ffortsa forges ahead in 2024

I'm back! And I hope this will be a good year for all of us.

I managed 80 titles last year. Hooray! No promises for this year, of course. And of course I fell behind on many peoples' threads, because some of you are just so convivial that I can't keep up. Haven't decided how I will tackle the threads this year; some of you are already racking up the numbers. Oh dear.

Aside from that, no plans. I participate in two active book clubs, hopefully this year face to face. I also read epic poetry out loud with a Zoom group I landed in many years ago. We will be returning to the Aeneid at the end of the month. And then there are all the many recommendations I've gleaned from all of you! And all the mystery series I haven't kept up with. And of course, music and theater and exercise and travel and chores... Retirement can be a busy situation.

I'll set up a ticker here soon, but right now, dinner calls. Mustn't miss that.

eta: dinner was good. Here's the ticker



January

1. @Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac
2. ♬@Beastly Things by Donna Leon
3. @Crying Blood by Donis Casey
4. @The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
5. @Bleeding Heart Yard by Ellie Griffiths

February
6. Poor Things by Alasdar Gray
7. Hellfire by Karin Fossum
8. Not to Disturb by Muriel Spark
9. ♬Wrong Hill to Die On by Donis Casey
10. @Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig

March
11. ♬Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson
12. @Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
13. The Catch by Archer Mayor
14. @Bruno and the Carol Singers by Martin Walker
15. ♬Mad Monkton by Wilkie Collins
16. @Hell With The Lid Blown Off by Donis Casey

April
17. ↩Trust by Hernan Diaz
18. ♬Broken Harbour by Tana French
19. @The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker
20. @The Resistance Man by Martin Walker
21. @Myra Breckinridge by Gore Vidal
22. @The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
23. ✔ Three Tales by Flaubert

May
24. @Moonglow by Michael Chabon
25. @The Hunter: and Other Stories by Dashiell Hammett
26. @The Appeal by Janice Hallett
27. @A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao

I've already deaccessioned three hardcover books, donating them to the library. More to come, I think.

Icons modified from Bianca's list
♬ audiobook
✔ off the shelf
@ e-book
✿ TIOLI
↩ reread
✗ Never-ending.

Welcome back, Judy!

Hi Judy. It is so good to see you are back for another year of reading and posting! All good wishes to you and Jim for a lovely 2024!

And Happy New Year!! : )

Happy New Year to you and Jim! I send all good wishes for a healthy and happy year, filled with time to read lots of good books.

Happy reading in 2024, Judy!

Happy new year, Judy!

Happy new year Judy.

Happy New Year Judy!

Happy New Year!

So I've starred a few threads for continuity, but I know I can't read them all. What are your strategies for keeping up?

Happy New Year, Judy!

My strategy is to just not worry about it. :) I star too many, I'm sure. On a lot of them, I get behind and then just skim thru looking for the highlights, book reviews, long posts that might have news, etc. I might see someone's comment about an event or story that I missed higher up the thread, and then I'll go looking. But otherwise, I visit as often as I can, and post when I feel I have something to contribute. I tried to avoid the pressure of being present in everybody's thread. Tho, I definitely admire those who can do it.

And I'm starring your thread. :)

Happy New Thread! Happy New Year!

Gone are the days where we could all keep up with everyone's threads. I just get to who I can get to. . .

Happy New Year, Judy. I hope 2024 is good to you.

Happy reading in 2024!

Happy new year and happy new thread, Judy!

Hi Judy and Happy New Year.

>1 ffortsa: Retirement can be a busy situation. Amazing how having more time translates into less time.

Hi Judy and Happy New Year!

Yeah, I can't keep up either - although I resolve to try harder this year. :)

Love, love, love karenmarie's statement in >18 karenmarie:.

Hi Judy and Happy New Year!

Yeah, I can't keep up either - although I resolve to try harder this year. :)

Love, love, love karenmarie's statement in >18 karenmarie:. Retirement is great!

Hello!

Strategies for keeping up ... I star some threads, and post when I have something to say. Then I periodically sit down and go through most of what's in "your posts" and after that, go into "starred threads" where there are still unread posts, which tells me I haven't said anything in that thread yet. That tells me which threads I've only been lurking in. In theory, I either post something in them or unstar. In practice, I post haphazardly and lose track of things just like everyone else. ;)

Edited to add: Also, I ignore a fair number of threads so that they're not cluttering things up on the main "groups and posts" area.

So, reading. I'm about halfway through Eugenie Grandet by Balzac for Tuesday's (hopefully) really f2f group. It's not too long and I should finish it today. I'm also listening to Beastly Things: A Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery. This is the first time I'm listening to the text, and it's a bit unsettling to hear the dialog with various Italian accents, instead of a straight English pronunciation. Not sure I like it.

Next up, barring more mysteries, is The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by McBride at the end of the month. And whatever I can slip in before that! I'm reading the previous half-year's New Yorkers, selectively, as well, before I decide to ship them out in favor of the current flow.

We recently saw the documentary film 'American Symphony', which I highly recommend. It wasn't my particular choice, but it is quite wonderful. We stayed for a Q&A afterwards with John Battiste and the director and producer. I'm in awe of the manner of the filming and the intimacy on the screen.

Next week is busy with book groups, PT, acupuncture, a talk by Liz Chaney at the 92nd St. Y, theater, and a resumption of reading the Aeneid out loud. It's that retirement schedule again!

1. Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac

for discussion January 9

Hi Judy! I feel terribly behind on threads generally, too. I'm going to try a monthly strategy this year:

Each week, comment on threads of people that commented on mine.

Week 1 each month: A-G threads
Week 2: H-N threads
Week 3: O-U threads
Week 4: V-Z threads

Good luck finding your own strategy!

>11 ffortsa: Last year was a disaster and I didn't post to threads as often as I would have liked. Since I'm with this group since 2008, I have a good sense of those whose thread I will make a concerted effort to post. Though, last year I added some new members and am pleasantly surprised at the wonderful interactions.

>22 ffortsa: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is getting a lot of attention. I'll check back to see what you think about it when you are finished.

All good wishes to you and Jim for a wonderful 2024! I will also be anxious to learn what you thought about the Liz Chaney talk.

>11 ffortsa: I visit when and where I can...and usually start at the last post! LOL!

Happy New Year, Judy!

2. Beastly Things: A Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery by Donna Leon

I started listening to this on audio, but even after I got used to the Italian inflections (which may have died out after the first few chapters), listening was too slow for me. I didn't want to rev up the listening speed so I got the text from the library instead.

As usual, Brunetti is acutely aware of the ethical sewer of Venice, and works around it as he can. An unusual man is found in one of the canals, and is eventually traced to the industrial mainland. Identifying him, and why someone would want to stab him, is the process of the book.

Leon draws several almost-caricatures: a deformed man, an enormously fat man, a tall, very skinny man, a man who cannot stand the vision of meat processing. She continues to lean on the ethical controversies between vegetarians and the conventionally omnivorous - it will be interesting to see if she carries this forward in the series..

Hi Judy. I can't believe I'm just now finding your thread. Dropping off my star.

I enjoyed The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.

Strategies for keeping up? Not sure I have any. I star too many threads and then periodically skim through a bunch when I get too far behind. Good luck keeping up, Judy!

Strategy? Am I supposed to have one? For keeping up I mean? Well, that's my problem then! I don't have one. LOL. But I'm here. : )

I'm way behind on the threads myself , Judy and burning the midnight oil to catch up a little. Happy Belated New Year and New Thread, and Happy reading in the year ahead.

No strategies here, but sometimes I tell myself just to check in on 5 threads. (I get twitchy if I spend too much time on the computer.)

Not much forging ahead yet this year. Only three books in 15 days. I've got some book group reads lined up - The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and Poor Things (which will be a reread for me). I thought I'd downloaded another mystery story from the library but clearly not, so I'll probably start on the above list soon.

I got a message from LT that I had not reviewed my latest few Early Reviewers, which is certainly true. So I think I won't request any more until I clean my plate, so to speak.

>32 banjo123: I may try out your approach. I should get twitchy, but instead I just glaze over eventually.

I like the image of getting "twitchy."

Happy New Year, Judy. How is the winter treating you? I am getting stir crazy. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store was a terrific read. Enjoy!

>37 msf59: Mark, I'm sure someone like you who is accustomed to walks in nature can feel that cabin fever. This looks like another day I won't be walking much outside. It makes the day pass much too fast when I don't even run errands. I may force a grocery trip just to get a few blocks away!

I recently acquired the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and will be interested how you enjoyed it.

I also get behind on threads and try to get to a few every day.

Happy rest of the week.

>29 Familyhistorian: That is pretty much my strategy, too.

I'm having a hard time with The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. It's not hard to read, but it's not holding my attention, which is an unusual problem for me. The discussion group meets on the 29th, so there's lots of time. Anyone else have this experience with the book?

I have only heard good things about The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and I am hoping to get my hands on a copy. Hope it draws you in soon!

>42 Berly: hi Judy. Is it cold in NYC? We had snow for a few days. The streets are cleared, but there are patches of ice on both roads and side walks.

>43 Whisper1: Quite cold, and we are expecting snow today. Most of the sidewalks are clear, but it's wise to check as one goes as some spots have not been attended to. I was in Brooklyn on Thursday and walking from the subway I noticed that the area on the side of one of the many churches had not been cleared.

On the other hand, we have had some spectacularly beautiful days when the wind was down and the sun was shining and the cold made the city sparkle.

>41 ffortsa: Hi Judy - I listened to The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and that really worked for me. I got a little lost with some of the characters and their nicknames, but I figured it out in the end. I really loved it.

Today, for my birthday, I invited several local friends to brunch at a restaurant we particularly like. Of course, we (Jim and I) decided to walk and got lost on the way there (that always happens - I think Google has it wrong) on a very freezy day; everyone waited patiently while we corrected course, and it was very pleasant. No hysterically funny birthday cards - hard to find them these days, but the company was choice.

Now I'm listening to someone ranting to a protest outside, wondering what do to that would be special this evening once this guy shuts up!

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store continues, but I can't read it in large gulps because my eyes get really tired and I lose focus. I have plenty of time, however. And since the TV sits at a healthy distance from the couch, we can watch something fun.

I retrieved Bleeding Heart Yard yesterday in HARD BACK from the library. Hope the format is kinder.

Happy birthday, Judy!

>46 ffortsa: There always seems to be someone ranting about something these days, Judy.

Hope to won't spoil your birthday celebrations. Salutations to you from tropical climes. xx

>47 katiekrug: >48 PaulCranswick: Thanks!

The rant eventually stopped, Paul. That's what we get for living between a college and Union Square Park, a great staging area for protests. But the 4 days of greenmarket shopping make up for that!

Happy happy birthday!!! Glad you finally made it to the restaurant for your celebration. : ) Wishing you a great year ahead.

Birthday, friends, good food - that's a wonderful combination.
Happy belated birthday, Judy!

Hi Judy!

>46 ffortsa: Belated Happy Birthday. It sounds like you had a good day.

I hope you had a nice birthday, Judy. Have a safe week ahead.

Happy Birthday! Sounds like you had a great evening.

Thanks, everybody! I really wasn't trolling for wishes, but 75 is a very weird number.
As I said to a cousin, I feel 40 years younger than that, but shorter.

I missed your birthday! It sounds like it was a good one. I can believe 75 is a weird number. I've had a couple of weird ages already myself. No existential crises, just more a complete disconnection from the number - what does that have to do with me?!

Happy belated birthday, Judy. It sounds like you had fun.

Belated Happy Birthday, Judy! OF COURSE, your friends want to be in on it. I hope you'll continue celebrating through the weekend. 75 is weird. 79 feels a bit ominous.

Thanks for letting me know that Bleeding Heart Yard is available. I need to read #2 and then plow on. Meanwhile, I'm loving The Man Who Died Twice. I'm finding it about 100 times better than the first, and the first was a lot of fun.

As to McBride, I enjoyed The Good Lord Bird a lot and fully intend to keep reading him. Hope the *Grocery Store* takes fire for you.

>55 ffortsa: I feel a lot younger than my number too, Judy! Just keep enjoying life and ignore the number :)

I missed your birthday and it sounds like it was a fun celebration.

I quite enjoyed The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store -- and there was a bit about halfway through that I thought dragged some. I don't know if that is the bit giving you trouble. In the end, I enjoyed it and appreciated the wry humor and interesting characters.

I imagine 75 is indeed a weird number. I sometimes find that the ones that end in five are somehow more emotional for me than the ones that end in zero. *shrug*

I hope the reading settles in for you.

>60 EBT1002: I'm glad you mentioned that 'draggy' spot in The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - yes, that's where I suddenly lost patience. For some reason, my ambition reasserted itself and I sailed on to the end this afternoon. So it ended up a reasonably good read. We'll see what my fellows think on Monday night.

I finally decided to try a sit-stand desktop arrangement, and ordered the least expensive I could find, just to try it out. While I don't want to stand all the time, I do want to have the option of standing most of the time. Right now I have a jerry-rigged arrangement with a crate and my desktop shelf, all already jerry-rigged, and except for a need for a standing cushion, and a higher desk lamp, it's working fine. I'll have to reconfigure most of my rigged desk, but that's fine too. Time for a change.

I'm also still trying to get rid of stuff. It's definitely an iterative process. I went through my sweaters and arranged them so I could actually fine the one I wanted (what a concept) and also went through a shallow drawer of scarves, which I haven't worn for years. Tiny steps - I got rid of several, looked up how to tie square scarves, wondered if I would ever bother again, was reminded of some of the lovely ones I had collected over my working life. I rearranged the freezer compartment in my fridge so I could find all the veggies I had without excavation. I need to tackle the kitchen cabinets. There's a full package of coconut flakes I know I won't use (why did I buy it?) that I can certainly gift to someone.

And all of this is a desperate attempt to distract me from eating, since I've been gaining weight at a ridiculous rate, probably because I'm not walking as much, and hanging out in the kitchen much to much. (I'm one of those people who might gravitate to the kitchen at a party - no idea why.)

Time to get dressed, run my errands, practice my fiddle, do my exercises, read. Not necessarily in that order.

>62 ffortsa: Here's moral support in getting rid of stuff. Are you on the decluttering thread? I have a drawer of scarves I have only ever worn to renn faire, so I know what that's like.

>61 ffortsa: It sounds like our experiences were quite similar!

4.The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

I was disappointed in this novel, as was my f2f reading group. There were too many characters we would have liked to know more about, too many threads left dangling, and a fairytale ending that we just couldn't believe. McBride's memoir The Color of Water was much better written and more coherent.

5. Bleeding Heart Yard by Ellie Griffiths

Harbinder Kaur has been promoted! And moved to London! But she is a little unsure of how to be a manager and leader of a completely new team. When an MP is murdered at a class reunion, the incident opens up the case of an assumed suicide 15 years before that might supply the motive. One of Harbinder's team of detectives is also an alumna and present at the reunion. Was she involved in either case?

This is a nice transition to a new series and a new setting.

6. Poor Things by Alasdar Gray

This is a reread, but I read it ten years ago, and it's astonishing how little I remembered.

Gray's pseudo-Victorian memoir and attendant epilogues are the perfect vehicle for his observations and opinions about women in society, the poor, capitalism, education, colonialism, and Scotland as a colonized country. There's just enough Mary Shelley along with the fiction, just enough real characters along with the fictional ones, and the social lessons go down with quite a lot of honey to distract the reader.

Godwin Baxter, quite often referred to as 'God', has fashioned a grown woman with a new-born's brain, Bella, and brings her up from that infancy to adulthood, educated by him in a quite modern way, escorted around Europe to learn about the world, allowed sexual and vocational freedom with his full support. His story is told by another man, in true Victorian style, including letters from Bella, and edited by a man named 'Alasdair Gray', another Victorian conceit in a book full of dramatic Victorian tropes.

And then the reader hears from other sources: Bella herself, and the 'editor'.
Who would you believe?

We will discuss this novel f2f on Tuesday, and who knows? I might change my mind.

ETA: I was a bit disappointed in the discussion. There must be deeper insights in this book, but I couldn't really articulate them. Most people didn't really like the story, and preferred the 'logical' rebuttal.

Forgot to mention that, since we meet in the library of a large apartment building, I took advantage and left my copy of Poor Things there for others. One more hardcover off my shelf.

I've got a cold chasing me around. Ever since Covid hit me, I've been more susceptible to colds. I cancelled everything except my haircut - otherwise I'd look like a banshee by Sunday.

I just spent 3 hours yesterday helping my daughter declutter, purge and organize her clothes, so I feel ya!! Sorry you didn't like the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store more -- it's one I've had my eye on. Hmmmm. And I enjoy Ellie Griffiths, so glad to hear that one was good. Sorry you are fighting off a cold -- maybe the haircut joy will turn things around!!

7. Hellfire by Karin Fossum

This Inspector Sejer police procedural is just too obvious.

>62 ffortsa: Kerry and I are in the process of getting rid of stuff too, Judy, so I know what a slow process that can be.

Sorry I am just now catching up on your thread. Maybe I can keep better tabs the rest of the year?

I hope you are feeling better, Judy. Too bad your recent reading has been disappointing. And good to get a hardcover off the shelf!

Hope you love the hair cut and feel better, Judy. Also hope you find a book to love before long.

>71 alcottacre: oh, there are lots of people I can't keep up with around here! So if you stop in once in a while, I'd be pleased, but understanding. The good thing is my thread progresses so slowly compared to some people here (for instance, you!) that you probably won't miss much if you drop in once a month or so.

>72 BLBera: Thanks. I'm not used to colds. this one seems to be ebbing.

>73 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, I think the haircut is ok. And of course, there are lots of books. The Fossum was unusually obvious in the way it was constructed, and definitely a downer.

I was spooked today by an online news brief that scientists have run projections of the behavior of the Gulf Stream and its ancillary ocean patterns and are fairly certain the stream will break down due to fresh water dilution, maybe as early as next year! If that is so, Europe will not have to worry about global warming in their neighborhood - more like Ice Age disruption. And as I live on an island (easy to forget that about Manhattan) a predicted 3 foot sea level rise makes me wonder where to go to survive either the heat or a new Ice Age. And here I was counting on living to 100.

eta: a spot on FB about an archaologist's work mentioned repeatedly that the last time the atmosphere had this much CO2 in it, the sea came in 90 miles from our current coast, which they know because they find clam fossils there. I may have to find out where that prospective seashore might be.

>75 ffortsa: Well, that prospective seashore is at the foothills of the Adirondacks, according to my thumb measurement against the atlas.

Because this was on my mind, I was talking to Jim about it, and we both remembered the James Burke show on climate change from 1989. It's called 'After the Warming', a two-parter I found on YouTube! So we watched it. Amazing what he got right in 1989 about the ensuing 35 years, and alas, what he got wrong. What he got most wrong was the possibility of a world-wide cooperation on climate change. The map of the world-wide ocean currents involved in the Gulf Stream has been stuck in my head all these years.

>75 ffortsa: Well that's not scary at all -- #%$@!!

8. Not to Disturb by Muriel Spark

A short (90) pages novel that reads almost like a Pinter play, set in an English baronial mansion over the course of one evening and morning. More after we discuss on Monday.

>75 ffortsa: Let's hope that that great self regulating mechanism planet earth comes to the rescue of all of us and despite ourselves.
Pessimism reigns also over here in Malaysia as the failure of humankind to cooperate in a meaningful way and the basic greed that it encompasses is so frustrating.

>79 PaulCranswick: Pessimism is a tough mood to sustain without slipping into depression or something wilder. We in the US are going to suffer at least another 9 months of swinging between pessimism and optimism - or maybe just fear and anxiety - and even if we succeed in disappointing Trump, there are so many problems that we need to tackle. I hear that the younger generation, the one in high school and college, are determined to meet these challenges. I hope they can.

9. ♬Wrong Hill to Die On by Donis Casey

Alafair, Shaw and Blanche travel to Arizona to visit Alafair's sister, for Blanche's health. Immigration is much on the minds of the residents, and of course Alafair discovers a body.

I was in the mood for a light mystery, and the Alafair Tucker series usually does the trick, but I made the choice to listen to this one, and that was a mistake. There's nothing wrong with the narration, but the book is fairly didactic and too long to listen to, at least for the type of book it is. Too bad.

>75 ffortsa: Methinks we are all toast. I remember a few years ago, reading so many things about the 11th hour, when we could actually do something, etc. Rear view mirror.

>79 PaulCranswick: and >80 ffortsa: I can hardly bear to think about the next nine months. It will only be ugly. And scary.

Okay, so. Now I need a drink. LOL

Hugs to you, Judy.

>82 EBT1002: Ah, thanks for stopping by, Ellen. It helps to know someone else is thinking of these things too!

>78 ffortsa: So, about Not to Disturb. Some of the group found it a funny satire of how the downstairs servants are more aware than the upstairs folks are, and can predict their bosses' actions. How they have prepared for their own futures, how they are aware of the value of scandal to the tabloids and TV, struck me as rather overworked and very cynical, which I suppose was the purpose. Short (90 pages) but I can't really recommend it.

Hm. I started the next Dr. Siri book in the series, Don't Eat Me, but the usual snark and silliness isn't sitting well. Maybe I need a more serious book right now.

In the interest of reading what is on my shelves, I turned all the fiction I have read with the spines to the back, so I can see what is left more clearly. We will see if it works - there are a lot of spines showing, and if I read them, I might give them away and make more room.

>86 ffortsa: That’s a great idea! Makes it very apparent what is left to read…

Karen O

Now if I can only read. I've started my pre-trip jitters (trip to San Francisco on Tuesday) and I can't seem to do anything. Tickets bought, staying with my brother and sil, shortish trip. I need someone to kindly hit me over the head.

>88 ffortsa: I'm sure you will have a good trip and lovely visit with your brother and sis -- here is your gentle bomp on the head to confirm that :)

Hope you have a good trip to SF. It's such a lovely city!

Safe travels, Judy.

Thanks to all for the wishes for safe travel. We just went through a rather annoying minor crisis when we found we were not sitting together. I finally realized we could ask for the exit row seats (and yes, we are flying a 737 so I hope we don't get blown out over Pennsylvania). So for now, at least, we are flying side by side. We can't fix the return seats just yet, because I booked an Alaska Airlines flight through American Airlines Advantage and I can't see my flight back yet on Alaska Airlines website(why are things so complicated?).

As for the exit row seat, my feelings are those bolts are likely to be the safest on the plane now - and I'll keep my seatbelt on.

You're right, these are the safest areas in the aircraft at the moment.
And to further reassure you, it wasn't an emergency exit that broke off, but an opening that wasn't needed as an emergency exit was incorrectly bricked up...
All the best for your journey and have a good time.

>92 ffortsa: Hope you have a wonderful trip!

>93 SirThomas: >92 ffortsa: >91 BLBera: >90 banjo123: >89 RebaRelishesReading: >94 figsfromthistle: Thanks, SirThomas, for the correction. We flew back on another 737 and managed to land without drama. And thanks to all for the good wishes.

And it was a terrific trip, although it rained enough to float Noah's ark. My friend in San Francisco had her birthday party in spite of being diagnosed with Covid the day before (!) - she came down in her hazmat costume, but stayed for the whole party and had a great time, as did we. The rest of the time it rained enough to raise Noah's Ark. I need to see Jayne and my brother and sil more often, in spite to having to travel practically the whole day to get there. Traffic - I have to be more cognizant of when to take of and land to avoid rush hour!

I am surprised I didn't look at LT the whole time, although I had my tablet and my brother's computer available. I guess it was a vacation from everything.

At present I'm reading Stefan Zweig's novel The Post Office Girl. which I did read before. I'm having all sorts of new insights and reactions this time around. Some of it makes me squirm in embarrassment for the central character, knowing what is to come.

Ack! Just looked at the post count for some of what I follow. Sigh. It will have to wait.

>95 ffortsa: Welcome home. Glad your trip went well.

>97 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, as of now we are thinking of coming to Portland some time in May, to see my cousin and her new show at the Jewish Museum. Will you be at home in May?

>98 ffortsa: How exciting, Judy!! We get home May 10 so I hope your trip will be in the second half of the month. Does that work with the show?

>99 RebaRelishesReading: definitely.

>100 ffortsa: :)

Wow, The Stefan Zweig book attracted a whole new flight of people to our book meetup on Tuesday, and they all had interesting things to say. Hope they come back.

I'm almost finished with Another Man's Shoes on audio. Next discussion is slated for Lauren Goff's Fates and Furies, which somehow I have already bought from Amazon.

Hated the cramped seat in coach on our return trip, and have just managed to recover from fatigue, tight muscles, and the like. Good news is I didn't gain any weight on the trip.

11. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson

I thoroughly enjoyed this entry in the Walt Longmire series, the first I'd listened to.
George Guidall's pace and diction was just right for the story, so much so that I didn't take advantage of the 'speed-up' available, and listened to it as read.

Through flashbacks prompted by the murder of a Vietnamese woman in Longmire's territory, we learn a great deal about his time in Vietnam, the corrupt underside of the
war, and the price everyone paid. We also learn about the price paid by Native Americans assumed to be brutal at home. I found it engaging overall, and will try to find the next in the series on Audio.

>103 ffortsa: Really a terrific series - I've read thru Dry Bones now (#11) and am not remotely tired of it.

Sometimes good deeds cost a lot. A friend of mine who lives a few blocks away is steadily failing, panicking about things she used to do and can do no longer, like using her computer or cellphone for the simplest things. Jim and I went over today to set up a new printer for her and print the taxes her son had peremptorily entered through TurboTax. She is definitely not thinking straight, and sometimes in the face of her anxiety I don't think straight either. We got her more or less straightened out, but it took a lot out of both of us to shelter ourselves from her panic and get the work done.
I can't convince her to get help in, or move to some senior residence, or even get a simpler phone than the one her son insisted on her getting.

It's so hard to help people who don't want to be helped. She'll just die in her apartment, she says. Oh great, I said. I don't want to have to put Vicks under my nose when I find you decomposing in your bed.

Now I'm exhausted. I'll have a drink (oh, wait, I'm having a drink as I type), maybe play my violin, and watch some mindless TV. Trying to treat myself kindly.

Playing your violin sounds like the perfect recovery to me. Sorry you're having to deal with this and sorry for your friend. I hope today goes better.

>105 ffortsa: Sorry to hear about your friend, Judy. Your treats sound great.

I've been rather too lazy to post the last few days. But I did finish Fates and Furies for our book discussion scheduled for Monday, and I'll enter some notes after that. I was glad to finish it, because my reading stints have gotten shorter lately. Old eyes.

More reasonably good news: we finally found our preferred mattress provider and bought a new one - the current one is about 20 years old! Fingers crossed that it will be delivered this coming Friday.

And I went walking with my walking group today. Only did half the trip, but managed to chalk up over 10,000 steps anyway. I know that it's a sort of made up number, but I feel better when I get at least 8,000 steps in, and lately my walking has been pretty rare.

I'm monumentally behind on everyone's threads. As usual.

>98 ffortsa: >99 RebaRelishesReading: Yay! Let us know the dates. I hope I can crash the party and see you two. : )

>103 ffortsa: I love the Longmire series and always listen to George Guidall read them. Haven't read that one yet so I am off to the library to find it -- got it!!

>105 ffortsa: Sorry about your friend. As you know, I'm going through this with my mom and dad. On the upside for me, they live in Florida so I wont' have to worry about Vicks for my nose (sad but funny -- you get points for that one). The drink sounds good...

>106 RebaRelishesReading: Hurray for the new mattress and getting the steps in. Still not feeling great but hoping to do a small walk and enjoy the fleeting sunshine here.

Happy Monday, Judy.

>109 Berly: Crash the party? As always I'm sure you'll be the life of it!!

>109 Berly: Awww! Thanks. : ) Judy, if you want I can let people know when you will be in town on the Oregon thread. Let me know if you want to go big. ; )

>111 Berly: I'll be sure to let you know our dates. I'm aiming for late May. Bonnie's work, as I see it developing on Facebook, looks amazing, as usual. I'm hoping to encourage my brother to join us to make it a sibling reunion, but we will make time for friends for sure.

12. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

I was a little surprised at how negatively my book circle members reacted to this novel.

The first section centers on Lotto (Lancelot) Satterwhite, scion of a wealthy but strange Florida family, given all the advantages. But his controlling mother disowns him, disapproving of his fairy-tale marriage, and, struggling as an actor, he is supported emotionally and financially by his wife Mathilde, his aunt, his sister, his friends from school, until his eventual and remarkable success as a playwright. He loves his wife, trusts his friends, and seems the golden boy. I got somewhat tired of it. When his story ends, Mathilde's steps out of his shadow. Who is she really? We have learned so little about her as the novel concentrates on Lotto. And there is a lot to learn. She, of course, is one of the furies, but how much of her story is true? Her early life, her odd family, are completely hidden from her husband, but drive her actions and her own need for control and revenge. The author is not above using spectacular events to punctuate the narrative, both in the forward journey of the plot and the backward look at origins, and I suspect some of the group found the author as controlling as the characters. But I enjoyed the story, in spite of some eyebrow-raising coincidences at the end .

13. The Catch by Archer Mayor

This is not one of Mayor's best. The first chapter or two needed editing - sloppy work was repeated and the setup was endless. Gradually, as the scope of an investigation of the murder of a policeman in Vermont morphs into a story of drugs in Maine, more and more agencies and characters are brought in, and I couldn't bring my usual focus to bear. Too many people running around, too many possible plot points - and I guessed the murderer as soon as the character was introduced. Sigh.

I got a call from the gym where I have a membership through my health insurance. I hadn't been there in some time and it seems the insurance company audits attendance, because I was about to lose the deal. So I dragged myself over (it's far enough away to be annoying) and did my PT exercises. On the way home I tried to buy some cleaning supplies for when my housekeeper arrives, but the stuff she uses was nowhere to be found. To my annoyance, I had to buy the stuff online. Ammy is taking over the world.

On a happier note, we have been watching the two-part Rick Burns documentary on Dante and the Commedia. It's really pretty good, and the actor who plays Dante is great casting. Two two-hour episodes. I've read The Inferno, but not the rest of it, so I'm getting a bit of a primer on Purgatorio and Paradiso.

14. Bruno and the Carol Singers by Martin Walker

Listed a little out of my reading order. A novella in the series.

>115 ffortsa: Don't think I know about that one -- will have to see about adding it to my collection of Bruno audio books.

>92 ffortsa: I am a huge Alaska Airlines fan but I have learned that booking any flight from any second party (Travelocity, another airline) is always less convenient and more complicated. Four our trip to New Zealand in November, I plan to go directly to the website of the airline we want to book with and book through them.

>105 ffortsa: So sorry about the struggle with your friend. It is indeed difficult (impossible?) to help someone who doesn't want help and it sounds like she is having a hard time admitting to herself that she needs the help. You and Jim are good souls to help her as much as you can.

I guess it's good that you ended up going to the gym and doing your PT exercises.... Maybe?

>117 EBT1002: yes about the airlines. I'll be booking flights today or tomorrow, and hope to get a reasonable landing time at PDX. I like Alaska too, but the 737 Max we flew on back to NYC had NO legroom in coach. I will try to get an aisle seat this time, if i don't sit with Jim in the extra legroom aisle, tres expensive.

As for MyraMae, she knows she needs help, but doesn't want to arrange for it with anyone she doesn't know. And since she has alienated most of her friends, at least the ones still alive, she appeals to us, to her son who is not in the area, to the one or two people still willing to help. I would say she would do better in an assisted living facility, or at least a senior residence, except that she is sure she can't afford it and leaving her apartment of 50+ years would be a serious trauma. So we do what we can, and try to distance ourselves when our consciences allow.

And actually, going to the gym was good and kept me focussed, which sometimes doesn't happen at home.

Wow. I was looking at someone's 'what to borrow' list, and realized that I've missed adding quite a few books to my library here. I'd better clean up the threads I've posted.

>114 ffortsa: I didn't know Ken Burns had tackled Dante. I will look for this.

>113 ffortsa: I loved Fates and Furies; I would have thought it would make a good discussion book.

>120 BLBera: I don't think it was Ken Burns. Rick Burns, his brother.

15. Mad Monkton by Wilkie Collins

I listened to this book as an entry in Fifteen Great Novellas. It is a very Victorian story, involving ghosts, family curses, romance, and the Catholic (gasp!) Church. The main character, Monkton, is currently the last of his line, and believes that he must find his uncle's body and return it to the family vault or he will permanently be the last Monkton. His uncle has died in an illegal duel near Naples, which is where most of the story takes place.

It was very well read, but because the reader is a woman, it took me a long time to realize the narrative character was male. Silly me, there were lots of clues that Collins' contemporaries would have registered immediately.

I've been taking photos as usual, but not uploading them here. Here's one from our actual first snow in over 700 days, facing north into Union Square. (I had to crop it a little on the right to prevent it from loading upside down.) Sorry it's not a crisp as the actual photo.

And here's another one, from a few beautiful days ago from the east side of the park. (when I tried to make the image bigger, it got terribly fuzzy, so I backed off.)

16. Hell With The Lid Blown Off by Donis Casey

The books in this series are not exactly cosies, but they do center on a family whose love and generosity provide an antidote to today's self-centered culture.

The title refers to a tornado that hits farms and other establishments outside of a small town in Oklahoma. As we have seen on the news, tornados can do terrible damage, and we follow the Tucker family as they protect themselves from the blasts and repair what damage they can to homes and farms. Before the tornado, we meet a nasty piece of work named Jubal as begin to see what damage he can do to a small community with the 'standards' of that time just before World War I. After the tornado, we see the damages it caused, and the dead discovered. All in all a very satisfying read, probably the best I've read so far in this series.

>118 ffortsa: Good luck booking the tix -- Let me know when you are out here in the PNW!! : )

>126 Berly: Arriving 5/27, late, leaving 6/3, morning. Bonnie's show is up now at the Jewish Museum, and there will be a concert and talk, I think on 5/29. She also has scheduled a workshop on Sunday, a sort of cooperative art project. Please let other Portland and Portland-adjacent folks know. I'll let Reba know too. I think she will be back from her European trip by then.

Eta: I was able to use all my United frequent flyer points, which had been hanging around forever, and just pay for the extra legroom seat assignments.

17. Trust by Hernan Diaz

This was a reread from last year, for the other of our two book groups. Lots of very exciting conversation, a lot of it about form, surprisingly. We have one new member who seems very up on structuralism, and while I took his point about the telescoping nature of the sections of this book, I was more interested in the unreliable narrators and the Rashamon-style viewpoints.

18. ♬Broken Harbour by Tana French

I've been listening to Tana French's novel Broken Harbour. Big mistake. I might as well have gone to a silent retreat. The narration is great, the police procedural is compelling, the private lives deeply fraught. It's 1AM and I shouldn't have waited for the end of the chapter (the chapters are long) before turning out the light. About 5 more hours of listening to go, speed set at a modest 1.10. I can already tell it's a pity the star scale only goes to 5.

eta: Wow, really worth listening. Some editing might be warranted, but otherwise excellent, scary. (Trigger warning for suicide, family violence.)

A stellar addition to this series. A police detective determined to be a straight arrow, but burdened with difficult family pressures, leads a team to solve what looks like a domestic invasion and murder. Was it an intruder or home-made? There's plenty of evidence of the loneliness and desperation of people who moved to their dream house only to find an empty failed development, which they can't even maintain because of job loss and a need for perfection. When the golden couple don't have a golden life, what might result?

The senior detective takes on a new member of the squad, a smart young man with empathy to spare. He's never really had a true partner, always training the new ones and letting them go on to new placements. But they work together well. Will their backstories twist the results?

The audio is excellent, excellent. I will look for the reader Stephen Hogan again.

>127 ffortsa: Is there a particular day you want me to try and get everyone together? Let me know and I'll put it on the Oregon thread. : )

>129 Berly: We will be going to the museum on the 29th for the exhibit, talk and a concert on an instrument made partly from remnants of the burned piano. Sunday is already scheduled, and Tuesday may, if we are lucky, be a day we can spend with other cousins who happen to be in town. I know you and Walt and others are working folk, so we can try an evening or Saturday. I'll post on the Oregon thread if I can find it. &: )

I see you found the thread!! Good on you, LOL. I'll post over there. : ) Can't wait to see you! Not sure what my working schedule in May will look like so I'll have to see about the exhibit....

I've finished turning around all the fiction I've read that is still on the shelves, and I'm ashamed of how much is still spines out. Nothing I wouldn't want to read, but somehow, I never feel like reading them! Weird. I'm between books at the moment - next book group book is Myra Breckenridge, which I've never read, but I won't get it on paper.

If we have a rainy day or two, I plan to add all my drama books to my Librarything account. We were looking for a copy of Translations the other day and I couldn't recall if I owned it or not.

Today is dentist and haircut, in the afternoon. Otherwise it should be pretty quiet.

>132 ffortsa: I have that same problem with books. Sometimes you just are not in the mood to read certain books that you know will be good reads. Every book has it's time :) I have a special shelf where I put books there that have been taking up space for a long time. I give myself a year to read them and if I don't, I bring them to a LFL.

Anyhow, Happy mid week

>132 ffortsa: Sometimes I am guilty of reading too quickly and have to go and have another look. When I first looked at this post I was wondering how on earth you knew the Dentist was needing a haircut!

19. The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker
20. The Resistance Man by Martin Walker

The next two in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. I could plead illness for not liking the second one, but both put Bruno and St. Denis in the middle of international skullduggery that seems rather far-fetched in a little country town. I'll read on in the series, but I hope this trend abates.

That said, the illness was exceedingly ordinary. I'm exhausted but on the mend. I did miss my mother.

21. @Myra Breckinridge by Gore Vidal

Read for a discussion a week from tomorrow. Maybe I won't say anything until then.

22. @The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

I've been watching the Vera series on TV for quite a while, and thought I'd see how it started with this inaugural mystery. Cleeves takes her time setting up all the characters, leaving only the merest, uncomplimentary traces of Vera until half-way through the book. The first dialog with her characters is so much like the TV dialog it made me laugh. We get a lot of everyone's backstory first, mixed in with the first death, and then the first murder. Lots of red herrings, of course. I did enjoy it, and will follow the series to see if the narrative pattern holds, or if Vera becomes more the center of the stories in the future.

regarding books off the shelf, I picked up Sherman Alexie's short story collection The Loie Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. I'd read about 70% of it before, according to Kindle, but have no memory of the stories. I'll probably start again from the beginning after I read what remains.

I've started a Great Courses audio course on short stories, in which the teacher discusses one story each session. So far I've read "A Country Doctor" (Kafka), "Manon Lescaut" (Prevost) and "A Simple Heart" (Flaubert). I didn't bother to read the Prevost before the session because I knew the opera, but the other two I did read beforehand. The next lecture is on "Pantaloon in Black" (Faulkner), which is a story in Go Down, Moses, which has been on my shelf unread forever.

The lectures on "Manon Lescaut" and "A Simple Heart" served to place the stories in the culture they reflected, without much in the way of structural analysis. I'm interested to see how the course progresses. I always feel that with short stories (and with classical music) there are rules and structures I'm not fully aware of, and that knowing them would enrich my pleasure and understanding.

The next lecture was on Jorge Luis Borges, no particular story. I think the examples came from labyrinths, which didn't show up on my book list but DID show up on my physical shelf. Whew. Don't know how I missed it in my original Cuecat pass. The copy itself dates from about 1964, with a cover price of $1.95. I might have picked it up while in college in the late 60s. So now I will have the delight in reading it again, facing the spine forward on the fiction shelf.

>128 ffortsa: Wow, Trust by Hernan Diaz is a reread! I own this one, and after having read his other one and loving it, thought I would have already read it by now. I am, of course, more likely to given that you reread it already...but I am now curious as to Rashamon-style viewpoints....(Google here I come).

>140 LovingLit: There is a lot of literature being written with conflicting narrators. Another recent one is Trust Exercise.

Thanks for stopping by. I always wonder who reads my posts!

>141 ffortsa: I am lurking, reading but not much to say.

>142 elorin: Thanks for saying hi.

So after reading "Pantaloon in Black", I had to start Go Down, Moses from the beginning. It contains the long story "The Bear", which I might skip as I've read it several times, the the rest of the stories are new to me. Sometimes the pronouns are a little confusing, but the writing is stellar.

23. @Three Tales by Flaubert

Having read A Simple Heart for the Great Courses series, I was going to toss the book itself, very old, very foxed, the spine just barely holding. But there were two more stories in the volume, shorter than the first, so I tried them out.

The second, "The Legend of St. Julian Hospitator" reads like a legend, about a man born with conflicting prophesies and an overwhelming penchant for hunting and killing as many animals as he can. When he is told yet another prophesy, that he will kill his parents, he flees the country and wanders, marries a princess, continues his slaughter, until eventually, by accident, he does kill his parents. This horror turns him humble, a mendicant who eventually becomes a boatman on a rough crossing. accepting all. He is eventually saved by Jesus.

The third, "Herodias", is the story of Herod and Jokanaan. The women as assigned all the blame, it seems to me.

Yesterday, we saw an NTLive production of "The Motive and the Cue", a play from Britain about the rehearsals for the production of "Hamlet", directed by John Guilgud and starring Richard Burton in the title role. It's wonderful, even if you are not a fan of "Hamlet", for the often contentious relationship between the two men, one at (possibly) the end of his career, the other a bright star of the screen, as they wrestle
over what it means to have your 'own' "Hamlet", and what the spine of the play is for this actor. I'd never thought of the motive of the play in exactly that way, and it was breathtaking. The actress playing Elizabeth Taylor is just right as Burton's partner in another kind of contentious relationship. If you can see it on NTLIve in a theater, I highly recommend it. If you can't, it's worth buying the view to see on your TV.

I saw that production of "Hamlet" for my birthday, as a teenager, and the audience in the mezzanine was quite bemused by my sobs at the end. It was such an evocative performance that years later, hearing a few words on the radio, instantly recognized Hume Cronyn as Polonius and listened, rapt, to the rest of the recording. I recently found out that there is a film of it somewhere on the web. I hope it's as evocative on tape as it was in person.

So many good books, Judy.

I love your photos.

It sounds like you had an interesting discussion about Trust; I really liked the novel as well.

Go Down Moses is one of my favorite Faulkners. He can write.

I've noted your comments on the audio for the French novel. I am always looking for good audiobooks.

>146 ffortsa: I love your comments about your reaction the Hamlet production as a teenager - what an extraordinary memory.

Oh phooey. Lost a message.

To start again, I stopped in at an annual fund raising thrift sale at a church on 90th St. and 5th Ave, after my walk on Saturday. I usually go to look and not buy, but this time I found a really lovely set of dishes, square with turquoise centers and brown ruffled edges, and dragged them home on the bus. Alas, they don't fit in the place of my old glass dishes, because they are much thicker. So a major rearrangement is in progress. We moved the liquor to the hall closet (we rarely drink it anyway, and most of our entertainment involves wine) and that cleared a lot of space on the higher shelves. Of course, I can't really reach the higher shelves without a ladder, so I'm thinking of moving some other stuff from the other side of the corridor kitchen to make room on the shelf I can reach. Then, there might be enough room to bring in my mother's china from the storage locker.

The best solution would be a new piece of furniture along the lines of a glass-fronted breakfront to hold the dishes and the glassware now tucked way up on the highest shelf. That way I can enjoy it instead of leaving it for my estate! That will be more effort, and involves all sorts of other rearrangements, like stereo equipment and media storage now in the foyer, also unused since the stereo has been defunct for quite a while now.

Sometimes I wish I could hire burglars to selectively steal all the things that we don't really need. I wouldn't even file an insurance claim.

Hmmph. I visited yesterday and read a number of posts before I gave up. I see that I didn't post either.....

I am in the throes of settling my mama's estate. I thought it was going to be straightforward because she didn't have much. HA. I am at sea but treading water and taking time to float.
I don't envy your moving stuff around, but think how happy you'll be when it's done.
Keep reading and commenting!

>150 LizzieD: Jim's and my experiences with our parents' estates convinced us to set up guidebooks with as much relevant information as we could gather. It's been a while and could use a review. Our main thought is to give each other as little to look up, search out or be confused about as possible. I hope your work resolves quickly, even though it might look intimidating now.

Yesterday, Jim and I went to see "MacBeth (An Undoing)", a reimagining of the Shakespeare tragedy in which Lady MacBeth's story, largely unspoken of in the second half of the play, is imagined by playwright Zinnie Harris. We were interested to see what could be made of 'the back view' of this classic. Although well-done, it did not hang together, but did suggest various alternatives, such as MacBeth's breakdown and Lady MacBeth's attempt to take charge of the failing monarchy. The acting was on the whole lovely, the staging inventive, but - not a success.

In other news, in an attempt to catch up on my dearth of cultural references, I watched an episode and a half of 'Parks and Rec' before deciding it was exactly the kind of comedy I really dislike. Was it the buoyant but idiotically clueless main character? The undermining staff? Maybe I'm just modern comedy deficient. It's occurred to me before.

>152 ffortsa: I'm generally comedy deficient, and I liked Parks and Rec back when I watched it (the first 2 seasons, maybe? I never last long even with the ones I like). But I've also seen people say the first season isn't very good and it's better to start on the 2nd (or 3rd, even?).

I rarely even try comedies because I never think they're as funny as they think they are.

>152 ffortsa: Maybe I'm just modern comedy deficient. It's occurred to me before.

You and me both, Judy. I do not seem to have a 'modern' sense of humor.

I've got the dates of your visit and the museum visit on my calendar. Looking forward to seeing you.

>155 RebaRelishesReading: Oh me too.

I started reading How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci yesterday, not realizing how 'self-help'y it is. I hate self-help or 'assignment' books. Probably a mostly irrational annoyance with being told what to do, coupled with the conviction that I just can't. I mean, a list of 100 questions I want to answer? Okay, I did look up what squirrels eat this morning after a walk through the park, because this squirrel was digging all over the lawn. Probably eating bugs and seeds. I don't think he found any acorns from last year.

Anyway, I'll probably read the rest of the book, minus the exercises, and see how I feel after that.

I'm also reading a collection of Dashiel Hammett short stories, some not published elsewhere.

Last night, one of our f2f book groups discussed Chabon's Moonglow Only 6 of us showed up, even though Chabon has been a club favorite. Don't know why, unless people were spooked by the demonstrations in Union Square Park. There were other subways to take, and other stations on those subway lines to avoid the crowds. Annoying.

And it's hot here. 83 degrees on May 8, and no air conditioning yet because not yet mandated by date. Grrrr.

24. Moonglow by Michael Chabon

Michael Chabon often admits to using his life and family in his novels, and this is definitely no exception. The narrator, 'Mike', is a writer who is listening to his dying grandfather relate his life, something he never would do before. The stories, of his childhood, experience in World War II, his wife, his work, and all the dramatic incidents therein are told in what seems like no particular order, but ultimately the reader can see how one story relates to another. Chabon is a wonderful storyteller, and his characters are people I wish I could know. The narration is terrific.

>158 ffortsa: Hi Judy - I loved this Chabon too.

I loved Moonglow as well, Judy. It's one I will revisit someday.

25. The Hunter: and Other Stories by Dashiell Hammett

This is a fairly short book of fairly short stories by Dashiell Hammett, compiled from his unpublished and uncollected short stories and screen treatments by his granddaughter, Julie M. Rivett. They show his style and gritty view of people in ways we are familiar with from his novels, in various settings across the country where he had some experience living. So, San Francisco, of course, also Baltimore, New York, etc. An interesting addition if you are a fan. The commentary before each group of stories is also interesting for the biographical and career information.

26. The Appeal by Janice Hallett

Thanks to Katie for recommending this very interesting mystery!

This is not your usual who-dun-it with buildup, murder, and fierce interviews. Instead, the reader reads the documents in the case, along with the investigators, who are commissioned to discover the real murderer after a person has been convicted. So we are in the same position as the investigators, complete with text messages between them and the appeals attorney (barrister? I forget), nudges to go back and read parts of the evidence, extra information as it arises, and some amazing characters. No 'live' dialog, no suspects in the same room, none of that, and yet completely captivating. The end is satisfying and then chilling. Highly recommended.

Hi, Judy. With only ten unread messages, here I am again!!! I really like Chabon and forget that I have several unread old ones. Thanks for the spur. I'll likely react about June '25, given the chance. Old reflexes are slow.

>163 LizzieD: God help anyone who sends me an important email these days. I just forget, and then I have to weed out all the junk to find what matters.

In an attempt to read off my shelves, I've started Friday Black, a volume of short stories by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. So far, tremendous imagination and a clear view of life. I'll say more when I've finished it.

>157 ffortsa: That is unfortunate about How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci. I do not like 'self-help' books either. And how does anyone know how Da Vinci thought anyway let alone how to teach anyone else to think like him?

>158 ffortsa: Dodging that BB as I have already read it. I am a big Michael Chabon fan.

>162 ffortsa: Oo, interesting. Unfortunately my local library does not have a copy nor does Hoopla.

>165 ffortsa: Looking forward to your final thoughts on that one!

Hi Judy!! Are Jim and your family on board with the brunch on 6/1 in Portland? Let me know on the Oregon Thread and then we can talk time and place. : )

I like Michael Chabon.

>162 ffortsa: And another BB - thank you, Judy!
My public library has it available, so I'll probably read it soon, I'm looking forward to it.

I too am a fan of Michael Chabon...

27. A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao

Sergeant Akal Singh has been transferred to Fiji from Hong Kong, and it's not a good sign for his career. Fiji in 1914 has all the hallmarks of a British colony, with racism the accepted norm and labor by indentured workers brought over from the poorest parts of India. Slavery has been abolished, but this is little different.

Singh is grudgingly assigned to the case of a 'coolie', as the indentured are referred to, who has disappeared. It would have gone unnoticed except for a local priest contacting the newspaper, to insist it was a kidnapping, and now the police must find a way to resolve it as quickly as possible. But when Singh gets to the sugar cane plantation, things are not what they seem.

An interesting first book from an author who has researched family roots in the same time and place, and is appalled by the poverty of both India and Fiji.

eta: a BB from Streamsong