This was so popular when it came out (when my kids were in Catholic school.) But I‘m one to be wary of hype, and I put it off. But I shouldn‘t have. It‘s tragic, and funny, and very well written. Number 12 of #24in2024, and #bookspin for April. @TheAromaofBooks @Jas16

Lisa See returns again and again to brutal stories of female friendships destroyed by misunderstanding. Every bit as difficult to read as Snow Flower, and as meticulously researched. I learned a lot about haenyeo and the fate of Korea before and after WWII. A pick for my irl book club, and number 11 for #24in2024.

Good morning #whartonbuddyread! Are we ready for the Children? (Is anyone ever really ready for children? 😂) This one‘s just under 300 pages and divided into 3 books. I‘m proposing starting April 27 for Book 1, May 4 and 11 for books 2 & 3. Does that work for everyone?

Enjoying the mild weather while it lasts, I‘m starting my #bookspin outside with an adult beverage and dried veggies.

Like @Centique said, this is not my favorite of the Love Medicine novels. Many characters are difficult to love, and there is less humor and more relentless depression. But I did love Fleur‘s final act. And I think I know what happened with Lipsha, but would love to discuss with anyone else who has read this. Number 10 for #24in2024 @Jas16

Sharing my April #bookspin now because Holy Week is about to get crazy-busy. I can‘t believe it‘s almost April! @TheAromaofBooks

I finished this on the treadmill this morning and it was a fascinating look at the gilded age and beyond. Told with love but not with blinders on, Cooper explores the faults and foibles, the triumphs and traumas, as he explores the rise and fall of the Vanderbilt dynasty. A nice companion to the #WhartonBuddyRead as it covers some of the same ground. A nice touch was the epilogue where he tells what stands now where the mansions once were.

I devoured this book. Part genealogical mystery, part loving mémoire, part philosophy of war and empire, it was shot through with Palin‘s intelligence and humor. Thanks to my cousin @barbwire for a lovely birthday present.

This book has more similes than a 9th grade English assignment on descriptive writing, and if I had to read one more “I think I‘m southern if I can‘t say a sentence without some goofy expression” page I would have exploded like a too-ripe watermelon dropped from the back of the truck on a bumpy road heading to market. Sheesh!
Read Flannery O‘Connor - skip this one. #24in2024 number 9 also #doublespin

My birthday was full of books (and grandson. And Six!) The little book on the bottom is the tagged book.

N J (Newton Julian) Paschall was my great-great grandfather and it was fun to read about his contributions to the town of Fulton. The Images of America series isn‘t particularly careful in its research, but they always have good pictures.

So relatable!

(Enlarge if necessary.)

Home sick today, so I‘ve already gotten in the first chapter (and the preface and dedication) of this #randomclassics @TheAromaofBooks

Full of quirky Houston characters, two (or three) dogs, and one sardonic cat, this novel celebrates love, human and canine, without being sappy or emotionally manipulative. Prose that brings the west to life, & a surprise cameo of someone I once knew who is neither fictional nor famous. (Houston once went to the same church as me and knew this man there which makes me wonder if he asked her to write him into one of her stories.) No. 8 #24in2024

This is a very soft pick for me. I think I‘d have preferred a nonfiction account. I finished it because it‘s for my irl book club, and it sent me to the internet to find out more. But the writing itself was at best bland, at worst anachronistic. And the name dropping got tiresome. We know Bernard was a cad - no need to drag Edith Wharton into it.

My #bookspin list for March. @TheAromaofBooks

Wharton messed with us in this book. Kate is both highly frustrating and yet to be pitied. Chris is the worst villain since Lovelace of Clarissa infamy, and Anne strikes me as fairly selfish herself, or at least spoiled and immature. Fred, well Fred just made me sad. He deserved so much better. Yet through it all Wharton‘s wit and humor and sparkling prose make this a pick. If you like moral dilemmas and no easy answers, this one‘s for you.

“His manly chest seemed outspread to receive the pectoral cross, and all his gestures were round and full, like the sleeves for which they were preparing.” I know that the Rev. Dr. Arklow is a minor character, but this quote was too good not to illustrate. (Above is an actual bishop of the era.) As CarolynM points out, this is a book of moral dilemmas. But was Arklow‘s advice moral? Or conventional ? Did Kate do the right thing toward Anne? Frank?

My latest #treadmillBook. Read by Anderson Cooper, it‘s off to a great start.

Number 6 for#24in2024, this is another set of short stories full of Atwood‘s mischievous humor and prescient insights. Loved it!

Like any short story collection, some were stronger than others, but this was a pleasant listen each morning. #treadmillbook

Post WWI and a couple of affairs, Kate is “allowed” to return home to the US and her daughter. I don‘t think she likes what the US has become, especially the younger generation. They seem to get the most pointed (and witty) comments from Wharton‘s pen. Impressions of Kate? Anne? Chris? I‘ll post some favorite quotes below. #whartonbuddyread

“Roughing it builds a boy‘s character, but only certain kinds of roughing it.”

I loved this quiet, deep, loving look at friendship, love, and age. And I‘ve never been so angry at a character as I was/am with Gene! Five stars! #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Fourth in my #24in2024, and for my irl book club, which I had to miss for a work trip. It‘s a tear-jerker and I usually don‘t like having my emotions manipulated. But the stories were so engaging and I was rooting for them both to make it to their 100th, so I didn‘t feel manipulated. I‘m just sorry I missed out on the discussion.

Just a reminder that the #whartonbuddyread of Books I and II is next Saturday the 17th

One of Dickens‘ earlier novels, NN gives me Pickwick vibes, especially with some of the over-the-top humor, and the pathos of The Old Curiosity Shop. Nicholas is a young man‘s hero - brash and hot headed and protective of his and his sister‘s honor. But also likable. And he sticks to his version of honorable behavior even when it goes against his feelings for Madeline. A typical Dickensian ending wraps it all up with a bow for an enjoyable read.

My #bookspin and #doublespin for February. Thanks @TheAromaofBooks !

An excellent #treadmillBook with interesting characters and a positive story line.

Here‘s my February #bookspin. Thanks @TheAromaofBooks !

It‘s not Shakespeare, but it comes close. There are lots of quotable lines like “Whether we fall by ambition, blood or lust, Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.” And I liked the Duchess‘s spirit and Bosolo‘s complexity. Looking for videos, as I like to watch plays after I read them, I happened upon an English teacher‘s lectures from lockdown that were really good. (Lucky kids who had her!) 2 for #24in2024 @Jas16

A very different duchess for my second #24in2024

This #chunkstermini has been hanging out on my shelves since it came out in the mid 1980s. It shows its age a bit, and by the last section the twists became ridiculous. But it was a fun soap opera of a book and I‘m glad I read it. My favorite character was the Duchess, and this is my image of her, except the facial expression isn‘t quite right. #bookspin for January and 1st #24in2024. @TheAromaofBooks @Jas16 @Amiable

#Whartonbuddyread February it is. I‘ve got a work trip the first weekend, so the schedule will be:
February 17 - Books I & II
February 24 - Book III

It‘s always easier to talk about the failings of previous generations than of our own, but if we try we can learn from them. The behavior of the main characters in this novel isn‘t always believable, and Mireille in particular seems to learn and unlearn the same lesson over and over again. The author is skillful at manipulating the reader‘s emotions, and the research is obviously there. My irl book club will discuss this week. 3⭐️

I‘m a bit of a mood reader, so I selected 36 books for my #24booksin2024. @Jas16

My copy has a plain cover (the dust jacket was lost ages ago) so here‘s a picture of the beautiful endpapers for my first #bookspin and #chunksterchallenge of 2024. @TheAromaofBooks @Amiable

So, #whartonbuddyread crew, this one is up next, since we seem to agree that Wharton is at her best in her novels. This is short (under 300 pages) and divided into 3 “Books” so I anticipate dividing it into 3 discussions. Are we ready? When would you want to start? After a crazy couple of months between work and the holidays when I was pretty absent from Litsy, I‘m rested and ready for 2024! Comment below if you‘re in, and Jan. or Feb. start date.

Clarissa really increased my page count (but decreased my “books read” number). I‘m keeping my number low for 2024 to encourage myself to read longer books.

I couldn‘t decide what to read for the 2024 #chunksterchallenge, so I decided to let #bookspin choose for me. Some of these are “almost a chunkster” or “chunkster minis,” but these are all on my shelves, and, after Clarissa, I think I‘m ok with that. 😀
@TheAromaofBooks @Amiable

When I‘m feeling harried, Mary Stewart is a good nostalgic pick.

My last #bookspin of the year, and what a way to go out! Atwood is amazing as always, and I see myself rereading these stories often. @TheAromaofBooks

I enjoyed this look at a long life well lived. There was a bit philosophy, a bit of adventure, and an attempt by the author to distill wisdom from this life to pass down to his own children.

I struggle to describe this book in a way that won‘t put you off from reading it. It can be dark (Proulx has the most creative ways to kill and maim her characters!) but it‘s also humorous. Each section has an illustration of a type of accordion, but this is the one the book follows through years and miles, as it is owned by successive players from various immigrant communities. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

My December #bookspin list. Thanks @TheAromaofBooks for all the fun. I can‘t believe 2023 is almost over!

Both a poignant memoir and a well-researched look at one of the most intractable problems in America, this book made me sad, made me think, and made me want to do better. She doesn‘t offer a simple solution to these complex problems, nor does she blame “the coastal elite” for the problems of rural America. She portrays the people sympathetically as fully human, neither demonizing nor canonizing them. Highly recommended.

When I need something uplifting, I can‘t go wrong with Bishop Curry. Starting this today.

Hoping the courage of the authors will rub off on me a bit. I‘m more than a third of the way in, and it is making me hopeful and uncomfortable; angry and shamed; but also energized to seek out my personal next steps.