Happy Tuesday! I thought I would take some time to catch up on the blog for tv and book chat. Here a few I finished.
Finished a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card - The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante. This is book two in the series. I rounded up to 4 stars. The characters are complicated and you want to read more about the interactions between Lila and Elena but wow, what a vile bunch of characters surrounding them.
Elena and Lila have been friends since they were very young and always had a tempetuous relationship. At times they are fiercely loyal to one another and other times, barely controlling their jealousy with sharp comments or snubs. Definitely a different friendship than any I have ever experienced. They are young women now, Lila married at 16 to the overbearing Stefano. He beats her, he buys her the best of everything but he will never break her spirit. Sadly, Lila realizes too late she should have not married him.
Elena continues with her studies and excels with her educational pursuits. While she has a bit of envy about Lila's financial stabilty and standing in their community, Lila in turn has some envy about Elena being able to continue school and escaping the life in the neighborhood.
Jealousy, barbed comments, love and more in this novel.
📚📚📚📚📚📚
I also finished Fever by Mary Beth Keane.
Other books I have read by Keane are Ask Again, Yes and The Half Moon. Looking forward to The Walking People.
As for watching, we have finished season one of Landman and Billy Bob Thorton is fantastic in the lead role.
It's spin time at the Classics Club so I will get my spin post up or scheduled before the weekend. I'm hoping for one of the British authors such as Graham Greene, Ann Bronte, Forester or Hardy. We will see.
As I write we have two more nights in our home and then off to a hotel with Loki, then closing on the new place. Catch up with you later :-)
Sharing with:
Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon
I haven't read either of these. Both sound good!
ReplyDeleteVicki, I enjoyed both.
DeleteGood post. And I look forward to discussing Ferrante with you. I will let you know when I finally finish. (I feel I have let you down a bit in that regard, and I'm sorry it's taken so long). I turned in the PW review on Monday, so that's out of the way. Regarding Fever: I had no idea Mary was in quarantine for decades. Holy smokes! How awful. During the pandemic due to travel I was in quarantine twice for 14 days ... and I thought I would lose my mind -having to stay on the property. To think Mary had it much worse. I want to watch Landman but I don't think we get it. I will look tonight. Good luck on the move! Very exciting. Loki will like the new place.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I was fine with the pace as we both had much going on! We can chat later. The Fever book was different from the other fiction books I'd read by Keane. The doctors she mentioned by name were real and the historical research was well done. We are in the new house so now I can relax....after finding everything in boxes!
DeleteElena Ferrante is an author I'd like to read something from. I've heard wonderful things about her books. Fever looks good and like an interesting read. I read a YA book about her and have done a little bit of research but would love to know more about her.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, I think you would like Fever. Mary Mallon was a high spirted Irish woman.
DeleteGood luck with the closing and finally moving! I hope you are able to get settled soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cindy. It's a chore but we are settling in.
DeleteI’ve always felt so sorry for “Typhoid Mary.” There was nothing else they could do but quarantine her and yet, how unlucky. I can’t decide if I want to read Fever or not.
ReplyDeleteOlivia, it was a good read. Interesting enough in the begining phases of their diagnosis it was confirmed there were more carriers of typhoid, such as a dairy farmer, but he was allowed to remain at home with his family if he didn't milk cows again and spread the disease. Poor Mary.
DeleteI hope all the moving stuff is going well for you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joy. We are finally done. Just unpacking now. Hope to be more active with BriFri soon :-)
DeleteSo glad that the closing is coming up soon! And it sounds like this second Elena Ferrante novel is amazing. It breaks my heart to hear that one of the main characters has married---so young---a man who beats her. Fever sounds interesting, too.
ReplyDeleteDeb, it's all over and we are in the new house! We are so very happy. Quiet, nice neighbors, rabbits and squirrels in the yard and I am under a mile form my new library!
DeleteYes, the girls grew up fast in those times and that culture.
I'm so happy for you that the end of the move is in sight!!!!! Less than a mile from a library is perfection!
ReplyDeleteJinjer, in cooler temps I can walk to the library yet we are so far off the main drag that it's quiet here. I love the rabbits roaming the neighborhood!
DeleteGlad the move is pretty much done!
ReplyDeleteI only ever read the first Ferrante novel. At some point I will read the second!
Have a great week!
Marg, it is a relief to be settled in except for a few boxes left to unpack!
DeleteI'm pretty late getting here, but hope your closing and move went smoothly. It may take a while for the unpacking though. I think I enjoyed The Story of a New Name a bit more than you did. Will you continue with the series? I bought Fever on a kindle deal shortly after reading Ask Again, Yes but haven't gotten to it yet glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, the unpacking is still going on but we have most of it handled. The basics are put up but we do have more boxes to get to. The closing went well but our buyer couldn't or wouldn't commit to a closing time until 4 days before. We were getting nervous and irritated as we knew we'd close the 13th but not the time. That meant we couldn't tell the movers when to show up at the new residence. Yikes!
DeleteAnyway, it is over now and we LOVE this house.
Yes, I will continue with the Ferrante series as I liked it, had to remind myself the time period and the culture played a part in the behaviors. Hoping to get a post up later today with updates!