I don't think I ever want to do a DNA test

Here we are about to slide into May - ALREADY!

My last book of the month is More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen. This is my first by this author and I was pleased to see there are many more titles, both fiction and nonfiction, for me to check out.

I liked this book about relationships, friendships and discovery. Polly Goodman is a character I could see having as a friend.  She is a high school English teacher, dealing with IVF treatments with support from her best friend Sarah and her lovely husband Mark.  The husband is a large animal vet at the Bronx zoo and the little bits about his interactions, with both people and the animals, are great.

Polly meets with her three friends for a book club, a book they never read, and they hash out all sorts of topics.  On Polly's birthday one of her gifts is a DNA test kit.  It was meant as a joke but opened up Pandora's Box.

Another character who will win the supporting actor category, in my opinion, is Polly's brother Garrison.  He's supportive, funny and he needed more page time in this story.  When they meet and she tells him about the DNA test ...well, that conversation is great.  He keeps her grounded for the most part.

"I love you, Garrison said.  I'm all you've got. Live with it."

"Oh, Gar, you are so much more than enough."

Polly and Garrison's father Jack is on the fast road with dementia, a sad progression , and their mother Mary is a judge.  There are surprises about the relationships and I think it was written well.

There are many other characters who are very realistically written.   I loved Sarah, Helen Mark's parents Lou and Skipper, and tolerated Jamie. 

The thing about you, Polly, is that you’re lucky. You let life in. I know because I don’t, and I’m fine with that. I never have. But you want, and you give, and you open your arms to everyone but her. 

Topics include cancer, DNA testing, infertility,  friendship, love.  Rounded to 4 stars

📚📚📚 Nonfiction is on the agenda next 📚📚📚

I just started Felicty Cloake's book Red Sauce, Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey   It's about traveling via bicycle through the British Isles and researching the different sorts of regional specialties for breakfast.  She has friends she meets up with, other biking enthusiasts, and they enjoy the riding, the eating and scenery throughout the country.

That's it.  Hope everyone is well, your weather is good, your book stacks are filled with all you want and life is good for you.

John Green and Chloe Dalton captivated me this week

I had two excellent nonfiction books this past week.  Let's start with John Green's book.

This was my first John Green book and I found it very informative and sad at times.  The explanations for medical resources and discoveries were written in laymans terms, easy enough for me to understand, saddened by the lack of medical care where it is needed most, yet hopeful for those suffering from tuberculosis.

The disease was where the cure was not, and the cure was where the disease was not.

Not all who suffer from the disease have options for treatment. It's like chasing your tail in Sierra Leone with rates of tuberculosis remaining high because of poverty and malnutrition. There is foremost the issue of affordability for food and medicine, not to mention the costs of transporation to a facility to receive treatment.

Where there is a wealthy population elsewhere in the world, the cure is readily available.   Therefore, the disease is not is not an issue.

"We could reimagine the allocation of global healthcare resources to better align them with the burden of global suffering."

In chapter 11 it was interesting to read about superstitions in the ages past and how the disease changed fashion. In 1916 a magazine article discusses how hemlines were shortened so women's dresses didn't drag through dirt, thus bringing bacteria into the home.  Men's whiskers were trimmed, or shaved completely, in attempts at cleanliness. 

There is great information in this book for the health category and I'm glad I read it.

 📚📚📚

Next was the book Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton.  I couldn't put this one down.

Chloe Dalton, a British foreign policy writer in a fast paced environment is suddenly thrust into a solitary life style when the pandemic hit. Remember that, when we all wore masks and avoided people because of Covid?  She sheltered and worked remotely from her rural home in the English countryside when she crossed paths with a leveret.

A leveret, a baby hare, was trying to be invisible in the path.  She wisely left it alone as the mother hare wouldn't accept it, or find it, if she moved it out of harms way.  But it was there hours later and she took it to shelter before it was found by predators or crushed by a vehicle.   That moment changed her life.

She took care of it and against all odds it survived.  In doing so she never tried to domesticate it, never named it and allowed it the freedom to go back to the wild when it was ready. The relationship evolved and caused Dalton to look at nature differently. She became more attuned to the seasons, wildlife and how man and nature sometimes did not exist harmoniously.  She made great accommodations for the hare as it grew, being there for safety but allowing it to be wild. I very much enjoyed reading her thoughts over the three year period she researched, provided and observed the hare and other creatures in nature.

Some of this book reminded of James Rebanks' Pastoral Song in regard to being stewards of the land.  That was a very good book as well.

This story is a 5 star for me. 

Linking with:

Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge for the Health category on the Green book and the Memoir category on the Dalton book. 

Joy for British Isles Friday for British author Chloe Dalton and Raising Harer

Lots and lots of books....

Saturday already.  I've been trying to get myself organized with the books I want to review as well as the next books in queue.  Let's talk books first.

Currently reading two nonfictions. Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green and Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton.

My reading buddy, Loki, enjoying some sunshine while I sit in the shade. 

Raising Hare is hard to put down and I'll most likely be done with both nonfictions before the end of the weekend.

Finished Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (review in link).  This is a good one for a book club discussion.  

Here is my list of books I hope to get off the shelf or read on Kindle.

Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin

Red Sauce, Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey by Felicity Cloake - Nonfiction

But wait! ....the library holds came in so...here is what I received. 

The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits and More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen.  Let's see how I can balance these with due dates and length of books. Yikes.

Watching

We don't subscribe to Britbox but we did manage to get season 3 of Blue Lights from the library on DVD. Police (Peelers as they are called in Northern Ireland) work the streets in Belfast.  Gritty and tense, great police drama if you like them.  We had the previous two seasons from the library as well.  Hope they do a fourth season.

Linking up with:

A Good Book and a Cup of Tea

Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday

Buckeye, a historical fiction and family saga

Catching up on reviews and blogging this week. :-)

Buckeye.

This was so good. The time period spans roughly 50 years and covers quite a bit of history from before WW II through Vietnam and the aftermath.  

The focus is on two main couples. Margaret & Felix Salt and Cal & Becky Jenkins. We see their childhood stories as well as their courtship and marriages from beginning to end.  It's hard to write about this book without giving spoilers.  You have to read the revelations as they come to see how they impact the relationships.

In the beginning Margaret sees people flooding to cars and businesses in search of a radio. Back then, breaking news arrived this way. As she searched for anyone with a radio she runs into Cal Jenkins' hardware store and hears WW II has indeed ended. In that moment she kisses Cal passionately.  Margaret Salt knows her husband Felix will return home from his tour of duty. That's not the end of Margaret's story but she doesn't appear again for a few chapters.

There are circumstances beyond the control of two of our characters but it shapes their personalities forever.  Margaret was abandoned as  a baby and never knew her mother.  She was left at an orphanage, placed in a basket with only a note stating her name was Margaret. After stints at foster homes, never knowing a permanent place and people to call mom and dad, she just grew up in the orphanage. Wouldn't that harden your heart and ability to trust? Unconditional love was a foreign concept.

Cal Jenkins was born wth a disformity.  One leg shorter than the other which kept him out of military service during WW II. He grew up with little support from his alcoholic father Everett. Cal's mother and siblings had died many years ago and Everett took solace in liquor rather than raise Cal properly.

In this small Ohio town of Bonhomie you will see love, support, grief, infidelity and best of all...forgiveness. The children play a big part in this story.  Felix and Margaret's son Tom and Cal and Becky's son Skip.    These families will be connected forever...read it to see a good story unfold.

Just a FYI - from the title Buckeye I thought it refered to the state of Ohio as this is where the story is primarily set.  Then I wondered if it refered to Tom Salt as Skip Jenkins nicknamed him Buckeye. A friend on Goodreads mentioned it was from the Buckeye tree in front of the Salt's house, as well as for Tom.

This was a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card.  Very enjoyable and ignited great discussions.  This is one for a book club, folks.

Flowers

Hello folks.  I've been awfully lax about visiting and commenting and posting.  Allergies have kicked my ass but as I don't particpate in too many blog activities, no biggie. 

This is how the seedlings and planting are going so far.  

Salvia makes a brilliant statement with vibrant purple flowers on stalks.

Once we removed some overgrown neglected roses I could put in black-eyed Susans, allysum, coreopsis, purple hearts and my steadfast spider plants.

We did keep the roses on the trellis against the house, got them trimmed up nicely.

I also wanted to share a photo of a pond at a local park so you can see how much pollen accumulates here.  No wonder I had been living on Flonase and Allegra.   Isn't it gross?  Yes, the yellow is all pollen and it coats our patio, cars and even the poor turtles in the pond had yellow on their shells.  It's a real dream living in Florida.

As for book news I have finished a few books, abandoned one and made my goal list for the next 2 months for some nonfiction and historical fiction.  Reviews upcoming here or on Goodreads.

That's it.  I just wanted to post. 

Watching, reading and sneezing

I've come to realize this online diary connects me to people all over the globe, when I link up to socialize. Otherwise it's just nice to sit at my keyboard and get some thoughts out.  

Even though I use a lovely planner and write just about everything in it, it's nice to post what I am reading and watching. Observations. Disgust and embarrassment about my country.  Plans for books, shows and flowers in the garden. 

Almost done reading Buckeye by Patrick Ryan.  A buddy read with Susan which has generated much discussion about events unfolding in this long drama. I'll add a review next week but I am sure I will add some spoilers to be hidden via Goodreads as well.

Reading plans are always fluid....even when I write out a few titles in my notebook to keep me on track. As I was fortunate enough to win a couple of books from LibraryThing I will add those to the list. I finished Should Have Told You Sooner by Jane Ward. Thank you, LibraryThing for the book.  Complimentary books are always appreciated.

The main character here is Noel Enfield, a woman with secrets. She was named for her grandfather, by the way.  She is working at a museum in Massachusetts and has the career opportunity of a lifetime at a gallery in London. Here is the complication (one of many) - she is going through divorce from Andy and she has a young stepdaughter Alice. Noel wants to retain the relationship with Alice but the acrimonious nature of this divorce has Alice picking sides and it's not Noel's.

This one statement from her husband Andy made her decide to end her marriage. "For someone who's never been pregnant you sure know a lot." That was in reference to a woman feeling ill at their party. It was a big secret she kept from Andy; she had a baby and gave it up for adoption.

Noel couldn't continue to live a lie. After 7 years of marriage it's a bit late to explain you had a baby and gave it away. She never did tell Andy so I imagine he was blindsided by the divorce with zero explanation.  Starting a marriage with such a big secret was definitely a bad idea.

Back story: Bryn was Noel's partner when she lived in London, also the father of the adopted out baby, and she never stopped caring for him. Before you cast hate at Bryn know that he was never aware of the pregnancy.  That is another story woven in  explaining the situation. Their relationship started and ended in London and here she is, about to immerse herself on a path that crosses her past and future.

Near the end of the book I liked the what if thoughts Noel had. A mental checklist of things that may have turned out differently.  Who among us hasn't had those thoughts?  "What if I had stayed in my old life, what if I left Andy but stayed closer, what if I stayed in London, or come back to London sooner...so many different life scenarios.

Main setting is London and Wales.  The book touches on Covid, loss, grief, love and forgiveness.  It's a book about second chances.

Watching

Shrinking has been one of our favorites and we just finished season 3. The cast work well, the banter is natural and you have some tearful moments in this season.  Heck, I had tearful moments in the previous two seasons!  I can see how they could end the series here but I hope they will have another season.  We will tune in for sure. 

We started watching Colony starring Josh Holloway (you may remember him from Lost). Not sure how to describe it, only 2 seasons and so far we like it.

Very much lookiing forward to a few shows we are waiting for all episodes to drop.  Hate waiting for the weekly show one at a time.

Nice surprise in the mail.  Thank you Vicki! You know me well :-)  Really cheered me up!

I wish everyone good health, good reading and whatever makes you happy.

Sharing with"

Joy for British Isles Friday

Boondock Ramblings for  A Good Book and a Cup of Tea

Aussie tragedy and Labradors

Hello...(tapping on screen). I was posting regularly for a while but have been hibernating with some miserable allergies as well as some healing from the dermatolgist cutting on me. Nothing like stitches on the face to make one feel pretty, lol. Results back show some precancer areas which can be handled by a prescription cream. Yea for that.

Enough complaining.  Let's talk about books.  I can share two I have finished and a few reading plans.

Currently Reading / Buckeye by Patrick Ryan.  This is a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card. Just started part two and this is a good read, in my opinion.

Finished

I had been looking forward to another book by M.L. Stedman for well over a decade.  I thought The Light Between Oceans was amazing, filled with love, grief and much emotion.  (click on the title link for review on my old book blog, if interested).

This book hit me the same way.  No one writes tragedy like Stedman, pulling you in with empathy and compassion for the characters as they navigate life with secrets and hardships.  Set in the far-flung reaches of Australia on a sheep station, the McBride family had been farming, called pastoralists, for generations.

The beginning: Phil McBride is the father, driving his truck with his eldest son Warren and youngest Matt.  The truck crashes, killing Phil and Warren almost instantly.  Matt is flung through the window with grave injuries and has a long recuperation with a head injury which caused significant memory loss.

Everything changes then, for so many people.  Lorna McBride loses Phil, her husband and love of her life.  Matt didn't have the responsibility of inheriting the family business and had dreams of traveling as Warren would take over the station ...but Warren is dead.  Rosie is the middle child and only daughter, helping run things best she can while also visiting Matt in rehab until he comes home.

Is that enough tragedy? Nope. Something unspeakable happens which will turn off some readers and they will quit the book (I saw that voiced in a few reviews) but if you do, you will miss out on a good story.  One of my favorite characters is Pete Peachy, a roo hunter who works for the McBrides.  He is a good man and I wanted to know more about him.

Great character development, lots of side stories, themes of compassion, love, guilt and duty. 5 stars.  Well done.

Next up is Dog Days by Andrew Cotter.  

This is a second book about the adorable labs Olive and Mabel in a diary type accounting told by Andrew Cotter.  I will admit to loving his first book Olive, Mabel and Me more.  That said, if you like following this trio, you'll be amused by this accounting of post Covid activities and appearances. Amazing how popular these canines are and the following they have on social media. 

The first book had lots of background on the dogs, Cotter's experiences with mountain climbing and the lockdown from Covid.  Also photos which were great.   This second book does not compare. If you can get Dog Days from the library or on a good sale it would be worth it.  If you have an interest in Olive and Mabel then grab this one pictured below.

Rounded up to 3 stars.

This is a nonfiction I could place under the memoirs category but I will add it to my Grazing Category.  I've some other books in mind for memoirs for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge.

Up next in no particular order - Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green, The Astral Library by Kate Quinn and Dear Missing Friend by Susan McGuirk.

Linking with:

Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge for the grazing category. 

Joy for British Isles Friday for Scottish author Andrew Cotter

Lost Gardens of the World

 Best laid plans....I wanted to write about M.L. Stedman's long awaited book A Far Flung Life but life got in my way.   It's a five star for me and I will write about it soon.

Between some rather serious allergies this Spring and a nasty visit to the dermatologist (resulting in stitches on my face ) I have been unable to motivate myself to write much.  Reading is a solace for me so I have been chilling out with books. Best medicine I can think of right now.

Here is one for the 2026 nonfiction reading challenge.

Lost Gardens of the World is a cool little coffee table book you can flip through and then get lost down the rabbit hole looking up the actual locale.  There are lovely illustrations of the gardens as they once were (or as perceived) as well as historical information telling us about the families who owned the land.

Some of my favorites were in England. The garden in Pentewan England was one that had me looking up the Tremayne family and how this beautiful estate and gardens were abandoned. Eighty years after the first World War it is slowly being restored. Most of the young men went off to war and never returned, taking the heart out of those left behind.

In 1991 a team of volunteers starting cutting through the tangled overgrown area, finding remains of water features, paths and a lake. 

Another very interesting story is about Cougar Annie's Garden on Vancouver Island.  Well, it was of interest to me. Annie was quite a character and what a determined woman. She cleared land herself and built up an orchard business, started the Boat Basin Post Office and shot cougars, yes...real cougars.

This is a good armchair travel book with the featured neglected or abandoned gardens in Italy, The Netherlands, Canada, Morocco, Nepal and more.

Sharing with:

 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge
Category: Lost and Found

Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday

A midmonth collection of randomness

 Well I don't have much to contribute to any bookish news but felt like posting anyway.  It's been one of those weeks.

Took a quick trip to the library and picked up the March edition of Book Page.  Found some good suggestions for upcoming publications and added those to Goodreads.

Currently reading M.L. Stedman's new book A Far-Flung Life.  It's been fifteen years since she broke my heart reading The Light Between the Oceans, keeping me up until midnight finishing that one.  Now I am totally absorbed with this new book. She can write tragedy like no one else I have ever read.  The weather cooperated so I could sit outside and read these past few days.

Went to the nursery and picked up some seeds to plant in a few weeks. The white alyssum is doing very well out front and spreading like wildfire.  So I want to try this multi color pack and see what that looks like blended in.  Also have columbine and some Japanese eggplant, for out back.

Last and almost least...because the coffee wasn't remarkable but the beignets were...we tried a new-to-us place for a treat.

Hot and so good.

That's it.  All I have going.  Just in a funk mood but wanted to connect.  Wishing anyone who reads this a happy fun week filled with books and joy.

Last day of February...the monthly update on reading and watching

Well this month went by fast. I had some good reading, good walking, time fiddling with my plants which did not freeze to death this month....and yesterday was my granddaughter's 12th birthday.  That time flew!  I can still remember Doug and I leaving work to drive to Ft. Stewart in Georgia for her birth. She is as tall as I am now. 

 Here's the February breakdown.........

Watched........ 📺

This month we watched a variety of genres.  We finished season 2 of Fallout (SciFi based on a game our son was pumped about) season 2 of Patriot starring Terry O'Quinn and Michael Dorman (quirky) and just started a second season of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Very much looking forward to Shrinking and For All Mankind.

📚  Read   📚

I had a good month of reading.  Some books I loved and others were just meh...but I read quite a bit. Reviews may be found by clicking on the title links.

Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty

Crux by Gabriel Tallent (a buddy read with Susan of The Cue Card blog.)

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Within the Walled City by Virginia Evans

Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz (nonfiction)

Loving / My new pen! I already had the Scriveiner ballpoint and just received this silver chrome Crown and Regent rollerball. It's lovely for journaling and letter writing.

That's it for now.  End of February, over and out!

Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

Fickle February weather means more reading time

 Four days ago I was wearing short sleeves and wishing it were cooler.  Night before last I had to cover the plants as the temps dropped to be 27F / -3C.  Our walk today was brisk to say the least with 18 mph wind and heavy coats.  Loki's ears were flapping, lol.

This is Loki and his neighbor buddy Daisy on a warm morning walk this past weekend. The photo makes them look to be the same size but Loki is a good 28 pounds bigger.   Looks like they are about to drop a new album.

Two books finished this week. Let's start with a fiction by Virginia Evans - Within the Walled City. I loved her latest book The Correspondent but this one I have mixed feelings. 

Starting  with the good things I will say the cover art is beautiful. The story mostly takes place in Siena Italy and the descriptions of architecture, interactions and food come alive.  I could clearly picture the characters, the vibrant colors and conversations weren't stilted.

Jillian is the narrator, a college aged young woman focusing on art, planning a work study program in Italy.  It must be noted Jillian and her father have a cool relationship and by that I mean civil after a huge falling out.  As Jillian's mom Lily had cancer and died when Jillian was nine years old, she naturally had questions about her mother. Her requests for info about her mother were usually stonewalled over the years and then, she finds a treasure trove of Lily's paintings hidden in the attic.  Confrontation ensued.

Time passes....

Suddenly her father is encouraging her to accept the art study in Sienna over other Italian cities.  Before leaving, he hands her Lily's journal, written when Lily was an art student in....you guessed it, Siena.

There are times this story was rather slow and others storylines about her roommates in Siena get mixed in but overall, I did like the book.  It's a lovely armchair excursion to Tuscany where you'll love the foodie descriptions, a bit of romance and most of the loose ends get tied up neatly. 

I was fortunate enough to purchase this book on Kindle shortly after reading The Correspondent (which I loved) but now it appears the book is unavailable in either Kindle or physical book format. The great success of The Correspondent must have inspired bookworms to seek out Evan's earlier book.  Rating it a 3.75 and should probably round to 4 as I was never tempted to put it down.  Just the ending seemed "too" tied up and improbable, in my humble opinion.  I'll put a spoiler note on Goodreads with those thoughts.

Next we have a nonfiction.  Just finished Four Lost Cities: a Secret History of an Urban Age  by Annelee Newit last night. 

 Did you know we have a World Heritage site here in the United States? I did not until I read this book.  It's located about 10 miles from St Louis Missouri, a large prehistoric civilization which  was larger than London in 1250 AD.   Here is a link to Cahokia Mounds, a World Heritage and State Historical site.  

The chapters about Pompeii was my main interest and learning about the society.  Freed slaves (libertli) their children or those who earned their freedom constituted the major part of the population.  It was a vibrant city, ruined and abandoned so quickly after the volcanic eruption.  Sad. A citizen named Julia Felix was particularly interesting as she held ownership of several blocks of buildings, quite a businesswoman.

The other two cities excavated and studied are Cataholyuk, Turkey and Angkor in Cambodia. This book is tagged as science with much info about the archeological digs and finds. 

The book was written by a journalist, not an archeological team, so keep that in mind when reading about environmental and political reasons why a vibrant civilization disappeared. Rounded up to 3.5 stars

This was for the Nonfiction Reading Challenge hosted by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out. Category: Science.

Sharing with Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge.

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte(Classics Club Spin)

 The pick for my Classic Club Spin was Agnes Grey and while it was one on my classics bucket list, I didn't love it. That said, I completed the book. 

Agnes Grey wasn't what I thought it might be and I didn't find this book particularly engaging. I've heard from friends Anne Bronte's second book, Tenant of Wildfell Hall, is much better.  So I will try that book one day.  Won't be soon though.....

 As the youngest Bronte daughter Anne's experiences, personality and insecurities came through in this novel. The fictional Grey family face financial difficulties so Agnes decides she wants to help by becoming a governess.  Her mother and sister are surprised and don't show her any encouragement but Agnes persists.  

Agnes accepts a position with the Bloomfields, a heinous family who are snobby,  rude and cruel. The children are absolutely horrid! Straight off, that child Tom is a serial killer in the making with talk of hurting his pony and cutting up birds. Wicked child who follows his father and uncle's way of thinking.  Pure evil the lot of them.  Agnes only lasts a short time, is dismissed and moves on to the next position. 

Our author interjects religion and moralizing into Agnes' character,  complaining away while trying to enlighten the reader about the indignities of being a governess. 

Complain. Rinse. Repeat.  The romance between Agnes and Mr. Weston, a man of the cloth of course,  was tepid at best. 

Happy ending...kinda...but I won't think about this book and the nonexistant depth of the character developments later on.

I'm surely in the minority with my 2 star review of a Bronte classic but we all have different takes on a story.  It's one I wanted to knock off my classic club bucket list and ✔...it's done. 

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday and The Classics Club.

Mid February Update

Hello February. So far this month has been productive in regards to reading and other pursuits. Lots of walking, cleaning out the house and ridding outselves of superfluous items and watching some of the Olympics.

Here's the midmonth roundup.

Read / Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty

Stella and Gerry have been married over 35 years so they know each others habits, have comfortable silences and their own little secrets.

The book starts with the minutiae of the evening as Stella is preparing them for their trip to Amsterdam the next day. When I say the minutiae of their activities I mean just that - it's all the little almost inconsequential details of turning down the heat, turning down the bedclothes, putting on lotion and being sure the toiletries bag is packed....like that.

The entire book is like this with normal conversations between the two.  There are also  flashbacks to the past where you learn about life changing events in their marriage,  They are a Northern Irish couple living in the north when violence touches their lives.  In their older years they live in Scotland, their son grown and living with his family in Canada.

I wrote a more detailed review on Goodreads HERE. Settings are Scotland but most of the book takes place in Amsterdam.

Crux by Gabriel Tallent

This book was a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card. I will admit the teemage chatter between two best friends, Tamma and Dan, was annoying at first but quickly gave way to the excellent writing and plot.  I was very much invested in the lives of our main characters.

Two teens living in poverty; one with opportunties for college, the other written off.  You'll notice when reading that Dan is described as a scholar and good looking.  Tamma is described by her deformities (mind you, her father caused them) and how she is perceived to be stupid. She is not.  She is a powerhouse of ambition and tenacity. 

Neither one has scenes with friends other than each other. There is a loneliness for both of them, Tamma gives it the middle finger but Dan has depression he tamps down. Both are alive and happy when climbing or planning a climb. They trust each other implicitly.

This story is about perserverance, friendship and loyalty.  I wrote up a longish review but realized I ought to mark it as spoilers so that's on Goodreads HERE. You will come to seriously dislike one of the mothers. 

📚 Currently Reading 📚 

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte as it was my Classics Club spin book and a nonfiction, titled  Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz.

Today......

Sharing with Joy for British Isles Friday  with Irish author Bernard MacLaverty

Classics Club Spin time

It's time for the Classic Club Spin!   👈 Check that out through the link and join in if you'd like.  It took me years to finally join the Classics Club and I have been enjoying having a goal of reading books on my list.  The Spin is a fun little game.

Here's my book list for the Classics Club Spin 

1. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
2. Agnes Grey by Ann Bronte
3. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
4. And The There Were None by Agatha Christie
5. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
6. Daisy Miller by Henry James
7. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
8. Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
9. Goodnight, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian
10. Hotel Du Lac by Anita Brookner
11. It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
12. Lost Horizon by James Hilton
13. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
14. Out of Africa by Blixon, Karen 
15. Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier
16. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
17. The Covenant by James Michener
18. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
19. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
20. The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell

When the spin number is announced on Sunday, 8 February, I will (hopefully) read that book before 29 March.  Wish me luck!

Will you be joining in?  Check out the announcement post HERE.

Sharing with The Classics Club

Monday Mailbox

My library books came in sooner than expected.  Here's what I got.

Four Lost Cties is a nonfiction by science journalist Annalee Newitz exploring the rise and fall of four ancient cities. I'm particularly interested in Pompeii as well as the indigenous metropolis Cahokia near the Mississippi River, where St. Louis stands today.

Crux by Gabriel Tallent is fiction, a buddy read planned with Susan at The Cue Card. This is a coming of age book about friendship, challenges and the realities of adult life and responsibilties.

Also picked up the latest issue of BookPage, a free publication I enjoy browsing through.  You can get it online but I like the old school paper version.

There are many articles of interest in here as well as upcoming publications in all genres for your interest. I was particularly interested in this bit about Allegra Goodman's new book This is Not About Us.  It's labeled as literary fiction and a family drama, which I like.

Did you get any books this week? I am still planning on working on my to-read list but interjecting the library haul on these chilly days spent indoors.  Still working on my short term reading goals as well.

Monday Mailbox is hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be at the Beach.  

Check out Monday Mailbox to see who linked up this week.

Books read and goals accomplished!

In my previous post I talked about making some short term goals and listing a few books I have on hand.  It's working well for me as I have finished two books I own.  One fiction and the other a nonfiction. 

After reading Cecile Pin's book Celestial Lights I found myself a fan of her writing style.  As I own Wandering Souls I thought I'd start with that one on Kindle.

This is the story of a family, broken apart while fleeing Vietman after the war ended. 

I can't imagine the fear and obstacles of leaving your country, grasping at an escape so scary, possibly unreliable  smugglers transporting you and loved ones..... hoping it will be safe. Hoping to escape horrid living conditions in exchange for a good life.

The story is told with multiple narrators.

"Because Anh, Minh Thanh were the 3 oldest children, their parents decided they would travel ahead on a separate boat, dividing the family in two. It hadn't occurred to Anh that this breaking in half was the first sign of peril. The first clue that her father knew that one of the halves might fall."

When Anh's parents and siblings don't arrive when planned she knows things went wrong.  Now at 16 years of age she is the care taker of her younger brothers.  She must keep them safe and fed while living with uncertainties in resettlement camps.

In between her story and viewpoint are passages from the deceased brother named Dao.  Seeing his sister and brothers from a ghostly existence.   Sounds odd but it worked, especially in explanations about their culture.

For a more my review is here on Goodreads.  #Historical Fiction #Asia #War

📚📚📚 Nonfiction

Next on my list was Hayley Arceneaux's book Wild Ride. A Memoir of I.V. Drips and Rocket Ships.

This is an inspiring story of a pediatric cancer survivor, how she handled the treatment and how it gave her a different outlook on life. That sums it up. She went into some good detail about the emotional side of cancer treatment, her adventurous spirit and how incredibly driven she was; however I would have liked more detail on how she was selected for the civilian spot for space travel and the mission training.

She traveled as much as could, learned another language and eventually got her dream job.  It's an easy read of 208 pages, listed as a memoir.  Could have been a Readers Digest short series rather than a book, in my opinion.  3 stars

Currently reading / Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty. This is about Gerry and Stella Gilmore, a retired Irish couple who now live in Scotland and their midwinter trip to Amsterdam. As I'm not too far into the book it appears there will be reflections on their 40+ year marriage and uncertainties about past events.  I like books featuring older adults...probably because I am one. :-)

Upcoming will be a buddy read with the book Crux by Gabriel Tallent in February.

That's all I have this week book related. Otherwise it was just a few medical apointments, Loki going crazy and havng a seizure because I snuck out early to get blood work, made a beef stew and homemade baguette for the comfort food needed in this weather.  Still covering the plants as lows are 23 F/ -5 C for the week.

Hope your reading week was fantastic.

Linking up with:

Joy for British Isles Friday (for Northern Irish author Bernard MacLaverty)

Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge (using the Wild Ride book for the Nonfiction Grazer category as I have another book in mind for Memoir)