I have read all three books discussed by Kathy T and Frietag above (Educated, The Glass Castle and Hillbilly Elegy). I have discussed Educated with someone who thought it was awful, as with one of Kathy Ts acquaintances. I thought it was interesting to read about her childhood (though very difficult at times).

The Glass Castle was the first book of that kind that I had read, and it probably had the largest effect on me. I did not find any of them self-congratulatory. I wished Hillbilly Elegy would have gone a little bit deeper into why the author's relatives were the way there were.

Tackykat - We are of like mind about all three books.

I did not read Hillbilly Elegy or The Glass Castle, so I am not able to compare them to Educated. In truth, I think that anyone who survived a childhood filled with such sabotage of any efforts to live a normal life might well be justified in feeling some self-congratulation. But I did not get any of that from Tara Westover, the author of Educated. She seems to feel grateful for her good fortune and the generosity of people who helped her along the way. Also I picked up some sadness. She is estranged from some of her family, and I think that is a lasting sorrow to her.

I am not surprised that readers have such strong, and such varying, reactions to it. It does indeed touch a nerve. My own childhood was very different (much happier) from the author's, but her violent brother resonated with someone I knew in my early adulthood, now fortunately long in my past.

I just finished Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz. The description says it is a prequel to Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, the first James Bond book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it makes me want to reread the old Bond books (much better than the movies).

2019 is certainly starting off as a year of good reading. I've enjoyed almost everything I've read so far this month. Just now I finished An Appetite for Violets by Martine Bailey. I thoroughly enjoyed it, reading it in one long great gulp. It is the story of Biddy, a young cook in the 1770's who has carefully planned out her life, but finds that it takes a very different turn from her expectations. The story is filled with period recipes that add flavor (weak joke) but the real spice (yup, did it again) is the vivid cast of characters. I just loved Biddy. She is naive, smart, practical, competent, honest, and compassionate. We should all know someone like her.

Sheri, I watched A Discovery of Witches with my husband, and we are now listening to it on our daily commute. I enjoyed the trilogy but Time's Convert not so much. It felt very 'constructed' to me - made to fit what the author had in mind.

I had to read "Bring up the Bodies" first as I couldn't get "Wolf Hall" at the local libraries. Then I noticed it in my Retirement Village library when I went to get the weekly local newspaper! Overlooking the obvious but the library usually buys Relationship genre! It must have been a donation.

Mantel has a strange writing style, I had to get used to her referring to Cromwell as "he" after mentioning another male character, so it was a bit confusing as I had to work out which 'he' was being referred to.

After reading so many comments about Louise Penny I ordered her first book Still Life from the library. Certainly interesting to read about that rural area of Canada and the 'arty' inhabitants. My only slight gripe was that there were so many characters, both locals and police it took me a while to remember who was who.

yoyo now I understand the liquorice pipe reference . . . although spell check doesn't like that word.

Annpan, not easy to read the Mantel books out of sequence. She was meant to be writing a final part taking Cromwell up to his bloody end. Perhaps real life has got in her way.

Would someone who has read The Clockmaker's Daughter tell me when (or if) she starts tying all the many story lines together? My copy is due in three days and I've only slogged through half of the story. I'm hoping I can skip ahead and not miss much of anything. :)

Donna

Vee, many who read the Louise Penny's mysteries have found them somewhat addictive. There are a lot of characters, admittedly. I've read enough of her books to be able to sort who's who. You might wish to look for her first in that series.

I tried to read "Wolf Hall" but gave up on it. Instead, I watched the series made from it.

I'm still reading "Canterbury Tales". The Middle English is very musical and surprisingly, many words are recognizable in our post -modern vernacular. Until I read this, I had no idea how much slang comes from Anglo-Saxon, the language of the peasants. (Nobility were well versed in French, on the other hand.)

The Cruelest Month - Louise Penny ( #3)

I really love her stories in Three Pines ! I usually read another kind of book and then follow it with a Penny book. It's like returning to a much loved place.

I've just finished up reading "Diary of a Bookseller" by Sean Bythell who details the daily life and times of being a second-hand bookseller in a small town in Scotland. Lots of people across the interwebs have reported this as a good read, but to me, he was really proud of being labelled "misanthropic" without the wit to carry it off. Instead, he merely came across as a grumpy middle-aged man who had sneering opinions of his customers, the few that he had.

I don't know. If you want to be grumpy, at least have a sense of humor about to soften the blow. It was espistolary (which I enjoyed) and was pretty well written - it was just rather negative for me.

re the Canterbury Tales. Mary, I presume you are studying the 'Prologue' and hope you have been given some help with understanding the 'original' text. Over here we have to 'do' it for school English exams and for 'higher' A levels one of the 'Tales' themselves. I believe it was one of the first works written in English, as by the thirteen hundreds everyone, including those who had originally spoken Norman French, now conversed in English, though it would have varied greatly by areas of the country.

Below a 'translation' though rather slow and boring . . . and I think tulips would have been in short supply back then . . .

The Prologue

yoyo, I had forgotten to mention that what I enjoyed about the Louise Penny book was her descriptions of meals taken and 'proper' food eaten.

Vee, Cromwell's "bloody end"? You should have given me a spoiler alert!

When I was young it was quite normal to go to see a film in the afternoon from half way through and pick up the plot, then wait to catch the beginning in the early evening showing. So reading the Cromwell story in the wrong sequence doesn't worry me. I shall be Googling him to find out what did happen to him, now that the third book isn't out yet.

Annpan, I think anyone who was 'anyone' during the early Tudor period was lucky to reach a happy death-bed scene!

Astrokath, I have Time's Convert sitting on my bedside table. I started it before the holidays entirely thrilled to be back in that world, but as I read, I was also starting to think 'this isn't quite as good'. I was hoping I was wrong, lol! Then Christmas arrived and I just got busy and too sidetracked with new books to get back to it. So despite having read several chapters, I will have to restart.

I adored the All Souls trilogy and was happy enough with the TV version (even my husband liked it, and vampires definitely are NOT his thing). Overall I liked what they did, but the actor who plays Matthew just doesn't fit what I had imagined. IMO he just doesn't have enough physical presence or (that classic vampire trait) the ability to brood in a convincing manner. I thought the rest of the casting was very good.

I will get back to Time's Convert after I finish my book group book.

Has anyone read History of the Rain by Niall Williams? My sister-in-law, who always finds some interesting books, recommended it to me.

Vee, the text of "Canterbury Tales" that we purchased has the Middle English on the left side of the page, and the translation of that into Modern English on the right side, so we are able to follow quite well.

It is lovely to hear our Professor read aloud from the original Middle English, as the iambic pentameter is quite musical. In part, I can understand, but about one half sounds like a foreign language.

We have read The Prologue, The Wife of Bath's Tale, and The Miller's Tale (the latter is astonishingly risque!).

Yesterday, I discovered that in "reading ahead" for my February book club discussion, I read the wrong book (Educated). We don't even have it on our schedule yet! Where is my brain? Meanwhile, for a break from book club reading, I've started The Ravenmaster, which I heard about from several of you here. Thank you! It's quite interesting. And I like it that the book does not seem to be written by a professional writer - but really just "the guy with the job."

I picked up some books from the library today and have just barely started The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton. A young woman who has never been out of the state of Kansas has just lost her job in a museum and accepted one in a bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland. It promises to be mysterious.

I am reading Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past by David Reich.

I try to keep up with this rapidly developing science by reading articles published in journals available on the Internet, as well as blogs on the subject. However, I've found that to be a scattershot approach, and I have to read every few months a book that may help tie all the newest findings together in a way that I can understand. I chose Professor Reich's book because he not only has the credentials and hands-on experience in the field of ancient DNA (he's one of the current leading innovators in its development), he writes in a down-to-earth way so people like me who have more interest than knowledge can assimilate some of these findings.

So far, so good! My mind is still boggled, but at least it's with fascination and not utter confusion. :-)

Right now I'm most astonished with evidence of "ghost populations" that are showing up in ancient DNA. Here's Professor Reich's definition of ghost population: a population that we can infer existed in the past based on statistical reconstruction but that no longer exists in unmixed form. That ghost populations can even be detected is the best kind of mystery solving I can imagine!

friedag, just watched an interesting and informative TV prog on the subject of the movement of pre-history 'peoples' and how, from analysing DNA samples it appears that many of us carry a small percentage of Neanderthal within us. In an experiment a mask of a Neanderthal's face was made and worn by a 'modern' man who was sent, dressed in everyday clothes, to travel on the London Tube. His appearance caused no interest or even second glances. His heavy-browed, wide-faced look fitted comfortably in.

Friedag, I have no idea what the quote from your book means! LOL I just don't have a science brain. Math, yes, science, no.

I finally finished The Clockmaker's Daughter. I thought the last 150 or so pages were really good, but it was a slog getting through the first 300 to get there. I thought she kept telling the same thing over and over.

Now I've started The Song of Achilles.

Donna

I finished Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates, A Story of Life in Holland by Mary Mapes Dodge. What a wonderful book. I really enjoyed the writing and the story which included interesting information about Holland. Storks are held in high regard there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Brinker,_or_The_Silver_Skates

https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/author-biography/dodge-mary-mapes/

Vee, 1.5 to 1.8 percent of my genes come from my Neanderthal ancestry. :-)

Just out of curiosity I had my DNA tested by two companies, and they were pretty much in agreement. No real surprises for me: I am mostly of northern or northwestern European extraction -- from Scandinavia, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Belarus. Small percentages of my genes also come from Ashkenazi Jewish, Greek, and southwestern Asian (also known as Near Eastern) ancestors. So say the testing companies, at any rate.

Western Eurasians (Europeans) are most likely to have Neanderthal genes while Eastern Eurasians are more likely to have ancient DNA from Denisovans or some as yet unidentified population. In central Eurasia both Neanderthal and Denisovan genes have shown up -- sometimes both in the DNA extracted from the same ancient individual's bones -- as well as the genes of possible other ancient populations. That makes sense, I think. I am not sure whether that's also true in today's populations.

Interesting Frieda. I know theories about our very early ancestors keep changing and are at the best fluid but the programme I watched did mention this possible 'new' link in the chain and a reconstruction of a 'head' made from hundreds of skull fragments seem to indicate physical characteristics between 'African' and 'European'.

I think the remains had been found in a cave-system in Romania, but I suppose one very ancient skull doesn't make a cast-iron case.

I enjoyed An Appetite for Violets so much that I borrowed author Martine Bailey's next book from the library. It is called A Taste for Nightshade, though it was published with the title The Penny Heart in the UK. At first this confused me. I liked this one also, though not as much as the first one. The plot was well drawn, and so were the characters, but none of them enchanted me as much as Biddy in the first book.

The author has a new book called Almanack due to be released later this year, and I plan to read it when it becomes available. All of her books are set in the 18th century.

I finished The Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife. Lots of interesting tidbits about raven behavior and Tower of London lore. I could have done with a bit less of Skaife's personal history, which seemed a bit repetitive, but that's a minor quibble. One odd fact that surprised me is that Truman Capote had a raven as a pet.

Next up - The Twelve Lives of Samual Hawley by Hannah Tinti. I'll report back.

I finished both The Genius of Birds and The Golem and the Jinni, both of which were mentioned here - thanks for the recommendations, folks! I enjoyed them both, although I will now go into my perennial rant about science writers who don't seem to understand the value of diagrams. Ackerman did not use one diagram or illustration, despite many opportunities. Sigh. Yes, there were lovely bird drawings as chapter headings, but no illustrations. I did enjoy the writing very much - lively and engaging, easy to read and understand, and new information beyond what I'd already learned from the many Discovery Channel-type programs on the subject. But the best science books for me are still the few that I've read by actual researchers with a knack for explaining their work, and they always use diagrams frequently and well. Check out Richard Alley's The Two-Mile Time Machine, or Pielou's After the Ice Age, for 2 good examples. OK, rant over!

I have 10 library books stacked up to read, and 20 books on Mt TBR, some of which have been there for over a year now. I'm way behind! I've started what looks like an autobiographical sketch from Donald Hall about a 1940 Christmas on his grandparents' New England farm, which should go fast, so that I can return 2 books to the library when I go in to pick up my next one on hold that's come in, the David Reich book on DNA that Frieda mentioned above.

As soon as I finished the book I am reading I plan to read Once Upon A River by Dianne Setterfield , which is her newest release.

Pursuant to my class on English Literature, I am now reading the mystery plays ("Everyman") and Thomas More's "Utopia." If any of you saw "A Man for All Seasons" you will recall the martyrdom of More, a decent family man, and brilliant scholar, who had a major disagreement with Henry VIII over "Supremacy". Sad to say, More was imprisoned in the Tower before he lost his life. Luckily, his son in law wrote a biography of More, which is included in the volume I have.

This afternoon I finished Louise's Chance, the fourth and next to last of Sarah R. Shaber's WWII series. Louise is a rural North Carolina girl who has a job in Washington, D.C. for the duration of the War and finds herself in all kinds of predicaments. They are really good period pieces.

I finished the newest Flavia de Luce book, Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley. He seems to have gotten a better grip on where the story is going, and with family drama out of the way and minimal appearances by her sisters, Flavia and the loyal Dodger are now running a small detective agency. I love Flavia as a character so it's always fun to read the next book, and this seems to set them up for all sorts of amusing future mayhem. I do wonder if he plans to have the perpetually twelve year-old Flavia grow up?

After seeing this title on 'The Game' I've just finished The Surprising Life of Constance Spry by Sue Shephard and for someone like me who knows nothing about flower arranging/decoration I found it very interesting. Spry grew up in fairly humble circumstances but encouraged by her father who was very keen on 'education' she trained in domestic subjects, first aid etc and went on to work in a school for young women in Dublin followed by similar schools in tough areas of London. Gradually her ability to work with flowers developed and with some lucky breaks from influential patrons and 'arty' young men she set up her soon-to-be famous flower shops and schools of 'floral design'.

She was asked to 'do' the flowers of the wedding of the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Simpson and after WWII for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth, followed by the displays for the coronation. She also wrote cookery books and it is from that time we can thank her for introducing Coronation Chicken to UK menus.

nb although I have never tasted it my DD, on a recent trip to Ireland, said it was being served almost everywhere she went.

For any RP'ers knowledgeable and interested in flowers this would be a rewarding read.

Vee.....here you are ! The recipe that the BBC offers :

Coronation Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, skin removed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
• knob of butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 tsp madras curry powder
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 100ml/3½fl oz dry white wine
• 100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock
• 1 tbsp apricot jam
• 150ml/5fl oz mayonnaise
• 75ml/3fl oz crème fraîche
• 1 large mango, peeled, stone removed, flesh diced
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
• dash Tabasco sauce
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• green salad leaves, to serve
• 50g/2oz flaked almonds (toasted lightly dry frying pan), to serve

Method

1. Rub the olive oil all over the chicken. Scatter over the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
2. Steam the chicken for 20–25 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool.
3. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the shallot and chilli and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further minute. Add the wine and simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half.
4. Stir in the jam and stock, and simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half. Set aside to cool.
5. Mix the mayonnaise and the crème fraîche together in a bowl, then stir in the curry dressing. Fold in the mango, spring onions, lemon juice and coriander.
6. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Fold into the curry dressing and season with salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste. Serve with a green salad, and scatter with the toasted almond flakes.

yoyo many thanks! In the book it mentions dried apricots, not apricot jam and served with a generous portion of rice. It was served as a cold main course to VIP's after the Coronation ceremony. About 400 people had to be seated in what was the ancient dining hall of Westminster School, once a place of great antiquity and beauty until the roof was destroyed during the Blitz. Even when patched up there were no facilities for producing a hot meal, other than coffee, which partly explains this unusual dish.

And on the apricot theme. As a child I remember dried apricots being soaked over night and then made into jam. Always referred to by my father as Russian pulp . . . the fruit having been imported from some sunny region of the USSR and because of its high sugar content a useful 'winter' fruit often served for breakfast with dried prunes . . . considered good for keeping us regular.

Hello Everyone,

In December, I finished up my master's degree in Humanities/Philosophy, (yes, at my age haha) and NOW, I can begin to read the titles I want to read! Oh, how I have missed good books! I spent the last two years reading assigned stuff which was, for the most part, NOT good writing, but fit the point that the professor was trying to convey.

So January, blessed January, my new favorite month, the month of reading for FUN!

I've read:

Broken Girls: Simone St. James

Maigret and the Man on the Bench: Georges Simenon

Hard Going: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Pachinko: Min Jin Lee

The Water Room: Christopher Fowler

And I have just begun my book club read, Why Religion? by Elaine Pagels. No opinion yet, as I am on page 12.

I am sorry to have been away so long while I completed my degree. But I do hope everyone is doing well. Please believe me when I say, that even though I was pursuing a degree, very very very often, the conversations here on RP were vastly more interesting, more thought-provoking, and the books were much more enjoyable.

PAM

Congratulations on your degree, Pam, and welcome back to reading for fun.

My latest, finished last night, is Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz, a James Bond novel using some of Ian Fleming's notes and reading a great deal like him. I had just read Forever and a Day, a prequel to Fleming's Bond books, and thoroughly enjoyed both books. I am liking Horowitz a lot.

Pam, we're very happy to have you back with us, and very impressed indeed with your accomplishment. Congratulations!

Pam, well done!

I am still wading through Wolf Hall. It has suited me to read something that isn't a page turning mystery for once. I am dozing off a lot during these hot days and am sorry for those who are experiencing heavy snow and advised not to breath deeply. Oh, dear. The minute I am told not to do something....

Congratulations PAM and such an erudite subject!

I have two books to begin.

Destinations by 'travel writer' Jan Morris. Pieces originally printed in Rolling Stone mag back in the '70's and collected in this yellowing paperback, which I picked up for a few pennies.

The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford. A gift from a US friend; it tell the story of Dickens, his early life and his most famous story.

The Cruelest Month - Louise Penny . Love this series !

Congratulations, PAM! After I finished my Master's degree I told everyone, "Now I can finally read a book for pleasure again!" so I completely understand how you feel.

Donna

Pam, congratulations and welcome back to RP!

I'm just beginning Richard Powers' The Overstory, and it's due back to the library in 3 days. I expect I'll have to return it unfinished, since it may not be renewable with so many holds on it still. That's what I get for borrowing too many books at one time.

Pam, so glad you are back at RP and congratulations!

Today I'm reading Diana's Altar by Barbara Cleverly, one of her Joe Sandilands series. I'm not enjoying it as much as its predecessors; much of it is more history lesson and politics of the 30s than story,

Thank you so much!! It is very good to be “home” amongst friends at RP!

vee, looking forward to your opinion on The Man Who Invented Christmas.

Why Religion is not impressing me at this point. I am only on page 61, I feel like it is more biography than anything else and am beginning to wonder if her life tragedies just bring the topic too close for an objective discussion. Time will tell.

PAM

I finished Song of Achilles last night. I thought the first half was really dull. The second half was more interesting, though I have no empathy for either Patroclus or Achilles.

I just started The President is MIssing by Bill Clinton & James Patterson. Has anyone here read it? It opens with the President testifying before a House Select Committee. Supposedly he stopped US Special Forces who were about to kill the most-wanted terrorist in the world. I'll read a bit more of it, but I really don't like stories about terrorists so I may give up on it.

Donna

I used some of my Barnes & Noble Christmas gift cards to buy James Lee Burke's new book, The New Iberia Blues. Burke is one of the few authors I still collect. He is the most lyrical writer I know, although his books are filled with violence. This one is no exception. The main character, Dave Robicheaux, is getting older but still the ultimate good-guy cop and still fighting his latent alcoholism. I started it last night and have spent a good part of the day reading.