Vivian's 2020 Reading, Part II

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Vivian's 2020 Reading, Part II

1vivians
Editado: Oct 2, 2020, 1:08 pm

Welcome to my second thread in this tumultuous year. Here's hoping for better news in November, and good health to everyone.

Here's Rafa, now 18 months old!



Finally got around to listing my 2019 favorites:

Normal People
Ghost Wall
The River
Travelling in a Strange Land
Prodigal Summer
Lanny
Disappearing Earth
Ask Again, Yes
West Country trilogy
The Dutch House
Girl, Woman, Other

2vivians
Editado: Oct 2, 2020, 1:20 pm



#137 A Jest of God Margaret Laurence
I loved The Stone Angel and Laura pointed out that it was just one entry in the Manawaka sequence featuring a fictional town in Manitoba. This is the second novel, about Rachel Cameron - a 34 year old single elementary school teacher living with her hypochondriacal, manipulative mother. She feels trapped and hopeless, and her interior monologues alternates between pure venom (about her situation and those around her) and desperation. Really wonderful.



#138 The Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman
Light and entertaining, humorous and full of tender moments. I hope this is the beginning of a series and not just a stand-alone.

3drneutron
Oct 2, 2020, 3:43 pm

Happy new thread!

4PaulCranswick
Oct 2, 2020, 9:53 pm

Happy new thread, Vivian.

>1 vivians: What a cutie!

5SandyAMcPherson
Oct 2, 2020, 11:08 pm

>2 vivians: Both these titles are appealing: good descriptions, Vivian! Guess I better haul out my TBR/WL ...

Also that little person in >1 vivians: is just so very cute in this photo. Thanks for sharing.
Hope this next month is full of delightful books and nope, don't look at the news (my motto right now. We have 2 elections this next 4 weeks to survive voting through safely).

6FAMeulstee
Oct 3, 2020, 7:29 am

Happy new thread, Vivian!

7lauralkeet
Oct 3, 2020, 7:36 am

>2 vivians: Vivian, I'm delighted to see you enjoyed A Jest of God. I could see myself rereading the cycle at some point.

I agree with Sandy that Rafa is a little cutie. I love all those curls. And that smile!!

8katiekrug
Oct 3, 2020, 8:14 am

Happy new one, Vivian!

9msf59
Oct 3, 2020, 9:17 am

Happy Saturday, Vivian. Happy New Thread! LOVE the Rafa topper!

10BLBera
Oct 3, 2020, 11:14 am

Happy new thread, Vivian. I have been meaning to start Margaret Laurence. Rafa is a sweetheart!

11arubabookwoman
Oct 6, 2020, 2:32 pm

I finally got around to reading A Jest Of God last year. I say finally because it was made into a movie called Rachel, Rachel with Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, and my husband and I went on our first date to see that movie 52 years ago.
I also loved The Stone Angel, but haven’t read anything else by Margaret Laurence.

12EBT1002
Oct 6, 2020, 11:53 pm

Vivian, going back to your prior thread, you kind of helped me out. I LOVED Utopia Avenue and was feeling like I "should" read either How Much of These Hills Is Gold or The New Wilderness next, especially since I have both on my kindle from the library. But I just wasn't "feeling" up to either. I started Tana French's Broken Harbor because I needed something that required little concentration so your comments about The New Wilderness were affirming. I own Shuggie Bain and I know I'll read that one before the end of the year but I needed a mental break.

THANK YOU for Utopia Avenue. It made my eyes water at the end. I loved the Elf and Jasper chapters throughout, and wasn't sold on Dean until the end. Wow. So powerful.

13vivians
Editado: Oct 9, 2020, 10:08 am

Thanks Jim, Paul, Anita, Katie, Mark and Beth! It's wonderful to have so many visitors.

>5 SandyAMcPherson: I wish I could ignore the news, Sandy, but it is a constant presence both in work and personal life. At times it's a sense of terrible foreboding, and at others I'm a tiny bit optimistic. But no matter the result, I think the country is in for tough times ahead because of the polarization and misinformation that abounds.

>7 lauralkeet: Thanks to you, Laura, for pointing the way to the Manawaka cycle after I loved Stone Angel. I'm looking forward to the rest, although I don't think I'll be able to find them all at my library.

>11 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah! I was confused about the dual title until I read about the movie - sounds like one I'll try to look up. Wonderful that you can recall your first date movie!

>12 EBT1002: Oh I'm so glad you loved Utopia Avenue, Ellen. I don't think Mitchell is for everyone at every time, but if you catch him when you're in the right mood there's nobody better. I got completely caught up in the story and couldn't stop reading.

Thanks for all the Rafa love! He's a real cutie and I get to FaceTime with him almost every evening. He's only 18 months old but is super verbal, which makes it a bit easier to be limited to the phone. His latest catch phrase is "nice to meet you!" which he uses for inanimate objects as well as people.



#139 Legacy of the Dead Charles Todd
Another good Ian Rutledge installment takes the reluctant inspector to Scotland to defend an innocent woman. It fills in gaps of his war record, reconnects him to old family members, and includes an intriguing mystery. So far the best of the 4 I've read.



#140 Here We Are Graham Swift
Absolutely loved this short novel, brilliantly narrated by the actor Phil Davis in a low and intimate voice that felt like a whisper in my ear. It's the story of three vaudeville performers on a Brighton stage in the summer of 1959, and the memories of the sole survivor 50 years later. All three were children during the war, and their childhood experiences shaped their lives. Ronnie, a brilliant young magician, and Evie, his dazzling assistant, are top of the bill, drawing audiences each night. Jack Robinson is the MC, singer, dancer and master of ceremonies. The whole story of magic, love, mystery and illusion was masterfully told.

14lauralkeet
Oct 9, 2020, 10:14 am

Vivian, I bought my Manawaka books used from various sources. I was interested specifically in Virago editions but vaguely recall there being other options, reasonably priced.

15katiekrug
Oct 9, 2020, 10:32 am

Here We Are sounds like one worth seeking out.

Have a great weekend, Vivian!

16vivians
Editado: Oct 14, 2020, 4:52 pm

Thanks Katie, you too!



#141 Man at the Helm Nina Stibbe
Somewhat funny but overall repetitious story told through the eyes of ten year old Lizzie after her parents' divorce. Mostly a very flippant tone as she and her siblings try to find a replacement man for their depressed and pill-addicted mother. The social stigma they face in a 1970s English village was interesting, but not enough humor or emotional weight to make it worthwhile.

17lkernagh
Oct 9, 2020, 8:21 pm

Happy new thread, Vivian and what an adorable picture!

18vivians
Editado: Oct 14, 2020, 4:50 pm

Thanks Lori!



#142 The Cold Cold Ground Adrian McKinty
This was an excellent mystery set in a Belfast suburb in the summer of the hunger strikes. A great read, especially after reading the briliant Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and memory in Northern Ireland, a history of the Troubles. This is the first in the Sean Duffy series and I will definitely read more.



#143 The Searcher Tana French
Another home run for Tana French, quite different from her other novels. An American burned out ex-cop settles in remote, rural Ireland, in a town where everyone knows each other and strangers are not welcomed. Against his better judgement, he is drawn back into investigative mode when he befriends a teenager whose brother has disappeared. Highly recommended - a slow burn.

19BLBera
Oct 14, 2020, 9:26 pm

Hi Vivian - You remind me that I've been meaning to read The Cold Cold Ground and continue with the Dublin Murder Squad. I finally read In the Woods and thought it was excellent.

20SandyAMcPherson
Oct 17, 2020, 9:02 pm

>18 vivians: and >19 BLBera: Got me with those mysteries: thanks ~ I need the reading mo-jo to pick up a pace and find some star-laden stories.

I've had every intention of trying out Adrian McKinty for quite awhile, having a friend who is a big fan of the Sean Duffy series. The Cold Cold Ground sounds intriguing alright.

I don't know anything about this novel (In the Woods), but the publisher's blurb made it sound worth trying out. I've seen lots of positive commentary about Tana French despite the fact the American publisher doesn't spell Wych Elm properly! That's a novel I wasn't drawn to reading, however.

21lauralkeet
Oct 18, 2020, 7:18 am

>18 vivians: glad to see positive comments about The Searcher, Vivian. I should be getting it from the library soon.

>20 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, I think you'll like the Dublin Murder Squad series. In the Woods is a good one!

22msf59
Oct 18, 2020, 7:49 am

Happy Sunday, Vivian. I had decided to give up on Tana French after reading her last one. They just don't seem to be as satisfying as her earlier work and she really needs a better editor. That said, I may have to re-think that, after your comments on her latest.

23vivians
Editado: Oct 20, 2020, 12:09 pm

>19 BLBera: I think Tana French is sometimes too long-winded, but I've always really enjoyed her work. The best part of The Cold Cold Ground for me was the way he integrated the political crisis into a regular police procedural.

>20 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy - I was never a mystery reader until joining LT a few years ago. I've been introduced to so many new series and really love the genre.

>21 lauralkeet: The Searcher really worked for me, Laura, although I've heard some criticism about it being too slow. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts. I listened to the audio and the narrator, an American actor who lives in Ireland, effortlessly produced a variety of very authentic sounding accents.

>22 msf59: Hi Mark - I'm so sorry that you're not a French fan. I agree that the Wych Elm was extremely wordy, but it still worked for me.



#144 An Irish Country Practice Patrick Taylor
Still a very satisfying "in-between" series for me - a great audio break after heavy or long reads. This 12th installment focuses on village illnesses, local gossip, humor and kindness. Great narrator.



#145 Anxious People Frederik Backman
I should have DNF'ed this immediately. I enjoyed Ove but not the next few I read, and this one annoyed me to no end. I just can't understand all the high praise. The prose seemed infantile, the story, about a bank robbery gone wrong, was neither funny nor quirky. All the characters are supreme idiots and the narrator's over-the-top whining really got to me. I'm definitely the wrong reader for this one.



#146 The Natural Way of Things Charlotte Wood
A recommendation from "Books on the Go" podcast and shortlisted for the Stella Prize. Excruciating story of ten women abducted to the Australian outback as some kind of punishment for transgressions with powerful men. They are supervised by two brutal guards. It's unclear whether this was written with a dystopian future in mind or if it was to have taken place in present-day. I found that particular unresolved question fascinating, although at the end there were too many others that went unanswered. I'd be hesitant to recommend it.

24SandyAMcPherson
Editado: Oct 20, 2020, 6:56 pm

>23 vivians: Interesting reviews. I think not my type of reading since the Covid-anxiety seems to have rotted my stamina for wrongness in a story, however. Yeah Anxious People, sounds like you could well have DNF'ed that book right smartly.

BTW, all the book covers are replaced with the pesky "?-blue-square" icon.
(I'm using Safari, if that helps determine anything).

25vivians
Editado: Oct 26, 2020, 3:10 pm

>24 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks, Sandy. I can see the book covers on my thread so not sure what's going on. Hopefully the glitches will be worked out soon.



#147 What Are You Going Through Sigrid Nunez
I liked this a bit more than Beth did, although I found it to be very similar to the superior The Friend. There's very little plot, mostly conversations and interactions between an unnamed narrator and her terminally ill friend, her ex-partner and others. Much is quite bleak, especially with regard to ageing, loneliness and euthanasia, but there is some humor and great writing.



#148 Come Again Robert Webb
Recommended on Simon Mayo's podcast. A widow is overwhelmingly grief-stricken after the sudden death of her husband, is magically transported to their initial meeting as college students, and is given the opportunity to save him. Some nice twists, a separate plotline involving MI5 and Russian thugs, witty dialogue but an absolutely nonsensical ending.



#149 Beaten Down, Worked Up Steven Greenhouse
A great episodic history of the labor movement: its rise and decline in power, mostly due to corruption, bureaucracy and anti-union "dark money", and current attempts to revitalize. Really interesting and slightly hopeful.



#150 The Good Turn Dervla McTiernan
I love this series about a contemporary Irish detective in Galway. This is the third book about DS Cormac Reilly, an intelligent, fair and persistent officer facing corruption and resentment by his superiors. He's refused the manpower he needs in a missing person's case, and as a result his inexperienced protégé takes action which could end both careers. Several story lines converge, including Cormac's girlfriend working in Brussels, a single mother and her daughter fleeing Dublin, unusual deaths in a small town, and lots of cold and icy weather. Cleverly plotted and well written.

26FAMeulstee
Oct 26, 2020, 6:30 pm

Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Vivian!

27EBT1002
Oct 27, 2020, 10:09 pm

Oh, you reminded me about The Cold Cold Ground, which I loved. I need to get my paws on a copy of I Hear the Sirens in the Street.

28vivians
Editado: Oct 29, 2020, 9:43 am

Thank you Anita!

Me too, Ellen. I think my library has the audio...I have to say that the narration really adds to my enjoyment of these Irish series.



#151 Leave the World Behind Rumaan Alam
Nominated for the National Book Award. I finished it on my way home from work yesterday and still have not shaken the heavy, ominous feeling it produced. (Of course part of that may be the result of election and COVID anxiety as well.) A middle class white family vacations at an Airbnb in a remote Long Island town. The owners of the property, a wealthy Black couple, appear unexpectedly with news of a catastrophe having occurred in the city. What could have been an really interesting exploration of race, attitudes, technology dependence and parenthood devolves into an extremely irritating, repetitive and overwritten end-of-the-world horror. definitely not on my recommended list.

29BLBera
Oct 29, 2020, 3:10 pm

>28 vivians: Hi Vivian - I was wondering about this one; I think I'll pass on it for now.

I'm glad you liked What Are You Going Through more than I did. It seemed too much like The Friend to me.

I liked the first one by McTiernan. I should continue with those.

Five more days...

30vivians
Editado: Oct 30, 2020, 11:09 am

>29 BLBera: Counting down and trying to stay hopeful!



#152 Middle England Jonathan Coe
Last year's Costa winner and the third in a trilogy, following characters from the mid-'70s until present day with a focus on political and newsworthy events in the UK. Although the referendum and Brexit are highlighted, other events such as the 2012 Olympics, the austerity program and others play a part. Lots of humor, a bit of sentimentality, and I was totally engrossed in the lives of a long list of characters. This was a total joy to read.

31BLBera
Oct 30, 2020, 6:04 pm

All fingers and toes firmly crossed here, Vivian. I'm trying not to look at polling or forecasts at this point.

32EBT1002
Nov 1, 2020, 6:56 pm

Two more days. I don't know if I can stand it. Especially since I'm not convinced "it" will be "over" on Tuesday. But maybe. Maybe the blue wave will be so decisive there will be no role for SCOTUS in the election after all.

33vivians
Editado: Nov 3, 2020, 3:15 pm

Hi Beth and Ellen - my stomach is in a knot and I'm not getting a bit of work done today. I don't recall every feeling this kind of anxiety. So much at stake.



#153Blacktop Wasteland S A Cosby
Beauregard Montage, "Bug", is a getaway driver (the best) who has gone straight. He has a beloved family as well as obligations that begin to overwhelm him. His internal struggle is heart-breaking and he remains an exceptionally sympathetic character. Very gritty and suspenseful throughout, highly atmospheric and cinematic. Gripping and well-written.



#154 Dear Child Romy Hausmann
A psychological abduction thriller, not really my favorite genre. Still, I found it to be a page turner, with three separate narrators. No where near as good as Room but hard to put down. Translated from German flawlessly.



#155 Interior Chinatown Charles Yu
National Book Award nominee - and a very inventive and different structure. Written in the form of a TV script, it centers around Willis Wu, a Chinese American who is typecast as "generic Asian man" in a police procedural. Deep commentary about stereotyping, racism, immigrants and discrimination. Very humorous at times as well.



#156 The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo
I never would have picked up this short YA novel - but it was chosen as the November pick of the "Now Read This" PBS book club. Beautifully read by the author, it features the poetry of a 15 year old girl, struggling with her devoutly religious Dominican parents.
Really powerful coming-of age story.

34BLBera
Nov 3, 2020, 6:27 pm

I really liked The Poet X as well, Vivian. I know what you mean about a sick feeling. Fingers, toes and every possible body part crossed.

35msf59
Editado: Nov 5, 2020, 8:39 am

Sweet Thursday, Vivian. I hope you are surviving this stressful week. At least we can find comfort in our books. I also loved Blacktop Wasteland & The Poet X. Have you read Memorial Drive yet? If not, it is an excellent memoir and a perfect audio.

36SandyAMcPherson
Editado: Nov 5, 2020, 2:58 pm

Hi Vivian.
I borrowed In the Woods last week and started it last night.
It was a BB from your previous thread IIRC.
What a great story to draw me in, for someone whose head was going to explode from the no-winner results as of yesterday. I stayed up too late! Today is better.

37vivians
Editado: Nov 23, 2020, 3:46 pm

>34 BLBera: I'm still thinking about The Poet X, Beth. It was the November pick for the NPR book club, and I'm really glad for the recommendation. It's not one I would have picked up on my own.

>35 msf59: Hi Mark - I don't seem to get along well with memoirs but have heard good things about Memorial Drive. So I'll definitely consider it, thanks.

>36 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy - I saw on your thread that you finished In the Woods and had some reservations. I remember being very absorbed and eager to continue the series. I think the weakest one for me was The Likeness because the premise just seemed far-fetched.

I've wasted way too much time glued to and yelling at the TV, but I'm finally feeling a little optimism. But very tough days ahead with virus worries. Oren (#3 son) is moving to Oakland next week for his dream job with FEMA, and I'm thrilled for him but very sad to see him leave. And we're figuring out strategy for Jo to come home from DC for a couple of weeks (COVID test there before leaving, quarantine at home for 4 days, then COVID test here). And great news from Gideon, son #2: not only is he buying a house in our town, not only is he working with me full-time since leaving aviation, but in addition his wife is pregnant! So lots of happy news.



#157 Watchers of Time Charles Todd
Ian Rutledge is back (#5). In a small seaside village a dying Anglican man requests the local Catholic priest to attend his confession. The priest is soon bludgeoned to death, and Scotland Yard is called upon. Same complaints as all the other Todd novels: the middle drags, there are constant travels back and forth from one town to the next, and lots is left hanging. But Rutledge is a tortured and lonely character worth following.



#158 A Children's Bible Lydia Millet
Shortlisted for the National Book Award. Several families share a summer lakehouse, and the children, who despise their negligent parents, are given free rein. They develop their own rules and relationships until the arrival of the apocalypse, the onset of which was clearly ignored by the older generation. Millet effectively uses biblical themes and stories, but I thought the generational divide quite unrealistic and cartoonish. An interesting read but it never really grabbed me.



#159 Cold Millions Jess Walter
Brilliant - I loved it! This coincidentally was even more gripping after having just read two non-fiction books about the early US labor movement. I was a fervent socialist in my youth and just loved reading about the Wobblys and the very familiar songs and slogans. Two Irish orphan brothers are caught up in the free speech riots in 1909 Spokane, where they meet historical characters in a struggle against the corrupt and greedy 1%. Great characters, a fast-moving story and superb writing.



#160 Hid From Our Eyes Julia Spencer Fleming
The latest in this series, and really good. Three separate timelines with identical crimes, all the favorite characters from earlier installments, and none of the far-fetched hijinks which were so ridiculous.

38katiekrug
Nov 12, 2020, 11:38 am

Lots of good child-related news, Vivian! Congrats all around. I am also feeling a bit of optimism, too, though I am trying not to get carried away. Luckily, the pandemic doesn't allow me to :-/

I haven't read any Jess Walter before, but I have Cold Millions on my list because the description appealed to me. I spent part of one summer home from college plowing through the enormous Big Trouble by Anthony Lukas - much to my very conservative Republican parents' chagrin....

39BLBera
Nov 12, 2020, 4:33 pm

Congrats on the family news, Vivian. I loved A Children's Bible. I am looking forward to Cold Millions.

I did like Hid from Our Eyes as well.

40msf59
Nov 12, 2020, 4:43 pm

Sweet Thursday, Vivian. I can't wait to read The Cold Millions. It sounds like the long wait was worth it.

41EBT1002
Nov 15, 2020, 6:15 pm

Hi Vivian. Lots of good news with your three "kids." It's wonderful that Gideon and his wife are moving to the town where you live and with a grandkid on the way. Congratulations!

I have put Cold Millions on my wish list. If I don't get it as a holiday gift, I will buy it for myself. :-)

The news continues to be interesting and in many ways flabbergasting but at least I'm able to concentrate on reading a bit better than I could for a while there.

42lauralkeet
Nov 15, 2020, 7:53 pm

>37 vivians: excellent family news, Vivian. I'm glad everyone is doing so well. Lucky you having one of your children live so close. I'd love that.

43vivians
Editado: Nov 23, 2020, 3:48 pm

>38 katiekrug: Hi Katie - hard to believe we're still waiting for a concession but it finally seems closer. Definitely try Jess Walter - if not the new one then Beautiful Ruins which I also loved. I've added the Bridgerton series to my list....I hope to get them sometime in the near future.

>39 BLBera: Thanks Beth - I'm feeling very grateful for good health and good news all around. You're not alone with A Children's Bible - I just listened to the NY Times Top 10 of 2020 podcast and it's one of their 5 fiction picks of the year.

>40 msf59: I think I first read Jess Walter on your recommendation, Mark! I think you'll really like his new one.

>41 EBT1002: Hi Ellen - The Cold Millions was really good. I loved the mix of historical and fictional characters, and all the googling that entails.

>42 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura - I am feeling very grateful for all the good news, but pretty sad about "losing" one to California. It seems much further away in these Covid times.

My reading has really slowed down, but a couple of good recent ones:



#161 All the Devils Are Here Louise Penny
This was the best installment in some time. I loved the Parisian setting and the Gamache family members, although the the underlying mystery of corporate greed and conspiracy was a little over the top.



#162 I Hear the Sirens in the Street Adrian McKinty
The second Inspector Duffy book - a total page- turner. I had borrowed this on audio (beautifully read by Gerard Doyle) but couldn't wait for my next commute to hear the end! Luckily the library ad an ebook, which I gobbled up instead of working this am. Belfast in the 1980s is in the middle of bombings, attacks on police and constant violence, the Falklands crisis is distracting the press, and Duffy finds a headless torso in a dumpster. John Delorean and his factory play a pivotal role in this tremendously gripping mystery.



#163 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue V.E. Schwab
Latest book group read - we had a good discussion but we all agreed it was too long and in need of editing. (An upstate road in New York should never be called a "freeway." And not every Brooklyn coffee shop is a "hidden treasure.") An 18th century village girl in rural France is forced into an arranged and repugnant marriage. She makes a Faustian bargain and gains immortality. Much of the plot takes place in current day NY, and there are some good twists. A pleasant read but not a huge winner.

44PaulCranswick
Nov 27, 2020, 6:40 am



This Brit wishes to express his thanks for the warmth and friendship that has helped sustain him in this group, Vivian.

45vivians
Editado: Dic 8, 2020, 2:20 pm

>44 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! It was a lovely day, although quite a bit smaller than our usual numbers. But everyone's healthy, and we're trying to keep it that way.



#164 The Abstainer Ian McGuire
Great historical fiction set in 1867 Manchester. An Irish constable has been sent there to try to squash an Irish cell of Fenians, a secret society whose intent is to end British rule in Ireland. (I've read so much contemporary literature about the more modern-day "troubles" so it was fascinating to read about this precursor.) The villain is an Irish American Civil War veteran, sent to Manchester to avenge the deaths of three Irish resistance fighters.



#165 Exit Strategy Martha Wells
A great palate cleanser - the fourth novella about an introverted cyborg who gradually develops human characteristics of empathy and loyalty while fighting the evil corporation. Very enjoyable.



#166 Cleanness Garth Greenwell
I'm clearly not the target audience for this collection of linked short stories about an unnamed American expat living in Bulgaria. Some beautiful writing, lots of disturbing and often violent sex scenes, and overall very honest and even tender. On the NY Times top 100 books of 2020 list.



#167 Deacon King Kong James McBride
Set in the Brooklyn housing projects in 1969, this terrific novel begins when an elderly drunken church deacon takes a shot at a young drug dealer. It took me a while to get engrossed as there were many characters (and many nicknames) introduced, but I became totally absorbed and couldn't stop listening. One of 5 best fiction books chosen by the NYT for 2020 and well-deserved.

46msf59
Editado: Nov 30, 2020, 4:13 pm

Hi, Vivian. I always enjoy seeing your current reads. I want to read The Abstainer. I loved North Water. And like you I really enjoyed Deacon King Kong.

BTW- Shuggie Bain was a great read. It deserves all the accolades.

47katiekrug
Nov 30, 2020, 4:38 pm

I hadn't heard of The Abstainer until your mention, Vivian. Like Mark, I loved The North Water, so this is going onto the list!

48BLBera
Nov 30, 2020, 7:24 pm

Hi Vivian - You continue with some great reading. I can't wait to get to the Penny; most say it's one of the best. I must pick up the McKinty series; I've only heard good things about it. And The Abstainer sounds like one I would like as well.

49brenzi
Nov 30, 2020, 8:34 pm

Hi Vivian, I read an interview with Ian McGuire and meant to add The Abstainer to my Overdrive list since I loved The North Water so much but never got around to it. Thanks for the reminder. I guess I should add Deacon King Kong although I'm not a huge McBride fan. You make it sound good.

50vivians
Dic 3, 2020, 2:52 pm

Hi Mark, Katie, Beth and Bonnie! I'm glad you're all interested in The Abstainer - it wasn't on my radar until I heard the NYTimes book review podcast interview.

Here's one I just finished and absolutely loved: The King at the Edge of the World. Highly, highly recommended for plot, characters, historical setting (James VI of Scotland), humor and writing.

51vivians
Editado: Dic 8, 2020, 2:04 pm



#168 The Lathe of Heaven Ursula K. Le Guin
Book group pick - I'm eager for the discussion this week. Set in the near future in Portland, Oregon, George Orr is a meek non-entity, who discovers that his dreams can shape reality. He is required to be treated by a narcissistic psychiatrist, William Haber, who manipulates George in a novel course of dream therapy. Riveting and thought-provoking and real SF classic I'm glad to have read.



#169 The King at the Edge of the WorldArthur Phillips
A fantastic surprise! I hadn't heard of this until seeing it on the NYTimes 2020 list, and I remembered really enjoying one of his previous novels. It's the perfect historical fiction: I felt like I was just dropped into 1601 and the theological conflicts of the time. A Muslim physician from the great court of Constantinople is stranded in London as Elizabeth I, childless, is reaching the end of her reign. As the presumed successor, James VI has kept his religious sentiments close to his heart, and Mahmoud, who hails from a much more advanced culture and is bewildered by the intrigues and bitter enmity among Christian denominations, becomes a spy. A bit slow and wordy at times but otherwise a terrific read.



#170 A Promised Land Barack Obama
What can I add to the reviews of this magnificent tome? It is simply the world of a deeply thoughtful, intelligent and compassionate man, written with humor, intimacy at times, and deep understanding of the weight and responsibility of being commander-in-chief. Lots of deep background and analysis of major events of his first term: primarily the financial crisis but also geo-political events such as the Arab spring, the bin Laden raid, political and social relationships including family, staff, world leaders and political enemies. The audio is beautifully narrated. Not surprisingly a top ten read for me this year.

52lauralkeet
Dic 8, 2020, 6:44 pm

I'm about halfway through the Obama memoir. It's everything you said!

53PaulCranswick
Dic 9, 2020, 11:09 pm

>45 vivians: I read McGuire's first book and thought it was excellent. I will certainly look out for his sophomore effort.

54BLBera
Dic 10, 2020, 2:35 pm

I miss Obama. :( I wouldn't have minded his being president a little longer. :)

55vivians
Editado: Dic 15, 2020, 3:24 pm

Hi Laura, Paul and Beth! A big storm supposedly coming our way tomorrow. I'll still have to work remotely but it would be nice to be at home (if I can keep the temperature up in our old, draughty house.)



#171 An Irish Country Cottage Patrick Taylor
Another light, delightful volume, this one finally addressing sectarian unrest in 1969 Ulster and not just the domestic life in the small town of Ballybucklebo.



#172 Severance Ling Ma
NPR book club and 2018 Kirkus Prize winner. I probably would have enjoyed this much more last year...the destruction of humanity caused by an epidemic felt way too unsettling. Candace is a worker drone in midtown Manhattan with few friends and no family. When a plague destroys human life with just a few exceptions, she joins a group of survivors. The immigrant story of her parents, pre-plague, is very affecting.



DNF Shakespeare in a Divided America James Shapiro
A terrific first chapter about the Public's production of Julius Caesar in the summer of 2017, but then I lost interest. I wish I had a better knowledge of the plays to really appreciate this book.



#173 The Fire Dwellers Margaret Laurence
The third Manawaka novel, and another excellent portrayal of a 1960s mother and housewife living in a Vancouver suburb. Stacey narrates in a stream of consciousness, and provides insight into her frustrations, her isolation, the responsibility of raising her kids with a husband who is absent (both because of work and because of his disinterest in parenting). This must have been scandalous in the 1960s.

Now reading and listening to Moonflower Murders - great so far.

56brenzi
Dic 15, 2020, 4:22 pm

I've still got a bit of a wait for Moonflower Murders Vivian but my hold for The King at the Edge of the World came in so I'll be starting that shortly. Thanks for the recommendation.

57katiekrug
Dic 15, 2020, 4:46 pm

The King at the Edge of the World is currently $1.99 on Kindle, so I snapped it up :)

58lauralkeet
Dic 15, 2020, 5:13 pm

>57 katiekrug: OMG thank you Katie! I put that one on hold at the library but $1.99 is a steal.

59katiekrug
Dic 15, 2020, 6:06 pm

>58 lauralkeet: - You're welcome!

60ffortsa
Dic 18, 2020, 3:51 pm

I really have to pay more attention to threads, yours especially as I am liable to be peppered with BBs. I missed the sale on The King At the Edge of the World, but I'll check the library.

'The Lathe of Heaven' was my introduction to LeGuin, via the first (TV) adaptation. There's a long discussion of that TV special in Wikipedia, and it seems to be available on YouTube now. Definitely, definitely worth watching!

61BLBera
Dic 20, 2020, 10:26 am

I've been meaning to read Laurence, Vivian. Next year. Yes, I'm glad I read Severance last year. :)

62vivians
Editado: Dic 22, 2020, 12:06 pm

>56 brenzi: Glad to oblige Bonnie, hope you enjoy them.

>57 katiekrug:, >58 lauralkeet:, >59 katiekrug: I keep seeing those Kindle deals and wonder if I'll ever get an e-reader. For now I'm more than happy with audiobooks and print.

>60 ffortsa: Thanks for that tip, Judy. I'll let my book group know about the adaptation - I'd love to watch it.

>61 BLBera: Laura gets the credit for the Laurence series. I enjoyed the first one (The Stone Angel) and had no idea there were 4 others (loosely connected).



#174 The Midnight Library Matt Haig
A really good fantasy novel about a suicidal woman, consumed by regrets about what other choices she might have made, who gets an opportunity to live an infinite number of alternate lives. Not very deep but a pleasant read.



#175 Moonflower Murders Anthony Horwitz
This man is a genius! He provided years of gripping read-alouds (the Alex Rider series), wrote and directed the inimitable Foyle's War, has a number of other fiction series in the works, and scored again with this 2nd Susan Ryeland novel. An amateur detective and ex-editor, Susan returns to London from her self-imposed exile in Crete to look into the disappearance of a young woman. The clues are contained in a mystery written by her deceased client, so there's an entire Atticus Pund mystery book contained within. Lots of clever word play and labyrinths and totally enjoyable.



#176 Jack Marilynne Robinson
I loved Gilead, Home and Lila and thought this fell a little short. The writing is beautiful, as expected, but it contained a little too much introspection for me, and a one-sided view of a relationship fraught with danger for both parties in 1950s St. Louis. Still very worthwhile and made me want to reread the others.

63lauralkeet
Dic 22, 2020, 12:57 pm

>173 oh dear, I got so caught up in Katie's Kindle temptations that I completely missed your thoughts on The Fire Dwellers. I'm so glad the Manawaka Cycle is holding up for you, Vivian.

(Touchstones are behaving very badly today)

64Caroline_McElwee
Dic 24, 2020, 5:07 pm



I hope there are some treats, some relaxation, and some reading over the festive season, and that 2021 is a kinder year to everyone.

Hoping there will be some fine reads among your parcels Vivian.

65SandyAMcPherson
Dic 24, 2020, 10:46 pm

Hi Vivian.
I didn't post very much in this last couple months. But several interesting titles from your reading are now on my TBR list. Thanks!

Lots of images going the rounds, so I'll just say Happy Christmas to all, and to all a Goodnight. (quoting Clement Clarke Moore, 1949 edition).

66PaulCranswick
Dic 25, 2020, 12:25 pm



I hope you get some of those at least, Vivian, as we all look forward to a better 2021.

67msf59
Dic 25, 2020, 2:58 pm

Happy holidays, Vivian. I hope you are enjoying your time with the family. I am deep into The Cold Millions. I am a big fan of Walter but did not expect this to be this GOOD. Wow! Jack also fell short for me. Liked it but did not love it.

68EBT1002
Dic 27, 2020, 9:27 pm

Hi Vivian. I have added The Abstainer to my wish list. I loved The North Water and this one sounds really good.

I read The Magpie Murders and wasn't as impressed as others but I am reading The Eighth Detective now and loving it. I think I am just starting to wrap my head around what I will call "the clever murder mystery," a new (for me) sub-genre kind of like cozies. So I see your comment about Moonflower Murders and I want to give Horowitz another try.

I didn't make it round for holiday greetings so I'm doing early Happy New Year wishes.
Here's hoping 2021 is the best year ever!!

69vivians
Editado: Dic 31, 2020, 10:15 am

>63 lauralkeet: I'm very glad you told me about Manawaka series Laura, they're real period pieces and I'm enjoying them.

Thanks for all the good wishes Caroline, Sandy, Paul, Mark and Ellen.

I wish I could get around to all the threads to send greetings to everyone but it's been a rough couple of weeks: my mom fell and fractured her pelvis, so I've been staying there and trying to arrange home care (to which she is fiercely resisting).

Can't wait for this year to be over! Best wishes to all for a better one ahead. And two last reads for 2020:

Hieroglyphics Jill McCorkle
Thanks to Beth for her copy of this! An older couple, both of whom lost a parent early in their lives in separate tragic accidents, retire and return to the childhood hometown of the husband. A parallel story follows a single mother with a troubled son. I thought the timelines were somewhat disjointed and in places the emotions were overwritten. But overall some really good nuggets about grief, memory, parenthood and family.



#178 Homeland Elegies Ayad Akhtar
It's unclear to me how much of this is memoir and how much fiction, but either way I thought it was a brilliant depiction of post-9/11 life for an American born son of Pakistani immigrants. It's about being an outsider, about a difficult relationship with his parents, and about racism in Trump times. A little too much self-adulation and a real whiff of misogyny tempered my enjoyment.

70katiekrug
Dic 31, 2020, 11:08 am

I felt much the same about the McCorkle, Vivian.

I'm so sorry to hear about your mom's fall.

71lauralkeet
Dic 31, 2020, 12:18 pm

I'm sorry to hear about your mom, Vivian. Don't feel obligated to "go visiting" -- we'll be here, no matter what!

72msf59
Dic 31, 2020, 12:49 pm

Happy New Year, Vivian. I will be wrapping up Transcendent Kingdom soon and then I will be moving on to Homeland Elegies.

73ffortsa
Dic 31, 2020, 5:05 pm

Hi, Vivian. A broken pelvis is no way to start the new year. I hope your mother recovers soon and you can all have a Happy New Year, and we can see each other again finally, and we read good books.

74BLBera
Dic 31, 2020, 7:59 pm

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for your mom, Vivian. I hope 2021 is better.

75PaulCranswick
Dic 31, 2020, 9:26 pm



Vivian

As the year turns, friendship continues

76brenzi
Dic 31, 2020, 9:32 pm

Best wishes for your Mom's recovery Vivian.