The Life We Bury

Author: Allen Eskens

If you don’t judge a book by its cover then how about by its title. This suggestion came from one of the many lists I follow and both the cover and title intrigued me. I’m always amazed that the library has so many books on their shelves that I’ve never heard of but newer books by popular authors sometimes aren’t available.

Carl Iverson has spent thirty years in jail for the murder of a young woman, his next door neighbour. He is dying from pancreatic cancer and has been paroled to a nursing home for his last few months. Joe Talbert is a university student whose assignment for an English class is to interview a stranger and write a portion of their life story. Joe is in search of a subject when he comes to the nursing home but most of the residents have lost their memories and Carl seems the only likely candidate. As the story unravels Carl’s conviction is in question.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Reading Day

Wednesday, January 17, 2024


Since my pile of library books is growing – yes, I picked up another one yesterday – I decided on the weekend that this would be a reading week. I had time to read a bit yesterday afternoon but today is the first day that I have intentionally sat down for the afternoon with a book in my hand.

This morning I took care of a couple of phone calls I needed to make and then I did a bit of tidying. I had some scraps left on the cutting table from my Community Quilt, as well as some scraps from my last Alias Grace block. When those were cleaned up I got started on the next Alias Grace block.

I was going through the bin of blocks I already had made to help me decide on a colour for this next block. I noticed that I already had one that looked very much the same as the one I thought I was supposed to be doing. I went through the book and numbered all the blocks and I was one block ahead of where I thought I should be.

I didn’t have a pattern for the King Solomon’s Temple block. I looked through my book of block patterns and didn’t find anything. I looked online and, again, no luck. That meant I had to draw it out and sort out the measurements on my own. I got the centre three rounds done and I think I have the next one figured out. King Solomon was supposedly very wise. If that were the case you would think he’d have left better instructions for his temple.

The snow has stopped and It still looks pretty outside. I’m curled up under a blanket as I read. Now, back to my book.

2024 Community Quilt #1

January 17, 2024

The photo doesn’t do the colours justice. They are a lovely collection of greens and blues.

You can see from the title I hope to have more Community Quilts done throughout the year. I know I have at least two that are waiting in the wings that need to be completed, sandwiched and quilted.

I don’t know who pieced this particular top. At our last Community Quilt weekend I took four tops that I hoped to have sandwiched. They weren’t doing any sandwiching at this particular time so the tops were added to the pile. I felt guilty leaving so many so I brought this one home for quilting.

I’m particular about which quilts I bring home as I only do straight-line quilting and I feel it should be a top where that method will look okay. In hindsight I probably should have done a bit more quilting in the border but done is done!

I was lucky to find a fabric in the Community Quilt bins to use as binding.

Family Lore

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Do you know the CBC radio show Q? I seldom listen to it because I don’t particularly like the host. While we were on Texada I heard an interview with the author of this book and the topic of a living wake intrigued me.

Flor, Matilde, Pastora and Camila are sisters born in the Dominican Republic but who have since moved to New York. The other main characters in the book are their daughters, Yadi and Ona. Each of the sisters has a special talent but Flor’s talent is predicting a death. So when she decides to have a living wake everyone is concerned for her.

I found the story a little hard to follow. The story switches from the Dominican Republic in the past to New York in the present. I also had trouble keeping the characters and their talents straight.

Goodreads Rating: * * *