March: What are you reading this month?

I am engrossed in a Louise Penney book about quintuplets. I find it fascinating in that I recall the Dionne quints so well. (I even had paper dolls of them about six years old or so!) I have not read her books in order, but do enjoy them regardless. I just tossed a Lisa Jackson book the floor by my bed! I just detest the females that look at some guy and are just lost, lustily! Oh, his abs, and the way his blue jeans, fit,etc., etc. I prefer to get acquainted with the characters first, I guess.

Sheri,

I left a message for you in the February thread, regarding Finding Camlann.

I have been staying indoors a lot. The oppressive heat and humidity is stopping me from doing much more than taking a quick dash to the local mall for groceries.

My reading has been confined to dipping back into the books on my overcrowded bookcases. I re-read Josephine Tey's "The Franchise Affair" and watched the DVD again. I am definitely a person who enjoys re-reading and watching old favourites. Comforting stuff! I do have some books on hand which I have bought to read at some point but am not in the mood for the unknown...

Reader in Transit, I totally agree with your assessment. I also would have liked some additional information on the actual history woven through the story.

Skibby, I saw your mention of Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and how you stayed up as long as you could reading it. Then as soon as you woke up, you were back to reading until you finished it.

Wingate's novel has shown up regularly in recommendations for me; I suppose because several years ago I reviewed a nonfiction book: The Baby Thief: The Untold Story of Georgia Tann, the Baby Seller Who Corrupted Adoption by Barbara Bisantz Raymond. I recall being horrified by Tann's methods of feeding her greed by child trafficking -- stealing babies from poor women or poor families and selling them to rich folk, including twin girls to the actress Joan Crawford and babies to other celebrities in the 1920s, '30s, and '40s.

I'm wondering why Wingate felt she should write a fictionalized version since the real story itself is a button pusher. Do you think her novelization somehow enhances the story? I'm a bit leery, but I may be missing out by not reading Wingate's thinly disguised version. I'd appreciate to know one way or the other. I know, I know: as my teachers used to tell me, "Read it yourself to find out!" Of course I could, but I still like to know what other readers think.

I spent some more of my Barnes & Noble Christmas gift cards this afternoon to buy The Black Ascot by Charles Todd. I started reading it in the cafe while having a Starbucks (not my favorite brand) cappuccino and a salted caramel toffee cookie that was delicious. I looked up the recipe online just now and found someone's takeoff of it that they said cost 19 cents each to make. Not quite what I paid SB! Anyway, I'm continuing to read the book, one of the few authors I still buy.

Ann, I'm taking your advice to just yell at printed bloopers to heart. It seems to be the best solution.

I just finished The Perfect Couple by Elin Hillerbrand. I enjoyed it very much! It’s a story of family tragedies and deceptions. It opens with the family and friends gathered in Nantucket for a wedding. The morning of the wedding the bride discovers the drowned body of her maid of honor.

The story goes back and forth in time, as the police try to learn what happened to the drowning victim and we learn the background of the story. Sometimes that kind of writing drives me crazy, but this time it didn’t bother me.

Donna

Comfort reading again! Pride and Prejudice lovers, please answer.

Are there deliberate puns in this book? I am a skip reader so pick things up after several re-reads and noticed this time that after Mary is asked to stop playing and singing, she is "disconcerted"! Am I reading too much into this?

I tried Googling but only got memes etc. on that subject.

Sheri and Reader please don't believe any of the so-called historical information in Finding Camlann is more than fiction. We know Owain Glyndwr was a real person although many/most of the events around his life are probably inaccurate and yes, Stonehenge is a real structure built possibly before the Pyramids but . . . reading some of the comments about the book "It is better than the DaVinci Code" as anything is better than that work; just treat it as myth and be pleasantly surprised if you later find there were some truths hidden within it !

Vee, apparently there actually was a "King Arthur", an early chieftain around the 4-5th century in Britain. I've seen many alternative names given. There are even college courses taught on this topic now. Of course, we all know how this bare legend was embroidered in the French and English courts of chivalry in later years by Thomas Mallory et al.

For my course in English Literature, I'm reading Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. For entertainment, I'm in the middle of Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild." It is an amazing, true story and I am loving it. I won't give away the ending, but it concerns a mysterious death of a young man in Alaska. Krakauer is an excellent journalist with a flair for detective work. Frieda, I think you might like this one.

Vee, no worries! The story was actually focused on an academic whose goal was to deconstruct all the myths around Arthur. I found historical interest in the way the story explained each wave of Arthurian legends, how one built on the next, and then how they became (somewhat) attached to Owain Glyn Dwr. Definitely not The DaVinci Code!

I am reading The Power by Naomi Alderman for my book club. I am not enjoying it and I feel like I am losing brain cells and/or IQ points with every turn of the page. It was dubbed as speculative fiction, and reviewed as "Shocking! Impressive! Knocked my socks off!" I just find it a bunch of nonsense. It is so simplistic that I feel she wrote it on the back of grocery store receipts, and I am completed underwhelmed. At least it is a library book. (My daughter is reading over my shoulder right now, she said, "Wow mom, tell them how you REALLY feel.").

Wood, I am a Krakauer fan and have read almost everything he has written. Into the Wild filled me with wonder, vexation, and I wanted to throttle that young man several times while reading the book. Looking forward to your comments once you have finished reading it!

PAM

PAM, I will be sure to avoid The Power. Thanks for telling us how you REALLY feel.

I loathe dystopian fiction. Nearly all of it that I've read seems like so much perverted wishful thinking and ploys to manipulate readers' emotions. Any time I see a book compared to A Handmaid's Tale (turned upside down, in this case) and a blurb from Margaret Atwood, I suspect tripe is being pushed on me because certain writers want to emphasize their pet agendas in a speculative way. That's what I really think -- bah!

I don't like fantastic things in plots at all. Even some of my favourite genre of detective fiction gets a bit silly at times and has me muttering "Oh, come ON!"

I didn't think The Power lived up to the hype either - it was too much of a blunt-force message novel for me to enjoy, especially since I thought all of the 4 POV characters unlikeable. I suppose it could make for a decent discussion in a book club (for example, would one find the characters more likeable if their genders were reversed?), but I also was glad that I could return it to the library. :)

After finishing the Reich book on ancient DNA, I found something on prehistoric Europe to catch up on some of the different cultural stages he mentioned. I also read the first 3 pages of our book club selection (Confections of a Closet Master Baker), thought 'Meh' and put it aside for later.

Donnamira, when you posted in the February thread about reading David Reich's "Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past", I meant to respond then because I read that book back in January and posted something about it here at RP, as well as at another site I frequent.

However, I got sidetracked so I'm tardy in replying to you. But I do want to say that I found Professor Reich to be one of the best explainers of what I consider to be difficult material. I probably don't remember a lot of it with accuracy -- I'm not a 'hard' scientist so I do have trouble with some of the concepts, including the statistical analysis you mentioned. From a social science perspective though, I was enthralled. It's definitely a subject that I would like to keep up with, and naturally I'm interested in books you've found to follow it. What's the title and who's the author of the study of prehistoric European cultural stages? Please let us know what you think of it.

For those of you who don’t like fantasized reality, don’t read Newt Gingrich’s novels! In his world the South won the Civil War. :)

Donna

Oh my, I doubt I would want to read anything by Gingrich anyway! :-)

Freida and Donna,

You both nailed it. This author of The Power has either an obvious political agenda or an obvious target audience. Quite frankly, I care not which it might be. And Donna, interesting thought... I shall pose that question in book club by asking if the book clubbies would feel the same if the characters were men, or environmentalists, or 2A supporters, or termites.

Just finished Irene Nemirovsky's Jezebel. At only 199 pages, I found it to be a mesmerizing peek at the life of a (fictional) woman who refused to acknowledge that she was aging. It was like a female version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, but it also touched on how her narcissism affected those around her. I like Nemirovsky's way with words, and believe she is both sparse and descriptive at the same time. She tells me enough but still leaves room for my imagination.

Last night, I spent a few hours in a used book store and came out with 18 books. Yea, I counted. My next read looks like it will be The God Problem by Harold Bloom. I believe it will be about the creation and physics of the universe and what does and does not quite add up per the laws of science. I do like Bloom so I am looking forward to it. It will take me a while to get through, and I am sure I will read some fiction simultaneously.

PAM

Frieda, the book I just checked out on prehistoric Europe is The Oxford Illustrated Prehistory of Europe, Barry Cunliffe, Ed. It's a bit dated (1990's), but I didn't find anything comparable of later date in our library. I'm only in the first section (each article is written by a different scholar), and so far, it's not the survey overview I had hoped for. So I am re-borrowing Marija Gimbutas' The Language of the Goddess, which I didn't particularly like (I thought some of the symbology interpretation far-fetched), but it had a nice overview of the prehistoric cultures in an appendix which I didn't realize was there until i finished the book and it was due to be returned. I think I'll be able to use that to get a timeline in my head. Other books I've read recently which I think are good companions to the Reich book are Daniel Everett, How Language Began, and David Leeming, From Olympus to Camelot: The World of European Mythology. Everett's book has flaws (he spends too much time knocking other people's theories, and he uses too much linguistics jargon) but in the associated fields (he brings in archaeology, anthro, neurology, biology too), his explanations are clearer. Leeming's book is a good comparative mythology work, drawing on Campbell, Eliade, Gimbutas, and others. It's almost all Indo-European, naturally, but he does give context to other systems.

You mentioned the Little Ice Age somewhere in one of these threads - have you tried Sam White's A Cold Welcome: The Little Ice Age and Europe's Encounter with North America? If you like the topic, you should find White's book interesting. I liked it so much that I gave it as a Christmas present to my JPL friend who runs a number of Earth observing missions.

PAM, I remember my astro professor in the early 70's introducing the topic of quasars in class, calling them a GDI. When we all looked at him, puzzled, he grinned and said "God Did It."

I finished Garden Madness by Susan M Watkins. It's a tongue-in-cheek guide to gardening. The author clearly had fun writing it and I chuckled frequently as I read it. Don't pick it up if you are looking for a serious how to manual, but do pick it up if you like gardening or garden related books and want to be amused.

Woodnymph - I was surprised to see that you are reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, because I just finished reading it last night. It's not a current book that's being talked about these days, so it surprised me that we both happened to be reading it at the same time. This book had been on my TBR list for … well, perhaps years, and it happened to catch my eye at the library at a fortuitous moment last week (finished one book, waiting on another), so I picked it up.

I enjoyed a lot. It did seem though that Krakauer didn't have quite enough material about this young man's story to fill a book, so he padded it with other alone-in-the-wilderness stories (including one of his own). But those stories were quite interesting as well and Krakauer was skillful at always pointing out a parallel or a tie-in with the Chris McCandless story. I think Krakauer is quite good at this type of writing.

Annpanagain, in answer to your question about Jane Austen and puns. I do not think that Mary being "disconcerted" when her father stopped her playing was intended as a pun. I looked that scene up in two different annotations of Pride and Prejudice and found no mention of that being meant that way. However, I can think of at least one case where she did make a pun, and a rather naughty one. I her novel Mansfield Park. Mary Crawford makes an arch comment about not wanting to hear about admirals "rear or vice". The very proper heroine sees this as proof of Mary's fundamental lack of good taste.

Rosefolly, Thanks for your reply. I thought it might be an accidental bit of wordplay but one never underestimates a neat sly allusion being slipped in.

I used to go to a drama school and when we performed a Shakespeare play in a girl's reformatory home, those sharp ears picked up a lot of bawdy humour that we had never noticed.

Msmeow: Does Mr. Gingrich usually write alternate-universe, speculative-type fiction -- not present-day political thrillers and such, as I have assumed? If so, he's hardly original.

In high school in the mid-1960s, I was assigned to read MacKinlay Kantor's If the South Had Won the Civil War, which I only did begrudgingly. As I recall, though, it turned out to be quite fascinating to me at the time. However, I haven't thought about it in years. Kantor was an Iowan, so that's why students in Iowa schools were expected to know something about his writing. Andersonville is probably his best-known book, but If the South Had Won . . . is a lot shorter. :-)

Donnamira, I have not read The Oxford Illustrated Prehistory of Europe, edited by Barry Cunliffe, but I've read several of his other books. I've loved his accounts of archaeology, all of which are profusely illustrated with maps, drawings, and photos. The most recent I perused is Steppe, Desert, and Ocean (published 2015) -- which, as usual, is a beautiful book, but I now suspect he used a team of researchers and he synthesized their findings, along with some of his own. I caught a few mistakes; e.g., in the narrative the River Kuban is said to flow northwest into the Caspian Sea -- but it doesn't; it flows northwest into the Sea of Azov. The corresponding map does show the correct position.

Cunliffe notes the role of DNA to sort out some of the conundrums of cultural origins in Europe and into central Eurasia, but he barely gets into it. He mentioned Marija Gimbutas' theories in several of his books, and I've read some of her ideas in many other books but I've never tried to read any of her own writing. I'll order The Language of the Goddess. I will pay close attention to the appendix in it.

That's quite a list you've provided for me! Thanks so much!

Frieda, I think I've only read one book by N Gingrich (he may have only written the one!) and it was a long time ago. What I remember is the south winning several large battles that were lost in reality, and Custer surviving his famous "Last Stand".

Donna

Frieda, thanks for the comments on Barry Cunliffe. Our library does not have the one you mentioned, but there are about a half-dozen others, so I have a couple to add to my TBR list. A warning on the Gimbutas book: it's basically an image-heavy arrangement of various artifacts, interpreted in the light of Gimbutas' theory of a pre-Indo-European matriarchal culture. I thought some of the interpretations far-fetched, and was reminded frequently of David Macauley's tongue-in-cheek Motel of the Mysteries (the sacred urn, sacred collar and the sacred incantation San-i-tiz-ed-for-yo-ur-pro-tec-ti-on). :) But the appendix was useful! I was really looking for her earlier work which was referenced by Leeming, The Gods and Goddesses of Old Europe, but the later book is the only one our library has.

Friedag - I've been thinking about your questions regarding Wingate's Before We Were Yours and I'm unable to come up with anything profound to address them. I will say that I believe there is room for a fictionalized depiction of the Tann scandal in today's reading market. As to her motives for writing it I can't say. Money was my first thought. I thought it was well done especially because it demonstrated the wide reaching ramifications of these events in a way that most people could relate to on a personal level. Her (Tann's) actions affected lives of individuals and families for years after. Also skillful (I thought) was that the kidnapping/adoption part of the story was told by a young victim who didn't fully understand the facts of what was happening but the reader does full well.

I haven't read the NF book that you mention so I can't compare the two but I do think that Wingate's book would reach a very different audience. This book is for my bookclub and we will meet Thursday after next. I'll bring your questions with me and see if they can add anything. I'm a little surprised that no one else has chimed in with comments, being so popular (I think). Thank you Frieda, for asking about it and if you do read it, please let us know what you think.

I finished Krakauer's "Into the Wild" last night and truly enjoyed it. Like Pam wrote, I felt frustrated by the character of McCandless, in that he was so unprepared for his wilderness experience. He seemed lacking in "common sense." (Who goes into the Alaskan wilderness for months, to live off the land, without an ax, without a compass, and with only one bag of rice?)

I really liked hearing the author's own narrative, which was similar, in terms of love of risk-taking when young. It presented a more realistic contrast of a survivor, in my opinion.

My copy had addendum, with additional research done decades after the death, with regard to the native plants and seeds that might have led to the boy's downfall.

I'd already read two of Krakauer's books, but this one I found the most riveting. I really think he is a gifted journalist. Hope I have not spoilt this for anyone.

Frieda and Donnamira,

Just last Wednesday (Feb 27) the Nova series on PBS aired an almost 2-hr show, Great Human Odyssey, about how the first humans appeared in Africa, evolved and moved through the rest of the continents. A good amount of the scientific evidence used to determine this was ancient DNA. It may interests you both. As usual, they interview scientists from several fields in different parts of the world. It was very interesting.

Thanks to all of you for your insightful comments and recommendations. I have added at least thirty books to my TBR pile and lists. I'm a pretty fast reader, but this may take me a while! I'm delighted.

Merryworld, I'm eager to read what you and your book club think about Dreamland by Sam Quinones. I'm 200 pages into it, about to start the chapter "Fifty, Hundred Cases a Month: Olympia, Washington". I'll have more to say, I'm sure, when I finish.

Intrigued by Merryworld's description I have picked up Factfulness by Hans Rosling. I am about halfway through it and very much encouraged by his point of view. We do have a lot of problems in this world, but maybe there is indeed hope for us yet.

Rosefolly, I also found Rosling and his coauthors refreshing in their positive outlook of interpreting facts. I haven't read the entire book yet nor studied all of the graphs in depth, but I answered the thirteen questions they posed in the Introduction. I had already picked up that I should be skeptical, so I guessed correctly on several, simply because they run counter to the usual 'facts' often trumpeted by the media and various doom-and-gloom prognosticators.

I particularly like the style of the bubble graphs with different size circles (tiny to large) in different colors unevenly strung out on a diagonal line. The visual makes the information stand out immediately and clearly, in my opinion. (This must actually be seen as describing it with words is probably futile.) I also enjoyed the photo charts; e.g., bed styles according to income level and types of toilets and facilities.

I think Factfulness will be my latest dip-in and dip-out book. It's hopeful and fun to consider its elements as a sort of breather among all the heavy stuff with which we are bombarded daily.

A couple of weeks ago I booked a trip for me and my little RV to the European mainland by ferry, and will be setting sail at the end of August. The plan is to drive as quickly as I can from the ferry landing in Denmark to Bolzano in the Italian Alps and then take my time exploring northern Italy for 3 weeks before returning to Denmark via France and Germany. Therefore I am delving into my books about Italy and just finished the first one: Vroom With a View by travel writer Peter Moore, which covers some of the territory I plan to visit, especially Tuscany. Despite the punny title (the vroom refers to his mode of transport, a classic Vespa), it's a fun read and I found several places in it that I might add to my itinerary.

I will probably read my copy of Culinaria: Italy next, and then I might delve into Casanova in Bolzano by Sándor Márai or possibly Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes, which takes place on the Italian riviera (in Liguria), another area I intend to visit. After that, I plan to re-read A Room With a View and maybe one of Frances Mayes' Tuscany books. I also have a guide book to Italy on my bedside table that I take a peep at before going to sleep.

I'm aiming for one book about Italy per month until I depart.

I finished The Pharaoh Key by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child last night. It was fairly short (about 250 pages) and I read it quickly. Two guys have been let go from their company and steal computer data as revenge. The data is the translation of the Phaistos Disc, which turns out to be a map. They set out to find what is at the location and plan to steal that, whatever it is, too. It reminded me a lot of the Indiana Jones movies. It was an entertaining story!

Donna

Reading Before I Go by Colleen Oakley. At 27, a woman learns the breast cancer that she beat 3 yrs before, has come back with a vengeance: it has spread to the rest of her body. She has only months to live. Her main concern is her absent-minded husband, who is completing 2 doctoral degrees at the same time. How will he manage when she is gone?

In the time she has left, she decides to find him a new wife. So far pretty good.

Netla, what a wonderful journey. I hope you will post often about your adventures, and eat some gelato for me!

I'm reading some old Lawrence Block books, The Burglar Who . . . Quite entertaining, and I was ready for them after a couple of Kate Ellis' Wes Peterson with archaeological old dead bodies tied to present-day murders. The last one was pretty gruesome.

Netla,

If I remember correctly, you sketch, no? Do you do some sketching when you are traveling to document your trip?

With all those books about Italy to read before your trip, you are going to be there (in your mind) way before the actual crossing and driving!

Carolyn, will do. I actually keep a special blog about my travels and will post a link when I start writing about the trip. It's written mostly in Icelandic, but if I know there are English speakers reading it I can easily write in English as well.

Reader-in-transit, I occasionally sketch in my travel journals, but I mostly take photos. My sketching from life is very hit or miss - I mostly draw fantasy subjects and patterns, mandalas and such.

Last night I combed through my TBR bookcase and found several books featuring Italy in one way or another, and am now reading Tim Parks' Italian Neighbours, about living in a small village near Verona, and while it's not going to give me any ideas about places to visit, it is beautifully written and gives (or at least seems to give) some insight into the Italian character and manners.

Netla, your trip sounds wonderful! That's the kind of travel I would like to do - just have a basic plan and go wherever moves you.

My DH and I are coming to your neck of the woods in July! We sail from Southampton on 6/29 (I guess I should say 29 June, huh?) and our ports of call are Brussels, Copenhagen, Skagen and Oslo. We're spending two days in London at the end and flying home on July 8. We're very excited!

Donna

Donna - If you have time and decent weather in Oslo, I highly recommend visiting the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Prior to my trip to Norway, I did not even know the park existed, but it remains one of my favorite vacation memories ever. I do realize that the surprise of it added to my delight, but I don't think knowing about it will diminish its appeal.

Thanks, Kathy! We have already booked our shore excursions, and the Oslo trip includes Vigeland. Also a Viking museum and Kon Tiki, I believe.

I'm looking forward to going to Scandinavia. I'll blend right in, since I'm pale, blond & blue eyed. :)

Donna

I traveled widely in Scandinavia and loved every moment. Such friendly people and good food. Scenery is spectacular everywhere and be sure to try a sauna!

Kathy, you don't happen to have a photo of The Angry Boy, do you? Somehow we failed to get that one. I tried to find something on line, but all I came up with were expensive posters. I just wanted a snapshot for my photo album/memory keeper.

Carolyn - I don't have an Angry Boy photo either. You can, however, use the Windows Snipping Tool to save a photo from the Internet onto your hard drive - preferably from a site like Flickr (so it is some other tourist's snapshot and not a copyrighted photo), and then send it to a photo-developing site to have a snapshot made.

I remember The Angry Boy sculpture. I went to my photo book, but apparently I don't have a picture either. What was with us? Were we just too agog to operate our cameras?! Maybe Donna will get a snap of him. :-)

After reading five major downers (all very well written so I couldn't tear myself away from them), I am ready for some happy reads! Factfulness is very optimistic, but I'm not finding it a book I can immerse myself in. Perhaps I need something SILLY.

BTW, I'll just list those five books that have taken the sap right out of me. Merryworld, be warned about the first one, if you haven't already launched into it!

About the American opioid epidemic:

Dreamland by Sam Quinones

American Pain by John Temple

The following are about . . . well, it's obvious from the titles:

Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham

Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe by Serhii Plokhy

Chernobyl: 01.23.40 by Andrew Leatherbarrow

(Note to Vee: I knew about the Calder reactor, but I somehow never heard about the "Windscale accident". When did you first get the word about it?)

I didn't take a photo of Angry Boy because I bought a booklet of the popular sites which included that. Although I once joined a photographic club and learned to develop and print my own, it was easier to buy postcards etc. when on our travels and let my husband fiddle around, setting up the best angles with his superior camera!

Ann, "superior cameras" appear to have become somewhat obsolete due to the ubiquitous smart phone. My daughter was taking our photos with hers, and we thought she had that one. Alas, she didn't. She did snap several of the other sculptures, though. I don't think I will bother taking my camera on another trip when I'm with her. Her photos are quite good and so easy.

Thanks for all the replies. He is an eye catcher, isn't he?

I don't take pix with a camera now, just use a Smartphone I bought by mistake. I prefer a simple Dumbphone with buttons as I rarely use a mobile phone at all.

I take it with me when I go out in case of an emergency and it is programmed with family and the doctor's numbers.

The last camera I had was given me by my MiL to take on a trip to Europe. As my husband and his superior camera were elsewhere one night, I tried to take snaps of some street musicians but couldn't get it to work. When I got home and commented about this to MiL. she nodded and said she couldn't either!

She might have mentioned this! The poor musos were so patient and posed several times until I gave up. Luckily I have a good visual memory...

Have been trying to read Blake by Peter Ackroyd the very detailed bio of the strange mystic poet and artist William Blake (think 'Tyger Tyger' or 'Jerusalem') and finding it very hard going. So far I have learnt that he was too sensitive to attend school, from a early age saw 'visions' of angels/biblical characters and did a seven year apprenticeship as an engraver. Considered odd by those who knew him but loved by younger artists of the 1800's.

Another Ackroyd . .. this time The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, which I picked up during a very long wait at the Dr's and 'borrowed'. I think this is the first time I have actually read a whodunnit by AC. For me it was less about the murder and more about the social setting . . . all those servants and the niceties of playing Mahjong. Easy to see why many workers favoured communism in the 1920's-30's "There will be seven extra people for dinner tonight Cook. That wont be a problem, will it?"

Forty Autumns by Nina Willner. The story of a German family post WWII when one member flees to East Germany and the rest of the family is in West Germany. Lots of history interwoven with the family story. Very good, brought a tear to my eye yesterday. The author is a member of the family in the book.

Edited to add “in the book,”

I've just finished Susan Hill's "The Soul of Discretion." What a page-turner! This time detective Simon Serailleur goes undercover. The ending is a stunner. This is my favorite mystery series, so I hope Hill will keep on churning them out -- they are so well-written, with interesting, complex characters and a charming village setting.

Woodnymph, I don’t think I’ve read any Susan Hill books - I’ll have to check them out.

Yesterday I finished Texas Ranger by James Patterson. I didn’t really like it. The main character was just too full of himself. Nobody could solve the murder but him, all the women in town fall for him, etc.

Today I started Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber. I don’t think I’ve read her before. I like it so far. A young woman loses her entire family in a mudslide and a year and a half later she returns to the cottage her family went to when she was a kid.

Donna

This afternoon I started The Infidel Strain by M. J. Carter, of whom I know nothing. I just picked it up at the library. It is set in early Victorian London (Victoria has just had her second child), so it was a given for me. Involves gutter-press printers being murdered, and the new police force doesn't want to know.

Mary, Simon is one of my favorite characters. Other of Ms. Hill's books are too dark for me, although I did really enjoy her book about combining her husband's and her libraries. It's title is Howard's End Is on the Landing.

(I was afraid to edit my post just above for fear it would disappear.)

Vee, I am a great fan of AC and my favourite is "The Hollow" which was televised and stuck to the book quite closely. Unlike some recent adaptations!

I believe that Roger Ackroyd was decried as being unfair to readers as they were not presented with all the clues to solve the mystery. Not quite cricket, y'know!

I believe that Roger Ackroyd was decried as being unfair to readers as they were not presented with all the clues to solve the mystery. Not quite cricket, y'know!

Annpan, you summed it up exactly! I usually like Agatha Christie's books for what they are: good puzzles to be solved. But The Murder of Roger Ackroyd still is stuck in my craw, years after I read it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was less than impressed with J. D. Vance's self-congratulatory memoir: Hillbilly Elegy. My daughter-in-law who was born and brought up in eastern Kentucky has recommended to me: Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy, edited by Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll. It looks promising. I had to laugh at one reviewer's mention that Vance's book should be titled "Hillbilly Reprimand".

“In this illuminating and wide-ranging collection, the authors do more than just debunk the simplistic portrayal of white poverty found in Hillbilly Elegy." -- Nancy Issenberg, author of White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America.

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Annpan, thanks for the info on Roger Ackroyd perhaps that is why I couldn't figure out the plot-line or even why Ackroyd had been murdered!

Donna, Susan Hill is my favorite mystery writer, even more so than Louise Penny. Some of her Serailleur series do have a bit of darkness, but for whatever reason, that enhances them for me. The characters are complex and multifaceted. We get to know them as a family, in a charming small English village of Lafferton. I recommend trying to read them in order. The last one that I read was the "darkest" one of all and it had built upon the plots of past books in the series.

Frieda, having lived three years in West Virginia in the '60's, I was eager to read Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy". I rather liked it but I would be most interested in the book you plan to read that is a rebuttal of his opinions. I hope you will get back to us regarding "Appalachian Reckoning."

Woodnymph .....I love Louise Penny's books......If I want to read Susan HIll which book would be a good one to choose first?

I think "The Various Haunts of Men" is one of her firsts. I will have to check my list and get back to you.

I just finished reading The Vacationers by Emma Straub. For me, the book was pretty much a waste of time. In summary, it's about an extended New York family and friends spending two weeks together on the island of Mallorca. Each of the vacationers is on the cusp of a big change or big decision in their life. And what do you know, all tensions and problems get resolved during the two weeks. It mostly involves who has sex with whom and why (or who previously had sex with whom and why) and who is adopting a baby and why. I'd call it a beach book, except I prefer my beach books to be better than this one.

yoyo, below is a list of the Simon Serrailler books by Susan Hill. It is better to read them in order as she has several of SS's relatives lives as sub-plots within the stories and you get to 'discover' her cathedral city in which they are set. Perhaps not best read one after the other . .. they can be rather dark.

Susan Hill Best Read In Order

Because I typed the author's last name incorrectly, I edited my review of The Vacationers (just above Vee's list of Susan Hill books). I'm curious whether the rest of you can see it now that it's been edited. Yes? No?

I wish I would have read this discussion before spending Saturday reading The Power. I do enjoy well done dystopia/utopia stories and books, but this one just never came together for me.

I read Mistress of Modernism: The Life of Peggy Guggenheim by Mary Dearborn for my art book club. I did not know much about the modern art scene in NY, or her influence in it so found it interesting.

I just finished Seveneves another sci fi/dystopian book that got some rave reviews. It is an interesting story, and it kept me intrigued enough to finish the 800+ pages. The author did a lot of very long and detailed descriptions of the technology in various places which was really too much. I found skimming through them did not affect the story for me.

Kathy, it is corrected.

And by the way, it got 3 stars on Amazon= *yawn*

Kathy, I have it, listed as "posted three hours ago".

I shouldn't be up at 6.30am on Tuesday 12th March but I had one of those nights where sleep eludes me, this time totally! I gave up trying to drop off by the usual methods so I am blearily on my laptop instead where there is generally someone awake too!

Thanks Yoyobon and Annpan. I was just wondering after talk of edited posts disappearing. I often edit mine, because I don't seem to see typos until after I submit them!

Kathy, I can see your post, too. It is 6:55 pm in Louisville. And the sun is still shining. It's good to see it after all the rain we have had, including an additional inch on Saturday.

I'm moving right along in The Infidel Strain and enjoying it.

Picked up a pb of Testimony by Anita Shreve. Set in a private school in Vermont and divided into short 'chapters' as each protagonist tells their part in the story of a sexual orgy (are all orgies of a sexual nature?) that was filmed and passed around the school until the authorities took control of events. Slowly a picture builds up of who did what to whom, the sins of omission and commission. The lives wasted because of some basic stupid mistakes by people who should have known better.

For me there was way too much information about basketball and all the other aspects of the American 'way-of-school-life' plus I'm not familiar with the terms sophomores, juniors, PG's with which the text was liberally sprinkled.

And a question. Do parents really spend so much time involved with their children's school life and team games? Maybe this was just to help move the story along but I'm certainly glad my parents never breathed down my neck when I was a pupil . . . not that any orgies took place . . .

Kathy, yes I can see your post of twelve hours ago (9.30am here) and no, the sun isn't shining but a gale is blowing from somewhere in the Atlantic via the Jet Stream (blamed for all weather-related ills) and we are to expect heavy rain. But it's March so what else should be blown our way?

Vee, my parents only went to my High School once, they were asked to bring me for a chat with the Head Mistress and a conducted tour for them before I started. They were advised on what the school expected of the pupils conduct.

It had been a private fee paying school and there was quite an emphasis on that type of expectation. The parents were now from different classes and were politely told what their daughters would be experiencing. No orgies though! Hard work and three hours homework a night at fifteen.

I don't recall parents getting involved at all otherwise back in the Fifties. I kept away from my children's activities too as did most parents in the Sixties and Seventies.

It seems to be very different now. The teachers complain of "helicopter " parents hovering around and in too many cases physically assaulting teachers for various reasons and also pupils they believe are being bullies.

The recent stats are horrific.

Vee, in high school and college in the US the first year is freshman, second year sophomore, third year junior and fourth (and usually last LOL) year is senior. When I was a teen PG was a euphemism for pregnant. As in "Did you hear she's PG?" whispered among other girls, usually followed by catty comments about the "PG" girl.

Donna

Thanks annpan and Donna. The only time I remember my Mother coming to school with me was when I was 4 and the first day of what we used to call 'little school' ie Junior school. No-one had told me where I was going and I and half a dozen other kids spent the morning crying, the loudest one was put behind the piano. I had never met or played with other children before or used a straw to drink milk. Nor did I know how to put my hands together for morning prayers. On reflection there was a lot to take in when so immature. I do however remember enjoying making 'shapes' from balls of wet clay. As it was a 'progressive' school with lots of music, art etc little emphasis was placed on reading or 'sums'. I think we were meant to assimilate these through some process of osmosis; obviously I was rather too thick-skinned for this to happen for several years.

Annpan helicopter parents happen over here too. Every moment of a child's day is planned plus the weekends are full of activities. Also much aggression is often shown by fathers when watching school games of football etc.

Vee, I read "Testimony", as well, and was not impressed with it. I had read several of Anita Shreve's earlier works and liked them very much, e.g. "The Weight of Water."

I've noticed that today's parents are far more heavily involved with their childrens' activities in schools than they were in my generation. There also seem to be far more parent/teacher conferences now. In my day, when a parent was called to speak to a teacher, it was because the student had serious issues, either with learning or discipline. Of course, in grammar school, we were sent home with a "report card" which my parents let me read. Also, now parents are expected to attend their kids' games, and there are so many more extracuricular activities at the end of the school day. I've also noticed that far more homework is given now than back in my day. Kids seem weighed down by heavy book loads.

I finished The Infidel Strain which dealt a great deal with the Chartist movement in England, which I didn't know much about, but which also had a descriptive afterword that was helpful with understanding. I'm now reading another Peak District mystery by Stephen Booth called The Devil's Edge.

Vee, a comment on your arts and music sessions, As I cannot sing at all, there was very little of that going on at home. My daughter is quite musical and was enthralled when she started to school and they sang every day. The first thing she told me in the evenings was what they had sung that day. Mostly in the beginning they sang either children's or patriotic numbers. One day she told me that day they had sung a song about our daddies' graves. After much puzzled thought on my part, I realized they had sung My Country 'Tis of Thee that has the line "Land where our fathers died; land of the Pilgrim's pride . . ." I love kids.

Re carrying heavy books. I did that in my canvas school satchel and have a permanent droop to my right shoulder. Thank goodness that I didn't have a more expensive and heavier leather one! I wish we'd had backpacks in those days. Far more sensible.

Reading The Humans who went Extinct (why
Neanderthals died out and we survived) by Clive Finlayson

Once the
Neanderthal were thougt to be not even human, knew if an Homo
Sapiens had had a sexual reltionship wouldn't have been any newborn but if therewas , it wlould be an hybrid, but
now we know we have more or less 4% of neanderthal genes. In “Sapiens
, a Brief History of humankind” the author Yuval Noel Harani states
that the languages made the difference, namely, at a certain point
the sapiens , probably had a genetic transformation that made him
able to develop language, and it was very important the possibility
to chit chat, adopt new vocabulary increase the lexicon and so on ,
in the meanwhile the Neandrthal was supposed to have only a “sgrunt”
language, probably they could say “watch out when you go to the
ford , because I saw a lion drinking other there this morning” but
also Bonobo, the apes closer to us have a series of shriek meaning
the same thing “watch out when you go to the ford , because I
saw a lion drinking other there”. So scholars fought a more evolute
languages bnrings about a better organisation, beause it is very
strange that Neanderthal more accustomed in a very hard conditions
were overcome by Sapiens who were also physically weaker. Someone says
the Sapiens overcame the Neanderthal only because they ounumbered them. But new studies found out Neanderthal wasn't so primitive and also they had an elaborate language, and they were able to build a motley of tools. So why we survived and the Neanderthal didn't?

msgt, I read somewhere that Neanderthals and similar 'early' species of modern man produced comparatively few children. The theory is that these people, hunter-gatherers, were always on the move, never far from dangerous 'prey', Unlike their later more settled distant cousins it would not have been practical to flee from danger with a handful of small children/babies clinging to their parents or, as in the manner of kangaroos, chuck a small infant out of the pouch to aid escape. Of course this isn't to suggest they practiced some form of birth-control. Maybe as they sat on the Rock of Gibraltar, which is, I think, the last place their remains have been found, they had just run out of places in which to roam and/or not enough offspring to keep their line going.

Vee, there is a DVD of Roger Ackroyd in the Poirot series that might help you understand why he was murdered but it does have a non-book silly melodramatic finish, I recall. I do dislike these kind of additions.

As for the French versions of Christie plots, substituting a police inspector, his sexy secretary and a nosy girl reporter for Poirot and Hastings...OMG!

I finished reading Dragonholder by Todd McCaffrey; a book of bits and pieces about his mother Anne McCaffrey. It was written a number of years ago, before she died, so isn't current but I found it interesting.

I also finished a graphic novel, Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: an Introvert's Story, by Debbie Tung. Boy did it hit home for me! I am definitely an introvert. She really nailed what it's like to be an introvert.

Mary/Woodnymph, I finished Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy, and I'm happy to report that it surpassed my expectations. I'm grateful to my daughter-in-law for letting me know about it.

There are 41 essays in this collection (well, actually, some of them are poems) that are varied in viewpoints, some of which made me draw in my breath: "Whoa!" I never would have thought of some of these perspectives, although I am usually skeptical of any stereotypical representations of people from particular regions and cultures.

I won't say which essays I liked best, because I intend to reread them all to see which ones hold up well to second and third, or more, readings. If you read these responses to Vance's book some time, I would be pleased then to tell you which writing struck me most and why; but I don't want to give away too much because I think the wallop of surprise is probably an individual reader's matter-of-opinion thing. I do recommend it. I think it was needed, but I won't hold my breath that the opinions it holds will get near as much attention as they deserve.

Rouan, I suspect a lot of us avid readers are introverts! :) Years ago when I worked on a church staff we did a personality assessment. There was one lady who scored about 1,000 on the extrovert side, and I was proud of myself that I was as far on the introvert side! :) I also take exception to the term "painfully shy". Nobody is "painfully outgoing"! What's wrong with being shy?

I finished Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber yesterday. It was a sweet story, borderline sappy in a lot of places, and very predictable, but I did enjoy it. No one was murdered and there were no guns fired. It was a nice break from the police/crime drama type of stories I usually read.

Donna

Donna, I've never really understood why introversion is nearly always equated to shyness. I am not shy, but I think I am an introvert -- at least most of the time. Perhaps I am a bit of an ambivert as I do like to be around other people sometimes, but given my druthers I will take solitude over 'the madness of crowds' any old day.

I read somewhere that most of the troublemakers of the world have been extroverts! They want, need, and depend on attention -- be it good or bad. I don't know if that's true, but I think it might be!

Donna - Love your viewpoint!

"I also take exception to the term "painfully shy". Nobody is "painfully outgoing"! What's wrong with being shy?"

It's painful ?

Depending on the situation I suspect outgoing folks never feel the angst in social situations that a shy person experiences. It can be extremely anxiety-producing. For instance, I have never had any issue with speaking in front of people but I know many who have shared that they'd rather die than have to stand up and talk to a group.

Bon, I don't know that I'd rather die but I sure would rather do almost anything than speak in front of people. I used to have to give a monthly financial update at staff meetings and I was in knots all day. The group was about 30 people who I knew well and it still caused anxiety.

For some reason I've never been shy about playing clarinet in front of anyone - not from day one. I even did a couple of solo pieces during band concerts in college. Yes, I was nervous, but not anxious.

Donna

I suspect that many of us here at RP who read a lot are introverts. I know that I am, and the tests I took years ago confirmed that. I grew up as an only child, so became a constant reader. I think having no siblings enhances the introverted aspects of one's persona. I used to be "painfully shy" but tended to get over it in my Twenties. Now, I just don't like loud noises, large parties, and crowds. I avoid all of the above. To me, silence is truly "golden."

Frieda, thanks for your commentary. I will look for the rebuttal to Vance's book.

My-daughter-the-nurse told me that being an introvert doesn't necessarily mean you are shy. Although you may be, introverts basically just need time alone to refresh and renew themselves. This must be true because she claims to be one, and she certainly isn't shy. She does need down time though and is a reader. I can put on a good front, but I like my "me" time, too.

I consider myself to be an introvert, but I am certainly not shy. I do find social situations with a lot of strangers oppressive. Talking in front of people gives me the jitters, which is why I still don‘t understand why I agreed to take on a part-time teaching job a couple of years ago.

Donna, I have met people who I would say are painfully outgoing. Sure, it‘s not painful for them, but it can be for others.

I‘m now reading three books: Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes, which I am
just getting into; The Wrong Way Home by Peter Moore (whose Vroom With a View I highly enjoyed), which promises to be entertaining, if somewhat laddish; and The Secret Life of the Owl by John Lewis-Stempel.

I got the last one at Hatchards bookshop when I was in London last
month, because I love owls and it‘s a small book and I was travelling
carry-on and didn't have much space in my bag for extra stuff.
Lewis-Stempel has been called „Britain's finest living nature writer“
but I‘m not seeing that in this book, which seems hurriedly put together
and lacking in coherence. Perhaps I should buy and read one of his
award-nominated books to see what the fuss is about.

Carolyn.....yes, if you 've ever taken the Myers-Brigg personality test you find that an Introvert is one who recharges or gets renewed energy from being alone as opposed to seeking the stimulation of crowds or groups. It doesn't mean that they are a shrinking violet but rather refers to how they get balance and energy.

Bon, thank you for the Myers-Briggs name! I couldn't remember it yesterday. I just know I'm INFJ, which means I like to be alone! LOL And that I need time to process things. The church staff also did an assessment called Kolbe that is more about thought processes than personality. I am heavily "red" and "blue" which means before starting a project I like to gather all the information, then spend plenty of time reviewing my work before presenting it to anyone. Many other staff members were "green", which are the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type. An idea occurs to them and they run with it and leave others to pick up the pieces. Not the most comfortable people for a blue/red person to work with!

I was very, very shy as a kid but shook off a lot of that in college. Now I'd say I'm more just introverted than really shy. I definitely am better at speaking up for myself.

Donna

Donna....because you have F in our profile you might find this link very interesting. I discovered a LOT about myself when I read this one :

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-freedom/201602/10-traits-empathic-people-share

Oh, wow, Bon! That is me to a "T"! I am generally a very happy, upbeat person so I must be good at avoiding the negative people. :) My boss is very negative and sometimes I find I need to get out of the office for a bit and go smile at people.

Donna

Rouan, if you haven't already read it, I highly recommend

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. I'm definitely an introvert, and this book was a wonderful affirmation.

I just finished Making Rumours by Ken Calliat. It's his recounting of the year he spent with Fleetwood Mac recording and producing the Rumours album. This is one of my all-time favorite bands and records, so I was excited to read it. However, even with a ghost writer, his oddly specific and near endless descriptions of what amp he used and how the mics were placed and what the mixing board did or did not do (how do you recall this level of detail some 36 years on?) made parts of the book a slog -- I found myself skimming madly to get to the more interesting bits. It was just OK, but I'm glad to get it out of the TBR pile.

Donna, it's me too :0)

Sheri, Cyril Perfect, father of 'Fleetwood Mac's' Christine McVie's lectured in music at the College I attended in the '60's. Of course this was before the band was formed, but it is nice to have some very second-hand association with a Pop Legend . . . :-)

Not book discussion, but since I have gone to a laptop, I no longer have a place for posting a new RP topic. There is a place for Houzz new posts. Can anyone help me, or do I need to consult my retired cousin guru who made the switch from my desktop for me?

It's hard to help without seeing what your page looks like. But, if the above is what you're seeing on your laptop [a photo of my own page]...then you're seeing the latest Houzz set up. Just enter your topic in the box that says "start a discussion" and proceed as you always did. I have Win 7.1 on a PC. If you're using Win 10...my suggestion may not help. I'm not familiar with Win 10 at all.

HTH

I am one of those people who is balanced evenly on the fence between introversion and extroversion. I am happiest when I have both time with people AND time all by my self, and have them every day.

I finished my current re-listening of the Lord of the Rings. I read it or listen to it every so often, as I do Jane Eyre, all of Jane Austen, and several other beloved books I can't call to mind just at the moment.

For the past few days I have been reading a four-novel mystery arc by Sabrina Flynn set in San Francisco 1896-1900. While each volume stands alone as a complete story in itself, there is definitely a longer plot that takes all four volumes to work to a conclusion. For this reason reading in order is a good idea. The first novel is From the Ashes, and the series concludes (I think) with Record of Blood. I am hoping the author will now turn her attention to a new story line since this one has now concluded to my satisfaction.

I may not know whether I am an I or an E on the Myer-Briggs scale, but I am most definitely a J.

I'm reading Bryant & May: Hall of Mirrors by Christopher Fowler. This book has the pair back in the 1960s at an untypical weekend house party on the order of Agatha Christie. Bryant didn't have the proper clothing and borrowed an old suitcase of actor's clothes. They are such a hoot.

Carolyn, my husband Tom loves the Bryant & May series. I don't read a lot of mysteries, but I may pick one up sometime. Like maybe tonight!

Rosefolly, they are different. Some of what I like are the esoteric London descriptions.

Winter, I tried a test post and can't find it anywhere.

A few days ago, I finished Before I Go by Colleen Oakley. A woman who is dying at 27 is worried how will her husband manage when she is gone, and tries to find a future wife for him. Well, it is about more than that.

As expected, the book has very sad moments, without being melodramatic or depressing, but it even has some lighter moments. The writing is good, the characters are likable. I liked the ending.

I started In His Father's Footsteps by Danielle Steele, but gave up after a couple of chapters. The story is about a couple who were liberated from Buchenwald and are sponsored by an American businessman who brings them to the US. The businessman is a miserly and unpleasant guy, and as soon as the young man finished the contracted year of work he leaves to go work in the diamond business.

I gave up on it because the writing was just really, really bad! Paragraphs jumped from subject to subject with no relation to each other. It read like an elementary school child had written it. I wonder if Ms. Steele has a team of writers who pen her novels now? If so, she needs to ditch whoever wrote that one.

After giving up on Danielle Steele I downloaded another Faye Kellerman book, Jupiter's Bones, about a cult leader who has (maybe) died by suicide, then a couple of members disappear. I'm enjoying it so far.

Donna

Hmmm Perhaps you need to reset the cookie for the Houzz site, Carolyn. I have my Houzz sites bookmarked so I never have to re-enter my password to get into the sites that I visit. With your new laptop, perhaps Houzz isn't recognizing you. It seems strange but nothing ever surprises me with computers.

Beyond these simple offerings, I would suggest that you contact Houzz directly and ask why you're experiencing this problem. Go through the "Contact Us" link at the very bottom of the page. They've always been very pleasant and helpful when I've contacted them directly. Recently, Houzz was "hacked" and they notified all members that were directly involved to adopt a new password. Some members who weren't affected by the hack were still asked to validate their password with Houzz. This may not be related to your issue...but one never knows about these things.

As an aside to your computer posting issues...I've been checking in from time-to-time hoping that you would give a review or critique of Todd's latest...Black Ascot. Beyond the B & N coffee shop...did you like it? Is it up to Todd's standards? I'm a Todd fan as well.