What book are you reading?

[ClaraC]

Has anyone read The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy? It's written for adults, but is illustrated and told like a book for kids. Reminiscent of The Little Prince or the early Christopher Robin tales.

Absolutely a delight. If you read through it quickly, it will take you about a half hour or less, but it's good to go back and read the entire thing again, slowly. Don't do this one on audio - the illustrations make the story.

So hopeful, so comforting.

[Firehorse66]

Finished "Cardiff, by the Sea" by Joyce Carol Oates (Four novellas of suspense) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...iff-by-the-sea

I thought they were OK, a 3 star read for me.

"If I were to live here in Cardiff, by the sea, I think that another self would emerge in me. My soul."

[southwest88]

Velvet was the night / Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Del Rey.

Subjects
Missing persons -- Fiction.
Mexico City (Mexico) -- Fiction.

Summary
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a riveting noir about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome thug, and the mystery of the missing woman that brings them together. 1970s Mexico City. Maite is a secretary who lives for one thing: the latest issue of Secret Romance. While student protests and political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes into stories of passion and danger. Her next-door neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student, seems to live a life of intrigue and romance that Maite envies. When Leonora disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman--and journeying deeper into Leonora's secret life of student radicals and dissidents. Meanwhile, someone else is also looking for Leonora at the behest of his boss, a shadowy figure who commands goon squads dedicated to squashing political activists. Elvis is an eccentric thug who longs to escape his own life: He loathes violence and loves old movies and rock 'n' roll. But as Elvis searches for the missing woman, he comes to observe Maite from a distance--and grows more and more obsessed with this woman who shares his love of music, and the unspoken loneliness of his heart. Now as Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the secrets behind Leonora's disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives, with hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies aiming to protect Leonora's secrets--at gunpoint"-- Provided by publisher.

Length
284 pages ;

Moreno-Garcia is a rising Mexican novelist. She handles noir beautifully, & has published several books.

[ladyvibrant]

[southwest88]

El Norte : the epic and forgotten story of Hispanic North America / Carrie Gibson, 1976- , c2019, Atlantic Monthly Press, 973.0468 GIBS.

Subjects
Spaniards -- North America -- History.
Hispanic Americans -- History.
North America -- Civilization -- Spanish influences.
...

Summary
"Because of our shared English language, as well as the celebrated origin tales of the Mayflower and the rebellion of the British colonies, the United States has prized its Anglo heritage above all others. However, as Carrie Gibson explains with great depth and clarity in El Norte, the nation has much older Spanish roots--ones that have long been unacknowledged or marginalized. The Hispanic past of the United States predates the arrival of the Pilgrims by a century, and has been every bit as important in shaping the nation as it exists today. El Norte chronicles the sweeping and dramatic history of Hispanic North America from the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century to the present--from Ponce de Leon's initial landing in Florida in 1513 to Spanish control of the vast Louisiana territory in 1762 to the Mexican-American War in 1846 and up to the more recent tragedy of post-hurricane Puerto Rico and the ongoing border acrimony with Mexico. Interwoven in this stirring narrative of events and people are cultural issues that have been there from the start but which are unresolved to this day: language, belonging, community, race, and nationality. Seeing them play out over centuries provides vital perspective at a time when it is urgently needed. In 1883, Walt Whitman meditated on his country's Spanish past: 'We Americans have yet to really learn our own antecedents, and sort them, to unify them,' predicting that 'to that composite American identity of the future, Spanish character will supply some of the most needed parts.' That future is here, and El Norte, a stirring and eventful history in its own right, will make a powerful impact on our national understanding"-- Provided by publisher.

Length
xvi, 560 pages, maps, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : time line of key events, select bibliography, chapter notes, index

An excellent reference, or to read through from start to finish. Immigration continues to be an issue in the US, & in the West generally. & given environmental & weather issue trends, mass movements of people fleeing disaster are more likely in the future.

[pathrunner]

Sounds really good. Does the book cover the historical Land Grants in northern New Mexico in the 1860's?

[southwest88]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

Sounds really good. Does the book cover the historical Land Grants in northern New Mexico in the 1860's?

There's a chapter on Mesilla, New Mexico, ca. 1850-77- which covers the period. (& Mesilla went back & forth between Mexico & the US for a bit, too.) But the book's more about the broad sweep of Spain/Mexico/US interactions - the land grants in NM get attention as sparks for unrest among the original grantees & their descendants.

The chapter notes & bibliography would probably point you to articles & books directly on the NM land grants.

[pathrunner]

Just picked up a copy of The Music Shop. I hope it's as good as everyone says.

[ladyvibrant]

[ladyvibrant]