Happy Groundhog's Day! This morning Punxsutawney Phil made his prediction for an early spring... and my family and friends in central New York sure hope he's right. Here in southwest Florida winter has become my favorite season, so I'd be perfectly happy if it hangs on a little longer!
We've had another busy week. A highlight came on my Friday morning beach walk when I spotted this banded Royal Tern. Since last week's lecture I've been paying even closer attention to snowy plovers and red knots in hopes of spotting a band, but didn't expect to see one lone banded tern in a flock of hundreds. The Shorebird Biologist at SCCF figured out that it was banded through Virginia Tech's program. She forwarded them my email/photo so, hopefully, we'll learn more about this particular bird soon.
Update 2/3/20: I heard back from Virginia Tech... this particular bird was banded as a chick in a colony near Chincoteague, VA on July 17, 2019 by Virginia Tech researchers.
Finished this week//
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
It took nearly an entire month, but I finally finished my first book for the Back to the Classics Challenge and my thirteenth Trollope novel! I will devote an entire post to my thoughts and favorite quotes later this week. In the meantime, here is my one-sentence goodreads review:
Truly something for everyone in this sprawling 19th century novel... no wonder it is considered Trollope's masterpiece!
Current reading//
Ties by Domenico Starnone
After an 800-plus page read, I was craving something very short and completely different. This novel, translated from Italian by Jhumpa Lahiri, is short (only 150 pages), beautifully written, and on the dark side. I breezed through the first half yesterday afternoon and hope to read the rest of it today or tomorrow.
Listening to//
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
I loved Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming and had this book on my wish list, but hadn't considered listening to it until I read Lisa's review. The multi-narrator cast (Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Peter Francis James, Shayna Small, Bahni Turpin) is excellent and their character's stories pulled me in immediately. Another plus is that the production short - under hour hours long. After Trollope, I'm definitely in the mood for shorter books! I'll finish within the next couple of days.
The week ahead//
Our oldest daughter is coming to visit this week! She'll fly down Tuesday after work and stay until next Sunday. We have all sorts of activities planned... including her birthday celebration. I can't wait!
That covers my week... how was yours? What are you reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
It's Monday... What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.
Ground Hog Day was such a big deal to me when I was growing up in New Jersey, because I was always hoping for an early spring. Here in So Cal I, like you, am happy to let winter linger because I know what is coming! We had sun this morning so we will see, though with climate change all bets are off. All of your books sound good.
ReplyDeleteJudy - Living in Florida is causing me to change my thinking about all sort of things, but I never though I could love winter so much! ;-)
DeleteI don’t think I’ve ever seen a royal tern but I surely do love seeing new birds migrate through. I have a few bird photos to post soon. We saw some at St George Island i enever seen.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the Trollope book, that was a fat book! I have yet to write a review for The Suspect which is still hanging in at Goodreads under my Currently Reading status. I started a book about John Glenn and it’s good but not a quick read. Then three books came in at once at the library so...shifting gears.
Happy birthday to your daughter!
Tina - I hear back from Va Tech this morning... this particular bird was banded as a chick in a colony near Chincoteague, VA last July. I hope to visit St. George Island one of these days.
DeleteMy library books always come at the same time, too. I'm hoping to focus on my own unread books for the first several months this year. Good luck!
I love that you found a bird banded through Tech's program! Go Hokies!
ReplyDeleteOur winter's been mild so far but I'm still ready for spring. There have been so many cooties going around this year.
I liked Red at the Bone but not as much as I liked Brown Girl Dreaming.
Kathy - I heard back from Va Tech this morning... so cool! I finished Red at the Bone today and agree that it wasn't as good as Brown Girl Dreaming.
DeleteYour week ahead is full of promise and fun! Hope you have lots of fun when your daughter is in town.
ReplyDeleteTies sounds very interesting - it's new to me and I'll be looking it up.
I love how many sights and surprises greet you on your beach walks. Maybe someday I'll move to be near one haha.
Athira - Ties is a very good book, but probably not the best choice if you want something uplifting or fun...
DeleteOh how interesting about the bird! I always see birds with the bands and wonder about them. I do love having regular beach walks. We've spent the last couple of months just minutes away from the beach and now that we've been home for a week I'm missing it. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I love learning more about the shorebirds here... they're all so new and exotic to me! Hope you get back to the beach again soon :)
DeleteHow cool to see a banded bird. He's a beauty! Congrats on finishing that chunkster by Trollope. The only Trollope I've read was by Joanna Trollope (a 5th generation niece of Anthony's). I think it was The Rector's Wife, but that may have been one I quit on.
ReplyDeleteI have Red at the Bone in my Audible library and look forward to listening to it later this spring. I also have Brown Girl Dreaming in my stacks and will give it a read in a few weeks.
Enjoy your visit with your daughter. I'm sure she'll appreciate the warm sunshine! We had a dusting of snow on our roof this morning, but now the sun is out and it's above 40, so I'm happy. :)
Les - I finished Red at the Bone and just loved the audio production. It had different narrators for each of the main characters and the author narrated the third person chapters - such an effective way to tell the story! In the end I liked, but didn't love the book. I prefer Brown Girl Dreaming... Woodson narrates that one, too.
DeleteGood to know. I'll read Red at the Bone first and save Brown Girl Dreaming for later so I'm not disappointed with the former.
DeleteLes - I think that's a good idea... Red at the Bone is a good book. Another Brooklyn is still on my list.
DeleteI would totally be looking for a short book after that chunkster too! :)
ReplyDeleteI really want to read Red at the Bone as I keep reading such great reviews about it. Hope you have a great week ahead!
Iliana - My review of Red at the Bone will be a little less glowing than most, but the audio production was fabulous!
DeleteHow fascinating about your BIRD! Will look forward to hearing more. The Florida Gulf Coast is fantastic for bird watching, so I hope you see many more wonders in the days and weeks and months to come.
ReplyDeleteAnd Trollope--I didn't know that this title was considered his masterpiece. I'm taking note!
Judith - I was surprised and impressed to get an email from Va Tech this morning. They told me that this bird was banded as a chick just last summer near Chincoteague, VA . It made my day!
DeleteHow cool about the banded bird. We have Piping Plovers around the RI beaches. I hope you'll love Ties as much as I did!
ReplyDeleteDiane - I first heard about Ties from you and picked it up as a kindle deal over the holidays. The writing is phenomenal!
DeleteI don't think I've come across a banded bird. How exciting. My weekly update
ReplyDeletePussreboots - I've come across a few banded birds, but this is the first time I've reported it or tried to find out more... definitely exciting!
DeleteWe love winter here in south Texas, too. I'll take an early spring if summer can hold off as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteOur naturalist group does lots of work with birds, including bird banding. I bet you were thrilled to run across this banded bird.
Whew. You are finished with that long book. Sounds like it was well worth it. Red at the Bone was a little disappointing for me, but so many others have loved it.
Have a lovely week.
Deb - I agree... an early spring is fine, but I'd like to avoid summer for as long as we can! I've enjoyed learning about the birds here and hope to get more involved in the community... so interesting! Red at the Bone was not quite as good as I was hoping, but the audio production was really outstanding.
DeleteAlthough we haven't had much of a winter, I wouldn't mind an early spring!
ReplyDeleteAngela - I wouldn't mind as early spring, as long as I can get a late summer ;-)
DeleteI always hope for an early spring, so let's hope Phil was right! Enjoy your visit with your daughter and have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susie. Spring here is pretty wonderful, too... it's summer that I'm not wild about.
DeleteI've had my eye on Red at the Bone. I enjoyed the author's Another Brooklyn and have been planning to read Brown Girl Dreaming.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your gulfside week.
Laurel-Rain Snow - I didn't think Red at the Bone was as good as Brown Girl Dreaming, but I still need to read Another Brooklyn. Hope your week is off to a good start!
DeleteI wouldn't mind a little longer winter either, although I imagine spring won't be much different here. I am glad you continue to enjoy Trollope's novels. I hope you have a nice visit with your eldest daughter. Happy Birthday to her! Have a great week, JoAnne.
ReplyDeleteWendy - Winter and spring are both really nice here... it's summer that's more difficult. Finishing the Trollope feels like an accomplishment, but it will be another year or two before I get back to him:)
DeleteToday it is sunny here! I am so excited. Lol. We haven't seen sunshine in forever it feels like.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool about the tern!! I love stuff like that. Good eye!
Erin - Hooray for the sun! I was so happy to hear back from Va Tech this morning... am already wondering if that bird will winter here again next year. I might have to start going on some of the Audubon bird walks. There is one most Saturday mornings.
DeleteVicki - There are so many birds here... I just love it! Ties is very well-written, but the subject matter is a bit of a downer.
ReplyDeleteThat's neat about the bird flying from Chincoteague, wow. Some of these bird migrations are fascinating. & Congrats on finishing the epic Trollope book. That would take me forever. Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteSusan - I spotted another one banded tern this week and contacted Va Tech agin... this one was from Brunswick, GA. Its journey wasn't quite as long.
DeleteI hope you are having a terrific week with your daughter.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great reading week
Shelleyrae - We're having a wonderful week, thanks. It's passing too quickly though.
DeleteHope you are having a marvelous time with your daughter.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, could not identify a bird if it killed me. Besides a pigeon or a peacock. Alright, maybe a chicken too.
Ti - LOL, you're killing me!! We're having a great week with my daughter here.... I'm going to have a hard time when she leaves.
DeleteCongrats on your 13th Trollope! He wrote so many that it's hard to indulge my penchant for rereading :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't birding fun? You live in such a rich, vibrant area--so much to see and learn down in FL.
Yes, it is always refreshing to read a few shorties after a tome!
Have a good week.
JaneGS - Birding is my latest interest and this seems to be the perfect area to learn more! As for Trollope, I so love the Chronicles of Barsetshire and want to reread them all soon... but then again there are SO many more I haven't read and may end up loving just as much. It's a dilemma!
DeleteVery cool about the bird!
ReplyDeleteBeth F - I saw another banded tern last week and reported it. Turns out that one was from a colony near Brunswick, GA. Love learning more about all the birds here... and the sea turtles, too!
Delete