I enjoyed this look at a long life well lived. There was a bit philosophy, a bit of adventure, and an attempt by the author to distill wisdom from this life to pass down to his own children.

I struggle to describe this book in a way that won‘t put you off from reading it. It can be dark (Proulx has the most creative ways to kill and maim her characters!) but it‘s also humorous. Each section has an illustration of a type of accordion, but this is the one the book follows through years and miles, as it is owned by successive players from various immigrant communities. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

My December #bookspin list. Thanks @TheAromaofBooks for all the fun. I can‘t believe 2023 is almost over!

Both a poignant memoir and a well-researched look at one of the most intractable problems in America, this book made me sad, made me think, and made me want to do better. She doesn‘t offer a simple solution to these complex problems, nor does she blame “the coastal elite” for the problems of rural America. She portrays the people sympathetically as fully human, neither demonizing nor canonizing them. Highly recommended.

When I need something uplifting, I can‘t go wrong with Bishop Curry. Starting this today.

Hoping the courage of the authors will rub off on me a bit. I‘m more than a third of the way in, and it is making me hopeful and uncomfortable; angry and shamed; but also energized to seek out my personal next steps.

Fighting a cold allowed me to do nothing today but read, and I devoured this in one day. Varina Davis, like most of us, was more complex than either side of the conflict wants to believe. Frazier‘s writing is exquisite, and I learned things I had not known - like the capital of the CSA was briefly in my hometown. Photo is from her New York days. So much of her life was controlled by others, I hope she was happy in those last years. #bookspin

I enjoyed revisiting in my mind the western places I love, but I just can‘t get into this era/genre of literature. I can love older works and modern works, but the 60s and 70s style just leaves me cold. But at least I can mark this off my list. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I have issues with the writing and some incidents that I consider lazy plotting, but I must say that this gave me lots to think about. So it‘s a three-star pick. I think it‘s easier to confront our older history (“yes, my ancestors held people in enslavement, but that was so long ago”) than to ponder nearer questions (“Did my grandfather belong to the KKK?”) I‘ve added the tagged nonfiction below to my reading list to work on the “what next?”

My November #bookspin. @TheAromaofBooks

The final three stories only have two ghosts - Perrier is more a murder mystery. They were all a bit predictable, but held some sparkling Wharton sentences. I liked how, once Charlotte opened one of the letters, it was too pale to read. And in Mr. Jones, how the only one who could see him was the one who was annoyed by rather than scared of him. Thoughts? Do you think Wharton is as skilled with short stories as novels? #whartonbuddyread

I finished the tagged book and started the next as my #treadmillBook. Dear Edward was a weak pick for me. I could see what the author was trying to do, but for me it fell short. The ending felt rushed. But I cared enough about it to finish it (and keep walking.)

This was just what I needed after Clarissa! Light, hope-filled, and fun. With Smiley‘s deft prose to boot. It was also my April #doublespin and I finally got around to it. 😂

A good book, but not a great one, about a troubled year in the life of a troubled family. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Seeing more of the Wharton prose I love in this set. Above is a quote that made me chuckle and rang true too. 😀 MMP was my favorite of the four, although Bewitched was a close second. #whartonbuddyread what did you think? Going to be on the road today (grandson‘s first b-day!) but I‘ll check in when I can.

I knew going in some of the plot (it is after all almost 300 years old) but there was still much (1781 pages worth!) to take in. While I vacillated on how to rate it, I‘m glad I stuck it out to the end. I loved thinking about Richardson‘s impact on later authors like Jane Austen. And was disturbed by how little has really changed in regards to men‘s treatment of women. It was easy picture most of the characters ⬇️

Apparently there‘s a movie of The Lady‘s Maid‘s Bell, from which I grabbed this still. I may watch it later, but that wasn‘t my favorite of this week‘s 4. I liked Afterward the best. Lots of Henry James echoes, and less of the Wharton prose I‘ve been admiring. But these are early works - all but All Souls published 1910 or before - so I‘ll wait to see if it returns. What‘s everyone thinking? #whartonbuddyread

We did it! Time for final thought on #Clarissa as we all gain back hours in our reading lives. Thanks for keeping me company for this marathon. I may post some quotes below, but Richardson‘s whining wasn‘t how I was feeling this week. How are you feeling about the futures he gave each character? About his answers to the critics? (Especially as regards the length! 😂) Glad you read it, or sorry?

Somehow I ended up with two books about unhappy preteen boys going at the same time. Tagged book is my #bookspin and Dear Edward is my current treadmill book. 🤷🏻‍♀️

A reminder to the #whartonbuddyread that the first discussion for Ghosts is next Saturday. The collection each story was originally published in is in parentheses for those of us reading from The Complete Works eBook.

It‘s not often that I wish a book were longer, but the author‘s decision to limit this to three days meant that there were great gaping holes in some storylines. But Donoghue did an excellent job immersing the reader in a hospital ward for pregnant women with the flu. She captures the beauty the chaos the joy and the pain. Ready for book club and wondering how the discussion will go.

Supposedly this is Anna talking about #Clarissa, but I think it‘s Richardson being jealous 😁 and as I‘m distantly related to Jonathan Swift, I couldn‘t resist this quote. But the story is done, and all that‘s left is the shouting, as they say. Are you satisfied with Lovelace‘s death? His last minute repentance? What about Col. Morden - did he do the honorable thing, or did he let L. tempt him into behavior he‘ll regret?

Finished my September #doublespin. Not what I expected, but, despite the odd, awkward ending, a mild pick. @TheAromaofBooks
Pondering it more, one thing that sticks out is that none of the women seem to exist except in relation to men. Even the book club (which got dropped awkwardly) they were all about the men who were or weren‘t in their lives.

And the winner is . . .Ghosts (by a slim margin of those of you who voted) The parentheticals are the collections these stories are in for those of us reading from The Complete Works of Edith Wharton ($1.99 on Kindle) We‘ll start on the 14th to give people time to get a copy. I didn‘t check page counts, but the number of stories is roughly equivalent. #Whartonbuddyread

Option three for October #whartonbuddyread

#Whartonbuddyread Second option for October. Vote by commenting below.

#Whartonbuddyread Comment below if this is your choice for October

Anna‘s smart mouth is a welcome interruption of Lovelace‘s self-centered whining and Richardson‘s preaching! Will she marry Hickman in the next tow weeks? (That‘s all that‘s left!) Or will she and Belford bond over their grief for the incomparable #Clarissa? Inquiring minds want to know. 😂

Just in time, my October #bookspin. @TheAromaofBooks

This author has been to a Town Council meeting or two. 😂

Hey #whartonbuddyread people, there‘s been some discussion about what to read next, but no consensus.
I‘m hosting the next work and hoped to schedule it for after mid-October (when we finish Clarissa!) So please comment below with your choice for the non-fiction Italian Backgrounds or the short story collection Tales of Men and Ghosts.

Three quotes today, because I‘m loving Col. Morden. He has James‘s number for sure. I also loved how Anna, when she came to say goodbye to #Clarissa wouldn‘t see her family. So, the will‘s been read - thoughts? Is Morden correct that C wounded her family by her generosity? What about the “paper” that was to be given L if he insisted on seeing her body? Or, to shift gears, how did C‘s attitude to “her poor” go down with you?

My #bookspin for September was this beautifully written memoir by poet Tracy K. Smith. It‘s heartwarming and heartbreaking, and funny and sad, and very, very, real. Highly recommended.
(My copy is missing its dust jacket and thus very plain, so I found a picture of the author online.)
@TheAromaofBooks

At first I thought this was going to be for me like The Three Musketeers- a book I could appreciate might encourage boys to read, but not my up of tea. But I‘m glad I kept going. In addition to the vivid descriptions of India, Kipling gave us very real, lovable, humans. The Llama‘s concern for Kim‘s soul; the horse trader‘s concern for Kim‘s temporal life, Kim‘s concern for everyone around him, warmed _my_ heart. Thanks @TheAromaofBooks

We saw it coming, but still. And we have four more weeks of letters? Lovelace‘s reaction (and Mowbray‘s!) left me fuming. And the too late change of heart of her family, too. NOW you decide she‘s not lying? If I weren‘t reading this on my Kindle throwing might have been involved. 🙄 #Clarissa

I really enjoyed this biography of First Lady Edith Wilson. Casual history seems to focus on Eleanor Roosevelt as the power lady in DC, but Edith did it first and more completely!

Not book related, but I can‘t resist sharing. Our solar panels went live this afternoon! I can‘t wait to see that first reduced electrical bill. 🌞

Richardson is preaching through Anna now, but I can‘t disagree with him on this point. #Clarissa is “dying by inches” to quote Stephen Sondheim, and Lovelace is as implacable as ever, calling everything he did to her “a mere jest” and calmly explaining that if he‘s unhappy of course he must abuse his servants. 🙄 Even 5 more weeks is not enough time to redeem him in my opinion.

Well I can check this off my list now. I can‘t say I exactly enjoyed it, although the last couple chapters were better and almost got there for me. But not quite. This will be heading to a Little Free Library near me. 🙂 Thanks to @TheAromaofBooks for giving me the impetus to read this.

“The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them”

I wasn‘t expecting to finish this today, but I got going and couldn‘t put it down. Faithful to David Copperfield without being slavish, and it will break your heart over and over. Kingsolver makes you stick in there, and really SEE without making you feel preached at. After my trip to WV this summer where “Foster Parents Needed” signs were everywhere I wish everyone could read this book with an open heart.

I might be reading too many books at one time. #Clarissa #whartonbuddyread #randomclassics #irlbookclub #treadmillAudio I‘m loving the connections between some of them, like the Edith Wilson bio and the Edith Wharton which overlap time-wise.

I went for #Kim, because I thought I owned a copy but apparently didn‘t, and walked out with these plus 2 not pictured for my husband. #sorrynotsorry

As sorry as I am to give Lovelace more air, I think this may be the author‘s response to his fans. #Clarissa was released in installments and was the talk of its day. I wonder if Richardson was getting pressure from readers to have our girl take him to court?

The audiobooks I listen to on the treadmill are chosen based more on what‘s available than anything else (my library‘s selection is limited!) but I‘m glad I stumbled on this one. So far it‘s very interesting.

My I-can‘t-believe-it‘s-almost-September #bookspin list. @TheAromaofBooks

Even if you think you know where Dickens is taking you, you never quite know what you‘ll meet on the journey. I loved every minute of this #chunkster, and now I‘m ready for the Kingsolver retelling (Demon Copperhead). @Amiable

A quote from the Rev. Dr. Lewen because I don‘t want to give Lovelace‘s whining any more air, and because it‘s a different voice. Buy even he seems to be laying all the responsibility on our #Clarissa! Not blaming her for what happened, but telling her to fix it or she‘s guilty of harming the next woman L decides to rape. Sheesh! Also, does anyone else find Richardson‘s prose harder to get through when he gets preachy, or is it just me? 🙄

I have to agree with Belford here - not marrying Lovelace is a reward! And what about L‘s ranting about his letters being shared? What a spoiled toddler! #Clarissa

“The good Doctor said she was nervous, and, to relieve her, proposed a round game at cards; of which he knew as much as of the art of playing the trombone.”