Hooray!  I can get in again!  For about a week, I've been totally unable to access the site, only getting error messages.  Unfortunately, I don't have anything to report, but at least I'm here.

Marilyne, Willa Cather, for some reason, never appealed to me. I remember reading one of her short stories when in high school, but have never even even tried her books. Of course, Project Gutenberg has a list of her books, but not the one I would most like to look at, Death Comes for the Archbishop which is based on real pioneering Catholic missionaries. I'll take a look at them in a little bit. Sad to think that I might be missing out on some good reading based on a short story I didn't like but had to read for English class way back in high school.

MarsGal, they left out my favorite.  I've read Death Comes for the Archbishop several times, really liked it.  Hmm--maybe it's time to look at it again.  it's been quite a while.

My Antonia would be the best one to start with.

Pat and MarsGal  -  I also read, "Death Comes For The Archbishop", and I like it, as well as other novels and short stories by Cather.  but "My Antonia", stands out for me, and is my favorite for personal reasons. 

My mother-in-law was born in North Dakota, in a sod house, just as described in Cather's stories.  Her parents, (my husband's grandparents of course), emigrated from an area in Czechoslovakia, called Bohemia.  My MIL was one of six children, and none of them spoke English, until they started school.    It was a hard and brutal life for immigrants back then, just as described in "My Antonia".  How I do wish I had been more interested when my MIL was alive. I would ask a million questions now, but back then I was focused on other things.  She died at the young age of 55, but in later years, I did learn a lot more about family history from her three remaining sisters.

My concert buddy's grandparents came from Czechoslovakia too, though they didn't have that hard a life.  He recently read My Antonia, and it really resonated with him.  Obviously Cather got it right.

I finally finished the audio book about food culture. Excellent. Now I am into the second of the Legends of the First Empire fantasy series by Michael J. Sullivan. Lots going on. Excellent voice work by Tim Gerard Reynolds who really brings the characters to life for me.

As for the E-books, I have started an old 3-volume historical novel sent during the French/Italian wars during Napoleon's reign. The description is good, but I don't know how long it will hold my interest. The other is one I think I read before called Star Soldiers by Andre Norton, so it may not last either. There are several hard copy books that have been squeaking for my attention.

Our local library is still closed with no opening date set as yet.

Okay, so that was confusing, but I finally got it straightened out. The historical novel, Adventures of an Aide-de-camp, I am reading is written by James Grant (1822-1887) and it is in three volumes. Anyway, the war participants are the English who are intent on pushing the French out of Italy, and of course, the French. Italian factions are fighting on both sides. I had a little trouble at first figuring out which side the Aide-de-camp was fighting with although the nationality of the author should have given me a clue. The time period for the novel would have been the very last years of the 1700's and the early 1800's. I love Grant's descriptions of the land and people which provide a good view without bogging down the story.

I did indeed read Star Soldiers before and didn't want to read it again. Instead, I picked up a more recent Scifi which is holding my interest sufficiently to finish.

Ann Cleeves is the author of the books that the TV series Vera is based on.  I loved that series on Netflix several years ago, but Netflix only had a few and then no more.  Well, "The Long Call" is her first book in a new series in the Devon area of England about a male detective.  She really knows how to tell a story.  Such a good author.

I liked that show also. I will put that book on order. I picked the books that I had on order at lib. Sunday per their instructions. Got a shock. The gave me 19 books. So will be awhile. We can't return any until they open up. 1 already had 8 here from 2 months ago

MarsGal, I sent you a PM.

I wonder if anyone else here is having trouble concentrating on reading?   I seem to jump from one thing to another.   I realize that this time of year calls my attention to outdoor work and I am too tired in the evening to do much.  I did start to read the old Cather book, O Pioneers and then realized that I had not only read it long ago but saw the movie just a while back so it didn't hold my interest like a new story.   Then a friend gave me an older book by John Kenneth Galbraith about the Scottish settlers in Canada.   I started that as well because I had had an interest in his writing many years ago when he wrote about the change in economics in America after WWII.....The Affluent Society. It seems that his writing spans quite varied topics.   The one about the Scots is about his home territory which was just across the Niagara River from where we live.   His family had a farm near the northern shore of Lake Erie, so it is a rather familiar setting.   He has quite a sense of humor in his way of describing people and events so it is light reading.  At the same time I've been reading some of the poems of Ann Weems in a book called Searching for Rainbows.   We could all use a rainbow or two about now I think.   
   Hope everyone is well and surviving the "time away from friends and family".   Jeanne P.  I'm surprised to hear that your library was able to deliver books that you had on hold.  Good for you.   You will need a truck to return all your reads once that time comes.

Oh one more little note.......I cut my own hair last evening.   I should  post a new picture of my handiwork.    I guess it doesn't matter much.   I only see the neighbors and my daughter.  lol

MaryC, I get that way every once in a while. It generally lasts a few days and then I am back in reading mode. This COVID-19 business seems to have stretched it out more, though, making me a little more restless -- a good thing because I have gotten more done than usual in the clearing out department especially.

I did get back to reading the last two or three days (it has been rainy and dreary). Now that I have finished the second of Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch series (Ancillary Sword), I am ready to start the third. This series is more what I would call social SciFi. The protagonist of the series must navigate, not only his ship, but all the social, cultural and gender norms of the different peoples he engages with. The gender references can be a bit confusing, so if you start the series, pay particular attention to the description of how the different cultures refer to themselves. Mostly, though, it seems regardless whether you are a he or she, they seem to refer to everyone as a she. The business of wearing gloves in public was a little odd, but the why of that got explained in book two. I already downloaded book three, but will start that after I finish up the first of Greg Alanson's offshoot of his popular Expeditionary Force series, Mavericks: Deathtrap which follows the part of the force that was left behind at a planet they call Paradise.

I now have all those books but can't settle to more than a hour reading. Just jump one thing to another. Walk around house a lot.
Worked in yard this morn. SIL came from out of town for 2 hrs to help. Need to hos off all cushions and put furniture out. All needs painting this year. Doubt gets done. It is 87deg. Right now.my allergies bad. And whole area west of me is poison ivy that I have to watch out for .not had my shots.
Seems like the numbers of people catching it going up here.
Sad news from u.k family as my cousins son . His girlfriend who was a nurse in UK died last week from it. So sad. Hitting so many young and yet the stil want every thing open up.

MaryC, MarsGal, and JeanneP, I've been the same way, a kind of irritable restlessness.  I've got the time to read, but can't seem to settle down to it.

Add me to the irritable restless club!  Shall we call ourselves The IRCS (pronounced irks)

Can't get interested in anything on Netflix or tv,either.

I've started a fictionalized biography of Mrs. Winston Churchill and have a "Miss Julia" book for contrast, can only read a couple in that kind of series before I feel like I'm in a rut.

Onward and upward

Jeanne P,I'm sorry to hear of the death of your relative's girlfriend.

Callie  -  May I join the IRCS Club?   Same exact problem here, as far as concentration is concerned.  In the past month or so, I haven't been able to stick with a book long enough to develop an interest in the story or characters.  I have a bunch of new and interesting sounding novels that my dil brought me, but every time I sit down and start reading, my mind immediately wanders. A hopeless endeavor for the the foreseeable future. 

On the other hand, I've become a total television slug.  Fortunately, I have Netflix, Amazon, HBO and Turner, so I don't think I need to worry about running out of shows or movies to watch. 

Maryc - I was starting to worry about you, so I'm glad you checked back in and brought us up to date.  John Kenneth Galbraith!  I had forgotten all about him, but definitely remember reading, "The Affluent Society", way back when.  It's been a long time ago, and I don't remember much about it except that it was best seller, and was very good.  He was also a syndicated columnist, I think?  A very accomplished writer.

Well, it's 10:00 PM, Sunday night, so best that I clean up the kitchen, and then start getting ready for another restless night of fitful sleep and worrisome dreams.  Here's hoping that the serious problem going on in our world, will start improving tomorrow . . . the beginning of a new week.

Memorial Day 2020....The day is starting out with full sun and a light breeze.  A perfect morning for parades and hanging of memorial wreaths and/or decorating grave sites. Most won't be done today.  I may drive into town to see if the VFW folks are at the Memorial. They spoke of hanging a wreath but not having the usual ceremonies.....so sad.   I thought about going to the cemetery and planting some Forget Me Nots so they will come up every year at this time.  They are so pretty just now.

Marilyne,  I hope your wish comes true for a resolution to the present world problems.   I've been losing myself into movie some too.  I've even resorted to a series called Sweet Magnolias that I'm quickly losing interest in.....too much "soap".
   Callie,  Recently I watched a movie on Netflix that gave a little look at Mrs. Churchill.  " Churchill's Secret".  I don't remember how I came across it but it was interesting.  I have the book you are reading on my list also.

Callie, I like your club name.  I'm in.

I just finished reading a wonderful book, another by Lisa Wingate.  (She wrote "Before We Were Yours" which was a fact-based novel, that I totally enjoyed. The one I just finished, on my Kindle, is "The Story Keeper".  It is set, mostly in Appalachia, and has both a modern time frame, along with an historical one.  The characters are well-written, and I have found Wingate to be an excellent author.  She has other books in this series, (Carolina Chronicles), which I will have to get into.  At the conclusion of the story, I thought "this would make a wonderful, full-length Hallmark Movie, or simply a made-for-TV movie".  Then again, the writers would probably hack it up and leave it totally unrecognizable.  About Wingate's books, she doesn't fill content with needless cursing or sex scenes, for which I strongly applaud her. You can tell interesting and viable stories without those.  I don't want to leave an impression that these might be "cozy" stories, (no harm - no foul to cozy readers). I got this Kindle version from Amazon, it was either free, or $1.99 and after having read it, I certainly would have paid full price. I hope some of you will read "The Story Keeper" and enjoy it as much as I did.

Wow!  Didn't realize I'd be starting a movement!    Here's to the IRCs!

Tome,  I enjoy Lisa Wingate's books, also, and agree that screen writers usually hack up the story of any book that's made into a movie or t.v. series.  I realize that any good story needs to have conflict and possibly romance but it "irks"  me when they choose to turn that into something Sensational. Hallmark is good about not doing that - but their stories usually go the other way and get "syrupy" (IMHO)

Maryc,  Marie Benedict,the author of "Lady Clementine" has written other fictionalized bios about women connected to famous men.  I've read "The Other Einstein" (Mrs. Albert...), "Carnegie's Maid" and "The Only Woman In The Room" (Hedy Lamarr)

The library notes on that one read: Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich's plans while at her husband's side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star.
But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she was a scientist. And she knew a few secrets about the enemy. She had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis...if anyone would listen to her. 

Onward and Upward, Sister IRCs.

I am sitting here thinking of tearing into putting the porch ready for summer. Furniture.  Floors all looking awful. Will need full day.was always done by this date.need to put old clothes on. Get hose and blower out. Will be 84 deg soon. I wish I could get into the work move again. Not having people coming to visit for now 2 months has made me so lazy. Talk about lived  in look inside. yuk...

JeanneP,  This response is a little late but I'm hoping you didn't get into cleaning your porch on that very hot day.   Today is cooler here though raining and the weekend looks to be even cooler.....a nicer time for that hard work.  I have to remind myself that I shouldn't work outdoors too long in the extreme heat.  I'd rather take a break than to fall on my face.

Tomereader,   I did like The Story Keeper.   Lisa Wingate writes a good story!

Yesterday I finished the third of Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch series. The ending was at a good spot but, while mission was accomplished, it left me wondering about the future of the main characters. There is a fourth book which is set in the same universe but with all different characters and barely a reference (that I could find on skimming) to the action in the previous books. I sent it back to the library without reading it.

So now I am back into Mike Herron's Slough Horses spy series with the novella, The List. The next in line is on hold.

The next read will likely be the next Order of the Centurions (Galaxy's Edge offshoot) by Anspach and Cole. I see they have started opening up their series offshoots to other collaborators like James Patterson does with his books. That seems to be quite popular with authors these days.

Looks like our library is kind of opening up beginning June 1. They are doing a "contactless pick-up" only  service for books on hold, and then only by appointment.

Callie, I have a question about The Other Einstein.  There's a lot of speculation about how much of Einstein's early work was actually done by his wife.  What does Benedict say?

Pat, Benedict indicates she either did the work or gave him enough "observations" to allow him to reach the conclusion.

There was a pretty darn good movie on TV awhile back about Einstein and his wife.
They seemed to portray that she did a good deal of his work, (I think maybe earlier work).  See if you can locate it, worth it!

Tome, was the Eintein movie on a "subscription" channel, PBS or a cable  channel?

I think the short series on Einstein, played on the National Geographic Channel, a couple of years ago?   I recall that my husband watched it, and thought it was excellent. It may still be available?