Oberon - Third Thread of 2018

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Oberon - Third Thread of 2018

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1Oberon
Bewerkt: sep 25, 2018, 12:50 pm



Time to roll out a third thread as the second is getting a bit long.

The Loons are all but mathematically eliminated from this year's playoff race but my fandom remains strong. We had tickets to watch the Loons play the Portland Timbers and the Loons delivered a 3-2 win (nearly giving up the point after a 3-0 start).

The fall soccer season and school are well under way for the kids. Fall color is starting to appear but there are still a few more weeks where we can keep the boat on the lake. After that it will be time to start thinking about the holidays.

2Oberon
Bewerkt: sep 30, 2018, 1:25 pm

2017 Book Year in Review:

2017 was a very good reading year for me. Beyond reading 101 books, I read a lot of really good books. While I have a top five the honorable mention category is far larger than normal.

1. Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen
2. The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane
3. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
4. We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
5. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

In the honorable mention category are: The Lost City of the Monkey God, His Father's Son Edmund Morris's trilogy about Teddy Roosevelt and The Black Earth.

Looking at my 2018 reads, the best of list is starting to come together with Country of my Skull, The Africa House, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Gene: An Intimate History and Katherine Arden's series beginning with The Bear and the Nightingale being the leading contenders thus far.

3Oberon
Bewerkt: dec 30, 2018, 11:34 pm

Books Read in 2018:

January

1. Heretics and Heroes by Thomas Cahill (audiobook)
2. Black Panther & the Crew by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. Inanna's Tears by Rob Vollmar
4. JLA: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Mark Waid
5. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger
6. Rubicon by Mark Long
7. 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham
8. Country of My Skull by Antjie Krog
9. The Terror Years by Lawrence Wright (audiobook)
10. The Story of Egypt by Joann Fletcher (audiobook)
11. The Africa House by Christina Lamb
12. Black Panther Book 4 by Ta-Nehisi Coates
13. Quiet Until the Thaw by Alexandra Fuller (audiobook)
14. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

February

15. The Road to Character by David Brooks (audiobook)
16. The Amazing Screw-On Head by Mike Mignola
17. Mountains of the Mind by Robert Macfarlane
18. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
19. Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible by Mike Mignola
20. Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder (audiobook)
21. World of Wakanda by Ta-Nehisi Coates
22. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

March

23. The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene Rogan (audiobook)
24. Baltimore: The Red Kingdom by Mike Mignola
25. Trumpocracy by David Frum (audiobook)
26. Thanos Rising by Jason Aaron
27. The Storied City by Charlie English
28. The Magic Flute by Amano Mateki
29. Hellboy in Hell by Mike Mignola
30. Explorers of the Nile by Tim Jeal
31. B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth, Volume 1 by Mike Mignola

April

32. Hellboy and B.P.R.D 1954 by Mike Mignola
33. Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts by Christopher De Hamel
34. H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (audiobook)
35. The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane
36. Treasure by Clive Cussler
37. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

May

38. In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides (audiobook)
39. The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed by Mike Mignola
40. Blood River by Tim Butcher
41. By the Numbers by Laurent Rullier
42. Hell and Good Company by Richard Rhodes (audiobook)
43. A Chain Forged in Life by Mike Mignola
44. Mr. Higgins Comes Home by Mike Mignola
45. The Map Thief by Michael Blanding (audiobook)
46. B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know by Mike Mignola
47. Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible Volume 2 by Mike Mignola

June

48. Eye of Newt by Michael Hague
49. Russian Roulette by Michael Isikoff (audiobook)
50. The Spectral Blaze by Richard Lee Byers
51. Infinity by Jonathan Hickman
52. Infinity Gauntlet by Jim Starlin
53. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
54. Who is the Black Panther? by Reginald Hudlin
55. Escape from Syria by Samya Kullab
56. Fascism: A Warning by Madeline Albright (audiobook)
57. Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell

July

58. Tiki of Hawaii by Sophia Schweitzer
59. Scouting on Two Continentsby Frederick Burnham
60. Black Panther, Avengers of the New World by Ta-Nehisi Coates
61. The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee (audiobook)
62. The Vanishing Velazquez by Laura Cumming
63. Captain America, Marvel Knights by John Rieber
64. Fairest: The Return of the Maharaja by Sean Williams
65. The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

August

66. The Dark Horse Book of Horror by Mike Mignola
67. Iscariot by S.M. Vidaurri
68. Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughan
69. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert (audiobook)
70. Theodore Roosevelt: A Literary Life by Thomas Bailey
71. Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
72. Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
73. Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan
74. Usagi Yojimbo, Mysteries by Stan Sakai
75. Kill Shakespeare, Volume 3 by Conor McCreary
76. Kill Shakespeare, Volume 4 by Conor McCreary
77. Kill Shakespeare, Volume 5 by Conor McCreary
78. The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi
79. Lost to the West by Lars Brownworth (audiobook)

September

80. Justinian's Flea by William Rosen (audiobook)
81. Edgar Allan Poe's Spirits of the Dead by Richard Corben
82. Corto Maltese: The Ethiopian by Hugo Pratt
83. Hellboy and the the B.P.R.D. 1955 by Mike Mignola
84. Corto Maltese: In Siberia by Hugo Pratt
85. The Emperor of All Maladies by Sddhartha Mukerjee (audiobook)
86. From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple
87. Corto Maltese: Fable of Venice by Hugo Pratt
88. Corto Maltese: The Golden House of Samarkand by Hugo Pratt
89. The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 3 by Kieron Gillen
90. The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 4 by Kieron Gillen
91. The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 5 by Kieron Gillen
92. The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 6 by Kieron Gillen
93. Hellboy: The Wild Hunt by Mike Mignola
94. Usagin Yojimbo/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Stan Sakai

October

95. Captain America, Empire Building by Nick Spencer
96. A Castle in England by Jamie Rhodes
97. Rome West by Justin Giampaoli
98. The Shadow of Kilimanjaro by Rick Ridgeway
99. Alexander the Great, The Hunt for a New Past by Paul Cartledge (audiobook)
100. Rasputin: voice of the Dragon by Mike Mignola
101. Black Panther: The Client by Christoper Priest
102. Hellboy: Darkness Calls by Mike Mignola
103. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

November

104. The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes (audiobook)
105. Carthage Must be Destroyed! by Richard Miles (audiobook)
106. Spirits Embodied: Art of the Congo by Evan Maurer

December

107. Timeless by R.A. Salvatore
108. Monstress: Haven by Marjorie Liu
109. To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild (audiobook)
110. Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson
111. Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman
112. King Soloman's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
113. G.I. Joe, Target: Snake Eyes by Chuck Dixon
114. Before Watchmen: Nite Owl/Dr. Manhattan by Michael Straczynski
115. Before Watchmen: Minutemen/Silk Spectre by Darwyn Cooke
116. Windhaven by George R.R. Martin
117. Jack of Fables: Turning Pages by Bill Willingham
118. The Arab of the Future by Raid Saattouf

4Oberon
Bewerkt: sep 25, 2018, 11:31 pm



Fall on the lake is one of my favorite times of the year. It is gorgeous, peaceful and the fish are biting.

5Oberon
Bewerkt: sep 26, 2018, 12:00 am

The long running art in the office theme reappears!


First up, a piece of Nok statuary. I have a long running fascination with West Africa terracotta.


The framed Ai Weiwei print on refugees. Put it up in one of our conference rooms.


Finally, a rare entry in the art at home category! This was a trio of prints on bark depicting native Hawaiian species that my wife and I actually agreed on.

6Ameise1
sep 25, 2018, 12:54 pm

Happy new thread, Erik. Gorgeous topper.

7drneutron
sep 25, 2018, 1:13 pm

Happy new thread!

8figsfromthistle
sep 25, 2018, 1:17 pm

Happy new thread!

9FAMeulstee
sep 25, 2018, 4:27 pm

Happy new thread, Erik, love your big smile at the top! :-)

10BLBera
sep 25, 2018, 4:30 pm

Happy new thread, Erik.

11SqueakyChu
Bewerkt: sep 25, 2018, 8:30 pm

>1 Oberon: Good for you to remain a loyal Loons fan! Fandom isn't always about winning (but it sure helps) but being there for your team. I am really enjoying having a local team to follow now and have become such an avid fan. My husband even got us tickets to another game (DC United versus Montreal) in another week and a half. I can't wait to go back!

Congrats on the Loon's 3-2 win! Every win helps our hearts!

Love the picture! I take it that's a Loon in the picture with you and your son? :)

I only read On Tranny of all the books you have listed above. It was a great little book with sound advice.

12thornton37814
sep 26, 2018, 8:53 am

Happy new thread!

13Berly
sep 27, 2018, 2:15 am

>1 Oberon: Yeah, let's not dwell on that game, shall we? : (

But still, happy new thread and love the photo topper. Happy fishing! And I am so glad you and your wife actually agree on some art. ; )

14Oberon
sep 28, 2018, 10:56 am

Welcome and thank you visitors! I promise a more thorough response to everyone when I can come up for air but I am underwater on work at the moment and about the best I can do today is a brief acknowledgment and wave.

15PaulCranswick
sep 29, 2018, 11:20 pm

My team, Leeds United, are tearing up the English Championship under Marcelo Bielsa, Erik, and can hopefully return to their 'rightful' place in the EPL next year.

Happy new thread and wishing you a great weekend.

16jnwelch
sep 30, 2018, 3:46 pm

Happy New Thread, Erik!

Love that topper photo. It's good to see all the graphic novels. My son and I used to read Usagi Yojimbo together when he was young. Lots of good memories there.

17EBT1002
sep 30, 2018, 8:34 pm

Hi Erik and Happy New Thread. I love the Ai Weiwei art as well as the Hawaiian prints (on bark - that is cool).
Happy October (tomorrow)!

18kidzdoc
okt 1, 2018, 8:51 pm

Hi, Erik! Your photos are very enticing, and I'm pleased that you and your family continue to support Minnesota United, despite the club's disappointing season. Hopefully they will field a more competitive team next season. I'll finally attend my first Atlanta United match of the season with friends later this month, as my repeated attempts to encourage someone here to attend a match with me has finally borne fruit, and I'll pay attention to next season's schedule, and with any luck be able to attend an Atlanta-Minnesota match with you next season. Unfortunately a good friend of mine who is a pediatric rehabilitation medicine physician at the U of Minnesota is relocating to Louisiana, but I might be able to combine a trip to Minneapolis with a visit to my friends in Madison, WI, or even encourage them to visit the Twin Cities while I'm there.

19Oberon
okt 8, 2018, 3:57 pm

Back! Apologies for the departure. I had an appellate brief due and it was not writing itself as much as I wished it would.

Updates: The Loons are officially eliminated following a truly dreadful appearance against Philadelphia. The committed fan base is calling for heads to roll but I doubt much will happen. They certainly seem to me to be mismanaged right now.

For the family soccer it was an eventful but mostly unsatisfying weekend. The youngest wrapped up his season and did very well. He was much pleased with his participation medal.

(Lengthy aside: I am a BIG fan of participation medals, trophies, ect. Very few kids are going to "win" their sports - come in first place, be the top scorer, win the division title and so on. The kids who do win are well aware of their accomplishments and the kids that do not win are certainly aware that they did not win. The idea of everyone getting a medal is a message of inclusion for those who participate. To me, inclusion and effort are the most important elements of youth sports. The rest of the world will teach kids very quickly whether they are winning or not so I have no patience for the crowd that insists that medals and trophies should only be for the "winners.")

As for the other two, middle son pulled a hamstring (playing soccer at recess at school) and was unable to compete in a mile run and a soccer tournament this weekend. Whereas daughter managed to more severely injure herself. We spent most of Saturday at the orthopedist. Initially we thought she tore an ACL (very common for competitive women's soccer) then were told that it was possibly a torn meniscus. An x-ray followed by an MRI eventually established that it was a bad bone bruise and swelling (about the best possible outcome under the circumstances) but she is still out 1 to 4 weeks and is on crutches for right now. Chances are that she will miss most of the end of the fall season. While that sucks for her and she is very disappointed, I am fairly relieved as I went in on Saturday kind of expecting to be told that she would need a second surgery for the year.

Other than that, reading continues at a decent clip. My birthday is coming up which will likely result in a few more books for the TBR pile, and the weather is rainy. At least the fish are biting. Welcome and thanks for keeping my thread warm!

20SqueakyChu
okt 8, 2018, 4:11 pm

Happy upcoming birthday, Erik. Hope those two kids mend quickly. I hope you get some time to relax. It sounds as if you can use it.

My grandson does karate, but I wish one day he’d get into playing soccer. I’m now watching my own local professional team (we actually attended another DC United game yesterday which we won) and have started watching the USWNT who have simply overwhelmed their first two opponents. Those kinds of games are hard to watch.

Good luck with your fishing!

21Oberon
okt 8, 2018, 5:03 pm

>20 SqueakyChu: I saw the tail end of the DC United win on tv yesterday and thought of you. Wayne Rooney seems to be willing to carry that team to the playoffs all on his own!

I think soccer is a great sport for kids. There are days I wish the kids were a little less good at it and were competing at a lower level but overall it has been wonderful for us.

22SqueakyChu
okt 8, 2018, 6:13 pm

>21 Oberon: So glad you got to see the last part (the best part) of the game! Did you see me in section 115 row 15? ;D

Beside Rooney, we have some very good players. It helps to have him here to unite the team and show how experienced players perform. He is quite the team player, though, and doesn't look for glory just for himself. I think he's helping the other players on the team to be successful...especially Luciano (Lucho) Acosta). It helps that we are borrowing goalkeeper Bill Hamid back for the rest of this season, too. I don't think the team played their best this past game, but they got the win...and the three points. That's what was important.

23ronincats
okt 11, 2018, 12:32 am

>4 Oberon: Absolutely green with envy!

24Oberon
okt 12, 2018, 2:46 pm

>22 SqueakyChu: Must of missed you! Don't get me wrong, I know DC United has a lot of other talented players - just from my outside perspective the Rooney deal was treated with derision in the league and he has instead come in raised the level of play across the board.

>23 ronincats: Well Roni you might not be envious right now. We had a few snowflakes following yesterday and some parts of northern Minnesota got 3 inches of snow. After last year's experience of having to icebreak across the lake, I am watching with a great deal of concern our extended forecast.

25Carmenere
okt 14, 2018, 9:38 am

Happy New Thread, Erik!!

26Oberon
okt 15, 2018, 12:06 pm

>25 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda!

27Oberon
okt 15, 2018, 12:07 pm



We consider ourselves hardy people but this is too much.

28The_Hibernator
okt 16, 2018, 10:00 am

>27 Oberon: Wow! That was more snow than accumulated where we are. But, then, I guess I wasn't looking at a soccer field, which probably had colder ground than we have in a front yard. We just hid inside for the day, despite plans to go to the pumpkin patch. Next weekend will be much better weather.

29BLBera
okt 16, 2018, 3:01 pm

>27 Oberon: That's the reason my daughter quit soccer.

30Oberon
okt 17, 2018, 8:59 pm

>28 The_Hibernator: Oddly, I think the southern suburbs got more snow than the northern. It was not fun.

>29 BLBera: I don't really blame her. Even my soccer obsessed son was not interested in playing.

31Oberon
okt 17, 2018, 9:21 pm



Alexander the Great, The Hunt for a New Past by Paul Cartledge

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I think the big problem is that this is a book for people with a strong understanding of Alexander the Great's history. As someone who can not readily bring to mind Alexander's major battles, this book's structure was frustrating.

Rather than a chronological history of Alexander, the book jumped around to illustrate various points rather than follow a standard chronology. While that is fine if you are well versed in the subject, I was not. As a result, the book was harder to follow than necessary.

To the positive, the book contained a very interesting discussion of sources. I was unaware of little direct chronicles have survived to our time. Most of what we know of Alexander is from much later writers, many of whom are doing little more than quoting earlier sources.

Not a bad book but I was hoping for a basic primer on the life and times of Alexander the Great and this didn't fit the bill.

32Caroline_McElwee
okt 18, 2018, 5:48 am

>27 Oberon: brrrr.
>32 Caroline_McElwee: Disappointing not to get what you hoped for Erik Although I've not yet read it myself, despite it being on the shelf for years, Robin Lane Fox wrote what I understand is a definitive biog of Alexander the Great.

33Oberon
okt 18, 2018, 12:00 pm

>32 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the suggestion Caroline. I will take a look for the book.

34Oberon
okt 22, 2018, 12:34 pm



The Loons had their last home game of the season against LA Galaxy yesterday. Sadly, the Loons again lost 3-1. The game was the last one before the Loons move to their own soccer specific stadium so the club set out to break the all time attendance mark for a Minnesota soccer game. They accomplished it with 52,000 showing up for the game. We sat with a big chunk of Andrew's soccer team (the youth soccer clubs got discounted tickets). It was a lovely day - just wish the Loons had performed better.

35Oberon
okt 22, 2018, 12:39 pm

Also went to Florence + Machine concert which I enjoyed. Opening act was a bit weird for my taste.

36SqueakyChu
Bewerkt: okt 22, 2018, 3:30 pm

>34 Oberon: Getting our own soccer specific stadium (Audi Field) has worked magic for DC United. I hope getting your own soccer specific stadium does the same for your team. The seats are amazing. They are at such a steep incline that there is basically no bad seat anywhere. It's a small stadium, though. It only holds about 22,000 people. Due to our recent playing success, our stadium has been at standing room only for the past few games.

37kidzdoc
okt 23, 2018, 9:57 am

>34 Oberon: Nice photo, Erik. It's a shame that the Loons couldn't honor the record breaking audience with a win, though.

38Oberon
okt 24, 2018, 10:19 pm

>36 SqueakyChu: From everything I have seen it should be a great venue. Only issue will be getting in as it is sold out.

>37 kidzdoc: Agreed but par for the course I am afraid. Hoping for a productive offseason.

39SqueakyChu
okt 24, 2018, 10:58 pm

>38 Oberon: Heh! If DC United continues to play well (which I hope the team does), that could be a problem for us also!

40Oberon
okt 30, 2018, 5:30 pm

Went to a pumpkin "spectacular" last night at the zoo. I was skeptical at first but it was pretty neat. The only downside is the kids are questioning my carving skills now.



41Oberon
Bewerkt: okt 30, 2018, 5:34 pm

In other news - Loons lost, 3-2 v. Columbus. Basically the stats came out almost the same as their first year. The Loons are not the worst team in Major League Soccer but they are long ways away from being the best. The lack of forward progress is depressing.

42Oberon
okt 30, 2018, 5:43 pm

I continue to make very good progress on my reading. What is not going well is the reports on said books. It isn't that I am not finding things worth discussing, rather it is the process of putting up the reviews that has kind of stalled out.

I am also toying with implementing a reading plan for 2019. Several bigger books on the shelves aren't getting read due to the intimidation factor Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Tale of the Heike to name a couple. I am also thinking about a few rereads, specifically The Histories and the Aubrey/Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian. I haven't fully figured it out yet but I am starting to think about it.

43drneutron
okt 31, 2018, 8:44 am

Wow, those are some cool pumpkins!

44Caroline_McElwee
Bewerkt: nov 1, 2018, 5:14 pm

>40 Oberon: Wow. You better get practicing for next year Erik.

>42 Oberon: Funny you should mention the O'Brian series, they have been winking at me for a while, but annoyingly the first has wandered off, and needs tracking down. If I find it, maybe I'll start it soon. I have the lovely Folio Society set which I bought with some of an inheritance I had from an uncle who was a merchant seaman. An appropriate momento of him I thought.

ETA: Found volume 1. I might aim to read one a month, at least.

45Oberon
nov 1, 2018, 11:41 pm

>44 Caroline_McElwee: Ooohhh, a Folio Society set! Do you have all 20? That sounds especially lovely. I have been meaning to reread the series for a couple of years now. I think it is behind some of the books I still haven't gotten to but it is absolutely on my radar screen for 2019.

46Caroline_McElwee
Bewerkt: nov 7, 2018, 6:58 pm

Yes Erik, I have the whole set.



in the picture minus Master and Commander which is by my reading chair, and The Hundred Days, which I pulled to get at something behind, and hasn't gone back yet.

This will be my first reading.

47Berly
nov 5, 2018, 12:56 am

>34 Oberon: Congrats on being part of the crew to break the attendance record. 52,000 is a lot for any sport!

>40 Oberon: Those are amazing!! And I certainly don't want my carving skills compared against them either. LOL

>46 Caroline_McElwee: *Drools*

48Oberon
nov 6, 2018, 4:38 pm

>46 Caroline_McElwee: That is gorgeous! I am terrible envious.

On a side note, have you seen the movie that they did with Russell Crowe a few years ago? I thought it was pretty good.

>47 Berly: True - it is a lot for any sport and especially soccer. Until Atlanta United showed up and raised the bar on everyone it would have been a real rarity for MLS.

49Caroline_McElwee
Bewerkt: nov 6, 2018, 6:13 pm

Yes Erik, it was the movie that tempted me to the purchase. I thought Crowe and Betany were excellent, and no doubt will see them in the characters as I read.

50Oberon
nov 6, 2018, 5:38 pm



The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes

I am usually not one for political memoirs but positive reviews prompted me to check it out. I am very glad I did as it was a superb book, one strong enough to be in the running for my yearly top five from a genre I typically avoid.

Rhodes was a deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration. He began work with Obama in 2007, prior to the campaign where he was originally a speechwriter. He assisted Obama in some of his most consequential speeches such as Obama's Cairo speech and the address when Obama received the Nobel prize.

The World As It is follows Rhodes's time in the campaign and then the White House. Given Rhodes's proximity to Obama, it is an up close look at how the administration thought about global events like the Afghan surge, the Arab Spring, the pivot to the Pacific and so on. Rhodes gradually took over responsibility for some of the major foreign policy initiatives of the Obama administration such as the improvement of ties with Cuba and reestablishment of ties with Burma. As such, Rhodes talks about some of the behind the scenes events like the first meetings between himself on behalf of Obama and a Cuban delegation in Canada.

While the book is organized chronologically, Rhodes reflects more deeply on the broader meaning of events as they impact him personally and as they fit into history. He talks about how he got into politics feeling compelled to action by 9/11 and how the death of Bin Laden was a capstone of sorts. Similarly, when dealing with Cuba, Rhodes reflects on the long and difficult history with Cuba and how that history has very much narrowed present day opportunities.

Finally, the book shows the level of care and thought that went into the efforts of the Obama administration. Thus, intentionally or not, the contrast with conduct of foreign policy with the present administration is a study in contrasts.

The World As It Is is poignant and informative. Highly recommended.

51The_Hibernator
nov 7, 2018, 11:06 am

>40 Oberon: Wow. Those pumpkins sure are something special. My own carving abilities are pretty lacking, so I don't worry about comparing myself to the best, though. :)

52Oberon
nov 7, 2018, 1:47 pm

>51 The_Hibernator: I wasn't planning on quitting law to focus on pumpkin carving, just trying to manage the expectations of the 11 year old. But yeah, impressive what people can do with pumpkins.

53Oberon
nov 7, 2018, 1:51 pm

Minnesota election update. We went back to pretty solidly blue from having been trending purple. Especially nice was my own congressman got replaced. The seat had not been blue since the 60's.

I couldn't watch the election results come in. I was checking FiveThirtyEight on my phone and watched the prediction model for democratic control of the house fall from north of 70% down to 54% and I had to turn it off. Unfortunate that the state of politics has upset me so much that I can't even endure watching election results.

54BLBera
nov 7, 2018, 2:47 pm

>53 Oberon: I'm with you. I started watching, and as I felt my anxiety ratch up, I had to turn it off. I am happy about our statewide results, sorry that Feehan lost, happy that Walz is our governor.

The World as It is does sound good. Onto the list it goes!

55SqueakyChu
Bewerkt: nov 15, 2018, 10:02 pm

>53 Oberon: I feel the same way you do about election returns. I rush to vote, but I avoid watching the returns. It's too nerve-wracking, and I don't want to be disappointed. I'm upset that Maryland kept our Republican governor, but I'm not surprised. Our Larry Hogan pretends to be more moderate than he is...especially when election time is drawing near.

56Oberon
nov 15, 2018, 11:44 am

>54 BLBera: I really liked The World as It Is. I hope you enjoy it.

>55 SqueakyChu: I didn't use to be this way. I think the last two years have left me so disillusioned about America's capacity to self govern that I need to find some other form of zen to focus on.

57Oberon
Bewerkt: nov 15, 2018, 12:04 pm



21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

Good but not great. I went into the book with high expectations given the reviews of Sapiens which I have yet to land a copy of. The book focuses on coming technological changes and how they will likely impact daily life and political life. One of Harari's big points is that the pace of our technological progress has so outpaced our moral and political progress that disaster is almost inevitable. I kept getting reminded of Ian Malcolm's quote in Jurassic Park where he says the scientists were so busy trying to figure out if they could bring dinosaurs back to life that they never stopped to ask if they should.

Harari goes through technologies like biotech and big data and demonstrates how much progress is being made in doing jobs that we once thought could only be done by people. This begs the question of what those people will do when the jobs are no longer there? What happens when there are very few actual "jobs" left when machines and algorithms go more accurately perform the work than people. Harari talks about self driving cars but then expands into fields like medicine and law, making a compelling argument that those professions are at risk too. Meanwhile, our political structure is utterly unequipped to work through the consequences of such change.

Other parts of the book deal with issues like the survival of political systems and issues like religion, immigration and terrorism. They are well written and interesting. However, it is hard to read the book and escape a sense of impending doom for the species. Harari himself says that it was not his goal to leave everyone pessimistic but the only actual suggestion he proposes for the litany of problems is meditation. It felt like a very thin straw to grasp for in the face of so many issues.

Recommended but not life changing.

58Oberon
nov 16, 2018, 11:31 am



Sunday was Family Day at the Minneapolis Art Institute. The MIA is hosting Egypt's Sunken Cities, a traveling exhibition, so the theme was Egypt and archaeology and you could get in to the exhibit for free. Ironically, I saw this exhibition in London at the British Museum when I went a couple of years ago with my mom.



Tuesday at kindergarten was breakfast and books where we could go in and read with the kids. Mom happened to be down so she joined me.

59EBT1002
nov 18, 2018, 12:31 am

Delurking to say hello, Erik. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving ahead of you.

60richardderus
nov 19, 2018, 4:55 pm

>40 Oberon: Now those are some artful pumpkin carvings! No shame to be eclipsed by the talent those carvers have.

Happy Turkey Day to you and yours.

61Berly
nov 20, 2018, 3:34 am

I miss the MIA--they have great exhibits. Hope you had a nice visit with your Mom. Or is she staying for Thanksgiving?

62Oberon
nov 21, 2018, 12:43 pm

>59 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. Thank you very much! We are hosting but for a smaller group than normal so it should be fairly relaxing.

>60 richardderus: Nice to see you Richard. Glad you are back to posting. Happy Thanksgiving!

>61 Berly: I do love the MIA. Travel has shown me how lucky Minneapolis is to have an art museum of that quality. Mom was down for a conference (that was subsequently cancelled) and will be back down for Thanksgiving tomorrow. My parents live 3 1/2 hours away but a keep a modest townhome in the Cities as they visit regularly enough. Everyone will be at our house tomorrow.

63EBT1002
nov 21, 2018, 8:27 pm

64Oberon
nov 21, 2018, 10:50 pm

>63 EBT1002: :) Thanks!

65Oberon
nov 21, 2018, 10:59 pm

Working on my Thanksgiving cocktail. Was going to do mai tai's from our Hawaii trip but they don't look right. Taste ok though.

66richardderus
nov 21, 2018, 11:40 pm

How bad can a mai tai be? If you have some blended scotch around, you could make rob roys.

67Berly
nov 26, 2018, 10:55 am

MIA. Must have been the Mai Tais....

: )

68The_Hibernator
nov 27, 2018, 2:10 pm

>58 Oberon: That is a beautiful exhibit. I haven't been to MIA for quite a while. Maybe I should take the kids there - but I'm afraid of listening to the younger one complain about being bored the entire time. I'm perhaps too indulgent of boredom.

69Oberon
nov 27, 2018, 3:25 pm

>68 The_Hibernator: I highly recommend the monthly Family Day at MIA. There are a series of art making classes along with a mini scavenger hunt that comes with a free prize. The next one is December 9. They typically make the special exhibits free as part of Family Day. That is really why we went in the first place. As I noted above, that Family Day was archaeology themed so our youngest made his own "artifact" out of cardboard tubes, crepe paper and various other art supplies (all provided by the MIA) and also made a scarab beetle with model magic clay. We then did the scavenger hunt which he finished to collect a small Horus figure as his reward.

Older kids who are less willing to sit down and do art projects are the harder ones to keep entertained. The younger ones will love it.

70Oberon
nov 27, 2018, 3:29 pm

>67 Berly: Ha! I did get the mai tais to work. I ended up a using a darker rum I had on hand. We went through a pitcher and a half so they were well received.

The other part of my sad tale of woe from Thanksgiving was less glamorous. We developed a leak into the basement. Unfortunately it was from the kitchen sink that had been installed in a previous remodel. So - we spent the better part of the afternoon on Thanksgiving demolishing the wall and ceiling in the basement to get at the leak. I was fortunate to find a plumber who could come on Friday and repair the leak but all of the sheetrock work remains to be done.

71Oberon
nov 27, 2018, 3:44 pm

On the positive side, I got to spend time with my parents including Friday night when I went out to dinner and a play with them. They had tickets with friends who cancelled on them due to illness so free tickets! We saw Noises Off, a play within a play concept featuring a pretty absurdist British comedy as the base play. It was uproariously funny even though this is not my usual preferred fare at the theater.

Also, it was a chance to spend more time at the Guthrie which, to me, is a truly magical place. I couldn't help but take numerous pictures to share.




A photo of Tyrone Guthrie at the front of the theater. Guthrie set out to create a regional theater power outside of New York and the city leaders of Minneapolis persuaded him to bring it to Minneapolis


Views from the Endless Bridge that juts out toward the Mississippi river.


The interior has these images from previous productions printed on to the walls that create a ghostly effect.



My favorite of the "ghost" images. This was from a production of Pirates of Penzance that I went to and loved.

The whole building has to be seen to be properly appreciated. There is a sense of drama to the place that is not fully captureable by photograph. Oddly, the lousy cold and rainy weather and exterior darkness added a great deal to the building.

72Oberon
nov 27, 2018, 3:50 pm



To cap off the weekend I went to a Gopher hockey game with my dad and middle son. Dad insisted on matching Gopher hockey hats.

The Gophers lost and didn't play an especially good hockey game but the joy was undiminished in Gopher land because hours earlier the Gopher football team won an away game against the hated Wisconsin Badgers. As a result, the Gophers returned to Minnesota with Paul Bunyan's Axe, perhaps the oldest traveling trophy in college football. This was a big deal because the Gopher football program has been bad for a long time and Wisconsin has been good. By a long time, I mean it had been 15 years since Minnesota last won the Axe and since 1994 when they last won in Wisconsin. Big day for the Gopher's that one poor hockey game did not erase.

73SqueakyChu
nov 27, 2018, 8:24 pm

Glad to see you're still out there supporting your sports teams. Great pic of the guys' day out!

74Oberon
nov 28, 2018, 10:54 pm

>73 SqueakyChu: Thanks Madeline!

75katiekrug
nov 29, 2018, 3:22 pm

Fulfilling my vow to lurk less, here I am!

Thanks for sharing the photos of the Guthrie. The great joy of moving to the NYC area for me, besides getting the hell out of Texas, has been having great theater around.

Probably a dumb question, but was Tyrone Guthrie part of the Woody/Arlo Guthrie family?

76richardderus
nov 29, 2018, 3:23 pm

>72 Oberon: Happy daddys! I love the face you're pulling there.

77Oberon
nov 29, 2018, 5:30 pm

>75 katiekrug: Nice of you to stop by! I am truly horrible about lurking (going months without posting to some threads). A weird hangup about feeling like I have nothing worth adding to the discussion.

Tyrone Guthrie was (as far as I can tell) not related to Woody/Arlo. He was English and his big break was running the Stratford Festival in Canada. Having made a name for himself, Guthrie and a few others came up with the idea of creating a resident theater outside of New York and away from Broadway. So, he put an ad in the New York Times seeking community interest in such a theater. Minneapolis responded and beat out several other cities in terms of fund raising resulting in the theater opening in 1963. Guthrie himself served as artistic director from 1963 to 1966.

78Oberon
nov 29, 2018, 5:31 pm

>76 richardderus: Probably squinting too much. Dad and I especially struggle with successful selfie taking.

79EBT1002
dec 9, 2018, 9:00 pm

>77 Oberon: Oh my, that is the first time someone has "come out" with that sentiment. So. Here I am delurking. With not much to say. Except hi.

80Oberon
dec 11, 2018, 10:46 am



Freezing fog coated everything in white yesterday, including the crab apple out my window.

Still working through a couple of larger books that I hope to finish before the end of the year including the excellent To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild.

81Oberon
dec 11, 2018, 10:52 am

>79 EBT1002: Thanks for delurking Ellen! Perhaps I need to come up with a clever post or picture to post more frequently on other threads to denote my continued presence. I noted that you, like many others, read and enjoyed Educated. I was hoping to read it but my wife took the copy from the library while we had it. The waiting list to get it again is quite long so it might be awhile. I have noticed that it has appeared on a number of "best of 2018" lists.

82richardderus
dec 11, 2018, 11:01 am

>80 Oberon: How unearthly, ethereal, beautiful that image is.

83Oberon
dec 17, 2018, 4:54 pm



To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild

Full confession - I had a hard copy of this book with good intentions to read it and ended up gifting it to a family member at some point when I was supposed to have acquired a gift and failed to do so ahead of time. Now, a number of years later, I got around to the book via an audiobook from the library and I am regretting giving away my first copy.

To End All Wars is a history of WWI. While it traces some of the big picture of the war, it is hardly a traditional history of the conflict. Rather, To End All Wars is principally a history of the British resistance to the war. It is about the people who, for political or religious reasons, opposed the war and spoke out against it.

Hochschild covers a lot of ground but some of the relationships of the people involved really bring home the human toll of the war. That toll is not just in the dead and wounded but also in the relationships destroyed by the war. One such relationship is the brother and sister relationship between Field Marshal John French and his sister Charlotte Despard. French led the British Expeditionary Force at the commencement of WWI while Despard was an outspoken labor activist, suffragette and supporter of Irish Republicans. In many ways, the brother and sister occupied the polar opposites of British society during WWI. Similarly, the story of the Pankhurst family who were prominent suffragettes is recounted. Before the war, the women (mother and daughters) were outspoken suffragettes. With the outbreak of war, the mother (Emmeline) and one daughter (Christabel) came out strongly for the war while daughters Adela and Sylvia remained staunchly opposed which resulted in permanent estrangement. Other stories covered by Hochschild are those of conscientious objectors who were taken to France and threatened with execution for their refusal to fight.

With a 100 years of hindsight, most look at WWI as a horrific conflict that accomplished few of the objectives of any of the combatants while setting the stage for the unraveling of Europe that took place in WWII. Thus, today the idea of protesting WWI seems less heroic and more a function of common sense. Hochschild does an excellent job of reminding us that, at the time, such protests were few and far between and generally cost the protesters greatly. By telling these stories so well, Hochschild reminds us that heroism is more than bravery on the battlefield and that we would all benefit from more acts of bravery like those described in To End All Wars.

84katiekrug
dec 17, 2018, 6:53 pm

>83 Oberon: - I've had this on my shelves for a few years... Perhaps 2019 will be the year I get to it?

85Oberon
dec 18, 2018, 11:05 am

>84 katiekrug: Hope so Katie. I regret that it sat so long for me. It feels very timely for any society getting caught up in the "glory" of war. Bush the younger would have done well to read it before invading Iraq.

86richardderus
dec 21, 2018, 9:49 am

Find the Light—Reflect the Light—Be the Light

Happy Yule 2018!

87Oberon
dec 21, 2018, 11:04 am

>86 richardderus: Thank you Richard. Happy holiday to you!

88Oberon
dec 21, 2018, 12:05 pm



Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson

Background: As regular readers (both of you) will know, while I am a second generation attorney dad is really a military historian who happens to have become a judge. Moreover, if there is a specialty it definitely is the American Civil War. As a consequence, childhood vacations almost invariably involved stops at various obscure battlefields and endless hikes to stand next to old cannons. As a result, I, rebellious child, took little to no interest in the Civil War and instead found much more interest in the histories of places like Africa and Japan and even ancient history. Fast forward to 2018, (now former) chief of staff John Kelly comes out and praised Robert E. Lee and cited to a chunk of the mythology of the Lost Cause (the claim that the South was noble and not really fighting for slavery but for liberty) in remarks defending one of many of Trump's appalling claims. A number of people, including Ta-Nehisi Coates stepped up to debunk his statements. As part of that, Coates recommended a book Battle Cry of Freedom as an excellent source of information on the Civil War. So, dutiful son asked dad if he had a copy to borrow. Dutiful dad apparently disposed of his copy some time ago but, thrilled that rebellious child showed a hint of interest in the Civil War, hustled out and bought a copy to gift to me (after rereading it himself).

To the book! Battle Cry of Freedom was lauded as the best single volume history of the American Civil War available. Having now completed it, I think this an accurate summary. While I lack the depth of knowledge vis-a-vis dad, the amount I picked up about the war via osmosis is decent. Battle Cry of Freedom does an excellent job of synthesizing the political and military aspects of the war. As a result, it leads to a much better understanding of how some battles, like the first Bull Run, were not terribly important militarily but hugely important politically to the war. This timing piece, as it related to the political mood is important. I had not fully grasped how Lincoln had expected to be denied reelection in 1864 and how much military success made a difference to his reelection chances. Similarly, while the battle of Gettysburg is easy to understand as a military success, the combination of that battle with the simultaneous fall of Vicksburg, both on July 4, marked a major turning point in the war especially in terms of morale. Battle Cry of Freedom presents the war as one long narrative of a struggle over slavery and puts all of the aspects of the conflict into context with one another.

I have a few complaints but they are minor particularly in terms of the scope and purpose of the book. 1) It is a long book - 850 pages of fairly dense prose and 2) the heroics of the First Minnesota get little more than a paragraph. See? Contradictory complaints that parts of the book weren't detailed enough while complaining about length. It is a comprehensive history of a critical time and thus some things are necessarily truncated to cover other issues. No author can meet both prongs as one necessarily excludes the other.

Bottom line, this is a very good history that, surprisingly, is very current to many of our political discussions. But, even if it wasn't timely, Battle Cry of Freedom deserves to be read as a masterful history of a transformative period in American history. Highly recommended.

89Caroline_McElwee
dec 21, 2018, 12:15 pm

>88 Oberon: Battle Cry of Freedom has been on my shelves for a while Erik, and on my mind recently having read several books about race (US and UK) recently. I'll be nudging it up the book mountains in 2019.

90katiekrug
dec 21, 2018, 12:17 pm

Regular reader checking in!

I remember that book being on our shelves when I was a kid. I wonder if my father ever actually read it...?

Hope you and your family have a great holiday, Erik!

91richardderus
dec 21, 2018, 12:23 pm

>88 Oberon: One of the best popular history books I've ever read. It's a legend for the reasons you cite, and it's likely to survive the centuries because it's so even-handed and non-polemical.

92Carmenere
dec 22, 2018, 7:08 am

Hoping your holidays are filled with good friends and good books

93The_Hibernator
dec 23, 2018, 2:02 am



Happy Holidays Erik!

94EBT1002
dec 23, 2018, 11:15 pm

Hello Erik! Wishing you and yours....


95Ameise1
dec 24, 2018, 7:46 am

96Caroline_McElwee
dec 24, 2018, 11:48 am

To Erik, Merry Christmas. May the new year bring health, joy and new adventures.

Here is something for your Christmas tree.

97SqueakyChu
dec 24, 2018, 2:39 pm



Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family, Erik!

98PaulCranswick
dec 25, 2018, 4:31 am



Happy holidays, Erik.

Will see my beloved Leeds United entertain Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day.

99kidzdoc
dec 25, 2018, 6:32 am



Merry Christmas from Philadelphia, Erik! Good luck to the Loons next season, and hopefully we can attend a match together at their new grounds, or at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, in 2019.

100SqueakyChu
dec 25, 2018, 11:16 am

>99 kidzdoc: Am I invited as well?! ;)

101Oberon
dec 26, 2018, 10:25 am

Merry Christmas all!

The home of the Loons was dressed up for the holiday yesterday



It remains to be seen if the soccer will match the beauty of the filed. Though we did just sign our third DP, a Slovenian midfielder so maybe?

Will be back later to update the book haul and such.

102richardderus
dec 26, 2018, 10:34 am

That's a lovely venue indeed. I hope your Slovenian import will not be a human Yugo. Happy New Year a bit early.

103Oberon
dec 28, 2018, 12:03 pm

>102 richardderus: You and me both.

104Oberon
dec 28, 2018, 12:12 pm

Update: Our weather has been bizarre here. Snow followed by an all day rain event that is now locked into ice courtesy of a 20 degree temp drop. It should not rain in Minnesota in December.

I got only two books for Christmas but I did get a three month gift subscription to Audible so I will be adding a few audiobooks to the mix (previously relied on the library and access to a friend's account for audio books).

My eldest is in New York on a trip with my parents so I am equal parts anxious that she stays safe along with anxiety that she behaves for them. My parents rightly insist that they have experience in dealing with difficult 13 years old girls (aka my sister) but I worry that time has dimmed their memories of how hard it can be.

I noticed lots of people have started up their 2019 threads. I fully intend to start one over the next few days but I am deliberately holding off on reading anyone's 2019 thread until we are closer to the new year. Meanwhile I intend to keep this thread alive for a few more days.

105drneutron
dec 28, 2018, 2:38 pm

Shame about the yucky weather! Mrsdrneutron has been an Audible subscriber for a couple of years and enjoys it very much. I hope you enjoy it.

106Oberon
dec 28, 2018, 11:58 pm

>105 drneutron: I am pretty confident I will. My consumption of audio books has grown a lot in the past two years.

107Oberon
dec 29, 2018, 12:56 am

So I have been toying with a pet project for awhile and I am taking some steps toward it and thought I would talk about it here. A couple of years ago a family put up a Little Free Library (LFL) in the neighborhood. I have taken a few things out and put a few in but the LFL is not actively maintained (or if it is, it is poorly maintained). The family who erected it moved away and I am thinking of adopting it.

To that end, I want to raise the quality of the LFL. I have nothing against romance or sci fi - I read a chunk of what is hardly "quality" books. Nevertheless, I am hoping to raise the bar a bit. To that end, I picked up copies of The Prince of the Marshes and Battle Cry of Freedom to put in the LFL as I found both on the clearance racks.

Has anyone else tried this? Am I wasting my time and annoying my neighbors? Thoughts, commentary appreciated.

108Caroline_McElwee
Bewerkt: dec 29, 2018, 8:25 am

Ellen has a free library Erik.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/299959 - not sure if it's mentioned in this chapter of her thread, but I'm sure she will update you on how it is going.

109katiekrug
dec 29, 2018, 9:02 am

>107 Oberon: - Erik, I think it depends a lot on your neighborhood and if people read and if so, what they like to read. Maybe try to maintain a good mix of genre fiction, "higher brow" stuff, and nonfiction, and see what moves the most?

I have also thought about starting a LFL - there was a kerfuffle about them in Dallas when we lived there, and IIRC, the city council finally had to pass an ordinance saying they were allowed. I have seen a couple in our current town, though none in my immediate neighborhood, other than one by the local elementary school that is, unsurprisingly, all kids books.

I hope your daughter and your parents have a good time in NYC. The weather is gorgeous today - sunny and unseasonably warm. Are they seeing any plays/shows?

110SqueakyChu
Bewerkt: dec 29, 2018, 11:11 am

>107 Oberon: Yes!!!

I've had my own Little Free Library (right on my front lawn) since July 2013. I totally LOVE being a Little Free Library steward. Definitely adopt it! You will have SOOOOOO much fun with it. Get your family involved in this project as well. My husband built ours and subsequently built three more, two of which have already been adopted by friends. Both are already up and running. Our last one is waiting for spring and warmer weather before I search for an adoptee as I think new stewards get upset if the books don't circulate well at first.

I put into my Little Free Library whatever I want. That means everything I read, plus all of the donations that I receive (unless they are not fit for recirculating--such as books that are completely defaced or books whose pages are falling out). As you steward your Little Free Library, you will see which books move the best...some not to your taste. People in my neighborhood love romance (blech!) and mysteries (also blech!). Kids' books move quickly! I like to have an eclectic collection of books in mine so that no one knows what will pop up next. :D

This is my Little Free Library of Twinbrook (#7720). Feel free to ask me any questions about stewarding a LFL.
https://www.librarything.com/venue/84141/Little-Free-Library-of-Twinbrook

About adopting another Little Free Library, that's a great thing to do when a LFL steward moves and does not want to take the LFL along to a new home. Check to see if the LFL you mention has a charter number. I'll tell you what to do with that if it does.

Have fun!

111Whisper1
dec 29, 2018, 11:09 am

>40 Oberon: This is incredible!!!

>83 Oberon: To End All Wars is an incredible book and I will look to buy this for my partner Will! Your review is great! In addition, your photos are always wonderful.

All good wishes for a wonderful 2019!

112BLBera
dec 29, 2018, 4:56 pm

Erik: I have a LFL and it's hard to predict what ends up there. In my neighborhood, children's books fly away. I try to rotate books. I do have a romance reader in the neighborhood, but those books don't seem to stay there too long, either. Which reminds me, I need to go and check mine. Maybe the door is frozen shut after our rain.

113Oberon
dec 31, 2018, 11:01 am

>108 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline - I did cross-post on Ellen's thread after your suggestion.

>109 katiekrug: Katie, they saw the Rockettes (I had my doubts but they liked it). They should be back early evening. Sounds like it was very crowded in NYC this week.

>110 SqueakyChu: Madeline, how frequently do you go through and toss books? It sounds like your LFL is pretty active.

>111 Whisper1: Nice to see you Linda! To End All Wars might make my top reads for 2018. Lots of stiff competition though.

>112 BLBera: Beth, there are a LOT of kids on our block and our own house is overflowing with kid's books. The LFL's collection of kid's books is really poor IMO. The adult books are kind of sad but at least they are there and there is some variety. The kids books are really pretty pathetic. I had not thought to upgrade that aspect of the LFL, at least not right away.

114Oberon
dec 31, 2018, 11:03 am

I will be creating a 2019 thread, just haven't gotten to it yet. We shall see if I get it done tonight. We have two parties to attend plus my daughter is getting back from NYC and then hosting a bunch of kids at our house. Looks to be a busy day.

115SqueakyChu
Bewerkt: dec 31, 2018, 11:23 am

>113 Oberon: My LFL is on my front lawn so I take out a few (3-5) older books and put in a few (3-5) new ones daily. That's because I have a ton of backstock from BookCrossers and other donations that are waiting to go into the LFL. I do this so the stock is ALWAYS changing. No one knows what to expect when they come to visit (unless they follow my BookCrossing page).

My LFL is not all that active although a few (1-3) books do get taken every day or so. The books I take out of my LFL after about three weeks get sorted and go into other multiple book projects that I have. I keep my books moving at all times! I have a few repeat visitors that I now know.

As a LFL steward, you can make your LFL into whatever you want it to be. I aim for eclectic rather than high quality. That's the fun of it. Each LFL is so individual and a reflection of its steward. I happen to like mine the best of all 75,000+ of them! Ha ha!

The books currently in my LFL are pretty much those released from December 13th through today (12/31)...unless they have been taken and not journaled. Journaling them takes them off this "available" list.
https://www.bookcrossing.com/hunt/1/21/10524/733341?&page=1

116thornton37814
dec 31, 2018, 11:34 am

117Berly
dec 31, 2018, 5:29 pm



Happy New Year's Eve!!

118Ameise1
jan 1, 2019, 10:32 am



I wish you from my heart a healthy 2019 filled with happiness, satisfaction, laughter and lots of good books.

119Oberon
jan 1, 2019, 1:41 pm

>115 SqueakyChu: That sounds like an incredibly active LFL. I think it will be awhile before I can work up to that level but thanks so much for sharing!

>116 thornton37814:, >117 Berly:, >118 Ameise1: Thank you and Happy New Year! My 2019 thread is now up and open for business! See everyone there.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301536