Book Beginning: Thinks by David Lodge

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

My apologies for posting Friday morning instead of yesterday evening. I was in court yesterday afternoon and forgot all about my post. Sorry!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

One, two, three, testing, testing . . . recorder working OK . . . Olympus Pearlcorder, bought it at Heathrow in the dutyfree on my way to . . . where? Can't remember, doesn't matter . . .

Thinks by David Lodge. Lodge is a favorite author of mine. He often writes "campus novels" featuring the antics of charming but badly behaving middle-aged university professors, like this book. I love them.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up. Please find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

But before he can do so, the door of the lift opens in one of the secretaries from the General Office stepped out, calling, "Professor Messenger!" She clicked-clacks up to them in her high heels, a little out of breath, her eyes wide with the importance of her message.

Teaser Tuesday: P. G. Wodehouse and Oregon History

I have a Teaser Tuesday Twofer this week, as I make up for several missing weeks. My book blog has been sadly neglected while my law practice got a little crazy the past few weeks. Over 20 former students at Catlin Gabel, a private school here in Portland have come to us to help them with claims against the school for sexual, physical, and mental abuse when they were students, dating back to the 1960s. We've filed lawsuits for six of them so far and are working on the others.

In the meantime, the Boy Scouts of America filed for reorganization bankruptcy last week to shield its assets and get a deadline for sex abuse claims. We represent roughly three dozen former Boy Scouts who were abused when they were kids, so have been sorting out what happens now that their claims will move into the bankruptcy case. And getting calls from other abuse survivors looking for help. I love my work, but it's been a hectic stretch.

So let's spend time with books!

As with many others who are bitten by the theatre bug, Plum had fallen in love with the the experience as a whole: what theatre represented, just as much as what it actually was. Yes, it was fun, glamour, energy and magic, but at its heart was that fragile and capricious connectedness that would make or break a show.

-- Pelham Grenville Wodehouse: Volume 1: "This is Jolly Old Fame" by Paul Kent.

I love P. G. Wodehouse and am trying to read all his books. I keep a list of Wodehouse books here on this blog and am working my way through them, sometimes in order, sometimes when I can find an audiobook at the library. I particularly love Wodehouse in audiobook editions.

This Jolly Old Flame is the first volume of Paul Kent's three-volume biography of Wodehouse, based in part on new access to Wodehouse's papers and library. It is available from TSB an imprint of Can of Worms Enterprises, or from Book Depository.

Honoria Plum at Plumtopia has an enjoyable review here.

The people of Eastern Oregon were never a homogeneous whole. Attitudes towards environmental issues, and much else, varied widely.

-- The Other Oregon: People, Environment, and History East of the Cascades by Thomas R. Cox, new from OSU Press.

From the publisher's description:

With a staggering variety of landscapes, from high desert to alpine peaks, Oregon east of the Cascades encompasses seventeen counties and two time zones. Although this vast region defies generalization, its history is distinct from the rest of Oregon. The interrelationship between its people and the land has always been central, but that relationship has evolved and changed over time. Regional economies that were once largely exploitive and dedicated to commodity exports have slowly moved toward the husbanding of resources and to broader and deeper appreciations.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by The Purple Booker. Participants share a two-sentence teaser from the book they are reading or featuring. Please remember to include the name of the book and the author. You can share your teaser in a comment below, or with a comment or link at the Teaser Tuesday site, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Book Beginning: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

The best remedy for a bruised heart is not, as so many people seem to think, repose upon a manly bosom. Much more efficacious are honest work, physical activity, and the sudden acquisition of wealth.

- Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers. This is the seventh novel featuring amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and the second with Harriet Vane.

Good advice, Ms. Sayers!

As you can see from my picture, I started this book over a martini. I wanted that drink last night, after spending a long day in bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware for “first day motions” in the Boy Scouts of America’s bankruptcy case.

Who would think the Boy Scouts would go bankrupt! No, it isn’t going out of business. It is doing what so many Catholic Archdiocese and USA Gymnastics have done and filed a “reorganization” bankruptcy to move assets and get a deadline on when survivors can bring sex abuse claims against it.

I was there because I represent survivors of child sex abuse. My clients are adults who were sexually abused when they were kids – in schools, churches, and groups like the Boy Scouts. We have lots of lawsuits against BSA right now and all of them are now going to move into the bankruptcy case. I was on NPR's The Takeaway yesterday talking about what the bankruptcy means to survivors, including my clients - you can listen to the short clip here to learn more.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up. Please find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING





TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

Harriet rang the bell and, stepping out into the corridor, caught the waiter and asked for a stiff whisky-and-soda.

I get it Harriet. I get it. 

Book Beginning: The Green Years by Karen Wolff

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

Between Iowa and South Dakota, the Sioux River makes a bend to the west as if to escape its eventual disappearance into the muddy waters of the Missouri River.

The Green Years by Karen Wolff (BHC Press). This historical novel is the story of Harry Spencer, a boy growing up in South Dakota in the 1920s, who has to find his own path after his father returned from WWI a broken man.

I've just dipped into The Green Years and can tell already it would make a good Father's Day book for older dads looking for a trip down memory lane, especially if they have any small town or country living in their backgrounds. My dad grew up in Nebraska and I know he will love it.

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

When eight-year-old Harry Spencer’s father returns from WWI with a missing arm, his father’s bitterness shatters their relationship. Though confused and brokenhearted, Harry is determined to make something of himself. Endeavoring with heart and sometimes-humorous results, he sets out on his path in life, working in his granddad’s store, selling medicinal salves, washing windows, and falling in love.

This historical coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of small-town life will tug at your heartstrings as Harry discovers who he is, who his father is, and how to heal the past.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up. Please find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

I rode by Great-Aunt Lida’s house. She always had fresh baked cookies, and I figured she’d offer me some. Then I saw through the kitchen window that she and Gram were drinking coffee and, no doubt, gossiping about the elopement.

Mailbox Monday: American Dirt and The Green Years

I got two new books last week -- a best seller and an indie book. What about you?



American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. Yes, I bought this because of the controversy.

American Dirt is one of the many, many, many new books that would never have caught my attention except for all the stories I heard on NPR while I was getting ready for work. Now I want to read it for myself.



The Green Years by Karen Wolff (BHC Press), is a coming-of-age story set in South Dakota in the 1920s about a young boy who finds his own path when his father returns from WWI a broken man.

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

When eight-year-old Harry Spencer’s father returns from WWI with a missing arm, his father’s bitterness shatters their relationship. Though confused and brokenhearted, Harry is determined to make something of himself. Endeavoring with heart and sometimes-humorous results, he sets out on his path in life, working in his granddad’s store, selling medicinal salves, washing windows, and falling in love.

This historical coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of small-town life will tug at your heartstrings as Harry discovers who he is, who his father is, and how to heal the past.

Wolff's novel is not to be confused with The Green Years by A. J. Cronin, a 1944 potboiler about an Irish orphan raised in Scotland who grew up to become a doctor. That one has been on my TBR shelf for a long time!

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

Book Beginning: Hollow Kingdom by by Kira Jane Buxton

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

I should have known something was dangerously wrong long before I did.

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton. If you ever wonder who will save your pets in the zombie apocalypse, this is the book for you!

I have never read a zombie book ever. But my book club -- given our method of choosing -- came down to a vote between this one and realistically grim book about prison life in the South in the 1920s. We voted overwhelmingly in favor of zombie apocalypse.

I raced through Hollow Kingdom this week and loved it. Anthropomorphic animals! My favorite thing! And the main one is a talking crow who swears as much as I do. The themes are big. The ending is hugely ambiguous. We will have lots to talk about at book club. Excellent pick!

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up. Please find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING





TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

They all traveled down I-5 South and taken refuge in [Pike's Market], among the beautiful flower displays, waterfront views, and specialty teas that cost the same as a kidney! I lowered, preparing to let out a caw of jubilation, and then my stomach fizzed into boiling acid.