Lousy weather, great reading.
8/4 - Tropical Storm Isaias - 12 hour power outage; several limbs from maple tree down in driveway fortunately not to large for us to drag aside.
8/5 - Internet/phone out - about 36 hours
8/7 - PO to mail primary ballot
8/13 - library curbside pickup; JC Farm; Lyman Orchards
Fiction:
Echo on the Bay by Masatsugu Ono: translated from the Japanese by Angus Turvill
At Least We Can Apologize by Ki-ho Lee; translated from the Korean by Christopher Joseph Dykas
Garden by the Sea by Mercè Rodoreda; translated from the Catalan by Martha Tennent and Maruxa Relaño
The House with a Sunken Courtyard by Won-Il Kim; translated from the Korean by Ji-Moon Suh )
Stingray by Kim Joo-Young; translated from the Korean by Inrae You Vinciguerra and Louis Vinciguerra
Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yū; translated from the Japanese by Morgan Giles
Girls Lost by Jessica Schiefauer; translated from the Swedish by Saskia Vogel
Lake Like a Mirror by Ho Sok Fong; translated from the Chinese by Natascha Bruce
A Hundred Million Years and a Day by Jean-Baptiste Andrea: translated from the French by Sam Taylor (review copy, LibraryThing giveaway)
Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma (review copy, Goodreads giveaway)
Fiction/Poetry:
The Love Story of the Century by Märta Tikkanen; translated from the Swedish Stina Katchadourian
A Grave is Given Supper by Mike Soto
Nonfiction:
Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Saturday, August 01, 2020
July 2020
Not a good month for getting out the house because it was too hot to spend much time and energy outside and we are still not ready for indoor places. Weather was so humid that we really enjoyed the few meals we were able to eat on the outside porch. But I found some excellent reading!
Breaks from quarantine:
7/15 produce shopping at JC Farms; Mozzicata (ice cream); Veterans Park (to eat ice cream)
7/21 to firehouse to vote (drive-up)
7/23 Shopping at Rogers Orchards
6/30 Pick up library hold (curbside)
Other diversions:
The WNBA is back! So I spent the end of July watching lots of basketball games (six in one weekend). They are living and playing in a bubble with no on site fans but they play as hard and well as ever.
(I've watched so little television in the past five months that I forgot how to work the remote.)
6/30 Pick up library hold (curbside)
Other diversions:
(I've watched so little television in the past five months that I forgot how to work the remote.)
Reading - Fiction (the notes are not intended as reviews, they are just to help me remember the books!):
The House of Deep Water by Jeni McFarland - 4+ stars
Interview with the author at Debutiful.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - 4 stars
Twins. One is black, the other passes as white.
All Adults Here by Emma Straub - 4 stars
The Restoration of Otto Laird by Nigel Packer - 4 stars
Aging Austrian/British architect reflects on his life & work
My Part of Her by Javad Djavahery; translated from the French by Emma Ramadan - 5 stars
Iranian Revolution
The Bear by Andrew Krivak - 4 stars
Last person on Earth fantasy
62: A Model Kit by Julio Cortázar; translated from the Spanish by Gregory Rabassa - 5 stars
The "City"
Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel by Ruth Horgon - 4 stars
Elizabeth's Field by Barbara Lockhart - 4 stars
Cuyahoga by Pete Beatty - 4 stars
Reading - Nonfiction:
Creating Connecticut: Critical Moments That Shaped a Great State by Walter W. Woodward
Interesting history bits. Mostly stuff I didn't know about my adopted state.
Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865 by Sarah Raymond Herndon
Gutenberg find. Things that side tracked me:
"The Icarian Community" (Diary entry of May 12) The Icarians established communities in Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and California. The one Sarah writes about was in Corning, Iowa.
Icarians - Wikipedia
Reading - Online:
A 13th-Century Persian poet’s lessons for today
by Joobin Bekhrad
Who Did What in Every Agatha Christie Murder Novel
Colorful graphs by Dorothy Gambrell plotting the plots.
Bostock and Originalism
by Mark Tushnet, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, discusses Bostock v. Clayton County.
Forgotten Best Sellers a Project of Lapham's Quarterly.
I haven't yet read the selection that goes with this essay, but it seems like an interesting project.
I haven't yet read the selection that goes with this essay, but it seems like an interesting project.
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
June 2020
Books in the Time of Quarantine
Durham, Connecticut, June 2020
Even though the state is slowly reopening I continue, because of my age, to self quarantine. It's been warm and humid so I haven't been getting much exercise. Outings have been limited in June. Two for library curbside pickup which I combined with a trip to a farm market. Another was also a produce run combined with a stop at a fish market. Then, on the most comfortable day weather wise, we had a picnic!
Reading:
Lots of good books this month...
On Lighthouses by Barrera, Jazmina; translated from the Spanish by MacSweeney, Christina - 3 stars
I enjoyed these essays but this didn't give me much that was new to me.
Gathering of Waters by McFadden, Bernice L. - 4 stars
I liked this a lot but not as much as her The Book of Harlan which I read in 2016. I think when interlibrary loan opens up I'll be reading more of her work. I also enjoy following her tweets.
b, Book, and Me by Kim Sagwa; translated from the Korean by Sunhee Jeong - 4+ stars
A kind of "almost coming of age story." It's worth a re-read.
Big Machine by LaValle, Victor - 5 stars
The Craft Is All the Same: A Conversation with Victor LaValle; Ayize Jama-Everett interviews Victor LaValle. Another author to add to my list of writers to read.
Conjure Women by Atakora, Afia - 5 stars
A Conversation with Afia Atakora, Author of Conjure Women
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions (Auntie Poldi #1) by Giordano, Mario; translated from the German by Brownjohn, John - 4 stars
Fun, but not sure about following the series...
Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Washburn, Kawai Strong - 5 stars
How Kawai Strong Washburn Opened Up the Legends of Hawaii for Mainlanders author interview with Anderson Tepper (Vanity Fair)
The Man in the Red Coat by Barnes, Julian - 4 stars
Dr Samuel Jean Pozzi was the man in the portrait but this gossipy book is about so much more...
Berkeley Noir edited by Thompson, Jerry - 4 stars
One of the better anthologies in the Akashic Noir series.
Seven Samurai Swept Away in a River by Jung, Young-moon: translated from the Korean by Jung Yewon - 4 stars
Korean writer Texas culture.
Online:
Rayuela by Hugo Passarello Luna
"This is a series of portraits, taken in Paris, of friends and readers of Argentine writer Julio Cortázar to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Depicting Writing
This was a double treat: a fine, nicely illustrated essay AND my discovery of The Crews Project! Thanks to The Literary Saloon (29 June 2020 blog) for leading me there.
Whonamedit? - A dictionary of medical eponyms
I found this when I was looking for more information about Dr. Pozzi. (See The Man in the Red Coat in my reading list above.)
New World Writing
I'm finding lots to like at this lit magazine.
Transformations
A new online site featuring narrative essays.
Breaching the Levee of Rage
A moving piece on taking a knee at a peaceful George Floyd protest/vigil. By David Abrams.
Joie de Vivre in Joyce's Garden
Another private garden tour by Jana Milbocker. This one, in Natick Massachusetts, is especially colorful.
Providence Pedestrian Bridge
A place I want to visit when I'm ready to expand my circle of comfort...
Collecting Guide: Wayne Thiebaud
Thiebaud turns 100 in November! That calls for cake and ice cream!
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Monday, June 01, 2020
May 2020 Reads
Still in "Stay Safe at Home" mode. Read nine books four of which I found engrossing, three were pleasant enough to distract me from the news, and two fall into the "boring but I sort of finished them" category (there was much skimming involved).
Other than the five walks listed below, I left the house only for a curbside pickup of a produce box.
Reading
Fiction:
5 stars
The Dreamed Part (Trilogía las partes #2) by Fresán, Rodrigo; translated from the Spanish by Will Vanderhyden (Read along with Season 11 of the Two Month Review)
Spiritual Choreographies by Labbé, Carlos; translated from the Spanish by Will Vanderhyden
The author is also a musician and composer. He has created a playlist for this novel on Spotify
4 stars
Night School: A Reader for Grownups by Bán, Zsófia; afterword by Péter Nádas; translated from the Hungarian by Jim Tucker
3+ stars
The Better Liar by Jones, Tanen
3 stars
Redhead by the Side of the Road by Tyler, Anne
Anne Tyler: “I am a seat-of-the-pants reader” author is interviewed by Leo Robson
The Sun Down Motel by St. James, Simone
2 (generous) stars
Simon the Fiddler by Jiles, Paulette
New Waves by Nguyen, Kevin
Nonfiction:
4+ stars
Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st-Century Memoir by Albright, Madeleine K.
Online stuff:
A fun Basketball Shot on Twitter
A lovely Massachusetts garden Boulderwoods: A Celebration of Rhododendrons
Readings from all 15 finalists for the 2020 Best Translated Book Awards! BTBA 2020 Readings
(This was originally done on Zoom and was my first time using the Zoom App.)
Socially Distanced Out-of-the-House Exercise:
5/2 walked 2.7 miles (neighborhood)
5/5 walked 1.5 miles (Crystal Lake)
5/11 walked 1.2 miles (River Highlands)
5/13 walked 1 mile (Haddam Meadows)
5/19 walked 1 mile (Long Hill Estate)
Other than the five walks listed below, I left the house only for a curbside pickup of a produce box.
Reading
Fiction:
5 stars
The Dreamed Part (Trilogía las partes #2) by Fresán, Rodrigo; translated from the Spanish by Will Vanderhyden (Read along with Season 11 of the Two Month Review)
Spiritual Choreographies by Labbé, Carlos; translated from the Spanish by Will Vanderhyden
The author is also a musician and composer. He has created a playlist for this novel on Spotify
4 stars
Night School: A Reader for Grownups by Bán, Zsófia; afterword by Péter Nádas; translated from the Hungarian by Jim Tucker
3+ stars
The Better Liar by Jones, Tanen
3 stars
Redhead by the Side of the Road by Tyler, Anne
Anne Tyler: “I am a seat-of-the-pants reader” author is interviewed by Leo Robson
The Sun Down Motel by St. James, Simone
2 (generous) stars
Simon the Fiddler by Jiles, Paulette
New Waves by Nguyen, Kevin
Nonfiction:
4+ stars
Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st-Century Memoir by Albright, Madeleine K.
Online stuff:
A fun Basketball Shot on Twitter
A lovely Massachusetts garden Boulderwoods: A Celebration of Rhododendrons
Readings from all 15 finalists for the 2020 Best Translated Book Awards! BTBA 2020 Readings
(This was originally done on Zoom and was my first time using the Zoom App.)
Socially Distanced Out-of-the-House Exercise:
5/2 walked 2.7 miles (neighborhood)
5/5 walked 1.5 miles (Crystal Lake)
5/11 walked 1.2 miles (River Highlands)
5/13 walked 1 mile (Haddam Meadows)
5/19 walked 1 mile (Long Hill Estate)
Friday, May 01, 2020
April 2020 Reads
Another month of voluntary quarantine. I left the house only 6 times during April, three times for produce (almost all other food is delivered), once for curbside pick up of a few groceries, once for a short drive, and once for a short walk I must do that more often).
I spent a lot of time online AND I finally managed to concentrate on some reading. I read some good things from my library's Overdrive Collection. I tried to make a dent in my Owned-but-unread pile but I think I added more than I read. I didn't read as much in translation as I usually do.
Here's April's list:
5 Stars:
Deacon King Kong by McBride, James
This was so much fun! A real escape from the current news. (Library Overdrive)
Sonnets to Orpheus by Rilke, Rainer Maria; Christiane Marks (Translator)
I glad this is my own book because I'll keep going back to it. One never really finishes reading a book of poetry.
4 Stars:
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
(Library Overdrive)
Plainsong (Plainsong, #1) by Haruf, Kent
my copy
Homesick for Another World by Moshfegh, Ottessa
(Library hard copy)
In Five Years by Serle, Rebecca
(Library Overdrive)
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Pulley, Natasha
(Library hard copy)
Mama Hissa's Mice by Alsanousi, Saud; Sawad Hussain (Translator)
my copy
3 Stars:
Greenwood by Christie, Michael
(Library Overdrive)
Searching for Sylvie Lee by Kwok, Jean
(Library Overdrive)
2+ Stars:
Coastliners by Harris, Joanne
my copy
Online:
A lot of my online time was spent looking at art, watching YouTube nonsense, playing games, and just wandering about. Here are a few of the more noteworthy things I found.
Some selections from the Plague Diary of Gonçalo M. Tavares; Translated by Daniel Hahn
Plague Diary: March covers March 24-30
Plague Diary: April covers April 7, 13, 20, 28
Plague Diary: A Week covers March 27, April 1, April 3
A musical diary by clarinetist Ben Goldberg Plague Diary
Really good listening!
Keukenhof without visitors. Photographs by Albert Dros
Bill Reynolds site is fun to explore. I found his site when I was researching the song "South Coast." His article on the song, titled The Lion Still Rules The Barranca, is just one of many interesting pieces on Western Americana topics.
I spent a lot of time online AND I finally managed to concentrate on some reading. I read some good things from my library's Overdrive Collection. I tried to make a dent in my Owned-but-unread pile but I think I added more than I read. I didn't read as much in translation as I usually do.
Here's April's list:
5 Stars:
Deacon King Kong by McBride, James
This was so much fun! A real escape from the current news. (Library Overdrive)
Sonnets to Orpheus by Rilke, Rainer Maria; Christiane Marks (Translator)
I glad this is my own book because I'll keep going back to it. One never really finishes reading a book of poetry.
4 Stars:
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
(Library Overdrive)
Plainsong (Plainsong, #1) by Haruf, Kent
my copy
Homesick for Another World by Moshfegh, Ottessa
(Library hard copy)
In Five Years by Serle, Rebecca
(Library Overdrive)
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Pulley, Natasha
(Library hard copy)
Mama Hissa's Mice by Alsanousi, Saud; Sawad Hussain (Translator)
my copy
3 Stars:
Greenwood by Christie, Michael
(Library Overdrive)
Searching for Sylvie Lee by Kwok, Jean
(Library Overdrive)
2+ Stars:
Coastliners by Harris, Joanne
my copy
Online:
A lot of my online time was spent looking at art, watching YouTube nonsense, playing games, and just wandering about. Here are a few of the more noteworthy things I found.
Some selections from the Plague Diary of Gonçalo M. Tavares; Translated by Daniel Hahn
Plague Diary: March covers March 24-30
Plague Diary: April covers April 7, 13, 20, 28
Plague Diary: A Week covers March 27, April 1, April 3
A musical diary by clarinetist Ben Goldberg Plague Diary
Really good listening!
Keukenhof without visitors. Photographs by Albert Dros
Bill Reynolds site is fun to explore. I found his site when I was researching the song "South Coast." His article on the song, titled The Lion Still Rules The Barranca, is just one of many interesting pieces on Western Americana topics.
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