PAUL C IN 23 (8)

PLACES WHERE I AM READING

My current read is the excellent Aue which is on my Alternative Women's Prize List. It starts off in Kaikoura in NZ which is a place I visited a few years ago and have very fond memories of.

THE OPENING WORDS

Aue by Becky Manawatu has won several prizes in New Zealand and I am a little ticked off that that part of the world is not getting sufficient recognition in Book Prizes. Consequently, I put it on my Alternative 16 books for the Women's Prize.



"Taukiri and I drove here in Tom Aiken's truck. We borrowed it to move all my stuff. Tom Aiken helped. This was my home now.
Taukiri said later - 'Home now buddy' - but he wouldn't look at me. He looked around me at the toaster, at a dead fly on the windowsill, at the door handle. He said something dumb, 'You'll love it, there are cows.'"

Interested......................................................?

BOOKS COMPLETED

January
1. The King's Fool by Mahi Binebine (2017) 125 pp Fiction / ANC / Morocco
2. The Golden Ass by Apuleius (c 170) 216 pp Fiction / ANC / Tunisia / 1001
3. Driftnet by Lin Anderson (2003) 262 pp Thriller / Rhona MacLeod 1
4. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff (1954) 292 pp Fiction / BAC
5. Free : Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi (2021) 310 pp Non-Fiction / NF Challenge
6. The Bridges of Constantine by Ahlem Mosteghanemi (1993) 305 pp Fiction / ANC / Algeria
7. Bloodlines by Fred D'Aguiar (2000) 161 pp Poetry / BAC
8. Borstal Boy by Brendan Behan (1958) 372 pp Fiction / 1001
9. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (2008) 300 pp Fiction / AAC
10. U.A. Fanthorpe : Selected Poems by U.A. Fanthorpe (2013) 153 pp Poetry
11. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar (2006) 245 pp Fiction / ANC / Libya
12. Foundation : The History of England Volume 1 by Peter Ackroyd (2011) 462 pp Non-Fiction
13. Closed Circles by Viveca Sten (2009) 451 pp Thriller / Sandhamn 2
14. The Albemarle Book of Modern Verse edited by FES Finn (1961) 181 pp Poetry
15. Brooklyn Heights by Miral al-Tahawy (2012) 220 pp Fiction / ANC / Egypt
16. The Midnight Bell by Patrick Hamilton (1929) 221 pp Fiction
17. The Siege of Pleasure by Patrick Hamilton (1932) 118 pp Fiction
18. The Plains of Cement by Patrick Hamilton (1934) 188 pp Fiction
19. The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov by Vladimir Nabokov (1995) 663 pp Fiction / Short Stories
20. The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray (2019) 267 pp Non-Fiction
21. The Death of Murat Idrissi by Tommy Wieringa (2017) 102 pp Fiction
22. Foster by Claire Keegan (2010) 88 pp Fiction

February
23. Torch by Lin Anderson (2004) 230 pp Thriller / Rhona MacLeod 2
24. Things I Don't Want to Know by Deborah Levy (2003) 163 pp Non-Fiction
25. The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (2004) 180 pp Fiction / ANC / Angola
26. Dearly by Margaret Atwood (2020) 122 pp Poetry
27. The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante (2002) 188 pp Fiction
28. The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy (2018) 187 pp Non-Fiction
29. The Lost Art of Sinking by Naomi Booth (2015) 86 pp Fiction / BAC
30. Poetry of the Thirties edited by Robin Skelton (1964) 287 pp Poetry
31. The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indridason (2017) 338 pp Thriller / Scandi
32. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig (2006) 345 pp Fiction
33. The History of England Volume II : Tudors by Peter Ackroyd (2012) 471 pp Non-Fiction
34. Male Tears by Benjamin Myers (2021) 264 pp Fiction / Short Stories
35. Woman of the Ashes by Mia Couto (2015) 254 pp Fiction / ANC / Mozambique
36. Real Estate by Deborah Levy (2021) 297 pp Non-Fiction
37. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (1971) 569 pp Fiction / 1001 Books / Pulitzer

March
38. Deadly Code by Lin Anderson (2005) 261 pp Thriller / Rhona MacLeod 3
39. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2003) 307 pp Fiction / ANC / Nigeria
40. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (1956) 308 pp Non-Fiction / Memoirs
41. What Goes On : Selected and New Poems 1995-2009 by Stephen Dunn (2009) 195 pp Poetry / AAC
42. I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel (2022) 203 pp Fiction
43. Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey (2006) 46 pp Poetry / AAC

BOOK STATS

Starting Stats of the Year :

Present TBR : 5,679 books
Pages to Read : 1,943,264
Average Book Length : 342.18

Books Read 40 (5 Mar 23)
Pages : 10,559
Pages per day : 164.98
Average Book Length : 263.98 pages
Female Authors : 18
Male Authors : 20
Various : 2
Countries Read : 19 (UK, Morocco, Tunisia, Albania, Algeria, Guyana, Ireland, USA. Libya, Sweden, Egypt, Russia, Netherlands, Angola, Canada, Italy, Iceland, Mozambique, Nigeria)
Fiction : 20
Thriller : 5
Non-Fiction : 8
Poetry : 5
Short Stories : 2

1001 Books First Edition
Read 3 (330)

Nobel Winners
Read : (75)

Booker Winners
Read : (38)

Pulitzer Fiction Prize
Read 1 : (21)

Women's Prize
Read : (7)

Books Added in 2023

66 (5 March 2023)

Books Read in 2023

40 (5 March 2023)

Change in TBR +26 (5,705)

Pages Read : 10,559
Pages Added : 19,182

Change in TBR Pages : +8,623 (1,951,887)

African Reading Challenge 2023



Plans

January - NORTH AFRICA https://www.librarything.com/topic/347131 read 5
February - LUSOPHONE LIT https://www.librarything.com/topic/348039 read 2
March - ADICHIE or EMECHETA https://www.librarything.com/topic/348955#n8081025 read 1
April - THE HORN OF AFRICA https://www.librarything.com/topic/349799
May - AFRICAN NOBEL WINNERS
June - EAST AFRICA
July - ACHEBE or Okri
August - FRANCOPHONE AFRICA
September - SOUTHERN AFRICA
October - MUKASONGA / NGUGI WA THIONG'O
November - AFRICAN THRILLERS / CRIME WRITERS
December - WEST AFRICA

Total : 8

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE



January - Rosemary Sutcliff & Fred D'Aguiar Eagle of the Ninth by Sutcliff, Bloodlines by D'Aguiar
February - Novellas & Short Stories - The Lost Art of Sinking by Booth, Male Tears by Myers
March - Vita Sackville-West & Tariq Ali

AMERICAN AUTHOR CHALLENGE



January - YA Books - Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
February - Richard Powers
March - Poetry - What Goes On : Selected and New Poems by Stephen Dunn

AROUND THE WORLD IN BOOKS IN 2023

Countries : 19 (4 March 2023)


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

Welcome to my 8th thread of 2023

And a happy new one!

Couldn't have time this one any better. LOL.

>10 mahsdad: & >11 mahsdad: That is a rare one, Jeff. You get the first and the second posts on my new thread!

HAppy new one!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>13 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita. xx

>14 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori.

Decided to set up the new thread and then got buried in urgent work!

>15 amanda4242: Thank you dear Amanda.

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Paul!

>18 SilverWolf28: Thank you, Silver.

>19 atozgrl: Thanks Irene. Wonderful to see you so active in the group. xx

>20 quondame: Thank you, Susan. I will get my thread up to speed during my lunch break.

Happy new thread from me.
I haven't read any of your Benelux novels but do have a copy of The Sorrow of Belgium which I picked up in a used bookstore a few years ago.
Iberian novels, I've read Don Quixote and a couple of chapters of Cathedral of the Sea. Have you read José Maria de Eça de Queiroz?

>23 avatiakh: Thank you dear lady.

You are a tease, Kerry! I had never heard of The Illustrious House of Ramirez but you have me mightily interested already!
I don't have The Sorrow of Belgium on the shelves unfortunately otherwise it would have been listed.

>24 PaulCranswick: That's my job! I've read two of Queiroz's novels, enjoyed them both and intend to read more. You've probably heard of the Mexican film adaption of The Crime of Padre Amaro. I also thoroughly enjoyed The City and the Mountains.
Your lists are reminding me of all the great novels sitting on my shelves while I continue to borrow a lot of less than stellar reading from the library.

>25 avatiakh: Book Depo is going to get a visit from me again as I compile all your helpful suggestions, Kerry!

Happy new thread, Paul. I can just imagine what all of those book lists are going to do to your book buying diet!

>27 Familyhistorian: Ah no Meg, there I am safe because I am only listing books that I already have on my shelves. The danger to my book buying addiction is the associations it makes and the recommendations that arise from my lists.
I already have some targeted to look for tomorrow and some to consider on Book Depo!

TWENTY AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN PLUS NOVELS I "NEED" TO READ

The Austria-Hungarian empire covered those countries but Czechoslovakia too. For the purposes of this exercise and to give them voice, I have added Poland, Romania and neutral Switzerland

Correction by Thomas Bernhard
The Castle by Franz Kafka
A Man of Qualities by Robert Musil
The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth
The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek
I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal
Ignorance by Milan Kundera
The Cowards by Josef Skvorecky
They Were Counted by Miklos Banffy
Fatelessness by Imre Kertesz
War and War by Laszlo Krasznahorkai
The Door by Magda Szabo
Journey by Moonlight by Antal Szerb
The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz
Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Flights by Olga Tokarczuk
Nostalgia by Mircea Cartarescu
The Land of Green Plums by Herta Muller
The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse
The Red Notebook by Benjamin Constant

Happy new thread, Paul!

>29 PaulCranswick: Have read: A Man of Qualities, The Radetzky March, The Good Soldier Svejk, They Were Counted (and the next two, you really need to read the whole trilogy), Quo Vadis, and Flights
Want to read:
Correction, The Castle, Ignorance, Fatelessness, The Door, and The Street of Crocodiles

>30 FAMeulstee: They Were Counted, I was aware was part of a trilogy, Anita, but I am only including one book per author plus I don't own the other two yet!

Happy new thread, Paul! It's nearly the weekend, and I hope you have some good reading plans lined up for it :)

>31 PaulCranswick: I knew you knew, Paul. Not every trilogy need to be read as a whole.
So you should correct that, two more for your wishlist!

Happy new one, Paul!

>32 bell7: Thanks Mary. I have far too many books on the go, and that is weighing me down a little bit.

>33 FAMeulstee: They are on there indeed, Anita. Not so easily available unfortunately.

>34 drneutron: Thank you Doc Roc.

Happy New Thread!!

>37 hredwards: Thank you, Harold.

Happy new thread! I have not read any books from your last several regional lists -- more to look forward to, I guess.

>39 foggidawn: Lovely to see you Foggi.

Just shows how many books there are for us all to read!

>40 PaulCranswick: Much as we joke about overflowing shelves and neverending TBR lists, it is comforting to me to know how many good books are out there waiting, and that I'll never run out.

>41 foggidawn: Well I can certainly vouch for overflowing shelves, Foggi.

Wordle 636 4/6

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Steady as she goes

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349452

Happy New Thread. I knew it was coming. I’ve read 6 of the Austria/Hungary, and others list.

>41 foggidawn: There are many on Paul's multiple lists that I haven't read, so I have a long way to go! But you are right, it's good to know how many are still out there for us and we won't run out.

>44 SilverWolf28: Thank you, Silver. I have 11 books ongoing at the moment so my numbers this weekend will be either pathetic or extraordinary!

>45 Kristelh: It was one of the lists that I had to trim to stick to 20 books, Kristel.

>46 atozgrl: We will run out, Irene.........we will run out of time!

>48 PaulCranswick: Just how I'm feeling these days Paul! All these amazing lists you have made.

I'm in the top 50 at least...plus I'm finally home from rehab! Happy new thread, PC.

>48 PaulCranswick: We will certainly run out of time, but we won't run out of books!

Happy new thread, Paul!

>28 PaulCranswick: Ah yes, I forget how wide ranging your acquisitions usually are. Those lists should keep you busy for a while. All of the unread books that I own are more concentrated on certain subjects. Maybe I should make myself some lists so I actually read them!

>29 PaulCranswick: The Good Soldier Svejk is a great book! I found a copy a few years ago at a used book store and bought it because of the cover illustration. I was surprised by how much I truly enjoyed the story.

Paul, as always, I appreciate all the time and energy you put into making your lists! I recently purchased a copy of Angle of Repose. My most recent trip to the library netted about 25 books, including three clunkers, one titled Putin. I'm anxious to dig into this one over the upcoming weekend.

Your opening image is incredbily eye cathing!

>49 mdoris: When I walk the long corridor to my bedroom and pass 14 sets of bookcases along both sides filled with over 5,000 unread books I do get a bit overawed but I simply adore taking them down and looking at what I should read next. I end up starting too many books at a go but I love having them in my family.

>50 richardderus: That is wonderful news dear fellow. Your recovery is a heartening inspiration!

>51 atozgrl: It is nice to try and catch up though, Irene, as futile as it may be!

>52 ArlieS: Thank you dear Arlie.

>53 Familyhistorian: One of the reasons for making the lists is to push myself to read them, Meg. How successful it is, is less straight-forward.

>54 ocgreg34: It does look like great fun, Greg and a bit poignant that the author didn't live quite long enough to finish it.

>55 Whisper1: Thank you dear lady. Kaikoura was a great place to visit and, whilst I am no Natural History buff, I couldn't resist going out on a boat with Hani and the kids to spend a few hours with the cavorting whales and dolphins.

>60 j1bplus: Hello.

I'm not quite sure that this is the right platform for you to advertise your book. There are others across the site far more au fait and interested in new works of fantasy.

I noticed you joined LT only today so perhaps you need to navigate a little bit more first.

Good luck with your book anyhow.

>60 j1bplus: Actually, Advertising is not allowed on LT (see https://www.librarything.com/privacy ) so your spam will soon be flagged away.

>62 MarthaJeanne: Thank you MarthaJeanne!

FRIDAY ADDITIONS

It is difficult for me to restrain my additions in Book Prize longlist season:

69. The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
70. The Illustrated Woman by Helen Mort
71. Passage of Arms by Eric Ambler
72. Vladimir by Julia May Jonas
73. Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
74. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
75. Pyre by Perumal Murugan
76. Scary Monsters by Michelle de Krester

Two on the Women's Prize list and 1 from the International Booker. Two on my alternate women's list.

Hi Paul, I love these lists you have posted, they are so inspiring!

Happy New Thread, Paul. Happy Weekend! Enjoy those books.

>65 MissBrangwen: Lovely to see you here Mirjam. I enjoy putting up the lists. xx

>66 msf59: Thank you buddy.

>56 PaulCranswick:
Wonderful image of your long hallway lined with books!

I have nearly 900 TBR on my shelves, and many more that I just want to keep for awhile.
And all my books have to be in bookcases where I can see them. At one time I had about 30 bookcases.
In my new house I have maybe 17 bookcase.

>56 PaulCranswick:
What you describe is precisely why I have bookshelves and boxes filled with books in my home. Thank goodness LT makes it easy for me to find the books after I have filed them away in boxes.

>68 nrmay: I couldn't live without my books, Nancy, as I think is fairly obvious to my friends around here also, because they mostly feel the same way.

>69 benitastrnad: I do have less in the way of boxes these days, Benita, thank heavens. I must admit that LT has proven much better at prompting new additions than locating existing possessions.

Happy new one, Paul! I am still trying to catch up with your previous thread, but I am snagging a seat here first. I was happy to read that Hani is back home and the photos of her birthday looked full of fabulous - yes, I am that far behind. Life has been very busy lately - in a good way, and so I have not gotten much time here on LT. I'm hoping to remedy that this weekend, but we will see.

Hoping that today is been kind to you.

>71 Crazymamie: Lovely to see you back posting, Mamie.

It is nice having Hani home although it is also a little like re-joining the army at times! My books have to be kept tidily at all times nowadays.

Happy new thread Paul. Been enjoying looking over all the lists you've made recently, I admittedly am familiar with a small amount over them all and have read even fewer. So many books in the world. I will say I did have three of the Scandinavian reads already on my TBR - thanks to Anita (FAMeulstee), which was the most outside of the American and British lists.
Well, happy reading and hope you are doing well.

>73 WhiteRaven.17: I am surviving, Kro, which is a relief not a complaint!

I do really like Scandinavian writers generally.

>64 PaulCranswick: You continue to outstrip me Paul. So far 43 in (since beginning of Jan) and 70 out since beginning of Feb. The goal is 9 out a week, plus, since mid-Feb, 2 out for every new one in. So as I added 4 this week, 17 are heading out the door tomorrow.

I have no choice, I have no room to manoeuvre, often can't get at books I want especially ones bought years ago. So patting myself on the back. It will also make me make better use of my London Library subscription.

My goal by year end is 400 out at least, and no more than double figures in.

>75 Caroline_McElwee: They are tough choices, Caroline!

I do aim to go through my read books in the next few weeks and let some of them go.

Happy new thread! I think I missed the last one completely. The dolphin picture topper is wonderful!

Best wishes for the weekend.

>77 witchyrichy: Thank you, Karen and lovely to see you.

I loved my visit to Kaikoura a few years ago.

Happy new thread, Paul!

>79 banjo123: Thank you, Rhonda. I am a bit over tired this weekend and slept for a nice six hours last night.

Wordle 638 3/6

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Yesterday I had a brain freeze and forgot to play. Happy with the result today.

Posting update.

We now have 75 threads with 75 posts:

1 PaulCranswick 1,903
2 katiekrug 1,492
3 CrazyMamie 1,401
4 richardderus 1,190
5 msf59 1,155
6 scaifea 1,139
7 laurelkeet 750
8 karenmarie 746
9 alcottacre 699
10 bell7 625
11 Berly 625
12 FAMeulstee 544
13 Familyhistorian 513
14 figsfromthistle 508
15 jnwelch 506
16 MickyFine 488
17 curioussquared 453
18 Carmenere 411
19 drneutron 380
20 lyzard 377
21 jessibud2 364
22 BLBera 359
23 EBT1002 359
24 SandDune 338
25 RebaRelishesReading 330
26 klobrien2 329
27 Whisper1 315
28 quondame 304
29 SandyMacpherson 287
30 foggidawn 273
31 The_Hibernator 272
32 johnsimpson 255
33 thornton37814 254
34 ursula 237
35 streamsong 224
36 SirThomas 219
37 humouress 216
38 LizzieD 216
39 norabelle414 215
40 laytonwoman3rd 202
41 weird_O 196
42 Caroline_McElwee 189
43 kristelh 189
44 mdoris 184
45 mstrust 184
46 mahsdad 179
47 Dreamweaver 173
48 avatiakh 167
49 Donna828 165
50 ffortsa 164
51 ronincats 161
52 cbl_tn 155
53 Whiteraven.17 155
54 Squeaky_Chu 150
55 witchyrichy 149
56 storeettlr 142
57 chelle 138
58 ArlieS 132
59 copperskye 132
60 Ella Tim 130
61 Ravenswoodwitch 124
62 swynn 115
63 banjo123 114
64 Chatterbox 114
65 PersephonesLibrary 111
66 sibylline 102
67 amanda4242 95
68 AMQS 94
69 DianaNL 91
70 LovingLit 88
71 kgodey 86
72 vivians 79
73 CDVicarage 78
74 kac522 75
75 oberon 75

Yesterday I had a coffee and pep talk with my eldest in the KLCC mall which is conveniently close to my favourite bookstore.

I added a lovely version of Middlemarch to replace the unwieldy a somewhat scruffy version I was struggling with and also:

77. Lost Horizon by James Hilton
78. Companion Piece by Ali Smith
79. Last Times by Victor Serge
80. Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh

Beautiful NYRB edition of the Serge book was a must have. Mackintosh is on the Women's Prize list and probably the one I am most interested to read and Ali Smith is Ali Smith.

Picture doesn't really do it justice. Beautiful and with deckled edges.
I am already enjoying the reading experience more!

>84 PaulCranswick: Pretty! Mine's a dreary old Penguin paperback.

>85 amanda4242: I like the cover. My earlier one was a bit more forbidding:

>82 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the stats, Paul!
How perfect that you noticed #75 is at 75 messages!

And again I missed quite a bit, but just in time for the stats, thank you.
Happy new thread and have a wonderful Sunday my friend!

>84 PaulCranswick: This was my library's ebook offer. I've read the book but I don't remember the appearance of the tropical fish!

>87 FAMeulstee: I must be honest, Anita, I cheated. I noticed that we had 74 on 75 and Erik was on 74 so I posted at his place to be his 75th post and get 75 at 75. Make sense?!

>88 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas. I am hoping to get round a good number of threads soon.

>89 CDVicarage: Yes, Kerry, I am not convinced that the cover illustrator has actually read the book!

Happy Sunday, Paul. Hope your weekend was spectacular!
3 cheers to pep talks! That's what parents do. In fact, I had a good heart to heart with my one and only yesterday. He appreciated it.

>90 PaulCranswick: Makes prefect sense to me, Paul, although I had to read twice to understand.
Isn't cheating in my book, maybe you can call it strategic posting ;-)

>92 Carmenere: I am the softie, Lynda, so when I have a serious talk with the kids it is taken as such because it is so rare!

>93 FAMeulstee: Strategic posting is a much better term, Anita! In all fairness I wanted to post on Erik's thread because I was so happy about my team's good win in the EPL.

>69 benitastrnad: Yeah! My collections mirror my organization on my shelves, and the books in a collection are generally organized alphabetically by author. If I decide to reorganize the bookshelf sections, I reorganize the collections to match. So if I've got a book catalogued, I can usually find it. And that's probably my main motivation for continuing to catalog my remaining books, even more than avoiding re-purchasing books I already own, or previously owned but got rid of with good reason.

>95 ArlieS: My shelving is simplish, Arlie. All books fiction and non fiction are shelved alphabetically by author and then chronologically by his/her work oldest to newest. Exceptions are a few:

Poetry and Plays are shelved separately - largely due to extensive sampling and re-reading.
I generally shelve the unread away from the read shelves. I have a few bookshelves reserved for my essential books which have been read.
One other exception I make is that I have a number of authors who I have collected whose books I keep together read or unread.
On other exception I made for reasons I can't remember other than it is a striking trio of double stacked shelves is that I keep all my red spined Vintage classics paperbacks together.

Happy Sunday Paul, okay Monday, to you future dweller. Lol

Glad to see my quiet little corner of the threads is still in the top 50. I’ll take it. 😁

>89 CDVicarage: Your library got the version from a publisher infamous for their bad covers.

https://reprobatepress.com/2022/02/12/the-eccentric-world-of-sheba-blake-publish...

>98 amanda4242: Nothing in all my life experience could've prepared me for this one:

This takes "idiosyncratic choices" to a level I'd've never so much as once have considered possible.

>99 richardderus: My brain broke a little bit on that one, and on

Hi, Paul! I seem to have missed an entire thread while I was a relatively sporadic online visitor to LT the last couple of weeks. Glad to hear Hani’s back and that all is well on your book acquiring quest. Thanks for the stats. I’m surprised to be as far up the list as I am as my thread seems to be moving along really slowly. Well, have a great week!

>99 richardderus: >100 amanda4242: My eyes! My eyes!

>98 amanda4242: Goodness me! What a collection!

Paul, that thread topper is such a beautiful photo!!

>84 PaulCranswick: That is exactly the edition of Middlemarch I bought at Elliot Bay Books last month. It is a lovely object to hold and I'm looking forward to reading it. I've not ever read it and it's on my list of tomes to read this year since my job will clearly keep me from reaching 75 books again in 2023. I know, the number is arbitrary but I get caught up in it. Since I know I can't reach that goal anyway, it sort of gives me permission to read longer books and just enjoy them. (silly)

>97 mahsdad: Thanks Jeff, you did just edge into Monday here buddy! Great to see you, Jeff.

>98 amanda4242: Hahaha Amanda.

>99 richardderus: Wowzer, RD. That is quite the bottom cover!

>100 amanda4242: I am not sure whether that would animate or petrify!

>101 Storeetllr: Thank you, dear Mary. The threads are a bit slower than normal this year but still more lively than the next several groups combined.

>102 Storeetllr: In my case, Mary, 'twas not the eyes immediately impacted!

>103 CDVicarage: The Samuel Butler is one that would surely have to be bought online, Kerry! I could not see myself taking that one to the counter at my bookstore and trying to convince the lady cashiers that the book is, in fact, a rather pedestrian classic!

>104 EBT1002: Thank you, Ellen.

I am already finding the book an easier read!

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I wish I hadn't bothered with the first guess!

>109 PaulCranswick: LOL

Friends will note that last week I flagged my concerns on the banking sector with the failure of several banks including the second largest bank failure in US history. The Fed belatedly acted and with other agencies have effectively guaranteed all banking deposits in the country - something extraordinary, unprecedented and frankly alarming.

Firstly, it doesn't have the ability to hold onto such a position in the face of a wider crisis and secondly it has the impact of effectively nationalizing deposits. I am a tiresome banger of the drum for personal freedoms and the rights on the individual and anything that gives the government greater direct control over our money is to be avoided like the plague. The growth of digital payments and currency and the fairly unsubtle move to take cash out of the system entirely is a stark prospect for civil liberties.

Secondly, Credit Suisse's failure and the subsequent rescue plan pushed onto UBS both shows us that the impending financial crisis in nearing as well as a better way of dealing with such problems. In the case of SVB, which was beset by illiquidity & terrible management where political virtue signalling seemed to take the place of prudent banking, another bank should have been "encouraged" to step in. One, this avoids the tax-payer being asked to bail out bankers for the stupidity, carelessness and negligence of their business decisions (why should they be on a different footing to other failing businesses) and two it signals that the Government is not able to guide the banking sector properly.

I remain very nervous about the state of the world financial system.

>110 EBT1002: I think that first choices, being so idiosyncratically random, are geared to making me challenged. This time was a prime example - my back-up random word was a good one though!

>111 PaulCranswick: One thing that is "interesting" in the US is that deposits were already guaranteed, but only up to a limit of 250K. I doubt many individuals have personal deposits that large*, but businesses are likely to need amounts like this just to handle recurring expenses. (Consider just the cost of bi-monthly payroll, for a business with 100 employees.)

So arguably this is a save-the-businesses measure being sold as a save-the-citizens.

*I can imagine someone putting all their retirement savings into CDs at a single bank. That would be rather ill-advised, as well as taking them well over $250K. But I doubt it's common; masses of Americans have essentially no savings, and most of the rest believe the common wisdom that they need to be invested in the stock market to avoid losing buying power to inflation.

>29 PaulCranswick: What about former Yugoslavia and the states now from that country? It was after all the assassination in Sarajevo (Bosnia) of Franz Ferdinand in 2014 that started off the course of events that became WWI. Romania? Bulgaria?

>113 ArlieS: Yes Arlie it has very little to do with "save the citizens" as you rightly point out. In the case of Silicon Valley Bank, the senior management there that sold their stock in the weeks running up to the collapse should be arrested and Governor Newsome's desperate rescue promptings whilst apparently he had millions tied up in the bank needs to be investigated. I am thoroughly sick of the selfishness of politicians. Apparently the British PM indirectly but quite unashamedly made millions out of holdings in Moderna too.

>114 elkiedee: Actually the Balkans was intended as my next port of call Luci. Just got sidelined a little trying to finish a few books.

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A struggle today. Another day with a blank opening.

BOOK 43



Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey
Date of Publication : 2006
Origin of Author : USA
Pages : 46 pp

This collection deservedly won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Trethewey blends splendidly technical excellence, a compelling backstory and a grasp of imagery that places her at the forefront of American poets.

She was born in deep South Mississippi to a black mother and a white Canadian father and I mention it only because it peoples her poetic output constantly and very effectively.

This is Miscegenation

In 1965 my parents broke two laws of Mississippi;
they went to Ohio to marry, returned to Mississippi.

They crossed the river into Cincinnati, a city whose name
begins with a sound like sin, the sound of wrong—mis in Mississippi.

A year later they moved to Canada, followed a route the same
as slaves, the train slicing the white glaze of winter, leaving Mississippi.

Faulkner's Joe Christmas was born in winter, like Jesus, given his name
for the day he was left at the orphanage, his race unknown in Mississippi.

My father was reading War and Peace when he gave me my name.
I was born near Easter, 1966, in Mississippi.

When I turned 33 my father said, It's your Jesus year—you're the same
age he was when he died. It was spring, the hills green in Mississippi.

I know more than Joe Christmas did. Natasha is a Russian name—
though I'm not; it means Christmas child, even in Mississippi.

>56 PaulCranswick: Does that mean you no longer have to sneak-in the books into your house? :)

>99 richardderus: Lol, if ever there was a case of mis-selling, that cover for The Way of All Flesh!

>117 PaulCranswick: I love the Trethewey poem, Paul. I will have to request this one. You should post it in this month's AAC. I have read one of her other collections, along with her recent memoir. Such a talent.

>118 PiyushC: Oh no, Piyush, I still have to do that - now Hani is home anyway!

>119 PiyushC: It is quite bizarre, isn't it.

>120 msf59: It is the second collection of hers that I have read having read Domestic Work a few years ago. Very good.

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Now that one I am pleased with!

>124 LucindaCornish: I don't know about you, Lucinda, but I enjoy Cornish Pasties.

>123 PaulCranswick: Congratulations!
Today ist World Poetry Day, all the best wishes, dear Paul.

>126 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas.

World Poetry Day obviously means a lot to me.

And for World Poetry Day, I will put forward a little poem by one of my favourites - Ruth Pitter.

The Plain Facts

See what a charming smile I bring,
Which no one can resist;
For I have found a wondrous thing –
The Fact that I exist.

And I have found another, which
I now proceed to tell.
The world is so sublimely rich
That you exist as well.

Fact One is lovely, so is Two,
But O the best is Three:
The Fact that I can smile at you,
And you can smile at me.

>128 PaulCranswick: What a lovely poem! I've never heard that one before. Thanks for sharing!

>129 atozgrl: Welcome, Irene. Ruth Pitter is undeservedly overlooked these days.

>117 PaulCranswick: Natasha Trethewey is a poet I enjoy, and Native Guard is among my favorite of her collections. Her nonfiction book Memorial Drive is also stellar.

>131 bell7: I can imagine that her prose work is excellent based solely on the value of her poetic output.

Hello, Paul. I'm hoping that Wednesday has been kind to you.

>84 PaulCranswick: Love these Penguin Deluxe Classic editions, which I collect. You know how I feel about deckled edge pages, and the trade paperback is my favorite format.

>133 Crazymamie: I couldn't resist changing my copy of Middlemarch when I flicked those deckled edges, Mamie!

Hump day has been a busy one to be honest and tomorrow is the start of Ramadan and my best chance in a year to fit my clothes properly!

>123 PaulCranswick: Congrats on your two, Paul. Not an easy one for me.

Thanks for the stats. Sometimes my thread seems like it's just standing still. Good to know that the stats show it still ticking over.

Ramadan Mubarak, PC!

>135 Familyhistorian: The posting stats are a bit down on last year but are still definitely ticking over, Meg!

>136 richardderus: Amiin. Thank you, RD.

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I really should have got this in three as my third guess re-used a missing letter from guess one quite carelessly.

Today 23 March 2023 is our 27th wedding anniversary.

I always tell her that you get a shorter sentence for armed robbery but I wouldn't swap her for a gold pig as they say. Back in the days when one of us made heads turn.

Happy Anniversary to you both and well done on #27! What a fabulous photo! >139 PaulCranswick:

>139 PaulCranswick: Happy anniversary!

>140 mdoris: Thank you, Mary. xx

>141 amanda4242: Thanks, Amanda. x

Happy anniversary to you and Hani!

Happy anniversary to you and Hani - Have a wonderful day!

>143 quondame: Thank you Susan.

>144 SirThomas: Thanks, Thomas.

First day of fasting for Ramadan today so our Anniversary dinner will be extra special.

Happy anniversary Paul and Hani!

>146 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita.

>139 PaulCranswick:, Happy Anniversary to you both. 27 years! Great picture (so young). Wishing you many more wonderful years together.

>138 PaulCranswick:, I do that way to often!

Happy 27th to you and Hani! Cheers to many many more!!

Happy anniversary!

>148 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel.

It is a bit careless to repeat a letter though.

>149 Carmenere: Another 27 would be good, Lynda!

>151 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Mary.

Happy anniversary!

Thanks Foggi. Some of the time flew by and some of it has made us stronger because we got through it together.

>139 PaulCranswick: Oh wow! Quite a good looking couple :) Happy anniversary!

>155 figsfromthistle: Hahaha don't sound quite so surprised, Anita! I had good taste back in the day and Hani well........poor deluded she!!

>84 PaulCranswick: I will finally pick this up tomorrow for its 4th or 5th reread Paul. I have a lovely Folio Society edition, so not a volume I will cart about.

>139 PaulCranswick: Happy Anniversary to you both.

And happy Ramadan too.

>139 PaulCranswick: Happy Anniversary!! What a beautiful couple!!!

>157 Caroline_McElwee: I am slowly being drawn into it, Caroline.

Thanks for the good wishes on both counts!

>158 hredwards: Thank you, Harold.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349607

>160 SilverWolf28: Thanks Silver

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Another average day!

>139 PaulCranswick: *clink* None of us drink anymore so let's raise our lemonades to the coming 50th anniversary we all want for you both.

>163 richardderus: Thanks RD, I hope that we can enjoy another 23 years together at least.

>139 PaulCranswick: it is still March 23 here in California so I wish you a Happy Anniversary.

A minor comment on the bank bailout. I do not believe any depositor was at risk because they would in all probability be made whole or nearly so via the sale of the bank assets. Also, a couple or anyone who has a joint account is covered for 250k each. There is undoubtedly some dirt to be found in Svb but any person, business, bank, fund whatever who held long term bonds or cds saw the value of those assets plunge as the Federal reserve rather violently raised rates from zero to now about 5%. Speaking from personal experience. Rates have been 2% or less for longer than a decade. Holding long term treasuries was not irresponsible. A large part of the fault here is the FED.

>139 PaulCranswick: And still more than welcome, Ron, even though I have moved into Friday over here - especially as I am almost engineered to LT Time nowadays!

On the banks. I am of course aware of the 250k coverage for depositors. There are a surprising number of these which exceed that amount but it is the business accounts in those banks whose losses would be catastrophic to the greater economy coupled with the crisis of confidence that always comes with bank failures. The holding of bonds per se is not irresponsible but not paying due attention to the direction of travel is poor. That particular banks concentration on risky investments allied with a rather indulgent non-banking set of concerns was a recipe for disaster in a market where interest rates were spiking sharply (as you rightly point out). What annoys me is the divestment of stock in the bank by its senior officials in the months leading up to its fall. If there are no crimes in all of that then I will be astonished.

You are right the FED has a lot of explaining to do but Janet Yellen does not seem quite up to doing so in any way coherently.

>166 PaulCranswick: one has to virtue signal in the late great state of California as well as many other parts of the US. They are generally legally required to do so. It is a cost of doing business here. If i could wave a magic wand and make Gavin Newsom go away I would happily do so. Have disliked the man since he was the mayor of San Francisco. But that would not solve our problems.

>167 RBeffa: I think it is so sad, Ron, to be quite honest. They seem so intent on setting people against each other.
I did hear that he was a prime mover in the rather belated bail out as he has several million dollars tied up at the bank.
My son visited California this Christmas and new year time as his girlfriend is from there. He was horrified and hugely intimidated by the lawless mess that the city of San Francisco was in.

>139 PaulCranswick: Happy Anniversary!

My parents wedding was the same year!

Michael Shellenberger 's book San Fransicko was a real eye opener about that city, the drug addiction, the homelessness, the mental illness without care and supports.

A slightly belated Happy 27th Anniversary,Paul . You are both gorgeous! ( Dave and I are headed to our 40th Anniversary this summer - hard to believe sometimes ).

>169 SilverWolf28: Must make you one of the "babies" of the group, Silver, as well as its most prodigious reader based on the last couple of years evidence.

>170 mdoris: Kyran was actually pretty distressed there. He said it didn't look like a first world country at all.

>171 vancouverdeb: What a wonderful and lovely surprise, Deb, to see you here. I have to say we did look more glamorous than I remembered!
40 is a biggie - ruby right?
It has made my weekend to see you here.

Happy Anniversary, Paul! Happy Weekend! I hope you get in lots of reading.

>174 msf59: Thanks mate. I hope you have a good one too.

Book Additions (so much for the bloody Double-Headers)

81. The Second World War by Anthony Beevor
82. Grand Hotel Europa by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer
83. The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
84. Here Goes Nothing by Steve Toltz
85. Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan
86. Sea of Eden by Andres Ibanez
87. Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov

Wishing you peace during your season of Ramadan.

>177 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel. It is a time of year I enjoy actually, because it allows for reflection and I love the familial togetherness of our eating our meal as the main event of the day.

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40% of all my games end in four.

The last post was the 2,000th on my threads in 2023. A big thank you to all my friends who make this place so special for me.

>166 PaulCranswick:
Janet Yellen is not the head of the FED. She is the Secretary of the Treasury. Jerome Powell is the head of the Federal Reserve Bank and has been since 2018. (The FED is a nickname for the Federal Reserve Bank.) He was appointed by the Great Orange Gasbag. President Biden did reappoint him for a second 4 year term. The position of Chair of the Federal Reserve is usually not seen as a political appointment, so that is why many Republicans are often appointed, or reappointed, by Democrat Presidents. The longest serving Chairs of the Federal Reserve Bank were Bill Martin who served continuously from Harry Truman through Lyndon Johnson. The other was Alan Greenspan who served continuously from Ronald Reagan through George W. Bush. He was appointed twice by Bill Clinton. In contrast Janet Yellen only served for 4 years under Barack Obama.

>168 PaulCranswick: I live near but not in San Francisco. Like almost every big city I've ever encountered, it has bad parts. Like every organization I've ever encountered, it has some quantity of idiotic and/or purely political behaviour, particularly by the folks in charge. Other than that, I'm not sure it's worse/worst, rather than merely a popular scapegoat/symbol of e.g. US homelessness. (It has the disadvantage that sleeping rough is survivable 12 months of the year; colder cities probably reduce their homeless population every winter, and failing that, tend to have enough shelters to keep their homeless out of sight.)

>139 PaulCranswick: Happy belated anniversary! (Miss a couple of days and your thread blows up.) Hani is quite a beauty! Congratulations to you both.

>181 benitastrnad: You are right of course, Benita, she is no longer head of the FED. Poor lady has enough to be blamed for.

>182 ArlieS: I was commenting on my son's observations Arlie not mine as I have not been there. We don't really have a homelessness problem in Kuala Lumpur and people taking drugs openly in the street would not be doing it for very long here. The municipal crime figures in the American cities generally are something that Europe and Asia has never had to face - San Francisco remains on my bucket list of places to visit and a meet-up with yourself into the bargain would certainly be on the menu.

>183 atozgrl: Thank you so much, Irene.
The photo is 27 years ago but Hani remains a striking individual in my own humble and obviously biased opinion!

PC, I ran across this image and thought immediately of your own hall of concupiscence:

Howinahell are you going to live in the UK again? their housing is uniformly rinkydink and hideously overvalued. You're going to need to shop for a Stately Home that needs millions in upgefixing to house your books.

>185 PaulCranswick: Hani is, in my unbiased-by-desire opinion, one of Nature's beauties...and that spine-tingling twinkle in her smiling eyes makes me think you're the luckiest old sod there is in the marriage derby.

>186 richardderus: Yikes, for a second it was eerily familiar - we even have a similar rug though not in my bookridor.

>187 richardderus: I can honestly say she has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She may be a fractious, emotional, combustible spendthrift but she makes me a better person every day.

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Squeaky bum time. Got there eventually.

Thanks for visiting my new thread, Paul! Good to see you! Ramadan Mubarak ! I do hope that eventually you and Hani and family will make it back to the UK. You are going to have a lot of books to move, my friend. Like you, I try to sneak in my new purchases, but Dave caught wind of a book that came from amazon yesterday and is asking where it is . I ordered it to go to my mom's so he would not know , but the rascal ordered up some coffee related stuff from amazon and saw my purchase.

Just stopping in to say hi!

>190 vancouverdeb: Your post made me smile, Deb, as your surreptitious behaviour is so easily identifiable as identical with my own!

>191 drneutron: Great to see you as always, Jim.

So many of us have an unlucky number and mine is 87 (it stems from cricket and that is an Australian batsman's dreaded number). I realized that I had added 87 books this year and it spooked me to the extent that I had to intervene to put me on a "safer" footing. So:

88. A Kind of Anger by Eric Ambler
89. The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews
90. Love Marriage by Monica Ali

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Another struggle and eventually a word I was honestly none too familiar with.

I am a bit concerned that I seem to have hit a bit of a reading block. Finished nothing this weekend and I am paying the price for starting too many books at the same time and getting myself bogged down. I have 12 books ongoing and am floundering.

I intend to reset and go back to one at a time and see if it helps my mojo.

Oh my 12 at a time. That is a LOT! Fingers crossed that you can find your reading legs soon, very soon!

>196 mdoris: I finished one critical and very time consuming court case on the Performance Bond / Bank Guarantee of a Subcontractor (decision fixed for 7 April) so should be less stressed.

Nice to see you Mary!

Work pressures, that will do it!

>198 mdoris: It certainly does weigh me down from time to time.

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A bit more like it.

>172 PaulCranswick: Age wise I think I'm right in the middle of your family.

>201 SilverWolf28: I'm sure that you'd fit right in, Silver!

The Rathbones Folio Prize has been announced.

In a new format possibly to replace the now defunct Costa Prize there are three prizes:

Fiction : Scary Monsters by Michelle de Krester
Poetry : Quiet : Poems by Victoria Adukwei Bulley
Non-Fiction : Constructing a Nervous System by Margo Jefferson

The overall winner was announced as Margo Jefferson.

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Struggles continue

Hope you get your reading leg back under you soon, Paul!

Ramadan Mubarak !

Hope you get your reading mojo back soon. I am also in a little reading funk. So busy with other stuff that I come home soo exhausted and end up falling asleep early.

>193 PaulCranswick: All of those books have interesting covers.

>205 banjo123: Thank you dear Rhonda.

Both for the book as well as the seasonal wishes. x

>206 figsfromthistle: Yes, I am a bit at a loss to be honest, Anita, to explain my lack of reading progress this month.

Let's get back our mojo together!

Also The Leviathan was sold to me solely on the cover!

To get your reading interest back , I would advise- reread a " fun" or " tried and true" book. My choices are Pride and Prejudice and Batchelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast Pillow Book.

>208 torontoc: Thanks for the tip Cyrel. One of my standbyes would be something like a Lee Child. I have one original book of his to read (i.e. a Reacher written by him rather than his brother) and may use it to turn the pages..

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Back to my default score.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349763

>211 SilverWolf28: Thanks Silver

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Again another day of spinning the wheels.

Had a nice dinner at home to break fast with some of my work colleagues. The last months have been very tough for us at the site with many difficult challenges to overcome but the team has stuck largely together and we will succeed together. Hani and Erni did us proud with a fabulous array of local dishes.

>214 PaulCranswick: Hmm, I don't see any books. Is that really your home, Paul?

>215 amanda4242:

Is that a little better, Amanda? My corridor of books is partially revealed. In all fairness >214 PaulCranswick: is our kitchen area.

Wonderful pictures Paul, maybe someday you will take photo of your corridor of books. Fun to have a peek!

Paul, I am sure walking past your many books elicits a wonderful feeling. I think I've almost reached my limit in this house. I wish I had self discipline not to buy more!!!

>217 mdoris: I will do that, Mary. xx

>218 Whisper1: I have a little bit more capacity, Linda, especially as I have let go many of the already read books recently, but my concern is how I get the remaining books transported to the UK!
Discipline? What's that?

Wonderful pictures, Paul! Hani and Erni did indeed do you proud. I saw the array of dishes on Instagram and Facebook . Everyone looks so happy, and your place is lovely. I do see that peek at your book, yes.

>220 vancouverdeb: The ladies, despite the male disruption, do maintain a lovely home - even if I say so myself.

I am a bit down in the dumps at the moment as I have some crisis in my family life which I will share at the right time soon (me and Hani are fine by the way) and it has stulted my reading terribly this month.

I needed some book therapy so I added this lunchtime:

91. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
92. May at 10 : The Verdict by Anthony Seldon
93. Antarctica by Claire Keegan
94. The Missing Months by Lachlan MacKinnon
95. The Birthday Party by Laurent Mauvignier
96. The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
97. Boulder by Eva Baltasar
98. Thirteen Months of Sunrise by Rania Mamoun
99. Anne Boleyn : 500 Years of Lies by Hayley Nolan
100. The Book of Goose by Li Yiyun
101. Is Mother Dead by Vigdis Hjorth
102. The Gospel According to the New World by Maryse Conde

Four more books from the Booker International List.

Looks like you all had a nice time!

>222 PaulCranswick:, Paul, so sorry that life is difficult at this time. And I do hope the book therapy was some consolation. Your community here at LT are here for you, even when it cannot be put into words.

>222 PaulCranswick: {{hugs}}

>222 PaulCranswick: All the best to you and your familiy, Paul!

>222 PaulCranswick: *hugs* I hope the crisis resolves in the best possible way, and soon.

Big agreement with all those before me Paul. Sure hope you can get things positively sorted very soon. xx

{{Hugs}} mate.

>223 drneutron: It was a really nice evening, Jim.

>224 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel. Suffice to say at the moment that the family issue is not the end of the world but a little bit earth shattering for one of its constituent members.

>225 amanda4242: Thank you, my friend.

>226 SirThomas: Thanks Thomas. I am blessed by my friends here.

Sympathy and best wishes, Paul.

>227 ArlieS: Thank you for your supportive comments, Arlie. The best possible outcome in the issue at home is out of my hands and a matter of opinion.

>228 mdoris: Thank you dear Mary.

>229 johnsimpson: Thank you, John.

>232 quondame: Thanks Susan. Our communications offline are obviously referred to here.

Today (it is 7.42 am on Saturday 1 April 2023 and I am sitting at my paper strewn desk in the basement of the world's second tallest structure preparing for work to start at 8.00 am) and I will wipe the reading slate clean. All the books I have been laboring with will be put to one side for now (certainly not abandoned as there was nothing I was reading that I hated) and I will start afresh with the new month, the new quarter.

Hopefully I can spin a disastrous March of reading into a productive April one.

The April AFRICAN NOVEL CHALLENGE thread is up and in the cruelest month we go to one of the cruelest places on Earth - the Horn of Africa. A place of drought, despair and despots.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/349799

I hope your family crisis is resolved soonest , Paul. I do hope that April is much better month for both you and your family. Nice haul with the new books.

>237 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deb.

Books always help, don't they?

>214 PaulCranswick: >216 PaulCranswick: Love that you hosted a celebration for your valued colleagues Paul.

>222 PaulCranswick: Although some books have come through the door Paul, I am releasing more. After incoming deducted, 73 left the building. More out than in, just. There will be very few more coming in this month, but at least another 140 going out. It will get harder, but it has to be done.

>239 Caroline_McElwee: I am going to have to continue letting go a large number of the completed books, Caroline. It is sometimes difficult though to give up certain books.