What did you read in-- January 2014

[Portia]

Thanks again:)

[Nancy from NJ]

Alias Reader wrote: "Posting on Good Reads can be quite a challenge. Learning how to add the book/author link or other things can seem daunting. When I first came to GR I was totally lost.

However, you will see you..."

Yes, things can be daunting and I for one keep learning new things. I recently learned how to link a page using the first item (some html is ok) above but once you learn this it's set in your memory box.

[Alias Reader]

Nancy, I sent you a Good Reads email a few days ago.

(click on envelope at top of page)

[Portia]

Thanks for the encouragement, Nancy. I surely need it. :)

[NancyInWI]

Been a rough and crazy 2 months here. Lost my father-in-law 2 weeks before Christmas, been sick off and on since the day before Christmas, was in the hospital this past weekend, so my reading has been really spotty!!!

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball
Fluffy fantasy Christmas story. Was cute. 3/5

The Uncluttered Heart: Making Room for God During Advent and Christmas
Advent/Christmas devotional Maybe because of the chaos surrounding me, I didn't manage to unclutter my heart very well. 3/5

Paper Angels: A Novel
Loved this Christian Christmas novel. Uplifting and very readable. 5/5

The Storyteller
One of the best Jodi Picoult books I've read. Was not the easiest to read due to subject matter of the Holocaust. Have always found Picoult's writing style easily readable and keeps my interest. 5/5

[Alias Reader]

NancyInWI wrote: "Been a rough and crazy 2 months here. Lost my father-in-law 2 weeks before Christmas, been sick off and on since the day before Christmas, was in the hospital this past weekend, so my reading has b..."

((((Nancy)))) I am so sorry to hear about Father-in Law and your not feeling well. I hope you are on the mend. Sending healing thoughts your way.

[NancyInWI]

Alias Reader wrote: "I am so sorry to hear about Father-in Law and your not feeling well. I hope you are on the mend. Sending healing thoughts your way. "

Thanks so much. Yes, I finally seem to be getting well. And we are leaving for a relaxing 2 week vacation in Fort Myers Beach on Saturday, where I plan to do a lot of reading.

[Alias Reader]

Good to hear. It sounds like a nice vacation is just what you need.

[Amy]

Enjoy your vacation, Nancy in WI! It certainly sounds likes you need it. Hope your days down south are filled with sun, relaxation and much reading. :)

[Nancy from NJ]

Alias Reader wrote: "Nancy, I sent you a Good Reads email a few days ago.

(click on envelope at top of page)"

I must have read it. Can you refresh my memory. Things have been crazy around here so I must have forgotten to answer you.

[Nancy from NJ]

NancyInWI wrote: "Been a rough and crazy 2 months here. Lost my father-in-law 2 weeks before Christmas, been sick off and on since the day before Christmas, was in the hospital this past weekend, so my reading has b..."

Sorry to hear about the last few weeks Nancy.

I also loved The Storyteller. I think it's one of the best fiction books about the Holocaust.

[NancyInWI]

Thanks Amy and Nancy!

[Portia]

I read this short book this past weekend. We Have Always Lived in the Castle


Shirley Jackson's gifted storytelling gave me stage fright while I was sitting in my own living room, in front of my own fire, with my own cat on my lap. Jackson tells the tale of two sisters, one of whom is suspected of murdering the rest of the family, who live in one of those big houses at the edge of town. The elder sister has become so agoraphobic that she never goes out. The younger is able to manage trips into town to buy groceries. The townspeople never miss an opportunity to point and stare and tease Merricat. She and Constance have become suspicious even of old family friends. But, what makes this story so wonderfully frightening is not that the story of Constance and Merricat scares the reader into carrying around a baseball bat to be prepared for an attack. Rather, in this tale, Jackson stirs up that fear of "the other," that feeling we all have of not belonging and of what might happen to us because of it, that frisson that so many of us feel when the door leading to the job interview opens, when we are just about to go onstage, when we face strangers who will judge us. 5/5

[Alias Reader]

Portia wrote: "I read this short book this past weekend. We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Shirley Jackson's gifted storytelling gave me stage fright while I was sitting in my own living room, in..."
**********************

Is that your cat in your avatar? So pretty!

I have put the Jackson book in my TBR notebook. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[NancyInWI]

Portia wrote: "I read this short book this past weekend. We Have Always Lived in the Castle


Shirley Jackson's gifted storytelling gave me stage fright while I was sitting in my own living room, in..."

I read many reviews and while it sounds like a strange book, not sure my kind of genre, I was intrigued enough to put it on my Wish List on PBS.

[Portia]

Thanks, Alias and Nancy. Yes, that is our Zephyr. She is a Siamese and therefore always seeking heat sources: under a lamp, in front of the fire, on a lap :)

[Carol]

Hi Portia, You're black and white tuxedo, looks very much like mine. She also has a black spot over her nose and face, I have her pic in my photos.

[Amy]

Love your Siamese cat, Portia! We used to have two of them (brothers from the same litter--they were named Simon and Fraser), but had to find a new home for them when my son was diagnosed with severe asthma. I still miss those little guys, even though it's been nearly 18 years. :(

[[deleted user]]

All of the love on here for Life after Life is making me want to read it even more, even though it doesn't quite sound like my kind of thing. I may have to add it to the TBR after all!

That is a beautiful cat Portia! I have two dogs because I thought I was a dog person but they are so much work, especially now with a small child to wrangle as well. I do love them but I think after they are gone we will either be pet-free for a while or have a cat. I've always wanted a Blue British Shorthair with big orange eyes!

[Portia]

Thank you for all the lovely compliments to my cats. Cha Cha, Zephyr's litter mate, is actually a tabby and white, but I can see how she looks Tuxedo in the picture. Their mother is just plain old black and white. She produced two tabby and whites and two Lynx Point Siamese. She was a neighborhood stray we finally trapped who is now spayed and lives inside. We kept her kittens. Not sure who the Dad is, of course.

[Lesley]

I love the name Zephyr for a cat! We had a beautiful Siamese called China years ago, and when I was quite young I named a cat Magnus Barefoot after reading about the Vikings. Being on a farm we had many animals and some ended up with silly names...

[Portia]

Thank you so much, Lesley. She is the youngest of the four and still the lightest. They were born in early March when we are all hoping to feel that first, tiny warm breeze that promises Spring. But she is a feisty little thing who doesn't take any nonsense from anyone. ;-). We also have some silly names. Because I am a poor typist, our big orange male is named Or-Nage. We call him Neigh-j. :P

[Lesley]

Cool names, Portia. Cats make such wonderful reading companions!

I read 8 books in January and a mixed bag it was too.

Riding the Trains in Japan NF The author was born in this area. He travels through Japan, China and Vietnam. Interesting details. I like his style. 4 stars.

The Shiralee Audio. An itinerant worker and his little daughter experience life in rural NSW during The Depression. Well read by James Condon. 3 stars.

The Clearing The son of a milling family, suffering from PTSS from WW1, manages their isolated Louisiana mill rife with alcoholism, gangsters and violence. 1920s setting with vivid desciptions of the landscapes. 4 stars.

Secrets Of The Red Lantern: Stories And Recipes From The HeartNF Chef Pauline Nguyen's life from Vietnam, her family's migration in the 70s, to her funky Sydney restaurant. Nice looking recipes too, though I haven't tried any. 3 stars.

The Tapestries early 1900s Vietnam, a romance and revenge with, sadly, little detail of the setting. I felt little towards the characters. 2 stars.

The Mary Smokes Boys My second Holland read in January. A sad tale of kids who struggle to survive in their small country town, and dream of moving on. Beautiful writing, but not sure some of the dialogue is quite right. 4 stars.

Love And The Platypus Audio. Based on fact, the scientific investigations by a Scottish bioligist of platypus and other native creatures in rural QLD in the late 1880s. Funny at times with interesting facts too. 3 stars.

Novel Without a Name Set during the Vietnam War, the experiences of a Nth Vietnam soldier. A difficult read, but I didn't feel for the characters. 3 stars.

I managed to read four books with a Vietnam setting for my trip which is only a fortnight away. This year is flying past!!

[Alias Reader]

Wow, Lesley ! What a good reading month you had. There are some very interesting books on your list.

[Amy]

Lesley wrote: "This year is flying past!!..."

Ah! Don't say that! My youngest son is graduating from high school in June and will be heading off to college in the fall. The empty nest is coming fast! I still need time to absorb that. Don't make the year go TOO fast. ;)

[Alias Reader]

Lesley wrote: I managed to read four books with a Vietnam setting for my trip which is only a fortnight away. This year is flying past!! ..."
-------------
Wow ! I can't believe your trip is already here. How excited you must be.

I look forward to hearing all about your trip. Don't forget our Travel Folder.

[Nancy from NJ]

A trip to Vietnam is on my bucket list. Can't wait to hear all of the details from you and have a great time.

[Alias Reader]

Connie wrote: Life After Life - Kate Atkinson. This is one of those "love it or hate it" books.....and I loved it. In fact, it's fun for me to start off the year knowing that a book I read in January will be one of my best books of the year! You do have to buy into the premise that a woman is born and lives and dies over and over again, all the while not knowing what has happened to her but having a strange case of deja vu that we can understand, but she can't. Sometimes an alternate life ends early, sometimes accidentally, sometimes tragically. I can't imagine how Atkinson ever conceived of writing this book, or how she pulled it off, but she did, beautifully. .."

Connie, Amazon is out with a list of 100 Books to Read in a lifetime.

Life After Life made the list !

Amazon also linked to GoodReads Readers top 100. I hope that will bring more posters our way ! Fingers crossed. :)

[Julie]

Connie wrote: "You might also want to read Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden which is the true story of the only person, a young man, to be born in one of the North Korean prison camps and live to escape from it. ..."

I do have this on my to-read shelf!

[Portia]

Do we have a group read set up for Life after Life that I, of course, didn't pick up on?

[Madrano]

I haven't seen a group read for Life After Life by Kate Atkinson here, Portia. It's been on my list since someone here posted about it a few months ago. My name is edging it's way to the top of the library list...i was 26 on a list before Christmas & am now #6.

Re. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Amy. I read the first two of her journals in the '70s. I thought she wrote well but realized Lindbergh wasn't quite the greatest even then. ANYway, I just wanted to mention her books about her youth, meeting him & their early years.

Bring Me a Unicorn: Diaries and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1922-1928

Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead: Diaries and Letters Of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1929-1932

Maria29, is there a particular reason you got hooked on Texas history, such as a potential visit? Or did one book naturally lead to another? There is some rich history there, i must admit.

Lesley, i'm excited for you & your trip. Interesting titles you've read in prep. Enjoy!

NancyInWI, i hope your vacation helps with your recovery & adjusting to the family's loss.

[Madrano]

I strictly read fiction in January while working away at my Jefferson Davis bio. They are the following:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Straightforward book set in the UK, mostly about a village adjusting to changes in neighbors & neighborhoods.

I read a trilogy of YA sci-fi by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Life As We Knew It, The Dead and the Gone and This World We Live In. The first is about a teen & her family's adjustment to a shift in the moon, results including tsunamis, earthquakes & other climate changes. The second follows a NYC teen & his family over the same time. The final is about when they meet. Apparently there is a fourth but it's not available yet from my library. It's well written for YA & I'm a sucker for sci-fi, seeing how folks cope, etc. Still, i'm not interested if this is going to go on & on.

Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy was interesting. A book mostly about loneliness, it was sad & interesting. I'm glad it wasn't longer, though. Haven't seen the movie, though.

That's it.

[Alias Reader]

Portia wrote: "Do we have a group read set up for Life after Life that I, of course, didn't pick up on?"

No, no group read of that book is scheduled at this time. You can check the
Folder: Introductions & Welcome to BNC
look for the thread titled
Announcements & Group Read Schedule
To see what we have planned.

We are talking about the book because Connie (post #36 in this thread) read it and posted about it.

[Alias Reader]

Madrano wrote: "I haven't seen a group read for Life After Life by Kate Atkinson here, Portia. It's been on my list since someone here posted about it a few months ago. My name is ed..."


We are talking about the book because Connie (post #36 in this thread) read it and posted about it.

[Alias Reader]

Madrano wrote: "I strictly read fiction in January while working away at my Jefferson Davis bio. They are the following:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Straightfor..."

I really loved Major Pettigrew. It was the authors first book and I can hardly wait for her next novel.

[Portia]

I started that and got pulled off onto something else. Time to blow off the dist it sounds like to me.

[Amy]

Madrano wrote: "Re. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Amy. I read the first two of her journals in the '70s. I thought she wrote well but realized Lindbergh wasn't quite the greatest even then. ..."

Yeah, I haven't had a favorable opinion of Lindbergh since learning in high school that he was a Nazi sympathizer and a vocal proponent of Hitler's ideology of race purity. I never knew he was also a crappy husband, though. Somehow I missed the news stories about his secret other families by his three different mistresses. Probably because I was only 6 when he died.

As luck would have it, I foundLindbergh by A. Scott Berg on the table at the local library book sale. I'll make my way through that at some point, as well.

[Amy]

Glad you enjoyed the book, Mike. I can't stomach Bill O'Reilly and therefore won't pick up anything written by him. My dad read the book, though, and also liked it.

[Susan from MD]

Carol wrote: "Carol's January 2014 reads --
Regarding poetry -- fiction, or nonfiction?

Washington Square by Henry James- 240 pp.
FICTION
Rate: ..."

The movie The Heiress is on TCM now. It is based on (a play that was based on) Washington Square. It's a wonderful movie with very memorable performances by Olivia de Havilland, Ralph Richardson and Montgomery Clift.

[Nancy from NJ]

I saw The Heiress last year with Jessica Chastain and Matthew from Downton Abbey. I still enjoyed the movie more.

[Portia]

I wondered how "Matthew" (Dan Stevens?) did in his Broadway turn. Now I am getting fearful that Tom, Sibyl's widower is getting antsy for America. I hope he doesn't have a better offer, too :(

[Farah]

I read , and

[Nancy from NJ]

Portia wrote: "I wondered how "Matthew" (Dan Stevens?) did in his Broadway turn. Now I am getting fearful that Tom, Sibyl's widower is getting antsy for America. I hope he doesn't have a better offer, too :("

He did very well. I did read that he enjoyed America or perhaps New York so much he wanted to stay. And yesterday there was an article about the real woman who played Sybil starring in a forthcoming movie. I hope like others who left for other roles - remember David Caruso - that they don't flame out.

I also hope Tom doesn't leave for the USA but he may have better opportunities than being the widower of Lady Sybil.

[Nancy from NJ]

Amy wrote: "Madrano wrote: "Re. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Amy. I read the first two of her journals in the '70s. I thought she wrote well but realized Lindbergh wasn't quite the greatest even then. ..."

Yeah, I ..."

When I was younger I read books by Lindbergh's wife and they were inspiring and quite good. Naturally today I never want to hear Lindbergh's name of Henry Ford.

[Alias Reader]

Portia wrote: "I wondered how "Matthew" (Dan Stevens?) did in his Broadway turn. Now I am getting fearful that Tom, Sibyl's widower is getting antsy for America. I hope he doesn't have a better offer, too :("

I haven't heard anything about Tom leaving. But who knows.

[Alias Reader]

Farah wrote: "I read , and "

Thanks for posting your reads for January, Farah.
Maybe you could post a line or two telling us your thoughts on the books and how you would rate them on a the Good Reads scale.

[Madrano]

Farrah, those sound interesting but intense. Enjoy!

[Nancy from NJ]

We went to see The Monuments Men yesterday and in the middle of the movie I said out loud - that's Lord Grantham and my husband began laughing. More about this in the movie thread.

[Alias Reader]

:) I didn't know he was in the movie !

[Nancy from NJ]

Yes and he was quite good too. What a cast, I didn't know who to look at first when they were all on the screen. A friend said one review said that Clooney made a nice movie and I so agree. I am no prude but I much prefer a nice movie than one with sex, drugs and ....