October (almost November!), 2023… A few additions to post:
First, an article from The G+M on notion called “commonplace” which resonates with my Reading Notes, in a way:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-commonplace-book-where-early-modern-thinkers-collected-ideas-was/

Beyond That, the Sea, Laura Spence-Ash
A wonderful story, historical fiction, centred on a young girl, Beatrix, sent from England during the war, to live with a family who divided their time between Maine and Boston. The story brought back so many memories of Maine… Gerald and William are brothers who couldn’t be more different, and Bea turns out to love both of them, both as brothers, and soul-mates—and later more like lovers. The characters are fully formed characters and I grew fond of most all of them. It’s about family, and love, and forgiveness, and story.

An Immense World, Ed Yong
An intense and fascinating read. At times it verged on too much, but then Yong’s voice is so real—passionate and also amusing and humble. He kept pulling me in and along. I have so many marked pages noted with excerpts gathered in my journal…

Paul Doiron, Dead Man’s Wake (2023) set in Maine, this was a good story and a fast read (perfect for a quiet long weekend). It felt great to read of familiar places in Maine, and I enjoyed the characters and the families involved.

News of the World, Paulette Jiles
Another amazing book and gifted writer, too. This is historical fiction at its best, drilling into another time in all of its complexities, and weaving a story to pull us into this other world. This is the 1870’s and mostly set in Texas, with Captain Kidd, and older man and widow, taking a young girl back to her relatives after she’s been stolen and then raised by an Indigenous band, but then been stolen away from them. She’s now a Kiowan at heart and by habit, and lost in this strange white world. Kidd is a news reader, in itself a fascinating trade and perspective. They gradually grow to care for and love one another. It all feels so credible.
And as if that weren’t enough, Jiles is a stunning writer, with a poet’s ability to describe setting and to focus on nature. I have so many turned down page corners.

Perry Chafe, Closer by Sea
Wow: Yet another really good story—and read in a single day!! It’s been quite a while since I’ve had that kind of indulgence. The story is of a few kids growing up in a Maritime community threatened by the diminishing fish stocks. Some lovely characters, and a fast-moving story… I was fond of the boys, and Emily, and Solomon, and even the Arseholes get a second chance at decency. There’s loss, and laughs, and loyalty, as young Pierce grows up. A great coming of age story.

Michael Robotham, Lying Beside You (Cyrus Haven series)
Must have heard about Robotham from Margaret Cannon. A good story—fast moving, with interesting characters (though lots of them!!!). I enjoyed the narrative alternating between Cyrus’s and Evie’s perspectives. Both are compelling individuals, with a complex and also interesting relationship.

Jojo Moyes, Someone Else’s Shoes
Another good story! A great month for reading. Got a stack of books from on hold, but these have been a pleasure to push through. At first, I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this one. The main characters, Nisha and Sam, just didn’t pull me in. Nisha seemed so shallow and arrogant and Sam, so lost and driven. But they drew me in, or Moyes did. By the end, I loved the core of women, who’d become fast friends, and enjoyed their interactions. The notions of attire, of projecting confidence and class, were also interesting, with those red shoes central. Aleks, the cook, is a sweet character too, a good man. Between him and Jasmine, the power of small acts of kindness and caring work their magic and transform Nisha and her life.

This Tender Land, William Kent Krueger
I don’t know where I heard about this, but a wonderful, absorbing read. Krueger is a gifted storyteller, as is his main character, Odie. I loved the cluster of kids at the heart of this story: Odie, Albert, Emma, and Mose. The story is set in the 1930’s, and yet it’s the complexity of relationship, and the challenges of thriving and of forgiveness that make it seem so very relevant to today. The epilogue is also wonderful, flashing forward from Odie’s 12th to his 80ths year. The tale of the four orphans who set sail together on an odyssey wasn’t really finished. Their lives went far beyond… their meanderings of that summer…”

Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus
This was an engaging story. I really enjoyed the main character, Elizabeth Zott, and Calvin Evans, too. Actually, I was fond of and admired a cluster of central characters. The cooking show was fun and fascinating, and also credible. But some parts were less so —the daughter Mad was a beyond belief in some ways, and the dog, too, though in ways more fun that disturbing. But while I’ve seen bright kids with amazing capabilities, the spurts of maturity this kid demonstrates so early on seem over the top. But that was not enough to push me away, and I enjoyed this and read it quickly and with pleasure, despite the sad and frustrating parts. The sexism and racism, and absorption with religion, of the 60’s is all too easy to remember (and noticably arising again today).
The way chemistry figures into the story and propels it along is wonderful.
Oh, and I loved the rowing, and notice Garmus is a rower!! Fun to have that special physical outlet and ability woven in. Garmus seems a powerful writer, and story-teller.