PAUL C'S SECOND HOME - PART 4

SCENES FROM MY BOOKS

The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side by Agatha Christie.

So many splendid actresses have played Jane Marple. This is Julia McKenzie in a great cast including the wonderful Joanna Lumley.

POEM

Gillian Clarke is a poet I very much admire. Has been Poet laureate of Wales and has a great facility for the turn of phrase.

Reading Record

JANUARY

1. Plague 99 by Jean Ure (1989) 218 pp
2. Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes (1857) 309 pp
3. A Lear of the Steppes by Ivan Turgenev (1870) 117 pp
4. A Fall from the Sky by Ian Serraillier (1966) 78 pp
5. The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri (2015) 262 pp
6. Dove on the Waters by Maurice Shadbolt (1996) 198 pp
7. A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson (2019) 81 pp
8. The Other End of the Line by Andrea Camilleri (2016) 293 pp
9. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (2019) 208 pp
10. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (1930) 501 pp
11. Carrie's War by Nina Bawden (1973) 211 pp
12. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (2020) 430 pp
13. Judge Savage by Tim Parks (2003) 442 pp
14. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (1962) 280 pp
15. Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer (1969) 227 pp
16. Jazz by Toni Morrison (1992) 229 pp
17. A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell (1951) 230 pp

CURRENTLY READING

READING PLAN
Reading Plan

1 British Author Challenge - set this year by Amanda in the 75er Group

2 1001 Book First Edition - Ongoing

3 Booker Challenge - Read all the Booker winners; I may get close to completing that in 2021

4 Nobel Winners - Read all the Nobel Winners

5 Pulitzer Winners - Read all the Pulitzer fiction winners

6 Around the World Challenge - Read a book from an author born in or with parents from all countries - I reset this challenge in October 2020.

7 Queen Victoria Challenge - Read a book from every year of Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901) with no repeat authors. Started December 2020

8 Queen Betty Challenge - Read a book from every year of Queen Elizabeth II reign (1952-2021) - British authors only and no repeats.

9 Dance to the Music of Time - One a month all year.

10. The 52 Book Club Challenge - A book a week from these selected categories https://www.the52book.club/challenges/2021-reading-challenge/

11. A Dent in the TBR - I have approaching 5,000 books in my TBR so I must read some of the 250 books I have bought in 2020 that end the current year unread.

12. Poetry - My first love in many ways and I am still something of a scribbler of lines to this day.

13. American Author Challenge - Linda came up trumps.

14. Series Pairs - I will choose one favourite series and read the next two books in that particular series I have slightly fallen behind with.

BAC



January: Children's Classics https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7317610

February: LGBT+ History Month https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7317871

March: Vaseem Khan & Eleanor Hibbert https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7318561

April: Love is in the Air https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7319432

May: V. S. Naipaul & Na'ima B. Robert https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7320231

June: The Victorian Era (1837-1901) https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7320541

July: Don't judge a book by its movie https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7321220

August: Bernard Cornwell & Helen Oyeyemi https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7321374

September: She Blinded Me with Science https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7321899

October: Narrative Poetry https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7322840

November: Tade Thompson & Elizabeth Taylor https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7323772

December: Awards & Honors https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7325017

Wildcard: Books off your shelves https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7325595

AMERICAN AUTHOR CHALLENGE



Please see:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/327669#7354831

January : Keep it in the Family : F. Scott Fitzgerald

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

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For - READ
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize) - READ
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur - READ
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist ... and Stanley Middleton, Holiday - READ
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust - READ
1976: David Storey, Saville - READ
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On - READ
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore - READ
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage - READ
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children - READ
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark - READ
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac - READ
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils - READ
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger - READ
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance - READ
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger - READ
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders - READ
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things READ
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam - READ
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace - READ
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang - READ
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea - READ
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering - READ
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger - READ
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall - READ
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending - READ
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies - READ
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North - READ
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings - READ
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout - READ
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman
2019: Margaret Atwood, The Testaments, and Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other
2020: Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain READ JAN 21

READ 32 of 56 WINNERS

Pulitzer Winners

As with the Bookers, I want to eventually read all the Pulitzer winners (for fiction at least) and have most of the recent ones on the shelves at least. Current status.

Fiction

1918 HIS FAMILY - Ernest Poole
1919 THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS - Booth Tarkington
1921 THE AGE OF INNOCENCE - Edith Wharton
1922 ALICE ADAMS - Booth Tarkington
1923 ONE OF OURS - Willa Cather
1924 THE ABLE MCLAUGHLINS - Margaret Wilson
1925 SO BIG - Edna Ferber
1926 ARROWSMITH - Sinclair Lewis (Declined)
1927 EARLY AUTUMN - Louis Bromfield
1928 THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY - Thornton Wilder
1929 SCARLET SISTER MARY - Julia Peterkin
1930 LAUGHING BOY - Oliver Lafarge ON SHELVES
1931 YEARS OF GRACE - Margaret Ayer Barnes
1932 THE GOOD EARTH - Pearl Buck
1933 THE STORE - Thomas Sigismund Stribling
1934 LAMB IN HIS BOSOM - Caroline Miller
1935 NOW IN NOVEMBER - Josephine Winslow Johnson
1936 HONEY IN THE HORN - Harold L Davis
1937 GONE WITH THE WIND - Margaret Mitchell ON SHELVES
1938 THE LATE GEORGE APLEY - John Phillips Marquand
1939 THE YEARLING - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
1940 THE GRAPES OF WRATH - John Steinbeck
1942 IN THIS OUR LIFE - Ellen Glasgow
1943 DRAGON'S TEETH - Upton Sinclair
1944 JOURNEY IN THE DARK - Martin Flavin
1945 A BELL FOR ADANO - John Hersey ON SHELVES
1947 ALL THE KING'S MEN - Robert Penn Warren ON SHELVES
1948 TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC - James Michener
1949 GUARD OF HONOR - James Gould Cozzens
1950 THE WAY WEST - A.B. Guthrie
1951 THE TOWN - Conrad Richter
1952 THE CAINE MUTINY - Herman Wouk
1953 THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA - Ernest Hemingway
1955 A FABLE - William Faulkner
1956 ANDERSONVILLE - McKinlay Kantor
1958 A DEATH IN THE FAMILY - James Agee ON SHELVES
1959 THE TRAVELS OF JAIMIE McPHEETERS - Robert Lewis Taylor
1960 ADVISE AND CONSENT - Allen Drury
1961 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - Harper Lee
1962 THE EDGE OF SADNESS - Edwin O'Connor
1963 THE REIVERS - William Faulkner
1965 THE KEEPERS OF THE HOUSE - Shirley Ann Grau
1966 THE COLLECTED STORIES OF KATHERINE ANNE PORTER - Katherine Anne Porter
1967 THE FIXER - Bernard Malamud
1968 THE CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER - William Styron
1969 HOUSE MADE OF DAWN - N Scott Momaday ON SHELVES
1970 THE COLLECTED STORIES OF JEAN STAFFORD - Jean Stafford
1972 ANGLE OF REPOSE - Wallace Stegner ON SHELVES
1973 THE OPTIMIST'S DAUGHTER - Eudora Welty ON SHELVES
1975 THE KILLER ANGELS - Jeff Shaara ON SHELVES
1976 HUMBOLDT'S GIFT - Saul Bellow
1978 ELBOW ROOM - James Alan McPherson
1979 THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER - John Cheever ON SHELVES
1980 THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG - Norman Mailer ON SHELVES
1981 A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES - John Kennedy Toole ON SHELVES
1982 RABBIT IS RICH - John Updike
1983 THE COLOR PURPLE - Alice Walker ON SHELVES
1984 IRONWEED - William Kennedy ON SHELVES
1985 FOREIGN AFFAIRS - Alison Lurie ON SHELVES
1986 LONESOME DOVE - Larry McMurtry ON SHELVES
1987 A SUMMONS TO MEMPHIS - Peter Taylor
1988 BELOVED - Toni Morrison - ON SHELVES
1989 BREATHING LESSONS - Anne Tyler
1990 THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE - Oscar Hijuelos
1991 RABBIT AT REST - John Updike
1992 A THOUSAND ACRES - Jane Smiley
1993 A GOOD SCENT FROM A STRANGE MOUNTAIN - Robert Olen Butler
1994 THE SHIPPING NEWS - E Annie Proulx
1995 THE STONE DIARIES - Carol Shields ON SHELVES
1996 INDEPENDENCE DAY - Richard Ford ON SHELVES
1997 MARTIN DRESSLER - Steven Millhauser ON SHELVES
1998 AMERICAN PASTORAL - Philip Roth ON SHELVES
1999 THE HOURS - Michael Cunningham ON SHELVES
2000 INTERPRETER OF MALADIES - Jumpha Lahiri
2001 THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY - Michael Chabon ON SHELVES
2002 EMPIRE FALLS - Richard Russo ON SHELVES
2003 MIDDLESEX - Jeffrey Eugenides ON SHELVES
2004 THE KNOWN WORLD - Edward P. Jones ON SHELVES
2005 GILEAD - Marilynne Robinson ON SHELVES
2006 MARCH - Geraldine Brooks
2007 THE ROAD - Cormac McCarthy
2008 THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO - Junot Diaz ON SHELVES
2009 OLIVE KITTERIDGE - Elizabeth Strout ON SHELVES
2010 TINKERS - Paul Harding
2011 A VISIT FROM THE GOOD SQUAD - Jennifer Egan ON SHELVES
2013 ORPHAN MASTER'S SON - Adam Johnson ON SHELVES
2014 THE GOLDFINCH - Donna Tartt ON SHELVES
2015 ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE - Anthony Doerr ON SHELVES
2016 THE SYMPATHIZER - Viet Thanh Nguyen ON SHELVES
2017 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD - Colson Whitehead ON SHELVES
2018 LESS - Andrew Sean Greer ON SHELVES
2019 THE OVERSTORY - Richard Powers ON SHELVES
2020 THE NICKEL BOYS - Colson Whitehead


17 READ
37 ON SHELVES
39 NOT OWNED OR READ

93 TOTAL

NOBELS

Update on my Nobel Prize Winning Reading:
1901 Sully Prudhomme
1902 Theodor Mommsen
1903 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
1904 Frédéric Mistral and José Echegaray y Eizaquirre
1905 Henryk Sienkiewicz
1906 Giosuè Carducci
1907 Rudyard Kipling - READ
1908 Rudolf Christoph Eucken
1909 Selma Lagerlöf
1910 Paul Heyse --
1911 Count Maurice Maeterlinck
1912 Gerhart Hauptmann
1913 Rabindranath Tagore - READ
1915 Romain Rolland
1916 Verner von Heidenstam
1917 Karl Adolph Gjellerup and Henrik Pontoppidan
1919 Carl Spitteler
1920 Knut Hamsun - READ
1921 Anatole France - READ
1922 Jacinto Benavente
1923 William Butler Yeats - READ
1924 Wladyslaw Reymont
1925 George Bernard Shaw - READ
1926 Grazia Deledda - READ
1927 Henri Bergson
1928 Sigrid Undset
1929 Thomas Mann - READ
1930 Sinclair Lewis - READ
1931 Erik Axel Karlfeldt
1932 John Galsworthy - READ
1933 Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin - READ
1934 Luigi Pirandello - READ
1936 Eugene O'Neill - READ
1937 Roger Martin du Gard
1938 Pearl S. Buck - READ
1939 Frans Eemil Sillanpää
1944 Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
1945 Gabriela Mistral
1946 Hermann Hesse - READ
1947 André Gide - READ
1948 T.S. Elliot - READ
1949 William Faulkner - READ
1950 Bertrand Russell - READ
1951 Pär Lagerkvist - READ
1952 François Mauriac - READ
1953 Sir Winston Churchill - READ
1954 Ernest Hemingway - READ
1955 Halldór Laxness - READ
1956 Juan Ramón Jiménez
1957 Albert Camus - READ
1958 Boris Pasternak (declined the prize) - READ
1959 Salvatore Quasimodo
1960 Saint-John Perse
1961 Ivo Andric - READ
1962 John Steinbeck - READ
1963 Giorgos Seferis
1964 Jean-Paul Sartre (declined the prize) - READ
1965 Michail Sholokhov
1966 Shmuel Yosef Agnon and Nelly Sachs - READ
1967 Miguel Ángel Asturias
1968 Yasunari Kawabata - READ
1969 Samuel Beckett - READ
1970 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - READ
1971 Pablo Neruda - READ
1972 Heinrich Böll - READ
1973 Patrick White
1974 Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson
1975 Eugenio Montale
1976 Saul Bellow - READ
1977 Vincente Aleixandre
1978 Isaac Bashevis Singer - READ
1979 Odysseas Elytis - READ
1980 Czeslaw Milosz
1981 Elias Canetti
1982 Gabriel Garciá Márquez - READ
1983 William Golding - READ
1984 Jaroslav Seifert - READ
1985 Claude Simon - READ
1986 Akinwande Ouwoe Soyinka
1987 Joseph Brodsky - READ
1988 Naguib Mahfouz - READ
1989 Camilo José Cela - READ
1990 Octavio Paz
1991 Nadine Gordimer - READ
1992 Derek Walcott - READ
1993 Toni Morrison - READ
1994 Kenzaburo Oe - READ
1995 Seamus Heaney - READ
1996 Wislawa Szymborska - READ
1997 Dario Fo - READ
1998 José Saramago - READ
1999 Günter Grass
2000 Gao Xingjian
2001 Vidiadhar Surjprasad Naipaul - READ
2002 Imre Kertész - READ
2003 John Maxwell Coetzee - READ
2004 Elfriede Jelinek - READ
2005 Harold Pinter - READ
2006 Orhan Pamuk - READ
2007 Doris Lessing - READ
2008 J.M.G. Le Clézio
2009 Herta Müller - READ
2010 Mario Vargas Llosa - READ
2011 Tomas Tranströmer - READ
2012 Mo Yan
2013 Alice Munro - READ
2014 Patrick Modiano - READ
2015 Svetlana Alexievich - READ
2016 Bob Dylan - READ
2017 Kazuo Ishiguro - READ
2018 Olga Tokarczuk - READ
2019 Peter Handke - READ
2020 Louise Gluck - READ

READ 71 OF
117 LAUREATES

AROUND THE WORLD CHALLENGE
Around the world in books challenge. I want to see how many countries I can cover without limiting myself to a specific deadline.

From 1 October 2020

1. United Kingdom - The Ways of the World by Robert Goddard EUROPE
2. Ireland - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde EUROPE
3. Lithuania - Selected and Last Poems by Czeslaw Milosz EUROPE
4. Netherlands - The Ditch by Herman Koch EUROPE
5. Armenia - The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian ASIA PACIFIC
6. Zimbabwe - This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga AFRICA
7. United States - Averno by Louise Gluck AMERICA
8. Australia - Taller When Prone by Les Murray ASIA PACIFIC
9. France - Class Trip by Emmanuel Carrere EUROPE
10. Russia - The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov EUROPE
11. Denmark - Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard EUROPE
12. Democratic Republic of Congo - Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanze Mujila AFRICA
13. Canada - I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven AMERICA
14. Italy - The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri EUROPE
15. New Zealand - Dove on the Waters by Maurice Shadbolt ASIA PACIFIC


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

QUEEN VIC CHALLENGE
Regarding my Victorian Era Challenge which I started this month with the aim of completing it by the end of 2021. 64 years. 64 books. 64 authors.

From Dec 2020

1843 FEAR AND TREMBLING by Kierkegaard
1850 PENDENNIS by Thackeray
1857 TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS by Hughes
1870 A LEAR OF THE STEPPES by Turgenev
1881 PRINCE AND THE PAUPER by Twain
1900 THREE SISTERS by Chekhov

6/64

QUEEN BETTY CHALLENGE

From December 2020 70 Years 70 Books 70 Different British Authors

1962 The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side by Agatha Christie
1966 A Fall from the Sky by Ian Serraillier
1969 Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Framer
1973 Carrie's War by Nina Bawden
1989 Plague 99 by Jean Ure
2003 Judge Savage by Tim Parks
2013 A Delicate Truth by John Le Carre
2019 A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson
2020 Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

9/70

52 BOOK CLUB CHALLENGE

Based on this challenge suggested by Katie & Chelle

https://www.the52book.club/challenges/2021-reading-challenge/

January
Week 1 : Set in a school : Tom Brown's Schooldays by Hughes Read 2 Jan 2021
Week 2 : Legal profession : Judge Savage by Tim Parks Read 28 Jan 2021
Week 3 : Dual timeline : Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer Read 29 Jan 2021
Week 4 : Deceased author : Jazz by Toni Morrison READ 30 Jan 2021
Week 5 : Published by Penguin :
Week 6 : Male Family Member :
Week 7 : 1 Published Work :
Week 8 : Dewey 900 Class :

SERIES PAIR CHALLENGE

January First Half : Andrea Camilleri - MONTALBANO DONE
January Second Half : Agatha Christie - MISS MARPLE

READ MORE THAN ACQUIRED

Last year I added 300 books but read 50 of them. In addition I have another 4,500 plus on the TBR.
The challenge is not to make the situation of my TBR worse.
So I must read or remove from my wider TBR more than I acquire this year and I will gauge this against last years "new" TBR and any future incomings. Therefore the older TBRs don't count against this challenge.

The figure at the start of the year is 250 books and this number must be smaller by December 31. These are the 250 books:

1 Stay with Me Adebayo
2 American War Akkad
3 The Catholic School Albinati
4 The Unwomanly Face of War Alexievich
5 Saltwater Andrews
6 Big Sky Atkinson
7 At the Jerusalem Bailey
8 The Body Lies Baker
9 The Lost Memory of Skin Banks
10 Remembered Battle-Felton
11 Springtime in a Broken Mirror Benedetti
12 A Crime in the Neighborhood Berne
13 Stand By Me Berry
14 Love Story, With Murders Bingham
15 This Thing of Darkness Bingham
16 The Sandcastle Girls Bohjalian
17 The Ascent of Rum Doodle Bowman
18 Clade Bradley
19 The Snow Ball Brophy
20 Paladin of Souls Bujold
21 Parable of the Sower Butler
22 The Adventures of China Iron Camara
23 The Overnight Kidnapper Camilleri READ JAN 21
24 The Other End of the Line Camilleri READ JAN 21
25 Lord of all the Dead Cercas
26 Uncle Vanya Checkov
27 The Cherry Orchard Checkov
28 Blue Moon Child
29 Trust Exercise Choi
30 The Night Tiger Choo
31 The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side Christie READ JAN 21
32 At Bertram's Hotel Christie
33 The Water Dancer Coates
34 The New Wilderness Cook
35 Hopscotch Cortazar
36 The Illumination of Ursula Flight Crowhurst
37 Deviation D'Eramo
38 Boy Swallows Universe Dalton
39 The Girl with the Louding Voice Dare
40 The Rose of Tibet Davidson
41 Dhalgren Delany
42 The Butterfly Girl Denfeld
43 Vernon Subutex 1 Despentes
44 Postcolonial Love Poem Diaz
45 Childhood Ditlevsen
46 Youth Ditlevsen
47 Dependency Ditlevsen
48 Burnt Sugar Doshi
49 Frenchman's Creek Du Maurier D
50 Trilby Du Maurier G
51 Sincerity Duffy
52 Sumarine Dunthorne
53 The Narrow Land Dwyer-Hickey
54 Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race Eddo-Lodge
55 Axiom's End Ellis
56 Figures in a Landscape England
57 kaddish.com Englander
58 Shadow Tag Erdrich
59 The Carpet Makers Eschbach
60 The Emperor's Babe Evaristo
61 Small Country Faye
62 To Rise Again at a Decent Hour Ferris
63 At Freddie's Fitzgerald
64 The Guest List Foley
65 Man's Search for Meaning Frankel
66 Love in No Man's Land Ga
67 Norse Mythology Gaiman
68 The Spare Room Garner
69 The Kites Gary
70 Gun Island Ghosh
71 Vita Nova Gluck
72 Trafalgar Gorodischer
73 Potiki Grace
74 Killers of the Flower Moon Grann
75 The Last Banquet Grimwood
76 Guapa Haddad
77 The Porpoise Haddon
78 Late in the Day Hadley
79 The Final Bet Hamdouchi
80 The Parisian Hammad
81 Nightingale Hannah
82 Coastliners Harris J
83 The Truths We Hold Harris K
84 Conclave Harris R
85 The Second Sleep Harris R
86 Tales of the Tikongs Hau'ofa
87 A Thousand Ships Haynes
88 The River Heller
89 Dead Lions Herron
90 Real Tigers Herron
91 War and Turpentine Hertmans
92 A Political History of the World Holslag
93 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Honeyman
94 The Light Years Howard
95 Promise Me You'll Shoot Yourself Huber
96 A High Wind in Jamaica Hughes
97 Ape and Essence Huxley
98 Me John
99 Nightblind Jonasson
100 Black Out Jonasson
101 How to be an Anti-Rascist Kendi
102 Death is Hard Work Khalifa
103 Darius the Great is Not Okay Khorram
104 Himself Kidd
105 Diary of a Murderer Kim
106 Dance of the Jacakranda Kimani
107 The Bridge Konigsberg
108 Who They Was Krauze
109 The Mars Room Kushner
110 The Princesse de Cleves La Fayette
111 The Other Americans Lalami
112 The Curious Case of Dassoukine's Trousers Laroui
113 Fish Can Sing Laxness
114 Agent Running in the Field Le Carre
115 Pachinko Lee
116 The Turncoat Lenz
117 The Topeka School Lerner
118 Caging Skies Leunens
119 The Fifth Risk Lewis
120 The Three-Body Problem Liu
121 Lost Children Archive Luiselli
122 Black Moses Mabanckou
123 Blue Ticket Mackintosh
124 A Burning Majumdar
125 The Mirror and the Light Mantel
126 Original Spin Marks
127 Deep River Marlantes
128 The Return Matar
129 The Island Matute
130 Hame McAfee
131 Apeirogon McCann
132 Underland McFarlane
133 Hurricane Season Melchor
134 The Shadow King Mengiste
135 The Human Swarm Moffett
136 She Would Be King Moore
137 The Starless Sea Morgenstern
138 Poetry by Heart Motion
139 A Fairly Honourable Defeat Murdoch
140 The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov Nabokov
141 The Warlow Experiment Nathan
142 The Left-Handed Booksellers of London Nix
143 Born a Crime Noah
144 The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney Nzelu
145 Girl O'Brien
146 After You'd Gone O'Farrell
147 Henry, Himself O'Nan
148 Inland Obreht
149 Weather Offill
150 Dept. of Speculation Offill
151 Stag's Leap Olds
152 Blue Horses Oliver
153 Felicity Oliver
154 Will Olyslaegers
155 Woods, etc Oswald
156 Night Theatre Paralkar
157 The Damascus Road Parini
158 Empress of the East Peirce
159 The Street Petry
160 Disappearing Earth Phillips
161 Arid Dreams Pimwana
162 Peterloo : Witness to a Massacre Polyp
163 Lanny Porter
164 The Women at Hitler's Table Postorino
165 A Question of Upbringing Powell A READ JAN 21
166 A Buyer's Market Powell A
167 The Acceptance World Powell A
168 The Interrogative Mood Powell P
169 Rough Magic Prior-Palmer
170 The Alice Network Quinn
171 Where the Red Fern Grows Rawls
172 Such a Fun Age Reid
173 Selected Poems 1950-2012 Rich
174 The Discomfort of Evening Rijneveld
175 Jack Robinson
176 The Years of Rice and Salt Robinson K
177 A Portable Paradise Robinson R READ JAN 21
178 The Fall of the Ottomans Rogan
179 Normal People Rooney
180 Conversations with Friends Rooney
181 Alone Time Rosenbloom
182 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Rowling
183 The Watch Roy-Bhattacharya
184 The Five Rubenhold
185 Contact Sagan
186 The Hunters Salter
187 The Seventh Cross Seghers
188 Will Self
189 Moses Ascending Selvon
190 The Dove on the Water Shadbolt READ JAN 21
191 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World Shafak
192 In Arabian Nights Shah
193 The Caliph's House Shah
194 Mrs Warren's Profession Shaw
195 Arms and the Man Shaw
196 Candida Shaw
197 Man and Superman Shaw
198 Dimension of Miracles Sheckley
199 The Last Man Shelley
200 Temple of a Thousand Faces Shors
201 Year of the Monkey Smith P
202 Eternity Smith T
203 Crossing Statovci
204 Lucy Church, Amiably Stein
205 Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead Stoppard
206 Blood Cruise Strandberg
207 Shuggie Bain Stuart READ JAN 21
208 Three Poems Sullivan
209 Rules for Perfect Murders Swanson
210 Cane River Tademy
211 Real Life Taylor
212 The Queen's Gambit Tevis
213 Far North Therous
214 Walden Thoreau
215 Civil Disobedience Thoreau
216 Survivor Song Tremblay
217 The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee Treuer
218 The Small House at Allingham Trollope
219 A Nest of Gentlefolk Turgenev
220 A Quiet Backwater Turgenev
221 A Lear of the Steppes Turgenev READ JAN 21
222 The Queen of Attolia Turner
223 The King of Attolia Turner
224 Redhead by the Side of the Road Tyler
225 Outlaw Ocean Urbina
226 Plague 99 Ure READ JAN 2021
227 The Age of Miracles Walker
228 The Uninhabitable Earth Wallace-Wells
229 Judith Paris Walpole
230 Love and Other Thought Experiments Ward
231 The Death of Mrs. Westaway Ware
232 Lolly Willows Warner
233 Second Life Watson
234 Final Cut Watson
235 Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen Weldon
236 Before the War Weldon
237 Lazarus West
238 Educated Westover
239 The Nickel Boys Whitehead READ JAN 21
240 The Death of Murat Idrissi Wieringa
241 Salome Wilde
242 An Ideal Husband Wilde
243 Lady Windemere's Fan Wilde
244 A Woman of No Importance Wilde
245 The Salt Path Winn
246 The Natural Way of Things Wood C
247 East Lynne Wood E
248 A Room of One's Own Woolf
249 Interior Chinatown Yu
250 How Much of These Hills is Gold Zhang

BEGIN : 250
READ : 10
ADDED : 8 (Nett after deducting those already read)
CULLED : 0 (AGED TBR)

PRESENT TOTAL : 248

THIS YEAR'S ACQUISITIONS

1. Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. by Somerville & Ross
2. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome READ JAN 21
3. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
4. The French Revolution by Thomas Carlyle
5. The Black Corsair by Emilio Salgari
6. The Prime Ministers : Reflections on Leadership from Wilson to Johnson by Steve Richards
7. The God Child by Nana Oforiatta Ayim
8. Arturo's Island by Elsa Morante
9. Coningsby by Benjamin Disraeli

9 added
1 read
8 nett additions

RESOLUTIONS

BOOK STATS :

Books Read : 17
Books Added : 9
Nett TBR Reduction : 8

Number of Pages in completed books : 4,314
Avergae per day : 139.16
Projected Page Total : 50,793

Number of days per book : 1.82
Projected Number : 200
LT Best : 157

Male Authors : 12
Female Authors : 5

UK Authors : 11
Italy : 2
USA : 2
NZ : 1
Russia : 1

1001 Books First Edition : 2 (306)
New Nobel Winners :
Pulitzer Fiction Winners : 1 (17)
Booker Winners : 1 (32)
Around the World Challenge : New countries : 2 (15)
BAC Books : 6
AAC Books :
Queen Vic Books : 3 (6/64)
Queen Betty Books : 8 (9/70)
52 Book Challenge : 4 (4/52)

Next is yours.

Happy new thread, Paul!

>2 PaulCranswick: I've thought it strange that a people should refer to themselves by someone else's word for foreign.

>21 quondame: Well done for being first, Susan. xx

HAppy new one!

>23 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.

>1 PaulCranswick: love that you are including book scenes!

From the last thread I see that you are back to being the stats man! It seems a long time ago that you would regularly keep tabs on all our posting habits, and books numbers, and places of residence :)

>17 PaulCranswick: you need to read faster man, faster! lol (if you weren't acquiring more than you were reading, LT would be a topsy turvy place)

>25 LovingLit: Hi Megan.

First time this year I have put up the stats. I still have to go and finish off the end of year stats for last year too.

With about 5,000 unread books on the shelves I will have to do something!

Happy new thread!

>27 amanda4242: It wouldn't be my threads without your visits, Amanda.

Happy new thread Paul

Happy new thread, Paul!

>29 fairywings: Thanks Adrienne.

>30 AnneDC: Thank you, Anne

Great to see you both here.

Happy new thread, neighbour!

>2 PaulCranswick: That's a similar sentiment to the one expressed in Joe's Half of a Yellow Sun.

And there is Thread 4. Happy New Thread, Paul.

Ouch! Swallows and Amazons has been on my TBR pile for a long time (along with others in the series), it is a shame when children’s classics for one era don’t hold up well in another time.

Regarding Miss Marple there is Joan Hickson and then there is everyone else. I have refused to watch any other adaptations in the past twenty years safe in the knowledge that any recent versions will be inferior.

Happy new thread, Paul!
I almost can not believe that I still make it on the day of the thread creation ;-)
I wish you a wonderful sunday.

>32 humouress: Not quite sure Nina on the Joe reference to Half of a Yellow Sun which is my favourite novel of the twenty-first century quite possibly. I do love the poem and always try to remember something when there is a turn of phrase that makes me think - "I wish I'd written that".

>33 connie53: I didn't want to disappoint you, Connie. xx

>36 PaulCranswick: Joe reviewed the book and had this quote:

“...my point is that the only authentic identity for the African is the tribe...I am Nigerian because a white man created Nigeria and gave me that identity. I am black because the white man constructed black to be as different as possible from his white. But I was Igbo before the white man came.”

which seems to me to be a similar sentiment.

ETA: I'm letting the threads run away from me again and then catching up frantically - but slowly - and I read that quote just yesterday.

>34 DMulvee: I did of course enjoy Joan Hickson but Margaret Rutherford always comes to my mind when I read the books!

Swallows and Amazons is of course a throwback but can still be enjoyed in a sort of Olde England way. I mean one of the lead girl characters is called Titty for heaven's sake.

>35 SirThomas: It is a Sunday, Thomas!

It is great to have you stop by any day of the week.

>37 humouress: I did read Joe's review of the book but didn't connect the two. Nicely spotted, Nina. xx

>38 PaulCranswick: Margaret Rutherford was good but my memory of her is in the Ealing comedies

>40 DMulvee: I know. She also was a dead ringer for my maternal grandmother who was the person I probably loved most in the world so that does rather affect my partiality!

>1 PaulCranswick: I have to say Joan Hickson is my Marple, Paul.



Just as Suchet is Poirot.

>2 PaulCranswick: A fine poet.

>42 Caroline_McElwee: Joan Hickson was indubitably excellent as Miss Marple but Margaret Rutherford was the original.
It is a generational thing too, I suppose. I didn't see too much TV and know Rutherford from the silver screen. Just as Pertwee and Tom Baker will always be my Doctor Who others who grew up with Matt Smith or David Tennant would shake their heads at me in dismay!

Gillian Clarke gets nowhere near the attention she deserves in my opinion.

Happy New Thread, Paul. I am glad you loved The Nickel Boys as much as I did. Whitehead has been on a great roll. Did you put Shuggie Bain aside? I thought you had started it awhile back.

I think I read the Miss Marple books before I saw anything on the screen and I cannot, at this point, recall whether I saw Joan Hickson or Margaret Rutherford first. I thought Rutherford played her/ was scripted (going by dim recollection) as quite a larger than life personality whereas Hickson's quieter characterisation embodied Miss Marple better, or at least as I saw her. I think the point to Miss Marple's character is that people seem to overlook her presence and dismiss the fact that she has a brain that works.

Happy not-so-new thread, Paul!

Happy new thread, Paul! I'm sorry to hear your Mum and other family members have been fighting Covid, and add my good wishes for her recovery.

The Nickel Boys was a doozy of a story, wasn't it? We read it in book club last year, and there were only two of us on the virtual meeting, but it was such a well done story about a heavy topic.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

>44 msf59: Yep loved it Mark.

I am also loving Shuggie Bain but I am savouring it a couple of chapters at a time. Almost done and it is a close run thing as to which I think is the better book.

>45 humouress: I wouldn't argue that perhaps Hickson's portrayal was a little more in keeping with the books but it is still Rutherford's face I see with the books in my hand!

>46 jessibud2: A mere ten hours, Shelley. Quite new I'd say. xx

>47 bell7: Book filled one and I have an outside chance of finishing up to three more books before it is officially over. Always a pleasure to see you here, Mary.

Happy new thread!!

>48 PaulCranswick: Can't blame you since you have a personal connection.

Happy new one, Paul! I love the poem that you featured up top.

>50 ChelleBearss: Thank you Chelle.

>51 humouress: Yeah my Gran with her twinkling blue eyes and cheeky grin was the consummate storyteller, greatmaker of savoury pies, brewer of tea and sampler of single malts. I retain my love of all three in homage to her.

>52 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie. Without being overly presumptuous, I do hope to feature a few more of my favourite British poets on thread toppers throughout the year.
So far we have had Armitage, Auden, Betjeman and Clarke.

Happy new thread, Paul!

You know, I don't think I've seen Marple on the screen, although I've read a fair few of her books, so I can't weigh in on who plays her best. I will instead bravely state this controversial opinion: Kenneth Branagh is the best Poirot:

Happy new fast moving thread, Paul!

No opinion on Miss Marple, and happy you loved The Nickel Boys (touchstones play hard to get again).

>55 scaifea: Thanks Amber. I would say that that is a controversial one. I have to say that I quite liked Peter Ustinov in the role.

>56 FAMeulstee: The site seems uncommonly slow to load today. Not just my internet because certain other sites seem to be loading fine.

Always lovely to see you.

>55 scaifea: NO..... sorry Amber, as much as I love Branagh....

It seems awkward to wish you a happy new thread when mine will be post #60 or more! You'll be off to the next one if I don't post though! Hope you have a good day.

>59 Caroline_McElwee: See? I did say it was controversial...

>57 PaulCranswick: Ustinov? Despite his being the first Poirot I saw on screen (which tends to bias me in favour), David Suchet is my Poirot.

Glad to see you moving on, Paul, and all good wishes for you and this thread. Also hope to hear that your mother and the rest of the family are thriving.
My 2¢ on Marple on video: M. Rutherford took the name and made it her own. Those few movies are rewatchable for fun and games. Joan Hickson stepped out of the books and is Christie's Marple, and therefore, mine.
Also I cast another vote for Suchet for the same reason as for Hickson given above. de gustibus... again.

Just read a out your family struggles with Covid, Paul. I wish them all a speedy and complete recovery.

Happy new thread! and lovely poem.

>1 PaulCranswick: I love that poem Paul. I don’t think I’ve read anything by Gillian Clarke and it sounds as if I should.

Going back to your Swallows and Amazons post from last thread, I think I enjoyed it more than you did. It is a period piece to be sure, but I think it stands up better than some other older children’s books.

Hi Paul and happy fourth thread of 2021. My goodness. Things are hoppin' around here.

Once again I'm an outlier - I've read most of the Christies multiples times since I started 50 years ago and have only seen the Kenneth Branagh Poirot, who was not Poirot IMO. No Marples, no other Poirots. I'm satisfied to leave it at that and re-read the books when I need a fix.

Wishing you a good start into the new week.

Happy new thread mate.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, buddy.

I'm so old that Margaret Rutherford remains my favorite Miss Marple. Her comedic air appeals to me. My #2 would be Geraldine McEwan.

Oh, Paul, I am doing SUCH a poor job of keeping up with threads, especially those of you moving at supersonic speeds! That said, it was lovely to see the stats at the end of the last thread and that your one project is wrapping up.

I have started (JUST started--6 boxes so far) bringing boxes out of the attic to clear out, and found a bunch of vintage poetry anthologies today. I don't know if I can bring myself to get rid of them. I have them listed on my thread.

And I want some of your churros!!!

Just popping in to wish your family members best wishes for their struggles with the flippin' virus as me and my son call it when discussing why mummy has become his teacher yet again.

Also, although I agree that Suchet is the Poirot I picture in my head, I have a lot of time for John Malkovich's recent turn as our Belgian friend in the BBC adaptation of The ABC Murders from a few years ago. The Brexit analogies were perhaps a touch heavy handed and there was some Poirot backstory shenanigans that weren't strictly Kosher, but he did a great job, I think.

>59 Caroline_McElwee: I haven't seen the Branagh version in all fairness but Suchet is the one I see too, Caroline.

>60 thornton37814: They always settle down after the first flurry, Lori. Lovely to see you.

>61 scaifea: Hahaha and I suppose David Niven is your favourite Bond.

>62 humouress: No I said I liked Ustinov, I didn't say he necessarily trumped Suchet. xx

>63 LizzieD: Sometimes longevity in the role helps too and both Hickson and Suchet played Marple and Poirot for some time thereby establishing them in our minds.

My mum is going to need daily care my brother Peter and I will pay for a daily nurse for the time being which will set me back by around $900 per month but which cannot be helped. She cannot be left alone. If Hani and I were back in England I would take her to live with us but alas.

>64 ffortsa: Thanks Judy. For all bar my mum, it is just a question of letting time heal.

>65 banjo123: I would recommend Gillian Clarke's Ice which was nominated for several awards in 2012. Thanks Rhonda.

>66 SandDune: You would really like Gillian Clarke's work I am sure, Rhian. Could be a timing issue with Swallows and Amazons as I read it whilst also reading The Nickel Boys and Shuggie Bain so it didn't shine as it perhaps could have done.

>67 karenmarie: Thanks Karen. Did you not see Albert Finney as Poirot many moons ago? I wonder who you do see when imagining both of them because I normally do give my characters when reading them a face in my mind's eye, subconsciously or not?

>68 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. It is about to start!

>69 johnsimpson: Thanks John. Let's see how close England get to Sri Lanka's score this morning and how long we have to bat to save the match.

>70 drneutron: Thank you, Jim.

>71 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. I think we are probably in the minority here Joe. At least I am in good company!

>72 ronincats: Don't get rid of the poetry Roni!!!! I will ask Hani to rustle up an extra large batch for you.

>73 HanGerg: Malkovitch is a great actor. I mean I don't see him as Poirot at all but the mere fact that he could pull off playing him speaks volumes for his talent. Lovely to see you here, Hannah.

For Roni in particular but plenty to share (how will I ever lose weight?)

>82 PaulCranswick: And chocolate dipping sauce, too!

>83 amanda4242: It is all in the sauce, Amanda. Dark chocolate buttons mixed with double cream. To die for.

>42 Caroline_McElwee: Right there with you. Suchet FTW!
>55 scaifea: Branagh is a tasty morsel, but just doesn't match my mind's eye of a fussy little Belgian gentleman.

I lean toward Hickson too! But I've seen a lot of Miss Marple adaptations over the years and have also enjoyed McKenzie and McEwan in the role. Not sure I've seen any of the old Rutherford editions.

>82 PaulCranswick: Mmmmm. Churros!

>85 justchris: I would say that Suchet and Hickson would win any polls, Chris, judging by the very unscientific sample here. Marple has had some very good actresses in the role but I do concede that there is a severity in Hickson that she applies to the role effectively.

Help yourself to the churros.

>2 PaulCranswick: I also forgot to acknowledge that poem. It burns bright! I wonder the English didn't feel the sizzle at reading it.

>87 justchris: We have - to my knowledge - three members of our coterie who are from Wales - Rhian, Steve (Sir F) and Calm and they are far better to comment than me but I find the border areas between England and Wales especially in the Northern part quite distinguishable. I was a regular visitor to Conway back in the day and there was a really different feel about the place than a similar seaside town across the border (Southport perhaps). I have also been several times to Hay-on-Wye which is just over the border from Leominster where one of my best friends and his family live and it has a distinct flavour.

Are the English less friendly than the Welsh? Dunno, but I think it is unwise to generalise and that Clarke is putting her specific experience into her art.

Hi Paul,
I was just checking out your most recent post on my thread (Mamie is a big fan of McKinty, Sandy and I am persuaded by her to seek him out. You are less enthusiastic?), and thought I'd pop over to say 'Hi'.

Comments on Adrian McKinty: I think he writes well and is expert at creating the atmosphere of living with the Irish Troubles of the 1970's-80's. It was a truly desperate, miserable time for the residents of places like Belfast.

In fact, my review of the two Sean Duffy books empahasized that I was fairly uncomfortable with the narrative ~ (quote) "...generally a dark painting of Irish misery in the civil unrest that was Belfast in the 1970's- 80's."

I read The Cold Cold Ground first (I recommend reading in order) and was drawn into the whole set up. I think Book 2 was the poorer of the pair. It may be that the subsequent books are an improvement on what *I* perceived as flaws, but I'm looking forward to a different tone of reading these days.

So do give the Sean Duffy books a chance. If Mamie is a fan, she has a stronger mental resilience than I!

Well, Paul, all I can say is that I'm very grateful that you and Peter are in a position to provide help for your mother so that she can be at home. I know that she's more than grateful!

>89 SandyAMcPherson: Mamie is generally a very good judge of these things and I am often drawn by her recommendations, Sandy. The Irish and misery are fairly consistent bed-fellows and I can say say with some of that emerald coursing through my own veins.

Lovely to see you here and coming back to us for 2021.

>90 LizzieD: It may cause a few rifts though because Peter did mention that he will ask my sister to also contribute. I think that her own circumstances will make it difficult for her to pay her share and he will then suggest that he will pay her share but take the amount paid on behalf from my mum's estate eventually as a debt from her to him. I will try to persuade him otherwise but he and Julie are not close.

Lovely to see you Peggy.

>88 PaulCranswick: Yep, totally agree that the poem reflects that poet's particular experiences and attitudes. Not meaning to generalize at all.

>92 PaulCranswick: Yikes. Your brother might need to be walked through the difference between equality and equity. Sibling "shares" in family support need not be dead equal in amount to be fair to both the givers and the recipient. That ungenerous possible posthumous reckoning is exactly the sort of thing that makes settling the estate of a loved one so fraught and full of hard feelings.

>93 justchris: Couldn't agree more, Chris. If I could afford my sister's "portion", I would gladly give it. My brother forgets that when he was in despair at the loss of his business I put him in considerable funds to get him going again and I have never asked him for a penny piece of it back. He has been good to me too on trips back and I suspect the dread hand of my SIL. Let's see what happens because at core he is a warm hearted fellow usually.

Just finished Carrie's War but will review it in a few hours as I must get back to work!

>95 PaulCranswick: Pesky work getting in the way of books.

>96 amanda4242: I know! :(

Still managed 5 BAC books in January with another 2 to go.

Happy fourth (!!!) thread!

>98 false-knight: Thank you Emery. Nice to see you here.

BOOK # 11



Carrie's War by Nina Bawden

Date of Publication : 1973
Origin of Author : UK
Pages : 211 pp

Challenges :
British Author Challenge : January Children's Classics : 5th book
Queen Betty Challenge : 1973 (5/70)

What a tremendous novel. Carrie and her brother Nick are evacuated from war torn London to the Welsh valleys and stay with stern shopkeeper Mr Evans and his timid sister Lou. Dilys Evans married the son of the mine owner in whose mine Mr. Evans father was killed and brother and sister are estranged. The now ailing Dilys staying at the mysterious farmhouse of Druid's Bottom with its interesting inhabitants.

A fine story but its themes are important ones; the effect of guilt on one's life, loyalty, belonging and family ties are carefully marbled through this tale replete with wonderful characters. Bawden's superbly balanced consideration of Mr Evans is beautifully done.

Heartily recommended.

>100 PaulCranswick: That's another title that I feel I should have read - and want to read - as if my TBR pile is not big enough already!

>101 CDVicarage: Wonderful novel, Kerry, that was the most adult and sensitive of YA fiction.

Regulars to my thread will know that I am interested in literary awards.

I mean three of my challenges are to read all the winners of the Booker Prize and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as something by every Nobel laureate.

What about the other literary awards?

Those that I like to follow include:

UK -
Costa Book Awards for Fiction and for First Novel
Women's Prize
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
Walter Scott Prize (Historical Fiction)
Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
Man Booker International Prize

and others here https://www.list.co.uk/article/107210-all-the-major-uk-book-awards-2020/

IRELAND
IMPAC International Prize

USA
National Book Awards for Fiction
National Book Critics Circle Award
PEN Faulkner Award

CANADA
Giller Prize

AUSTRALIA
Miles Franklin Award

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand Book Awards

FRANCE
Prix Goncourt
Prix Femina

ITALY
Premio Strega

And of course poetry awards from all over the world.

>100 PaulCranswick: Isn't it good! Glad you liked it :) It was one I hadn't read as a child and I'm quite glad - becasue I enjoyed it so much when I finally did get to it (last year? year before? It's all merging into one...).

>104 BekkaJo: I do wish I had read it sooner because then I would have definitely already have read it again!

Y'all were talking about me, and my ears weren't even burning! I like what McKinty brings to the table in his books - not just the darkness, but also humor and wit. Duffy is smart, which isn't to say that he always makes the right choices, but I like how he thinks about things. I like what he shares about his reading and his love of music. I also listened to the books, narrated by the fabulous Gerard Doyle, and that might have made a difference because he really brings out the humor that is there.

I think my liking the books is not about "mental resilience" - we were talking about this type of thing recently on Amber's thread, and I think it is just about knowing what your triggers are and what you don't want to read. Setting your own boundaries. No judgements ever because we are all unique individuals with different life experiences, and we should each decide for ourselves what we are comfortable with. I love noir and scandicrime, but I don't want to feel like I have lived through torture or rape. I cannot take violence against children or animals. So, while I love the genres, I do not read All The Things. Not every author is for every person, and I'm okay with that.

Hoping that the week is kind to you, Paul.

>106 Crazymamie: No need to have your ears burning when all the talk is complimentary!

You are of course right that everybody's experiences and personal borders will determine not only what we want to read but also what we will enjoy reading. I personally differentiate between fact and fiction here. No subject matter is out of bounds in fiction terms so long as its delivery is not overly gratuitous. I do have a major problem with overt racism and sexism but that is often found in books that you do not necessarily expect it to be there. If an authors view point would be one I find offensive I would almost certainly bin it.

I am more careful with non-fiction and there are certain subjects that I would not be comfortable with and paedophilia is definitely one of those. Belle and Hani enjoy reading true crime books but they chill me to the bone. I like history (especially on certain subjects), sports, literary biographies, some economics and politics and current social issues.

Ears burning idiom just means that someone was talking about you, not that it was negative. And I didn't feel like it was negative at all - just thought I would weigh in because it is interesting.

I also don't read much true crime if it involves physical or sexual violence. I do like reading things about art theft or forgery. Or if the book is more about the tracking down of the criminal and less about the physical crime. So no to I'll Be Gone in the Dark because that would haunt me, but yes to A Spy Among Friends.

>108 Crazymamie: I did know that Mamie though a little foggily but in some traditions it does depend which ear is burning. We used to say that if your right ear was burning people were saying nice things but if it was the left ear they were speaking badly of you. What I should have responded had it not been one in the morning and I wasn't distracted by Shuggie Bain was that it must have been your right ear burning. xx

I think that is a good point that if the book is about the chase more than the actual crime it would have more appeal to me too.

How to sleep with the wonderful aroma of baking scones? SWMBO has infused the scones with some of my strawberry flavoured Greek yogurt and I have to say that they are delicious. It is her hand in the photo by the way.

Is a thread still new after 100 posts? Happy new thread anyway, Paul, and you got me with a book bullet with Carrie's War.

>111 curioussquared: It is whatever you want it to be, Natalie and very welcome here you are too!
I have read some good books this month and Carrie's War definitely makes the podium.

>111 curioussquared: "Is a thread still new after 100 posts?" I think, in Paul's case, yes! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw thread Part 4! Congrats! and lucky you to have such sweet delicacies at your fingertips, I'm talking churros and scones. They look delectable and I'm sure there were no intentional calories added to the mix.

>113 Carmenere: Actually, Lynda, Amber made it to four threads before me by at least a day.

SWMBO ensures that weight loss for me is a pipe dream! xx

Just passing through...

>115 PersephonesLibrary: You had me non-plussed for a second or two, Kathe.

Just finished Shuggie Bain (finally) and will review it in the morning.

Not even trying to keep up but I love the topper. I read lots of Agatha Christie last year including The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side. I will seek out the video version. Hope you are well.

>110 PaulCranswick: Scones look delicious. I love to bake and am very worried that my yoga coach has started talking about carbs as though they are bad.

>110 PaulCranswick: Strawberry yogurt infused in the scone sounds interesting.

>118 witchyrichy: They cannot be so bad, Karen, when they taste like heaven!

>119 thornton37814: Very subtle flavour, Lori. Really satisfying. Just had two for my breakfast.

Hi Paul - this thread is really truckin' along. I read Swallows and Amazons a couple of years ago for the first time and really enjoyed it. I remember not watching it when it was on tv way back in my childhood.

As far as Poirot goes, I haven't watched much of him on tv and so Albert Finney gets my vote.

BOOK # 12



Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

Date Published : 2020
Origin of Author : UK (now also US)
Pages : 430 pp

Challenges :
Booker Prize Winners : 2020 - 1st in 2021 (32/56)
Queen Betty Challenge : (6/70)

I really have finished some tremendous books this week!

Apparently based on Stuart's own upbringing, Shuggie is a little bit different and doesn't entirely fit in in the mean streets of Glasgow. Everybody hard as nails and sectarianism prevails to the extent that blue or green is the difference between a pat on the back or a kick in the balls.

But the real joy and sadness of this brilliant first novel is the love between the son and his flawed and broken mother, Agnes. Serially cheated and abused and abandoned by her husband, her drinking worsens and every false dawn reveals a darker day. We know this is not going to end well but we will her to beat the odds as does the son and just as unrealistically.

I found it slow going but vivid and rewarding. It shows people at their best and their worst. It is real and it is believable. One of the very best Booker winners I have read.

>121 avatiakh: I may have read it at the wrong time, Kerry, in the middle of several fantastic novels. I thought it was a bit dated but certainly well written.

I also liked Albert Finney in Murder on the Orient Express.

I finished reading Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker and I was not as taken with it as you. I found it somewhat distant in tone and I just didn't connect with it like I did with Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I have had that same problem with all of the books by Barker that I have read. I got what she as saying, but it seemed emotionally distant to me. Even with her Regeneration trilogy I just didn't get that feeling that I was inside the book. This is a very good book, and it gives a whole new perspective on the Trojan War that was well done. It also served to drive home the fact that war leaves all kinds of victims. Even those who survive.

>124 benitastrnad: Each to their own, Benita. I preferred it to Song of Achilles but I thought that they were both good. I didn't experience any disconnect with it and I thought that the feminine perspective on what is a male dominated story (other than the reason for their fighting) was well done imho.

Came back from work exhausted and slept on the sofa from 8 until midnight. I'm joining the rest of my team with a totally screwed up body clock.

>125 PaulCranswick:
It was a unique perspective and I appreciated that. I think that kind of odd perspective is something at which Barker excels. I just didn't connect with it like I did with Miller's book. I also had that same problem with her World War I books. I wonder if it is a cultural thing?

There is no doubt that it is excellent writing and the way she takes the bones of the story and changes the perspective to tell it through the women's experience is very well done. It is possible that I wanted it to grab me the way that Miller's book did, and that didn't happen. As I thought about the book and my reaction to it, I realized that I also had that same sense of distance in the Regeneration trilogy as well. However, in that case, at the time I read those three books, I thought it was deliberate. The author had written it that way so that the reader could view the horror of WWI from a safer distance. Perhaps that is also true with this book - the distance is deliberate. How else would the women in the story have survived if they did not put some things at a safe emotional distance?

This book is my real life book discussion group selection for February. We are an all female group and it will be interesting to hear what the others have to say. There is one member of the group who really likes Barker's writing and I will be especially waiting for her comments. Since this is not the first Barker book this group has read it will be an interesting discussion. (The group read the Regeneration trilogy back in 2018.) If you would like you could join in the discussion. We are meeting by Zoom and have members from all over the U. S.

>126 PaulCranswick: More midnight scones?

But seriously, take of yourself. Or else!

>127 benitastrnad: Regeneration didn't blow me away and I haven't read the other two although I have them. It is a judgement call and I can see why some would prefer Miller over Barker. I liked Barker's better.

>128 BekkaJo: Just as good as yesterday's ones too! My sleep pattern is muddled up thanks mainly to my reading habits.

Hi Paul! Congrats on a good reading month so far.

>78 PaulCranswick: Nope. Didn’t see Finney as Poirot. I see Poirot as Christie imagined him – smallish, dapper, egg-shaped head, waxed moustache. Miss Marple has a cloud of fluffy white hair, is frail with piercing eyes.

I absolutely do give characters a face/form/mannerisms. Every once in a while a TV/movie version exemplifies what the author described – I’m thinking of Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch, Edward Petherbridge as Peter Wimsey, and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. Sometimes the TV/movie characters intrude on what I originally had in my mind’s eye – some of the Harry Potter characters come to mind.

>92 PaulCranswick: Ugh. Families and money. I forgave an IOU my sister had signed against my mother’s estate in order to keep her from reliving the situation that put them in the position of having to ask for the money in the first place. I love her too much to let money come between us. Sorry about your brother and sister.

>110 PaulCranswick: Yum.

>130 karenmarie:
I am also one who gets a mind picture of what a character looks like and how the mannerisms described would be manifested in a live situation. For that reason I am generally disappointed when I see a major character in a movie. I do understand that actors move along while a character in a book tends to get frozen in time so I get that there comes a time when the actor can't portray that figure anymore. (Sean Connery as James Bond, for instance.) I also understand that actors have their own interpretations to put on characters. I didn't like Ian McClellan as Gandalf, but I think he did a great job, but he wasn't how I pictured Gandalf and still isn't.

I did think that Kenneth Branagh did a good job in Murder on the Orient Express and I appreciate his acting skills and some of the things he brought to the character and the movie, but I think that David Suchet was a closer match to what I had in my minds eye.

All of this may be why I like books better than movies.

>131 benitastrnad: I also form pictures of the characters I read, sometimes according to the authors' descriptions, sometimes not quite. I'm eager to see the movie "News of the World" to see if Hanks can fit into the portrait I've created. I think it's more manner than looks, and he will be a good match.

>16 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. I very much appreciate your goal of reading as many or more than you bring in the house.

This year I am trying to read from the books I own. It is difficult to do this because there are so many great recommendations from this group.

I really should try to keep up better but I saw from the stats on your last thread that I'm falling behind on LT these days. Too much time spent writing I suppose.

I do want to weigh in on the Miss Marple's though, I liked Julia McKenzie for that role and for Poirot, of course, it was David Suchet.

One more thing. You asked about reading The Warmth of Other Suns in February. I now have my very own copy and won't have to wait for the library to cough up theirs. That is a big book! I was waiting to commit until I saw that I had the first chapter of The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence and the Pillage of an Empire read, because that's another brick of a book. First chapter finished this morning and I can now squeeze the Wilkerson in.

>134 Familyhistorian: Oh, I have got The Anarchy on my shelves. I was a bit intimidated when it arrived because of its thickness. But as I have almost finished The Warmth of Other Suns I am confident enough to give it a try. Is it a difficult English?

>130 karenmarie: Actually Finney was done up to be just that dapper and with a waxed moustache in the film as is Suchet. Ustinov did not look like Christie described her hero.

There has been a bizarre indirect exchange between brother and sister. Sister messaged brother's wife about nurse's attendance. Brother's wife replied and mentioned the cost being incurred (I am sure she is behind brother's calculatedness) and sister replied that mother had given her family COVID and cost her £3,000 in work bonuses and that the husband had not been able to work and was put to losses. I will pay my share.

>131 benitastrnad: Yes in books nobody else defines for us what we see - it is our imagination of the author's intention. I haven't seen Branagh as Poirot so I cannot comment but I wouldn't have thought him a natural for the role.

>132 ffortsa: Hanks is undoubtedly a great actor, Judy, and I would back him in portraying most.

>133 Whisper1: The recommendations certainly don't help, Linda, but I do love to see them! If the lockdown continues then I will meet my challenge of reading more than I acquire. My goal is made harder by measuring against the books added last year and this.

>134 Familyhistorian: It is a date, Meg. You are right, of course, that it is a sizeable undertaking, but I have heard wonderful things about it.

>135 PersephonesLibrary: I haven't got that one myself, Kathe, but Dalrymple is usually very readable.

>135 PersephonesLibrary: I'm finding the language in The Anarchy very readable and, although the book looks like a brick, because it has all the notes etc at the back, the actual written part is only 397 pages. I have to read it quickly because it's a library hold so I wanted to make sure I could get it done in time.

>138 PaulCranswick: I found the other Wilkerson very readable, Paul, so I expect it will be a good one between that and the other good things I have heard about it.

>138 PaulCranswick: & >139 Familyhistorian: Thank you kindly!

>139 Familyhistorian: I chose Dalrymple for the British Author Challenge one month and read his book on Afghanistan - Return of a King which was weighty but easily readable.

>140 Familyhistorian: It fits my 52 book challenge also Meg, "read a book published by Penguin"

>141 PersephonesLibrary: I hope you enjoy the book, Kathe. xx

>103 PaulCranswick: You will see from my awards splurge up there that the Costa Book Awards are on my British watchlist.

The winner this year is Trinidadian/Brit Monique Roffey for The Mermaid of Black Conch.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/27/monique-roffey-on-women-whiteness-...

This is a reprise of what books have won the Costa/Whitbread Prize since its inception in 1971.

https://www.costa.co.uk/docs/cba-past-winners.pdf

I like the prize because there are a number of categories included but not too many to make it confusing. It includes poetry which is, of course, my first love. I also like the fact that generally the picks have stood the test of time.

Since the Booker has sold out somewhat by opening itself to US writers, this one does appeal more and more over time.

Winners I have read:

1975 Docherty by William McIlvanney (Novel)
1976 The Children of Dynmouth by William Trevor (Novel)
1978 Lloyd George : The People's Champion by John Grigg (Biography)
1982 On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin (First Novel)
1983 Fools of Fortune by William Trevor (Novel)
1983 The Witches by Roald Dahl (Children's Novel}
1985 Elegies by Douglas Dunn (Poetry)
1985 Oranges are not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson (First Novel)
1986 An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (Novel)
1987 The Child in Time by Ian McEwan (Novel)
1987 The Haw Lantern by Seamus Heaney (Poetry)
1991 Gorse Fires by Michael Longley (Poetry)
1993 Mean Time by Carol Ann Duffy (Poetry)
1994 Felicia's Journey by William Trevor (Novel)
1995 Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson (First Novel)
1995 Gladstone by Roy Jenkins (Biography)
1995 The Wreck of the Zanzibar by Michael Morpurgo (Children's Novel)
1996 Spirit Level by Seamus Heaney (Poetry)
1996 Every Man For Himself by Beryl Bainbridge (Novel)
1996 The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester (First Novel)
1997 Quarantine by Jim Crace (Novel)
1998 Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes (Poetry)
1998 The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden (First Novel)
2000 English Passengers by Matthew Kneale (Novel)
2000 White Teeth by Zadie Smith (First Novel)
2003 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time by Mark Haddon (Novel)
2004 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Novel)
2010 Of Mutability by Jo Shapcott (Poetry)
2010 The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (Biography)
2011 Pure by Andrew Miller (Novel)
2012 Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (Novel)
2014 H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald (Biography)
2014 How to be Both by Ali Smith (Novel)
2015 40 Sonnets by Don Paterson (Poetry)
2016 Golden Hill by Francis Spufford (First Novel)
2017 Inside the Wave by Helen Dunmore (Poetry)

Costa Summary

I have read

14 Novel Winners / 50 winners
7 First Novel Winners / 40 winners
9 Poetry Winners / 37 winners
4 Biography Winners / 51 winners
2 Children's Novel Winners / 49 winners

Hi, Paul, I was just going to stop by and say Hi and ended up reading the entire thread. Great conversations. And for the record, I vote for Joan Hickson and David Suchet!

>147 Oregonreader: You picked the overwhelming winners, I think, Jan. Always great to have you stop by. x

>145 PaulCranswick: That Costa list has a number of great reads on it Paul. I loved the little known nor long remembered Golden Hill and am looking forward to Spufford's new book coming out in February, Light Perpetual. Also, a favorite of mine The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund deWaal who also has a new book coming in April, Letters to Camondo. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved that book. I was late getting to this prize so I've only read thirteen of those you listed.

Hi Paul, love all the lists over here on your thread. Lots of amazing reading and lots that you have finished this month too! >3 PaulCranswick: After your review >122 PaulCranswick: of Shuggie Bain I am inspired to read it.

Hi Paul!

>82 PaulCranswick: This was one of the most drool-worthy food posts I have ever seen on the internet.
yum!

>106 Crazymamie: Mamie, said "I think it is just about knowing what your triggers are and what you don't want to read. Setting your own boundaries. No judgements ever because we are all unique individuals with different life experiences, and we should each decide for ourselves what we are comfortable with." and I agree! I have been a real lightweight in the last couple of years. I avoid anything dark and float around in fluff. I used to read gritter books and challenging books and I may again. Mood and knowing what is right for me in the moment.. yup

Paul Did I miss an update on the family and covid? How is everyone

>149 brenzi: One of my favourite awards nowadays and, of course, Bonnie I do like that poetry gets due and equal recognition. I was surprised myself that I have read nine of those and all of them excellent.

Golden Hill was a favourite read of mine last year and was recommended to me by our fabulous group (it was you or Stasia, I think). I didn't know that he had something new coming out this year and I am now looking forward to that.

>150 mdoris: You most definitely should read Shuggie Bain, Mary. It took me a while but it was most worthwhile. I have been lucky this month as reads 7, 9, 11 and 12 have all been 5-star reads if I gave those out as many do in the group and I read the last three together over one weekend!

>151 mckait: Lovely surprise for a young man celebrating that today is a Public Holiday here in Malaysia. It is Thaipusam here which is a Tamal/Hindu celebration and the one during which they routinely impale themselves with spikes and walk on coals. I'll read instead!

What can I say about the drool-worthy churros? It was all in the sauce, Kath! My wonderful better half nailed the sauce magnificently.

Mum is out of hospital but still struggling. Peter, my brother, was with her yesterday but she was sitting up and communicating. She is, of course, pleased that we can arrange her fairly constant nursing attendance. I have persuaded my brother to put the potential argument with my sister in abeyance for the time being.

Sister and nephew are still poorly but not in danger and my brother-in-law has largely recovered.

Hi Paul! Hoping your family are all healthy soon.

>154 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda

I am pleased to note that the last post was the 1,000th on my threads in 2021. A huge thank you to everyone who has posted here this year. xx

>156 PaulCranswick: Woo-hoo!

>157 amanda4242: Last year I got to 1000 posts before the end of January but the year before nobody managed to do it. There is a chance that Amber might also make it this year too.

>153 PaulCranswick: Glad the family are going in the right direction Paul.

>159 Caroline_McElwee: Lovely to see you, Caroline. They all seem to be slowly improving.

BOOK #13



Judge Savage by Tim Parks
Date of Publication : 2003
Origin of Author : UK
Pages : 442 pp

Challenges :
Queen Betty Challenge : 7/70
52 Book Challenge : Legal Profession 2/52

Can we escape our past? Does an elevation to the Judiciary make us judicial or even above the law?

This is an erudite and complicated novel about the mores of a black solicitor elevated for politics as well as his ability to the bench. He is a flawed individual, a weak womanizer with a family straining against collapse.

Parks makes us in turns horrified and then sympathetic to him. Parks certainly understood his characters better than I did and I did not particularly like any of them. A pretty good novel all told but I hope not all judges have the same private lives as this fellow.

Good morning! Glad to hear your mum is doing better. I hope you read Lincoln in the Bardo. One of the few books lately I've wanted to reread. I loved it.

>162 leperdbunny: Nice to see you, Tamara. That is one of the books that seems to equally divide reviewers isn't it? They either love or loathe it. I read his Tenth of December and was fairly underwhelmed but I will almost certainly read his Booker winner this year.

>161 PaulCranswick: Judge Savage is now on the TBR, proving the point that it is difficult to read from my library without adding recommendations!

>164 Whisper1: That is the bane as well as the joy of this group, Linda. xx

>161 PaulCranswick: Parks makes us in turns horrified and then sympathetic to him

I've blessedly mostly forgotten Judge Savage, but I do remember feeling disgust and disdain and not a shred of sympathy.

>153 PaulCranswick: Hopefully your mom continues to recover, as will your sister and nephew. Glad to hear your brother-in-law is already quite well. This is the right direction! All the best!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/329219

>153 PaulCranswick: Thaipusam sounds like fun...? I applaud your decision to celebrate with some books.

It sounds as if the family is mending, and for that I am glad. You have certainly had your worries over family this past year. I hope that is over, and that there are more churros and worry free days ahead.

>166 amanda4242: You are tougher than I am, Amanda. He is human with al the frailties and foilbles that man is heir to. In all fairness none of the characters around Savage are remotely redeemable and he does get himself in worse trouble out of his concern for things past.

>167 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks Kathe. My mum is still not answering the phone but I am told that her getting to the phone is a chore for her and she refuses a mobile phone.

>168 SilverWolf28: Hi ho Silver! I will be joining again.

>169 mckait: Churros are a fine antidote to troubles, Kath!

BOOK #14



The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie
Date Published : 1962
Origin of Author : UK
Pages : 280 pp

Challenges :
Series Pair : 1st part of 2nd series
Queen Betty Challenge : 8/70

The one with the Tennyson quote.

I did manage to get this one reasonably early but ingenious none the less. Jane Marple is starting to feel her age and has the irritating Miss Knight ministering to her needs in a most condescending manner.

A film star has moved in at the nearby Victorian Hall and disaster strikes at a fete to raise money for charity. Too many coincidences by far but great fun anyway.

>122 PaulCranswick: Hooray for Shuggie Bain! I am so glad you loved it but not at all surprised.

>173 msf59: It would have been amazing if I had not seen the obvious merit in it, Mark.

Heading into the last weekend of the month and I have five books currently on the go and aimed towards completion by the month end.

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer
A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell
At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie
Jazz by Toni Morrison and
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abe Dare

Hopefully I will make it!

>175 PaulCranswick: Charlotte Sometimes! You must finish that one!

>131 benitastrnad: With only one exception (and I can’t think of it right now), I always prefer the book to the movie.

>132 ffortsa: I loved News of the World and absolutely do not want to see Hanks as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd. I’m sort of over Hanks, frankly, because I think he plays Tom Hanks in his more recent roles. I know, I know... definitely an outlier on this one and I'm sure I'll hear flak about it.

>136 PaulCranswick: As I said in >130 karenmarie:, Ugh. Families and money.

>153 PaulCranswick: I’m glad to hear that most of your family is either recovered or not in danger any more, sorry that your mum is still struggling.

>176 PaulCranswick: Another BAC read, Amanda. Only 30 or so pages to go after I finish my morning stint at work. It will be the next one finished. Another good one.

>177 amanda4242: I agree on books versus movie generally, Karen.

I am still a fan of his, Karen. His body of work is consistently good. Loved Captain Phillips and Bridge of Spies of his recent efforts.

My brother has wound back on the money thing with my sister but I do think she is really selfish when it comes to my mum.

She is a tough lady, Karen. Hani spoke to her yesterday and she is not well but a little more cheerful,

BOOK #15



Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer
Date of Publication : 1969
Origin of Author : UK
Pages : 227 pp

Challenges
BAC : 6th book of the year
52 Book Challenge : Dual Timeline (3/52)
Queen Betty Challenge : 1969 (9/70)

A big thank you to Amanda for a tremendous pick for her first BAC selection. I have never read 6 BAC books in a month.

Charlotte is at school and sleeps in a bed on wheels by the window of her dorm. She wakes up the following day and has been transported back 40 years in time to the dying days of the Great War.

I am getting good at these things now and guess most of the plot twists but the getting there was fun.

>71 jnwelch: I didn't know that Geraldine McEwan played Miss Marple. That photo of her that you've posted fits my mental image of her best.

>181 humouress: In the recent book I finished Christie describes Jane Marple as "slender". That would fit Ms. McEwan but not really Ms. Hickson.

Reading-wise it looks like it's been a great January for you!

All the best to your mother, she sounds like a real trooper.

I was wondering, where do you think is a good place to start with Christie? I tried The A.B.C. Murders, but gave up about a third of the way into it.

>82 PaulCranswick: No! No! and No! (That is: no, it's not fair that you get those and I don't; No, I must refrain from eating too much. More. And no ... can't think of one. All right, pass them over while I ponder. I obviously need the energy.)

>182 PaulCranswick: Well, take your pick:



Gracie Fields, Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury, Helen Hayes,

Joan Hickson, June Whitfield, Geraldine McEwan, Julia McEnzie.

And for Hercule Poirot:



Tony Randall, Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov, Ian Holm,

David Suchet, Al Molina, Kenneth Brannagh, John Malkovich

(These aren't exhaustive, of course.)

>176 PaulCranswick: I'd like to read every single one of those books. I have owned the Powell books for about forever - I really should get into that! And just from the Daré cover I want to read that one, too! Morrison, Christie - no question about them. Great and inspiring choice! Happy Saturday, Paul!

>183 false-knight: I have been very happy, Emery, with my efforts this year despite a little trough half way through the month with bad news from home and so on.

I don't think that it matters too much whether you read the Poirot books in order and very much my favourite is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Marple books do probably lend to more structured reading as she does age somewhat throughout the series.

>184 humouress: Not 100% sure on the first Poirot but the other one unnamed is the great Ian Holm and he looked the part didn't he?

You can chew my churros any time!

>185 PersephonesLibrary: I am rapt into some very good books this weekend, Kathe and enjoying myself. I may post a little less than usual trying to get all those finished for midnight 31 January LT time.

>186 PaulCranswick: Gosh, I didn't recognise him without hair! I'll add him to the list.

And thanks for the churros - yum!

>186 PaulCranswick: I'd go for Peter Ustinov. I like those curls in the moustache. Also I think Poirot needs a bit of cozy self-satisfiedness.

Have a nice weekend Paul!

>188 humouress: Ian Holm was a favourite of mine in a Len Deighton series as well as Bilbo Baggins in LOTR.

>189 EllaTim: I really liked Ustinov as Poirot but in my minds eye he looks like Finney/Holm/Suchet from reading the books.

I remember The Mirror Cracked so well from when I was a kid and used to raid my granny's Agatha Christies that she kept on the high shelf in the back kitchen. It has stayed in mind all these years as at that time I thought it was a very clever book.

I have absolutely no preference when it comes to either Marple or Poirot actors because, with the exception of the Branagh movie, I've never seen seen any of those productions. Just picked up Easy to Kill (aka Murder is Easy) from the library yesterday. I've bought most of the Christies I've read, but did not want to pay $5 plus for a Superintendent Battle. Miss M is my favorite Christie detective, but I've read 17 of the Poirots and am heartily sick of him. Have to soldier on though as I resolved many years ago to read them all - in order - and I won't quit. EtK is the last one from 1939. Guess I still have a long way to go. Hope I finish before I die.

I love Tom Hanks, but I would not have picked him for News of the World.

Hope you are having a good weekend, Paul. Glad to hear your mother is holding steady and the rest of the family is making progress, too.

>191 Fourpawz2: Nice to see you here, Charlotte and that you have similar experiences of Christie. I had an Uncle who was something of a rascal but loved Christie, old thrillers and Edge westerns. He let me take whatever I wanted once he had read them and so I devoured all of them at a young age for free.

I don't know which of Christie's two main creations I prefer reading as it depends on mood but Poirot is the more irritating character for sure and I think it is essentially and intentionally so.

I haven't seen News of the World.

I have my playlist going to accompany my weekend of solid reading . Here is what I am listening to:

Joan Armatrading : Show Some Emotion
Badfinger : No Dice
Nick Cave : The Boatman's Calls
Nick Drake : Bryter Layter
Echo and the Bunnymen : What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?
Roberta Flack : Chapter Two

>180 PaulCranswick: I enjoyed this one when I read it a couple of years ago (I think?) - I'm glad you did too, Paul!

>194 scaifea: I have really enjoyed reading "children classics" for the British Author Challenge this month. I know why I like them so much - it is because they set out to tell a story and I don't have to suffer through any stylistic nonsense or stream of consciousness muddle. Great to see you so active this year and back to your 2014 & 2015 posting figures.

BOOK #16



Jazz by Toni Morrison
Date of Publication : 1992
Origin of Author : USA
Pages : 229

Challenges :
1001 Book First Ed : 2 (306)
52 Book Challenge : Deceased Author (4/52)

What a fine writer Toni Morrison was and how thoroughly she deserved her Nobel accolade. Some of the descriptive prose in this novel is close to breathtaking.

The quality of the writing slightly makes up for a slightly disjointed story and a back and forth narrative that works in some parts better than others.

Joe Trace is a salesman of ladies wants and with a marriage gone stale he wants a lady. He finds one in the shape of Dorcas a girl thirty years his junior who falls for him but is in thrall to the new music and its finest young exponents. We know from the beginning that this ends badly and then Morrison takes us on the journey there.

Sad story of the Harlem jazz age.

2 down and three to go. I have about 36 hours until January is over in LT time. If I spend half that time in solid reading, I will get close to finishing those three off.

>193 PaulCranswick: Show me the clouds and I'll give you sky if you want me to.

>198 RBeffa: Pete Ham was a great songwriter, Ron, wasn't he? And what a tragic life to boot. My favourite track of theirs on the album is Midnight Caller even though the best song is probably the one Nilsson made famous but it is littered with great tracks.

>199 PaulCranswick: I still have my gatefold lp that I played obsessively for a time. Ham's story was a sad one. Great songwriter.

>200 RBeffa: Poor fellows got terribly ripped off by their management. I think No Dice is their most consistent LP but they all have their moments.

>201 PaulCranswick: I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite between No Dice and Straight Up. And now you have me playing Badfinger this morning! Midnight Caller that you mentioned is an excellent one among many, especially for the quieter ones. On the rocker side I can't beat Baby Blue cause I love the guitar in that one.

>202 RBeffa: Of the slightly faster tracks I would pick No Matter What. Out-Beatles the Beatles.

They were true successors to the Beatles.

>204 RBeffa: Then I suppose Jeff Lynne took up their mantle with ELO. Another group I adore.

>205 PaulCranswick: El Dorado was a classic album. Did you like Emitt Rhodes? He was very Beatle-esque and probably suffered for it. He put out one last excellent album and then he suddenly passed on this past year.

ETA: https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-92100

ETA: his last one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-i678sOF4Y

Some Plans for February :

Alan Hollinghurst - In the Line of Beauty Booker & BAC & 1001 & Queen Betty
Virginia Woolf - A Room of One's Own BAC
Isabel Wilkerson - The Warmth of Other Suns 52 Books (Penguin)
Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of London & Moon Over Soho Series Pair & 52 Book (Male Family Member) & Queen Betty
Harry Bingham - Series Pair
Thomas Carlyle - The French Revolution Queen Vic/ 52 books (Dewey 900s)
Ethan Canin - America America - AAC
F Scott Fitzgerald - Tender is the Night AAC / 1001
Gunter Grass - The Tin Drum Nobel/ 1001 / Around the World
Mo Yan - Garlic Ballads Nobel / Around the World
Jules Verne - Around the World in Eighty Days Queen Vic
James Agee - A Death in the Family - Pulitzer
Alice Oswald - Woods etc - Poetry
Nana Aforiatta Ayim - The God Child - 52 Books (1 book published) /Around the World

I may also read a few more BAC Children's Classics if I get time.

>206 RBeffa: I will go and have a good listen, Ron. I must admit to not being too familiar with Emitt Rhodes

>206 RBeffa: Just listened to his collaborations with Richard Thompson and The Bangles - very nice. Very accomplished.

>180 PaulCranswick: The January theme has proven very popular. Everyone seems to have had fun revisiting old favorites and discovering new ones.

Did you know Charlotte Sometimes inspired a song by The Cure?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1a73ahkjME&ab_channel=OrlikMendoza

>210 amanda4242: It has indeed been a great success and I haven't had as much fun with a challenge for ages. So much so that I have three more lined up for the beginning of February:

Junk by Melvyn Burgess
The Great Fire by Monica Dickens
Bury the Dead by Peter Carter

>209 PaulCranswick: I'm glad you enjoyed him.

>210 amanda4242: It is a great january theme. I am behind but plan to do it all year long. I can't believe that I never realized that Cure song was inspired by a book. The Cure are one of my guilty pleasures.

>212 RBeffa: Three others who got the New Beatles tag were Klaatu, Big Star and World Party. Of course the ones that sounded most like the Fab Four were The Rutles but they were a spoof - a fabulous spoof but a spoof nonetheless.

>213 RBeffa: Very underrated band IMHO too. Some great great songs especially in the late 1980s when most everyone else were rubbish!

>207 PaulCranswick: Oooh! Enjoy the Aaronovitch - I really enjoy this series. But then I'm a sucker for an urban fantasy :)

>216 BekkaJo: They have been on the shelves too long with so many of my pals singing their praises. It is time!

They are worth it and good :) I'm looking forward to the next one.

>215 PaulCranswick: Truth!

Nick Drake is a wonderful choice! Hope you are enjoying ‘A dance to the music of time’. I don’t think the first book is that special it took until the second or third before I appreciated what I was reading

>214 PaulCranswick: One of my buddies is a big Big Star fan. Coincidently he mentioned one of their songs today and i was trying to remember the one that I liked. It was "Thirteen". All I can remember about Klaatu was the rumour that they were secretly the Beatles. Oh, and Klaatu was the name of my pet rooster when I was about 8.

>218 BekkaJo: I am looking forward to the first one!

>219 RBeffa: I remember not appreciating them as much at the time as I do now. I think it is because they looked so strange and were anything but typical rock and roll stars.

>220 DMulvee: I must have listened to that album a thousand times and it never fails to charm the socks off of me!

DTTMOF First instalment is almost finished and it is very well observed I must say.

>221 RBeffa: Interesting Ron because I love that song and listened to it last night amid listening to the Emitt Rhodes catalog. I didn't sleep anywhere near as much as I had planned!

>193 PaulCranswick: Nice playlist!

And good luck with the weekend reading plans.

>224 banjo123: I am immersed already and will be onto my next playlist shortly. Lovely to see you here as always, Rhonda.

New playlist and I am going for mellow this Sunday:

Art Garfunkel - Breakaway
John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters
Janis Ian - Between the Lines
Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood
Kansas - Song for America (OK not completely mellow)
Gordon Lightfoot - Summertime Dream

Hi Paul, dropping off a star here, although your threads are active enough to always pop up anyway.

Thank you for the reminder about The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, Paul. I enjoyed the revisit very much.
I can't really make up my mind about the actors - everyone has their merits - but the book characters in my own mind are the best anyway.
>196 PaulCranswick: This was really a magnificent book.
I wish you a wonderful Sunday.

>227 Trifolia: Lovely to see you back Monica. I have missed our Belgian correspondent!

>228 SirThomas: For personal reasons it is Margaret Rutherford for me and I have to agree with the majority as Suchet being the most befitting Poirot. The books are generally better.

LIFE UPDATE

I have had discussions with my brother over the last three days which will see me, assuming COVID allows, returning to the UK on a permanent basis in July.

I will head up a new company doing Project Management and Building Services projects in the UK and eventually internationally. The Business Plan looks sound enough and I could be returning to a world with libraries and 2nd hand bookstores in abundance.

Will need to get a few things in order and certainly a trip to Singapore and a long awaited meet up with Nina is a must.

>230 PaulCranswick: Wishing you good luck in your endeavors! And also wondering how you're going to move all your books.

>231 amanda4242: That is something I am going to have to think about, Amanda. I may not move them all at once I could wait until I have the right place arranged and then ship them.

>230 PaulCranswick: Oh that does sound promising. Of course the access to books is a prime directive!

>230 PaulCranswick: I know you have been longing to return for a while Paul. Fingers crossed the plan will become a reality this year.

Paul, a couple of us asked questions about your West Africa challenge on the TIOLI thread.

I have a busy 9 days at work you start a 4th thread almost on a 5th. So much containt.

I have question and a coment in regards to your last thread.

My Mum was very intrested in your reaction to Swallows and Amazons it was one of her favoirite Childhood books (It was one of the first long stories I remember her reading to me) but she agrees with you that children these day may nolonger be intrested as the world has advanced so much. She says it is a shame.

I was wondering where I sat in the UK post ranking?

>226 PaulCranswick: I am very keen on Janis Ian as well Paul. We saw her at the Cambridge Folk Festival (in 2018, I think) and she was marvellous.

>230 PaulCranswick: Congrats! Something to look forward to for the summer!

>230 PaulCranswick: That sounds good, Paul, I hope it works out.

That sounds like an exciting move!

>230 PaulCranswick: I hope we may get a chance to meet up then! You mentioned Sheffield before and that's quite near Cheshire.

Well, that’s some great news! And honestly, there way more chance we’ll be able to visit England than Malaysia... 😀

>233 quondame: I am also missing the UK after essentially being here in Malaysia and Singapore since 1994. Hani is also keen on the move.

>234 Caroline_McElwee: Yes Caroline. I have a couple of major financial issues to settle before that but hopefully I have sufficient time and the wherewithal to do that.

>235 avatiakh: OK, Kerry I will go and have a look presently.

>236 BBGirl55: Your mum is a perceptive lady, Bryony! I think the simple pleasures of an outdoor life and pretending pirates and being shipmates seem beyond this generation of children. It is a shame.

Not counting Nina or myself you would be in sixth place amongst the UK resident 75ers this year.

1 Rhian
2 John
3 Caroline
4 Sir F
5 Bekka (Channel Isles)

>237 SandDune: She is a very expressive singer, Rhian. I suppose her era of singer-songwriting is the music I love the most. Mellow and meaningful.

>238 figsfromthistle: With trepidation though, Anita, as I have been away for so long.

>239 FAMeulstee: Thank you Anita. One of the benefits would be that we like to do a lot of nearby travelling and I will set aside one weekend a month for short trips both in the UK and Europe. The Netherlands is a place I have some affinity with and it would be lovely to have a meet up with my friends there.

>240 banjo123: Indeed, Rhonda. That much closer to trips stateside too.

You've got some ambitious plans for February reading. I've got a list begun of intended reads, but it's mostly just the category and group reads and leaves room for a few others.

>241 CDVicarage: It will be Yorkshire (Sheffield, Wakefield, Huddersfield way) or Derbyshire so in any eventuality close by. My best pal from school is now a school teacher and he lives in Cheshire so I am quite often in that locality, Kerry, and would love to meet up.

>242 drneutron: You would be treated like royalty in either place, Jim!

>247 thornton37814: Ambitious is not always as ambitious does, Lori. I did reasonably ok in January in getting close to my reading plans so I am optimistic of getting close again.

>230 PaulCranswick: !!!

Wow! I hope it happens for you! I know it will be a big relief to you to be closer to family given your mother's precarious health. That's a big change! You and Roni with the big moves ahead.

>244 PaulCranswick: I don't think it's completely beyond the reach/imagination of today's kids. Certainly, shows like Molly of Denali are modeling it for them.

Best of luck in getting everything ready for a July move, Paul!

Congratulations Paul! I know you've been longing to return to the UK so good for you.

>250 justchris: It is a biggie for me but an even bigger one for my better half but one she is determined upon.

Maybe "completely" beyond is too far and I was of course generalising but the lure of the computer game is a difficult one to get over for most youngsters and has contributed to more obesity amongst children than in my younger days for sure.

>251 bell7: Lovely to see you Mary. This January you have been a little quieter than for most of last year. It will be a rush but July is doable, I feel.

>252 brenzi: I just think that the timing is right for us now, Bonnie.

>254 PaulCranswick: Well, I've been busy enough in other parts of my life that I haven't gotten out to other people's threads as much, so my own being quieter is to be expected. I did read 9 books this month and just posted a couple of pictures, so February might pick up a little :)

>255 bell7: Yes, Mary, I am of course aware that you have been making your own life changing moves recently so I was not surprised to see your numbers fall away momentarily. Still backing you for 2,000 posts this year mind.

>244 PaulCranswick: us Scout leaders try to keep that alive but in the current climate it has been hard.

I expected to be 6th.

I hope you have no stuggles moving back to th UK.

>256 PaulCranswick: Oh gosh, Paul, I didn't mean to imply you hadn't been aware, just reflecting on why I'm not surprised January was quieter for me. I've been noticing the drop off too :) I will trust your instincts on 2,000 posts, it could certainly happen. There's an outside chance I'll reach 150 books again, too, I think.

I like your reading plans for February, by the way, and hope you're able to read most if not all. I think I might've fit too many books into the February TIOLI challenges, but there were so many books on my library stack that fit the challenges I couldn't help but try.

>207 PaulCranswick: Rivers of London and Moon Over Soho would also qualify for the BAC as wildcard selections since they're unread books off your shelf.

>257 BBGirl55: All very close among those resident in the UK at present, Bryony.

1 Rhian 196 posts
2 John 148 posts
3 Caroline 96 posts
4 Sir F 78 posts
5 Bekka 74 posts
6 Bryony 72 posts
7 Heather 64 posts
8 Kerry 58 posts
9 Kathy 49 posts
10 Hannah 32 posts
11 Jenny 31 posts
12 Calm 29 posts

>258 bell7: I also didn't mean the tone of my reply to be a narky one, Mary! I was reiterating your circumstances a little indirectly for those reading this thread that might not be aware. xx

>259 amanda4242: Judge Savage would as would both the Harry Bingham books, Amanda. Wouldn't all my British books fall into the wildcard category unless I bought them this year or borrowed them from a library?

>261 PaulCranswick: Yes, they probably mostly will also count as wildcards, but I figured people could use the wildcard as an excuse to help whittle down their tbr stack with books that wouldn't fit into other months.

>262 amanda4242: I will probably count all those in my TBR before this decade. So Judge Savage and the Aaronovitch books would count but one of the Binghams and the two Christies do not.

>259 amanda4242: I love that serise I am on book 5 Foxglove Summer

>260 PaulCranswick: Oh very close, my aim this year is to get to a second Thread. Not done that for a couple of years.

>264 BBGirl55: If the series is half as good as so many of my pals have ventured then I will probably have a great month of reading, Bryony! I have already the first four on the shelves so if I don't like them I will really have backed the wrong horse.

There is no reason you couldn't multi thread, Bryony, if RL allows you to stay around consistently this year. You have a firm group of friends in the group, me included, who always look for your thread and post there.

>230 PaulCranswick: Congratulations! I'm a little bit sad, a little bit jealous and a little bit anticipatory. I'd better start working on getting that covid-weight shifted ...

>230 PaulCranswick: Oh, how exciting! Looks like we are on very similar schedules although your move is a whole lot bigger than mine!

I think you will enjoy the Aaronovitch books, Paul.

Yesterday's playlist was much better than the week before, Pau., as Armatrading and Flack were the only ones I was familiar with from that lot (although they are excellent!). These were all known.

>266 humouress: Hahaha don't worry we will be plump together! I was actually told with a voice replete with disbelief that I had "lost some weight" yesterday. To be honest I have not been imbibing alcohol in January and thus may be feeling its impact.

I will not return to Blighty without our meet-up.

>267 ronincats: I think yours if far the braver, Roni.

My second playlist was definitely more transatlantic! I enjoyed them both and am thinking about the one for today

I managed one more book as the LT month counted down; A Question of Upbringing which is the first in the 12 part Dance to the Music of Time work.

Didn't get At Bertram's Hotel or The Girl with the Louding Voice across the line but they will be early February reads now (today perhaps).

BOOK #17



A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell
Date of Publication : 1951
Origin of Author : UK
Pages : 230 pp

Challenges :
Dance to the Music of Time (1/12)

I always read the reviews page for the book to see what my contemporaries think about the book I have just read and to order my own thoughts. I was struck by James' (my old friend eyejaybee) comment in his otherwise enthusiastic review that it is a novel in which nothing much really happens and this is probably true on a surface level. I was charmed though by the authenticity of some the school japes and the beautifully observed incidents during Jenkins visits to his friends homes and in France.

I was also struck by the fact that my own favourite reviewer, Bonnie, tells of being drawn in by the writing. It was effortless, anecdotal and sublime.

Finally I was very much aware that this first "movement" is something of a scene setter or marker for the lives that are to be considered as we move along. It does this well but I am not sure that it would have quite worked as the stand alone it then was in 1951.

I am looking forward to part 2 in February.

The Month in Review :

Books Completed : 17

Books Added : 9

Pages Read : 4,314

Days per Book : 1.82

Pages per Day : 139.16

Male Authors : 12

Female Authors : 5

UK : 11
USA : 2
Italy : 2
Russia : 1
NZ : 1

1001 Books : 2 (306)
Booker : 1 (36)
Pulitzer : 1 (17)
BAC : 6
TIOLI Books : 17

BOOK OF THE MONTH

This is a very difficult choice this month as I have read so many stellar books. Shuggie Bain affected me greatly and Carrie's War was one of several excellent books in the BAC Children's Classics month that I finished. Powell and Morrison ended a strong month for me but I have to choose THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead. It grabbed me more sustainedly than Stuart's book did even though the literary merit of the latter is at least as good as the former.

Looks like you had a great reading month!

>272 ChelleBearss: I did do much better than normal, Chelle. My target was 20 books but I am happy with 17.

I also:

Read more than I added.
Read a couple of 1001 books
Met most of my challenges (AAC was the only one really that I didn't manage anything but I will make up for it in Feb).

Need to improve on Queen Vic and Around the World Challenges but BAC and Queen Betty challenges I read excess of target.

>230 PaulCranswick: Wow! That's amazing news. Fingers crossed on everything.

>274 BekkaJo: I know. I will probably need all those positive vibes, Bekka.

>230 PaulCranswick: Exciting news! I wish you all the best and a lot of energy for your undertaking!

>276 PersephonesLibrary: Thank you, Kathe.

>230 PaulCranswick:, Hi Paul, hope the plans go OK and we see you back in Blighty in July, let's hope that we can move about reasonably freely and get to visit all the lovely bookshops, this is one thing i am really missing mate.

>278 johnsimpson: The UK has apparently already vaccinated 10% of the population? Surely by July we are pretty much back to normal, John?