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Much to my delight Enchanted April came up as a Jeopardy question last night.

Reggia wrote: "Much to my delight Enchanted April came up as a Jeopardy question last night."

Cool!

The book I started reading this week (which will occupy me most of this month) is The End of the Ancient World and the Beginnings of the Middle Ages by French historian Ferdinand Lot. I originally read it some 60 years ago, and had recently gotten a copy by interlibrary loan so that I could refer to it while doing a retrospective review; but I quickly came to the conclusion that I couldn't do it justice without a full reread.

Sounds like an interesting history to read!

Reggia wrote: "Sounds like an interesting history to read!"

It actually is, if you're interested in that sort of thing (which, being a history major, I am). It can also be a challenging one, though, since the author was writing for his fellow historians and graduate students in the field, rather than for general readers. (Of course, I'm getting more out of it now than I did as a kid, although I learned things from it even on the first read!)

Not too interested when I was younger, but things change, lol... this also seems like a history era of which I haven't seen, or learned, much.

Reggia wrote: "Not too interested when I was younger, but things change, lol... this also seems like a history era of which I haven't seen, or learned, much."

I'm expecting to finish it by the end of the month (it's actually due back at the lending library on Dec. 17, but I'm trusting that they'll renew it), and hope to have my review up soon after that.

I don't read that many actual novels in a year, but am finishing up 2025 with one I like a lot: Mr. Flood's Last Resort. Cantankerous Mr. Flood has driven off several health aides/caretakers, yet Maud - likely his last hope (resort) before it's off to a "facility" for him - seems his equal, determined to learn the secrets the creepy old house might tell.

I had an accident this past April and have now finished my first short story - it was a head injury so I am
staring slowly . by Henry James. This story is so psychologically rich I don’t think I will ever reach a conclusion about the governess - either one.

Hi Lee... sorry to hear about the injury, but glad to know you getting back to reading. Which Henry James novel did you read? Think I've only read two of his, and not remembering a story about governesses.

So sorry about your accident, Lee, but glad you're able to read again now! Am I guessing correctly that your recent read was The Turn of the Screw?

Well, thanks to you, John, I have added Mr Flood's Last Resort to my ever-growing to-read list. :-)

I am now re-reading A Christmas Carol. I got the notion from a former member here, Charly, who recommended an annual read. Enjoying it this year yet again! To set the mood, I turned on the woodstove and some English classical music. This is my first winter in over 21 years! Not terribly cold yet (mostly 40s and 50s), and just one snowfall so far.

Barb and I have finished Sackett's Land, and just started reading the sequel, To the Far Blue Mountains. We hadn't intended to pursue the series together (of course, Barb's read the whole thing before, and periodically rereads it); but although the first book doesn't end in a cliffhanger, the two books are connected closely enough that we wanted to follow the protagonist's whole story.

felt that I needed to consider usage of negative dialectics for a ‘paper’ I’d been writing, so reading a lot of Adorno lately.

Welcome, Jiv! I had to look up "negative dialectics" -- Adorno's argument sounds interesting, especially with the thoughts of suppressing individuality of a human.

I'm current reading The Myth of Sisyphus in which I'm learning a bit of philosophy and different angles on hope. I often remind myself that, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick," but at the same time, "Hope, deceiving as it is, is a good companion along the way."

For a pure pleasure light read, I'm enjoying Tom Sawyer Abroad. :-)

I got my new library card from the library down in town 10 miles away. So small they only have one librarian -- who sadly doesn't need my help, not even as a volunteer and I come with experience! Itching to use it (despite still reading the last two books I posted), I borrowed a copy of Cloud Cuckoo Land. I've been hearing about this book for so long, but wasn't sure it was my thing. Upon realizing that one of the storylines takes place here in Idaho, and loving Doerr's All the Light You Cannot See, I simply had to indulge myself. ;-)

Don't know if I can wait until spring to unpack my own books... I had several big reads planned for my first winter in the cold.

I've started Bright Lights, No City: An African Adventure on Bad Roads with a Brother and a Very Weird Business Plan, interesting story of starting a small business in Ghana.

Only Idaho-set book I can recall was the much-acclaimed nonfiction Educated, which I disliked.

Bright Lights sounds like a fun read! And one that would make for a funny movie, I'm sure. ;-)

I'm interested in Educated, too, and bought a copy a few years ago. It's still in a box somewhere... think I was avoiding it before the move as I wondered how critical it would be. Not all homeschooling endeavors are the same. Figured I'd read it before deciding. It's hard finding good books that take place here, it's not like any other place I've ever lived, that's for sure. The population here, despite it's growth in recent years, is very minimal and most towns are quite small. Going from 6,000,000 people in a metropolis to a few thousand in one town with no sizeable towns within hours hints at the difficulty.

Reggia wrote: "It's hard finding good books that take place here...."

The only books I've ever read that were set in Idaho are the three novels of the Ladies' Shooting Club trilogy by Susan Page Davis (the series opener is The Sheriff's Surrender). This is clean romance in the Western genre, set in the fictional small town of Fergus in the mid-to-late 1880s. Each of the books earned five stars from me, and Barb liked all of them as well; but of course your tastes might differ.

I just realized that since the new year started, I've failed to post anything about my current reads. Apparently, I'd gotten completely sidetracked by other concerns, and let it totally slip my mind. :-( Mea culpa!

So far this month, I've finished two books (the last one very recently), Reluctant Revolutionary: A Hessian Comes to America by Ron Andrea, and Spirit of the Wolf, edited by Carol Hightshoe. Both of these are review copies given to me by Goodreads friends who wrote or contributed to them; the first one is an historical novel, the second an anthology of wolf-friendly short stories.

The third review copy, which I started reading this week (also from the same friend who gave me the wolf-positive collection, Andrew Seddon), is of another anthology, Pilgrim Tales: An Anthology of Fiction by the Catholic Writers Guild. (I'm not myself Catholic, but I've greatly liked several quality fiction reads by Catholic authors, and this collection is introducing me to several whose work I haven't previously read. So far, I'm enjoying it!

Started Diary Of A Pilgrimage:, a comedy-novella from the author of the famous Three Men in a Boat, which was terrific! Basically, a satire of upper middle class Victorian attitudes.

February is Black History Month, and the face-to-face Bluefield Univ. Book Club (which the BU library sponsors) will focus on black history in our February meeting. To contribute to the discussion, I've started reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. This was an unplanned, impulse decision that postpones my earlier reading plans; but the book has actually been on my radar for years.

I'd originally intended for The Tokaido Road by Lucia St. Clair Robson to be my next read; I wanted to read it last year and the year before, but at over 500 pages it can be hard to work into a reading schedule. That problem has reared its head again. Recently, I decided that I want to reread Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu in another group from April 1-14; I'd like to start on time with them, and I'm not sure I'd be done with the Robson book by then if I'd started on it today.

So, in the meantime, I'm planning to work in some other, shorter reads that are also priorities. I've just started A Preface to Paradise Lost by C.S. Lewis, as a preparation for reading Paradise Lost itself later this year. That's the only poetic work by Milton that I haven't read (though I've read bits and pieces of it); I was usually underwhelmed by most of the others, so I'm bringing in some help in preparing this time!

Thanks for the earlier book suggestions, Werner. I'm also so glad you mentioned CS Lewis's book as a prep. I didn't even know it existed but will definitely get a copy before I try Paradise Lost again. LOL, I started it sometime ago but too distracted... will definitely get back to it.

Still reading Cloud Cuckoo Land that I mentioned a few weeks ago. The local library would not give me a permanent card to borrow books (since I haven't gotten a new driver's license), but thankfully they allowed me one renewal so I can finish this before returning. They even acted like I wouldn't be allowed any more library loans but that doesn't match up to their web page. Trying to put off the license a little longer.

Hope your local library will come to their senses soon and be more reasonable to work with, Reggia! I've never heard of a public library demanding a driver's license as a condition for a permanent card (and I've been a public library director at times!).

Glad to help out by pointing you to the Lewis book! Whenever you read Paradise Lost, I'll be interested in your take on it.

Isn't there an alternative proof of address?

I showed them a bill and a bank statement with new address, and they still insisted on an in-state driver's license. (Just re-read their page, and nowhere does it say the proof must be a driver's license within this state, just that a photo ID must be one of the items.)

Appreciate that feedback from a library director's perspective, Werner!

Their attitude seems to be ridiculously legalistic. (Do they demand in-state driver's licenses from their pre-teen patrons too, or do they just also refuse to allow kids to check out books?)

Good question, Werner -- tempted to ask them just that!

It does seem kind of strange, libraries are usually quite excited to get people reading.

Well, I couldn't resist starting another book before finishing the last... needed something short and uplifting and McCall Smith rarely disappoints... that said, I'm now reading The Conditions of Unconditional Love, another title in the Sunday Philosophy Club. I enjoy the series so much that I was going to start a meet-up group and call it the Tuesday Morning Philosophy Club only I always had to work on Tuesdays, lol. It would be fun to ponder the moral philosophies that this light-hearted yet sincere series does.

Earlier this week, I started on The Reavers of Skaith, the final book of the Book of Skaith trilogy by Leigh Brackett. Since the first two books each earned five stars from me, I have high expectations for this one (and it's delivering so far!). At 208 pages, I'm expecting it to be a pretty quick read.

I just started reading Soldier Dog loaned to me with much enthusiasm from my nephew's wife. I'm finding it quite an easy read (although interesting), so I checked and it is children's/young adult.

Meanwhile, I'm still opening *boxes hoping to find the books I started last year... no luck yet, but I came across a book I had started a few years ago... my memory didn't serve me correctly because when I checked on here I'd already listed it on my READ books and gave it a 3-star, so no, I won't be repeating The Jane Austen Book Club.

*The boxes are very, very heavy and still in stacks I've been reluctant to break the tape seal because they'll need to be moved again before this whole ordeal is over.

Oh wait, I did find one of the pre-started books, Paradise Lost, and now I've gone over your review, Werner, of CS Lewis's Preface... the whole thing might be over my head, lol, but do you still recommend reading it "as a preface" or might it do just as well to read alongside Milton's book? I had actually started it with some videos from Hillside...

Reggia wrote: "do you still recommend reading it "as a preface" or might it do just as well to read alongside Milton's book?"

Hmmm! Good question. I would read it as a "preface," because then you get the benefit of insight from the whole thing that you can then apply to all of Milton's book, from the beginning. But that's me (and I tend to be pretty much a one-book-at-a-time reader, at least when I'm reading to myself). "Your mileage may vary." :-)

Thanks for the feedback, Werner! And lol @ "your mileage..."

Reggia wrote: "Thanks for the feedback, Werner! And lol @ "your mileage...""

I first heard that expression years ago (here on Goodreads, actually :-) ).

As a contrarian, I use Your Mileage May Vary every so often in my reviews when I could see others liking the book. Maybe it's a Libra thing?

I'm tackling East of Eden with a group I'm in.