Happy New Year

I wanted to read fifty books this year, but the last one, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is too long to finish. I love her writing, and the subject matter is my favorite, England during the Great War and World War II. The main character, Ursula Todd, is a young woman in 1938, and lives through the Blitz and lives another life through Berlin during the war, I don't fully understand, but I love this book. The characterization is well developed, the plot is interesting, the atmosphere is very realistic and thoroughly a character in the novel. To be a best seller or to appeal to a large audience one must have all the draws of appeals and the author does just that. I am listening to the novel and the narrator does a great job. If I wasn't so tired, I'd read this book into the new year, but I've been up since 6 and I need to go to sleep. I finished A Fatal Winter at the nursing home today, and it ended with a lunar eclipse and a holiday party on Dec 21, so fitting for the day. It's a cozy mystery in an English village with the Episcopal priest as the detective, Father Max, a former MI5 operative. Good stuff. Love this series.

The reading life

I've had a rich life. As I browse the list of books I've read this year, I realise how truly blessed I have been. I started out trying to read more new fiction. And that has been good for me, but sometimes I am reading for comfort, something familiar and I have been doing that, too. I just finished Glare Ice by Mary Logue, and I am back in the world of Claire Watkins. How nice to know there are more books in the series if I want to visit Minnesota again in the winter. I read for atmosphere, I read winter, snowy books when the weather is cold. We got snow last night and I await a book by G.Mallory about an English village in winter. And I will probably pick up a favorite Agatha Christie, Murder at Hazelmoor sooner than later. It's a 40 cents Dell paperback copy from my Mother's collection of Agatha Christie paperbacks that I borrowed years ago. Those are comfortable too, going back to the past, and the English village again. "Backward, turn backward O time in your flight; Make me a child again just for tonight.". There's a quote on Susan Branch's blog about wishing to be a child again, never more than at Christmas, when I would always receive a pile of new books to read, and the vacation time to read them. Yes, I have had a full life of books, and a job at a library surrounded by them. Thank you, God, for my life, my family and friends.

As I read "Still Me" by Jojo Moyes I was surprised how easily I could pick up the third book in the series and understand all the relationships. This is a story of Louisa Clark from the U.K. who decides to take a job in Manhattan as a companion/assistant to the young new wife to an older extremely wealthy man.  She soon leans that the woman, Agnus, is very unhappy and stressed by the demands of a highly philanthropic man. He wants his trophy wife to show up at the charity events looking beautiful and happy. But, the second wife is rejected by society, seen as a gold digger and a home wrecker. But this is not that simple. She had been a hard working Polish immigrant who caught the eye of her employer, and she made him happy. How can Louisa help Agnus find happiness in her new life? She can help by being her friend. Louisa Clark learns a lot about friendships and relationships during this year abroad. She has some things to work out between her boyfriend in the U.K. and the grumpy neighbor in her apartment complex. This is a good read and I enjoyed the character of Louisa Clark.

I just started reading Citizen Reader's blog. Quite interesting stuff here. I like this quote about nonfiction readers:

"How do nonfiction readers differ from fiction readers?

From Neal Wyatt*: "Reading nonfiction, even highly narrative nonfiction, is a different experience than reading fiction." She calls this the Learning/Experiencing appeal.

From Catherine Sheldrick Ross**: NF readers often read NF and F; exclusive NF readers like the "real'"; readers pick NF when they expect interruptions; they read to be entertained AND "to take something away"; they are avid readers in general

A personal definition: Not so much escapist readers as involvist readers" Sarah Cords

I used to find that I would read a fiction book and then a nonfiction book, just to change things up a bit. I do like to learn new things. I also like to read nonfiction books about the subject matter of a fiction title. Last year I read " The Love-Charm of Bombs: Restless Lives in the Second World War by Lara Feigel." I had read so many books about World War II that this was an interesting idea, what it was like for certain writers in the London Blitz. Graham Greene would use his experiences in the Blitz to write his famous novel, "The End of the Affair" in 1951. I remember this book that I've read many years ago and watched the movie also. 

I just finished a realistic book, "Need to Know" by Karen Cleveland, a former CIA analyst. It's her debut novel and is quite the thriller. Hard to put down. All I kept thinking, this can't end well. But I am glad that I read it and I probably will remember this one for a very long time. Very plot driven action, movie-like drama. The nonfiction book that I read about CIA operatives was " The Company We Keep: A Husband-and-Wife True-Life Spy Story by Robert and Dayna Baer."  That one was interesting. 

Julia Spencer-Fleming

“We none of us get what we deserve, thank God. We get what we’re given. Love. Compassion. A second chance. And then a third, and a fourth.” This comes from a blog that I read: Cakes, Tea and Dreams. I am so comforted by these words, that's grace: we don't get what we deserve. Thank God. It has been a long time since I've read Julia Spencer-Fleming novels, but I did like them all. The last one in the sereis, "Through the Evil Days" was published in 2012. The series is called Clare Ferguson/ Russ Van Alstyne, a mystery series, part police procedural and part amateur detective. I wanted to re-read this one to fully remember what I liked so much about this series. It was a fast read, with just enough setting to make you feel you feel you were there. Been through plenty of bad snow storms, always like to read about the atmosphere of a snowstorm. Not enough of Clare's real job in this one, she's a priest in the Episcopal church. The mystery is wrapped up too fast to be believable. I liked the drama of the two main characters being on the outside where no one believes them, and no one trusts them. Falling in love over the course of the first four books, they are coming to terms with what that really means for them and the people they love. Part love story, part mystery thriller, good idea to start with the first in the series, In the Bleak Midwinter.

     Checking all the alfresco dining in my area. Spring ahead daylight savings means I can start to think about sitting outside again in the twilight and catching a few rays. Panera Bread was my go to last summer. May have to try Smith's Boathouse here in Troy. For my birthday my daughter's took me there for their Sunday brunch, was delicious. We also like A & W Rootbeer. La Fiesta has a nice outdoor patio. Ah, many selections, or opportunity spaces. May even set up my own porch space for eating out, or having that first cup of coffee in the morning. I do look forward to the warmer season.
      Thinking about susanbranch.com and Joe Hall on the Queen Victoria as they head to England this week. I'll bet they do a lot of eating on deck.
      Listening to "In This Grave Hour" by Jacqueline Winspear.

Had to visit Briget Jones's Diary again, in all its forms. Watched the movie on Netflix with all the wonderful actors. Listened to the audiobook and read the hardcover copy of the book. Reading about chicklit in Library Journal and this book was the first notable book of that genre. Great article by Rebecca Vnuck. Running through my head is the song by Van Morrison, "Someone like you" with the great YouTube  montage photos from the movie with Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth falling in love. Didn't know Helen Fielding used Pride and Predjudice as her inspiration. Loved everything about this movie. Funny but it even appeals to this 65 year old romantic.