Both books sound terrific. I had been a bit on the fence about Land–I have loved the books I read so far by O’Farrell, but I’m not sure I’m up for more tragedy right now, but her writing is just such a pleasure to read.

Family of Spies is definitely going on my list. I am so interested in both WWII and family lore–the author was brave to pursue the topic within her own family and then to write about it.

I am also putting John of John on my list for the fall.

Enjoy the rest of summer, and hopefully the fires will minimize soon. We are heading up to Victoria in 2 weeks, by car, and not sure how smoky it will be on the way.

I am still focusing on my 20 books of summer, but not doing so well. I am now read a book by Martin Edwards, Mortmain Hall, a mystery set around 1930 I think, with a strong-willed young woman as the sleuth. Sort of amateur detective except that she is very gifted and has very good resources. It is the second in the series, and I hope to read more of them soon. I think all of them are centered around a particular home or building but I am just going by the titles.

Family of Spies sounds very good and I will have to look into it and tell Glen about it too. Also Land by O’Farrell, which I am sure I will get a copy of, but not sure how soon I will actually read it.

Hi Tina, thanks, this view of the mountain was taken when we drove into the mountains about an hour or so. We ate lunch there at this resort golf course on the deck. It was pretty cool. I hope to go back sometime.
I’m curious to know which books you’ve gotten from the library. Land is a pretty long read but it was enjoyable to me. I have not read O’Farrell’s Esme Lennox novel … the only other one I’ve read is Hamnet.
I will email you today … as we need to get onboard for our next buddy read. Chat soon.

Now that my complete obsession of relocation research is waning I can finally concentrate on reading again. The book Thirty Below is loaded on the Kindle. Chat later!

Hi JoAnn, thanks. We are finally getting rain today which helps the countryside. It’s still smoky out but more tolerable. And Land is long epic, but once I got into it I liked the writing quite a bit. See what you think of O’Farrell’s novels.
And enjoy your Austen month. John of John looks to be another winner … so I’ll start that pretty soon. Happy reading & have a great week.

Thanks Jinjer. I’m glad the mountains aren’t too far away here. We can get into them pretty easily. And the husband is doing all right with the garden … I’ll grant him that …. but other stuff?, lol. Cheers. Have a good week.

Hi Rachel, thanks. We are getting rain today which helps a lot. The veggies will do well in the next couple weeks. They take a while this far north to get going … but finally kick in. I look forward to hearing what you plant in the fall. I think everything will be done here by the end of September. Hmm, we’ll see. Enjoy your week.

Hi Kathy, thanks. The salads are tasting good and luckily they’re healthy too, so that’s a big plus.
I agree with what you say about Family of Spies. The author’s father was quite young at the time … and didn’t really know his parents were spies etc. And he did not go back with his parents to Germany once they were out of prison. I think he was trying to shield his daughter from his past family & history by not telling her. It is sad to think of it. Cheers. Have a great week.

Thanks Dorothy. We’re keeping the garden well watered and it seems to have taken off. Lots of beets, onions, potatoes, and carrots so far. Squash and tomatoes on the way and cucumbers. Land is a long epic … with a meandering pace but it hooked me along the way. See what you think.

Hi Kay, thanks. We are getting rain today, woohoo. It’s nice for the plants. Apparently the fence we put in is high enough so the deer won’t jump over. It’s either 8 or 10 feet. Perhaps 8. The rest of the yard has to be more deer-resistant stuff. Though I haven’t tried the anti-deer spray which I’m told works.
I hope you get thru those August temps … and the humidity. Happy reading. Have a good week too.