Here we are... the final Sunday of September and the first Sunday of fall. This photo was taken alongside the Lieutenant River two weeks ago, and I'm certain the view from that spot is much more colorful today. I'd planned to take a current photo for comparison, but was thwarted by the (much needed!) rain. Maybe this week.
We had some old friends visit for a few days last week. He's a childhood friend of my husband's and I have known them for over forty years. We haven't spend such a big chunk of time together in several years - it was so much fun!
It was also a good reading week and I managed to finish three books.
Recent reading//
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Writers & Lovers was a favorite back in 2021 and I wanted to reread it before Lily King's new novel, Heart the Lover, comes out. It was just as enjoyable the second time around!
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
This book hooked me immediately and kept me completely engrossed until the final sentence. As I turned the pages, my growing anger progressed to fury and outrage. For many years J&J has enjoyed the type of impeccable reputation most companies only dream about. Journalist Gardiner Harris says it time to set the record straight.
Harris divides this exposé into four sections: Consumer Products (Johnson's Baby Powder and Tylenol), Prescription Drugs, Medical Devices (joint implants, etc.), and Vaccines. He details a decades-long pattern of putting profitability over patient safety, illegal sales and marketing tactics, and withholding critical information/outright lying to the FDA. All of this has resulted in staggering patient morbidity and mortality leading to lawsuits and judgements which are considered merely part of the cost of doing business. Harris goes on to offer a series of reasonable changes which would ensure a safer path forward.
There is a fair amount of medical and technical detail presented here and, as a former hospital pharmacist, I was interested in every bit of it. Less medically-oriented readers may opt to skim some sections.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
narrated by Barbara Rosenblat and John Franklyn-Robbins
This cozy, feel-good reread was the perfect remedy for No More Tears!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Current reading//
Dracula Daily by Bram Stoker
The ongoing real time read-along continues... and it's getting really good!
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén
I just started this book yesterday and love it already, despite the somber tone.
How was your week? What have you been reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
Oh, the J&J book would probably make me too angry. I was just in NY for a week and got to see the leaves starting to turn. Since we don't have seasons at home, it's nice to see it. I didn't even mind the rain!
ReplyDeleteHelen - The J&J book will certainly make you angry... just appalling! I'm glad you can to see a little bit of early fall. It's been so dry here that we're expecting the colors to be more muted than normal. Hoping for a little more of a show soon!
DeleteI'm getting ready to reread Dickens' Bleak House with the A Public Space read-along, led by Yiyun Li. It's my favorite Dickens, and it's been a long time since I read it. Yiyun Li's read-alongs are really interesting.
ReplyDeleteAmy - I haven't read Bleak House in years, either. So good!Just signed up for A Public Space's newsletter. I still want to read Yiyun Li's novel The Book of Goose, but I just noticed her book Tolstoy Together on goodreads. Very tempted!!
DeleteTolstoy Together is a great companion to reading War and Peace. I read them together last year and really enjoyed the combo.
DeleteAmy - I'll have to give that some consideration. W&P has been on my tbr list for literally a lifetime!
DeleteSomeone pointed this out to me, and it turned out to be a good motivator: W&P has 365 chapters. Start one a day on Jan. 1, and you'll be done by Dec. 31. Most of the chapters are short, so it takes little time.
DeleteAmy - How convenient! I decided to order Tolstoy Together...
DeleteI'm glad to see how much you enjoyed No More Tears. I grew up in a Monsanto household, with all the benefits that came from having a parent who worked for a large corporation, and, over the years, I saw Monsanto's reputation plummet. It's disturbing to see that companies I've always respected like J&J have apparently engaged in deception and subterfuge to increase sales.
ReplyDeleteDeb - I suppose we should know better than to expect so much from large corporations, but the things J&J has done is truly awful! Very discouraging the way they betrayed the public trust.
DeleteJoAnn, thanks for sharing your experience reading the J&J book. Don't think I will take it on, but it's a sad, sad thing to know that about a company that we probably all thought well of in the past. Hope you have nice reading week. Glad you got to spend time with old friends. Happy your lovely leaf color is starting. Our area - the big new thing for fall is crickets everywhere. Yay! ;-)
ReplyDeleteKay - I think you can get the main ideas just from reading a few reviews... and you'll sleep better not knowing the horrific details. Crickets, huh? Better than all the cicadas, for sure... and I'll bet it sounds more pleasing, too!
DeleteYour book selections are perfect. I loved 84 Charing Cross Road, both the book and movie and I did a reread of that one about a year ago. I have the Lily King book on hold and am looking forward to that.
ReplyDeleteRight now I am engrossed in the history and stories about Cornwall, a nonfiction by Daphne du Maurier.
Tina -Do you know I've never seen the 84, Charing Cross Road movie?? I see I can get it on Amazon Prime. Hope you like the Lily King book. The Cornwall book sounds good, too. I'd love to visit! Have you ever been there?
DeleteI've visited England but Jonathan part. We always thought we'd take another trip but still haven't.
DeleteOh you'll love the 84 Charing Cross movie! Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins are amazing.
Tina - We haven't been over since 2012 and sure hope to get back again! Can't wait to watch the movie.
DeleteAbsolutely love the cover of When the Cranes Fly South--that style just appeals to me so much. Hope the book lives up to its cover!
ReplyDeleteNo More Tears does sound so interesting and potentially infuriating. I want to trust in the medical industry, but its becoming increasingly hard to do so.
JaneGS - So far the book is living up to the cover... just beautiful, but somber. I know it's going to make me cry by the time it's over.
DeleteJ&J's reputation has always been the envy of every other drug company. To read about how they willfully mislead the public, patients, and health professionals is both disheartening and infuriating.
I've heard a lot of things about J&J's. I'll look for this book. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLux - The J&J book is so well done, but absolutely infuriating. Hope you enjoy (that's probably not the right word!) it.
DeleteHello! I'm reading Beatriz Wms' Husbands and Lovers and it is going well (50 pages in), also listening to Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and a poetry book by Ada Limon. I think I'd have to say that I enjoyed West with Giraffes the most this September. It's Banned Books Week - woo hoo.
ReplyDeleteHi Care - Good to see you! I'm glad to know you liked West With Giraffes most...it's waiting right here on my shelf. Take my Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez was a really good read, but I haven't gotten to Happy Land yet. Happy Banned Books Week. Hope all's well with you.
DeleteWhat an absolutely beautiful view! It just exudes peace. The J&J book has me curious but I'm not sure I'm ready for it yet! I do love 84, Charing Cross Road. It's the perfect palette cleanser. Have you read Q's Legacy? I didn't like the sequel to 84 but I really enjoyed that one. I hope you're having a great week!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - 84, Charing Cross Road was just what I needed after the J&J book! I did enjoy The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, but still haven't read Q's Legacy. Thanks for the reminder! Hope you're having a good week.
DeleteBeautiful photo! I would love to sit and read in one of those chairs. Is it buggy?
ReplyDeleteIsn't fun to get together with old friends? I still have one from my childhood that we see every now and then in our travels. I've know this gal since 1968! Amazing.
I've read such good things about Lily King's new book. I'll probably re-read Writers & Lovers first since I really enjoyed that one. Glad it's just as good the second time around.
No More Tears sounds like it might be a good book on audio in order to zone out during the more scientific stuff.
My mom is reading When the Cranes Fly South, so I'm eager to hear how you both like it.
I'm LOVING The Correspondent. Sybil reminds me a bit of Olive Kitteridge. This is a book I don't want to finish. I even started reading it from the beginning after already reading the first 50 pages. It might wind up as my #1 read of the year.
I agree with Tina. You will love 84 Charing Cross Road with Bancroft & Hopkins. I've seen it at least 2 or 3 times. It's wonderful.
Not to hijack your post, but I'll leave this link here for anyone who reads you blog that might not have heard about Nan's (Letters from a Hill Farm) passing.
Les - I'm so glad you're loving The Correspondent. It's still my favorite book of the year and I'm not seeing anything on the horizon that could overtake it at this point. So, so good!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I found out that Lily King is coming to our local indie next week, so I signed up and bought the book. Can't wait.
I'm about 3/4 done with When the Cranes Fly South. It's a beautifully written book, and quite sad so far. Hope to finish in a few days.
Thanks for linking to you blog post about Nan's passing.<3
I finished The Correspondent a few days ago and will work on my review now that we're home from our little getaway with my mom. I bought copies of When the Cranes Fly South and Pete & Alice in Maine at a little bookstore in Bandon. My mom loved Ridzen's book but read it on her iPad, so I decided to buy my own copy. The Shetterly book has been on my list since it was published. I got a remainder copy. Whoohoo!
DeleteLes - I'll keep an eye out for your review of The Correspondent. Glad you're safely home for your trip..the photos you shared were so beautiful!! Great purchases at the Brandon bookstore :)
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