A fun story of an 81 year old woman, sharp as a tack, on the run with the assistance of a confused young adult just trying to figure out what to do with her life. A lighthearted and quick read.

I‘ll be staying in Meelick, Killarney and Castlebar, Ireland beginning next Wednesday. For those of you in Ireland, any special bookstores I should visit? @Cathythoughts do you live in Ireland?

Not book related…but thought I would share this story. I stayed overnight with Captain Adorable and his 5 year old sister, Grace. She dressed herself for preschool and came down looking like this, a mix of fairy and cocktail party attendee. She told me she was Wednesday. I was confused, because it was Wednesday and I said, “it‘s Wednesday”. She said no, she was Wednesday. It was only later that I realized she was talking about the Addams Family.

I‘m not sure I have the words to describe the hangover I have from this book. In this memoir the author shares her family‘s lineage of healers & seers. Her grandfather, a healer of curses and remover of ghosts; she and her mother share an experience of amnesia that changes both of their lives, the trauma of living in a never ending war zone. The writing was hypnotic and moving. Sentences stopped me, giving me the time to feel into them. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Captain Adorable, my grandson, was walking home from school. I had just read this line, thought it was brilliant, asked him to sit a minute so we could talk about it: “I know that the meat of the body imagines itself to be air.” He just thought it was funny. I explained that in my world it feels as if the heart & mind are all this body is. The rest definitely feels like a tagalong, like air. Again, that smile. “You‘re goofy, G.” Off he went.

I‘ve been sitting on this review because I‘m sad to say this book was just okay. I‘ve really liked his other books, especially Exit West. The premise of everyone suddenly having black skin was interesting and how they reacted to it, but I felt it didn‘t go deep enough and I found the writing style to be annoying. Hearing this was originally a short story that he expanded to develop into a book made sense. He should have kept it as a short story.

Our librarian was inspired by this book to build a wind phone. Several village mental health counselors worked with her to get funds from the Selectboard & the State of Vermont as a way for young & old to express their grief or their problems into the phone. A child recently spent time talking with their cat who had recently died. We‘ve had many villagers pass away recently & the phone is being used a lot. The start of a zen garden is in front.

Driving through the New Hampshire and Vermont mountains was the best way to listen to this one. Lead guitarist for several bands, the author plays the background music to the audio. The narrative is disjointed and timelines blur but you get the idea of what it‘s like to live on the road with your band mates. The highs and the lows, the heavy work involved, and the hangovers/highs. It‘s a low pick but a worthy companion on my drive home.

The last 3 days I was in Bath, Maine looking at the ocean, seals, birds, cute puppies and bookstores. I went into Sherman‘s Bookstore, a wonderful store that I thought was an independent bookstore in Falmouth. Looking at the map though it seems Sherman‘s have a number of stores in Maine. Check them out if you‘re traveling through the area. Of course I had to buy the most expensive hardcover they had because you can‘t leave empty handed.

The first paragraph perfectly describes what was completely wrong with Bolla, the book I read right before this one. Bolla was unrelenting. This book was delightful in the telling of so much that is troubling but you aren‘t beaten into a bloody pulp with the info. The second paragraph is just a reminder to us all that female friendships are absolutely necessary, otherness is not real, and I need to read more about Phoolan Devi.

I‘ve read many a book that is grim & have a capacity to appreciate good writing that moves you to despair. I‘ve never read one that made me question whether reading books was something I needed to stop doing. I‘ve debated how to rate this - the story is certainly realistic and the writing kept me reading. Ultimately, I‘m panning it because it requires lots of crime tape around it. (Caution, caution, this will mess you up & think life is hopeless.)

A reviewer wrote: “I have rarely read a book that captures so succinctly the way that all lovers must (at least a little bit) believe they are the only people to ever feel this feeling, and the way that that is (at least a little bit) true.” I would add the feeling of heartbreak & depression too. Halfway through, this ‘slim‘ novel kicked into gear for me as this lonely man comments on his life. I enjoyed it, not sure I‘d recommend it though.(cont)

A short but intense autobiography of Jaku‘s life. Despite all that happened to him and the unhappiness he continued to feel after being liberated, he grew to believe that his goal in life was to enjoy each day, to try to bring a smile to other‘s faces. He asks a lot of questions which all of us still ask. How could people be so influenced to become so evil and unfeeling? He has a TED talk if you‘d like to see him give a brief summary of his life.

“Under the Nazi regime, a German man was not immediately an evil man, he was weak and easily manipulated. And slowly but surely, these weak men lost all of their morals and then their humanity.”

This feels relevant to today.

Because I recently read Lou Kasischke‘s book about being on Everest during the 1996 devastating Everest climb, I went to the library to find books by folks who had been there at the same time. Krakauer was a second reading. Breashears has 2 chapters on it. Interesting to read the slightly different views they have on the event. All three books were captivating and I watched a zillion videos about it too. Early May is the window to climb. 🤞

I‘m doing a second reading of this book to get more insight into my recent “survivor of Everest book.” Both authors were on the same team of climbers so it‘s interesting getting the two views. However, between my two sports teams being in the midst of some tough playoffs (especially the Bruins) and my imagined Everest climb, my nerves are shot! Seriously.

If you want to get over a book hangover, read this. The author is not a professional writer, but he sure writes well enough to keep you wanting to read what he has to say. He was on the 1996 Everest climb in which many of his group died. I‘ve read 3 books about this climb and this one describes in great detail what it was like. He doesn‘t shy away from placing blame and he is very clear about what saved him. Now I have another book hangover.

I appreciate the drawings that are scattered throughout the telling of this story by a survivor of the 1996 tragedy on Everest. They give you a moment to reflect on what‘s taking place in the narrative. I‘ve read a number of books about this event and I‘m really appreciating this author‘s perspective. This drawing shows the choke point where too many climbers sat and waited for hours unnecessarily for ropes to be attached to the surface.

Fingers crossed I actually get to read a book I‘m excited about. Either way I‘ll get it off my shelf. #bookspin

It's official. There's a book hangover taking place. This is quite different from my most loved and revered book by this same author, Fresh Water for Flowers, but it is a rich, slightly mysterious, deeply drawn character study that will stay with me. Perrin takes the time with the story and its length allows you to fully invest in the characters.

Fantastic. A young woman, a teacher who cares for her students & tries to support one particular family, and has to care for her mother who is often drunk. She begins an affair with a married man which her brother, who runs the family bar, warns her about. However, the main character for me was Northern Ireland. This story is the first I‘ve read in which I viscerally felt smack dab in the midst of the claustrophobia and violence of The Troubles.

Guess what, Barbara! It‘s time! I‘m going in.

A rapacious billionaire versus young environmentalists who are sneaking into spaces to grow food. What could go wrong when they decide to work together? This was a low pick for me. A thriller that felt much too real to me. I‘ve tried to figure out what bothered me about it and I suppose it was the ultimate outcome of their efforts that left me feeling no good deed goes unpunished. The writing was fantastic and yet the story felt too long.

Written by a professor of film & media at MIT, she provides fascinating details on how the media had to fight to report what was happening in Chicago during the Democratic convention. Mayor Daley ruled the city & worked with President Johnson to shut down protests & coverage inside & outside of the convention center. This is where the idea of a ‘liberal media‘ started despite the fact that the media was thwarted in reporting & assaulted. 🔽

Being a Grandmother myself with a 9 year old grandchild, this book felt very close. Of course my life is so different from the author and her semi-autobiographical characters and their circumstances and yet… may I be as freewheeling and unafraid as this grandma is. While I laughed through much of this, it‘s the story of three family members moving through some very difficult experiences. Thanks to #bookspin I finally got it off my TBR.

It‘s possible I‘ve been feeling a bit vulnerable lately, but wow…these poems really packed a punch. [spellcheck originally changed the wording to read that it packed a lunch. Yeah, that too.]

For those of you who might remember these kids as babies, this is Gracie and Leander. Granddaughter and best friend. I babysat them together for years, each of them starting with me at 3 months of age. Leander is exactly one year older than Gracie. Their love for books started at a very young age and I loved taking them to the school book fair this year.

Grandma and I have the same affliction!

I feel like I missed something. Or apparently I have no heart. 😳 Everyone else seems to have loved it. It was nothing like any of Wilson‘s other books and I was so removed from the outcome. The first half was interesting..second half not so much. I feel badly as Wilson offers a personal reason for writing the book and normally that would add to the experience of the story. Maybe I was expecting too much.

This story of a fictional town in Ireland as it prepares for electricity to be installed in the town is also a story about a stranger coming to town to ask for forgiveness. The story is told so beautifully and the writing takes time to take in. This is not a quick read. It reminded me of my father of Irish descent telling stories - endlessly adding details that ultimately make the story so much better.

As I lay about, procrastinating about the various things that need to be done, I come across this passage. Is this why I‘ve lived my life thinking it‘s wrong to lay about procrastinating? 🤣🤣 Was I raised believing it was wrong to do nothing for a bit?

On another note, this short section about experiencing the life of an ant was entirely too claustrophobic and a bit depressing! #Oafkingalong

I finished this months ago but wanted it to linger in my mind. Merrick and his wife moved from the Arctic Circle to the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont in the 1930‘s. While this photo is of a VT farm, it is definitely not Merrick‘s. In an old homestead, they start their family. I loved reading his stories of that time, where the ice on the lake was 3 feet deep (not anymore!), neighbors were crucial, and the snow was difficult to navigate. 🔽

Just in case folks want to know, there will be a live chat online with Valerie Perrin. Go to Tombolo Books to sign up.

Often I feel such gratitude for my reading life. Today - despite the snowstorm raging outside on March 31st! - I feel so grateful to be reading these two books at the same time. Williams‘ writing is so detailed and gorgeous and White‘s writing is so fanciful and fun. We readers are so lucky to have such wonderful offerings. Many thanks to @AnnieMcC for the Williams recommendation and thanks to @AvidReader25 and @BkClubCare for #OAFkingalong.

From the poem My Friend Bethany Rages at the News.

Each section hit me hard this morning.

I noticed that Jenny had written a review of Homesick, a book I recently finished. I decided to look at some of her other reviews and ran across this one from a year ago. It seems important to share it for those who might want to read more about Russia and their history with Ukraine. It also seems important to spend time remembering Jenny. I miss her.

Just what I needed. A book I could not put down. A transcriptionist (which I have done a lot of) for a sex therapist (I can only imagine!!) falls for one of the therapist‘s clients. The MC is an older woman (me too), her lifestyle is a bit messy (me too!). My heart went out to her and I laughed a lot, especially the first 1/4 of the book. I enjoyed another book of hers (Vacuum in the Dark). Clearly her characters and I are simpatico.

So… sadly, I think the fact that I had both the audio and ebook versions to compare each to the other I was completely befuddled and couldn‘t settle into this book. What was true, what wasn‘t … each version missed significant parts of the other‘s story. I think I need to find the paper version and try again. For now it‘s a so-so for me.

If you‘re from the Boston area you‘ll love the way Beagin writes about a particular character. Her description of a Boston accent is perfect.

Get ready, folks. The book has been launched and Jen is making the rounds in Vermont. A teacher who just happened to like Bernie provides him with a pair of soon-to-be-famous mittens. What happened in her life after that was quite the experience. I haven‘t read the book and I don‘t know her but she lives close by and I love her story.

Now that I‘m not working I actually have time to get back to the #Bookspin. Yippee!

The true story of Elizabeth Packard, placed in an insane asylum by her husband. Six children, sane as the day is long, but stuck inside for years along with other women who had no business being there. All because her husband didn't agree with what she had to say. I read 3/4's of it last July, couldn't handle the ups and downs of this woman's life, put it down. Relentlessly obstructed by men who controlled her life. Finally finished it. ⬇

Not sure why I just noticed this but I picked both of these up a week ago - in different towns, one free, one I paid for. I put them on a shelf and never noticed they pretty much have the same name. Weird. I must be ready to fly.

I am so confused & frustrated by Hoopla right now. I‘m just at the beginning of this book. What I‘m finding is the ebook version has left out at least one important chapter in which a main character is hurt which I assume is an important element of the story. From what I can tell it then leaves out the next two chapters. The audio version of the book leaves out paragraphs from the first chapter. I can‘t tell which one to actually use. So beware!

This photo of my grandson, Captain Adorable, seeing the ocean again after a few years away, is the perfect representation of how I feel. After working at City Hall as a temp for 3 years (coming out of retirement), after 10 large (super stressful) and small elections, wading through alphabetizing thousands of ballots as they were mailed in, time crunches, entering SO MANY voter registration forms, the pandemic, I'm free! It's been (cont....)

Some things I‘ve never seen in reviews of this book that struck me: the mother was Mormon and excuse me for saying it but what is it with Mormons and their children? Mom took showers and washed her teenage daughter and son. As if they couldn‘t do it themselves. Super controlling. I don‘t know this actress but I applaud her efforts to recover from eating disorders and her mother. A quick listen from Libby.

Unpopular opinion but I scratched my head during the entire book, wondering what I was missing. Maybe I wasn‘t paying enough attention but the women seemed so passive and uninspired I felt drained after many of the stories.

A letter to Walter Cronkite after his reporting of the Chicago Democratic Convention. As the reporters during those tumultuous times in 1968 tried to report fairly & accurately, this was the beginning of what some decided was “the liberal media”.

Read for the #TOB23. A lighthouse keeper who has lived alone for years saves a man who has washed ashore. Then he begins to second guess his decision. This is a short novel that manages to feel very claustrophobic.

Yes, Vermont has a Cartoonist Laureate and Tillie Walden has been awarded the title this year. If you're a fan, here is an audio interview with her on Vermont's VPR. Some great lines about Vermont in the VPR interview.

https://www.vermontpublic.org/show/vermont-edition/2023-03-16/tillie-walden-star...