Charl08 reads the year through #8

New thread!

July 7 (Total 163)

Black Sun
The Unquiet Bones
A Duke by Any Other Name
Artifact
Flake
The Man Who Came Uptown
Holy Ceremony

June 25

German Calendar: No December
No one home
Murder on the Red River
Crush
Grin and Beard It
Teach
Holiday Heart
Broken Greek
The Judge and His Hangman
Bird by Bird

Inkheart
Stranger City
Long Bright River
Sure Shot
Zora and Langston
Man vs Durian
The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox
Fearless in Texas
Loudmouth
Summer of Reckoning

The Slynx
Heads of the Colored People
The House of Lamentations
The Lady Killer
Reckless in Texas

January 25 (January 2019: 23)

February 22

March 30

April 30

May 28

Where the authors come from:


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

(Thanks to Paul S for this map link).

Books read in translation



(Pictures from places I want to visit - or revisit - via Unsplash)

The Plague Algeria

The German Room Argentina
Fate

The Book of Rio Brazil

Singer in the Night Croatia

Fish Soup Colombia

Maggy Garrisson France
Crush
Summer of Reckoning

The German House Germany
Inkheart

Detective story Hungary

The Mist Iceland

Basquiat Italy
Snow Dog Foot

The Memory Police Japan
Where the Wild Ladies Are
The Lady Killer

Signs Preceding the end of the World Mexico

Restless Norway

Rock, Paper, Scissors and other stories Russia
The Slynx

The Trap (author born in a town that moved states between and during the wars, translated from Romanian, but the author resettled to Israel)

The End. And again Slovenia

Nada Spain
Lord of all the Dead

Diary of a Murderer South Korea

The Truth about Sascha Knisch Sweden
For the Dead

The Judge and his Hangman Switzerland

Arid Dreams Thailand


The next group of books for the Borderless bookclub. Next up, Summer of Reckoning.

Listen to past editions
https://m.soundcloud.com/user-41111498-859108077/sets/translated-fiction-online-...

Books to read from the shelves...



From top left:
The Ungrateful Refugee (from a reading by the author)
Close to the Knives (from the shop linked to the Keith Haring exhibit- but my brother has now nicked this)
Rock Paper Scissors Reading in translation
The Slynx Reading in translation
My Antonia (I've still not read it. I feel left out)
Nada (Fiction in translation)
An Imperfect Blessing SA fiction
Our Endless Numbered Days One I've had on the wishlist for a while
Age of Iron SA fiction
Bird By Bird
John Clare: faber A gorgeous new edition of the poet.
Lifting the Veil
Words will break cement
Balthasar's Odyssey Bought in the gorgeous mill at Saltaire. Referenced repeatedly in a book about Turkey.
The Beautiful Summer Fiction in translation.
The Gypsy Goddess She spoke at the same venue as Nayeri - very compelling.
House of Stone Picked up in Edinburgh, I think.
Respectable Heard her speak at work - she's impressive.
Why this world Fascinating writer, but I've still not picked up this biography.
Travels with my Aunt A beautiful orange penguin, a sad hole in my reading. I've picked it up, but finding the stereotyping hard going.
Sunburn I read a Lippman earlier in the year, mixed feelings, but have been assured her others vary, so thought I'd try this one when I saw it for A Reasonable second hand price.
The East Edge By a small press.
In Dependence One I wanted to find from when I read the list of 50 African women writers.
The Devil's Dance The first book of fiction to be translated from the Uzbek.
Manchester Happened
Whatever Happened to Harold Absalom
Insurgent Empire clearly a little light reading (!)

Happy new one, C!!! : )

Happy new thread, Charlotte.

Happy new one, Charlotte!

Happy new thread, Charlotte!

Happy new thread, Charlotte! 144 books! OMG :-)

Happy new thread!
>9 susanj67: I know, I just skip that post in case I feel utterly inadequate. I can manage inadequacy all by myself, I don't need that kind of help. >;-)

>5 Berly: Thanks Kim.

>6 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul.

>7 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I just finished Long Bright River. Wow!

>8 AMQS: Thanks Anne. I finished Broken Greek. It was rather marvellous. I hope you can find a copy.

>9 susanj67: Hey Susan. Not much else going on but the reading!

>10 Helenliz: I am on course to read the same as last year, I think, Helen. Which possibly shows how different my life is from normal in lockdown.

Long Bright River

Wow! This book is just a marvellous thing. A really gripping thriller (where is Mickey's sister?) but also a careful exploration of a struggling part of Philadelphia, bowing under the weight of the opioid crisis. I loved so much about the writing. The heroine's bold statement at the start that she is not brave, but she is smart. Her constant grinding struggle over childcare. The way that growing up poor has shaped how she feels about herself, as well as her family and her job.

One to hope that libraries stock when they reopen, if not already online as an ebook.

I’m glad you enjoyed Long Bright River so much . Lots of TBR’s on the shelf ! Oh, and Happy New Thread!

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Charlotte!

Happy new thread, Charlotte. Can't wait for Long Bright River to become available. I'm #15 on the list, so it might be a while.

Happy new thread Charlotte!

Happy New Thread, Charlotte!

Happy new thread!

>14 vancouverdeb: This was such a great read, Deborah. I hope lots of people find it.

>15 figsfromthistle: Thank you.

>16 lkernagh: Thanks Lori.

>17 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I hope the readers ahead of you are similarly gripped and it arrives more quickly than expected.

>18 mdoris: Mary, thank you.

>19 ronincats: Thanks Roni: tomato count is at 2 - but the beans are doing well!

>20 drneutron: Thank you Jim, and for all you do for the group to keep us running.

Finally got some green beans: going to plant them out and hopefully get some new ones started. Home grown taste amazing.

It's refugee week this week (in the UK? I'm not sure if it's a global thing?) - the organisation that runs the annual event is encouraging everyone to get involved with 'simple acts' including this one:



One of the books that made a big impact on me, that is about leaving somewhere much loved is Persepolis, a book that I am sure many on LT have read. This autobiographical graphic novel is about living in, and leaving Iran.



Have you read any that you would recommend?

And of course, a list... (56 pages! Woo! My kind of list...)

https://refugeeweek.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Books-about-exile2.pdf

Happy New Thread, Charlotte! LOVE the JCO quote! I hope your week is going well.

Earlier in the year I read A Girl made of Dust where the story is about those that choose not to go into exile, the family stays put in the war zone. Eye opening.

Happy New Thread, Charlotte! The JCO quote reminds me why I read her work.

>24 charl08: and >25 charl08: I lovedPersepolis. Satrapi and Solzhenitsyn (I know, odd combo) are the authors that piqued my interest in refugees. Wow, what a list! I put it in my notes for future reference.

And from the last thread #251: No, Katie, not obsessive at all. Just...careful. I do exactly the same thing, so I understand completely.

>26 msf59: Thanks Mark. The quote is via my local bookshop Broadhursts of Southport (still closed - they are on three floors, but it's very tightly packed, so I'm not sure how they are going to manage).

>27 Helenliz: Thanks Helen. I'll add it to the list.

>28 Matke: They're both impressive writers, Gail. Thanks for chipping in. I think thinking about exile widely in literature helps us think about how common an experience it has been over time - hopefully put the current 'crisis' into perspective and help people think about individuals rather than depersonalised metaphors ('floods' 'hordes' etc)

Nice to read that Katie has company, too. I can only aspire to be so careful!

BOOKS ABOUT EXILE (an edited list from >25 charl08:)

Have read
Exit West -Mohsin Hamid
Aké: The Years of Childhood -Wole Soyinka
A Short History of Tractors - Marina Lewycka
Ice Road -Gillian Slovo
Man Died: Prison Notes of Wole Soyinka -WoleSoyinka
The Ministry of Pain Dubravka Ugresic
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
The Kite Runner -Khaled Hosseini
Small Island-Andrea Levy
Stick Out Your Tongue-Ma Jian

Want to read
Girl Who Smiled Beads - Clemantine Wamariya
The Displaced – Viet Thanh Nguyen
Shatila Stories – Various Syrian and Palestinian writers
No Place To Go Home – J.J Bola
Lampedusa- Pietro Bartolo, Lidia Tilotta
A Part of Myself: Portrait of an Epoch -Carl Zuckmayer
Bluebird - Vesna Maric
By the Sea -Abdulrazak Gurnah
Heading South, Looking North: A Bilingual Journey -ArielDorfman
Death and the Maiden -Ariel Dorfman
Farewell, Babylon: Coming of Age in Jewish Baghdad-Naim Kattan
Farewell, Baghdad -Eli Amir
Ferdydurke -Witold Gombrowicz
House of Spirits, The-Isabel Allende
Human Cargo -Caroline Moorehead
The Island of Eternal Love,Daina Chaviano
Journey to Jo'burg -Beverley Naidoo
The Long Voyage -Jorge Semprun
Midnight, Dhaka - Mir Mahfuz Ali
Out of Egypt -André Aciman
Pale Fire -Vladimir Nabokov
Persona Non Grata -Bart Wolffe
Refugee Boy -Benjamin Zephaniah
Stories of Mr Keuner -Bertolt Brecht
The Suitcase: Refugee Voices from Bosnia and Croatia} -Rada Boric, Julie Mertus, Jasmina Tesanovic,
Habiba Metikos
The Sympathiser – Viet Thanh Nguyen
Touba and the Meaning of Night -Shahrnush Parsipur
Traveling on one leg -Herta Müller
Trumpet in the Wadi -Sami Michael

>24 charl08: I think Looking for Transwonderland would qualify given that Noo Saro-Wiwa lives the bulk of her life outside of Nigeria and returns to Nigeria (where her father had been killed by the government) as a stranger to her "home."

>31 Oberon: Sounds good Erik. I was annoyed with that book because it doesn't mention anywhere I had been to (admittedly quite a short and specific list of places).

Happy new thread, Charlotte! I like your checks on the TBR books - nice job reading through the shelves!

My library has a copy of Long Bright River but I'm already up to my limit of 20 holds so I'll have to wait to request it, or check it out when our copy comes back. Too many books...

>33 bell7: Thanks Mary. It's really good: I'd bump one because you'll read it so quickly (or at least, that was my experience! )

Quite the list 25. I've read Exit West, A Thousand Splendid Suns, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Small Island, The Cellist of Sarajevo and The Kite Runner. I'd recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns from the short list that I have read. There are plenty of good suggestions on the list.

>35 vancouverdeb: I like that it has a blurb about each of the books included! Rather tempting. When the library reopens I will see how many I can find.

In the currently reading pile:

Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man James Weldon Johnson

Although I love the cover, and the story is fascinating, the actual edition is frustrating - some editing needed to fix some missed punctuation.

Dominicana I've stalled on this, need to pick it up again.

The Dutch House Listening to this one, and haven't been for enough walks to make much progress on it.

LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL Ronan Hession - a book written by one of the translated fiction group, and published by a small press. Two small town 'failures' live little lives, in a lightly comic fashion.

Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal I've got about 70 pages to go, and I'm still trying to work out what I think about this book.

And here's another list for Refugee Week, by Dina Nayeri

https://popchange.co.uk/2020/06/16/pride-and-prejudice-the-best-books-on-the-ref...

"Lost in Translation – Eva Hoffman

No memoir captures my own post-asylum years like Eva Hoffman’s 1989 account of adolescence as a clever but foreign girl (a child of Holocaust survivors relocating to Canada) with no money and a heap of desires. Lost in Translation was published the year I arrived in the US from Iran (via Dubai and Italy), in a way similar to Hoffman: a child with no choice, old enough to struggle with English, habits, shame. I could have used the book then. I didn’t discover it until I was at college, but its truth stung me again and again until I was numb, and delirious with the joy of being understood – not by just any immigrant girl, but by a Harvard graduate, and a former editor of the New York Times Book Review. (find it online)"

New crime novels I will be adding to the wishlist...

8 DEBUT NOVELS YOU SHOULD READ THIS JUNE
The month's best debuts in crime, mystery, and thrillers BY CRIMEREADS

Nothing Can Hurt You, Nicola Maye Goldberg (Bloomsbury)
Ameera Patel, Outside the Lines (Catalyst)
Stephanie Scott, What’s Left of Me Is Yours (Doubleday)
David Albertyn, Undercard (House of Anansi)
Richard Farrell, The Falling Woman (Algonquin Books)
Katherine St. John, The Lion’s Den (Grand Central)
Drew Murray, Broken Genius (Oceanview)
Katie Tallo, Dark August (Harper)

CrimeReads
http://crimereads.com

Penguins at the zoo - reopened yesterday.

Zora and Langston

This was a fairly quick read, not as "academic" as I thought it might be. The author jumps off from an article he wrote about a trip to the southern states both writers took in 1927. For me that's the strongest (and most interesting) part of the book, as the two writers spent time together meeting people and gathering ideas and stories. I didn't feel that the sections in New York matched up to the level of detail (and interest) in this travelogue (presumably because the source material for their travels was richer?) They were very different characters, Zora outspoken whereas Langston's previous lovers and friends complained it was hard to get to know what he thought or felt.

Both writers were supported by a wealthy white woman with bizarre and offensive ideas about race. The writer quotes at length from fawning letters both wrote to their sponsor. He never seems to wonder (or analyse, compared to the beliefs they expressed to others, for example) if any of this was feigned to keep bread on the table. Zora was given less than Langston and with draconian rules about publication, but again there is little here on the effect of that. When they finally parted ways, he can't seem to decide if Zora was reasonable in getting frustrated with Langston, despite documenting how the source material and much of the dialogue was from her earlier work, yet he was willing to stage it without consulting her. Key to the falling out was another woman who was employed to type up their writings. She and Langston became communists and would later travel together to the USSR. I came away feeling great sympathy for Zora, who was criticised and caricatured by the male writing elites because she chose not to write "political" content, wrote path breaking novels, but died in poverty.

Next up is her autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road which divides critics (or at least, so the author of ^^^ says!)

https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/fight-langston-hughes-zora-neale-hurston-revi...

>38 charl08: Those look good! And Broken Genius is just £1.99 on Kindle at the moment. I'm sorry. I'll go now. I was never here.

>41 susanj67: And No one home is also on offer. Although, of course, everyone will be buying the first 9 books in the series before they start reading that...

>40 charl08: have you read the biography of ZNH Wrapped in Rainbows, Charlotte. I remember enjoying it. I also liked her own memoir.

Hmmm... shouldn't you be moving your new bookshelves in here?

Belated happy new thread, Charlotte!

>23 charl08: The green beans look promising.

>43 Caroline_McElwee: I haven't, Caroline. Thank you for the tip.
I forgot about the shelfie. (I've just ordered the half width size one as it had come back in stock for delivery at IKEA. Just another month to wait to get all the books on a decent shelf.

>44 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. I've planted them out in a grow bag (they were on sale in the supermarket). They've got a net and everything, so hopefully they'll make it...

Now reading The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox which is crime fiction set in Romney in 1941. Which it turns out according to google is in Kent and not East Anglia (I may have been thinking of Ramsey. Or I may just have been confused!) Gripping, and a win for my library's book "always available" collection.

Thanks for mentioning Refugee Week, Charlotte. I don't remember hearing about it before, and it was hard to find any mention of it in the United States currently, given that yesterday was Juneteenth and the increased focus on the Black Lives Matter movement here and around the world.

Thanks also for posting that great list. I've read several books from that list, and own several others:

Books read (*recommended):
*By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah (I absolutely loved this!)
*Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
The Ministry of Pain by Dubravka Ugrešić (meh)
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (I didn't like this as much as most readers did.)
*Small Island by Andrea Levy (National Theatre at Home is currently broadcasting the 2019 production that I saw at the NT last May, and I can highly recommend it as well.)
*What Is the What by Dave Eggers (This autobiographical novel is set in Clarkston, Georgia, an inner suburb of Atlanta, which has a large and diverse refugee population, especially from Sudan and the former Yugoslavia. I spent one afternoon a week in a primary care pediatrician's office in Clarkston during my last year of residency, and routinely saw the children of Sudanese and Yugoslavian refugee immigrants for well child and sick visits.)
*You Must Set Forth at Dawn: A Memoir by Wole Soyinka (I attended a very memorable talk that he gave in Oakland, California in 2006 shortly after the book was published in the US, which was preceded by about 30 minutes of Nigerian music and dancing.)

I also saw the play based on Woyzeck by Georg Büchner at The Old Vic in 2017 that starred John Boyega, but I haven't yet read the novel, along with the play based on Danton's Death by the same author at the National Theatre in 2007 or 2009. Both plays were superb.

Books I own but haven't read:
Aké: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa
Collected Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer (I own The Library of America edition and have read Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories so far.)
Dalila by Jason Donald (I attended his talk about the book at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2017 and purchased a signed copy of it then.)
Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
In the Castle of My Skin by George Lamming
Let the Wind Speak by Juan Carlos Onetti
Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian
Stick Out Your Tongue by Ma Jian
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The one book not mentioned that I can highly recommend is Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St John, which, like What Is the What, is set in the refugee community of Clarkston, Georgia. St John, while a staff writer for The New York Times, wrote an article about the refugee community in 2007 and its youth soccer team, which named itself "The Fugees", which led to further time and interviews and ultimately this book, which was published in 2009 and is apparently available in the UK.

I also own The Land of Green Plums by Herta Müller, which may fit into the refugee category.

I already have books that I plan to read for Juneteenth weekend, but I'll see if I can squeeze in Stick Out Your Tongue by tomorrow night. If not I'll plan to read In the Castle of My Skin next month. I'll copy this post and the list of recommended reads into my Club Read thread, for future reference.

Happy new thread Charlotte!

I'm just rushing around LT, trying to catch up.

>47 kidzdoc: Thanks for posting Darryl. I was already tempted by By the Sea so I shall look for a copy. I think Eggers popularity works against him for me. I doubt he is crying into his coffee about that though.

>48 humouress: Thanks for visiting Nina. I have been working in the garden and think that I will now go to sleep.


Robin inspecting my work cutting back the dead flowers.

I never thought that I would actually miss gardening, Charlotte!

I did part-time work as a gardener's assistant back in the day when I was having to pay my own way through university (thanks Dad) and it was tough work especially in the last autumn days which could be cold and grim. Your pictures make it seem enticing somehow and Robin seems to agree. xx

>49 charl08: So pretty!

>50 PaulCranswick: I've never gardened for someone else, Paul. I think having to do all the scut jobs for someone else and not getting to enjoy the results would take away the pleasure.

>51 humouress: Thanks Nina. It's nice to see new things coming up when I've cut back the ones that have flowered. Hopefully they'll survive the pigeons...

Man vs Durian
Possibly the most unlikely fruit basis for a romance? I love the restaurant visits in these novels, the characters make Canada sound like a foodie heaven.

The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox
I enjoyed this, historical crime set in WW2. Josephine (Jo) was born illegitimate, but made to leave her home town by her grandfather when her grandmother died. Many years later, she'd looked after her terminally ill mother. Given the surprising news that her mystery father was still alive. She is determined to find out who her father was, returning to the small town with no home and no job: but plenty of people who remember her growing up. Will they talk? Her return coincides with the murder of a young woman: no one is talking about who did that either.

Happy new thread, Charlotte! I have read lots of books by immigrants. I would recommend Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous; Pachinko; Behold the Dreamers; The Song Poet; Typical American; The Joy Luck Club; The Leavers; Americanah; Brick Lane. Oh, and of course The Sympathizer

I guess if specifically you are looking for refugee books The Sympathizer; Song Poet and On Earth We're Breifely Gorgeous would be the one's. And did you read The Best We Could Do, since you like graphic novels.

>49 charl08: Lush green. And like your little forman Charlotte.

Netgalley books I haven't read.

NetGalley

Looking For Eliza Leaf Arbuthnot

Bina Anakana Schofield

Away with the Penguins Hazel Prior

Rest and Be Thankful Emma Glass

Conjure Women Afia Atakora

Aria Nazanine Hozar

Square Haunting Francesca Wade

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters Balli Kaur Jaswal

CWA Dagger Award - American Spy Lauren Wilkinson

A Shadowed Livery Charlie Garratt

Lost in the Spanish Quarter Heddi Goodrich

Fabulous Lucy Hughes-Hallett

One Winter Morning Isabelle Broom

How It Was Janet Ellis

Clearing The Dark Hania Allen

The Museum of Broken Promises Elizabeth Buchan

A Death in Harlem Karla FC Holloway

Tiger Polly Clark

>54 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. Some great ones there. I didn't get on with Ocean Vuong, I think the style was too much for me (and someone else requested it back at the library, so...) Still haven't picked up Pachinko despite the raves here (I can only apologise) Not come across The Song Poet or Typical American - thanks for those.

I did like The Best We Could Do a lot.

>55 Caroline_McElwee: The robins make me laugh a lot Caroline. They are so unbothered by anyone else!

>57 charl08: Vuong might not be everyone's cup of tea, I can see that.

>56 charl08: That's a lot of NetGalley books to get through, Charlotte! I didn't get it from NetGalley but I quite enjoyed The Shergill Sisters.

>52 charl08: It helped get me through Uni, Charlotte, so I suppose I am grateful for it!

>3 charl08: Oh, I love this category. I have been tagging my translated books as such for ages, and it is great to look back over them.

We have refugee week here, one of our major political parties posted on Facebook a short bio about their first refugee MP (member of parliament). And, as my father came to NZ as a refugee, I am interested in it - of course!

>58 banjo123: It would be dull if we all liked the same thing!

>59 rosalita: Don't tell anyone, Julia, but I may have more than that. I forget when I read the blurb that I have to *actually* read the book as well as want to read it. I also think they could do better with their website set up: a diary link would be wonderful, with a reminder the month before the book is published, but failing that a calendar on the site itself.

>60 PaulCranswick: I'm sure, Paul. I potted out pansies one summer. The money was useful (but I won't ever buy them for my garden).

>61 LovingLit: Thanks Megan. I like to keep an eye on the translations: it helps remind me when I've not read one in a while. I'm reading The Slynx at the moment which is dystopian Russian fiction. There's been some kind of nuclear explosion and this is many years later. Almost all of culture is forgotten, and there is mouse on the menu...

Now reading Summer of Reckoning: I forgot the translated fiction book group is this Thursday.

>62 charl08: Yes, a calendar reminder tied to release dates would be tremendously useful. I also keep forgetting where to find the link to post my review once I actually write one. And several times I've mistakenly downloaded a book that is only available as a PDF, which I find difficult to read. The website's a bit opaque in some ways.

I just saw what I thought was a slightly poorly timed sales pitch on an email about Kindle bargains:

Questionable pitch for a historical saga type novel:

"Gone With the Wind meets The Help" (at £3.99 it's not even that much of a bargain)

>64 rosalita: Yes, all of that.

>65 elkiedee: Yikes.

>65 elkiedee:. Maybe not. I'm not sure I can work out what that would even be like. Overly long and hard to relate to, perhaps?

>67 Helenliz: The mind boggles.

David Sedaris on walking NY in lockdown...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/books/david-sedaris-nyc-quarantine-life-coron...

“I was at Times Square at 1:30 in the morning and there was a guy in a wheelchair who was pushing himself along and he said, ‘Look at that clown,’” Sedaris related. “I thought he was talking about me. But then I followed his eyes and there was a clown, with purple hair and a red nose.”

New Graphic memoir 1989: Our Shattered Hopes

https://edition.cnn.com/style/amp/tiananmen-square-massacre-graphic-novel-comics...

"Zhang was on the square that spring, when the protesters put forward seven demands, including for democratic elections and an end to state censorship. He was there as the crowds paid tribute to the late reformist leader Hu Yaobang, and he was there as the occupiers sang and danced on what had become the people's square.
He was not there when soldiers opened fire on protesters and fought with them in the streets of the Chinese capital. He was not there when the tanks rolled in. Zhang was in the suburbs of the city with another activist, recuperating in preparation for what some thought would be a last push before the government gave into the protesters' demands."

Still reading The Slynx which is odd, Russian dystopian fiction.
Reading is still important though.

I gave up on NetGalley because I hated their website so much. And reading stuff in advance doesn't excite me like it used to.

>69 charl08: Thanks Charlotte for the Sedaris link.

>70 charl08: Breaks your heart. 💔

>72 katiekrug: Did you tell them, Katie? I wonder how many readers are in the same position.

>73 mdoris: The article made me laugh - I find him amazing esp re how open he is willing to be about (his) human nature.

>74 humouress: Yup. The waste of all those hopeful young people.

My back has gone out again (I think, on reflection, that the perch on the rockery whilst twisting and bending, was not my wisest move) so today is powered by hot water bottles and ibuprofen.

>76 charl08: Oof. Feel better soon.

>76 charl08: Sorry to hear about the back Charlotte. Hope you can get comfortable with a good book.

>77 humouress: Thanks Nina.

>78 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. Hopefully this evening.

Another tempting looking GN The Summer of Her Life by Barbara Yelin and Thomas von Steinaecker

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/22/the-summer-of-her-life-by-thomas-v...

Yikes! I hope the back I’d better soon1

>76 charl08: Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Charlotte.

Hope you're back on form pronto!

Sorry about your back :(

>75 charl08: - No, I didn't say anything. I figured enough people liked it fine that it didn't matter.

Thanks for all the good wishes.



>83 katiekrug: I think I will send them an email instead of having a moan at them in my head each time I go onto their website. You and Julia make me feel like I'm not the only one!

I'm still reading The Slynx - sometimes I wonder about my pick up speed, it's taken me about half the book to realise the chapter headings are confused/ mis-spelled versions of common words and phrases (it's 300 years in the future, and education is not what it ought to be).

I read another chapter in Leonard and Hungry Paul, and I really can't decide about this book at all - deliberately written as 'what I did on my holidays' style, or ?? Rather gentle and inoffensive, though, which has a lot to commend it right now.

I've also (finally) read a few more pages in Trickster Travels, about a north African ambassador in the 16th C who was taken prisoner by Spanish pirates and presented to the Pope as a gift. It's so detailed, full of information, that it's going to take me a good while to read. The illustrations include annotations he made on books and papers to say that he read them. So amazing they survive. One day I want to get into the Papal archives.

I am interested in this book - hoping that the recent protests might help inspire some rethinking of public history. Apparently it was published last year, but Blackwells booksite has it being republished in August and is taking advanced orders.

Learning from the Germans: Confronting Race and the Memory of Evil
by Susan Neiman.

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n12/thomas-laqueur/while-statues-sleep

Neiman seeks analogies between Germany’s experience and possible ways of recuperating the more or less unredeemed American past. What Nietzsche called ‘monumental’ history extracts from the past a particular great and worthy deed and uses it as a model: by showing that a thing was ‘at least possible once’ we see that it ‘may well again be possible sometime’. Neiman wants Germany’s way of coming to terms with its criminal past to be such an example. But Nietzsche also warned that monumental history caused ‘the individuality of the past to be wrenched into a general shape, with all its sharp corners and angles broken off for the sake of correspondence’. Neiman understands, of course, that ‘no two histories are ever entirely alike.’ The question is whether we can, without doing violence to the past or the present, usefully take lessons from the German experience. Do analogies between the two countries work? In one sense they do: it is possible to make historical redemption a national project. And the same moral principles ought to apply. But after we put back the sharp corners and angles, once we take the details seriously, it becomes harder to learn anything from this particular comparative history. The reason lies in the corners and angles. What Neiman regards as mere ‘details of difference’ are more significant than that.

Not sure if Staged is being shown outside the UK (sorry) but it's been making me laugh this week, even without painkillers.



You may recognise the actors from that small thing that Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett put together.

Happy newish thread, Charlotte. It took me a while to catch up. I signed up for the Locked Up Festival as well and for the life of me couldn't find the program until you said it was in small print. I had no idea that that was part of what was posted. I'm looking forward to it - well I'd better be hadn't I since it starts at 6:30 am my time. Sounds good though.

So sorry to hear about your back , Charlotte. I hope the ibuprofen is helping , along with the rest. I"m careful about bending and twisting, since I have a healed compression fracture in my spine, due to osteoporosis. It happened back when I was "just " 48 or so, but I still have to be careful. I purchased a nice dark purple bunch of petunias in a hanging basket today. That should do me and my back as far as gardening goes. Speedy healing!

>88 Familyhistorian: Yes, it was an odd way to present it, Meg. I hope everybody finds it! I am looking forward to it too. I like the idea of a panel discussion between authors, it will be interesting to see how they manage it.

>89 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah. I've really done a number on it this time, and I realised this morning that it may well have been The Books that are responsible, seeing as I have been carrying quite a few around from room to room and from the floor to shelf. Never mind.

Purple anything sounds good to me. I am waiting for a few more blue / purple plants to flower. Really frustrated that I can't plant out some seedlings too.

I finished the short story The Yellow Wallpaper this morning from this rather lovely penguin edition of Gilman's works. The book group have taken on the theme of lockdown recently - we've already read The Plague.

I am wondering how we are going to have a book group discussion for 40 minutes about it though (we're not exactly high theorists - I could see how you could have a discussion/ seminar about feminist lit for that amount of time).



From the intro to the collection -
"I consider "The Yellow Wall-Paper" among American literature's most significant short stories and Gilman herself one of our most compelling feminist writers. She was the rare type of public intellectual who had fun with her work ,conveying provocative views with wit, creativity, and a great ear for story.... Not everything she advocated for has aged well, however. Particularly specious are her views about race..."

If a physician of high standing, and one's own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression - a slight hysterical tendency - what is one to do?

There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me, or ever will.
Behind that outside pattern the dim shapes get clearer every day.
It is always the same shape, only very numerous.
And it is like a woman stopping down and creeping about behind that pattern...

Sorry to hear about your back, Charlotte. Books shouldn't hurt us!!

Here's something that will make you laugh - it's a correction in the Guardian today:

"This article was amended on 24 June 2020. Jimi Heselden died at his estate in Thorp Arch near Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, and not at “his country estate north of London” as an earlier version said."

It's not that surprising, though, when there is at least one street sign in London that simply says "The North", with an arrow.

>87 charl08: Haha, I enjoyed it too Charlotte.

>92 susanj67: Ah yes, that small area north of London! Thanks for the wishes. I am really trying not to lift or do anything really. It turns out that is harder than I thought.

>93 Caroline_McElwee: I'm about four episodes in, Caroline. I read a snotty review that almost put me off - I'm so glad I ignored it!

I’m hoping your back feels better soon, Charlotte.

>92 susanj67: LOL “North of London” could mean a number of things, like The Hebrides.

Thanks Gail.

If you're from as far south as me, London *is* the North. I still feel a bit queer when I get on the M1 and it says "London" and then "The South".
*shudder*

>91 charl08: I just finished The Yellow Wallpaper as well! I had never read Gilman and picked it up because it was mentioned on the Backlisted podcast. I thought it was incredibly atmospheric, and I was reminded of the fabulous Ingrid Bergman movie, "Gaslight."

>96 charl08: Well as we all know, anything north of the Watford Gap is in the absolute hinterlands. (I always found that a weird concept, TBH. It's not even near Hadrian's Wall.)

I'm sorry to hear that your back is still out. I was hoping it would be better in a couple of days. It's good to see it hasn't stopped you reading though.

Saw this and thought of you Charlotte...

Pah, Boston Spa is a mere 200 or so miles north of London - the Hebrides are much further north of Boston Spa than Boston Spa is of London.

Boston Spa, and indeed Thorp Arch, are east of Leeds, near to Wetherby. I once got the bus there (from Leeds, my hometown, for an interview at the British Library, but I'm not sure I would have coped well with a commute if I'd been offered a job, it felt like the middle of nowhere).

>97 Helenliz: I always feel a bit confused on a motorway going "home" (now north) - as a kid going "home" was usually Lakes to East Anglia, so in the opposite direction.

>98 vivians: Good point - I was surprised no one mentioned gaslighting in our discussion!

>99 humouress: It's not been this much of an issue for a while: hoping it will be 'normal' again by the end of the week.

>100 Caroline_McElwee: That's a lovely one, Caroline.

>101 elkiedee: I did a volunteer project in Lincoln Cathedral many years ago, and getting there from Liverpool was a nightmare. When they announced that the newspaper bit of the BL was going there, I couldn't believe it.

Via http://www.mariascrivan.com/half-full-comic.html

Lavender blooming in the garden. So are the weeds, but they will have to wait!

Summer of Reckoning
This is billed as a 'Policier' but isn't really (at least to my mind). Translated from the French, a working class family who are frayed around the edges start to implode when the eldest daughter (16) gets pregnant and won't tell her parents who the father is. Dad is from a Spanish refugee family and has always felt inferior, as though he is failing and has a problem with his temper. His wife is devastated to be a grandmother before she is 40. Her parents aren't impressed either. Who to blame?

The Slynx
Such an odd book - not like anything I've read before. Set in a dystopian future where Moscow used to be, 300 years after a blast. It's now a dictatorship run by a leader who claims literature and any innovation as his own invention, and a fearful 'Slynx' beast roams the borders. Benedikt is just a lowly scribe who doesn't really understand 'the oldeners' - those who survived the blast and continue to complain about what they've lost, whilst weirdly preserved by their nuclear experience. His work involves transcribing bits of text that make little sense given that most of the pre-blast world has gone. Access to a hidden library changes his perspective, but others have plans that don't involve reading... Because the story is told from Benedikt's (confused) perspective, it takes a while to get going, and Tolstaya is able to slowly drip information about how the new world came to be, and how limited it is.

When Benedikt got his pass to the books -- ooooeeee! - his eyes popped out, his knees went weak, his hands shook and he nearly had a fainting fit. The room was huge, on the very top floor, with windows, and shelves, shelves , and more shelves, all along the walls, and on the shelves were books, books, and more books! Big ones, little ones, all kinds.

>104 charl08: *snort* I like that one.

>105 charl08: Lovely lavender! The only plants I have right now (I rent an apartment in a home, so no yard/garden of my own) are potted herbs that I started last year. Only the thyme survived the winter, so I've changed them out this year. Maybe I'll consider lavender and lemongrass for next year...

>107 bell7: Hi Mary. We've had a lot of warm weather here, the lavender is not normally as successful.
The herb that best survives my garden is mint. It seems completely indestructible. When I remember, I pick a few leaves for tea.

Oof, it must be ice cream time.

Listening to Bitter Lemon Press publishing tonight with the bookclub, speaking about Marion Brunet. I didn't realise they are so small - six books a year. They must pick good ones, because I feel like I've picked up quite a few that I enjoyed. The book was translated following a review in Le Monde.

The translator is now working on the translation of French thriller novel. She's a fan of the author's style as well as the setting (the South of France). There's a discussion of the depiction of class and poverty, from the lead characters swimming in the pools of the wealthy (who are never there). Oh I love the translator's comments about squeamishness: "if it happens in life then it is written about." " And they're not my words... "

What is a policier prize - the publisher says the French love book prizes, including the police themselves recommending a book!



Discussion questions
The description of the poverty, racism and misogyny in small towns in what we think of as a holiday destination is powerful. Does the location in the South of France make a difference? Is it really a universal story?
How successful is the author in making the two main characters of the two sisters - outgoing beautiful Celine and reflective Jo who may have a future outside the community - credible?
Is the novel successful in its portrayal of la France invisible? Brunet seems to point to poverty and inequality as triggering racism, xenophobia, even misogyny. Does she succeed?
How did you feel about the way that Celine and Jo's adolescent sexuality was portrayed?
The novel has an unusual structure in that the crime happens late in the story and is not really investigated. But the violence is foreshadowed - is it made too obvious? Is the revelation of the child's father at the end sufficiently unexpected?

Here's the author speaking about the book.
https://youtu.be/-F1vg8LovJg

Heads of the Colored People - an ARC (but it came out in paperback August 2019: I'm behind)

A collection of short stories that aren't afraid to look at uncomfortable and sometimes painful experiences. I particularly found the stories on women's experience of mental health and illness really strong, from the woman trying to recover from childhood abuse to a desperately ill single mum trying to work out what will happen to her baby. African American experiences of racism in school, of aspirational middle class parents. In some of the stories characters reappear, and perspectives on earlier stories change. Read in June 2020, the first story packs a particular punch.

The "author's note"

AUTHOR’S NOTE I WOULD BE remiss if I did not give credit for the title of this collection—and its titular story—to the writers who inspired it. The original “‘The Heads of the Colored People,’Done with a Whitewash Brush”was written by James McCune Smith, under the pen name Communipaw. Smith created a long-running series of sketches similar to those mentioned in this collection’s opening story and similar to the works of his contemporaries William J. Wilson (who wrote his own series of sketches called The Afric-American Picture Gallery mentioned in “Heads”) and Jane Rustic (a.k.a. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper), a prolific black writer, abolitionist, and feminist. These writers published widely, often serializing their work in Frederick Douglass’s Paper, The Anglo-African Magazine, and The Christian Recorder. Some of these works have since been anthologized in volumes like A Brighter Coming Day, edited by Frances Smith Foster. The sketches, first introduced to me in the work of the scholar Derrick R. Spires, narrate black life from the mundane to the obscure and span the didactic to the macabre.

This collection departs in most ways from the original content of the nineteenth-century black writers’sketches. The stories presented here do not follow the brevity of the sketch form. And while Smith, Wilson, and Watkins Harper were trying to theorize what it would mean for black people to have the full rights of citizenship, the black people in this collection have, on paper, full rights under the law. But like the original sketches, these stories maintain an interest in black US citizenship, the black middle class, and the future of black American life during pivotal sociopolitical moments. The stories herein also play with the theme of “Heads”broadly, considering literal heads as well as leadership and psychology. And as should be clear, this collection is just as preoccupied with black bodies and the betrayals of those bodies—both external and internal—as it is with heads.

Hi Charlotte - I hope your back is feeling better. I have The Slynx on my "read soon" list. It sounds interesting.

>110 charl08: This sounds like a good collection.

The Zora and Langston bio sounds good as well.

>111 BLBera: Lovely to have you back, Beth. I read on your thread that you had a good time. Spending time on and near the water sounds like my idea of heaven right now. And I am such a fan of your family bookclub!

I found the Zora/Langston bio interesting, but I am looking forward to reading more, especially a newly published collection of Zora's stories.

I had some wonderful news last night, my friend (and former flatmate) whose wedding I went to last year is going to have a baby. So lots of notice to start buying some more picture books, and a great excuse to visit Edinburgh when the travel restrictions lift.

Sorry to read about your backproblem, Charlotte. I hope you feel better soon.
I have had my share of backproblems after rearranging my books. And the next time I was able to spare my back, but then my shoulders gave problems. So now I try to do the rearranging in tiny portions.

Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75!

>110 charl08: I'm quite surprised that Bitter Lemon publishes as few as 6 books a year, because those I own plus those I'd like to acquire would seem to add up to more than that. At one of the early Harrogate Crime Festivals, I think one or more of their authors spoke.

>106 charl08: Now that one sounds interesting!

If I missed it, Congratulations on Double 75!

And I hope your back is feeling better.

>113 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita! I always am surprised when my back complains, and then I think 'Oh yes, I was lifting / sitting badly'. I should know better by now. Rearranging in small chunks sounds very sensible. I will try and remember when the small bookcase comes at the end of the month!

>114 elkiedee: I had the same reaction, but assume the publisher knows what he's talking about!? (although I could always have misheard, of course). From their website, 'new' books include ones published back in 2018, so maybe. I shouldn't have looked at their website, I want all their books now.
https://www.bitterlemonpress.com/collections/bitter-lemon-crime-new-books

>115 Matke: Thanks Gail. I definitely didn't learn a new language or take up a new craft for lockdown, just carried on reading!

Congrats on the numbers, Charlotte!

Are you doing your stretches (gently and slowly)? It does help the old back muscles! (at least, for me, it does). Hope you are feeling better.

Great news about your friend, Charlotte. At my family reunion, I missed babies. Scout was the youngest one there!

>117 jessibud2: I won't answer that in case I incriminate myself! More seriously, thanks for the reminder.

>118 BLBera: I'm hoping we'll be able to travel and visit by that time. Although I'm sure she's going to be swamped with visitors!

Congratulations on 2 x 75 books, Charlotte.

Exciting that your friend is having a baby in the near future. It's always fun purchasing children's books! I enjoy doing that for my granddaughter, and in September I'll have a grandson as well. I'm not sure that he will need a lot of new books right away , as very young baby books are more or less gender neutral.

>120 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah. I am definitely looking forward to gifting more picture books.

Reading TLS writers' recommendations for summer reading.
Bernadine Evaristo recommends The Black Flamingo and That reminds me plus Meena Kandasamy's latest book (I have an earlier one by her on my shelves).
Anne Enright highlights As you were by Elaine Feeney
Barbara J King mentions The Girl with the Louding Voice
Elizabeth Lowry recommends Motherwell, a book I have meant to read but haven't.
Hilary Mantel recommends The Voice in My Ear
Andrew Motion recommends A Certain Clarity a poetry collection.
Benjamin Miller recommends A Month in Siena
Beejay Silcox recommends Stone Sky Gold Mountain

https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/summer-books-list-tls-2020/

Oh, I just purchased The Girl With The Louding Voice. Nice to know it is recommended.

>122 vancouverdeb: Look forward to hearing what you make of the book, Deborah!

In case anyone needs another crime series...

Me and my detective by Lee Child, Attica Locke, Sara Paretsky, Jo Nesbø and more
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/27/me-and-my-detective-by-lee-child-a...

Has anyone read Amer Anwar's Brothers in Blood or Mark Billingham?

>121 charl08: oooh, I shall be adding some of that list to my reading Charlotte. The only one I've read is Motherwell which, because I loved Orr's journalism was a bit disappointing in some ways as the memoir is so different. That said it did speak to me in some ways.

I have A Month in Siena near the top of the tbr mountain.

>116 charl08: I'm sure it's true if that's what the publisher says, but I had assumed they had published more books, that's all!

I hope that your back is better. I read Yellow Wallpaper back in college, and remember it as being a difficult enough topic that I have never wanted to revisit it.

Congratulations on double 75 Charlotte!

>123 charl08: I have read quite a few of the Tom Thorne books by Mark Billingham and I remember the first two in particular being really good. Has a little of a Southern Rebus about him.

>124 Caroline_McElwee: A Month in Siena looked wonderful from the blurb, Caroline. I am sorely tempted.

>125 elkiedee: I thought they were bigger too - I think it's a sign of how good their books are, imho.

>126 banjo123: Thanks - it's almost back to normal, I just won't be doing a lot of bending in the garden anytime soon. I was impressed that our organiser not only talked about the different interpretations but also put them in the context of Gilman's biography - and her offensive attitudes about race.

>127 humouress: Thanks Nina. I am so glad the temperature has dropped here - I don't know how you do it long-term.

>128 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul - I had completely missed him, so will look out for his books when/ if the library reopens. (Oh Happy Day!)

The House of Lamentations
This is the final book in the Damien Seeker series, set following the English Civil War. This copy was an ARC and it comes out in the UK in the first week of July.
It's the fifth book in the series, so you might not want to read this review for spoilers.

'The Seeker' is an enforcer for the new peace, looking for those plotting against Cromwell. And there are many plotting against Cromwell, from those who support the King, to extremist free-thinkers who think 'The Protector' didn't go far enough with his reforms. One of the big attractions of this series for me is the depth of Cromwell's London MacLean shows. Coffee shops are full of plotters, pamphlets are being printed and passed from hand to hand, and (almost) everyone has had to make difficult decisions over allegiances.

The existence of this book is in itself a spoiler, given the plot of the previous book. I would say you want to read the others before you pick up this one.

Have I mentioned spoilers enough? Seeker was declared dead at the end of the previous book, apparently killed by a bear. His handler has sent him to Bruges, hotbed of Royalist opposition, to try and root out future plots against Cromwell from the royalists around Charles in exile. As a carpenter, he uses his skills to work for the businesses around the town, relying on 'trade' entrances to avoid awkward encounters with opponents who might yet recognise him. The royalists suspect a double agent in their midst after various plots were uncovered and the plotters killed. News reaches Seeker that an agent is being sent from London to sniff out the duplicitous member of the Royalist group. This is his 'one last job' as news also reaches him that his star crossed (bear-crossed?) love is being persuaded to head for the New World by her brother, who is sick of Cromwell's turn to authoritarianism.

Will Seeker survive the 'last job'? Will the agent find the double-agent? And what has the mysterious death of an Englishman looking for his sister in Bruges got to do with all of this?

Note: This series is enhanced by imagining Sean Bean narrating in your head (Seeker is also from Yorkshire).

Another list of recommendations - this time for new crime fiction.
From https://bookish.netgalley.com/must-reads/06/2020/mystery-thriller-recommendation...

The Swap by Robyn Harding —Samantha Downing, author of He Started It

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier —Sheena Kamal, author of No Going Back

Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle—Catherine McKenzie, author of You Can’t Catch Me

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas —Heather Young, author of The Distant Dead

Remain Silent by Susie Steiner—Gillian McAllister, author of The Choice

Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha—Jennifer J. Chow, author of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher —BA Paris, author of The Dilemma

A Good Family by A.H. Kim —Lydia Kang, author of Opium and Absinthe

The Streel by Mary Logue —Ann Parker, author of Mortal Music

A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette—Vivien Chien, author of Death by Dumpling

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon—Jennifer Hillier, author of Little Secrets

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
“I’m looking forward to reading Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby. This Southern Noir crime novel is a glimpse into the life of Beauregard ‘Bug’ Montage, an ex-criminal now trying to lead an honest life… that is until someone from his old life presents him with a jewelry store heist. Described as Ocean’s Eleven meets Drive, this story is a window into the great American traditions—class struggles, racism, and violence. Blacktop Wasteland is a must-read.” —Rachel Howzell Hall, author of And Now She’s Gone

I've pre-ordered this one - looks brilliant!

The Other Couple by Louise Candlish—Ruth Ware, author of The Turn of the Key and One by One
This one too.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain—Esme Addison, author of A Spell for Trouble

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones—Vanessa Lillie, author of Little Voices and For the Best

The Keeper of Bees by Gregory Ashe —Layla Reyne, author of Variable Onset

The Wicked Sister by Karen Dionne—Tori Eldridge, author of The Ninja Daughter

The Shadows by Alex North —Anna Downes, author of The Safe Place

The Lies You Told by Harriet Tyce —Maxine Mei-Fung Chung, author of The Eighth Girl

Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert —Abby Collette, author of A Deadly Inside Scoop

Hi, Charlotte! Glad your back is feeling better. Thanks for the list of new crime fiction — I have a copy of Your House Will Pay from the library but haven't cracked it open yet.

>130 charl08: To be honest, it took me about ten years to acclimatise and not wonder what on earth locals were talking about when they said 'It's cold today' just because the temperature had dropped a degree or two from normal.

I'm glad you're feeling better.

>132 charl08: All of those would be new to me authors, Charlotte.

Hani is on something of a Ruth Ware binge at the moment and has read three of her books in the last month.

Congrats on 2 x 75, Charlotte!

It's good news that your back is better at last.

Definitely congratulations on 2 x 75. I'm hoping this year to make 1 x 75!

Your photographs on the last thread, of the flowers in your garden, are breathtaking.

And your lists! Not only haven't I read many of them, I haven't even heard of many of them. Clearly I have to stop by more often.

I hope your back is back to normal by now.

>133 rosalita: I ordered that one for mum but haven't read it myself yet. Bad Charlotte. (Too many books.)

>134 humouress: This was the first year I've been to Cape Town in their summer. Previous years I've been wandering round in t shirts and looking bemused at people in jumpers and woolly hats. Elsewhere I loved harmattan and was continually being told to get out of the wind... (But it's so lovely...)

>135 PaulCranswick: Sounds like Hani is onto a good thing - I've come across her recommended on several sites (have been looking for my mum again: she's read through the ones I got - or dismissed them as not her cup of tea).

>136 susanj67: Hoping I haven't pushed it a bit far today, Susan. I started off trying to net the beans a bit better, and then to move some random plants into a space, and then thought I would just try to separate a hosta and plant it in different places. The last one was not so great as I managed to break one of the decorative thistle stem in the process. Whoops.

>137 ffortsa: I'm blushing. Too many compliments. How nice.

I haven't heard of most of the books either- that's why I like the lists. Although I thought I was being most clever and putting off buying any new books for a bit. I made a wishlist on Blackwells site, thinking that hopefully I would be able to whittle them down at the end of the month. I have 33 on the list. No sign of any whittling yet.

I've tried a new website, Biblio for second hand books which claims to be independent and to support indies. (Mum ran out of crime again: not entirely selfless given I haven't read most of them.)

The Night Visitor / Lucy Atkins

The Man Who Came Uptown George Pelecanos

The Eyes of Lira Kazan Eva Joly & Judith Perrignon

Lightning Men (Darktown) / Mullen, Thomas (Hoping she likes this one as much as I did)

Holy Ceremony (Ariel Kafka Mystery) / Nykanen, Harri

An Echo of Murder (William Monk Mystery, Book 23): A thrilling journey into the dark streets of Victorian London / Perry, Anne

A Cut-Like Wound (The Inspector Gowda Series) / Nair, Anita

Goat Song / Pelletier, Chantal

The RUSSIAN PASSENGER/ Gunter Ohnemus

Eyes Like Mine by Sheena Kamal

A Not So Perfect Crime Teresa Solana

I've used biblio when the books I wanted weren't available on bookshop.org and the books arrived in a timely manner. I have no complaints.

>140 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte. Another book site for me to trawl.

>141 RidgewayGirl: Thank you, Kay. Another book site for me to trawl.

>138 charl08: You loved harmattan? I suspect you didn't leave live there, so you didn't have to sweep out afterwards :0)

>139 charl08: Go easy on that back.

ETA: re harmattan, I was over on Joe's thread and there's apparently a dust cloud from the Sahara and Sahel over Alabama. But Donald Trump still thinks global warming is a myth?

>141 RidgewayGirl: That's reassuring, Kay. Most of the bookshops they were working with I recognised, so that helped too.

>142 PaulCranswick: Good luck, Paul :-)

>143 humouress: Very little sweeping. I didn't pass muster on the housekeeping front!
DT. Sigh.

I was looking at the ad for the IWM exhibition (now delayed because Covid) on refugees. This picture hit me.


Mari-Anne Le Du clasps a treasured book in the ruins of her house in Normandy, July 1944.

More on the exhibition plans here:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/refugees-forced-to-flee

>145 charl08: What a photograph Charlotte.

^What Caroline said, Charlotte.

I hope things are going well. Have you read Gene Luen Yang? I just finished his very good Dragon Hoops, focused on the high school where he taught and its championship-caliber basketball team. American Chinese remains my favorite of his.

>145 charl08: Amazing photograph. You can just feel her pain and sadness coming through.

I'm currently reading a book that made me think of you — The Great Passage by Shion Mura. It's one of those Amazon Crossing ebooks in translation that I picked up a while ago. It's set at a dictionary publisher in Japan, and I'm finding the story to be quite interesting. Have you read it?

>146 Caroline_McElwee: I really hope the exhibition goes ahead (eventually) - even the small selection on the website are really striking.

>147 jnwelch: I heard Yang giving the keynote of a conference a couple of months ago (I think - time seems to be very weird at the moment). He was great talking about how he'd come to think about sport and school, and putting that in his book.
I'd like to read this one and his other new one - maybe when the library (finally) reopens.
Hope you're recovering from the grands :-) must seem very quiet where you are right now!

>148 rosalita: I have a digital copy (at least, I think I do). I will bump it up. Thank you!

And speaking of Japanese fiction in translation...


The Lady Killer
This is one of the lovely Pushkin Vertigo series, which are the kind of paperbacks I would be tempted to read on the train just to show off a bit. They look very stylish.

The lives of men and women are like toothed cogs; once one cog slips out of sync, it damages not merely those around it but also otehrs having no direct connection with it. Thus, now, the tiniest secrets of individuals were likely to be laid before the public gaze.

The story is very much of its time, I think, especially in terms of gender attitudes. There is a lot of reference to women being 'over the hill' at 30, and generally moping about because they're not married. The Lady Killer of the title is set up as a murderer (his only 'crime' is lying to women he seduces about who he really is). In the second half of the book, a depressed junior lawyer tries to track down evidence for his appeal. I liked the second half a lot more, as the seducer has few redeeming characteristics and spending time in his company was fairly oppressive.
Ultimately there is (of course) a twist, and a nod towards justice. Worth reading if interested in the picture of late 50s / 60s Tokyo, with a thin veneer of salary-man respectability barely covering a seedy sex-for-sale culture.The ultimate justice meted out is, of course, also embedded in those gender attitudes, so the woman at the heart of the crime gets to gradually kill herself by not eating in hospital instead of the death penalty her husband faced for the same crime.

>131 charl08: This sounds like a great series, Charlotte.

>145 charl08: What a great photo.

>132 charl08: I'm trying to ignore this list, but I imagine some of these will go on my library reserve list, which never seems to go down...

Beth, I'm struggling with the wishlist. I started this one as a way of delaying purchases, but...

Books that I thought I owned but didn't turn up when shelving...

Americanah
Winter

New books

The Streel Mary Logue
As You Were Elaine Feeney
Death In The Family Tessa Wegert
La Bastarda Trifonia Melibea Obono, Lawrence Schimel (translator)

Books I just want because

The Red Parts Maggie Nelson
Girl Gone Missing Marcie R Rendon
Blonde Roots Bernardine Evaristo
New Daughters of Africa Margaret Busby (editor)

Non-fiction

- about working undercover with extremists
Going Dark Julia Ebner
- Travel A Month in Siena Hisham Matar
Around India in 80 Trains Monisha Rajesh
- history Learning from the Germans Susan Neiman
- natural history Spying on Whales Nick Pyenson
Poetry
Smart Devices poetry Carol Rumens (editor)
A Certain Clarity Lawrence Joseph (author)
- politics / memoir (Iran) Kissing the Sword
Shahrnush Parsipur, Sara Khalili (translator)

Look at the gorgeous cover!
Tales of Pirx the Pilot Stanislaw Lem, Louis Iribarne (translator)
Search Sweet Country B. Kojo Laing
The Red Thread: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the NYRB Classics series Edwin Frank (editor)

ETA and yes of course, good problems to have.

What is your mum's cup of tea crime fiction wise? Anything she really enjoyed recently, any favourite authors old or new, any preferred sub genre?

Nice that your mum likes crime fiction, since than both of you might enjoy the same book. My mom is quite particular. She likes very light, optimistic books for the most part. When I was out book shopping with her last week, I pointed out a few titles I thought she might like. But, even if the description said " suspenseful' - and I knew that it was not very suspenseful - like a suspenseful love story, she told me none of that for her. She seems to really be avoiding anything that might trouble her. I think that the covid virus has raised her level of anxiety.

>153 charl08: So true!

>153 charl08: - Ha!

>154 elkiedee: Ones I've got her recently that she liked - Susie Steiner, Steph Cha, Celia Fremlin, Walter Mosley (Fearless Jones). She wasn't convinced by Durrenmatt!

>155 vancouverdeb: It is nice. I started reading Carol Shields because of her and her book group, and I suspect Georgette Heyer too.

>156 katiekrug: Made me smile (I would not have been in the Shawshank tunnel).

I finished Hamnet and it is definitely my favourite read so far this year! If you can get your hands on it, I think you'd like it, Charlotte. I've enjoyed a book by Celia Fremlin and I've a couple in my TBR stacks, small though they are.

>70 charl08: a great cover, I bet it is banned in China.

>148 rosalita: >150 charl08: It has been a while since I read a book translated from the Japanese (why do we say 'the' {insert language}, I wonder!).

I just compiled my half year stats, and 1/6th of my reads were translated (from 'the' Korean, German, and Spanish).

>158 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah, I have it in the digital TBR pile. Hope to get to it soon.

The Celia Fremlin gave me a bit of a shock - the title glows in the dark!

>159 LovingLit: I saw something about the the, Megan. But I can't remember the answer so that's about as useful as a chocolate tea pot.
If you're looking for a Japanese recommendation (and can get hold of it) the collection I read for the translated fiction book group Where the Wild Ladies Are. An incredibly dry critique of Japanese sexism using traditional tales as a launch pad.

Now reading Black Sun by Owen Matthews, part of my attempt to clear the Netgalley digital piles. It's gripping stuff - a murder in the secret town in 1950s USSR. Everyone is dedicated to trying to build a world changing bomb, but our hero is trying to get to the truth about an apparent suicide by thallium.

>153 charl08: Does anyone else wish that the title of his book was legible? Or is it just me?

>160 charl08: Black Sun does look good. It's out now, £4.99 for Kindle here.

I hope your back is behaving now, Charlotte. We're nearly half-way through the week, at least! And there is lots of watching the crime writing festival from tomorrow afternoon.

>161 susanj67: Well, I do now. Thanks Susan!

Black Sun is good so far. The beginning put me off, but going back to it, that's not reflective of the rest of the book at all.

My back survived gardening yesterday, so that's progress. I'm still being quite careful when I go to pick something up on the floor though. I've taken Friday off, so hopefully can combine some walking with some crime festival discussion.

Another list!

16 new books - mix of NF and F
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/books/new-july-books.html

‘Afterland,’ by Lauren Beukes (Mulholland, July 28)

‘The Answer Is … : Reflections on My Life,’ by Alex Trebek (Simon & Schuster, July 21)

‘Becoming Duchess Goldblatt: A Memoir,’ by Anonymous (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, July 7)

Blacktop Wasteland,’ by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron, July 14) (I've already ordered this one - sounds really good)

‘Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party,’ by Julian Zelizer (Penguin Press, July 7)

‘Cool for America: Stories,’ by Andrew Martin (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, July 7)

‘Hamnet,’ by Maggie O’Farrell (Knopf, July 21)

‘I Hold a Wolf by the Ears: Stories,’ by Laura van den Berg (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, July 28)

‘Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir,’ by Natasha Trethewey (Ecco, July 28)

‘Pew,’ by Catherine Lacey (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, July 21)

‘Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,’ by Mary L. Trump (Simon & Schuster, July 28)

‘To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America Into Iraq,’ by Robert Draper (Penguin Press, July 28)

‘Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism,’ by Anne Applebaum (Doubleday, July 21)

‘The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession With the Unexplained,’ by Colin Dickey (Viking, July 21)

‘Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration,’ by Christine Montross (Penguin Press, July 21)

‘Want,’ by Lynn Steger Strong (Henry Holt, July 7)

It's nice that your mum reads; my parents aren't readers except academic stuff when they were working. My sister reads a lot of academic stuff but she also reads romances, which aren't a favourite of mine, but she's been complaining that she hasn't been able to find anything at her library on Overdrive (for isolation reading).

Bend ze knees not ze back! (I have no idea what I remember that from).

>159 LovingLit: We probably should use 'the' {language} but I don't.

>160 charl08: Oh; I thought you said chocolate pot and I was going to argue in favour of it (as long as it's full of hot chocolate, the thicker the better).

>164 humouress: I take it for granted, and I shouldn't do, really. I worry about people who live without books around them (although in normal times our house also supports half the charity shops in the town via book recycling!) My siblings have missed the gene just about altogether though - they comiserate with each other over holiday time spent waiting outside second hand bookshops.

The roses have had a last minute dash - if half these buds flower I will be delighted.

>165 charl08: There was an extensive study that showed that growing up in a house with even just 25 books in it increases a child's educational achievements. It normalizes books and reading.

My Dad has been keeping his house free of "clutter," which means that he's been out of books and asking me to run books by. This seems like the worst possible thing to have happen, but I have made sure that it can't happen to me.

Forward - Meet the Poet sessions

Nina Mingya Powles who will read from Magnolia, 木蘭, shortlisted for Best First Collection. Nina will answer attendees' questions as fielded by Forward Prizes' judge, Kim Moore.

Registration costs £3 via Eventbrite. Donate £10 while registering and you get to join all the remaining sessions for free.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/forward-meet-the-poet-with-nina-mingya-powles-reg...

Nina Mingya Powles (b. 1993) sees Magnolia, 木蘭 as ‘partly a collection of love letters to Shanghai, but it’s also about loneliness, and about trying to retrace your steps back towards a language you’ve lost’. (木蘭, ‘Mùlán’, is the Chinese word for magnolia, the official flower of Shanghai: Disney viewers may know this already.)

Nina is a writer, editor and publisher of mixed Malaysian-Chinese heritage, who was born in New Zealand, grew up in China and now lives in London. She is the founding editor of Bitter Melon 苦瓜, a small press that publishes limited-edition poetry pamphlets by Asian diaspora writers. Last year she won the inaugural Nan Shepherd prize, which recognises exceptional nature writing, for the manuscript of her forthcoming memoir Small Bodies of Water (Canongate 2021).


Sonnet with Particles of Gold
Today scientists discovered the origins of gold:
the sound of egg noodles crisping up in the wok,
the garden carpeted in kōwhai petals,
the way my phone corrects raumati (summer) to rainstorm.

The day after my grandmother died was white-gold in colour.

A star explodes and wings are found among the debris
along with pieces of a character I never memorised—

our only name for her, 婆, a woman 女 beneath a wave 波.

“Drift,” she mouths softly in English, “what is drift?”
My mother translates into her language, not one of mine.

I try to make myself remember by writing 婆 over and over
on squares of paper covering the walls so I am surrounded
by the women and the water radicals they hold close.

The tips of waves touch me in my sleep.

"Sonnet with Particles of Gold", Magnolia, 木蘭 (Nine Arches Press) shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection.

>153 charl08: I love it!

You are officially the Queen of Lists.

>166 RidgewayGirl: Sorry Kay, I missed your post. I do wonder about that study: is it having the books around that makes the difference, or is it that having the books is a sign that the parents spend time reading? There's also been some work that suggests that it's not enough for parents to promote books: children have to see their parents/ family reading. Which was your point so I've gone round in a circle! And it doesn't always work - one of my oldest friends is a prodigious reader - she was reading classic Victorian chunksters for pleasure at school, and introduced me to some wonderful books over the years. Neither of her parents read much or have books in the house (she now has floor to ceiling bookshelves of which I am rather envious!)

>168 BLBera: Ha! I was amazed how many of the NYT ones were linked to politics- I guess everyone's looking to the election.

Black Sun - copy via Netgalley

Hardback out now - Paperback edition is out next week in the UK.

Despite the trippy opening pages (from the murder victim's perspective as he suffers a truly awful end from radiation poisoning) this is a gripping thriller set in a 'secret' city where the USSR under Khrushchev is developing the bomb to end all bombs. An elite young man, son of a high ranking scientist, is killed and KGB agent Vasin is sent to investigate. He finds an odd society where the shops are full and people free to read and discuss what they like: so long as the bomb is a success. The book is full of details about Russian life, alongside Vasin!s struggles with the ethics of his job. Despite being in an elite position, many of the scientists have been through denunciation, Gulag and (of course) the war. The book highlights the new guard of the "Secret Speech" era facing off those who only know strategies of power, denunciation and blackmail. I thought the ending (of the first book in a planned trilogy) was well done, showing the ways personal choices (an affair) might compromise as much as professional ones, effectively forcing corruption on agents of the state to preserve themselves.

One you might especially want to pick up if you are a fan of Martin Cruz Smith, John Le Carre or Helen Dunmore's KGB books.

You might have already seen this, but Bernadine Evaristo has shared it again, so I thought I could too.
How many have you read? How many do you want to read? I'm currently reading In dependence and have read the amazing Confessions of Frannie Langton.

"Bernardine Evaristo says:
Last year was particularly fruitful for writing by black womxn, with several debut authors of non-fiction in particular, which is why they are well-represented in this list. It’s a field that’s been arid up to this point, signalling an absence of our conversations from the intellectual culture. Each book explores its own individual cultural territory, whether that of the natural world, or a fictionalised memoir of a young actress, or a recalibration of feminism through an African prism. There still aren’t many of us writing novels or publishing poetry or children’s books, but the commercial and critical success of many of these titles makes me hopeful for the future."

Character Breakdown Zawe Ashton
Smart, entertaining and compellingly honest, Character Breakdown is Zawe Ashton’s account of her acting career and how the years spent in the thespian world shaped her identity. As well as a personal memoir, Ashton serves up a razor-sharp breakdown of the glitz and gimmicks - as well as the casual racism - of modern day show business.

Surge Jay Bernard
An astounding, incendiary collection that takes the New Cross Fire of 1981 as a jumping off point for an exploration of injustice, prejudice and the turbulence of black lives in the decades since. An urgent new voice in British poetry, Bernard invokes Jamaican patois and the rhythms of the dancehall to craft a richly evocative verse-world.

Crossfire Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series was one of the foundational texts of the Young Adult literature boom and now, over a decade after Double Cross, Sephy and Callum return in a blistering new novel that finds our protagonists all grown up but the dystopian world they inhabit still casting a shadow on their relationship. A mature, intelligent addition to a seminal sequence.

The Grassling Elizabeth-Jane Burnett
In this lyrical tribute to the natural world, Burnett explores her father’s home region, the West Country, and the connection between a place and the people inhabiting it. Delicate, beautiful and full of reverence, The Grassling is a profound meditation on the interconnectedness of memory, language and natural history.
This product is only available to collect in store.

Queenie Candice Carty-Williams
Caught between the Jamaican British family who don’t seem to understand her, a job that’s not all it promised and a man she just can’t get over, Queenie Jenkins’ life seems to be steadily spiralling out of control in Candice Carty-Williams luminous debut. By turns hilariously funny, dramatic and tender, with a heroine to root for, Queenie is undoubtedly one of the year’s most exciting debuts.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton Sara Collins
A story of slavery, freedom and the wonderful and dreadful secrets bodies give up under the cover of darkness, Sara Collins’ stunning debut moves from the plantations of Jamaica to the fetid drawing rooms of London. Echoing the gothic thrall of Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea, The Confessions of Frannie Langton is an unforgettable novel from a major new literary voice.

Don't Touch My Hair Emma Dabiri
In viewing black hair as emblematic of the black experience from slavery through to social media, Dabiri's deftly written history approaches a wide-ranging and complex topic from a startlingly original angle. Unearthing any number of jaw-dropping facts about the uses to which black hair has been put over the centuries, this is a remarkable, educational read.

Darling Rachel Edwards
Complex and masterfully suspenseful, Darling is an impeccably executed psychological thriller, centring on a challenging relationship between a teenage girl and her stepmother. Through two powerful female narrators, Edwards weaves together a dark and chilling tale of what happens when trust disappears.

The Mother Yvvette Edwards
Heart-wrenching and emotionally raw, Edwards blistering second novel examines youth violence and its disorientating, debilitating effects on the victims’ families. Told with tremendous power and force, The Mother grips from first page to last.

Ordinary PeopleDiana Evans
Ordinary People is an intimate, immersive study of identity and parenthood, sex and grief, friendship and aging, and the fragile architecture of love. With its distinctive prose and irresistible soundtrack, it is the story of our lives, and those moments that threaten to unravel us.

"I Will Not Be Erased": Our stories about growing up as people of colour gal-dem
Inspired by the trailblazing website written by women and non-binary people of colour, I Will Not Be Erased is a propulsive set of essays from the site’s contributors to their younger selves. Raw, powerful and immensely important, this is essential reading.

Freedom Catherine Johnson
This Winner of the Little Rebels Children's Book Award tells the story of a slave boy shipped to England from a Jamaican plantation in 1783. His journey to London entails many harrowing discoveries, but also the kindness and generosity of strangers. With insight and hope firmly anchored in the narrative, Freedom offers an important perspective to one of the darkest episodes in British history.

Tell Me Your Secret Dorothy Koomson
Two women, secrets, and a serial killer who got away. From the bestselling author of Goodnight, Beautiful and The Ice Cream Girls, this tightly-plotted thriller is filled with unexpected twists and riveting characters. Spiralling towards its explosive climax, Tell Me Your Secret is addictive, tense and simply unputdownable.

Taking Up Space Chelsea Kwakye, Ore Ogunbiyi
An electrifying and impassioned polemic against the lack of diversity in the education system, Taking Up Space draws on case studies and testimonies from students past and present to challenge the stultifying status quo. A call to arms of the utmost eloquence and sophistication.

In Dependence Sarah Ladipo Manyika
Exquisitely written, Manyika’s tale of love, loss and identity spans four decades and two continents in its depiction of a doomed affair between a Nigerian immigrant and the daughter of a colonial officer. Exploring issues of race, class and culture with sensitivity and intelligence, In Dependence probes the African diaspora and its relationship with white, middle class privilege.

Orangeboy Patrice Lawrence
A former winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Older Readers, Lawrence’s raw yet tender debut examines the vexed moral choices for a Black British teenager who always swore to stick to the right path. Lyrically written with an almost musical rhythm and brimming with compassion and insight, Orangeboy is a wise, engrossing read for both teens and adults alike.

In Search of Equilibrium Theresa Lola
Breathtaking and visceral, Lola’s stunning debut collection hones in on the stabs and strains of grief with uncompromising intensity and lyrical power. Peeling away fresh layers of meaning with every line, In Search of Equilibrium is poetry of the very highest calibre.

Nudibranch Irenosen Okojie
A panoply of giddily surreal miniatures glide through this effervescent collection from Okojie, from time travelling tramps to the trials and tribulations of a Grace Jones impersonator. Taking a hammer to narrative convention and unleashing a whirlwind of inspired absurdity, Nudibranch is a gleefully off-kilter triumph.

Sensuous Knowledge Minna Salami
Asking the questions that matter in a fragmented society with multiple contending narratives, Salami’s scholarly yet accessible volume marries afro-centric and feminist theories in a bold new approach to competing global visions. Vital, relevant and perceptive, Sensuous Knowledge is a triumphant synthesis of academic study and superb storytelling.

O.M.G.s (OH MY GODS) Alexandra Sheppard
Zany and endearing, Oh My Gods! pitches a family of Greek gods into the urban sprawl of London with hilarious results. Packed with brilliant comic set pieces and lovable, instantly relatable characters, Sheppard’s tale of teen angst and mythic madness is an absolute delight."

https://www.waterstones.com/blog/bernardine-evaristo-reveals-her-top-20-books-by...

I have read 3 and have either Netgalley/ ebook/printed copies of another 3. I bought my son Crossfire by Malorie Blackman last year - want to read but need ti catch up with the previous books in the series first. He devoured them all last year and 2 or 3 others I found on my children's and YA bookshelves or in charity shops.

>172 elkiedee: Noting the recommendation for Crossfire - thank you! (Incidentally - can't quite believe how low down the touchstones list it is!) I should have added I have a copy of Ordinary People to read. I'm not big on books about other people's marriages, so the first chapters didn't do much for me. I will try again.

June wrap up (I wrote July first, which perhaps shows I should go and get some coffee first!) (I have today off, and am moving rather slowly)

OK - June wrap up with added coffee.

In June I read 25 books (and some that are ongoing and I still haven't finished)

Non-fiction, I finally finished the lovely Bird by Bird which I wasn't expecting to be so funny - Anne Lamott shares her experiences of teaching writing classes, which include a lot of stories about books that didn't make it, dealing with criticism and working as a writer. I also read Zora and Langston about the two writers' lives and friendship, and how it went wrong. This one wasn't as successful a read - but I'm still keen to read more of Zora's work, especially. I loved Broken Greek in lots of ways, although reading with BLM in the news some of his comments about growing up in Birmingham made me think about the ways we tell stories about ourselves given his experiences of casual racism in school. Mostly the book is about a passionate love for music - and even comes with its own playlist on Spotify (which I listened to, as most of his favourites had passed me by).

I read a lot of genre fiction (romance and crime) - highlights in crime were two books with rivers in the title (crime) Murder on the Red River and Long Bright River - both featured damaged female protagonists who got to where they needed to be anyway. I autodownloaded Avery Flynn's new one Loudmouth but didn't like it as much as her earlier efforts in this romance series set around an ice hockey team. I read a lot of fiction in translation across genres, from The Lady killer (Japanese crime) to Inkheart (German YA) to The Slynx (Russian SF / Dystopia).

I enjoyed two books particularly relevant to BLM German Calendar: No December, a GN that explores the experience of being in Germany as a Nigerian student in the 90s, and Heads of the Colored People - this short story collection is wide ranging and unafraid to shock, but particularly hits hard in the first story set around a comic con, and the assumptions made by outsiders about two men having an argument over a 'zine.

>171 charl08: Wow! I had never heard of any of these books or authors. Evaristo went deep. A few definitely sound interesting.

Happy Friday, Charlotte. Of course, I have Bird By Bird on my TBR. Hooray for Long Bright River. That one, was such a nice surprise.

>175 msf59: Well, they're all British, so I think that gives you an excuse, Mark.

It is very much happy Friday, as in a bid to use up my leave, I've booked every Friday off for the forseeable (also known as mid August).

I've been listening to the Locked In Crime festival this afternoon, after catching one session yesterday which included crime writers discussing the terrible reviews they'd received. Some of them were really very funny. At the end of the panel there were a slew of comments in the 'chat' section from people giving star ratings, which made me laugh.


The session kicking off this afternoon's programme was chaired by Vaseem Khan with S A Cosby, Nadine Matheson and Lloyd Otis, who have all published their first books ('The Debuts'). Fascinating hearing about their books, from southern noir, to a serial killer police procedural set in Deptford, to a thriller based in 70s Battersea. All were really good to listen to, too - I'd definitely go see them at a 'real' event when those things are possible.

>145 charl08: What a poignant picture.

>174 charl08: I loved Bird by Bird and was quite taken with Inkheart.

Your stories about buying books for your Mum really took me back, Charlotte. My mother loved mysteries. She had quite decided tastes and I spent many hours in the library and online, seeking out books that would please her.

So many lists and book blurbs. Wow! Zora and Langston is one book that sticks.

>176 charl08: It's a really great festival, Charlotte - thanks for posting about it a while ago too. I've got a couple of talks to catch up on when they send the YouTube link afterwards, but I'll watch all tomorrow's talks.

>176 charl08: sounds fun, and a great cause too Charlotte.

Yay to Friday's off.

I now work 9 day fortnights, so get every second Monday off (a three day w/e this week), but am seriously considering going down to a 4 day week next year and having ALL Monday's off.

Nice June reading, Charlotte. I love Evaristo's list. I've read a couple of the novels.

You hit me with a book bullet over on Hannah's thread, Charlotte. Way to go!

Too bad you couldn't have seen more of Thursdays Locked Up sessions, Charlotte. They were all really good. There is a problem though, my wish list seems to be growing exponentially. I'm glad that the first session for tomorrow is cancelled, though. It has been a challenge to get up for sessions that start at 6:30 am.

Another list! I have Ordinary People in my TBR pile, but it has not called to me. Maybe I'll take a second look at The Confessions of Frannie Langton. I still have it out from the library. Currently I am reading a fascinating book , The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel by Abi Daré. She is a Nigerian author who moved to the UK . I think you would probably enjoy it, though you do have a lot of books on the go.

>177 Matke: It's a nice way to show I care (I hope!) If I didn't have to have a proper job, I think I would like to volunteer sourcing books for people who can't get out so easily.

>178 weird_O: It's a beautiful cover, but I found the book a bit frustrating.

>179 susanj67: I watched the Richard Osman crime fiction quiz session last night - really good, despite technical problems (their screen wouldn't share in Zoom - nice to know I'm not the only one!) - featuring such questions as:
How many novels does Hercule Poirot appear in? What's the longest novel title by Christopher Brookmyre?

>180 Caroline_McElwee: That sounds lovely! I don't know anyone who has that pattern in my place, but I might ask.
I'm hoping that this time in lockdown will mean that I can work from home more often. I like being in the office and seeing people, but it's definitely easier to get some stuff done at home.

>181 BLBera: I thought the list was really wide-ranging, Beth. I've ordered another of Evaristo's novels, which seem to have been republished following the Booker, which is good.
Hopefully the list sharing will continue (and not just because I like a list!)

>182 ronincats: I really enjoyed reading The Other Bennet Sister, Roni, and I was feeling a bit wary going in. Hope that you enjoy it too.

>183 Familyhistorian: That's an early start time, impressive stuff. I thought Shari Lapena did very well in the quiz considering she'd clearly never seen the quiz it was based on, and was at a disadvantage given the British-bias of the questions.

>184 vancouverdeb: The Confessions of Frannie Langton looks very frankly at the sexual violence at the heart of the institution of Caribbean slavery, so not an easy read. But it was a gripping one for me, and memorable. Thanks for the Abi Daré recommendation - I'll look out for your review.

>171 charl08: I haven’t read any of them as yet, but I had Queenie for Christmas and Ordinary People and Confessions of Frannie Langton have been on my Wish List for a while. And I’ve never read any of the Noughts and Crosses books although I remember J enjoying them when he was younger. I suppose the place to start there would be with the original rather than the sequel.

My Mum is still reading at 98, mainly crime fiction. She has a particular taste for historical crime fiction.

>185 charl08: Uh oh. I don't think frustration is what I need. It seems to permeate the air around us all, and the mask doesn't filter it out.

>188 SandDune: Sounds like you've got some good reading ahead of you, Rhian.
I would *love* to know what your mum recommends.

>189 weird_O: Your mileage may vary, Bill. Apparently the author also wrote a long article about Zora and Langston collecting stories in the south - I suspect that might be the basis for the richest bit of the book. So if you can get hold of that.

I'm sorry I missed the Locked In thing. I used to go to a lot of crime fiction events - that and an online discussion group are partly to blame for all the piles of crime novels still TBR even before I got a Kindle etc.

>176 charl08: That looks a hoot! Billingham, Lee Child, Val McDermid, etc etc etc. Stellar cast indeed.

Have a lovely Sunday.

>191 elkiedee: I found this a lot more "inclusive", weirdly, than my previous experience of book festivals. They had a chat function so that people could talk throughout, and it seemed like people were really making connections.
From the comments at the end, the organisers really would rather not be in charge of it again though!

>192 PaulCranswick: I hadn't realised how many of them are musical, Paul, and with wide ranging backgrounds it made for lots of interesting conversations, from serenading Oxford dons to leaving school because you couldn't afford shoes, appearing in bit parts in The Bill and Brookie to writing for the National Theatre of Scotland...

Now reading (amongst other things) The Man Who Came Uptown, about a guy facing difficult choices after leaving prison. It's turned into one of those books where I'm really worried about what the author is going to do to the characters... argh...

Also now reading Artifact: a novel - weirdly, a mention of something currently discussed over on Katie's thread, the domestic hassock...

He swept his arm in an arc that took in the tweed couch he was sitting on, as well as the two big upholstered chairs and several hassocks from which grew unruly bushes of newspapers and scientific journals and chil dren’s books. “Nice living room.”“You like the Salvation Army originals?”“Well, it’s comfortable, pulls you in.” He pointed at a sampler that hung on the wall. “Now that’s beautiful.” It was an embroidered picture of a Norwegian village, consisting of a small silver church, a redbrick school , a few brown and gray and pink houses, different shades of green fields, a grayblue fjord. “My grandmother made it. You’re saying all the right things tonight

>195 charl08: I've had that strange co-incidence thing twice in two days now. Yesterday I was reading two NF books on different subjects and both mentioned the same obscure US legislation that I'd never heard of before. And then, after the discussion on my thread about New Hampshire, I started a book this morning and it was set in that very state. Spooky!

>195 charl08: - Are we sure it was a hassock and not an ottoman, though?

>196 susanj67: - Now I'm curious about what legislation popped up!

>195 charl08: I really don't think of a hassock as a piece of domestic furniture.

>196 susanj67: It is weird when it happens. I would swear blind I've never come across the word 'hassock' outside a church before reading it on Katie's thread.

>197 katiekrug: Katie, I am not the one to ask!

>198 Helenliz: Nor do I Helen - but the book is set in the US, so I suppose that explains it?

Artifact



A Netgalley ARC copy of the book (Published in the UK July 2020)

This is a timely novel centred on the life of a woman who wants to work in science. This is in the face of much of her family: Lottie's grandmother is highly supportive but her father and mother are not interested (in different ways): her mother has absented herself in books, her father is convinced shouting will solve his family problems. Her first husband takes persuading that she can work at all (like Olive Kitteridge, the novel jumps around between time periods, so her marital history is not a spoiler). The grind and poverty of doc and postdoc work is well captured. I admired the way the writer was unafraid to write in detail about the grim reality of scientific experimentation, from human anatomy to rats (but as a result, this is a book unlikely to appeal if you find these details hard to read). I come back to the Strout comparison - Lottie is not particularly likeable, but she feels like a real person, with real struggles. The frank approach to female sexuality reminded me of Curtis Sittenfeld.
"... name one female composer. It was harder than name one female scientist. It amazed Lottie how much it continued to amaze her that social strictures had crushed women throughout the centuries; some dark part of her assumed that women were inferior, that she was inferior, so her grandmother must have been inferior! And Evelyn! Evelyn inferior!
Consciously Lottie never felt inferior, but now and again she wanted to punch the nearest man."

I think I'll be buying a copy of this one when it comes out in paperback.

I also finished up two historical novels -

In romance - A Duke by Any Other Name, part of a Grace Burrowes series. Lady Althea has decided she has had enough of put downs in London, so decides to stay in Yorkshire instead. Conveniently, there is a mysterious Duke living next door.. I put it down and forgot I hadn't finished it for about a week, so I think that probably says it all! I read one of these Duke based ones where one character declared that Dukes can pretty much do what they want, and since then it's been a bit like Dr Who and the sonic screwdriver option - the jeopardy's gone.

In crime, I read the first in Mel Starr's historical series about a medieval surgeon, The Unquiet Bones, who ends up solving crimes for the local bigwig. This was a great audio - I reliably fell asleep - so I'll be listening along to the rest of the series. I love that the author taught history in a school, too.

>200 charl08:

Consciously Lottie never felt inferior, but now and again she wanted to punch the nearest man.

I really understand that! I must read this.

Definitely going to keep an eye out for Artifact.

>186 charl08: I was very interested in the first part of the book, seeing P&P from Mary's perspective and how she came to be who she is in that book. The rest of the book was good--I can see the themes and situations carried on from Austen and Mary being who she is, don't expect the flashes of humour that Lizzie provided--but I feel that it could have been edited down considerably. Hadlow didn't need 480 pages to tell this story and I got impatient with the pacing in the second half. I have read Hadlow's other book (which I didn't realize when I picked this one up), which is a nonfiction account of George III and his wife and children, and thought it very informative and good, but this fictional novel doesn't need that degree of detail. Still, I'm glad I read it, so thank you, Charlotte.

>187 charl08: Hmm, I'll have to think about whether I want to read The Confessions of Frannie Langton . It sounds like a hard read, with the frank information about sexual violence, but it might be worth the read even so. I finished The Girl With The Louding Voice and put some comments on my thread. It does get into a degree of sexual abuse, and the fact that many poor young girls are commodities in Nigeria, rather than people. But I don't think it is as graphic as The Confessions of Frannie Langton might be. It was an interesting read for me.

>197 katiekrug: Katie, it was the Posse Comitatus Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act . It appeared in The New Jim Crow and in Killing Pablo. But I see that it was referred to in The West Wing, so I must have encountered it before. I knew about the concept, but not the name.

Hi Charlotte! I think I'll give Frannie Langton another try - I may have had too many books out when I originally borrowed it. I can't imagine how that happened.

>206 susanj67: I have to admit that *most* of my knowledge of US law, elections and wotnot comes from having watched The West Wing far far far too many times.

>202 ffortsa: It's quite a serious book, but then it has moments like this. I hope it finds a wide audience (and that you like it!)

>203 RidgewayGirl: I'd love to know what you made of it, Kay. I think I might be gifting it to a couple of friends.

>204 ronincats: Well, a bit of relief, as always, when a recommendation isn't a total dud. I didn't notice the pacing issues you mention, but it has been quite slow around here, so that might have something to do with it!

>205 vancouverdeb: I will be really interested to see what both authors write next, Deborah!

>206 susanj67: Too many books, Susan? Surely not.

>207 Helenliz: You say that like it's a bad thing, Helen.

Gratuitous West Wing gif, for anyone (else) with RBF.

Ooh, book delivery (and also pick up). The Eyes of Lira Kazan, In the Bleak Midwinter and A Fountain Filled with Blood have arrived (secondhand via Biblio.com).

And I've picked up the second in Abir Mukherjee's series for my mum's birthday, and a new GN which I'd ordered when it won the Wodehouse prize. A funny read seems a really good idea.
http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/matthew-dooley-wodehouse-prize/

I had been a bit leery of going into the bookshop in my town (Waterstones) as it is very small and I wasn't sure how they would do social distancing. However, I was convinced by not having to pay delivery charges to order a book.


It looked much the same as usual, although with a massive plexiglass thing in front of the counter, and one way arrows on the floor. Even nicer, they uploaded the points from an old receipt from before lockdown, so I have a voucher coming my way :-)

And yes, the (extra) new shelves arrive soon.

I saw this on Twitter this morning, Charlotte, and of course I thought of you: The Kyoto Aquarium has a flowchart illustrating the complicated romantic relationships and breakups between their penguins.

Thanks Julia. All those ex's must make wedding breakfast seating arrangements tricky.

>212 charl08: Indeed! My first thought when I saw it was "Japanese penguins lead much more dramatic lives than I do."

>200 charl08: Artifact does sound good, Charlotte.

>209 charl08: Every once in a while, I rewatch episodes so I can pretend we have Bartlett as president. ;)

Hi, Charlotte! Hope your back is feeling better. Love all your garden photos--I have been enjoying my garden a lot this summer, too. Congrats on 2x75!! I am hoping to break 100 this year, but June was a rough month for reading so we'll see.

>211 rosalita: >212 charl08: >213 rosalita: LOL!!

>213 rosalita: I've been watching a programme set in a UK safari park, reshown for lockdown I suspect. They spent almost an entire episode on the struggles of one penguin: her partner had moved on to another female. Ouch.

>214 BLBera: I don't blame you, Beth!

>215 Berly: It's still a bit rough around the edges, but as long as I can get out and garden for a bit every day I'm happy. Hope you and the family are ok with everything that has been going on with your MiL. And yes, you should definitely be enjoying the garden after all the work you did!

Now reading GN Flake.



And taking photos of the garden.

>217 charl08: - WOW! LOVE that sunflower!!

>218 jessibud2: It's just a daisy in a deceptive zoom - sorry!

Flake

I picked this up today and couldn't resist reading it this evening. Dooley starts off with a guy quietly running an ice cream van (after he finishes the crossword) and takes him on an epic contest vs his mean half-brother who wants his territory. All the odds are against him: but he has his oddball friends, so maybe, just maybe... Funny and sweet.



Recommended (although I do wonder how well it will translate: there are Countdown references).

<219 - LOL! Duh...

The Man Who Came Uptown

Crime novel by one of the writers for The Wire. In Washington, a young man gets out of jail, a prison librarian hopes he will go straight and a private investigator has other ideas.

Because of the prison librarian, there is lots of stuff about books and reading, from the books Michael, the parolee, discovers, to the ones that Anna, the librarian recommends to her prison book groups. Stuff about who chooses what, accounts of plots and the discussions of the prisoners' group. I think I'd have happily just read about that bit, but there was, alongside it, the escalating tension of the PI plot as he expanded his illegal activities.

I thought it was going one way. It went a completely different direction. Very gripping, made me worry for the young man, and I put the book down with a bit of an "Argh".

>221 jessibud2: :-)

>217 charl08: Lovely picture of a sunflower daisy! Makes me think of fractals.

>224 FAMeulstee: - LOL, Anita!

>222 charl08: - That one sounds good. I'll keep my eye out for it.

>221 jessibud2: And I thought penguins were monogamous! Illusion shattered!

Gorgeous Daisy, Charlotte! The Man Who Came Uptown sounds interesting.

>222 charl08: I love George Pelecanos' books. I have this one on my Kindle, must get to it, and the other books by him I've not yet read, for some reason I think I've only read about half his books. I'm not sure I know where some are but there's no excuse with those on my Kindle or at least a couple of others.

>224 FAMeulstee: Yes, definitely maths patterns going on.

>226 katiekrug: I was gripped, Katie, gripped!

>227 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah. Serially monogamous, perhaps?

>228 elkiedee: I'd not come across him before, but he's clearly a big name. Another gap in my reading!

The Buxton Public Library and Reading Room
Robert Lewis McLellan-Sim (1907–1985)



https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-buxton-public-library-and-reading-room-6...

Still no news on libraries opening in Lancashire though.

"Coronavirus: Libraries, archives and museums
Libraries
(updated 2 July 2020)

All our libraries remain closed until further notice. This includes our mobile library service, home library service and school library service.

We want to reassure you that we are working hard to implement a phased reopening of libraries across the county as soon as we can.

A key priority will be making sure that a safe environment is created for you and our library staff. Please bear with us as we need to consider issues like the quarantining of returned books as well as social distancing at both the entrance and within our buildings.

We are prioritising our most vulnerable customers by working on resuming the home library service first.

Our phased approach will involve initially reopening at least one library in each district across the county, so that you can return your books and we can quarantine them.

We will provide more information about which libraries and when over the coming weeks and will keep you updated here."

I love the daisy photo, Charlotte.

Too bad about your libraries. :(

>222 charl08: This sounds interesting.

>232 BLBera: I'm adding it to the one about the Vietnam vet, Beth. It's going to be on Charlotte's list of books that did not end in an approved fashion.

Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research
First to do it! Celebrating pioneering women through portraiture and biography
Magicians, firefighters, DJs, politicians, broadcasters, fight directors…
Join us for a Zoom celebration of pioneering women past and present, with acclaimed photographer Anita Corbin and historian and writer Dr Kate Murphy.

Date: Wednesday 8 July 2020
Time: 4 p.m. - 5.30 p.m.
Location: ZOOM
Free, but booking essential (contact info on web link below)

Anita's inspiring and informative exhibition of 100 First Women Portraits showcases British women who were each ‘firsts’ in their field.

Kate’s book Firsts: The Livewire Book of British Women Achievers, is a long overdue and startling exploration of over 500 women achievers.

They will be interviewed by art historian Dr Alexandra Loske, whose research interests include the life and work of women in the arts and sciences from the 18th century onward.

Professor Margaretta Jolly, Director of the Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research, will introduce the event.

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/clhlwr/seminarseries/201920seminars/firsttodoit

The 100 first women exhibition was completely excellent, so I am sorely tempted by this.

I'm feeling quite cultured this evening and listening to a Forward poetry reading (online).

http://www.forwardartsfoundation.org/forward-prizes-for-poetry/

I may have sprung for the book.

Quoting (paraphrasing? ) Emily Dickinson on good poetry: blowing the top of my head off. And they've mentioned Maggie Nelson, so I'm happy.

>235 Helenliz: I've just realised I have my first f2f appt straight after, so I'm going to have to try and zoom in from a park bench!

Now reading Holy Ceremony which is crime fiction from Finland.

Kindle daily deal today included Janey Godley's memoir (she interviewed Ian Rankin as part of the crime festival, and her life story sounds fascinating. Also saw a post about Black, listed: black culture on Litsy being 99p, so have added that too.

>230 charl08:, >217 charl08: "Like!" I've added Flake to the WL (we do apparently have it on this side of the pond).

The "other new book" by Gene Luen Yang?! I'll have to look. I had no idea he had another one out besides Dragon Hoops.

>240 jnwelch: Joe, I meant Superman Smashes the Klan -

From the DC site:
"The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Metropolis' Chinatown to the center of the bustling city. While Dr. Lee is greeted warmly in his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to their famous hero, Superman!

Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial “Clan of the Fiery Cross” and drawn by Gurihiru, Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese, Boxers and Saints, The Terrifics, New Super-Man) brings us his personal retelling of the adventures of the Lee family as they team up with Superman to smash the Klan!

A rousing story of self-acceptance and standing up to hatred, Superman Smashes the Klan reminds us that not all Golden Age enemies have been defeated. Read our exclusive breakdown of this powerful new graphic novel."

https://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/superman-smashes-the-klan-periodical-201...

Interesting books I am (currently) resisting buying...

https://unbound.com/books/100-voices/levels/

When did you learn to speak up?

100 Voices is a collection of stories by women writers all about finding their voice.

With contributions by award winning writers like Yvonne Battle-Felton, Sabrina Mahfouz and 98 others that you’ll soon know the name of, and a foreword by Deborah Frances-White of the Guilty Feminist, this powerful collection of true stories features moving, comic and inspiring accounts by female identifying writers from around the country.

P&P Live! Adrian Tomine in conversation with Jason Zinoman
by Politics and Prose

Join this Drawn & Quarterly artist as he discusses his newest work, "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist" with Jason Zinoman

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pp-live-adrian-tomine-in-conversation-with-jason-zi...

And thirdly, following the event today discussing "first women" I left wanting a history of women in radio.
Behind the Wireless A History of Early Women at the BBC


And a website.
https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/100-voices/pioneering-women

>244 charl08: - Oh, this one looks very interesting. Canada just out out 2 postage stamps commemorating 100 years of radio in Canada. I'd be curious to know how many (if any) women were involved here, back in those days.

>187 charl08: Yes, I was impressed at how well Shari Lapena did in the quiz going in cold, as it were, and being out of sync timewise. I must admit that I was yelling at the screen when she said she didn't know the game Cluedo as I knew she would know it if they gave it the name Clue, the one that they use over here.

You got me with another event, Charlotte. I signed up for the Adrian Tomine talk though I must admit part of the attraction was that it is in my time zone.

What are your thoughts on Dominicana by Angie Cruz Charlotte? Are you finding it to be a good read? I've been considering it.

>245 jessibud2: Murphy mentioned that one of the reason she wrote the book was how little was said and known about women in early radio. I so enjoyed the event, some of the women who had their photo taken for the 100 first exhibition were listed in in, so they were asked to speak about the experience, which was genius as far as I was concerned.

>246 Familyhistorian: Talk about audience engagement! It did make me laugh, my zoom setting meant that I was seeing the answers pop up at the bottom of the screen in the chat: I would have been very tempted to cheat!

>247 vancouverdeb: It's very well written, but I got distracted by shiny new books, Deborah. Hoping to get back to it soon. We have a bit more time as I think the women's prize announcement is deferred.

Holy Ceremony

Finnish crime series where the protagonist, Ariel Kafka, is 'one of only two Jewish policemen in Helsinki'. Centred around a historical abuse case in a private school, Kafka must work out the meaning of a corpse discovered with strange markings, and a letter addressed personally to him.

I've read others in the series, thought this one was interesting for the way it dealt with antisemitism within the force. Kafka seems completely alone with his experience: there's not even the mention of the possibility that he could report it and get support. Grim. The ending felt rushed though and didn't seem to link much to the role the guilty party had played in the book.

Time for a new thread!

>211 rosalita: !

Not Emperor penguins then, I'm guessing.

>217 charl08: Wow!!