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2023 Independent Challenges
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Laurel's "Keeping It Light" Choices for 2023
#36
The Island of Missing Trees4.5 blue stars
Not always a happy read, but satisfying in how the characters cope with current events, with cultural differences, and with grief. Ada is the late in life child of a Greek man and a Turkish woman from Cyprus. Her mother has died a few months prior, and her father has retreated into himself and poured his own grief into caring for a fig tree brought with the couple to England. He met Ada's mother, Defne, and fell in love with her when they were both teenagers on Cyprus. Greeks and Turks had coexisted on Cyprus for years, but in 1974, the Turkish Ottoman empire invaded Cyprus and effectively segregated the Greeks from the Turks. In the midst of this turmoil, Ada's father, who lives on the Greek side of the island is sent to school in London. 25 years later he returns to Cyprus as a botanist and reconnects with Defne. The story alternates between 1974, the early 2000s and the mid-2010s. Pulling most of all this together, is the narration of the fig tree. The fig tree is a fount of knowledge about Cyprus, the cultural conflict, the biology of trees, especially fig trees, and all of the various animals that are a part of the life of this tree. Although the tree can sometimes go a bit overboard with all of her information, I found this bit of magical realism/anthropomorphism to be delightful. When Ada's father's sister comes to London after years of being estranged because of the cultural conflict, Ada comes to learn more about the two sides of her heritage, to come to terms with her grief, and to gain an understanding of her father. Not quite a coming of age story, but beautifully and movingly told.
Description: Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers and creeping honeysuckle, Kostas and Defne grow in their forbidden love for each other. A fig tree stretches through a cavity in the roof, and this tree bears witness to their hushed, happy meetings and eventually, to their silent, surreptitious departures. The tree is there when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, and when the teenagers vanish. Decades later, Kostas returns. He is a botanist looking for native species, but really, he's searching for lost love. Years later a Ficus carica grows in the back garden of a house in London where Ada Kazantzakis lives. This tree is her only connection to an island she has never visited--- her only connection to her family's troubled history and her complex identity as she seeks to untangle years of secrets to find her place in the world.
#37
Band of Brothers: Harfleur3 green stars
Kindle Unlimited trial and next in series
Better than the first book in the trilogy. Still a man's tale of battles, whoring, and drinking, but the author has paid a little more attention to his plot and relating the historical events with a great deal of research. The addition of a bit of a love-story didn't hurt, but don't expect a happy ever after. The author is not squeamish when it comes to death and dying. I will probably read the last novella, Agincourt, to see how he concludes the stories of his "Band of Brothers."
One caution: There were an awful lot of typos in this Kindle edition, especially using plural forms where the singular was intended. One of the pitfalls of spellcheck, where a real person would have caught these errors.
Description: 1415. Harfleur. The town stands defiant. Henry V and his army have been repulsed. If the English fail to break the siege then their campaign will be over. Men will die, from disease or starvation. The King instructs one of his agents, Thomas Chaucer, to negotiate a deal with a local French merchant to re-supply the army. But, instead of meeting an ally, Chaucer is about to come face to face with an old enemy. Henry, in a last throw of the dice, charges the archer Robert Cooper with ending the siege. The bowman forms a plan. The night attack will either save the English army - or damn it. Once more into the breach...
11,225 cumulative pages
Oh dear - I am slipping! 4 books behind in my Goodreads goal. And how did it get to be September already, anyway? I haven't had an overly busy summer. I haven't even been doing much gardening. Just doing things other than reading. I get sucked into the genealogy time/space continuum every now and then. And I just got back from Nebraska where I attended the North American Festival of Wales. I taught a Welsh folk dancing session, attended seminars, evening concerts, and ending with an entire afternoon singing Welsh hymns in 4-part harmony (Gymanfa Ganu). Then I got a cold so I got two more days off work this week, and I have a 4-day weekend ahead. So we'll see if I can catch up a bit!Here's what's on tap:
READ The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine - Perspectives book club meets on the 19th, and I am leading the discussion, so I have procrastinated on this long enough. Time to buckle down.
READ Owls Well That Ends Well - I've postponed this on Libby for months and finally borrowed it two weeks ago. Now I have 5 days left. It's an audiobook, and not too long. Just the thing to listen to while I get over this cold.
READ Everything's Coming Up Beatrix!: A Breaking Cat News Adventure - Just published and I had it on preorder, so it came this week. I'll read it today!
READ Agincourt - The third novella in the Band of Brothers trilogy. It's not great, but it's not bad either, and it's short...
READ Horse - Book club book for Daytimers. Doesn't have to be read until the end of September. The CD is sitting at the library right now, so I'll get it when I go back to work on Tuesday.
I also have a couple of holds waiting (print books) for A Good Yarn:
READ A Flickering Light
The Wild Inside (M is for Montana)
My other unfinished books seem to be on long-term pause right now.
#38
Everything's Coming Up Beatrix!: A Breaking Cat News Adventure5 blue stars
I adore everything about this comic strip. And I have my own Beatrix, so I can't give it less than 5 stars. But what the heck, Georgia? I expected this to be all about Beatrix. She doesn't show up until halfway through the book, and then you've condensed the story, leaving out several weeks of strips where Beatrix is found out in the snow, being rescued by the Man, how she got her name, etc. Am I going to have to go to the website, copy those strips, and paste them into my book?? This omission made no sense to me!
Description: Join Elvis, Puck, Lupin, Tommy, Beatrix, and the whole team for spooky tales around the space heater, daring hairstyles, not-so-hilarious sweaters, an Easter egg hunt disaster, new cat foods, “Heck on the Deck!”, something called a papasan, and the first ever celebration of St. Catty’s Day! Tune into a ghostly broadcast when Puck makes a harrowing journey to the attic and gets in over his head. . . . Can Elvis and Tabitha work together to save him?
Cumulative pages: 11,417
Mod
I was behind too, and just plowed through some novellas and short stories. I love a lot of the Amazon originals. They've introduced me to new authors.
You've been busy, Laurel!! That Nebraska trip sounds epic. Teaching and seminars. That's so cool.
#39
Owls Well That Ends Well3.5 pink stars
This really wasn't quite up to the standard of previous books. Still zany good fun though with all of Meg's crazy relatives. This one was mostly Meg with everyone else (except maybe Spike the dog) taking a back seat. The overboard yard-sale bargain hunter antics kind of left me feeling exhausted. The plot goes around in circles, and it all got a bit too much of the same thing over and over. I didn't guess the ending though, so there's that....
Description: Meg Langslow was actually looking forward to renovating the old Victorian mansion she and her boyfriend Michael bought. But she wasn't thrilled by the lifetime of junk accumulated by the house's eccentric previous owner, Edwina Sprocket. The easiest solution: hold the end-all and be-all of gigantic yard sales. But when the event attracts the late Miss Sprocket's money-hungry heirs, the over-enthusiastic supporters of some endangered barn owls, and customers willing to go to any lengths to uncover a hidden treasure, Meg suspects things have gotten a little out of hand. Then, an antiques dealer is found stuffed in a trunk with his head bashed in - and the yard sale turns into a days-long media circus.
Cumulative pages: 11,743
Mod
#40
A Cat's Guide to Bonding with Dragons2 yellow stars
I really wanted to like this more - cats, dragons, Wales, fantasy... But the cat was whiny and narcissistic, and no one was at all kind to him. I could have used a little more world-building... the concepts were good with the "good" and the "bad" crystals, the magical bond between dragon and rider, the evil wizard, etc. but nothing was ever explained very well. Too much of the story was repetitive, and sometimes Ben seemed like a cat, and sometimes he could have been human. Any "catness" just seemed a bit forced (and repetitive...). I didn't warm up to any of the characters - I just wanted Ben to get back to his comfortable life in South Wales, and instead we have 7 more books. Maybe Ben will eventually become less self-absorbed, but I don't have any interest in finding out.
Description: Ben must be the hungriest cat ever. One moment, he was enjoying a breakfast of salmon trimmings in his home in South Wales. The next, he was teleported across time and space onto the cold stone floor of an evil warlock. Locked in through day and night, Ben may have to serve him for a while. Locked in the warlock’s tower through day and night, Ben will hate this, especially having to hunt those infernal demon rats when the warlock doesn’t feed him well at all. Meanwhile, in a distant academy, a dragon is bored out of her mind. Unable to wear a saddle, no human dares mount her. Is there anyone in this land who can ride her into battle against the forces of the evil warlocks? Somehow, she doubts she’ll ever find a suitable bond. Unless there is another creature with enough dexterity to fulfil that role. One, perhaps, who is currently sprinting right out of a warlock’s front door…
Cumulative pages: 11,967
#41
No Nest for the Wicket4.5 blue stars
And we're back in the groove. A little less crazy. Some reviewers have even suggested it is too "tame," but I liked that this one was dialed back a bit. We got to see a little more of Michael, and MAYBE, just maybe, their relationship is finally edging toward setting a date for the wedding. Plans to refurbish their newly purchased farmhouse might be on hold with speculation that someone plans to develop a giant mall on the farmland for sale next door. Meanwhile, they are hosting an extreme croquet tournament for the college students, with one of the teams being a troop of Morris dancers. The croquet field (boggy farmland with lots of poison ivy) might have been the site of a local Civil War battle, which the historical society hopes might forestall any mall plans. And Meg discovers that among the 23 boxes of papers and photos saved by the previous owner of the farm she might be able to prove the claim. Meanwhile, Meg's brother Rob is trying to teach Spike how to herd sheep... Okay, I said a LITTLE less crazy. And now I really want to play extreme croquet...
Description: The hilly terrain next to the old Sprocket house that Meg Langslow and her fiancé, Michael, are refurbishing is the perfect location for an "extreme" croquet field—even the legs of cows and sheep are convenient extra wickets. A sport traditionally reserved for genteel society, croquet has become all the rage in Caerphilly…until it appears someone in town has taken the "rage" a bit too literally. While stumbling down a steep bank after her ball, Meg encounters the body of a fresh female corpse with a mallet-sized dent in her head. If that isn't reason enough to call a time-out, it turns out that Michael knew the woman from years before. Ever curious, Meg decides that playing arm-chair sleuth is far more important than working on her game…and soon she finds herself in the perfect position to solve the murder mystery—or become the next victim.
Cumulative pages: 12,239
#42 The Sea Glass Sisters3 green stars
I've heard good things about The Prayer Box, but I like to read series in order, and that includes the online short story spin-offs. This is probably a typical prequel-type short story. Enough to give you a taste for the setting, some backstory on a character, or an idea of the writer's style. This leaned a bit heavily on the inspirational platitudes, but it was a nice, feel-good read dealing with family relationships. There was a lot left unresolved, to tempt you to read more of the series. I have loved Lisa Wingate's historical fiction, but this series won't be high on my reading priority list.
(P.S. this isn't really 101 pages - more like 80. The last 20 pages is an author bio, excerpts from the next book, and reviews.)
Description: Elizabeth Gallagher has been balancing on the ragged edge for a while now. Then a rough case on the boards of her 911 operator’s job collides with a family conflict at home, and Elizabeth finds herself finally coming apart at the seams. A four-state road trip—trapped in a car with her mother—is the last thing she needs. Their destination may be beautiful Hatteras Island, but the reason for going is anything by pleasant. After one disastrous hurricane, and with a second one working its way up the coast, it’s time to convince Aunt Sandy to abandon her little seaside store on North Carolina’s Outer Banks and return to the family fold in Michigan. But when the storm sweeps through, the three women will discover that sisterhood and the sea can change hearts, lives, and futures . . . often in the most unpredictable of ways.
Cumulative pages: 12,340
#43 Matrix4 red stars, (a compromise)
This is a tough book to rate. The writing is superb, but it is difficult to say exactly what this is about. Is it historical fiction or is it a fantasy? It purports to be about Marie de France, who published some Lais in the 13th century, some fables, and a few other minor writings have tentatively been attributed to her. But other than that, nothing much is known about her, not even whether or not her name was Marie. One of the theories about her (and it IS just a theory) is that she was possibly the Marie who was a half-sister of Henry II of England (bastard daughter of Geoffrey Plantagenet) and who became the abbess of Shaftesbury Abbey. Matrix is really about the abbess. It mentions the Lais only in passing. This is about an unwanted bastard daughter of nobility with no prospects of marriage, sent to a nunnery where she rises to a position of power. In this book, she is also a mystic, having visions of the Virgin Mary, and rejecting the traditional patriarchy of both church and society. Is she a feminist or is she just a fierce matriarch protecting the women in her care? Is she a lesbian, or is she just a woman unashamed of her sexual needs and desires? The darkness of the middle ages, and the difficult lives of women make this an uncomfortable read at times. But I think it is also a celebration of strong women and especially this woman's ability to overcome whatever life throws at her.
Description: Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine, deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life, seventeen-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease. At first taken aback by the severity of her new life, Marie finds focus and love in collective life with her singular and mercurial sisters. In this crucible, Marie steadily supplants her desire for family, for her homeland, for the passions of her youth with something new to her: devotion to her sisters, and a conviction in her own divine visions. Marie, born the last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders, is determined to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects. But in a world that is shifting and corroding in frightening ways, one that can never reconcile itself with her existence, will the sheer force of Marie’s vision be bulwark enough?
Cumulative pages: 12,600
October plans:What is up with Goodreads lately? It is telling me I have hundreds of unread posts on threads that I know I am up to date on, including 101 posts on my own thread here. Very weird. I hope they fix it soon.
I am in pretty good shape on my annual goal (only 1 behind at the moment) thanks to several short reads finished in September. But I am back at the old dilemma - spend time finishing a number of long paused items, or start something new. October is likely to be a mixture.
Unfinished, but hope to remedy soon:
READ The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine - Perspectives book club has come and gone - I led the discussion and it went well despite having finished only half the book. I still have 100 pages to go at this point. No rush, but I do want to finish it this month. It also fits the Oct. cover color challenge (orange and black).
A housekeeping note:
The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature - a previous month's Perspectives choice, which I barely started and have decided to return. I only read a chapter, so I'm not even going to call it a DNF. I may or may not pick it up again in the future, but it won't be anytime soon.
Want to finish, but when that is going to happen is anyone's guess:
READ Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle - a previous Daytimers choice. Paused for several months. I do intend to finish this, preferably this year.
Miss Eliza's English Kitchen - a K selection for A Good Yarn. Also intend to finish this year, but it has also been paused for awhile.
Paused for over a year. These may end up being a winter leftover project for next year...but I DO mean to finish these.
The Evening Chorus
The Summer Queen
Queen By Right
Moby-Dick or, The Whale reread
Ahab's Wife, or The Star-Gazer
Wolf Hall
...And Ladies of the Club - this one will definitely wait until January to be restarted for the dozenth time.
Currently reading:
READ Miss Benson's Beetle - had this on hold for ages, and it finally came so I'm listening to it now.
The Wild Inside - this was supposed to be a G selection (Glacier National Park) for A Good Yarn, but it will fit this month too (M for Montana)
READ The Lais of Marie de France - just finished Matrix so I thought this would be a good time to read this.
Hopefully coming soon on hold on Libby:
READ The Maid - started this a while ago but didn't finish and had to return it.
READ Horse Daytimers book for this month (we switched Sept. and Oct. books because this one had too many holds to get it for the group in Sept. My hold is currently saying ~3 weeks.
My Kindle Unlimited trial ends in two days. Do I pay for it for another month and read these, or do I cancel my subscription and just buy these when I'm ready to read them? I suspect I won't read enough to be worth the price of subscription, but having to pay for a month might get these read... Also these are all A titles, which I really want to get read this year and move on to B next year!
READ Band of Brothers: Agincourt - to finish the trilogy. It's short, so I COULD get it read in the next two days (except that I have yard work I am procrastinating on, including getting a bunch of bulbs planted before the ground freezes in another month...) Cost to buy: $2.99
READ The Adventures of Alianore Audley - Cost to buy: $5.08
READ ALBA IS MINE: The struggle for Kingship in Ancient Scotland - Cost to buy: $3.99
Ambrosius Aureliani - Cost to buy: $2.99
Cost to renew membership: $11.99/month - Ha - those three books (not counting Agincourt) would be $12. I should just buy them.
Lots of books in your pile, and busy October plans. Good luck! I rely on library books, so I never got the kindle unlimited subscription; have you tried your library? Do they have the books you want?
I think they've finally fixed the thread issue here on GR, it made me not want to go into anyone's thread because as soon as I did, I had no idea where I'd already been. Looks like you have some great plans for October. Good luck.
Lea wrote: "I think they've finally fixed the thread issue here on GR..."I'm still seeing it. I even went into my groups and marked everything "read"... Very annoying!
#44
Agincourt4 red stars. I can't give a book about battles and killing and blood and gore a pink star, so call this 3.5 rounded up. A (mostly) satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, Foreman gives us a spare account of the battle of Agincourt, from the point of view of our band of archers, and our heroes get their men. I would have liked a better conclusion. The epilogue ended rather abruptly. I would like to have seen them return home. I did come to like several of these characters - the author did a good job of humanizing them, including Henry V. Some liberties were taken with events, but the over all historical feel was very good.
Description: 1415. Agincourt. Victory or death. Kill or be killed. The English are outnumbered. But Henry V is determined that his army won't be outfought. Robert Cooper and his company of archers must face a new threat, as well as do battle with the old enemy. And as the two sides prepare to engage each other the spy, Thomas Chaucer, and his man-at-arms, Edward Fordham, must travel through enemy-held territory, in order to hunt down Reynard de Troyes. The ruthless French agent will stop at nothing to defeat all his enemies, including Chaucer and Fordham.
Cumulative pages: 12,712
Laurel wrote: "Lea wrote: "I think they've finally fixed the thread issue here on GR..."I'm still seeing it. I even went into my groups and marked everything "read"... Very annoying!"
It's coming and going with me. Very annoying, I agree. It was fine for me on the 4th, but came back on the 5th. Today it seems fine also. This makes me spend less time on GR...
Mod
What is up with Goodreads lately? It is telling me I have hundreds of unread posts on threads that I know I am up to date on, including 101 posts on my own thread here. Very weird. ..."
Your updates have been inspirational! I know you were behind, but no longer since it was only 1 book??
I think GR finally fixed the issue. I have clicked on a few updates, and the numbers are going away.
Regardless; kudos on your progress and catching up!!
Alondra wrote: "kudos on your progress and catching up!!"Thanks, Alondra. Seems a bit of a cheat with 3 novellas, a comic strip compilation, and a short story recently, but it all counts, right? Just finished #45 (review below) and I am still one behind, But I am taking a long car trip this week (my nephew's wedding!) so maybe that will finally get me caught up!
Actually, that goal is fluid anyway. I started out the year with a goal of 50, and somewhere along the way I changed it to 60. My best year since keeping track has been 52 books, and I will surely exceed that with almost 12 weeks still to go. So very happy about that!
#45
Miss Benson's Beetle4.5 blue stars.
You might call this a coming of age tale, but the woman in question is approaching her fiftieth birthday. Margery Benson has become imprisoned in a life that is unsatisfying. She is uptight, cautious, and a veritable poster-child for your stereotypical old, and unloved, spinster. And then something inside her breaks, and sets her free to resurrect a childhood dream and embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Enid Pretty (not her real name) is the complete opposite - running away from something scandalous, she lies and steals with abandon, and is not shy about looking for fun. Yet she hides her own secret dream, and together, these two women manage to escape their pasts, finding themselves in the process. Their adventure is outrageous, hilarious, and perhaps impossible. But be warned that there is real tragedy here - this is not a Hallmark-type feel good story. It is about stepping outside of one's comfort zone (both as a character and as a reader). And whatever you are looking for, life is really about the journey, not the ending.
Description: It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist - the golden beetle of New Caledonia. When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind. Fun-loving Enid Pretty in her tight-fitting pink suit and pom-pom sandals seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. But together, these two British women find themselves drawn into a cross-ocean adventure that exceeds all expectations and delivers something neither of them expected to find: the transformative power of friendship.
Cumulative pages: 13,064
Mod
Thanks, Alondra. Seems a bit of a cheat with 3 novellas, a comic strip compilation, and a short story recently, but it all counts, right? ..."
IT ALL COUNTS!!
I know that many folk frown upon counting short stories; comics/graphic novels, etc.; but if it has a beginning, middle and end; then it counts!
I read too many short stories to not count them.... LOL
#46
A Flickering Light3 yellow stars
I'm giving this 3 stars with some misgivings. It started out as a solid 4 and a promising historical fiction novel. But then it turned into some kind of a slow-burning doomed romance, colored by too much trite morality, and I couldn't wait to be done with it. If you like "Christian" fiction this formula probably will work for you. I found it a bit cringe-worthy and won't be reading the sequel. I do like that this is based on real people - Jessie Gaebele was the first woman photographer in Winona. And it gave a good impression of what it was like to be a woman in 1907 with the dream of having her own career. Perhaps where this failed for me, is that we have the agony of an emotional attachment, without any actual resolution. It dragged on and on with all of the moral agonizing over deceiving yourself about your feelings, and religious beliefs that are crippling rather than helpful. There is a real love story here, but it won't be resolved until the next book. (At least I hope it is resolved in the next book - spoiler alert, but in real life, she did end up marrying the man who had captured her heart.) This should have been one book, rather than two. Without that resolution, this is just painful.
Description: Fifteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele loves nothing more than capturing a gorgeous Minnesota landscape when the sunlight casts its most mesmerizing shadows. So when F.J. Bauer hires her in 1907 to assist in his studio and darkroom, her dreams for a career in photography appear to find root in reality. With the infamous hazards of the explosive powder used for lighting and the toxic darkroom chemicals, photography is considered a man' s profession. Yet Jessie shows remarkable talent in both the artistry and business of running a studio. She proves less skillful, however, at managing her growing attraction to the very married Mr. Bauer. This luminous coming-of-age tale deftly exposes the intricate shadows that play across every dream worth pursuing–and the irresistible light that beckons the dreamer on.
Cumulative pages: 13,441
#47
The Gates of Europe: A History of UkraineVery comprehensive and leans more toward the academic than the popular history, nevertheless I found it interesting and very readable. I feel as if I have completed a crash course on the history of Ukraine. Virtually everything I thought I knew was wrong. And much of what we thought we knew is the result of Russian propaganda. In truth, Russian has very little claim on Ukraine at all. The history of Kievan Rus predates the founding of Russia by centuries. The dichotomies between East and West, between North and South, between Catholic and Orthodox Christianity are very striking. There may not have been a Ukrainian political nation in its own right, but there has been a Ukrainian language and a distinct culture and identity for centuries. There has also been a desire for independence for centuries. Following the last chapter and the epilog detailing the desire of Ukrainians to look to the West, and to fight against authoritarianism and corruption, I am filled with admiration for these peoples. And heartache.
Description: Situated between Central Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, Ukraine was shaped by the empires that used it as a strategic gateway between East and West -- from the Roman and Ottoman empires to the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. For centuries, Ukraine has been a meeting place of various cultures. The mixing of sedentary and nomadic peoples and Christianity and Islam on the steppe borderland produced the class of ferocious warriors known as the Cossacks, for example, while the encounter between the Catholic and Orthodox churches created a religious tradition that bridges Western and Eastern Christianity. Ukraine has also been a home to millions of Jews, serving as the birthplace of Hassidism -- and as one of the killing fields of the Holocaust. Plokhy examines the history of Ukraine's search for its identity through the lives of the major figures in Ukrainian history: Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kyiv, whose daughter Anna became queen of France; the Cossack ruler Ivan Mazepa, who was immortalized in the poems of Byron and Pushkin; Nikita Khrushchev and his protege-turned-nemesis Leonid Brezhnev, who called Ukraine their home; and the heroes of the Maidan protests of 2013 and 2014, who embody the current struggle over Ukraine's future.
Cumulative pages: 13,836
Mid-October update:Not sure I need to add an update, since I'm still plugging away at what I listed above, but just thought I would say
I'M ALL CAUGHT UP!!
...for the moment.
As usual after finishing a dense and hefty tome, I yearn to put something new in the line up, so I started looking at what is in my lists that fits the November cover challenge - gold or rust.
READ The Lais of Marie de France fits the bill perfectly, but I have already listed that and will make it a priority for November.
Then I came across
The Crown Jewels Conspiracy - ooh, also perfect. I checked the Kindle price and it was .99 but I could get the whole series (4 books) for 3.86 so I did that, and then learned there is a prequel, so I had to get that too....
The Bordeaux Connection: A White Hart Prequel - but I can't start right away, because if I turn on the wifi on my iPad to download, it will return the expired Kindle Unlimited books I am reading (did not renew subscription)
So we're back to what I've already listed:
READ The Adventures of Alianore Audley
I think I have
READ ALBA IS MINE: The struggle for Kingship in Ancient Scotland on the Kindle too.... and I can still read them as long as I don't turn on the wifi, so..... nothing new for now on Kindle!
Mod
Not sure I need to add an update, since I'm still plugging away at what I listed above, but just thought I would say
I'M ALL CAUGHT UP!!.."
Congrats on getting caught up, Laurel. I know that is a big relief. :)
Alondra wrote: "Congrats on getting caught up, Laurel. I know that is a big relief. :)"Yeah, well tonight I am one behind again.... It doesn't last!
On the other hand, I got my peonies planted today. Tomorrow - bulbs. I bought a bunch of tulips and daffodils...
#48
Gender Queer: A Memoir3.5 pink stars for me personally, but probably 5 blue stars for the need for more books like this and its educational value.
I found nothing offensive here as a book aimed at ages 16 and up. There were a few images that made me a bit uncomfortable, but I would certainly not consider them pornographic. The journey of this young person is told with heartfelt honesty, and I think with the hope of helping others see that they are not alone, and to educate those of us who seek to understand. It is intensely personal. As a cisgender, but probably asexual, older woman there were even things I could identify with. If I have any quibbles about the book, it would be that it feels unfinished. The journey is still ongoing. Also there were a few pages where the printing was off slightly, making it fuzzy and hard to read, but it was only a very few pages.
Description: In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.
Cumulative pages: 14,076
Looking at November and December a few days early...I am home today instead of going to my sister's house on a Sunday. I am home to pamper my cat Mr. Bojangles. I learned this week that the reason he hasn't been eating much is not his teeth as I had hoped, but a diagnosis of liver tumors and the Xray shows a lot of fluid build-up and spots all over his lungs. Poor guy. The vet thought I should give him no more than a week, and so I made an appointment for next Friday and determined to be home as much as I can until then. This may actually lead to reading more rather than less. We'll see how it goes. Right now he seems to be reasonably comfortable and he is eating more since I ditched the antibiotics I was giving him for possible tooth infection... Perhaps I can give him a little longer.
According to Goodreads I am one behind on my goal of 60 books for the year. That means 12 more books in November and December. This is well above any previous year since I joined Goodreads in 2006. I have hit 52 books twice - in 2000 and 2015. So why I set a goal of 60, I don't know. I was feeling ambitious after a horrible year, but now owning my own house and all the stress of last year GONE.
On Audio:
READ Horse - October Daytimers book and we have met already to discuss it, but I still need to finish the book. Next up:
READ The Maid - LONG waiting list for this one. I had it once and had to return it. My hold just came up, so I grabbed it.
READ The Lake House - Nov. Daytimers book
On Kindle:
READ The Adventures of Alianore Audley - Currently reading and half done. I have two more Kindle Unlimited books downloaded which I can still read as long as I don't turn on the wifi on my iPad. However, I will have to turn it on before Nov. 21 which is when my Duolingo annual subscription renews and I don't wish to renew it. The other two books are
READ ALBA IS MINE: The struggle for Kingship in Ancient Scotland and
Ambrosius Aureliani - There are three weeks left, so a book a week is doable.... After that, I have purchased
The Bordeaux Connection: A White Hart Prequel - the first book in the series is 948 pages, so I won't list it here. It'll clearly be December before I get to it, even though I picked it from my 2023 reading lists for the Nov. cover color challenge.
Print books:
READ The Lais of Marie de France - this is short and could possibly be read in two or three days. Beyond that, I still have a number of unfinished books but I've listed them all previously and since I already have 8 books here for November I'll leave it at that.
Mod
I've got Horse on my bookshelf. Hope to get at it in 2024....
Bill wrote: "Best wishes for Mr. Bojangles. He'll appreciate the time with you. I've got Horse on my bookshelf. Hope to get at it in 2024...."
Thank you, Bill. Horse is a very good book. Might end up being 5 stars....
Mod
Yeah, well tonight I am one behind again.... It doesn't last!
On the other hand, I got my peonies planted t..."
Ugh, i'm jealous!! I need to order, too!
I think I want a ton of tulips in the middle bed. Of course, I am a lazy gardener, but I think I can, I think I can. LOL
Poor Mr Bojangles!! I can't imagine. I hope he gets more time with you; but only at his comfort. Our babies really don't tell us how they feel. No whining, or "crying"; they just stop eating.
Keep us updated!
Thank you, Alondra. It's hard! Last night I felt like I would probably be cancelling (postponing) Friday's appointment. And today I am not so sure...
Mod
I'm so sorry. Whether you keep the appointment or not; you are doing what is best for Mr Bojangles... which is the coolest cat name ever. ((hugs))
Laurel, my heart goes out to you. It is never easy to say goodbye to a loved member of the family.
#49
Horse4.5 blue stars.
I was fascinated by this story which combined historical fiction, with modern day science, a little art history, and drawing parallels between racing and racism. Like Year of Wonders, the ending took a tack I wasn't expecting and seemed a bit heavy-handed, nevertheless I could appreciate what she was trying to do. I might have given this a solid 5 purple stars, except that the third timeline to be introduced (Martha Jackson/Jackson Pollock), while somewhat interesting, came late in the book, didn't particularly go anywhere, and I think it could have been left out. I would prefer to have learned more about Jarret at the end of the Civil War. The biographical notes at the end were helpful. I would love to know more about Cassius Clay's daughters. And perhaps there might have been something to compare horse racing today - I hope it is much less cruel for the horses, even though it is still a rich man's game.
Description: Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack.
New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance.
Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success.
Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.
Cumulative pages: 14,477
#50
The Maid3.5 pink stars rounded up.
This was delightful at times, but sometimes got bogged down in repetitiveness and really dragged. Molly is a very likeable character, even if she is portrayed as not well liked (or at best grossly misunderstood) by the people around her. She is kind, honest, and just wants to fit in. The death of her grandmother has left her rather vulnerable. She is not a good reader of people and their intentions, and sadly is badly taken advantage of. Indeed, she finds herself arrested for murder because someone she trusted set her up. Once Molly opens up to the "right" people, the plot improved greatly, and I enjoyed how Molly had the courage to go outside of her comfort zone in the plan to catch the real criminals. I will look forward to seeing the movie that is made of this book.
Description: Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection. But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?
Cumulative pages: 14,781
#51
The Adventures of Alianore Audley
3.5 pink stars, rounded up.
The "true" story of Richard III, as told by a cousin of both the Yorkist and Lancastrian heirs to the throne. Her snarky commentary on the politics of the day is spot on. But don't take anything here too seriously. The author knows his medieval stuff, but this is entirely tongue in cheek. And a lot of fun. His version of "what happened to the princes in the tower" is as plausible as any. Now I really must read his "serious" historical fiction. Within The Fetterlock was the very first book I put on my TBR when I joined Goodreads in 2007...
Description: The light-hearted story of an intelligence agent in Yorkist England. Alianore's adventures give the real low-down on King Richard III. 'A wonderful romp in 15th-century England. The machinations of the Wars of the Roses and life at the court of Richard III are seen through the eyes of royal spy Alianore Audley. Told with zest, a deep love and knowledge of the period, not to say a wicked sense of humour and plenty of tongue in cheek, Brian Wainwright deserves far greater recognition than he currently gets.' (Elizabeth Chadwick's Top 10 Historical Novels, The Guardian.)
Cumulative pages: 14,980
I am one book away from tying my record of 52 books read (in 2015 and 2020.) So that number will surely be broken with 6 weeks still to go in 2023. Whether I reach 60 or not remains to be seen. As for cumulative pages, my record (set in 2020) is 17,372 when I read War and Peace among some other chunky books. That will require about 380 pages a week. A little daunting...
I've taken advantage of the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend (5 days off) to work on my reading goals and booklists for 2024. I have a huge TBR list (over 3,000 titles now) and I randomly pick about 250 of these each year to give temporary priority. I suppose I could do this digitally, but for years I've been making little book slips out of all the titles that I draw out of a hat (so to speak). Unfortunately, I didn't do this last year because of moving (and probably didn't know where my book slips WERE at the end of November ) so I had two years to add this year - about 600 titles. Finished that last night, so today is the fun part - setting new goals, putting together my new themes, drawing my random picks, and deciding what books are going to be leftovers from this year.... I hope to get it posted soon in the Independent Challenges 2024 thread!
December plans:Speaking of leftovers, there is still one more month of 2023 to go. 9 more books if I want to reach my goal of 60. Don't know yet what leftovers won't get finished, and there are some just fun holiday reads I have picked out, so...
Currently reading (will finish):
READ The Lake House
READ The Lais of Marie de France
READ ALBA IS MINE: The struggle for Kingship in Ancient Scotland
Would like to finish:
READ Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle since I REALLY don't want to carry it over.
New to read:
READ Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners (Dec. Daytimers book)
The Weaver and the Witch Queen - November cover color challenge, plus A Good Yarn book (N is for Norway) even though we won't be meeting again until January, so N has been postponed...
READ A Cornish Christmas Murder
A Midwinter's Tail
Maybe:
Her Royal Spyness - Dec. cover color challenge
The Running Grave - purchased on Audible and I have a long driving trip in Dec.... OR (because this one is very long and I think I want lighter reads to listen to for long stretches of time...
READ The Penguin Who Knew Too Much and
READ The Revolving Door of Life
Mod
That's a great idea, Laurel. Never thought of book slips; and I am right with you at having 3k+ titles on the tbr. Ugh.
Great update. The Lake House is popular.
#52
The Lake House3.5 pink stars
With one of the main characters being a police detective, you might think this is going to be the kind of mystery where clues are found and analyzed, and this leads to the solving of the case. But no. We have here a very drawn-out character study, as each one shares their backstory. It's a bit like peeling an onion. Theories are put forward, which are then revealed to be wrong. I guessed the ending long before the end, and it got rather tedious crawling through the various stories to get to it, with the solution dependent on coincidence to get there. So if you like slow, atmospheric pieces this is great. All the loose ends are tidily resolved, and everyone will now live happily ever after. It's a great people study, especially looking at what mothers will do to protect their children, and of the effects of PTSD and guilt. So I guess I would say this is more of a psychological drama than a mystery.
Description: Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive and precociously talented 16-year-old who loves to write stories. One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, 11-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. He is never found, and the family is torn apart and the house abandoned. Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a novelist. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old Edevane estate – now crumbling and covered with vines. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.
Cumulative pages: 15,475
#53
The Revolving Door of Life5 blue stars. Bertie finally gets a taste of freedom from his overbearing mother. We are introduced to Bertie's grandmother, Nicola, who has come from Portugal to help take care of the boys until Irene comes home. She likes nothing better than to see that her grandson is happy. Enough said.
Description: Excitement abounds when the revolving door of life brings fresh faces and hilarious new developments to the residents of 44 Scotland Street. Things are looking up for seven-year-old Bertie Pollock. The arrival of his spirited grandmother and the absence of his meddlesome mother—who is currently running a book club in a Bedouin harem (don’t ask)—bring unforeseen no psychotherapy, no Italian lessons, and no yoga classes. Meanwhile, surprises await Scotland Street’s grown-ups. Matthew makes a discovery that could be a major windfall for his family, but also presents a worrisome dilemma. Pat learns a secret about her father’s fiancée that may shake up her family, unless she can convince the perpetually narcissistic Bruce to help her out. And the Duke of Johannesburg finds himself in sudden need of an explanation—and an escape route—when accosted by a determined guest at a soirée. From the cunning schemes of the Association of Scottish Nudists to the myriad expressive possibilities of the word “aye,” Alexander McCall Smith guides us through the risks and rewards of friendship, love, and family with his usual inimitable wit and irresistible charm.
#54
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much3.5 pink stars.
Dare I say it? This one was a bit too much of a zoo. Donna Andrews has a tendency to let her zaniness get a bit out of control. Still a great read when you want something funny and even a bit crazy. Just dial it back a notch! Maybe this is why I space this series out a bit. The sub-plot of planning to elope during the moving in party was fun. And Meg's nephew got more of a role this time. And the twist at the end. What??! As if her family isn't zany enough.... But I'll keep reading these.
Description: Maybe there are people in Antarctica with penguins in their basements, but in Virginia? Finding a body down there is somewhat more likely for Meg. Explaining the penguins' presence is easy; Meg's dad volunteered to take care of the birds until the future of the bankrupt local zoo could be determined. But identifying the body in the basement proves a harder task. Meg and Michael have been planning to elope to avoid the elaborate wedding their mothers have begun to organize; a plan that's threatened by both the murder investigation and the carnival of animals. The only way to set things right, Meg decides, is to identify both their uninvited visitor and the killer who put him in their basement.
Cumulative pages: 16,018
#55
The Bookshop on the Corner3.5 pink stars.
Original title: The Little Shop of Happy Ever After. I don't know why the title was changed. The original is much more fitting, since that is the name she gave to her book van. It isn't a book shop with a physical location and there isn't any corner. The corner of what? This was a sweet enough book, and Nina got her Happy Ever After. But it was very formulaic, and I suspect that all of her other books will be much like this one. I love books about books and I love books set in Scotland. I do think Nina was very young and naive and made some pretty questionable choices about men. I read this for an online book club discussion, but I kind of doubt I will continue the series.
Description: Nina is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more. Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile — a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling. From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.
Cumulative pages: 16,402
UGH! Covid got me. First time ever. Yes, I've had all the vaccines and boosters... Doctor put me on Paxlovid because I am over a certain age. Well, I have lots of extra time at home because I have to isolate for 5 days. So far though, I have not felt much like reading. Just want to sleep. Maybe tomorrow. Only 5 more books to reach my stretch goal of 60. This is well above my previous record of 52 books! Just started my book club book on audio today
READ Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners - maybe I can listen to it in the house.
Several other books are partially read (at least half!) so I know I will finish those
READ The Lais of Marie de France
READ Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle
READ ALBA IS MINE: The struggle for Kingship in Ancient Scotland - I might be able to finish that one tomorrow if I start feeling better...
REREAD Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater - rereading this for my church book club, which I am leading. I read it in 4 days last time.
Hey! That's 5 books! I can do this!
#56
ALBA IS MINE: The struggle for Kingship in Ancient Scotland4.5 red stars
I enjoyed this very much. But I gave it a red rating instead of blue because I found it confusing to drop fictional characters into a historical genealogy. Why replace Macbeth with Daveth mac Finlay? I kept expecting him to be Macbeth, and instead we had some kind of alternate history I guess. But if you aren't familiar with the 11th century kings of Scotland, this probably won't bother you. Other than that quibble, I thought the world building was marvelous, the characters were well-developed and believable, and the romance was handled quite nicely. Lots of historical details - from clothing, to food, to games - and the author's ability to make the landscape come alive - I could feel the wind, and the ice, and see the wildlife. It was very well done. I would read more of these "Viking Romance Series", and I am not a romance reader, per se.
Description: The author has a clear vision and a strong voice in telling of the bloody struggle to be king of Alba. Cheated by his grandfather, his expected bride, Kilda, wed to another, Finlay rebels and faces an ultimatum from the old king - execution or persuade Thorfinn of Orkney to join them. Thorfinn is Finlay's half-brother and he rules a sea-based empire from Orkney. He too wants something of Finlay - marriage to his sister, Rada, and a war against Alba. Rada and Finlay are like oil and water and swear they will never marry. Kilda is a pawn to whom many plotters are drawn, for her lineage "almost guarantees you the crown." An absorbing mix of romance, politics and a strong dash of action.
Cumulative pages: 16,804
#57
Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest SweaterReread prior to leading discussion for the Perspectives book club.
Still 5 blue stars. I still think this is a gem of a book. See previous review at message #61.
Cumulative page: 17,028
Mod
Oh no! I hope you are feeling better. Covid sucks. Have a HEALTHY recovery. Don't rush.
I think I have the Bookshop on the Corner somewhere in the house.... mmm; or maybe that's something different?? Ugh
Thanks, Alondra. I was pretty much over it in two days. Honestly, the Paxlovid was the worst part! Horrid metallic taste all day long, and it gave me diarrhea. Back at work this week. Till 8 pm tonight (ugh) and there is NOBODY in the library. It is super dead tonight. Oh well, I'll just catch up on my Goodreads groups....Happy Winter Solstice - let the light increase!
On The Same Page
Books mentioned in this topic
A Cornish Christmas Murder (other topics)Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey (other topics)
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle (other topics)
Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners (other topics)
Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners (other topics)
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This was an okay action/adventure tale based on quite good historical research. Definitely a "boys will be boys" kind of story with lots of gore, violence, and sexual innuendo. Any women that appeared (even the wives) only seemed to be there as bed partners. Given how short this is (it's really a novella) there isn't a lot of character development. The author does love to explain things, often through improbable dialogue. Everything is described minutely - I felt like I was reading a writing class exercise at times - look around you and describe everything you see, smell, hear, etc. - to the point that it felt like clutter. I probably put this on my want-to-read list originally because the main protagonist is Thomas Chaucer, the son of the famous writer Geoffrey Chaucer, but here we are reminded of this at every opportunity, with Thomas quoting lines from those writings. The author also tries WAY too hard to include clever turns of phrase, juxtapositions of opposites, phrases and cliches that probably weren't in common usage before Shakespeare... I'd give some examples, but you'll know what I mean if you read this. The character of Thomas is a bit too perfect, he knows all, being a step ahead of everyone else, and there's no real tension because you know he'll be fine being more clever than anyone else. Now if the author wasn't trying so hard to be clever, he could have put some of that energy into developing the plot and characters more. Still, I gave it 3 stars and have already started the next novella of the trilogy. I'd like to see more of what he does with Henry V as a character...
Description: 1415. England stands on the brink of war with France. Henry V receives intelligence, through his agent Thomas Chaucer that the French intend to re-forge their old alliance with Scotland. The king orders Chaucer and veteran archer Robert Cooper to travel across the border and intercept a French agent, Reynard of Troyes, before he can deliver the gold which will fund Scotland's war with England. Chaucer also learns of a plot to murder the man that England cannot afford to go to war without. He orders the man-at-arms, Edward Fordham, to remain in the capital, solve the mystery and stop the assassin. But all is not what it seems. Some wars are fought in the shadows as well as on the battlefield...
Cumulative pages: 10, 718