Hi Bookworms, how is everyone doing? It’s been another rocky week in news. And who knows what’ll happen next week, but I’ll continue my pink skies theme that I started last week as a salve of sorts. I also started a puzzle I received for Christmas and I recommend puzzling in troubled times and plenty of dog walks too. I advise keeping busy with work, reading, and all what you do. I’ve been caught up a bit in watching the NFL playoffs lately and this week the Australian Open tennis will be on. I’m a junkie for that too. Meanwhile it’s been mild and windy here and the snow is gone now. I took this photo, above, early last week looking down our dead-end street. I hope it gives you a peaceful easy feeling.
In my library haul this week, I picked up these three books and they look good to me. The Atwood memoir is huge. It’s 624 pages long and I probably won’t get to it fully this time, but it’s easy to open up anywhere and start reading and enjoy an anecdote from her life. She has much to say that is wise and entertaining too. The other two pictured are recent novels, which I might start later, but this week I plan to begin the Edith Wharton novel The House of Mirth for my upcoming online class. I finished Edith’s autobiography recently and man she was an active lady.
And now I’ll leave you with a few reviews of what I finished lately. All of them could be rounded up to 4 stars.
In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring / Europa / 336 pages / 2025
3.75 stars. I was glad to return to this series (a trilogy), which was a buddy read with Tina at the blog Turn the Page, about the inhabitants of small town Dalton, Maine. Bowring writes about the characters there so seamlessly that we know them quite well after the first two books … slightly similar to how Elizabeth Strout does in her novels about those in Cosby, Maine.
This last novel in Bowring’s trilogy focuses on what happens when Tommy (Rose’s abusive ex-partner) returns to town saying he’s changed his bad drinking ways and wants to see their two sons. But then angry Tommy loses a job and proves to be a handful as usual … which isn’t good for Rose and her budding relationship with Nate Theroux, the cop who still grieves his late wife with his young daughter. Tommy has much beef with Nate … and the conflict between them later boils over into a showdown.
Meanwhile a subplot sees college student Greg Fortin going on a date … a drive into the forest with Angela when a snowstorm hits and things get dicey. These two plotlines — with Tommy/Nate and Greg/Angela — keep things churning and the goodness of the characters — particularly those of Nate and Greg — shine through.
The story at times seems to get a tad sentimental among its cast and how things turn out, but Bowring’s such an apt storyteller that she’s able to pull it off and make for quite a satisfying ending for her trilogy. She’s perhaps not as dark as Strout, but her characters have had their fair share of knocks. I will follow what Bowring writes next, though I will miss these well-known characters and the town of Dalton. It’s sad to see them go.
I listened to the audiobook along with the two earlier books — all narrated superbly by Patricia Shade.
The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten / Algonquin / 176 pages / 2025
3.75 stars. An older Norwegian man (Nils Vik) wakes on the last day of his life. He’s a ferryman — a man of the fjord — who transports passengers all about. It’s a meditative tale as Nils looks back on his life — how he started his job at age 14 — and those he ferried in all types of situations and to his two daughters, and wife who has pre-deceased him.
On this last day he’s on his ferryboat and starts seeing the dead appear to him talking. People he once knew. He’s joined by his dead dog Luna on the boat and sees others he knew along the shore. He recalls those he ferried, their issues, and incidents that took place. He also fondly recalls his wife, their love, and what their lives were together and how she passed. It’s a bit sad but also atmospheric of his life on the fjord out on the water for decades in his boat. It’s beautiful in a way, he was made for it — and that’s how a life should be.
This short novel translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough is my second translated book of 2026, yay… and my second Scandinavian tale. My Norwegian cousins would be pleased.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach / Holt / 384 pages / 2024
3.75 stars.I’m quite late to the party getting to this popular novel about a depressed woman who comes to stay at a fancy hotel in Newport, Rhode Island and gets mixed up with a large wedding party that’s there for six days. In the process it seems to change her thinking and turn her life around in ways. The protagonist Phoebe Stone, a professor of Lit, is upset after her divorce and a miscarriage that leaves her devastated.
Now she’s come to the hotel — not with good intentions. But then she meets a nice man in the hot tub and the bride Lila, who’s a bit of a piece of work. And before she knows it, she’s spending time with “the wedding people” at the hotel.
I thought parts of the story were clever and funny and I laughed aloud a bit as I listened to the audiobook (narrated well by Helen Laser). You hope for the woman protagonist Phoebe that she won’t harm herself, and it seems to go from a serious drama to being a bit of an over the top farce in a short time. That was fine. My only quibble was that it seems to go on a bit too much in places (some of the sex gibberish). It felt a little overly long and stuffed and gets a tad wearisome. Still it has its bright spots and is a fun romp of sorts.
That’s all for now. I’ll save the Wharton autobiography review for next week. What about you — have you read these and what did you think?
I liked The Wedding People, but I think I thought it might be an amazing read and it turned out to be good in parts. Still, I am glad I read it. I need to find more light reads of this sort, I think.
Thank you so much for some pink skies. Glad you are continuing to see these in Canada, and it gives me hope that we might see some one of these days here in the US again.
Hi Deb, I had some laughs from The Wedding People and that worked enough.
Glad you like these pink skies …. they help to get through winter here. Wishing you peace & a great week.
Well I like all your books here and that is a wonderful teview on the Bowring bok. I very much enjoyed reading it with you. Ferryman and his Wife is good, I am about through with it already as I started yesterday.
The pink skies are lovely. I need a pretty picture to look at while I sit here at my tablet. And the news…it continually pisses me off so I need a break!
Hope you post a photo of the puzzle.
Hi Tina, thanks, glad the Bowring review is all right. I’m glad we picked this book. Sweet to finish the trilogy. And the Ferryman read was all right too.
Our pink skies might continue here … but I think the news seems to be getting worse. The wannabe dictator is delusional beyond all help.
I’m going to try to finish the puzzle this week and take a photo. You might have to start one soon. Enjoy the week.
The pink sky is beautiful! I continue to puzzle, read, garden, and run or walk to get my mind off the news. I made the mistake of looking at some headlines yesterday. I get a daily email from Apple News with various stories that I just deleted today. I think I might start doing that. We’ve been having unusually warm weather here for this time of year. I’ve been taking advantage of it by getting outside which always helps my mental state.
My daughter listened to The Wedding People and really enjoyed it. I would like to listen to it at some point. Hope you have a wonderful week, Susan!
Hi Rachel, I hope the pink skies help and you’re getting outside. The news is getting worse and what the wannabe dictator wants to do next. It’s bad. Stay busy.
I think you might like The Wedding People …. it has some laughs in it. You have a good week too.
Great picture! That pink sky is gorgeous. Glad you enjoyed all three reads even though you had some quibbles. I finished Buckeye, and oh my! It was sad! But sooo good. I loved it! Now I’m considering between continuing Where the Serpent Lives or waiting for my hold of Crux to come through. Two more days for that release.
Hi Carmen, that’s great to hear about Buckeye! Wow fantastic. I really look forward to it. I bought the ebook but I’m a bit full on with reads at the moment. Let me know what you think of Where the Serpent Lives. I’m on the wait list for it. It’s gotten some good reviews but not sure what it’s like exactly. I am also on the wait list for Crux … much about rock climbing I think. Have a good week.
The Serpent… is about class divide in Pakistan, in interrelated stories, I think. Crux is about rock climbing and friendship. Buckeye is a big commitment but I definitely recommend it. Instead of going for The Serpent…, I started The Hounding, which is shorter, while I wait for Crux.
Good to know Carmen. I’m on the wait list for The Hounding. The library says Crux is in transit for me now but I have the Wharton novel going which is long. Still I don’t want to miss Crux — so might have to read simultaneously if that’s even possible. I usually can only read one at a time. Let me know what you think of these books when you get into them!
I am glad you are keeping busy in ways that help you deal with troubled times. I have had a humongous cold (or something) for 5 days now (horrible cough, runny nose, sore throat at times) so I haven’t been focusing on the news so much but I have to keep on top of my husband’s reading so he doesn’t get too upset. Tomorrow is our 46th anniversary but I think we will be staying home.
I was very interested of several of the books in this post. The size of Margaret Atwood’s book is very intimidating. I haven’t read that much by Atwood; the Handmaid’s Tale scared me off years ago. Maybe I will get Book of Lives sometime and attempt to read it over a year.
Re the Shannon Bowring book, I found that I had purchased the first book in the trilogy in 2024. I assume I saw it at your blog at that time. So maybe I will read it this year.
The The Ferryman and His Wife sounds good, especially due to the page length. I haven’t read a Norwegian book in a while.
Hi Tracy — so sorry to hear you’ve been sick — ugh … but I still hope you have a wonderful anniversary! 46 years is terrific! Hope you recover from illness asap.
Atwood’s Book of Lives is huge … but it seems very easy reading. She just talks about her life simply and openly. I think it would take me a few weeks likely but I have no time for it right now.
I think you’d like the Shannon Bowring novels. Small town Maine people. Maybe see what you think of the first one … later this year.
After the Ferryman novel … I think I could get into more Scandinavian tales. I like the setting. Rest up … and feel better soon!
Love the picture! I don’t often read memoirs or biographies but I might make an exception for Atwood, a writer I revere.
Hi Dorothy, thanks. I might look for more pink skies this week.
Yeah I think you’d probably be very interested in the Atwood memoir. I’ve just sampled little parts but it seems quite good to me. I wont get to read the library copy this time but I still have it on my radar for later. Have a nice week.
I am not familiar with Sharon Bowring and will have to investigate her books.
I did really enjoy The Wedding People but don’t disagree about the sex gibberish. I did appreciate that Phoebe didn’t just wind up with a man at the end. It’s good not to be predictable! I am not a Taylor Swift groupie and double I would recognize more than one of her songs but there’s a lot of discussion locally that she has booked up a Newport hotel like the one in the book for her wedding, which will be entertaining if it happens.
You get some great sunrises! Love that picture.
The Ferryman is probably not for me but it’s nice that you showed some solidarity to Norway! Did you ever read Mama’s Bank Account about a Norwegian American family in San Francisco? My mother says the tv series was one of the first things she saw on tv when her family finally bought a television.
I have the Atwood memoir on hold at the library but somehow all the books I had frozen until after Christmas came to me at once so I am trying to finish as many as possible first.
Hi Constance, glad you liked The Wedding People — the humor in it is pretty good. I didn’t realize Taylor Swift is looking at Newport for her wedding, oh my!
I haven’t read Mama’s Bank Account … is that the title? Who is it by? I will check my library. Sounds like I need to read it. I am interested in Norwegian books or about Norwegians and that sounds good.
I have the same problem with the Atwood memoir — I have too many other books at the moment. And that one is huge. I’m doing a lot of book shuffling! Enjoy your week.
I was disappointed in Margaret Atwood’s recent memoir. It sort of lacked her sparkle, I thought. I’ve read all of her books more or less at the time she published them: in other words, a lifelong fan.
We all need some uplifting, don’t we?
Hi Mae, sorry to hear that the Atwood memoir let you down. But I’m impressed you’re a lifelong Atwood fan and have read all her books. Keep to her fiction perhaps. I have read about 6 or 7 of her books … but I still could go back & read more. And yes, we need a lot of uplifting these days. argh. Wishing you a peaceful week.
Oooh, cool clouds! Yep, another crazy week in this insane country. I just renewed my passport and was holding my breath the entire time since it shows that I was born in Canada. I expected all kinds of questions and problems. Thankfully, it arrive without any issues. Yes, puzzling is good for calming one’s mind. And like you, I also recommend going for long walks while listening to a good book. I got a few books from my library, as well. I will probably only finish one before they’re due back, though. With all the books on my shelves, I really should stay away from the library!
As I mentioned in a comment to Tina, I’m looking forward to reading all three of Bowring’s books. I loved the first and will read it again before diving into the others. I’m glad you both enjoyed this last one so well. Hmm, not sure if I’m going to try The Ferryman. Reading your synopsis brings to mind Gilgamesh, who encountered a ferryman. That’s about all I remember of that book! I guess there’s also a ferryman on the River Styx, right? The Wedding People was pretty good on audio. I laughed out loud, too. Entertaining, but not great literature!
We’re enjoying balmy, sunny weather here in the cove. Unheard of 50 degree temps in January, but I’ll take any day without rain since I know it will return soon.
Hi Lesley, yeah it’s good to walk in the late afternoon when I see clouds like these. Walking and puzzling seems good to do now. Do you know that I just received your Christmas card on Friday. OMG it says it was mailed Dec. 12 and I received it Jan. 19. Holy smokes … the Postal Service here is sort of a joke. They were on strike and are bankrupt so it probably was lost for a while. Anyways thanks so much for sending it! Made me smile. Cards are nice to get.
And The Ferryman is okay to skip — it’s a bit different, not much plot. You must be having good weather on the coast … we have been clear for weeks. Strange. It hit 50s here too. Have a good week. And move to Canada if you want.
How very strange about my Christmas card. My cousin sent us one from Manhattan Beach and it never arrived, so she sent another (family photos, which we always enjoy adding to our refrigerator). A few weeks later (maybe a little over a week ago), the original arrived in a plastic bag from the P.O. It looks like it had been run over by a truck! Very damaged, but it still wound up in our mail box, maybe 6 weeks late.
That’s crazy. In a plastic bag? Sounds like it was run over. Glad it finally got there. It is weird all these lost letters through the mail. Talk about snail mail – so slow! …. I once got a letter addressed to me when we were in Calgary that said it had erroneously been sent to Barbados … I still laugh about that. It had been to Barbados?? What a vacation it took. Thx for your card — it made it here — a bit delayed!
Thanks for sharing the lovely photo.
I enjoyed the first of the Dalton series but haven’t read the remainder of the series.
Wishing you a great reading week
Hi Shelleyrae, the Dalton series continues to be good as it goes along. I think you’d like Book 2 & 3 … whenever you pick it up. And she seems to recap events and people so you don’t have to strain yourself to remember. Wishing you a great week too.
Hi Susan, beautiful sunset and I agree puzzles can take our mind off the news. I like crosswords myself.
I have to get back to two authors: Shannon Bowring and Fredrik Bachman. I loved Shannon’s first book in her Dalton Maine trilogy and I eally enjoyed Beartown as well. As for Wedding People I was excited by the hype but never went past the first few chapters so I should give it more of a try.
Hi Kathy, thanks. I might look out for more pink skies on my walks. I didn’t know you were a crossword fan … that’s cool. Do you do the NYT crossword? I don’t but my sister really likes doing them.
You might like the audiobook of The Wedding People … it’s a bit over the top in places but is a bit enjoyable. The Bowring series is pretty easy picking up even after a long time away from them. Enjoy your week.
I do have a book of NYT Crosswords. These are the Monday Crosswords which are the easiest (although still somewhat challenging)
Yeah I think the Monday NYT crosswords are still challenging. Even if they’re considered easiest of the week they get me. You have inspired me to try a crossword sometime soon as I haven’t done one in a long time. They are a bit addicting once you start. Have fun.
Gorgeous photo! Once again, I am limiting my news intake, and am always happy when people – such as yourself – share a pretty, peaceful shot. The Wedding People sounds tiki a fun premise!
Thanks Olivia. I will continue to find pink skies on my walks. Just need some peace these days. Things seem to be imploding with the crazy. Keep well in Albania.
I think you’d like The Wedding People … it is quite fun with some laughs along the way. Enjoy your week. Happy reading.
Love those pink clouds again! Keep ’em coming! Ha! I have The Wedding People on my shelf to read at some point. Our afternoon book group has it as a choice for April I believe, though that month is a ‘pick-out-of-five’ month. One of the other choices is The Confession and I think that’s the one I will read or maybe I’ll get to both of them. Take care – have a good week!
The Correspondent not The Confession – sheesh!!
Ha, funny Kay. Perhaps it would be better as The Confession instead of the Correspondent. Both books (Correspondent & The Wedding People) would be fun to read with a book group. See what you think of them.
And thanks, I will try to keep pics of the pink skies coming. It’s been pretty clear of storms here lately. Enjoy your week too!
The Wedding People was my last book of the year and I enjoyed it. Hope to do a book post soon and write more about it. NFL is being watched in my house as well.. I do not pay too much attention to it though.
Hi Hena, glad to hear you liked The Wedding People. It’s a bit comical eh? I will look for your post about it. I hope your boys are digging the NFL playoffs … there’s been some crazy games lately … but perhaps they are more hockey fans? Enjoy your week.
Beautiful pink skies and, unfortunately, another distressing week of news. Books, puzzles, and walks help me get through it all, too. Bowring’s Dalton novels were a hit for me and I think making it a three book series was a good choice. Can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.
I think I liked The Wedding People a bit more than you did. Definitely a case fo the right book at the right time for me.
What online class are you taking that’s reading House of Mirth? I really enjoy Wharton’s novels. The Custom of the Country is probably my favorite. I’ve visited her home in the Berkshires, The Mount, many times and still hope to read the bio by Hermione Lee.
The Atwood memoir is on my ridiculously long tbr and I’ll be curious to hear what you think. Hoping for a better (or at least less horrible) week of news ahead…
Hi JoAnn, I’m glad you liked Bowring’s trilogy and The Wedding People which was a bit of a hoot. And I agree with walks and reads and puzzles right now. The news seems to be getting worse this week unfortunately. The man is totally unhinged.
On a brighter note: I’m so intrigued that you have gone to Wharton’s house The Mount … I gather people can tour it like a museum? I have just read her autobiography in which she talks about The Mount quite a bit. She loved it there. I would love to go and also I’d like to read The Custom of the Country too. I hope the Politics & Prose class will be fun. I’m just starting The House of Mirth.
I won’t have time for Atwood’s memoir now … but hopefully later this year. Enjoy your week & the beach.
I just found your blog for the first time from Tina mentioning you in her post! I miss doing buddy reads, but nowadays I’m lucky to get a book read at all much less post detailed remarks on it. The political situation has been eating away at my brain cells and attention span.
I’m adding the Dalton trilogy to my TBR. I hadn’t heard of it before seeing it on Tina’s blog and now yours.
Hi Laurie, thanks for visiting! I agree the political situation is falling into the abyss — each day is worse which makes it hard to concentrate on anything, ugh.
The Dalton trilogy is a nice read. The author’s storytelling is so well done and natural and she really knows small town Maine. See what you think whenever you get to it. Have a great week.
Wow! Beautiful skies! I am a sucker for nice sunsets (and sunrises when I can be bothered to get up that early!) My husband has been watching all the NFL playoff games so that’s given me plenty of time for blogging and other projects since I’m not a fan.
Hi Jen, thanks for stopping by here & liking my sunset photo. I’m on the lookout for more this week. And ha ha I can understand — I’m sure a lot of people are avoiding all the NFL hoopla & games. It’s down to 4 games left — so it’ll be over pretty soon. Next will be the Winter Olympics. hmm. Good luck with your projects. & Happy reading.
That sky is really gorgeous! What a beautiful road you live on. Oh, and thanks for coming by, too. Good reading!
Thanks Jeanie, for stopping by … Luckily it is a peaceful road we live on … and sometimes the sky is quite interesting. Feel lucky to be away from the city a bit. Enjoy your reading too.
I really liked the first Shannon Bowring novel I read, but I haven’t read anything else, mostly because the lives of the characters seem so grim, but I like her writing a lot, so someday I will read her again. I absolutely love the covers, though.
The Ferryman and His Wife sounds really good–I like meditative books, and I definitely want to read more Scandinavian authors.
I liked The Wedding People more than you, it seems. But I think a lot of it was right book at right time. Yes, it became over-the-top, but I enjoyed the farce of it all. Working in academia does sound dreadful though–that said, I would read her book about Jane Eyre 🙂
Hi Jane, the Bowring characters weren’t too bad to me … though the cop Nate does face a tragedy to his partner, which is the hardest thing. I found the books overall pretty heartwarming about the town & the people. Rose’s partner Tommy is the one bad apple for a while … but it softens overall.
The Wedding People gave me some laughs … so I can’t complain. The author must have a good sense of humor — so I will look for her next book.
I will keep on the lookout for more Scandinavian writers & novels.
Enjoy your week & happy reading!