Bonnie (brenzi) Reads to 75 and Beyond

Hi, I’m Bonnie, LT member since 2009 and retired since 2011 and really enjoying retirement living. I love reading and listening to audiobooks, drawing, and journaling. I’m a pretty active retiree in that I walk nearly every day and play pickle ball three times a week which has opened up an entirely new group of social friends. So dinner with friends and movies are often on the schedule too. Oh and I babysit three days a week for my two grandchildren Mia, 6 and Cole 3 1/2, the loves of my life. I’m pretty darn busy, much busier than when I worked somehow, but seem to always have time for reading. Oh and puzzling. Almost from day one of our shutdown I started doing puzzles and I'm enjoying them so much. As a matter of fact I've done 43 of them since March 11.



GO BILLS!!!

If you know me at all you know these two are the loves of my life. Mia, 6 and Cole 3 1/2.

We're finally at the end of a year that none of us is likely to forget. I'm hoping for much a better year in 2021 as I'm sure you all are. That said it's actually been a good reading year for me. I finished the Obama memoir today and I can tell you A Promised Land is as good as they say. So that makes 101 books read this year. (Thanks Mark for this 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻)



Fiction:

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Sabrina and Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Non-fiction:

All Things Consoled by Elizabeth Hay
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Second Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich

Audio of the Year:

Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

I should also include Anita Brookner in this list because I am thoroughly enjoying reading her books in order of publication. Reading at the rate of one book a month I'm about half way through her published works. Several were standouts.

Books Read in 2021

January

1. Ordinary Grace - William Kent Krueger - Kindle - 4.6 stars
2. Miracle Creek - Angie Kim - audio - 4 stars
3. The Cold Millions - Jess Walter - Kindle - 5 stars
4. Fraud - Anita Brookner - OTS - 4.2 stars
5. The Boy in the Field - Margot Livesey - audio - 3.5 stars
6. The Hand that First Held Mine - Maggie O'Farrell - Kindle - 5 stars
7. The Moment of Lift - Melinda Gates - audio - 3.8 stars
8. The Cut Out Girl - Bart Van Es - audio - 4 stars
9. Halsey Street - Naima Coster - Kindle - 4 stars

February

10. The Abstainer - Ian McGuire - Kindle- 4.2 stars
11. Deacon King Kong - James McBride - audio - 4.5 stars
12. A Family Romance - Anita Brookner - OTS - 4.2 stars
13. The Book of Lost Names - Kristin Harmel - audio - 3.5 stars
14. Apeirogon - Colum McCann - Kindle - 4.4 stars
15. Hidden Valley Road - Robert Kolker - audio - 4.2 stars
16. The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman - audio - 4 stars
17. Driftless - David Rhodes - OTS - 5 stars
18. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath - audio - 4 stars

March

19. The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett - Kindle - 4 stars
20. Lean on Pete - Willy Vlautin - audio - 4.5 stars
21. A Private View - Anita Brookner - OTS - 4 stars
22. Agent Sonya - Ben MacIntyre - audio - 4 stars
23. The Book of Lost Friends - Lisa Wingate - Kindle - 4.5 stars
24. Milk Blood Heat - Dantiel Moniz - Kindle - 4.5 stars
25. Crooked Heart - Lissa Evans - audio - 4.6 stars
26. Zorrie - Laird Hunt - Kindle - 4.8 stars
27. Radium Girls - Kate Moore - audio - 4.2 stars
28. The Prophets - Robert Jones Jr. - Kindle - 4.5 stars
29. March Violets - Philip Kerr - audio - 4 stars

April

30. The Ratline - Philippe Sands - Kindle - 4.3 stars
31. The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 - Garrett Graff - audio - 5 stars
32. Incidents in the Rue Laugier - Anita Brookner - OTS - 4 stars
33. Walking with Ghosts - Gabriel Byrne - audio - 4.5 stars
34. A Town Called Solace - Mary Lawson - Kindle - 4 stars
35. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson - audio - 3.8 stars
36. Giovanni's Room - James Baldwin - OTS - 4 stars
37. The Salt Path. - Raynor Winn - audio - 4.5 stars
38. The Night Always Comes - Willy Vlautin - Audio - 4.5 stars
39. The Widows of Malabar Hill - Sujata Massey - Kindle - 4 stars
40. The Boys of My Youth - Jo Ann Beard - audio - 4.5 stars
41. Acts of Desperation - Megan Nolan - L

May

42. The Copenhagen Trilogy - Tove Divletsen - Kindle - 4.6 stars
43. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - audio - 4 stars
44. The Go-Between - L.P. Hartley - OTS - 4.5 stars
45. The Exiles - Christina Baker Kline - audio - 4 stars
46. The Fran Lebowitz Reader - Fran Lebowitz - audio - 3.5 stars
47. The Dictionary of Lost Words - Pip Williams - Kindle - 5 stars
48. Early Morning Riser - Katherine Heiny- audio - 4.3 stars
49. Altered States - Anita Brookner - OTS - 4 stars
50. The Winemaker's Wife - Kristen Harmel - audio - 3.5 stars
51. The Slaughterman's Daughter - Yanif Iczkovits - Kindle - 4.6 stars
52. In Extremis - Lindsey Hilsum - audio - 4 stars
53. Light Perpetual - Francis Spufford - Kindle - 4.3 stars

June

54. Don't Skip Out on Me - Willy Vlautin - audio - 4.2 stars
55. The Four Winds - Kristin Hannah - 3 stars
56. Letters to Camondo - Edmund de Waal - OTS - 4.2 stars
57. The Doctors Blackwell - Janice Nimura - audio - 4 stars
58. Great Circle - Maggie Shipstead - Kindle - 5 stars
59. Facing the Mountain - Daniel James Brown - audio - 4 stars
60. Unsettled Grounds - Claire Fuller - Kindle - 4.4 stars
61. The Plague Year - Lawrence Wright - audio - 4.5 stars
62. Visitors - Anita Brookner - OTS - 4 stars
63. The Seed Keeper - Diane Wilson - audio - 4.3 stars

July

64. Festival Days - Jo Ann Beard - Kindle - 4 stars
65. Men Explain Things to Me - Rebecca Solnit - Kindle - 3.7 stars
66. The Pull of the Stars - Emma Donoghue - audio - 4 stars
67. The Last Bookshop in London - Madeline Martin - audio - 4 stars
68. Big Lies in a Small Town Diane Chamberlain - audio - 4 stars
69. Revelation - C.J. Sansom - OTS - 4.5 stars
70. Snap - Belinda Bauer - audio - 4 stars
71. Infinite Country - Patricia Engel - audio - 3 stars
72. All That She Carried - Tiya Miles - Kindle - 3.5 stars
73. Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch - Rivka Galchen - audio - 3 stars
74. A Room Made of Leaves - Kate Grenville - Kindle - 4.5 stars
75. Falling Slowly - Anita Brookner - OTS - 4 stars
76. Between Two Kingdoms - Suleika Jaouad - audio - 4 stars

August

Stats

Total Books: 76

Author Gender
Male: 28
Female: 48

Author Status:
Living: 63
Dead: 13

Publication Medium
Hardback: 4
Trade: 10
eBook: 24
Audiobook: 38

Category
Fiction: 54
Nonfiction: 22

Source
Library: 58
Mine: 19

Translation: 2

Welcome back!

Thanks Jim! Good to be here.

Hope you have a great 2021!

Dropping a star, Bonnie! Happy 2021!

Happy New Year, Bonnie!

And keep up with my friends here, Bonnie. Have a great 2021.

Happy new year!

Happy reading in 2021, Bonnie!

Happy New Thread, Bonnie. Happy New Year! Glad we are turning the page on that one. Looking forward to sharing another year of books, with one of my very favorite LTers.

How are those current reads?

2021 orisons, Bonnie, and let's celebrate the readers' year!

Best wishes for a better 2021!

Happy new year of reading, Bonnie!

Happy new year, Bonnie! Here's to a better year of just about everything!

Happy New Year. Happy 2021!

I had a great reading year in 2020. My total was 135. That is the most I have read in one year since I started keeping track of my reading. I suspect that it is my most ever - including during college. It was a exciting reading year.

My top 5 Nonfiction for 2020 were:
1. Black in Selma: The Uncommon Life of J. L. Chestnut, Jr. by J. L. Chestnut, Jr.
2. Monuments Men by Robert Edsel
3. Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through A War by Delphine Minoui
4. Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto
5. Glass House: The Shattering of the All-American Town by Brian Alexander

I haven't compiled my fiction Top Five. I might do that after I get back to Alabama.

I am still in Kansas. I was to leave today but don't want to drive on ice from Kansas City to St. Louis, so I am waiting one more day before I leave.

>8 ChelleBearss: Thank you Chelle! Happy New Year to you also.

>9 Crazymamie: Happy New Year Mamie!

>10 lauralkeet: Happy New Year Laura!

>11 PaulCranswick: Happy New Year Paul!

>12 quondame: Happy New Year Susan!

>13 FAMeulstee: Happy Reading to you too Anita!

>14 msf59: Happy New Year to you Mark. Hey, you're one of my favorite LTers too. Heh. I don't know if you've read Ordinary Grace but it's wonderful and I may start the year with a five star read! Unless something happens during the next 35% of the pages lol.

>15 richardderus: yes Richard definitely. We are so lucky to appreciate good books. I have non reading friends and I've tried to explain what they're missing but...🤷‍♀️

>16 DianaNL: Best wishes to you Diana!

>17 katiekrug: Happy reading in 2021 Katie.

>18 Carmenere: Happy New Year Linda!

>19 tymfos: Happy New Year Terri and happy reading!

>20 benitastrnad: Happy New Year Benita! I'm glad to see Amsterdam on your list as it's been languishing on my Kindle since Suzanne read it years ago. I read the most books in my life in 2019....116. 101 this past year because I was listening to a lot of political podcasts instead of reading.

Happy New Year, Bonnie. I love your list of favorites. Let's hope 2021 is another year of great reading.

I’ve got Monuments Men on the TBR shelf after seeing the movie a few years ago, so I’m glad it’s a good one,
Happy New Year from Florida!

Happy New Year Bonnie! I'm hoping for a better 2021. Your grandchildren are adorable and so big!

>22 BLBera: Happy New Year Beth. I'll lift a glass to another year of great reading.

>23 arubabookwoman: Happy New Year Deborah! Hopefully we have great reading ahead!

>24 AnneDC: Happy New Year Anne! They're big and very, very active lol.

>5 brenzi: Love the photo here! : ) It certainly sounds like you have been keeping pretty busy. I hope 2021 is an even better, brighter, bookier year for you!!

Have a great year of reading!

Hi Bonnie, and Happy New Year!

>1 brenzi: Love both of those.

Hi Bonnie - happy new year! Lovely photo of you with your grandkids.

I'm going to try to be back on here more this year. I've missed it a lot but 2020 was a blur of too much work and stress, and not enough reading (and I too got hooked on lots of podcasts, especially in the run up to your election). Even though we were only in lockdown for about 6 weeks here Covid has had a massive impact. So let's hope 2021 is much better!

Hi Bonnie and happy New Year, as we all hope.

Have a good ride home when the ice melts.

Happy Saturday, Bonnie. I just wanted to let you know, I started How to Pronounce Knife and as you would expect, it grabbed me immediately. I loved the title story, along with the 2nd one...I appreciate the BB you delivered, on this one.

Happy new year, Bonnie!!

>26 Berly: A bookier year Kim? That might be tough lol. Happy New Year!

>27 thornton37814: Thank you Lori!

>28 karenmarie: Happy New Year Karen!

>29 cushlareads: Yay Cushla's here. So good to see you. Here's to a much better 2021!

>30 ffortsa: Happy New Year Judy!

>31 msf59: Well Mark, you are most welcome. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Guess what book I just cracked open this afternoon? The Cold Millions. Yeah baby!

>32 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba.

I read a book!

#1.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Even though my Kindle is where books go to die, I dug this one out and am now scratching my head as to why I waited so long. In a word, wonderful. 1961 small town Minnesota is the setting for this mystery novel. Unlike most mysteries, this one concentrates on the development of the characters, especially 13 year old Frank and his younger brother Jake who grow up fast during this turbulent summer when a young friend dies unexpectedly and sets off several other deaths. Exquisite writing brings forth some wonderful empathy along with dealing with the grief that the whole community faces. If you enjoyed the writing of Kent Haruf you might just like this book.

>34 brenzi: Oh, that’s a great book to start your year. Krueger is a favorite author of mine.

Hi Terri, last summer I read This Tender Land and really liked it. I know he also has a series but I have no desire to add another series to all the ones I have started lol.

CURRENTLY READING



The Cold Millions by Jess Walter

Happy 2021, Bonnie

>3 brenzi: So sweet!

>4 brenzi: I’ve had Sabrina and Corina sitting here on the end table for almost a year and haven’t read it yet. I had bought it after I signed up for the author’s visit that was supposed to have been in May. I really should get to it. I’ve got Shuggie Bain on my short list.

Ordinary Grace was so good! A great pick for your first book of the year.

Oh Joanne, do read Sabrina and Corina because it's a terrific collection. And yes, Shuggie Bain is really good but tough stuff at the same time.

>34 brenzi: Welp, adding that one to the list. It sounds great!

I like Krueger's mystery series and have been meaning to read Ordinary Grace; it does sound like one I would like.

>40 scaifea: It is very good Amber. Hope you enjoy it. Good to see you!

>41 BLBera: I'm tempted to take a look at that series Beth but do I really want to start a new series when I have so many going. And to add to that I've completely lost track of most of them without FictFact.

I'm rewatching Foyles War which is my current comfort watch. I've also been watching Your Honor on Showtime with Bryan Cranston and I have to say it's not to be missed. Really good. Not bingeable since they only release one episode per week but worth the wait.

>43 brenzi: I love that series, too!

>37 brenzi: Lots of yodeling about that one on LT....

>34 brenzi: I'm glad you mentioned Haruf, now I know it's Not For Me.

Happy New Year, Bonnie!

If by "puzzling" you mean jigsaw puzzles (which I think you do), my much better half has been doing that during the pandemic, too, although I don't think she's done anywhere near 43. It was nice when our son visited a little while ago to have both of them working on one, like they did in the old days when we were raising him.

That's a great photo of you, Mia and Cole up there. They're major league cuties, those two. (Their grandma, too!)

I need to give William Kent Krueger a try. I've thought that before, but I had never heard the Kent Haruf comparison. I'm a big KH fan, so that's convinced me to at least give WKK a go.

>34 brenzi: Hurray for Book #1! And I always like a good mystery. : )

>45 jnwelch: you got it Joe. Sort of like this which I'm doing as my Bills are manhandling the Miami Dolphins right now:



I think you might enjoy William Kent Krueger. I read his This Tender Land during the summer and really enjoyed it too.

>46 Berly: It certainly is a good one Kim.

>47 brenzi: We had one of those for our puzzle this year.

>47 brenzi: - Oooh, fancy! Santa brought me a puzzle caddy so I can move an in-progress puzzle off the dining table, but it's nowhere near as nifty as that one!

Bonnie, Your grand children are adorable!!!!! They bring such love into life! Three of my four grand children live in Beavercreek, Ohio. The other, lives nearby and visits and stays with me 2-3 days a week.

The Ohio bunch include a set of twin boys, both 17, and their spunky sister of a surprise to my daughter and son in law. Three children in 13 months was quite a challenge, but a wonderful experience.

>48 thornton37814: I love it Lori.

>49 katiekrug: My son sent me this one for my birthday back in April when I'd just done a few puzzles Katie. I didn't know how much I'd come to love it at that time.

>50 Whisper1: Three children in thirteen months is unimaginable Linda. My grandchildren keep me very busy.

>47 brenzi: Nice set-up!

>43 brenzi: I loved Foyle’s War and I’m glad you’re liking Your Honor. I’ve been wondering about it. Have you watched George Gently? It’s my current binge.

>43 brenzi: Oooh, Foyle's War. Loved it--it might be time to rewatch!

And I'm envious of your puzzle set up. We have a portfolio-like thing that serves a similar purpose, but all the surfaces are soft and the pieces don't make that reassuring click when you put them in. It makes me prefer using the dining room table and eating somewhere else.

>43 brenzi:
I am a big fan of Foyle's War as well. I have never seen the entire series, but if I were a binge watcher that would be on my list.

>53 Copperskye: I have never seen George Gently but you've got me interested Joanne. Where can I stream it?

>54 AnneDC: Hi Anne, there's never a bad time to rewatch Foyle's War lol. The beauty of this puzzle board is that I can pick it up and move it out of the way of three year old boys haha. It has legs on it that fold under it in case you want to use it while you're in bed I guess. I'd never make use of that option because I stand when I do puzzles.

>55 benitastrnad: You've never seen the whole series Benita? Well what are you waiting for? It's just so good.

Hi, Bonnie. I can't believe I still have not watched Foyle's War, especially since several of my LT pals have highly recommended. BTW- I am really enjoying Homeland Elegies. If you do not have it on your TBR list, you should. Smiles...

There you go again Mark. Adding to my list. Actually I've had Homeland Elegies in the back of my mind for awhile but I'll definitely move it up. You should look for Foyles War. Really good.

>47 brenzi: That's a really cool puzzle machine! I do a lot of puzzles on my iPad, but little ones that I can finish in under an hour. I'm not sure I have the patience to work on one that size alone (and Hubby is definitely not a puzzler) but I do enjoy it as a group activity.

Another Foyle's War fan here. Also enjoyed the next series where he goes to work for MI5.

>47 brenzi:
I watched about the first 3 or maybe 4 seasons when it was on my local PBS station, but when the station couldn't afford it anymore and dropped it I didn't ever get to see the next 9 seasons. I think there are 13 in total? But that may not be correct.

>59 RebaRelishesReading: Does the MI 5 series have a name Reba or is it the last couple of seasons of Foyles War? I've never done a puzzle on my iPad but I'm loving doing the regular ones I'm hooked on. I'm not sure patience is involved. It usually takes me about a week to complete 1000 pieces. It's so easy to walk away from it or to put a few pieces in or to really concentrate and complete big sections.

>60 benitastrnad: The first time I watched Foyles War it was on Netflix. Now I'm watching it on Acorn. These shows just get picked up and dropped by the different streaming services.

>56 brenzi: I’m watching it on Hoopla (through my library) but it might be on Acorn, too. I don’t have Acorn but I wonder if I should get it. I love British detective shows.

At one point I bought the complete DVD set for my husband as a birthday gift so now we can rewatch it whenever.

I love "Foyle's War." Good reminder, Bonnie. I have a puzzle currently taking up most of my dining room table; I need a caddy thing so I can move it. Great idea.

>62 Copperskye: Lots of British detective shows on Acorn Joann. I've got the free version right now and will have to decide if I want to keep it. I'm a master at cancelling stuff one day before I have to pay haha.

>63 AnneDC: Ohhhh sweet, Anne.

>64 BLBera: Well I absolutely needed to have something I could move Beth. Three year old hands are so hard to tame lol.

>58 brenzi: "There you go again Mark. Adding to my list." Come on, Bonnie, this is what I do. B.A.G.

>66 msf59: I know only full well that that's what you do, Mark. Believe me lol.

My latest:

My daughter gave me a puzzle that doesn't match the picture; she said it will be good for my brain. Gotta love those daughters. :) It's making me crazy.

>69 BLBera: My daughter doesn’t believe in looking at the box and has shamed me into doing it her way a couple of times—in that case whether it matches the picture wouldn’t matter. I am a firm believer in looking at the picture, at least from time to time. Maybe a controversial view.

Your thread is so puzzling to me!?! : )

Hi Bonnie!

>34 brenzi: And such an excellent book for your first of 2021. I read it in my RL book club in June of 2019. The Amazon description did not do it justice. I couldn’t abide Plainsong by Haruf, but perhaps it was timing as I had just read A Thousand Acres and I didn’t like it at all in comparison.

>69 BLBera: they put posters of the picture in the box so I don't think anybody expects you'll do the puzzle without looking at the picture Beth. I certainly don't.

>70 AnneDC: not controversial to me Anne. I'm not doing puzzles to make my brain freeze from exhausted overload lol. I want it to be fun. And I can't imagine actually doing it without the picture as a guide.

>71 Berly: 🤪😂🤪😂

>72 karenmarie: I don't usually compare books in my reviews Karen (blame Richard) so I don't really know how valid the comparison to Haruf is but it seemed similar to me. Ohhh A Thousand Acres brings back memories of long long ago for me.

Something appropriate for the times and, more to the point, me lol.

Hi, Bonnie! I am so glad you are enjoying The Cold Millions but I am really not surprised. I am nearly finished with Homeland Elegies. More warbling on that one, forthcoming.

>68 brenzi: Lots of orange there!

>74 brenzi: Right now, I am all for summoning the dark spirit, Bonnie.

My daughter came to help me with my puzzle today. She asked, "Aren't you done yet? We've done three since you started this one." Stinker. I pointed out that trying to put a puzzle together with no picture to follow is not easy and that is was making me a little crazy.

>75 msf59: Hi Mark, I really loved Cold Millions.

>76 thornton37814: Yep. The title is OrangeCollage Lori.

#2. Miracle Creek by Angie Kim, narrated by Jennifer Lim - unexpectedly good crime/mystery/courtroom drama. Well written and very well done even though it was a first novel. I first heard about it on the CrimeReads section of Lit Hub. A mother is accused and tried for starting a fire that results in her child's death as well as other innocent victims. But it might also have been caused by several other individuals wit cause.

4 stars

#3. Cold Millions by Jess Walter - as good as it gets. Absolutely terrific historical fiction. 1909 Spokane, Washington where labor unions are are battling to get what they can from greedy company owners but more often than not they end up in jail where the conditions are horrific. Finely drawn characters, a mix of fictional as well as real historical figures including the young labor firebrand, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. Really well done.

5 stars

I kid you not.

Oooh, I really liked The Boy in the Field, Bonnie. I hope it works on audio!

I have The Cold Millions on request at the library but it's a long wait. I might cave in and buy it, especially after such high praise from you.

>82 katiekrug: I'm enjoying it so far Katie.

>83 lauralkeet: Not just me Laura. Mark and Vivian too. You really can't go wrong.

>81 brenzi: I don't know whether to laugh or cry

It's starting to heat up Reba lol.

>86 brenzi: - Snork.

I'm waiting for my turn with The Cold Millions. Can't wait. And I'm reading The Boy in the Field now. I just started. Great minds.

>86 brenzi: HA!! 😂

>81 brenzi: whut


>86 brenzi: HA!!!

Happy weekend's reads, Bonnie.

>86 brenzi: Love this!

Sweet Thursday, Bonnie. 5 stars for The Cold Millions sounds just about right. Yah! Have you read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek? I am starting it tomorrow.

>87 katiekrug: >89 ChelleBearss: >90 richardderus: >91 msf59: I can't tell you how much I love seeing these dumbasses getting hauled off planes or just turned down at the reservation desk. Sheer bliss.

>88 BLBera: Cold Millions is just excellent historical fiction Beth. And I'm enjoying The Boy in the Field.

>89 ChelleBearss: that's right Richard. She thinks she still has a future in politics. Just awful human beings.

>90 richardderus: I listened to The Woman of Troublesome Creek last summer Mark. Enjoy.

Well they've started rolling out the COVID vaccine here and naturally it's a complete shitshow so even though I qualify as of the newest inclusion of those 65+ there's no way it's going to happen anytime soon. Really disappointed because I want to play pickleball so badly but not until I have both shots. During the summer and actually into early November I played outside but I'm very leery about playing inside as are most of those I play with. Grrrrrr 🏓🏓

>74 brenzi: Perfect!

>93 brenzi: Yes, here, too. And now I hear that the second doses they had supposedly been holding back but then decided to release are nonexistent having already been released in Dec.

As a hospital volunteer, I was notified that I was eligible to receive a shot in Dec. I felt funny about getting it so soon, but when I called the hotline I was assured they had shots and appointments available that afternoon (this was Christmas Eve) and that I shouldn’t miss the opportunity. I’m glad I went. I get my second shot next week (hopefully). My husband is still waiting impatiently to hear from his doc. but they just don’t have the doses. Here’s hoping Biden is able to speed things up.

>94 Copperskye: Hi Joanne, of course almost as soon as I posted that I was able to schedule an appointment for the vaccine on the 28th lol. Maybe it helped to complain loudly. Listening to Biden lately feels like balm for the soul doesn't it? No name calling, no lies just calm, honest discourse. Makes it easier to
b-r-e-a-t-h-e.

>96 RebaRelishesReading: Amen to that! (inhale, exhale, smile, repeat)

Our county is still doing health workers but >70 AnneDC:'s are the next group so I'm monitoring closely and hope to get a shot soon(ish)

>96 RebaRelishesReading: well Reba I may have an appointment but who knows if there'll be any vaccine for the second dose. Honestly, on Inauguration Day I may drain an entire bottle of champagne all by myself. I am so ready for this to be over.

Well I've been on pins and needles all day in excitement for tonight's bills game. Go Bills!!

Go Bills!

They are my sentimental favorite in the playoffs. Even The Wayne is rooting for them, despite their being a division rival of his beloved Dolphins :)

Go Bills! Go Bills! I was not able to watch the game but never-the-less, I was rootin' for them and will continue to do so.

>97 brenzi: Amen to that!

>97 brenzi: I think this is definitely the most eagerly awaited inauguration ever. Bush Jr and Carter are Presidents I recall being quite unpopular in office and I remember the excitement over Barack Obama coming into office but nothing like this.

Hoping that all will go well and that Biden and Harris ride the wave of goodwill that is behind them and not only from the USA either.

Hope your weekend has been a good one, Bonnie.

I will probably join you on the champagne on Wednesday. I am very ready for a new President, but I am even more excited about our new Vice President. I find her to be very dynamic and I have great expectations for her future. I think it is amazing that a woman got this far. It is only second place but it is amazing that the American people excused her sex and voted for the ticket. I just can't help but think this whole debacle of a presidency could have been avoided if people would have just voted for the woman last time around. Surely a woman would have been a better choice than the Giant Orange Gasbag.

P.S. I think the only sensible thing that the G.O.G. has done in the last four years is tone down the color of his hair dye. That flaming orange was just preposterous. No wonder people are afraid of clowns!

>99 katiekrug: >100 msf59: Thanks Katie and Mark, we are moving on and even though the Bills nearly give me a heart attack in most games, I, along with every other Buffalonian, am so excited I can hardly stand it.

>101 RebaRelishesReading: I know, Reba.

>102 PaulCranswick: I honestly wish they would hold the inauguration indoors Paul, and the fact that D.C. is, necessarily, an armed encampment is scandalous and disgusting. Something has to be done about the wave of white supremicists that has overtaken parts of the country. And the other dumbasses who go along not knowing what exactly they're getting themselves into. The FBI today charged two people with conspiracy, an automatic twenty year prison term, so they mean business. It should scare the go-along crowd but we shall see.

>103 benitastrnad: Hi Benita, you think it's amazing that a woman got this far? Are you kidding? We lag far behind most civilized nations in this regard as well as some third world countries. Benazir Bhutto was prime minister of Pakistan twice starting in 1988 before she was assassinated. Indira Ghandi, Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel. Golda Meir was prime minister in 1969 for Gods sake. Add in all the modern leaders in Scotland, New Zealand and the Scandavian countries. It's disheartening to me that Hillary Clinton, who was an intelligent candidate with years of relevant experience, lost to the most unqualified man who ever ran. The people I know who couldn't bring themselves to vote for her cited her stand on late term abortion which is an insane argument. But that's pretty much how I look at Trump voters. Insane.

#5. Fraud by Anita Brookner

"She had noticed old people in supermarkets, hesitating over their frugal purchases, treating themselves to something sweet, an indulgence remembered from remote childhood, and smelt their careful poverty as she passed them. She had put this down to poor diet, poor hygiene, to the fatigue of old age, but now she knew that what she had witnessed was ineluctable decline, that inching nearer to the abyss against which one had no defense. She had, at the time, felt closer to the poor old men, the pugnacious old women, with their woolen hats, without knowing why. Now...she realized that both she and her friend were at one with those old people, instantly recognizable to the young, who would wrinkle their noses and long to escape from them." (Page 181)

Anna Durant is a spinster of sixty who has spent her life looking after her mother until her death. She's a wanna be clothing designer but hasn't worked a day in her life. And she's left to wonder what am I going to do with all this time on my hands? She'll need to take bold steps if she really wants to remedy the situation but does she really have the courage to do so?

Anita Brookner depicts loneliness better than any author I've read. She is an absolute master at creating the sense of desolation and depression that often accompany it. And she does it with the smoothest, most beautiful prose that often has me rereading passages on a regular basis. This was her thirteenth novel and I've enjoyed them all, but this one really resonated.

>105 brenzi: Ooh, that sounds like a really good one, Bonnie! Great review, too.

>106 lauralkeet: I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying Brookner Laura. She writes about women like no one else does. Oh and speaking of people who write about women....there's a new biography of Barbara Pym coming out in April, The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym which I will be looking for..

>108 brenzi: That's one O'Farrell I haven't read, Bonnie. I'll watch for your comments.

>104 brenzi: One of the things that first attracted me to Malaysia was the comfort with which three distinct races seemed to peacefully co-exist. That it wasn't quite as harmonious as I supposed does not alter my view of how attractive a society is and can be when race is completely incidental to one's affiliations.

I really do hope that America (and the UK for that matter, although I think that the situation is much more stark and critical in the USA) finds a way to have the various ethnic groups at ease with each other.

As to female politicians - my absolute favourite politician these days is leading New Zealand and is of course a woman. I detested Mrs. T not because she was the first female Prime Minister of the UK but that she was such a spiteful and uncaring one. I would have taken Klobuchar, Harris or Warren over Biden but I think it is right to acknowledge that Harris becoming VEEP does represent a step forward.

>107 brenzi: That's interesting, Bonnie. I still haven't read A Very Private Eye (autobiography -- diaries and letters), which is languishing somewhere on my shelves. Sigh.

I have still not read Brookner. Bad Mark, I know. I also want to read more O'Farrell. Go Bills!

You made a Brookner fan of me, Bonnie. I've only read 5 but there will be more.

>109 BLBera: It's been languishing on my Kindle for a long time Beth and so far I really like it. O'Farrell is getting to be a favorite of mine.

>110 PaulCranswick: Yes I agree Thatcher left a lot to be desired Paul. I'll never forget her saying if you live with socialism "eventually soon you run out of other peoples money." It kind of summed up her dislike of caring for those among us who are suffering. She was a good match for Reagan.

>111 lauralkeet: Oh I think I have (or had) that one too Laura but it was a lousy old paperback and I was never enticed to read it.

>112 msf59: Maggie O'Farrell is getting to be one of my favorite authors Mark. And yes, definitely Go Bills!

>113 RebaRelishesReading: I'm happy to hear that Reba. I'm really enjoying her books.

>115 brenzi: Awomen.

>115 brenzi: absolutely -- may we never, ever hear from him again!

>115 brenzi: Amen. O'Farrell is a favorite of mine as well.

>116 richardderus: 😏

>117 RebaRelishesReading: Oh I don't think we'll be that lucky Reba. We'll hear all about his trial(s) and other humiliations.

>>118 BLBera: Have you read This Must be the Place Beth? That one is my favorite so far.

Just one more. Couldn't resist.

I'm a little suspicious of the new maid at the White House.

>120 brenzi: Hahaha the Orange version of Mrs Doubtfire.



Will the American birth rate see a spike in the next twelve months?

I'm fully expecting this website to shut down anytime now. It took me over half an hour to get on and it won't let me add any touchstones now. So right now I'll just say I finished my second five star book this month! I know. Astounding. But there's a reason Maggie O'Farrell is one of my favorite
Authors and The Hand that First Held Mine is a great addition to my list of MO favorites. And to think it was languishing on my Kindle probably since I first read O'Farrell in 2014. More tomorrow.

>121 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I don't know if the birth rate will go up but the number of satisfied people is rapidly rising lol.

I loved This Must be the Place, Bonnie. Hamnet is my favorite.

>120 brenzi: Hilarious.

#6.

The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell

I have not had a book effect me like this one does in quite some time. Sob worthy to the nth degree. O'Farrell tells the story using two distinct timelines: Lexie in the 1950-70s in Soho and Elina and Ted in the early 2000s in London. I knew as I read that at some point these two timelines would have to intersect or connect in some way. And so I was consumed by trying to figure out what the connection was and then the slow reveal just knocked me for a loop. I thought I knew what it was going to be but no, not even close. On the other hand, a more perceptive reader may have figured it out. The characters were deftly drawn and the main theme is the question of how far back in time can we remember actual incidents from our past? Is it four years old? Three? Two? Just a brilliant novel, my fourth of O'Farrell's and solidly places Her among my favorite authors.

>123 BLBera: I've got two more of O'Farrells books on my shelf Beth and I will be reading them fairly soon. Her memoir I Am, I Am, I Am will be sometime i the next month.

>124 brenzi: ooh, that sounds really good, Bonnie. Someday ...

>126 lauralkeet: Heh, I hear you Laura.

CURRENTLY READING

Halsey Street by Naima Coster

AUDIO:

The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es

Just waiting around for the Bills game to start at 6:40. Oh look here, I guess Bernie is a Josh Allen fan too.



GO BILLS

>124 brenzi: Wow. I'm thinking, reading between the lines here, that Maggie O'Farrell is not too shabby a writer in your estimation.

Fair to say?

>129 richardderus: Too much you think Richard? I do tend to drool over books that I love lol.

Sad to say I *still* have not read any O'Farrell, despite owning several of her books. I WILL pull one off the shelf this year!

Rooting for your Bills, Bonnie...

I loved Halsey Street, Bonnie. And Coster has a new one coming out this year.

I have one O'Farrell on my shelf, but I want to read The Hand that First Held Mine as well.

Aw, bummer, Bonnie! I was really cheering on the Bills but the Chiefs were unstoppable. I am sure fans are disappointed but the Bills had a stellar year and you have a fine QB with Allen.

I'm tempted by your comments on The Hand that First Held Mine but I'm trying hard not to buy any more books. We'll see how strong my resolve is/stays.

>Hi Bonnie - totally agree on O'Farrell: I've read most of her novels and find that she's so talented with both plot and characters. Hamnet's by far my favorite. The only one that fell a little flat for me was I Am, I Am, I Am, although I know it got a lot of great reviews.

>131 katiekrug: Hi Katie, thanks for rooting for our Bills but you know the dismal result. We're pretty used to it so we'll just have to hope for better things next year (how many years have I said that? Hmmmm) I hope you find an O'Farrell you like.

>132 BLBera: I believe when you reviewed Halsey Street I took note and I managed to get a Kindle copy through the Prime Reading thingamajig and it's been sitting, waiting patiently for me to pick it up. I'm only 25% in but I'm liking it so far.

>133 msf59: Thanks Mark. I'll just say the same thing I say every year at this time: wait till next year lol. It was a fun ride though, I must say.

>134 RebaRelishesReading: I hear you Reba. I'm trying to read off my shelves as much as I can and this one had been languishing on my shelves forever.

>135 vivians: Hi Vivian, I own I Am, I Am, I Am and it's a memoir so my expectations are somewhat different so we'll see. She hasn't missed a step with her novels though.

It is one of the sadder things in my life that I never got to see Jim Kelly win a Super Bowl. I feel the same about Dan Marino. Great quarterbacks should have at least one Super Bowl win.

>137 benitastrnad: yes Benita I agree they both should've won. I'm glad they both got in the HoF without that though.

Ok I've decided to do a thing that I saw on Twitter called Book Tube Spin. You choose twenty books from your TBR pile and on Jan. 31 this guy Rick MacDonnell will have a video on Book Tube where he spins a wheel and arrives at a number and you read the book from your list with the corresponding number. I don't know how often he will do it but if it's not to my liking I'll use a google random number generator to pick some other books from my list. Anyway this is what I'll be picking from:

Booker Nominated

1. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
2. The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch
3. The History of the Rain by Niall Williams
4. The Secret Scripture by Barry Sebastian
5. Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark

Classics

6. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
7. Tess of the d'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy
8. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
9. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
10. The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather

Canadian Authors

11. The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro
12. First Snow, Last Light by Wayne Johnston
13. Alone In the Classroom by Elizabeth Hay
14. Sweetland by Michael Crummy
15. Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott

Virago/Persephone

16. The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins
17. Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple
18. Im Not Complaining by Ruth Adam
19. On the Side of Angels by Betty Smith
20. Angel by Elizabeth Taylor

Part of the requirement is that you post your list online. He suggested You Tube or Twitter but I chose LT because of course I did.

If you're interested in checking it out go to

https://twitter.com/rickmacdonnell/status/1352732388036550657?s=21

OR: You Tube spin at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGujr-dBMVw

>139 brenzi: Interesting idea! I hope it does well for you, Bonnie, whichever random number generator you end up using.

Good luck, Bonnie.

>139 brenzi: I like this idea, Bonnie. Looks like a fun way to pick a title off your TBR. Good luck with it.

I love random ways to pick my next book. I use the Folly feature here on LT and random.org a lot.

Hi Bonnie!

>120 brenzi: 😀

>124 brenzi: Added to my wish list. I’ve started Hamnet but for a few reasons (insurrection, inauguration, pandemic) have been reading mysteries and romances. I’ll get back to it soon…

>139 brenzi: I don't think you can have a bad spin with that list!

>140 richardderus: Hi there Richard, I'm making a concerted effort to read what's on my shelves or my Kindle because well, just look at those titles. Why the heck haven't I read these books yet? So far 3/7 of the books I've read this month are mine so it's a start.

>141 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I think it'll be fun.

>142 msf59: Thanks Mark. It looks like fun.

>143 katiekrug: I've never used the folly feature Katie. I liked the idea of this option because of the narrowness of the selection process. Just picking out twenty books out of four self-determined themes. We'll see how it goes.

>144 karenmarie: well I hope as time goes on and we get a handle on COVID you can expand your reading Karen. Hamnet was excellent.

>145 ffortsa: I know Judy! I have to wonder why I haven't read these books look ago because I think they look pretty great.

>139 brenzi: That's quite cool!

I read most of the Canadian ones.

>147 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, I'm a real fan of Canadian authors and have read many o their books. Fortunately, the supply is endless lol.

#8.

The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es, read by the author

Bart Van Es won the Costa Award for Biography and for Book of the Year in 2018 and brought to light an area of WWII that I knew little about, namely, the hiding of Jewish children in the Netherlands, from the Nazis. Interestingly, Van Es, an Oxford professor, discovered that his grandparents had hidden the particular child that he discovered in his research, making his quest so much more interesting to him. Lientje, although elderly now, is still alive and the author was able to interview her. One thing he wanted to know was why she had had a falling out with his grandparents after the war. After all, they were among those who went out of their way to save her after her parents died in Auschwitz. He uncovers disturbing information that reveals that sometimes people who try to do the right thing and come to the aid of those less fortunate are ill equipped to handle the trauma that these children face and may even make it worse. Excellent narrating of the book by the author.

4 stars

UP NEXT ON AUDIO

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

This sounds really good, Bonnie, not the usual Holocaust memoir.

I really enjoyed Deacon King Kong on audio, Bonnie, and hope you have the same experience. It took me a little while to get into it but then it was worth the wait.

Great that you got the vaccine. It's still a royal mess here, both in Westchester and in the city - just no availability. I have tremendous confidence in the new administration but there's a limit to how quickly they can repair the disaster they were left.

>150 BLBera: Exactly Beth. It was very well done.

>151 vivians: Hi Vivian, I'm looking forward to Deacon King Kong but thanks for letting me know I need tie it a bit of time.

I was surprised at how organized and speedy the whole vaccine process was. Very large military and police presence but I was in and out in no time with little or no delay. I don't know why availability downstate is such a problem. Most people I know who qualify around here have been able to schedule an appointment.

#9.

Halsey Street by Naima Coster

Penelope Grand, an unfulfilled artist, is living in Pittsburgh when she is forced to return NYC where her father has had an accident. Her mother, with whom she has a non-existent relationship, has left and moved back to her native Dominican Republic, leaving Penelope's father on his own. This is a book about mothers and daughters and their often contentious relationships. It's also about finding your place in the world and gentrification of NYC neighborhoods and its effect on the old timers who've lived their lives and now don't know if they still have a home. Very well written and I look forward to Coster new book due out this year.

4 stars

>149 brenzi: That's a book-bullet straight to my heart.

>153 brenzi: Near miss...just winged me that time.

I loved Halsey Street as well, Bonnie. I can't wait to get my hands on her upcoming novel. Great comments.

Bonnie, I finished , I am I am. It was such a well written book. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

I agree! Maggie O'Farrell is favorite worthy.

I read and loved Deacon King Kong in print. If it is done properly, I think it could be a good audio.

I think I may have to purchase Deacon King Kong. The list on the library site tells me I am number 12. It must be a good book!

Hi, Bonnie. I’m a little late getting to your thread this year (everybody’s for that matter), but I’m now trying to catch up. The beginning of the year is daunting with the number of posts. I just finished reading The Sentence is Death. I started this series, thanks to you, and really enjoy it. I’ve been puzzle crazy lately too. It’s keeping me sane. I’ll be checking in for more book recommendations.

Hi Bonnie -- glad your vaccination process went smoothly. I am jealous and rather depressed though. I've been trying (like every hour or two, sometimes even in the middle of the night) to get an appointment for over 2 weeks now. Everyone we know in our age group in San Diego either has had a shot or has an appointment, my cousins in Indiana have had first shot, you've had first shot -- we can't get a shot anywhere :( Please send some good vaccination mojo this way to help us score a spot

>149 brenzi: I read The Cut Out Girl recently (last year I think) and agree it’s well worth a read.

I have my vaccination scheduled for next week, so looking forward to that.

>154 richardderus: 50% isn't bad Richard lol.

>155 BLBera: You know the more time that passes since I read Halsey Street, the more I like it Beth. The ending seemed a bit off though for me. Something I can't put my finger on.

>156 Whisper1: Hi Linda, I have I Am, I Am, I Am on my shelf and hope to get to it soonish.

>157 msf59: Well Mark, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the audio is done right because it's been terrific so far 39% in. Really enjoying it.

>158 Whisper1: It's very good Linda.

>159 NanaCC: Hi Colleen, good to see you. Funny thing about the Anthony Horowitz series. I downloaded the latest one a few weeks ago Moonflower Murders, then saw how long it was and said nope, I'm not in the mood for a book of that length. At some point I'm sure I'll read it because I love the series. I so happy I rediscovered puzzles because I'm really enjoying them.

>160 RebaRelishesReading: Well I hope you are able to schedule your shot very soon Reba. Just another job Trump botched.

>161 SandDune: It was a good book, wasn't it Rhian? Good luck with your shot.

I'm currently reading The Abstainer by Ian McGuire and it's been terrific. I'm at the halfway point.

>153 brenzi:
That's a book bullet!

>162 brenzi: I just put a hold on Moonflower Murders at the library. I didn’t know there was a sequel to Magpie Murders, which I loved. I knew you’d be adding to my reading pile. :-)

Ooh, The Abstainer. I can't wait to read that one, Bonnie.

>164 benitastrnad: I hope you like it Benita. It's a good one.

>165 NanaCC: Hahaha well that didn't take long Colleen. I must find your thread.

>166 msf59: I just finished it this afternoon Mark and I'll say first off that I found it unputdownable.

>105 brenzi: Awesome review. And a BB for me. I looked at the reviews to flag yours. Perhaps you could LMK if you post this.

>168 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy, I'm in the process of reading all of Anita Brookner's books in order of publication. That was #13. One is just as good as the next and so far her consistency is quite remarkable. I don't always remember to post reviews because most of the time they're just remarks rather than actual reviews.

#10.

The Abstainer by Ian McGuire

Absolutely unputdownable. Excellent historical fiction. Set mostly in Manchester in 1867 three Irish men have been hanged and vengeance is being planned by their cohorts. James O'Connor has arrived from the US as a sort of consultant to the police, mostly to develop some spies to infiltrate the Irish organization and prevent the likely revenge killing from happening. Fast paced, lots of intrigue, and really enjoyable. I was a bit disappointed with the ending but otherwise a terrific read.

The Abstainer sounds good, Bonnie, and I know a lot of folks liked his The North Water.

I hope you enjoy Deacon King Kong. I sure did.

I really enjoyed The North Water, so The Abstainer is already on my list. I'm glad to hear it was a good read for you.

>170 brenzi: What >171 jnwelch: and >172 katiekrug: said.

Happy weekend's reads!

>171 jnwelch: Hi Joe, this one's not as good as The North Water which was phenomenal but it's still good. I'll finish Deacon King Kong tomorrow and the audio has been fantastic. I won't soon forget Sportcoat or Hot Sausage or Sister G or Hettie....just wonderful characters.

>172 katiekrug: I hope you enjoy it Katie. I loved The North Water and it was my favorite to win the Booker that year but of course they didn't pick it because the Booker. They seldom pick my favorite.

>173 richardderus: Thanks Richard. I'm going to be snowed in so plenty of time for reading. Actually, it getting close to a year now since I had somewhere to go on the weekend because, well, pandemic. I'm

After bouncing back and forth from four or five different books that just weren't working for me I finally settled in what's become comfort read material for me----Anita Brookner. A Family Romance this time.

Enjoy your Brookner...and the snow. I'm hoping you are well stocked and don't lose power or anything so you can just snuggle in for some cozy "Bonnie time" :)

Happy Saturday, Bonnie. Good review of The Abstainer. I can't wait to read it.

>170 brenzi: I really loved his The North Water. Definitely in my top ten 21st century novels so far, so I will look forward to this one too.

Have a lovely weekend, Bonnie.

Agreed! The North Water was great. I’ll definitely look for this one.

>169 brenzi: Remarks are good! That's what I do, too. It is more a place to make notes to myself than technically "A Review">

>176 RebaRelishesReading: I didn't lose power Reba but we did get quite a bit of snow. I'd say 6-8" probably. But I was nice and cosy in my house and didn't have to go out so all good.

>177 msf59: I think you'll like it Mark.

>178 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. I think you'll like this new one too.

>179 drneutron: Hi Jim, hope you enjoy this one when you get to it.

>180 SandyAMcPherson: Yeah I make use of the "edit your book" feature Sandy to leave my remarks so that I can refer back to them.

#11.

Deacon King Kong by James McBride, read by Dominic Hoffman

The fun and laughter are top loaded in this book. Just a rollicking good time that had me laughing out loud when I wasn't saddened by what was happening. Set mostly in a Brooklyn housing project in the 1960s, the deacon, who goes by the name of Sportcoat, has a drinking problem and yet tries his darndest to help the local drug dealer who he coached as a child and who he's sure could be a Major League Baseball player if he could only get his life turned around. This is the main theme of the story but it all centers around his fellow church members, their tough times and the ways in which they help each other and those in the community. The characters in the book are all memorable and I won't soon forget Sportcoat, Hot Sausage, Sister G, And even Hettie, Sportcoat's late wife who wasn't alive during the telling of the tale but proved to be memorable in remembrance. Highly recommended.

>182 brenzi: yep. I'm gonna have to read that one. Thanks Bonnie!

Three bbs in one visit (that will teach me to let the threads get too long.) Fortunately I have The Hand that First Held Mine around here somewhere, and Deacon King Kong. But you also sold me on Cold Millions.

>182 brenzi: - Moving it up my list.....

Deacon King Kong does sound good, Bonnie. Even though I already took a hit for it on my own thread.

Hooray for Deacon King Kong! McBride might not be prolific but when he writes one, it is a gem. Yes, those were very memorable characters.

>183 lauralkeet: >184 AnneDC: >185 katiekrug: >186 BLBera: Hi Laura, Anne, Katie and Beth, I hope you all enjoy Deacon King Kong as much as I did.

>187 msf59: This is my third McBide, Mark and the best one yet for me anyway. Have you read The Miracle at St. Anna? WWII and very good.

Well I've wanted to do this so here it is: Booker winners since its inception.

🌟 - Books read

🌟🌟 - Memorable reads

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

And the Pulitzer Prize winners:

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
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 🌟
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
1947 ALL THE KING'S MEN - Robert Penn Warren 🌟🌟
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 🌟
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
1970 THE COLLECTED STORIES OF JEAN STAFFORD - Jean Stafford
1972 ANGLE OF REPOSE - Wallace Stegner 🌟
1973 THE OPTIMIST'S DAUGHTER - Eudora Welty 🌟
1975 THE KILLER ANGELS - Jeff Shaara 🌟
1976 HUMBOLDT'S GIFT - Saul Bellow
1978 ELBOW ROOM - James Alan McPherson
1979 THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER - John Cheever
1980 THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG - Norman Mailer
1981 A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES - John Kennedy Toole
1982 RABBIT IS RICH - John Updike
1983 THE COLOR PURPLE - Alice Walker
1984 IRONWEED - William Kennedy
1985 FOREIGN AFFAIRS - Alison Lurie 🌟
1986 LONESOME DOVE - Larry McMurtry 🌟
1987 A SUMMONS TO MEMPHIS - Peter Taylor
1988 BELOVED - Toni Morrison 🌟
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 🌟
1996 INDEPENDENCE DAY - Richard Ford
1997 MARTIN DRESSLER - Steven Millhauser
1998 AMERICAN PASTORAL - Philip Roth
1999 THE HOURS - Michael Cunningham 🌟
2000 INTERPRETER OF MALADIES - Jumpha Lahiri 🌟
2001 THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY - Michael Chabon 🌟
2002 EMPIRE FALLS - Richard Russo 🌟
2003 MIDDLESEX - Jeffrey Eugenides 🌟🌟
2004 THE KNOWN WORLD - Edward P. Jones 🌟
2005 GILEAD - Marilynne Robinson 🌟
2006 MARCH - Geraldine Brooks 🌟
2007 THE ROAD - Cormac McCarthy 🌟
2008 THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO - Junot Diaz
2009 OLIVE KITTERIDGE - Elizabeth Strout 🌟
2010 TINKERS - Paul Harding 🌟
2011 A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD - Jennifer Egan 🌟
2013 ORPHAN MASTER'S SON - Adam Johnson 🌟
2014 THE GOLDFINCH - Donna Tartt
2015 ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE - Anthony Doerr 🌟🌟
2016 THE SYMPATHIZER - Viet Thanh Nguyen
2017 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD - Colson Whitehead 🌟
2018 LESS - Andrew Sean Greer
2019 THE OVERSTORY - Richard Powers 🌟
2020 THE NICKEL BOYS - Colson Whitehead 🌟

What do the stars mean, Bonnie? Are those the books you've read?

>191 lauralkeet: She's been a busy gal, if she's read all those. I never seem to find the time to add in Bookers and Pulitzers as a focused genre.

>192 SandyAMcPherson: it's definitely doable, as as long-term project. Beginning around 2007, I began a quest to read all the Booker winners. I reached my goal and stuck with it through 2015, and then fell off the wagon.

>189 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie. I've never taken the time to compile (or look for) a list of Booker Prize winners. I haven't read many of them, but I have read more than I realized. I have read all of the Pulitzers and, generally, I've liked them better than the Bookers I have read. Still, I should read more of them and maybe I will now that you've lined them all up for me :)

>189 brenzi:, >190 brenzi: Wow, you've read quite a significant fraction of the winners! Well done you for listing them...something to gloat over, that list.

>189 brenzi: I did pretty good on the Booker winners. I only missed one in the past 10. I would like to read more of the earlier titles.

>190 brenzi: Good job reading a nice chunk off this list, Bonnie. I have been quite faithful to the Pulitzer winners too. I have read every one back to '98 and only missed 3 or 4 in the past 30 years.

I haven't read very many of either the Booker or the Pulitzer Prize winners.

Of the Pulitzer Prize winners I read most of the winners from 2000- 103 and since then only 1. Maybe the Goldfinch soured me on the Pulitzer?
Of the Booker Prize winners I have read a total of 7. One of the worst books I ever read Lincoln in the Bardo was one of them and one of the best books I ever read Moon Tiger was one.

I have several books from both lists on my TBR shelves and lists and I had decided that until I finished Goldfinch I wasn't going to start another. I have been reading Goldfinch since January 26, 2016. I still haven't finished it. About every three months I read a page or two and that's it. I don't think I will ever finish it. I think its choice as a winner was only exceeded in the mistaken for brilliance category by Lincoln in the Bardo.

>191 lauralkeet: Yes I've labeled it now Laura.

>192 SandyAMcPherson: Well, actually, Sandy it really only amounts to a few books a year. I've never made a project of it.

>193 lauralkeet: I remember you doing that Laura.

>194 RebaRelishesReading: You can thank Richard and Paul, Reba, I'm just copying, something I'm quite good at haha. I lean toward the Booker more than the Pulitzer but I read from both lists. They've both got winners and losers.

>195 richardderus: Richard, I told you I was going to do it....eventually. I'm surprised I did it so soon after I told you that lol. I was fairly sure I'd read a bunch of them.

>196 msf59: Good job Mark. I generally like what I read from those prizes but once in a while you end up with a real loser.

>197 benitastrnad: I've had The Goldfinch on my Kindle almost since it came out Benita. I've never made any attempt to read it because it's been panned in numerous reviews. I totally agree with you about Lincoln in the Bardo. That one was completely over rated in my opinion. And The Sellout was a complete waste of time. I'm surprised I finished it because it was awful. I generally prefer the Bookers but even there there are some really bad books. One of the worst was The Finkler Question. But then there's Wolf Hall so all is forgiven.

#12.

A Family Romance by Anita Brookner

In case I haven't made this clear yet, Anita Brookner is never going to lift your spirits. Ever. You can't go into her writing looking for a happy journey let alone a happy ending. But she's brilliant at portraying life the way it often unfolds for many of us.

Jane Manning is a single woman (that goes without saying) who is a successful writer of children's books. Yet her life is filled with disappointment and much of that disappointment can be attributed to her aunt, Dolly. She's saddled with Dolly's financial well-being. She inherited this burden along with her parents' estate. Dolly is an impossible woman, a show off, living well beyond her means, sharp with her retorts to poor, meek Jane. An absolutely hateful woman. And no matter how loudly I yelled at her, Jane refused to cut her off. Vintage Brookner. Spectacular writing, fully developed characters (Dolly is one of the most manipulative women in literature.) and a plot that comes together quite to the satisfaction of all, including me.

>198 brenzi: >197 benitastrnad: I also try to read Booker and Pulizer winners, as far as they are available in Dutch translation.
Agee about Lincoln in the Bardo, yet I liked The Finkler Question better than you did. I also liked The Sellout. But then I am no fan of Wolf Hall ;-)

>197 benitastrnad: Agree with you on Goldfinch, Benita. I read the whole thing because (1) it was a Pulitzer winner and (2) my OCD makes it hard for me not to finish a book. I really, really didn't like it though. Didn't even try Lincoln in the Bardo.

>198 brenzi: You lean more to Bookers and Pulitzers, eh Bonnie?. Humm, I tend to like books you like so perhaps I should get more active with reading the Bookers. I agree with you too about The Sellout.

I was turned off by both The Sellout and Lincoln in the Bardo, so much so I was willing to surrender my "read all the Bookers" merit badge. Bonnie, I haven't read Milkman and just took a peek at the details in your LT catalog. I see you never rated it, but your review intrigues me. I don't "do" audio books but I wonder if I should give it a try in print.

>201 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, the best thing about books is there's something for everyone. So you may like The Sellout and dislike Wolf Hall ( really? Or are you pulling my leg? I thought everyone loved that one lol). But we can all find something to love.

>202 RebaRelishesReading: Don't you hate it when people don't rate books Laura? Hahaha. That's one of the few I haven't rated. I still am not sure if it was absolutely brilliant or if I've been had. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have finished the book if I'd had to actually read it rather than listen. I think Vivian suggested that audio was the way to go so that's what I did. I wouldn't suggest it was a book you HAD to read. It's not like Wolf Hall lol.

>199 brenzi: You deserve high accolades for reading a novel with such angst like A Family Romance in the time of a pandemic! While Hotel du Lac isn't a "happy" book, the story ends quite satisfactorily (IMHO). The main character perseveres and doesn't fall for any of the social conventions that would be a living hell.

H du L was my first taste of Brookner and I agree that her writing is so accomplished, that the narrative showcases character development and atmosphere in a way that is simply amazing.

>204 brenzi: thanks for the advice about reading Milkman, Bonnie. I don't think I'll be rushing to read it.

>205 SandyAMcPherson: Hotel du Lac was my first Brookner as well, Sandy. What a wonderful discovery. It would be fun to read all of her books, as Bonnie is doing. Maybe someday.

>205 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy, I usually prefer books with dark themes that others might find sad or depressing but I seem to generate toward that type of book rather than ...well, happy endings I guess. That's probably why I'm enjoying Brookner so much. I did love Harriet and her smart choices.

>206 lauralkeet: Lots of books to choose from, Laura.

Nice to see your Booker and Pulitzer lists.

I am slightly, but only slightly ahead of you with the Bookers but a long way behind on the Pulitzers.

Hi, Bonnie. I hope you had a good weekend. We are still stuck in a nasty weather pattern. February has been brutal. Were you still interested in reading Driftless together? It could be later in the month, if you want. I am currently reading and enjoying Paradise.

>208 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I don't always read prize winners but if something looks good to me then being a prize winner adds to the lure. Lately I've been looking more at the Costa Prize.

>209 msf59: I am still interested in Driftless Mark. I could make it my next book after I finish Apeirogon which will probably be by the weekend. You're probably a faster reader than me because honestly, most people are.

>210 brenzi: Bonnie, thanks for mentioning The Costa Book Awards. I had never heard of these book prizes.

How great to see that Hilary McKay won the children's book award for The Skylarks’ War and Saffy’s Angel. While I certainly recognized several titles/authors, I have read only three of the books, looking back at the entire list (The Witches, The Amber Spyglass, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).

How telling is it (of my reading preferences), that these were all in the 'children's category'? Although I'd never put Phillip Pullman's or JK Rowling's books in what *I* call children's stories; more in the younger end of YA.
Some of the titles sit on my Book-Bullets List, though. Added incentive to search for them!

Hi Sandy, I read my three year old grandson Blueberries for Sal recently and he loved it of course. I can't remember what award it won but possibly the Caldecott. Anyway, that's more what I think of when I think of children's books rather than an Harry Potter. Oh well.

Happy Friday, Bonnie. Looking forward to your thoughts on Apeirogon. I decided to read Under a White Sky but I should be done with it tomorrow. I will then start Driftless. Have you read Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction?

Hi Bonnie!

Trying to stay caught up with threads, but right now for some reason it's nearly impossible.

I'm encouraged that you liked Deacon King Kong, and I love the Booker and Pulitzer lists.

>213 msf59: Hi Mark, perfect timing. I will start Driftless tomorrow. I have not read Kolbert at all. Something to look forward to?

>214 karenmarie: Hi Karen, I can't keep up at all so don't worry about it. Deacon King Kong was wonderful.

#14.

Apeirogon by Colum McCann

Apeirogon is a term that refers to a shape that has unending, uncountable sides. After reading McCann's book, it's apparent why he chose this title. Set in Palestine and Israel, it's the story of two heart broken men, one Palestinian and one Israeli, whose grief forces them to try to confront the terrible warlike conditions that are a part of their daily lives. Both men try to make others see that their lives can never be happy until they learn to understand each other. And week after week they travel, preaching their message. Beautifully written and filled with hope I really enjoyed reading this one.

#15.

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker, narrated by Sean Pratt

This is the story of an American family with twelve children, ten of them boys, six of which are diagnosed with schizophrenia. It's heartbreaking and eye opening. First of all, I couldn't imagine having that many children, and then to have half of them sick is just unbelievable. Kolker followed the family as they tried to get to the bottom of what was happening to them, what could help, and eventually how to come to terms with it. Treatments are explored, ignored, and finally accepted. And the trail of treatment follows the science from the 50s through the present day. Really well done with excellent narration.

I'm glad to see you liked Apeirogon, Bonnie. I thought the structure was really interesting, and the novel as a whole was compelling. As you said, beautifully written and filled with hope.

>212 brenzi: Our grandchildren also enjoyed Blueberries for Sal. It's a great story for little kids.

>217 brenzi: I had fun with reading Osman's book. It was a light read, not too complex, with a likeable plot. Just the kind I'm needing these days.

Good review of Apeirogon, Bonnie. I hope to finally get to that one in the coming months. I am 60 pages into Driftless. Winnie the preacher was just introduced. I am enjoying it a lot. I plan on reading more this afternoon.

Thanks Bonnie--Apeirogon has been on my wishlist. I've loved other books by McCann. Your comments make me want to get to it sooner--it sounds like a good one.

And I have Hidden Valley Road but had only a vague sense of the subject matter. Your review makes it sound intriguing.

I'm a huge fan of Blueberries for Sal and also Make Way for Ducklings, by the same author. Childhood classics.

>218 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, a couple of years ago I read Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua which told the story of a Palestinian man who lived in Jerusalem and how difficult life for Palestinians was in that city where they're considered second class citizens. It was a more compelling read than this one but McCann's book really allows the humanity of the two men come through, and how important cooperation can be to solving their endless problems. Beautifully done.

>219 SandyAMcPherson: I'm a little more than halfway through The Thursday Murder Club Sandy and I can't stop laughing. It's absolutely hilarious. What a joy! And he has the second book in the series coming out in September. Yippee!

>220 msf59: Lots of birds and bird references in Apeirogon Mark. Just saying. I'm also, enjoying Driftless a little more than 100 pages in. I'm trying to decide who he reminds me of. Maybe William Kent Krueger or possibly Kent Haruf.

>221 AnneDC: Hi Anne, yes of course, Make Way for Ducklings. I have that one too. Such beautiful books. Hidden Valley Road was unexpectedly compelling.I'm also a McCann fan.

>222 brenzi: "I'm trying to decide who he reminds me of. Maybe William Kent Krueger or possibly Kent Haruf." Have you read Larry Watson? This is who he reminds me most of but there is some Haruf in here too.

>222 brenzi: You got me with The Thursday Murder Club, and you are not even done with it yet. Your thread is always dangerous, Bonnie. :)

More BBs. The Thursday Murder Club and Driftless, based on what Mark said.

>223 msf59: Oh yes, Larry Watson. Him too. I've read Montana 1948 and Let Him Go.

>224 NanaCC: Try the audio Colleen. I can't tell you how much fun it is.

>225 ffortsa: Driftless is really good Judy. The Thursday Murder Club is very light and funny, actually hilarious.

Hi, Bonnie. Just passed the 400 page mark in Driftless, so nearing the finish line. That will be tomorrow. A terrific read. I will miss these wonderful characters. Glad we decided to read this one.

Hi Mark, I'll finish tomorrow too. Yes it's been a terrific read. I'm so glad you mentioned it on your thread. I'm going to look for some of his other books.

I had the best of both worlds with this puzzle:

>229 brenzi: Bonnie if that was a text message I would put a ♥
A puzzle and books--what could be better!

>229 brenzi: - Very nice! I seem to have lost my puzzling mojo. I am going to try to get it back this weekend. I need to find a good audio to help with motivation...

>229 brenzi: Great title, Bonnie.

Hi, Bonnie! I *love* the puzzle! We had every intention of setting up a puzzle table this winter and it just...didn't happen. Oh well.

>229 brenzi: That is one wonderful puzzle!!

>230 AnneDC: I know! Isn't it wonderful Anne?Its not my first puzzle with books and I have another one in my stash but this one was really a lot of fun.

>231 katiekrug: Oh yeah, Katie. A good audiobook or podcast is a necessity while puzzling. Good luck getting your mojo back.

>232 BLBera: I thought so too Beth lol.

>233 scaifea: I'm sure when the time is right Amber, you'll find your way to puzzling. It's so much fun.

>234 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. It was a lot of fun.

#16.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, narrated by Lesley Mannville

Holy rollicking fun fest. I don't know when I've laughed this hard at a mystery. Set in a retirement development in the sleepy village of Kent in the UK, a group of septuagenarians gather each Thursday to try and solve old cold cases. Unexpectedly, they find themselves investigating an ongoing murder of a victim known to them all. Soon the bodies begin to pile up and they have some real problems on their hands. But the tongue in cheek writing, wry, ironic and devastatingly funny, never stops. Great fun. And the second book in the series will be out in September. 🤗

>236 brenzi: The Thursday Murder Club was one of my favorite books of 2020, Bonnie. It's so rare that a book has me laughing out loud. I'm looking forward to the followup, too!

>236 brenzi: I’ve downloaded the audio, Bonnie. I could use some laugh out loud moments.

>237 Copperskye: Aha that's where I heard about it. Thanks Joanne.

>238 NanaCC: I really hope you enjoy it Colleen.

#17. Driftless by David Rhodes

"Gail sang her song again and was again lifted up by the accompaniment, borne away to a place where plastic factories, unpaid bills, human cruelty, flat tires, and leaking hot water heaters did not exist." (Page 290)

Welcome to Word, Wisconsin. You won't soon forget it. David Rhodes has written a novel that made me cry not once but three separate times automatically rating it five stars in my book. Narrated in alternating chapters by several of the residents of this tiny, nearly forgotten town, the author makes clear that life here is hard and what holds it together is the tenacity and loving spirit of these complicated characters. July Montgomery, a hardscrabble farmer, is the center of this world and his kindness and joy covers everyone with an invisible sense of hope.

Cora and Grahm operate a small dairy farm and, like all small farmers, depend on the honesty of the co-op to sustain their income. Jacob Helm, grieving widower, runs a repair shop that everyone relies on for one thing or another. Olivia, wheelchair bound and her sister Violet Brasso don't often see eye to eye but their love for each other is strong. Gail Shotwell works the night shift at the local plastics factory but aspires to be a songwriter. Rusty Smith, retired farmer and all around hard working grouch, discovers untold happiness when he gives in and allows the Amish to make some home improvements for him and his wife, Maxine. He also discovers he harbored a secret that had taken many years to reveal itself. And Winifred Smith is the pastor of Words Friends of Jesus Church, where most of the characters end up.

All the characters represent the hardest working people you will ever know and Rhodes brilliantly depicts them through the use of beautiful prose that had me busily marking passages like:

"Late had recently become a habitual companion in a more general condition of dread."

And Old Age was carefully preserved in the furniture, the artfully organized clutter on the walls and shelves, and the odor of some prehistoric mold culture ingeniously nurtured to withstand modern antiseptic cleaning methods and modernity itself."

And each of these finely drawn characters experiences an epiphany of one kind or another that changes their life completely. All except July, which makes his importance in the novel even more clarifying.

An absolutely wonderful book with enduring characters and I'm scratching my head wondering how I let it sit on my shelves for over ten years. Thanks so much to Mark for getting me to read it. If you decide to give it a try it would be easy to skip the chapter containing the dog fights which was the only negative passage to me.

5 stars

If Driftless weren't already on my list, your review would have put it there, Bonnie.

>240 brenzi: What >242 katiekrug: said, Bonnie...Old Age was carefully preserved in the furniture, the artfully organized clutter on the walls and shelves, and the odor of some prehistoric mold culture ingeniously nurtured to withstand modern antiseptic cleaning methods and modernity itself. LOLOL

>242 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

>243 richardderus: Hey Richard, isn't that great? God I loved that book.

>240 brenzi: Wow. Just wow. And I have a $6 Kindle credit to spend ... thanks Bonnie!

Happy Sunday, Bonnie. Great review of Driftless! Big Thumb! I am so glad we could do a shared read of it and maybe we could do the same with Jewelweed sometime down the road. I can't top your review, so if you don't mind I will direct my visitors to check out yours.

Hi, Bonnie!

I *need* to read Driftless, since we lived in the Driftless Area! It's firmly on my list.

Driftless sounds wonderful, Bonnie. Hooray for reading off your shelves!

I just finished The Vanishing Half; I'll be watching for your comments.

I just added Driftless to my wish list...which is getting very long and has many entries marked "Bonnie" on it :)

Bonnie, I've added it to my wish list also! I really liked your review.

>245 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

>246 msf59: Thanks Mark. And thank you again for moving this book off my shelf. I just ordered Jewelweed from Abe books so whenever you want....

>247 scaifea: Ahhh you lived in the area Amber. Then you'll probably be able to relate to this book more than I did.

>248 BLBera: Halfway through The Vanishing Half and I'm quite enjoying it so far, Beth.

>249 RebaRelishesReading: Hahaha happy to oblige Reba....I think.

>250 Oregonreader: Thank you Jan. I hope you enjoy it.

>240 brenzi: Great recommendation, Bonnie, I've also added it to my list. I love your raves!

>252 vivians: Hahaha well ok then Vivian and thank you. I hope you enjoy it.

#18. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - When I noted that the wonderful Maggie Gyllenhall narrated this book I grabbed it. She was a terrific narrator. The book tells the story of college student Esther Greenwood as she descends into deep depression. It's funny and sad and enlightening with quite a twist at the end. Not long after it was published, Plath took her own life, leaving this book as her only novel. What a loss.

#19. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - This is the story of Stella and Desiree, identical twins, from Mallard, La., a town not far from New Orleans, where all of the residents are pale skinned African Americans. And so the question of passing comes up. How hard is it to do? What do you have to give up? (In a word, everything) That of course is the theme of the novel. But Bennett chooses to leave the two main characters and carry the story on with their two daughters and that's where I thought it missed the mark. Still a good read and I liked it a lot.

#20. Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin, narrated by the author - one of the most gut wrenching stories I've ever read. Fifteen year old Charley Thompson is struggling to just get by. Parents unavailable for different reasons, his biggest challenge is getting enough to eat. He is basically starving and I have to say Vlautin made me realize exactly what it means to be hungry, really hungry. My heart went out to Charley as he tries to make his way in the world. When he gets a job working for a racehorse owner, he falls in love with Pete, a has been race horse who struggles with life as much as Charley. Loved this heartbreaking, yet hopeful, story.

#21 A Private View by Anita Brookner - George Bland is retired and living by himself in a flat in a building with other well to do residents. One thing you can count on with Brookner is the protagonist will do one stupid thing after another, not in every book but often enough to make me expect it. So when a young woman arrives and hangs around the building waiting for the people across the hall from George to return from America, he doesn't hesitate to let her use the flat after she claims to have an agreement with them. She's irritating from the get go. But George agrees to go along to get along. Still, Brookner's writing is just so luscious and I had a smile on my face for most of the book, just hoping George would do the right thing. Please!

>254 brenzi:
I agree with you about Vanishing Half. I couldn't figure out if the story was about the sisters or the cousins. It was a good novel, but not quite as good as others I have read on the subject of passing.

I agree with your thoughts on The Vanishing Half, Bonnie. I really liked the book as a whole but the daughters' stories didn't work so well for me.

And Lean on Pete -- that brought back memories. LT says I read it in 2015 and gave it 4.5 stars. So good. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

>240 brenzi: Beautiful cover. Brilliant review. Book Bulleted. xx

Hi, Bonnie. So many good books and nice reviews! You got me with Driftless. I'll add it to the WL.

Deacon King Kong: I won't soon forget Sportcoat or Hot Sausage or Sister G or Hettie....just wonderful characters. Ha! You brought it all back to me - me either.

I had the same take on The Vanishing Half - the daughter storylines were weaker, but that twins' ones were strong enough to more than make up for it.

I'm glad you had so much fun with The Thursday Murder Club. Great pandemic reading. :-)

I really enjoyed the film version of Lean on Pete but never read the book. I want to read more of Vlautin.

>256 benitastrnad: Yes Benita, I may read the Nella Larson novel, Passing to see how she handled it.

>257 lauralkeet: I wonder how I missed that recommendation from you Laura because I'm sure you wrote a review. Anyway I may watch the movie tonight or tomorrow and I'll be looking for more by Vlautin.

>258 PaulCranswick: Mission accomplished Paul lol.

>259 jnwelch: You know Joe, the further I get away from Deacon King Kong the more I love that novel. Just so good. And The Thursday Murder Club was just a delight. I'm really looking forward to his new book in September but it will be hard for him to beat his debut. I think you just might love Driftless.

>260 msf59: I may watch the movie tonight or tomorrow night Mark. Guess what arrived on my doorstep today? Jewelweed

Sometimes all a boy needs is a box. Cole, 3 years old



And sometimes all a girl needs is floor space to perform. Mia, 6 years old

Nice!

I just read Passing this weekend, Bonnie. It's definitely worth a read.

Awww, those grandkids are too cute for words, Bonnie!

I used to tell my sister that for Christmas I was going to give my nephew and niece a box of crayons, a pair of scissors and a cardboard box. She always thought that was a threat. I can't imagine why.

You need to get your grandchild a copy of What To Do With a Box by Jane Yolen to read while he is using the box he has.

Great pictures!
My kids refuse to let me throw out "good" boxes when they come in the mail. They have been castles, spaceships and vehicles lol. They get tossed once they go to bed

>262 brenzi: Like the pictures, Bonnie and especially the first one as it is something that I would have definitely done back in my own childhood. x

>262 brenzi: love them!!

>263 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>264 katiekrug: And I just checked and I can get it on Overdrive so win win. Thanks Katie.

>265 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura, they keep me mighty busy.

>266 benitastrnad: Thanks for that suggestion Benita. I'll be looking for the book.

>267 ChelleBearss: yes Chelle, it reminds me of numerous gifts where the box was much more interesting than the gift.

>268 PaulCranswick: What is it about being huddled and enclosed that's so inviting Paul? Sort of like a cave.

>269 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba.

>262 brenzi: *baaawww* Such preciouses!!

>262 brenzi: Love these!

Cole and Mia are adorable, Bonnie. I still keep big boxes for a couple of days for forts. Grandkids are the best -- and they grow up way too fast!

>271 richardderus: Tee he, thanks Richard.

>272 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne.

>273 BLBera: Oh my they grow up soooo fast Beth. I sometimes want to just grab them and put the brakes on somehow lol.

On a high note...it was 69 degrees here today! Broke a record from 1878. Just a gorgeous day and even though I know it is fake spring and we'll be having more cold weather by the weekend, it just felt so good to be outside without a coat on. Glorious.

We broke our record yesterday, Bonnie. Happy to send some warm air your way.

>276 BLBera: Well the faux Spring only lasted for a few days Beth. But I still appreciated the preview. Cant wait for the real thing to show up.

#22. Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben MacIntyre, narrated by the author

I've read most of MacIntyre's books and they're all very good. This one is no exception. This is the story of Ursula Kuczynski, a German Jew, whose fascinating life leads her to become one of the world's most intrepid Russian spies before and after WWII through the Cold War. She's recruited by the Russians after she and her first husband Rudy, join the Communist party and move to China where her story begins. Just an excellent look at the world of spy craft and how she avoided not only capture but having her life snuffed out by her Russian handlers.

***Heres an interesting thing that happened while I was about halfway through this book. I watched a new Judi Dench movie "Red Joan" about a British woman who was arrested in 1999 for stealing British secrets about the construction of the atomic bomb and giving them to the Russians during WWII. While the movie is playing I started thinking, hmmm there's got to be some connection to Agent Sonya. So then lo and behold, there's a character named Sonya and so I knew it had to be the same one. At the end of the book MacIntyre mentions this same woman who got a message from Sonya when she was arrested because Sonya was her handler. Never had anything like that happen before while I was in the middle of a book.

#23. The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

I'll confess I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I only read it because I get together with a few pickleball friends for an informal book club every month and this was a selection. Most of the books they choose are like this one: popular fiction which I'm not really a huge fan of. But I have to say, I really enjoyed this one.

The tale is told in alternating chapters, both set mostly in New Orleans, one in 1787 post Civil War and the other in 1987. Freed slave Hanni, along with two white women, are on a harrowing trip from New Orleans to Texas in search of the father of the girls for separate reasons. Hanni wants to secure the deed to her share cropper property from the girls' father, a former slave owner. Along their journey they are amazed when they find The Book of Lost friends, where former slaves try to reconnect with lost family members by posting notices in the newspaper column of that name.

Alternating chapters are set in 1987 in New Orleans where a first year teacher is trying to help students trace their heritage and discover this same Book of List Friends.

Beautiful use of historical fiction that taught me a lot about a subject I knew nothing about. Well written with tough, resilient characters that I grew to admire greatly.

>278 brenzi: that's a pretty great story, Bonnie!

>278 brenzi: The MacIntyre book sounds interesting. I’ve liked the books I’ve read of his. And your movie connection was such perfect timing.

>278 brenzi:
I have had Book of Lost Friends in my library for a year. It had great reviews in Booklist and Publisher's Weekly. I don't have the book yet, but it is on my watch list. For those who like historical fiction this title looks like one that would be a really good read.

>262 brenzi: Love the photos of the grandkids. We are looking forward to this experience.

Agent Sonya sounds like another winner. I like Macintyre on audio too. Ooh, Milk Blood Heat sounds like my cuppa.

>280 lauralkeet: Isn't that wild Laura? I keep going over in my mind how I figured out who Sonya was in the movie but it was quite late when I picked up on her name and kind of put two and two together. And then I started researching trying to make sure and couldn't really find the info I was hoping for.

>281 NanaCC: It's such a fascinating story Colleen. Ursula went on to write dozens of books, mostly children's books, after she retired from spying. She was pretty remarkable and did a lot of things I certainly can't imagine doing.

>282 benitastrnad: You're exactly right Benita. It is wonderful historical fiction. I really enjoyed it.

>283 msf59: You'd better get your track shoes ready Mark, because it will not take very long after that new grandchild is born that the chase will be on lol. You'll have the time of your life. I'm sure you'd like Agent Sonya. It's quite a story.

Hi Bonnie!

>236 brenzi: My friend Rhoda held this book up at our video conferenced Friends Board meeting yesterday and said it was wonderful. I have no willpower, and especially after your comments, have just ordered it.

>262 brenzi: Sweet pics, sweet kids. We leave Amazon boxes out for the kitties.

Agent Sonya is everywhere! I'm glad I already have it.

Happy reading.

>285 karenmarie: Oh I wouldn't resist if I were you Karen. The Thursday Murder Club is absolutely wonderful. I hope you like it as much as I did.

>286 richardderus: Is she Richard? I didn't even realize he had a new book out. Apparently it came out last September but I totally missed that.

#24.

Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel Moniz

This was an absolutely riveting collection of short stories all centered on women, for the most part, and mortality. Beautifully written, Moniz set all of the stories in her home state of Florida and hot steaminess clung to every page. Eleven stories and yet I can't find a single dud among them. A wonderful debut for a very talented writer. I'll be looking forward to her next book.

4.5 stars

#25. Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans, narrated by Karen Cass

This is the follow up to Evans' terrific Old Baggage centered on former suffragettes in the years between the wars. I loved that one but I think I liked this one even more. It's centered on evacuee Noel Bostock and his adventures after being evacuated from London. I highly recommend the audio narration.It is absolutely wonderful and I have to say I laughed out loud through most of the book. Wonderful characters, dare I say heart warming and yet, in spots, maddening. Noel is a terrific character as is, Vee. Loved it. I wished it had gone on forever.

4.6 stars

Thank you so much to Beth for pushing both of Lissa Evans' books on her thread.

>289 brenzi: I think listening to The Yield is a good choice, Bonnie. I read it and I'd like to go back and listen to Albert's language.

I just finished reading Moonflower Murders, Bonnie. I hope you get to it sooner rather than later. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for pointing it out. I had no idea there was a series in the works when I read Magpie Murders

>290 vivians: Well Vivian, I was going to listen to The Yield. Had actually listened to a few minutes of it but then I had one of those "one book leads to another" and so I'm listening to something else right now. I'll get to it eventually.

>291 NanaCC: Ok Colleen I'll have to put it back on my Overdrive list. Thanks.

Sweet Thursday, Bonnie! It looks like I will have find copies of both Milk Blood Heat & Crooked Heart. Your warbling paid off.

#26.

Zorrie by Laird Hunt

If you love quiet introspection (and I do, I really do) then have I got a book for you. How this author, with whom I have no acquaintance, wrote such a beautiful book, depicting one woman's life from about the 1930s on, in under 200 pages is quite remarkable. But by the end of the book, I knew Zorrie like I'd known her all my life.

Although she often led a life of disappointment, Zorrie was a bigger than life character. Her parents died when she was a young child and the aunt who took over her care was a bit of a wicked stepmother. When her aunt died and Zorrie was a teenager, she had to fend for herself as her aunt left her with nothing. Set in rural Indiana for the most part, Zorrie gets her first real job, working in the radium factory in Ottawa, Illinois where she bonds with two other women who become lifelong friends. But Zorrie wasn't one to stay in one place long. She eventually settles on a farm in Indiana and stays there for the rest of her life. Her years on the farm go a long way to developing her character. If that all sounds boring to you, well, this quiet little book may not be for you. For me it was bliss. And above all, a book about hope, and how we have to fight sometimes to hang onto it.

"Her aunt had disparaged the concept of hope with such caustic efficiency that Zorrie had naturally learned to discount what had ever been an important part of her nature. If she had done her best to seal up the spring during those early years....hope had nonetheless often found a way to seep out and surprise her, bow graciously, extend its hand, and ask her to dance." (Page 58)

I will not soon forget you Zorrie Underwood.

>293 msf59: Don't be in such a hurry Mark. Do read Old Baggage before you read Crooked Heart. And do get the audio. Sooo good.

CURRENTLY READING

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

And just like that Zorrie led me straight to my current audio, The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore.

I am so glad, though not surprised, that you loved Crooked Heart, Bonnie. I've been thinking about a reread.

Zorrie sounds wonderful. Onto the list it goes!

>294 brenzi: Oh good! When I saw you were reading Zorrie, I was hoping you’d like it. I’ve been waiting for my library to get it.

>294 brenzi: there you go again Bonnie, adding to my TBR!! Fortunately it looks like I can get Zorrie from the library when I'm ready. It does look like my kind of book.

Hi, Bonnie. Nice review of Zorrie. You’ve got me intrigued. I love that cover, too. Makes me think of Kent Haruf.

I hope you have a good weekend.

>297 BLBera: If you haven't listened to the audio Beth, I highly recommend it.

>298 Copperskye: Oh I hope you like it Joanne. For such a quiet little book it made quite an impact on me.

>299 lauralkeet: Which library Laura? The one there in Philadelphia? Or the one in Virginia? Decisions decisions lol.

>300 jnwelch: Hi Joe, hmmm Kent Haruf. You might be right about that.

>294 brenzi: Agree with Joe. Excellent review, Bonnie.

>301 brenzi: Virginia, Bonnie. Our move is just over a week away, and I already signed up for a library card online which allows me to borrow digital materials. To get full privileges, I have to stop in the branch and present proof of address. Realistically I have enough reading material on my Kindle to get me through so I should be okay LOL.

Happy Saturday, Bonnie. I just wanted to let you know, I snagged a copy of Old Baggage from my e-library, so I should get to it fairly soon. See? I can follow instructions.

Ooh, I have Zorrie on my library wish list. I can't remember where I first heard about it, but knowing it was a winner with you will move it higher up my mental "Borrow" list.

>302 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul.

>303 lauralkeet: Of course you've already signed up for your new library card. Wth is wrong with me. I suppose you can keep using your Philly card for digital books too. Sweet. I'm lucky enough to have a Buffalo library card and a NY Public library card.

>304 msf59: Ohh I hope you enjoy Old Baggage. Mattie is quite a character.

>305 katiekrug: Well I know I heard about it on Lit Hub where it got rave reviews Katie. I have to agree.

>294 brenzi: That one just arrived at our library. It had received good advance reviews.

>307 thornton37814: It's a good one Lori.

#27. Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore, narrated by Angela Brazil

I listened to this audio after reading Zorrie because it came up in that book. You know, one book leads to another...anyway, such a sad indictment of what was in the 1920s and 1930s an unbridled radium industry. With little regard for its employees, the dangers they were exposed to were just laughed off. No government oversight and no unions to protect the vulnerable women who made up their work force. Very sad for those families effected. I liked the book but thought it could've been shorter and accomplished just as much.

#28. The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

It was a comment by Roxanne Gay on Twitter that led my to this book and it was a wonderful choice. Isaiah and Samuel are teenage slaves on the "Empty" Plantation, so named by the enslaved inhabitants. Mississippi pre-Civil War. Their love for each other is what makes life almost worth living for them. But you don't need to be truly enlightened to realize early on that none of this is going to end well....for anyone. Jones writes beautifully, lyrically of the horrors of both life on the plantation, and on the slave ships. Shades of James Baldwin, whom Jones credits in the acknowledgements at the end of the book. A beautiful and important addition to the literature. I loved every bit.

#29 March Violets by Philip Kerr, narrated by John Lee Well I was just scrolling through Overdrive audiobooks and came across this one which I have heard numerous people rave about. Bernie Gunther is a private detective in Germany in 1936 so basically murder with undertones of Nazi atrocities and the threat of war. And I really enjoyed it. And of course just like that I've started another series. Let's hope I do better than two others that I've left hanging after one book.

Hi Bonnie. It continues to be a rainy day, now into night.

Your review of Zorrie is star worthy. Thanks. I added it to my tbr list, and will hope that my library has this one.

All good wishes,

Hi Bonnie - the Kerr series has been on my radar so I'm glad to hear of your recommendation. The Prophets is also on my list - looks like we're still on the same wave length!

Wow, you've been doing some serious reading. I'm glad you're enjoying it but, right now, I'm not tempted by anything so serious.

>311 Whisper1: Oh I hope you enjoy Zorrie Linda.

>312 vivians: Hah reason #1 why I check your book recommendations frequently Vivian. March Violets was good but very dark which didn't bother me but some reviewers complained about it.

>313 RebaRelishesReading: yes I don't read a ton of non-serious books Reba but I did recently read The Thursday Murder Club which would certainly be in that category.

Hi, Bonnie. I am also a big fan of Radium Girls & March Violets. I intended to continue the Gunther series but failed to do it. I am having a good time with Maddie & Old Baggage. Big surprise, right?

I don't think that anybody here is looking for more book recommendations, but I just finished listening to Henna Artist by Alka Joshi and loved it. It was a very well done recorded production with a narrator who was a great reader. The book isn't great literature but it was a bang up good story.

>315 msf59: Radium Girls and March Violets were both very good Mark. I thought you might enjoy Maddie.

>316 benitastrnad: I'll have to look for The Henna Artist Benita.

#30.

The Ratline Philippe Sands

The Ratline of the title is the migratory route taken by Nazi fugitives to escape from Germany, Italy and other European countries to Argentina and other South American and Middle Eastern countries that would protect them from prosecution. This is the story of Otto Von Wachter, a man responsible for the murder of thousands of people in Austria during WWII. His escape to Italy after the war as he tried to get to South America provides the basis for the book. The most interesting part to me though, was the exposure of the role played by the Vatican and one particular Bishop in Rome and the CIC, forerunner of the CIA, in securing the safe voyage of these detestable human beings to safety. Although I was vaguely aware of how Pope Pious XII wouldn't help as the last Jews were escaping Nazi Germany, I didn't know much about the CIC or it's use of former Nazis to spy on the Soviet Union after the war.

Very well written, and a wellspring of information about post-WWII policies, I really liked this book.

4.2 stars

#31. The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett Graff, narrated by a 45 person cast with Holter Graham and the author

Last year when I read Svetlana Alexievich's Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets I didn't think I would ever listen to a better audio oral history. Until now. This oral history of 9/11 (has it really been almost twenty years? Seriously?) was gripping, compelling (same thing) and heartbreaking. Stunning snippets of how each speaker was dealing with the horrors of the day. People in the towers, in the Pentagon, on the planes, in the White House firefighters, police officers....Everyday people and well known characters added their heartfelt passages to make the entire audiobook such a moving performance and so incredibly well done that I could barely stand to turn the audio off to do other things.

5 stars

>319 brenzi: - I picked that one up in a recent Audible sale, Bonnie. I think I also have it on Kindle. I plan to start the audio a bit before the 20th anniversary...

>321 katiekrug: Well Katie, I don't think you're going to need my recommendation for this breathtaking audiobook. You'll appreciate it I'm sure.

>240 brenzi: Bonnie, I have instituted an award this year for BOOK INFLUENCE OF THE MONTHand I am pleased to inform you that you won this month.

The award is for your recommendation of Driftless which is a book I hope to add to my collection this month.

The prize is that I will choose a book for you from your profile page on which books it recommends you borrow from me. I will check whether I have your address but if I don't I will request it by PM.
Congratulations. x

Hi, Bonnie. How is the Byrne memoir? I have been curious about that one. I am loving the story collection, The UnAmericans. Have you read this one?

>287 brenzi: I loved The Thursday Murder Club. It was the right book at the right time for me.

>323 PaulCranswick: Oh my I actually won something? But I never win anything. I'm flabbergasted but thank you so much Paul. I'm not sure it shouldn't have gone to Mark but I'll take it lol. You are too kind.

>324 msf59: I have not read The UnAmericans Mark but I'll look for your comments. I'm always looking for good short stories. The Byrne memoir is breathtaking to say the least. Now I'm looking to watch The Usual Suspects again.

>325 karenmarie: Wasn't it delightful Karen? I can't wait for the next one in September.

>326 brenzi: Mark won January's prize, Bonnie, so is ineligible.

Hi Bonnie! Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday Bonnie! Hope you have fun celebrations planned.

Happy Birthday, Bonnie. I hope you get to celebrate. I hope there's cake.

Both The Ratline and The Only Plane in the Sky sound great. I will look for the later on audio. Like you, I thought the audio of Alexeivich's book was great. Generally, I'm not an audiobook fan, but the oral histories work really well in that format.

Have a great Birthday, Bonnie!

HB HB! Hope you're having the same beautiful temps we're having here.

Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

Happy birthday, Bonnie!! Hope you have a lovely day full of family planned :)

Happy birthday!

>328 richardderus: >329 lauralkeet: >330 BLBera: >331 msf59: >332 vivians: >333 katiekrug: >334 RebaRelishesReading: >335 drneutron:

Thank you Richard, Laura, Beth, Mark, Vivian, Katie, Reba and Jim for all the birthday wishes. We had a gorgeous day, 82 degrees and sunny, I do believe, in celebration of this important day, lol. Anyway, we've have some gorgeous weather lately and it feels good to get outside. Of course I did manage to finish two good books.

#32.

Incidents in the Rue Laugier by Anita Brookner

Here's what I've learned about Brookner from reading her books as I have at the rate of one per month for the last 15 months: there's not a marital difficulty or a predicament of unusual proportions or an interfering neighbor or people who just have no idea what they're doing, that she can't characterize like a dagger to the heart. One thing has been made crystal clear to me: Brookner, a master of characterization, is also just tremendously gifted at describing the ways many of us endure loneliness in its many forms. In this book, Maud from Dijon and Edward from London could not be a bigger mismatch. They have absolutely nothing in common, but accept each other and carry on with a marriage that I'm not sure many people could endure. They each are achingly lonely in different ways. But they carry on as if there is no other choice because, in reality, for each of them there is no other choice. Heartbreaking in so many ways, but brilliantly depicted.

#33.

Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne, narrated by the author

I'm a sucker for an Irish brogue so listening to this was a no brainer. I'd seen Byrne in a few movies so I recognized him but wasn't terribly familiar with his work ("The Usual Suspects" was one movie I knew very well.) But the reviews for the book, and really mostly for the audiobook because the written book could never have the same impact, were absolutely gob smacking. And well-deserved they were. This memoir will probably seal his legacy as an Irish performer, if it wasn't already.

From the first few words I was transported to Dublin of the 50s and 60s, where Byrne came of age, living a working class childhood with his five siblings. It's a rough and tumble existence. His father wants him to guarantee his future by having a trade. He wants him to be a plumber. Byrne knows it's not really for him. He loves poetry and drama and when a friend suggests he join a drama club his life is completely changed. But that's just a tidbit because the main story is of his childhood, his abuse at the hands of his priest, his years when he thought he would train to be a priest until he realized it was not who he was at all. His descriptions of his home life bounce around as Byrne travels back and forth in time, settling on his relationship with his father, and his love for this rough man. Hollywood and the celebrities take a back seat to the importance of his early years. Absolutely wonderful!

Great comments on Brookner and the Byrne book, Bonnie. I tend to avoid celebrity bios, but this sounds like a good one.

I'm glad you had a great birthday.

I missed your birthday, but I'm adding my belated wishes here!

I'm tempted by the Byrne on audio mostly for, as you say, the brogue...

>336 brenzi: & >337 brenzi: -- double bb's! Oh dear! Actually, the Brookner isn't totally a bb since you have me turned on to her in general and Byrne is an audible which goes well with my drive to complete Christmas stockings. I've read the Bryson, many of his in fact and enjoyed them all except for A Short History of Nearly Everything which I found terrifying in parts.

>339 BLBera: I'm not one for celebrity memoirs either Beth. This one was anything but. There's very little about that part of his life. I think you'd probably like it.

>340 scaifea: Thanks Amber. Love listening to a reader with a brogue. It's the only thing that made Anna Burns' Milkman readable.

>341 RebaRelishesReading: I've read a couple of Bryson's and have appreciated his humor. However, I gave up on A Short History of Nearly Everything last summer. Just couldn't get into it.

Just looking at the cover of the Bryne book is rewarding, Bonnie. ;)

Just looking at the cover of the Bryne book is rewarding, Bonnie. ;)

Sorry about the duplicates.

Happy Saturday, Bonnie. Great review of Walking with Ghosts. I am a fan of his acting and have added this to my audio list. How is the Bryson?

>336 brenzi: and >337 brenzi: Great reviews, definitely. I was aware of the Byrne, but your review of the Brookner is awesome. I'll add them both to my list.

And a belated happy birthday to you. 82F in Buffalo in April - glory be.

Having schooled at the U of Rochester many years ago, I can see the quadrangle in April. If it was anywhere near that, everyone will be whipping up some vitamin D.

82 in Buffalo!! I hope it gets that out of its system before we get there!!

>343 BLBera: >344 BLBera: >345 BLBera: Wow Beth! I guess that cover made quite an impression on you. He is a handsome Devil. LOL

>346 msf59: Hi Mark, the Bryson is very good. His usual humor shines through and I can relate to so much of his childhood although he's older than me. But he brought up Sky King which was one of my favorite tv shows on Saturday mornings when I was a kid and apparently there was only one season of the show. Huh?? I thought it was on for years. I must've watched each episode a dozen times haha.

>347 ffortsa: Thanks for the birthday wishes Judy. We've had a week of temperatures in the 70s and the last two days 82. It's been glorious and of course next week we'll return to more normal temps for April in the 60s. Brookner is a bit of an acquired taste but she really pushes all my buttons.

>348 RebaRelishesReading: Yes I'm sure it will Reba, although we've had higher than normal temps for most of the Spring.

Another birthday for the ages.

Happy slightly belated birthday, Bonnie. Lovely to see you employing the lungs of the grandkids to help you douse those candles!

Hi Bonnie. I'm often here but way back ages ago so I tended to skim - - your thread is vibrant! Lots of amazing titles.
Your review (The Book of Lost Friends) was very compelling. Added it to my WL at the library.

>336 brenzi: I liked Anita Brookner for the same reason you mention: she is such an exquisite writer, brilliantly depicted characterisations, but ! yes, so often it is heartbreaking. I loved her Hotel du Lac, my first taste of this author. I haven't been able to cope since this pandemic with her other novels. I have two unread on my TBR shelf and I just don't feel I could consider them for now. You've a strong constitution!

>349 brenzi: :)

Love the grandkid photos.

>337 brenzi: You’ve added Walking With Ghosts to my wishlist, Bonnie. Your thread is always dangerous!

>350 brenzi: Nice!!

Belated birthday good wishes, Bonnie!

>351 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul.

>352 SandyAMcPherson: Well I don't know if I have a strong constitution Sandy but I do tend to read darker themed literature for the most part. Brookner won't appeal to everyone but I'm a sucker for excellent writing and she adds in tremendous characterizations and, often, themes I find it easy to relate to.

>353 BLBera: 🤗

>354 NanaCC: oh I hope you enjoy it Colleen.

>355 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne.

#34.

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

Lawson doesn't write many books but every few years (has it really been eight since the last one?) she releases a little gem and then disappears again. At least that's how it seems to me. And then I wait with bated breath for her next release. This wasn't her best work (that would probably be The Other Side of the Bridge) in my opinion, but Crow Lake is her best known book). That doesn't mean it wasn't very very good.

She returns once again to the northern Ontario rural area that she's so fond of. The book is told in alternating chapters by three characters: Elizabeth, near death in the local hospital and going over the memories of her long life and the reasons she left all she owned including her home to Liam. Liam, in turn, has just arrived in town to clean out Elizabeth's house which he intends to sell, although he's quit his job in Toronto and split with his wife so has no definite plans. This is all very upsetting to eight year old Clara who lives next door but has promised Elizabeth that she would care for her cat and keep an eye on her house. Also, her older sister has been missing for several weeks.

The intersecting story lines provide the bits and pieces of the story necessary to dig deeper into the lives of these three characters and their relationship. And that's where Lawson really shines. She endows each of them with deep feelings and the ability to find solace (!) in each other. Lovely.

>357 brenzi: stop with the BBs already, Bonnie!! *shakes fist*

I really like Mary Lawson too, and this sounds like another good one.

#35.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

The story of an American man coming to terms with his sexuality in Paris in the 1950s. But it's Baldwin so naturally it's much more complex than that. Life is hard. Baldwin makes that crystal clear in the most beautiful language.

>357 brenzi: Bwahahaha well ok then Laura. I'll try to keep the good news to myself and just report on the less than satisfying books. Lol.

>360 brenzi: Hahaha well you won my monthly prize with a different book bullet.

Happy Saturday, Bonnie! I also loved Giovanni's Room. Baldwin is always worth revisiting, much like Toni Morrison.

I'm also a fan of Lawson, Bonnie. Nice comments. I'll see if my library has a copy.

Giovanni's Room is one Baldwin I haven't read, so I am hoping to get to it soon.

>361 PaulCranswick: I try to spread them around judiciously Paul lol.

>362 msf59: Agreed Mark, Baldwin is always a good read.

>363 BLBera: I enjoyed it Beth. It's been on my shelf for quite awhile

>356 brenzi: BB for me!

Hope you are having a great weekend so far .

Hi Bonnie!

Yikes. Belated Happy Birthday. The threads do get away from me…

>349 brenzi: I remember and loved Sky King. Only one season? Surprising.

Bonnie, I had not found your thread yet this year and I was just over visiting Laura. She directed folks to your review of Driftless, which sounds magnificent (except maybe that chapter about dog fights??). I'm wondering if you had read the first in that "July Montgomery" series, Rock Island Line.

In any case, a very belated happy 2021 to you!! And happy belated birthday, as well. :-)

>366 figsfromthistle: Oh it's a good one Anita, and you will probably be able to relate to the locale, being in your neck of the woods, so to speak. Have you read any of Lawson's other books?

>367 karenmarie: Thanks for the birthday wishes Karen. You don't have to tell me about threads getting away from you. I've never been good at keeping up. Yeah Sky King...I asked my sister if she knew it had only been on for one season and she was flummoxed as well. Penny!

>368 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, that book was sitting on my shelf for more than ten years and I had no idea there was a first book when I read it. I'm not going to go back and read it now. Mark and I are planning to read another of his books later this year, Jewelweed though. Thanks for the birthday wishes.

>365 brenzi: I watched Nancy Pearl talking to Sujata Massey on Book Lust and found her utterly charming.

Belated happy birthday, Bonnie!

I look forward to your comments about The Widows of Malabar Hill. I quite enjoyed it.

Hi Bonnie,

I'm catching up at last, and trying not to add a ton of books to my list from your thread but it's not working too well - have just put a Hold on Agent Sonya from the library and Driftless looks good too. And I have the Widows of Malabar Hill out of the library as an e-book at the moment - am starting it tonight. I'm on a book diet of nothing too sad, so will be holding off on any more Anita Brookner for a while.

The Ratline was one of the non-fiction books I managed to read last year, and I liked it a lot. I've got East West Street in the pile by the bed - have you read that one already?

In other news, we have named our new puppy....Bonnie! We all agreed (seriously we needed to put our lists into a Google doc and compare them, and Tim and I thought we'd never get there but we did). She is a darling but it's like having a toddler in the house again.

>372 cushlareads:
The first time I heard of the Ratline was while reading one of the Station books by David Downing. When I saw that the book Ratline by Philippe Sands was out I put it on my wishlist. I still haven't read it but the title is there waiting for me.

>370 richardderus: Thank you so much for that Richard. I just watched it since I finished the book earlier today and thought it was very good at revealing how she developed the series.

>371 NanaCC: Thanks for the birthday wishes Colleen. I finished the book earlier today and really enjoyed it. Have you read the second one yet?

>372 cushlareads: So good to see you Cushla. Good idea to avoid Brookner if you're looking for something uplifting. Driftless is absolutely amazing if you can get your hands on it. I haven't read East West Street yet but it's on the list. A puppy named Bonnie? Wow that must've been an interesting conversation especially if you considered putting the suggestions in a Google doc lol.

>373 benitastrnad: I think you'd like that one Benita but it does contain a lot of minutiae.

>374 brenzi: I haven’t read the second one, but it’s on my list. ;-) So many books.

Just keeping caught up and de-lurking to wish you a lovely weekend.

I watched the movie of The Go-Between yesterday. Julie Christie is lovely but the book is better IMHO.

>375 NanaCC: So....many.....books. So true Colleen.

>376 PaulCranswick: There's a movie! I hope I can find it as a follow up to the book Paul. I just read the first few pages and I have to say I'm immediately reminded of Anthony Powell and (be still my heart) A Dance to the Music of Time. If that's the case this will be a heavenly read. I'm planning on reading it very soon I think.

So....in the words of Mark.....LIGHTENING ROUND (why do I let these books pile up?)

#37. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, narrated by Anne Reid.

In a word, fabulous. A wonderful memoir by Winn detailing her life with her husband after they lose their home and all their savings because of a financial downfall and decide to walk the 600 mile path along Britain's southwest coast, camping along the way. Added to their troubles, her husband Moth has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I must say it's really something that Winn never wrote prior to this time because the writing was absolutely terrific. And what do you know, her second book just came out, The Wild Silence and I'll be looking for it shortly. Added to the delight was the narration by Anne Reid of Last Tango in Halifax fame. 4.5 stars

#38. The Night Always Comes - Willy Vlautin - narrated by Christine Lakin

This is the newest book by Vlautin who is quickly becoming a favorite for me. A young woman in Portland, Oregon, Lynette, is desperate to buy the home she, her mother and disabled brother are currently renting and will do just about anything to come up with the funds when her selfish mother refuses to kick in with the promised down payment. The events take place over two days. Honest to goodness heart pounding tension for the audio's entire seven hour length. Just terrific. 4.6 stars

#39. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey this book was read for my book club and is the first in a series set in India in 1920 (although it does flashback to 1916). Very enlightening in many ways but a big plus for me is that it's set in India, one of my favorite places to read about. The different cultural aspects were fascinating. Perveen Mistry is a young solicitor and is investigating the estate left to three young widows when a murder occurs on the property and Perveen is tasked with trying to figure out who the killer is. There's so much more to it than that because all the rules for Indian law and society saddle her with enormous difficulties. I think we'll have a good discussion about it. 4.2 stars

#40. The Boys of My Youth by Jo Ann Beard, narrated by the author

Where have I been? Why have I never heard of Jo Ann Beard? Not that she's been prolific. She's only published this book, one novel and another memoir just released a couple of weeks ago. This memoir, published in 1996, is written in short set pieces as Beard recalls her life as a child right through 1996. And it is one wonderful memoir. Two of the longer pieces stood out for me. One dealt with the dying days of the author's mother, whom we'd gotten to know quite well throughout the book and was entitled "Waiting." For those of us who have endured that particular ordeal, it was poignant and Beard's writing is just superb. But it's her piece entitled "The Fourth State of Matter" that really knocked me for a loop. It concerned a shooting of her colleagues at the University of Iowa and was absolutely riveting. After I listened to the author read it I immediately went online to find the article which was also printed in the New Yorker. Really wonderful in all ways. And I've already got her new book, Festival Days on my Kindle. 4.8 stars

#41. Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

Uh......idk what to say about this book. Nolan has been compared to Sally Rooney. Maybe. I've only read Normal People and based on that book I'd say, no, not really. A young woman is desperate to make a relationship with a slightly older man. Really desperate. She puts up with his total neglect and outrageous, but not really abusive, treatment. In the meantime, she drinks way too much, and enjoys sex way too much also. In my opinion, anyway. But the writing is excellent and I couldn't put this book down. I was furiously turning pages in this short novel right up to the end and then I thought, huh, what the hell was that all about? Haha. Oh well.

Mark's not the only one who can post bird pictures. Lol

>379 brenzi: Wow!

>377 brenzi: I do think that you will enjoy it based on other writers and books you have enjoyed previously, Bonnie.

Bonnie, your review reminded me that I meant to request the new Willy Vlautin from the library. Done!

Very nice April sum-up, Bonnie! Willy Vlautin's work always sneaks up on me as well..."wait, there's another one?! GIMME" is my usual train of thought.

>380 PaulCranswick: That's what I'm hoping Paul. How did you determine what book to pick? I know you have a method.

>381 lauralkeet: There you go Laura. Happy to oblige.LOL

>382 richardderus: I've only read two so far Richard but I'm impressed. Gritty.

>383 brenzi: There is a function if you go to the page of a friend. On the right hand side there is a link "what books should you borrow....." and if you click on that it will pass suggestions both ways. I then try and make an informed choice from the list provided. It is good also as it safeguards - if the friend keeps his/her catalogue reasonably updated, that you'll buy something that has already been read.

>369 brenzi: I do not believe that I have read anything by Lawson before.

>379 brenzi: Soo tiny and cute!

Have a great weekend.

I love your lightning round, Bonnie. I'm so glad many of these are already on my WL.

>384 PaulCranswick: I'm 60 pages in Paul and thoroughly enjoying it. It's certainly my kind of book.

>385 figsfromthistle: I think you'd probably like any of her books Anita. She's a real favorite of mine.

>386 BLBera: it's always a plus when you don't have the arduous task of adding books to your pile Beth, lol.

#42.

The Copenhagen Trilogy: Childhood; Youth; Dependency by Tove Ditlevsen, translated by Tinna Nunnally and Michael Favala Goldman

"I read in my poetry album while the night wanders past the window---and, unawares, my childhood falls silently to the bottom of my memory, that library of the soul from which I will draw knowledge and experience for the rest of my life."

Tove Ditlevsen was one of Denmark's most well-known authors by the time of her death in 1976 by overdose at the age of 58. This trilogy is the memoir she wrote of her life and divided into three parts. And it's both devastating and beautiful. She grew up in the working class part of Copenhagen where there was never enough money for anything. She wrote her first poem at the age of ten and had her first poetry collection published when she was twenty, even though her parents wouldn't send her to high school.

She was brilliant, without question, and her writing in this memoir just knocked my socks off; passage after beautiful passage until I thought I was underlining the whole book. At the end of the Childhood section, she realizes she is going to lose her best friend:

"Ruth with the fine, heart-shaped mouth and the strong, clear eyes. My little lost friend with the sharp tongue and the loving heart. Our friendship is over just as my childhood is. Now the last remnants fall away from me like flakes of sun-scorched skin, and beneath looms an awkward, an impossible adult."

The second section about her Youth, finds her floating from one job to another, trying to connect with anyone who could get her poetry published. She realizes she needs a room of her own where she can write in quiet solitude, interestingly, at about the same time that Virginia Woolf was saying the same thing.

The last section, Dependency, illustrates how one of her four husbands, manages to get her addicted to painkillers and the devastating effects on her life and children. And still, she manages to write.

This was an unforgettable memoir about an author I had never really heard of. She died way too young and probably would've gone on writing for many more years. Our loss.

4.6 stars

>378 brenzi: Hooray for the Lightning Round, Bonnie and it looks like you loved every single book. That is awesome. I am also a fan of Vlautin and I am looking forward to The Night Always Comes. You also got me with a BB, with The Boys of My Youth. Sounds great.

>379 brenzi: That is one tiny bird. Is that real?

I have to admit Mark, I've had a run of pretty wonderful books. Oh I hope you like The Boys of My Youth. What a find that was.

Yes that's a real bird but I can't tell you what it is.

>388 brenzi: *ow*ow*ow*

Book bulleted!

>388 brenzi: I also loved those Tove Ditlevsen books, Bonnie.

>392 richardderus: Happy to add to your pile Richard. It's a good one.

>393 FAMeulstee: Oh I'm glad to know another fan Anita. I'd be willing to bet that not that many LTers are familiar with Ditlevsen.

So yesterday Reba (and her hubby) and I had a mini LT meetup. We had a lovely lunch and could hardly stop chatting, so much so that we completely forgot to take a picture. So you'll just have to take my word for it. She also was kind enough to gift me two of the Rachel Kusk books that I mentioned on Laura's thread.

Here...pretend there's a picture here of us smiling and gabbing.

>5 brenzi: Great list of books so far!

>395 brenzi: It was a LOT of fun. I hope we get to do it again -- soon -- maybe in Washington? :)

>395 brenzi: what a great photo!
LOLOLOL

>396 ocgreg34: Thanks ocgreg and thanks for visiting. I've been lucky enough to read some really great books this year.

>397 RebaRelishesReading: It was a great time Reba. Washington may be in my future🤗🤗🤗

>398 lauralkeet: I'm glad you appreciate my photography skills Laura, hahaha.

>387 brenzi: I am pleased (and relieved) that my pick for you was what I hoped it would be.

>388 brenzi: I have the trilogy too but I will be counting it as three books and not one!

>395 brenzi:
I am jealous. I know that the three of you have a good time together.

Hi Bonnie!

>395 brenzi: How exciting. I love living vicariously, and I’m pretending to look at a picture and being happy that you got to get together! Plus two books…

>400 PaulCranswick: I will probably finish it tomorrow Paul and my initial reaction was right. Hartley, whom I'd never heard of, reminded me very much of Anthony Powell. I'm so happy that I've added another really enjoyable read to my burgeoning list this year. Sometimes I'm a bit embarrassed at how many great books I've read but 🤷‍♀️

>401 benitastrnad: Especially the past year Karen. If we didn't live vicariously then we didn't live at all lol.

#44.

The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley

I would've never known about this book had I never written a review for Driftless which Paul admired. He's doing a thing where he sends a book every month to the person who convinces him to read a book. He sent me The Go-Between. He chose it based on a complicated LT feature that lets you see what book you would enjoy from a friend's library. And someone, somewhere really knows what I like to read.

Hartley wrote the book in 1953 and it is apparently somewhat autobiographical. It's set in the hot summer of 1900 when Leo is spending a few weeks at the home of a school friend, Marcus at Brandham Hall. The opening line is quite famous:

"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."

That line is important to the story because Leo is looking back on that summer because he found an old diary in a "battered" box that has brought it back to the forefront. So immediately you know this is a book about memory.

Leo serves as a go-between for Marcus' sister Marian and a local farmer, Ted. Leo doesn't realize it, but they are having a love affair. Of course the reader realizes it pretty much from the get go.

This book has everything going for it. Or at least everything I love. Coming of age, class warfare, dry wit, the end of the Victorian era, the real differences between how children and adults view the world, doomed love affair and the kind of writing about life in Britain that I came to love in the Anthony Powell books, Dance to the Music of Time. And possibly Anita Brookner, in a different way. Or maybe Evelyn Waugh. Or Elizabeth Taylor. Possibly Elizabeth Taylor. Oh come on, you know what I mean. Absolutely sublime. And he has a long backlist! What could be better? Thank you so much Paul.

4.5 stars

#45.

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline, narrated by Caroline Lee

Excellent historical fiction about the horrific conditions in Britain prisons in the mid-1800s and the routine transport of prisoners, especially women, to The Australian island of Tasmania. It also brings to life the terrible treatment of Aboriginal people. Very well done and compelling, plus excellent narration.

4 stars

>404 brenzi: I got such a thrill from reading your excellent review, Bonnie. Part of what I love about our group is sharing book experiences and introducing books and authors to each other we think that we will like.

I read The Go Between at school and it stuck with me through the years as a masterly piece of writing. When I saw it in the list suggested for you, there was really never another book I was going to select for you. xx

>405 brenzi: The Exiles sounds really good. I really liked Orphan Train.

>407 PaulCranswick: Thank you again Paul. That book was just such a pleasant surprise. I might've just ordered his book Eustace and Hilda: A Trilogy LOL.

>408 msf59: ....and naturally I've had Orphan Train sitting on my shelf for quite awhile Mark so I'll need to move it to a spot where it can't be ignored. I think you'd really like The Exiles, actually a Vivian recommendation.

>409 brenzi: I have read that too Bonnie and, whilst it is not as good as the one you have just read - it is pretty good all the same. I have a couple of his other books on the shelves I should get to soon.

>404 brenzi: Excellent review, Bonnie. You've referenced a lot of my favorite authors there, convincing me that I'd like this one too.

>404 brenzi: - Great comments, Bonnie. I read this ages ago - I *think* during my semester in DC junior year of college - and remember liking it well enough. But I keep meaning to re-read it because I am pretty sure I would love it now, with a greater appreciation for those sorts of novels.

The Go-Between sounds great, Bonnie. The Exiles also sounds good. I did enjoy Orphan Train; she must excel in historical fiction.

>410 PaulCranswick: No no no Paul. You will not discourage me. Nuh uh. Not happening. It's already in the mail to me.

>411 lauralkeet: Thank you. I think you probably would like it Laura. A quiet, introspective kind of novel but just so good.

>412 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I'm not much of a rereader but I'm thinking about rereading novels that I really loved and seeing if I have a new appreciation for them at this point in my life. Of course there's always the possibility that I'll think, Jesus Christ what did I see in this piece of crap hahaha

>413 BLBera: I think she probably does excel in historical fiction Beth. This one seemed very thorough and I wonder why I've let Orphan Train sit on my shelf for so long.

I am so excited. I've been waiting for this book to be released because I absolutely loved De Waal's The Hare with Amber Eyes. It's on the way and now I have to squeeze it in. Soon I hope

#47.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

"Words are like stories, don't you think Mr. Sweatman? They change as they are passed from mouth to mouth; their meanings stretch or truncate to fit what needs to be said."

At the end of the 19th century, Esme spends her days beneath the Sorting table in the Scriptorium, where her father and other men worked on the Oxford English Dictionary. She soaked up the words that were and weren't going to be included and the reasons for that decision and it occurred to her that some unusual words used by women and the poor weren't being included in the book at all. This became a lifelong quest for her.

Now you might think a book about words in a dictionary might be, I don't know, boring? Slow-paced? Ho-hum? Oh how wrong you'd be. Australian author Pip Williams has managed to write a compelling tale of such excellence, that I was completely immersed from beginning to end. Esme is a wonderful character, one of several terrific characters that emerge in this very accurate historical fiction about the ways the OED came to life.

Along the way we delve into the suffragette movement and WWI, and the effects both had not only on the population but on the OED too. Throw in a good love story and you've got it all, really.

I could go on and on because this was one wonderful book. Richly drawn characters, interesting plot lines, beautiful language. Oh and there may have been a need for Kleenex. Just saying.

5 stars

#46.

The Fran Lebowitz Reader by Fran Lebowitz, narrated by the author

I love Fran Lebowitz but this audiobook tended to drag in parts because her monotone, which is great in short spurts, aggravated me. That doesn't mean it wasn't funny in many parts because it was. I especially loved her diet tips (in a word, smoke a lot) and dealing with realtors as you try to get an apartment in NY. At any rate, these essays are from the 90s and the funniest thing I've heard her say was quite recently when she said, "You don't know anyone as stupid as Donald Trump." Truer words were never spoken.

3.5 stars

CURRENTLY READING



Altered States by Anita Brookner

AUDIO

>416 brenzi: - This was already on my WL, but if it hadn't been, your review definitely would have put it there!

I'm waiting for my library copy to be ready for The Dictionary of Lost Words, Bonnie. Great comments.

>416 brenzi: Oh my goodness, Bonnie, if you hadn't won the prize already I would be sending you another book for that review! Sold, sold, sold!

>416 brenzi: okay, so I just read and loved Zorrie thanks to your recommendation, and now here you are, doing it again!! I can't ignore a 5-star rating from you. My library list is getting longer ...

>416 brenzi: Well, you’ve done it again, Bonnie. I’ve added this one to my wishlist.

OK, Bonnie, give me a break!! I'm trying hard not to buy too many books (at least until I figure out where to put even more new bookcases) and here you go sorely tempting me with not one but two books and another Brookner on the horizon. HELP!

>419 katiekrug: It's a really good one Katie.

>420 BLBera: Thanks Beth, juggling the library holds is a constant struggle, isn't it?

>421 PaulCranswick: Hahaha well

>422 lauralkeet: Uh, well, all I can say is....aren't you really glad you read Zorrie Laura? I was just thinking about her the other day. Hahaha.

>423 NanaCC: Hi Colleen, I hope you enjoy it.

>424 RebaRelishesReading: But, but, but Reba, you've got those new bookshelves coming and what's better than filling them up as fast as you can?? Lol.

>416 brenzi: *ow*ow*ow*

It's on my Kindle now, since no one else had it checked out. Lucky me!

Have a great weekend's reads.

>425 brenzi: Two new bookcases, yes, but there are seven (7!) boxes of books sitting in the garage looking for a home -- + two big boxes of Mt. TBR that eventually need to find a shelf...

Hi Bonnie!

>415 brenzi: I’ve just placed a request for The Hare with the Amber Eyes at my Library. I’m intrigued.

>416 brenzi: Her quote about t**** is priceless.

Sweet Thursday, Bonnie. You got my attention with The Dictionary of Lost Words, so on the list it goes. I started The Code Breaker on audio and I think this would be a good one for your listening pleasure too. He is a fine writer.

>429 msf59:
Walter Isaacson might be a fine writer but does his work translate well when listened to? I find that some of my favorite books don't translate well when done in the audio format. I have also found the reverse to be true as well.

>426 richardderus: Oh boy, I hope you like it Richard. I thought it was pretty wonderful. Oh, I may have already mentioned that lol.

>427 RebaRelishesReading: Oh Reba, what's one more book hahaha.

>428 karenmarie: Hi Karen, I hope you like The Hare with Amber Eyes as much as I did. That quote is especially priceless when you hear her deadpan delivery.

>429 msf59: Hi Mark, I'm struggling right now to get into a good audiobook. I've dropped a couple of them after a fairly short listen. There's probably a waiting list for the Isaacson but I'll check it out. You know me too well.

>430 benitastrnad: Hi Benita.

I finished a good audiobook over the weekend.

#48.

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny, narrated by Kate Rudd

If you're looking for a book to lift your spirits during a time when you may have lost all hope for any kind of goodness from the human beings who inhabit this country, then I may have a book for you.

I'm not usually one to enjoy books that bring to mind words like heartwarming, or cosy but this one really hit the spot. (Groan) Jane and Duncan have an on again, off again romance in their small Northern Michigan town, but things change after a tragic car accident that impacts them both in different ways. The people in this town really take care of each other and I was struck by the kindness shown, especially by Jane and Duncan. More than one character has mental health issues but it doesn't really get in the way of living their best lives.

Really delightful.

4.3 stars

#49.

Altered States by Anita Brookner

This is the second book by Brookner that I've read told from the man's point of view. She does an admiral job with it as this guy is a 'warts and all' kind of character. He 'settles' for a woman when the one he really wants proves to be unattainable. But somehow it doesn't get through to him that he made his choice and he has to forget about that other woman. Tragedy ensues. And loneliness eventually takes over, as it often does in Brookner's books.

The thing about Brookner's characters is that time after time they prove to be so human. You know someone who reminds you of this or that character. Or someone who acted Just. Like. That. Then she wraps it all up in absolutely wonderful prose that drives home her point almost poetically. How she managed to do it time after time is a mystery to me. But she did.

4 stars

CURRENTLY READING



The Slaughterman's Daughter by Yaniv Iczkovits

FAIR WARNING TO ALL OF YOU WHO COMPLAIN BECAUSE I READ GOOD BOOKS:

30% into this one and it is fantastic. But it's a long one, 500+ pages so things could change but I doubt it.

Also, it hit 90 degrees here today. AC running full blast. It's not June yet! Gah!

I've heard good things about Early Morning Riser, Bonnie. I am waiting my turn at the library. Good to know that the audiobook is good; I think that might be available before the print book.

I'm looking at The Slaughterman's Daughter...

>434 brenzi: FAIR WARNING TO ALL OF YOU WHO COMPLAIN BECAUSE I READ GOOD BOOKS

You talkin' to me?! 😀

I'll have a look at Early Morning Riser. I hadn't heard of it before, but I tend to like those kinds of feel-good reads in audio... Thanks for the tip, Bonnie!

>434 brenzi: No complaints here, just a huge sigh as another chunkster is added!

>434 brenzi: No complaints, Bonnie. I’ll wait for the full review, but we know where it will wind up...wishlist bulging..

>434 brenzi: *whistles innocently though, unscathed*

>436 BLBera: I really enjoyed Early Morning Riser Beth so I hope you do too when you get to it.

>437 lauralkeet: .....if the shoe fits Laura. 🥴

>438 katiekrug: You are very welcome Katie.

>439 vivians: Hahaha ok then Vivian.

>440 NanaCC: Well, I mean there is always that possibility Colleen LOL.

>441 richardderus: I'll have to try harder Richard.

#51.

The Slaughterman's Daughter by Yanif Iczkovits, translated by Orr Scharf

Holy rollicking folk tale cum adventure story cum crime story. What a fun read. Set in the Pale of Settlement in western Russia in the 1800s, this sprawling novel about a few weeks in the lives of some loosely connected Jewish residents of the town of Motal drew me in from the first page.

The slaughterman actually had two daughters and the story relates how Fanny tried to help her sister Mende, whose life has been turned down when her husband decided to leave her and their two children and go to Minsk where he has the idea that he can preach better than anyone anywhere about the Jewish faith. He is so full of himself that he doesn't realize he's a complete buffoon. But why spend time talking about him when this novel overflows with unique, outlandish and thoroughly entertaining characters who interact and produce shenanigans like you seldom see in literature.

Fanny, for instance. Her father trained her well and when she decides that the use of the knife she has stashed in her underwear is needed, well, someone is going to end up dead. She allies herself with the nearly mute Zizek Breshof, whose claim to fame is that he takes his boat from one shore of the Yaselda across to the other without saying a word. But Zizek has a pretty big secret, as do many, er, most of the characters. At any rate, they set off for Minsk, to find and drag home Mende's wayward husband. Along the way, it's just one wild adventure after another involving the Russian Secret Police, the Russian Army and before you know it Fanny and her accomplices (oh yes, she picks up a couple of additional cohorts) are wanted for a series of crimes.

Sometimes the author had so much to say that he got in his own way trying to describe a situation and between the Jewish terms, the conditions in the Army and the vast area in Russia that the book covered, there was a bit of research needed. But this was an absolutely wonderful and enjoyable novel. If you like the Coen Brothers movies, this may be a book for you.

4.6 stars

I love the Coen brothers, Bonnie, so I will look for The Slaughterman's Daughter; I also love those big Russian novels.

Great review of The Slaughterman's Daughter, Bonnie. I am a fan of the Coens & Tarantino too. On the list it goes. You asked about the quality of the audio, on The Code Breaker. I think they are doing an excellent job.

Hi Bonnie!

>434 brenzi: And onto the wish list it goes!

>435 brenzi: We’re in the 90s right now, too, and the AC is such a blessing. Expensive, but a blessing.