Hi all. Happy Easter weekend. I hope you have some fun plans ahead. I think we are pretty much chilling at home and might just hit some golf balls, yay. Yesterday we weeded out the garden beds. And now it looks like maybe a rainy weekend is here, so we’ll see. We could really use the moisture. We went out to dinner last night as a treat and on the way home we saw this moose by the side of the road. He sort of blends into the landscape eh? It’s always fun to see a moose and lucky too I think, though he seemed a bit scraggly — not sure if he was old or just losing his winter coat, or a bit lonely. We wished him well.
It must be the week of critters because a few days earlier we watched a red fox on our street for a while as he was carrying something in his mouth. We think it was part of a chicken, alas. Also a skunk was out last night and he sprayed something (luckily not our dogs), so it seems the critters are out and about as spring opens up here. And along the roadsides there are plenty of Richardson’s ground squirrels (often called prairie gophers) popping up that look a lot like prairie dogs but are a bit smaller. We do our best to weave and miss them when they run out on the roads, but they really like to flirt with danger.
Here is some more library loot that I picked up this past week, combined with earlier loot. When will I get to Eowyn Ivey’s new one? I’ve read her two other novels: The Snow Child and To the Bright Edge of the World and hope to get to this one sometime too.
And then there’s also Eric Puchner’s novel Dream State, which is about three close friends and a wedding of one of them in Montana. Apparently 117 others at the library are waiting for a copy of it — thanks to Oprah picking it for her book club. But I’m not sure I will be able to get to it this time around with all my others going on — it’s a longer yarn too. But I see that Anne Tyler’s short novel Three Days in June is also about a wedding. What is it about wedding plots these days? There’s also the popular The Wedding People by Alison Espach, which I plan to get to on audio sometime. We’ll all become experts on wedding plots soon enough.
And did you know that April 10 was the 100th anniversary of Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby, which came out April 10, 1925? Wow. I heard about it on a couple news programs recently and the New York Times did a pretty good podcast about the anniversary too. I’m a bit of a Fitzgerald fan and I last read Gatsby in May 2013 before the Baz Luhrmann movie with Leo DiCaprio came out of it. I’ve also read Fitzgerald’s debut novel This Side of Paradise and his last one Tender Is the Night. But Gatsby in 1925 was quite the literary landmark.
I think I will honor it by reading it again sometime later this year. And speaking of which, if you like literary anniversaries, 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth — she was born Dec. 16, 1775 in the village of Steventon in North Hampshire — so there are many festivities and readings to join in for her as well.
Meanwhile, I thought I should say something about Season 3 of The White Lotus, which we finished a while back. It was a pretty crazy season, right? LoL. For those who don’t know: it’s about a group of rich guests and a couple employees at a luxury resort in Thailand over a week’s time.
The show was in the news quite a bit and popular. And the finale killed off one of the characters and you have to wait to see who it is and who did it, so that is the main gist … along with getting to know the crazy characters, their problems, and what they partake in. One episode’s particularly weird drug-induced orgy-like party with two brothers has been endless fodder for talk. But overall Season 3 certainly provided a decent escape from everything else going on. And since Season 1 was set in Maui and Season 2 was in Sicily, Italy, and this latest season is in Thailand … I’m thinking maybe they should set the next season at a snowy ski resort next time. Maybe in the Alps? What do you think?
Now we are onto watching the final Season 3 of Bosch Legacy, which I am suspecting will set up the new protagonist cop detective Renée Ballard and her spinoff series coming later in the year. Yay! Constance at the blog Staircase Wit gave me a heads up about that. (She’s one of our Michael Connelly experts.) Only thing is Bosch star Titus Welliver says he will not be in the spinoff show but that Maggie Q as Renée Ballard is great. So we will see. I’m just psyched the series continues in some way and somehow.
Now I will leave you with a couple book reviews of what I finished a while back ago.
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad /Grove / 336 pages / 2024
4+ stars. Whoa, by the end I was thoroughly impressed by all that went into this novel, which I listened to as an audiobook, and seems to include the author’s heart and soul along with it. It’s essentially about an actress in London — Sonia Nasir from a Palestinian family — who after ending an affair goes to visit her sister Haneen in Haifa, Israel, who teaches at the university in Tel Aviv. Once there, Sonia meets the dynamic director Miriam Mansour who’s putting on an all-Palestinian Arabic-language production of Hamlet and eventually convinces Sonia to play Gertrude.
Much happens as Sonia begins to learn her lines and takes part in rehearsals for Hamlet with Miriam and the cast and as she begins crossing check points to spend time in the Palestinian city Ramallah. Things become politically charged and as opening night nears the theater troupe faces various hurdles to put on the production. Through it all, Sonia seems to undergo a period of self-discovery as she returns to her ancestral roots.
I found it a good eye-opener into the geography there, which I was following on maps, and Israeli-Palestinian issues, dating before the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. I was intrigued following Sonia’s journey and the production of Hamlet, and its meanings in light of everything were revealing. There were various layers to this novel that made it into a dynamo. I will be interested to see whatever Isabella Hammad writes next.
Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham / Hogarth / 272 pages / 2024
3 stars. There was some good writing throughout this novel … about David, a 24-year-old black man who comes to work on a senator’s race for the presidency, who is not named but seems like Barack Obama. Apparently before joining the campaign, David flunked out of a college after becoming a young father and involved with all that entails.
Yet the novel at the same time also felt episodic or like an essay on a variety of topics that David comes across on the campaign, or through the people he meets, or the recollections of his upbringing in a Pentecostal church that it didn’t come together fully for me as a story. The loose plot withered for me and I struggled greatly to stay engaged with it. I usually love political novels, but this one seemed to be that only peripherally. It seemed more interested in the detours it takes talking about religion, race, film and many other topics. So just be forewarned. It’s not exactly a campaign novel.
That’s all for now. What about you — have you read any of these novels listed above, or seen the TV shows, and if so, what did you think?
I didn’t know it was the 100 anniversary of The Great Gatsby. That was one of the classics we had to read in high school that I actually liked. I’ve been rereading Northanger Abbey, sort of in honor of it being Austen’s 25oth anniversary of her birth this year, but mostly because I just really like that one. 😀 And fun seeing a moose like that by the side of the road. Wishing you a Happy Easter!
Thanks Lark. Yeah I was a little caught off-guard by the Gatsby 100 year anniversary. It’s good you’re rereading an Austen novel. I hope to read one too in honor of her 250th anniversary. These anniversaries are sort of good that way. Like tributes.
I hope you had a nice long weeknd and Easter.
I hate it when a book has a million holds on it, giving me only two weeks to read it. I usually turn it back in and select it again when there are fewer holds.
I should do a reread of Gatsby. I wonder if anyone is doing that as a group reread. Hmmm.
Hi Deb, Yeah a library book with over 100 holds on it can be a bit crazy or daunting. I often feel I won’t have enough time with it.
Perhaps this summer I will do a Gatsby reread and let you know. 🙂 Have a great week.
That moose looks like a scrawny horse… from that far, anyway. I saw The Gatsby piece in NYT; I have a soft spot for that book, and Fitzgerald and Zelda. I also read The Beautiful and Damned, which I thought was pretty good (and spot on!). I tried Tender Is the Night, but DNF; I should give that one another try. I didn’t see this latest season of The White Lotus but kept up with the show online so I know it’s a wild season. Something to look forward to. Something tells me next season may be in India, or somewhere that looks like India, judging by the preview at the end.
Isabella Hammad’s novel sounds timely. I have Ivey’s novel in my queue for later this year. The Antidote is proving a challenge; I’m already 1 book behind since I started it. Trying to juggle another one with it, let’s see how it goes. 😉 I don’t know if it’s proper to wish you a Happy Easter, but I’ll do it anyway. Happy Easter, Susan! I hope the busyness helps you heal. Happy reading week too!
Hi Carmen, the moose did look like a smaller Bullwinkle :-). It seems Fitzgerald thought Tender Is the Night to be his best but I had trouble getting through it. It’s not an easy read but I liked some parts of it and reviewed it here in 2015. I hope to read another of his later in the year.
Thx for the tip on the White Lotus maybe being in India next season. I totally missed that at the end, or maybe I saw it and didn’t make much of it. Hmm good observation. Season 3 started off slowly but got wild near the final episodes, lol.
I have not been drawn to Karen Russell’s fiction — they seem too strange (? or unreal) but I know she’s apparently a great writer. I will wait to hear what you think of The Antidote. Not sure if it’s for me … but I love the title.
And thanks — I think the busyness here is helping a bit with grief. It turns out I’ll be returning to SoCal in May for one more tribute party for my Dad. So maybe it’ll help with some closure, though I think only much time can do that. It’s a process these next many months. I appreciate your words.
How exciting to see a Moose!!!!
As for Gatsby, what I love about that book and movie is it’s one of those few that are so well done that I never remember the big shocking moments no matter how many times I read it or see it. To me, that’s the mark of genius. lol
Hi Jinjer, thanks, seeing a moose was quite a big highlight for us. I think it’s rare and lucky to see a moose around here. But now I want to see more. 🙂
Good point about Gatsby. I too find I have to return to it to remember all its parts and passages. And I agree, Fitzgerald must have been a genius.
Have a great week.
Most of the books here are new to me, except of course for The Great Gatsby. When I read that book for the first time (I think) in 2023, I was disappointed. The story is told beautifully, and the buildup to the conclusion is done well, but I did not like the characters. I think if I read it again I would like it better, knowing what to expect, but I don’t know if I will do that.
Hi Tracy, there’s a lot of hype and expectations surrounding The Great Gatsby so it’s not uncommon to feel that … or not to like the characters who aren’t super people. I think passages and how it’s constructed and the era of it can sweep readers up. I want to reread it again to see, or to read another of his. I had some trouble getting through two of his other novels. Have a great week.
Nice to see all of the wildlife emerge, isn’t it? Thanks for the heads up about the Bosch Legacy spinoff. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Hi Olivia, yes the wildlife is great to see. Many critters are about, busy with their lives 🙂 And we are enjoying the last season of Bosch Legacy! It’s addicting so hopefully the spinoff will be as good. Good luck with your move plans.
That moose really blends in at this point. Nice shot though. Yes, the wildlife – we’ve been seeing a bit more around our area, but the foxes can stay away and the coyotes. They get a little too scary with the little dogs and cats that people let out. Good to know those things about The Great Gatsby and also about Jane Austen. We’re waiting on watching that last season of Bosch: Legacy for a bit. Saving it for summer. I did see a preview picture and noticed the new character, Renee Ballard (Maggie Q) in the shot. I think that will be a good series too. Hope your reading goes well this week. Take care!
Thanks Kay. We are really enjoying the final season of Bosch Legacy. And wish Bosch didn’t have to go. We haven’t gotten to the Renee Ballard part yet … but I think she will show up. I hope you enjoy the show when you get to it. I know you’ve read the books.
We have to stay a bit alert about the wildlife for the reasons you mention. Luckily our dogs aren’t too small. But we are aware when they’re outside. Wishing you a great spring.
I haven’t heard much about The White Lotus – sounds interesting. And yours is the second mention I’ve seen this week for Black Woods Blue Sky… I should probably add it to my list! Thanks for sharing and happy easter!
Hi Becki, thanks for stopping by. The White Lotus runs on HBO …. it’s sort of a crazy show but can be an entertaining escape. And I must say I don’t know too much of what Black Woods Blue Sky is about but I read the author’s other books so I hope to get it sometime. She often has some fairytale aspect to her story so I suspect that will happen in her new book. Cheers. Have a great week.
Adding Enter Ghost to my TBR. It sounds like a good one to listen to. I had Great Expectations on my reading list but now may rethink reading it. // I love it when I see wildlife in the …um…wild.
Happy Easter!
Thanks Anne, we had a cloudy Easter. Now too some snow on the ground this morning, lol! I will be interested to see if you like Enter Ghost. I really fell into it but had to follow it closely (had a Palestinian perspective). And I was not a big fan of Great Expectations but maybe you can make something more out of it? Have a great week.
Happy Easter! The only wildlife we get is squirrels and lizards, we sometimes hear coyotes, but this past week a black bear has been wandering about my part of town and the university dorms!
Hi Helen, wow a bear! I looked that up and found the news articles about UCSB and the bear sightings. Wow that bear is a bit lost … or off-track. You must be near the university? I wonder if you ever hear owls at night? I hear them when I’m in Redlands (SoCal) sometimes. And mostly we hear coyotes in Alberta. And fox screeching — that is a weird sound. Have a great week.
Happy Easter and there are alot of interesting critters where you live. I did read the Great Gatsby a few years ago. I just didn’t connect with it. But I would like to read something else by Fitzgerald, maybe Tender is The Night or The Beautiful and The Damned. I did read Zelda by Nancy Mitford many years ago. A very fine biography and so sad.
Hi Kathy, good to hear your thoughts. I don’t think Fitzgerald is for everyone … and I think his other novels are harder to get through. Tender Is the Night took me quite a while and so did This Side of Paradise. They’re not easy, but I might try Beautiful and the Damned sometime. Good to know about the good Zelda biography. Tender Is the Night is said to be his most autobiographical novel and there is a Zelda-like character in that. Not a happy story. Have a great week.
Seeing a moose is great. We hoped to see one on a vacation to moose country but no luck.
Happy spring… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks Mae, I hope we get to spring here. We got snow overnight on the ground this morning, lol! Moose are big but quite elusive. We rarely see them. But one time when we were cross-country skiing a few years ago in the foothills … we saw like five together. We were blown away. I hope you get to see one! Have a great week.
I didn’t know it was the 100th anniversary of the Great Gatsby!
Hope you have a great week. Maybe you will get to see more animals!
Thanks Marg, I will keep my eyes peeled for more critters. It seems a bonanza now that spring is almost here.
The Gatsby anniversary surprised me a bit too. All the way from 1925! I hope to read something of his later this year. Have a great week.
That moose does look a little lonely. I wish him well, too! We’ve had some racoons come visiting and they figured out how to get into the outer building/garage where we feed our feral/barn cats, so not a good thing. They eat the dry food so we’ll only put wet food out for a while. We’ve had a fox come through a few times, but I haven’t seen one lately. They have a weird, disturbing call. Two geese and several deer keep making the rounds. I keep having to spray my deer mace so they don’t eat my front hydrangeas.
Weeding is a never ending task. *sigh* I just finished Three Days in June while weeding our back garden. I enjoyed it. Looking forward to your thoughts. I also have a library copy of Black Woods Blue Sky. I hope to get to it before my library lend expires.
I’ve seen a bunch of funny memes featuring Parker Posey in The White Lotus. I’d like to try it out.
Hi Rachel, ha ha that Parker Posey character in White Lotus is a bit of a nut and she plays up a Southern accent, funny. Sort of an odd show but a bit of an escape.
I hope your hydrangeas don’t get eaten. We had to build a big deer fence last year around the vegetable garden. Does your deer mace go on the plant or at the deer? The raccoons there sound tough to deal with. Luckily we haven’t had those (yet).
Listening to audios while weeding is the way to go. I’d like to do the Tyler book on audio rather than print. Seems like a good listen. Lately I’ve had McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore going. Perhaps you’ve done that one? Have a great week.
The hydrangeas haven’t been touched so far. The deer mace works really well. I used it last year too and they always passed the hydrangea on by. You spray the plant. I have to spray like once a week or if it rains. My vegetable garden is fenced off so I don’t have to worry about that, just make sure I shut the gate, haha!
Yep, definitely makes weeding more tolerable! I haven’t read Wild Dark Shore yet. I’ve heard really good things about it, though. I hope you like it. I look forward to your thoughts!
We had a pretty quiet Easter (we don’t celebrate), but I made fresh crabcakes for dinner so that felt a little festive. I’m hoping to get outside and do some yardwork later this week, now that the rainy season is pretty much over, and our RV travels are finished until mid-June.
Very cool that you spotted that moose! He does look a little rough around the edges, doesn’t he? I have hoped to see a moose for several years, keeping my eye out for one while in Glacier NP, as well as various parts of Canada. I finally got to see several when we were in the Tetons last fall. They are spectacular creatures!
I haven’t watched any of The White Lotus, but I am itching for a new show now that I finished Severance. We haven’t watched the most recent season of Bosch Legacy, and I’m not sure Rod or my mom are interested. We finished Ludwig last night and while it’s pretty hokey, we liked it. It’s a bit like Death in Paradise.
Hi Lesley, good to hear. I hope you’re having some sun there this week. We are still having some snowflakes … so hopefully it will warm up soon.
Glad you got to see moose in the Tetons. They are quite elusive to see …. despite their big size. We usually get lucky seeing one like once a year around here. They are interesting odd looking creatures especially with the big antlers.
Perhaps you should try Season 1 of White Lotus? Though it’s a bit frivolous stuff. We are liking the last season of Bosch Legacy — you can’t give up on it now, lol. It’s pretty good and I think Rod might like. I want to see where it ends. Only a few episodes left. I’m not sure what series we’ll watch after this. Hmm. Enjoy your week.
Very cool to see a moose! The last time I saw one was in Maine, probably pre-pandemic. I noticed that it was Gatsby’s 100th anniversary and am also a Fitzgerald fan. I like to reread Gatsby every decade and it’s time again. Maureen Corrigan’s book, And So We Read On, is also very good, so I may reread both! Sounds like an idea for a summer project… hmmm!
Hi JoAnn, moose are very difficult to see so we were lucky, we see about one a year on average. I’m glad you’ve seen one in Maine.
It would be good to read a Fitzgerald book this year if not the Gatsby … but that would be good too. I have Not read Corrigan’s book about it so I’m glad to hear you really liked it. I think it would be great to read. Good idea for summer.
Have a great week.
I have Dream State and Stone Yard Devotional making it’s way down my library holds list, looking forward to both. So cool to see a moose!
I am so behind on posting, reading and just about everything. Emailing you soon, probably later today.
Hi Tina, no problem. I hope all is well there. Is something going on?
I wish I was able to get to Stone Yard Devotional but I haven’t cracked it yet. Still on the Frozen River and a new PW book. Will chat with you later. take care.
I love moose. When I went to Alaska, I saw a few of them, but it’s so cool, you have them in your local area. Must have missed the anniversary for Gatsby, but it is one of my favourite classics, so I may honour it with a reread. On the other hand, I struggled with Enter Ghost. It had some interesting components and setting, but I didn’t get on with the writing style.
Hi Stargazer. That’s cool you’ve seen moose in Alaska. Must have been a great trip. We are lucky to see them on average about once a year around here. They are elusive so it’s sort of rare but cool when it happens.
And glad to hear you are a Gatsby fan. I hope to read one of Fitzgerald’s books later this year in honor of the anniversary. I’m sure Enter Ghost is not for everyone and it wasn’t easy for me as I wasn’t familiar with some things in it like the areas & checkpoints etc. but I took it slowly and was impressed in the end with the character’s journey and the premise of putting on Hamlet in such a locale.
Wishing you happy reading.
What a sweet moose! I hope you got some rain and had a nice Easter. We spent the day at my mom’s and watching the birds, a bunny, and a squirrel enjoy the bird seed from her backyard feeder. I will be curious to hear what you think of Black Woods Blue Sky when you read it. I think it’s an upcoming book club pick for one of my book clubs. I’ve heard mixed reviews so far.
We need to start the final season of Bosch Legacy. We’ve been watching X-Files. My daughter expressed an interest in it and it’s always been one of my husband’s favorite shows. We had watched the first season awhile ago, but then took a break, so are back to it and almost done with the first season. We watch an episode a night when we can.
Enter Ghost sounds really interesting. I recently read a book by an American Palestinian author called Against the Loveless World for a book club and we all loved it. It was eye-opening for many.
I hope you have a good week, Susan.
Hi Wendy, thanks. Glad you had a nice Easter. We got a bit of precipitation here which is always good (as it is mostly so dry). I’m not sure I will get to Black Wood Blue Sky this go around from the library but I plan to get to it in the future. I have liked her books in the past. She seems to like fairy tales aspects a bit but I’m not sure about the new one.
Glad you are enjoying X-Files. The last season of Bosch Legacy has been quite good … though a bit rough around the edges so just put that warning out for your daughter.
I’m really glad you let me know about the American-Palestinian author’s book. I’m in the mood for more after Enter Ghost, which I learned a bit from. I will see if my library carries it, thanks! Have a good week too!
I’ve loved The Great Gatsby since I first read it in high school. I tried to love Fitzgerald’s other work–I like some of the short stories, but none of the novels held a candle to GG. Such heart, such poetry, such insight.
I’m on the waitlist for Three Days in June myself.
I find it incredible that anyone would have the audacity to title their book Great Expectations. That alone would sour me on reading it!
Hi Jane, glad you’re a Great Gatsby fan. I agree — his other novels don’t seem to have the same flow & prose as GG. I will have to reread it again, lol.
The Anne Tyler novel looks particularly short this time … we’ll see if it has her usual magic.
And I had to laugh at your comment about the Great Expectations title. I think the author has received much flak for that … from what I’ve seen. Not sure why that was even chosen. It’s not Dickensesque to my reading. Is it because of his journey? Well choose something other! lol. Glad for your input.