Hi Iliana--Thank you--it has been nice having a short break from work! I didn't quite get in the reading I wanted, but I still have this afternoon! I am trying not to fret over my goal--Maybe I will at least make the goal though not surpass it and that is okay, too. I hope you are having an enjoyable break, too!!

Thanks for the heads up--I will see if my library has the book. And there is always interlibrary loan in case they don't!

I love Celia Fremlin and do hope to get to that one. So far I have started two books, though set them aside as not quite to my mood right now, but finished a Simenon and hopefully will finish the John Harvey soon. (On the side I am reading a Se Grafton--just four left after the book I am reading now, and I am also reading a cozy Agatha Christie-like mystery set in the 1930s by Ashley Weaver). I started reading the Miss Marple;s in order, but now I am just reading whatever appeals. I kind of want to get to the Tommy and Tuppence novels soon, however. Mysteries are my go-to books at the moment!!!

I am going to get to that book! So glad you like it. I have the four (?I think it is four) Harriet Vane books at the ready to read this year (or maybe start this year and go into next...).

I decided to pick up Liberty Bar for the setting, but it was just okay. The descriptions were nice but brief, though it is always fairly entertaining revisiting M. Maigret. I think I will pick up Cecile as well--maybe it will be a bit more substantive!

And I need to get back to it! I have it with me today to take to the gym! I love Barbara Pym and have only read a handful as well.

Enjoy--I really like her writing!

I know--I think I am just tired of this feeling of being so very adrift. I think nothing is going to be quite the same--not for a while anyway--so I want to try and figure out how to live within these very strange parameters. I am going to let a few subscriptions lapse and try and go back to a few goals--I wanted to get away from them--added pressure, but now I think maybe it is time for some structure in my reading life? What bigger books have you been reading? Part of the fun of reading is thinking about it--as weird as that sounds!

Hi Michael--The world is just so wonky. I want to be normal in a wonky world and I guess I need to stop waiting for it to right itself and just right myself, if that makes any sense at all. So, what better than to just focus on something that is more or less under my own control. I feel good about thinking about reading again--not just trudging along blindly, but actually thinking about it and being more 'thoughtful'. That is very cool you are blogging and reading and you are reaching your goal. I think I may have to settle to my almost goal, which is okay, too. But there is still time this year and I can keep thinking about what I am going to do next year, and maybe I will just go ahead and start on next year now--lol! It seems I read something about exercise and sometimes thinking about it is like mentally doing it--well, that doesn't actually make sense, but maybe you need to just think about swimming until you are ready to follow through. Good luck on those finishes and on marathon swimming!!

I love it when one book leads to another--you can supplement a novel with a book of letters or memoir about the actual person. Serendipity in reading! I must look up the last three titles as they sound interesting and are new to me! Happy reading!!

So, in the end I have picked up Helen Macdonald's book of nature essays. I read one or two a day, sometimes I am by a computer and will look up things she mentions--places, kinds of trees or flowers or insects and I am finding it utterly delightful. I love her writing style and this is really the right book for the moment.