Two new Mole Sketches

1> Osiers
2> Birthday excitement

In Jody's Moleskine

Grandkids!

Sunday for Dinner.

The Probable Future, finished

The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just finished this book in a shower of tears, which were also evident elsewhere in the book. I liked it very much and will probably reread it, though not immediately, as I am currently still rereading Alice Hoffman's The Third Angel.

This book is primarily about three generations of women in the Sparrow family, but it actually goes back to 1682, many generations of Sparrow women, each with a special gift. Murders occur, including a current one, betrayals, love affairs. There are people who are honest and kind and those who are not, but each person is treated humanely and fairly. It's a book of relationships, of hurts and forgiveness. It is interesting, engaging. For me, it was another page turner, with lots of sadness and tears and lots of redemption.

I read most of the book during multiple doctor appointments, MRIs, mammograms, etc, so I feel as if I need to reread it because of the interruptions. I think there may be a few loose ends, but it may just be because I am failing mentally or because of the way I read it.

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at the Rolandale House

Work is progressing slowly at "the Cottage" or "Studio," otherwise
know as "The Rolandale House," "Guest House," or "other house." I've
had a number of doctor apointments, medicals, tests, call back for
more tests etc. ML came over and unpacked and dusted books. BB is
cutting up the boards he removed from the porch he demolished. Lasy
night, we hauled away the last of the shingles and rusted galvanized
metal, but the boards and aluminum siding still has to be dealt with.
And the painting isn't finished.

2 New Fractals

These two fractal flames are variations created by me on Apophysis, a
free download for PCs. For some reason, I find fractals endlessly
fascinating. I made some more but the program crashed and I lsot
them. I am doing this on a quick lunch break.

The Third Angel: A Novel by Alice Hoffman, finished

The Third Angel: A Novel by Alice Hoffman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I just finished this book. It's the first book I've read in quite a while that I wanted to just start over and reread from the beginning, and I may do exactly that.

It's a sad book--lots of bad stuff happens. And it's a complex book.

I hope it's not a spoiler if I say that the books backwards in time to the lives of characters who appear in the first section. You learn to understand the reasons for some of what happens. Terrible things. The people all seem very real to me, like people I know well, like myself. It's one of those books that seems to be written about me even though the events are totally different than those in my life.

And the characters, in spite of their flaws, are very real. The fact that the characters change is at once exciting and upsetting. I wanted to know more about what happened to the people in the first section. Instead, I learned about the lives of their parents. It's like three different books, but they are all tied together. Like life.

I worry that I might be "too easy" to please, because I've been giving everything lately 5 stars--but I've loved them all. I tend to love whatever I am reading. Unless it gives me a reason not to. I can quickly think of some other things I am reading or recently read that I did not like as well. I won't name them--I am satisfied to know they exist. Except this: I Claudius, which I am still reading. It has gotten better, but the beginning was almost unbearably tedious.

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Not a successful Likeness

Someday MAYBE I will learn to make likenesses, but I haven't learned YET!

(See me at Cranbrook here.)

The Kite Runner, finished

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I finished this book and I loved it. It was very sad, but well-writtin and engaging.



The protagonist did something terrible, he betrayed a friend, a friend who had always been faithful to him, and who turned out to be more than a friend. He is given a chance to redeem himself more than once. At first, he fails. His struggle is heart wrenching, as are the results of the wars raging in Afghanistan.



This book is similar in a number of ways to The Book Thief, which I just read. I liked them both, but they are both VERY sad. And happy, and touching. I recommend it/them heartily.



Meanwhile, I am also still reading I, Claudius, The Mind of the Raven, The Probable Future, The Sunflower and a number of other books. I read some of the mind of the raven last night when I was up unable to sleep.


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The Third Angel, by Alice Hoffman

The Third Angel: A Novel by Alice Hoffman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Why are all the books I'm reading SAD???? Do they have to be SO SAD?



I've just started this book and have been crying my eyes out.



It's very good so far.



I will report back when I finish it.


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The dissolution of a comet (sic)

Fractal Flames from Apophysis, a freedownload for PCs. All manipulated by me.