Book Review - Lucy by the Sea - Elizabeth Stroud

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In March 2020 Lucy's ex-husband William pleads with her to leave New York and escape to a coastal house he has rented in Maine. Lucy reluctantly agrees, leaving the washing-up in the sink, expecting to be back in a week or two. Weeks turn into months, and it's just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the sea.

Rich with empathy and a searing clarity, Lucy by the Sea evokes the fragility and uncertainty of the recent past, as well as the possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this miraculous novel are the deep human connections that sustain us, even as the world seems to be falling apart.

Another book by Elizabeth Strout that I have enjoyed. Following on from Lucy Barton becoming a widow and her ex-husband William becoming single again this takes place during the pandemic when William persuades Lucy to isolate with him in Maine.

Strout captures the stresses caused by the pandemic well and how Lucy and her family cope with being in lock-down. Lucy is a complicated character, annoying at times but I just love the way Strout writes.

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Monday Mutterings - 14/10/24

I definitely need that first cup of tea in the morning lol.

No early start required today though but we had a busy weekend with my eldest son and his family here.  They arrived late on Friday but grandsons Noah and Miles were still up early on Saturday.

Our day was fairly quiet though as they were here to visit friends for a 40th birthday so we didn't see too much of them and when they got back Miles was sound asleep and Noah went straight to bed too.

On Sunday we met up with my daughter and her family and a few nieces and nephews for Sunday lunch at a local carvery.  It wasn't the most relaxing lunch with our 4 little ones, and because the carvery is very popular and we booked at short notice our tables weren't together but we managed and the food was really good AND.....I didn't have to cook!

Of course today there has been lots of washing to do - bedding, towels etc but I'm so glad we have so much space for the kids to be able to come and stay.

I've also had my Covid booster jab today so that's another jab ticked off the list.  I just need my second shingles jab now and I'll have the full winter set.

I managed a few more chapters of David Copperfield today.  The language is a bit flowery at times and there are soooo many characters to keep track of but it's actually quite easy to read because I'm finding it engaging.

I've also got all but one of the outstanding prompts in the 52 book challenge  sorted and I've only had to buy one book for those, the rest were books already in the house.

The prompt I have left is "set during a holiday you don't celebrate" which might take a bit of research.  I'm thinking Halloween or maybe a New Year in a different culture.  Or maybe I'll find a book that has a 4th July celebration in it.  All suggestions welcome.  

Have a good week.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 9/10/24

Wednesday again so time to take part in the Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce here.

1. Thursday is National Walk To A Park Day. I know these celebratory days are mostly made up, but some are fun to think about. Do you live close enough to a park to walk to one on Thursday? Will you? The most famous park in the world is Central Park located in NYC. Have you ever been to Central Park? What did you think? If you haven't been is this a place you'd like to see? 

I often talk of walking around the lake near me but just beyond that is Highams Park so yes they're both near enough to walk.  I won't walk there tomorrow as it's the day I volunteer at the local food bank.  I have been to Central Park.  We didn't cover much of it - it's so huge!

2. Something you've done recently that turned out to be a 'walk in the park'? 

We walked a local Arts trail at the weekend.  It wasn't in a park but it was a nice easy way to pass an afternoon.

3. Can you parallel park? Do you have to do this often where you live? 

I absolutely can parallel park.  Ahem, I live in London.  

4. The colours of fall...red, brown, russet, golden bronze, golden yellow, purplish red, light tan, crimson, orange red, and scarlet. Are these colours you like to wear? Is this your season in terms of colour? What about your home? Would we see these tones in your home decorating?  

They're not colours that feature a lot in my wardrobe or in my home although I do have red accessories in one of our bedrooms.

5. What part of history do you find most interesting? Elaborate. 

I'm not great at history if I'm honest but I do love watching historical dramas such as Downton Abbey or the series on Queen Victoria.    I've also found a book series set in the time of Henry VIII very interesting.  (by C J Sansom).

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Well firstly I hope that anyone in the path of Milton stays safe.

Secondly, I'm coming to America!  We booked our flights today so we'll be visiting my son and his family for Thanksgiving.  Can't wait.  We hopefully won't be in the path of any hurricanes but there will most likely be snow!  Lots of it.  They're up in Vermont.  Good excuse to stay home and spend time with the grandkids.

Monday mutterings - 7/10/24

This was probably me first thing this morning - we had an early start but that means there is time to:

Why an early start? We both had our flu jab appointments this morning.  We only had to get to our local GP so it wasn't that bad - it's a 10 minute walk away and we were seen as soon as we got there.

Back home I've put some washing on and we've watched an episode of a programme we're watching together and I've posted some cards - just catching the postman who'd emptied the postbox that's about 20 yards from our house!  In the past I've seen it being emptied late in the afternoon but the routine must have changed.  Anyway he took my cards so they are now winging their way to various people.

My eldest brother and one of my cousins both have birthdays this week.  My best friend's middle daughter had a baby boy last week so a card for her.  But also a card for my friend as her Dad passed away last week.  He was 93 so a good age and he had only been unwell for a short period of time.  Still hard though for her.

I've also booked a routine blood test online and it's not even lunch time yet lol.

We had a quiet day yesterday but on Saturday we visited Chingford for this:

Quite a few of the cafes along the main street had artwork on display and there were also exhibits in the meeting rooms in the station.

It made a nice change and we had lunch in one of the cafes that Hubby particularly likes.

We also browsed the charity shops while we were there and, although I do not need books, these somehow found their way home with me lol.

Not sure when I'll get around to reading them - I'm already a bit behind on my reading of David Copperfield this month but I'm sure I'll catch up!  Somehow.

And then there are squares to be knitted for the homeless.  I've done a few but I'm not the fastest knitter in the world.  Every one helps though right?  There is an organisation that collects them and makes them into blankets so our knitting group are making some at the moment.  Last week we took part in a Reuse and Repair Fair at a local school where we spent the afternoon knitting and chatting - they kindly provided lunch for us too.

But of course I should be doing some housework - my son and his family are coming at the weekend so I need to put the warmer duvets on the beds - it's bright and sunny today but chilly.  I'd best get on.

Friday's Fave Five - 4/10/24

It's Friday again so time to look back on the week and remember the things I'm grateful for.  Our host Susanne reminds us to do this each week - her blog can be found here.

1)  Firstly I'm grateful that, despite having had a lot of rain this past week, I do not live in an area that is likely to be in the path of a storm like Helene.  I cannot imagine what it must be like for those who were, the devastation is dreadful.  I haven't followed it too closely - watching any news is quite depressing at the moment, but I hope that none of my blogging friends have been badly affected.

2)  Today we had sunshine.  It's a lot cooler and the leaves are dropping, definitely autumn, but the blue sky and sunshine were uplifting.

3)  Books, another favourite of my things to be grateful for.  A new one arrived by mail today as part of the subscription I was gifted by my daughter and DIL and the library had one that I'd reserved ready for me.

4)  Time with my daughter and her family this week as they celebrated Rosh Hashanah. (Jewish New Year)  My DIL made a lovely meal - we had lots of sweet things and afterwards I helped put the grandkids to bed.  

5)  Another grandson turned 4:

 Miles loves beans on toast!

He and his brother Noah also love jumping in muddy puddles!  My son sent me this pic today plus a couple of videos of them jumping in the puddles.  They are both in a right mess but the enjoyment they had was (hopefully) worth all the muddy clothing, boots and boys!

Have a good weekend all.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 2/10/24

Woohoo I'm doing a Hodgepodge.  This is hosted by Joyce here where you can find full details, including who else is playing along.  Thank you Joyce.

1. Hey, it's October...what's one fun thing on your October calendar? 

Well I'm hoping to meet up with my "Ladies who Lunch" group this month and there is a visit to my brother and his wife planned too.

2. Thursday is National Poetry Day (first Thursday in October)...do you like to read poetry? If so, what's a favourite poem, or whose poetry do you especially enjoy? 

Nope not a great reader of poetry although I did read it more as a child - I still have a couple of books with my stash of children's books.

3. Tell us about something you've seen recently that could be described as 'poetry in motion'. 

Hmm that would probably be the squirrel managing to get food out of the supposedly squirrel proof bird feeders!

4. What's one song on your autumn playlist? Do you have an autumn playlist? If not, pretend you do. If yes, then feel free to share more than one. 

I am rubbish when it comes to music.  If I do have the radio on it's probably a news programme I'm listening to not music.  I do play music when I walk but it's just a random selection from Spotify that's entitled "Walking Music".  It works for me because it keeps a steady reasonably fast walking tempo.

5. Share a quote that inspires you this time of year especially. 

Again I'm not great at quotes.  Keep calm and carry on is probably a mantra I try and follow but more recently I decided I should Just Beam as in Be A Madeleine.  Madeleine was my SIL who died recently and she was a great example to all of us on how to cope with terminal illness but also how to live your life.  She was good at making sure those who needed them got visits and keeping people on track.  She could strike up conversations with anyone and make them feel listened to.  Definitely a people person and a great believer in paying it forward.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

And another Grandson turns 4

Miles loves beans on toast so his birthday tea was beans on toast with sausages.  I am assured though that the cake tasted a lot sweeter than it looks.  My DIL is a saint making all those "beans"! 

An update on the 52 book challenge 2/10/24

Firstly, thank you for all your kind words on my previous post, following the death of my SIL.  

Now, onto books:

Designed by Freepik

At the start of the year I mentioned that I was attempting the 52 book club challenge.

The aim of this challenge is to read 52 books over the year with each book matching a prompt provided by the club.

Well I've actually read 55 books already this year but only 42 matched to the challenge prompts which are these:

So 10 books to go by the end of the year.  Doesn't sound too hard does it?  Except that some of the books I've lined up for the remaining prompts are not easy reads.  For example I've just started David Copperfield for #22 and I have Demon Copperhead lined up for #23.  Over 1400 pages between the two books!

I've planned to read a chapter a day of David Copperfield so I should get through that by the end of this month while I carry on with reading other books too.  I'm not sure I can handle reading Dickens any other way.  I may be wrong but my only other experience of him is A Christmas Carol which is of course considerably shorter.  I'm making notes as I go so that hopefully it will be more committed to my memory.  Dickens does like to have a lot of characters in a book!

My September reads were:

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain (4*)
I would put Chamberlain in the same mould as Picoult - she tends to write about a moral/ethical dilemma - but not to quite the same level as Picoult.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (5*)
I can't believe I didn't read this as a child.  Such a delightful book.

Grace after Henry by eithne shortall (4*)
An easy read about a woman grieving for her fiancé who meets his twin brother that no one knew about due to adoption.

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout (4*)
I love Strout's writing.  She captures the essence of her characters so well.

Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin (3*)
This was slightly disappointing.  Rankin has written many books about a detective (Rebus) based in Edinburgh but this one, set just after Rebus has retired didn't quite grab me the way some of his other books have done.  It also wouldn't work well if you hadn't read any of the other books in the series.

3 of the above fitted prompts and I'm currently reading Sweet Caress by William Boyd which has proved interesting so far.  Another reasonably long book at 450 pages though but it does fit a prompt! (#28 a yellow spine)

I certainly love a challenge!