tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post1207088834578016961..comments2023-10-11T04:09:53.564-07:00Comments on materfamilias writes: Reading the Signs . . . materfamiliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-76297234577823964302013-02-04T06:50:51.051-08:002013-02-04T06:50:51.051-08:00Thanks for the recommendations, Lilbet, and for th...Thanks for the recommendations, Lilbet, and for the good wishes. I did read Shadow of the Wind a few years ago, but somehow it didn't grab me the way it did so many readers. . . Perhaps I should see if I still have a copy and check out the depiction of Barcelona again. . . materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-51525513861894323182013-02-02T00:01:55.260-08:002013-02-02T00:01:55.260-08:00Before going to Spain you might enjoy reading The ...Before going to Spain you might enjoy reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It begins just after WW11 and is set in Barcelona which is almost an extra character in the book. The tragedy of the Spanish Civil War is an important element in the story which mixes history, fantasy, mystery and love story.<br /><br />A very different book which I've just finished is The House of Fiction by Susan Swingler. It's a biography of sorts. When she was four, Susans father left her and her mother for Elizabeth Jolley, who later became a well known Australian novelist. The sense of abandonment Susan felt was profound. Secrecy by both her father and Elizabeth and later actions by both compounded the sense of hurt and betrayal.<br />I'm now ready for something lighter and have started a mystery book, Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear.<br />Best wishes to you and your family at this difficult time. <br />Lilibet <br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-80043890454772720812013-01-30T07:21:01.150-08:002013-01-30T07:21:01.150-08:00Have a great vacation -- I've never been to Sa...Have a great vacation -- I've never been to San Diego, but it sounds like a great place to visit. <br />It's good to balance the more serious reading with some more escapist fare. Bringing UP the Bodies falls somewhere in between, and I'm sure you'll find it really engaging.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-41510559583059895262013-01-29T21:27:06.906-08:002013-01-29T21:27:06.906-08:00I'm sorry to hear you are still under the weat...I'm sorry to hear you are still under the weather - but I'm late to reading this post, so hopefully, you are feeling spunky once again. I looked over your reading list and will be referring to it again. <br /><br />Just now I'm on vacation in San Diego and am starting my third novel. I read The Postmistress (Sarah Blake, I think), and Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Susan Elia Macneal). Now I'm on to The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. These are all easy, escapist reads. When I get home I want to get Bringing Up the Bodies because I enjoyed Wolf Hall so much in the summer. Lorriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03653026442945027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-13168618106005797542013-01-26T21:06:30.357-08:002013-01-26T21:06:30.357-08:00I remember those days when a book really had its w...I remember those days when a book really had its work cut out, trying to keep my attention against all the interruptions of a busy household. <br />I'm jotting both these titles down. It's a very long list I'm adding them to, but I can easily imagine the Grosz being insistent . . . Thank you!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-53824539861660940592013-01-26T21:03:35.338-08:002013-01-26T21:03:35.338-08:00It really is a relief, being part of a large famil...It really is a relief, being part of a large family and knowing we can give my mom the support she needs.<br /><br />I enjoy cultural histories as well, and Natasha's Dance looks very promising. If you feel like following up after that with a very well-written, well-researched historical novel about the early court life of Catherine the Great, The Winter Palace.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-5867558206427171922013-01-26T20:58:09.780-08:002013-01-26T20:58:09.780-08:00Thanks, Ilona. It's a challenging time and tho...Thanks, Ilona. It's a challenging time and those kindly thoughts make a difference.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-65423192991439428482013-01-26T20:56:06.874-08:002013-01-26T20:56:06.874-08:00Thanks, Susan. The hugs all help. . . Thanks, Susan. The hugs all help. . . materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-25256068767178715582013-01-26T17:02:12.677-08:002013-01-26T17:02:12.677-08:00With a baby and a seven year old always rampaging ...With a baby and a seven year old always rampaging across my person, I only have time at present for extremely limpid prose. Words which can hold my underlying attention like a water drop balanced on a leaf blade whilst i negotiate the never-ending interruptions, and then return to the line I was reading. With this criteria in mind, i can heartily recommend 'The Examined life' by Stephen Grosz, and 'The Book of Chameleons' by Agalusa, trans. Hahn. <br /><br />The first especially might make quite a meditative read right now in view of your mother's fragile transitional dance. Grosz distills insights from his psychoanalytic casebook which he then arranges as an examination of the arc of life. Each individual is unique in what binds and shapes them, and the sheer variety of responses by which people adapt to Life is truly fascinating, yet their idiosyncratic challenges and choices resonate at their fundamental core with all of us (themes of love, loss, grief, hope).<br />HesterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-78255570391736695302013-01-26T15:40:38.621-08:002013-01-26T15:40:38.621-08:00While I'm not happy that you're still unde...While I'm not happy that you're still under the weather and under stress, it is a relief to hear that there's so much family support for your mom. One of the advantages of a large family, I suppose. My reading time is so limited these days. I've begun "Natasha's Dance," which is a cultural history of Russia. It's an area of the world I know almost nothing about, and so far is a fascinating read (but I do enjoy cultural history). I'll probably be plodding through that for weeks. I tend to read too quickly and impatiently, am trying to retrain myself to slow down with books that force me to do so.Susan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16005855250089328310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-28907268458125719272013-01-25T19:48:32.330-08:002013-01-25T19:48:32.330-08:00I enjoyed looking through your reading list. The ...I enjoyed looking through your reading list. The recommendation of another reader carries more weight with me than a jacket blurb or review.<br />I'd also like to send kindly thoughts for peace and strength to you and your family for the days yet to come...<br />ilonahttp://yourconsiderations.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-29164632106365301372013-01-25T12:01:11.193-08:002013-01-25T12:01:11.193-08:00Mater, I think of you and am sending you more warm...Mater, I think of you and am sending you more warm hugs. I am glad your Mom is receiving the very best palliative care at home.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15711792521348799922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-71106315484145038202013-01-25T08:47:13.575-08:002013-01-25T08:47:13.575-08:00I really enjoyed both those Mantel titles. While y...I really enjoyed both those Mantel titles. While you're waiting for the third in the trilogy, you might enjoy her A Place of Greater Safety -- on the French Revolution. Really good!<br />materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-39820087588304957702013-01-25T07:57:13.649-08:002013-01-25T07:57:13.649-08:00Best book
I've read in ages, Hilary Mantel, W...Best book <br />I've read in ages, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall. First of a trilogy, the second Bring Up the Bodies, also excellent. Duchesse really good post about reading good/hard/demanding very apropos. Am planning to start going to the local library after spending too much money on books bought after glowing reviews that turned out to be not so wonderful. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-78451420905392599462013-01-24T20:07:35.377-08:002013-01-24T20:07:35.377-08:00Thanks!Thanks!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-76962967573915894702013-01-24T20:07:27.263-08:002013-01-24T20:07:27.263-08:00Curious to know which we've both read and I...Curious to know which we've both read and I'll be happy to chat over impressions of those you end up possibly reading in future.<br />I do like second-hand bookstores (my colleague and I discovered a fabulous one in Fredericton last year), but I love good independents that sell new as well -- a good bookseller can curate such a wonderful concatenation of titles and create a real reading buzz. . . .even just picturing Munro's right now makes me happy!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-89526665735344233012013-01-24T20:05:05.839-08:002013-01-24T20:05:05.839-08:00Believe me, I'm going to be referring back to ...Believe me, I'm going to be referring back to that post regularly through the year -- some great suggestions there.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-34236038625701493102013-01-24T20:04:40.565-08:002013-01-24T20:04:40.565-08:00Yes, I suspect that my readiness to fall ill (agai...Yes, I suspect that my readiness to fall ill (again! I'm barely better from the December bout!) is stress-related. Sounds as if you're on the mend, out pruning the roses already. . . materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-35099903059605262162013-01-24T20:03:36.482-08:002013-01-24T20:03:36.482-08:00Interesting that you've moved away from fictio...Interesting that you've moved away from fiction -- I do wonder if you'll wander back at some point, but in the meantime there's no question that you read many words in a day, and you write like someone who reads widely. <br />You must have been excited to see McCardell's book back in print -- enjoy!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-46445058827993191972013-01-24T20:02:16.885-08:002013-01-24T20:02:16.885-08:00That's hilarious -- did the blurb actually pro...That's hilarious -- did the blurb actually promise that or are you paraphrasing . . . or extrapolating?!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-71194039132564985412013-01-24T19:59:38.982-08:002013-01-24T19:59:38.982-08:00From what I've read, there is more government ...From what I've read, there is more government support of bookstores in Paris, at least, and the culture seems more book-ish as well. Any Metro ride will reveal a solid number of readers, with a surprising variety of titles. Is that the same impression you have?materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-77521563279952301822013-01-24T19:09:40.812-08:002013-01-24T19:09:40.812-08:00I hope your mom is comfortable and that you feel b...I hope your mom is comfortable and that you feel better soon.LPChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18209861350905135093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-4790669932437021542013-01-24T18:29:13.040-08:002013-01-24T18:29:13.040-08:00Take good care - nothing should come ahead of your...Take good care - nothing should come ahead of your health.<br />I had a look at your book list and found some that I've read and some that I might yet read - so thanks for the suggestions.<br />When I travel I always look for bookstores and second hand stores.<br />Of course second hand book stores are the best.Pondsidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407539138546412482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-62590850844268133712013-01-24T17:30:13.842-08:002013-01-24T17:30:13.842-08:00I received enough suggestions from my post to keep...I received enough suggestions from my post to keep me reading for several years, and wish I'd thought to ask sooner! Feel better!Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-14031873504159764112013-01-24T12:52:15.138-08:002013-01-24T12:52:15.138-08:00Do take care...
stress can really wreak havoc on o...Do take care...<br />stress can really wreak havoc on ones health.<br />Rest as much as possible.hostess of the humble bungalowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06453827257671312902noreply@blogger.com