Review of Books – Summer 2022 – Part Two

This is Part Two of my summer review of books – see last week for Part One. Welcome to my virtual bookstore – Happy Browsing!

Anne Tyler was typical Anne Tyler – French Braid was a quirky family saga – it opens with a long-ago family vacation with three teenagers who have nothing in common and their peculiar parents, including a mother who put her aspirations to be a painter ahead of her children and gradually moved out of the family home over the years to a studio.  Perhaps she thought they wouldn’t notice?  I don’t often read Anne Tyler as I just don’t get her – sure it’s readable, but what was the point of it all?  I actually had to google this one to refresh my memory as I read it last spring, it was that forgettable. 

Our House won a 2019 British mystery award, so I thought I’d give it a try.  I loved Louise Candlish’s last book, The Other Passenger, but this lacked by comparison.  I guess you could call it a domestic drama.  A woman arrives home to find another couple moving into their house, which her estranged husband has sold without her knowledge and then vanished.  You could tell it was going to be a train wreck, so it wasn’t very suspenseful.  

The Personal Librarian –   Historical tale about the life of Belle da Costa Green – a black woman who passed for white in the 1920’s, she was employed as JP Morgan’s personal assistant and helped him assemble the vast treasures of the Morgan Library and Museum.  Something about the writing was off – perhaps because it was co-written.  She led a fascinating life, so it should have been a better book, but then I’m generally not a big fan of first-person narrative…especially by two different people.

I really enjoyed The Lost Chapter even though I tend to avoid multi-generational/female friendship sagas.  Partially set at a finishing school in Lyon France in 1957, a friendship between a proper British girl and an independent brash American, ends badly.  Decades later, 80 year old Flo discovers that her friend has written a fictional book about their time there.  An artist, she befriends Alice a troubled teen, and along with her mother Carla, they impart on a road trip to France to confront her past.  Well done – I would like to read more by Carolyn Bishop.  As for the finishing school and the rules for female behaviour – how the world has changed.

The Long Weekend – another one I had to google to refresh my memory.  Three women go away for a long weekend in a remote corner of England, (without cell service of course) only to find a note waiting for them saying that one of their husbands will be murdered.  Suspenseful, from what I remember.

Verity – The librarian said this book was popular, but I am not familiar with the author, probably because I don’t read romance novels.  She also wrote It Ends With Us.  Billed as a romantic thriller, I abandoned it about fifty pages in and googled the ending on Goodreads, which justified my decision not to waste any more time on it.  A struggling young writer is hired by a charming man to finish a book his injured wife was writing.  If you want to read graphic details about two people having an affair while the wife is lying comatose upstairs, then I guess this is the book for you.  It was reissued recently with an exclusive new chapter after the author did a reading of it somewhere.  I think it was supposed to clarify the shocking ending?  Or perhaps it was a money grab?     

Iona Iversons’ Rules – charming tale about a group of people who ride the same London subway car every day, and how they meet, as the first rule of commuting is don’t talk to strangers.  A cheery read – I find I’m reading more light fiction by British novelists these days. It might have to do with the sad state of the world – they’re always good for a cuppa tea and a keep calm and carry on reading mentality. I was so impressed with this, I ordered Clare Pooley’s second book, The Authenticity Project, which was also a selection of my library book club. 

A lonely elderly patron leaves a green notebook in a local café with his life story in it, and urges others to write down the truth about their lives. The cafe owner finds it, adds her story and passes it along. Very good for light fiction, but in real life does a recovering cocaine addict who called you a bad name ever turn into the man of your dreams?    

Bloomsbury Girls – I loved this book and blogged about it in my literary salon (see link) – combines two of my favorite genres, historical fiction and bookstores. Three women working in a London bookstore during the 1950’s – the times they are a changing….

The Family Remains is a stand-alone sequel to Lisa Jewell’s, The Family Upstairs from several years ago, which was about two families sharing a cult-like existence in an old Chelsea mansion, until 3 of the adults turn up dead.   The author said her readers wondered what happened to the four teenagers in the house, so she felt the need to write a sequel.  I found The Family Upstairs to be a disturbing story, but this was better, except for that little unnecessary twist at the end.    

The Last to Vanish –  a mystery about a North Carolina inn set in a small town near the Appalachian trail, named the most dangerous town in the country. Six hikers have disappeared from the area in the past ten years.  Heavy on atmosphere (how much rustling in the woods can there be), and a fairly slow plot, but a nice ending. 

The Couple at Number Nine – British murder mystery about a young couple who are gifted a cottage when her grandmother develops Alzheimer’s and is placed in a care home.  They uncover two bodies while digging for an extension, and a crime investigation ensues.  This is more of a family drama/saga than a true suspense thriller, but the characters are well developed, and I enjoyed it.  I would order more books by this author. 

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – a short novella (120 pages) about a British char woman (cleaning lady) who scrimps and saves to buy a Dior dress. Written in 1958, I found the style dated and the Cockney slang/dialogue, difficult to read. A lot of repetitive description of Mrs. Harris being twinkly eyed and apple cheeked although wrinkly, gray-haired and middle aged but I found the tone of the book somewhat disparaging when she was described as a grotesque sight upon donning the vision of her dreams, a long frothy tulle and velvet concoction suitable for a jeune femme. I guess views on aging have changed. I love vintage fashion from the 50’s and am curious to see what they have done with the movie, which had fairly good reviews. The book was written by a male author I had never heard of, and I was astonished by his extensive list of books, 50 according to the flyleaf, including Thomasina the Cat, which I remember as a 1963 Disney movie and The Poisideon Adventure, from 1972. He must have been popular in his day. The second part of this book, was Mrs. Harris Goes to New York, which I did not read as I had to return to the library, and I just couldn’t handle any more of the accent and the description. There are four books in the series, including Mrs. Harris Goes to Moscow……not likely.

Out of Her Depth – was like the The Great Gatsby only set in a Tuscan villa a hundred years later – the young and beautiful and then the outsider. (Yes, the rich are different than you and me.) A young protagonist from an unfashionable part of London can’t believe her luck in landing a summer job at a Tuscan villa, where she meets a group of rich British college students on vacation. Even though I’m not the demographic for this type of psychological thriller I ordered it because it was a murder mystery set in Italy, although there was so little description of the country and the food (other than a few plates of pasta) that the novel could just as easily have been set anywhere. More character than plot driven, the story is told partially in flashback twenty years later when one of the group has just been released from jail for a murder he didn’t commit. There was some bad language, (it was young people and they tend to talk that way) but the characters were so mesmerizing and the plot-line so suspenseful, I managed to ignore it, although I was disappointed in the ending.

The other book, The Lost Ticket, was another heartwarming light British read – strangers aboard a London bus unite to help an elderly man with dementia find his missed love connection in this new novel from the author of The Last Chance Library. He lost the bus ticket with her phone number on it back in 1962. It sounded promising but I had to return it to the library as I had too many books out. (Two or three is comfortable, as I read about book a week, but seven is way too many and then I start to feel stressed…..I know, I know…..but such is retirement stress….that and medical appointments.)

A beverage on a tray on a bed is a recipe for disaster.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a decorating book, but I saw this mentioned on another blog. It was okay to browse through, but the print was so small (is this a trend, and no I don’t have cataracts yet) but as I’m not a fan of the serene staged minimalist look, I didn’t find it too inspiring, although I did like all the white/cream backgrounds and some of the photos were pretty. There are four sections on how to beautify your home according to the seasons. I vote for fall – bring on the scented candles.

And last but not least, Between Two Kingdoms – a memoir of a life interrupted – a riveting but depressing account of a 22 year old college graduate who is diagnosed with leukemia with a poor prognosis shortly after she moves to Paris, and her grueling three year battle to survive.  The last third of the book deals with her cross-country road trip, after she is declared in remission, to visit some of the people who had written her letters during her ordeal. (She had a blog and syndicated newspaper column.)  This book was also my library book club selection and the consensus was, it was a good read but not for everyone.  Certainly not for anyone facing a cancer diagnosis as it was heavy on horrible details.  (While the treatment for leukemia can be notoriously long, I’ve known some cancer patients who were well enough to work throughout their treatment, and one treated for lymphoma who didn’t even lose his hair.) There was lots to discuss about this book, as in A) Why did it take so long to diagnosis her?  B) I can’t believe her boyfriend/fiance stuck around as long as he did, he must have been a saint. Two years without a day off?  And C) The whole road trip thing at the end just seemed like such a foolhardy decision – to put her life at risk like that when she wasn’t fully recovered, especially for a person with very little driving experience.  She left New York in a borrowed car, driving the wrong way down a one-way street, not even knowing how to merge into expressway traffic, not to mention she was alone, camping, mostly in winter, staying in isolated places and sketchy motels.  I wondered if she embarked on the trip to have something to write about?  Really I was horrified by it, and worried about her having a relapse. Having fought her way out of a such an excruciating ordeal, you’d think she would have been a bit kinder to her body, although she admitted she has had to learn to accept the limitations of her immune system.  Very well written though.  (pg. 274 – “After you’ve had the ceiling cave in on you – whether through illness or some other catastrophe – you don’t assume structural stability.  You must learn to live on fault lines.”) Sadly, this past year her cancer returned after a six year remission, and she underwent a second bone marrow transplant.

To recover from that read, I switched to TV for light entertainment. 

I’m sure this will be the last Downton Abbey movie.  While it was nice to see the old gang again, the story-line was thin, the fashions and scenery frumpy, except for the bit in the south of France, and don’t get me started on the ending…. it will be forever how I remember them. 

Hotel Portofino – I missed the first two episodes of this Masterpiece mini-series set at in hotel along the Italian Riviera in the 1920’s during the fascist/Mussolini period, so I ordered the DVD from the library.  The setting was gorgeous and the fashions lovely, but the storyline wasn’t that good, and some of the characters seemed miscast. I found the main character, Bella, the hotel proprietress, particularly annoying.  It’s no Downton Abbey, but worth tuning in for the scenery – maybe Season Two will be better.  It’s set in the same area as Enchanted April, a movie and book I loved. 

And finally, I was excited to read that our library headquarters was holding their annual book sale of redundant copies – these would be excess copies from book club kits, once popular bestsellers, generally fairly good stuff unlike most book sales which are often the dregs from someone’s basement. I’ve never gone as it’s always early on a Saturday morning, and the location is out of the way, but because it was from 1-8pm and well advertised and there would be three years of books on sale, over a thousand people showed up in the first TWO hours.  By the time I got there around 3 pm, (it rained, so I dawdled, plus I knew there would be parking issues as it was at the fairgrounds), there was NOTHING left but empty tables.  The organizers were surprised at the turnout, as it usually only attracts a couple of hundred people.  It was so disappointing, as I’m still trying to accumulate books for my little library, but also encouraging in a way, as it tells us the pandemic has made so many of us into READERS!   

This week’s puzzle.

47 thoughts on “Review of Books – Summer 2022 – Part Two”

  1. Anne says:
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    Your comment about ‘Mrs Harris goes to Paris’ is interesting and makes me wonder about the way our present context influences reading from the past. I loved that series of books while I was in high school (and had never been overseas) and have subsequently enjoyed many of Paul Gallico’s novels. As always, your reviews are refreshing and I have noted a few titles to look out for.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Joni says:
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      That’s an interesting point Anne. Maybe a younger reader would agree with him, but today’s middle aged granny is just as likely to wear yoga pants and color her hair! I’m happy you found a few recommendations to read.

      Like

    • Joni says:
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      God, that’s a difficult question to answer. Nothing truly outstanding comes to mind, although I’ve read many good books. I like different books for different reasons. I would say that I never actually read a bad book, because if I don’t like it after 50 pages or so I don’t continue – it may be a good book but it’s just not for me. I’ll have to think on it for a bit.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. ruthsoaper says:
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    Thanks for all the books reviews, Joni. Like you my book reading is mostly done when I go to bed at night usually 1/5 hour to 1 1/2 hours depending on how tired I am, but I haven’t finished as many books as you. There is a used bookstore not far from us Called Squirrelled Away Books. I really should plan a trip there before winter and stock up on some books since I have read most of what I have on my shelves.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
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      What a cute name! I get most of my books from our small local library – they are great at ordering in new reservations, but sometimes they all come in at once, and only having 3 weeks before you have to return it is a problem you don’t have when you buy. We don’t have any used book stores close by, the one we had was too pricey and then closed.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Dave says:
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    I liked the final flourish you gave this post with the mention of the library sale. I agree, Joni – the more readers in this world the better! I also admire the variety (and quantity) of books you read. I am perfectly content languishing in two or three genres, leaving the others to occasionally tempt yet never win me over 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
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      Thanks Dave! I do like variety….I currently have 3 bestsellers out at the same time which has never happened before, Jodi Picoult’s Mad Honey a legal thriller about a small town which she co-wrote with someone else, John Grisham’s legal thriller The Boys from Biloxi, and Elin Hilderbrands Endless Summer book of short stories. The first two look long – almost 400 pages, so no way am I going to get all those read in 3 weeks which is the library limit if there’s a reservation list, not by just reading at night (even though I tend not to watch much tv). Plus I have a non-fiction book For The Love of Learning – a year in the life of a Canadian principal – which I ordered as I want to know what is wrong with our school systems. The Woman in the Library – a murder mystery set in a library reading room. That book about The Lost Ticket I had to return. And I have The Song of The Cell to pick up still – a medical type book for lay people by Siddhartha Mukherjee – the oncologist who wrote the Pullitzer prize winner 2011 The Emperor of All Maladies: A biography of Cancer, which I think they made into a documentary? It was a fascinating book, but probably a bit out of date now with all the new biological drugs targeting cancer. It’s more historical as it opened in the 1960’s in a children’s ward where leukemia was a death sentence and all of a sudden they are saving these kids with chemo drugs. I guess I am interested in all kinds of things. I have a friend who only reads romance or authors like Nicolas Sparks and I wonder, what’s the point, you already know how it’s going to end so where’s the fun in that? You may find you have more time to read now that you are retired….but maybe not! Sometimes the busiest people are retired people.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Dave says:

        I can’t get enough of WWII fiction, even though the basis for the stories (the war) is the same in every book. The writers willing to do the research come up with fascinating, poignant tales and I feel I learn more about that era with every read, from the perspective of many countries. Certainly so much more than I learned in grade school history. And thanks for mentioning Jodi Picoult – didn’t know she had a new one.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Ally Bean says:
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    You read a variety of books all of which sound good to me. I’ve heard about Between Two Kingdoms and have added it my list. I’ll read it when I’m in the right frame of mind to understand it without getting depressed. Also I’m going to read the Bloomsbury Girls. I just have to score a copy of it, probably at Half Price Books.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
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      It was a very intense book, so yes you have to be in the mood for it. I forgot to mention in my review that she had the best of medical care, the top doctors and hospitals in New York all paid for by her parents health care plan, plus very supportive parents, whom she seemed to ignore after she was cured, not even wanting to drop in and see them on her cross country trip. Anyway, let me know what you think if you do decide to read it. There was quite the discussion at book club.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Linda Schaub says:
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    So many books – I am envious of the books that you get to read Joni. I was in such a fitful mood last week after the generator issue and the tech’s return visit (which still hasn’t happened), that I bought that new Nicholas Sparks book at the grocery store to read over one of the long holiday weekends to just sit and read the entire book. I knew it came out in September and he is an easy and enjoyable read and will take me away briefly from house issues, work issues … whew, I really need it.

    I’ve wanted to start watching “Yellowstone” on the Peacock Channel which I get through Comcast, but I’m so behind here at WP all the time, I feel guilty to escape to watch TV and better I catch up on sleep if I’m going to be “absent” here.

    I have to buy something from Macy’s once a year to keep my credit card active … I don’t need clothes so was thinking about another book. They have a Barnes & Noble associated with Macy’s now. I have to do it before year end and was thinking of ordering the Sanjay Gupta book on the brain. I follow him on Twitter and always watch his videos and I know you enjoyed it … otherwise I’ll wait and get it in paperback, but I still have to find something to buy.

    The sweet Wysocki puzzle at the end reminds me of my mom – Charles Wysocki puzzles were some of her favorites and he did such a wide variety … often the little Amish towns, with the horse and buggy and quilts to the ones like you have featured here. I’ve said it before, once I retire, I look forward to spending at least an hour a day with my nose in a book. I have a lot of catching up to do and will not spend my day online like I do ten hours a day now.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
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      I was never a fan of Nicolas Sparks – I think he’s too predictable for me, but have a friend who loves his books. Maybe I haven’t given him enough of a chance. I’ve heard Yellowstone is good, although I’ve not watched it. The Sanjay Gupta book was good, but scary in a way – so many things that are bad for you like sugar and can go wrong. I never worried about Alzheimer until I read that book, although it was educational. I ordered PJ’s from the Bay last week when they had their bay day sales, so that’s always a good clothing choice, but then I live in mine in the winter. How much do you have to spent to keep your card? I finally cancelled my Sears Mastercard as I never used it after they went out of business, and they switched it over to Scotiabank I still never used it. We have the Charles Wysocki puzzle with the Amish buggy – it’s nice, and several others of his of small towns. I bought mom 4 new puzzles last week from a toy store so she’s set for awhile. Today I went back to the camera shop to get him to help me with the menu as I wasn’t happy with the quality of the pics and I walked in the door, with mom, (both of us wearing masks) and the first thing he says to me is he’s Covid positive. Well I had just called him an hour before and he never mentioned it, so there was another wasted trip into town. He apologized and said he was having brain fog. 4 out of 5 of his employees were off. I asked, should you be here and he said the health unit said it was okay. He was on Day 4. So we left and went to the park to take pics. I’m not happy with the quality of them, so I think the auto setting must be off, but I’m not going back there for at least a week or two. We were there last Thurs, so that’s five days and no sign of symptoms and I did a rapid test tonight and it was okay, so keeping fingers crossed. I had my mask on most of the time last week, but did have to take some breaths as it was so hot in there – it’s a small shop. Fingers crossed.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Linda Schaub says:
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    Nicholas Sparks is a wee bit like Danielle Steele, only she is way more predictable. I bought some books in the Fall of 2020 or 2021 which I have not read yet. I put them away for last Winter and was busy churning out posts for all the walks I took in the Summer/Fall but never got them written and pictures sorted and the same thing will likely happen this year. I was going to pre-order it on Amazon as it had a good storyline, then decided against it. I want to watch “Yellowstone” but maybe after Christmas. I have so much to do in this house as I’ve still not gotten all the groceries put away. I know that sounds terrible, but we had so many beautiful weekends in late September and through October, that I just wanted to get out and walk, take photos and enjoy myself. It will be a nightmare going through pictures from back in July. I would lose my mind now if I didn’t have walking and blogging as a diversion as to work. Sigh.

    The credit card just needs to be used, not necessarily a large amount, or they will cancel it. That happened to me with J.C. Penney. I don’t go to the mall so I didn’t use the card in a few years and they cancelled me. As to Macy’s, here’s the problem. I used to go there shopping when I still worked on site and I always had an annual charge for storing my coat. My mom bought me a fur coat (it is pretty … full-length beaver with crystal fox trim). She insisted on buying it for me for my 40th or 45th birthday. I should not have let her buy it but she wanted to do this. So every October 15th I took it out of storage, hung it in the cedar closet and returned it to Macy’s by April 15th … worn once only. After my mom died, I decided I would leave it in storage all year around – same amount of money ($127.00) for yearly as partial year storage. The coat was not stored at Macy’s, but in a cold storage vault in New York. So then every few years it had to be oil misted, a little more charge. Then Macy’s was not going to have a fur salon anymore and they said they sent a postcard which I never got. I never got billed for storage, so I called to Macy’s, was told “no more fur salon, call New York.” It’s been a debacle trying to reach them – multiple e-mails and finally someone answered me on August 18th. I said “I have to pay storage and misting though I’ll never use the coat but it has sentimental value – but you have not billed me in several years.” So I had them bill me and asked for a receipt three times – no receipt. It is a legitimate storage place but I asked them to ship it to a cold storage place in Michigan She suggested I cut it down to wear with pants … I said “no”. She suggested selling it … I said “no” … right now I don’t know my next step, but it goes along with the generator woes and miscellaneous other house issues that are happening right now. Between that and work, I’m fed up.

    I’m thinking I don’t want to read that book if it is that depressing … I am living with the those issues right now at work and that’s enough. I live in my PJs as well all Winter. Polar Fleece PJs and have some from my mom as well as me. I’m comfy in them and a hoodie to keep extra toasty. I won’t complain if Winter fails to show up.

    That’s horrible … right away while reading this I thought “Joni was just there the other day.” Thankfully you are okay five days later. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

    That is a cute puzzle – my mom would have loved it. I have saved puzzles my mom did and I liked plus I have new ones under the bed … really, I will not be bored when retired … if only he would retire.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
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      Where is your fur coat now? In Michigan or still in New York? I wish fur would come back in style again as I have a camel coat with a lovely fox collar. We had our flu shots today, just a bit of a sore arm so far.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I am not sure and on Monday or tomorrow I’m going to contact this woman and demand an answer. I should never have let my mom get it for me, but she said “you should have a fur coat and if you never have a beau to buy one for you, let me do this for you.” Anyway, I asked to have it brought to Michigan back in August and had to pay the $480.00. I’m not going to cut it down … that wouldn’t be right and if I did, where would I wear it? When we got the coat, the fur salon salesgirl said “well I wear my full-length fur and a ‘shortie fur’ with my jeans – it is a great look. I am not going to do that – I only go to parks and errands/grocery shopping. I just don’t know what to do, but will contact her Monday, if only to get it off my chest.

        In the last few days I’ve had to deal with the generator – will write back to your comment in a minute and Allstate car insurance where I made a payment in full of my car insurance premium electronically and Allstate claimed they never got it. I was furious with them as trying to reach either the website or the insurance agent is impossible. I also have to deal with the handyman as outside issues are cropping up – supposedly he did tuckpointing (you wouldn’t know it as cracks are opening up between the bricks and the front steps) and he tarred along one side – that is opening up. But I had to wait until the generator tech came for THIS PROBLEM. I had the locksmith in a few weeks ago when both front/back deadbolts suddenly stopped working – got tight, wouldn’t turn and both broke completely at the same time. Got new locks and locksmith said when asked why they both failed as I know no one tampered with them inside the house … the house is settling from hot/cold extreme temps. I have what was a hairline crack on my ceiling, suddenly spread and now traveling down the wall … I am both frustrated and horrified … and then there’s work and don’t get me started on that every day debacle.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        Good Lord, what a lot of trouble to deal with! I wish you luck, it’s no fun dealing with people online or in person. I do think the extreme swings in temperatures can’t be good for locks or houses. I renewed my cell phone contract (one year talk and text) on the phone this afternoon and that was an hour wasted. Might have been faster to go to the store except for Covid. I hope you have a powerball lottery ticket for tonight!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Yes, it is and I don’t know what to honestly do about the coat … $480.00 was a lot and I did not mind $127.00 a year, which was still costly to store it, but $480.00 was ridiculous from 2019 to 2022. I did not have it in me to argue with this fur lady … I’ve asked for the receipt and status to no avail.

        My phone minutes roll over each year as I don’t call anyone, however, I do call my landline for a 1/2 hour twice a month to discharge the battery and recharge it again. I was told to do this as I don’t use the phone. I have to buy 100 minutes to roll over the minutes and it’s now a $12.00 service fee annually. On top of that, a few weeks ago I happened to see how much the call from my cellphone to my landline was for 1/2 hour and instead of the usual $3.00 charge, it was almost $7.00. I thought I read it wrong as it only flashes quickly, so again the other day, same amount. Ridiculous, but cheaper than a monthly contract since I call no one. Everything is out of control. I should have bought a ticket and have for the big lottery prizes only because I’d love to just win a four-digit pick which would be around a million dollars and I figure the chances may be good … well I’ve never even got one number sometimes. I always bought instant Lottos for my mom to put in her Christmas stocking … sometimes she was lucky and won back the amount of the ticket if it was $2.00 or $3.00 – me nothing.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Generator was installed on August 18th – shut itself off during the test after install as it was leaking oil They learned it had a mangled gasket (not set properly and had smashed and not sealing out the oil). That was replaced on August 26th. Then the generator did a few self-tests (it’s called “exercising” and it does a self test every two weeks for 10 minutes … turns itself on, churns up the oil and runs at half power, then shuts itself off. So it did that and never turned back on again. I did not receive a tutorial, did not read the book until I realized it did not do the second “exercise” – if the dog is howling or barking next door and the fridge is on, the A/C or heat is on, I did not hear it come on. So I read the manual – went outside and the button was “red” – it was offline. Called them, five days later a tech came out and said it needed a new oil pressure monitor and ordered the part. I liked the tech and asked to have him going forward – he said “I’m off the week of 10/31 – my wife’s having surgery – it is a simple fix … new part and you’re all set.” So ten days pass, no phonecall that the part was in, so yesterday I contacted the President of the Company (like I did last year when I was fed up with the furnace short cycling and got immediate attention). I said “we are having 40-50 mph wind gusts Saturday and I have a fridge/freezer full of food and am not going to have it go bad as I have no generator IF I lose power.” So, the Flame President forwards my e-mail to different people in the company and I was told the part “somehow never arrived” – they expedited the part being shipped from the manufacturer (they don’t carry any of these parts at Flame – stupid I think) and he said it would arrive today or Monday and they’d send a tech out. We never got the extremely high winds – 30 mph I guess at the most, but the wind is still gusting out there. Anyway, the part arrived and a tech came out today for 90 minutes … put the new part in but he thinks some of the problem was that the generator needed firmware (manufacturer’s software) updates which he did with his phone and a USB cable to the generator. When a tech comes out in February for a six-month checkup and oil change, he is going to connect to my wireless so the generator can get its own updates, on its own. What a pain and just ask me if any of this was explained to me at the time of sale – no it was not.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        That sounds incredibly complicated. I wouldn’t think you would have to read a manual and do updates after spending all that money. I find it’s all in getting the right tech, so good that you can hang onto that one. I find some of the Reliance ones, beyond stupid. My furnace is doing it’s annual Halloween howling thing again, and I don’t know who to ask for, as three of them have been out and none of them seem to know. The one from the August maintenance check didn’t even have the furnace on long enough to hear it….it usually starts just after the blower kicks off in 2 mins. so I made him listen on my cell phone video. He just shrugged.

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      • Linda Schaub says:

        I’m annoyed about the generator and if it fails again, I’m going to say it is defective and I should have a new unit. I’m not keen on divulging my wireless logon/password – the last tech said it’s not needed; this one says it’s like a Windows computer and needs critical updates. Great. It seems to me that my friend Carol one time mentioning refueling her generator – I’m not doing tthat.
        And all these hassles were not explainedto me at the sales meeting.

        Oh, that is so annoying when it doesn’t happen when you want it to and even more annoying when the tech just shrugs. I’ll never forget after I got rid of Bill (our long-time handyman who acted the fool after my mom passed away and wanted double the money, wouldn’t show up and asked for advances by calling me on the phone constantly or banging on the front door at all hours, so I found someone else), then I went thru a slew of handymen til I found Jim. And now Jim is younger than us, declared legally blind as his good eye can only see forward and he lost sight in the other eye due to a burst retina one night while he was sleeping. His son-in-law, a former roofer, has taken over his book of business and told me with Jim standing there on the “meet-and-greet day” that “I’d rather be a roofer as there’s more money it it.” Well yay you kid – you have twin babies born in July, so will jack up your price to compensate for them. I don’t like this kid, he is in too much of a hurry, does a shoddy job and I fully expect issues if I contact him this week while it is still warmish out about repairing his jobs … do I criticize his work or say “it must be the house shifting”??? I didn’t want to contact him last week as I didn’t want the generator guy traipsing over wet cement or tar. I’m sick of it all.

        I had a handyman through a service after Bill was gone – I made two lists, one to hand him and one for myself. We went outside and I handed him the list so I could point out what Bill usually did with tarring the one side, tuckpointing and steps little cracks, etc. I turned around and saw him laughing at something he was reading on his phone. I thought “you’re on my dime buddy.” He messed up the tar job, saying he had to remove old tar, broke multiple drill bits trying to do that and was gone more than he was there – oh ya … he worked by the hour, not a set price. First and last time for the franchise “Mr. Handyman” to come here.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Linda Schaub says:
    Reply

    So, to answer your question about whether things were better than last week … well the generator works (for now) … but only because I wrote to the President of the Company and complained on Friday and thy expedited the part for the generator … they as much as said “something happened to the order – we don’t know what.” You dropped the ball … that’s what. So still another generator tech came to the house – the part came in Saturday morning – he was here about 90 minutes Saturday afternoon by the time he downloaded all the software from the manufacturer. So today it did it’s self-test … it worked fine. So I hope it stays like that. The wind did not get to 45-50 mph, but the wind has been wreaking havoc in other ways.

    Handyman came to the house today – new handyman and former handyman. Tar is opening, mortar moving where it was pointed and cracks around the door had opened up (those I did not blame on the handyman – but told him I wanted it caulked as he was here to do other fixes before the cold air arrives – it could not wait until h comes to do the gutters). So the small awning over the side door has come loose – Jim thinks from a big gust of wind and it has moved it from the wall and loosened not only the awning but caused some fissures in the brick. Great for that … so tomorrow that gets fixed. He will use a flexible mortar – he says it won’t blend into the bricks as it is clear, but will bend and move with the expanding/contracting that is don with the extreme hot/extreme cold. So, that is more money (around $400.00) to fix that. And the crack in the hall – well I guess I could have him do that but I ordered some thing from Amazon and will fix it myself. It will have to be painted on the wall and ceiling, all the doorframes (four rooms) … annoyed. I have to get an inside ladder – my outside ladder is dirty from putting it in he mud – I may just put down a tarp – I’m not sure, but it’s too big to be dragging in/out of the house and up the steps … I need a smaller stepladder with just three steps. More money. And I’m going to buy a snow rake as I try to get the snow off with a broom and regular rake, but need a longer tool, so more money – what a year of things breaking.

    The other day I went to get into the car and was thinking about other things and the car was locked and I went to use the handle. Before the four new car “button/locks” were replaced in May, the alarm would go off. It didn’t go off. So I tried all the doors – no alarm. But the red light flashes to indicate there is alarm protection. People are not only stealing catalytic converters here, but also steering wheels as they have the air bags that have metal in them – metal scrappers are stealing them. So I got a “Club” for the steering wheel. I have one now, in the back of the car, from the Regal, but could only find one key and I have not used it since 2009 so I just ordered a new one – they were $20.00 off, regular $65.00 and I know I did not pay even close to that back in 1988 when I bought the Regal.

    I have done a letter for the 10th or 11th time today – by the time I left work, I wanted to scream. I hope if our lease is not renewed, that he will retire. Highly unlikely and if they make him take a three-year lease (instead of a year-to-year as we’ve had for years), I do not think I can take another three years of work … the phone and computer issues and more. I am ready to retire before the world gets any crazier.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      That’s a lot to cope with. I had all kinds of cracks inside the house from when I had new windows put in and they pounded out the old ones, not very carefully, but had a handyman guy (who has since retired due to poor health) fix them as I didn’t want to fall off any ladders. So be careful. Is there someone who does painting who could to it – I know it’s more money but. I think you should retire….boss would have to then too. He wouldn’t find anyone else to put up with him!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Yes it is – too many things went wrong this year and everything costly plus the work issues … they wear on me. I asked the handyman today if this will be the norm now – having to now do repairs like this twice a year due to climate change? My neighbor’s magnolia bushes are in bud. I wish he would retire – he says the new building owner will not allow a year-to-year lease … he is sending out letters to some clients to ask if they want their files back as he thinks he would go to another office. His wife does not want him using their home as an office. I don’t want to work for three years … they wanted him to take a three-year least last year and begrudgingly allowed a one-year lease “this time” … building was owned by his friend; now owned by Dan Gilbert, who owns half of the buildings in the downtown area.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Linda Schaub says:
    Reply

    P.S. – I forgot the fur coat … had an argument with her yesterday … asked for my receipt for my records … surely $480.00 for two years’ storage and oil misting entitles me to a receipt. I said I paid $127.00 a year for many years, but I want a receipt and delineated bill or I will sell the coat to you …. it was worn once. I have nowhere to keep it, will never wear it and no, I don’t want to cut it down to hip length with a matching hat/muff … no, no, no. I said it will stay in storage and when I have time, I’ll clear out the cedar closet – there are wool skirt suits and blazers I will never wear again and I’ll get rid of them and the coat can hang in the cedar closet. it touches the bottom of the closet. My father bought my mom a short beaver coat and she wore it once to a Christmas party – it has hung in the cedar closet since then and no, I don’t wear it and no, it has not fallen apart. You can delete these two messages if you want. I didn’t want to respond on my site. Now to go to Comments and Reader. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend – just to get away from work for a few extra days..

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      That sounds like a good idea, either sell it to them if they would buy it? or bring it home. I have an 80’s closet with all kinds of good suits and skirts in it too, which I should clean out. No one is going to dress up like that again.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I hated to sell it to them, but I can’t see paying storage year after year and not seeing it or wearing it. I cannot imagine wearing it, even in a shortened version. I should not have let my mom buy it. I have a coat she bought me that is a heavy denim hip-length denim jacket that has a black rabbit lapels and collar and lined with the same black rabbit … it is sporty but I never wore it to work either. I took the bus and I’d get wear out of it without looking out of place but this is a full-length coat and the fox trim fluffs out in front … no, they won’t buy it unless I trade it in for something else. I think bringing it home is best too. Like you, we’re never going to wear those clothes. That was another chapter in our lives. (We’ve always got all our black pants though – remember we had that in common?) I live in sweatpants in Winter and the rest of the year I bought men’s lightweight and medium weight pants because they are long enough and reach my ankles. I’ve not even worn jeans in a long time … all about comfort now, but I only go to walk/errands/work at home – where do I get dressed up?

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        Same here….yoga or sweatpants and t-shirts during the day, and PJ’s and housecoats at night. It’s probably been pre-pandemic since I wore jeans and I never did have a comfortable pair or really really dressed up. This year, twice to the theatre, which was just black pants and a dressy top and that vintage dress to the Queen’s tea party. I have all those nice winter coats I bought pre-pandemic which are just hanging in the closet as they are too dressy for running errands. I haven’t had any major house repairs lately, but find those things tend to come in threes. At least you will feel safe in knowing you have backup power if needed, despite the hassle you went through it will be worth it.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I remember Marge got on my case because I wore sweatsuits all the time. She said “you used to get dressed up all the time.” I said “I went to work or had what I’d call ‘outings’.” When the weather was good and my mom got out regularly, we usually went out for lunch every Saturday and we both looked forward to it. So I don’t do that anymore, even before COVID. I was so vain about my appearance when I worked and went out all the time. I like comfort and can’t imagine getting dressed up again.

        The handyman was here today for almost four hours … there was a lot of cracks and some openings around the door frame and secured the small awning. We have no rain or high winds for a few days, so it will have time to set/dry. I agree with you about painting the hall and ceiling. I will just have it done professionally, but when I’m retired. I don’t want to work around a painter and to use any free time to do this, I will resent the project … bad enough I have to deal with the plaster crack. I’m mad at about it … I do agree things happen in threes. Hope I am done for a while!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        The thing is no one dresses up anymore to go anywhere, so if you did dress up you would stand out and maybe that’s not a good thing with all the crime around. Better to blend in. I’m all for comfort too, although I used to love going out for lunch pre-pandemic, and I used to wear jeans shopping. I found having the painter in to paint the kitchen during my reno was annoying enough – he was back so many times, stripping wallpaper, base coat, then two coats, and half the time he canceled or was late. It stretched over a week. I need to repaint other rooms in the house but just the thought of it, and of picking out paint to match the ivory beige color I have which I still like is just too much of a hassle.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels like that Joni. We’ve become comfortable in our skin, plus complacent and it is a little bit sad. I remember the first time I decided I was not going to waste my time wearing makeup to go to places like the dentist, eye doctor (wore makeup but no eye makeup and my eye doc does not use dilation drops, he has a computer scan for eyes) and to the CPA. It was like a revelation as I figured they might wonder who I was because I always wore makeup and the funny thing was I would take a long time applying makeup so it looked natural. I had/have oily skin so I’d be using a primer, makeup, concealer, a setting powder and Evian water mist to set it and rice paper to keep shine away … that was just the foundation for goodness sake. So now I go out with no makeup at all, with a mask, so it really doesn’t matter. I see pants, jeans … out I go in men’s sweatpants or lightweight pants as they go to my ankles and/or shorts. Dressing up has lost its appeal. I like your idea of cleaning out the cedar closet and keeping it there … sigh. I never heard back from the woman – I reminded her that Macy’s stopped billing me and I contacted them to remind them and this place never billed me for two years … I was honest and I still haven’t got a delineated bill/receipt. There are days I’ve had it with everyone. My mom and I had the house painted and wallpapered and the guy who did it the prior two times was retired. We got recommendations at the paint store … we chose a woman who was a piece of work. She arrived late every day as she took her granddaughter to school, then left early to pick her up. It was September and she took an hour for lunch which she ate outside, smoke breaks that she took outside and every time she had a hot flash, she ran outside. She didn’t move furniture, so what my mom and I couldn’t move, our neighbor volunteered to come over every night after dinner and help move things out or back in place. Such an ordeal and the paint is in good shape, as is the wallpaper. This is what irks me – the hall ceiling would be bad enough, but the wall means a bigger job and I can’t hang something over it as the crack (and subsequent crack patch) is a foot down from the ceiling. A little more and it would hit the thermostat and humidistat. Not happy about it at all.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        HA! I used to do that with my makeup too….now it’s a quick 5 minutes. I always put on mascara though, even if I’m not going out and concealer cream to cover my dark circles, otherwise people ask me if I’m tired. I used to use rice/blotting paper too during the day as my skin was somewhat oily, but haven’t for awhile now. Your painter sounds like the lady who painted my basement – it stretched over 6 weeks and evolved around the grandchildren’s schedules.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        It must be “our era” …. but yes the rice paper and rice powder. I would not go out of the house without makeup and if I gave my eyes a break from my contact lenses (I wore hard lenses, then rigid gas permeable lenses), I would wear these huge Jackie O sunglasses over my glasses … how far I have fallen. It is lazy, but honestly I don’t see anyone really. My mom would complain if I didn’t curl my hair or wear makeup on a Sunday – well I was doing yardwork or housework and she said “why can’t you just look nice seven days a week … I see you?” She had a point but I answered “it’s too much work Mom … I am not a natural beauty!” This woman painter was something else. She had such a lackadaisical work ethic. That alone makes me say “I’ll do it myself but grumble about it, but when I’m retired, not now.” The painter who retired, was nothing special either. He told us what paint brand to buy (Pratt & Lambert) as he liked using it and felt it adhered the best. Interesting because he painted so lightly it never covered the prior color. Every night after he left, my mom and I would paint the windowsills and doorframes on the room he painted that day after dinner and dishes were done. The yard guy never showed up for the final cutting – I have to write him an e-mail as well for a refund. I’m a little fed up with the world these days. I noticed a seam in the gutters opened on the one side of the house – I have to do an inspection all around before the guy comes to clean the gutters.

        Liked by 1 person

  13. J P says:
    Reply

    The Mrs. Harris book reminds me that books and their authors are like popular music and those who perform it. What is really popular in one era is all but forgotten decades later. And when you stumble across something old, you wonder what people saw in it then.

    The library sales in my area (at least the ones I went to years ago) were full of those old popular books that nobody checks out anymore. In with the new, out with the old, I guess.

    Liked by 1 person

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