Hi, how is everyone’s October going? All is well here and today we will celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. It’s hard to believe, but it’s here already. It always has me confused to have Thanksgiving before Halloween (being an American) but that’s how things are done up north.
And we’ve been having some of the prettiest days of the year lately and it’s nice that many of the trees are full of golden leaves and the air is crisp and clear. Here is a photo of Stella on a recent morning walk as we head into the trees.
We’ve been spending some time at our new house in the countryside on weekends, which has been a lot of fun. We will go there later today with the dogs and a picnic. It’s still empty so we will use lawn chairs for seats, lol.
We’ve been making decisions on renovations and interior decorating, which will start later this month. So we won’t be moving in completely until maybe December. Still it’s fun to go — as there’s much that needs to be done … as well as to see in the country. Yesterday while bicycling — not far from there — we saw a lone moose on a hillside. Such an awkward and interesting animal. This one was fairly young and didn’t have much of a rack on his head but he looked serene and still.
And now I will leave you with reviews of what I finished lately.
The Maid by Nita Prose / Ballantine / 304 pages / 2022
This debut novel by a Canadian author came out in January and was quite a hit early on so I’m a bit late to the party about it, but like others, I found the story entertaining and an engaging audio listen. I picked the novel for my book club, which was looking for something light and fun to read …. as opposed to all the deep and depressing stuff we usually discuss, LOL. So this novel I think fits the bill well and was actually much better than I expected.
As many already know, it follows the story of Molly Gray, a 25-year-old girl who was raised and lived with her dear Grandmother before she passed away, and now Molly works as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Molly seems to be somewhere on the autism spectrum and is a bit unique. She’s a neat freak and likes order and being a maid, but often takes things completely at face value, which leaves her a bit vulnerable to being taken advantage of and being conned. In time Molly becomes entangled in a murder case after she finds a guest dead — the wealthy Mr. Black — in a hotel suite. The police come to believe she’s a suspect and Molly finds herself in a heap of trouble.
What follows is a light mystery and a murder trial of the case. The story might have a couple wobbles towards the end as it links all the dots, but still it’s quite enjoyable thanks to Molly being an endearing protagonist along with some turns and clever writing along the way. It has a way of making perspectives about truth and justice, and similarities of the human condition between the haves and have-nots become visible and important — just like Molly.
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka / Knopf / 192 pages / 2022
This was my first Otsuka novel and at first in some places her style of listing things at length as part of her storytelling — such as all of the swimmers at the pool and all of the things the elderly lady Alice remembers — sort of tried my patience. It also took me a little while to get used to her collective narration in this book. But after awhile I was drawn in by the relatability and the perceptiveness of what she describes as well as the sound of her poetry-style of prose, which is read expertly for the audio by Traci Kato-Kiriyama. I became so captured that I listened to various chapters several times over.
At first is the story of the pool and a group of committed swimmers who use it … and then a crack in the pool develops. It becomes almost mystical or alien: what the crack is or means for the swimmers. Later the story transitions to the life of the elderly swimmer Alice and her estranged daughter who witnesses her dementia and decline and seems too late in trying to get back into her life. For anyone who has experienced a parent going through this … this novel will hit home right into your heart.
Early on, the novel seems to have some tongue and cheek humor to it and parts were a bit funny as described. I laughed at parts. Towards the end, dealing with Alice’s dementia the tone is quite direct and doesn’t shy away from the awfulness of the disease, which so many elderly seniors go through. It’s sad and rings true. I see now what an Otsuka novel can do. She is a unique writer and I haven’t read anyone quite like her before perhaps. I will have to go back sometime and read her earlier novels.
On Animals by Susan Orlean / Avid Reader Press / 256 pages / 2021
I’m an Orlean fan … of her writing, her humor, her sensibilities, and her love of animals. My husband and I listened to this nonfiction book as an audiobook read by the author while we were on an eight-hour road trip to the lake in September.
Fourteen chapters of these are journalistic essays that were written over the years about such things as: chickens, mules, dogs, oxen, pandas, orcas, tigers, rabbits, lions, donkeys, and taxidermists. I had no idea Orlean, a writer at the New Yorker, had written these essays or that she was such an animal person, but I’m glad she is.
Her journalistic essays are pretty factual pieces, which include some nuggets of solid reporting and enlightenment to her readers on her subject matters. She seems to have the perfect eye, fascination, and skill to conveying incredible things about these wonderful creatures. My husband liked Orlean’s journalistic pieces best … and while I liked some particularly well such as the chapters about: chickens, pandas, the lost dog, the orca, and the donkeys, I sort of liked her personal chapters best such as her introduction about how she came to be an animal person, and her concluding essay about the farm and animals she once had in the Hudson Valley.
In those, her lovely personality and humor shine through as do her feelings for her fellow companions. I can relate to many of her sentiments for animals and enjoyed much of the book, but for those who aren’t as keyed into the details of certain animals and their owners this book will likely not be for them.
That’s all for now. What about you — have you read these books and what did you think?
I’m glad you enjoyed the Prose and Orlean books, both of which I previously read. Thanks for the review of “The Swimmers.” I’m pretty sure that one is not for me.
Hi Dorothy, maybe the Swimming novel wouldn’t be for you. It’s a bit particular. I liked it in the end but it took some time for me to adjust to the style of it. I remember your reviews of the two others that were good. Have a great week.
Happy Thanksgiving up there in Canada! I’m looking forward to reading The Maid next month; it’s one that sounds like a a lot of fun to me.
Thanks Lark, one Thanksgiving down now. I think you will like The Maid. It is a fun read. Enjoy!
Your photos are beautiful! The leaves here are finally changing too. I’m excited. I hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving!
Thanks AJ, it was a nice day here & Thanksgiving. It must be pretty where you are too. Happy fall!
Hi Susan, Lovely fall photos – your dog must have loved that setting!
I read or listened to all (3) of those books. The Swimmers was my favorite and On Animals my least favorite, a DNF I believe, (mostly because I did not enjoy Susan O as a narrator and she tends to read her own books. The Maid was a fun one for me.
Hope all your hopes and dreams come true with the new house as you personalize it.
Thanks Diane, that’s very kind of you to say. We are excited about the new place and have high hopes for being there. It’s a big change for us — but we’re geared up for it. And yeah On Animals took awhile to get through … something about essays can be a bit dense. But The Swimmers & The Maid had decent pacing to them and were enjoyable. Glad you liked them too. Have a great week.
Thanks for reminding me that I have The Maid waiting patiently for me on my Kindle. 🙂
Hi Cathy, thanks for stopping by. Yeah I think you’ll like The Maid. Sort of fun and quick. Happy reading.
Your new place sounds exciting and fun. I liked The Swimmers, but really enjoyed Otsuka’s earlier books more than this one. Facing dementia is brave but too challenging.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks Mae: good to know you liked Otsuka’s other books. I became impressed by the Swimmers the more it went on. I will check out her earlier ones sometime. Have a great week.
I’ve heard good things about On Animals and could use some fun essays to read.
It looks like Fall is in the air in Canada and it’s beautiful. I wish we had more trees that turned color in the Fall here in So Cal, but we don’t (as you well know). Have a great week.
Hi Helen, yeah I think towards the end of Oct. the weather will change big here. So far we’re still the 60s later in the day and the trees are nice. I plan to go to SoCal for Thanksgiving there!
See what you think of On Animals …. some of the essays are pretty extensive so not as light as one would think but still a bit interesting. Cheers. Have a great week.
Happy Thanksgiving!
It looks like your new home is in a beautiful spot.
I enjoyed The Maid, The Swimmers sounds moving. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Wishing you a great reading week
Hey thanks Shelleyrae. We had a good day, but skipped the turkey this time. The Swimmers does get pretty moving towards the end. Glad you liked The Maid. Have a great week.
Look at those beautiful fall photos. The views are amazing. Thank you for sharing these as we do not get much fall here along the Texas Gulf Coast.
I enjoyed The Maid (a book club selection) and On Animals. I have the feeling I’ve missed a couple of Susan Orlean books; I think I should look for them.
Hi Deb, yeah the fall is pretty good this year — we’ve had a wonderful Sept and October … and though the colors have gone pretty quickly, they were a sight.
So your book club also chose The Maid. My book club will discuss it in early Nov. It was a good one. And I had no idea that Orlean had written articles about that many animals. Holy smokes she covered the gamut. Most were interesting.
Have a great week along the Gulf.
Glad you are having and enjoying a beautiful autumn. We’re feeling like it’s summer again these past few days. Upper 60s (which is warm-ish for us) with beautiful clear, blue skies. I’m excited for your new home and hope all goes well so you can get moved in before winter really arrives. Jealous that you saw a moose, but then we have our whales, so…
The Maid sounds wonderful, as does The Swimmers. I have both on my TBR list, and wonder if I should read the Otsuka book or listen to it.
My reading hasn’t picked up too much since we returned from our road trip. I’m about halfway through a book club read (re-reading A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry), which is 600 pages. It’s good, but part of me feels like I’m wasting my time since a) I’ve already read it and b) I now have other plans and won’t be able to attend the book group meeting. But having read 300 pages, do I stop? Keep going? Sigh. I’m in a bit of a funk. My husband had a heart attack this past weekend and had a successful procedure getting two stents to open the artery, but it’s been an an emotional/stressful few days and I think we’re both mentally exhausted. We’re also very grateful for all the medical care he received. Probably more news than you needed…
Oh no Lesley. I’m so sorry about Rod. I’m stunned by this bad news … and just so thankful that he’s all right. I just can’t believe it. I’m sure from being at the hospital that you’re exhausted. So take a breather for the weeks ahead. I just hope this procedure will make him well & stronger for the future. It’s good you are back home at the Cove … and I’m sure it’s beautiful there. So you both can have a period of recovery. Thanks for letting me know. I have been thinking of you both since I saw your comment. How crazy & terrible that happened. take care. And that book club read seems way too long for a book club read. I have not heard of that title …. I need to look it up.
Thanks so much, Susan. Just sent you an email.
Got it, thanks! The care your husband received seemed excellent. Wow what a relief.
How exciting, that you will be starting to renovate and decorate the new place – that must be fun! I hope everything will turn out well. The Swimmers is on my TBR as well, I am glad you enjoyed it. The Maid was on my radar, when it came out, but I think decided against it, after seeing some rather mixed reviews.
Hi Stargazer. Thanks we are excited about the new place. We’ve been going back & forth quite a bit trying to get things ready. It’s like a breath of fresh air to us.
The Swimmers is a bit different but by the end of it – I was onboard with her style and the story. And you might try the Maid … I actually thought it was better than I expected and enjoyable. Hope your fall in London is great. Happy reading.
I have to try the Swimmers again. It sounds very worthwhile for the patient reader!
Hi Harvee, yeah towards the middle & end of the novel I became more drawn in to The Swimmers — as it talked about Alice’s illness and her relationship with her daughter — so I thought it was better in the book’s 2nd half. At the beginning it seemed a bit like a laundry list of things … and I wasn’t sure where it was going. See what you think. Cheers.
A nice selection of books you’ve read. I have’nt heard of these before. I am very interested in On Animals, I think I would enjoy it. Right now, I’ve been reading books about Germany and WWII, Need to find some interesting and fun books. Good luck with your house and getting it ready. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.
Hi Ireland. Thx for returning the visit. Are you reading WWII novels or nonfiction? Anything great? I like WWII novels.
The new house is like a breath of fresh air for us. So thanks. Hope your week is great. Happy reading & picture taking.
The Maid is one on my radar that I want to get to.
The Orleans books sounds good. I read her for the first time a few years ago when I picked up her book The Library Book and I absolutely loved and devoured it. I’ve been wanting to do a reread of this one.
Hi Carl: Yeah The Maid is entertaining fun. Not too complex, just an easy read.
And yes I’m a big Orleans fan. I did enjoy the Library Book as well. Some of these Animal essay chapters I liked better than others, but Orleans inquisitive nature, love of animals, and sense of humor still shine through. I will continue to read her books! I’m so glad you like her Library Book too. She is quite a gem I think. Cheers.