Katiekrug Reads and Reads and Reads Some More - Part 16

CURRENTLY READING
(Kindle) (Audio)

Hi All!

For anyone new to my thread, I'm Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog Nuala/Noodles. I work as a senior governance manager for a non-profit engineering association, which used to be fun because I got to travel and now is just a big pile of meh.

Here's to a great, or at least an improved, new year!

Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 30
Books Off My Kindle: 36
Books from Audible: 9
Library Loans: 25

October
100. 1984 by George Orwell (2.5 stars)
99. Bookmarked by Wendy Fairey (3.5 stars)
98. All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks (4.25 stars)
97. Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson (3 stars)
96. That Night by Alice McDermott (3.75 stars)
95. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4.5 stars)

YTD Did Not Finish
1. Waterland by Graham Swift
2. Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanne Elden
3. The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
4. Chasing Shakespeares by Sarah Smith
5. Dear Girls by Ali Wong
6. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
7. The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard
8. The Middleman by Olen Steinhauer
9. The Removed by Brandon Hobson

September
Favorite:
94. What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman (5 stars)
93. No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie (3.75 stars)
92. The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman (4 stars)
91. The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon (4 stars)
90. Amethyst by Lauren Royal (3 stars)
89. The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff (4.5 stars)
88. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (4.25 stars)
87. Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel by Odyr and George Orwell (4 stars)
86. Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare (4.5 stars)
85. Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan (4 stars)
84. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge (4.25 stars)
83. Home Sweet Anywhere by Lynne Martin (3.5 stars)

August
Favorite:
82. The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark (4 stars)
81. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller (4.5 stars)
80. Lizzie & Dante by Mary Bly (4.5 stars)
79. Falling by T.J. Newman (4 stars)
78. I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti (4.25 stars)
77. A Burning by Megha Majumdar (5 stars)
76. Cashelmara by Susan Howatch (3.5 stars)
75. The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Carolyn Brown (audio) (3 stars)
74. Whiskey and Charlie by Annabel Smith (4 stars)
73. The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini (3 stars)
72. You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik (4.25 stars)

July
Favorite:
71. Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa (4.5 stars)
70. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (4 stars)
69. Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins (4 stars)
68. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White (3 stars)
67. Becoming by Michelle Obama (audio) (4 stars)
66. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (audio) (3.5 stars)
65. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (3.5 stars)
64. The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (3.5 stars)
63. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (4.5 stars)
62. The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn (4 stars)
61. Born in Death by J.D. Robb (3.5 stars)

June
Favorite:
60. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (3.5 stars)
59. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (3.5 stars)
58. The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman (4 stars)
57. In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty (4 stars)
56. The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
55. Summerwater by Sarah Moss (4 stars)
54. Outlawed by Anna North (3.5 stars)
53. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell (audio) (3.5 stars)
52. Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan (4 stars)

May
Favorite:
51. Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (4.5 stars)
50. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (4 stars)
49. The Other Americans by Laila Lalami (3.5 stars)
48. Normal People by Sally Rooney (audio) (4 stars)
47. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught (3 stars)
46. The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine (4.25 stars)
45. How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell (audio) (3.5 stars)
44. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (3 stars)
43. Darkside by Belinda Bauer (4 stars)
42. Another Kind of Life by Catherine Dunne (3 stars)
41. Eat Cake. Be Brave. by Melissa Radke (audio) (3 stars)
40. Lord the One You Love is Sick by Kasey Thornton (4.5 stars)

April
Favorite:
39. Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson (3.5 stars)
38. Stories from Suffragette City by Various Authors (3.5 stars)
37. The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
36. Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin (4.5 stars)
35. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars)
34. The Crucible by Arthur Miller (audio) (4.5 stars)
33. The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt (4 stars)
32. Pride and Promiscuity by Arielle Eckstut and Dennis Ashton (2 stars)
31. Island of the Lost by Joan Druett (4 stars)
30. It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (4 stars)
29. The Secret River by Kate Grenville (4 stars)

March
Favorite:
28. Dodgers by Bill Beverly (4.5 stars)
27. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe (3.5 stars)
26. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (3 stars)
25. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (4 stars)
24. Shit, Actually by Lindy West (3.5 stars)
23. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay (4 stars)
22. Anywhere for You by Abbie Greaves (3.5 stars)
21. Fat Chance by Nick Spalding (3.5 stars)
20. Memory in Death by J.D. Robb (3.5 stars)
19. Passing by Nella Larsen (3.5 stars)
18. Love by Toni Morrison (4 stars)

February
Favorite:
17. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (4.5 stars)
16. The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson (4 stars)
15. The Weirdies by Michael Buckley (audio) (4.5 stars)
14. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (4.25 stars)
13. Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke (4 stars)
12. Paradise by Toni Morrison (4.25 stars)
11. Emperor of the Air by Ethan Canin (3.5 stars)
10. When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele (4 stars)
9. Blessings by Anna Quindlen (4.5 stars)

January
Favorite:
8. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2.75 stars)
7. Triangle by David Von Drehle (4 stars)
6. New Boy by Tracy Chevalier (3.5 stars)
5. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (audio) (4 stars)
4. Siracusa by Delia Ephron (4.5 stars)
3. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls (4 stars)
2. One By One by Ruth Ware (3.5 stars)
1. Jazz by Toni Morrison (3.75 stars)

My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = Whyyyyyy?
3 stars = Eh, ok.
4 stars = Definitely worth the time.
5 stars = Perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)



WELCOME!

Happy New Thread, Katie! Am I number 1??

>6 msf59: - You sure are, Mark!

Happy new thread, Katie. Glad to see that we still being classy in >5 katiekrug:. Cheers!

>8 Helenliz: - We are *always* classy over here... :)

Happy new thread, Katie!

From your last thread, good luck with the new rocket-science washer and dryer.

Happy new thread, Katie! Here, I got you a thread-warming present:

>10 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen! I have completed two loads and all seems to be well.

>11 scaifea: - I. Want. That.

Happy new thread, Katie.

New thread envy. Must do the same...tomorrow.

>11 scaifea: Bahahahaha that's great.

Happy new thread, Katie! Impressive reading numbers in September, and a 5 star book to boot - nice!

>7 katiekrug: Plenty to share I hope.

Happy new thread, Katie.

Re: post 310 of previous thread: I'm not sure why you'd care then whether the author was included. *shrug* I guess I can recognize when I've been kittle pitchered. My interest is in the author, Howard Norman. Regrettably, I don't know what he's written other than The Bird Artist, which I read for September's AAC and enjoyed immensely. If you had mentioned the author's name, my interest would have been piqued.

I'm sorry, Katie. Just a windy old man. *sniff*

Morning, Katie! Have you sussed out your new washer yet? Ours is a fancier one than I've ever had, too, and even plays a weird little tune when it's finished instead of just beeping at me. Like, okay Cinderella, let's not pretend that chores are something to sing about, eh?

>18 scaifea: The dryer in this house plays a little tune as well. Haydn, I believe. Every time I do laundry I think to myself, I need to go find the manual and figure out how to change/stop that. And then I forget. Sigh.

>19 lauralkeet: Ha! What *is* this new trend? It's ridiculous. We inherited our W&D combo with the house and there's not a manual in sight, so I have no idea how to change it. Maybe I could find it online, though...

Morning again, Katie!

Our W&D (and now dishwasher, since we got the same brand) play a piratey tune when done. Makes me want to drink rum and dance the hornpipe every laundry day.

Morning, Katie! Happy new one!

>11 scaifea: I also want this.

>18 scaifea: "Like, okay Cinderella, let's not pretend that chores are something to sing about, eh?" Exactly. And you made me laugh out loud.

Both of my machines also play tunes when they are done - but not a piratey tune. *envy eyes directed at Jim* I would love to be able to turn it off - now I must research because I did not even think about that being an option. My fancy rice cooker also plays a ditty when you start it and when it finishes.

Hi Katie, and happy Friday to you.

Our W&D play a tune when things are done. We could turn it off, but we appreciate the reminder, if not the tune.

I am NEVER buying a new washer and dryer now. If mine quit, I'm going to set up a kettle in the yard. My daughter thinks the little melodies are an improvement over the raucous BZZZZZ my dryer emits at the end of a cycle. Sure, maybe, if you're standing right there where it goes off. But then you wouldn't need any notification, would you? I can't half hear the darned thing now from a floor away. (The washer just sort of goes CLUNK when the drum stops spinning, and the water pump shuts off---works for me.)

>17 weird_O: There, there, Bill. Just go get a copy of What is Left the Daughter (by Howard Norman) and read it soon.

Nothing to add to the washer/dryer discussion, since I use the apartment buildings laundry room - except that I switched from the top-loader to the front-loader last week, not so that I could reach the socks at the bottom of the cylinder, but because the front-loader supposedly uses less water. Made me feel virtuous and things came out clean, so all's good.

Regarding HelloFresh and recipe storage: My collection of cookbooks takes up much too much room in my kitchen cabinets, considering that I rarely cook except for the HelloFresh meals these days. Aspirational storage, I guess. Yes, we were talking about making the recipes we like without getting the boxes, but I don't think we are quite there yet. Maybe this winter we can get into hearty soups and such.

Late check-in and I'll respond to individual comments shortly. I had virtual happy hour las tnight, which was long and wine-soaked, and then had to be up for an early blood draw for a doctor's appointment next week. AND it was at a new location, so I left even earlier to make sure I didn't get lost. After that, I had to get a document notarized for our car insurance company, and then I was going to get a pedicure, but I had left my flip-flops at home, so I came home, got those, checked on The Wayne who was "playing" with the electrical panel in the basement, and then went out again to finally get my pedi. I treated myself to a chai latte and currant scone afterwards, and now I guess I should do some work, but I don't wanna...

In books, I'm still listening to Bookmarked and I have started The Removed for my real life book group, which meets next Thursday. I'm not sure if I'll go or not, but the book is good :)

My washing machine plays a tune when you turn it on (why, you're stood right next to it), a tune when it turns off if you didn't set it to do anything and a tune when it finishes. Which is at least different from the dishwasher's 6 beeps, so that I know which one it is. It also has a rather noticeable two tone alarm sound when you've set it to go and not quite shut the door, so that you can go and shut it properly. I may have done that once or twice...

>13 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth.

>14 richardderus: - I believe I saw a new thread from you this morning. I shall be over anon to drop my greetings.

>15 bell7: - Thanks Mary! It was a good month. AFter a somewhat lackluster first half of the year, my reading the past couple of months has been much improved.

>16 PaulCranswick: - Sharing is at Mark's discretion, but he's a pretty nice guy, so you're probably in luck.

>17 weird_O: - Okay. I guess we've beaten this dead horse.

>18 scaifea: - I have successfully done laundry, so I think I'm okay with it now. I just use the "Normal" cycle and things seem to be clean, so I'll stick with that :)

>18 scaifea:, >19 lauralkeet:, >20 scaifea:, >21 drneutron: - I don't know if ours plays a tune or not because it's pretty far away from the main part of the house. Maybe once I can have the door from the kitchen down to the ground floor open, I'll be able to hear something. I just go by the time.

>22 Crazymamie: - I told my sister-in-law that I'd better find that candle in my Christmas stocking this year...

>23 karenmarie: - I've never used the signal functions on a W&D. I just go by a general sense of how long it's been - sometimes I'm too early in going down but usually it works out.

>24 laytonwoman3rd: - I am curious now whether mine has a little tune to play. I assume it must since it's fancy in every other way...

>25 ffortsa: - I'm glad I no longer have to worry about you being stuck head-first in the washer, Judy!

I'm excited to have more free time to do some cooking (which just goes to show a person can still change even at my age) - but I also have more space than you do, which helps.

>27 Helenliz: - It's a veritable cacophony, Helen!

You've gotten a lot done already today. Way to go. I've been rooting around in the junk drawer to see what I can discard or give away - always an adventure. Now that it's almost noon, I can eat my breakfast/lunch and might get out to the Greenmarket a little later for tomatos (tomatoes?) and some other stuff.

>24 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you, thank you, Linda.

ETA: >28 katiekrug: Yes. Sorry the corpse is on your thread.

--------------
We have Maytag washer and dryer, from the days before Whirlpool or whoever gobbled up Maytag. Got it from a small third-generation appliance biz. Maybe ten years ago, we talked about replacing the washer and the storeowner talked us out of it. Said the model we had was pretty much the last good Maytag, that they got calls from dealers who were shopping for that particular model.

>30 ffortsa: - It's a beautiful day for a wander down to the green market!

>31 weird_O: - I hope it continues to serve you well.

Rather than wandering downstairs while you're trying to get stuff done, have the darn things text you.

You'll know the IoT has been fully infiltrated by AIs if they start sexting you....

I've got six, count 'em SIX, new sets of flops! Two for indoors, four for out. Valerie is, like me, pretty convinced the supply chain isn't done collapsing, so she got me extras. It is so lovely to have so many delightful and generous people around me!

Late to the party but must say that my W/D plays a little tune and I like it -- ever so much better than the rude buzz blast the old ones called me with.

>33 richardderus: - TW absolutely refuses to have any "smart" appliance with wifi, bluetooth, etc. He's a very techy guy but has his limits :)

Hurrah for new slides!

>34 RebaRelishesReading: - I am now sufficiently curious enough that I am determined the next time I do laundry to lay in wait at the end and see what it does!

>35 katiekrug: "TW absolutely refuses to have any "smart" appliance with wifi, bluetooth, etc. He's a very techy guy but has his limits :)" Tomm - also a very techy guy - is constantly complaining that "people try to do too much with computers," with the implication that they never really get it right. He's...not all the wrong, really.

The idea of my washing machine being *able* to text me is disturbing.

>36 scaifea: - Totally agree.

>37 richardderus: - Indeed!

My stove is smart, which I did not know until after we purchased it. I just didn't set any of it up or even download the app. And I don't understand why I would ever want to check on or program my stove with my phone.

>39 Crazymamie: - Yeah, I mean, how hard is it to check things for yourself and adjust the temperature or whatever. One hopes people aren't leaving the house while things cook... Though given the overall dumbing down of the population, who knows?

>40 katiekrug: Right?!

>40 katiekrug: Guilty as charged... There's nothing quite like coming in on a cold day to find the casserole in the oven on timer has done its business.

>41 Crazymamie: - *fist bump*

>42 Helenliz: - Oh, see, I just could not do that - have the oven on with nobody home. I would be a paranoid mess. I don't even like leaving the slow cooker on and it's designed to be left alone!

>43 katiekrug: Same. I would have to stay home to make sure it did what I told it, which would defeat the purpose of programming it.

>44 Crazymamie: - Yup.

I realized in all the commotion of the flood, I never did an August wrap-up, so here is August's and September's!

Month in Review: August
(#s in parentheses are YTD)

Books Read: 11 (82)
Mine vs Library: 8 vs 3 (61 vs 21)

Non-US/UK Authors: 3 – Australia, India, Italy (11 - 1 Mexico, 1 Canada, 2 Australia, 1 Morocco, 2 Ireland, 1 Finland, 1 Norway, 1 Italy, 1 India)
Own Voices: 2 (14)
New-to-me Authors: 10 (45)

Best of the month: A Burning by Megha Majumdar
Worst of the month: The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Carolyn Brown
DNFs: 0 (7)

Month in Review: September
(#s in parentheses are YTD)

Books Read: 12 (94)
Mine vs Library: 11 vs 1 (72 vs 22)

Non-US/UK Authors: 1 – Brazil (12 - 1 Mexico, 1 Canada, 2 Australia, 1 Morocco, 2 Ireland, 1 Finland, 1 Norway, 1 Italy, 1 India, 1 Brazil)
Own Voices: 0 (14)
New-to-me Authors: 7 (52)

Best of the month: What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman
Worst of the month: Amethyst by Lauren Royal
DNFs: 1 (8)

Happy new-ish thread, Katie, and congrats on yet another solid reading month.

From your previous thread, I also have one of those write-in recipe books that my mom added a bunch of family recipes to and I love it always.

>44 Crazymamie:, >45 katiekrug: I will carry on with my improbably risky behaviour.

Nice round up.

>47 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky!

I'm so jealous of your recipe book.

>48 Helenliz: - I admire the dare-devil in you, Helen :)

>49 katiekrug: Me, too, Helen!

Morning, Katie!

Last night, we had a gym session and then our usual Friday dinner of salad and a frozen pizza. And we watched the 2nd episode of GBBO/S.

Ok, I really love Jurgen. He's so unassuming and modest. And talented! Freya is still my least favorite, but Lizzie grew on me a bit. Giuseppe is fine - he doesn't stand out for me. I do like George a lot. I think the decision to send Jairzeno home was right, though Rochica was pretty terrible, too.

This morning, Nuala is going to day care, where she'll also spend the night, and I have a few things to do around the house. We'll be leaving around 1:30 to drive to PA, where I'm meeting up with my soon-to-be-former boss for dinner. We'll come home tomorrow, maybe stopping at an orchard or farm stand along the way because it's apple cider donut season!

I decided to DNF The Removed - it wasn't bad, but it just wasn't holding my interest so I decided to move on. I'm now reading The Book Thief, which I tried several years ago and couldn't get into, but which has engaged me right from the get-go this time. So maybe there is hope for The Removed in the future :)

>50 Crazymamie: - Morning, Mamie!

>51 katiekrug: I completely agree with your GBBO assessments.

Wishing you safe travels. Hooray for stopping at an orchard or farm stand on the way home.

I loved The Book Thief when I read it in my pre-LT days.

Hi Katie and happy Saturday to you.

>26 katiekrug: Ah yes, blood draws. I’ll be doing the same on Monday for my appt. on the 14th. Yay for the pedicure and getting tiresome paperwork done.

>33 richardderus: Valerie is, like me, pretty convinced the supply chain isn't done collapsing Unfortunately, I agree with both of you.

>35 katiekrug: Our W&D are Bluetooth enabled but even if they’re spying on us they only see us when we’re actually in that room, and they don’t have our email addresses (yet). I think this feature would be handy if we had a problem that was diagnosable so that the tech could come to the house with the right parts if necessary and save a trip. Funny about TW not wanting any smart appliances when all your phones, tvs, ipads, computers, and etc. are ‘smart’.

We have smart garage door openers. I like them for two reasons – first, I can check the app to see if Bill’s garage door has closed around 7 a.m. (from upstairs, away from everything) and know if he’s working from home or has gone in, and like yesterday when I was absolutely convinced I hadn’t closed the garage door but only remembered on the way to the car dealership to get an oil change. Soon as I could safely check my cell phone, I did, and saw that I’d closed the garage door 20 minutes before. I could have closed it from there if necesssary.

>46 katiekrug: Excellent stats, and What is Left the Daughter is now on my wish list.

>51 katiekrug: Enjoy your dinner, overnight stay, and orchard visit.

>51 katiekrug: Have a wonderful time! Eat an extra apple-cider donut in my honor.

Like >53 Crazymamie:, I concur down the line with your GBBO assessments. The choice of leaver was a squeaker, but not the choice of a winner! That was just inarguable.

I liked The Removed a wee bit more than you seem to have done. Maybe it'll prove to be the perfect book for you at a later date, like The Book Thief.

>46 katiekrug: Good stats for such a tempestuous time, Katie.

>51 katiekrug: Adding my agreement to your GBBO comments, Katie. Although Lizzie hasn't grown on me yet. I find her hilarious but that's more about her personality than baking skills.

>56 lauralkeet: I'm pretty much there vis-à-vis your spoiler as well. Not impressed...but who knows what baking miracles will happen this year! We get them every year! Honestly though, how the heck is Amanda in this at all?! Her horse showstopper collapsed before it got near the judges...because she used the wrong dough for the task!

>57 richardderus: totally agree. Perhaps they should have dismissed more than one baker.

>58 lauralkeet: Only in thirteen years, dammit anyway.

Can you... believe... the Giants WON?

>53 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie! I'm really enjoying The Book Thief this time around. I'm glad I gave it another shot.

>54 karenmarie: - He just doesn't see the point of a refrigerator, for instance, being "smart." Other things, yes (like your garage door openers!) but it just seems like overkill in some applications.

>55 richardderus: - I didn't get a donut, so I couldn't eat an extra one :(

I'll probably give The Removed another shot, as I didn't *hate* it. I just couldn't gin up much enthusiasm for it.

Yes, I was surprised that I managed to read so much last month...

>56 lauralkeet: - I probably should have clarified that my comments are mostly based on their personalities, not their baking skills. I figure Paul and Prue can suss that out for me - I just care about who I enjoy watching :)

>57 richardderus: - That was such a dumb move on Amanda's part. And I question whether she really did successfully execute in 3 times while practicing...

>58 lauralkeet: and >59 richardderus: - Didn't Amanda do okay in the other challenge(s), though? I know we all remember the show-stopper round because it's, well, show-stopping, but the decision's not made just on that.

>60 bell7: - I nearly died of shock!

>61 katiekrug: re: >60 bell7: I legitimately danced around in my living room at the end.

>62 bell7: - Love it!

My visit with my boss was really nice. We met for a drink before dinner, and he brought me a gift of two very nice bottles of wine :) After the dinner, we went to another place for more drinks and chatting, and it was just lovely to spend some non-work time catching up. Knowing that he is really busy and over-worked and could have spent those several hours answering emails and working but made time for more than just a cursory visit with me really meant a lot. I am glad I went.

The next morning was a bit rough after all those drinks, so The Wayne and I just came home rather than finding an orchard or farm stand to stop at. I was useless the rest of the day and just watched football (Giants won!). I rallied enough to let TW take me out to dinner (shrimp scampi) and then I basically went to bed and slept straight through until morning. I am feeling much better today!

And as I was typing this, the FedEx man showed up with a package for me - two of my colleagues in Dubai sent me a gift and sweet note. So this day has started off nicely!

Morning, Katie! Your visit with your boss sounds full of fabulous. How lovely that he took the time to be so thoughtful.

Hooray for the Giants win! There was much noise at the Pecan Paradisio about it.

Surprise gifting?! And on a Monday, too.

>65 Crazymamie: - I didn't make much noise, as The Wayne was napping, but I was very happy! And yes - gifts on a Monday! I had to check the calendar and make sure I wasn't confused about what day of the week it was...

My boss is great. I said to TW on the drive home that most people probably leave their jobs because of their boss, but for me, the worst part about leaving is not getting to work with him. We just get along on a human level, as well as work well together, and have complimentary personalities that allow us to "get" each other really well. I hope we'll keep in touch.

What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman

"Your mother was the love of my life. I was not the love of hers. You became the love of both of ours."

This is a difficult book to describe - there is wry humor, bleakness, plenty of pathos, and a wonderful narrative voice. The story is told as a letter from a father to his daughter, whom he has not seen since she was a child. It tells of his life in Nova Scotia primarily during World War II and the post-war period, and what a story it is - love triangles, suicide, unrequited love, murder... It may sound melodramatic but it isn't. And the story is populated by fascinating, complex characters. I relished every page of this book, and it is now very much a favorite.

5 stars

>67 katiekrug: What a lovely appreciation of the book! The line you chose...*chef's kiss* truly says it all about the book and its affect.

>64 katiekrug: Well, few Mondays in life are better started than this one was. I'm so glad you decided to leave because you're leaving with fond sadness...not in an angry dudgeon. That means so much more than is possible to explain to anyone who hasn't done it.

>68 richardderus: - Thank you, RD!

I am also glad I'm leaving in a relatively good place. If I waited much longer, I think it would have been different. So yes, "fond sadness" it is.

>67 katiekrug: And....that's a BB for me! Sounds great. Glad to hear boss visit was so positive.

What a lovely dinner and who can resist presents, even on a Monday morning.

>67 katiekrug: This sounds great, Katie. Onto the list it goes.

Your boss sounds great. I'm glad you got a good bye visit. How many days left?

Aw, yay for surprise gifts!

I *loved* my boss at the library and we've remained good friends, and my current boss is equally excellent, so I understand how great it can be to have a good one!

So glad you're being properly honored and thanked as you move into "retirement". Good for them!! Revel in it these last few days.

>70 vivians: - Hope you like it, Vivian!

>71 Helenliz: - It was certainly a nice way to start the week!

>72 BLBera: - I hope you like the Norman, Beth.

I have 17 days left (13 work days)!

>73 scaifea: - I've only had one bad boss, and that was only for a year and a half, thank God :)

>74 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

I've spent far too much time today organizing our anniversary treat for later this month. I got tickets to Alton Brown's show "Beyond the Eats" at a venue on the Upper West Side. The Wayne loves him, and we've seen him in person a few times - it's always a fun time. And what took up the bulk of my wasted time was trying to decide on a restaurant for dinner beforehand. I've narrowed it down to three and may just have TW choose - a Thai, an Italian, and a Georgian (country, not state). I'm leaning towards the last since we have plenty of Italian and Thai places in our town...

>76 katiekrug: Ooo! +1 on the Georgian...I can't think of a cuisine I just wouldn't try but trying one of which I was completely unaware would, by itself, be a great gift.

>77 richardderus: - I went to a Georgian restaurant in Moscow many moons ago (2006, I believe) and remember enjoying it... Haven't had it since!

OMG, I *love* Alton Brown!! That sounds like so much fun! SUch a cool anniversary you've got planned there, Katie.

>79 scaifea: - I checked - the show will be in Columbus at the Palace Theater next March. You're welcome :)

https://www.altonbrownlive.com/altonbrown/event/Columbus

Couldn't happen to a nicer company:



If you're on Twitter, some of the memes related to this massive outage are *hilarious*...

>81 katiekrug: I am so very replete with schadenfreude over this.

>80 katiekrug: OoooooOOOOOooo...

My only problem with the outage was that I couldn't play some games on FB when I was chatting with my daughter today. I guess it's back up, eh?

My daughter communicates with her boss solely through Messenger...having FB down for most of the day was a mixed blessing!

>1 katiekrug: I am going to have to steal that idea and start listing out the books off my shelf and audiobooks. I do not read a lot of e-books, but I am making a determined attempt to read more off my own shelf. Thanks for the idea, Katie.

Have a great week!

>82 richardderus: - As was I.

>83 scaifea: - It would be fun for Charlie, too, I bet!

>84 karenmarie: - Plenty of sources for games out there!

>85 laytonwoman3rd: - I guess that's the risk one runs in using it like that.

>86 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia! Nice to see you :)

Busy day today - I need to take Nuala to day care, do a quick grocery run, actually get some work done, do at least one load of laundry, pick Nuala up from day care, don my Yankees shirt, and go out to watch the Wild Card game. Our pub canceled trivia tonight because of the game, which is sort of silly to me - I was looking forward to playing and keeping an eye on the baseball. *shrug*

Oh, and I have to draft and send a strongly worded email to our remediation project manager who has been incommunicado.... Grrr.

Still reading and enjoying The Book Thief. I'm about halfway through...

>51 katiekrug: Huge fan of The Book Thief here despite a solo movie version. I got my F2F book group to read it a few years back - despite doubts about reading a "Children's book" - but the reaction from the group was strongly positive.

We're learning from this outage how much Facebook is the mortar that connects waaaaay too much of our lives. If FaceBook is down you can't play games or get authenticated to umpteen other sites then it is time to call the Revolution.

Judy and I saw "The Facebook Whistleblower" on Sixty Minutes the other night. She nails the problem - not sure if she (or anyone) has the solution. Government oversight of Facebook would be like Dazzy Duck and Porky Pig overseeing the Federal Reserve Bank - they use dont have the technical know-how or the smarts. Maybe no one does.

The talk about talking washing machines reminds me that when you finish a Crossword puzzle on the New York Times Online site it plays a little cheerful tune. When I hear the tune chirping from Judy's tablet I know she has (once again) finished a puzzle before me.

>89 magicians_nephew: - I am not sure why I didn't connect with TBT the first time I tried it, but I'm glad I gave it another chance!

Facebook is a mess and a menace. I use it, but I hate myself for it.

I do love the NYT Crossword tune, especially on Saturdays since conquering the Saturday puzzle is always a challenge.

Tuesday. Yes. Well, yours is going to be so busy that I need a lie-down after just reading about it.

But it sounds like a pretty good one over all, since it's kinda washed-out outside. Again.

>91 richardderus: - I could use some sunshine, but other than that, it's all good :)

So, this is a fascinating read... https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/05/magazine/dorland-v-larson.html

Probably behind a paywall, but if there's an allotment of free articles, this one is worth burning one on...

>67 katiekrug: Sold. Adding this one to the wishlist.

Re the restaurant for your anniversary. Can you go to more than one?

>93 katiekrug: *sigh* It's the fifth...they tell me I have no more free articles...turns out, ever.

Seems shortsighted to me, but they are the ones who make the rules.

>94 charl08: - I hope you like it!

We've been known to do "progressive" dinners out, where we have an appetizer at one place, an entree at another, and dessert at a third. But we have a smallish window for an early dinner before the show starts, so one place it is. And we are doing the Georgian :)

>95 richardderus: - Damn! Well, it was in this past Sunday's NYT Magazine, so if you can get your hands on a physical copy...

The Yankees lost last night - barely made a game of it, which was disappointing. But we had fun at the pub. Tonight we've got the gym, and then TW has a PT session afterwards, so I'll get some reading in. Fridge Raid for dinner when we finally get back after 8:00pm.

This morning, we have to drive up to the car dealership to get an inspection sticker for the car. We only just realized it didn't have one, so we've been driving around obliviously for almost a month :-P Then just regular work.

Still enjoying The Book Thief. Bookmarked, my current audio, is okay but not great. Good enough to not stop listening but not good enough to make me find time to listen...

Sounds like a very adult-y day, Katie. Hope it's as productive as you need it to be.

Your anniversary outing sounds lovely. I've never seen Alton Brown in person but loved his TV shows and imagine he'd be even better in person. I'm most interested in your Georgian dinner. What distinguishes Georgian food?

>98 MickyFine: - I hate adult-y days. I may have to try to slip some fun in there somewhere...

>99 RebaRelishesReading: - TBH, Reba, I'm not sure what distinguishes Georgian food. Hopefully how good it is? Ha!

This is the restaurant: https://www.chamamama.com

Alton Brown is a delight in person. His tour includes Portland, I believe...

>100 katiekrug: Hmmm, Portland, eh?

Checked out the menu at the Georgian restaurant. Looks most interesting. The breads and desserts are MOST attractive. The rest looks very interesting. It seems like it's pretty seasonal and has a fair amount of pumpkin at the moment though (which I don't like) so maybe another season for me but I think it's great to have a resource like that near you.

>101 RebaRelishesReading: - :)

>102 RebaRelishesReading: - Hmm - I did not notice an over-abundance of pumpkin (which I also don't love). I expect TW will get some manner of kebab, and I'm intrigued by the chicken in walnut sauce. Doesn't the bread sound amazing? I want it all!

I hope it's as good a Humpday as the Yank-mes weren't yesternight, Katie!

*smooch*

>103 katiekrug: Someone MUST order the "Roasted vegetable rogue with eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper and Georgian spices", please. I note that Shake Shack is around the block and Levain bakery is down the street if dinner is a bust.

>105 ELiz_M: I would have ordered it had I been there. Sounds wonderful!

Happy Wednesday, Katie!

Judy and i were in Tblisi, Republic of Georgia some years ago and visited a Georgian vineyard.

Aging the wine in clay pots instead of barrels makes a unique wine we loved it,

Happy anniversary!

>100 katiekrug: That is an intriguing cuisine...I am a bit green with envy.

>104 richardderus: - Ha! Thanks :) It was a decent day.

>105 ELiz_M: - Who can resist a vegetable rogue?!?

>106 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia! Happy now Thursday to you.

>107 magicians_nephew: - I really enjoyed the Georgian wine I had in Moscow, Jim. It was also a bit of a taste of the forbidden because at the time, there was a ban on the import of wine from Georgia by the Russian government, but one of our Board members knew where to get some...

>108 laytonwoman3rd: - Well, New York's not *that* far, Linda.... :D

Nothing much to report. Yesterday was fine, the gym was fine, dinner was fine. I did sleep very well, which was nice. I have about 100 pages left in The Book Thief and hope to finish it today.

>110 katiekrug: Hopefully today is better than fine. The work days countdown is getting smaller at the very least.

>111 MickyFine:- Thanks, Micky! I didn't mean to make it sound so glum, which it does as I read over >110 katiekrug:. It was just boring :)

Today, at least, we are getting short glimpses of sun! And Nuala is at day care so it's very quiet. And my work replacement has been named, so I can begin to pawn off work onto her :-P

>112 katiekrug: "my work replacement has been named, so I can begin to pawn off work onto her" Have a wonderful time with that! I remember when I was going on maternity leave (and they hired TWO people to serve in my absence) I got such a kick out of the glazed looks in their eyes...Of course, I don't suppose you'll get to see that.

>112 katiekrug: ...but the right *kind* of boring: the gently tedious pleasant Stuff of Life kind of boring, not the grinding ennui of "please let lightning strike before this bore inhales another gust of hot air to fry my brain with another Nothingburger".

>113 laytonwoman3rd: So they doubled your pay when you returned, right?...Right?

Hi, Katie! I loved The Book Thief when I read it, um, last year? Earlier this year? Yoicks. I can't remember.

>113 laytonwoman3rd: - Oh, I'll see the glazed look - thanks video calls :) She's an internal hire, and I think they are going to have her transition 50-50 for a while, which will be really hard on her. I'm going to suggest to my boss that that not last very long or she won't have a chance to make a really good first impression on the Board before the next meeting in January.

>114 richardderus: - Ha! That made me chortle. Such a way with words you have... And you are, of course, totally right!

>115 scaifea: - Snork @ your comment to Linda!

It's a good one, Amber. I'm in the home stretch and sort of dreading the end - both for what might happen and for it being over.

>115 scaifea: HA! One of those people was fired before I came back because she couldn't stop with the "this isn't how we did it in Connecticut" nonsense, and the other one left to sell gas leases or something. They should have TRIPLED my pay, is what.

>112 katiekrug: Yay for pawning off work!

Well Katie, I'm sure no one can truly replace you but it's great they've appointed someone. It's getting real now isn't it?

>118 laytonwoman3rd: - I'm sure they were glad to have you back!

>119 MickyFine: - Indeed! And copying her on emails about stuff I soon won't need to worry about :)

>120 lauralkeet: - Aww, that's what my boss said (to me, not to her!). Very real now - two weeks from today is my last day - so only 10 more actual work days...

TGIFF! I'll let you guess what that extra F is for...

After work and retrieving Nuala from day care, The Wayne and I went to Lowe's to pick up the electrical panel he'd ordered, plus a new washing machine hose (ours was leaking...) and a battery for my car key fob. Such excitement. Then we went to a taco and tequila bar for... tacos and tequila (well, skinny margaritas). Today is work, a routine doctor's appointment where I'll also get my flu shot, and then frozen pizza and salad and GBBO/S. No gym tonight, as Joel the Devil is out of town. And that bastard has informed us that he's moving to Florida in January to be with his boyfriend, so we have to find a new trainer. I am so bummed :(

I finished The Book Thief yesterday, and have started on That Night by Alice McDermott, which is very good so far.

Morning, Katie! Hooray for transitioning someone to take over for you. And BOO to Joel moving - what a bummer.

>123 Crazymamie: - Is it wrong of me to hope they break up before he moves?

Hi Katie!

It all sounds good except for JtD abandoning you in January. How dare he?

>124 katiekrug: Right?! And Florida is so hot.

>125 karenmarie: - My thoughts exactly, Karen. The nerve!

>126 Crazymamie: - And so Florida-y! Gross.

>127 katiekrug:, >124 katiekrug: Yech! So fucking Flahdah-y, what is Joel thinking not to bring the BF to civilization and away from DeathSantis?!? No, you are not wrong for wanting Joel's best interests to be served.

>122 katiekrug: Yay for good fucking Fridays! *smooch*

I got my Friday review up without hassle or hitch. Thank the good internet dieties.

Oh, The Book Thief! Like Jim, I'm a big fan. I hope it's working for you.

Sorry to see you're losing Joel. Having a trainer who's good and simpatico makes all the difference,

Who moves to FLORIDA these days??

>130 laytonwoman3rd: I guess love clouds clear reason...

>128 richardderus: - Yay for no hitches in posting!

Apparently, the BF did live up here at some point? That's how they first met and started dating and then broke up and he moved to Florida. I told JtD he was insane for moving there, especially right now...

>129 jnwelch: - Hi Joe - Yep, I gave it 4.5 stars! And you are so right about the trainer. JtD was perfect for us. I don't like any of the other trainers near as much, so not sure what we'll do...

>130 laytonwoman3rd: - RIGHT?!?!

>131 drneutron: - Or a desire to live...

>132 katiekrug: Oh dear...my old-cynic hat is squeezing hard with the worry about him moving there, cratering, and having to move back...

Briefly, happy Friday, hurrah to hand overs, boo to Florida and moving.
>:-)

What a bummer for you to lose Joel!! I agree with all the comments about Florida, however, and hope Joel will see the light very quickly and head back to NJ. Personally, I'm thrilled with the thought that now that s-i-l has passed I never have to go to FL again!! ever!!!

>133 richardderus: - Same.

>134 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen :)

>135 RebaRelishesReading: - I was very glad when my MIL moved to Virginia so I had no reason to ever go back (much to TW's chagrin, as he still has love for his home state). I did like Key West a lot, so I might go back there one day...

Dang. Sorry to hear you have to find a new devil.

My experience of Florida is limited to a trip to Orlando/Universal/Disney World for my birthday several years ago, which I enjoyed tremendously. But I wouldn't want to live there - even the airport smelled like swamp. :P

I think #GBBO went for the proper person going home. And not a second too soon. That birdcage...! Reminded me of the cage on poor Linda's gypsy tart that sent her home last year.

I was a tiny bit surprised at the baker who chose a Tentacled American for a showstopper...I'd've bet that a different baker George the Cypriot! would've chosen it.

And star baker *really* earned it. Wow.

The Age of Misadventure by Judy Leigh...secret love, family loyalty, a well-meaning if slightly too self-effacing Woman of a Certain Age, an intervention on the Sussex coast with some very amusing misunderstandings, a boatload of prosecco...99¢
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07D462H6R

>128 richardderus: Boy and I thought the extra "F" was for

Thank God Its Friday Forever!

>138 richardderus: What Richard said. I was very pleased with the star baker, who did a fabulous job.

Sorry to hear about Joel the Devil's impending departure, Katie. I hope you're able to find a suitable new trainer.

>137 MickyFine: - Florida also has one of the worst governors in the US who seems very intent on killing as many people as possible. Hard pass!

>138 richardderus: - Agree with all of that!

>139 richardderus: - *sigh*

>140 magicians_nephew: - Ha! It's like you don't even know me ;-)

>141 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. I'm totally bummed because it's hard enough to motivate myself to go to the gym...

We are shortly going out for a quick trip to a used book sale at a local school and then we'll come home to do some flood-related stuff. Oh joy.

Our town had a major water main break yesterday and we are under a boil advisory which is all sorts of fun... :-P

I should finish up That Night today - not sure what's next. I have a book out from Overdrive, but The Wayne is messing with our wifi, so I can't currently download it to my Kindle. Annoying.

Hi Katie, and happy Saturday to you!

>130 laytonwoman3rd: My husband’s aunt will be moving to Florida next summer to be near her daughter/SiL/disabled granddaughter. I’m pretty sure she’d be happier if they lived somewhere else, but the SiL is from Florida. And my friend Louise’s daughter/SiL are moving to FL sometime in 2022 and Louise is torn about whether to go down there with them or stay up here in the home she loves and to be near her mentally-fragile son. I absolutely do not see the appeal of Florida.

>143 katiekrug: I hope you find some excellent books at the book sale. Boil advisory? I hope that ends soon.

YAY! book sale EW flood stuff OH FFS boil alert

...that about covers it...

Ooof, boil water advisory is rough. Hopefully the book sale yields some gems!

>143 katiekrug: Nuts to the boil advisory. What a nuisance. Hope it doesn't have to last too long.

>144 karenmarie: Years ago my parents bought a small trailer in a lovely (so I'm told) park in Orange City, Florida, and became "snow birds". It surprised the heck out of me. I never thought my Dad would do such a thing. They seemed to love it. As I think back on it, I can't remember them ever suggesting we come to visit while they were there! My daughter and my niece did spend a week with them when they were teenagers. All of this, naturally, was waaaay before COVID and 24/7 political warfare.

Patiently waiting to see what you picked up from the book sale. . .

Hope all the bad stuff goes away soon!

>93 katiekrug: I'd breezed by this article orihinally but went back to it when you pointed it out. I agree that it's interesting, and don't know where I come down in the controversy. Any thoughts?

>144 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! I found lots of goodies and the boil advisory was over by the time we got home.

>145 richardderus: - A concise summation!

>146 MickyFine: - It was a great sale and we both got too much. Plus, we went back this morning for $5 bags :)

>147 laytonwoman3rd: - It was pretty short-lived, thank goodness!

>148 alcottacre: - I'll try to get organized and take a photo later today, I promise :)

>149 ffortsa: - I thought the article was so well-done in creating tension and also swinging the sympathy of the reader back and forth. At the end of it, I was more Team Larson, because though she was catty and maybe not very kind, Dorland seemed just so out of bounds, from the checking to see who had liked her Facebook posts and reaching out to people who hadn't, to basically stalking LArson at online events... just. No.

Yesterday was super busy, but in a mostly good way. We ended it by playing cards and eating Chinese food - what could be better?

We did get some icky flood-related work stuff done, so that was good. There is more to do today, but it's grey and drizzly, so I'm going to focus on indoor chores. I also need to get to the grocery store soonish, so I can start the turkey chili for dinner. And there's laundry, and vacuuming, and general picking up to do.

We returned to the book sale this morning, where you could fill a bag (provided by the staff) for $5. Your second bag was free, so we got 4 bags full for $10. I'll try to unpack everything and take a photo of my part of the haul. Apparently, I am starting a Modern Library collection, because I couldn't resist those handsome looking hardcovers...

>151 katiekrug: We returned to the book sale this morning, where you could fill a bag (provided by the staff) for $5. Your second bag was free, so we got 4 bags full for $10. I'll try to unpack everything and take a photo of my part of the haul. Apparently, I am starting a Modern Library collection, because I couldn't resist those handsome looking hardcovers...

Your virtuous actions are rewarded in your favorite kind!

Cool about the Modern Library idea. Those're gonna be some lovely shelves!

Library sales can't be beat. I'll be looking forward to photos and lists for what you got. I'm always asked for that "proof of purchase". :-)

I love the old Modern Library editions. They are so comfortable to hold while reading, and they look cool. Chafing to see which ones you picked up.

Oh, yes, I can't wait to see your book sale booty, too! I love those Modern Library editions.

Hi Richard, Bill, Linda, and Amber!

I'll try to get that photo taken today. Things are a bit hectic at the moment - I'm gearing up to fight with our flood claims adjuster. They are saying they'll pay us what amounts to about a third of the money we've already laid out, which doesn't include the mold remediation, new HVAC, etc. GRRRRRR!

>154 laytonwoman3rd:, >155 scaifea: What they said.

Morning, Katie!

Hi Katie!

One third? Yeesh. Go get'em!

>156 katiekrug: ¡Suerte, comadre!

>150 katiekrug: Agreed. You do something noble, and wait for applause? My only problem was the almost total quote of the letter, which Larson could have attributed in some way.

>159 richardderus: What Karen said. Insurance companies have such a vested interest in saying no.

>156 katiekrug: A new "retirement" job for you: getting a fair shake form the insurance company. I'm sure you're up for it and wish you the bet of luck!

Good luck with the insurance company.

>157 Crazymamie: - Afternoon, Mamie!

>158 karenmarie: - Ha! Thanks, Karen.

>159 richardderus: - Gracias!

>160 ffortsa: - I agree, Judy. There were some things (many?) that Larson did that weakened my sympathy for her, but if I had to choose a side....

>161 ffortsa: - Yep!

>162 RebaRelishesReading: - Flood stuff is going to be a big part of my post-work life, at least for a while...

>163 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen!

The haul.



I'm such a tease - I know you can't read the titles. I have some close-up shots that I'll post in a bit. Back to work now!

>165 katiekrug: Nice haul. And yes, you are a tease.

>165 katiekrug: Cruel COOL!

Crikey! That's some haul there. Good going, Katie!!

Ooh new stash of books. Looks good! In a very blurry kind of way. I can just about make out JDRobb (I think?)

Okay, I have a few minutes before a meeting.

Here is the close-up shot of the books at the bottom:

The 3 hardcovers on the right are nice editions of books I've loved - I have them all in paperback but for $2 each, decided the hardcovers were worth it. The Graftons are because they had a bunch, it was $5 bag day, and I have "A" so.... The Robbs are two I haven't read yet...

And here are the books at the top (ha! I see I got a duplicate - oops):

OoooooOOOOoo The Latin Poets!! Some extremely good stuff in there.

ohhhhh! Noice.

>171 scaifea: - Maybe I'll actually read it. In your honor, of course.

>172 Helenliz: - I was pleased :)

The Wayne also got some good stuff, but I haven't perused it all yet.

>170 katiekrug: Lovely!

A most excellent haul!

>170 katiekrug:, >165 katiekrug: Oh.

Oh my. Lovely lovely lovely. *happy sigh*

Ooh even better in close up.

Let us not speak of >169 charl08: which must have overlapped. Right? (!!)

Thanks, all! Now to find space...

>177 charl08: - Right!

#sorrynotsorry
$2.99 for Your Brain on Facts: Things You Didn't Know, Things You Thought You Knew, and Things You Never Knew You Never Knew and it's got a 4+ star average rating.
https://smile.amazon.com/Your-Brain-Facts-Thought-Quizzes-ebook/dp/B0856X32C3/
One for you, one for The Wayne.

TWO copies of The Education of Henry Adams?
Seriously, lovely haul. And I don't have ANY of those in ML editions.

>165 katiekrug: Excellent mantle haul – then I scrolled down and saw the hearth haul.

>170 katiekrug: Yay for close ups.

Nice library haul, Katie! ALMOST makes up for the team-which-will-not-be-named.

>170 katiekrug: Officially jealous of the hardbacks, Katie.

Tennyson and Tom Jones, the Latins and Dorian Gray. Byron, Homer and GBS - wow that is a treasure trove.

>179 richardderus: - *shakes fist*

>180 laytonwoman3rd: - Yeah, oops. One has a weird mark on the spine, as you can see in the photo. But I'd be happy to send it your way for your ML collection if you'd like!

>181 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen.

>182 bell7: - I can't even with TTWWNBN... Thanks re: the haul :)

>183 PaulCranswick: - I am pleased with my finds for sure.

Nice haul, Katie. Thanks for the close-up.

>165 katiekrug: >170 katiekrug: Excellent work, madame. Good stuff. Lotta upper crust lit. Mmmm. Poetry.

Piffle on two copies of Henry Adams. It's two copies too many, but never mind. Time, the magazine guys, published a line of literature, and for some reason, the split the Adams book into two volumes.

>185 BLBera: - You're welcome, Beth.

>186 weird_O: - I probably won't read most of the ML editions, but they remind me of my parents who had a large collection of them.

>184 katiekrug: Thanks for the offer, Katie. But I have three volumes s of Henry Adams in the Library of America editions (including his Education), and that's more of him than anyone probably needs!

>188 laytonwoman3rd: - Totally understand, Linda!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I may be the last person in the world to read this wonderful novel, but after one false start with it several years ago, I'm glad I gave it another go. The story is well-known by now so I won't rehash it, but I loved Zusak's imagination, his writing, and his ability to put into words what so many of us find powerful and important about books and stories. That simple words can do so much - inspire good and evil, preserve stories, perpetuate legacies - never ceases to amaze me. I think Zusak must feel the same way.

4.5 stars

That Night by Alice McDermott

I had mixed feelings about this short novel. The writing was superb - evocative and powerful - but I had trouble getting past the 10-year old narrator as somehow omniscient. It just kept removing me from the story. Maybe having a quasi-unreliable narrator was part of the point, but if so, it didn't enhance my reading. That said, I come back to the writing which made me pause several times in appreciation. McDermott's evocation of a suburban childhood in the early 1960s seemed spot on (I say "seemed" since my own childhood was two decades later in a rural setting) and certainly her evocation of childhood and the mystery of the adult world was well done.

3.75 stars

>190 katiekrug: Glad to hear that you gave it another shot, Katie. I loved it too. I really need to re-read it one of these days.

>191 katiekrug: I think I may give that one a try in future, but give it a pass for now.

>165 katiekrug: et sec Wow! I'm impressed!

>190 katiekrug: Not last. I haven't read it.

>191 katiekrug: It's accurate.

>190 katiekrug: Reba and me.

Hi, Katie! Congrats on the book haul. I love the look of those classic titles. I am also very glad to hear you finally got to The Book Thief and loved it to boot.

>192 alcottacre: - The Book Thief is a really special book.

>193 RebaRelishesReading: - Oh, do read it, Reba! I found the beginning a little hard to engage with but it soon gets going.

>194 richardderus: - Well, glad I'm not last... :)

>195 msf59: - Thanks, Mark!

I'm dragging a bit this morning, thanks to a somewhat late night. After trivia (we came in 6th of 18 teams), we came home and The Wayne showed me all the books he'd snagged at the book sale. I love how varied his interests are - he got cookbooks, some naval history, some classics, some gardening how-tos, some Dave Barry... Quite a range!

This morning, I have another call with my successor at work - we meet for an hour every morning now. She's sharp and asks good questions, so I think she'll do great. And if she doesn't - well, people will just remember me fondly. Heh. Then this afternoon, I have my regular call with my boss and in between I'll continue trying to organize things so I don't leave a total mess.

Gym tonight, followed by physical therapy for TW. So a late dinner, which I think will be tortellini with hot pepper and garlic sauce. Nice and easy...

After finishing a forgettable romance novel, I started All the Young Men, a memoir by a woman who cared for AIDS patients in Arkansas in the 1980s. It's pretty good so far. I can't remember where I first heard about it... Unusually for me, I have two nonfiction going at the same time, as I'm still listening to Bookmarked.

>197 katiekrug: The Wayne definitely has eclectic tastes. I'm entirely in sync with them all! I know what would make me want to buy each category's winners.

I'd say "enjoy your new read" but enjoying a memoir about such a difficult passage through the end of peoples' lives isn't precisely meant to be "enjoyed." Learned from, appreciated, well one hopes so, but pleasure ain't precisely in it.

>198 richardderus: - You are so right about enjoying vs appreciating...

Not much on the agenda today - still wrapping things up at work and taking delight in getting emails about stuff and thinking "This is not my problem" :) A week from today, I'll be in my last hours of employment - crazy!

No change in the books I'm working on...

Tonight is virtual happy hour, so dinner will be some manner of delivery, but I told The Wayne he could choose.

Wish I had more of interest to share, but such is life at the moment.

Delivery followed by drunkenness! How delicious. Have a great time.

Will you keep VHHing after your grand departure?

>201 richardderus: - The VHHs will continue despite my departure - I am looking forward to all of the gossip with none of the angst :D

>201 richardderus: - Umm, also, maybe I won't overindulge this time? There's a first time for everything...

>200 katiekrug: A week from today -- wow! How time has flown. I hope you have French 75 ingredients at the ready. Thanks to you, that was my retirement party cocktail so I will forever associate it with that last slide down the dinosaur tail.

>204 lauralkeet: - I will have to think about getting the makings for a French 75, Laura! We are going out to a nice restaurant for dinner Thursday evening - it's BYOB and I'm bringing a fancy bottle of wine we've been saving. But no reason I can't pre-game dinner with a nice cocktail...

>203 katiekrug: Of course, of course. No one could possibly doubt it.

Wow! Only one more week to go!! Good thing, too, because that was quite a book haul you got. And props for the price tag, too. Much cheaper than the four I bought at NY's Strand Bookstore. LOL I did miss getting the chance to see you though, so next time is a must!! And hopefully home repairs won't interfere! Good luck with the insurance company.

>190 katiekrug: Not even close to being last Katie.

Congratulations on moving closer to doing whatever you were meant to do in this life Katie. You really impress me.

Morning, Katie! It's Friday!! I left a note on Susan's thread, too, just to let you both know that I have started my reread of Nineteen Eighty-Four. I am reading it chapter by chapter alongside the new GN version that Birdy gifted me. I wanted to see what got cut from the original to make it fit into the GN.

Morning, Katie.

>165 katiekrug: A swoonable photo. Thanks for the later closeups. What a haul! The icing on the cake must've been the two Robbs you haven't read.

>206 richardderus: - I am happy to report that I am hangover-free this morning!

>207 Berly: - Thanks, Kim! I promise I won't miss out again!

>208 brenzi: - Well, thank you, Bonnie. I think I'm just lazy, but I'll take the compliment ;-)

>209 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie! Thanks for the reminder. I forgot we were reading that this month. Guess I'd better saddle up!

>210 jnwelch: - Morning, Joe. I usually get the Robbs from the library, but sometimes there is a wait list, so when I see them in print or on Kindle for cheap, I snap them up :)

Morning, all! I had a very nice virtual happy hour yesterday evening (and dinner ended up being a grilled chicken sub with cheese, onions, lettuce and mayo on a delicious toasted roll...). My friends have promised me I can still participate even once I am no longer with the company but I had to promise not to tell them to "just quit" whenever they complain about something :D

On the good news front, our mold remediation will be starting on Monday morning - hooray! And once that's done, we can get our new duct work and HVAC unit finally. I think we'll then take the winter off before addressing the asbestos and repairing all the damage. The old bank account needs a break...

I'm still reading the same books, so nothing new to report there. I am running out of things to do for work, which is kind of fun. Tonight we have a gym session and then frozen pizza and salad and the latest GBBO/S episode (though I know who went home because I forgot to unfollow the show's Facebook page and I caught a spoiler this morning... oh well...)

Happy Friday, Katie!

Wow. One week to go before you start your new adventure.

Good news about the mold remediation starting so that the duct work/HVAC can be done.

>212 katiekrug: When you watch it, you will see *WHY* the home-goer went home, and the Star Baker was who it was. Seldom is it this clear.

There's getting to be nothing to do. Oh, that's simply lovely.

I'm glad your hangover is so mild that you can blag it off so glibly! *smooch*

>213 karenmarie: - Lots of things to be happy about today, Karen!

>214 richardderus: - Mild schmild. It's non-existent :)

Looking forward to our Friday night ritual of watching the bakers - even knowing some of the outcome doesn't ruin it for me.

I can't believe I almost forgot to mention.... It's Nuala's birthday! She is two years old and a total nutball. We love her.

>216 katiekrug: Happy birthday, Nuala, and happy Friday, Katie!

>216 katiekrug: Happy birthday to a very good girl (unlike her puppymommy)! I love how dogs understand the reason to smile at the camera.

Happy Friday, Katie. Happy Birthday, Nuala!

Happy Birthday, Nuala! I hope the birthday fairy brings you a nice, meaty bone :)

>217 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia!

>218 richardderus: - HEY!

>219 msf59: - Thank you, Mark!

>220 RebaRelishesReading: - She is getting all sorts of treats today, Reba :)

Oh man. One week to go. I'm not jealous At All.
Harumph.

Happy birthday Nuala.

Happy birthday to Nuala!

Glad to hear it's shaping up to be a great Friday and that the amount of work is really starting to wane.

>222 charl08: - #sorrynotsorry

I'll pass on the birthday wishes!

>223 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky!

I spent some time this afternoon tidying my desk area and making a pile of things to send to my successor. Now I'm just sort of twiddling my thumbs waiting for a decent hour to stop pretending to work :-P

Happy Birthday, Nuala!!

>216 katiekrug: What a pretty face, Nuala! Happy Birthday.

>216 katiekrug: Belated happy Barkday, Nuala!

Happy birthday Nuala! I hope there was the doggy equivalent of cake.

One more week to go. Make the most of the final countdown!
Have an excellent weekend.

Nuala thanks you for the birthday wishes, Mamie, Linda, Anita, and Helen!

>228 Helenliz: - I'm trying, Helen :)

Late check-in here, as we had to go pick up a U-Haul truck early this morning to move stuff to our storage unit. TW is doing most of that and I'm just on "stand-by" for any help he needs. Fine by me... I did go pick up lunch because I'm nice like that :)

Last night was the gym, then frozen pizza and salad, and the latest episode of GBBO/S. Richard was right about how obvious the loser was, and I was not sorry to see her go. And I was super happy for the winner who did an amazing job on all 3 bakes. Freya still annoys the fuck out of me - I find her accent grating and wonder if it's a regional accent or just how she talks? And I only understand about half of what Lizzie says, but she's turning out to be quite fun and a good sport.

I've finished two books today, and have started 1984 for my shared read with Mamie. Not sure what will be next on audio...

Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

I loved the first novel by Gibson that I read - See Jane Score. It nicely combined romance, sports, and humor for a satisfying read. Ever since, I've tried to find something equally good among her many contemporary romances and have not been able to. I think I'm done trying.

Not Another Bad Date isn't terrible. It was just the definition of meh - writing that was merely serviceable, not much believable chemistry, and - horror of horrors! - riddled with minor details that made no sense like a character inviting a friend over to watch an NFL game in the fall on a Saturday night, when anyone who knows anything about it knows the NFL doesn't play Saturday games until the post-season.

3 stars

>230 katiekrug: That really stood out re: star baker, didn't it...did more than anyone but one baker, and unlike the other baker did it right; produced a good technical, leaving aside the toffee-that-should've-been-caramel; and that *STUNNING* pavlova!

BUT the homegoer Maggie was a giant drag. "Classics are classics because they're classics and I don't see any need to be anything more than what I am right now and I don't like desserts so I don't know how to make them" eeeccchhh made me want to scream.

The "your akashic record has been purged, goodbye" Freya...dear goddesses that NAME what are they white supremacists? and the vegan this, vegan that, I think Prue's Over It so she required that the little chickie make an eggy dish (that failed! the schadenfreude was extreme) as punishment for being such a pill. Please, please, please let her go home next because she really spoils my pleasure.

I gave up on Lizzie's accent. No idea what she's saying at all.

>232 richardderus: - I forgot about Chigs' mishap with the caramel! But a relatively minor mishap, at least... I want Freya to leave next, too. Amanda is not a very good baker but I don't find her nearly as annoying.

>233 katiekrug: Yuh-huh. +1, 100%

>231 katiekrug: Passing on that one. I hope your next read is better for you, Katie.

Happy Saturday!

>230 katiekrug: She's from my neck of the woods. I went to school with approx 1000 people who talked a bit like that!
Sometimes I even knew what they were saying.
https://theguideliverpool.com/liverpool-great-british-bake-off-contestant-lizzie...

>236 charl08: ...and you don't *appear* to be scarred for life...

>237 richardderus: Charlotte can type but we don't know what she sounds like... >;-)

My husband went to Liverpool uni and we go back each year for a get together. I reckon I'm doing well if I understand 1 word in 3 of what the locals are saying. Smile & nod, smile and nod.

>238 Helenliz: ...ooohhh...

I also find Freya annoying. I think Amanda is weak, and I worry about George.

>230 katiekrug: I totally agree with your GBBO/S assessment, Katie (and Richard). It was nice to see the star baker do so well, and >232 richardderus: is spot on re: the homegoer. I started out liking her but she was driving me nuts by this episode.

>240 BLBera: That sums up the current situation for me right now, too. Amanda has made it through by the skin of her teeth the past couple of weeks, while Freya mostly manages to succeed with her vegan creations, so I suspect Amanda will be the next one out.

>234 richardderus: - Glad we are in agreement!

>235 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia!

>236 charl08: - At first I thought you meant Freya, Charlotte! Lizzie seems like a good egg.

>237 richardderus: - Ha!

>238 Helenliz: - Double ha! Oh yes, the old smile and nod - I've done a lot of that in my work when I can't understand some of our international members...

>239 richardderus: - *mind blown*

>240 BLBera: - I worry about George, too, because I like him a lot. Here's hoping this week is better for him...

>241 lauralkeet: - Funny how much in agreement we all are!

Sunday, Sunday....

Laundry, grocery shopping, football, pasta sauce making, and reading. That should fill the day nicely.

After dinner out (I had a burger with smoked gouda and bacon-onion marmalade), we came home and watched Romancing the Stone - The Wayne had never seen it and it had been decades since I had. It was decent, but I slept through the last half or so (not the movie's fault, I was just all warm and cozy with wine and a fleece blanket...)

On audio, I started The Inimitable Jeeves which is, of course, good fun. And I hope to make some progress on 1984 today, since I'm pretty sure the Giants game will not be worth watching closely.

Ooooh, smoked gouda is my favorite! That burger sounds wonderful. *sigh*
And I bet your house will smell amazing today with that pasta sauce simmering. *second sigh*

Hi Katie!

>216 katiekrug: Belated happy birthday to Nuala.

>243 katiekrug: Sounds like a lovely day.

I think it was Amber who mentioned Fry and Laurie’s Jeeves and Wooster and I’m on the fourth and final season, thoroughly enjoying it. I’ve never read any Jeeves and Wooster yet, but have 4 books on my shelves. I just pulled The World of Jeeves out. I think I need something fun and lightweight about now, and thanks for the inspiration!

Morning, Katie! Your burger sounds delicious. I have a soft spot for Romancing the Stone. I love that the main character is a romance novelist.

I concur with your thoughts on the GBBO. Not a moment too soon for Maggie to leave. I felt like her choice of the traditional every time was basically laziness and a lack of creativity - if you go with the traditional, you don't have to develop your own flavor profiles. And what was up with Freya's hair? Just that one piece sticking out so far was making me slightly crazy. I think I like her more than the rest of you (so slightly more than not at all) - she seems less smug now that she has settled in, but her voice is still very annoying. Kind of Valley Girl how she elongates her words.

>232 richardderus: Ha! I so agree about the egg dish.

Hi Katie: I'm enjoying the GBBO discussion. I do like George. I think the messiness of his presentation will get him in the end.

>241 lauralkeet: Laura, I suspect you are correct.

>247 BLBera: I think you're spot-on re: George...his ideas are sound, his execution is evidence of flappery-panicky OMG ONOZ what do I DO?! The idea of cooling the pavlova in the proving drawer was *genius* but he failed to execute because he didn't think of how to get it in there without cooling it too much!

>246 Crazymamie: How else to explain having crême anglaise AND caramel?

>243 katiekrug: what >244 scaifea: said...oooooo

>242 katiekrug: Ain't it just the proof of the pudding that there's so many of us with an actual opinion!

>241 lauralkeet: Your point is well made. Actually, I hope you're right...Amanda's trademark *aaahhh* when *yet*another*thing* fails is...is...annoying.

>244 scaifea: - The burger was delish, Amber! And the house does smell amazing...

>245 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! My first experience with Wooster and Jeeves was in print, but the audios are delightful. I have seen a few episodes of the Fry and Laurie series, and it's great (of course).

>246 Crazymamie: - It's a fun movie, Mamie. I also have a soft spot for Danny DeVito. Totally agree about Maggie - BO-ring and unimaginative...

>247 BLBera: - Yeah, unless he cleans up his act, I don't see George staying around much longer.

>248 richardderus: - I'm just glad disagreements over GBBO/S haven't torn the group apart... Heh.

>245 karenmarie: Woot for Jeeves and Wooster! And yeah, it was probably me. I *love* Fry & Laurie.

Morning, Katie!

I just want to say that I appreciate folks using the spoiler function since Tomm and I are perpetually a week behind with GBBS! I have to say, though, I'm really hoping that it was "not a moment too soon" for a certain contestant who drives me batshit crazy... I'll find out on Thursday.

>250 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! Be sure to come back after your viewing and join the conversation :)

Last Monday at my job!

We had a fairly nice day yesterday, though both our football teams lost. I did laundry, went grocery shopping, cleaned the kitchen, and made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Then we watched some junky TV, and I headed to bed a bit on the early side. It's cooled down considerably here, and having the windows open and the overhead fan on made for delightful sleeping weather, and I slept like a log :)

I'll spend today tidying up things for work, and I have a call with one of our Facilities guys back at the office who is going to box up and mail me the few personal belongings still at my desk down there. Gym tonight and because of my poor meal planning skills, pasta again for dinner - cheese tortellini with hot pepper and garlic sauce. And a side of green beans because veg is important!

I'm still listening to The Inimitable Jeeves which is delightful, and enjoying 1984 which was a bit slow to get going for me but is definitely picking up.

Morning, Katie! Hooray for Last Monday anything. We got to sleep with the windows open, too, and it was delightful.

Morning, Mamie! I think this will be my last Monday ever. Henceforth, it shall be known as Second Sunday :)

I know living where you do the open windows is a super special treat, so I'm glad for you.

Hi Katie, and congrats on your Last Monday at your job. I hope you’re starting to do some serious happy dances.

Sorry about it being a bad football day yesterday. And thanks for the correction about the ‘Boys. You hate ‘em but my husband loves ‘em. I completely misheard what he yelled from the living room yesterday. I’m not one of these football fans who likes a ‘good game’ – I want my team to get a big and early lead and never be threatened. Not happening recently with my Panthers.

>255 karenmarie: - The real happy dance will come at about 5:00pm on Thursday, I think. But I do keep smiling to myself!

I was a Giants fan in Cowboys country for 12 years when I lived in Dallas, and it scarred me...

All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks

If, like me, you often despair at the world and think most people are garbage, then you should read this book. Ruth Coker Burks was a single mother living in Hot Springs, Arkansas when she first came face-to-face with the AIDS epidemic in the mid-1980s. From her initial encounter with a young man close to death in a hospital, where the nurses and doctors, in fear and ignorance, provided only minimal care, Ruth became an advocate, caregiver, and friend to dozens of young gay men ravaged by the disease. She also became something of a pariah in her community, her church, and among the supposed Christians in Hot Springs. Her memoir of compassion, education, and advocacy is both infuriating and inspiring. Among so much hate and ignorance, she provided hope and light to people in desperate need. I admire her courage, persistence, and heart, and am glad to be reminded that people like her exist.

4.5 stars

Bookmarked: Reading My Way from Hollywood to Brooklyn by Wendy W. Fairey

This is a mash-up of a memoir and literary criticism, where Professor Fairey endeavors to share her life's story through works of literature she has loved and taught for decades. Some of it was very interesting and some of it... not. Her family history is fascinating - she is the daughter of Hollywood gossip columnist Sheila Graham, in whose living room F. Scott Fitzgerald dropped dead. She was in her 40s when she learned her father was British philosopher AJ "Freddie" Ayre. She's taught English literature at various colleges and universities around the country, been married, had children, and now lives with her wife in the Hamptons. On its own, her life story might make for mildly interesting reading, but she frames it around literature and this both works and doesn't. Some of the parallels she draws, especially when discussing "The New Woman" as an archetype are interesting. The last section where she talks about immigrants and displacement and her first trip to India seem tacked on and the connection strained for the purpose of the book.

I listen to this on audio, and it took me a good while to get through it. She's a professor and so some of her analysis seems to drag on a bit and can make for dry listening/reading, but the bits that were interesting were very interesting. And I did add several titles to my mental TBR list.

3.5 stars

>257 katiekrug: Adding this to your Dirty Dozen. Great review, so I'm adding my thumb if you posted it.

I like the idea of Second Sunday.

>258 katiekrug: We cross-posted. You know I already put that one on the Dirty Dozen list because of the Fitzgerald connection. I will go with the print version, though, so thanks for that.

>259 Crazymamie: - Save it for when you need a little uplifting :)

>260 Crazymamie: - Just don't expect much about Fitzgerald...

>165 katiekrug: What a great book haul!

Happy last Monday, Katie.

>257 katiekrug: Adding that one to the BlackHole and my local library actually has a copy, so I hope to get to it soon. Do not even get me started on Christians who think that AIDS is a plague from the devil. I heard one preacher say that those who got AIDS "deserved" it. AAAAACCCCCKKKK!!!

>258 katiekrug: Into the BlackHole that one goes too. Unfortunately my local library does not have it.

Happy Last Monday, Katie!!

>262 Whisper1: - Thanks, Linda!

>263 Helenliz: - Thank you, Helen. If I think too hard about it, it's very weird.

>264 alcottacre: - I hope you like them both, Stasia.

>264 alcottacre: The stories I could tell you about queers and "christians"...well, no. It's too disgusting.

>258 katiekrug: ...Sheilah Graham had a kid...? I never knowed this. Hadda be interesting, having a very, um, advanced Mum back then! I shall procure. TYVM for the pointer!

>266 richardderus: - She had two! Wendy and her younger brother :)

Wow, your last week! Congratulations! Also glad you had such a good weekend.

>258 katiekrug: This sounds like one I would like, Katie. Great comments.

Your last Monday! Hooray!

>268 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba! It's a bit surreal.

>269 BLBera: - I hope you like it, Beth!

Hooray, indeed :)

Happy final Monday, Katie!

>258 katiekrug: She's a professor and so some of her analysis seems to drag on a bit

*blinks*

*ahem*

Excuse me?

Happy final Tuesday and I like the sound of Second Sunday! LOL. All this food talk has made me hungry for dinner and dessert and it's 6 in the morning...

>271 bell7: - Thanks, Mary!

>272 scaifea: - Well, I mean, um, because I'm not a student, and I didn't sign up for a lecture, so....

>273 Berly: - People do breakfast for dinner, so why not dinner and dessert for breakfast, Kim?

>274 katiekrug:, >272 scaifea:


Happy digging-yourself-out day!

Not much to report, really. Books are still good, work is still almost over, Joel is still The Devil, etc, etc, etc.

We did some work this morning in the garage to clear some things out in anticipation of the mold people starting tomorrow. Still have some to do, so I'll probably tackle that later this afternoon. We are not going to trivia, so I don't have to worry about stopping and getting cleaned up in time. Nuala usually goes to daycare on Tuesdays, but we'll take her tomorrow to avoid the excitement of Strangers in the house... We're also going to cancel the gym and TW's physical therapy session because we don't know when these guys will be done.

>275 richardderus: - HA!

>276 katiekrug: Good luck getting the garage fully sorted, Katie! With all this productiveness I hope Jeeves and Bertie are thoroughly delighting you at the end of the day.

>278 MickyFine: - I was listening this morning while working away - made the time go by so much more pleasantly :)

>266 richardderus: I am sure you and I could have some interesting discussions on the topic from both angles, RD.

Happy Tuesday, Katie!

>280 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia!

Thanks to Helen (helenliz), I have been introduced to the joys of the British quiz show 'Only Connect.' I love YouTube...

>282 katiekrug: I am very happy to broaden your horizons. It's fiendishly difficult at times. And massively satisfying when you get a connection, especially if you get it before the contestants.

>283 Helenliz: - I can see how it would be satisfying - I think I made one connection on the "wall" segment... I will definitely be watching more.

>274 katiekrug: Well, I've never dragged an analysis in my life, just so you know. *hmph*

Good luck with the invasion of the mold people today!

>285 scaifea: - I do not doubt it, but not all professors are as talented as you!

"Invasion of the Mold People" - ha!

Penultimate day at work! Woot!

Obviously, things are pretty quiet on the work front, so I may spend a bit of time cleaning up my office/guest room. I tend to toss things on the bed and it is now a sea of Stuff...

I should finish up 1984 today - I get why it's important but I can't say I'm enjoying the read. It's been a bit of a slog, to be honest. The Inimitable Jeeves, on the other hand, is wonderful escapism and has made me snort out loud several times. No surprise there.

>286 katiekrug: Well I mean, sure. Poor souls. Can't all be as excellent as I am. *eye roll*

Happy Wednesday, Katie! Happy Penultimate Day! Exciting changes coming...

The penultimate day ... wow. I'm sure it seems a bit surreal.

>288 scaifea: - Exactly!

>289 msf59: - Thanks, Mark! Well, changes anyway... :)

>290 lauralkeet: - For sure, Laura.

Happy penultimate day, Katie! I have never managed to slog through 1984 so more power to you (though your comments aren't inspiring me to pick it up sooner lol). Glad you have a lighter read to balance it out.

One of my favorite authors, Jami Attenberg, posted a piece she'd written about whether one should quit one's job to write. She basically said "no" but with exceptions. I didn't quit only to write, so I don't feel bad about it or anything, but anyway, it was an interesting read. You can find it here: https://1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/p/should-i-quit-my-job-to-focus-on?justPu...

An on that note, I have signed up for a virtual workshop by Sarah MacLean, who is a successful romance author. I've read some of her stuff, and while she's not among my favorites, she's very good and certainly knows her way around writing and publishing. For $50, I figured I'd give it a whirl...

>292 bell7: - Hi Mary! I'm glad I'm reading it, in that it's always interesting to read the source material for so many cultural touchstones. But yeah, if it doesn't call to you, I don't recommend picking it up.

Morning, Katie!

>287 katiekrug: Yep. The characters are all horrible, which seems to be Orwell's thing with fiction. It's the world building that matters, and it's scary how much it resembles the previous administration.

Your virtual workshop sounds interesting.

Happy Penultimate Day!

Good luck with the continuing house clean up. I hope the virtual workshop gives you lots of ideas on how to formalize your writing career - haven't you already started a novel?

>295 Crazymamie: - Morning, Mamie! You're spot on about the Orwell. I don't know if you're there yet (or have you finished?), but how did the GN treat the loooooong excerpts from the Brotherhood's book?

I will report back on the workshop. If I remember :)

>296 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen! I have started, but it's mostly just a brain dump at this point, so I figure I can find some nuggets of wisdom in the workshop.

>297 katiekrug: I am not there yet, but I will probably get to it today. So far, I'm thinking the GN is the way to go with this one because you get all the important stuff and lose a lot of the slog.

>293 katiekrug: Great idea! Learning from a favorite author is always a scary thought, since their opinion is so very important to you...this way makes a lot more sense.

Tomorrow.

Wow! Yay!

Happy penultimate day, Katie!

I hope the workshop with Sarah MacLean is both informative and fun. When does it start?

Hope last Wednesday is behaving itself.

The workshop sounds like a good idea. Someone you aren't likely to worship is probably a good choice, then you can take the advice with some degree of balance. When is it?

Happy Penultimate Day, Katie! Also, Happy Wednesday!

Happy Penultimate Day, Katie!! Momentous things about to happen...

>298 Crazymamie: - Yeah, I wish I'd done the GN...

>299 richardderus: - Well, I don't love her stories, but she's definitely talented and will have some worthwhile things to say. It's not a work workshop - more like a "Here's how to get started" sort of thing.

>300 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! It's October 30 - I guess workshop is a misnomer, as it's only a few hours...

>301 Helenliz: - Last Wednesday is going okay so far, though the banging from The Mold People is annoying.

That's a great point about not being over-awed by the facilitator! It's October 30th.

>302 alcottacre: - Thank you, Stasia!

>303 ronincats: - Let's not get carried away, Roni! LOL. I'll settle for a slightly less stressful existence for a while!

>305 richardderus: How did you did that?

Wishing you a happy last day. Hopefully it's not too busy and you can leave things neat and tidy and walk away with nary a backward glance.

Happy last working day, Katie!

>305 richardderus: - Ugh - you see it before I do, don't you, with a VPN or something. I am hoping your excitement means Freya went home But ignore this and DON'T SAY ANYTHING! xx

>306 laytonwoman3rd: - Do you mean his message or seeing GBBO/S (which is what I assume he's excited about) before us mere mortals?

>307 Helenliz: - Thank you, Helen! It should be pretty quiet, which is just fine by me :)

>308 FAMeulstee: - Thanks so much, Anita!

WELP. It's here, folks. My last day of office drudgery! It feels kind of weird, but I know it will be even weirder when I log off my computer this afternoon.

My sweet HH friends insisted on an off-schedule celebration this evening, so I cancelled the dinner reservation I had made at a favorite restaurant (actually, I rescheduled it to Saturday - ha!), and I think I'll just order pizza for dinner and have a nice chin-wag with my peeps. It will be a good way to wrap up the day.

Yesterday, The Mold People got *all* the work done, and we now have HEPA filters, air dryers, and air scrubbers(?) running for at least the next 72 hours. They will only go off when an independent tester has come and taken samples and declared us mold-free - hopefully early next week, but it depends on scheduling. We aren't allowed down there at all, so no laundry for me this weekend :D We had to miss the gym, as the crew was still here working. Darn.

I made Asian chicken with brown rice and peas and carrots last night, and can I just brag for a second about my amazing marinade/sauce? It was SO GOOD. I made it up with a tiny assist from The Wayne. If anyone is interested:

1 part sesame oil
1 part Hoisin sauce
2 parts black vinegar
4 parts soy sauce
Szechuan pepper to taste

My "parts" were tablespoons, but I didn't have a ton of chicken to marinate. It was, at first, soy heavy (next time, I might start with 3 parts of that one) but I added more Hoisin to get the balance right, and it came out so tasty. I just dumped the chicken and marinade into a skillet and cooked it, and the sauce got kind of thick and yummy. Anyhoo, I was super proud of myself because I am not very comfortable yet winging it in the kitchen. So go me.

I STILL haven't finished 1984 because it basically makes me want to gouge my eyeballs out, but today should see the end of it. I have 15 pages left I think - that'll take me about 3 hours, I guess. *eye roll*

Oh, that sauce *does* sound good!

Happy last day!!

Definitely gonna try that sauce. My kitchen repertoire is very light on any kind of Asian seasoning, and I'd like to do something about that.

>309 katiekrug: As for RD's message...it runs right out of the message box on my display. That's what I was asking about. Is there some HTML that makes that happen?

HAPPY HAPPY LAST DAY OF WORKING FOR THE MAN EVERY NIGHT AND DAY!! (Even if "the Man" in your case may be not so terrible to work for.)

>311 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber!

>312 laytonwoman3rd: - When we "discovered" black vinegar, it changed everything. Good stuff. Let me know if you do try it!

Huh. RD's message doesn't run out of the box for me...

And thanks for the last day happiness :)

Happy last day from me, too.

Morning, Katie! Happy Last Day of Office Drudgery!!! Your off-schedule celebration sounds lovely.

>305 richardderus: I was wondering the same thing as Linda was about this post. It just runs right out of the box - very cool.

Hooray for the mold remediation moving along, but bummer about no laundry.

I am going to try your marinade if I can find black vinegar - I have not heard of this before. I have everything else, and it sounds most yum.

Sorry that 1984 is proving mind numbing to you - I'm so glad we could read it together. Heh. Please to keep your eyeballs in.

Congrats congrats on this exciting day! Hope it's very drudge-ful so tomorrow will be even sweeter!

Hip hip hooray for your last day!

>314 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen!

>315 Crazymamie: - I can't say that I am devastated about not being able to do laundry. We have plenty of clean clothes, and if it drags on, I'll just take a hamper to the laundromat.

I'm sorry I'm so negative about our shared read. We need a do-over!

You might need to find an Asian market to get the black vinegar. Or a mail order place. We only discovered it when we were getting groceries from the restaurant distributor early on in lockdown.

>316 vivians: - Thank you, Vivian! Honestly, today is ridiculously quiet and I have nothing on my To Do list other than the call I just had with my replacement. So I think I'll just keep an eye on my email and futz around on the internet.

>317 MickyFine: - LOVE IT!

Hooray for your last day! Enjoy. Your marinade sounds yummy.

Sauce: Good.

Off-schedule HH: Good.

The Mold People finished: Good.

Last Day: EXCELLENT!!!

I shall Studiously Ignore all other matters and possess my soul in patience for your plodding VPNless watching habits to catch up with me.

*gnrphlkkkk*

>308 FAMeulstee: Copy-and-paste.

>320 BLBera: - Thank you, Beth!

>321 richardderus: - I'm glad you approve of all except my GBBO/S access. *smooch*

>318 katiekrug: You were supposed to laugh. I'm not upset at all. Nineteen Eighty-Four IS mind numbing - that's exactly the point, right? And on a side note, very few iconic books that set a genre standard (especially in dystopian literature) are actually great reads. Look at Brave New World and We and The Time Machine and The Machine Stops. They are each brilliant in their own way for their world-building, but these are not characters that we fall in love with or would even want to have dinner with. The dialogue isn't sparkling. The scenery isn't breath-taking. And the humor is lacking. These are the building blocks that set the stage for books that do grab us like The Handmaid's Tale or Ready Player One or The Hunger Games.

I would be very happy for a do-over. I know we talked about Winter in the Blood ages ago. We could do that one, or really anything - I am open to suggestions. And it doesn't have to be right now - we could do it in the new year. Whatever works for you.

I will do my research about the black vinegar - I am intrigued.

>323 Crazymamie: - That's a great point about the iconic books - I was also bored silly by Brave New World (and I haven't read any of the others. I'm glad I read 1984 but I'm also glad it's over (I just finished it!). It's no Animal Farm :)

Winter in the Blood in January, perhaps?

>324 katiekrug: So true - it does not have the charm of Animal Farm or the succinctness. Orwell is not good with humans in fiction.

January works for me!

Congratulations on the last day of work-for-salary!! and also of beginning of mold remediation! And thank you for the Asian Chicken Marinade recipe. We love Asian food and I'm looking forward to giving this a try.

>325 Crazymamie: - Great! You're in charge of remembering... :)

>326 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, thank you! Getting closer to the magic time...

I hope the marinade works for you!

Happy last day of work!

And yayyyyyy for the mild remediation being nearly over AND giving you a reason to avoid laundry 😁

>328 bell7: - Thanks, Mary!

1984 by George Orwell

Well, now I can say I've read it. And I get it and its brilliance, but it was painful to read and I'm glad it's over.

2.5 stars

*mental note dress up as Winston Smith for Halloween*

>330 katiekrug: Hated it when I had to read it in high school and have never been tempted to try it again. Same goes for Brave New World, Lord of the Flies, and Animal Farm, every single one of which feels like a dose of nasty medicine to me.

>331 richardderus: - Just don't come trick-or-treating at my house!

>332 laytonwoman3rd: - I'm with you on the first 2, Linda, but I have love for Animal Farm :)

>332 laytonwoman3rd: >333 katiekrug: And I *love* Lord of the Flies... Between us we've almost got them covered! (Full Disclosure: I liked BNW and 1984, too.)

This is my ranking:

1. Animal Farm
2. Lord of the Flies
3. Brave New World
4. 1984

I think that's all the "classic" dystopian I've read...

>330 katiekrug: I know what you mean. I think I enjoyed 1984 more than you, but some "classics" leave me wondering why.

>336 Helenliz: - There were some interesting parallels, moments of "Ahhh...." with regard to our previous Administration on this side of the pond, and it's definitely brilliant in it's own way. Just not the kind of way I enjoy reading!

Can someone refresh my memory about how to access the list of series one has in one's library?

Never mind - I just saw "Your Series" over on the left-hand side of my screen. D'oh!

ETA: Never mind the never mind - that didn't get me what I wanted. Help?

>338 katiekrug: From your Home page, under Your Books it has a list of links and the Series link is on the far right.

>335 katiekrug: The only one I've read is Animal Farm and while it was... okay (read for a class), I'm not inspired to pick up any of the others.

>339 bell7: - Thanks, Mary - you're a peach!

ETA: I think I'm done with classic dystopias...

>335 katiekrug: My Ranking:

1. Brave New World
2. Animal Farm
385. 1984
4,000,000,000,001. Lord of the Flies. I *loathe* that book.

I listened to both BNW and LotF on audio and vast swaths of the story passed me by...

>342 katiekrug: Never a good sign, that.

...so...new thread soon?

>343 richardderus: - I'm going to make a new thread tomorrow, on my first day of freedom ;-)

>339 bell7: Why am I not seeing this?

>340 katiekrug: You're welcome! (I'm enough of a librarian that I fiddled around with it 'til I figured it out to answer hehe)

>345 RebaRelishesReading: I think the home page is set up with widgets that you can edit and change yourself, so you may have moved, removed, or never had that one? The link, however, goes to this for me - https://www.librarything.com/memberseries/bell7 - and you could swap out your own user name - https://www.librarything.com/memberseries/RebaRelishesReading

Hurrah for last day of work and interaction with friends and eradication of mold!

You did it!! You finished 1984! Ha! You thought I was going to say happy last day of work, didn't you? Well, okay, that's kinda important too, LOL. And while we are at it, happy de-molding too. Congrats all around. What a great day! : )

Congratulations on the end of the beginning Katie. On to better things.

I read 1984 in the summer of 2016, before Trump was elected, but while we were all anticipating "what if?" I think I was trying to imagine how bad things would be and used the book as a prism for that purpose. Of course I could never have imagined how bad it turned out to be but I thought Orwell was brilliant and prescient.

>346 bell7: - Yay for librarians!

>347 ronincats: - Lots of things to celebrate, Roni!

>348 Berly: - A very good day, indeed :)

>349 brenzi: - Thanks, Bonnie. I definitely see the brilliance, I just didn't enjoy it much...

Happy new life, Katie! The voyage of a thousand miles starts with a single step, so what step are you taking today? Apart from a new LT thread, of course?

>346 bell7: Katie, thank you for asking the question and Mary for leading me there. Interesting stuff.

And then, most importantly -- happy new life Katie!!

Morning, Katie!
Happy first day as a Lady of Leisure!!

>338 katiekrug: Besides the way Mary (bell7) described, you can also find series (and the books you have in your library of that series) under the new "Charts & Graphs". In the left column under "Common Knowledge" is "Series".

>351 Helenliz: - Hello, Helen! Yes, I will be making a new thread shortly :) I was supposed to get my hair cut, but it was rescheduled to next week because my stylist isn't feeling well. I am having lunch with my old dorm prefect, whom I haven't seen since the end of my freshmen year of prep school, so that should be nice :) And there's the gym tonight, only The Wayne probably isn't going because his allergies are terrible, so we'll see if I can motivate myself to go on my own.

>352 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

>353 scaifea: - Many thanks, Amber!

>354 FAMeulstee: - Ah, good to know, Anita!

Virtual HH was nice, though it was mostly the other 4 people talking endlessly about the budget process they are going through for work. I was never involved with that anyway, so I really didn't care. Heh.

It was a bit weird at the end of the day when I shut my work computer down for the final time, but then I got a nice text from my boss so the work day ended on a high note, rather than an anticlimactic one.

In books, I should finish up The Inimitable Jeeves today. In print, I've started Quartet in Autumn which is quiet and gentle and a nice change from 1984.

Okay, off to create a new thread!

>339 bell7: Well, this is awesome! I did not know how to do this, so thanks, Mary! And Katie for asking.

>357 Crazymamie: - It's important to learn something new everyday to keep the mind healthy :)

>358 katiekrug: So true.