Tom Smith

Stack of books: Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie Odile by Raymond Queneau The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylväinen The Stronghold by Dino Buzzati A Time to Keep Silence by Patrick Leigh Fermor Memories from Moscow to the Black Sea The Sun King by Nancy Mitford Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford Kingdom Cons by Yuri Herrera

December reading. Not pictured: Time Regained by Marcel Proust. Favourites were the Proust, Buzzati, Teffi, and Plyäinen. #NYRBWomen25 #Proust2025

The Forbidden Notebook was one of my favorites this year too. And the Nan Shepherd was a favorite last year. Both are wonderful!

I had a new 11 cM match that helped me connect a group of closer matches to a Rachel Hunter born in PA and married in Fairfield Co., OH as well as another Hunter family in Centre Co., PA. Much work left to do, but I'm hopeful this will lead to the parents of my 3rd GGM, Hannah Hunter Overly.

This is great! I had just pulled out the first volume to start Jan. 1.

Uggi the dog and a copy of The Night Guest

GIVE AWAY! // AKA WE DID IT AGAIN!

Since The Night Guest is coming out in paperback we decided to try to gift another copy bitten by Uggi. And it went … a little *too* well. (See picture 🧵)

Like and share this post and on December 30th I will select a winner and send them this teeth marked copy!

Is the Press Free yet?

My favorite too and I see what you mean about Alexie.

I was thinking about him when I found it. I hope he gets commissions.

Thank you Ali! We watched through season 9 in the US on PBS Masterpiece and thought it was over. I just checked and 10 is there too. Such a great show!

I never think to look there.

This one felt like the end to me. I had just found the last two of the series, along with The Bear, while on vacation the week before he died. Have you read anything else by Jacobsen?

I'd say I liked it but didn't love it. Perhaps I should have read The Magic Mountain first. It's in my TBR.

Forgot to add The Fugitive by Marcel Proust.

Stack of books: Spring Snow by Castle Freeman Bear by Marian Engel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday Inheritance by Dani Shapiro Mourning a Breast by Xi Xi The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk The White Book by Han Kang The Transmigration of Bodies by Yuri Herrera Just a Mother by Roy Jacobsen

Books read in November. One for #NYRBWomen25 and a couple for Native American Heritage Month. Sad to see the end of the Barrøy Chronicles and Roy Jacobsen. 5 years from reading the first to the last was too long a gap, so a re-read is planned.

This has led me down a rabbit hole regarding Finnish nature writers. From this interview: www.aaa.si.edu/collections/...

“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
― H.L. Mencken

I'll have to look for Fossum and Larsson as both are new to me. We enjoyed watching the Rebecka Martinsson series this year.

That's another wonderful book set in Sápmi. I read it this summer along with two others. Seems to be my current obsession along with Scandinavia in general.

I've heard so many people rave about it!

The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylväinen

It's a historical novel about the clash of cultures (Sami, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Russian) in Sápmi during the 1850s. Much of it is centered around the real live religious figure Lars Levi Laestadius: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Le.... Just started, but I love it so far.

A favorite of mine.

Stack of three books: Remembrance of Things Past Vol. III by Marcel Proust The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylväinen The Stronghold by Dino Buzzati

Fortunately I'm off full time now and I'll be enjoying these three.

Thanks Greg. I struggle a bit with short stories, so I'll look for this one first.

Very interested in continuing with the NYRB. Maybe Sarton too, but I'm not very familiar with her body of work.

I couldn't agree more. I'm both excited and sad to be nearing the end. I feel that there will be a big hole in my life when we've finished.

I had only read A Line in the World, but plan to read more. What would you recommend?

Just read this recently, minus the licorice.

Stack of books including: Mirror, Shoulder, Signal by Dorthe Nors The Postcard by Anne Berest Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Joan Didion I Used to be Charming by Eve Babitz The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Funeral Music for Freemasons by Lars Gustafsson The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon Eyes of the Rigel by Roy Jacobsen Orbital by Samantha Harvey

October reading with Scandinavia well tepresented. Not pictured: The Captive by Marcel Proust. I enjoyed all but the Garcia Marquez. My favorites were Orbital, The Postcard, and Mirror to Shoulder, Signal. #NYRBWomen25

I think that's the best way - categories that are important to you.

#NoKings crowd on Boston Common

#NoKings sign in Boston "The Harbor Thirsts for Tea"

#NoKings Boston