Hi bookworms, I hope you are well. Ugh, we’ve had our first smoky weekend of the season here from wildfires in the north of Alberta and other provinces. I know others in the States are getting plumes of smoke as well. It gives me a headache so we close the windows and turn on the air, and Willow takes a nap next to my desk. When I first started coming to Canada in the summer of 2006, wildfires and smoke weren’t a big problem but just in the past eight to ten years it seems to have become more of a constant. Most of the fires start by lightening in the forests but some are man-made … all spurred on by climate change. It’s sad to see the planet burning … hopefully the world leaders can discuss it when they come for the G7 Summit in the mountains here in Alberta next weekend. It’s going to be an important meeting of various issues but will anything come of it? I’m not sure with the current White House occupant attending and his detrimental tariffs.
Meanwhile I have quite a great library book haul here that I haven’t been able to get to yet as I’m finishing a review for Publishers Weekly and nearing the end of Elena Ferrante’s epic The Story of a New Name. Yesterday I finished the audiobook of Roisin O’Donnell’s novel Nesting, which is my first book on my summer reading list. Whoa, it’s quite a powerful and tense story about a mother of three in Dublin trying to get out of an emotionally abusive marriage. More on that book in my next post. But first, what do you think of these pictured? Have you read any? I’m eager to start a few, but I need to clear my slate this week. Last week was a whirlwind with painters at the house and a slew of golf and tennis activities and summer yard work. Things are in high gear, lol.
And now here are a couple reviews of what I finished lately.
Where the Forest Meets the River by Shannon Bowring / Europa / 2024
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed returning to these characters who live in Dalton, Maine, that takes place five years after what happens in her first novel The Road to Dalton. Sadly a suicide in that story leaves a wake on the close-knit residents here in Book 2. Sexually conflicted Greg is in college now and has thinned his fat self down through running but has to work up to telling his father that he’s not interested in working at his hardware store. Nate has stopped being a cop and is working at the lumber mill while caring for daughter Sophie. He and Rose, who’s broken up with abusive Tommy, seem to be edging a bit closer since arranging playdates for their kids. While Nate’s mother Bev and Trudy’s relations hit some bumps after Trudy’s husband Richard, the town’s doctor, suffers a health scare.
Bowring seems like a disciple of Elizabeth Strout in that her handful of cast interconnect with one another and live in a small town in Maine. It doesn’t seem as dark as Strout’s books. The details and bits of small humor make it warm and the townspeople come to life with Bowring’s wondrous storytelling. Is it a bit sentimental? Perhaps a bit but she is a lovely writer and I really look forward to Book 3 titled In a Distant Valley, which is due to be released Oct. 7 this year. I think it will end in a trilogy, so we must see what will happen to these endearing characters. I thought Book 2 was equally as good as Book 1, and I especially loved the little bits of humor sprinkled in. I listened to both read by Patricia Shade who narrates the books wonderfully.
Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood / Riverhead / 304 pages / 2024
3.5 stars. This novel was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize so I was eager to get to it. I found the book grim and strange. When I first picked it up, I thought I would like it a lot more — it’s about a secular woman who goes to a cloister in rural Australia to find some solace and refuge from her life and marriage. But the story is full of a mice plague that occurs and her grim musings about bad things that have happened in the past. She’s never gotten over the death of her parents, which is sad, and she comes across a woman she knew in her youth who was bullied mercilessly at her school and she feels guilty to have being involved in.
While there, a nun, who was killed abroad, has bones returned to the cloister. There’s much about the bones, the mice, her lost parents, and the bullied woman. I would’ve backed up the car in the driveway and zoomed outta there when the furry creatures started scurrying all over the landscape… then the woman would’ve saved herself various dark feelings about all the other things she was fretting about. Despite my misgivings, there are some scattered nicely written passages throughout the book, so I’ll give her that.
That’s all for now. What about you — have you read these, and if so, what did you think?
Those wild fires up your way are awful. I hate seeing them start so early. And I’m not looking forward to wildfire season down here where I live. It’s been so dry. We didn’t get hardly any rain in May and our snowpack was good this year, but not good enough. That’s a cute picture of your sweet dog. And you have so many good books to read! I hope you enjoy them all. 😀
Thanks Lark. I hope you don’t get wildfires in your mountains there. It is very dry. It’s sort of early in the summer for this … but sadly now the fires are almost all the time. We might get a bit of rain tomorrow night — that might help.
So many books … so little time 🙂 ha. Enjoy your week.
The smoke is terrible. We are thousands of miles from the fires, but the air is grey.
Ugh. I know Mae. It’s bad. The grey air is suffocating. I hope you get some relief from the smoke there. It’s so early in the summer for this. It’s been grey here as well. You can thank climate change and everything humans have done to the environment. Wishing it’ll clear for you. Cheers.
Nice picture of Willow; she looks so cute! We had two days of poor air quality this week because of the fires up there, which coincided with higher temperatures than we’ve had thus far this year. Not a good combination. I placed Stone Yard Devotional on hold on May 12, and I’ve borrowed and read three books while I wait. Don’t know what’s taking them so long, it’s only been one person before me all along. Anyway, I read Heartwood, which was outstanding (5*), and I’m finishing up Atmosphere, which is very good so far as well. If it doesn’t go downhill towards the end I’ll give it 4*. I have yet to read Nesting; glad you “enjoyed” so, maybe in the Fall, as I have several books from June that I want to read, and quite a few from earlier in the year too. Of course, not taking into account yet how the Booker longlist is going to throw my reading into disarray towards the end of July (!!!) 😮 Have a nice reading week, and enjoy all your outdoor events!
Wow Carmen, that’s great you’ve read both Heartwood and are almost done with Atmosphere! Wonderful info to know that you liked these. Yay, it bodes well for my reading. Nesting is a bit tense but also a bit powerful — so maybe add it in the fall if you feel like it or have time. I’m not sure what you’ll think of Stone Yard Devotional — it wasn’t exactly what I was thinking it would be. A little bit stream of consciousness too. Try it out once you get it. See what you think.
Poor Willow got sprayed by a skunk last night?!?! Ugh right outside the front door when my husband let her out. So then he had to shampoo her a few times and put tomato sauce on her. Sigh. What a night. I need to finish Ferrante ASAP. Hope you have a good week.
The smoke from the wildfires is awful. My parents are feeling the effects in central NY and even here in southern CT we’ve experienced it to a milder degree. Glad you enjoyed Shannon Bowring’s latest. I loved it, too, and can’t wait for this fall’s installment. I did see an interview where she said it would wrap up the series. I wonder what she’ll do next. I’ve been on the fence with Stoneyard Devotional and don’t have plans to I read it any time soon. Hope the smoke in your area subsides soon so can get out and enjoy the summer.
Thanks JoAnn. It could be a long summer of smoke, sigh. If we get more southern winds, it could blow it back north. It makes it unpleasant. I hope your parents get some relief from the smoke. Grey, hot skies are no fun.
Bowring is a delightful author … and I really am looking forward to #3 too. I wonder if #3 will have a lot of changes or events to it. We will see.
Enjoy your books & June!
I felt the same way about the Stone Yard Devotional. I certainly didn’t connect to it at all nor did I ever really understand the motivation for the woman to leave her life and move to the convent. Odd. In fact, I don’t even think I reviewed it.
Hi Anne, I’m glad for your thoughts on Stone Yard. I wasn’t sure if it was just me, or if others had a similar reaction to the book. The narrator really doesn’t spell out exactly why she’s at the convent … but it seems by what’s inferred that her marriage and life were on the fritz. Or that she was having some breakdown? It’s all kept a bit vague. It is a bit of an odd book … and one that is sort of grim & odd and not very warm. So I can’t say it reached me much either. Hope you have a great week.
I’m sorry you are suffering with all the smoke. Ugh. I hope the G7 Summit goes smoothly.
I think I will cross Stone Yard Devotional off my list and add Where the Forest Meets the River.
But I should probably look for book one of the Dalton series first.
Yes. Dalton Book 1 first … so Book 2 will make sense. 🙂
Hi Deb, thanks. Yeah I hope the G7 … goes okay too. Cross fingers.
That’s a good plan …. I would take Stone Yard off … but both Shannon Bowring’s novels are delightful. Such a good storyteller too.
I would be overwhelmed if I had that many library books in my house at the same time. Too much pressure to finish them on time.
Sorry to hear about the smoke; my east coast friends are experiencing it, too. No fun!
Hi Helen, yeah the smoke is blahhh. Not sure if this will be around all summer? I really hope not.
I had to laugh about your comment about all the library books … I can relate a bit but luckily I don’t let it get to me too much. I like sort of browsing thru them … the font and writing … and if I can’t get to reading them this time then I return for another time. But it gives me a chance just to look them over and see which I really want to get to. But I know I will get to most of them … in due time. Ha.
Sorry to hear you’re dealing with the smoke. It can be disheartening. I hate it when were inundated with smoke from wildfires. I hope it’s an easy season here. We have an air purifier and we used it a bunch over the first summer we moved here because there was a terrible fire they couldn’t put out because of the topography. It went on for weeks!
Sounds like a lot going on in Stone Yard Devotional. Not sure it’d be my cup of tea.
Hi Rachel, yeah I really hope you don’t have any fires near you this summer. It makes it dreadful. The air feels grey and dead and hot. Is this your third summer there now? Hopefully we will get some Southern wind to blow the smoke back north.
I don’t think you’d care for Stone Yard Devotional, but I’m glad to know now that it wasn’t really what I thought it might be for me either. Wishing you get a great week. & happy reading.
Hi Susan,
I am sorry to hear about the wildfires and the smoke. The weather increasingly is getting more extreme and climate change does seem to be causing it and something has to be done.
Very pleased you liked Where The Forest Meets The River and thank you for your review of of The Road To Dalton which I read and really liked. It will be nice visiting with these characters again and glad to hear that Nate and Rose are getting close.
Hi Kathy, yeah climate change is going to be a big factor now and in the years ahead. It’s changing life for sure … in not good ways.
I’m so glad you liked the Bowring novel. I can’t remember if I read it after you? But I know several bloggers were giving it good reviews … and I finally got on the bandwagon as well. I think you’ll like the sequel just as much. There’s not a whole lot of change in it … but I think the author is gearing up for Book 3!
Wishing you a great week.
Hi Susan, I read it after you. I had never heard of the book until your review and thank you. Now I hope libby will acquire book two!
Good to know Kathy. I think JoAnn and Lesley have been in on the books as well. I definitely hope Libby gets her second book. I’m loving Libby … as I have 3 libraries I can draw on for that. So good.
The Bowring series interests me. Adding it to my TBR list.
Hi Dorothy, yes I think you’d like both of Shannon Bowring’s novels. She’s a great storyteller of small town life in Maine … with some interesting characters. Have a great week.
Wildfires and the smoke from them are really awful. We get them in our area too at times. We’re really grateful for the rain we’ve had as at least that helps a bit. You’ve got some interesting books in your library haul. I’ll be interested in several of them and what you think about them if you’re able to find time to read them. Tilt sounds like one I’d really like to try. The hold lists the ones I’m curious about are long, long, long though. Ah well. One day. Take care and I hope you have a good week, Susan!
Thanks Kay, Yeah I’m excited about my library haul. All of them look good to me. But if I don’t get to them this time, I’ll get them back another time. Tilt does look good and it’s quite short so I’m thinking I’ll get to it.
I’m hoping we might get rain tomorrow night. That would help a bit. Cross fingers. Have a great week and enjoy your reading.
I hope that the fires are out and the smoke clears soon!
I feel like a bad Aussie as Charlotte Wood is a very celebrated author here but I can’t bring myself to read her!
Have a great week!
Thanks Marg, hoping the smoke clears soon too.
I was glad to have tried Charlotte Wood … though I was hoping I’d like her book a bit more … perhaps I will try another of hers some other time. I’m not letting her off the hook, lol. I’m not sure you have to read her. Plenty of other Aussie writers! Enjoy your week too.
Who knew we’d experience “fire season” when we were kids? Now it’s part of our reality. I wonder how the community of Jasper is doing with its recovery from that huge fire last July.
As you know, I read Tilt and still think about it since we are constantly informed to prepare for “the big one!” I need to look at our supplies and refresh our bottled water, but there’s really only so much you can do to prepare for such a huge disaster, especially living in a forest. The trees will probably crush our house and that will be that. Cheery, eh?
I’m going to hold off on Where the Forest Meets the River and re-read the first in the series, then the next two after the third is released. It will be fun to read them back-to-back.
Hi Lesley, I’m hoping the big earthquake won’t be for many decades — that would be a nice thought. You are probably as prepared as you can be.
Fire season is a real drag. I wonder about Jasper too … I think it’s recovering slowly if I had to guess. Banff & Louise are too crowded in the summertime so we always wait to visit later.
I think your plan to read the Bowring books back to back is a good one. There wasn’t a whole lot that happened in Book 2 but it was still good. I think she is gearing up for Book 3. We will see.
Hope you have a great week and that it’s nice at the Cove.
I loved the second Shannon Bowring book and look forward to the last in the series. I know what I am hoping for but we will see how relationships and careers end.
Stone Yard Devotional is on my holds but I don’t think i will get to it anytime soon. Thanks for the mice warning, haha. Loki had one from our field last week and I was not pleased. Hey, he’s a rat terrier so just doing his job.
Willow looks quite content sitting by you. That’s awful about the smoke. When they do controlled burns here it keeps us in.
Hi Tina, yes the Bowring book was another winner from her. Her storytelling is so good and her characters are endearing, except for Tommy, lol. I enjoyed it.
I was hoping I’d like Stone Yard a bit more … but alas I was glad to finish it. There is an infestation of mice in it! Loki is keeping an eye out for any mice.
I hope the smoke doesn’t last all summer here. Some days are worse than others if we can get the right wind … we can drive it out.
Good luck on your big week ! You’re ready for it. Email you later.
I feel for you with the smoky days–so far, Colorado has been spared, but I remember in years past how awful and oppressive it was. Hopefully, everything will settle down and you can enjoy the summer. Don’t look to Wash DC for any help, however.
I’m eagerly awaiting my turn at The Last Secret Agent–just my kind of book.
I need to get a copy of Where the Forest Meets the River. I had planned to before going to Maine next week for 10 days, but we had to cancel due to my husband’s ongoing back problems (4 MRIs, 5 X-Rays, 3 injections, and today he starts PT). Aging is not easy!
Enough of the moan–I loved The Road to Dalton and am eager to get caught up in Bowring’s latest.
Hi Jane, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband’s back problems. It sounds very painful. Is it a herniated disc ? I hope he’s been able to find relief with the injections. And I’m sorry you have to cancel your trip. Aging is definitely not easy. We all are breaking down it appears.
On the positive side, you will love Bowring’s Book 2 if you liked Book 1. It was just as good as the first. We will have to get ready for Book 3 coming in October.
The smoke here is a drag. It’s just socked in with grey skies … and gives me a headache. Luckily we might get a thunderstorm overnight … which will give better air quality tomorrow. I hope Colorado stays clear! Hope your garden is doing well. Cheers.
The fire situation. I dread it every year. It just continues to get worse as climate change ramps things up.
What a great library haul. I am over here just barely getting by. Work has been too crazy. Poor (new) leadership and a bunch of people who have no idea what they are doing. My responsibilities have increased by at least 40% and often carries into my off hours. Makes reading a challenge which makes me cranky.
Hi Ti, great hearing from you., though I’m sorry to hear that your job has gotten so much more crazy. That’s terrible. Is it going to last that way?
The fire situation does seem to get a bit worse each year, sigh. I only hope the grey skies won’t last all summer.
I hope you have a good weekend …
So sorry to hear fire season is already underway. We’re still quiet down here- fire wise. Everything else is going up in flames.
Politics aside, you got quite the haul at the library! The only one I’ve read is the Death of Us. It was very good, but bleak. Have you noticed all the sad books lately? I feel as if I’ve read more depressing books in the last 3 months–The Names, The Bright Years, Death of Us.
Glad to hear you’re keeping busy with fun stuff and I hope the weather calms down.
Hi Catherine, thanks for stopping by. Always great hearing from you.
Yeah I guess some of the books on my summer list are pretty bleak & sad. I just finished Nesting and nearing the end of Broken Country … those are pretty dark. Maybe I’ll wait a bit on Death of Us. I didn’t realize The Names was bleak too.
We finally got the blue sky back today after several grey smoke days … I can breathe again. Hope things are okay where you are. Keep busy … otherwise the news is just bleakness …
How annoying with the wildfires. Sad that they have become a stable component in the Canadian summer. Hopefully, it won’t be too bad this year. I look forward to hear about your view on Nesting.
Hi Stargazer, it is sad that the fires are a constant now each summer. It is a drag. Luckily we’ve had a bit of rain for the last two evenings so that is greatly helpful. I just posted my review of Nesting. It’s a strong debut! The husband in that novel is a crazy menace. See what you think of the book. The audio is good.
Hope your summer is going well. Enjoy your books.
Sorry to be so, so late. And I am sorry you are getting smoke from the wildfires. Having experienced that first hand so many times, I can sympathize. I think it has been a few years since we have experienced any fires that are close enough to affect us that way.
I have not read anything by Allen Eskens but I want to. I should do that before the September book sale to see if I want to hunt for more books by him. I got a copy of The Road to Dalton last year but still haven’t read it.
I am glad you reviewed Stone Yard Devotional. I thought I would have liked it too, because of the setting — both the cloister and Australia — but it doesn’t sound so good based on your review so I will wait a while and see if I change my mind.
I am reading a book set in Australia (from my 20 Books of Summer list) right now. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. I cannot remember why I bought it, although it has been very popular. And has two sequels. It is a weird crime fiction novel and I am enjoying it so far, although the Australian setting isn’t that prominent.
Hi Tracy, good to hear. I’m curious about Allen Eskens new book The Quiet Librarian … I had a copy but wasn’t able to get to it before it was due at the library. I will try to get it back later. I have enjoyed a few of his over the years.
Stone Yard Devotional was a bit of a disappointment for me, which surprised me since I thought I’d really like it. It was on 2024 Booker shortlist. Maybe still try it if your curious.
And I will look for your review of the Stevenson book — I’m not sure I know it but I am curious of Aussie-set books. I hope it is good.
We had two evenings with a bit of rain — which have immensely helped get rid of the smoky air here. So we are back to blue skies, yay! Hope your summer is enjoyable. And that it’s beautiful there. Have a great week.