^ “Lucy Barton” is in transit on my library queue. Now if I can ever finish “A Little Life”…
I read “A Little Life”, but when I was done I wished I hadn’t. Too dark and ugly for my tastes, as well as implausible.
My D gave me a Vive Gamache mug, complete with a licorice pipe, for Mother’s Day. It is the perfect gift.
I read The Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland based on the Renoir painting by the same name. She tells of the conception of it, the models and their stories and quite a bit of art techniques and brushes and paint colors etc. involved, as well as portraying 1880’s Paris. It was so enthralling. I read on a Kindle so I printed out a copy of the painting so I could refer to it while reading. So anyway, I was thinking I’d so love to see it but I’m sure it’s in Paris or somewhere in Europe. Turns out it’s in the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C.!!! I live near Washington D.C.! I can go see this wonderful work of art in person! I’m so excited. ;
I love that painting, have seen it at the Phillips. 
I will put the book on hold.
The Phillips is my favorite museum in DC and “The Boating Party” one of the few Renoirs I really like.
Loved the boating party book and after I read it went to see the painting at the Phillips - the picture is fabulous! There is a life size sculpture version of the picture at grounds for sculpture in NJ - J. Seward Johnson: Were you invited? - also worth visiting if you are near NJ.
The Last Painting of Sarah de Vos— another good historical fiction about paintings, Dutch masters, life in 17th Amsterdam, and a woman painter! Recommend!
Just started a Little Life and liking it so far, but have heard it gets quite dark.
I enjoyed A Little Life but yes, it does get quite dark. I just finished Becoming Nicole which is a nonfiction book that is about a set of biological male twins. Nicole formally Wyatt, transitions to female after graduating from high school. Very insightful, especially in light of the HB2 nonsense happening in North Carolina.
A Little Life is very dark.
I wish Becoming Nicole was required reading.
I just bought Becoming Nicole as an audiobook for my i-Phone. I listen to books while I ride my bike, and I just finished a Gamache book. I need a break from those, and this sounds like a great one. Thanks for recommending.
A Land Remembered, an historical novel about Florida. It was great, very interesting.
For the person who likes monastery books, have you read In this House of Brede by Rumer Godden? It’s about a professional woman who leaves her life among the London elite to join a cloistered Benedictine community. The reason for her choice is heartbreaking. It was made into a movie which, like most books-to-movies, did not do the story justice. I read it in high school and again many years later as the story never left me.
I will add it to my list
Milk and honey by Rupi Kaur. It’s my favorite book of all times actually.
Just finished Alice Hoffman, Marriage of Opposites–really enjoyed it. Hoffman takes real people and builds a story around them–Rachel Pomie Petit Pissarro and her son Camille Pissarro, who was the father of Impressionism. The book is primarily set in St. Thomas. The story is compelling and holds your interest till the end–lots of plot twists and turns. I’ve only read one other book of Hoffman’s but after this one, I’m going to go back and read more. She’s a prolific author (30 novels).
I’m reading Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels. Wonderful. Stunning. Deep. Highly intelligent. I just started the 4th - and last - book. It’s hard to find words for these amazing books.
I’m about half way through Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen who has always been one of my favorite authors. It’s a story of family, and home, and ties to the place where you grow up. Quindlen’s ability to draw rich characters has always been part of the appeal, to me, of her books. I also absolutely love the way she writes. I like to sit in a quiet room, with a cup of tea, and just savor her way with words.
Becoming Nicole is fascinating. I’m on chapter 16. I wish every human being would read it. I really didn’t know very much about gender identity from a scientific standpoint. I’m going to read the chapter addressing in utero timing of sexual identity vs. development of sex organs, the numerous genes which influence gender identity, etc. several times.
People who believe people choose to be transgender or just need counseling to “fix themselves” are in special need of this book.