Nevermore: The Sea, Journey, Boys in the Boat

Reported by Rita

The sea by John Banville

Struggling to cope with grief, anger, and loss following the death of his wife, Max, a middle- aged man, returns to his childhood seaside home, where he deals with his memories of his first encounter with the Graces, a wealthy vacationing family, his recollections of his wife, and the emotional upheaval of the present as he comes to an understanding of the profound influence of the past on the his life. 

Poetic - Banville is a wonderful writer. - DC     5 stars

 

Journey: a novel by James A. Michener

Five men are swept away in a speculation frenzy born of the 1897 Klondike gold rush, and they brave the rugged Canadian wilderness for nearly two years to fulfill their dream. 

Very interesting, but also frustrating. - WJ     5 stars

 

The boys in the boat: nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

by Daniel James Brown

This book tells the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. It traces the story of the team that defeated elite rivals at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics, sharing the experiences of their enigmatic coach, a visionary boat builder, and a homeless teen rower.

Watched the movie & documentary also - fascinating story. - VC     5 stars

 

Sigrid Rides: The Story of an Extraordinary Friendship and an Adventure on Two Wheels by Travis Nelson

I could pee on this: and other poems by cats    by Francesco Marciuliano

Oh. It's you: love poems by cats    by Francesco Marciuliano

You Need More Sleep: Advice from Cats    by Francesco Marciuliano

I knead my mommy: and other poems by kittens    by Francesco Marciuliano

Snow   by John Banville

The last days of night: a novel by Graham Moore

Beartown: a novel    by Fredrik Backman

A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East; Library Edition        by David Fromkin

Body-for-life: 12 weeks to mental and physical strength    by Bill Phillips

Deaf republic: poems    by Ilya Kaminsky

The best American essays 2013 by Cheryl Strayed

French braid by Anne Tyler

Squeeze me   by Carl Hiaasen

The last days of night: a novel    by Graham Moore

The winners: a novel    by Fredrik Backman

Tom Lake: a novel by Ann Patchett

The soloist: a lost dream, an unlikely friendship, and the redemptive power of music by Steve Lopez

Ultra-processed people: the science behind food that isn't food by Chris van Tulleken

Other Birds   by Sarah Addison Allen

The lost library   by Rebecca Stead

New Books

The river where America began: a journey along the James

by Bob Deans

Documents the role of the James River in the formation of modern America, from the establishment of the Jamestown colony and major Revolutionary War battles to the conflict over slavery and the fall of Richmond, in a historical account that also cites the river's use by such figures as John Smith, Thomas Jefferson, and Robert E. Lee.

 

Around the world in 60 seconds: the Nas daily journey

by Nuseir Yassin

A beautifully photographed, perspective-shifting global adventure that shines a fascinating light on places and people well off the beaten path, from Nas Daily, the 1-minute video platform with massive international following

 

Before we say goodbye: a novel

by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

A new set of customers at a Tokyo café experience a trip into the past as long as they return before their coffee gets cold, in the fourth novel of the series following Before Your Memory Fades.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

Reviewed by Jeanne

Nana is a stray, nameless cat when he first notices the friendly young man who seems to (wisely) wish to make his acquaintance.  But Nana is wily and fiercely independent so he merely allows the man to offer him food.  Then an accident leaves Nana helpless and the young man comes to his rescue.  That’s when he acquires his name—a girl’s name, no less!—and becomes intrigued by Satoru.

Then Satoru has them embark on a journey in his silver van, apparently seeking a home for Nana—something Nana himself has strong opinions about! They meet up with friends from Satoru’s past, and at each stop Nana learns a bit more about his gentle, generous benefactor and begins to understand.

The glowing reviews of the book intrigued me, but I tend to be a bit suspicious of books featuring animals.  Too often it seems that I fall in love with an animal in a book and then weep buckets at the end when the animal dies.  So the first thing I do is check the end:  if the animal lives, I’ll consider reading it.

Nana lives.  We’re good.

Actually, better than good.  It’s been awhile since I really took a book to heart, but I did this one.  Maybe it’s the way the story is told, simply and straight-forwardly, from Nana’s rather unsentimental point of view; maybe it’s the fact the plot, such as it is, unfolds in a slow, gentle pace; maybe it’s meeting the various characters and understanding them, and seeing Satoru from their viewpoints; maybe it’s seeking Japanese culture from an inside view, not someone trying to explain everything.  Maybe it’s that the book takes the traditional structure of having the human learn about the pet and lets the pet learn about the human. Or, more likely, it’s all these things. All I can say is that the book touched me and made me want to be a better person.  I found real tenderness and warmth in these pages, and a generous spirit. And I kept turning pages because I wanted this journey to keep on going and I wanted to be there with them.

Yes, I ended up crying, but sometimes a story is worth all the tears. I’m going to buy my own copy of this book to treasure.