Group M: I‘m having a hard time making up my mind. The Blind Assassin has been on my shelf the longest, and really appeals, but I‘m afraid most people have already read it. Have you read any of these? Do any sound especially appealing to you? Do any sound like they would utterly bore you? @DarcysMom @Shakespearience @mcipher I will tag the books in the comments.

The beginning about the famous but past his prime writer and his young wife being stalked obsessively by their creepy neighbor intrigued me. But the long interlude of teenage angst mostly bored me, and the promised “twist” was on the yawn-worthy side. But even though the book didn‘t live up to its promise, I‘m not sorry I read it.

7days7covers Day 5

Day 4 #7days7covers I'm going to have to figure out how to download my photos so the tops aren't always cut off when I post. Sorry.🤪

#7days7covers
This cover is a painting by Malcom Drummond titled Backs of Houses, Chelsea. Day 3.

#7days7covers Day 2
Posting late on Day 2- left my phone at home when I went to the hospital today, so had to wait til I got home to post picture.

#7days7covers #covercrush Thanks for the tag @Tex2Flo Most of my books are in storage, but I'll try to find some covers among those I left out--mostly TBRs I wanted to read immediately as I was packing.
We don't need to give reasons, but I love this one because it reminds me of Aruba. @BarbaraBB

I had never heard of this. Has anyone seen one of these?

Although this book is about the pre-WW II plight of European Jews, many of the situations and attitudes echo and parallel what‘s going on today. The quote above, from a speech given by a senator in 1941, could have been made today by a certain White House occupant.😪

This gut-wrenching book examines the plight of German Jews trying to emigrate after the rise of Hitler, & the nearly impossible obstacles they faced due to restrictive immigration laws, the bureaucratic hoops they were forced to jump through, and the nasty anti-Semitic mood prevalent at the time even in the US. The book views the issues thru the lens of a group of families from a small German village, so the stories are very personal & 💔breaking.

Interesting quote about rereading.

The second volume of the “Slow Horses” series of spy thrillers. I love the humor with which the author writes-not taking anything too seriously-and the vividly created characters. A lot of the characters carry over, but inevitably some will meet with a noble (or ignominious as the case may be) demise, and the inscrutable Jackson Lamb continues to reign over all. On to volume three!

And the quote above illustrates only one of the many reasons for the miscommunications between doctors and patients.

Excellent book about the miscommunications that can occur between patients and doctors. Well-written, logically organized, and full of compelling examples.

Narrative non-fiction at its best! The minute-by-minute story of 9/11, not from a political or historical perspective, but from the perspective of the humans most affected by this devastating event. I loved it, and read this tome in just 2 days. However, if you or someone you know were personally involved, it may be too soon for you to relive that traumatic day through this book.

@Shadowfat I finally got a chance to get away from the hospital for a morning, so #Upstate is on its way to you a bit late, and #AWomanIsNoMan is on its way to you a bit early. I enjoyed both books (very different) and I hope you do too. @DarcysMom @leslieseidel

I was very excited to receive this in the mail today from @leslieseidel . I'm excited to read it, in part because it's set in Brooklyn where one of my sons lives. I'm not quite finished with my choice, #Upstate, but it should be on its way to you soon @Shadowfat . #LMPBC #GroupT @DarcysMom

I‘ve read (and loved) a few books of Nick Hornby‘s columns on reading. These were responsible for several obscure items on my Kindle, I.e. #AusterityBritain. This book collects all his columns into one volume. The quote above illustrates the bibliophile‘s dilemma—the impossibility of reading all the good books published in the last 6 months, much less from the more distant past. All I can do is fill my shelves with good books.

Since the 2016 election, I‘ve read many books to understand the Trump phenomenon and our broken political system. This focuses on the inner workings of Congress, and covers the period from 2016 through the recent self-inflicted government shutdown. There‘s lots of behind the scenes maneuvering, and explanations of political calculations, as well as glimpses of the personalities behind the members I see on TV all the time. Surprisingly non-partisan

Just wondering if that‘s how the Dutch see the royal family? @BarbaraBB

Boats on Lake Union in Seattle today waiting for tonight‘s fireworks. Happy Fourth of July everyone.

With all the renewed attempts to restrict women‘s reproductive rights, I decided it was time to read this. Oates frequently novelizes real events or characters, and this is a fictionalized account of the murder of an abortion doctor by a religious fanatic. I almost bailed-for the 1st 100 pages we are in the mind of the assassin and must read a lot of his religious ramblings as he attempts to justify the murder. But most of the book..cont‘d below:

I‘m wondering if any #GroupT members would mind if I changed my choice to Upstate by James Wood? If you‘ve already read it, let me know, and I‘ll choose something else.
Also, would you all mind noting your choices for the #LMPBC, either in the comments here or in a separate note, what you‘ve chosen so I can see what I have to look forward to? I‘m very excited to begin! @DarcysMom @leslieseidel @Shadowfat

Foggy day in Seattle today. High may not break 70. They say that summer doesn‘t begin in Seattle until after the 4th of July, and I‘ve found that true in my 30+ years here.

My bookstore haul from today, including two magazines. Has anyone read any of these?

Due to all the doctor's appointments etc associated with my husband's transplant it's been hard for me to visit a bookstore for several months. Finally got to stop by one of my favorite indies today, and I might have bought a few books.

The seagull came back today. Or maybe it‘s a different one.

This is the 2nd book I‘ve read recently about the Israeli occupation of forts in southern Lebanon in the late 1990‘s and the Mother‘s Movement protesting the occupation for causing the needless deaths of young Israeli soldiers for no apparent reason. As an anti-war novel, this ranks up there with The Things That They Carried and Matterhorn. Highly recommended. (The other book is the memoir Pumpkinflowers, also recommended).

Hi #GroupT. Looking forward to getting to know you. Here are some of my potential choices. Do any repel you? Do any really call out to you? Have you already read any of these? 1. Aberration of Starlight-rural NJ boarding house 1939; 2. Tenants of Moonbloom-loser works for his slumlord brother NYC; 3. Mother‘s Boys-family drama involving mothers and their sons; 4. Rabbits for Food-life in a psych ward; 5. Daniel Stein, Interpreter- (see below)

I was reading the other afternoon and heard tapping on our window, 31 floors up. I looked over to see this.

The book is on its way to you Jee and should get there Friday. I liked this book a lot, although I was a bit disappointed in the ending, which seems to call for a sequel. Still, highly recommended. #LMPBC @Jee_HookedOnBookz @lele1432 @CSeydel

Do you think the dialogue in this otherwise enjoyable Japanese crime novel is a bit stilted?

Report on April Reading: Quantity is up, but I mostly read crime novels and nonfiction. Standouts which I can highly recommend are North of Dawn by Nuruddin Farrah and Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.

So when my oldest son told us he was moving to Florida last year, my 1st thought (in re my 2 young grandsons) was “Eek—Alligators!” Of course, my son ended up buying a house on a pond, which of course is inhabited by an ALLIGATOR! I took this pic when we visited in Feb, and I‘d estimate the alligator to be at least 6 feet long.

The window at the Hutch where my husband was receiving an infusion overlooks the Space Needle. Most days the sea planes land on Lake Union from the opposite direction, but today they came in over the city past the Space Needle.

Got my Round 4 #lmpbc book back, and spent a lovely afternoon reading all the great comments from @sprainedbrain @jmofo and @Butterfinger . Thank you so much ladies, and I am thrilled that you seemed to like this book as much as I did. Anytime you want to do another 20th Century Classics read, count me in!

#lmpbc My book is on its way to Jee-sorry for the delay in sending it. Unfortunately, I didn‘t care for it. I think it‘s meant to be an anti-war satirical novel, but it fell utterly flat for me. Wish I had picked a different book. Hopefully, one of the other participants in #GroupW will find something of redeeming value in it. @Jee_HookedOnBookz @lele1432 @CSeydel

Well I‘ve been in the hospital since Sunday with blood clots in both lungs, but hopefully going home today. I also have a torn meniscus, arthritis and other knee issues that have been keeping me immobile for several weeks. The house we‘ve lived in 30+ years sold last week and we have to be out by 3/20. To say the least I continue to be too stressed to read.

Current Libby library books I have checked out. I try to read in order of due date, because I have lots of stress in my life now, so only easy reads are calling me. In particular I want to read Joe Victim next. It‘s the sequel to New Zealand crime novel The Cleaner, narrated largely by Joe, the cleaner, a psychopathic serial killer, which I just finished, and couldn‘t put down. Checked out Joe Victim minutes after finishing The Cleaner.

#loveyourpetday Our dog Dante turned 16 on Valentines Day. This was taken a couple of weeks ago. He still looks and acts like a puppy.

I‘ve been interested in books about D-Day since we visited the Normandy beaches a few years ago. Just started this nonfiction about the five double agents whose efforts prevented the Nazis from learning the location of the landing. These spies sound stranger than fiction. “A bisexual Peruvian playgirl, a tiny Polish fighter pilot, a mercurial French-woman, a Serbian seducer, and a deeply eccentric Spaniard with a diploma in chicken farming.”

The polar vortex hit Seattle last night. It rarely snows here, but we woke up to this, and it‘s still snowing.

The mountain was out earlier this week when we went into the city to the hospital. Another thing I will miss about this beautiful city.

The mountain was out earlier this week when we went into the city to the hospital. Another thing I will miss about this beautiful city.

Librarything provided free passes to the ALA convention here in Seattle last weekend. I went, not intending to get any of the free books there would allegedly be available. Although I was fairly restrained, I still picked up the books pictured. Did I say they were FREE?

This memoir is organized around a year of the Existential Crisis Reading Group, which gathers monthly in New Orleans to discuss readings, books, and the various existential crises of its members. The author is from a New Orleans Catholic family, and suffers through major events like Katrina, the suicides of twin sisters and the death of her father. While sometimes a bit pretentious, I loved reliving the places, food and ambience of New Orleans.

Four of my kids got together this week in NYC (actually Brooklyn) for a meal at world-famous Peter Lugar‘s Steak House. The daughter in Houston couldn‘t make it, and neither could we in Seattle.

Well that‘s honest.

Oh my! Look what came in the mail: The #LMPBC book from #sprainedbrain along with some book-related goodies. Thanks so much Jenni.
I read the first story last night, and all I can say is I‘m puzzled...
#Butterfinger #Buddenbrooks was sent to you last week and I hope you ‘ve received it by now.

@jmofo @Butterfinger @sprainedbrain