Kate’s 2¢: “Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton

“Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I’ve often heard people refer to this book, but I don’t remember ever reading it, so, I’ve remedied that situation.

   John MacDonald did a good job of narrating this classic story about Ethan Frome and why he became such a recluse and intriguing figure in the neighborhood. I enjoyed this story and am amazed at Wharton’s background.

From Wikipedia:

Edith Newbold Wharton (/ˈhwɔːrtən/; née Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider’s knowledge of the upper-class New York “aristocracy” to portray, realistically, the lives and morals of the Gilded Age. In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel, The Age of Innocence. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996.[1] Her other well-known works are The House of Mirth, the novella Ethan Frome, and several notable ghost stories.

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

File:Edward_Harrison_May_-_Edi…

Portrait of Wharton as a child by Edward Harrison May (1870)

Edith Newbold Jones was born on January 24, 1862, to George Frederic Jones and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander, at their brownstone at 14 West Twenty-third Street in New York City.[2][3] To her friends and family, she was known as “Pussy Jones”.[4] She had two elder brothers, Frederic Rhinelander and Henry Edward.[2] Frederic married Mary Cadwalader Rawle; their daughter was landscape architect Beatrix Farrand. Edith was baptized April 20, 1862, Easter Sunday, at Grace Church.[2]

Wharton’s paternal family, the Joneses, were a very wealthy and socially prominent family, having made their money in real estate.[5] The saying “keeping up with the Joneses” is said to refer to her father’s family.[6][7] She was related to the Rensselaers, the most prestigious of the old patroon families, who had received land grants from the former Dutch government of New York and New Jersey. Her father’s first cousin was Caroline Schermerhorn Astor.[8] Fort Stevens, in New York, was named for Wharton’s maternal great-grandfather, Ebenezer Stevens, a Revolutionary War hero and general.[9]

Wharton was born during the Civil War. However, in describing her family life, Wharton does not mention the war, except that their travels to Europe after the war were due to the depreciation of American currency.[2][10] From 1866 to 1872, the Jones family visited France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.[11] During her travels, the young Edith became fluent in French, German, and Italian. At the age of nine, she suffered from typhoid fever, which nearly killed her, while the family was at a spa in the Black Forest.[2] After the family returned to the United States in 1872, they spent their winters in New York City and their summers in Newport, Rhode Island.[11] While in Europe, she was educated by tutors and governesses. She rejected the standards of fashion and etiquette that were expected of young girls at the time, which were intended to allow women to marry well and to be put on display at balls and parties. She considered these fashions superficial and oppressive. Edith wanted more education than she received, so, she read from her father’s library and from the libraries of her father’s friends.[12] Her mother forbade her to read novels until she was married, and Edith obeyed this command.[13]

Early writing[edit]

File:Edith_Wharton_by_Edward_H…

Edith Wharton by Edward Harrison May

Wharton wrote and told stories from an early age.[14] When her family moved to Europe and she was just four or five, she started what she called “making up.”[14] She invented stories for her family and walked with an open book, turning the pages as if reading while improvising a story.[14] Wharton began writing poetry and fiction as a young girl, and she attempted to write her first novel at the age of 11.[15] Her mother’s criticism quashed her ambition, however, and she turned to poetry.[15] She was 15 years old when her first published work appeared, a translation of a German poem “Was die Steine Erzählen” (“What the Stones Tell”) by Heinrich Karl Brugsch, for which she was paid $50. Her family did not want her name to appear in print, since writing was not considered a proper occupation for a society woman of her time. Consequently, the poem was published under the name of a friend’s father, E. A. Washburn, a cousin of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who supported women’s education.[16] In 1877, at the age of 15, she secretly wrote a novella, Fast and Loose. In 1878, her father arranged for a collection of two dozen original poems and five translations, Verses, to be privately published.[17] Wharton published a poem under a pseudonym in the New York World, in 1879.[18] In 1880, she had five poems published anonymously in the Atlantic Monthly, an important literary magazine.[19] Despite these early successes, she was not encouraged by her family or her social circle, and though she continued to write, she did not publish anything more until her poem “The Last Giustiniani” was published in Scribner’s Magazine in October 1889.[20]

The “debutante” years[edit]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Ethan Frome DB17455

Wharton, Edith. Reading time: 3 hours, 20 minutes.

Read by John MacDonald.

Classics

A tale of retribution about a discouraged New England farmer and his hypochondriac wife. Their empty lives are suddenly changed when her cousin, a young girl who still finds joy in life, comes to live with them.

Downloaded: November 4, 2024

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Kate’s 2¢: “Lone Bull’s horse raid” by Dorothy and Paul Goble

“Lone Bull’s horse raid” by Dorothy and Paul Goble

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

  Bruce Huntey did a good job of narrating this story. Prior to the story, there is a lengthy description of the culture that made this story important. It seems like in every culture, the children who disobey their parents, end up smelling like roses!

   The information I found on the authors listed  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, didn’t sound like writers, but rather like Politicians.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Lone Bull’s horse raid DB22252

Goble, Paul; Goble, Dorothy. Reading time: 42 minutes.

Read by Bruce Huntey.

Historical Fiction

Adventure

Lone Bull, a young Oglala Sioux warrior-in-training, describes his first horse raid. He tells how he and his best friend, Charging Bear, join a party of warriors as they set out to raid the neighboring Crow Indians. Lone Bull’s account explains the significance and excitement of the raid and the fierce competition among the warriors for personal glory. 1973.

Downloaded: November 4, 2024

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Best of Friends” by Lucinda Berry

“The Best of Friends” by Lucinda Berry

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Jill Fox did a good job of narrating this emotionally charged sory. I enjoyed the suspense, even though, I did suspect the out-come.

From the web:

USA Today bestselling author, Dr. Lucinda Berry, is a former psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. With millions of books worldwide, she’s written multiple bestsellers including The Perfect Child, Saving Noah, and Keep Your Friends Close.

Now, she spends her days writing full-time where she uses her clinical experience to blur the line between fiction and nonfiction.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The best of friends DB105399

Berry, Lucinda. Reading time: 8 hours, 36 minutes.

Read by Jill Fox.

Suspense Fiction

Psychological Fiction

Best friends Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani face tragedy when their teen sons are in a tragic accident. One dies, one is in a coma, and the third is too traumatized to speak. As the investigation into the accident digs deeper, secrets begin to surface. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2020.

Downloaded: October 6, 2024

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Kate’s 2¢: “Do Not Disturb” by Freida McFadden

“Do Not Disturb” by Freida McFadden

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Well done. I’ve read several of McFadden’s books and enjoyed everyone of them. This story has the inevitable plot pivot times two.

   Holly Adams and Daniel Thomas May did a great job of narrating this story for NLS.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.freidamcfadden.com

Freida McFadden (born May 1) is an American author and practicing physician specializing in brain injury from New York City.

Biography[edit]

McFadden self-published her first book through Amazon KDP in 2013. Her 2022 book The Housemaid was an international bestseller. A movie adaptation of the book is set to be adapted for Lionsgate with Rebecca Sonnenshine to pen the screenplay, and Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young to produce.[1]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Do not disturb DB122010

McFadden, Freida. Reading time: 7 hours, 55 minutes.

Read by Holly Adams; Daniel Thomas May.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

“Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime. To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it. She leaves behind her home, her job, and her family. She grabs her passport and heads for the northern border before the police can discover what she’s done. But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kindly owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night. Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick’s ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching. In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She’ll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom. But first, she must survive the night.”– Goodreads. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Downloaded: November 4, 2024

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Kate’s 2¢: “Green frog: stories: by Gina Chung

“Green frog: stories: by Gina Chung

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

      It was nice to hear a variety of readers read the numerous stories in this book sent to me by NLS on a cartridge of seven books.

      I certainly hope that before someone starts to mutilate herself reading the “How To Eat Your Heart”, the reader will read the whole story first.

   “Green Frog” examines the dilemma of the Korean daughter who stays home to care for her parents. Her mother told of a green frog who always did the opposite…

   This collection of stories high-lights various facets of the Korean culture and folk lore, which I found fascinating.

From the WEB:

Gina Chung is a Korean American writer from New Jersey currently living in New York City. She is the author of the novel Sea Change, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a 2023 B&N Discover Pick, an APALA Adult Fiction Honor Book, and a New York Times Most Anticipated Book, and the short story collection Green Frog which was a Good Morning America Book Buzz Pick. A recipient of the Pushcart Prize, she is a 2021-2022 Center for Fiction/Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellow and holds an MFA in fiction from The New School. Her work appears or is forthcoming in One Story, BOMB, The Kenyon Review, Literary Hub, Catapult, Electric Literature, and Gulf Coast, among others. She is a faculty member of the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program at Lasell University.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Green frog: stories DB120490

Chung, Gina Reading time: 7 hours, 9 minutes.

Jeena Yi; Hannah Choi; Sue Jean Kim

Short Stories

Family

“Equal parts fantastical — a pair of talking dolls help twins escape a stifling home, a heart boils on the stove as part of an elaborate cure for melancholy — and true to life — a mother and daughter try to heal their rift when the daughter falls unexpectedly pregnant, a woman reexamines her father’s legacy after his death — the stories in this collection are hopeful and heartbreaking, full of danger and full of joy. Chung is a master at capturing emotion, and her characters — human and otherwise – will claw their way into your heart and make themselves at home”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Light bringer: a Red Rising novel”

“Light bringer: a Red Rising novel”

     by Pierce Brown

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   This was one of seven stories on a cartridge the NLS sent, so, I read it.

   It took a while of listening to get into who was where and doing what in the universe.

   I enjoyed listening to Tim Gerard Reynolds Read this lengthy story.

Pierce Brown – Wikipedia

Pierce Brown (born January 28, 1988) is an American science fiction author who writes the Red Rising series, consisting of Red Rising (2014), Golden Son (2015), Morning Star (2016), Iron Gold (2018), Dark Age (2019), and Light Bringer (2023).

PIERCE BROWN

From #1 New York Times bestelling author Pierce Brown, the Red Rising Saga is the story of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom. LEARN MORE “Brown writes layered, flawed characters… but plot is his most breathtaking strength.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Light bringer: a Red Rising novel DB116610

Brown, Pierce Reading time: 30 hours, 12 minutes.

Tim Gerard Reynolds

Science Fiction

Bestsellers

War Stories

“Darrow returns as Pierce Brown’s New York Times bestselling Red Rising series continues in the thrilling sequel to Dark Age. “Brown’s plots are like a depth charge of nitromethane dropped in a bucket of gasoline. His pacing is 100% him standing over it all with a lit match and a smile, waiting for us to dare him to drop it.” NPR, on Dark Age. “The measure of a man is not the fear he sows in his enemies. It is the hope he gives his friends.” Virginia au Augustus. The Reaper is a legend, more myth than man: the savior of worlds, the leader of the Rising, the breaker of chains. But the Reaper is also Darrow, born of the red soil of Mars: a husband, a father, a friend. The worlds once needed the Reaper. But now they need Darrow. Because after the dark age will come a new age: of light, of victory, of hope.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

Download Light bringer: a Red Rising novel DB116610

Kate’s 2¢: “Eat the document: a novel” by Dana Spiotta

“Eat the document: a novel” by Dana Spiotta

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   It is risky business to try to live a lie when you’re livingwith a computer savvy teen.

   I found it interesting that the woman on the lam had such a hard time, but the gellow on the lam seemed to be rather casual about it all.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

danaspiotta.com

Dana Spiotta (born 1966) is an American author. She was a recipient of the Rome Prize in Literature,[1] a Guggenheim Fellowship, the John Updike Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship.

She is the author of five novels. Innocents and Others (2016) won the St. Francis College Literary Prize. Stone Arabia (2011) was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist.[2] Eat the Document (2006) was a National Book Award finalist[3] and won the Rosenthal Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.[4] Lightning Field (2001) was a New York Times Notable Book of the year.[5]

In 2021, Spiotta published Wayward, which concerns four women: Sam Raymond, a perimenopausal woman; Ally Raymond, Sam’s daughter; Lily, Sam’s mother; and Clara Loomis, a fictitious 19th Century suffragette who ran away to the Oneida Community as a young woman. Wayward was a New York Times Critics’ Top Pick of 2021

Spiotta was born in 1966 in New Jersey. Her father, son of Italian immigrants, worked for Mobil Oil, and his constant moving made Spiotta a perennial “new-kid”. Her parents met at Hofstra University while acting in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire directed by fellow student Francis Ford Coppola.[8] In 1979, her father began running Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios.[9] She attended Crossroads School and went on to Columbia University, but dropped out at the end of her sophomore year. She moved to Seattle and eventually enrolled at Evergreen State College and studied labor history and creative writing.[9]

She teaches in the Syracuse University MFA creative writing program along with George Saunders, Mary Karr.[10] Spiotta lives in Syracuse, New York with her daughter and her husband, writer Jonathan Dee.[11]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Eat the document: a novel DB64681

Spiotta, Dana. Reading time: 8 hours, 18 minutes.

Read by Martha Harmon Pardee. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Psychological Fiction

In 1972, radical war protestor Mary Whittaker and her lover Bobby Desoto become fugitives and separate after a bombing turns deadly. In Seattle in 2000, widow Mary’s teenage son Jason, an anticorporate activist, uncovers his mother’s deadly secret and finds Bobby for her. Strong language. National Book Award finalist. 2006.

Download Eat the docume

nt: a novel

Kate’s 2¢: “Light bringer: a Red Rising novel”      by Pierce Brown

“Light bringer: a Red Rising novel”

     by Pierce Brown

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   This was one of seven stories on a cartridge the NLS sent, so, I read it.

   It took a while of listening to get into who was where and doing what in the universe.

   I enjoyed listening to Tim Gerard Reynolds Read this lengthy story.

Pierce Brown – Wikipedia

Pierce Brown (born January 28, 1988) is an American science fiction author who writes the Red Rising series, consisting of Red Rising (2014), Golden Son (2015), Morning Star (2016), Iron Gold (2018), Dark Age (2019), and Light Bringer (2023).

PIERCE BROWN

From #1 New York Times bestelling author Pierce Brown, the Red Rising Saga is the story of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom. LEARN MORE “Brown writes layered, flawed characters… but plot is his most breathtaking strength.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Light bringer: a Red Rising novel DB116610

Brown, Pierce Reading time: 30 hours, 12 minutes.

Tim Gerard Reynolds

Science Fiction

Bestsellers

War Stories

“Darrow returns as Pierce Brown’s New York Times bestselling Red Rising series continues in the thrilling sequel to Dark Age. “Brown’s plots are like a depth charge of nitromethane dropped in a bucket of gasoline. His pacing is 100% him standing over it all with a lit match and a smile, waiting for us to dare him to drop it.” NPR, on Dark Age. “The measure of a man is not the fear he sows in his enemies. It is the hope he gives his friends.” Virginia au Augustus. The Reaper is a legend, more myth than man: the savior of worlds, the leader of the Rising, the breaker of chains. But the Reaper is also Darrow, born of the red soil of Mars: a husband, a father, a friend. The worlds once needed the Reaper. But now they need Darrow. Because after the dark age will come a new age: of light, of victory, of hope.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

Download Light bringer: a Red Rising novel DB116610

Kate’s 2¢: “Best Friends Forever: A Novel” by Margot Hunt

“Best Friends Forever: A Novel” by Margot Hunt

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Oh Dear Gussie! You’ll have to read this novel to believe the awesome story with a pivotal plot twist ending. Well done Margot Hunt.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Best friends forever: a novel DB88983

Hunt, Margot. Reading time: 10 hours, 39 minutes.

Read by MacKenzie Beyer.

Suspense Fiction

Psychological Fiction

Florida suburban mom Alice Campbell is surprised when detectives want to talk to her about the death of her wealthy friend Kat Grant’s husband, Howard, who fell off their balcony while drunk. And why isn’t Kat taking Alice’s calls? Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2018.

Downloaded: October 6, 2024

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Kate’s 2¢: “Breaking Lorca” by Giles Blunt

“Breaking Lorca” by Giles Blunt

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…

   Bruce Roney did a good job of reading this difficult narrative. It was hard enough to listen to it; it must have been hard to professionally read it  without breaking down.

   I thought the ending was dramatic and fitting.

From Wikipedia:

Giles Blunt (born 1952 in Windsor, Ontario ) is a Canadian poet, novelist and screenwriter. His first novel, Cold Eye, was a psychological thriller set in the New York art world, which was made into the French movie Les Couleurs du diable (Allain Jessua, 1997).

   He grew up in North Bay, Ontario, a small city similar to the Algonquin Bay of his John Cardinal novels. He describes his parents as being “so English that the space on their passports for citizenship could only be filled in ‘British Beyond Belief.'”.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Breaking Lorca DBG06871

Blunt, Giles. Reading time: 6 hours, 29 minutes.

Read by Bruce Roney..

Historical Fiction

Human Relations

Psychological Fiction

War Stories

In 1980s El Salvador, a young woman is detained in a government torture squad’s head-quarters, suspected of supporting guerrilla forces. A new recruit, Victor Peña, is assigned to assist in her interrogation, but before they learn so much as her name–Lorca—the squad relentlessly break her, body and soul. Years later, this terrifying journey into human cruelty and courage still haunts the tormentor as dramatically as it does his victim. Explicit descriptions of violence, strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2009. Marrakesh title.

Downloaded: July 22, 2024

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