flight paths discussion

It seems that justice is at a low point these days. None of the books I am reading touch upon it, and I'm reading quite an array. Derek Walcott comes close with his transcendant poetry, and Rebecca Campbell refers to cosmic justice but I think its facile to attribute gross offenses to karma. Any recommendations?

Back from France part 1, no reading time !

la vie est c'est plus important je pense.

how lovely it is when the universe responds. Starting Infinite Life by Robert A.F. Thurman I note there is a whole chapter on Justice. I have only started it but he has a wonderful approach to life.

and even more to the point in many ways, I also began a graphic rendition of On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

for fiction, another new book How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu who, up until the time I got the book and saw his picture, I had assumed that was a womans name. It's not an easy book to get into but it certainly holds the interest.

Ice I'm wondering if your reading patterns have completely altered, now you're back home?

I miss Transylvania.

How come everyone is so quiet?

Just the economies of life and seasons, demand is in excess of supply. When I retire I might have an opportunity to restore some balance. As to reading back in Shetland Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves

Ice wrote: "Just the economies of life and seasons, demand is in excess of supply. When I retire I might have an opportunity to restore some balance. As to reading back in Shetland Cold Earth b..."

I'm loving the Shetland series on TV and have so far read Raven Black and White Nights. I'm just about ready to begin Red Bones--it's bought and waiting on my kindle. I love Ann Cleeves--I'm also loving her Vera Stanhope series (again, I was introduced to the series by the wonderful BBC televised version but am now reading the books).

I'm down with COVID--not too bad a case fortunately. I was recently boostered so hopefully it will stay mild.

I just finished The Thursday Murder Club and have started the next in the series, The Man Who Died Twice. The first was a lot of fun. I also read The Candy House--loved the first half, the second not so much.

For poetry, I've read The Hurting Kind: Poems (Ada Limon), Ocean Vuong's most recent collection,Time Is a Mother (which I loved so much) and I'm now working on Incendiary Art: Poems (Patricia Smith) which is interesting. I also read Danez Smith's Black Movie, also very interesting. Both of the last are passionate, very stirring indictments of race relations here in the U.S.

I've been reading pretty intensely, I see. I also read The Death of Vivek Ijo, by Akwaeke Emezi--I loved the writing and the story was very moving (inadvertently perfect for pride month). Emezi also wrote Freshwater, a totally different kind of book, much more experimental--maybe more intriguing and even exciting but also much harder to follow.

Also Thank You, Mr. Nixon (Gish Jen) which I loved.

I'm reading a biography, not my usual genre, of the artist Helen Frankthaler which is fascinating (and the prose is unusually good, I think, for a bio--the author is the son of the poet Howard Nemerov), Fierce Poise: Helen Frankenthaler and 1950s New York (Alexander Nemerov)

So I'm busy. As soon as I finish the Smith, I'm going to tackle Semiautomatic, another volume of poems (this one is by Evie Shockley).

I'm pretty much bed bound today so I hope to be able to focus on reading. Otherwise, I'll watch All About Eve (in the past few days I've been revisiting old movies: The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, Casablanca)

Love to all

What's everyone reading?

So far this month I've read:
The Unquiet Bones - a medieval murder mystery. I liked the characters and the way of describing Life in this Time.

Katharina Luther: Nun, Rebel, Wife - a gentle memoir-style story of Katharines life from early childhood to the birth of her first child. It's an interesting look at a very different and turbulent time.

Ready Player Two - I enjoyed the quirkiness and nerdiness of the first book, Ready Player One. This second book was as good as the first with a deeper moral aspect to it. I really enjoyed the continued quirkiness and nerdiness throughout. Entertaining story.


I'm currently listening to Should We Stay or Should We Go and really enjoying the various outcomes to the story, told in the various parallel universes. The various possibilities shows how the many variations our futures may take. It shows that one really never can tell what will happen or which option would be best would we be able to choose. Best to let Life and Chance take the lead.

Ellie, how are you feeling? I hope you are over Covid now.

Only yesterday i checked this thread and mine was the last comment. Ellie I had no idea you were sick and sure hope you are better. what about the kids? Is David and gf still living with you? Do you have adequate help, especially cooking?
Is it true that 75% of Americans have had it?

Petra, Did you realize that i just read Ready Player One?
I was surprised, after a rather rocky read, that I ended up liking it so much.
Should we stay is also still vivid for me, even tho I've since read another LS that is actually also a variation on the aging theme.

i was so happy to see some action on this thread that i didn't want to wait until morning when I plan to do my updates but I will wait to post them here so I can include the link.
I will just say, Im on an incredible roll

but Ellie, ive never even heard if those poets. It took me ages to even get my hands on Derek Walcott who you recommended years ago.
I hated to give it back to the library and add it to my search list.

Nun Rebel Wife sounds hot :-)

Dabbling with mixed feelings at present The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark

Magdelanye, I did not know that you were currently reading Ready Player One. What a coincidence!
I listened to both, which were narrated by Will Wheaton. He does a great job with it. He reads the story perfectly.

Should We Stay or Should We Go is the second of Lionel Shriver's books that I've read. The first being We Need to Talk About Kevin. She writes well, I find.

Today I had to make an extra trip to the library to return an interlibrary loan that could not be renewed due to a hold. Lo and behold, there was Ready Player Two which I decided to grab due to your praise Petra.

I just finished Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel which is quite mind bending, especially if you loved the Glass Hotel.

Pushing myself to grasp the heady implications of The Restless Clock: A History of the Centuries-Long Argument over What Makes Living Things Tick, by Jessica Riskin It's certainly fascinating and informative and fills in a number of blanks and misconceptions and so it's too bad there is a time constraint...I have a week left with it and I am not even halfway, and its not a book to skim.

Also intensely demanding is the book I have almost finished but pausing a bit to contemplate, Robert Thurmans Infinite LIfe Seven Virtues for Living Well

And I am really enjoying one short story a day (or two if its really short) by the delightfully surprising Monique Proulx inAurora Montrealis, en anglaise .

I also got a poetry book today by a person called Skydancer.
The intro is actually a really great poem by Maria Campbell who wrote the trailblazing book Halfbreed,

Strength and Joy for the solstice !

PLUS! I have the new Heather O and I am using some willpower to put at least another book between it and ESMJ

Hoping that the silence here indicates that everyone is out enjoying the sun at last.

Ellie how are you feeling? You have had more than your share of health challenges this last year. May you have found equilibrium 💚

Petra, you havent filled us in on your summer routine with tai chi, which I believe you were advancing into teaching, and the carving in the park. I hope that you are enjoying your runs and the lake.

If Megan is reading this I extend fervent wishes that you and your family are all well and thriving.

I am adjusting to being an official elder but the summer calls for bright colours and I still choose reading on the grass over housework, every day. I had to put off leaping into the new Heather O to read Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner due on Thursday with no option to renew.

Most of my reading time however is taken up with The Restless Clock: A History of the Centuries-Long Argument over What Makes Living Things Tick It is well written and I actually welcome the repetitions because sometimes I have to read a sentence two or three times to comprehend and often whole paragraphs require a lot of chewing.

Peace Love and Good Vibes

Hi all--everything is good here. I've recovered from COVID and next week I'm headed to Greece for 10 days, if all goes well.

I've actually given up on two books this past week--Rainbow Rainbow and The Lying Life of Adults (Elena Ferrante). Rainbow Rainbow is a collection of short stories which were ok but not better than that and I disliked all the characters in Lying Life and finally, 200 pages in, decided I wanted to read something that I actually looked forward to reading.

So now I'm reading The Long Answer by Anna Hogeland which I'm really enjoying. I'm also working my way (slowly) through Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art which is fascinating.

So glad to hear that you are fully recovered and fit to travel. Where are you planning on heading in Greece? will it be your first time? Im curious to know how travelling is affected by restrictions still in place.

Thats extremely disappointing though about the Ferrante.

i finally just started Heather O's latest. Its taken a while to warm up too. A lot darker, or maybe its more accurate to say less playful.

We're going to Athen, Mykonos, Santorini and Crete. There don't seem to be any travel restrictions. And I'm so happy that you no longer need a COVID test to get back into the states.

I just finished The Long Answer. It was so good, I read it in a couple of sittings (unfortunately, one of them was at 2:00 am this morning!)

Petra I looked for the audo version of Ready Player Two since you said it was well done but didnt find it on the shelves.
I have one more chapter to read in The Restless Clock.
Then the copying of notes.
Thats my plan for Canada Day. As I left the library there was an oversize ostensibly kids book on one of the main characters in the restless clock, which is robots. There were even some of the same illustrations.

Ellie your trip sounds quite perfect. Have you been there before? Have you read The Chalice and the Blade?

the long answer sounds good

I have not been there before. And I haven't read The Chalice and the Blade. I had books I was going to read in preparation but never got to any of them, :(

Ellie if you can you must at least browse The Chalice and the Blade before visiting Santorini and Crete!
i am excited for you!

Ellie, how exciting! Your trip sounds wonderful. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it when you return.

Moi, Je desires quelques photos en location :')