Joe's Book Cafe 7 2021

Art by Kehinde WIley

Welcome back to the cafe!

Art by Kehinde WIley

Welcome back to the cafe!

January 2021

1. The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adrian Tomine*
2. The Dreaming by Simon Spurrier*
3. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
4. The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay
5. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
6. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
7. Poems 1962-2012 by Louise Gluck
8. Lady Mechanika by Joe Benitez*
9. Catwoman Friend or Foe by Joelle Jones*
10. Jack by Marilynne Robinson
11. Bone Rattler by Eliot Pattison
12. The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
13. Slam by Pamela Ribon*
14. Mezo by Tyler Chin-Tanner*
15. Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini*
16. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
17. Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay
18. Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn*
19. Prodigal Son by Greg Hurwitz
20. Bodega: Poems by Su Hwang

February 2021

21. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
22. Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman*
23. Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
24. Human Voices by Penelope Fitzgerald
25. Mortal Instruments The Graphic Novel Vol. 4 by Cassandra Clare*
26. Wicked Enchantment by Wanda Coleman
27. The God of Nothingness by Mark Wunderlich
28. Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer
29. Blood Grove by Walter Mosley
30. Bookshop of the Broken-Hearted by Robert Hillman
31. Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
32. The Dreaming Vol. 2 by Simon Spurrier*
33. Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb
34. Pride by Ibi Zoboi
35. The Sunflower Cast a Spell by Jackie Wang
36. The Dreaming Vol. 3 by Simon Spurrier*
37. House of Whispers by Nalo Hopkinson*
38. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
39. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
40. Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
41. Punisher Max Omnibus Vol. 1 by Garth Ennis
42. Becoming by Michelle Obama
43. Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke
44. Stay Safe by Emma Hine

March 2021

45. Monstress Vol. 5 by Marjorie Liu*
46. The Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oono*
47. The Lefthanded Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
48. Slam! The Next Jam by Pamela Ribon*
49. The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths
50. A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson
51. Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge*
52. Trader’s Leap by Sharon Lee
53. Soft Science by Franny Choi
54. Alex Rider Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz*
55. A Wealth of Pigeons by Harry Bliss*
56. Injection Vol. 1 by Warren Ellis*
57. inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
58. New Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 5 by Kazuo Koike*
59. The Sheriff of Babylon by Tom King*
60. Dr. Strange/The Punisher Magic Bullets by John Barber
61. Butch Geography by Stacey Waite
62. New Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 6 by Kazuo Koike*
63. The Undertaking of Lily Chen by Danica Novgorodoff*
64. Manazuru by Hiromi Kawakami
65. The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
66. Dark Sky by C. J. Box
67. Murderi in an un-sound Mind by Anne Cleland
68.

April

68. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
69. First person Singular by Haruki Murakami
70. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas
71. Cluny Brown by Mathery Sharp

May
72. Fugitive Telemetry by Nartha wells
73. Home, Habitat by Martha Wells
74. New Lone Wolf and Cub vol. 6
75. New Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 7 by Kazuo Koike
76. New Lone Wolf and Cub. Vol. 8 by Kazuo Koike
77. The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
78. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
79. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
80. And Shall Machines Surrender by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
81, Chaos on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer

June

82. Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev
83. Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce
84. Reckless by Ed Brubaker
85. Friend of the Devil by Ed Brubaker
86. I’ll Fly Away by Rudy Francisco
87. Men Explain THings to Me by Rebecca Solnit
88. Sandman Universe Lucifer by Neil Gaiman*y
89. Catwoman Soul Stealer by Sarah J. Maas*
90. Americanah by CHimanda Ngozi Adichie
91. Habitat Threshold by Craig Santos Perez
92. Patience and Esther by SW Searle
93. The Devil in the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
99. The Spill Zone by Scott Westerfield*
100. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 8 by Nagabe*

July

101. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
102. Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths
103. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
104. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas*
105. M by Jon J Muth*
106.. Personal by Lee Child
107. The Hard Way by Lee Child
108. Ghettobirds by Bryant O’Hara
109. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
110. To the Bright Edge of the World! by Eowyn Ivey
111. The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar

* Illustrated/Graphic Novel

This year I'm just going to list the illustrated/GN books with the others

Favorites of the Year So Far

Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Dynamic Duo Rafa and Fina

By Alice Pasquini

>7 jnwelch: OMG

That is *perfect* and such a great loss that we don't still use it! "what the heck is all this mess?!?" "oh, i've been spuddling about all day trying to get just one thing done!"

>9 richardderus:. I know, right, Richard. Such a great word! I’m going to try to make a regular part of my vocabulary. “What did you do today?” “Oh, I just spuddled”. (Auto correct tried to change that to “shuffled”).

>10 jnwelch: On Susie Dent's Twitter feed, someone said "I'll see your spuddle and raise you a coddiwomple" and, I swear!, I misted over.

Happy new one! I think my superpower is spuddling…

Happy new thread, Joe, you found lovely toppers again.

>5 jnwelch: The dynamic duo always make me smile :-)

Happy new café!

>1 jnwelch: Great decor!

>5 jnwelch: Even better staff!

>7 jnwelch: >9 richardderus: I've learned to get nothing accomplished without putting in all that effort.

>1 jnwelch: >2 jnwelch: Wiley's art is so good that we need to see it again. Thanks, Joe, for meeting our need.

>5 jnwelch: Wow, Fina, those eyes.

>7 jnwelch: You know, I tried like heck to get some spuddling done, but no, I actually accomplished something.

Happy new thread, Joe. Great toppers, from top to bottom!

Spuddle seems to be my middle name....;-)

Happy new thread, Joe! Great toppers as always, and great to see your growing grandkids.

I also enjoy the word "spuddle". It goes well with one of my favorite words, quiddle, which means to dawdle or trifle, but is only found in unabridged dictionaries now.

I had an uncle who was a great spuddler. My dad called him "the busiest man doing nothing you ever want to meet".

Happy new thread, Joe.

I have to agree that "spuddle" is a great find and I will have to start fitting it into some of my correspondence on PNB118 which, with the present total lockdown of four weeks has seen us spuddle away energetically for absolutely zero progress.

Happy new thread, Joe!

>5 jnwelch: The grandkids are looking good and growing fast. They look like 'laid back' and 'determined' - the perfect representation of most older and younger sibling pairs, in my experience.

>6 jnwelch: Peaceful ...

>7 jnwelch: Well apparently I've been doing this a lot - without using the actual word, sadly. Must remember it for future reference.

Gorgeous topper! 🤩
Hapyy new thread and happy weekend.

Love the topper and grandies of course.

Last few pages of Vincent's Books to read today. An enjoyable read. I'll be starting one of your recommendations, The Last Bookshop in London after Joe.

Happy new one, Joe!

I am a champion "spuddler" :)

>24Thanks, Katie. “Spuddler” - I love it.

>23 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. Glad to hear it re the grands and the toppers, and that Vincent’s Books was enjoyable. Oh, I envy you re The Last Bookshop. What a good one that was.

>22 douglas4: Looks suspicious, Doug. I’m not clicking on that link.

>21 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Aren’t those Wiley paintings gorgeous? I hope you have a great weekend, too.

>20 humouress: Thanks, Nina! Yes, Rafa is more laid back and “Determined” is a good word for Fina. When she plays with one of his toys, he’s not so laid back, but she’s just as determined.

Isn’t “spuddle” an excellent word?

>19 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Sorry to hear that your work schedule got scuttled/spuddled.

>18 laytonwoman3rd: How great, Linda. I don’t think we had a spuddler in the family, although my one uncle was an accomplished loaf. He’d come and sit talking with my mother for hours, and was our favorite. The dogs’, too, as he always gave them treats.

>17 bell7:. Thanks, Mary. “Quiddle”! That deserves its own post! Great word. I’m torn between quiddling and spuddling today. It’s Saturday - I might just quiddle.

>16 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley. I’m glad you’re enjoying the toppers.

“My name is Bond . . . James Spuddle Bond.”

>15 weird_O:. Don’t you love Wiley’s Art, Bill? The Obama portraits are getting an exhibition here, so we’ll see them in person soon.

Maybe there’ll be a “Fina’s Eyes” song some day. Her paramour better be strong, that’s all I can say.

There’s nothing more frustrating, is there, than trying to spuddle and instead being productive?

>27 jnwelch: - Ha! re the Bond. :-)

There’s nothing more frustrating, is there, than trying to spuddle and instead being productive? That reminds me of when I was a child and was mad about something or other and my dad always made silly faces and made me laugh. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to pout and be mad and somehow, being forced to laugh. I just could not NOT laugh at his goofiness.

>14 quondame:. Thanks, Susan! Ha! I’m glad the cafe staff hit it off with you - they’re young, but they’re energetic.

My uncle would agree with you - why go to all that effort to spuddle, when you can quiddle instead?

>13 FAMeulstee:. Thanks, Anita. I’m glad you’re enjoying the toppers and our Dynamic Duo.

>12 drneutron:. Nice try, Dr. Jim. I don’t think one of the engineers of the Solar Probe gets to call himself a spuddler. I do hope you get some time to quiddle once in a while.

>11 richardderus:. Coddiwomple! To revel in a purposeful manner toward a vague destination. I can see why you misted over. Another great word for our delectation today.

Any love out there for the Alice Pasquini street art? She’s one of my favorite street artists. I’m asking for a book that collects her art for my birthday.

>38 m.belljackson:. Kudos to your dad, Shelley. Being able to make a pouter laugh is a super power, for sure. We like silly guys - he’d have been welcome in our house any time.

Happy Saturday, Joe! Happy New Thread! Love the toppers and the gorgeous grandkids. Pouring out there at the moment and we have a family reunion to attend to. Of course, it will be an outside event. I think they will have tents set up. Enjoy your day.

>32 msf59:. Hi, Mark. I just posted on your thread. A loud Tornado alert just sent us to our basement, where we bravely watched a great Korean movie, “In the Mood for Love”. Let’s hope the power stays on.

I’m glad you love the toppers and the photos of those charming little gremlins. Good luck with the family reunion - tough day to be outside! I hope they have a Plan B.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Joe. Lovely toppers, and i seem to have missed Fina starting to crawl. A great moment for the youngest of two, being able to follow brother where he goes.

I hope that Tornado has'nt messed up your connection!

>34 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhonda!

>35 EllaTim:. Thanks, Ella! Fina constantly learns from her brother, and does what he does. She recently surprised us by climbing up the inside of a tube slide to the top after he did. She’s a strong little girl.

The tornado never happened, thank goidness. I heard a good explanation for Tornado Watch vs. Tornado Warning. “Watch” is like you have all the ingredients for a taco but haven’t put them together yet. “Warning” is the taco is made and on your table. Our taco didn’t get made yesterday. There was an awful lot of pounding rain, but no major damage.

Today is our neighborhood’s Garden Walk (ours is on it) where folks get a map and go see people’s gardens. Very low chance of rain. Should be fun. We’re having a couple of friends over for lunch on our deck.

Mmmm ... tacos.

But I'm glad you had a taco-free day yesterday Joe! The garden walk sounds like a cool idea. Is it just for the neighborhood or is it a public/ticketed event?

Hey, Joe will Giannis ever be as consistent as Michael Jordan...? or maybe he likes keeping fans on edge...?

Thanks for photos - notably El Gran Presidente.

Man...I *really* want a taco now. And I just had tasty stuffed shells for lunch.

Such is the power of suggestion. That Pavlov guy was onto something, no?

Back to the Ruth Galloway question you posed in my new thread...no, I'm not a fan of the series despite very badly wanting to be. I just bounced off the first one and even then tried again.

The second bounce was a lot harder and I got the message: Not for me.

>39 richardderus: And here I am still without a hazelnut cream pastry and now hungry for elote (I got there via tacos->Mexican->)

>36 jnwelch: Happy new thread and how cool to be on the Garden Tour!! Have fun with your friends. : )

>37 lauralkeet: It's a public, non-ticketed event, Laura. The neighborhood Chamber of Commerce (we're unimaginatively called North Center) puts together signs and maps. We had so many people come by! It was a blast. Everyone was so happy. Decent weather and no pandemic. If fully vaccinated, no masks. WE invited friends, and got to hug them and talk to them in person, no masks. remember being able to do that? As Mamie would say, it was full of fabulous.

The garden looked good, too.

>38 m.belljackson: The playoffs always make us appreciate the tenacity of Jordan, don't they, Marianne. But the Bucks and Giannis had a big win last night, didn't they. Atlanta has been the surprise of the year, but the Bucks got them under control.

>39 richardderus: Ha! My analogy got you and Laura (and I"m sure others) thinking about delicious tacos. I love it.

I'm sorry the Ruth Galloway aeries didn't work for you. You sure made the effort. it's a shame; she's such a great character. We're chomping at the bit waiting for the new one.

>40 quondame:

>41 Berly: Thanks, Kim. we had a great time. You would've loved it.

Morning, Joe. I hope you had a nice Sunday. I had a good one- mixing some family social events, with book time. Unfortunately this questionable weather is keeping me from my birding jaunts. I hope that improves. I do have a library run planned, though, with a bunch of returns and goodies waiting for pick up.

>46 msf59: Morning, Mark. We had a full of fabulous (thank you for the phrase, Mamie) , with lots of friends stopping by and happy curious people coming by to see the garden. Our having the pandemic mostly behind us seemed to energize everybody. Mr. Tsylor looked and sounded good. HE brought me a cartoon of him and me on the front porch that cracks me up - I'll show you when we get together.

Your family reunion looked special. What a lot of family you have!

I'm getting back into the swing of library runs; good luck with yours. I brought back a bunch of GNs last time. I can recommend Patience and Esther if I didn't already. I don't think the sexual explicitness will faze you.

The tacos...the tacos...

I'm full of veggie pizza, heavy on the shroom and oignons, so am not *hungry* but the sight of a taco is enough to wake up my appetite.

Happy New Thread, Joe!

Lovely toppers, as always. Kehinde Wiley, the cafe's new proprietors, and that lovely landscape in >6 jnwelch:.

One of the books that I'm currently reading is The Nature Fix. Not only does being in nature lower our BP and stress, but being in an environment where we can simultaneously use all five senses can help rewire our brains.

I love all the quiddling and spuddling. I am indulging in both this am, when what I really need to do is get some outdoor chores done before the heat descends.

BB with Vincent's Books. Van Gogh is a favorite so I'm looking forward to reading this.

I'd love to see some photos of your garden!

Hi Joe, happy new thread mate and great thread toppers.

>43 jnwelch: Oh yum!

Morning, Joe!

Your garden tour sounds wonderful and yay for hugs from friends!

Tomm make tacos last weekend and they were *so* good...

>48 richardderus:. I’m glad we found some tacos for you, RD. I just have to remember not to get too distracted if it’s a tornado watch.

>49 streamsong:. Thanks, Janet! I’m glad you like the cafe decor and those runts who now run the place.

I know you’re right about getting out in nature. We were heading to a forest preserve today but it’s a soggy one again.

Caroline just finished and liked vincent’s Books (Wrong touchstone).. She reviewed it on her thread. I’ll try to post a couple of garden photos today.

>60 msf59:. Thanks, John. Good to see you, buddy.

>61 jnwelch:. :-)

>62 jnwelch:. Hi, Amber. I’m starting to wish you’d open a cafe. Between you, Charlie and Tomm there’s an awful lot of good food happening at your place.

>54 jnwelch: Ha! Don't think I haven't considered hiring Charlie out as a chef...

>55 scaifea:. He’s welcome her any time. We can’t pay much, since we don’t charge anything, but he’d see a lot of satisfied customers.:-)

Some photos of our back garden, including our crabapple tree and an espaliered Japanese maple. That's our rooftop garden at the bottom, shot from our second floor bay window. Takes care of itself (no watering) except for occasional weeding.

Japanese maple in our front garden

>57 jnwelch: Love the garden photos! Very impressive. I think bird feeders would add the perfect finishing touch. Grins...

>59 richardderus: I like the frog poem too.

Happy Tuesday, Joe. All this rain is keeping me off the trails again. Boo! Stop by my thread and help with my OTS Challenge. Heading out to have lunch with my FIL.

>59 richardderus:. You knew I’d love this frog poem, Richard. Great!

>60 msf59:. Happy Tuesday, Mark. After the talk of the Garden Walk, Janet wanted to see some photos, and I thought others might, too. Thanks! We’ll get you back there for an ale one of these days.

I know, another soggy day. I’ll stop by your thread to find out what an OTS challenge is.

I love your garden Joe!

Your garden photos are wonderful! Thank you so much for posting them! It's easy to see why you were on the garden tour.

We have a similar tour coming up on July 14th this year. Last year, my friend and I took separate cars (the locations are miles apart in this valley) and, since there was nowhere open we could not stop to take a break and have lunch; so, we ended up making a short day of it and didn't see all the gardens. This year, we are both vaccinated and restaurants are open. Yay!!!!

>57 jnwelch: >58 jnwelch: A lovely peaceful sanctuary Joe. I love the roof garden, and that stunning maple.

Thanks for explaining how the garden tour works, and for sharing photos of your lovely space. Very nice! It sounds like a great event, too.

>59 richardderus: Who wouldn't want to be that frog!

>67 quondame:, >61 jnwelch: Yep!

Lovely gardens Joe!

>59 richardderus: can sort of hear Henry Gibson reciting the frog poem from the stage of the old "laugh In" show

>70 magicians_nephew: You rang?

>57 jnwelch: >58 jnwelch: Oh wow, Joe, your garden is wonderful. My mum used to have one reminiscent of that but she didn't set it up; it came like that with the house. Do you do all the work yourselves? And the roof garden is amazing; I see them on house shows like Grand Designs so it must be cutting edge.

Not jealous, no.

>59 richardderus: Go on then. Go for it :0)

Joe, was it here that I read a bunch of people saying "Oh, I need to read more books by D.E. Stevenson like Miss Buncle and so forth?" Well, have I got good news for y'all!

ELEVEN out-of-print D.E. Stevenson books are coming back into print in January!

Your garden looks lovely, Joe. I wanted to stop in and let you know about a graphic novel coming out in October that seems like it would be right up your alley: The Eightfold Path by Charles Johnson. I came across it while looking up some books to add to our collection once the new fiscal year starts (not that I'm hurting for ideas, the first three months alone are going to put a large dent in my library's fiction budget).

>74 bell7:. Thanks, Mary. The Eightfold Path does sound like my cuppa. Afro-futurist stories that illustrate the Path? Sign me up! I added it to the WL.

>73 richardderus:. What great news, RD! I love D.E. Stevenson’s books. I remember how hard it was to find mor Mrs. Tim books a few years ago. This will be a treat!

>72 humouress:. Thanks, Nina. We get help from a gardening service, and a designer helped us put together that patio and the look. We used to do it all ourselves, but that day has come and gone. :-)

>71 richardderus: he probably would’ve loved the frog poem, RD.

>70 magicians_nephew:. Good one, Jim. I can just imagine him doing it.

>69 NarratorLady:. Thanks, Anne! We love sitting out there.

>68 richardderus:. :-)

>67 quondame:. Sounds good to me, Susan.

>66 lauralkeet:. My pleasure, Laura. I’m glad folks are getting a kick out of the garden. We get to see so many friends and neighbors on garden tour day, too.

>65 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. It’s peaceful sanctuary. We have an awning we crank out over the deck when the sun is strong or it’s rainy. I love to sit on our front porch and look at that Japanese maple.

>64 streamsong: You’re welcome, Janet. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Have fun with your friend on your garden tour. So many things are easier post- vaccination! We made our stop no mask required if vaccinated. We saw a number of people we haven’t seen in person for more than a year. And hugged them!

>78 jnwelch: How long have you lived in that house Joe?

Morning, Joe. Sweet Thursday. I am finally getting out on a birding jaunt, after being absent for a week, due to mostly weather. I am currently loving Joe. This guy has quickly become a favorite. He is such a perfect fit. I am also enjoying The Incognito Lounge. Did you know Johnson was a poet? I think a fine one too.

>79 Caroline_McElwee:. Over 20 years, Caroline. It’s a 120 year old house. Not that old in your part of the world, but old in ours. We’ve done a lot of fix-up in it. Debbi says she’s never leaving (you know her, what she actually says is she’s only leaving on a gurney, with pennies on her eyes).

>80 msf59:. Sweet Thursday, Mark. I was out of commission yesterday; sorry I didn’t visit. “Joe” is certainly a most excellent name- I don’t know the book.

I didn’t know Denis Johnson wrote poetry, although I’d guess I’ve read him in the New Yorker. I know you’re a fan. I’m still laboring through Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poems - for him, “Complete” means “a whole lot of”.

Happy Canada Day to our Canadian friends!

I love the idea of the garden walk. I'm sure your visitors were delighted with the opportunity to see your space. My neighbour opens her garden too, but has not been able to persuade any of the rest of the street to sign up (National Gardens - here https://ngs.org.uk/ )

I love the frog poem. I saw this on Twitter too - it was posted by Kate Clanchy who works with young people who speak English as a second or other language near Oxford. Her lovely book of their poetry is full of beautiful things (England, Poems from a School). Poetry has helped transform some of these young people's lives. Can also recommend (Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me for more on that side of things.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/mar/31/kate-clanchy-some-kids-i-taught-an...

>83 charl08:. Great poetry tips, thanks, Charlotte. I’ll take a look. It reminds me of Kenneth Koch, who did similar things with poetry and kids. I loved his Wishes, Lies and Dreams: Teaching Children to Write Poetry. The fresh perspective they bring can be powerful.

As you may have seen along the way, Madame MBH and I are very involved with Young Chicago Authors, an organization dedicated to teaching kids writing and performance skills, with opportunities to perform their poetry, including at a year-end poetry slam. This outlet becomes so important to them - to express their lives- and always a strong community is built. There’s a good documentary about it in which our son appears, called Louder than a Bomb. Many come from tough backgrounds. And the stories can be heart-breaking. But the writing and community make them stronger. Some amazing kids are now alumni, and having success as adults, e.g. Eve Ewing, Nate Marshall,, Fatimah Asghar.

I hope your neighbor is joined by others. It feels so good to spend time in people’s gardens.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was a prominent African-American poet at the turn of the 19th century into the 20th. I’m reading The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar right now. Here is his poem “Sympathy”, from which I assume May Angelou took the title of her famous memoir, I know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Sympathy

BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—
I know what the caged bird feels!

I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting—
I know why he beats his wing!

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—
I know why the caged bird sings!

>83 charl08: Wow, Charlotte. Very moving, very present, if you know what I mean. I'll look for that book.

>85 jnwelch: Thanks for posting this, Joe. What a beautiful and painful poem.

>86 ffortsa:. It is beautiful and painful, isn’t it, Judy. He really captured it.

Greenland. Better to look at this one from our warm weather perspective.

Happy Friday, Joe. Have a great holiday weekend. We are going up to the UP and visit friends. I hope to get in some birding too. We will be back Monday afternoon.

>85 jnwelch: Great poem. I can see why Angelou used that title.

>89 msf59:. Happy Friday, buddy. We’ve got Wes and Becca here, and it’s big workout morning. Good start to the weekend. I hope you all have a good one at the Freeburg Bird Ranch.

Isn’t that a great poem? I can see why he was so esteemed in his day.

>88 jnwelch: *brrrr* isn't that gorgeous! any time I can get a cold shiver in summer is a good time.

>91 richardderus:. Right, Richard? It’s almost like mental a/c. I’m reading a book set in chilly Alaska to similar effect.

>90 jnwelch:
How's Becca doing with her teaching? Does she get the summer off, or is it a year-round position?

>93 benitastrnad:. Thanks for asking about Becca, Benita. She’s doing really well. She’s relieved to have successfully made it through a school year of remote teaching of pre-school kids. Challenging! ((She actually started teaching remotely at the end of the prior school year, so it’s been quite a while). She’s looking forward to being back in the classroom with the kids in the fall. During that remote teaching period she started a nighttime story hour on Facebook. That caught on, and now she’s doing it twice a month for a National group.

She does have the summer off, thank goodness. As you know, teaching takes a lot of concentration and energy, and I’m always glad when she gets a break. As I’ve said to her, in my work I at least got to look out the window and daydream once in a while. If she did that, the kids would turn the school upside down and get themselves in dire straits as fast as possible.

She does tutor during the summer to make some extra money. We see her at least one a week, sometimes more (the laundry room where she rents got flooded during our heavy rains, so she’s bringing laundry over today). Her pal Indy continues to be a great, athletic dog - quite a change from the studious, crime-solving Sherlock.

Today’s Bargain: I couldn’t resist buying Top Ten today; a collection of various authors (ranging from Edwidge Danticat to Stephen King) picking their ten favorite books. $1.99 on e-readers.

You like street art, right Joe? How about this.

Thanks for mentioning The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books, Joe. I just purchased the Kindle version of it.

>96 weird_O: good one, Bill! i like it. The only worry is, it's so realistic that I might drive right into it, like Wile E. Coyote.

>97 kidzdoc: You're welcome, Darryl. We can compare notes.

Summer on Lake Michigan, many moons ago. with Madame MBH, daughter Becca and her cousins, and BIL Bill.

Happy 4th of July!

>96 weird_O: I see the humor, but the public safety implications would keep me up at night....

Happy Sunday, Sir Joseph!

Definitely Wile E. Coyote material

>98 jnwelch: I agree, Joe. I wonder how they signal to people that it's not real. Scary.

>100 richardderus::-)

>101 magicians_nephew: Right, Jim?

>102 ffortsa: Good question, Judy. The artist probably wouldn't like smashed cars (and coyotes) messing up his/her creation either.

Switzerland

Hi Joe, it's impossible to read everything here that I've missed but I hope to make up for that. Saw the pictures of your grandkids and they do look cute!

>104 jnwelch: Ooh...

>104 jnwelch: Oh that's just gorgeous! Hope you're having a good day, Joe.

>84 jnwelch: I'll look for Louder Than a Bomb.

>104 jnwelch: Lovely! I wish I could use a magic box to step into that photo!

Happy Fifth.

I really need to visit Switzerland.

Now I know where the soggy weather we usually get in June went. You got it over there in Chicago. It seems we ended up with the weather from someplace else. Last Monday it was 42 Celsius or 107 Fahrenheit where I live in BC and the hot spot got to 47.9 or 118. I hope your weather is more summer like now, Joe.

>98 jnwelch: Quite so. Imagine if people thought they’d discovered a new shortcut to beat the traffic. I’m guessing there are no actual mountains in that area? Hopefully...

>105 connie53: Good to see you, Connie. Thanks re the grandkids.

>106 kidzdoc: Right, Darryl? Shall we meet in Zurich?

>107 bell7: Isn't that gorgeous, Mary? So far we've got a good day lined up. We're heading soon to the Farmer's Market in LINcoln Square, and the library after that. Food, and food for thought.

>108 streamsong: Hi, Janet. Oh, good. Please let me know what you think of Louder Than a Bomb. I think it captures the energy and community among those talented kids.

>109 richardderus: I'll gladly take your Happy 5th and raise you one, RD.

>110 drneutron: The Swiss mountain villages are so beautiful, Jim. And I know Barbara loves Zurich.
..
>111 Familyhistorian: 107! That's crazy hot, Meg. I hope that gathers itself and leaves town soon. Climate change is making the weather so kooky these days. The soggy moved on for us, leaving behind thirstquenched plants and trees, and it's summery out. 85 degree early in the morning, so we're getting our walking in early.

>112 humouress: Art can be dangerous, can't it, Nina. Let's hope they have some way to keep drivers from being too fooled.

By a Gaudi assistant in Barcelona

Morning, Joe. I hope you had a nice holiday weekend. We enjoyed our trip to MI. We just wish it hadn't been so dang HOT. We only camped one night but fell in love with the location. A beautiful lake, including a trio of loons, surrounded by a gorgeous set of woods. I was in heaven. On the book front, I started A Room With a View, which I am enjoying. Have you read it?

>99 jnwelch: LOVE this photo! And I see hair too! Grins...

>113 jnwelch: Yes, we should meet in Zürich, Joe! We'll have to let Barbara know that we're coming. A trip there is relatively high on my wish list...maybe in 2022 or 2023?

Portugal is now open to tourists from the United States with negative SARS-CoV-2 tests, and if that remains the case I'll return to Lisbon in September. Boris Johnson announced yesterday that all restrictions would be lifted in the UK on 19 July, and I'll likely return to London in October.

>114 jnwelch: Ooh...Gaudí! Which building is that? It doesn't look familiar to me.

I just started reading Boat People by Sharon Bala. This one feels like a winner and I am only 10 pages into the book!

I am reading it for my real life Book Discussion group. This title won the Harper Lee Legal Fiction Award in 2019. This award is given by the Law School at the University of Alabama for the work of fiction published the previous year that best depicts the legal profession at work. Harper Lee gave the law school the money to fund the yearly award so they in turn named the award after her. I have read several books that have won the award and haven't been disappointed yet. Actually, I should say that my local Book Discussion group has put one of the winners on their reading list every year and so I have been forced to read some of them. I can say that they have all been good books and two of them have made my personal Best of the Year list in the past. Bala is a Canadian author and she won a Canadian Prize for the best debut novel so I had a feeling that this would be a good book and, as I said, the first 10 pages haven't disappointed me.

>114 jnwelch: I answered my own question, after I saw your Facebook post. That building is the Casa Cama i Escurra, which is located on the Carrer Gran de Gràcia in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. It was built in 1902-04 and designed by Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, one of Antoni Gaudí's assistants, who helped him design La Sagrada Família and Park Güell. That building is a great example of Catalan Modernisme!

>115 msf59: Hiya, Mark. That lake and woods sound great, heat or not. All was well here.

I liked A Room with a View, although I keep mixing its title up with A Room of One's Own, which I loved. You'll have a good time with it, methinks.

>116 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl. I know 2022 will be London for us; I don't know how complicated a Zurich add-on would be. But i sure like the idea. We don't trust the covid situation enough for 2021, although I'll be envious of you. You'll probably encounter fewer tourist, too.

Thanks for solving the Gaudi question. i knew it was Barcelona, and assumed that look had to be Gaudi's. Good to know an assistant carried on his style. i had thought it must be from Casa Battlo.

>117 benitastrnad: Good for you, Benita. Keep us posted on Boat People.

>118 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. The building is a bit more subdued than I expected from the window. I thought the window might be from his Casa Batllo:

Adelaide, South Australia

I just finished Night Hawks, another solid entry in Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series. I thought she took a bit of an easy way out in tying up the loose ends, but once again there are intriguing developments in the relationships of key characters.

Now I"m reading Elatso, which is filled with ghosts and is outside my usual reading choices. But it's based on Lipin Apache lore, and I"m enjoying it. My other novel right now is To the Bright Edge of the World, by Eowyn Ivey, set in a wild and potentially lethal part of Alaska.

Morning, Joe!

I need to try the Galloway series soon...

>119 jnwelch: I had assumed that you & Debbi probably wouldn't travel to Europe this year, given your stroke and the continued uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the surge of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. 2022 it is, then.

Unless something drastic happens, namely a return of restriction of travel by tourists from the United States, I'll make two or more trips to Europe starting in September, God willing. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of my group's September and October work schedules, to see when I'll be off (I requested two weeks of vacation in September and in October/November). As you probably know, a former member of this group who lives just south of Lisbon, her husband and I have been discussing the possibility of retiring together there, and I need to meet up with them to look at the town they are thinking of retiring to, in order to determine if I'm in or not, and start making concrete plans to make that happen. (One other former member of this group and his wife, who I've met several times in the US and Europe, is also planning to retire to Portugal and is also eager to get more details on the plan, as he may want to join us.) Depending on the timing of my vacations I may go to Lisbon in September and London in October/November, or vice versa.

A trip from London to Zürich is doable, by train or plane. I would imagine that there are plenty of direct flights from London Gatwick or London Heathrow to Zürich, and SNCF (French Railways) offers direct high speed service from Paris Gare de Lyon to Zürich Hauptbahnhof; if we chose that way to go we could take Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, and get to Gare de Lyon by taxi or RER train. (I'm so eager to make plans to travel to Europe that I spent time looking at flight and train information, even though this trip obviously wouldn't happen before next year.)

From my past trips to Barcelona that building looked like one that you would expect to see in the Eixample district, especially on and close to the Passeig de Gràcia, not far from the Gràcia district. I've seen the Casa Batlló numerous times, as it's also on the busy Passeig de Gràcia, but the building in the photo you posted did not look like it to me.

There are so many fantastic examples of Catalan Modernisme in Barcelona! Two of my favorites are the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, the old Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul, and the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Palace of Catalan Music. I went on a guided tour of the hospital during my first trip to Barcelona, and saw a scintillating concert by the Sinfónica Juvenil de Caracas at the palace on another stay.





Sigh. I miss Spain...

>119 jnwelch: Ah Joe the photo of Casa Battlo brought back memories of our last trip before Covid, Dec. 2019. We took a night tour of the building, complete with spelunking lights strapped to our heads. Magical!

We’re hoping to plan to visit somewhere in Spring 2022. France would be nice. But the way the vaccinations are rolling out there, it will probably be in the fall.

>121 jnwelch: To the Bright Edge of the World is a real pleasure read! Hope it makes you smile.

Elatso is a book that is on my TBR list as well. It has had very good reviews.

>114 jnwelch: >118 kidzdoc: Beautiful!

>119 jnwelch: Wow!

>120 jnwelch: Australia always does spectacular sunsets (could be due to that hole in the ozone layer though).

>114 jnwelch: that's so beautiful.

>119 jnwelch: and that's gorgeous.

Nychos painted this "Translucent Whale Shark."
I don't know where, though. I'd love to go ogle it.

>129 richardderus: Very nice, monsieur. Probably an amigo of various tentacular denizens of the deep.

>128 connie53: Thanks, Connie. Glad you're enjoying the thread.

>124 NarratorLady: Oh, that does sound magical, Anne. Some tour guide was creative with those headlamps. What a great idea. We appreciated Casa Batllo very much from the outside, but didn't tour inside. The one we saw inside and out was Casa Mila, with those cool sculptures on top. Fantastic.

>127 humouress: Glad you're enjoying them, Nina. We saw some spectacular star-filled skies in Australia (especially by Uluru) but not a dramatically clouded one like this. What a planet!

>126 benitastrnad: Elatso was a fun ride, Benita. It's not a genre I often read. I particularly liked delving into the Apache lore.

>125 richardderus: So far, so good with To the Bright Edge of the World, Richard. My sister, who gave it to me, loved it,.

>123 kidzdoc: Thank you for the thoughtful post, Darryl. Sounds like Zurich and the mountain villages is a definite possibility. I mentioned it to Debbi and she liked the idea.

You got it exactly right on our reluctance to travel to Europe this year.

How great that you have some retirement-bound pals with whom you might join forces in Portugal! Sounds perfect. We're already looking forward to visiting.

Thanks for the photos of the old Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul, and the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Palace of Catalan Music. We didn't have a chance to see those. You make me want to go back to Barcelona. We had such a good time there. We did get to Gaudi's Park Guell, which we loved.





and, of course, La Sagrada Familia





They're now predicting completion (finally!) of the church in 2026.

>122 scaifea: Morning, Amber. I think the Ruth Galloway series will catch your fancy when you try it. I"m a series reader, as you can tell, and not everyone is. One of the advantages of series is they can have long story arcs, and lots of character and relationship developments. That's a strength of this one. I think you'll be happy to meet Ruth and the others,

Doctor Joe, the 2021 Audubon photo contest winners are announced. This one's by Robin Ulery, an amateur:

The sandhill cranes nest near Robin's house but this was taken from a bouncing canoe! I am gobsmacked.

>134 richardderus:. Nice! Thanks, Richard. That’s a good’un, idn’t it, and I shall peruse the others. Do you suppose I’ll bump into Brother Mark?

P.S. That video just slowed my heart way down in a most pleasant way. We were out in a forest preserve yesterday, and it’s wonderful how positively the body responds to bature.

>135 jnwelch: Yup, it's increasingly being referred to as forest bathing - a term originally from Japan but gaining more traction on this continent. I've ordered a few books on it for my library, which I'm sure you'd be able to find in your own library system if you're interested.

>136 MickyFine:. Thanks, Micky. We’re sold on the forest bathing idea. But I am interested in trees. They have a whole lot going on that we’re just starting to understand, don’t they.

>132 jnwelch: La Sagrada Familia is one of my favourite buildings Joe.

>132 jnwelch: Wonderful and sort of frightening too.

>132 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. The retirement plans are still stuck at the preliminary discussion phase, thanks to the pandemic, there are a lot of steps to be taken before it becomes a reality, and it is entirely possible that nothing will come of this. However, all parties involved have a high interest in the plan, and, based on my research on housing prices in the town we're considering, it seems financially very doable. I should have a much better idea after I travel to Lisbon later this year (fingers crossed).

You & Debbi will be high on my invitation list, of course!

The Palau de la Música Catalana is in central Barcelona, close to the Via Laietana and the Plaça de Catalunya, but the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is a bit further out, although it's very close to one of the Barcelona Metro stations. Bianca and I did go to Parc Güell and La Sagrada Família during the week we spent in Barcelona in 2016; as you know, photographs of both of Antoni Gaudí's works don't do justice to being there in person.

I hope that the pandemic doesn't alter the expected completion date of La Sagrada Família, but I fear that it won't be finished in 2026, which would be 100 years after Gaudí was struck and killed by a tram after he left the church on that fateful day. They have been at it since 1882, so an extra year or two won't be a big deal in the long run.

Morning, Joe. Happy Saturday! It will be especially joyous since we finally get to do a Meet Up today after a year and a half hiatus. Yah! If there were any poetry or GN collections you had reserved for me, get 'em ready. See you soon.

>121 jnwelch: I'm a fan of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series, too

Barcelona is one hell of a destination, isn't it, Joe? The architecture makes me wobbly. In a good way.

As you haven't expatriated *yet*, Joe, you need to know about this sale.
Beaks, Bones & Bird Songs: How the Struggle for Survival Has Shaped Birds and Their Behavior by Roger Lederer...terrific writer...
$3 on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FIV80CU

Thanks, everyone. I'll respond individually later. I just had a most excellent meetup with our pal Mark at the Bad Apple for some lunch and craft beer, and then some more craft beer at a favorite, Maplewood Tavern. Mark was skeptical that I'd get the photo posted any time soon, and you're the beneficiary of my trying to prove him wrong.



We had lovely, moderate temps. We were talking about the dearth of LT meetups in the past year, due to the pandemic. We're going to get together again soon, and hopefully we'll see more LT meetups happening elsewhere as restrictions and concerns ease.

great picture of the two of you. I'm glad the weather cooperated.

Your garden is lovely Joe and it is nice that you and Mark had a mini meetup.

You two are killing me! We need to get together again.

>145 jnwelch: Great to see you guys together again. Definitely something to smile about.

I love LT meetup pics and you're right, it's been far too long. I'm so glad you guys were able to make it happen today!

>145 jnwelch: Great job posting the Meet Up photo in such a timely manner, Joe. I am glad to be proven wrong. Grins. Terrific visit with you, my friend. Looking forward to do this again, in a couple of months. Enjoy the GNs.

>146 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy. Me, too!

>147 RBeffa: Thanks, Ron. Good to see you, buddy.

>148 drneutron: Ha! We've got to get you back out here, Jim. You'd like the Maplewood Tavern.

>149 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. We're still working on the teleporter so we can have you join us.

>150 lauralkeet: Right, Laura? i hope we start seeing more LT Meetup pics as the vaccinations take hold.

>151 msf59: There he is! I thought you'd enjoy being wrong for once. Not to say that I wasn't a slowpoke in the past. That was one terrific visit, for sure. Once again, I feel like we managed to figure out most of the world's problems while drinking high quality ale. Looking forward to the next time. Thanks for the GNs - you know I'll enjoy those.

>138 Caroline_McElwee: Me, too, Caroline. What an amazing architectural imagination he had. La Sagrada Familia is jaw-droping.

>139 quondame: Scary in what way, Susan? Dreamlike? The size? The weirdness?

>140 kidzdoc: Sure, buddy. I'm crossing my fingers for you on the Portugal plan. You're so right about the difficulty of capturing what Gaudi has done in a photo. That rooftop of Casa Mila was so magical. And La Sagrada Familia! Brilliant details everywhere we looked. I imagine you're right about the finishing date - under construction since 1882! The 2006 completion prediction was the most recent I could find, but no one will be surprised if it takes longer.

Reading can be dangerous for others

>154 jnwelch: I've never seen Debbi look so happy...

>154 jnwelch: Hah, love it. Glad Debbi didn't sneeze though.

>154 jnwelch: Ha! Adorable, the pair of you!

>155 kidzdoc:😂. Me either. Scary!

>156 Caroline_McElwee:. Woo, there’s a thought. Keep the pepper away.

>157 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. That was taken several years ago, and I’m still here, so that’s a good sign.

>153 jnwelch: re >139 quondame: For someone who might panic attack due to over stimulation.

Judy and i aren't ACTUALLY Married you know so maybe Ill be safe

>154 jnwelch: What she doesn't know is...that bowling-ball head is in fact bowling-ball hard. That knife can't possibly penetrate it! Ah hahahaha...

>159 quondame:. :-)

>160 magicians_nephew:. Good luck with that, Jim.

>161 weird_O:. I wish I had your confidence, Bill. . .

Black-throated bushtit

Wow, Joe & co.! Amazing photos at this café.

>163 jnwelch: Terrible name, lovely animal.

Spend a good, productive week of lounging, walking to the library, and laughing with Debbi at the way this idiotic world works (or, more likely, doesn't).

>162 jnwelch: Confidence is easy to maintain, Joe, when YOU aren't under the knife.

Hi, Joe. I hope your day is going well. I was busy in the A.M with lining things up for this pick up truck purchase, which should happen tomorrow morning. It is going to be a tight fit into our garage and we are going to have rearrange some stuff to make it fit. I have been really enjoying Diary of a Young Naturalist and nearly finished with it. This kid is an impressive writer and him being on the autistic spectrum makes it even more remarkable.

>163 jnwelch: I LOVE the bushtit!!

Hello ~ I needed to delurk and it is taking awhile to catch up and say hi.
I saw on Susan's thread (aka quondame)that you were having some fun with Cluny Brown.
I really loved that novel when I first read it off my parents' bookshelves. How fun to see it mentioned on LT. It was a 'fallen from favour' book title for a long time, I think.

I can't find a library copy though I've wanted to reread it . I like borrowing books like this first, since a book read when I was a teenager and loved might not resonate now.

>164 humouress: Thanks, Nina. I was thinking that this iteration of the cafe is a particularly beautiful one. I love it when patrons post ones that they know fit.

>165 richardderus: Agreed, Richard. A bird that pretty deserves a better name. There should be a Nomenclature Council, headed b Mark, that fixes ones like that.

Thank you for the good wishes. That sounds like a most excellent week. Back atcha, buddy. I hope yours is splendid.

>166 weird_O: Ain't that the truth, Bill. Pray for me, brother.

>167 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Yesterday was a productive one. we're trying to schedule writing and rehab time every day (I want to improve on the recovery so far, and Debbi has stretching she wants to do) and it's not that easy with training, family, and keeping everything running smoothly. We're succeeding so far.

Diary of a Young Naturalist sounded good, and I"m glad it's proving to be. The author being on the spectrum makes it even more intriguing.

>168 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks for de-lurking, Sandy. I hope you're inspired to do that more. I always enjoy your posts.

Cluny Brown is one of my favorite reads this year, and I loved it so much I gave it to my high standards BIL for his birthday. i hope it stands up well on your re-read. You're right; sometimes beloved ones from our youth don't.

P.S. I also gave him Mrs. Caliban.

Tuscany, Italy. It's a long trip to the grocery store.

>170 jnwelch: Sure nuff. Beauteous though, such a *view* it has! But no one lives there, sadly....

>170 jnwelch: Absolutely stunning. That reminds me of a story I saw on CNN.com yesterday about several small Italian villages with declining populations in Calabria that will give €28,000 to anyone who is willing to move there and kickstart a small business. Applicants must be under 40 and must apply for residency in Italy, though.

These pretty Italian villages want to pay you $33,000 to move in

>171 richardderus:. Isn’t it gorgeous, RD? Do you know that no one lives there, or is this Sherlockian?

>172 kidzdoc:. Stunning is right, Darryl. How interesting that beautiful small villages are willing to pay to get a business. They’re trying to survive, I’m sure. I wonder whether they’ll attract any tekkies. With the right support, techsters can work remotely from all sorts of locations. Our son can take his “office” just about anywhere now.

P.S. The locations in the article are so attractive!

>173 jnwelch: Sherlockian...three bricked-up windows, three without glass...not in Tuscany! Nuh uh. Too hot in summer, too snowy in winter.

>174 richardderus:. Good eye!

It reminds me of my favorite nickname for thriller character Jack Reacher, who is a committed drifter: Sherlock Homeless.

Today’s Bargain: Murder at the Vicarage for $1.99 on e-readers. Treat yourself to some classic Agatha.

>170 jnwelch: Lovely and that green is gorgeous. (although I doubt it if a field is ever that green)

Hi Joe!

Hi Joe! I'm glad to see you enjoying some arty by Kehinde Wiley up there. You know I got to see an exhibit of his art a few years back at the Seattle Art Museum and they are truly breathtaking. I would love to see his portrait of Obama in person.

So many things on your thread to comment on, laugh at (see >154 jnwelch: in particular for that one), and enjoy. The photo of you and Mark makes me happy and envious. I am probably done traveling to conferences in Chicago so our next meet-up will have to be on a more vacation/retirement kind of schedule. Also, congrats on proving him wrong so quickly. :-) The photo of Tuscany looks lovely. We were there in 2007 and I would happily return! If I were under 40, I might even move to that area and kick start a business and apply for Italian residency!

I've never heard of Cluny Brown but your comment about it being one of your favorite reads of the year have me adding it to the wish list. Your thread is never safe.

Joe,
I was driving home today and turned on the radio to hear President Biden giving perhaps the best speech of his career. And then he channeled your grandfather:
“Have you no shame?” (to Republican who want to upend voting rights)
Gave me the chills.

Also I loved Cluny Brown. Rented the 194? movie but as is true in 99.9% of cases ... the book was better.

>170 jnwelch: I was going to say 'Right outside the front door' but it's unihabited (no pathway from the door, hole in the roof).

>177 connie53: Maybe it had just rained and washed the air clean? I noticed yesterday how vibrant the trees behind the houses opposite (not a huge distance, in this country) looked after the rain.

>145 jnwelch: How nice you and Mark got to meet, Joe, and a picture to prove it!

>154 jnwelch: Glad to see you and Debbi are still happely married ;-)

>181 FAMeulstee: Well, Debbi looks happy :0)

>180 humouress: That could well be the reason, Joe.

Hi Joe! Well. *blinks in surprise* I thought I had posted here at least once, , but it obviously ain’t so.

>57 jnwelch: and >58 jnwelch: Your gardens are beautiful.

>95 jnwelch: Well, I missed that one. Now Top Ten is $9.99.

>145 jnwelch: Excellent photo. Glad you guys had such a great time.

>154 jnwelch: You guys…

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. As you know, we got the pickup truck. I will test it out on my bird outing today. I think it can handle that. I loved both Diary of a Young Naturalist & Factory Summers and I will be starting Patience & Esther, which you warbled about.

>177 connie53:. Hi, Connie! Isn’t all that green gorgeous?

>178 EBT1002:. There’s my postcard pal! You know, it was your Kehinde Wiley postcard that really got me looking into his art, Ellen Yes, we’re going to be sure to catch that exhibit of the Obama’s’ portraits.

I’m glad you got a kick out of >154 jnwelch:. We’ll be up to 38 years married in August, so I’m going to try to keep it going (and stay alive!)

I know, that Tuscany village invitation would’ve been awfully tempting at a younger age. I envy your having visited that part of the world; everything I’ve seen of it looks beautiful.

I wish we could have flown you in for the meetup with Mark. You would!ve loved it. There must be some reason the university should fly you into Chicago. Recruiting students in the heartland?

Yay for Cluny Brown! Have a fun read. Seems perfect for summer.

>179 NarratorLady:. Hi, Anne. Good to hear re Biden’s speech. I think he’s doing a terrific job; I just wish the (barely) Democratic Congress would get more done. Toss the filibuster! Who needs it? My grandfather would be very happy to know he’s still being channeled. I hope he’s smiling up there.

Great to have another Cluny Brown fan. Ellie would’ve liked it, don’t you think?

>180 humouress: Hi, Nina. Yeah, that hole in the roof surprised me. I wish someone would move in and fix it up, but it looks so remote.

Yes, that green may be post- rain, good thought. It made me think of Ireland and Scotland, and England, for that matter, where you can get such deep gorgeous greens, without quite so much acreage.

>181 FAMeulstee:. Thanks, Anita. It was another great meetup with Mark. Always a pleasure.

As I said to Ellen, Debbi and I are working toward our 38th together. Thank goodness she’s stayed her hand so far.

>182 humouress:. I know, Nina. Darryl said that’s the happiest he’s ever seen Debbi. That’s a little worrisome, don’t you think?

?183. Right, Connie? A good rain can have a big effect. What a gift this planet is.

>184 karenmarie:. Good to see you, Karen! Thanks. Re the gardens. We plan to expand them next year. Should be fun!

Top Ten is even cheaper now? What bibliophile can resist? (oops, I misread that as $0.99 - let's hope it goes back on sale).

That was a great meetup. I wish we could’ve had all of you there. We need a breakthrough on teleportation technology.

Debbi keeps me on my toes - or at least ready to duck.

>185 msf59:. Happy Wednesday, Mark. Congratulations on getting your F-150. It looks like it’s ready for some road trips.

Good to hear about your recent reading. I’ll have to track down Factory Summers. Sounds like another winner from him. Can’t wait to hear what you think of Patience & Esther.

Have you tried G. Willow Wilson’s invisible Kingdom? Complex sci-fi, and very good.

This ring was found in a field in Norfolk in 2007. It's over 500 years old.

Yay for a meetup with you and Mark! Great photo!

>154 jnwelch: Love it!

>190 jnwelch: Spectacular!

How right you are when you said this edition of the cafe is a visual feast.

>190 jnwelch: Someone was quite wise to "lose" that imagery in the sixteenth century. The Witchfinder General would've viewed it askance.

>191 streamsong: Hasn’t this been a particularly visually striking thread, Janet? I’m glad that >190 jnwelch: ring resonated with you. I think that’s such a cool design.

Mark and I remembered at the last minute to have a friendly table-neighbor take our photo. She had a big, friendly dog that was a mix of Dalmatian and pit Bull.

>192 richardderus:. I’m sure you’re right about the Witchfinder General, Richard. The ring probably was subversive. I’d love to know its history. It would be a cool one to wear today.

You know, auto correct loves to change “its “ to “it’s” and “well” to “we’ll”. Why?! It makes no sense as an assumption. And it’s hard to catch it every time.

>193 jnwelch: Among machine learning's many frustrations, I concur.

>194 richardderus:. 👍 🙄

>190 jnwelch: !!!!!!! That is gorgeous -- it could be my next tattoo....

>196 EBT1002:. Isn’t that gorgeous, Ellen? It would make a great tattoo.

Love the ring, Joe. It looks like something out of Rowling's creation.

Way back on a previous thread I mentioned Kate Clancy and her work with young poets. You mentioned your support for young creatives in Chicago (which sounds wonderful). I was in a bookshop a couple of days ago and saw that Clancy has a new book out, a kind of practical workbook for writing your own poetry in response to prompts from the work of others. I was tempted, but just about managed to resist (too many books to carry home on the train).

Also very tempted by the new GN by Alison Bechdel!

>198 charl08:. Hi, Charlotte. I’ve been tempted by the new Alison Bechdel myself. I’m pretty sure Ellen loved it.

That workbook with writing prompts sounds great. I’ll check on whether they offer it over here.

Today’s Bargain: The classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is $1.99 on e-readers.

I finished Boat People by Sharon Bala late last night and this one was easily my best work of fiction for this year. This book was the 2019 Harper Lee Legal Fiction Award winner. That award is given yearly by the University of Alabama Law School to the work of fiction that best depicts lawyers at work. This novel is about the MV Sun Sea Incident that took place in 2010 in British Columbia (Canada). That was an old merchant ship that had almost 500 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees on board. The Canadians allowed the refugees to land and then kept them in detention while the case for declaring them political refugees was adjudicated. This novel was heart rending and insightful and looked at both sides of the issue of immigration. There were large sections of it that outlined in detail the reasons for the fear that dangerous criminals and political radicals were on the ship. It took years to sort out the mess because so many of the refugees had no identification and could not establish their identities beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt. This novel excelled at explaining how the Canadian system of adjudication works and how these refugees fit into the larger scheme of Canadian immigration throughout history. It was easy to see how this novel won the Harper Lee Award because of this detailed by interesting explanation.

This book is my real life discussion group book for August. The reason we selected it is because we are living in Alabama and wanted to support the Harper Lee Award. I hope that other LT'ers will read it because it is just a darn good book. While it does make political statements about immigration, it is just a darn good book. Bala won several Canadian awards but I think LT'ers should read it because it is a Darn Good Book!

Sweet Thursday, Joe. I am having a lazy afternoon with the books, before meeting friends for brews and eats, (sorry, I do this with a few other people too. Grins...). I am finding Patience & Esther deliciously filthy.

>190 jnwelch: Love it!

Joe, aren't you one of the initiates into the I CAPTURE THE CASTLE confraternity? "If you meet someone else who loves it, it feels as though you are like a member of the White Lotus of book nerds." The article is charming: https://bookriot.com/finally-reading-i-capture-the-castle/

>203 richardderus: Thanks for that article; I'm a member. Back in January I read Look Back with Love: a Manchester Childhood, Smith's memoir of her young years. Nearly as good as the novel, it was the perfect way to start the year.

Hi Joe- I have been lost in the land of RL lately, and then realised that your star had dropped off! All this lovely cafe chat and art that I have missed!
I like the Obama portrait in >1 jnwelch: a lot more now that I have seen the style of her other pieces....weird how that happens huh!?

>201 benitastrnad: Nice review of Boat People, Benita. It sounds like a darn good book. :-)

>202 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark. Brews and food with pals, with no work the next day, is one of the joys of retirement. Once I sunsetted my youth, I used to have to calculate whether I'd tire myself out too much for whatever was coming the next day. Enjoy!

I'm glad you're enjoying Patience & Esther; i thought their explicitness wouldn't hamper your reading. :-)

>203 richardderus: That is a charming article, thanks, Richard. Too bad she was so young and didn't get to discuss I Capture the Castle with her grandfather. i did enjoy it, but i'm not sure I deserve to be called a member of the White Lotus club. this does make me want to re-read it.

>204 kac522: Hi, Kathy. Thanks for the tip on Smith's memoir. Your White Lotus club membership is coming in the mail.

>205 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. Good to see you! No worries; I've inadvertently dropped a star or two in my LT days. I"m glad you found us. I know what you mean about seeing multiple pieces by an artist - somehow that can help you understand and appreciate their creative vision. That is such a bold and different portrait of Obama - as is Amy Sherald's portrait of Michelle. Seeing more of Sherald's work helped me appreciate her one of Michelle.

By Amy Sherald

Today’s Bargain: The Great Believers, NPR’s Best Book of 2018, is $1.99 today on e-readers.

>208 jnwelch: I loooooved that book. What a great deal.

>207 jnwelch: I saw a photo of Mama Obama recently and she's let her hair go natural! It's such a great look on her.


>204 kac522: Hey...how come Kathy gets a card?! Where's mine?!?

>209 lauralkeet: I agree, Laura, such a great book and such a great deal. I hope folks take advantage.

>210 richardderus: RD, I figured you'd already wrangled yourself a free White Lotus club membership card. You always know somebody who knows somebody.

Plus Kathy is a fellow Chicagoan and gets special treatment.

P.S. I think Michelle looks great, and it's probably a relief from chemical treatments. From reading, I appreciate more now that black women sometimes worry about having natural hair in interviews. Michelle's so high profile that maybe she'll help get us beyond that sad state of affairs.

>211 jnwelch: Michelle's so high profile that maybe she'll help get us beyond that sad state of affairs.
your keyboard, the goddesses' inbox

>198 charl08: and >199 jnwelch: I did, indeed, LOVE The Secret to Superhuman Strength. You may recall that part of my love is that Bechdel's life, while radically different from my own, is parallel in terms of culture and musical soundtrack (we were born one month apart). Richard posted an interview with her that made me want to reread it so I have it on hold at the local library. In the interview, she talked about the use of color in this work (her previous works have been exclusively black and white, something I had not consciously processed), etc.

>210 richardderus: Two of my favorite humans. Michelle does look fabulous with her hair gone natural!

>208 jnwelch: If anyone is waffling, I gave The Great Believers five stars.

Hi Joe!!

Hi Joe, I wanted to let you, Debbi and others know that I reached out to Bianca (drachenbraut23), who is currently in Germany, via Facebook Messenger. I'm sure you've heard about the horrific flooding there, and in Belgium and the Netherlands. She is in Bavaria, which wasn't affected by the flooding, and she is safe, as is her son and the rest of her family. She'll fly back to London on Tuesday, and hopefully I'll be able to see her, Claire and our other UK friends in October, schedule and pandemic permitting.

>213 EBT1002: I'm glad that you loved The Great Believers, Ellen. I own the paperback, and I'll try to fit it in soon.

>210 richardderus: Yep, ya gotta hang with the bestest: Joe, Mark, the Obamas and me.

Today’s Bargain: City of Thieves for $1.99 on e-readers. Two prisoners in Leningrad are told to find eggs for a cake during WWII. Great book.

>215 kac522: Ain't that the truth, Kathy. Chicago's treasures, we are. The Obamas are big-time readers, too. We should invite them to the next meetup.

>214 kidzdoc: Thanks for letting us know, Darryl. Please tell Bianca "Phew!" for us, and give her our love. Does she ever visit the states? Maybe that's too much.

>213 EBT1002: Thanks for confirming, Ellen. I'll request the Secret to Superhuman Strength. I did not remember those parallels. I read about the use of color in it - wasn't her partner involved? Did you ever get to see the Fun Home musical? We were impressed with the adaptation.

I'm with you on The Great Believers.

>212 richardderus: Ha! Or, as Debbi would say, from my lips to God's ear.

>217 jnwelch: You're welcome, Joe. I sent her a text message this morning, and after she replies I'll let her know that you and Debbi send your love to her.

Bianca has never visited the United States. Her son Alex wants to visit Philadelphia and New Orleans, so hopefully that can happen in the relatively near future. I'm sure she would love to see Chicago and visit the two of you as well.

>219 jnwelch: Oh, isn't that beautiful! Happy Saturday, Joe, and spend the time wisely (ie, indoors and reading).

>221 richardderus:. Thanks, RD. Happy Saturday! After lots of rain, we have a beautiful day here. I’m outside in our garden with a guest and her sweet Bull mastiff, “Little A”. I do have a Montalbano mystery with me, The cook of the Halcyon (what an odd title!). Have you read that one yet?

>220 kidzdoc:. Thanks, Darryl. We’d probably think about flying to Philadelphia to meet up with all of you if Bianca made it there.

>222 jnwelch: That would be great! I'd love to show all of you my favorite American city. If I don't retire to Europe I would be very content living there.

JOE - Giannis!

Milwaukee's a little up from Michael-Town, but a Great One for The Midwest.

>207 jnwelch:
I assume that the reason you posted that picture is because you have already purchased the children's book Parker Looks Up by Parker Curry? If you haven't rush right down to your local book store and take a look at a copy.

I may copy Parker and make what she saw my next costume for dress-up.

P.s. While you are at that book store you can buy a copy of Boat People by Sharon Bala, too.

>201 benitastrnad: So that was a good book then? ;0)

>212 richardderus: I hear ya! Oh, you meant a different goddess? You’re right, I’m not the one to see about hair.

>219 jnwelch: Stunning, as ever. Turn the colour palette upside down and you’d have lavender fields under a bright sky.

Morning, Joe. I hope you had a good weekend. We got some major chores done, including getting that Bad Boy in the garage. I was also able to bookhorn in some reading. Nearly finished with Damnation Spring, which has turned out to be a good, solid read. The environmental events are pretty gut-wrenching though. I am really enjoying Patience & Esther and I have Secret to Superhuman Strength waiting in the wings. I have not read Bechdel in a long time.

>223 kidzdoc: We'd like that, too, buddy.

>224 m.belljackson: Giannis has been terrific, Marianne. And what a game Jrue Holliday had! It's been an exciting series. Looking forward to tomorrow night.

>225 benitastrnad: Does Amy Sherald have a role in Parker Looks Up, Benita? Michelle? I've got to work off of the tbr shelf for a while before I start thinking about a bookstore visit.

>226 humouress: Isn't that stunning, Nina? I like your lavender fields idea.

>227 msf59: Morning, Mark. Very good, weekend it was. A friend of Jesse and Adri's stayed with us with her 14 year old bull mastiff "little A". Both were sweeties. I finished To the Bright Edge of the World, which was excellent, and Black Sun, a very good fantasy by Native American Rebecca Roanhorse. I've started the new one by Becky Chambers (her second in a short amount of time, called A Psalm for the Wild Built. She's developing into a Grand Master. I loved her last one.

I'm envious that you got your hands on the new Alison Bechdel. Can't wait to hear. I'm near the end of the third Invisible Kingdom.

By Brassai

>229 jnwelch: One of the most beautiful of Brassaï's many gorgeous photos.

>226 humouress: Oh, not hair? I'd assumed my, erm, advancing baldness of pate and simultaneous forestation of scapulae was a little...message...from you. Now, to seek the true culprit(ess)...

>230 richardderus:. This is a beaut, isn’t it, RD? Probably my favorite of his, too. I thought of that one of the man jumping over the puddle, but I think that’s Cartier-Bresson.

Who is the Goddess of Hair? Alas, she has forsaken me, too. My head reflects light beautifully these days, though.

>229 jnwelch: So Paris, though more of an obstacle stairs are for me now, but there is generally a way around, and you sometimes find something interesting you would have missed.

Today’s Bargain: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine for $1.99 on e-readers. At the beginning I wondered what the heck I’d gotten myself into, at the end I loved it. Go Eleanor!

>232 Caroline_McElwee:. I get the same “oh, Paris!” reaction seeing this one, Caroline. So many beautiful moments waiting to be found.

Parker Looks Up is a 32 page children's picture book. Very cute - but very pointed message. When you get time you can read it in a bookstore in 5 minutes. Don't sweat it - just when you are at a bookstore find it and read it.

>235 benitastrnad:. :-)

>230 richardderus: You know that normally I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to annoy you but, alas, not within my powers ;0)

>235 benitastrnad: NO! Not a bookstore! If you're not buying it, find a library!

I'm sorry for the rant but people (kids, mainly) cluttering up bookshop aisles while they're sitting on the floor and reading books that they're presumably not going to buy have been the bane of my (book-buying) life, especially in the days when I was trying to navigate the already-narrow passages with a stroller and baby to get to the books I wanted. (Never come between a bibliophile and her books!) And I don't relish paying full price for what then becomes a second hand book.

Mind you, the libraries in this country are not geared towards casual reading since 'fiction' is all lumped under one heading and only shelved by authors' names' first three letters so I see why it's not people's go-to choice. But that is a rant for another day.

Hi Joe!

>188 jnwelch: We definitely need a breakthrough in teleportation technology. That’s fun to think about.

>200 jnwelch: I just loaned Joy in the Morning by Smith to my dear friend Louise. She’d never read it, although she’d read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Maggie-Now.

>233 jnwelch: On my shelves, now tagged ‘2021 read’. Thanks for the nudge.

>237 humouress: NO! Not a bookstore! If you're not buying it, find a library! I'm sorry for the rant but people (kids, mainly) cluttering up bookshop aisles while they're sitting on the floor and reading books that they're presumably not going to buy have been the bane of my (book-buying) life, especially in the days when I was trying to navigate the already-narrow passages with a stroller and baby to get to the books I wanted. (Never come between a bibliophile and her books!) And I don't relish paying full price for what then becomes a second hand book. I agree 100%, Nina.

Morning, Joe. Drinkin' some joe, nibbling a brownie. Tripping the threads.

I just revisited your topper two. (It's like the old days, when as a kid you'd stay to see a movie twice because it was so good and the showing was continuous. Those paintings are so lush, the realism so magical, the unexpectedness of subject and setting so stunning. So you scroll and see a second showing!) Nice work, Joe.

>237 humouress: You're absolutely right. If you want to read it for free, that's what public libraries are for. Borrowing a book from a library actually benefits the library. Reading but not buying in a bookstore hurts the business and the author.

>238 karenmarie: >237 humouress: >240 laytonwoman3rd:

The first chapters of The Yellow-lighted Bookshop
offer a slightly different take on the aisles!

>237 humouress: While I used to like to go with Mike to book stores - there really aren't any in our path for years now - he had much more endurance than my grab and go attitude, so yes, I would sit or lean about reading and I imagine that is often the case with kids - they would be elsewhere if they could, but until dad leaves you are going to have to navigate around them.

>237 humouress:
If he sees it and reads it - he will buy it! Due to the art Joe has posted on this thread he won't be able to resist the temptation and it will make a great gift for his granddaughter.

P.s. Maybe that means he will be giving his granddaughter a second-hand book! :-)

>206 jnwelch: >207 jnwelch: I wonder whether you would like the work of Robyn Kahukiwa? She does lovely bold portraits....of the style shown below :)

>237 humouress: Thanks, Nina. I'm sure you'll get responses to your bookstore rant. Me, I'm just happy to see kids reading, wherever.

>238 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I've never read Joy in the Morning by Smith (though I"ve read the one by Wodehouse). Sounds like I need to take a look.

>239 weird_O: HIYa, Bill. Just tripping the light fantastic, eh. That topper two is striking isn't it. What a strong painter he is.

>240 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. Well said. I think most parents in a bookshop end up buying books for themselves and their children. I know that as a bookstore manager, I was just happy to have the customers, and if aisle travel was a problem, I'd tell the kids where to move to.

>241 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. I remember The Yellow-lighted Bookshop but haven't read it. Good? There is joy in Milwaukee today. Congrats to the NBA champs! That was another exciting game last night.

>242 quondame: Right, Susan. Something about kids reading always warms the cockles of my heart, too.

>24 katiekrug: Hi, Benita. 3 I admire your enthusiasm and persistence. I'll look for it.

By Robyn Kahukiwa

>244 LovingLit: What an interesting artist, Megan. Thanks.

>229 jnwelch: That is so atmospheric, Joe.

I don't really have the benefit of a lending library here but I do like to take a peek at the books before I buy 'em. There is a terrible habit at the local bookstore of wrapping all the books in cellophane and I will always unwrap them (to check whether my poor eyes can handle the font) before buying.

>245 jnwelch: Yes, Joe - BIG G!!!

Today is your day to gallop out to buy The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop!

From the perfect title, then up and down the aisles, and, well, so much more, it is YOUR book =
It was written for you, the bookstore manager!

So here it is Wednesday, Mamie's returned from the Land of the Lost, and I wrote a review.

Then Megan sent me down a rabbit-hole with Kahukiwa.

Nothin' lasts forever.

Morning, Joe. Sweet Thursday. We are driving down to St. Louis with friends, for a quick over-night visit. We are attending a Cubs/Cards game tonight. Of course, there will also be breweries involved. We will do some touristy stuff tomorrow and then head back home. I wish my Cubs were playing better. They have been struggling for nearly a month. I should be a Sox fan. Sighs...

>246 jnwelch: I really like this image!

Today’s Bargain: The King Must Die for $1.99 on Kindle. The story of Theseus, and one of Mary Renault’s best.

>248 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. I’m a pushover for a bookshop book. Thanks.

Big G was very gracious and thankful in his post game remarks. Yay for Milwaukee!

>251 jnwelch: An *excellent* book! Such graceful prose, perfectly complements her story.

Happy Thursday, hoping it's another good-reading-done day.

>250 msf59: I should be a Sox fan.

Perish forbid! Imagine the humiliation of rooting for the A-hole League!! Insupportable.

>249 richardderus:. Great to have Mamie back, isn’t it. I’ll checkout your book review, RD.

Kahukiwa makes for a good rabbit hole, yes?

“Nothing lasts forever.” Very Buddhist.

>250 msf59:. Sweet Hursday, Mark. Have a great trip to St. Louis. What fun to catch a game there. They’ll be riled up against the Cubs. That’s a good rivalry. I hope you gets good game and a Cubs win. Yeah, the Whie Sox are really kicking some tail this year, even with some tough injuries.

Isn’t that a beaut from Kahukiwa? Megan gave us a good tip.

>253 richardderus:. The King Must Die really got me, RD. I’m glad you feel the same. She casts. a spell with her beautiful writing.

I’m reading that Becky Chambers Monk & Bot one. Plenty good so far.

I grew up an American Leaguer (Detroit Tigers), so I’m used to being an A-hole.

>255 jnwelch:
Funny you are talking about Mary Renault. Last Sunday I saw a stack of brand new paperbacks of Last of the Wine right on a table in front of the door. It is the same cover I remember but the sign on the table was “Superhero Summer Reading - Myths and Legends That Started It All.” and there was Last of the Wine. It inspired me so much that I requested it from the library yesterday and I pick it up today. It is going to be one of my vacation books. Along with Circe.

>252 jnwelch: Hi Joe - I corrected the title name from Book "store" to "shop" so now it comes up. All yours.

The latest AARP Magazine has a beautiful article by Kareem Abdul-Jabar
where he mentions the slam dunk that HE used to win being BANNED for many, many years!

Good thing for Giannis that ban was lifted in time for the Bucks to deliver after 50 long years.

>255 jnwelch: I grew up an American Leaguer (Detroit Tigers), so I’m used to being an A-hole.

...the scandalous and deficient upbringing you've had to overcome...truly a shining example to us all.

>255 jnwelch: and >258 richardderus: - Yankees fan here, checking in!

*grin*

Annnnd an Orioles fan, so yet another A-hole!

>260 drneutron:, >259 katiekrug: Your, erm, private moral failings are really best kept in the deeper, darker caves of your home place, sweetness.

>261 richardderus: - Snork.

>256 benitastrnad: I hope you have an immersive time with Last of the Wine, Benita. Great pairing (wine pairing?) with Circe. That's another superb one from her.

>257 m.belljackson: The dunk was banned in college games while Kareem (then Lew Alcindor) was a student, and it was purely because of his dominance at 7 feet. What a strange thing. Of course, he then developed his famous sky hook, and dominated with that, winning the NBA championship (with Oscar Robertson) for Milwaukee 50 years ago.

>258 richardderus:, >259 katiekrug:, >260 drneutron:, >261 richardderus:, >262 katiekrug: Joining Katie's *snork*

Nara Park, Japan

>264 jnwelch: - My kind of habitat...

And I am, of course, a Blue Jays fan, so I guess that puts me in the *A* team... ;-)

>265 jessibud2:. Bonus points for coming up with a better name for American League fans, Shelley. The A team! Much better. Toronto fans probably wonder how the heck they got into the American League. American hockey teams are just lucky it wasn’t the Canadian Hockey League when they joined. (Well, when the NHL started, fourof the original 6 were U.S. - Chicago, New York, Detoit and Boston. Toronto and Montreal were the Canadian teams).

>263 jnwelch: Do Giannis and Michael also have invincible sky hooks?

>267 m.belljackson: You'd think so, wouldn't you, Marianne. The sky hook was a very difficult shot that came naturally and gracefully to Kareem. Magic Johnson could do a pretty good imitation that he called "the baby sky hook." i've never seen anyone dominate with a hook shot like Kareem did. MJ developed an unstoppable turnaround fadeaway jumpshot that helped him continue to dominate as he got older and lost a bit of that quickness and jumping ability that had everyone's jaws dropping. He mentored Kobe, and Kobe admittedly imitated many of MJ's go-to moves, including the turnaround fadeaway.

Giannis is completely different. He's nicknamed "The Greek Freak" for a good reason. There's never been anyone like him. He's a strong, coordinated 7 foot player who can handle the ball like a much shorter player. He's also very fast and can jump high. So it's not unusual to see him do a spectacular block of an opponent's shot on the defensive end, go out of bounds with his momentum so you think he's out of the play, then see him sprint past the other team to receive an alley-oop pass on the other end and dunk it. He even did that in the NBA Finals.

I don't think Giannis has a go-to move yet, like Kareem's sky hook, and Jordan and Kobe's turnaround fadeaway. He's still so young! Only 26. He just dominates based on his athleticism, his physical gifts. We do know that if he's going full speed with the ball on the fast break, and there's only one, two or three opposing players between him and the basket, they're unlikely to stop him from scoring. He's too strong, and too coordinated in his moves. He's spectacular to watch play, isn't he.

>266 jnwelch: - And I am old enough to remember the *original 6*! That was also the last time I watched and was a fan of hockey. No helmets in those days because, back then, they actually played the game. It wasn't just *the fights* on ice. Ick. I truly can't stand the game anymore, haven't, for a long time. I have zero tolerance for violence as sport or entertainment. Call me a wimp, or a baby, whatever. But also, back in those days, I was Montreal Canadiens all the way. And even though 4 of the 6 teams were in the States, I'd guess that most of the players were Canadian born. Not sure of percentages but I'd guess it was so. Times have changed...

And, Joe, just fyi:

https://www.cbc.ca/books/barack-obama-and-bruce-springsteen-releasing-book-toget...

I don't know if you had a chance to catch all 6 episodes. I believe you were, um, otherwise occupied at that time. But if you can find them on podcasts and listen, they are well worth it. Not sure how they'd capture the actual conversations in a book but I loved the podcasts

...sad, very sad, that there are so many "fans" of That League where the DH rule in all its malign perversity is allowed...

Anyway.

Because I am made of Finer Stuff ::noble profile:: I shall not succumb to my petty desire to punish by not revealing the existence of a Giveaway featuring three Elizabeth Strout novels: Lucy Barton, Oh William!, and Anything is Possible.

Enter here: https://bookriot.com/giveaways/win-an-elizabeth-strout-book-bundle/

Hi Joe, hoping you are doing fine and just skimming your thread.

Happy Saturday, Joe We got home last night. We had a good time. It is a nice looking city and the Gateway Arch National Park is beautiful and the museum is nicely put together. It was HOT walking around though. I wish the Cubs could have performed better against the Cards. I like that stadium though. Not much reading got done though. I plan on doing some catch-up this weekend.

Today’s Bargain:The Color Purple by Alice Walker, $1.99 on Kindle. The famous book at a good price.

>247 PaulCranswick: They don't do that any more here. I miss those days ;0) They should just keep one browsing copy unwrapped.

>261 richardderus: Foreign language to me.

>264 jnwelch: Stunningly gorgeous.

I saw this a few days ago but didn't immediately hare over because I thought you'd already know, since you're a fan of their podcasts, and >270 jessibud2: you do.

>269 jessibud2: It was fun watching the original six, wasn't it Shelley. Gordie Howe was my guy back then. It was better as a fan when they didn't wear helmets, but so dangerous. Aside from sticks and elbows, the puck flies around at high speed, and could be lethal. You're right, the players were basically all Canadian; I remember when it was a big deal for an American player to make it in the NHL.
Thed its almost silly that they bothersome fight, they’re so padded now But for me, hockey is still fun to watch.

They've got some tremendously skilled players, like Patrick Kane on the Blackhawks, and the speed is amazing. Seeing it live is even better, as you can better appreciate what all of them are doing at that high speed.

>270 jessibud2: Thanks for the reminder, Shelley. I did get interrupted, and still have two podcasts to go. I've got Spotify, so catching up will be easy. I've seen the book being promoted; I'm such a fan of Springsteen and Obama I'll probably pick it up. What an interesting friendship. It adds to Obama's reputation as the coolest President we've ever had.

>271 richardderus: I'm not a fan of the DH rule either, RD, although there's something to be said for not having to watch feeble-hitting pitchers strike out. I'd still prefer the old, NL way.

I've not been drawn to Elizabeth Strout's books. Probably a character flaw.

>272 connie53: Hi, Connie. Thanks for checking in. I'm doing fine. the walks are getting longer; the strength is getting stronger.
>273 msf59: Welcome back, Mark. I'm glad you had agood time in St.Lou. Poor Cubs. After that World series year I thought, with that core of young players, they'd be contenders every year. It hasn't worked out that way. Good for you for getting to the National Park and the museum. Sorry to hear the heat was so bad.

>275 humouress: Hi, Nina. That's what we used to do for the expensive books; keep one copy unwrapped for browsing. If I'm going to spend a lot of dough for a book, I do like it to start in pristine condition.

I'm glad you like >264 jnwelch:. Those reds!

Thanks for the heads-up on the Barack-Bruce book. I suspect it's in my future.

>278 jnwelch: I'll try and get Jasper to pose for some of those, shall I?

>278 jnwelch: Ha! Perfect.

>276 jnwelch: Oh, really? I thought I was alone in my monstrosity of spirit, avoiding La Strout. Well, permaybehaps others who *do* see whatever it is that I don't will benefit.

>275 humouress: I can certainly see that it would be. Your hooligan-y lot call a similar game "rounders" and leave it behind with short trousers.

Much as we do with soccer. Oh, do pardon, "football."

>280 richardderus: Oh, rounders. Why didn't you say so?

I may graciously pardon you.

>279 humouress:. Yes, please, Nina. We’d love it.

>280 richardderus:. Isn’t >278 jnwelch: great, RD. I bet the cartoonist had fun thinking up those titles.

You’re not infected with amor de Strout?! Now I’m the one feeling better. I thought I’d get the strong reactions I have when I say I don’t read Faulkner.

I just started a book Katie and others recommended: The Long Bright River. Really good so far.

>281 humouress:. I love the name rounders while having no idea what the game is.

>282 jnwelch: What La Overkill refers to as "rounders" is our Sacred National Pastime, Joe, of baseball. The Soccer Hooligans...oh do forgive, English...have had the game's forebear on their cultural radar for ages. Inexplicably, they chose to develop the almost criminally boring "cricket" (an utterly uninteresting-to-watch picnic-ruining, um, outbreak of clapping for no apparent reason, "played" as it were by holding a wide rubber flyswatter-shaped dealie called a "bat" while a skinny boy runs at you) instead.

Incomprehensible people.

Enjoy that read! And solidarity in our unStroutly ways.

Darryl and I had a back and forth about Faulkner on FB that somehow ended up with Darryl offering a list of his favorite not- American fiction authors in exchange for my favorites who are. Here are the lists.

Darryl

1. Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
2. Juan Gabriel Vasquez (Colombia)
3. Javier Cercas (Spain)
4. Jenny Erpenbeck (Germany)
5. Ngugi wa Thiong’o (Kenya)
6. Antonio Lobos Antunes (Portugal)
7. Jorge Eduardo Agualusa(Angola)
8. Mia Couto (Mozambique)
9. Alain Mabanckou (Republic of Congo)

Joe

1. Kent Haruf
2. Marilynne Robinson
3.. John Steinbeck
4. Walter Mosley
5. Edith Wharton
6. Mark Twain
7. Toni Morrison
8. James Baldwin
9. Cormac McCarthy
10. Raymond Chandler

Right, no Faulkner, Melville, Hemingway or Fitzgerald on my list of favorite American fiction writers. And I also didn’t include authors with one terrific book, like Harper Lee, Ralph Ellison,Ken Kesey or Jack Kerouac. I’m torn on Marlon James, James McBride and Jack London, but Chandler rates higher for me.

Who shouldn’t be on either list? Who should be on but is missing from either list?

>283 richardderus:. Thanks for the explanation, RD. Since I don’t understand cricket either, I’ll view rounders through the lens of baseball. I will bet that more than one poet near-rhymed “cricket” with”picnic”, as I understand the latter is the best part of watching that sport.

Go unStrouts!

Yes, but cricket bats make the best zombie-swatting hardware! Ok, that’s the extent of my cricket knowledge…

>276 jnwelch: I remember the original six. Well, of course I do, I grew up in Montreal and remember Hockey Night in Canada. I also remember when Montreal got their own baseball team and we actually saw a game with Les Expos in person.

>284 jnwelch: Will revisit when I have pondered Joe. We all love a (book) list as you know.

>286 drneutron: I sense the voice of experience, JIm. good to know.

>287 Familyhistorian: Yes! Hockey Night in Canada - Molson Canadian. We got that in Michigan, too, Meg. I remember the Expos and went to the Montreal Expo with my folks way back when.

>288 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. I'm hoping to get some authors named that I can ponder. Maybe we should do a British authors list, too.

The Birdwatcher by Canadian artist Lisa finch

>283 richardderus: At least you get to have a picnic and enjoy yourself if you're watching cricket. (My cousin was thrilled a couple of years ago to join her dad as a member of the MCC and watch from the stands at Lord's Cricket Ground.) My sole baseball-watching outing was abandoned at around 2 in the AM since there was NO SCORE on the board (or, at least, only a long string of zeroes). At least the whole team gets a go in rounders before it's all change. We probably spent more time watching them swap teams over than actually playing baseball.

* before anyone takes offence, please note, this is meant in jest and is not a rant.
** except for Richard. ETA re >283 richardderus: Not forgiven.

>290 jnwelch: I wonder what they're all looking for/ at? ;0)

>278 jnwelch: As promised:



(Although, to be honest, Jasper usually prefers his beauty sleep to barking at night; isn't allowed upstairs to the bedrooms; isn't old enough for (or is already a master of) farts; and loves going to the vet, to socialise.)

Today’s Bargain: Girl , Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. Excellent book at $1.99 on Kindle. Booker Prize winner.

>293 jnwelch: I keep stalling out as I read the book. I don't know why, the writing is excellent and I've got a lot of sympathy for Author Evaristo. I don't quite...immerse...fully, which is weird. I'll keep trying, she's too good not to. Mr Loverman is a delight, f/ex.

>291 humouress: ...I had no idea you were such a Stroutian, Nina...

>290 jnwelch: So utterly gloriously gorgeous! Artist Finch is clearly playing up her name-granted connection.

>293 jnwelch: Added to the wishlist. Added to the Kindle

>294 richardderus: Because I show deep human insight?

>296 humouress: That is certainly, uhhh, an interpretation. One might almost say a maverick one.

>292 humouress: Jasper is darling.

>246 jnwelch: She is pretty cool, I reckon.

>249 richardderus: Yuss *fist pump* I Kahukiwa'd you ;)

>290 jnwelch: Canadian artist, appropriately named, Lisa Finch - lol

>277 jnwelch: Good to hear you are doing better and getting stronger, Joe.

>291 humouress: :-) That must be some very special bird they're looking at.

>292 humouress: Aww, Jasper. Looking good, buddy. What kind is he? He's the first dog I've ever heard of that loves going to the vet. Brave fellow.

>299 LovingLit: thanks for introducing us all to Robyn Kahukiwa, Megan. Serendipitous last name she has, Ms. Finch.

>300 connie53: Thanks, Connie. I am, and we're off for another nature ramble this morning.

Up close and personal in Costa rica, by Cristhian Iván Rojas Zuñiga

>303 jnwelch: ...gorgeous...

>299 LovingLit: You did indeed! Hours-worth of browsing!

Happy Tuesday, Joe.

>298 Caroline_McElwee: >301 jnwelch: Thank you!

He’s a golden retriever and super-sociable. He loves going in the car (which is a pain for his humans who have to chase down all the fur he sheds in the car afterwards) especially if my husband takes him because he’ll let Jasper put his head out in the wind. And he loves meeting people and being made a fuss of at the vets; plus he doesn’t seem to notice injections. I do feel a bit bad, though, because he loves meeting other animals but if they’re not small (Singapore space constraints) then they’re elderly and all a little scared of his exuberance.

>297 richardderus: We’ll take it as read, then.

>303 jnwelch: Wo-ow!

>284 jnwelch: I think that is a pretty solid list, Joe. I think you have the heavy weights covered. Nice to see Haruf rated so high. I would probably put Faulkner on there and would also consider Henry James. I know he is also divisive. Another consideration would be Cormac McCarthy.

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. With the heat continuing, I have not been out birding, since last week. I hope that turns around. I am getting that itch. I saw Bree yesterday. Helped her with some things at the house and then we went for lunch. She looks beautiful and is getting excited, like we all are.

I am reading The Midnight Library. You were not a fan, correct? Or I am a mistaken?

>290 jnwelch: LIKE!

>305 humouress: Please send Jasper to visit us in Chicago, along with his human mom. (I"M sure he wouldn't want to be separated). We have plenty of dog treats, and dog toys, and interesting places to sniff, and comfortable places to nap.

>306 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Slow down your reading, and pour another beer, buddy. Cormac is on the list. Look at #9.

I don't think we need to go to fisticuffs over it, but Henry James' ability to put everyone in the room to sleep should be enough to keep him off the list.

>307 msf59: Man, I should have brought a doctor's note to excuse my absence. It's already the afternoon of Sweet Thursday. Yeah, I would think the heat would impede birding. We did go over to Montrose Harbor, but walked alongside the lake - so beautiful, and peaceful. We were early enough that not many folks were there, and those that were were happy and friendly, as were their dogs.

Man, it's getting close to time for the newest member of the Freeburg family to show up. I van easily imagine that Bree looks beautiful and you are all excited.

i didn't like Matt Haig's How to Stop Time all that much, when others were gaga about it, so I haven't rushed to read The Midnight Library, though it's been a blockbuster bestseller. I like its premise, and I"m keeping an open mind, so if you like TML, it'll have a big impact on me.

The new cafe is open. See you there!