Monthly Archives: April 2015

Final Thoughts on Phil Klay’s Redeployment (by Bethany)

Posted on April 20, 2015 by lfpbe

In the title story of this collection, the protagonist confesses to having killed dogs while deployed in Iraq. By the time the story begins, he is back home in North Carolina, reconnecting with his wife and facing the reality that … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Fiction - general, Fiction - literary, Fiction - Short Stories, Fiction - short story collections, Phil Klay, Reviews by Bethany | Leave a comment

The neverending saga of Orfeo, by Richard Powers (who hates me, I’m pretty sure) (by Jill)

Posted on April 18, 2015 by badkitty1016

Here is a brief rundown of what I accomplished on my weekend: Hike with parents Spent some time with my friend Letti and her daughter, catching up with things like Marvel movies, the antics of our respective animal herds (she … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction - general, Fiction - literary, Glimpses into Real Life, Reviews by Jill, Richard Powers | Leave a comment

On the Injured List

Posted on April 17, 2015 by lfpbe

I can’t remember a time when I was so sick or hurt that I couldn’t read. I read my way through a horrible bout of bronchitis in 2009, and I’ve read through personal crises and endless airport layovers and fourteen-hour … Continue reading →

Posted in Glimpses into Real Life | Leave a comment

Getting back into Diana Gabaldon’s universe (by Jill)

Posted on April 16, 2015 by badkitty1016

Slow progress is being made on Orfeo, and I hope to have more profound things to say about it by the weekend. But tonight, the husband and I are getting caught up on Outlander. As I’m sure most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Diana Gabaldon, Glimpses into Real Life, Reviews by Jill | Leave a comment

Yarn Along

Posted on April 15, 2015 by lfpbe

Last week I promised you a photo that shows off less San Francisco blue sky and more tan tank sweater, so here you go. This sweater is made from the same pattern as the one I made last spring – … Continue reading →

Posted in Yarn Along | 13 Comments

Top Ten Reasons Why I Miss San Francisco Today (by Jill)

Posted on April 14, 2015 by badkitty1016

  I sometimes talk about why I could never, ever live in the City and County of San Francisco. It’s crowded. There’s no parking. Everything is too expensive. But on days like today (and by that I mean a day … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Progress at last! Update on Richard Powers’ Orfeo (by Jill)

Posted on April 13, 2015 by badkitty1016

I emailed Bethany on Friday morning and said that I was going to make Orfeo my bitch—I sat down at 8:30 in the morning with a cup of coffee, with no TV or laptop readily available, and I tried to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction - general, Fiction - literary, Reviews by Jill, Richard Powers | 2 Comments

Thoughts on Phil Klay’s Redeployment (With More to Come Soon) – by Bethany

Posted on April 12, 2015 by lfpbe

Tonight’s post is going to be brief. Today I read the first three-fifths of Phil Klay’s Redeployment in more or less the same manner that I first read its literary big brother, The Things They Carried – which is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Fiction - general, Fiction - Important Award Winners, Fiction - literary, Fiction - Short Stories, Fiction - short story collections, Phil Klay, Reviews by Bethany | Leave a comment

A Review of Ian McEwan’s The Cement Garden

Posted on April 11, 2015 by lfpbe

I’ll begin with a bit of show and tell. This is the first paragraph of Ian McEwan’s 1978 novel The Cement Garden: “I did not kill my father, but I sometimes felt I had helped him on his way. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Fiction - general, Fiction - literary, Ian McEwan, Reviews by Bethany | Leave a comment

What A Game of Thrones* and The Grapes of Wrath Have in Common (Besides Their Somewhat-Congruous Titles) – And Other Final Thoughts on Game of Thrones (by Bethany)

Posted on April 10, 2015 by lfpbe

Pages read: 674 out of 674 The percentage of the population that has not read this book and/or viewed season 1 of the series just got slightly more infinitesimal now that I’ve finished reading it, but if there are still … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Fiction - Fantasy, Fiction - general, George R.R. Martin, Reviews by Bethany | 5 Comments