipping a toe into the river.

>194 EBT1002: I am so so so delighted with Taiwan's stance on equality! And delighted for you and P that you could be there for a momentous shift in the public conversation in this culturally conservative place.

Sulfur has its biggest benefits for joint pain when consumed internally and continuously. Adding a sulfrous food item to your routine, say molasses as a sweetener?, will pay huge dividends. This spoken by one for whom the smallest, most incremental improvement in his pain profile is obvious and welcome.

>197 EBT1002: If I may be so bold...I suggest to you that your "lack of adventurousness" is actually "oversupply of stressors in life." The catch-22 of that is that changes to routines can, and very frequently do, result in lower overall stress loads despite the anxiety and ramped-up stress of implementing them.

This trip will, I predict, result in your feeling renewed (albeit mutedly) when you return to the world of second-guessing how loudly you breathe and what your words mean after they leave your mouth.

{{{Ellen}}}

{{{Prudence}}}

This trip wasn't what y'all expected but it's turning out to be darn good.

>194 EBT1002: Way to go, Taiwan, re same sex marriage! Great to see this spreading.

Thanks for telling us about the trip. I love how your experience at the market has changed. I'm a big fan of oxygen, too. :-) Seriously, hearing you describe it, I can imagine the change the rain brought.

>178 EBT1002: your post reminds me so much of when I lived in Taichung for 6 months! The night markets, the scooters, the air pollution and the muggy heat, then the rain :):):)

I could never understand how families with young children did it, staying out so late, still going to work and school and then after work and after school stuff. They must get so tired...I guess its naps...
Glad your BiL is improving.

All caught up here, so let me begin with your dear Abby, my deepest sympathy. I'm glad you have such an understandiing and sympathetic vet to see you through the final stages.
Ugh, such devestating news about your BIL but I'm happy to read that surgery(s) have gone well and he is improving.
Glad your making the most out of your trip to Taipei while still checking in with BIL. To be honest Taipei has never been on my bucket list, not even a little bit, but your description is making it sound more desireable.

Glad to see that your BIL is improving and that your trip has turned out to be so great!

My favorite thing of all so far is the Maokong Gondola on which we rode yesterday. I was thinking "okay, a gondola ride up to the zoo; that will be fun assuming I don't have a panic attack." Well. No panic and this was no ordinary gondola ride! It lasted a full 25 minutes up a jungle(?)-covered mountain - or series of small mountains - to an area of tea plantations. We were in our gondola car with a nice couple from Korea and a young woman from Malaysia; she had particularly good English so we were able to converse a bit. But mostly everyone was quiet, enjoying the peaceful ride and the amazing views of lush mountainside, the city in the distance, a few little farms below. We wandered around near the top -- just little roads winding among tea houses and a few food stands -- and bought a tea-flavored ice cream cone (which is way better than it sounds). Then we rode the gondola back down to the zoo station (the gondola has four stations at which you can get on and off) and went to the zoo. This was a rather "meh" experience. It was, and I realize I am repeating myself with this refrain, just hot. We saw elephants, a Pygmy Hippo, giraffes, zebras, the usual zoo fare. We did go into the Giant Panda house and got to see them. One was sleeping so cutely in a tree, the other was pacing around acting like it might be near lunch time. They really are cute! Then "home" for the daily shower and visit to Joel & Laura.

Today is to be low-key day. Although we have been enjoying the adventure, we're both a bit wiped out from the heat. There are a few souvenirs we want to find and I haven't had bubble tea in days!!

>200 ffortsa: It's interesting that you're not much of a traveler, Judy, but more adventurous in your eating than I am. I'm glad I don't have to worry about allergies; that would be difficult to manage with so little (read: none) of the local language.

I'll keep an eye out for the Robert Caro bit on PBS, as well.

>201 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda. I love your perspective on reading and witnessing my internal shift. Prudence is indeed experiencing things much as I am. She is perhaps more focused on her brother, which makes sense, and she is paying attention to whether I'm relaxing. She is more widely traveled than I am, having served in the peace corps back in the 1980s and having spent a year in Saipan in high school when her dad was in the peace corps, but she is no more fond of the heat and humidity than I am! Later today we are going back to a place we spotted in the day market where we can get Leek Buns (steamed) and maybe a steamed bun with pork.

>202 vivians: Vivian, your comment about "flitting in and out of cities" is so spot on. Prudence and I do tend to spend at least a couple of days, and often more like 3-4 days, in each locale when we travel. We see fewer places but get to know each one a bit more deeply. However, we would never, ever have planned to spend 11 days in one city like this! It has enabled us to experience it in a completely different way, for which I am grateful. Locals have been surprised when they learn we are staying here "the whole time!?!?" It's kind of nice to be honoring their city and their culture with our slow attention.

Here's an observation --- in any country in which they speak a romance or Germanic language, we would by now have picked up some basics. I would be able to say yes or no, please and thank you. I would be able to count to twenty and say "fifty," "one hundred," etc. I would know the directions and some of the street names. I would be able to name the primary foods and drinks. I might be able to say "hot" and "rain" and "can you help me?" Here, with Mandarin the primary local language, I have learned to say "thank you," but not very confidently. Beyond that, I have tried but I cannot learn the language simply by being immersed in it. I regret this but it is what it is. Some of the locals have some English, most do not. The do say "hello" and "thank you" and "bye bye" in English and, of course, we stand out like the Anglo-Saxon American sore thumbs that we are. And yet, without exception, the people have been helpful and friendly and gracious.

>203 BLBera: Thanks Beth. The Great Believers has been worth the wait in the library queue. :-)

>204 maggie1944: Thanks for the notes of caution, Karen. I may investigate Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing when I'm in Denver the last week of May. I plan an excursion to The Tattered Cover, of course, where they may have a hard copy I can look at.

>205 richardderus: Richard, I'm so interested in the information about sulfur. I am recalling having seen "unsulfured" molasses in the store and now I understand what that means. I just read your post to Prudence and she said she thinks cabbage may be sulfuric. We both have a bit of arthritis (my right leg has really been acting up this trip; I think it's rooted in a knee that may need some cleaning up) so we may try adding some sulfuric items to our basically health diet.

And you may absolutely be so bold! I love your comments! I think you are right, too. If a change is as good as a rest, this trip will be just the ticket. I have only occasionally found myself thinking about the eventual return to work and it is not without dread, but I'm also using this time as escape as much as possible. It is a shame that my last career stop appears that it will be my least favorite.

Did I mention that we booked flights and hotel for 10 days on Kauai at Christmas? :-)

>206 jnwelch: Hi Joe. Yes, it's cool that Taiwan took the step toward greater equity. We saw a young man on the metro yesterday with a rainbow bag and we felt good for him.

This morning we went out to find some watermelon (the watermelon here is SO good) and a souvenir trinket for Prudence and it poured rain again. We had forgotten our umbrella so we sat under the metro tracks and just watched it. Later we looked. With the humidity, the weather app said it was 93 and "feels like 106." We are back in our hotel, hanging out in the laundry lobby in (sort of) comfortable seats. Prudence is reading and I'm LTing.

>207 LovingLit: It sounds very similar, Megan. I have also wondered about the night life. But it does cool off a bit after the sun goes down so it makes sense that the city is so active into the night.

>208 Carmenere: Hi Lynda. Thank you for your kind words about Abby.

One souvenir we have purchased here is a little hand-carved Taiwan Jade cat. She will have a prominent place on our buffet back home.

If you had asked me to list 100 cities in the world I'd like to visit, I'm pretty sure Taipei would not have been on the list. I'm still sorry we didn't get to see Palau but I'm glad to have had this experience.

>209 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle!

>213 EBT1002: P is correct about the cruciferous veggie family; members with especially sulfrous make-ups include radishes, sprouts, watercress, and collards.

Also packed with sulfur are the alliums, all onions (natch) but better are shallots and leeks. It pays you back like a zillion times over to root and plant those costly veggies from the root ends you remove before cooking.

Seafood, liver...all the yummys that gout won't let me eat!...are strongly sulfrous too.

...Kauai? Goodness, hadn't heard a peep about it. So secretive, you.

>215 richardderus: Well, one of the vegetables I have found myself consuming rather generously here in Taiwan is watercress. It is always included in the salad at breakfast. I do love it so I'll be sure to continue adding it to my lunch salads once home. We've also been eating leeks here (inside a yummy steamed bun) and we are great eaters of onions and shallots, too. Seafood, okay. Liver, not so much. ;-)

Yeah, when our trip to Palau got sidetracked, we impulsively called the place we used to stay on Kauai to see what they have available. We were thinking we'd stay a week but they had a top floor (read: ocean view) apartment available if we'd take it for ten days. We thought about it for at least 15 minutes before calling them back and saying "we'll take it!"

Prudence and I went out to the day market earlier. I was looking for a bracelet but didn't find what I wanted. I had purchased a little beaded bracelet at the Buddhist Temple when we visited earlier in the week but now I cannot find it. I fear it fell out of the backpack we've been using when we were taking something else out. Sob. I loved that little bracelet! It was "for peace and safety." We need to return to downtown on Tuesday to see if we can find a travel agent to help us select our seats for our Eva Air return flight, so I am lobbying for a side trip back to the temple. I will buy another little bracelet and we'll see if our feline friend is still there.

We did purchase a variety of steamed buns and took them to the hospital where we ate in the lounge area with Joel and Laura. He continues to improve.

In a little bit, we'll head back to the ShiLin Night Market to see what we can find. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler and Tuesday cooler yet. Just in time for us to go home. But it's okay. I'm about ready to go home (not yet ready to go back to work but it comes with the territory).

I'm still reading and enjoying The Great Believers. I also impulsively ordered a used copy of The Gentlewomen by Laura Talbot after reading Laura's review on her thread. How amazing is the world. I'm in a hotel room in Taipei, I log into amazon.com and I order a book to be delivered from the UK to my home in Washington. Go figure.

Safe travels home, Ellen. I hope you find another bracelet.

Safe travels, my friend, and may you have gathered the strength and wisdom you need to address your job in your very best way, and gain the accomplishments which you want, and which are best for all involved.!

>219 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I did find another bracelet! In fact, I found two -- and then I found the original one I had purchased at the temple. I love the two I bought last night from a young man who was making them and had dozens of beaded bracelets laid out on a blanket near the night market but I am so attached to the bracelet I bought at the temple. I'm relieved, somehow, to have found it. It feels a bit superstitious but since I bought it "for peace and safety," it feels special. And there was the cat at the temple, too. :-)

>220 maggie1944: Thanks for all that support and encouragement, Karen. As you know, I'm not fond of this job but I do still want to do it with as much success and aplomb as I can muster.

We had planned an outing to Tamsui today but woke up to a monsoon! It has been pouring rain all morning. The good news is that the temperatures have dropped about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. We are hunkered down with books and I am catching up on LT a bit. Doing a load of laundry, as well.

Last night we wandered through the Shi Lin Night Market again. I had the best mango smoothie (with boba) on earth and I purchased two bracelets from a nice young man who was making them. This morning I found the bracelet I had purchased at the Longshan Temple and I'm so relieved. I really love that little bracelet.

I'm still reading The Great Believers. Prudence is reading an Elly Griffiths that I had downloaded onto my kindle (we have family sharing between our kindles) and she says it's quite entertaining. Now I want to get to it.

I just went to fictfact.com to see what my next Elly Griffiths book is and it's closed!!!! I did not know this! I'm very sad to see it shut down. It says I can log in and download my data as a CVS file (what is that?) before July 1. I will do that once I'm home and on my regular laptop, but I'm so sad.

When I google "fictfact," one of the things that comes up is "fictfact alternative." Is there an alternative site for tracking series that anyone here would particularly recommend?

Bummed in Taipei.

It is still pouring rain out there!!!!!!!

>223 EBT1002: CSV file, Ellen, a Comma Separated Value file is what you'll need to upload your data to another site's database.

So interesting to read about your travel adventures, Ellen. A change in perspective is often as good as a rest. I hope that all continues to go well with your travels and your BIL.

>218 EBT1002: Ha! A book bullet zooming across the world. I love it.

I've really enjoyed reading about your travels. Other than one business trip to Japan and India, I have no experience traveling in Asia. But on that trip I felt very much out of my element and was glad to be in the company of Asian colleagues who knew the ropes. Which reminds me, have you seen the film Lost in Translation?

I recently started the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths and am currently reading the second book in the series. I am also seriously bummed about Fictfact, and considering my alternatives (which might be just a spreadsheet I manage on my own).

Another fan of your travel descriptions here. Your scooter descriptions reminded me of watching a similar approach in a very different community - the school run was simultaneously charming and terrifying (to me), but I never saw a kid do anything other than appear to enjoy it immensely.

I have found the only way trying to pick up a language that wasn't structurally similar to English was to get a native speaker to speak into my phone or other recording thingy and then just listen to it endlessly until it was 'in my head'. Even then I was never great but at least my brain seemed to retain it for use. I often wonder if kids now get techniques on how to learn a language - from my memory we were just told to 'learn it' as if it was just like learning a history date or a maths problem.

There is some discussion about FictFact on this thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/300873#6824226

I haven't tried downloading my files yet, but it seems they will go into an Excel spreadsheet.

Yay! and latest on the other thread is that Tim Spalding has reached out to see if LT can help!

>223 EBT1002: Oh no! I really rely on Fictfact and hope to hear that there's a fix in the works. I'll be looking for an alternative too. Hope the trip home is smooth!

>225 richardderus: Thanks Richard. Now I need to identify another site or set up an excel spreadsheet. Or keep my fingers crossed that Tim is able to help fictfact stay up and running. I would donate money to keep it afloat!

>226 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. I do think this trip is proving the saying that a change is as good as a rest. And I'll get the rest when we spend several days on Kauai in December. :-)

>227 lauralkeet: "...book bullet zooming across the world." I love it, too, Laura.

I have not seen Lost in Translation, but I will see about watching it. Maybe I can download it onto my iPad to watch on the flight home. I tend to just read or listen to music but I will have ten hours to kill. I'll try to sleep for some of it but that doesn't usually work very well for me. I need to get up and walk the aisles now and then.

Yeah, if fictfact can't be saved, I may have to create a spreadsheet on my own. What am I saying? This is the kind of thing I hate. I might create the spreadsheet but I would never keep it up. Sigh.

>228 charl08: The scooters will be one of our more memorable images from Taiwan, Charlotte. I'm still hoping we can get a photo of a dog "surfing" on a scooter between its person's legs.

I keep saying "thank you" and folks seem to appreciate my effort. Lord knows what I might actually be saying that they just know to translate to thank you given the situation.

>229 streamsong: Thanks for that link, Janet. I've starred that thread so I can follow along. I do hope Tim and company are able to help Fictfact survive. If the folks who have developed and maintained it have lost interest, perhaps some kind of merge with LT could be arranged. I would help financially!!!

>230 vivians: There is a site listed on the thread Janet gave us, Vivian, but all it does is list series in order. Helpful, but nothing close to tracking one's actual progress in one's chosen series. I can find out what the next in a series is right here on LT, so that other site doesn't really add much.

Boy, did I get behind over here! Wow. I did some skimming but I think I am caught up. Completely missed most of your Taiwan trip. It sounds quite HOT & exotic. I liked your travelogues. I have never been East.

Have a safe trip home, Ellen and I hope those current reads are treating you fine.

>234 msf59: Hi Mark. You can easily skip my thread for weeks at a time without missing much and then I go on a little LT tear. :-)
Nice to see you, my friend.

Today we went in search of the Eva Air office and we found it. Got our seats selected (long story about the trip out but suffice it to say that we didn't want to wait until we got to the airport tomorrow to get our seat assignments). Then we found a jade market and Ellen got a pendant necklace. I really like it.

Next to the Daan Forest Park where we saw birds! There is an island in a little pond there that was absolutely covered with a variety of herons and ibis. I took pictures, but they'll never do it justice. We also saw a large group of people with serious cameras with telephoto lenses all watching one little tree. Hmm. What could this be? We joined the small, quiet crowd and finally spotted a little green bird sticking its head out of a hole in the tree. We don't know what kind of bird it was but it is clearly rare, special, or sacred -- or all three.

The weather is so much improved (79F and it feels like 79F) so we went in search of Taiwan's famous beef noodle soup. It took us a while to find a place we were confident served beef noodle soup -- and it was packed. There was a table for two and we both ordered the "Beef Noodle Soup Spicy." It was delicious! The beef was definitely different cuts than I am used to -- more fat and more tendon -- but the noodles were perfect and the broth was spicy and rich and wonderful. This is not Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup). It is very different. And very yummy. I'll see if I can post a photo of me digging in. Most of our photos are on Prudence's iPad so she will have to send a few to me for posting here.

Back "home" for showers and a rest. In a little while we'll walk over to our Shi Lin Night Market to get a mango smoothie for me and a strawberry smoothie for Prudence, then we'll go visit her brother and SIL in the hospital for a while. Joel got the tubes removed from his nose yesterday and it's amazing what a difference that makes in how he feels and how he looks!

Crap. Doing photos from my iPad just is too frustrating. I saved the photo P sent me of me slurping beef noodle soup into my mouth (you can see that I'm wearing my LibraryThing t-shirt!) but it uploads rotated onto its side. I have no idea why it does this or how to fix it. Grr. But anyway. If you go to my profile page and check out the pictures, you can see a sideways one of me with my soup.

Sigh.

Haha - soup looks great, even on its side! Safe travels!

Taiwan sounds fascinating, Ellen. I’m glad your BIL is making progress and will get to go home soon. I’m sure the visit from you and P lifted his spirits. If you get tired of university work, you would make an excellent travel writer! I like how you two have immersed yourself into the local life.

You got me with a book bullet for the Penelope Lively essays. When I get home from Denver, I’ll look for it at the new independent bookstore in Springfield. I want it to be successful. Too bad I’ll be long gone by the time you get to Denver. Maybe the snow will be over by then. We have a couple inches on the ground now. ;-(

Transferring images from an iPad is way harder than it should be - I've given up for the time being. I did get to see you happily slurping soup over on Facebook. :-) Safe travels back, my friend.

Definitely a slurp!!

*quietly gloats over own resistance to iCrap*

I saw the photeaux on FB so am all ready to get that wild pork sandwich you're FedExing to me! Right? Aren't you?

Your noodlepuss was most endearing. I understand why P snapped the shot.

Whew! Caught up again on all your worldly travels! Sounds sooooo cool! And I mean the adventure not the temperature which I understand has gone from HOT to just hot. : )

So sorry to hear about Fictfact. Hope LT can help save them.

Love the photo! I find that if I crop my photo to be more vertical sometimes it will turn back rightside up.

Today we fly home. Well, tonight we fly home. We depart Taipei around 11:40pm, fly for ten hours, and land in Seattle around four hours earlier. Then a five-hour layover (during which we get our luggage, go through customs, re-check our luggage, go back through security) before our one-hour flight to Pullman. We land in Pullman just after midnight Thursday (Wednesday night). Fall into bed (no Abby - sob!) and wake up Thursday in our own bed. Whew.

I ran over to see your noodle picture. Very cute. Needs to be printed and posted above your desk. Keep you humble, maybe???

Also saw the elk(?) on hillside, love it!

Karen

33. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai


This brilliant novel is told in two tracks. In one track, it's 2015 and Fiona is heading to Paris to look for her adult daughter who has been "missing" for several years and was recently possibly spotted in You-tube video footage from a bridge along the Seine. In the second track, it's the mid-1980s in Chicago. Yale is a young gay man watching his community rapidly falling victim to the AIDS virus which is still "new" and poorly understood; it is also poorly researched and devastatingly ignored by the American Medical Association and homophobic policy makers. Fiona is also a key character in Yale's story; she is the younger sister of Nico, one of Yale's friends already lost to the virus.

Makkai has done her research. I was living in Illinois in the 1980s and, while I did not live the story told through Yale's eyes very directly, I came out during that time and I was an activist in my university town a couple of hours south of Chicago. She got it right. Breathtakingly, agonizingly right. But beyond that, she tells a beautiful story. It's a story of chosen families and what happens when we manage the disappointment of our given families through bridge-burning. It's the story of maternal love in all its frail varieties and with its awesome power. It's a story of passion -- for friends, for lovers, for art, for justice -- and loyalty to all those same things, and what we will or won't sacrifice in pursuit of passion. It's the story of life's devastating shortness and the tragedy of any length of that life being wasted because of our illusion that it is long. Finally, it's the story of a very real community that experienced a very real tragedy in the latter part of the 20th century, a tragic history that is rarely understood from such an intimate perspective. The final scene is so vivid that I felt it in my gut and nearly wept for its beauty. Brava, Ms. Makkai!

>247 EBT1002: Well, crud. Excellent review and a five star rating! Another BB. Requested this one from the library right away. How to resist? Best not to even try ....

>238 EBT1002: Don't know if it works with the ipad, but sometimes when I have photos that load sideways on LT, I open them in Paint, then re-save them, and it fixes that. Like this

>249 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda!
So that's how it's done, eh? (I mean the soup-slurpping not the picture fiddling.)
You are on your way, I guess, and I hope that it's a safe, non-eventful flight. I've loved catching up on your travels!
I also want to recommend Emily Hahn's The Soong Sisters for your reading and mine. I loved her China to Me and have had this one for awhile just waiting for the right time to pull it out.
>247 EBT1002: I'll make a note of it. I'm not sure I could read anything that intense right at the moment.
I'll be back another time to look at your Booker list to see what I've read and loved that you haven't. I wonder whether I'd still be as impressed with Possession now as I was when it came out. Loved it! I think my awe for The God of Small Things would remain. I'm wowed by that brand of pyrotechnic writing.
Glad that you're leaving your BIL in better shape than you maybe expected. And I'll be glad to hear that you're home.

>247 EBT1002: excellent review, Ellen. I requesated this from my library a while back and hope to read it soon. I'm glad to see you loved it so much.

>249 laytonwoman3rd: I do something similar on my iPhone: I edit the photo, and then rotate it one way and then back to the way it was, and tap "Done". It looks exactly the same on the phone but displays correctly when uploaded.

>239 vivians: Thanks Vivian!

>240 Donna828: Thank you for the kind words, Donna. I will keep travel writer in mind as an alternative to higher education (with which, to be honest, I'm already kind of sick and tired....). I had always thought baseball color commentator would be my alternative career but travel writer would be pretty spectacular!

I hope you enjoy Penelope Lively's meditation on aging. I am carrying my copy back to Washington with me, having thought I would leave it here for BIL. His loss. ;-)

>241 jnwelch: Well, I'm rather glad to hear that it's not just me, Joe. The iPad is wonderful for keeping up with LT but terrible for posting photos. I will continue to use my laptop for that. I'm glad you could see me slurping over on FB!

>242 ronincats: Oh, it was a yummy slurp, Roni!

>243 richardderus: You know, Richard, I had that wild pork sandwich all wrapped and ready to go. And then I got hungry! Heh.

I'm glad you like my noodlepuss (great word, too).

>244 Berly: Hey Kim. Thanks for swinging by. The Taiwan adventures are in their last hours and I'm honestly ready to go home.

Things I'm looking forward to:
Muesli and yogurt for breakfast
Salad for lunch
Anything home-cooked for dinner
Sleeping in my own bed

>246 maggie1944: I'm glad you could see the noodle slurping photo, Karen, and that you liked the snap of the elk. That was from our Alaska trip a couple years ago.

>248 streamsong: I hope you get The Great Believers soon, Janet. I was in the queue for a long time and it came available just as we were leaving for this trip. I stayed up too late last night finishing it!

>249 laytonwoman3rd: I don't know whether it will work on the iPad but thanks for righting and posting the photo here, Linda! I hope you can tell how much fun I was having. And has anyone noticed the shirt I was wearing? Hmmm??

>250 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. We're not in the air yet but soon. We have the room for a little bit longer and then we'll go visit with BIL for a last time -- after lunch. It will be our last meal in Shilin District and we're debating between a buffet we like and the dumpling place that has been our favorite. Then its ten hours in the air, much of which I hope to spend reading. I have Circe and the standalone Elly Griffiths novel, The Stranger Diaries loaded up on the kindle.

Possession is one of the Bookers I'm really looking forward to getting around to reading one of these months. And I'll look into Emily Hahn -- I'm not familiar with her work.

>251 lauralkeet: I hope you love The Great Believers when you get to it, Laura.

I will try the various suggestions for getting my photos upright when I am back in the states. Or I'll just give in and use my laptop for posting of pics. :-)

And, that's a wrap. I'm putting this baby in airplane mode and heading out for last details of our day. The flight isn't until 11:40pm local time so we still have some hours to kill. We need lunch and one last visit with BIL.

When I get back home, it will be time to start a new thread!

Have a safe and smooth trip home, Ellen.

That's a great Librarything shirt you're wearing in >249 laytonwoman3rd:. :-) Yes, I may have gotten a bold clue to look again.

I enjoyed Circe and The Stranger Diaries, and Possession is terrific, IMO. What a book.

I have the same LT T-shirt. Not sure there's a photo anywhere of me wearing it....perhaps we need a dedicated thread for posting such photos!

>260 laytonwoman3rd: - I have it, too! I won it in a random drawing after one of those LT treasure hunts...

Hi Ellen! Safe travels home...

>255 EBT1002: Ellen, for portrait photos, just make a tiny edit in your IPad photos, and save. It should then load in LT the right way up. Similar to what Laura does on her phone.

It sounds like you have got really into this visit Ellen. Looking forward to the photo of bracelets and pendant, as well as what you have been seeing.

I can believe your BiL is feeling better without all the tubes, and that will uplift everyone seeing him feel happier and more normal.

I have The Great Believers in the tbr mountain, and aim to get to it in the next couple of months, it's received a lot of LT love.

>247 EBT1002: Great review, although as Peggy said, I'm not sure I could dive into something that serious and intense right now. On the list, though. Not a surprise when you recommend a book so highly.

Welcome back Ellen! What an adventure. I've enjoyed the Maisie Dobbs series and the narrator of the later ones (Orlagh Cassidy) is terrific. I've been rereading/listening to the Jackson Brodie series and I'm of the firm belief that it's the best mystery series I've ever read.

I loved The Great Believers too.

I was on the fence about Great Believers but you sent a book bullett my way. It went on the wish list.

It sounds like, even though you didn't plan a trip I to Taiwan, you had a restful and interesting trip. It is to bad that the weather couldn't have been better, but you still had some ne days there. I hope you are rested and refreshed.

Hope you made it home safely!

Ellen---So glad you loved Great Believers! My bookclub just finished it last month and we had a great discussion of it. Glad you go the noodle shot upright and, of course, I noticed the shirt! LOL. Welcome home!!

Safe homecoming and easy time adjustment!

Safe travels, Ellen!

I've read several glowing reviews of The Great Believers, on LT and elsewhere, so I'll add it to my wish list.

I'm home safe and sound, jet-lagged but glad to be in my own little house with our own not-so-little back yard. Yesterday was a day for unpacking, getting settled back in, some reading.

I'm still reading and LOVING Circe. I think I'm loving it more than I did Song of Achilles. If mythology had been this fun to read in school, I would have been much more interested and probably would have learned it so much better than I did.

Hi Ellen! Welcome home1

I've been listening to Circe - wonderful! There's been a bit of discussion about it on the PBS/NYT bookclub feed since it fits in so closely with the May read An Odyssey.

You might be interested in this from the NYT Book Review - Turning Circe into a Good Witch https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/books/review/circe-madeline-miller.html?fbcli...

>270 EBT1002: Circe was my six-stars-of-five read last year. It's luminous and lush and lovely and I love it immoderately.

I think my personal pleasure in The Song of Achilles probably exceeds yours. For obvious reasons. But it was a joy in its own way for most readers...the personal and intimate slant on the myth...that's an evergreen, isn't it. Like my four-starring a play...!!...in verse...!!!...by a poet no less, when I reviewed The Cure at Troy way back when.

>259 jnwelch: I'm glad you like my shirt, Joe. The Stranger Diaries is on hold until I finish Circe which should happen in the next couple of days. Our nephew and his wife are arriving this evening for the holiday weekend but I will still have a bit of reading time here and there.

>260 laytonwoman3rd: I love my LibraryThing t-shirt, Linda. I try to wear it when I'm touristing around. I had a wonderful conversation with a man at the Sonoma Desert Museum in Tucson when I was there in January. I love spreading the word about LT!

>261 katiekrug: It seems there are enough of us to warrant some photo sharing, Katie!

>262 Caroline_McElwee: Hmm, I will try that next time the issue comes up, Caroline. I'm wondering if part of the issue was that P took this photo on her iPad and texted it to me. I saved it to my phone but it's not the same has having taken it myself.

I'm going to set up a new thread in a little bit and I will transfer some photos from my phone to my laptop and post them. I'll have to take pics of the bracelets and pendant -- I hadn't thought of doing that!

I can't recommend The Great Believers enthusiastically enough.

>263 ffortsa: The Great Believers is serious and intense, Judy, but it's not gloomy. It is certainly emotional. I hope you get to it when you're feeling up to a bit of intensity; I think you would like it.

>264 vivians: Hi Vivian! I'm interested that you think the Jackson Brodie series is the best mystery series you've ever read. I like them a lot but that is serious high praise! Started Early, Took My Dog is next up for me in the series.

>265 benitastrnad: I'm glad I got you with The Great Believers, Benita. It is destined to be one of my top reads of the year.

I think this trip "did the trick" in terms of rejuvenation. I'm still counting the months until I can retire but I feel able to invest in my job for the coming year and that is a good thing. It wasn't restful, per se, but it did prove that a change can be as good as a rest.

>266 thornton37814: Home safe and sound. Thanks Lori!

>267 Berly: Hey Kim. Actually, it's Linda who got the noodle shot upright but I'm glad she did so! I think The Great Believers would be great for a book club discussion.

>268 richardderus: Thanks Richard. I feel a bit more jet-lagged today than yesterday. Go figure.

>269 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl! I think Rebecca Makkai did a terrific job with The Great Believers. I hope you enjoy it -- and I know you're enjoying London at present!!

>271 streamsong: That link is making my computer freak out a bit, Janet, so I'll just go to my NYT app and find the article/essay there.

I recently acquired a copy of The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson after Joe warbled about it. Now I'm looking forward to reading it sometime this summer.

>272 richardderus: Hi Richard. I gave Song of Achilles 4.5 stars so it's not that I didn't love it, but Circe is just as you say: luminous and lush and lovely! I just gave The Great Believers 5 stars and it may be that I'm about to give two books 5 full stars right in a row for the first time ever (at least as far as I can remember). And yes, if I could give Circe six stars, I'd probably do it!

I read The Burial at Thebes: A Version of Sophocles' Antigone last year and gave it 4 stars. I will add The Cure at Troy to my list. Why were these wonderful translations and retellings not available when I was in school?!?! (Don't answer that -- it's like asking why I'm about to turn 59 freaking years old....)

Ellen, I love all this LT talk. I too spread the word but don't have the t-shirt (yet!).

>279 mdoris: Better get that t-shirt, Mary!