Mdoris (Mary) reads in 2024 WELCOME #1

Welcome to my thread in 2024.

Hello, my name is Mary. I live in Comox, on Vancouver Island. I have been a member of LT since 2011 and I love it here. It is great to see what people are reading, to follow threads and to make new friends. I am a slow reader (it will be a miracle to reach 75!). Please don't kick me out of this wonderful group!

Almost all my books are from the library. I love cookbooks and do get lots of them too but do not list them in my grand total count.

I have 4 daughters who have all flown the coop. They are all living far away and they now have little ones. Now I am Gramma to 9, 4 boys and 5 girls. I was passionate about kids' books when our kids were little and still read lots of the newly published ones too. I am a retired Speech/Language Pathologist and loving retirement.

WELCOME! Please come and visit!

For those interested in cookbooks I have started a thread in the Cookbookers group. I mostly post books recently published and from the library.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/356721#n8369456

Favourites for 2023
This was a great reading year for me 66 books in total, and there were many amazing cookbooks borrowed from the library that were not listed. Right now i have about 70 books on reserve at the library and lots about to come in all at once. Yikes!

East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry
The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin NF
Olive, Mabel and Me by Andrew Cotter NF
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Haven by Emma Donoghue
The New Puritans by Andrew Doyle NF
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Time to Think by Hanna Barnes NF

Oh and anything by Claire Keegan, her wonderful short stories or short novels.

>2 mdoris: Three shared favorite reads there (Steinbeck, Verghese and Barry).

You are one of my absolute favorite people in the group Mary so a star got very quickly dropped when you set up. I look forward to keeping up as usual in '24.

Welcome back, Mary!

Thanks Paul and Jim. What a great group this is with both of your amazing contributions!

I am a slower reader than you , Mary! Happy New Thread. 70 books on hold at the library! That's amazing. I think there is limit of 20 holds in Richmond, but I'd have to check that. You had some great reads in 2023. I have read Old God's Time, and it was in my honourable mentions for 2023 . Many years ago , like in my late teens, my dad introduced me to Alexander Solhenitsyn, and I read Cancer Ward , and The Life of Ivan Denisovich many years ago. I've had The Covenant of Water in my TBR, so I hope to get to that soonish. Happy New Year!

>5 mdoris: Aw Mary, I cannot compare with Jim who is the very glue that keeps us all together. Nice of you, though. xx

A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich was also one of my favorite reads in 2023. So powerful.

Happy New Year, Mary.

Happy 2024 reading Mary, I'll be following along.

Just visiting on Meg's new thread and thought I would post this. Truly it does fly by, way too fast!

>4 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>5 mdoris: Deborah, I am a very slow reader too but it looks like we won't won't get kicked out of this group any time soon, hope not anyway!

>7 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, will you be celebrating tonight?

>8 ctpress: Hi Carsten, sad to say that many books read seem to fade with time but for sure not this one for us!

>9 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline, I'll be following your book read too!

Hi Mary. Wishing you a Happy New Year full of good books and quality time with family. I absolutely love your topper. I may have to steal it just for my own pleasure. It’s such a tranquil scene. I need more of that in my life.

I have read and enjoyed quite a few of the books on your Favorites list. I’m not familiar with the nonfiction books. I must up my game and add more NF to my reading mix. I so agree with you on the Claire Keegan love.

>1 mdoris: Oo, I love that picture!

>2 mdoris: Thanks for sharing the list, Mary. I love those things!

Happy New Year! Happy New Thread!

Happy new year Mary.

Hi Mary. I don't think I had realized that you and I joined LT/75ers the same year.

In any case, Happy New Year to you -- I hope 2024 brings you wonderful reading adventures!

Happy New Year, Mary.

I love cookbooks, also! Good luck with your 2024 reading.

Hi Mary!

Wishing you a great one!

Happy reading in 2024, Mary!

East of Eden ended up in my top 5 as well.

Happy New Year, Mary. Have a safe and healthy 2024. I LOVE your topper. I am glad that East of Eden was one of your top reads. 😁🦉

>15 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, I think we share the same birthday too if I recall correctly, (Sept. 30th) but I am a wee bit older! Did I remember correctly?

>16 BLBera: Thank you Beth. I look forward to following your reading year!

>17 Tess_W: Hello Tess, I must find you and come over for a visit. I love cookbokks but the shelves are full and just get them now from the library, all the shiny new ones.

>18 quondame: Hello Susan. Nice to see you here! Thanks for the good wishes. I laughed at your "75 and finished with all expectations". Me too!

>19 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita. East of Eden just left me with such clear images.

>20 msf59: Hello Mark. I have been holding on to that image for ages and thought of you and your love of birds especially owls.

Happy New Year, Mary! What a wonderful topper! The GHO are really hooting on my place. I think they'll be nesting soon. I love seeing the photos/nest cams with snow covering the owls.

I loved seeing your favorite books from 2023. I also loved Old God's Time but haven't read any of the others.

I'm wishing you lots of great reading to come!

The threads are busy indeed, Mary. I think January is usually busy, as people set up new threads etc. I'm not loving the rain, but not much we can about it. Apparently there is good likelihood of snow on Monday. I'm not looking forward to that. But I think it supposed to disappear quickly.

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng library p. 304



Such a good book with which to start the year's reading. Details of the author "Willie" Somerset Maugham get woven into a story that takes place in 1921 in Penang that involve a murder and marital infidelities. The writing is so involving and the portrayal of Lesley, who the story revolves around, of her internal life and choices is riveting. This is my first of the author's books but I certainly will read more. Interesting to compare notes to the present in terms of language, racism, women's right/roles and class structure of the time period portrayed. There is an exquisite passage of a night swim in the warm phosphorescent sea. (p. 268)

>22 streamsong: Hi Janet and warm wishes to you for a happy and healthy 2024 with lots of great reading. Yes, I have been saving the topper for a while. All those stars would be wonderful to see. So overcast here in the winter hard to see the sky. I'll come over and have a peek at your favourites for the past year. I know you have done some amazing reading!

>23 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. So fun to follow your puzzle enthusiasm. Your latest one is a beauty and wow, so many pieces!

It took me a while to visit you back, Mary! Hope you had a Happy New Year. I love the topper - so atmospheric!

Thanks Meg, It is such a crazy time of year on L.T. I can't believe the flurry of activity on the threads, impossible to keep up. It is fun to read the Introductions thread and all the variety of interests that people have. I see a number of people who share your deep interest in genealogy.

>24 mdoris: Glad you had such a fantastic first read of the year, Mary. It bodes well for 2024. Sounds intriguing with Somerset Maugham and the setting in 1921 and some crime also.

>21 mdoris: Nope, my birthday is in August. I'm not sure who shares that 9/30 birthday with you.

>24 mdoris: I read that one in December and I agree - it's a really great read. I hope the rest of the year lives up to that illustrious start!

The Core of an Onion by Mark Kurlansky library p. 194



I ❤️ onions.
In our house P has a garlic sensitivity so instead I put onions in everything. It is the 2nd largest produced vegetable in the world with 93.17 metric tons per year, with tomatoes being first 177 tons. I learned a lot about onions in this book. For one thing that is how Chicago got its name. (p. 50).... the Indigenous locals called cigaga-wunj which means "onion place". And there are some weird ordinances in the U.S. about onions. For example in Ridgeland South Carolina, a woman weighng more than two hundred pounds cannot be seen eating onions in a restaurant or at a public picnic if she is wearing shorts. I knew most of the onion types Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui, Bermuda and of course leeks, shallots, spring but learned a lot about their history and where and how they are grown. The last section of the book covers recipe history and includes insights for onion soup, onion sauce, fried onions, onion tarts and bread, caramelized and pickled onions and more. My mom used to make pearl onions in a cheesy sauce as a special treat so it made me think of that! Apparently Hemingway loved onion sandwiches and often had them with peanut butter. Good to know! Often people eat raw onions whole like an apple. Who knew? So this book adds to Kurlansky's curiosity about food along with salt, cod, oysters and milk.

I am teased ruthlessly about wearing swim goggles when I prepare onions. Trust me this is a very good idea! Here is an image in the book that I should show my family and add to my next birthday gift request

Oh, Mary I had to laugh out loud at the idea of using googles for chopping onions. I love it! It's a good idea, but one I had never thought of. I leave my onion in the fridge until just before I start to chop it to minimize onion tears. But this is even better!

Sounds like a good book. I'll check my library.

>28 ctpress: Hi Carsten, Great to see you visit. i see you are reading up a storm!

>29 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, Ooops I guess I got that wrong. Now who could it be? Hope your reading year is wonderful too!

>31 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. It was fun to read and different. Went to the library today and there were 13 books waiting for me. Yikes!

Good start to the reading year Mary. Tan's book is a good one, even though I think the two earlier novels are slightly stronger.

Have a lovely weekend, dear lady.

>24 mdoris: I found your thread! Happy reading in 2024.

I am also reading that book. So far, I am enjoying the read.

Hooray for The House of Doors. Such a good read. I hope to read one or 2 of Somerset Maugham's books this year. I have only read Of Human Bondage.

>30 mdoris: I've rarely been troubled working with onions, but chopping shallots is agony. But they are so good! Can P eat shallots?

You have started your year with a couple of good reads, Mary. I also loved THe House of Doors and look forward to reading some Maughm stories this year. The onion book sounds very interesting. Love the photo.

Ok, I LOVE onions and they always make me cry when I chop or slice them. Swim goggles. Hmmmm....

>34 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul I have put his earlier two novels on reserve at the library but have a bit of a wait for them. He is popular with many requests! Glad you like his writing too!

>35 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita I have found your thread too and following your reading. i think we are on the same track! Have a great reading year! I am reading about your challenges with your cat. Good luck! It does seem like a crazy high expense.

>36 msf59: Hi Mark Good plan reading some Maugham books. I don't think I ever have. I will be following your threads to see what you think!

>37 quondame: Hi Susan. I don't get out the goggles for spring onions (scallions) but I sure put them on for shallots which I love but yellow cooking onions are the worst. I always have my "swim" goggles in my top cutlery drawer at the ready!!!

>38 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I love the photo too!

>39 EBT1002: Me too Ellen! You should try the swim goggles. They really do the job!

>24 mdoris: I loved that one when I read it. I am glad to see that you enjoyed it as well. Personally, I have not read a bad book by Tan Twan Eng and I am likely to read anything he writes!

>30 mdoris: Despite my not liking onions (unless they are cooked), I have enjoyed Mark Kurlansky's books in the past, so I am going to have to see if the local library has that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>30 mdoris: Mary, you are brilliant for wearing goggles while chopping onions. I heard on an English cooking show that if you stick your tongue out while chopping onions it will help with watering eyes. I wear glasses so don't really have to worry about it.

Thirteen books! Talk about book pressure... I have The House of Doors waiting for me. Excitement abounds. I love Tan Twan Eng's books. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it.

>30 mdoris: Ha! My motto: you can never have too many onions or too much garlic! For two people we sure go though the onions like crazy!

>2 mdoris: Happy 2024 reading Mary

CBC Canada Reads,
Here is the short list and those who will be pleading their case!

Athlete and CBC Sports contributor Dallas Soonias champions Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi champions Denison Avenue by Christina Wong & Daniel Innes

Fashion influencer Mirian Njoh champions Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Actor Kudakwashe Rutendo champions Shut Up You're Pretty by Téa Mutonji

Author Heather O'Neill champions The Future by Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou

The debates will take place March 4-7, 2024.

>41 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, I love Kurlansky's curiosity around a subject and the odds and ends facts he gives. Hope you can get hold of the book on onions!

>42 Donna828: Hi Donna, Many of those 13 books are cookbooks. Always looking for ideas! I tend to read them during commercial breaks (which of course are MANY!) when I watch TV. I find the ones that have won prizes for the year and then reserve them at the library. Yes, the goggles/onions are the only way to go IMHO.

>43 Tess_W: Hi Tess, Yes we go through LOTS and LOTS of onions but no garlic. And I rarely follow recipes. If it calls for one onion, nothing less than 3 will do!

>44 Jake_Mellor23: Hi Jake, Happy reading to you too. Welcome I think you are a new LTer.

Burning the midnight oil and even later than that, Mary, but I wanted to catch up on the threads a bit. Thanks for posting the Canada Reads Finalists. I have not got any of them as yet, but I keep seeing Bad Cree in the stores and at the library, so I hope to get it on day. Cold enough for you ? Yikes! Poppy does not like it but I think it may be the salt on her paws. She will not wear any sort of boots. I'd get a snap and quite likely a bite if I tried to put boots on her.

>46 mdoris: Mary, I have a couple of books by Mark Kurlansky and must give him a try sometimes.

Cooking My Way Recipes and Techniques for Economical Cooking by Jacques Pepin library p. 267



I get many, many cookbooks from the library. I always love to see the recent culinary trends but I rarely put a cookbook on my thread but I wanted to for this new (Sept 2023) one because of Pepin's beautiful and fun art work. He does all the illustrations and shares his gorgeous paintings in the book. I especially like his chicken work and his riot of flowers paintings. Impressive! Now for the recipes. They are simple and French. I will try a few!

>47 vancouverdeb: Oh my Deborah you are a night owl! Yes cold enough but it's like being on the prairies with this sunny cold weather. I love the sunshine! Even got out a fleece coat for Loki but like Poppy she is not impressed! Sounds like Poppy knows her own mind! Watch out for the icey patches.

>48 PaulCranswick: Paul I showed the building video to P and he was greatly impressed!

Good Night Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea Library p. 399



This is a heart wrenching story of friendship between two women who were Donut Dollies together in their Clubmobile for the Red Cross during WW2 and their horrendous and dangerous job to support the troops in France, Belgium and later Germany.The story is based on the experiences of the author's mother and with research from her diaries. i have read several of the author's books. The one I found most riveting was a non fiction The Devil's Highway.

>40 mdoris: I love the painting. I will look for this.

>51 mdoris: I've heard so many great things about this one. Maybe this year...

>52 BLBera: Hi Beth. I hope you like it as much as I did when you get to it. Have you read other books by this author?

Happy Sunday, Mary. I also liked Good Night, Irene and loved The Devil's Highway. I wonder why Urrea never returned to NF.

>49 mdoris: I'd love it if you would post about the cookbooks you come across. I've recently gotten interested in new cookbooks, having spent most of my cooking life with old family recipes and kid-pleasing meals. It gets old after 50 years or so.
And I love that Jacques Pepin does his own illustrations. They are quite attractive. I especially like the chicken!

>54 msf59: Mark I think I got the idea of reading The Devil's Highway from you and I thought it was a very intense and amazing read. I think he wanted to do NF for Good Night Irene but because it was so relationship driven maybe it would have been very tricky to do. Thanks Mark your thread is always dangerous and wonderful! Hope you are staying warm in these low temps.

>55 arubabookwoman: Hello Deborah. I started a new thread in the Cookbookers group for 2024. I tried to do a cut and paste here of the link but it wouldn't work. Sorry!

I thought I would list the books there that are gems. I get a LOT!! of cookbooks from the library (about 10 last week that came in all at once). i look at the year end "best of" cookbooks on many sites (Epicurious, Bon Appetit etc), best sellers on book sites, those that have lots of reserves at the library so are known to be very popular (search by current year) and put many on reserve at the library and just wait my turn. When watching TV and it comes to commercial breaks, I haul out the cookbooks and have a good look. There are so many gorgeous cookbooks that have amazing photography and it does give me ideas for meals. It is rare for me to post cookbooks in my 75'er thread but I do if the artwork inspires. Yes agree after 50 years we are looking for inspiration. We are in the same boat age wise and with the kids having flown the coop. ! I ❤️ dessert! So many of the cookbooks I get are cookies/cakes/pies etc. I do love french cooking (provincial rather than haute cuisine) but the simpler the better. I do love cookbooks from home chefs who have a love of cooking (eating!) but not a lot of (or any) professional training. I am very interested in nutrition and eating for health. While many cookbooks are wonderful to look at many have ingredients too rich or directions too complicated to be taken seriously. I am big on comfort foods, nothing too fussy. I try not to buy the gems but sometimes it is hard not to!

>24 mdoris: Brilliant novel, glad it got your year off to a good start Mary.

Organized Living by Shira Gill Library p. 277



This is a gorgeous book recently published by the author of Minimalista. She profiles 25 house organizing experts, interviews them and shows photos of their "digs" from those living in tiny spaces as minimalists to those living in sprawling larger spaces. The principles are sustainability, small space solutions, living with kids and working from home. Lots of great ideas here for those trying to control clutter. There are gorgeous photos to inspire. I will get her other book!

>58 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline, I must come over for a visit. Yes it was a wonderful book to start the year off.

>49 mdoris: I have an old (1982) cookbook by Jacques Pepin and there are no illustrations, just photos. That looks much more appealing!

There is still snow over here. How is it over there?

>49 mdoris: Beautiful painting! It's warming up here, I am happy to say. Poppy and I walked about a mile yesterday , but even with her fleece line jacket, she shivering at a mile's walk, so we headed back to the car. I thought, my precious Poppy, let me warm up your paws with my warm hands and I got an air snap for my efforts. She is so cute and such a character. But today we did a brisk two miles and she was fine! So I am happy we are getting warmer weather.

>51 mdoris: I started reading Good Night Irene last autumn, but it just didn't grab me. I may try it again.

>61 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, If you look up Jacques Pepin he has written so many cookbooks and still going strong. I had a peek at his art work for sale site and wow, he has painted a lot and sold a lot of beauties. Pretty pricey though......
No snow here but forecast for some on Tuesday. Stay safe when you are out for your walks!

>62 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Your Poppy is a character and you are a forgiving and patient one! You are such a great walker. You must feel fit!

>63 mdoris: I often thought that I would like to add a number of original paintings in my home and I do have three but I would guess that their combined worth will not have me rushing to insure them. One KL streetscape which I really like and another East Coast beach scene together with a painting which I bought in Bali a number of years ago and which I couldn't really explain to you if I tried!

>45 mdoris: Thanks for posting that. I always follow the Canada reads debate and end up reading a lot from the long list. The short list looks to be interesting.

>57 mdoris: I wasn't aware that there was a Cookbookers group so thanks for telling me about it. Will check it out.

Hi Mary. Thank you for sharing your love of cookbooks with us. I do enjoy perusing the pictures and love to watch cooking shows on TV. The actual cooking is not as much fun for me. It doesn’t help that my sweet husband has definite and limited ideas about what he likes to eat. I am in the process of soaking a pot of beans for his favorite 15-bean soup tonight. He will be a happy camper. it will be perfect for this frigid weather we are having.

>45 mdoris: Canada Reads…I’m not familiar with these book tiles but the debate sounds like so much fun. I hope you post a reminder in March so that I can take a look at it. Do you plan to read any of those books?

>51 mdoris: Great comments about Good Night,Irene. It made my favorites list from last year. I agree with you and Mark about The Devil’s Highway. It’s a tragedy that the perils of illegal immigration are still prevalent almost 20 years after Urrea wrote about it.

Stay warm, my friend.

The Prison Book Club by Ann Walmsley library p. 279



This book was chosen for January's Non Fiction Challenge with the 75 group.

"January - Prize Winners - prize winning books that won literary prizes that are off the beaten tracks. Not the National Book Award, Pulitzer, or other prizes of that ilk."

Being Canadian and wanting to read more Canadian books I had a look at possibly more obscure Canadian prizes and hit the jackpot with....

Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-fiction
"The Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction is an annual literary award recognizing the previous year's best creative nonfiction book with a "Canadian locale and/or significance" that is a Canadian writer's "first or second published book of any type or genre".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Staebler_Award

So this book was a gem for me on 3 levels.

Level one
I have been a fan of Edna Staebler for forever. I have 3 of her books on Mennonite cooking and they are dog eared and worn out especially in the dessert sections. I would never make another apple pie except the one in one of her cookbooks. All my kids birthday cakes are from her pages. She is the best and had a keen eye as a researcher. I guess that is why there is an award in her name!

Level two.
The prize winner was from 2016 and it is about setting up bookclubs in prisons. The first bookclub was set up for inmates in Collins Bay a medium security prison in Kingston Ontario. The second was set up in Beaver Creek 2 hours north of Toronto. The author is a journalist who particiapted in both bookclubs as a resource. When I was a new SLP (Speech Language Pathologist) I visited Collins Bay numerous times to treat an inmate who had had a stroke after an illegal drug injection and this was a BIG experience for me. I was living in Kingston at the time. I remember it well and I remember being more afraid of the guards than the inmates.I also remember being so shocked at bright paint colours. I had always thought prisons were black, grey and white. A funny reaction! So reading this book brought back many memories of very long ago.

Level three.
In my former location I was member of a bookclub for over 40 years so the bookclub aspect of this story was fascinating and the discussion of many books that I have read was very interesting too. For those of us who love lists there is a list at the back of the book that mentions abut 125 books that were discussed in the bookclubs. I think these books alone could give anyone the most wonderful entry into the reading world. And these men greatly needed an entry back to the world. I'm sure these bookclubs had a big impact for the participants.

As it mentions in the write up description for this book the author had been mugged and traumatized earlier in London, U.K. so her later participation in these bookclubs took great courage.

>65 PaulCranswick: HI Paul, when it comes right down to it the paintings or artwork only have the value that appeal to memory, visually or emotion. The $$ is not noteworthy. I love the paintings I inherited from my parents but I love the other pieces we have too. One a visitor remarked on recently is a photo taken at the sand dunes national park south east of Denver. It is a stunning photo of a momma cougar out for a morning hunt to feed her kits. I love it and it is a reminder of the cougar that stocked me and our dog out of Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island early one morning before we caught the ferry north. We survived and it become such an event for me being able to research and understand these incredible and beautiful animals.

>66 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, I don't do very well reading the Canada Reads entries, maybe one or two each year but you sound way more successful! Well done.

>67 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah. Did you find the Cookbookers group? It is fun to have a peek at the crazy number of different groups there are on L.T.!

>68 Donna828: HI Donna, The cooking part doesn't appeal to me much either but the eating part does. I am a bit of a slap dash cook and have a very appreciative husband whose mom was not that devoted to the kitchen so anything is pretty much appreciated. That does make life easier. P. is a big bean guy too like your "sweet husband". I get lots of great reading ideas from your thread, with thanks! You keep warm too my friend! We woke up to about 6 inches of show this morning, very unusual here on the coast. It is gorgeous but.....

"Thanks Mark your thread is always dangerous and wonderful!" Music to my ears...😁

Happy Wednesday, Mary.

Oh the snow, what a nightmare, kind of, Mary. I had a dentist appointment for a crown tomorrow , but they called and cancelled it. No problem , a weeks reprieve from the dentist. I'm not sure how much snow we got ? 6- 8 inches. Dave just got in from getting some groceries. He has snow tires, but I don't and he says it pretty bad out there on the road. Poppy is not thrilled with the snow either. The Prison Book Club definitely sounds interesting. I'm impressed by your work in the prison. Isn't a sad thing that guards were scarier the prisoners. I knew a fellow who was a prison guard somewhere in the Fraser Valley - I can't remember, Matsuqi maybe ? Really a nice guy and only maybe 5'5". He said the job comes down to being friendly and talking, so there are some good prison guards out there.

>73 vancouverdeb: Snow here too Deborah 6 to 8" as well and it is melting quickly but forecast for more tomorrow. I know that was just a weird reaction that I had (scary guards). I was so young but the impression remained. I had a crown done last week and the permanent one is scheduled for next week so I am doing careful chewing. Yes a reprieve is good! I guess the dentists must love us!

>72 msf59: Happy Wednesday to you too Mark. Hope you were able to get outside today. I know you have been a house prisoner from the cold.

Lucky that your snow is melting, Mary. It didn't do that here. I think we got about 10 - 12 inches and a lot of it is on top of my car!

>76 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, more is on its way tomorrow. Ugh. it is so pretty though. Hope you can dig your car out!

Hi Mary. Now that I am retired, I have promised to do more cooking. I might have to check out the Cookbookers group. I rely pretty heavily on NYT Cooking app, but I'm interested in a variety of things. I cooked a lot in graduate school and pre-P life, but I was mostly cooking for myself. If I felt like a plate of steamed veggies and some chips and salsa for dinner, I could do that!

We got about 6" of new snow and right now something light is falling out of the sky. I love the snow but I want to be able to fly out tomorrow! Gah!!

>78 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, enjoy your time away! My memory of Kauai is one of rain, rain, rain but we explored the island and stayed at the north end, which we found out was the rainy end. I know you will have a wonderful time.

Yes, the explored cookbooks help to keep up the enthusisam!

>77 mdoris: I got my car dug out but now there is a skiff of snow on it. I'm hoping that rain will wash it away.

I managed a 20 minute walk today, Mary, but so many sidewalks were unshovelled, it seemed too treacherous to go further than I did. But with the touch of cabin fever I had today, Dave took me out for a drive as he has snow tires. No where exciting, the library and Save On Foods and just a short extra drive. But it was good to get out of the house. Tomorrow should be cleared up, rainy, but fine to drive out to get my hair cut. Saturday we are headed to William and family's place for dinner, so that will be nice.

>71 mdoris: "The cooking part doesn't appeal to me much either but the eating part does"...too funny and very true for me, too.

I'm slightly jealous of your six inches of snow, Mary. We've had lots of snowfalls but most have been in the 1-2 inch ranges. Just enough to make things dicey for a few days but more of a mess than a picturesque sight. We have ice in the forecast for Monday. There go my plans for lunch with friends! Like you, I have been a "house prisoner". Thank goodness for an unending supply of books.

The Art of Living by Grant Snider library p. 142



This was a wonderful book for me. It is inventive, insightful, colourful, clever and it is like experiencing poetry in a visual form. It is a graphic novel that does focus on nature and the reality of daily living and the questions we ask ourselves. Snider is an orthodontist by day and an artist by night. He has a GN about books that I am looking forward to seeing. I think Mark has warbled about it. And he seems to love blue like me!

>80 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, It sure is sloppy out there. Hope you liberated you car!

>81 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. Hope you were able to escape the cabin fever with a little freedom today!

>82 Donna828: Hi Donna. It sounds like you are socked in and missing some friend time. Yes good thing we have the books. Tomorrow will be a library day for me and hope there are a few gems waiting!

>83 mdoris: I am adding that one to the wish list!

We have had a wee bit of rain, Mary, but tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and 82F. We have booked a ride on a catamaran to go up along the Na Pali coast, so I'm hoping the weather predictions hold true!

Hi Ellen, Hope the day brings you wonderful sunshine and calm winds for your ride up the coast. When we visited there we tried to hike in from the north side and because of the rain it was like hiking on a skating rink so so slippery so we realized it would be dangerous and bailed. You are wise to go by boat to see the enormous cliffs.

I finally got out of the house on Monday, Jan 22 . After all the time in the house due a bad cold or flu, whatever it was, I told my neighbour they will have to pry my car keys out of my cold ,dead , hands when the time comes. I was sure glad to get out, not just for a walk, but to the library, the store, etc. I won't be giving up my car keys as my mom did when she turned 80. Unless of course, I have some health issues that force me to do so. I had a lovely walk today with Poppy. We lucked out and found a interlude without rain. That was great!

>86 mdoris: Yep, we tried that same hike a few years ago and it was like the slick on a potter's wheel! The boat ride up the coast worked out well. We got to see that coastline and we saw lots of whales. And my feet got sunburned. :-|

The Prison Book Club sounds good, Mary. I will look for that one. I've read a couple of other memoirs about teaching and reading in prison and found them inspiring.

I have PILES of cooking magazines and this is my year to organize and declutter my recipes.

>87 vancouverdeb: Deborah, glad that you are feeling better. Hope that there was some sunshine in Richmond as it sure was welcomed today here even though it only lasted for a bit! January has sure zoomed by fast.

>88 EBT1002: Hi Ellen "like the slick of a potter's wheel" describes it perfectly. Hope you get some sunshine back soon and sure hope your feet are better from the sun burn. Yikes!

>89 BLBera: Hi Beth. I'm sure you have probably read many of the books discussed in The Prison Book Club and it is interesting to read their take and discussion of the books. The 125 books listed at the end is interesting too! I think you might be fellow list lover!

I have piles of recipes too that I must sort through and I think if I was to analyze them they would all be desserts! 🎂

I can't catch a break, Mary. I'm all better, but I dropped Dave off at the ER this evening at 10 pm, after he got home. It looks like cellulitis , and he just texted me they are going to start an IV , but also do an X ray of his foot. I guess the X Ray is to see if there is something under the skin or maybe to check that it has not gone to his bone. Fingers crossed it has not gone to his bone. Anyway, I guess I'll be picking him up around ?? 1 am or 2 am. Good thing I am a night owl.

>91 vancouverdeb: Please Dave get better soon! Very smart ot get treated right away. I see what you mean Deborah that you can't catch a break with you, your son and now Dave.

>51 mdoris: I really need to get that one read. I purchased a copy last year, but just have not gotten it done yet. Thank you for the reminder, Mary!

>69 mdoris: Adding that one to the BlackHole!

>83 mdoris: That one is already in the BlackHole but unfortunately my local library does have it.

This Other Eden by Paul Harding library P. 226



Bureaucracy passing judgment. It is what it does best! This was a stunning story of a community's demise written in such a unique way. It was on the short list for the Booker. I thought it was amazing.

Many years ago we had a trip to Newfoundland to the top northwest corner and over to Labrador. While we were there we visited the Dr. Grenfell Mission He had been a medical missionary. First he wanted to be a minister but got persuaded to do more good by being a doctor. His wife was a wealthy woman from Britain and they scraped enough money together to purchase a boat to sail up and down the coast of Labrador where they found desperate communities. While reading this book This Other Eden I kept seeing the pictures of those families, the children wearing their potato sack clothing and I think the communities must have been comparable.

https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/society/grenfell-mission.php

There is so much puzzling "talk" on L.T. that I had a look for Valenitne's puzzles to send to the grandkids. It is a 500 piece Springbok and along with some Purdy's chocolates, I might be quite popular close to the 14th of Feb! !

>93 alcottacre: HI Stasia. I am thinking that your reading plans must get quite complicated with many different black holes to check off and attend to. I am just back from the library and another 8 books spilled in this week. Yikes.

I liked This Other Eden, Mary and I gave it 4 stars. But I definitely preferred others from the Booker List. Your experiences on Newfoundland would make it so much more relevant. What an interesting trip that must have been. Oh, I think your grandkids will be thrilled with the Valentines puzzles and the Purdy's. I know I would be ! I have a Valentine for Miles and Melissa, and got Melissa a Valentines themed Lego set and Miles a heart themed book. I hope they will like them. Maybe I ought to get to Purdy's too. Good idea!

I think you will get a chuckle out this , Mary. Yesterday Dave took Poppy to Garry Point Park , so she could run around off leash and chase balls etc. Afterward he tried to brush her in the car as he always does. She doesn't like to be brushed, and usually growls and snarls , while Dave feeds her small treats so she will cooperate. Yesterday he said she was snappy and bitey, he had to shout loudly at her and growl at bit, and all of a sudden the car, a 3 month old Toyota asked " Can I Help you?" I think both he and Poppy were quite startled by that and we had a good chuckle. She was extra crabby today as she was at the groomer and we got a called that she was to stressed and snarly they could not finished clipping her nails. So Dave went and got her. She's fine now , after a busy afternoon out with our dogwalker and her dog friends, and in a good mood. Poor Dave , when he has to finish off the nail cutting. I hope you have enjoyed our beautiful spring day.

Oh Poppy, you are a CHARACTER! I am not going to share the story with Loki tonight as it might give her ideas. Yes, you are right! i am smiling after reading your Poppy story that maybe has the title........ THE SNARLER, or POPPY"S BAD DAY!

Mary Pratt: A Love Affair with Vision by Anne Koval library p. 269



I read this for the February Non Fiction Challenge with the theme "Woman's Work". I chose this as I have long been fascinated with Mary Pratt's paintings. They are beautiful and powerful. She is considered a photorealist and it was fascinating to read about her life and its influences on her creativity. She did have a gallery in Vancouver (Equinox) and I was able to view some of her paintings years ago. She was married to artist Christopher Pratt had 4 children and lived in rural Newfoundland. She painted everyday objects and became know as an expert on light. She was revered like Alice Munro as portraying every day situations with a huge punch of intensity. The book gives many photo examples of her stunning work. In the book, there are some interesting discussions of how she fits into the various feminist philosophies that were changing over the time of her long standing career and where the creative force came from to balance with her role as devoted mother and wife. Always interesting!

>100 mdoris: That looks like an interesting one, Mary! It's nice to see the sun but a bit worrying as well.

>101 Familyhistorian: Meg, why is the sun worrying?

>100 mdoris: I think you have featured quite a few pictures of Mary Pratt's work here on your thread in past, Mary ? They are beautiful . I enjoyed the sun today and got out on a long walk with Poppy. It is supposed to rain for the next couple of days, so I thought I would make the most of it.

>103 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Hmmmm, maybe but I don't think so. True I have loved Mary Pratt's work for a long time. This biography about her is brand new but I have read other books about her. A few wonderful walks today too but it was cold. Oh dear about rain coming. Get out the rain gear!

>104 mdoris: I am yearning for cool fresh air too at the moment, Mary. Malaysia can be stiflingly hot sometimes.

Happy Saturday, Mary. I hope all is well with you. Hooray for This Other Eden. A top read for me in 2023.

>94 mdoris: I saw your comment on Stasia's thread about The Other Eden. I haven't read it, but it looks like I should if it's of the caliber of The Prophet Song and The Bee Sting.

>95 mdoris: I had to copy you, track down this puzzle and send it to my two oldest grandkids who like puzzles.

>100 mdoris: Mary Pratt is an artist I've never heard of, but based on the cover painting I'd like to explore her work. In her paintings of "everyday objects" does her work have a connection with Wayne Thibaud (not a photo-realist though)?

This Other Eden has been on my WL for a while. One of these days... Great comments on the Mary Pratt book. I like to read about art, so I will look for this one.

>94 mdoris: I will check out that link, Mary. Thank you for posting it! I am glad to see that you enjoyed This Other Eden. I did as well although it did not top Prophet Song in my estimation for the Booker last year.

>96 mdoris: 8 books at the local library?! Good on you! I only brought 5 back in with me.

>100 mdoris: I know my local library does not have that one already - I checked when you mentioned the book on the Nonfiction thread for February - so it is already in the BlackHole. I am an art ignoramus so I do, on occasion, try to improve myself in that area.

>105 PaulCranswick: Happy to share some of the cool (cold) fresh air with you Paul and today it will contain lots of rain. I bought some daffodils yesterday and they make a promise.

>106 msf59: Hi Mark, it is wonderful to follow the prize winners as there are some gems assured for sure!

>107 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah. I do like Springbok puzzles. They are so colourful and they can be picked up without falling apart so can be moved quite easily, a bonus. Hope you grands enjoy it!

I don't know about Wayne Thibaud. I will have to check it out.

>108 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I saw her large gorgeous paintings in a show many years ago and I have been captivated since then. But her life story was very interesting too, married to an artist who seemed to get all the accolades (at least in the early days) and left Mary as the chief cook and bottle washer and with 4 kids born in 5 years.

>109 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Isn't the library THE BEST! I'm sure you are not an art ignoramus at all! . Just good to follow what your eyes love.

Well, I did indeed get out the rain gear for several days of walks, Mary. Yesterday was nice and sunny, and today too, but it's my day off , since Tuesday , Poppy heads out with her dog walker and dog " friends" . She looks forward to those days, and really loves our dogwalker, Isabel. On Thursday , Poppy goes in to get her teeth cleaned at the vets. Luckily, she doesn't realize that. I hope things are going well.

Hello Deborah, What a gorgeous day it was today. Lucky Poppy going out with her pals. Loki is such a dog dog. She loves other dogs and we meet lots in our local park right around the corner. It is a gorgeous park that heads down to the ocean. The ocean front is very natural and we see a pair of eagles almost every day. Hope Poppy was not too traumatized by the teeth cleaning. How do they manage to do it? Isn't she a bit snarly about it?

Chenneville by Paulette Jiles library p. 307



There has been lots of enthusiasm about this book on LT and I can see why! It is a captivating story of a union soldier John Chennyville who has had a long recovery after a devasting head injury while being injured as a soldier. When he finally returns home after a lengthy recovery, he discovers dreadful news that leads him onto a path of revenge. It is this journey that is so captivating almost like a quest where he meets many memorable people along the way and treks through stunning and dangerous territory. Chennyville is a strong character with huge streak of sensitivity and with a particular kindness for animals, horses and dogs. The only weak link for me was the romance, not that I minded him finding a true love it was just the way it was portrayed, just seemed to me so awkward and dated. I know it had to portray the norms of the time but still........!

💕❤️💓💖😍💗💞❤️🥰💕💘💗

>83 mdoris: Hi Mary, I've added The Art of Living by Grant Snider to my TBR pile.

So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan library p. 118



This is a small book of 3 short stories. What is weird is that I had read two of them before and now wondering if they had been bundled again from a previous collection. I wonder! The stories are edgy and intense and good.

Happy Valentines Day, Mary . Poppy is given a general anesthesia for the cleaning tomorrow at the veterinarians. I am sure she will snarl and shake , so Dave is going with her tomorrow to sit with her until they need to give her an IV , and he will put the muzzle on her for that. Then I think she will be to drowsy to snarl and of course, unconscious for the dental procedure. I always worry a little when she is put under, but she is healthy, and of course , she was cut off her food at 10 pm this evening, and no water after 6 am . I had to hide her little cache of treats she hides in her bed. An eraser, a tiny dog bone and a bit of beef jerky I found hidden. I guess she is preparing for some lean times. I think it is just an instinct she has. We've had her teeth done every two years, starting at the age of 4, I think.

That is great that Loki is so good with other dogs. Poppy is quite selective with who she " consorts ' with , and it is only the occasional dog she wants to play with. Most of the time she just looks the other way if I stop to chat with another person and their dog. As a puppy she was better that way and we took her to dog parks. She does do fine with her Tuesday dog walking group, though Isabel wraps her in a towel to give her space from the other dogs, which she will sometimes snarl at in the car. Once out of the car, she is fine with the other dogs. We have a great dog walker in Isabel. We met her while walking Poppy, and she was walking her group of dogs, so it has been a long relationship and Poppy is crazy about Isabel.

The Women's prize longlist non fiction was annoounced today. It is a new prize!
Short list will be announced March 27th
Winner will be announced June 13th.

Are any of these famililar?

https://www.womensprize.com/prizes/womens-prize-for-non-fiction/
The link has a video summary of the various books.

>115 Whisper1: Hi Linda, I am waiting for the Grant Snider book about books I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf. Mark spoke very highly of it but I guess there must be a bit of a wait for it in my library system. Hope you are having a great day!

>117 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah and hope you and family had a wonderful Valentine's Day. And hope that Poppy managed her tooth cleaning well. She is a pup who is well looked after that's for sure. I watched another of the Olive and Mabel videos last night on Youtube and it was simply wonderful. Dogs, exercise, food and love, all portrayed so well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvfhj1Fb5-Y
Any of them to be viewed are so wonderful and even Poppy might agree. But she might snarl!

P.S. Loki is not always good with other dogs. She can get carried away and quite rambunctious and can overwhelm. She can be a handful and BIG! And Loki does "take-away" too! I find bits of reject kibble and of course try not to step on them. Crunch! Crunch!

So cold out right now, just in from outside from a morning of clean up, lots of moss and dirt everywhere. Brrrrr.

>102 mdoris: The sun is only worrying, because there has been so little rain (not that I'm complaining about that!)

I hope your library doesn't take too long to lend you I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf. I have my own copy which just means that I haven't cracked the covers yet. Somehow, precedence is given to library books because they want them back.

>120 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I feel as if we have had endless rain. i know December was drier than usual but January was very wet where we are. I know what you mean about the library pressure. I don't like returning books unread and I bet you don't either! I read about your regular treks to the downtown the library. You must carry some heavy bags home!

My library doesn't have the new Lucy Jones book Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood but it does have Losing Eden: why our minds need the wild so I might just start with that one!

There are 7 Lucy Jones names listed on L.T. so I did a bit of research to figure who wrote these books and yes it is the same person. She has also written 2 other books. Foxes Unearthed: A Story of Love and Loathing in Modern Britain and The Nature Seed

https://lucyfjones.com/books/

What a sweet video of Olive and Mabel, Mary. It had me smiling. My parents always had two dogs, two cairn terriers when I was young and then later, two Irish Terriers. I think Poppy would not enjoy a playmate, perhaps if we had gotten one when she was quite young. But now at age 10 - and for a lot of years, she definitely wants to rule the roost and she needs to be an only dog. My brother and his family got two dogs a year apart and they are keen on each other, so it does indeed work well for some dogs and families.

I did have a great Valentines, thanks. I did not expect anything, and was very surprised when I got to up to see a red gift bag on the table,and 6 little Purdys chocolate hearts waiting for me. Dave got me something I have really wanted for a while, a Delft Blue Canal House. My nephew has been living in Amsterdam in an apartment, so they hold a special place in my heart.

I don't know much on the about the Women's Non- fiction long list at all, so I will have to look into that. I look very forward to the Women's Fiction Prize Longlist announcement, and I hope I can keep to my one book per month when that comes out. I am always keen on the Women's List and also the Booker List.

Thanks for posting it.

Poppy is just about back to 100 % , so that is great , Mary. I checked my library and put a hold on The Dictionary People . I'm always interested in the origins of the English Language. Young Queens sounds interesting too. ( I can't seem to find the correct touchstone for Young Queens.)

Hello Deborah, Hope you are having a very good day and good news that Poppy is close to being back to 100%. Just in from a walk and met people along the way to chat and Loki jumped up on them (with affectionate enthusiasm). She is a bad girl!

I have asked the library to buy the Lucy Jones
Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood and I have her other book Losing Eden coming soon from the library. It is about the importance of nature and children. I 100% agree with that! I will have a peek at the Naomi Klein book but there are MANY holds before mine. It is popular. I will see what others think about the other books and keep my eye for the short list and eventual prize winner.

Happy reading and puzzling!

p.s. so glad that you like the Olive and Mabel video. There are lots of them and I found them a wonderful pick me up (when it is needed)!

Across the Table: An Indulgent Look at Food in Canada by Cynthia Wine library p,211



I got this book from the library on Inter-Library loan. It is an old book published in 1985 and I think I might be the first person to have read it (almost cracking the cover). It came from the Okanagan University College Library. I requested it because of my love for Mary Pratt paintings. She was asked to contribute painting for this book and she agreed and it was the first time she used watercolour paints. The paintings are fabulous and there are many throughout the book all quite personal and beautiful. The book is divided into regions with an explanation of the food culture and specialites of each and then some recipes follow. So almost 40 years old it is dated and feels like a wander through some food history and some lovely times.

>120 Familyhistorian: Oooops, I almost missed you Meg. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! Yes the library is a pressure, a very wonderful one though. i picked up 10 books today. Yikes.

hi Mary, I am so glad to see another fan of Chenneville; Jiles owns post-Civil War Texas! I hadn't read the Keegan stories previously, but I did enjoy them.

I haven't read any of the books on the Women's Prize for Nonfiction longlist, but I do have a couple that are calling to me. Luckily, my library owns a few of them.

>126 mdoris: This looks lovely.

>128 BLBera: Hi Beth, It is weird because I had read the short story "Antarctica" before in a book with that title and then it was published again in So Late in the Day.



Have you ever come across that before that an author publishes something twice? I do love her writing but she is maybe a wee bit critical of men. I had also read the story about the writer on a retreat interuped by the German man before in one of her collections. And wasn't that the worst proposal of marriage in the story "So Late in the Day"? Wow!

Late Migrations: a Natural History of Love and Loss by Margarent Renkl library p. 219



These are very short essays (many just one page) that are very personal. Many are about grieving and many about love (family love) and most are about nature, about observing and being present and concerned. There are many essays about birds. I will read more of her work! I have waited for this book from the library for a long time and I think it was Mark who was enthusiastic. Thank you Mark! For me it was like reading poetry but maybe easier.

Happy Wednesday, Mary. I am glad you mostly enjoyed Chenneville. I plan on getting to So Late in the Day. I would also like to read Antarctica.

I am so glad you loved Late Migrations. It is a treasure.

You are doing so well with your reading. I'll remember your advice re my temporary crown. The dentist did tell me it could happen, and if it did , to gather all of the the temporary crown and call her right away. I'm glad you were able to put it back.

Poppy is really enjoying her soft food, its' Orijen Chicken Stew and something. It's quite a expensive at over $7.00 per can, but she only has one bowel movement a day now ! Bonus , Mary, if that does sound a bit gross. It is grain free though , and I understand the grain free foods can can cause some heart problem in dogs - dilated cardiomyopathy. So if we keep her on it long term, we would have to find some grain food to give her too. Maybe mix her kibble with the soft food ? I did purchase some Blue Buffalo canned food , a chicken pate that included grains, but she seemed not so keen on it, and she had some trouble with it being to thick. But maybe a possibility after her extraction is fully healed. But she is doing really well. Back to the dentist next Tuesday for me. I'll look forward to that permanent crown.

And she is an 18 lb pound dog, so she eats about 2/3 of a can per day. With a large dog , I don't think it is feasible to go all soft food, price wise.

>131 msf59: Hi Mark I thumbed your review of Late Migrations on the main book page. Excellent review!

>132 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. And a BIG YIKES about dilated cardiomyopathy! Our dogs including our Loki have been on a grain free dog food for forever. It is an expensive dog food but seems to greatly reduce vet visits. Maggie (our previous greatly loved dog, you might remember!) had chronic ear infections with many vet visits and I'm sure her ears were very painful. There were many bouts of antibiotic treatments. Eventually we switched to a grain free diet that is a kibble but designed to be as close to raw as possible in that it has no preservatives and cooked at a lower temperature. Our dogs don't love it as standard poodles are not like labs in their approach to food.( P and I are more like labs!!!!) Interesting that the researchers can zero in on peas as a possible culprit. There are no peas in her food but there are sweet potatoes, apples, carrots and fava beans but it is a high protein diet with eggs, liver and duck meat. My goodness what we do for our lovely fur pals! Glad that you have found a food that agrees with Poppy and that she likes it.

>118 mdoris: I love the way this image looks. And, I'll be back to add some of the books to my TR pile.

I've added Late Migrations to the TBR pile. What a great review!!!

>83 mdoris: Hi Mary, I've added The Art of Living by Grant Snider to my TBR pile.

>137 Whisper1: Hi Linda, Hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

Facing the Beast Courage Faith and Resistance in a New Dark Age by Naomi Wolf p. 212



I read these essays one a day to be able to read them slowly and digest the ideas. Naomi Wolf has observations and thoughts about our present culture and strong feelings about the way the pandemic was handled. There is much food for thought in these pages. She has a strong literature background and her writing demonstrates that.

I think I learned about Mary Pratt from your thread. Beautiful work!

The Women's Prize for Non-Fiction is new for me, but there are some very interesting titles on it. It added three to my library hold list: All She Carried, Thunderclap and Doppelganger I think I'll steal the link and put it on my thread. :)

I'm in the queue for Chenneville. I'm looking forward to it!

Well today is our 50th wedding anniversary. We were all set to go out for a scrumptious dinner tonight when I fell down in the middle of the night and today am very sore but thinking that nothing is broken. Yikes! Nothing to prevent us from whooping it up another night! 50 years is quite the accomplishment I think!

Congratulations on 50 years together, Mary and P. That is a very special occasion! I'm sorry to hear that you fell in the middle of the night, and can't go for that scrumptious dinner tonight , but I'm sure you'll both be out for that special dinner soon! Indeed, 50 years is quite an accomplishment. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary !

>141 mdoris: Congratulations on 50 years of marriage! That is an accomplishment! I hope you can soon have your celebration dinner!

Congratulations on 50 years of marriage.

Both the Wolf and Renkl essays sound good. I will look for them.

>141 mdoris: Congratulations on your 50th wedding anniversary. That is quite an accomplishment. I'm sorry you fell. How are you today?

>141 mdoris: Congratulations, Mary!
50 years of marriage is very special. Sorry about falling, I hope it didn't interfear with the celebration.

Congratulations on your 50th anniversary, Mary! I hope you are healing from your fall and have made it to a celebratory dinner.

>141 mdoris: Congratulations Mary. 50 years of marriage is quite an achievement!

I was unfamiliar with any of the longlist for the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction but am super interested to see what makes the longlist in the Fiction Prize released next week.

Congratulations on 50 years of marriage. Very special indeed. And may you have many more!

Happy Wednesday, Mary. Happy Belated Anniversary. 50 years? That is special. I hope those books are treating you fine.

>141 mdoris: Congrats on 50 years!

I hope you are doing ok after your fall.

Thank you to my visitors. >142 vancouverdeb: Deborah, >143 quondame: Susan, >144 BLBera: Beth, >145 Whisper1: Linda, >146 FAMeulstee: Anita, >147 Familyhistorian: Meg, >148 PaulCranswick: Paul, >149 arubabookwoman: Deborah, >150 msf59: Mark, >151 figsfromthistle: Anita. Thank you for all your good wishes. Yes 50 years married is a big one!

After my fall I went to to physiotherapy to get things going so I can get back to swimming and of course they wanted a referral to the doctor and the doctor wanted a referral to emergency to get x-rays so that was the "fun" yesterday. So yes I have a broken collar bone from my fall and they did a CT scan to see if there was a brain bleed and there wasn't hurrah!!! That is supremely good news. So my friends, there might be more time for reading.

Thank you all for your good wishes. xoxo

The Gift of Rain: A Novel by Tan Twan Eng library p 435



I had been so taken with his recent book The House of Doors that i immediately put a reserve for this one from the library. Oh dear! I was not the best audience for this book. It was too brutal, too masculine, too unrelentingly war-like in it's themes. i did get to understand more about geography and history of time and place and that is always a good thing but it was a tough read for me with so many characters who suffered and so many families blown apart.

Mary, I am so sorry about your fall and the broken collar bone. Wishing you a speedy recovery so that you can enjoy that 50th Anniversary dinner. Congratulations on the milestone. The years just fly by, don’t they?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Gift of Rain. Perhaps your injury made you more susceptible to the suffering in the book. I find those kind of books more difficult to enjoy when I’m not feeling well.

As you know, I also loved Chenneville. I’m very much looking forward to reading Late Migrations. I have a stack of library books checked out right now so I’m thinking of waiting until April. Delayed gratification is not easy for me, but it has its rewards.

I’m so sorry you broke your collarbone , Mary, but very glad indeed that there is no brain bleed . I’m happy to see that you’ve been able to keep reading . Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a return to swimming .

>152 mdoris: Mary - Sending hope that your collarbone heals quickly and smoothly

and JOY for your Fifty Years!

>154 Donna828: Hi Donna, Thanks for your good wishes.

>155 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. Thank you! Still good to get out for dog walks even in the pouring rain. Ugh.

>156 m.belljackson: Thanks Marianne. I should try and hunt down a picture from 50 years ago. It goes too fast!

I was out today walking the dog, of course, and yes, in the pouring rain, Mary. Good for you for still getting out with the dog.

Yes, I'd love to see a picture of the two of your from 50 years ago, a wedding photo or whatever you choose. I'm looking forward to it!

>158 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. MUST get out for the dog walks! Just down at the beach and someone was chopping wood from all the logs that have rolled in and then he put them in his small zodiak and paddled out to his boat. He must have a wood stove on board!

Here goes.



We married in my parents living room having only 17 guests. My older sister had done a bash up wedding a few months before and we were heading a few months after to Saskatchewan for P's training. Only time I have had long hair. Like you my hair is curly and too much work to keep long. P wore clogs.

I couldn't get this to work properly. I tried everything!

You both look so young and happy, Mary! What wonderful pictures and memories for you. I love your headband, and you had your hair impressively straight. You are right, getting curly hair straight is no small feat. Thanks for sharing those lovely photos. ❤️

>160 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah!

Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents-and What They Mean for the Future by Jean Twenge library p. 515



Wow, this is a spectacular book and a very critical one to read for parents of Gen Zers! It does cover all the generations starting with the Silents 1925-1945, then Boomers 1946-1964, Generation X 1965-1979, then Millennials 1980-1994 but for me the real interest was with Gen Z 1995-2012. There is so much going on in this generation (social media) and this books does an excellent job explaining the various influences, with many charts showing the evidence and changes and also theories of why and the impact of and from these many various pressures. Is it a doomed generation? And if so what will that mean to us as a society? She does have a peek at what she calls the Polars born 2013 to 2029 and a look at the future. Gulp.

Nice photos, Mary, and nice to be able to look back on such a happy occasion!

>159 mdoris: Lovely pictures, Mary, you both look so young and so happy. Thanks for sharing!

I hope you are recovering from your broken collar bone, Mary. Thanks for sharing the wedding photos.

>162 mdoris: This sounds interesting. I was more on top of generational differences when I was still teaching.

>163 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. It was so long ago that it feels like I'm talking about someone else!

>164 FAMeulstee: Thank you Anita. We were pretty disorgnanized about a honeymoon and making plans. Oh well!

>165 BLBera: Hi Beth, I thought Generations was very interesting. I always thought that the major influence for values and attitudes came from family but maybe not. Maybe it's now social media.

Every day I'm feeling a bit better with the broken collar bone. Now week one is done and it will be completely healed by week 6. I'm just worried about the range of movement so I can get back to swimming and yoga. I will be following the physio's advice closely!

>130 mdoris: I enjoyed these essays too Mary.

>141 mdoris: Great achievement, congratulations to you both.

>141 mdoris: >152 mdoris: Oh my, not great, but glad it wasn't worse Mary. Enjoy a reading prescription.

>153 mdoris: I liked this more than you did. My fave of his novels, by a whisker is The Garden of Evening Mists, but it is still pretty violent, though with both I enjoyed learning about a place I knew little about.

I like the cover you have for this.

>159 mdoris: Great photos. Here it is the right way up.

>167 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you very much Caroline. How did you do that? You are a magician! i follow your threads closely but mostly silently but so appreciate your reading ideas.

>162 mdoris: Further to the book Generations here is a very recent interview of Dr. Phil and his major concerns for the generation identified. We must make some changes!

https://rumble.com/v4g1nel-dr-phil-full.html

About to be published or recently published are several books on this subject I would greatly like to read.
Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier
Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
We've Got Issues by Dr. Phil Mcgraw

What Great Photographs! And you both look so totally Happy - and Tall!

>168 mdoris: I saved to my photos, in edit I just flipped it till it was upright and saved. It's weird when you get a photo that refuses to upload the way you want, I suspect a bit of hidden code Mary.

>171 Caroline_McElwee: I did that too and it didn't work. I wonder what I did wrong. You saved the day! Thanks Caroline!

>170 m.belljackson: Thanks Marianne. Yup we're tall. Well not me so much but P is or maybe his clogs added extra height. Yes it was a happy day.

one of my fav New Yorker cartoons....

Announced today!

Hi, Mary. I am so sorry to hear about your fall and broken collar-bone. I hope you are doing okay now. I love your wedding pics. Great looking couple.

>173 mdoris: I love this one.

>175 msf59: Thanks Mark. Every day is better.

A surprising Long List, for the most part, Mary. A rushed out and purchased Nightbloom , ordered a couple and put several on hold at the library, all that I could find at the library for now. Thanks for posting them. I watched the announcement in real time this morning, which is a first for me.

>173 mdoris: I love it!

Yes, I am diving into the Longlist, Mary. I do love a list of , I hope, good books. I certainly won't get all of them read, but I see what I can find and how much time I have. I have holds in today from the library that are Women's Long list prize, so I am off to collect them soon. I'm glad you collarbone is healing. That can't be fun at all! Have you read anything from the Longlist, or is new to you ?

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson library p. 170 (1972)



This was a delightful book of vignettes connected by characters of a family on a coastal island off the coast of Finland. Mostly the stories revolved around a grandmother and granddaughter living their daily lives in the natural world. The writing is spare and descriptive. I greatly enjoyed it and have no idea who to thank on L.T.who set me in the direction of this book but thank you!

>177 vancouverdeb:, >179 vancouverdeb: Deborah it's lovely to see your enthusiasm about the long list! I will for sure follow your book ratings on your thread. I have read Western Lane and thought it was very good (unusual with the squash theme but so well done about grief) and have asked the library to reserve The Wren, The Wren and will probably read more once the short list is announced. I too love lists!

>178 BLBera: Yes, Beth the New Yorker has some great gems and this for me is one of them! Glad you liked it too.

Mary, Thanks for posting the books on the Long list!

I did enjoy Western Lane, Mary and initially the idea of a book that included squash didn't sound so great, but it was a very good read indeed. I picked up The Wren , The Wren and Restless Dolly Maunder from the library today. I still have to read Nightbloom, but I think I can read those two before they are due.

I was going to tell you about a new series on Britbox that I started watching last night on , well, Britbox . Agatha Christie's new adaption of " Murder is Easy ." So far there are just two episodes available , and I'm not sure how many there will be . Nice , easy watching.

>182 Whisper1: Hello Linda, I hope you have a very good day!

>183 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Thank you for the hot tip about Britbox. i will check it out!

Mary, there are just two episodes of Murder is Easy , unfortunately. I did enjoy it though. The search for a new good series continues for me. I enjoy an hour of TV or so each evening. So many streaming channels, and yet I still have trouble finding series that suit me.

Sounds like you are well on your way to recovery, Mary. Is there a lot of physio involved?

>185 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I search for a series match too. i tried Grace on Knowledge but it was a bit too gritty for me. I am a big Vera fan so will watch more of those on Britbox.

>186 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. It is always slower than you want it to be. i started physio right away and will continue weekly because I want to be able to swim eventually and don't want to get into the frozen shoulder business. Now very restricted on the left side so pleased that I am right handed but still sore and still lots of naps as the healing seems to be tiring. Iam at week 2 and should be ship shape by week 6 to 8 so the count down begins. I have a heat bag that you buzz in the microwave and they are the best! Thank you for your concern.

What is it about healing bones that is so tiring, Mary ? I recall that when I fractured my wrist and foot at the same time. I think I was too exhausted to go into see my GP about that, plus every week I was at the cast clinic at the hospital. I asked the receptionist once about why was I so tired ? She told me , the more you do, the more you do, which was not really helpful. I think the effort of getting around with a fracture is certainly part of it, and every day things like washing your hair and bathing etc become a challenge. Take all the naps you like and here's to speedy healing, Mary. Those heat bags are wonderful, aren't they.

>188 vancouverdeb: Oh yes, everyday things do become so much more draining with a - or multiple broken bones. Thinking through what you're going to do. Making sure everything is in place. Dealing with the discomfort or outright pain. Even a strained muscle or tendon is a spoon sink, and it gets more so with the severity of the injury. Not to mention your body needing extra to heal.

>188 vancouverdeb: Sorry Deborah I do not have the answer for you about fatugue and broken bones,, why, why, why? But it sounds like you have first hand experience. Thank you for your excellent advice!

>189 quondame: Hello Susan, It sure sounds like you have some personal experience too. Nice when it is done and dusted and all back to normal.

Grace for Gus by Harry Bliss library, childrens' book



I have always loved Harry Bliss! Mark is so good at posting his cartoons and they are the best! Recently Richard replied on Mark's thread about a video of Bliss showing his wide variety of fantastic work so I thought I would investigate further. Bliss has illustrated many kids books and has a friendship with Steve Martin and together they have published several books. I decided that I would first just look for books that Bliss did entirely, content and illustrations and this one did not disappoint. It is a wordless book, and I have always loved those with John Goodall being my all time favourite author/illustrator. So this was fun!

These are for you Anita.
There are a few cuddly gems left over from when our kids were little but like you I do love the bears and the bunnies.
The real one (Loki) is not much of a cuddler but she is very affectionate (especially at dinner time!) and that counts for something.

>192 mdoris: Thanks for sharing, Mary!
The grey rabbit in the back of the first picture has a nice expression, although Loki steals the show :-)
The bear in the second picture looks like it is used much, and is it a koala next to him? I also have a soft spot for elephants, I will show mine, the oldest one I have, on my thread later today. I think I got it when I was 3 or 4 years old.

You are right Anita, the bear in the 2nd photo is a much loved and very old guy, now with buttons for eyes and fur rubbed thin. i too have a soft spot for elephants! The rabbit in the first picture, well there are 2 but the more upright one is a Jellycat. https://www.jellycat.com/us/all-animals/ This company makes the most soft creatures ever. There are a few puppets in the photos, the elephant, the cat and the long bunny in the first picture from a company called Folkmanis https://www.folkmanis.com/146/home.htm,

Absolution by Alice McDermott library p. 324



This is my first McDermott book but it won't be my last. It is the story of correspondence between two women bound by a third character who was a mother to one and a friend to the other. The woman, the third character was a "dynamo", a presence, an influence, a force. McDermott does an outstanding job viewing this character through time by showing the roles of a woman, the physical appearance of women, the power, influence and limits of women over time. There was a backdrop of time in Saigon during the Viet Nam presence of Americans there. There are many themes to think about from the book and they will be percolating for a while. I thought it was impressive book.

>194 mdoris: Thanks for the links to those two websites, Mary.
I had some fun scrolling through. The rabbits by Jellycat are lovely, and those dragons! :-)

>196 FAMeulstee: Very glad Anita that you have had some fun with those websites! I have my eye on the poodle puppy puppet from Folkmanis.


Our previous poodle was a red one named Maggie and much loved! She was a rescue from Hurricane Katrina.

So sorry to hear about your travails with broken bones.
It may surprise you that despite a few years racing pretty poorly in the semi-pro peloton, I never managed to break a bone in my body even until today.

>181 mdoris: I now have 10 of the Longlist on my shelves and read Western Lane already (like you I liked it).

I have also prepared an alternative Longlist which I want to read alongside it and compare whether my hunches and the actual list is better in my very humble opinion.

>195 mdoris: I was a little less keen on Absolution , which I read earlier this year. But I loved her books, The Ninth Hour and Someone that I read in previous years. Glad you enjoyed Absolution so much, Mary.

>198 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul, every day is a wee bit better! I'll come over and have a peek at your alternative longlist and get some ideas. Have a great week!

>199 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah. Your suggestions go on to my list. Hope you have a good day, It looks potentially rainy for our dog walks.......🚶‍♀️

Glad you continue n the mend Mary.

Hi Loki.

Glad you are on the mend, Mary.

>195 mdoris: I also read The Ninth Hour - but I think that's the only McDermott I've read.

Thanks , Mary. Yes, most of our walks over the past few days have been in the rain. Yesterday I set out and it was not raining, but quickly a trickle became a rainfall. Fortunately I'd packed both my rain jacket and Poppy's. We often head out from our place by car to see walk in different areas. I'm heading out with Poppy shortly - wish us luck! Currently it is not raining but in 30 minutes , who knows ? Enjoy your reading!

>192 mdoris: Loki is such handsome fellow and your stuffed animals so cute! Poppy can be very cuddly sometimes, leaping into my lap and showering me with kisses, but it's on her terms, or course.

>203 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah. Loki does have a long nose like Pinocchio!

>201 Caroline_McElwee: Lovely to see you Caroline! Thanks for your good wishes!

>202 charl08: Hello Charlotte. I have The Ninth Hour coming my way from the library. Thank you!

We did get rained on again today, of course, but it was not particularly windy when I was out with Poppy. It started to rain a lot harder as we drove away from where we walked and I popped into Safeway for a couple of things. I think I can beat Loki with my long nose! :-)

>195 mdoris: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again!

Sorry to hear about the broken bones. I have broken any number through the years, so I can commiserate. Heal quickly!

>197 mdoris: That is a lovely red poodle puppy, Mary.
I always look for stuffies with the right 'look' in their face, and this one certainly has it! Would make a nice tribute to Maggie.

>195 mdoris: I am really looking forward to Absolution, Mary.

I hope you continue to mend.

Hiya Mary.

>206 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Now it is a wonderful day for Poppy walks! i have lots of daffs out and love that!

>207 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia for the good wishes. Each day is a bit better. It is the first time that I have broken a bone but had lots of other stuff but not broken bones. Hope it's the last!

>208 FAMeulstee: Anita I am so tempted to buy the red puppy poodle. Yes I think he has the "right" look too!

>209 BLBera: Hello Beth, I very much look forward to your feeling about Absolution. It is still very much in my brain!

>210 Owltherian: Hi Lily. Hope that you are having a very good day.

Sorry (Really Sorry) by Joanna Cotier, illustrated by Harry Bliss, library, children's book



Why is it so difficult to apologize? Not for the minor skirmish such as bumping into someone but for those hurtful, thoughtless, political judgements and insults that we give one another and then we know we are in the wrong? Do we think by apologizing that we give a wee bit of ourselves away when we do so, that the ego is made smaller? I don't know but I was interested when watching the video Richard mentioned on Mark's thread about Harry Bliss. He is the illustrator of this book and it shows his great diversity and talents and he too was greatly interested in this idea of apology. It is the story of animals on a farm who take out their bad mood on a chain of farm creature only to repair and seek some harmony. I thought it was good! Kids (and adults !!!) need to learn to apologize!

It was a lovely day yesterday and today, Mary, and it looks like we have good weather to come for a quite a while . I ended up visiting my SIL in Ladner and we walked her dog, a really lovely Welsh Terrier named Hudson. He's such a nicely behaved dog , so we had a great walk.

Sorry ( Really Sorry sounds like a great book. I'll keep a look out for it for Miles and Melissa.

Hello Deborah, Wasn't it a fabulous day and more to come. I love this time of year when the warm weather and sunshine are all ahead of us! Glad you had a good walk with your SIL and Hudson. He sounds lke a wonderful dog. I went to physio and got some more exercies but things are healing well. Now I have to figure out how to cut back many roses using just one arm. It is that time of year to cut back roses when the forsythia is out! Love spring!

Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions by Steve Martin and illustrated by Harry Bliss libary



This was another fun book illustrated by the wonderful artist/cartoonist Harry Bliss. First half of the book was a graphic novel format showing the various movies where Steve Martin has acted, (40 all together). Wasn't Roxanne the best! It was filmed in Nelson B.C. and written by S. Martin. There is lots of mention of anecdotes of meetings with other stars and of the roles he played and the eventful memories created. The last half of the book is cartoons of Harry Bliss perhaps they were a collaboration between these talented people. You come up with the caption and I will do the drawing. Just maybe......They are good pals and together they have a HUGE love of dogs. I loved the dog drawings!

A Wealth of Pigeons by Harry Bliss and Steve Martin library



This is the second collaboration by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss. The drawings and captions are wonderful.

This was maybe my favourite! Bliss amazes!


Yup, that's how it works!

Thanks for sharing your wedding pictures.

I'm glad your collar bone is slowly feeling better. Have you felt well enough to celebrate your anniversary?

I couldn't help but notice that in the pile of long list Bookers, that the bottom right books is titled And Then She Fell. :) Although the description sounds very bleak and a totally different type of fall.

>217 streamsong: Thanks Janet. Hope all's well with you!

Looks like you have been having some fun with your reads lately, Mary. Keep enjoying your reads and I hope you were able to cut your roses back.

>219 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, how did Dave's last day go? Did he get a bit of a send off?
Yes I was able to prune over 25 rose bushes last weekend. I just wish I knew what I was doing but they always seem to manage to bloom afterwards.

Reykjavik by Ragnar Jonasson library p. 362



This was a murder mystery, well two murders actually! It was a fast read and it is always enjoyable to read about Iceland.

Hi Mary. I loved the wedding pictures of you and your sweet husband. You both look blissful!

I'm glad you liked Absolution as much as I did. I've read a few others by McDermott and have not been disappointed. They aren't "flashy" books but sometimes those quieter books get under our skin.

>211 mdoris: Thanks for reminding me about Ragnar Jonasson. I started his "Hidden Island' series a few years ago and promptly forgot about it. I just ordered Book #3, The Mist from the library and will be getting it next week. I also like books set in Iceland.

>211 mdoris: I really enjoyed Reykjavik earlier this year, Mary and I'm glad you did too!

Women's prize shortlist non fiction was announed today. Winner to be announce June 13th!

All That She Carried by Tiya Miles
Thunderclap by Laura Cumming
A Flat Place by Noreen Masud
How To Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

>222 Donna828: Hi Donna and thank you! 50 is a big anniversary! There are some wonderful books about Iceland. i think I read somewhere that one in ten of the population is a published author. Imagine! I have another McDermott book home from the library and hoping to get to it. Hope your week is going well!

>223 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah I probably got the Reykjavik idea from you! You are such a good source for reading ideas! How is Dave? Retirement is always a big adjustment but a good one.

Canary in a Covid World p 430



This is a collection of essays from 34 contemporary thought leaders. It was outstanding and terrifying in equal measures. If you want to understand the underbelly of the medical, political, media, government, pharmaceutical powers, public health powers, this is the book for you.

>225 mdoris: I think you might have gotten the idea to read Reykjavik from me, yes, and I in turn got the idea from my sister, Tannis. She is a keen reader, mainly mysteries and thrillers. Sadly , she had to put her beloved cat to sleep Sunday night. I took some flowers and a card over to her Sunday evening. Her cat was probably around 15 - , Harriet was adopted , so her age was not entirely clear. Harriet the cat had been suffering with kidney failure and finally it was time. I'll go back over to see her tomorrow. Dave is doing just fine and is very happy to be retired. I thought he might be a wee bit bored, but not at all . He's been out flying his stunt kites with his buddies, and of course, " walk the dog " , and we had a little dinner out celebration on Friday. So far it seems very good.
I am currently reading The Prey by Yrsa Sigurdardottir and it is very good! Late last night as I was reading it , I thought it's a good thing I don't live alone, reading this book. The author has created quite a foreboding atmosphere.

I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider library p. 125



This is another delightful, clever, colourful and fanciful graphic novel by Grant Snider. This is the 2nd book of his that I have read and greatly enjoyed. It is about books and reading and writing with many themes pursued. I may get some of his illustrated children's books from the library too. I think I got on to Snider from Mark's thread. Thank you Mark!

>227 vancouverdeb: Deborah, so pleased to hear that Dave (and YOU) are managing the transition to being retired folks so well. It was certainly an easy one for me! I am sorry about the loss of Harriet for your sister. This is never easy but I'm sure she greatly appreciates your kindness and support. Your reading these days sure is busy and successful. Enjoy! I see that you had thunder yesterday. We didn't but have had our fair share of wind and rain. Ugh. Can hardly wait for real spring. Hope you enjoy the Easter weekend!

Wandering Through Life by Donna Leon library p. 193



This memoir of Donna Leon's was interesting and informative about her life. i have now read 11 of her books and realize I have only scratched the surface!

Happy Friday, Mary. Canary in a Covid World sounds like an important read. I will add it to the obese TBR. Glad you had a good time with the Snider.

>228 mdoris: "I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf" is just the sort of thing I would like to read. Books about books, a lot of books :)

Happy Easter Sunday to you, Mary.

>216 mdoris: Great cartoon, Mary, and so true!

I thought Reykjavik looked familiar. I read it late last year but now that I look at the books by Jonasson that I've read since I added them to my LT lists, I see that this latest book was written in 2023 but all the rest that I've read were published in English between 2017 and 2019. It looks like there must be some books missing between then and the latest.

Hope you are having a wonderful Easter!

We did have a nice Easter weekend, Mary and I hope you did too. This retirement things seem pretty good . It was a lovely spring day here today, sunny and quite warm at 16 C. I quite enjoyed my walk with Poppy. How is your collar bone healing ? Are you much longer needing to be wearing a sling ?

>231 msf59: Hi Mark, Yes Snider is wonderful. I look forward to getting his childens books too. Hope you had a great weekend. Maybe some Easter egg hunts with Jackson?

>232 ctpress: Hello Carsten. We sure love our books about books! Thanks for the good wishes!

>233 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I am going to have to read more of Jonasson's books. Which ones would you recommend? Are you enjoying this spring sunshine?

>242 streamsong: Thanks Deborah, I did have a great weekend. Today I will make turkey soup and get outside for lots more clean up. Loki loves to chase the squirrels (she will never catch one!) and is exhausted at the end of the day. Hope you had some good times with family over Easter. Now almost week #6 so collar bone is healing well and I am getting good range of movement back. Hurrah! Thanks for asking. Very pleased that retirement is wonderful! xx

>230 mdoris: Ages since I read any Donna Leon Mary. Will have to put her back on my list.

>235 mdoris: I really liked Jonasson's Dark Iceland series which featured Detective Ari Thor. The series starts with Snowblind.

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the sunshine while it is with us Mary. I'm making sure that I get out to walk while the weather is good.

>236 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline. Me too. It has been awhile since I have read her novels but I made a list and will try to read more as I always enjoy them! I have read 12 but she has written so many!

>237 Familyhistorian: Hello Meg., The sun is pouring in and it feels warm like spring is really happening. Just in from our ocean side dog walk and there is a fabulous garden we often walk past bursting with tulips. I should take a picture! Wishing you a very good weekend. I am overwhlemed with books from the library (you too?)! Thanks for the tip about Snowblind.

>238 mdoris: Hi Mary, yes those library holds keep coming. I can barely keep up and am returning some of them unread! It's nice to see the spring flowers and cherry blossom.

Sixteen holds at once! No wonder the librarian offered to carry the books for you. I had a lovely walk in Ladner today with Poppy . Nice and sunny and nice change from Richmond.

>226 mdoris: This sounds good, Mary.

I love Donna Leon's books; I should look for her memoir.

I had to pause my library reserves after five arrived at once!

Hi Mary! Book bullet with Reykjavík and I added Snowblind to the wishlist, too. I'm bouncing around, having trouble finding books that I really want to read right now. My book clubs have chosen books that I'm not really happy with, but I feel obligated to read so I can discuss them.

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt library p. 295



This is a startling book that should be read by EVERYONE, especially young parents. I was greatly looking forward to reading this book after his previous stunning book The Coddling of the American Mind and also Jean Twenge book Generations. Haidt is a well respected social psychologist who has written a number of very good books. In this one he is greatly concerned about the influence that social media (smart phones) has had on children with a direct relationship (cause) to depression and anxiety especially in Gen Z. The influence has been for girls and for boys but in different ways. While some people say "the horse is already out of the barn" he is saying it is critical to do something about it NOW! Here is what he suggests. And he has many more ideas. Children have given up outdoor unsupervised group play for solitary indoor social media. The hours they are putting in daily are disturbing and creating significant mental challenges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L0ae8_o5IE

1 No smartphones before high school. Parents should delay children’s entry in to round the clock internet access by giving only basic phones phone with limited apps and no internet browser) before ninth grade (roughly age 14).

2. No social media before 16. Let kids get through the most vulnerable period of brain development before connecting them to a firehouse of social comparison and algorithmically chosen influencers.

3. Phone free schools. In all schools from elementary through high school, students should store their phones , smartwatches and any other personal devices that can send or receive texts in phone lockers or locked pounches during the school day. That is that only way to free up their attention for each other and for their teachers.

4. Far more unsupervised play and childhood independence. That’s the way children’s naturally develop social skills, overcome anxiety and become self- governing young adults.

>239 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, i was out in the garden today working away. Nice that some good weather has appeared. I'm sure you are enjoying your walks!

>240 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah. Are you getting lots of walks with Dave, the newly retired man in your life?

>241 BLBera: Hi Beth, You are wise to pause your holds. I have another 13 waiting for me. Yikes. It was interesting to read Leon's memoir. I always think of her living in Venice but she now spends lots of time in Switzerland. She is a BIG music lover.

>242 streamsong: Hi Janet. I know what you mean about bookclub choices. I used to belong to a bookclub for over 40 years before a move and there were some books that made more sense when we were able to discuss them as a group, but it did broaden my horizons for reading, much like LT thing does now. Happy reading to you!

The Anxious Generation sounds interesting , Mary. I'm glad I grew up before the advent of cell phones, and largely so did our eldest. I think William got one once he started working when he was 15 or 16 , and I needed to know when he need rides to work etc. I don't think either of my sons was or is much for social media. I know Wm and his wife keep their two young ones away from "screen time' as much as possible, that being TV. That is a treat for them. Neither has a cell phone of course , as they are 6 and 3. I'll have to ask Wm and Serenade their thoughts on cell phones for young ones.

Dave and I have yet to take a walk together, Mary! It seems I walk Poppy when Dave goes out stunt kite flying, which is quite often. We'll get there. But it is all going very well . Poppy and I had had a lovely walk on West Dyke today.

Hello Deborah, yes The Anxious Generation is a the book of the time! It is a crisis and Haidt is a bit of a hero to expose these challenges for kids. I sure hope he gets people's attention! I follow him on Substack where he has lots of charts and statistics to show the causal relationship of smartphones to mental health challenges. The book is so readable, just hoping many others read it too! I have sent it to my daughters. It is not an easy time to raise kids!

Thanks to Linda (Whisper1), I just read these 2 wonderful books!

Remembering Vera by Patricia Polacco and The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward

Just catching up Mary.

I know you don't keep count on your thread but am I right that you have now read 30 books in 2024?

Have a great weekend, my friend.

Hi Paul,
I am not good at keeping track and I don't list all the many, many cookbooks that I get from the library but your sum is probably good! Sorry that I don't keep a running score but I don't want to feel the #75 pressure, a pressure that I probably won't ever meet! Hope all's well with you my friend!

Well I am so pleased! It is week 6 and the x-ray says I am healing well and I am even back to swimming after my broken collar bone. The first few swims were awkward and limited and I could only breath to one side but now I can do bi-lateral breathing so it feels more like normal. I am not swimming many lengths but that will come in time. Visits to the physio have helped with lots of exercises between visits. I feel very lucky that i have been able to heal well. I know there are quite the number of people on L.T. who are dealing with lots physically and wishing for them some great improvements! Thinking of you.........

>250 mdoris: That is fabulous news, Mary. I'm so glad the your collar bone is healing well and that you are back to swimming. I know how much you love swimming. Of course it will take a little time for you to regain your strength and stamina for many lengths. Such great news! I am happy for you!

Thank you Deborah, such kind words!

>249 mdoris: I'll go with the number that I can count by going through your threads, Mary. You are beating me so far this year anyways! Glad to see that your X-Rays look promising.

>253 PaulCranswick: Hello Paul, Oh my that is onerous for you to have to count numbers and go through my thread(s). I will try and list now according to numbers and try not to feel the pressure! I also counted 30 and had to do some housework as things were listed incorrectly (imagine!!!) and I don't count the cookbooks. This year I have become carried away with the cookbooks (mostly desserts!) and am having fun with them. I just made am apple cinnamon bun that was out of this world. Yum. Hope all is good in your neck of the woods!

>254 mdoris: Recipe for apple cinnamon bun found online...?

How welcome to swim again!

>255 m.belljackson: Hi Marianne, I looked and here it is....
https://eatnorth.com/eat-north/marys-kitchen-sneak-peek-apple-cinnamon-biscuit-b...

I should have said there were pecans in the recipe as well. It is such a good recipe! I got the newish cookbook from the library and I am impressed so reserved her other two. And she is Canadian. Imagine!

I wanted to tell you that I put a thumb on your review of Followed by the Lark. I am reading it right now and really enjoying it. Do you have a thread? I can't find you!

Book #31 Followed by the Lark by Helen Humphreys library p 222.



Well I am a BIG fan of Helen Humphreys' writing and thought I would really like this book and I did. She sifted through the journals of Henry David Thoreau and put together his life in seasons, in friendships, with his family, his wanderings and of course his natural observations and curiosities so that we feel that we are walking in Thoreau's shoes. She highlights early death and illnesses and it made me realize how fortunate we are in present times. About the title, Followed by the Lark! It is looking at time passing in terms of migration and return of birds, not seasons per se! Thoreau must have loved birds a great deal! The book is well done. It is written in snippets like short separate stories or observations much as a journal would present.

>250 mdoris: That is wonderful news, Mary!
So glad thebone healed well and you are able to swim again. Of course it takes some time to get your muscles back in shape, it sounds like you are well on your way.

>258 FAMeulstee: Thank you Anita. Fingers crossed for you to get the help you need very soon.

>215 mdoris: >216 mdoris: The drawings in those books alone give me reason to want to try and track them down! My local library actually has a copy of Number One Is Walking so I will have to see if I can snag it sometime soon. Thanks for the recommendations, Mary!

>221 mdoris: Already in the BlackHole as a recommendation from Deborah (vancouverdeb) or I would be adding it again!

>224 mdoris: I need to check my local library again for some of those. To date, I have only read How to Say Babylon, which I thought was excellent.

>228 mdoris: Another one that is already in the BlackHole. . .somewhere.

>257 mdoris: Too bad my local library does not have a copy of that one. Into the BlackHole it goes!

I hope the healing process is going along nicely for you, Mary!

i am about to start The End of Race Politics by the amazing and young (and handsome) Coleman Hughes. He is so accomplished for his young age and i have been watching video interviews where he keeps his cool in the most measured and smart way concerning his just released and newly published book. I can hardly wait to read what he has to say!

>260 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Nice to see you visiting! Your tbr list sounds full to bulging. Sadly I have had to take some books back to the library unread. it is hard to keep up! Hope you are having a good start to the week.

>250 mdoris: Hi Mary. Hooray for healing! I’m glad you can get back to swimming as it’s such a fun and gentle way to get exercise. My daily walks are improving with the weather! It was such a chore to bundle up in layers over the winter. I love seeing the flowering trees and green grass. I’m so tempted to start planting flowers, but will restrain myself until next month when the frosty mornings should be a thing of the past.

>257 mdoris: I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Helen Humphreys and am a big Thoreau fan as well. Book Bullet!

It looks like we are both needing a new thread. I am holding out until next month. It takes me a long time to start over. Have a great week!

>262 mdoris: Originally my tbr list was Mount TBR and it has increased in size to the point where it is now known as the BlackHole. I tell everyone that I can never die because I have too many books yet to get to :)

Does your library have a 'List' function on their website, by any chance? I have a list out on mine where I can keep track of books that I have had to return unread for whatever reason. I hate having to do that, but at least this way I can keep track of the books.

>264 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, Yes, I seem to have lists everywhere and yes there is a list function on my library system but I use a good old fashioned notebook by my side at most times to jot down this and that and I do have a list of books that must (sadly) be returned. I am a bit of a PIG! Our library seems to have unlimited holds so I do put far too many on reserve and then like most of us they often all come in at once. Our the horrors of the retired life! 😀

>263 Donna828: Thanks Donna, I am counting my blessings in the healing department and it is so great to be back to swimming. Agree, must start a new thread very soon. I took a picture of a captivating garden that we pass on our daily walk and hoping it turns out and I can use it to start a thread. Yes the new Humphreys book was a winner! I bet you can hardly wait to get out in the garden. I seem to remember that you like to read outside when the weather gets warmer. That sounds like a very good plan!

Please come and visit to my thread #2!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/360169

>250 mdoris: Good news Mary.