I had a nice reply already to post here a few days ago and it got lost!!!
    I'm with Tomereader on the character for News of the World.   As I read the book the face of Sam Elliot came to mind.   It's funny isn't it how you visualize a character just by their description. That was a good story and I'll be looking for the movie.
    I did find the Hillbilly Elegy movie and it was surely sad.   I didn't read it at the time it was mentioned here  so the story was new to me.    It did put me in mind of Glass Castles by Jeanette Walls.   I'm amazed at how the children of some families rise above all the drama and go on to be a success and so much more.  The touching thing  is their devotion to the parents who caused so much grief in their lives.
   Marilyne,  I'll never forget THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING.   It was a good and funny story that I've recommended to many friends.   It's interesting though that I only have a few friends who share my interest in that type of story.  Some are totally dedicated to who dun its and others only read biography.   I like Heintz 57 myself though have a soft spot for good family stories.  I just finished MY DEAR HAMILTON.  Anyone who likes historical fiction would find this a good one.

Two more library books dropped. I almost forgot to pick up Alone at Dawn which is the true story of John Chapman, Medal of Honor recipient for his action in Afghanistan. The other one is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. So, I have to put aside two SciFi's I recently started (nothing to to report on those) to read these.

Last night I finished listening to a short novel called One Man's War by Steven Savile. It is a Scifi mercenary story. and I can't say I liked the characters. They liked killing way too much. To counter that, I am now listening to another shortie, How to Survive the Roman Empire by Pliny and Me by Hattie Naylor. It is rather amusing with a somewhat understated humor.

Other than that, the cats and I are spending more time watching YouTube ships and elephants clips at live streams. That has cut into my reading time, but Oscar and Lucy like to watch TV and Shan likes to play. I swing his "fishing rod" toy around for him to chase and jump at while watching.

Yet another book library read just became available. I really like how I make sure to space them out according to when the library estimates a book will be available to me, and yet, they tend to drop within days of each other rather than the week's spacing I try to maintain. Sigh! Anyway, A Borrowed Man by Gene Wolfe is now waiting to be read. It is a first of series about, what else, books. It is billed as a SciFi/Mystery.

Okay, so I returned Alone at Dawn without finishing it. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book, but I already saw a documentary about John Chapman and this book, even though good, spent a lot of time going over the history of Combat Controllers (interesting), It went on to describe other CCT members doing their thing while Chapman just missed or was recovering from an injury to participate in several high profile missions including Desert Storm and the beginnings of our military's mission in Afghanistan. Worthy reading. Maybe I will go back to it another time.

Well known author,  John LeCarre,  died today, at the age of 89.  He was a prolific writer and is best known for his spy/espionage novels.  The only one I've read, is The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.  It was a very popular book in the 1960's, during the Cold War.  It was made into an award winning movie, starring Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, and Oskar Werner. Other novels that were made into movies, were Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,  and The Constant Gardener.  All of his movies are playing now on either Netflix or Amazon.  I plan to watch, "Spy Who Came in from Cold", tonight, or soon.
     
Before LeCarre started writing, he worked many years as an actual spy, for British Intelligence.[/b]

I made short order of A Borrowed Man and The Midnight Library. I didn't care for them. I am, however, having better luck with Jonathan Moore's Blood Relations. It doesn't have the slightly supernatural element to it that others of his I have read, but I am, nevertheless, not disappointed. Once again it is set in the San Francisco area, this time following a disbarred attorney turned PI. I am almost done with it; not sure what I want to pick up next.

       MERRY CHRISTMAS  
 AND  (HOPEFULLY) A
           HAPPY NEW YEAR    

Maryc - Thanks for the cheerful greeting this morning!  I hope all is well with you and Debby, and that you will spend a nice day together, and maybe with the rest of your family as well?  Yes, let's all hope that 2021 will be a better year for everyone.  Couldn't get much worse, so I'm sure it will be an improvement!  Lots of our S&F members now have Covid-19, circulating in their families.  Hope all of us old folks continue to stay well.  I think Shirley, is the only member of S&F to get a case of Covid.  She was quite sick, but took care of herself at home alone, and got through it okay.

Callie - Hoping all your loved ones are much better today, and that it hasn't spread to other family members. 

MarsGal - As I said in B&T this morning, I'm glad to hear that George is better, but sounds like he will not be released from the hospital for some time yet?

I agree, Marilyne. I don't think George will be out soon. Meanwhile, I am trying to think of ways to have his cats taken care of if I get sick before he gets out. Right now, if I get sick I will have to have someone come by and pick up his house key so that they can either evacuate them to the vets for boarding or bring them here. Lily will be a trial to catch as she stays away from everyone (including me most times) except for George.

Meanwhile, when not on the phone with George, the hospital or various friends and relatives, I have had my nose stuck in some books. Two more SciFi books bit the dust real quick. The first looked like it was shaping up to be a drama involving the first expeditions to Mars. I didn't care for diving right away into disagreements and jealousy. The other started off with them main characters, a part of a government fleet, tracking a pirate vessel. So far, so good, but - recovery of goods is split between the original owner, the fleet and the ship's crew. In other words, they are government owned and sanctioned Privateers. The lust for rewards shows and gets them into trouble when the Pirates band together and set a trap. I didn't care for the characters, and I didn't even get to the pirate characters.

So now I am back to reading through a set of eight books, also SciFi, that is just okay. The only reason I continue with this series is that I actually paid for it. I want to get my 99 cents worth.

This coming year I may drop my Audible subscription for a while until I catch up with what I have. I haven't had much success this year curtailing my book buying what with all the deals, discounts and special sales in print books and E-books lately. 

Marsgal, 

Sorry about the laughing icon.   It was sent in error!!!!

That's okay, MaryC. I just thought you were commenting on my inability to stay away from books and buy books I will never get around to reading before I go to the great Library in the sky.

Anyway, I am now listening to The Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire by H. W. Crocker III. I thought it was going to be a humorous thing, but it isn't. Turns out it is part of a series, each book being written by a different author. I am also reading an old book, Carmen's Messenger by Harold Bindlosss which seems to be a melodramatic mystery set in Canada and England. Also reading A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson. I hope the chapters are more interesting than the prologue was. I have The Giver by Lois Lowery to listen to before I have to send it back to the library. Good thing it is a short novel.

I finished Carmen's Messenger the other day. It was a good read, with the traditional melodramatic climax with the fight on the caboose landing where the bad guy goes overboard. The other books are progressing slowly. Another book I am reading, and almost done with, is a first in series SciFi about a bounty hunter. The lead character is likeable. Amazon has a January book challenge I am participating in, and the SciFi will satisfy the first of series read.

Mars Gal - It's good that you can concentrate on a book, with all the serious things you have going on in your life right now.  I've been having a tough time in recent months, sticking with a book.  I either have too many other things on my mind, or just haven't found the right book to catch my interest.   The only thing that seems to take my mind off of all the woes of the world, is getting involved in a good TV documentary or movie.  I've been vegging in front of the set, most afternoons and evenings. 

I hope we hear from some of our book friends this week, with some reading recommendations?        

I haven't been up to my usual speed at reading lately, because of George's death and the need to check on his cats a trying to find homes for them (next to impossible these days). However I did finish Gerta last week and am now reading the final book of The Cemetery of Lost Books series by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Labyrinth of the Spirits.

MarsGal - Good to see you posting again. I've been thinking about you every day, and hoping that everything will work out for George's cats.  It's a tough one for you to handle, because I know you want to be true to George, and do what he would have wanted. As you said, it's a bad time now because it's Winter, and people are focused on Covid.   

Are you signed up for Next Door, in your neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods?  I've noticed that there are messages on my Next Door, all the time, about cats that have been abandoned,  or left in houses and apartments when their owner has suddenly passed away.  Local neighbors are looking for new homes for these cats.   There seems to be lots of responses and interest in the problem.  Cat lovers are very sympathetic to a sad story of formerly beloved cats, who are now without a home.  Maybe you could look into joining your Next Door,  and posting a heartfelt message there?

No, I am not signed up for Next Door, but my sister is. She has mentioned it several times as a source of info regarding repair, remodel and landscape/lawn contractors. However, George's GF and executor of the will contacted the Harrisburg Humane Society and has set a date with them to surrender the cats. She must come down here with appropriate paperwork showing that she is authorized to surrender them. My job, in the meantime, is to get the vet's records for the cats.

Well,  I did it again.   A few days ago I sat here and wrote a nice response to some of you and apparently got distracted and never sent it.   Now I have no idea what I said except that it had something to do with this craziness we are all in.    I do have an appointment for my vaccine tomorrow IF in fact the Rite Aid has the stuff.   Keeping my fingers crossed.
   I finally found a book that got me reading right off from the page one.  It is  "ONE FOR THE BLACKBIRD AND ONE FOR THE CROW" by Olivia Hawker.    It is another of my favorite topics, that of the settlers in Wyoming. I haven't read anything by this author before so we'll  see how this goes.
  I finally went to Amazon and looked at their free and inexpensive books and found this for $2.99.  I don't usually pay more than  $.99 but I was getting desperate for something to read.
  I haven't been to the library since December when I stopped driving.  Otherwise I would go and browse or at least order and pick up, besides I really like the ebooks.
  Debby would take me to the library but I've had so many appointments for her to drive me to that I don't want to  stretch her good will.   She laughs and comments that there isn't much else to do these days so why not?  She is a good daughter!!
   We had a pretty good snow today.  It's the most we've had all winter.   The weather people say that we are in for a hard cold snap.  Can't complain as it's bee a mild winter so far and we are a good way into it already.

Gosh, I've been neglecting this discussion for over a week.

Hi, MaryC. I like the e-books too. As much as I like print books, I found e-books more convenient to carry (because a book or two are always with me where-ever I go), and because it is easier to handle with cats on my lap and in the way.

So, since I posted last, I finished The Labyrinth of the Spirits which turned into more of a horror bloodbath than the others, not to mention seemingly quite lengthy. In spite of the brutal tortures and assassinations during and after the Spanish Civil War, I enjoyed the writing and loved the frequent mention of authors and books.  Since the author passed away last June, I won't be enjoying any more of his wonderful writing.

I am now reading The Map of Knowledge by Violet Moller and Orders of Battle by Marko Kloos which is the 7th of his Frontlines series. I actually thought #6 was the last because the two main characters were planning to retire from the military. I am happy to see it wasn't.

I'm also getting back to listening to The Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire.

Good morning MarsGal and Mary.  Good to see both of you still posting here, and hope that we hear from others who used to be regulars.

I haven't posted much, because I'm still unable to go to the library and browse, which is my favorite way of choosing books.  However, we can order online and pick up, which I've done only a few times since the pandemic started.  I've been waiting a long time for the latest  Elizabeth Berg book, and finally got it yesterday.  It's a memoir, titled "I'll be Seeing You".  I haven't opened it yet, but plan to start reading this afternoon.  I know there are other Elizabeth Berg fans who post here, so I'll return to report on how I liked it. 

Mary - I checked my library for, "One for the Blackbird One for the Crow", but they don't have it, so it many be new, or only available for e-books?  Sounds good, so I'll put in a request.

MarsGal - "The Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire", sounds like something I would really enjoy, so hope my library can get that one for me as well.

I participated in my first Zoom meeting with the Book Club this morning.  A member's husband lets us use his account so we don't have to download Zoom, which I doubt I'd ever use for anything else.

We "discussed" "The Lost Girls of Paris" which is basically about girls who were recruited (against all the male opposition) for British attempts to foil Nazi attacks in Europe.  I wouldn't count it as Historical Fiction and found some of the plot developments unrealistic.
But it was so nice to see faces and hear real voices. 

For recreation, I'm working my way through various "chick-lit" series by various authors.  Discovered there are three who did a "Hope Springs" series.  One is set in Hope Springs, Wyoming, one in Hope Springs South Carolina and the other in Hope Springs, South Dakota.  (All fictional towns)Same basic story lines but kinda fun to see how different writers set up the  plots.

Off to see what the latest development in.....now, where am I? ....um, Oh, yes - South Dakota  

Deb and I got our Vaccination Wednesday and have an appointment for the second on February 24.   Glad to have that started.

Callie,  Your Zoom book club meeting sounds interesting.   I've just participated in Zoom meeting a couple of times with family.  It's fun but leaves a lot to be desired.  IMHO!  We've talked about having our Bereavement Group meeting by conference call because everyone in the group wouldn't be able to Zoom, but we haven't get to it just yet.   Meanwhile we just call one on one to check up.  I looked at The Lost Girls of Paris but somehow it just didn't get my interest.   There was a little something similar going on in the Maggie Hope Mysteries series (Susan Elia) when Maggie went over to Europe as a  spy during WWII.
   Marilyne,  I didn't get my copy of One For the Blackbird and One For the Crow from the library.   I broke down and bought it from Amazon on a special  for $2.99.
  Marsgal,  I like the ebooks too because my Kindle is lighter to hold when I read in bed and if I'm out and need to kill time I can pick up the story on my phone.
   For those of you who are getting this cold weather.....keep warm as best you can.
brrrrrrrrrrrr  22 degree on my back porch just now!

I gave up, temporarily, on The Map of Knowledge. Too much going on, so I barely got started before it was time to send it back. I didn't renew it because the last book in my hold cue just dropped. I'll read that and put The Map of Knowledge back onto my wish list for later. There is just too much going on right now to keep up with my reading. Hopefully, that will change by the end of this coming week if the upcoming snow storm doesn't slow things down.

I just finally received this ebook from my library and started it late last night.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52762903-the-book-of-lost-names

I was too sleepy to get very far but I think it has promise and certainly has gotten good reviews.  I'll let you know later what I thought of it.  Has anyone else here read it?

Phyllis - I remember reading reviews on  The Book of Lost Names,  when it was first published.  It sounded like a great story, and I intended to put my name in at the library.  I see from your link, that it was published last June, so probably didn't get much press, thanks to the Pandemic.   Anyway, I forgot about it at the time, but will now order it.  The Goodreads review places it in the same category as  All the Light We Cannot See, which is one of my top favorites in recent years.

MarsGal - I can see why you have no time for reading, at this point.  I see that George's cats have gone to the Humane Society. Very sad for you, but I understand that you had no other options.  I hope that Lily is adapting okay to your three cats?

Mary - Great that both you and Debby, received your Covid vaccination!  I have an appointment for Feb. 8th, which is a week from this Monday. I will be a relief to have the first one over with.  The new cases are slowly going down here in my county, which is/was one of the worst in California.  They say it's because so many people have been vaccinated?   I hope this will be the beginning of the end of this tragic scourge. 

Callie - I think I read,  The Lost Girls of Paris, a couple of years ago?  I'll have to look on my Goodreads list, or better yet, I'll look art a review?   Usually I have better recall when it comes to books, but maybe too much on my mind in recent months?  Your Zoom, book club meeting sounds like fun.  I'm not enthusiastic about face to face, online meets with family, and others.   After the initial greetings, I seem to go silent, and fade into the background.   

The Zoom meeting was fun but I wouldn't like using the program for conversations. You can tell if a participant begins to talk because a green line shows around her picture.

I didn't really contribute to the discussion but had my Tablet open to the library website and was able to tell the group if books being discussed for future meetings were available in e-book and if there was a long waiting list. 

The March selection is "Fifty Names For Rain" by Asha Lemmie, a "Good Morning America" selection.  I read a sample and am not sure I'll like it any more than I did the other one.  The group seems to pick stories about abandoned/disadvantaged/mistreated (take your pick) people who "rise above the situation" and end up going to Harvard or being rescued by someone who "believes in them".   Sorry to sound cynical but.........  

MaryC,  I read 8 of the Maggie Hope books quite some time ago and enjoyed them. Had forgotten she went to Europe.

Phyllis, I've checked out the e-book of "The Book of Lost Names" and look forward to starting it.

Seems as if there's a "trend" for setting stories in bookshops or about booksellers.  I just finished "The Lost And Found Bookshop" by Susan Wiggs and "The Red Notebook" by Antoine Laurain. The first one is set in a book shop and the main character in the other one is a bookseller. Both were very good.
I've read others in the past few months in which one character or another either worked in or owned a book store but can't come up with the titles and am too lazy to look them up. 

No Plan du Jour for today.  It's sunny and warm(er) but much too windy to sit on the patio.  So I'm off to sit in my one sunny south window and return to Hope Springs, South Dakota.

Happy Reading, Bookbuddies.   

Callie - YES, many novels have been written in recent year, that take place in a bookstore. Definitely a trend!  I have read quite a few of them, but can only think of a couple of them at the moment.  One, was  "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry" - can't remember the author?  It was a fun read, but totally unbelievable story. Not realistic at all. I think lots of others who post here, also read it, and you might have been one of them?  Another one I read, was about a young woman who inherits a book store.  Can't remember the title of that one? 

"News of the World",  the novel we all read last year,  (or the year before?),   will soon be available for rent on my Comcast pay-per-view.  Because of the pandemic, it was only released in a few theaters in September, and of course was unavailable to most people.  It was supposed to be nominated for a few Academy Awards, but I haven't read anything about tis year's nominations.  I will likely pay to watch it on my Comcast movies.  One of my favorite books in recent years.      

Marilyne,  I read "Storied Life...." and agree about unbelievability. Also think I've read one about an inherited bookstore but can't remember the title, either.

I'm now reading "Five French Hens" by Judy Leigh.  It's a "light read" that isn't "chick-lit" about 5 English ladies in their 70's who decide to have a Girls' Week Out in Paris. ("hen" is apparently an affectionate British term for women of a certain age  ). 
The humor is "age-appropriate" and there are enough twists and turns in the story to make it fun and interesting.
EDIT:  Finished "Five French Hens" last night and did not find the conclusion "age appropriate" - although that may be because I'm not "up with the times". 

Lost interest in the "Hope Springs, South Dakota" book after a few pages so, after a bit of desk work, I'm heading for the sunny south window to find out what the next Paris adventure is for the Five French Hens".

Happy Reading, Bookbuddies. 

At last!   An excellent, high quality new movie playing on Netflix!   I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm so tired of the movies and series that run on both Netflix and Amazon Prime.  They are fine if you like a continuous flood of thrillers . . . murder and mayhem, drug dealers, psychopaths, sex, and endless visual violence.  If you feel worn down by the constant flow of distasteful trash, you're in for a treat! 

This brand new British film, The Dig, stars Carrie Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, and other excellent actors.   Both AJ and I were very impressed with the entire production!    First of all, it's a true story that occurred in England, right at the beginning of WWII.  (It's not a War story - I only mentioned it to set the time frame.)  It involves a piece of land, owned by a widow, Carry Mulligan.   On her land, are a series of large mounds that have always been there.   They had always been an object of interest to explorers and archaeologists over hundreds of years, but nothing specific or of interest had ever been found.   

A man living on a neighboring farm, who is an excavator, (Ralph Fiennes), asks her permission to explore/dig one of the mounds.  What he finds is extraordinary. The fact that the story is true, and easily researched,  makes it all the more fascinating.  I hope those of you who have Netflix, will give this one a chance.

There have been a couple of books written about this dig, plus there is plenty of information and documentation online as to the facts.

Marilyne,  I watched "The Dig" last weekend.

I found some reviews of the movie. One indicated that, in the novel the movie is based on, Mrs. Pretty tries to connect with her deceased husband via a "seer" in London. I wished they had included that instead of so many long drawn-out scenes of her walking across the field and through the London streets to the doctor's office.  Those scenes with the repetitive music and "voice overs" for conversations were a bit "Artsy", IMO.

Another thought the story line of the Piggots' marriage took away from the main story line.  It didn't say if that's included in the novel.

Even so - I did enjoy the movie and definitely recommend it.

I was able to put a Hold on an e-book copy from the library. 

Callie -  I agree with you on the little "complication" with the Piggots' marriage.  You wonder why the screenwriters decided to add it to the story?  I guess they wanted something contemporary to spice it up a little??  Anyway, I could have done without it. 

It was definitely not a fast paced exciting movie, like we're so used to seeing now. It did move slowly, but I found it easy to watch.  The only character who could be considered to be a trouble maker, was the man from the British Museum - but even he mellowed in time.

Overall, it was a big cut above what we're used to seeing on Netflix. AJ put a hold on the ebook also, so when he finishes it, I'll read it.