Mark's Reading Place #23

- Rudi Hurzlmeier



^I've shared this before but I love it every time I see it!

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:


Books Read So Far...

September:

113) The Water Museum: Stories by Luis Alberto Urrea 4.3 stars (audio) Booktopia
114) The Tsar of Love and Techno: Stories by Anthony Marra 4.7 stars
115) The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 3.7 stars (audio)
116) Wind/Pinball: Two novels by Haruki Murakami 3.6 stars (audio)
117) The Bell by Iris Murdoch 4.2 stars BAC
118) No Time Like the Past (Chronicles of St. Mary's) by Jodi Taylor 4 stars (audio)
119) Almost Famous Women: Stories by Megan Mayhew Bergman 4.2 stars (audio)
120) The Dog Master: A Novel of the First Dog by W. Bruce Cameron 3.2 stars (E) Booktopia
121) The woman who wouldn't die by Colin Cotterill 4 stars (audio)
122) Redshirts by John Scalzi 3.8 stars (audio)
123) Days of Awe by Lauren Fox 3.8 stars (E) Booktopia
124) Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor 4 stars AAC
125) Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera 4.3 stars
126) A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler 4.2 stars (audio)
127) The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress by Beryl Bainbridge 3.6 stars (audio) BAC
128) The Long Song by Andrea Levy 3.8 stars BAC

October:

129) Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny 4 stars (audio)
130) Armada by Ernest Cline 3.5 stars (audio)
131) Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories by China Mieville 3.7 stars BAC
132) The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4.2 stars (audio)
133) The Golden Apples of the Sun by Ray Bradbury 3.7 stars (audio) AAC
134) The Marvels by Brian Selznick 3.7 stars
135) Did You Ever Have A Family by Bill Clegg 3.8 stars (audio)
136) Slade House by David Mitchell 4.4 stars BAC
137) By Blood We Live by Glen Duncan 3.8 stars (audio)
138) Excursion to Tindari: Inspector Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri 4 stars (audio)
139) The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen 4.2 stars (E)
140) The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins 3.7 stars (audio)
141) Coraline by Neil Gaiman 4 stars (audio)
142) A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore 3.4 stars BAC
143) The Radleys by Matt Haig 3.8 stars (audio)

November:

144) The Rising: Murder, Heartbreak by Ryan D'agostino 4 stars ER
145) The Story of My Tits by Jennifer Hayden 4.2 stars GN
146) A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 4.3 stars (audio)
147) Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark 3.7 stars (audio) BAC
148) Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver 4.4 stars AAC
149) A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James 5 stars (partial audio)
150) The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick 3.6 stars (audio)
151) The Tightrope Walkers by David Almond 4 stars (audio)
152) Sweet Caress by William Boyd 4.2 stars BAC

American Author Challenge 2015

Carson McCullers- January
Henry James- February
Richard Ford- March
Louise Erdrich- April
Sinclair Lewis- May
Wallace Stegner- June
Ursula K. Le Guin - July
Larry McMurtry- August
Flannery O' Connor- September
Ray Bradbury- October
Barbara Kingsolver- November
E.L. Doctorow- December

**Kent Haruf- Memorial: http://www.librarything.com/topic/191598#

**If you are interested in the American Author Challenge, check out the main thread:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/185195

Mark's Picks:

January - Carson McCullers - The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Completed
February - Henry James – Washington Square Completed
March - Richard Ford – The Sportswriter Completed
April - Louise Erdrich - The Plague of Doves Completed The Round House Completed
May - Sinclair Lewis – Babbitt Completed
June - Wallace Stegner - Beyond the Hundredth Meridian Completed
July - Ursula K. Le Guin - The Dispossessed Completed
August - Larry McMurtry – Pretty Boy Floyd Completed
September - Flannery O' Connor - Everything That Rises Must Converge Completed
October - Ray Bradbury - The Golden Apples of the Sun Completed
November - Barbara Kingsolver - Pigs in Heaven Completed
December - E.L. Doctorow – World's Fair and possibly Sweet Land: Stories

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE

2015 selections

January : Penelope Lively & Kazuo Ishiguro (Moon Tiger, The Buried Giant: Completed)
February : Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh (The Night Watch, Brideshead Revisited Completed)
March : Daphne Du Maurier & China Mieville (Jamaica Inn, Embassytown, Three Moments of an Explosion) Completed)
April : Angela Carter & W. Somerset Maugham (The Bloody Chamber, The Moon and Sixpence Completed)
May : Margaret Drabble & Martin Amis (House of Meetings Completed)
June : Beryl Bainbridge & Anthony Burgess ( The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress Completed)
July : Virginia Woolf & B.S. Johnson To the Lighthouse Completed
August : Iris Murdoch & Graham Greene (Brighton Rock Completed The Bell Completed
September : Andrea Levy & Salman Rushdie ( The Long Song) Completed
October : Helen Dunmore & David Mitchell (Slade House) (A Spell of Winter) Completed
November : Muriel Spark & William Boyd (Loitering with Intent, Sweet Caress) Completed
December : Hilary Mantel & P.G. Wodehouse (Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies) Completed

Thirteenth Month : Bernice Rubens & Aldous Huxley

Hi, Mark. Nice new thread!!

I'm thinking I'll probably skip the November AAC but maybe read some Doctorow for December.

Hi Mark - look I'm up to date on your thread! Bear with bowtie is always welcome.

Howdy, Mark. I'm choogalin', how about you?

Finished Pigs in Heaven and must report a bit of disappointment. I think it was awfully contrived, so Kingsolver could address a prickly issue and just happen to come to a happy ending. I wanted to like the story, but...

On to Ol' Doc Mutter. More NF.

>5 lindapanzo: Congrats on being my first visitor, Linda! Glad to hear you might read a Doctorow but you might also like Kingsolver.

>7 weird_O: Hi, Kerry! Great to see you. Glad you like bear with bow-tie!

>8 msf59: Hi, Bill! I am also choogalin', just fine. Sorry, Pigs in Heaven was a let-down. I only have a few pages left but it is working just fine with me. Her strong writing and wonderful characters, carry the day for me.

Happy new thread, Mark.

I am following the news out of Paris this evening, so sad that this keeps happening again and again.

WOW... thread 23. Colour me impressed! Not that I am surprised... i have a difficult time trying to keep up with all that goes on on your threads, Mark. Love the bear with bow tie reading a book. So sweet!

I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a weekend of Christmas crafting, some baking and some reading.

Happy new thread, Lone Ranger! Darling thread topper! Love it!

Happy 23rd! (Don't you wish it referred to your birthday rather than your thread? LOL) (Though I wouldn't want to go through my 20s again anytime soon.)

Just stopping by to mark my place here before heading back to work on my NaNoWriMo novel.

Here a toast to the Postie with the Mostie.

I am offering you a French beer today mate because I think we should all toast our old adversaries and stand with them in a time of need and distress.

>10 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Yes, the news from Paris was shocking and sad.

>11 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! Marky-Mark just keeps chugging along. No Christmas crafts for me this weekend: I work today and books/football/relaxing tomorrow.

>12 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Have a great weekend.

>13 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary! I had a pretty good time in my 20s, transitional decade for me but I wouldn't be anxious to relive it. Good luck with the writing.

>14 PaulCranswick: I appreciate the French beer, Paul. The sun has not come up yet, so I will save the drink for tonight. LOL.

The Paris news was horrifying and a reminder, how vulnerable we are to these monsters.

^ I am going to start A Brief History of Seven Killings today. Since it is such a chunkster, I am going to try it both in print/audio. I have been looking forward to this one for awhile. Booker worthy? Stay tuned...

I am, as we all are, broken hearted to witness the pain of Paris this morning.

Congratulations on your new thread! So much reading, so much chatting! Excellent.

Peace to you today, and good reading.

Sunshine, mid-50s, light winds: I will take it!

>18 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. Very sad about the Paris attacks.

Peace to you too, my friend. Happy weekend. Happy reading.

Happy new one, Mark!

Happy New Thread, Mark. I like the reading bear and your tribe of weirdos - count me in!

I'm glad you're starting A Brief History. It's coming up soon for me.

Winter's hard to put down. You'll love it when you get there.

We're making applesauce today, a yearly tradition. Bonnie Raitt singing in the background. Woo, it's smelling good as it's cooking.

^I think it is time for one of these...or 2...or...

>20 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>21 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Fellow-Weirdo! Fellow-Bear/Beer Lover!

A Brief History is starting off really well. James is an amazing writer. That said: This will not be for everyone.

Ooh, I would love to try some of that applesauce. Yum!

>16 msf59: Definitely Booker worthy Mark, at least in this reader's view.

Will be keen to hear your reports of the audio, if it is as good as the print.

>24 charl08: Happy Saturday, Charlotte. Seven Killings is terrific, in the early going, despite the Jamaican rhythms and multiple characters.

I am doing this in both print and audio and the audio is excellent, with a different narrator for each character shift. It really helps with hearing the Jamaican voice. Once I get back to the print book, I find myself rereading sections of the prose, reinforcing how strong of a writer he is.

I also love all the cultural references, since I grew up during the 70s.



^Josey Wales is the nickname of one of the main characters in Seven Killings.

>22 msf59: me too Mark. I'm avoiding the (tv) news and thinking loving thoughts to all of humanity :)

Hi Mark. Sending best wishes for you and your new-ish thread!

Happy new thread, Mark!

>26 LovingLit: Lots of sadness, Megan...once again. Hope you had a good weekend.

>27 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! Happy Sunday! Good to see you.

>28 connie53: Happy Sunday, Connie! Hope you are enjoying a fine weekend.

>29 msf59: A quiet one, Mark.

"Dead people never stop talking. Maybe because death is not death at all, just a detention after school."

"Dead people never stop talking and sometimes the living hear."

"And killing don't need no reason. This is the ghetto. Reason is for rich people. We have madness."

- A Brief History of Seven Killings

Happy New Thread and Happy Sunday, Mark.

Remarkable quotes, Mark. Must be a book I need to read.

Or listen to it.

Happy Sunday, good buddy.

ETA: yup, just spent a credit to get it on Audio, on the Kindle.

>30 connie53: I like a quiet Sunday, Connie. Enjoy.

>32 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! Hope you are enjoying the day.

>33 maggie1944: Morning, Karen. Seven Killings has been terrific. I think, both reading it and listening to it, is the way to go. Best of both worlds.

Have a great Sunday!

Happy Sunday, Mark!

Seven Killings sounds really good. I finished Winter and loved it. Nice to have an author who knows how to wind up a series.

Now I can get back to Bean Trees. Then Debbi has one she wants me to read, and then I think I can get to the Marlon James.

Just got back from brunch at Cafe at The Plaza, so I am thinking of you! Shawn and Alina had never been, so it was nice to be a tourist in our own town.

Now turning on the game while reading After You. Also planning on dipping into About Trees.

>35 jnwelch: Happy Sunday, Joe! Just kicking back and watching the Bears game and then I will get busy with the books.

What a beautiful fall day. Glad to hear the final Lunar book was a good one.

>36 alphaorder: Happy Sunday, Nancy. I hope you had a nice brunch. We are trying to plan another trip to Milwaukee. I will let you know.

You didn't tell your thread readers that Sean Bean was in the movie version of The Martian. Shame on you.

I am a bad person, Benita. You know that! What are you reading? Hmmmmmmm?

>38 benitastrnad: Whenever Bean was on the screen, I kept waiting for him to say "One does not simply walk across Mars" or something like that. Loved the Council of Elrond bit.

Hi, Mark! Hope you're having a great Sunday. I'm preparing myself for a huge winter storm that's set to hit on Monday night and drop anywhere from 4" to 3' of snow in the Denver area. I heard it's supposed to be fast moving, so you should be saying hello to it by Tuesday or Wednesday. (Sorry.)

I'm not reading anything, in case you were interested. Too immersed in writing for NaNoWriMo. So I'm listening to podcasts to unwind before I go to bed. Otherwise my mind goes crazy thinking of plot points and characters and what I should have written in the last scene.

Just finished Ghostway by Tony Hillerman for the Hillerman/Johnson Mystery comparison read over on a different 75'ers thread. I will go home and cook this afternoon and tonight will go back to reading Ghostwritten by David Mitchell.

I have been surprised at how relevant the Hillerman series is to ongoing events regarding race relations. I was very surprised by the events at the University of Missouri this last week. The role the football team played in that protest was extraordinary. They clearly acted more like laborers going on strike than they did "student athletes."

The ongoing discussions about race relations on college campuses has had some spillover here at UA as well. Last week after the LSU game, some students were arrested for excessive noise about 3:00a.m. They resisted arrest and were clubbed and a taser was used. The whole thing was videotaped. Students organized a small protest. Then this week a group of African American students met with the president to talk about the lack of diversity in the student body and faculty. The Hillerman book explained the difference thinking between a native american policeman and the white FBI detective. It seemed so relevant and the book was written 1984.

>25 msf59: Glad to hear the audio is working as well as the print. I've picked up a copy of his The Book of Night Women second hand, so will aim to get to it soonish.

#40
I loved the Elrond bit too!!! I think it was extra funny for those in the movie audience who knew that Sean Bean was in TLOTR. I laughed out loud and those sitting around me didn't. It was geek humor to the max and those of us who are academics, and therefore geeks, loved it. Although, I think that they might have carried the geek thing a little too far. The astronaut was a "he-man" and the geeks, were ... well, geeks.

I also liked the guy who played the head of the Pasadena lab - his character name was Ng.

Overall, it was a good movie. Now I need to read the book, which was something I had planned on doing long before now, but just didn't get around to doing so.

^I am not usually this eloquent but I liked the sentiment...

>40 Storeetllr: Happy Sunday, Mary! Sorry to hear about the snowstorm coming. Ouch! Good luck. We will be in the mid to high 50s, through Wednesday, so we will get rain. Whew!

Good to hear you are getting so much writing in. Don't worry the books will wait...

ETA: "One does not simply walk across Mars" That cracked me up!

>41 benitastrnad: Believe it or not, Benita, The Ghostway was my very first Hillerman and then I went back and read a few of the others. Someday, I will return to this terrific series. Thanks for your thoughts on the race relation discussion.

>42 charl08: Not getting much reading in today, Charlotte, but I love alternating with the audio and the print of Seven Killings. I think I can snag a copy of The Book of Night Women on audio. I better check...

>45 msf59: If you can't snag a copy of Book of Night Women on audio, I'm your huckleberry. I'll be so happy to send it to you!

>46 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. If you already have it on audio, that is great, otherwise, I'll see if I can find it.

Hi Mark, I'm all for new threads as I am playing catch-up on LT. I suspect I will be lagging behind again soon. I'm glad you are liking A Brief History. I listened to the first 3.5 hours of it and also liked the different narrators. I lost count of the killings, though, and got tired of the casual attitude toward life. I may go back to it someday, though, when I'm in a tougher frame of mind because I thought Marlon James was a terrific author. Maybe I would do better with it in print.

The Chiefs are beating up on the Broncos. *Sigh*…they are my favorite teams with a slight edge toward the Chiefs. I hate to see Denver taking such a beating on their own turf.

Best of luck with the Marlon James. I'd like to tackle it because it is a Booker Prize winner, but it also so long and so violent, I've decided against it for now. I did my bit with the Booker long and short list this year, as well as the Women's Fiction prize, as well and CanLit prizes, so I'm currently reading just for enjoyment. :) No murderous chunksters like Seven Killings for me right now :)

>48 Donna828: Is that really Donna? My old pal? Good to see you, my friend. I have missed you. I am doing Seven Killings in audio/print and it is working just fine. I think the print is important, so you can really appreciate his writing, which is stellar. I am not finding it particularly violent yet. We will see...

I saw the Broncos taking a beating. That is tough to watch. My Bears won big though. Happy Camper.

>49 vancouverdeb: Happy Sunday, Deb. I would not think Seven Killings is your cuppa but I have to say, I am very captivated by it, in the early going.

Hope you had a nice weekend.

I tried Seven Killings and had a tough time with it. I found it quite violent right away, and while I can usually stomach it for some reason it didn't work for me. However, I feel like I should try again someday and this time, take it slowly and maybe have another book on the go at the same time as an antidote.

I'm glad you're enjoying it.

>47 msf59: I do have it on audio and early this coming week will load it onto the thumb drive you sent me and send it back to you. It was really an excellent read/listen, violent and brutal though it was.

Seven Killings is definitely in my future. But sometime when I have the stamina for a LONG book!

>51 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura! Good to see you. I can see why Seven Killings is not for everyone but I plan on sticking it out. The audio/print approach is really working. Did not read very much of it today, but I will get back in the swing tomorrow.

>52 Storeetllr: That would be perfect, Mary. Thanks. Let me know what other audios, you have stock-piled.

>53 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda. Seven Killings is one, you'll have to be in the mood for and if you are doing it, in print, it will take some time. The good news is, his writing is amazing.

Hi, Mark. Happy new thread. Hope you have a great week!

Hi Mark, Happy new thread! Craig Johnson was in town this weekend and we went to see him. What an entertaining guy!

I too am wondering when I might find the stamina within to tackle A Brief History of Seven Killings. I am nearly all set to tackle Autobiography by Morrissey this summer holidays

>55 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! Good to see you. Hope all is well in your world.

>56 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne! Glad to hear you got a chance to meet Mr. Johnson. He is an entertaining guy and very genuine. I would check him out again.

>57 LovingLit: Hi, Megan! Hope you had a nice weekend. I think you would find much to admire in Seven Killings but there are some challenges.

Go, Morrissey!!

Morning, Mark! I hope you had a great weekend!

It looks like it will be rainy in Chicagoland, the next few days but the temps remain mild. It looks like Seven Killings will take up most of my reading time, in both print and on audio. No complaints so far...

>59 scaifea: Morning Amber! It was a nice weekend. I didn't get much reading in, as I would have liked yesterday, due to football and chores but it all worked out fine.

Good morning, Mark!

Nice Bears win, and the Blackhawks had quite a weekend.

I'm back to reading The Bean Trees. They're in Tucson now. I'm also liking another Georgette Heyer, These Old Shades. The new Sandman continues to be bizarre and good. The illustrations aren't really my favorite type, but I can see why others love them.

So far so good today. Hope the rain holds off for you. What a gorgeous day yesterday!

I've got a plan for dealing with looonnng books like Seven Killings. That one is on my TBR agenda for 2016. I don't have a copy, and somehow, with that title, I don't think I'll put it on my Christmas list.

"What do you want for Christmas?"

"Ooooo! I'd really like Seven Killings!"

Morning, Mark! Happy newish thread. Let's not talk about the Broncos. *bangs head on desk*

Good morning, Mark! I'm glad that you're continuing to enjoy A Brief History of Seven Killings.

>61 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Starting to cloud up out here but nice and mild. I hope you continue to enjoy the Kingsolver.

And Go Bears! And Go Hawks!

>62 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I hope you can eventually get to Seven Killings. I would like to see a wider LT reaction, to this one. It actually has a nice bright cover and would look lovely under the Christmas tree.

>63 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! Too bad about your Broncos. It sure seems like Manning could use a rest. He is pretty beat up. Eli looked pretty good against the Pats.

>64 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. Hope you are feeling better today and yes, all is good with Seven Killings. It is quite an achievement.

Doing the waving thing again, Mark

Mark, I'm not a postie, but I am out rain, shine or snow ( very rarely snow ) as my dog is like the mail. Must be out on the go no matter the weather. I've fortified myself with a cup of tea and we are off in the pouring rain and wind for our 2 mile walk. Twice a day , every day!

>66 connie53: Big Waves back to Connie! Hope you have a good week.

>67 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb! I am very impressed you get that much exercise, each day. Good for you. Health is so important. I hope you survived the wind and rain.

Go Tonto!!

"Me can't remember when last me walking so fast and get anywhere so slow. Maybe is the sun working against me, she's one cantankerous burning bitch today."

"every time you reach the edge, the edge move ahead of you like a shadow until the whole world is a ghetto, and you wait.”

- A Brief History of Seven Killings

Hi Mark, it sounds like you are enjoying your current read of A Brief History of Seven Killings. I think I may have to add this to my wishlist. Our weather sounds much like yours - lots of rain with some wind - typical west coast November. I am currently reading Something Is Going to Fall Like Rain by Ros Wynne-Jones about Care Workers in South Sudan and I have started the classic, They Shoot Horses, Don't They which, although very short, I think is going to be great read. Hope you have a great week.

>70 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! Great to see you! Yes, I am loving Seven Killings. Both of your current reads sound good too!

Hope all is well, in your world.

Morning, Mark!

>72 scaifea: Morning Waves to Amber!!

Love the man reading to the little girl. I bought three books for the Great Niece yesterday. Hope to hook her on reading, soon. I'm a pusher!

Good Tuesday morning. We have windy rainy weather here too. Yes, it is November. Beginning to think about a really good thanksgiving dinner, I'm in charge of buying a pumpkin pie, and whipping cream!

>75 maggie1944: As long as the man is her father or close relative. LOL.

Morning Karen! Mild weather continues here with a bit of rain. No complaints.

Hooray for being a "Pusher"!!

Morning, Mark!

>74 msf59: Is that a photo or a painting? Either way it's gorgeous.

Morning, Mark! Good quotes from Seven Killings.

I'm working my way through the Kingsolver, Heyer and Gaiman books. I forgot to mention I'm also about halfway through the 700 page The Complete Elfquest. I'm enjoying it; I might have been more enthralled at a younger age.

Hope you have a good one today.

>77 Crazymamie: Big Morning Waves to Mamie!

>78 scaifea: Good question, Amber. I am not sure but I also love the look of it.

>79 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. So far, I am staying dry. Just a few more hours...

Yes, still loving Seven Killings. I have still not read Heyer. What is a good place to start with her?

>80 msf59: The Grand Sophy is a great place to start, Mark. There's one foolish and unnecessary stereotyping in it, but you'll have a good bit of fun otherwise.

It is pouring. Ugh....25 minutes left...

I must disappoint you, Lone Ranger and explain that I only walk Poppy once a day for about 2 miles. Dave does the after dark walk in the evening. Tonto is not that scared of walking by herself at 9 pm, but not so keen on it either. Folks are friendly around here and it is amazing how many dog walkers are out at 9 - 10 pm - but in the winter I am not too keen.

Off to the dentist for me today.

Yes , rainy and very windy here today. Take care Mark.

>81 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I have added The Grand Sophy to the WL. I will check out if my library has an available copy. My LT pals seem to like Heyer, so I should see what the fuss is.

>83 vancouverdeb: You are not disappointing me at all, Deb. Just the opposite. There is nothing wrong with 2 miles a day and I agree, let Dave do the night walking.

Hope the dentist went well.

Hi Mark, seems like I'm having a hard time keeping up on LT these days.

Did you see the snow in the forecast for late Fri/early Sat? Ugh. I guess it's that time of year, but still...

>85 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda! Great to see you, my friend!

Yes, I did see the possibility of snow this weekend but I am too busy celebrating the Byrant & Maddon awards! How cool is that?



Rookie of the Year/ Manager of the Year! Yeah, baby!

"It's not just the lawlessness. It's the grabbing of a myth and making it theirs, like a reggae singer dropping new lyrics 'pon di old version. And if a western needs an O.K. Corral, an O.K. Corral needs a Dodge City. Kingston, where bodies sometimes drop like flies, fits the description a little too well."

"Either way everybody is getting the fuck out' a Dodge."

- A Brief History of Seven Killings

We had our blizzard yesterday afternoon into last night, and I woke up this morning to about a foot of snow and really really cold temps out there. Hope the snow is a little less fearsome there, at least until after you're off work on Saturday.

>88 Storeetllr: Ooh, yuck, Mary! I hope the snow, doesn't stick around long.

We are supposed to get a little snow on Friday night into Saturday but I don't think it will amount to much.

You seem to be enjoying Seven Killings.

Morning, Mark! It's raining pretty hard here right now, again. Here's hoping you can stay dry today...

>90 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! Good to see you. Wish, you could have stayed longer. LOL. Yes, I am enjoying Seven Killings quite a bit. It is filled with many memorable quotes, which, of course, I have to share.

>91 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Cruddy start to the day here. Very windy too. Hope it moves out later on. Fingers crossed.

^Yes, I started early. Why am I wearing pink? Must have been an early baby present. My mother was frugal.

>93 msf59: Ha! That's a long one you're reading, too, Mark. Always walking your own path, sometimes in a frugal pink onesie. :-)

Good morning! One more day of these balmy temps. What a fall it's been. I could've taken a photo every ten feet walking the tree-lined streets this morning.

All is well on my end. Taylor has a place to stay and new pals in The Bean Trees, and I'm nearing the end of my latest Heyer. Hope you enjoy The Grand Sophy when you get to it.

Mark, I keep thinking that I could keep up with the likes of you, Joe, Paul, Amber, and some other super-posters if I checked in once every morning. It would require setting the alarm a half hour earlier but maybe it would be worth it! LOL.

Happy Wednesday, my friend!

>94 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! It was raining while I was loading up my vehicle but it is just breezy and overcast right now. I hope it stays that way for a few more hours. Yesterday, I got dumped on, in the early afternoon.

Glad you are enjoying the Kingsolver.

>95 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Twice, in one morning. Yippee! I am glad I am such an early riser, so I can get a little LT time in, before work.

Hooray for Super-Posters!

Now, I need to get over and visit you and see what your reading these days...

>93 msf59: Your Mother was just paying homage to the late teens and twentys. At that time it was pink for boys and blue for girls.

From a Smithsonian article...

"For example, a June 1918 article from the trade publication Earnshaw's Infants' Department said, “The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.” Other sources said blue was flattering for blonds, pink for brunettes; or blue was for blue-eyed babies, pink for brown-eyed babies, according to Paoletti."

>97 mahsdad: Well, thanks, Jeff! I did not realize my Mom was such a progressive thinker. LOL.

"Sure good is good, but good is something that nobody know. Good is a ghost. You can't get pocket money from good. Jamaica better off bad, because that type of bad work."

"God puts earth far away from heaven because even he can't stand the smell of dead flesh."

-A Brief History of Seven Killings

I am not making much progress on my current book Ghostwritten by David Mitchell. It is for the BAC. It is a good book, but I am so tired in the evening this last week that I am not making much progress before I fall asleep.

Hey, Mark. I've started reading my January AAC. No, no. Not jumping ahead. I mean January 2015. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter; Carson McCullers for to get more caught up. I have The Ambassadors on deck for February (Hank James), plus three unread Doctorows for December. Linda (Whisper1) reviewed Kent Haruf's final book, and I might--after I staunch the blood flow--try to squeeze that'n in too.

>100 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita! Sorry to hear about the lack of reading. Bummer. I have Ghostwritten in the audio stacks. I loved my Mitchell read, Slade House.

>101 weird_O: You have been doing a stellar job, catching up on the AAC, Bill. It has been great having you along for the ride. I really enjoyed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
I have never read The Ambassadors. I will watch for your thoughts.
I have the last Haruf on shelf. I plan on getting to it soon.

I also plan on finalizing The AACIII, tomorrow.

Morning, Mark! Last day of the book fair here, so maybe but early next week I can get back to playing TC... Ha!

Morning, Amber! Looks like a chilly, windy day today. Fortunately, I am enjoying a day off. I think you let a TC game expire. Maybe we can play another one next week.

Good luck with the last day of book fair.

I finalized the AACIII list. Stop over and let me know what you think:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/185195#5346284

>105 msf59: Nice list, Mark. Thanks for organizing that. Good to see Mr. Steinbeck on there; there were ones I didn't get to in that Steinbeckathon.

Sweet Thursday, buddy! A wee bit nippy, and people (including me) were getting thrown around by the wind near the Sears (Willis) Tower.

I finished the Heyer, so I've got a book about playing against Michael Jordan teed up next, called Facing Michael Jordan. The Bean Trees is going slower for me, but I'm still enjoying it.

Morning, Joe! I am enjoying a day off. I have a few small chores to do and then the rest will be the books. I am into the last third of Seven Killings and should be able to read a sizable chunk today. I LOVE this book but it will not be everyone's cuppa.

Yes, we sure love Mr. Steinbeck don't we? Glad, he was included.

Did you see Between the World and Me won the National Book Award? B.A.G.

>107 msf59: No! I hadn't seen that about Between the World and Me. Bugles And Gravy! That's very cool. Now even more folks will read it - and it will be even more talked about.

Adam Johnson also won the fiction award, for Fortune Smiles. I am waiting for this collection from E.R. but I do have it on audio. I was crazy about The Orphan Master's Son, which did win the Pulitzer.

Hi Mark, thanks for the AAC 2016. I had a quick look at our local library and I'm in for 9 of 12 months.
Wishing you a great day.

>110 Ameise1: Hi, Barb! Glad you are in for the AACIII. You did a nice job this year too. Hugs to my pal.

I am enjoying your excerpts from A Brief History of Seven Killings. I expect I will read it one day, mon.

>93 msf59: Looks like Lonesome Dove to me. Gus would have worn pink flowered long johns, and dared anyone to comment!

>112 laytonwoman3rd: Sweet Thursday, Linda. Glad you like the Seven Killings quotes. It is quite a book. I am just over 500 pages into it, so I see daylight.

I love your comment on Gus and his pink longjohns and could not agree with you more. Grins...

Mark, I've added A Brief History of Seven Killings to the ever expanding, wait until I retire to read like crazy, pile.

Hi, Linda! Seven Killings is an amazing book but it can be challenging at times. I hope it works for you.

150 pages left to go...

^ Ruins by Peter Kuper 4.5 stars GN

Samantha and George, are an unhappy married couple, who decide to spend a year in Oaxaca, Mexico. They hope to use this time, so Sam can finish a book she is writing and George can rediscover his passion for painting. They also hope to mend a broken marriage.

Paralleling, this story is the journey of a monarch butterfly, as it migrates, from Canada to Mexico.

Wow! This was a terrific surprise and will end up being one of the best GNs I have read this year. It is well-written and it is gorgeously illustrated. The author captures the Mexican setting with beauty and grace. I had never heard of Peter Kuper but he has sure got my attention now.

>114 Whisper1: "the ever expanding, wait until I retire to read like crazy, pile" I have one of those!

^This is a Monarch Butterfly Reserve in Michoacan, Mexico. How cool is this?

"...it's fascinating...Monarch Butterflies are poisonous to predators like birds since the caterpillars eat the milkweed plant and store cardiac glycosides. That helps them survive the incredible migration from Canada to Mexico...over 2,000 miles."

^Ruins

Fab pictures from your GN, and the Monarch Butterfly Reserve! I hope Canada was properly represented as the liberal haven that it is. :)

Sweet Friday to you, Lone Ranger. I did actually respond to you on my thread, but I used the wrong > thing and it used the wrong name. My bad! Yes, indeed, I don't think A Brief History of Seven Killings would be my cup of tea. . I bypassed a big stack of them at the bookstore about a week ago. I think too much violence from that Big Daddy of a book. Enjoy my friend! Wow, you are almost finished that chunkster! Amazing Mark!

Happy Friday, Mark! That lastest GN sounds wonderful - I really need to read more of them.

>119 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb! Glad to see you didn't miss me on your thread. Happy Lone Ranger! Yes, I should come close to finishing Seven Killings today.

>120 scaifea: Morning, Amber! I think you would really like "Ruins". I do not want to think about the snow coming. I do not want to think about the snow coming...I do not...

>121 msf59: I know, right?! I just realized this morning that I need Charlie to try on his snow pants and boots to make sure they still fit (yeah right, fat chance)...

"I’m singing that when the cat’s away

The mice will play

Political violence fill your city. Yeah!

Don’t involve Rasta in your say say

Rasta don’t work for no C.I.A .

Rat race, rat race, rat race, yeah, rat race."

^ Rat Race- Bob Marley

I should come close to finishing up Seven Killings today, slightly ahead of schedule.

>122 scaifea: I don't think Charlie will have anything to worry about, since the snow starts, later tonight. Can you say- Ugh?

Happy Friday, Mark!

Ruins looks and sounds good - added it to the WL.

>118 msf59: Wow! Beautiful.

I finished The Bean Trees and liked it very much. Now I'm going to read one recommend by my much better half, called See You in the Morning (no touchstone?)by Mairead Case.

Have a good one today, buddy.

Happy Friday, Joe! There is so much to admire about Ruins. I will have to go back and check out Kuper's other work.
Glad you liked the Kingsolver. I hope you can eventually get to Pigs in Heaven, which is just as good.

Wow!!! What incredible monarch images. I've added Ruins to the tbr pile. Thanks!!!

>127 Whisper1: Happy Friday, Linda! I really think you will like "Ruins". It is done so well.

"But in another city, another valley, another ghetto, another slum, another favela, another township, another intifada, another war, another birth, somebody is singing Redemption Song, as if the Singer wrote it for no other reason but this sufferah to sing, shout, whisper, weep, bawl, and scream right here, right now."

-A Brief History of Seven Killings



^The Singer

^I finished it today. Like I've mentioned before, it is not always an easy read, there are some challenges, multiple narrators, a score of characters, difficult dialect, but the rewards are plentiful. The scope, the ambition and the stellar writing, all rule the day. No question: this is in contention for the best book I have read this year.

^I am starting Sweet Caress for the BAC. I also received a nice advanced reader's copy a couple months ago. It is time...

>129 msf59: Pleased to see that Marlon James' book seems to have been an unqualified success buddy. I don't know about best book of the year but the cover shown on >130 msf59: may be shortlisted for most sensuous.

Have a great weekend, Mark.

>131 PaulCranswick: Happy Saturday, Paul. I like the cover of Sweet Caress too. Just a few pages in but it is engaging. He has a nice, easy style. It reminds me a bit of Any Human Heart. Have you read that one?

Congratulations on finishing A Brief History of Seven Killings, Mark! It sounds as though you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Just adding my congratulations on reading Seven Killings. Maybe someday I will try it again.

>133 kidzdoc: Morning Darryl! I loved Seven Killings. I kept thinking it was going to run out of gas, but James kept me turning those pages. And, I can't believe how well each of those individual voices worked.

Josey Wales is a composite figure, isn't he? I will have to research.

>134 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura! You will definitely have to be in the right frame of mind. This type of book, is not for everyone, but "serious readers" should all at least give it a try.

^Our first major snowfall and it looks like a doozy. I have heard the far northern suburbs of Chicago have received 10" or more, with more coming. We are probably 3 or 4 inches. I hope it is the same in the area where I work.

I am soooooooooo not in the mood for this. Sighs...

Hi Mark, I finally find time to do some weekend greetings. Wishing you a most lovely weekend.

Mark, we're up to at least a foot up here in the NW 'burbs and it's still snowing hard. So much for the predicted 5 inches. Argh...enough already.

Whoa, Mark. A foot of snow; I don't envy you at all. Enjoy it as much as you can.

>137 Ameise1: Happy Saturday, Barb! Hope you have a nice weekend too.

>138 lindapanzo: >139 weird_O: Mostly slushy, sloppy and slippery, just west of the city, with just a few inches in the grass.

I feel for guys up the northern 'burbs. Bummer, Linda.

Hope this snow ends before it hits you, Bill.

Glad to hear Sweet Caress is going well. Not my favourite by Boyd, but still a great read. Sorry to hear about the snow. Got to walk in some on the hills today, but just enough to be fun rather than a problem.

>141 charl08: Hi, Charlotte! Rough, snowy day in Chicagoland and the worst part? Very little reading was done. Sad face.

Glad it was better for you.

>69 msf59: one cantankerous burning bitch! Lol, never heard the sun described that way before. It certainly tells a story.

>116 msf59: love the look of that one. I have read barely any GNs lately, but still remember Blankets fondly.

Sorry to hear about the rough snowy no reading day!

Hi, Megan! Great to see you. Glad you liked the quote and the sound of the GN. Seven Killings was amazing but it is a bit of a challenge.

We really got "whomped" with a blast of early winter. Ouch! Today is recovery day.

^Yesterday was a rough one. More like Upper-Minnesota in January than Chicagoland in November. We probably got 6 or 7 inches of snow but areas far north and west, received 16-17". Yikes! Very cold today, in the upper 20s, but it is Sunday and I am staying home, enjoying football and the BOOKS:

I hope to read a bigger chunk of Sweet Caress, which I am enjoying and on audio, The Man in the High Castle has been good. Interesting alternate history, despite some stereotypical awkwardness.

Has anyone been watching The Man in the High Castle BBC series? Just curious...

Hadn't heard of The Man in the High Castle TV series. We can watch it here online via Amazon prime. Good things reported about it - I'll have to hope terrestrial tv buys it in due course.

>146 charl08: Happy Sunday, Charlotte! I was just looking at some of the reviews of the TV series of The Man in the High Castle and most seem to be positive. I am looking forward to it.

Have you read much PKD? I have not.

Happy Sunday, Mark!

I hope the new tv show encourages more people to read Philip K. Dick. Nobody like him. I can't think of an author who has had more novels and stories made into movies and now tv shows.

I finished Sandman Overture, and wow, was it complex. I would think someone who hadn't read the rest of the series would be lost in this one, even though it's a prequel. I'm going back over it now.

I also read one called Facing Michael Jordan, with interviews of players and coaches about going against him, but I think only a pro basketball nerd and Michael Jordan fan would take to it. I've got one of those where I work who I may recommend it to (or to whom I may recommend it, if there are any English teachers tuning in today).

We didn't get hit badly by the predicted snowy weather. Just a dusting still on the ground by us. Hope you all didn't get whomped.

Morning Joe! Happy Sunday, my friend. Yes, we did get "whomped" but not nearly as bad as some northern and western areas. We probably got about 5 or 6 inches, plus everything is frozen too. Sighs...

We watched the first Jessica Jones. It was good. You might like it.

After, I run to the store, for some food-shopping, I am spending the rest of the day with books & football. Go Bears!!

Popping in to say howdy Mark!

>145 msf59: Ouch. We only got a light dusting in the Twin Cities although the lake is starting to ice over.

>148 jnwelch: My copy of Sandman Overture should be here on Monday and I am very much looking forward to it.

The Man in the High Castle was reviewed positively in the Sunday paper in Tuscaloosa this morning. I liked the sound of the show, but I am having trouble keeping up with the shows I am currently watching and I think this one will be on to many so I am going to skip it. I am very pleased with the quality of shows that are coming on TV in the last few years. I think that TV has taken a great leap forward with several shows. I am also happy with the availability of old show via Netflix and other sources for these old shows. Of course, that means that I have more and more to watch and so far nobody has created more hours in the day.

Mark, It looks like winter arrived early. We still have some leaves on trees. Today is lovely. The sun is shining and the air is crisp.

I want to thank you for all your excellent book recommendations. You are I share similar tastes in reading, and that is why it is both a wonderful, yet challenging to the tbr pile, experience to visit here.

I hope you are able to navigate your mail truck through the snow. I imagine it must be very challenging at times.

>150 luvamystery65: Happy Sunday, Ro! Good to see you, my friend. I hope you are having a good weekend.

>151 Oberon: Hi, Erik! One of those rare times, when we got more snow than you guys. I am sure you will catch up. LOL.

>152 benitastrnad: Happy Sunday, Benita! Thanks for chiming in on "Man in the High Castle ". Have you ever read the book?

We also watched the 1st episode of Jessica Jones, which is currently streaming on Netflix. A good start. Fortunately, I am only watching 2 or 3 shows, so keeping up, for me, is not a big deal.

>153 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! We have plenty of sunshine here but it is only in the high 20s. We are hoping most of the snow is gone, in a few days.

I enjoy sharing reads with you, my friend. One of the joys of LT.

Hi Mark, on our third try, we finally got the driveway and sidewalks cleared off. Whew. Tired.

Staying inside today watching football and reading.

Hi, Linda! Glad you got the driveway cleared. Not bad out there today, just cold.

I am with you...books & football. Bears lost. Not very impressive today. Let's see how the Pack does.

Ooooh, Sandman Overture. *making a note for when NaNo November is over and I can read again*

Hi, Mark ~ Glad you weren't hit too hard by the storm, and especially that you get to stay warm and toasty inside today.

#154
I have not read Man in the High Castle. In fact I have not read anything by Phillip K. Dick. His stuff just has not been of much interest to me. I was not much of a fan of science fiction and have been a late comer to reading much n that genre. I am a long time reader of fantasy but not of science fiction. Since it is confession time - I have never read a book by Robert A. Heinlein either.

Morning, Mark! We ended up with around 12 inches here, and it's definitely chilly out there this morning. I'm glad I'm staying home for most of the day, and happy to report that Charlie's snow pants do indeed still fit (we ordered them big last season)!

>157 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary! Hope you had a nice weekend. I definitely had a fine Sunday but I do not want to go to work today. LOL.

>158 benitastrnad: Thanks for checking in with PKD, Benita. This is only the 2nd of his books, I have read. I have always enjoyed the films made from his work, so I wanted to see how the source material is. The Man in the High Castle is definitely more alternate history.

>159 scaifea: Morning, Amber. I hope most of my customers shoveled and salted, (they are usually very good) just to make my day a little easier.

Boo to 12 inches of the white stuff! Hooray to Charlie fitting into his snow pants.

Good morning, Mark! Glad to hear it was a fine Sunday. Ours, too. We did watch three of those "Jessica Jones" episodes and liked them very much. Much more interesting than the usual superhero fare.

I've started on a Laurie Lee book that has been touted on LT, As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, and it's very good so far. I'm liking Mairead Case's See You in the Morning, too. Oh, and I read Cairo - pretty good it was. Nice to have a GN from a Muslim author.

Supposed to warm up as the week goes on. Hope you have a good one today.

Morning, Joe! Just having to navigate the icy stairs and walks today. The temp is not bad. Looking forward to this stuff melting.

Glad you liked the Jessica Jones episodes. We have only watched one but my son has powered through 10.

>162 msf59: I can believe it with your son. Pretty addictive series!

Glad Laurie Lee is going down well. I am trying to wait to read the next book, as he doesn't come up on the BAC for a while. Not sure if I will be able to hold out that long though...

>163 jnwelch: I am not a binge watcher, Joe. The young people, sure like to do it that way. I prefer to savor...

>164 charl08: Never read Mr. Lee, Charlotte. Good?

*dumb southern hemisphere not much snow question*
When so many people salt their paths and driveways to combat slippery snow and ice, how does that affect the local plant growth? Wouldn't all that salt getting into the soil kill the plants?

>166 LovingLit: Rock salt will definitely kill grass and other plantings. And it can poison the soil for a long time. But there are alternative ice-melting products that are less toxic. Salt isn't good for the paving either, after a while, so a lot of people have moved away from it.

^How did I miss this one?

>166 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. Linda answered your question. There are better and safer "ice melt" products out there. If you do use salt products, just use them sparingly. My grass has never died, around the edges of my driveway or sidewalks.

Sand/ kitter litter work too, but that is used mostly for traction.

>167 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda!

LOL ! Branch Librarian! Where do you find this stuff, Mark! :) Just checking in. No snow here, but then we don't get much snow. It is possible that we could get a whisk of snow this week, but that is about it. Just checking out what you are reading, but I can't see it. Good for you for reading Seven Killings. Still nice weather here, for the most part ( rain , but no big deal ) .

Morning Deb! Good to see you, Tonto! Glad you like the Branch Librarian. I HAVE to read that one. LOL.

My current reads are always in post 2: I am really enjoying Sweet Caress. This might be your cuppa. Have you read Boyd? I am also listening to The Man in the High Castle, a alternate history story by Philip K. Dick. I do not think he is your cuppa.

We still have snow on the ground and chilly temps but we are hoping most of the snow will be gone by the end of the week.

Morning, Mark! Love the Branch Librarian! *snork!*

Morning Amber! Glad you like the Branch Librarian. Sounds like a pot-boiler!

I watched the first episode of The Man in the High Castle. It is a good solid show, but diverts, quite a bit from the book, which is not a bad thing, considering some of the book is a bit dated and slow-paced.

>173 msf59: "...dated and slow-paced"?! How dare you, sir!

Kidding! Although I kind of loved that about the book...

>174 scaifea: Some of the stereotypes, (Chinks & Wops) are a bit, jarring. I am sure it is a book of it's time but PKD, brims with interesting ideas, that is for sure.

Hey Mark, Great AACIII list. Although, I won't be participating in any challenges but my own next year I voted you keep Dilillo, nonetheless, O'Nan is mucho fabuloso!

Have a great T-day!

>168 msf59: Ha! They Didn't Dare Keep Her Downtown That one's just great - love her sitting on the branch. Where the heck is she keeping the books?

As I mentioned over on my thread, I found the esteemed The Man in the High Castle out-dated and a bit slow in parts, too, when I read it many moons ago. He's got better books and stories, IMO, but I could see it making for a very good TV series. I've found the departures from the original books in the Longmire series just fine, as they're true to the characters.

I am a binge watcher when all the TV episodes are available, but then, I'm a guy who'll read through a new series or author if I like it enough.

>176 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda! Good to see you, stranger. Thanks for chiming in on the AAC picks. Sorry, you won't be joining us. I am sure I will be reading, at least one O'Nan book, despite leaving him off the list. I am a fan too.

>177 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Not bad out here at all today. I just want this snow and ice to disappear.

Glad you liked the Branch Librarian. Where she hides those books is a big mystery.

It looks like we agree on the PKD. I have so many more of his to read.

Hi Mark, it's chilly here, too and it looks like it will last. Wishing you a lovely day.

You'll have a blast with the other PKDs, Mark, when time permits. I've been recommending The Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick. So many good ones! Just bear with a couple of lesser ones at the beginning from when he was starting out.

I think I've got one or two old Philip K. Dick's paperbacks on my shelves somewhere, but somehow I just never read him (or don't remember doing so when I was reading reams of "Golden Age" scifi back in the 70s and early 80s). *

Speaking of weather. *sigh* Watched the local forecast last night, and we are in for a nasty storm ON THANKSGIVING. Actually, they said it was supposed to start coming in on Wed. afternoon and get really bad on Thursday, heading out (your way? hope not) on Friday. Not only snow from a storm blowing in from the west, but a cold front sliding down from the north.

I want to go back to Los Angeles. *waaaaah*

*ETA I just checked to see and I must have been mistaken. At least none are showing up in my LT library, and I was pretty thorough in adding books when I first joined.

>179 Ameise1: Hi, Barb! It wasn't bad here at all, with some some sunshine and light winds. More of the same tomorrow. Grins...

>180 jnwelch: I have wanted to get my mitts on PKD's "Selected Stories" for awhile now. Maybe, I will just treat myself to an early Christmas present, so I can finally have it on shelf.

>181 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary! Sorry, to hear about the approaching storm. What a bummer. We will have a mild Thanksgiving. Mid-50s. I just want to see the snow melt away.

I think you would have fun with PKD. I heard about him through his movie adaptations and finally read one of his, a couple years ago. You might want to try Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which was made into Blade Runner, a Sci-Fi classic, IMHO.

I did not know you lived in LA? You are a woman of the world!

It froze here last night. Hard freeze. Very early in the winter for that hard of a freeze. It got my tomato plants so there won't be any more fresh tomatoes in my house.

I am not working on Friday. I checked out four books from the library and will spend the day reading. I intend to stay out of the way of the shoppers. I do have a free drink waiting at Starbucks so will get that on Friday, but don't count that as going out because it is four blocks from my house.

I made up for not working on Friday by being very busy today. Most of the students are headed out as there are no classes tomorrow so many of them came in today to pick up materials for end of the semester assignments. I ended up working most of the afternoon on two tough problems with graduate students. I had hope to stay in my office and get some of my paperwork off the desk. Oh well - there is always tomorrow. Until 5. Then I am off.

I loved The Blade Runner film. It was filmed in L.A., you know.

Yeah, I was born in Chicago and lived there for about 24 years, then escaped left for warmer climes and was happy in L.A. (relatively speaking) for about 40 years. Now I'm back in the cold in Colorado. Funny how the circle of life keeps turning round and round.

>183 benitastrnad: Sorry to hear about the tomato plant fatalities. Bummer!

It sounds like you have a nice long weekend coming up. Enjoy. I was supposed to be off for a long weekend too, but I volunteered to work. O.T. is hard to come by lately.

>184 Storeetllr: Wow! I didn't realize you lived in LA for forty years. You must have enjoyed living there. I am sure the weather was a big factor.

>116 msf59: Ruins looks great. I spent a few days in Oaxaca a few years ago so look forward to reading it.
Summer weather is starting to kick in here.

Hi Mark, sorry to hear about the snow, is it just me or does this seem early for snow? We also watched the first Jessica Jones on the weekend and I am hooked and will continue on. I love your "Branch Librarian", but I do hope she takes better care of her books than she does her clothes!

I"ve not read any William Boyd, so I don't know much about his writing. But Sweet Caress ? Are you certain William Boyd did not write Branch Librarian too :-).

>169 msf59: >167 laytonwoman3rd: thanks guys! My question = answered.

We are hot here, Mark. Today was 27degC (80F), it was lovely.

Morning, Mark! Are you staying put for tomorrow or are you traveling?

>186 avatiakh: Hi, Kerry! Good to see you! I bet Oaxaca was wonderful. Did you have a chance to go to the Monarch Reserve?

I hope you can find a copy of Ruins.

>187 DeltaQueen50: Howdy, Judy! I am so glad you were able to see the first episode of Jessica Jones. We watched the 2nd one last night. It's a good series. I like the hard-boiled element.

Are you able to watch the Fargo series? This second season is fantastic. And hooray to Branch Librarians everywhere!

>188 vancouverdeb: Morning Deb! I do not think Mr. Boyd wrote the "Branch Librarian". LOL. But he does have a wide palette in his writing, that you might like and Sweet Caress, does have it's share of the steamy stuff.

>189 LovingLit: Hi, Megan! I am glad you got the "salt" question answered. Keep cool down there, in your hemisphere. We are going to actually have a mild Thanksgiving tomorrow. Mid-50s.

>190 scaifea: Morning Amber! We are hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow, for our family. No travel but plenty of preparation.

Have a safe trip south!

I assume you watched this week's episode of FARGO. I continue to be amazed.

Gave up on The Leftovers though.

Good luck with the dinner prep, Mark - that's a lot of work!

Hey buddy!

I'm struggling with yesterday's release of the video and last night's protests. Hard to get focused. We know people involved in the protest, including Malcolm London, who got arrested for felony assault. Oof.

#195
The happenings in Chicago are very interesting indeed! Also what is going on in Minneapolis as well. It seems to me that soon every major city in the U. S. and many of the smaller cities will have experienced some of the same race/police issues. I don't live in a major city, but even in Tuscaloosa we have had our issues in this area. It does seem to me that there are too many of these "incidents" for them to all be coincidence and I wonder about how police officers are trained and continually trained. In my opinion it is high time that we take some hard looks at policing in this country and try to figure out what kind of training police officers really need. I think some kind of combination of crisis counselor combined with psychiatric training and less of combat training would be good.

>193 alphaorder: Happy Thanksgiving, Nancy! I did not see this week's Fargo. Hopefully tonight. It is such an excellent show. I hope that pace continues, until the end.

I am not watching the 2nd season of The Leftovers. It seemed like it was getting pretty good reviews. What did you not like about it?

>194 scaifea: >195 jnwelch: I am also deeply saddened by the latest events in Chicago. What a damn shame. I really hope some "higher ups" are held accountable, for sitting on this powder-keg for over a year. Disgusting.

The other travesty, is that if this had not been captured on the dash cam, it would have been completely swept under the rug.

I hope, your work day goes smoothly, Joe & Benita!

>197 msf59: Agreed, Mark. I also wonder how many of these there were before they had video evidence. Probably just swept under the rug.

Another hour and a half and I'm off for 6.5 days. Besides Thanksgiving stuff, some shopping, the Chicago Symphony, and a Christmas luncheon, I'm hoping to get a lot of reading in during my time off.

I will be cooking tonight but will be spending most of my break reading. I have no desire to get out and "shop" with the crowds as they are. I decided that this weekend will be devoted to YA literature and so I am going to read Divergent and finish Lantern Bearers.

>198 lindapanzo: Ooh, nice, Linda! Enjoy those 6.5 days off. Sweet!!

>199 benitastrnad: Nothing like curling up with the books, right, Benita? Enjoy, my friend.

I liked Divergent but thought the other 2 were so-so.

"Paris in 1944 was a beautiful illusion. If you kept your eyes half open the city seemed unchanged and as perfect as ever, even after four years of war. If you opened your eyes wider the changes forced on it became apparent."

"But the mood, despite these privations, was buoyant and intoxicating- liberation was liberating-somehow these minor inconveniences were not going to be allowed to undermine Paris's spirit of place."

-Sweet Caress

^I immediately thought of the recent tragedy in Paris, while reading this passage.

>197 msf59: the Chicago police shooting was in our papers today too. The guy had 20 (??) complaints against him, none of which he was disciplined for. I am so glad our cops don't have guns on them at all times.

Commitment is underrated in this day and age, Mark. I applaud your commitment!

>202 LovingLit: This is such a freakin' tragedy, Megan. I am ashamed to live in a city where this can happen. Were you able to see the video, that has exploded everywhere? It says it all.

>204 LovingLit: I thought all of us are committed, my friend!! Sure, we are all busy with other stuff, but books are our savior!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Mark! Hope you and your family have a enjoyable day (and that you get some reading time in).

I haven't seen the TV show Fargo but I am sure I would like it cause I sure loved that movie! I will have to scout around and see if it's available .

>191 msf59: Mark, I didn't visit the reserve, it was probably only being set up back then. There is a lot to see in and around Oaxaca, there was a sculpture festival in the main streets and an outdoor classical concert in the main square as well. I loved it there.
I picked up Ruins from the library this morning.

>199 benitastrnad: I'll add that I only liked the first book, Divergent, I read the second and didn't bother to read the third one.
Two new UK YA titles I'll recommend - Railhead and Way down dark. I've read both recently. I'm reading Zeroes which is a bit ho-hum for me, though teens will enjoy it. Have you read anything by E.K. Johnston?

Hiya Mark! I am alive. Just popping in to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. : )

>203 msf59: Exactly!

Happy holidays, hope you enjoy your break.

>206 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! I will try to squeeze in a little reading today but there will be plenty to do in preparation of our company arriving. Sighs...

>207 avatiakh: Oaxaca sounds like a very cool place to visit. Maybe someday??
I hope you enjoy Ruins as much as I did.

And thanks for the YA recs! Much appreciated.

>208 Berly: Kimmers made it! Kimmers made it! Hooray! Good to see you, my friend.

>209 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte! I was supposed to have the rest of the week off but they asked me to work tomorrow and Saturday, (We are short-handed) so I am going in. The money will come in handy. More books? Perhaps.

^I hope all my friends in the states, have a wonderful holiday. We are hosting, (sighs) so we will have a house full of people, later this afternoon. I am sure my wife will put on a fabulous spread. She always does.

I am still enjoying Sweet Caress. It's a big book but it does read quickly. I finished a good coming of age story, The Tightrope Walkers. I've have seen very little about this one, here on LT, so I should do a mini-review at least.

^The E.L. Doctorow thread is up. Come by and drop a star and let us know what you will be reading:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/206084



Wow! Our last American author of the year. We did it! Thanks to everyone for making AACII a success. Looking forward to doing this again, next year.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mark!

Congrats on reaching the last author for the AAC challenge. Well done! I'll be over.

Hope you have a great, relaxing day with the family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mark.

I watched the first few episodes of The Man in the High Castle and wow, it's pretty intense. I want to read the Dick novel. I haven't read a lot by him, but he is revered among SF writers and readers.

It sounds like you will have a busy day. I hope you have lovely weather.

>213 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! We are slowly getting things ready, before the company arrives at 3. I am trying to squeeze in some reading time, here and there. I want to knock out a big chunk of Sweet Caress.

>214 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I have only watched the first episode of The Man in the High Castle and was impressed. The show diverges, quite a bit from the book, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

It is gloomy here but mild. High 50s. And the snow is GONE!! Yah!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you, the wonderful MrsMark, and your entire family! Glad you're having mild temps and the snow is gone.

Just want to say that I am so grateful for your friendship and generosity, and for all the book warbling you do! I feel so blessed to have met you and all the great folks here on LT. What a fabulous place it is, no?

>216 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen! Chatty today, aren't we? B.A.G.

>217 Storeetllr: Thanks, for the kind words, Mary. We all contribute in our own little way, but there is no question, that very special friendships have developed over here and I see this continuing for a long time.

Happy Thanksgiving , Mark! I hope you get a Sweet Caress in there too! :) In Canada, we wisely celebrate Thanksgiving the second Monday in October, so as not to jam up the calendar close to Christmas! ;)

#207
I have not read anything by E. K. Johnston ... yet. We have a copy of The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim in the library and I have it on my TBR list but haven't gotten to it. The reviews of that title were very good and the dust jacket blurb made the novel sound very interesting. We also have several Phillip Reeve titles in the collection. His work is highly thought of in the UK but less well known here in the US.

>220 benitastrnad: I've read two by E.K. Johnston now and have the sequel to The Story of Owen (which I enjoyed) home from the library at present. Johnston is a forensic archaeologist which just adds to the allure of her writing for me.
If you haven't read Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines books then you really must. The opening sentence of the first book is unforgettable.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and family Mark. Sounds like a scrumptious spread that you are having. Yum.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mark. I hope you are able to get in some reading time this weekend after feeding the hordes.

^Why did I volunteer to work my day off, the day after Thanksgiving? Good question, but there is an answer: $$$

And it is supposed to be rainy and chilly too but at least the snow is gone!

No worries, I'll have my books along, to keep me company.

>219 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb! It was a fine time, at the Marky-Mark Manor. Should wrap up Sweet Caress today. You would like it.

>220 benitastrnad: Hope you have a nice, long weekend, Benita! Get plenty of reading in.

>221 avatiakh: Waves to Kerry!

>222 mdoris: Thanks, Mary! The Dear Wife did a wonderful job...once again. Everyone was sated.

>223 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I have to work the next 2 days but my books will be tagging along with me. Sunday will be my R & R Day!

Hi, Mark! Sorry that I didn't drop by here yesterday, but I hope that you had a splendid Thanksgiving Day. I also hope that your workdays today and tomorrow are pleasant and short ones.

>226 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. Yes, I had a very nice holiday, surrounded with family.
I hope you had a nice time with your folks. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Glad to hear you had a nice Thanksgiving, Mark. Disappointing loss by the Packers but it was great to see Bart Starr again.

Brrr, after a couple of warmish days, it felt cold out today.

Hi Mark! Hope your workday goes smoothly. Glad that you are enjoying your reading!

>228 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda! Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving too. The Pack offense looked a bit off last night but our defense, looked pretty darn good too. It was a rare win, in Lambeau for us. Go Bears!

>229 banjo123: Good to see you, Rhonda. Hope you had a good holiday, with the family. And yes, my books are treating me just fine. Smiles...

#228
Since Bart Starr lives in Birmingham the sports news here keeps us up-to-date on him. His health is failing and so they are paying more attention to him in the local sports news.

#225
You will have to write a review of Sweet Caress. I have a copy of that book and if you like it I may have to move it higher on the TBR pile.

Yesterday and today were warm and sunny. I worked in my yard cleaning up all that frozen foliage from last weekend. The temperatures here have been a real see-saw. It was such a nice day to work outside, but I have to say I worked up a sweat. A real sweat because it was that warm. The foliage wasn't dried out and easy to pull out either because it was too close to the frost, but I figured that I should get it done while the weather was good. The front porch looks pretty clean and since I don't decorate this house for Christmas (I let my Mom do all that stuff in Kansas) it is nice to have it clean so I won't have to worry about it when I get back in January. It will be nice tomorrow and then cloud up and rain on Sunday.

>232 benitastrnad: I figured they would. When I was in college, we used to go Christmas caroling at his house. His wife would give us cookies. She looked like she's still in good shape but I hadn't realized he was in such ill health.

>224 msf59: I hope you earned enough to buy some books! :-D

>230 msf59: *snork*

I was surprised by your Bears' win over the Packers! Although, the Packers seem to be having a Jekyll and Hyde sort of year....

I hope you have a great weekend, Mark!

^ we are getting American Football broadcast free to air here now, so maybe I can know what you are talking about soon ;)

Hi Mark! Are you full from the great spread put on by your wife? Is the house still full of guests? Are you snoozing in the man cave? (be honest now) ;)

>232 benitastrnad: It was a moving tribute to Farve Thursday night and it was nice to see the legend Bart Starr, despite his fragility.

Glad you have some warm temps down there. We were chilly and damp yesterday but it looks like we will be clear and in the low 40s for the next few days, which isn't shabby for late November.

>234 EBT1002: Happy Saturday, Ellen! Yes, I will put aside a few bucks, to the books, my friend.

"the Packers seem to be having a Jekyll and Hyde sort of year." Yes, they are. I wish we had a more solid team to take advantage of them.

>235 LovingLit: Hooray! Maybe you can watch a Bears game at some point. Let me know!

No, snoozing in the man-cave for Marky-Mark. I worked yesterday, (trying to walk off the bloat) and I am back on the route today. I have my eye on Sunday, though...

Hope you are having a great weekend, Megan.

^On audio, I started Stacey Schiff's The Witches: Salem, 1692. Good, solid, NNF.

In print, I am starting The Persistence of Vision. This was a Sci-Fi story collection, that Jeff recommended. I had never heard of John Varley but I am getting ready to be educated.

Any other Varley fans out there? Joe?

Morning, Mark! Gosh, I read The Persistence of Vision back when I was a lad. It's been long enough that I remember it as very good, but not much more. It'll be fun to hear your reactions. The other one of his I read was Titan.

I'm enjoying another sci-fi book, Ancillary Sword, the second one in her trilogy. She does a good job of having the protagonist, Breq, understand the big picture that others can't see or misunderstand.

I've never read Stacey Schiff, but sure have seen lots of positive comments about her books.

You're a working machine, my friend. Have a good one today - looks like we're in for 40s weather for the coming week.

Catching up on your thread Mark! Stay warm.

Love >230 msf59:

>177 jnwelch: Joe is a proud binger. LOL!

>238 jnwelch: Happy Saturday, Joe! I figured you had read Varley. Thanks for chiming in. I have just read a few pages. I should add Ancillary Sword to the queue. I did like the first one.

Gloomy and chilly out here but at least it isn't raining. Whew!

>239 luvamystery65: Happy Saturday, Ro! Great to see you, my friend. Hope the weekend is going well. Are you working?

Happy weekend, Mark. I hope it's filled with lots of R&R.

Heh. Even Thanksgiving leads to books. My brother and his wife showed up, each with a book for me to read. Fran lent me The Boys in the Boat, which I know was warbled about around here. Tom lent me The Chocolate Trust, an expose of the shenanigans surrounding the now multi-billion dollar trust Milton Hershey established to finance the Milton Hershey School.

Oh, yeah. We had turkey and ALL the accessory foods. All five grands together for the first time. Judi and I are still recovering. B.A.G.

I also read Varley back in the day, as I remembered when I looked up the books written by him and found I have two in my RL library: Wizard and Millenium. I'm sure I read Titan too, but it didn't end up on my shelves. I remember liking his stuff but not enough to have actually searched out all his books. As one LT reviewer said, he's "old school" scifi. Which, when done right, can be enjoyable.

>241 Ameise1: Hi, Barb! I worked today but there should be plenty of R & R tonight and tomorrow. Smiles...

>242 weird_O: Hi, Bill! It sounds like you had a fine Thanksgiving and sharing books is just another benefit. I loved The Boys in the Boat and I expect you will too.
The Chocolate Trust sounds like a winner too. I'll be watching for your thoughts.

>243 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary! Thanks for chiming in on the Varley. I read the first 2 stories. I like them, well enough but it is not exactly, blowing the roof off yet. That might change as the stories progress...

^It looks like a quiet Saturday night. The wife is out to dinner, with her friends. So, it will be me, a beer and a book. Sounds heavenly to me...

Top man working on Thanksgiving weekend. Hope you can get your feet up and finish off the rest of that glass, buddy.

It is this time of year that I traditionally give my own little thanks for this wonderful group - a group which has you right at its heart.

151) The Tightrope Walkers by David Almond 4 stars

Dominic Hall is a boy, growing up, on the edges of a shipyard, on the northern coast of England. His father, toils in that shipyard and like many of the working class, of that era, ('60s) barely keeps his family afloat.
Dominic makes friends with a smart and gifted girl, named Holly and they make an instant bond. She dreams of being a tightrope walker and is a stable presence for Dominic, giving him focus and hope. Unfortunately, he also is drawn to the local bad boy, Vincent McAlinden, who begins to take Dom, down a much darker path, leaving Holly farther and farther behind. This edgy triangle, is the heart of the tale.
This coming of age story, really grew on me, as it went along and I was swept along with these young lives. Almond based some of this on his own childhood experiences and he really evokes a perfect sense of time and place.

>246 PaulCranswick: Yes, sir, just bringing home the bacon. With the Christmas holidays coming up, a little extra cash, always comes in handy.

I don't think you read much YA but you might like The Tightrope Walkers. It is darker and edgier than most of it's ilk and I think you would like the gritty English setting.

You need to move Ancillary Sword up in your reading queue. It is really good. It is not traditional SciFi in that there are no big space battles in this one, but it is filled with suspense. I think I read it in less than a week and will read the third one as soon as it comes into the library. This series is a winner.

I am half done with Divergent and finding it OK but I think it belongs in the same category as Hunger Games - a series I will never finish and won't miss anything. Unlike the Ann Leckie Ancillary Justice series. I can't imagine not finishing that series.

Happy Sunday, Benita! Thanks for the boost, for Ancillary Sword. I'll try to slot it in my busy rotation. Once you make it past Divergent, I see no reason to continue, with the other 3.

P.S. I am working on my Sweet Caress mini-review...

>245 msf59: Sounds like a good night to me. I'll be back to check out your Sweet Caress comments. Do you think you'll be reading more Boyd?

Happy Sunday, Mark!

>251 charl08: Happy Sunday, Charlotte! Just finished my Boyd review. Posting shortly...

Yes, I will be reading more Boyd. I also loved Any Human heart.

>252 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Welcome back!

152) Sweet Caress by William Boyd 4 stars

Amory Clay was born in 1908, a decade before the Great War. Her father is damaged in this war and he nearly takes his daughter with him, on his downward spiral. Her uncle teaches, Amory, the art of photography, as a young woman and we get to follow her through the years, as she documents her life in photos and in later years, as journal entries.
As a working photographer, she finds herself, immersed, in many historical moments: she is beaten by fascist blackshirts, she witness’s atrocities in France, during WWII, she visits the steamy jungles of Vietnam and finds herself searching for her wayward daughter in a hippie commune in Northern California.
This is Any Human Heart, from a female perspective. The writing is not as strong as that fine novel but the prose is easy and swift and there are many points of interest, along the way. There are also “fake” photographs, highlighting the narrative, which I found, hit or miss. A good read.

Mark, I might actually like Sweet Caress. It does sound interesting. I think I had William Boyd mixed up with William Trevor. Nice review of book number 152 . Wow!

Great review, Mark.

>255 vancouverdeb: I think Sweet Caress is your cuppa, Tonto. Hopefully you can find a copy. And speaking of Trevor, I have only read one of his and WANT to read more.

>256 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! I hope you are having a good day.

Nice review of Sweet Caress, Mark. Thumb from me!

I'm with Benita on Ancillary Sword. I liked it even more than that very fine first one. I'm going to have to read Ancillary Mercy sooner rather than later.

Finally, you get a day off! Enjoy, my friend.

Happy Sunday, Joe! Thanks for the Thumb. Thumbs are always welcome.

I will try to bump up, Ancillary Sword.

Nice having no Bears game to watch, it frees me up a bit. I think we are going to hang up the outside Christmas lights, since it's a mild enough day.

#258
I agree with you that the second book in this series is certainly equal to the first, if not superior. As soon as we get the last book of that trilogy into the library I will be reading it. I am going to put other things aside because that story is so good and so well written I just have to know what happens next.

#254
I read your review and then looked at the book page and what to my wondering eyes did appear? A review by Mark. Good job, and I will probably have to move that book out from the box under the bed to a place where I can see it so I can read it.

>260 benitastrnad: You have been stopping by regularly, Benita, so I thought you would see my review of Sweet Caress. Did you add a Thumb to the mix? Always appreciated.

Definitely curious to see what you think of Boyd's latest. Have you ever read him?

Happy End of Thanksgiving. We are now careening down the big hill of the rollercoaster known as Christmas. Ack. :)

To add my 2 cents to the Varley talk from above. jnwelch mentioned Titan and storeetllr mentioned Wizard

They are books 1 and 2 of the Gaea trilogy and you really can't read them stand alone (well you sort of can, but they are really meant to go together). They are really good and you would then want to read Demon

Hi Mark, I hope your Thanksgiving was good and your snow is gone! It's snowing here now.....sigh....

I'm reading Slade House and love it!

Hi Mark - just wanted to check in and say hi! Sounds like you had a good T'giving. Thanks for the Boyd comments - I have yet to read any of his books, despite having several on my shelves. *sigh*

I really should bump Sweet Caress up my TBR list, though as an ARC it won't have the pics in it. (That said, I really disliked Boyd's faked "bio" of an artist, which was a meta-novel that incorporated pics and other illustrations... He's good when he's doing straightforward fiction, but when tries to go meta, it doesn't work.

Disgusted by the Chicago cops. Take the racism that seems endemic, add to the mix the increased militarization of our police forces (read this NY Times magazine piece for a different perspective on that, without the racist element but adding cyber-stalking to the mix...) and you've got one very scary backdrop. Then throw in people like Trump, who seem intent on pouring fuel atop the whole mess. I worry, more and more, about where we are headed. Would rather live in Paris and deal with bombs, than a society whose dominant characteristics are hatred, envy, suspicion, and the tendency to build high walls and protect what they believe to be "theirs" at the expense of the rest of the world. Folks, we're all in this together, and if we can't recognize that, we deserve everything we're going to end up getting.

OK, rant over.

Finding Stacy Schiff's prose (I'm reading, rather than listening) a bit heavier going than it needs to be in the early chapters. She is darting all over the place, making one point, then another, then a third, and I'm left playing catchup. Had hoped to finish the book this month, but it clearly won't happen.

Morning, Mark! We're facing some freezing rain right now, and I'm wondering if there will be a 2-hour delay for Charlie's school... Here's hoping your not getting this same weather, unless, of course, you have the day off today...

>262 mahsdad: Hi, Jeff! Hope you had a good holiday. Thanks for the Varley info. I like this Varley collection but I am not sure I love it yet, so I will have to see he is my cuppa. Maybe, I should have read more classic Sci-Fi, in my younger days.

>263 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Hope you had a good weekend. Yes, our snow is long gone and good riddance. I saw that you were getting some snow during the Broncos game. Hope it wasn't too bad.
Slade House is such a treat, isn't it?

>264 katiekrug: Hi, Katie! Hope you had a nice trip. I have many Boyd titles to get to myself. You are not alone, my friend.

>265 Chatterbox: WOW! What a pleasant surprise, Suz! Great to see you, stranger. My copy of Sweet Caress is an advanced copy and it includes the "photos". It's a good book but not as strong as Any Human Heart.

I appreciate your comments on the race issue. I am hoping this latest incident will shake up our city and we begin to see officials take responsibility and show more transparency. A big order, I know. And I agree with you, we live in scary times!

I may agree with you somewhat on The Witches. It is not always smooth going in the early chapters. I should be able to listen to a larger chunk today.

>266 scaifea: Morning Amber! No rain here yet. I think it will be moving in here later in the day. Hopefully, after I am done on the route. This is my 6-day week. Ugh...

>269 msf59: Ok, now I gotta clean up the coffee spew all over my desk...

>269 msf59: Ha ha ha!!!

>269 msf59: Ha! Luckily I hadn't started my coffee yet.

Morning, Mark!

Jeff reminded me - I read Varley's Wizard, too. I liked that one better than the first, now that I think about it. I read Demon, too, as it's a trilogy, but my memory of that one is dim. Maybe I need to re-read them!

I'm getting a kick out of Laurie Lee's As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning. Amazing the guts and resilience we have when young. This one and his Cider with Rosie - I'm sure you'd enjoy both of them. He's got a lyrical gift, a sharp eye, and a modest opinion of himself.

Ya know, Mark, that this reading thing is, well, weird. And who better to point that out, right? I came across the NYTimes list of 100 notable books for 2015, and I swear I've heard of maybe 5 of them. Somebody's out of touch...

>270 drneutron: Sorry about the coffee mess, Jim. LOL.

>271 luvamystery65: Have to start the morning with a chuckle, right, Ro?

>272 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Looks like some praise for Varley. I may have to try one of his novels someday.
I'll have to look closer to Ms. Lee. I am not familiar with her.

>273 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. That is what is a joy about this place, we warble about a pretty wide variety of books and it keeps us in the know. I should check out that list.

>274 msf59: Laurie Lee is an English guy from a village named Slad.

>275 jnwelch: See? I know nothing, Joe! LOL!!

Those English and their trans-gender names! This was mentioned a few times in Sweet Caress too.

>276 msf59: :-) I worked with a man of Scottish descent (now deceased) whose first name was Beverly. I had assumed he was a woman before meeting him.

Hi Mark, hoping your day goes well! Waving at you!

A neighbor of mine in Kansas was named Joyce.

My father's name was Lynn, and he has a grandson named after him. Not a drap of English or Scottish in 'em...all Dutch, German and Slovak ancestry.

Lynn certainly isn't a Dutch name for boys. I work at a school with 1600 pupils and there maybe 2 girls called Lynn,

>267 msf59: I am not precious about my book warbling. There's no way all of us are going to like all of the things we read. I'm just happy someone gives my suggestions a try. If you end up not liking it, no problems, flattered you tried it.

Plenty more books in the library.

Evidenced by the NYT's list that Bill mentioned. (I think its the same one that Richard tagged me with on FB). I too, have heard of few of them. But then its that time of year for Wishlist expansion.

I did really well on the last 100 Best list I saw...like 83 out of 100. Other ones not so much! LOL. Mark, Happy Monday. Hope you stay dry on your six-day stretch!

>269 msf59: lol!
Brilliant.
Hope you got that session in the cave, Mark. I settled on my bed last night (where the stack of books and the good light is) and knocked off an entire book! A seriously relaxing and valuable experience. :)

>281 connie53: I know it isn't Dutch, Connie. In fact, the origin of it in my family is that my grandfather was born in 1865, and named for Abraham Lincoln. mong his many nicknames were "Lynn" and "Linc", as shortened forms of Lincoln. When they named my father, they just made it "Lynn".

>277 jnwelch: Funny, Joe, the father of the main character, in Sweet Caress is named Beverly. Glad this kicked off a small discussion.

>278 connie53: Hi, Connie! It was a long day. Left when it was dark and got home, in darkness. Oh, well...

>279 benitastrnad: I do not think I have ever heard the name Joyce for a man. Plenty of Gales and Dales.

>280 laytonwoman3rd: I do not think I have heard of a Lynn either, unless it was spelled Lin or Linn and that could be an abbreviation of Linus. who knows.

>282 mahsdad: Hi, Jeff! Obviously, we love sharing books and we get a kick out of sharing the same love for a particular title, but we are all biblio-veterans here and we know, there are going to be times when we have differing opinions. I am not sure I would want it any other way.

I may not like The Persistence of Vision as much as you but I am really glad I decided to read it. I am just about halfway.

>283 Berly: Hi, Kimmers! Not a very happy Monday, my friend. It was a long one and I got wet, at the end but at least it is behind me and I can focus on the next 5. LOL.

>284 LovingLit: Hi, Megan! It sounds like you have your own little Reading Retreat. Good for you. I'll have to stop by and see what you had read.

>288 msf59: *groan* And you never heard of Joyce Kilmer? ("I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree..."?)

Don't forget Evelyn Waugh. Or that boy named Sue.

>289 laytonwoman3rd: I have not heard of Joyce Kilmer. Bad Mark?

Maybe I will keep him in mind for next April. Grins...

>290 weird_O: Yes, let's not forget old Evelyn or Sue for that matter.

>291 msf59: Hmmm....well. Start here:

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/1947

>288 msf59: ha! Good one :)

>292 laytonwoman3rd:

"Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree."

^Joyce Kilmer. I like it.

>293 LovingLit: I thought that was perfect for our gender/name discussion.

I know a man named Lynn. He's married to a Lee.

I love the end of the year Best Book lists! It used to be my primary way of finding new books to read.

I loved Slade House. It wasn't really what I was expecting but then I don't really know what I expected, other than 'haunted house' story. More than that though. I should read The Bone Clocks, I guess?

Ooooo. I can't let it go. I knew two fellows named Clair. Heard of a guy named Viv. We pass a auto repair place called Pat and Lynn's. Is that two men, two women, or a man and a woman?

>296 weird_O: I think you are definitely a man of your time, Bill. You don't see that as much anymore, although there are still the occasional Jordan, Taylor or Reed.

Oh! Oh! Can I play, too?!

I had a great uncle named Pearl...

^^According to the Good Reads Choice Awards, Go Set a Watchman won best fictional novel, of '15. Are you frickin' kidding me? Yes, I have not read it but I am also aware it is a 3 star book at best and that might be stretching it. There is much I admire about G.R. and I have many friends over there, but Good Reads taste sucks!!

If the Mighty 75 had an Awards List, I would sit up and pay attention.

I find GR pretty shallow, to be honest. *Of course* they are going to award GSaW with the best fiction award. It had the most buzz, and I don't think a lot of them can tell the difference :-P That said, there are several people that I respect who really liked it - but I don't think any of them would call it the best novel they read all year.

(And yes, I am cranky this morning. I don't want to go back to work - waaaaah!!!!!)

>299 msf59: I saw that in the Goodreads awards and thought the same thing, Mark. Who the heck voted for that one? We probably should put together a Mighty 75 Awards list. Being Mortal would be an easy pick, IMO, for nonfiction, or whatever narrower NF category we might come up with, and I'd go with Our Souls at Night for fiction. But I'm a known Harufian, so others might see that fiction pick differently.

I have a lot of sympathy for Katie's crankiness in >300 katiekrug:. Thank goodness Laurie lee at least turned the commute today into a positive.

>298 scaifea: Can't leave this discussion without mentioning my Aunt Dennis. Literally did not realise this was something unusual until I was about 15.

>288 msf59: LOL

Nice review of Sweet Caress, Mark. I read Restless and liked it, and I have Waiting for Sunrise on the shelf. He is what I would call a good but not a great writer (and it sounds like you feel about the same). Someone worth keeping in the want-to-read sights.

>299 msf59: I have read Go Set a Watchman and it is no more the best fictional novel of 2015 than I am the Queen of England! I don't spend any time on GR, although I vaguely have an account. Is this a sort of "people's choice" award? Craziness.

Finally all caught up with you, Mark - I was over 200 posts behind! Abby watched the entire first season of Jessica Jones and loved it. And we are watching and enjoying The Man in the High Castle - I like the changes they have made, but I also really liked the book.

Your selections for next year's AAC look good - it's the year of Annie! Annie Proulx, Annie Dillard, and Anne Tyler!! And I am sure to read some O'Nan even though he didn't make the cut - just picked up The Circus Fire from the library, which you recommended and recently reread Last Night at the Lobster. LOVE O'Nan!

The images of the branch librarian and catwoman had me laughing out loud - thanks for sharing those!!

Hoping that Tuesday is kind to you - it's going to 79F here today, so I'll send you some warm thoughts.

Strange weather day out here but at least I am staying dry...

>298 scaifea: Uncle Pearl, you say? That is a new one, on me. I love it.

>300 katiekrug: Bring on the krank, KAK! I agree with you wholeheartedly. Good luck getting back to the grind.

>301 jnwelch: Morning Joe! I would love to see a Mighty 75 Award list. Maybe someone will pick up the baton.
I plan on finally getting to the last Haruf, in the next 2 weeks.

>302 charl08: Aunt Dennis & Uncle Pearl! I would read that book!

>303 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! How is the Queen of England, anyway?

I was hoping to get to Restless and I think Any Human Heart comes awful close to greatness. IMHO.

>304 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! Great to see you and thanks for catching up. We are 5 episodes into Jessica Jones. It's a good show. Have you watched any of it yet? I have only seen the first ep of High Castle. I need to get crackin'.

I would sure like to see some high 70s, although I can't complain too much about our weather.

#298
Zane Gray's name was Pearl Zane Gray.

My library just got in a sci/fi football series by a guy named Scott Sigler. Book one in the series - Galactic Football League - is titled The Rookie. Has anybody heard of these or read them? The covers are cool. The blurb for the book goes like this - "Set in a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future, The Rookie is a story that combines the intense gridiron action of "The Blindside" with the space opera style of "Star Wars" and the criminal underworld of "The Godfather." I just added the title to my TBR pile and wondered if anybody else had heard of them?

Hi Mark - thanks for your thoughts on Sweet Caress - I'm next on the library queue and looking forward to it. I'm still waiting to hear if you plan to read A Little Life!

Another trans-gender literary name: Lucy Minor, the main character in Patrick DeWitt's Undermajordomo Minor.

Here's one that seems to be flying under the LT radar but was terrific: The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy. Seems like it would hit some of your buttons: WWII historical fiction, interconnected short stories, really well written.

>307 benitastrnad: I did not know that Zane Gray's first name was Pearl. See? The Mighty 75 are not just great readers. We are damn smart too.

I have heard of Scott Sigler but have never read him. He is quite prolific. That series sounds fun.

>308 vivians: Hi, Vivian! Good to see you, stranger. I liked Sweet Caress and I am sure you will too. No, I did not start A Little Life yet, but it is on the agenda. I am thinking of kicking off the New Year with it. Start with a bang!

I am not familiar with The Illusion of Separateness but it sure sounds good.

^Yes, it is that time. Come over and see what's happening...

Yes, I know there's a new thread...but I just remembered a delightful little old lady I knew whose name was Clyde. And I have known both men and women named Hazle. Maybe this subject isn't carrying over...

>311 laytonwoman3rd: More Uni-sex names! A Clyde and a Hazel? Pretty impressive!