Ideally, this would be three covers, which I have and can send if you tell me how. All great library reads in 2021: Writers and Lovers by Lily King; A Single Thread by Tracey Chavelier and The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain. Three authors, three countries.
Not about books, but: Happy post-Thanksgiving, Betsy. This is a really good Spark and I'm still enjoying it. But you know me: I can get stuck on a phrase like "friends and relatives eaten twice," and be there for an hour, chuckling and, yes, revising---even though the reminiscence of past Thanksgiving meals is much less fun that way.
You don't need an editor. Farhad Manjoo has an editor. He has the entire NY Times editorial board at his back, yet this, the first sentence in his column in today's Sunday Review is: "The traumas of the past few years have arranged all our lives."
Farhad Manjoo needs to reread every sentence he writes and ask himself: "What else could that mean?" And then: "Might those possible (if silly) other meanings distracting my readers?"
Well, yes, they might be distracting if some people read slowly, as I do, looking for other possible if silly meanings. In this case: I wonder about "all our lives." Are we cats? How many lives do we actually have and what will happen to us if the traumas of the past few years have rerranged Life #3 and Life #9? Will we be eternal survivors? And is that for the best?
So, I have to stop reading to concoct a better sentence, postponing, possibly forever, my further reading of his column. The challenge: How to write a better, if cat-less, opening sentence that gives everyone just the one life they have---or which allows for some un-rearranged lives, somewhere on the planet?
I very much enjoyed reading about your preparation of a holiday meal. It was beautiful and instructive. Three of many favorite books of 2021: A Swim in a Pond in The Rain by George Saunders; Bewilderment by Richard Powers; and for sheer page-turning pleasure, Michael Connelly’s newest, The Dark Hours. I want to add a fourth, and that is Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s The House if the Seven Gables. I underline every other sentence for its wisdom, relevance, interest in decency and justice, hilarity, passion and/or beauty. Thanks for the opportunity.
I loved the reflection of holidays in the past and your 2 person holiday sounded wonderful. I haven't read anything this year that was "fantastic" which is unusual as this category usually has 3-4 books in it. I've read several good books and from that list I'll pull my 5+1:
The Book of Lost Names, Kristin Harmel
Surviving Savannah, Patti Callahan
The Venice Sketchbook, Rhys Bowen
The Lions of Fifth Avenue, Fiona Davis
The Last Ship Home, Heather Webb
We Are Not Like Them, Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
All but the last one are Historical Fiction, and The Last Ship Home is an ARC coming out in February 2022.
I'd love to know what others have read also. My TBR always needs more books. :)
Loved this blog, Betsy and this invitation to share book titles. Mine are: The Liar's Dictionary, by Eley Williams; One Long River of Song, by Brian Doyle, which I savored every morning...just a single essay or poem: delicious; Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell; and Things That Are, by Amy Leach (such delightful word play while writing about, well, things that are). I look forward to your round-up of books read/to be read. Thanks.
My five are: At The End of the Matinee, by Keiichiro Hirano; The Fortunicity of Birdie Dalal by Claire Duende; Humankind: A Hopeful History; Frosted Glass by Michael J Vaughn; Her Own Vietnam (thank you!).
Books that stuck with me so far this year: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, Severance by Ling Ma, Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and Reasonable People by Kate Kasten. I'm on track to read 50 books or more by year's end.
Books I loved this year - My grandmother told me to tel you she’s sorry and Overstory. Apparently my parents couldn’t agree on my name at both and I was named Susan Beth. When I was 2 whoever won the battle must have lost their power as thaws has it legally changed to Susan Beth. My Christmas stocking has Susan knit into it and has Beth embroidered over it. They both are gone more to ask more questions but my mom once told me they each called me by the name they wanted. Identify problems?
No worries. I understood it all and wow, yes, identity issues!!! Some days you were your mom's daughter and other times your dad's. Seems like you wound up fine, with your own strong identity regardless.
My first comment got lost in outer space! But a few of the books I loved this past year or so: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Matrix by Lauren Groff and Deacon King Kong by James McBride ( although to really appreciate “Deacon” you may have to be a New York City girl like me.Bobbie
Ideally, this would be three covers, which I have and can send if you tell me how. All great library reads in 2021: Writers and Lovers by Lily King; A Single Thread by Tracey Chavelier and The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain. Three authors, three countries.
Miracle Country by Kendra Attleework, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, California Apricots by Robin Chapman
Year of Wonders was amazing. Read it last year!
I also read Caleb’s Crossing which I recommend. An especially nice read at Thanksgiving. She has other novel that are on my list.
Loved Caleb's Crossing!
Not about books, but: Happy post-Thanksgiving, Betsy. This is a really good Spark and I'm still enjoying it. But you know me: I can get stuck on a phrase like "friends and relatives eaten twice," and be there for an hour, chuckling and, yes, revising---even though the reminiscence of past Thanksgiving meals is much less fun that way.
Ha! I really need an editor. Interested? I'm now thinking about all those I've eaten twice...
I got a chuckle at this, too.
You don't need an editor. Farhad Manjoo has an editor. He has the entire NY Times editorial board at his back, yet this, the first sentence in his column in today's Sunday Review is: "The traumas of the past few years have arranged all our lives."
Farhad Manjoo needs to reread every sentence he writes and ask himself: "What else could that mean?" And then: "Might those possible (if silly) other meanings distracting my readers?"
Well, yes, they might be distracting if some people read slowly, as I do, looking for other possible if silly meanings. In this case: I wonder about "all our lives." Are we cats? How many lives do we actually have and what will happen to us if the traumas of the past few years have rerranged Life #3 and Life #9? Will we be eternal survivors? And is that for the best?
So, I have to stop reading to concoct a better sentence, postponing, possibly forever, my further reading of his column. The challenge: How to write a better, if cat-less, opening sentence that gives everyone just the one life they have---or which allows for some un-rearranged lives, somewhere on the planet?
Nonono. This is a blog, not a formal publication and you're doing great! (Plus: don't ruin my fun. ;) )
I very much enjoyed reading about your preparation of a holiday meal. It was beautiful and instructive. Three of many favorite books of 2021: A Swim in a Pond in The Rain by George Saunders; Bewilderment by Richard Powers; and for sheer page-turning pleasure, Michael Connelly’s newest, The Dark Hours. I want to add a fourth, and that is Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s The House if the Seven Gables. I underline every other sentence for its wisdom, relevance, interest in decency and justice, hilarity, passion and/or beauty. Thanks for the opportunity.
I loved the reflection of holidays in the past and your 2 person holiday sounded wonderful. I haven't read anything this year that was "fantastic" which is unusual as this category usually has 3-4 books in it. I've read several good books and from that list I'll pull my 5+1:
The Book of Lost Names, Kristin Harmel
Surviving Savannah, Patti Callahan
The Venice Sketchbook, Rhys Bowen
The Lions of Fifth Avenue, Fiona Davis
The Last Ship Home, Heather Webb
We Are Not Like Them, Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
All but the last one are Historical Fiction, and The Last Ship Home is an ARC coming out in February 2022.
I'd love to know what others have read also. My TBR always needs more books. :)
Loved this blog, Betsy and this invitation to share book titles. Mine are: The Liar's Dictionary, by Eley Williams; One Long River of Song, by Brian Doyle, which I savored every morning...just a single essay or poem: delicious; Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell; and Things That Are, by Amy Leach (such delightful word play while writing about, well, things that are). I look forward to your round-up of books read/to be read. Thanks.
My five are: At The End of the Matinee, by Keiichiro Hirano; The Fortunicity of Birdie Dalal by Claire Duende; Humankind: A Hopeful History; Frosted Glass by Michael J Vaughn; Her Own Vietnam (thank you!).
Books that stuck with me so far this year: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, Severance by Ling Ma, Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and Reasonable People by Kate Kasten. I'm on track to read 50 books or more by year's end.
Books I loved this year - My grandmother told me to tel you she’s sorry and Overstory. Apparently my parents couldn’t agree on my name at both and I was named Susan Beth. When I was 2 whoever won the battle must have lost their power as thaws has it legally changed to Susan Beth. My Christmas stocking has Susan knit into it and has Beth embroidered over it. They both are gone more to ask more questions but my mom once told me they each called me by the name they wanted. Identify problems?
Sorry, I see my typos now. My Grandmother Told Me To Tell You She’s Sorry and ‘couldn’t agree at birth’
No worries. I understood it all and wow, yes, identity issues!!! Some days you were your mom's daughter and other times your dad's. Seems like you wound up fine, with your own strong identity regardless.
Never Too Late: From Wannabe To Wife at 62 by B. Lynn Goodwin Talent by the same author.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant, Neglect by Kim Wozencraft, When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash
My first comment got lost in outer space! But a few of the books I loved this past year or so: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Matrix by Lauren Groff and Deacon King Kong by James McBride ( although to really appreciate “Deacon” you may have to be a New York City girl like me.Bobbie