Torontoc's Books read in 2023 and maybe some films

Hi
My name is Cyrel and I am a retired visual art teacher. I do keep busy with work on various volunteer committees. I used to travel a lot but since since COVID have been something of a hermit along with most of my friends. I do belong to a pottery co-op and that has been a lifesaver during these times. All members sign up on a schedule and there are two or three people in the studio at one time. We all wear masks in the studio. I thought that I would read a lot more during the past three years but the opposite happened. I am reading less but still enjoy what I read. Films- well, I have avoided large crowds these past three years but see films online. Maybe I'll go back to the cinemas this year.

Welcome back for another year, Cyrel!

Dropping a star here, Cyrel

Will be along as usual, Cyrel x. Wishing you a comfortable reading year in 2023!

Hi Cyrel. Happy first thread of 2023.

Hope you have a great year of reading!

Thank you, all! and my first book read this year.
1. If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga. This novel is on the 2022 Giller Prize Shortlist. I must admit that fact kept me going and finishing this book. I found that the style of writing was very good. The chapters alternated between a young woman who moved to Cairo from the US and her lover a young( but maybe not that young) man who was penniless but had been a photographer during the recent revolution. It is possible that the man was suffering from a sort of post-traumatic stress disorder. The young woman was teaching English in the city but her move was managed by her mother who found her the job and the rented apartment. She was trying to find her way in a country that her parents had left for the US. In a way the woman seemed oblivious to the problems of life in Cairo although the reader does get a sense of the atmosphere. The relationship between the two was fraught with tension and much misunderstanding about the differing cultures -American and Egyptian. One of my pet peeves are clueless characters in a novel. There is something about the lack of learning in this book about how things are different when a person moves from North America to the uncertain life in Egypt.

2. The Candy House by Jennifer Egan This is a wonderful novel. Each chapter is a fragment of a life that will relate to the previous chapter. It is like a giant puzzle. The themes seem to cover our world past and future. The first chapter begins with Bix Bouton, a tech entrepreneur who has discovered a new technology where you can revisit your own memories and eventually others as well. Bix really steals the idea from a professor who disappears into an uninhibited area of a South American country. The reader then moves to the lives of various brothers and sisters. We see the development of technology that intrudes on privacy and supports undemocratic regimes. There are those who thwart these inventions. All the multiple characters have links to one or another. The story is a critique of what might happen in the future and it also shows the consequences of relationships influenced by this technology. A Great Read.

Happy reading in 2023, Cyrel!

I'm enjoying your reviews of the books you've completed. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you!

>8 torontoc: I was wondering about that one. I shall put it on my list.

Happy weekend reading!

3. The Spy Next Door Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre I really like Ben Macintyre's books on spies. This one is excellent. Macintyre follows the career and travels of Ursula Kuczynski, a dedicated communist. Ursula was raised in a privileged German Jewish family. Her father , Robert, was a noted demographic statistician. Ursula joined the Communist party in Germany and was eager to take on any active role against the rising power of Fascism. She actually worked in the United States for a while. The Centre in Moscow took on Ursula as one of their agents and she went to Shanghai, Mukden Manchuria, Poland, and eventually England. She had liaisons with famed spy Richard Sorge, and three men who fathered her children. There was training in Moscow and work transmitting important secret documents to the Soviets. Incredibly Ursula or "Sonya" was protected by her sources even when they were captured by the Japanese and later MI6 in England. The material that Ursula sent to the Soviet Union allowed the Russians to build their first nuclear bombs. As well, Ursula was able to flee from England and go to East Germany when she was about to be identified and captured. Her next career was as a novelist in East Germany. The stories are so interesting. Macintyre makes the point that undercover Russian agents in MI5 andMI6 was able to deflect any interest in her activities. British authorities dismissed the idea that a woman with young children could be a spy.

>7 torontoc: I think I will give that one a pass. I think the "clueless characters" would drive me crazy.

>8 torontoc: That one is already in the BlackHole. I need to get to it - as well as A Visit from the Goon Squad, which I have owned for several years now.

>13 torontoc: I have already read that one, so I get to dodge that BB.

It looks like your reading year is off to a great start, Cyrel!

4. Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld. I really like Tom Gauld's work. All of these cartoons have an interesting take on novelists, the lockdown due to the pandemic, and of course, comments on those of us who have a " many books in our house' affliction. There is much needed humour in these cartoons. The themes gives those of us who are bookaholics a change to laugh at ourselves. Definitely recommended.

>15 torontoc: Thanks for the recommendation, Cyrel. I will have to track down a copy.

5. Masaryk Station by David Downing This is the last in the series featuring John Russell. The story take place in post war Berlin where John and his Russian spy friend Shchepkin are trying to figure out how to untangle themselves from the spy business. This is the time of the Russian blockade of Berlin. ( all trains and highways are blocked-the Americans bring all goods on planes)There is also the issue of helping a few spies for the Americans. There are complicated plans as Shchepkin obtains an incriminating video of Beria committing murder. I think that the earlier books that dealt with spying before and during World War Two were more thrilling. I had a lot of difficulty finishing this novel- I don't know why although a book seller that I know attributes it to the pandemic.

6. Run Towards The Danger by Sarah Polley. Sarah Polley is a Canadian actor, writer and directer. She directed Women Talking and is nominated for the Oscar's Best Adaptation of an Existing Book. (or something like that). This book of essays is autobiographical. Polley was a child actor and she remembers how she hated the exhausting work and the lack of supervision by anyone on the set. This includes her parents and directors. She discusses her time at Stratford, in films and in TV series. Polley writes about her encounter with an infamous radio personality who was charged with sexual assault by three women. He was acquitted because the court did not take into account behaviours after the women had experienced trauma. She chose not to come out publicly with her story after listening to the advice of friends and lawyers. Her health issues of scoliosis, endometriosis and problems with birth are subjects as well as her concussion. The essays are very personal and told with empathy for those who helped her. This is a very thoughtful book and I highly recommend it.

Her autobiographical documentary film " Stories We Tell is worth finding!

>18 torontoc: - I saw that film, Cyrel and agree that is was very good. I did not know about this book of essays. Were you referring to Jian Ghomeshi? Does she name him? Such a travesty of justice, that fiasco!

Hi Shelley
Yes, Sarah Polley does name him. Her essay on her struggle to decide what to do is very good!

7. Leopoldstadt by Tom Stoppard Leopoldstadt is the name of an area in Vienna where poor Jewish people lived. This play takes place in Vienna at the home of a wealthy Jewish family and spans the years from 1899 to 1955. A number of the family members have married non-Jews. The grandmother seems to be the only member of this family who wants to keep Jewish religious customs. There are discussions about feeling more Austrian than Jewish while still confronting barriers to social life because of discrimination. The scene that takes place in the early 1920's shows the problems with changes in the political system after the loss in world War One. Family members have been affected and there is conflict as some of the sons and daughters have different alliances in politics and religion. And the scene after the take over of Austria by Germany is fairly brutal as those in the family who stayed in Vienna suffer. This play shows a very large family with many cousins. The last scene should remind the audience and reader about the consequences of complacency to the political world. ( Tom Stoppard has his own interesting background. I believe that he found out very late in life that he was Jewish- he was born in the Czech Republic and his family did flee from the Nazis. )

The next book that I am reviewing was from Early Reviewers. I was supposed to receive the book in the mail but instead got a word file that my computer was not happy with. I did finish the book.
8. Color Capital of the World Growing Up with the Legacy of a Crayon Company by John Kropf I must admit that I was expecting more of a history of the making of Crayons. The author does describe the development of crayons and chalk in the 19th century and his family's part in this work at the American Crayon Company. As a former art teacher, the story of how crayons came into being and the role that they played in elementary school curriculum is very interesting to me. This book does cover this history but the author also creates a memoir of his family and the town where the factory was built- Sandusky, Ohio. Kropf describes the various industries that helped the town grow and prosper. This is also a story of how manufacturing was developed and later shut down in the town. Kropt's family is very important to him as he relates the stories of great grandparents, grandparents and their role in the company. The selling of the American Crayon Company and the changes that came about demonstrate how the loss of manufacturing altered Sandusky. In fact the descriptions show how vital towns and cities lost an essential element that had made them important to the economic life of the country.

That sounds like a fascinating book, Cyrel. Pity that they didn't send you a hard copy, though. I have always loved crayons, from childhood, and through to teaching elementary school. :-) I still have many. It's one of those signature *smells* that is instantly identifiable, like playdoh.

>23 jessibud2: I wanted more on the crayons and less on the founder's family in the book!

9. Morgenthau Power, Privilege and The Rise of an American Dynasty by Andrew Meier
Whew! This biography of three men of the Morgenthau family ( Henry Sr., Henry Jr. and Robert) covers important times in American politics. ( The book is over 1036 pages with notes and index and 892 pages of main text)Lazarus Morgenthau arrived from Germany to the United States in 1866. His son Henry ( Sr.) was the first to make an important name for himself as he was influential in his relationship with Woodrow Wilson. Henry Sr. was appointed Ambassador to Turkey before the beginning of World War One. He saw the effects of the Armenian tragedy and the change in Turkish politics. Henry's son , Henry Jr. worked with Franklin Delano Roosevelt as Secretary of the Treasury. Henry Jr.'s family were close to both FDR and his wife Eleanor. Robert after serving in the Navy in World War Two becomes District Attorney in New York. This history details all the work that the three Morgenthau family members did in their professional lives and how their work was important in the telling of US history. There is much detail in the manoeuvres that each man had to do in their public service roles. This is a very long read but I did enjoy the work of the author.( and I learned a lot!)

10. Optic Nerve by Maria Gainza and translated from Spanish by Thomas Bunstead. This slim volume of connected chapters can read as a group of short stories. The narrator from Argentina gives the reader glimpses into her life as she grows up. Each chapter references an artist who is somehow is placed into her story. Maria is somewhat eccentric in her behaviour and seems to collect similar friends. I found the writing about artists interesting and appreciated the creation of unusual characters.

11. One Hundred Saturdays Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World by Michael Frank The author sat down with Stella Levi in New York when she was in her 90's. The stories that she told described her life in the Jewish section or Juderia on the island of Rhodes. Her community had been in Rhodes for hundreds of years. Stella Levi describes her life on the island as the Italians and later the Germans take charge. The descriptions show a world and customs that disappeared when all members of the Jewish community were taken to Auschwitz. Although Stella describes the hardships that she and her sister and friends endured, perhaps the lasting impressions that I had were of the life that she led when she was young. This memoir/history shows the customs of a long lost Sephardi community.

>27 torontoc: - I looked at this one more than once when I saw it in the bookstore a few months ago. I will get to it one of these days.

>28 jessibud2: It is a really interesting account of the Jewish community on Rhodes before the war.

12. Kit's Law by Donna Morrissey There are so many interesting writers who have written about life in Newfoundland. Donna Morrissey is one of them. I read this book because it is on my book club's list. It is very well written and does give an account of life in an isolated Newfoundland outport or small village by the sea. I found the story a little melodramatic although affecting. Kit is a young girl living with her grandmother and mentally handicapped mother in a small house that is isolate even from the town. Kit doesn't know who her father is. There are villains in this novel. The Reverend in the town is always scheming to send Kit and her mother, Josie, to institutions in St. John's. ( the capital of the province) There is a man who is accused of killing another who is on the loose. The Doctor in the town protects Kit and her family. After some (very) dramatic events , the reader see how Kit matures and learns to live her own life.

>26 torontoc: I finished Optic Nerve recently as well. Her tales of the artists I found to be fascinating.

>30 ocgreg34: Yes, I agree!
13. Department of Mind-Blowing Theories cartoons by Tom Gauld I went with my niece and her family to a great graphic novel/ comic book store. And of course, I checked to see if there was a Tom Gauld collection that I didn't have. This book is very funny. Gauld mocks scientists, researchers and all things science. He uses the same style and kind of humour that I saw in his books that focused on writers, librarians and book-alcoholics. This was a fun read.

I read that one, Cyrel, before I got to Revenge of the Librarians. It was definitely fun. Where was the store you went to? Was it Bakka? I've never been there.

>32 jessibud2: The Beguiling

I don't know that one. I should check it out.

>34 jessibud2: Oh, Yes!

14. Shy The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers by Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green. This is a really fun book!. Mary Rodgers is very direct about her relationships with her parents, sister, husbands and children. She also provides great gossip about the many composers, lyricists and show business people that she dealt with in her varied career. I didn't realize that Mary Rodgers also wrote children's books in addition to her composing and musical theatre show that I know her for-Once Upon a Mattress. Her opinions about her now life as well as her friends and co-workers are funny and very direct. I would recommend this book for Broadway junkies and affectionados.

15. This Time, That Place Selected Storiesby Clark Blaise This selection of short stories has a forward by Margaret Atwood. The reader then approaches these finely crafted stories knowing that some of the information comes from the author's own life. Each story relates to a different personality dealing with adversity, poverty, strained relationships between French and English Canadians in Montreal and Florida, as well as the many issues with Indian and American ways of life. Blaise is a master of writing.

16. The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen I had read The Sympathizer so I knew about the main character's past history. The reader is really not given his real name but we know what he is doing in Paris. ( In his past life, he was a communist spy sent to the US to observe the people opposed to the regime in Viet Nam.) Eventually he was sent back to Viet Nam to a reeducation camp and then sent to Paris with his friend Bon. Bon was determined to assassinate communists. They both ended up working for a Vietnamese gang that dealt in drugs. However this is a story of betrayal. It is also damns all sides of the conflict as well as the effect that the many colonizers had on the people of Viet Nam. The accusations have references to French writers, theorists and the politics of 1980's. This is a brilliant book and it made me think of the massive effects of colonialism.

17. What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad This novel won the 2021 Giller Prize. The focus is on a boy who has been on a ship filled with refugees who try to reach a Greek island. The story has alternating chapters that tell the story of life on a vessel on the Mediterranean Sea and the attempt of a young girl on the island to help the boy. The situation of the migrant crisis and the people who try to find a better life is a focus of the novel. However, I found the backstory of how the boy gets on the boat puzzling. The writing is good but I guess that I wanted a more cohesive plot.

18. Recollections of My Nonexistence by Rebecca Solnit This is sort of a memoir by the author. I say sort of as Solnit does not give the reader a concrete list of all episodes in her life. She concentrates on the things that helped her development as a mature person and accomplished writer. The reader learns about the importance of her first modest apartment, her worries about injury to herself both physical and mental and the effect that friends and colleagues had on her life. We also learn about her early escape from a dysfunctional family, and her tenacity as she champions important causes. I especially liked the chapter on how reading and books enrich her life. A must read.

19. The Hour of The Star by Clarice Lispector and translated by Benjamin Moser. I don't know. I have read how readers love this author. I am not a fan. (why read-because my book club chose this book for our next meeting) This very slim book relates the story of a very poor, uneducated young woman in Brazil. The narrator has trouble with this account as well with constant oberservations. Hmm. I am moving on.

20. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai. This novel is a cheerful read- the reader is introduced to the Chawla family in the small Indian village of Shahkot. The son of the family , Sampeth is not happy in his job. He eventually leaves home and climbs up a guava tree where he is determined to stay. His mother , Kulfi, dreams of cooking all sorts of delicacies for him. Mr. Chawla eventually moves the whole family out to the guava orchard in order to mange the crowds of people who come to see and listen to Sampeth. Sampeth's sister, Pinky is very annoyed with all the fuss about her brother. And finally the monkeys who have been bothering the villagers in the local market move to be with Sampeth, disturb everyone and feast and drink and their new obsession- liquor. How the various officials try to figure out what to do is fun to read. I enjoyed this imaginative story.

21. Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra.I must admit that I wanted to like this novel more than I did. The story takes place in 1941 and later. Maria Laguna is working in Hollywood for Mercury Pictures and her boss is Artie Feldman. Mercury specializes in making inexpensive films that sometime mimic more well known features of other bigger studios. Maria was born in Italy and managed to come to the US with her mother just before World War 2. Her father is being held in a remote village in Italy as a result of his work defending those who opposed the Fascist Italian government. Maria thinks that she had a role in her father being captured. Vincent Cortese is an ambitious Italian who managed to come to the US but went back to Italy to rescue his mother. The story of how he figures into the escape plans of photographer Nino Picone is central to the plot. I found that the narrative switched to a number of people- from miniaturist Anna Weber who helps the US figure out how to bomb Berlin to Eddie Lu- a Chinese American actor who can only get stereotyped roles. I really wanted to follow that story of Maria.The story touches on a number of issues in pre and post war United States. The narratives of the movie studios were really interesting. I knew something about the issues in Italy. I really liked the writing style. I just wanted more of a role for the first main character.

22. In The Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman. I usually don't read novels that take place in an alternate world of talking dragons, warring tribes and mysterious serpents. This one certainly held my interest. The author has written three earlier novels about this incredible world that she created. However, the reader can start with this story as earlier actions and characters are explained the in the narrative. There are four main characters in this story. Marga is a sword welding countess who is taking a ship on an exploration expedition. Spira is a dragon on another ship on a similar mission. Jacomo is a priest coming along with the adventure with Tess who has a difficult task. Tess is a young person who frequently makes mistakes. She want to take Pathka, a quigutl, to the Polar Serpent. There are encounters with conquering tribes, powerful tigers, watchers and more. This novel is full of adventures and interesting connections between different peoples creatures and languages. I really enjoyed this read.

23. The Glass Pearls by Emeric Pressburger This well constructed story was written by a man who used some of his own experience as a refugee. Pressburger was a noted film maker in England after World War 11. This novel is one of two that he wrote in the 1960's. The story is unique. The main character, Karl Braun is a piano turner who appears in London in the 1960's. The reader is very sympathetic towards Karl as he lives his modest life in a boarding house and makes some friends. There are hints that he is not who he pretends to be. in fact Karl is an infamous doctor who conducted horrible experiments on concentration camp inhabitants during the war. He has been hiding for over twenty years. His downfall occurs when he accesses hidden money in a Swiss bank account. This is a well written novel.

24. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel I reread this novel because my RL bookclub is discussing it next week. It is still a very compelling story involving time travel and the issues of pandemics. Highly recommended.

25. What She Ate Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories by Laura Shapiro This was a very interesting history/biography as the author relates how six very formidable women dealt with food. However it is also a capsule account of their lives. I found out why the food at the White House during the time of the Roosevelts was so bad. (Eleanor was not really interested and also had a grudge with FDR for his relationships with other women. )Food stories were more important in the chapter on Rosa Lewis-the woman who inspired the book The Duchess of Duke Street and the series. Dorothy Wordsworth, Eva Braun, and Barbara Pym were described more about their own relationships than the food. The chapter on Helen Gurley Brown was more about not eating and her own career. I found the book interesting in the way the author described the lives of the six women and how food intersected in their stories.

26. All The Colour In The World by CS Richardson I really liked the format of this novel. Each page read as a mini poem. The main character, Henry, becomes an art history lecturer, and eventually joins the army during World War Two, He suffers trauma when fighting in Italy. He has undergone many tragedies in his life and the reader sees how he copes. His knowledge of artists and art history is interspersed with his actions to deal with his demons. This was a quite wonderful read for me.

Cyrel, I just found out that Word on the Street has been moved to May 27/28! Instead of September. And it's back to Queen's Park, which I am happy about. Of all the venues it's been, that was, in my opinion, the best.

https://toronto.thewordonthestreet.ca/

>48 jessibud2: Great! I loved the Queen's Park venue ( better not be renamed King's Park)

>49 torontoc: - Ha! Right! They can't rename everything, can they? For example, they can't rename Queen St because we already also have a King St! ;-)

>21 torontoc: This is an old posting but I am responding because the issue of Tom Stoppard’s “Jewishness” interests me. In fact he knew all his life that he was (technically) Jewish. His mother lived well into his adult years and he knew the family story of the Bata company’s evacuation of their Jewish employees immediately after the invasion of Czechoslovakia. At one point early in his career he briefly used the pseudonym “Tomik Straussler.” His decision to tell the family story in Leopoldstadt was not the result of some late revelation of his identity, although certainly it was not a topic in which he showed any prior interest.

>51 booksaplenty1949: Thank you. Interesting point!

>52 torontoc: He seems to have been a person who played with the idea of identity his whole life, personally and artistically. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/01/tom-stoppards-charmed-and-haunted-... Let me know if you can’t open this article.

>53 booksaplenty1949: Great article. The author wrote that Stoppard found out about his " Jewish roots" in 1993.

>54 torontoc: I am personally not buying that he didn’t know he was Jewish until then. It’s entirely possible, however, that he didn’t do any research into the “roots” until the Cold War was over.

There are more Czech and German Jewish families who hid their religious background from their children. There is one Canadian writer who wrote about this- Alison Pick. I think that the trauma of leaving countries where they identified with their nationalist beliefs rather than their religious background, led many Jewish families to abandon Judaism. ( Madeline Albright?)

>56 torontoc: I believe that the Sträusslers had already abandoned Judaism, the faith, long before. But I think that the story that Stoppard knew nothing of his Jewish identity is a fabrication. He was married to a Jewish woman for twenty years and had two sons with her. Her devoutly Orthodox parents moved in next door. The subject never arose? Like the story that his anti-semitic stepfather asked him to stop using his surname after his mother died in 1996. Really? When he had become one of the world’s most famous playwrights? I think he is a fabulist, at least on this subject.

Last point: Miriam Stoppard, née Stern, although now Lady Hogg in private life, continued to use Miriam Stoppard as her professional name after she and Tom Stoppard were divorced in 1992. Did Ken Stoppard ask her to drop his name?

>57 booksaplenty1949: >58 booksaplenty1949: You raise really good points.

27. Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood. I really like Margaret Atwood's recent collection of short stories. Some could be labelled science fiction and some of them could be read as a dedication to Atwood's late husband ( or partner- I don't know how they labeled their relationship) Graeme Gibson. The stories about the lives of Nell and Tig reveal the tender relationship of a husband and wife as they age and Nell's life after the death of Tig. The stories that refer to past history ( an interview with George Orwell, a description of the death of Hypatia of Alexandria, a slice of the life of Martha Gellhorn) are succinct and informative. There is humour in the daughter's search of evidence about her mother . ( is she a witch?) There is variety and great style. A very welcome addition to the work of this great author.

28. Stateless by Elizabeth Wein This ER novel is an adventure story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This " Young Adult" book can be appreciated by all readers. The story takes place in 1937. There are already many tensions in Europe over the rise of Fascism in Germany and Italy and the effects of the Spanish Civil War. There is an air race competition that features very young people from European countries. Stella North represents Great Britain. She is the only female pilot participating. During the first leg of the race , Stella witnesses one of the competitor's plane forced down by a mysterious second plane. This leads Stella to think that one of the flyers or chaperones is intent on sabotaging the race. More incidents prove her right. Stella befriends Tony who is flying for France and slowly learns about his complicated history. A surprising ally, Sebastian, flying for Nazi Germany, also helps thwart the unknown saboteur. This is a good book for readers to gain knowledge about the world events before World War Two.

29. Heat Wave A Paradise Cafe Mystery by Maureen Jennings As the weather becomes warmer and spring/summer is arriving- I feel the need to read a mystery. Maureen Jennings is the writer of the very popular Detective Murdoch series. ( and equally popular Canadian TV series )This is the first book in a new series featuring a private investigator, Charlotte Frayne. In 1936, Charlotte is working for a very small firm in Toronto. Her boss, Mr. Gilmore soon becomes a suspect in the beating/death of his wife. Charlotte has to investigate and try to clear Gilmore. At the same time she is asked to look into the case of missing money at the Paradise Cafe. The cafe is run by four men who survived a prisoner-of-war camp during World War One. There are also mysterious letters arriving at the office that are threatening and antisemitic. Jennings captures the problems of poverty during the Depression as well as the political issues of the time.

30. In The Wings by Carole Corbeil This novel is about theatre people and the progression of the casting and rehearsals for Hamlet. The story is set in Toronto and there is a lot of writing about the tangled relationships of actors, the director and a theatre critic. Alice Riverton is a noted actress set to play Gertrude. Her lover, Allan O'Reilly will be playing Hamlet. Each one has their own tortured past. In addition, the theatre critic, Robert Pullwarden is grieving over his wife's decision to leave him and take their young son to Vancouver. There is a lot of space given to hopeless love and passionate affairs. The best part of the story , in my mind, is given to the interpretation of the play and the description of how the themes of the play are teased out during rehearsals. This was an interesting book to read. The late author was a noted arts journalist in Canada.

Dropping by to wish you a splendid weekend, Cyrel. x

>64 PaulCranswick: Thank you!

31. An Odyssey A Father, A Son and An Epic by Daniel Mendelsohn I reread this book for my in person book club meeting the end of June. It was so nice to realize that the book was so good. I enjoyed the rereading of the author's description of his father's participation in his seminar on the Odyssey at Bard College. Jay Mendelsohn was opinionated in many ways as his son, Daniel told the stories of his father's life. The reader also benefits from a thorough discussion of the Odyssey. The author took his father on a cruise of the sites of the epic. The reactions and interactions between father and son were so touching to read. Again, highly recommended.

32. Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline. This ER novel is considered an " young adult" book. I think that it covers a lot of topics. Winnifred is a young teenager who lives with her father in a building in an old cemetery in Toronto.( her father works in the crematorium) Her mother died when she was born. The reader sees a young girl who has a tremendous amount of concerns that direct her life. She has only one friend- Jack- who betrays her as only a teenager can do with no regard for consequences. Although Winnifred's mother was Indigenous, Winnifred only had contact with her Aunt Roberta. Roberta's daughter , Penny , never liked Winnifred and eventually she turns on her. There is a crisis at the cemetery when a company that specializes in ghost tours plans to stop there. The fact is that Winnifred has met a real ghost, Philomena or Phil and may have inadvertently told Penny about her. There is one ghost, Winnifred's attempts to stop the tour, her father's issues with dealing with the loss of his wife and the economics of a failing cemetery. There is definitely many themes to digest as well as see the problems of a young girl who has no one to help her with her own issues.

33. Kiss The Red StairsThe Holocaust Once Removed by Marsha Lederman I heard the author speak a few weeks ago and bought her book. I must admit that I wasn't prepared for the focus which was less of a memoir and more of a very intense examination of her life as a child of Holocaust survivors. Lederman is a respected journalist covering arts for the national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. Her parents were survivors who eventually ended up in Toronto. Her father had been a worker on a farm in Germany, disguised as a Polish peasant. His whole family was killed in Treblinka. Her mother was a slave labourer who was lucky that she had her sister with her. She had moved from Auschwitz to various camps before being liberated by American troops. Marsha Lederman was the youngest of the family's children. Eventually she married, moved to Vancouver and had a son. After a divorce that she wasn't expecting, the author dwelled on her own emotions as a child in a family that seemed different than that of her neighbours. The research that is discussed in this book looks at the attitudes of children of Holocaust survivors and how they process the world around them. The author comes to understand how the lives of her parents has a major impact on hers. There are details of her parent's actions and her own as she reconciles past and how to deal with her present circumstances. The book was not what I expected to read but I did find her research very interesting.

34. Snow Road Station by Elizabeth Hay Elizabeth Hay is one of those writers who always delivers very readable stories. The prose is so good and the issues very believable. Lulu Blake is an actress who blanks on her lines in a play that she is starring in. ( actually Beckett's Happy Days) She leaves the theatre and and drives to the one place that makes her feel safe- a rural area in Quebec where her brother and her best friend Nan have farms. Lulu has had a relatively successful career but has never had the starring roles that would bring financial stability. She does own her apartment in Montreal. During Lulu's stay in the "Snow Road Station" area for the ling weekend, she interacts with old friends and their children. There is one horrific encounter with Nan's ex husband. Lulu is dealing with her problems with her current acting job as well as trying to solve issues with her family and friends. The writing is great and makes me want to read another Elizabeth Hay book soon.

35. Street Gang The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis I have seen the documentary film that was made about this history as well as the one about Caroll Spinney -the person behind Big Bird. ( see both) This history traces the beginnings of Sesame Street . The reader learns about previous children's programmes, and all the people who had an important role in developing this very important programme. Joan Ganz Cooney and Jim Henson and the Muppets are key to the creation of Sesame Street . But the producers , directors composers, puppeteers, writers, stage and puppet designers and actors all contribute to the success of this remarkable show.

36. Instructions for the Drowning Stories by Steven Heighton This set of short stories are sometimes pessimistic, or very sad but always beautifully written. There are frightening discoveries and terrible endings in many of the works. I feel sad as the writer died quite recently.This book showcases a major talent whose life ended too soon.

37. Ducks Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton This is a terrific but complex graphic novel/memoir by the author. After graduating from university, Kate Beaton travelled from her hometown in Nova Scotia to Alberta to work in the oil sands industry. She encountered harsh weather and working conditions, loneliness and the plight of being a woman in a male dominated working environment. The narrative reveals the sexual abuse that Beaton suffered. Beaton also talks about the men who have to leave their family and homes in Atlantic Canada where there are few jobs in order to make good money in the oil sands industry. She covers the problems of mental health, environmental concerns and the view of the Indigenous people who live in the area. Definitely a book to read!

38. The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk and translated by Jennifer Croft This novel covers the life and actions of the " second" Jewish False Messiah - Jacob Frank. The stories and descriptions were narrated by a number of characters from adherents who lived with Frank to Catholic nobles and clergy in the Poland of 1757 and on. I was fascinated by the geography of the time where merchants travelled from towns in Poland to Turkey. The story is quite heartbreaking. The times were not good from Jewish living in small towns. The first " false messiah Sabbatai Zevi had converted to Islam years before. Jacob Frank devised a theory of why Jews should convert to Catholicism. His band of followers supported his lifestyle from imprisonment in Czestochowa to lavish life in a town near Frankfort. The ( to my eye ) perversions that Frank imposed upon his followers led to the destruction of lives and small communities. This book took me a long time to read as it weighed in at 961 pages. I was glad that I did spend the time absorbing the history and theories of this era.

39. Bachelor Brothers Bed & Breakfast Pillow Book by Bill Richardson I had a need to reread a very comforting and funny book this past week. ( doctors' appointments that turned out ok, and the replacement of two cantankerous toilets) This book is hilarious laugh out loud and great to read. Bachelor Brothers Hector and Virgil are running their bed and breakfast and along with the narrative about the people and animals that are part of their lives offer book lists and recipes from their clients. The best book to read( and reread) when real life is tense.

40. The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks This historical fiction novel imagines the life of the "good wife" of Bath from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. I think that it is written with a " 21st century sensibility". In this story, Eleanor is married when she is very young( about 12 years) to a very old man. The reader follows her as she marries five times and goes from being very poor to wealthy and then back to poverty. She is a friend of Geoffrey Chaucer. Sometimes he is not happy with her choices but does help her in times of danger and distress. Eleanor is smart and has to withstand the rules of the time that limit the freedom of women. She makes both good and bad choices in life. The reader certainly gets an education in the times during the reign of Britains' King Richard 11. This is a very readable history and does give the point of view of the problems of working women. Highly recommended.

41. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese I have had this novel on my book pile for a while. I am glad that I have finally read it. Marion Stone is a twin born in Ethiopia. He and his brother, Shiva were lucky to be in the Missing Hospital where the staff struggled to save them. Their mother, Sister Mary Jospeh Praise died in childbirth and their father. Dr. Thomas Stone promptly disappeared. Raised by doctors, Hema and Ghosh, in the hospital compound. the brothers were witnesses to the rule and fall of the Emperor and the generals who tried to take over the country. The narrative is by Marion. His brother, Shiva, although talented, remains a bit of a mystery to him.Both brothers become doctors and Marion is forced to leave Ethiopia because of a false accusation regarding helping Eritrean revolutionaries.The reader learns of Marion's time in the United States and his discovery of his father. This novel is more than a good story- the history of recent Ethiopian politics and the details about operations and surgeon's work were educational to me. Again , highly recommended.

>74 torontoc: - The actor who narrated the audiobook version of this was outstanding. I listened to it that way and I can remember not wanting to get out of the car. I think his name is Sunil Malhotra. Really excellent narration. I hear that Verghese has a new book out now. I will be looking for it. He is a great writer. I have read all his books so far.

>75 jessibud2: Yes , I hear the Verghese's latest is very good and very long. I am going to wait a while to read it after my recent read of the 959 page The Books of Jacob

42. Prisoners of the Castle An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz The Nazis' Fortress Prison by Ben Macintyre I really enjoy the work of Ben Macintyre. This history details the stories of the men who were imprisoned in Colditz Castle, their captors and the many ways that they tried to escape. Some of the attempts were successful and most were not. Macintyre also recounts the issues of class-those who were entitled and those who were not. The details of how the many British, Polish, Dutch and French soldiers worked on tunnels and plots to escape are astonishing considering the location of the castle. There were those soldiers who were spies. They worked out a scheme to communicate with agencies in England through seemingly innocent letters. Parcels delivered through the Red Cross and their families provided more food and material for escape. Like all of Macintyre's books-this one is highly recommended.

43. Toronto Between the Wars Life in the City 1919-1939 by Charis Cotter. This book was given to me by the daughter of one of my friends who died a few years ago. It was a favourite of hers. The author uses many photographs from the Ontario Archives and the City of Toronto Archives. Each photo is used to describe the lives of people in the cities well as show some of the interesting architecture of the times. It is a very interesting photographic history of the city.

That last one sounds good, Cyrel. I've read a number of Mike Filey's Toronto Sketches books and the one you mention looks to be in that same genre. I will see if my library has it. I was just now googling to see the titles of Filey's books and saw that he died last year. Not sure how I missed that!

Modest Hopes: Homes and Stories of Toronto’s Workers from the 1820s to the 1920s is a more recent survey of surviving working class architecture in Toronto. Even a humble workman’s cottage was a big step towards a new life for these immigrants and former local farm labourers.

>78 booksaplenty1949: Thank you for the book information!

44. Bachelor Brothers Bed & Breakfast by Bill Richardson. After I read the Bachelor Brothers Pillow Book I had to find the first one that Bill Richardson wrote about the endearing twins Hector and Virgil. This story is not " laugh out loud" like the second but it is sweet and lovely and a great comfort read. There are a few lists of recommended books and one recipe for banana muffins that I would like to try. ( if I spoil 6 bananas- hmmm)There are some funny parts and the origins of the parrot Mrs. Rochester and the cat Waffle are explained. This novel won the 1994 Stephen Leacock Award for Humour-well deserved!

45. Private Palaces Life in the Great London Houses by Christopher Simon Sykes This history had great photographs, drawings and paintings of the very big and elaborate houses built from 1665 to the early 20th century. It is very hard to call these buildings houses as they were enormous places with ballrooms capable of holding hundreds. The author writes about the patrons and the architects who worked on these city estates. There are excerpts from diaries that describe the events and the owners. I enjoyed this book but wondered- these houses displayed the enormous wealth of the nobility in the 18th and 19th century. Most of these places were destroyed in the 20th century and replaced with new streets and apartment buildings. The society of the very rich was replaced with a very different group of people. The history was more than a listing of estates. In a way once the reader put aside the photos and drawings, you could see how life and the geography of the city changed after World War 1.

46. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I really loved this novel. And I have really liked every book written by Ann Patchett. This story takes place on a Michigan cherry farm. Lara and her three grown up daughters, Emily, Maisie and Nell are helping to pick the crop. With her husband Joe, Lara has been providing a place for the girls to live as the pandemic has disrupted their school plans.As they work, Lara has been telling her daughters about her early life as an actress and her relationship with a famed actor, Peter Duke. The girls and we the readers, learn about Lara's role as Emily in Thorton Wilder's Our Town. Lara goes to a small town in Michigan to act in a theatre festival in Tom Lake. There is much to tell about relationships, and choices that are made . The reader finds out what really happens in Lara's life and it is really thrilling and Patchett reveals surprises. I can't say enough about this novel. and I am going to find a copy of Our Town and read it again.

>82 torontoc: It certainly helped when reading Tom Lake that Our Town was the very first play I ever remember seeing. It was a 1977 television production starring Hal Holbrook and Robby Benson (who made me swoon when I was 15). I may join you in a re-read of Our Town, Cyrel!

I am so glad to see you liked the Patchett book too. She is definitely one of my 'go-to' authors these days, even her nonfiction.

47. Our Town by Thornton Wilder I had to reread this play after i read Tom Lake. It is a little dated but there is wisdom in the words of the Stage Manager. I was in an amateur production of this play many years ago. The last act is very touching. The role of Emily is key to the story but I appreciated the actions of the Stage Manager the best. It is a story ( play) about hard times and optimism. It is both sad and hopeful. I think that I will revisit some of Wilder's other work as well.

>82 torontoc: Two book bullets in one fell swoop, Cyrel. I will keep my eyes open for both of them.

Kino is having a members only 20% sale this weekend so I may be tempted to pay a second visit there after work this morning.

Have you ever seen the production of Our Town with Paul Newman as the stage manager, Cyrel? I borrowed it from the library, I think last year.

>86 jessibud2: That sounds good- I will have to look for it.

48. Cleveland Noir edited by Michael Ruhlman and Miesha Wilson Headen I understand the themes presented by the " Noir" series of short stories about a specific city. Each short story seems to mention the sights and neighbourhoods and in this case, the city of
Cleveland.Noir seems to imply that the subjects are about the underside of life in these cities. I have never been to Cleveland and there are indeed many references to landmarks and important sections of the city. I found many of the stories were about desperate people tricked into behaviours that resulted in them being caught. There is graft, planned murders, and horrible disappearances. I think that I expected some of the stories would have more redemption for the characters but that could me looking for more happiness since the pandemic. The stories are all well written but after reading a few I was waiting for the bad things to happen.

49. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes The author writes about Greek myths, Gods and Goddesses from what I have been calling a " 21 century" point of view. No longer are women in these stories portrayed as monsters or shown without any personality. In this story, Haynes retells the story of Medusa. She still has the capacity to turn any living creature to stone is they look at her and her hair of snakes. However, her back story shows this young woman as the loving sister of the Gorgons who are quite humane. Perseus, who cuts off her head, is described as a rather clueless young man who needs the help of a number of gods if he is to be successful in his quest. The other stories in this novel are about the birth of Athena, the crisis when Andromeda is nearly sacrificed for her mother's bad behaviour and the issues with Poseidon. The dialogue is really refreshing.I highly recommend Haynes retelling of the many Greek myths and legends.

50. A Florence Diary by Diana Athill This is a published account of the author's first trip to Florence with a friend of hers in 1947. It is a charming diary that the author rediscovered in later life. Her trip is very much a nice reminder of the charms of travel by train and the wonderful city of Florence.

51. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. Nina is a young woman who works in a book store. She leads a satisfactory life with commitments to book clubs and trivia teams. Her mother is world famous photographer and her father- not mentioned and not in the picture. Nina's world is upended when she fall for a man who doesn't read much. She also has to deal with her father's complicated family and the reading of his will. And her beloved bookstore might be closing. This is a nice read for the summer.

52. The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder. Well, after rereading Our Town I had to read another play by Wilder. Produced in the US in 1942, I can see all the allusions to the state that the world was in at the time. I wonder if today's readers could understand all the biblical references in the play. It is also very surreal in the structure.

I finally have gone back to seeing films at the Toronto International Film Festival- not as many as before the pandemic but a few.
So far
"Lost Ladies"
India
Directed by Kiran Rao
This is both a comedy of errors and a feminist primer. Two brides are switched when a nervous groom takes the wrong bride off of a crowded train. The brides are both wearing the same opaque veil and saris. One bride is abandoned at a railway station and the other is brought by the nervous groom to the wrong family. The film follows both women as one learns to believe in herself and the other shows how to be independent. There is a policeman who is both corrupt and eventually honourable. The story is fun and was enjoyable to watch.

"One Life"
United Kingdom
Directed by James Hawes.
This film related the story of Nicholas Winton and how he save 669 children from the Nazis. Winton was a stockbroker who travelled to Prague in 1938. He saw the wretched conditions that Jewish refugees were living in the city as they had fled from the Nazis. Winton returned to England worked with friends and his mother to bring Jewish children to the UK and matched with foster families. He managed to bring children on 8 trains to England, found foster homes for them and fundraised to support the demands of the British government. The story shows Winton( played beautifully by Anthony Hopkins) in the 1980's as he tries to find a home for his scrapbook detailing this work. No one knew this story of rescue and Winton was very modest.A British TV show united Winton with the children he had rescued. It is a very touching film showing the 1980's and 1938-9. What was so wonderful at the Q & A after the film was the surprise for the audience. The director introduced one of the children that Winton had saved
( now in her late 80's or early 90's) who was in the audience. As well there was a large group of people in the audience who were descendants of the children saved. They stood up and held up photos of the children who were their relations.
I recommend seeing this film!

>90 torontoc: - Both those look great! I also wanted to see the (very long!) doc on the music of Paul Simon, called In Restless Dreams. But I just spent some time on the TIFF site and wow, the hoops you have to jump through just to get a ticket. I also couldn't find any mention of ticket prices anywhere and without knowing ahead of time what the cost of tickets are, I won't purchase. Also, you have to *join* ticketmaster in order to buy a ticket? I guess you can't just go and purchase at the door. Or from TIFF directly. That's probably so old school. Damn. I don't like ticketmaster, and the way they gouge prices so I won't be joining that site, and I guess that means I won't be seeing any films at TIFF. Damn.

Maybe some of these will find their way to Hot Docs at some point.

>91 jessibud2: You can buy tickets at the box office in the TIFF building but you would have to figure if there were tickets for sale! I did go down to the TIFF office and get my tickets in person- so much easier. I talked to people in line who used the telephone to buy their tickets and found it very frustrating.

I looked at the schedule and found the whole schedule rather confusing. I didn't even see the 2 films you mentioned so I am assuming that means they are done, not showing again? I really wanted to see the Paul Simon documentary (even though it appears to be very long!) But it looks like the only 2 times I could make it are at times that won't work for me.

I have always bought tickets to films at TIFF in person at the box office, just never during festival time. I really dislike being forced to have to do things online and especially not on my phone.

I also did not see any mention of ticket prices.

I know, I am a luddite.

>90 torontoc: I remember seeing Mr. Winton being surprised by the member of the audience on a UK programme who announced that she was only of the little girls he had saved from the Nazis and then every member of the audience rose and declared the same. It was hugely moving and I was sobbing watching it just as the wonderful gentleman too was clearly overcome with emotion.

A genuine hero who should never be forgotten.

>93 jessibud2: the ticket prices are either $32 or $26- all my tickets were $32 so far. One Life is playing on Sept 13 at 5:30 and Sept 16 at 3:30-the list to look at is the alphabetical one . Even that list shows films that begin with"The" under T.
>94 PaulCranswick: Yes, I think that everyone in the audience must have had tears at some point!

and my next film -seen yesterday
Irena's Vow
Canada/ Poland
Directed by Louise Archambault
This film is also taken from a true story-that of young Polish woman Irina Gut who saved over 12 Jewish men and women during the Nazis occupation of Poland. Irena was so upset over the brutality that she witnessed as Jews were being rounded up that she was determined to do something. After a year of forced work in a factory she was given job of overseeing the laundry and tailoring for the Nazi officers in her town. When she found out that all Jews working for the Nazis were going to be taken away, she planned to save those she worked with by hiding them. Irene was going to be the head housekeeper for a top Nazi officer in a large villa. She found a hiding place in the cellar and and managed to move them there. The film shows how she managed and how she eventually had this group moved to the forest and the partisans.She had a sacrifice to make for this to happen. It was a very gripping story. And the Q and A at the end of the film was very emotional. The actors were both Polish and French Canadian. ( They were able to be at the film opening as they did not belong to the American Actors' Union. ) Irena's daughter was there and as well a man who was the baby of two of the Jewish people who Irena saved. I also recommend this film as well.

The Pigeon Tunnel
United Kingdom
Directed by Errol Morris
This documentary featured the director interviewing David Cornwell ( known to readers as John le Carre.) The structure of the film was interesting - there were close up shots of David Cornwell as well as excerpts from films adapted from his books and photos of the people in his life. Cornwell talked a lot about his con artist father and his betrayal as well of those he knew as a spy for MI5 and MI6. ( Kim Phiby was discussed). it was a very engrossing work! ( Cornwell's two sons were at the Q and A and were producers of this film)

Cyrel, Le Carre/Cornwell was an interesting fellow wasn't he? In many ways more interesting than some of his books.

>84 torontoc: I love that play. You remind me that I need to give it a re-read as well. Now on hold at the library for me so I will not forget again :)

>88 torontoc: Stone Blind looks good. Thanks for that recommendation, Cyrel.

>89 torontoc: I have had The Bookish Life in the BlackHole far too long. I really need to get it read.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Cyrel!

>98 alcottacre: Good to hear from you!
and I finished a book that I have been reading for a while

53. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai Rebecca Makkai is an interesting author. I had read The Great Believers and really liked it. In this novel the narrator , Bodie goes back to her boarding school to teach two week seminar on podcasts and film. The reader learns that she made a few good friends then but was harassed by one of the boys. She was not part of the in crowd. Her own personal life in California has been changed by an online attack against her former husband. Bodie focuses on the murder of her former roommate Thalia when she was at school when her students look for a topic. Bodie does believe that the man convicted was innocent. With her help, Bodie's students start to investigate the circumstances of the murder and the shoddy work of the police in the small New Hampshire town where the school is located. Bodie is obsessed by one teacher who she believes may have been responsible. Her students continue working on their podcast after the session ends. Later there is a legal procedure to request a retrial that brings Bodie back to the east. Her discoveries alert the reader to the possible real killer. The story certainly held my interest as the reader learns about Bodie's own obsessions and discoveries.

another film
Widow Cliquot
France
Directed by Thomas Napper
The festival wouldn't be the festival for me if I didn't see a film that was a French 19th century costume drama! This one was in English and beautifully filmed. The story follows the work of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin who marries Francois Cliquot. Francois died quite young and Barbe- Nicole finds her self a widow in her twenties. She struggles to continue the work of her husband and his vineyard in Champagne country in France in the early 1800's. The film begins with the death of Francois and shows the relationship between the married couple. Barbe-Nicole changes the way champagne is produced. In fact at the Q and A the director told the audience that she lived until age 89, never left the vineyards and indeed her methods of producing champagne are still used today.The film really concentrates on the problems that Widow Cliquot( as she was called and how her champagne is named today)had with the surrounding growers and the Napoleonic Code that forbade women to manage vineyards.This is a wonderful film.

Next Goal Wins
USA
Directed by Taika Waititi
I was really looking forward to this film. After seeing it, I think that it is a good film but not a great one. The American Samoan football team( that is soccer to us North Americans) had never scored a goal. In their last international game they lost 31-0 to Australia. The managers really want the team to score just one goal. The team's coach is fired and an American who has seen better times is brought in. The film follows the development and training of the team as they prepare for the tournament that would qualify them for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.The story is funny and inspirational. One player is a person who identifies as non-binary.( and was on the real team)It is worth seeing.

>101 torontoc: Soccer is my favorite sport. This film sounds enjoyable.

>102 SqueakyChu: Definitely worth seeing!

54. Belles Saisons A Colette Scrapbook assembled with commentary by Robert Phelps I find that the pandemic or end of the pandemic ( who knows?) interfered with my reading. I am not reading as much and do tend to put books down and return to them after a while. I guess that this book was more of an" intermission" between serious reads. The intent of this books is really a series of photos and drawings about the life of French writer Colette. I did get an understanding of the events in her life. I was interested in the different people who were part of her life.

55. Babel by R. F. Kuang Wow! This is an amazing story. The author has created an alternate society where the most important tools in the working of society are enchanted silver bars. The bars are activated by the use of translation and the connection between words and their meanings. Set in 1828 onwards, the reader meets Robin Swift, a young boy born in Canton, China. After being tutored in English, he is taken to England by the man who is his guardian, Professor Lovell. Robin is tutored in Latin, Greek and Chinese.After a few years, he is enrolled in the Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford University. Robin meets the other students in his year-Victoire, Letty and Ramy. All, except for Letty, are different than the rest of the Oxford Students. Robin is half Chinese, Ramy, Indian, and Victoire Haitian. Their gifts are their fluency in their own languages. The description of the classes and the development of words and their origins is fascinating. Robin and his friends learn slowly why they are being educated and how their skills will be used to increase the power of the English empire. They do fight back at first tentatively and later in revolution. The story held my interest and the author introduces issues of power and revolt that seem contemporary. Highly recommended.

>104 torontoc: Yeah, that one was really good!

>104 torontoc: Oh, right, I've been meaning to read this... BTW, the touchstone goes to the wrong one - the author is misspelled, so it's a sole edition. Hmmm, maybe I can workbench it. Yep, that fixed it (brute force but at least they're together now).

>106 jjmcgaffey: Thank you -sometimes the touchstones are hard to fix!

56. Mother Courage and her Children by Bertolt Brecht and translated by Eric Bentley I must admit that I read this play many years ago. When I was in university, I created the props for a production of another Brecht play A Man's A Man. The themes are certainly universal- the futility and corruption of war, the suffering of the innocent and the cynicism of the common man. Mother Courage follows the battles and armies during the seemingly unending 30 Years War. Her sons become soldiers and her mute daughter is lost when she tries to save a town. Mother Courage carries on no matter what tragedy happens. The staging is always a little surreal.

57. Haven by Emma Donoghue. This is a very powerful story. The story is set around the year 600 A.D. Artt is a priest who comes to a monastery in Ireland with the purpose of selecting two monks for his intended journey. Artt selects a young man, Trian and Cormac, an older man with much experience in building and gardening. Artt had a vision that he believes will direct his life. His intent is to take a boat, row and sail to a deserted island in the ocean and set up a monastery. He wants the isolation and a frugal life. The three monks do find a very isolated island with no soil and only one tree. Artt's direction to Trian and Cormac shows very little regard for creating a manageable society. Artt makes some spectacular bad decisions. The theme becomes the struggle between blind obedience or survival. This was a great read for me.

Cyrel, I hope that your Thanksgiving Weekend has been wonderful thus far. x

>109 PaulCranswick: Thank you , Paul!

Hi, Cyrel.

Our daughter loaned us I Have Some Questions For You and I need to get to it. That murder mystery element adds to the enjoyment for me. I liked her last one.

Babel sounds good. I was impressed by her Yellowface.

I hope your fall season is going well.

>111 jnwelch: Thank you! I have Yellowface on my book pile ready to read soon

58. The Magician by Colm ToibinThis work of fiction is an "invented" biography of the writer Thomas Mann. The author begins with the story of Thomas Mann's early years in Germany and gives the reader a sense of the life of this man. The passages of how Mann thinks about his writing and themes for his books really are "Symphonic". There is a richness in the descriptions of family and life situations. The reader follows Mann as he leaves Germany in the 1930's, moves to Switzerland and then the United States. His family and his sometimes strained relationships form this story.This was a great read for me.

59. The Collector by Daniel Silva Once a year Daniel Silvaputs out a book that follows the adventures of art restorer, spy, and now retired head of the Israeli Secret Service, Gabriel Allon. Now living in Venice, Allon becomes involved in a complicated plot to stop the Russians from using nuclear weapons in the Ukraine. This time, as the author has allowed his main character to age, the main protagonists are a disgraced head of a Danish energy company and a female Danish thief and computer hacker. The story actually begins with a stolen Vermeer painting from the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum that might be in the possession of a murdered tycoon. As always, the plot is complicated but gives the reader a sense of adventure using some current political situations.

60. Tika the Iggy Lessons in Life, Love and Fashion During the pandemic I started to view the tiktok of the very fashionable Italian greyhound, Tika the Iggy. This dog has the best clothes! Situated in Montreal with her family-both human and doggy, Tika has taken part in many fashion weeks in New York, Milan and Vancouver. This book ( written by her "second favourite Dad and his twin sister) is really a primer for living one's life well with regard to fashion, and dealing with everyday worries and behaviours.The photos are great . I want a human version of one of Tika's sweaters!