Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Two

-Costa Rica



-Keel-billed Toucan



“We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

-Jackson. 5 months

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



January:

1- Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid by Thor Hanson 4.3 stars
2- Love Medicine: Newly Revised Edition by Louise Erdrich 4.4 stars
3- The Unseen (The Barrøy Chronicles, 1) by Roy Jacobsen 4.7 stars
4- When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson 4.5 stars GN
5- These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett 4.8 stars (audio)
6- The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles 3.8 stars
7- Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir by Bishakh Som 3.7 stars GN
8- Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 4.5 stars
9- The Film Club: A Memoir by David Gilmour 3.8 stars
10- Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci 4 stars GN
11- The Palace Thief: Stories by Ethan Canin 4 stars

These are the best books I read this year. I read 139 books this year. I read 140 last year. I guess I am pretty consistent. It was a good year of reading. The only type that came up a bit short was my NF reading. Usually, they dominate my lists.

Fiction:

1- Joe
2- Still Life
3- Afterparties: Stories
4- Great Circle
5- Once There Were Wolves

Nonfiction:

1- Shooting Midnight Cowboy
2- The Old Ways
3- Unholy: Why White Evangelicals
4- The Code Breaker
5- All In: An Autobiography

Graphic Novels:

1- Mary’s Monster
2- And Now I Spill the Family Secrets
3- Secret to Superhuman Strength

^ I was able to do some shared reading, with a few of my book buddies recently and really enjoyed it. Kim has also been stoking my interest in it, (we both recently read Hench). I would like this to continue. Primarily, I would like to read books off shelf, but I am still catching up with a few titles that I missed reading last year. I will list some titles and if you are interested, we will set a firm date. My intention was to kick off the year with The Lincoln Highway but I waited too long to request it from the library and now I am far down on the list. As soon as it arrives, I will dig in, if anyone has a copy handy. Of course, I will always be watching other threads, for other suggestions.

The Siege of Krishnapur w/Kerry, Benita? Anne? Mar?
Unnecessary Woman w/Stasia Mar?
Cloud Cuckoo Land W/Bill
The Memory of Love w/Linda, Mamie, Kerry, Katie, Donna, Ellen mid-Feb
Moonglow w/Kim, Benita, Stasia late-Feb Group Read:
ttps://www.librarything.com/topic/339114#n7739156

Harlem Shuffle w/Meg, Bill, Kim, Benita, Meg April
The Line of Beauty

Hello?? Great Horned Owl chicks.

Since you have declared the new digs open, Mark, I'll jump in and wish you a happy one and a great weekend.

The photos of the little fellow are cute.

My youngest turned 18 today so I'm feeling my age!

Happy new thread, Mark!

>1 msf59: Looking forward to your (bird) reports from Costa Rica!

>2 msf59: So cute, and growing fast :-)

Happy new thread, Mark. Great toppers but the best are Jackson and the Fruit Loops guy, lol!

Happy new one, Mark!

>7 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul and Happy Birthday to sweet Belle! Yep, you are definitely old. LOL.

>8 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I can't believe we are leaving for CR in just over 2 weeks. Nice to take a break from the winter here.

>9 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. And hooray for Jackson & Fruit Loops guy!!

>10 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson 4.5 stars

Omar and his younger brother Hassan have lived in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya for most of their young lives. Forced to leave their mother back in Somalia, they have struggled to survive in this camp, dealing with food shortages and crushing loneliness. Omar pursues his education, with the help of his friend Maryam as a ticket out of this dismal life. This incredible graphic novel is based on a true story, and it is beautifully crafted and both heart-breaking and hopeful. Well deserving of the Newbery Award.

“Those who are lost
look to the stars to
lead them home.

The flag of Somalia. Our home
has one star, one background.

But we are not one star. We are millions. Not one background, but millions.

To the untrained eye, the night sky is a scattering of stars, a chaos of light and dark across the universe.

And yet, the stars are not lost.
They form patterns. Constellations. If you know how to look, there are stories woven into the very essense of stars.

Be like a star. Shine your light. Shine your story. For stories will lead us home.”

A Poem of Stars by Maryam Farah

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. Happy new thread, too.

>1 msf59: I love the topper photos. Costa Rica bound in just over two weeks!

>2 msf59: He's got such a sweet face.

Morning, Mark, and happy new thread!

I'm so glad you enjoyed When Stars Are Scattered - it's a good one.

And keep those Jackson photos coming. He gets more adorable by the day!

>12 msf59: Wasn't When Stars are Scattered good? I read it a couple of months ago and still think about it often. I thought it so admirable that he became a social worker who helps refugees and that he still takes care of his brother.

Happy new one!

Mark,

Stopping by to share the news of a new red phase screech owl in our raptor program. Meet Gimli!

https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/2022/01/14/welcome-our-new-eastern-screech-owl-gi...

>17 alphaorder: - He is beautiful!

>13 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen and Happy Saturday to you too! Hooray for CR and our boy Jackson!!

>14 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I am so glad so many of us have enjoyed When Stars Are Scattered. Hopefully I can inspire a few more LT pals to give it a go. And yep, you can count on more Jack pics.

>15 labfs39: Hi, Lisa. Yes, When Stars Are Scattered was a terrific read and Omar was quite the inspiration. I also loved reading about him after he got the states.

>16 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Figs.

>17 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. Good to see you. Hooray for Gimli! I love screech owls, especially the red morphs. Maybe someday, I will be able to visit him at the center. Fingers crossed.

I also read Hench about the same time as you did, but I was behind due to other reading commitments. I am planning on reading Siege of Krishnapur with you in March. (now I just have to find my copy.) I started a very BIG book (in several ways) at the end of December. Unwarrented: Policing Without Permission and yesterday, while reading it I was reminded of Hench. The author is a Harvard Law School professor and he has this to say:"Cost-benefit analysis is -otuside the area of policing - one of the primary tools of good government. It is what is used to ensure the public that the rules made in their name actually make sense. Yet applying cost-benefit analysis to policing is very much in its infancy. For example, there is no measure whatsoever that counts the costs of polic tactics like stop-and-fisk, or consent searches - or SWAT." This sounds very much like what the heroine in Hench did when she was injured. It made me smile that a work of fiction and a work of non-fiction alined so closely.

-Guy Parsons

>21 msf59: Huh. Yes.

Happy new thread.

>21 msf59: Too true.

Happy new thread, Mark! I always wanted to go to Costa Rica, but it never worked out for me. I even once thought of going there to live. Now, of course, the only place I want to live is with/near my Ruby and Rowan.

Happy New Thread, Mark!

Gorgeous CR photos up top. Exciting!

Man, if I’m grumpy, I’m going to come by and see grinning Jackson.

Good review of When Stars Are Scattered. What an outstanding book.

>21 msf59:. 😢

Happy new thread, Mark! That Jackson just gets cuter and cuter.

>24 jnwelch:

Added When Stars Are Scattered to my wish list since you both recommended it.

Hi Mark! Darling Jackson photos!

I will look for When Stars are Scattered at the library. I hadn’t heard of it and it sounds excellent - thanks!

>20 benitastrnad: Happy Weekend, Benita. I hope you lots of book time. Looking forward to reading The Siege of Krishnapur with you. "It made me smile that a work of fiction and a work of non-fiction alined so closely." I also love it when that happens and surprisingly it has over the years, more than a few times.

>22 richardderus: Thanks, RD.

>23 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. We are getting super-pumped about CR. It will also be so nice to take a winter break and bask in some warmth and sunshine.

>24 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Stop by anytime. Whenever life seems to throw a curveball, all I have to do is think of Jack for a moment and it clears things right up. When Stars are Scattered is a terrific GN and I will gladly keep spreading the word.

Looking forward to the Costa Rica pics! It’s on our bucket list, for sure.

Happy new thread Mark!

Costa Rica sounds like it will be an amazing adventure!

>25 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. Happy Saturday. We sure love our Jackson.

>26 alphaorder: I am sure you will love When Stars Are Scattered, Nancy. What are you currently enjoying?

>27 Copperskye: Happy Saturday, Joanne. Always good to see you. I am sure you will love When Stars Are Scattered.

>29 drneutron: I should be in absolute heaven, Jim. 😀

>30 quondame: Thanks, Susan. We cannot wait!

I cracked open The Lincoln Highway last night after finishing an Elif Shafak novel. So far so good though I'm only a few pages in.

I located my copy of The Memory of Love, it's a signed copy from when I went to a talk she gave here in Auckland when the book first came out. I think her mother lived in New Zealand so she was very happy to be here at the time. So I've been meaning to read it for some years.

I requested When Stars are Scattered some weeks ago from the library and am still waiting for my chance to read it. Everyone seems to love it.

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Mark! Love the >2 msf59: photos of Jackson. He's growing so fast! I'll also be looking forward to your thoughts on The Lincoln Highway - I finished it today!

HI Mark, Happy new thread! Costa Rica plans sound wonderful!

Happy new thread, Mark. You got me with BBs for two graphic novels, the one you are reading now and When Stars are Scattered. A get away to someplace warm sounds like a good plan.

>1 msf59: I love everything about this header.

>32 avatiakh: Hi, Kerry. Good to see you. I am halfway through The Lincoln Highway and continuing to enjoy it. I am glad you found your copy of The Memory of Love. Looking forward to doing a shared read with you. I hope that GN comes in.

>33 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver.

>34 bell7: Thanks, Mary. Glad you like the Jackson photos. More to come...grins. I am halfway through The Lincoln Highway and enjoying the ride.

>35 mdoris: Thanks, Mary.

>36 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Glad I scored with a couple of BBs. Stars is especially good.

>37 Oberon: Hi, Erik. I can't wait to share more about our upcoming trip.

"Pickleball is a paddleball sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, much like a wiffle ball, with 26–40 round holes, over a net. The sport shares features of other racket sports: the dimensions and layout of a badminton court, and a net and rules somewhat similar to tennis, with several modifications."

^We played pickleball for the very first time yesterday, with a group of friends. We started with an instructional class, followed by 90 minutes of practice playing. I have always liked racket ball and tennis but have not played either in more than 30 years. This was fun and more exercise than I expected. Of course, we went to a brewery afterwards for dinner. I would love to play again.

I know Bonnie plays regularly. Has anyone else played?

Mark! I'm dun-un. What a trip.

>40 weird_O: You finished it? Wow! Now, that is a marathon. I am just over halfway.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Jackson day to you again!

>21 msf59: Anything that would hurt the economy – i.e., help people and the planet – seems to be off the table in any meaningful way. Has been for decades. I hope the younger folks can do what we couldn’t.

We're going to watch the Cowboys at 4:25 and the Chiefs at 8:15. We'll see how long I can stay awake for the Chiefs game. Don't know who's playing at 1.

Happy new thread, Mark. When Stars Are Scattered looks good. Pickle ball is on my WL. It looks like a lot of fun.

>42 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, Karen. Jack is over! Yah! Our little angel boy. I plan on watching plenty of football too. The Bucs play at noon here. The Cowboys game should be a good one.

>43 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Happy Sunday. You should really enjoy the GN and I hope you can try pickleball one of these days. It is a lot of fun, plus good exercise.

Pickleball! I thought Bonnie was havin' a laugh! Well. Enjoy all that *delicate shudder* exercise.

>41 msf59: It didn't feel like a marathon, Mark. Home alone, too cold to invite any extended outdoor ventures, and a heck of a yarn to keep me reading. I'm mulling over what might be said about The Lincoln Highway. I also have reports due on Vertigo and Way Station.

For current reading, I've consumed a couple of chapters in Watchmen and in The Paris Apartment.

>5 msf59: - Psst! You forgot me on the list for The Memory of Love...

>45 richardderus: Sorry it caused the "delicate shudder" but pickleball is a thing, my friend. It is actually a lot of fun and geared a bit more to us older folk.

>46 weird_O: I still think that was impressive, Bill, considering it is just shy of 600 pages. I do agree it is a fast-moving narrative. I just knocked out 80 pages. It meanders a bit for my taste but I am enjoying it. Ooh, Vertigo. I was not familiar with one. Sounds like my cuppa.

>47 katiekrug: Sorry, Katie. Oversight corrected. It should be a nice little group. We get back from our trip on the 9th, so I'll determine a suggested starting time sometime after that.

>47 katiekrug: Me too, Mark.

>12 msf59: Ooh, I’ve been hit…with the need to read When Stars Are Scattered! Thanks for the heads up!

Stay warm, Mark!

Karen O

>49 Donna828: I missed you too, Donna? What the heck? I added you to The Memory of Love shared read. Turning out to be a nice little group.

>50 klobrien2: Hi, Karen. Great to see you. Glad I got you with a BB. My warbling still works!

Well The Memory of Love was a fiver e star read for me Mark or I'd be joining you.

And yes, there's not much that's more fun than pickleball. Such a good time. Or in Betty White's words: I've never had so much fun....standing up. Hahaha

Hi Mark. I read When Stars are Scattered last year and loved it. So very touching and uplifting in spite of the situation.

>52 brenzi: Hi, Boonie. I am glad to finally get to The Memory of Love and have a few pals join me. Looking forward to playing more pickleball too. Now, Bree and Sean are interested.

>53 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. When Stars are Scattered sure seems to be getting some well-deserved LT love.

-Spider Monkey. One of 4 different types of monkeys in Costa Rica.



-Ocelot

Yes, there are an astounding number of birds to be found in Costa Rica but there is also a staggering amount of cool wildlife too. Of course, I would love to see and photograph any of these too.



-Three-toed sloth



-Coatimundi



-Collared Anteater

Monday orisons, Mark. Cool look at Costa Rica's denizens!

‘Morning, Mark! Brrrr! Looks like you’ve got a cold day ahead.

55 Wow, I hope you can see some/all of these beautiful animals in addition to your ever-growing bird list.

Good morning, Mark. Happy start to the week.

Love those photos in >55 msf59:. That should be a great trip. And I see nary a speck of snow.

One of my husband's cousins used to be an avid pickle-ball player. Organized tournaments and so on. We haven't seen or talked to her in so long, I've no idea if it's still a thing she does.

>56 richardderus: Hey, RD! The weather pretty bad out your way?

>57 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Chilly here, mid-20s but it could be worse. I hope to see plenty of wildlife on the trip.

>58 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Still debating whether to venture out today. Waiting on a couple of birding updates. Aren't those CR critters something? Can't wait to get there. I think it is in the low 80s there at the moment. Swoons a little...

>59 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. Good to hear from you. Pickleball seems to be a hit for the over 60 crowd.

“This, Plato said, is our life. A shared dream of a life, an illusory life,
with reality taking place elsewhere. Hard not to notice how much the whole setup
resembles a movie theater, with us all facing in one direction, enjoying the
illusion,
and somewhere behind us, the projector,
and somewhere beyond that,
the world.”

“...Halfway through our mandatory
annual supervised active-shooter training,
I ask how we ended up here, our hopes waning,
huddled in our dark offices, silent, ears straining
for far-off shots, emblems of immortal danger.
My body as still as a bullet in the chamber.
Halfway through our annual active-shotter training
the gunfire chorus at last stops refraining.”

-Both of these excerpts are from Earthly Delights: Poems (Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets, 158), which I just finished and can recommend.

>60 msf59: Misty-drizzle-rain turning into snow, officially, later this afternoon...in any case it's too warm for ice or snow to stick. Don't matter to me none, I'm for the reads all the afternoon.

Mark, in case you can't make it: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/cornell-lab-feederwatch/

>39 msf59: My niece at college in Indy needs to take a PE class (nowadays, they call it wellness). She is taking pickle ball. This is the girl who was a competitive swimmer for 10 years but decided not to compete in college.

>62 richardderus: Sounds like an ideal day to hang with the books, Richard. I did venture out but did not spend much time outside the truck.

>63 jessibud2: Oh thanks, Shelley. I have not checked out that feeder cam in a while. Nothing there now. Looks very cold and windy.

>64 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Nice to see you. I wish your niece good luck in school. Ask her what she thinks of pickleball.

^I saw a Snowy Owl at the Dupage Regional Airport today. This is my first snowy of the year and my very first snowy seen in my county, which is Dupage. Of course, this is not my photo. It was a long distance sighting but I did get decent looks through my scope. Snowy Owls have also been seen at the O'Hare International Airport too, during the winter. They seem to be drawn to these big wide-open spaces. It must remind them of the open tundra, back home.

Hey Mark! How did you sneak in a new chapter on me! Anyway, happy new one!
We have at least 18" of snow and the birds were going nuts at the feeders this morning. More lake effect snow tonight so tomorrow will be another snow day for me. Yay!

Congratulations on seeing the Snowy, Mark! Very cool!

I saw a flock of Snow Geese when I was driving through Missouri last week. They were flying low over a field right along the highway so very cooperative about being spotted. And lifers for me!

>65 msf59: I talked to Jill who said she's had only one pickle ball class but likes it so far.

>67 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Threads on the 75 have been really buzzing along. 18 inches? OMG. I feel for you. We have only had a few inches total for the season but of course there is a long way to go. At least you enjoying busy feeders. Mine have been very quiet.

>68 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. I had a snowy on the lakefront in December but it was great getting one in my county. Congrats on the snow geese. I saw huge flocks downstate, early last year.

>69 lindapanzo: Thanks for Jill's pickleball report, Linda. How is work going?

>70 msf59: It's going OK. I was back in the office, two days a week, for the first three weeks of December. Then I had a COVID exposure, then they shut the office at least through January. We're thinking maybe a month or two after that, maybe through March. I don't mind not having to drive in the snow and cold.

I've been reading a lot so far this new year and also watching a lot of hockey games.

>71 lindapanzo: Thanks for the work update. You prefer working from home, right? Although it must be nice going in once in awhile. I sure don't miss working in this weather.

‘Morning Mark! I hope your day is a good one.

>66 msf59: Yay for your snowy sighting.

Very cool that you got to see a snowy owl this year, Mark. Hope you're having a great Tuesday and continue to enjoy The Lincoln Highway.

>73 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Meeting a couple birding buddies shortly. This will probably be the nicest day this week. Hooray for the snowy!

>74 bell7: Morning, Mary. Hooray for the snowy and The Lincoln Highway. I should wrap up the latter tomorrow.

Owling continues. Excellent, and I really, really pull for you to see and snap that Costa Rican black-and-white job.

Tuesday. Well, it was inevitable, wasn't it.

Good morning, Mark.

Snowy owls are such beautiful birds, aren’t they.

Thanks for the heads-up on Earthly Delights:Poems. That does sound good - I like the ones you posted.

I’d recommend to you the Lombardo Aneid, but that kettle of fish isn’t for everyone. I’m still plugging away in the Amanada Gorman collection. I can’t wait until she realizes ger ambition to be President.

Ooh, a Snowy Owl! Lucky Mark. Hope this morning's birding was great.

>55 msf59: I love the sloth Mark. You are going to have an amazing time.

>76 richardderus: Hey, RD. Yes, owls and waterfowl really help with the winter doldrums. I also hope to get a spectacled owl on our trip.

>77 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. Someday I will have to show you a snowy owl on the lakefront. They are being seen at the 31st St. harbor if you feel like taking a drive. I hope you "Earthly Delights" a try. It sounds like you are enjoying the Gorman collection, right?

>78 lauralkeet: Yep, Lucky Mark! It was a swan fest this morning, Laura. 15 trumpeter swans and 4 mute swans, plus 20 other species. A nice outing with my birding buddies.

>79 Caroline_McElwee: Great to hear from a sloth fan! We should have no problem seeing some of these, Caroline.

^Hit the road Jack...

-Michael Ramirez

I watched some pickleball over the holidays and was trying to figure out exactly what they were doing. I could see the table tennis/ping pong and regular tennis components. If I see it on TV again, I'll have to watch for the badminton influence. I did play ping pong during Christmas break for the first time in somewhere between 35 and 40 years. I definitely need to practice more, but I think I've still got a lot of the moves if I were to play it. I was quite good in college.

>81 msf59: Such a well bundled treasure!

>81 msf59: I see Jackson is a fellow of many hats. Very cute guy!

>83 thornton37814: Hi, Lori. I am not sure the connections with pickleball and badminton are but I certainly see the similarities of ping pong and tennis. So, you were quite a champ at table tennis, eh?

>84 quondame: Bree does keep him bundled, Susan.

>85 mdoris: Jack is a very well-dressed kid, Mary. That is for sure.

Morning, Mark! Just de-lurking to say hello...

>87 katiekrug: Morning, Katie. How much snow did you get? We have been lucky so far this season, with no snow in sight either. I ain't complaining.

-Keel-billed Toucan. Costa Rica. Is this a great shot or what? This will be me when I get there.

>88 msf59: - We haven't had any snow since a week or so ago, maybe? And then it was about 4". We may get a bit overnight tonight, along with ice. Not much accumulation but the ice, obviously, makes it Not Fun.

Bree and Jackson. How great.

>89 msf59:. Love it! What a great photo.

Happy mid-week, compadre. For a sci-fi reader it’s taken me a long time to get around to Project Hail Mary. So far I’m liking it a lot. I can see why there’s been so much enthusiasm and it’s stuck around on the best seller lists for so long.

Did I mention Dancing at the Pity Party to you? Another excellent graphic memoir. I was skeptical when starting it, but she quickly won me over.

‘Morning, Mark, and a happy, if chilly, Wednesday to you.

>80 msf59: Swan fest for sure. Fantastic outing, congrats.

>81 msf59: Ah yes, the paraphernalia of taking a kidlet out, magnified by cold weather. Thanks for sharing! And hi to Bree!

>82 msf59: It is sure noticeable at the grocery store.

>90 katiekrug: Pretty much the same scenario here, Katie. Little snow but still very icy in spots and since we will not be above freezing for at least the next 10 days, it will be sticking around.

>91 jnwelch: Happy Wednesday, Joe. Yep, you can't beat the Bree & Jackson combo and yes that toucan is stunning. Glad you are enjoying Project Hail Mary. I have procrastinated with that one too. Maybe, you will give me that nudge I need. I can't recall if you recommended Dancing at the Pity Party or not but I have taken note now. Thanks.

>92 karenmarie: Happy Wednesday, Karen. Hooray for the swan fest, along with Bree & Jackson. Boo to those rising food costs. Feeling the crunch...

-Trumpeter Swan

^We got to see a swan fest yesterday, along the partially frozen Des Plaines River, (this is just a few minutes away from Bree's house). We counted 15 trumpeters, five mute swans and one tundra swan, along with a few other waterfowl and a bald eagle. A good bird day, plus the birds were fairly close so I could get a few shots.

Hi Mark - Can't wait for the Costa Rica Photographs!

I left a message for you, Joe, and Paul on Joe's thread.

Many feeder birds here and a now rare sighting of three juvenile Wild Turkeys
making it safely across Portage Road.

Happy Wednesday, Mark! Thanks for helping keep my thread warm while I was indisposed.

>94 msf59: Handsome birb, that swan!

When I look at a toucan, Mark, I see a nonsensical mismatch between head and bill. Like a Rolls-Royce nose on a VW beetle. The bird stuck its nose in a can and now can't get free of the can.

I hear you finished The Lincoln Highway.

>95 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Good to see you. A birding buddy I talked to yesterday, had 180 Lifers in Costa Rica. I would be happy with a third of that. I will stop by Joe's thread. Hooray for the Wild Turkeys!

>96 scdoster: Hi, Stasia. You are more than welcome. You changed your username on me, right?

>97 richardderus: It sure was, RD. Can't get more elegant than swans.

>98 weird_O: Whatever the configuration is, Bill, I can't wait to see a toucan. Yes, I finally finished The Lincoln Highway. I am still impressed that you made it through it so quickly. I was averaging 70-80 pages a day, so I thought I was doing pretty good.

^ I finished 3 books today. This is a rare occurrence but more a matter of timing than anything, I humbly admit. I wrapped up the excellent These Precious Days: Essays. Patchett Rocks! Need I say more? I also finished The Lincoln Highway. A bit of a letdown after his last one but still worth reading. A Gentleman in Moscow will remain a gold standard. Lastly, I finished a GN that Joe recommended, Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir, which ended up really growing on me.

>100 msf59: Wow! Three books done today! I read several books at a time, and that does happen. Don’t you feel extra accomplished? Good job!

Karen O

>89 msf59: Perched in the vanishing tree!

Congrats on finishing three books on same day. I'm at the halfway point of The Lincoln Highway and finding it a good read so far.
I'm getting picky on graphic memoirs, there are just so many of them.

>100 msf59: Those are special days indeed, Mark, and they were all solid performers. The Towles was a let-down to a number of people I know, so it doesn't surprise me to hear you say that.

Better reads to come!

I love Book Turnover Day, especially when it involves more than one!

>101 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen. A nice feeling. I did start the Patchett on the first, so it took me awhile.

>102 quondame: I thought it was doing the toucan hop, Susan.

>103 avatiakh: Thanks, Kerry. Yep, it was a productive day. I hope you are enjoying The Lincoln Highway. It is a big book but it reads pretty quickly. I am starting to get a nice little list of GNs to check out.

>104 richardderus: It sure was a special day, Richard and I started Small Things Like These and that is off to a lovely start. With some editing, I think The Lincoln Highway could have been a bit better.

>105 katiekrug: Ooh, I like the sound of Book Turnover Day, Katie. A lovely ring to it.

>106 msf59:

Yay for Small Things Like These!

>107 msf59: Hahahaha, that's a good one!

Glad you enjoyed The Lincoln Highway. Certainly it was no A Gentleman in Moscow, but I thought it was pretty solid overall. I was more let down by Cloud Cuckoo Land myself, as far as big-name authors with new books in 2021.

>108 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. Not far into small Things Like these but I am really enjoying it. Once again, it would have never landed on my radar if it wasn't for my LT pals.

>109 bell7: " Certainly it was no A Gentleman in Moscow". Amen to that but then again not many are. I still have Cloud Cuckoo Land on the slate. I want to try that one out for myself.

Sweet Thursday, Mary!

-Redhead (male)

^I love redheads...and blondes and brunettes. There were 4 redheads on the river the same day, we had the swans. With the ice blocking off a big chunk of the river, they were close enough for a photo.

I have Small Things Like These waiting to be picked up at the library. Glad to hear another endorsement of it!

>112 katiekrug: Looking forward to getting back into it. Very short too. I may finish it today.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Thursday to you. Enjoy your Jackson time.

>94 msf59: Excellent photo.

>100 msf59: Congrats on finishing 3 books in one day.

>111 msf59: Another excellent photo.

>107 msf59:. LOL! Love it!

I’m glad Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir really grew on you. It was similar for me. I wasn’t so sure I’d picked up a good one at first, but a ways in I knew she had me.

A Gentleman in Moscow remains the gold standard, I agree, and as I mentioned, I was a bit letdown by Lincoln Highway for a spoiler reason. On the other hand, I think if Lincoln Highway were his first book, we’d all be talking about this amazing new author.

I’m having a blast with Project Hail Mary. I can see why folks are favorably comparing it with The Martian. The strengths of TM, humor and fascinating problem-solving, are present in abundance in this one, too.

>111 msf59: HAndsome beast, your redhead.

>107 msf59: HA!! I love that! Wordplay mastery from that cartoonist.

>100 msf59: That's how I felt about the Towles book, too. The others I've read were among my favorite books of the year. This one was OK but disappointing compared to the others.

>100 msf59: I agree that A Gentleman in Moscow is Towles' best, but I still enjoyed The Lincoln Highway. I loved These Precious Days!

Happy Thursday, Mark!

>100 msf59: Ooo, hat trick Mark!

>110 msf59: oh Cloud Cuckoo Land is still worth a read, imo. I'll look forward to your thoughts.

Nice redhead pic! I saw what I believe to be a red-tailed hawk hanging out at the top of a tree today, but sadly couldn't get close enough for a really good photo.

>114 karenmarie: Happy Thursday, Karen. Glad you like the pics. Love spending time with Jack but he is teething, so it wasn't always smooth. Feeling sorrier for Bree.

>115 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. "A Gentleman in Moscow remains the gold standard". Amen, to that and good point on how well-received The Lincoln Highway would have been if it had been a debut. I love your warbling on Project Hail Mary. I need to try and bookhorn that title in.

>116 richardderus: Hey, RD! Yah, for redheads and cute comics.

>117 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. In regard to Towles, it is impressive how he shifts to completely different subjects in his books. Curious to see where he will take us next, hopefully not another roas trip.

>118 alcottacre: Happy Thursday, Stasia! Hooray for Towles & Patchett.

>119 Caroline_McElwee: A rare occurrence, Caroline but a joyful one. Thanks.

>120 bell7: My reading schedule for the next 6 weeks looks busy, Mary but I am going to read Cloud Cuckoo Land at some point. Glad you got to see a red-tail.

^I took Sue's AM shift this morning, (she was bummed. I was not). I got plenty of smiles and giggles from him but he is also teething, so there were also cries and tears. Poor kid. Poor Mom. I hope he is doing better on tomorrow's shift.

Geez, Mark, you and your Towles-reading buddies are making it difficult to comment on The Lincoln Highway. I definitely will NOT use the term "disappointment" or any of its synonyms. I'm racing to get through Watchmen, which is no disappointment. The core of it is about what I expected, but its package is creative and peppered with novelty.

>124 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. Sorry to get you bummed on The Lincoln Highway. I gave it 4 stars, so that is far from a disappointment, but it definitely didn't hook me the way his previous novel did and it took a few too many side-trips for my taste. Far from disliking it, though. He is a gifted storyteller.

Good for you for tackling Watchmen and enjoying it to boot. Believe it or not, I have not read it but own a nice copy. You might just give the nudge, I need.

>123 msf59: Oh, poor little guy! I hope that the teething goes more smoothly for him from here on out.

>125 msf59: I will help nudge you on Watchmen, Mark. You really ought to read it. I cannot believe I have and you have not!

>126 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. It sounds like the teething issues will go on for a while, so we better get used to it. Sighs...And I better get to Watchmen. Sounds like a direct order.

"As a boy, James Rebanks's grandfather taught him to work the land the old way. Their family farm in the Lake District hills was part of an ancient agricultural landscape: a patchwork of crops and meadows, of pastures grazed with livestock, and hedgerows teeming with wildlife. And yet, by the time James inherited the farm, it was barely recognizable...This is a book about what it means to have love and pride in a place, and how, against all the odds, it may still be possible to build a new pastoral."

Pastoral Song popped up on an Audible Daily Deal and it sounded like something I would enjoy. I have the audio loaded up and I will start it soon.

>127 msf59: Yep. You bet. I herewith order you to read Watchmen. LOL.

>128 msf59: That one sounds like one I would enjoy too. Off to see if I can find it. . .

>107 msf59: I love that cartoon!

Karen O.

I have been following your comments about Lincoln Highway and have to say that I have not read the book and don't plan to. Not because I fear that the book may be a letdown, but because I simply am not interested in the subject matter. I will also "fess up and say that I had no plans to read Gentleman in Moscow either because the plot didn't appeal to me. I found myself pleasantly surprised when I was forced to start the book because one of my real life book discussion groups was reading it. I don't always complete books for groups (if I don't like them, I don't finish them because life's too short) but I did read this one and really like it. It may be that someday I will read Lincoln Highway but at this time I have no plans to do so. For that reason I don't have to feel let down by it.

I do want to read Pastoral Song and have it on my gigantic TBR list.

>123 msf59: The first teething is so not the fun part. Not that any teething is, but they do get the hang of it, the wee learning engines. He looks ever so fine in the perfect shirt.

HI Mark, I have had Pastoral Song on request for ages at the library. Sure hope it comes in soon. Sure liked his book THe Shepherd's Life. And a friend told me this one is even better!

Know what you mean about the teething. Granddaughter Lucy in Denver is going through the same!

I'm possibly lucky that The Lincoln Highway is my first time reading Towles and I'm enjoying it. A Gentleman in Moscow didn't appeal at the time as I'd just read a memoir with some similarities. The Girl from the Metropol Hotel: Growing Up in Communist Russia by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya.

>128 msf59: I thought Pastoral Song was a very good read, Mark, enjoy!
You can find my thoughts on msg 168 of my 9th 2021 thread.

>128 msf59: BB for me. Looks to be excellent!

>129 alcottacre: Duly noted, Stasia and it helps I have a copy at hand. I did listen to the first hour or so of Pastoral Song and it is off to a good start.

>130 klobrien2: We aim to please around here, Karen. 🙂

>131 benitastrnad: I am glad you gave A Gentleman in Moscow a chance, Benita. I think it is a very special book. With the scores of books out there and in the piles, we can afford to be very picky. The Lincoln Highway is not a Must Read but I am enjoying Pastoral Song. Glad to hear you all ready have it in the pile.

>132 quondame: I sure hope Jack gets the hang of the teething thing, Susan. Mostly for Bree & Sean's sake.

>133 mdoris: Hi, Mary. Glad to hear you have Pastoral Song on your TBR list. I have a feeling I will be adding The Shepherd's Life to my list as well. He is good writer. Poor Jack & Lucy. We wish them the best.

>134 avatiakh: Glad to hear you read and enjoyed The Lincoln Highway first but I highly recommend you give A Gentleman in Moscow a try too. You will not regret it, Kerry.

>135 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita. I am so glad to hear that you have read and have enjoyed Pastoral Song. Somehow that dipped under my radar when it was released last year.

>136 figsfromthistle: Yah, I love landing BBs and based on what I have heard of the audio, it will be fine choice, Figs.

Happy Friyay, Mark! Spend it splendidly, which actually means "warmly" right now...wow, winter bared her fangs, didn't she?

Morning, RD. Only 7F here, at the moment. Glad I will be spending very little time out there. Mercifully, we are still avoiding the snow.

^Two of my very favorite books, Homegoing & The Worst Hard Time are Kindle deals. If you have not read these, now is the time to grab them. Yes, this is a direct order.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H1UOSG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&...

>141 msf59:. Excellent. Did you read Transcendent Kingdom? I didn’t, and wonder about it.

Happy Friday, compadre. We’re mainly looking at working out and reading on my end, so it should be a good day. I’m getting a kick out of both Project Hail Mary and Sharpe’s Assassin (how in the world is Sharpe going to pull it off this time?)

Did you read and like Hatchet? He’s apparently got a new survival novel coming out posthumously. I want to read that and his autobio.

Is Jackson on the agenda today? I’m guessing yes. Enjoy!

P.S. we finished Station Eleven, and it wraps up beautifully. There are a couple of major differences from the book in the series (involving Jeevan and Kirsten and the Prophet) but we both thought they were good choices for tv storytelling.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you.

>123 msf59: Love the onesie!

>125 msf59: It’s hard to beat such a good book as A Gentleman In Moscow. I’ve got The Lincoln Highway on my shelves and will have to adjust my expectations.

>142 jnwelch:
I loved the Sharpe books. They were fun to read and I learned a whole bunch about life in the early 1800's. I even enjoyed the BBC TV production of Sharpe that turned Sean Bean into a star. I only got to see season 1 but would like to revisit that series someday when I have the time to do binge watching.

>141 msf59: Happy Friday, just skimming thru to catch up.

I'll whole heartedly add my warbling to Worst Hard Time, loved that book. And I have Homegoing on the TBR stack, thanks to Santa Paul this year.

Really enjoying The Cold Millions (how could I not). TBH, I was slow to connect for the first little bit, but its barrelling right along. I like the change of perspective he gives with the little interstitial sections.

>142 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I have read Transcendent Kingdom but didn't love it but others have. I have read Hatchet but it has been so long ago, I don't remember much about it. Have you heard good things about the new one? Yes, we had a Jackson marathon again yesterday. Nearly 12 hours for me. Yah! Good to hear about Station Eleven. Looking forward to wrapping it up.

>143 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen. Hooray for Jack's perfect onesie and for the perfect A Gentleman in Moscow.

>144 benitastrnad: I think I read the first two Sharpe books. I would see to see the TV series.

>145 mahsdad: Happy Friday, Jeff. We can never get enough love for The Worst Hard Time, got to keep spreading the joy and I hope you enjoy Homegoing as much as I did. The Cold Millions was such a great surprise, especially after such a long wait. Walter Rocks! 'Nuff said.

-Harry Bliss

>146 msf59:
I think we need to spread the Timothy Egan love. Worst Hard Time is not his only book, and it might not even be his best book. I have read 4 of his books and loved them all. I think that he is twice as good of a writer as Eric Larson.

Three cheers for The Worst Hard Time, Mark. Such a great read. NNF at its best.

>147 msf59: Ha! Great.

Continuing on the Egan front, I just remembered that I have Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher coming. Its about Edward Curtis, an early 20th Century western photographer. I got it used from a "local" bookseller in Pittsburgh that I follow on IG and TikTok (social media can sometimes be used for good. :) )

>137 msf59: Well, it doesn't last forever. Seems to, but doesn't.

>144 benitastrnad: Season one of Sharpe was the best. Mike got the series on DVD for me back in that day, and well, aside from the final music, it just didn't have it for me. I'm generally a Regency period fan too. The one Sharpe short story I read was really bad. I'm beginning to think the collection it was in of many well know authors, was written by ringers who hated the authors to whom they were assigned.

>141 msf59: Dodging both of those BBs as I have already read them.

Have a wonderful weekend, Mark!

>142 jnwelch: I read Transcendent Kingdoms and liked it Joe, but not as much as Homegoing, others I note preferred TK. I'm looking forward to her next.

>148 benitastrnad: I agree with you on spreading the love for Egan. The Worst Hard Time is my favorite of his work but I also loved Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher and The Big Burn. I do want to get to The Immortal Irishman. I have no idea why I have put that one off. Have you read it?

>149 brenzi: Amen, to that, Bonnie! Have you read any of his other stuff?

>151 mahsdad: Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher is also excellent, Jeff. I am glad you got a copy coming and I am looking forward to your thoughts when you get to it.

>152 quondame: Good point, Susan about the teething. I should watch season 1 of Sharpe, at some point.

>154 alcottacre: Happy Saturday, Stasia. Now, I will have to warble about something you haven't read. Grins...

>155 Caroline_McElwee: I am with you on Transcendent Kingdoms, Caroline. Actually, I may have even liked it less than you. It just didn't click like her debut.

"The Film Club is a non-fiction book by Canadian writer David Gilmour. It is a memoir of himself letting his teenage son drop out of high school under the stipulation that he must watch three films a week."

I am a film buff and have been all my life, so this premise certainly had its appeal. Unfortunately, The Film Club has also been sitting on shelf for a number of years. It has a surprising number of negative reviews on Good Reads but I am 60 pages in and enjoying it and also jotting down a few film titles I would also like to watch. I love foreign films and the first film they watch together is The 400 Blows which happened to be the film that got me interested in international film. Actually, I rewatched it a year or so ago, along with a few other Truffaut films. His early work is amazing.

The Film Club sounds interesting. I’ll have to look it up.

I ran across Michael Dobbs’ King Richard, narrative nonfiction telling of events between Nixon’s second inauguration and his resignation. Apparently, the Nixon Presidential Library released a bunch of tapes from that period and he got access, uses them to really bring the people to life.

>157 msf59: - That sounds interesting. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

One of my top 5 favorite classes in college was World Film - it exposed me to a lot of stuff I never would have seen otherwise.

>157 msf59: - This book by Gilmour has been sitting on my shelf for eons, too. He is a local boy and I wanted to read it immediately after bringing it home. Got distracted.... sound familiar?

>158 drneutron: Hi, Jim. Let me know if you are interested in The Film Club. I could wing it your way. Funny, when you mentioned King Richard, I thought you were referring to the recent Will Smith film. This Nixon book does sound interesting.

>159 katiekrug: Morning, Katie. It is a completely unconventional parenting maneuver, but it makes for an entertaining read. Seeing his son's reaction to A Hard Days Night is a hoot.

>160 jessibud2: I have never heard of Gilmour, (only the Pink Floyd guitarist) but he seems to be very popular in Canada. Maybe, I can spark you into reading it. I know you are a film fan too.

>158 drneutron: Avid Reader Press sent me a DRC of Watergate: A New History by Garrett M. Graff which, at 832pp, is the scariest book on my TBR. Since we're getting two new books about it, there's got to be something juicy....

>157 msf59: Another TBR-lurker here. I need to get that read! (I saw Rocco and His Brothers which had the same effect on me.)

Happy Saturday, Mark.

>162 richardderus: I hadn’t realized that Nixon’s tape system was installed all over the White House and Camp David, and that it was made to record automatically. Apparently, there’s a *lot* of recordings of conversations that only just now being cataloged.

>162 richardderus: Morning, Richard. Looking forward to your thoughts on the scary Watergate book. I also loved Rocco and His Brothers but it has probably been a couple of decades since I had seen it.

>163 drneutron: Nixon was such a paranoid, I am surprised he agreed to all these recordings, unless he felt he had the power to never let them see the light of day. Wishful thinking, eh?

>141 msf59: Pretty sure that I have a paper copy of The Worst Hard Time, but I bought a $1.99 Kindle copy of Homecoming. Thanks for the nudge!

Hope you're having a good weekend and staying warm.

According to Dobbs, Nixon did it so he could control his legacy, and really, it was an expression of his paranoia in that he wanted evidence to refute any claims by Kissinger, especially, as to credit for opening up China, ending the Vietnam war, etc. Every President since FDR had used some kind of recordings, but Nixon went all in thinking that he owned the tapes. Turns out he was wrong…

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. Enjoy your books and football this weekend.

>147 msf59: LOL.

>162 richardderus:, >163 drneutron:, >164 msf59: I’m still wondering what was on the 18 minutes that Rose Mary Woods erased. A quick duckduckgo search showed some links that may explain what was on them, but I’m too lazy to go look at any right now.

Happy Saturday, Mark! Sunny here but temps in the negatives. As, usual, great Jackson and birding photos.
I'll be rooting for the Bengals today. Just the thought of another team going this far wearing orange and brown/black is reassuring.
Have a good one!

I'm pretty sure Nixon's theory wasn't that he owned the tapes but rather that he held creator's rights in them so could control how they were used until copyright ran out. He was savvy...he wasn't stupid but he was wrong-headed about so, so much.

>165 bell7: Hi, Mary. I am glad you have copies of both. You have a pair of great reads ahead of you. I am definitely staying warm. No trails for me.

>166 drneutron: Good explanation, Jim. Tricky Dick.

>167 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Having a good R & R afternoon and evening. Go 49ers!

>168 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda. Hope you are keeping warm. Not as chilly here. Go Bengals. Nice wn for them today.

>169 richardderus: Good points on Tricky Dick, RD.

>169 richardderus: I think that summed up Nixon very accurately and succinctly, RD.

Have a great weekend, Mark.

I hope you have a lovely Sunday, Mark! Is it a Jackson day?

>171 PaulCranswick: It has been a good weekend, Paul. Thanks. Books and American football.

>172 alcottacre: Happy Sunday, Stasia. Not a Jackson day but I plan on seeing him a couple of times next week.

These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett 4.8 stars

"Paying close attention to the text, and realizing that books can save you, those were the lessons I learned my freshman year of college when school was closed. I then went on to use this newfound understanding to great advantage for the rest of my life. Books were not just my education and my entertainment, they were my partners. They told me what I was capable of. They let me stare a long way down the path of various possibilities so that I could make decisions."

“How other people live is pretty much all I think about. Curiosity is the rock upon which fiction is built.”

“As every reader knows, the social contract between you and a book you love is not complete until you can hand that book to someone else and say, Here, you’re going to love this.”

I adore Ann Patchett. Her last essay collection, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage was excellent. She returns to this format here, after writing a couple of novels and delivers a bullseye once again. Her writing is beautiful and insightful and draws the reader in, no matter how mundane the subject matter is. A book pal (Bonnie) recently commented that Patchett may be a better nonfiction writer. This is arguable but what is not, is that she is a helluva writer. This is also a terrific audiobook experience, with Patchett narrating herself.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles 3.8 stars

The summer of 1954, Emmett Watson, eighteen years old, is released from a work farm in Kansas and returns to his home in Nebraska. His parents are both gone and he is now responsible for his eight-year-old brother, Billy and a foreclosed farm. He does own a Studebaker and immediately decides to leave the Cornhusker state behind take a road trip to San Francisco to find his mother. Of course, it will not be this simple...Towles is a born storyteller and has done another solid job here. My only quibble is that the narrative takes a few too many detours and unnecessary pitstops, along the way.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 4.5 stars

It is 1985, in a small Irish village and we are introduced to Bill Furlong. A hard-working coal/building material merchant and a dedicated family man. It is the weeks, leading up to Christmas and Bill is getting his end of the year affairs in order. While making a delivery at the local convent he makes a disturbing discovery. This is a wonderful book, deeply affecting, about a man trying to do the right thing. I can see this short novel becoming a perennial favorite of mine and I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.

*I appreciate my book buddies for putting this gem on my radar.

**I think this year is off to a very promising start.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday.

>170 msf59: I watched a bit of the first game yesterday but not the second, and they were both won on last second field goals. I did watch the 49ers/Packers 4th quarter highlights, then texted my aunt, who lives in northern California. She and my uncle are serious 49ers fans and were, of course, ecstatic. Personally I’m just glad the Packers lost because I can’t respect Aaron Rodgers anymore.

>174 msf59: Good review. I’m putting it on the wish list. I have 3 novels of hers on my shelves, unread. One of these precious days…

>175 msf59: 3.8 isn’t bad, but I don’t get the sense that you really liked it that much – ‘solid’, ‘the narrative takes a few too many detours and unnecessary pitstops, along the way.’. This one is on my shelves. I wonder when I’ll find the right time?

We’ll be watching football this afternoon, of course, and I’m interested in both games. I want the Rams to beat the Bucs – soft spot for LA because that’s my hometown, Chiefs over the Bills because they’re my backup team and I love watching Mahomes play.

>177 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I watched the whole 49ers/Packers game. What a conclusion. I think the Pack was a better team, but they were outplayed in that one. Those fans looked shell-shocked. I like the Chiefs and Mahomes too but I have to root for the Bills on this one.

Glad I got you with the Patchett. I liked The Lincoln Highway. It still gets 4 stars but I also could not ignore some of the things that bothered me. Since you have it on shelf, I would recommend you give it a try, plenty of others have loved it.

Morning, Mark!

I'm mad for not turning on the 49ers-Packers game. I would have liked to have seen Rodgers lose, as I am no longer a fan. Today, I'm rooting for LA over Tampa Bay because Tom Brady Must. Be. Stopped. And the Bills over the Chiefs because the Bills never get much respect. And their Assistant GM just became the Giants GM :)

Some great reading you've done recently - all three are on my list.

>179 msf59: Ha! That's priceless.

Happy snow day.

good reviews over here.....

>174 msf59: I can't wait to read the Patchett essays, Mark. Great review!

Hi Mark! Congrats on all the good reading.

>180 katiekrug: Happy Sunday, Katie! I am also rootin' for both the Rams & the Bills! Both should be very good games. And thanks, in regard to my January reading. It has been great.

>181 richardderus: Hey, RD. All the snow has been cleared up. I even did my neighbor's driveway. Lots of sunshine but cold.

>182 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. I hope I landed a BB or two.

>183 lauralkeet: I am sure you will love it, Laura. Print or audio?

>184 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. On a good roll.

>185 msf59: The print edition, Mark. I can't manage audiobooks for some reason, although I'm sure Patchett would be superb as the narrator/reader of her own essays.

>179 msf59: pffft.

Happy Sunday, Mark! I love your Jackson photos (always such a delight when he pops up on my FB feed!) and your owl and swan photos.

When are you planning to read The Siege of Krishnapur? I've had it on my shelf for ages. Literally ages. I think at some point I hesitated because I thought it was the second book of a trilogy? Is that right? Troubles?

I'm so glad you loved When Stars Are Scattered. What an important story. My 5th graders are eating it up. I loved The Worst Hard Time also. I have his book The Big Burn around also but haven't had the heart to read it yet. The Big Burn could replace the word "summer" in the west, and increasingly, "autumn" also.

>186 lauralkeet: Either way, you are in for a winner, Laura. Patchett Rocks!

>187 Caroline_McElwee: Yep...

>188 AMQS: Hi, Anne. Great to see you. Plenty more Jackson and birds photos to come. That is a promise. The Siege of Krishnapur is the second book in the trilogy. Troubles is the first. Not sure when I will get to Siege but I can let you know when I make that decision. I understand your trepidation but I hope you decide to read The Big Burn. It is a good one.

>100 msf59: Hi there, Mark. Good work finishing 3 books in one day. I have the Patchett book home from the library. I plan to savor it as much as possible and read one or two essays a day. Good intentions; however, I might just gobble them up...who knows? I am also next in line for The Lincoln Highway. Life is good!

I love love love the Jackson pictures you've been posting here and on FB. He seems like such a good baby. I think he has inherited his Grandpa's happy outlook on life.

I'd love to comment more on what is happening here, but my Chiefs need me!

Hi Mark. I love the pics of GHOs - adults and chicks from last year! It's so cool you get to see them and watch them grow.

I have a copy of Memory of Love around here. Maybe I'll dig it out for the shared read. Also, I'm adding Small Things Like These to the wish list. It sounds terrific!

I'm glad you're nudging folks on The Worst Hard Time. It's excellent!

>174 msf59: I have a copy of This is the Story of a Happy Marriage on order. I hope I enjoy it as much as I did These Precious Days.

>176 msf59: I just got a copy of that one in the other day. Not sure when I will get it read, but it needs to be soon!

Have a great week, Mark!

>190 Donna828: Hi, Donna. Thanks, in regard to reading 3 books. It was more a matter of timing than anything. I am glad you got the Patchett collection at hand and the Towles waiting in the wings. Glad you are enjoying the Jackson pics. They seem to be a big hit, here and elsewhere. I do not see myself slowing down.

Great game last night. Honestly, I was rootin' for the Bills but had no problem with the Chiefs winning. A game for the ages.

Happy Monday!

>191 EBT1002: >192 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Always good to see you. I am looking forward to seeing more GHO chicks. It should be in the next few weeks. I would love for you to join us on The Memory of Love. I will add you to the list up there. I am sure you will love Small Things Like These. You can knock that one out in one sitting.

Hooray for The Worst Hard Time. Got to keep spreading the joy on that one.

>193 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia. No worries, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage is also amazing. I am sure you will love Small Things Like These. You will knock it out quick. Have a great week too.

>195 figsfromthistle: Happy Monday, Figs!

-Orange Bellied Trogon



-Blue-crowned Motmot

More Costa Rica target birds. A birding buddy I was chatting with last week, mentioned that when her and her son went to CR, they clocked in a mighty 180 Lifers! WOW!! I would be happy with a third of that.

In one week, we will be at the airport. Yah!!



-Scarlet Macaws

Happy Monday, Mark. I'm excited for your Costa Rican adventure. Can't wait to see pics and hear all about it.

>198 lauralkeet: Happy Monday, Laura. We are very pumped about our upcoming trip. Warmth (it will be 83F there today) nature, hiking and lots of refreshments. Can't wait.

January 20, 2021

This morning the snow
lowered so slowly, I was able
to lift my son—still in pajamas—
and show him each delicate
tendril of frost, the arctic structure
of a solitary flake. I was able
to make coffee and think only
of making coffee, a sensation
so sudden and dangerous
in its delight, I had to dilute it
by burning the toast. This morning
I breathed deeply, clicked on
the television and watched—
for a moment—a Boeing VC-25 fade
over our capital and dwindle
from sight. Nothing says revenge
like dwindle from sight. Later,
I’ll hear the new president pledge
to be better, try a bit harder.
I will try to believe him
the way a child believes a father
in an overcoat, by the door.
But for now, all is quiet.
My coffee tastes delicious,
and nothing says revenge like
the stillness of snow.

-Jared Harél From Poem-A-Day

Hi Mark! The playoff games were amazing. I didn’t watch all of them, but that’s what highlights videos are for. *smile*

>179 msf59: That’s a riot.

>197 msf59: I love the names – trogon and motmot. Gorgeous birds. I hope you’ll have some ‘official’ birding time while there.

What a playoff weekend, huh? I was also going for the Bills, but that ending was simply thrilling and I couldn't be too upset with the result. May next week's games be just as exciting!

Glad to see how much you're enjoying your recent reads. Both These Precious Days and Small Things Like These are on my TBR list.

And finally, can't wait to see/hear about your adventures and birding in Costa Rica!

>197 msf59: One week! So cool. Or warm. You know what I mean.

Monday thrills, Mark.

Finally all caught up with you, Mark! I loved all of the Jackson photos.

I just started These Precious Days yesterday. Agree with you about Small Things Like These - I also gave it 4.5 stars. It's a little gem of a story.

>201 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Yes, it was a great football day yesterday, although the Bills winning would have really made it a banner day. Hooray for trogons and motmots! I hope I see plenty of both.

>202 bell7: Hi, Mary. It was a fantastic football weekend. Next weekend will probably be anticlimactic, after those amazing performances. I am sure you will love both These Precious Days & Small Things Like These once you get to them.

>202 bell7: Hey, RD. Having a bit of a kickback AM, (it just stopped snowing). I am taking care of a couple small details for the trip and just finished 2 books. I hope you are having a good one too.

I'm sure you said up there (and skimming through, I'm just not finding it), but when are you going to Costa Rica? It will be absolutely paradise for a bird and nature lover like you!

>204 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie. I am sure you will love the Patchett collection and wasn't Small Things Like These lovely? There should be more Jackson photos tomorrow. Yah!

>206 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. We leave on the 31st, so in one week, we will be in the air. Getting excited...

Have you been to Central America?

Apologies, Mark. The weekend was a nothingburger as far as books and reading and writing was concerned. I did get a report on Way Station posted this afternoon. Towles' moment in the Weird Spotlight™ is approaching.

Close to completing a reread of Lauren Redniss' graphic story Radioactive. I first read it at least 10 years ago, and honestly remember the marvelous colors and weird drawings more than the story itself. Very insightful associations of the Curies, the atom bomb, the awful impact of underground testing, bomb shelters as a business. If you haven't read it, you should.

Oh, and Watchmen. Go ahead and read it. You know you want to.

ETA: Highlight of the football weekend: Brady getting flagged for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

>208 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. Good to see you. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Lincoln Highway. I sense, you had a good time with it. Radioactive was fantastic. I am glad you are doing a reread of it. I will get to Watchmen. Thanks.

I think that I heard that was Brady's very first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Wow!

-Clay Bennett

^Got him treed, now let's bag him.

>188 AMQS: & >189 msf59:
The order of the series depends on how you look at it. Siege of Krishnapur was written second (after Troubles) but chronologically it happens first in history. The book is a work of fiction that is a combination of events that took place in India in the 1850's during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Troubles is set in the 1920's in Ireland amidst the Irish War for Independence. If you like reading books in the order the author wrote them then the order of reading of these two books should be reversed. If, however, you like reading things in chronological order reading Krishnapur first would be the thing to do.

In short, I don't think it makes a difference in this case in which order the books are read.

New York's AG, Letitia James, has 45's kids in her sights too! Vanity Fair did a good piece on them all. I was deee-lighted.

>210 msf59: *smile*

>212 richardderus: I love her and love what she's doing!

>197 msf59: That Blue-crowned Motmot has beautiful coloring, at least to my eye. I hope you get lucky and find a ton of birds to photograph, Mark!

Hi Mark, it's taken me until now to recover from last night's game. I was physically sick at the end. How odd that you and I are in sync about the Patchett and the Keegan🤭

Im watching Ozark right now and am reminded of how much Ann Patchett and Laura Linney sound alike. Did you notice that when you listened to Patchett?

>211 benitastrnad: Thanks for setting us straight, Benita. We plan on reading Seige in early March and then I hope to get to the final one later in the year.

>212 richardderus: >213 Storeetllr: Come on Letitia Jones! We are really counting on you.

>214 alcottacre: Sure hoping to get a motmot, Stasia, along with many other birds.

>215 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. I can understand being sick to your stomach last night. It was tough that the game was determined by a flip of a coin. I love Laura Linney but I didn't catch the voice similarity with Patchett. I am sure you are correct.

>211 benitastrnad: Thank you, Benita! That helps a lot. Maybe I'll pick up Siege then since I have it. When is the GR? Would you believe, I'm going round and round with two other books (one of which Mark sent me years and years ago) unable to decide which to read first - order published or chronological order! Any thoughts on reading English Creek or Dancing at the Rascal Fair first? The big shame is that I've not read them, as I love everything Ivan Doig.

>217 AMQS: Hi, Anne. I am going to try and kick off The Siege of Krishnapur in early March. I hope you can join us. What book did I send you years ago? Grins...And I would definitely start with English Creek. I am also a Doig fan but I need to get to the final book in the trilogy.

Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir by Bishakh Som 3.7 stars

In this “almost” graphic memoir, the transgender author, uses an alter-ego, Anjali, to tell her story of growing up in Ethiopia, India, and New York City. It looks at her relationship with her traditional parents and how she finally discovered her creative dream, drawing comics. It wasn’t a perfect read but I liked it enough to recommend it.



Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci 4 stars

As a child, Ozge Samanci was drawn to the sea. Her early hero being Jacques Cousteau. Her father wanted her to be an engineer and pushed her hard. Set on the Aegean coast, in Turkey this wonderful graphic memoir, details Ozge early life struggling against the system to become who she wanted to be, not what society demanded. Funny, warm and insightful. Ozge now teaches at Northwestern in Chicago.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you! Yay for getting to see Jackson this morning. A high of 10F is ridiculous. Stay warm!

>219 msf59: Interesting sounding reads, but I think I'll pass.

>207 msf59: I have never been to Central America. My sister went to Costa Rica many years ago and had wonderful stories to tell. P has been there.

I have Dare to Disappoint on the table beside my reading chair. That qualifies as even higher on the TBR list than being on my bedside table. ;-)

And I looked and looked last night, could not find my copy of Memory of Love. I still need to check one more set of bookshelves. If I don't find it, I'll get it from the library. I have it in my "To Read" collection here in LT, but I've been known to get rid of an unread book (why???) and not updating its status.

Have a great Tuesday!

Tuesday orisons, Mark. Happy reading, Central America-bound one.

>219 msf59: Glad to see you enjoyed Dare to Disappoint, Mark.
I hope to finish The unseen tonight, or else tomorrow.

I went through a box last night and found my copy of Siege of Krishnapur. I moved it to where I can easily find it, so I will be ready to read it in March. I am now reading the very funny We Ride Upon Sticks and enjoying it a whole lot. So snarky! So 80's with all that hair mousse and big shoulders. After that I will start on Emperor of Ocean Park. I can't believe that I haven't read this one. It is our February book discussion book, and so I have time to read it, but it is a big boy. 650 pages. I wanted to listen to this one, but the recorded version is checked out of the local library. It is a good thing that big books have never intimidated me. I will be ready for the group read right around March 1.

I enjoyed the Spellbound almost memoir too but the use of an alter ego did throw me off a bit.

>220 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Yep, it topped off at 10F today but Jackson warmed my little heart. He was exceptionally good. No fussiness this time.

>221 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. Glad to hear P loved CR. We CAN"T WAIT!! I am sure you will like Dare to Disappoint and we would love to have you along for The Memory of Love read. A nice little bunch.

>222 richardderus: Happy Tuesday, Richard. Only 10F here, so we are sure looking forward to those low 80s.

>223 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Unseen. I hope you enjoyed it, as much as I did.

>224 benitastrnad: Hooray for finding your copy of The Siege of Krishnapur. Nice to have you along on that one. Do you also own the third one? I do not. I remember the buzz around Emperor of Ocean Park a number of years ago but I never got to it either. I will watch for your thoughts.

>225 Familyhistorian: I am with you on that one, Meg.

Mark--I loved These Precious Days! And I am excited for Moonglow at the end of February. When are you reading Harlem Shuffle? I have that one, too.

Hi Mark, I'm reading a really good brand new story collection by the Irish writer Bernard MacLaverty called Blank Pages and Other Stories. I know how you love your short stories. 'Nuf said.

Hi Mark. Wow, I can see that I really must get myself a copy of A Gentleman in Moscow! I loved The Lincoln Highway and it sounds like GiM is even better. I am also going to have to get my hands on Small Things Like These after reading both you and Mamie's thoughts. Enjoy your last week before heading off to Costa Rica!

>228 msf59: Ha!! No one will ever convince me that this is not a documentary film outtake!

>228 msf59: - Well, good for mama, making sure her babies are warm! ;-)

>227 msf59: I loved The Unseen almost as much as you did, Mark, review is on my thread.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday!

>228 msf59: Clever owls.

>229 Berly: Hi, Kim. I am just glad you nudged me into reading Moonglow. I am looking forward to it too. How about April for Harlem Shuffle? I all ready have 2 shared reads set for March.

>230 brenzi: Ooh, an early morning BB with Blank Pages and Other Stories. Nice shooting, Bonnie. Is this one you own?

>231 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Great to see you. I have missed you. Yes, please make A Gentleman in Moscow a priority, along with Small Things Like These. You will be glad you did.

>232 richardderus: It may very well be, RD. 😆

>233 jessibud2: Such good Mamas, Shelley. I will have to visit my GHO Mama.

>234 FAMeulstee: Yah!! I will stop by shortly, Anita.

>235 karenmarie: Happy Wednesday, Karen. Up early today, eh?

Yes, up early. Not insomnia because I got 6 straight hours of sleep. Just woke up, stayed up. I may take a nap before rehab... *smile*

>237 karenmarie: I bet that 6 hours felt great, despite the stiff back. I hope you get that nap in.

^The current temp is -7F. I sure do not miss these mornings going into work. I am quite comfortable here, with my coffee and my LT pals.

>239 msf59: - Mark, that looks to me a lot like -7C. Aren't the inner numbers Fahrenheit and the outer ones, Celcius? Cold, whichever way you slice it, though, for sure!

Brrrr! Do not miss those temps. April or later is fine with my for Harlem Shuffle. Enjoy the coffee and stay warm!

>236 msf59:
Are you doing a group read of Moonglow? If so, I would like to read that one. I am also in for the group read of Harlem Shuffle. I am not a big fan of Colson Whitehead but I have enjoyed every Michael Chabon book I have read. I do want to give Whitehead another chance so would join in both group reads of these titles.

>239 msf59: *aaahhh* I'm so glad you're not going out in it, too...I get a little sympathetic twinge every time I see mail carriers in the snow.

Your cold temps are making me feel better about our cold foggy days, Mark. I'm in for the Harlem Shuffle read too. April would work.

>240 jessibud2: You are correct, Shelley. I did not catch that at first with the temperature gauge. Like you said, regardless, it is COLD!!!

>241 Berly: April sounds perfect, Kim. These shared reads have become a hit. A good way to get to those TBR shelves.

>242 benitastrnad: Go, Benita! A good way to get to those neglected books, right? I do not have a print copy of Moonglow but I had an audio copy for a long time. My library has it, though. I still have several Chabon's to read. And COME ON! Whitehead is awesome! 😀

>243 richardderus: Hey, RD. I met a couple of birding buddies for breakfast and then decided to do a solo run, despite the 5F temps. I was outside for less than 30 minutes and then did the rest from my truck. Missed my target bird(s) anyway. Lots of sunshine and blue skies, though.

>244 Familyhistorian: Pretty brutal out there, at the moment, Meg. I am in for the rest of the day. Great to have you along, for the Harlem Shuffle.

-Sophie Lucido Johnson

^This sooooooo reminds me of my wife. God bless her.

Morning, Mark. Okay. Morning to me. Afternoon to sensible folk.

>228 msf59: Love it.

>239 msf59: brrrr.

>247 weird_O: Good afternoon, Bill. I was out and about a bit this morning but the PM has been reserved for the books. The same with you?

>248 Caroline_McElwee: Happy Wednesday, Caroline.

-For the first time I got to spoon feed Jack some cereal. He sure seemed eager and pleased with himself.

>250 msf59: A pair of happy dudes!

>250 msf59: What lucky guys!

>250 msf59: Looks like both guys are pleased about the spoonfeeding :-)

>236 msf59: I'm afraid it's a library book Mark. Otherwise I'd send it to you.

>250 msf59: and it looks like you're doing a good job feeding that cutie pie.

>251 richardderus: >252 quondame: Yep, a pair of lucky, happy guys! No question about it.

>253 FAMeulstee: I think I was having better time than Jack was, Anita.

>254 brenzi: No problem, Bonnie. I will have to request Blank Pages and Other Stories from my library. It's just remembering to do so.

Aw, lookit Jackson getting so big!

Glad you were able to stay warm in the frigid temperatures. We're getting into the negative numbers overnight, too.

>256 bell7: Sweet Thursday, Mary. Yep, my Jackson boy is growing up fast. I was only outside yesterday for about 30 minutes, so it wasn't bad. Nearly 20 degrees warmer right now than yesterday at this time.

Morning, Mark! Cereal!! Jackson is ready for cereal - that doesn't seem possible. Love the photos.

You know, Mark, Jackson will grow a TON while you are in Costa Rica! Just want you to be prepared, lol! ;-)

>258 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! We are surprised that he is eating solid food already too. Our Big Boy!

>259 jessibud2: Morning, Shelley. Funny, it seems at this stage, it seems like Jack is changing all the time. Maybe it isn't as obvious to Bree & Sean but it is to us.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Thursday to you.

>239 msf59: I am quite comfortable here, with my coffee and my LT pals. It’s how I start my days, and it makes me happy.

>245 msf59: Solo run in 5F. You are dedicated and a bit crazy, you know. I’m glad you finished up in the truck.

>247 weird_O: That really makes me laugh, especially your comment about Sue. Both Bill and I make sure we have more-than-adequate-but-not-quite-hoarder-level supplies of paper products, coffee, cat food/treats, canned stuff, and personal care products safely tucked away. We learned this lesson at the start of the pandemic.

>250 msf59: How wonderful! A pic of Grandpa and Jackson. Thanks to Bree (?) for taking it and you for sharing it. Awww, look at that sweet face.

>259 jessibud2: and >260 msf59: You’ll be shocked when you come back from Costa Rica and he’s talking in full sentences and feeding himself… joking, of course, but I’m sure you’ll notice changes.

>261 karenmarie: - What Karen said, Mark. I guess as long as he hasn't grown a beard while you are away, things will be fine, lol!

Thursday orisons, Mark. I'm awaiting the bombogenesis of blizzarding. I hope they got it wrong, it sounds dreadful.

I saw your post on the graphic stories threads about the school board banning Maus. I did a little Googling and found articles focused on the rationale of the administrators and teachers for including it in the 8th grade curriculum, but offered little comment from the board members on why they banned it. One objected to "cuss words"; why do I suspect he's a potty mouth. This in a school district centered in Athens, TN.

Meanwhile, my grand Claire engaged in a snowball fight in Athens. Greece, just yesterday.

As Richard said of the northeastern weekend forecast (>263 richardderus:), I hope they got it wrong. My daughter lives in Quincy, just south of Boston.

>261 karenmarie: Happy Thursday, Karen. Yep, I can be a little crazy at times. Just ask, Sue. But this time, it was more stir-crazy. More Jackson time tomorrow and it should be all afternoon, until Bree picks him up in the early evening. Yah!!

>262 jessibud2: I don't he will grow a beard. We will not be gone THAT long but there is a possibility he may cut a tooth or two. It could be close to 2 weeks not seeing him. You know we will miss him.

>263 richardderus: Happy Thursday, Richard. Good luck with the blizzard and enjoy those books.

>264 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. I read these things about book banning in schools and it gets me steamed. I think the Maus books are a perfect educational tool. I hope Claire enjoyed her Georgia snowball fight. Wishing the best for my East Coast pals, on this approaching storm.

Hiya, Mark. I’m glad The Palace Thief worked well for you. I’ll have to investigate the mystery of Ethan Canin at some point, a promising author who seemed to disappear.

Yes, I’m still enjoying the Amanda Gorman, but i’m taking forever to get through it. It’s sharing poetry time with the Aeneid, which of course is a bit of a project.

>144 benitastrnad:. Sorry I missed this before, Benita. I’m glad you enjoyed the Sharpe books! They’re catnip for lovers of historical fiction, seems to me. I had one LTer ask me if they were “a bit macho” and I said no. Sharpe is kind- hearted, for all the fighting he has to do.

You should give-’em a look some time, Mark.

Dare to Disappoint came in at the library, so I’ll soon read that one. Yeah, I wasn’t totally sold on Spellbound A Memoir either, but like you, i found its positives made it worth reading and recommending. I’m reading a weirdGN right now, Ex Libris by Matt Madden ( can’t find the title touchstone). Very meta.

>266 jnwelch: Sweet Thursday, Joe. I am glad to hear that you had read The Palace Thief back in your bookstore days and liked it too. I know you are not a big short story guy. It looks like Canin had a successful career as an author. I did read one or two of the Sharpe books but for some reason did not continue. Let me know how the Madden GN ends up.

>265 msf59: Claire is in Athens, GREECE, Mark. You know, The Original Athens. The snow that Ursula in Istanbul reported on also fell on Greece.

I bin paging and scanning in Maus and have so far seen one "shit". For much for rough language. I agree with you about the value of the work.

"Set during the waning days of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic in 1960, this extraordinary novel tells the story the Mirabal sisters, three young wives and mothers who are assassinated after visiting their jailed husbands."

I have wanted to read In the Time of the Butterflies for a number of years. I have not read any of her work. I was planning on bringing my Kindle on my trip and I was flipping through my library and discovered this one. So why not start it? My plan was to read short stories for the trip and I have one lined up, but I figured I can knock a big chunk of this one before we leave. Any Alvarez fans out there? I know her last one,Afterlife was well-received.

>268 weird_O: DUH!! I clearly see you typed Greece up there and still had Georgia on my Mind!! Wow! It seems like Greece gets much more snowfall than I would have ever guessed. Is it the elevation?

"Shit" is a horrible word!! No wonder Maus was banned. Serious eye roll...

>269 msf59: - I've not yet read any Alvarez, Mark (despite having a few on my shelves/Kindle), but I know Beth (BLBera) is a big fan.

>242 benitastrnad: Moonglow by Michael Chabon group read can be found here!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/339114#n7739156

>250 msf59: What I love in this photo is the huge grin on your face!!

>269 msf59: Loved In the Time of Butterflies Mark. I have How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents on my Kindle, where all books go to die.

>271 katiekrug: Maybe, I will nudge you into finally reading an Alvarez, Katie. This is what LT pals do.

>272 Berly: Thanks for the Moonglow link, Kim. Yep, I wear that big grin a lot when I am around Jack.

>273 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. Glad to hear you enjoyed In the Time of Butterflies. It certainly is off to a good start.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you.

>270 msf59: I’m disgusted with the Athens TN school district. I bought Jenna a copy of Maus at a Friends sale four or five years ago, but felt the inclination to have a copy myself and just bought one.

>275 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Sadly, the Athens TN decision may become the new norm. The rise of antisemitism in the world is really disturbing. Do we ever learn anything from the past?

>276 msf59: - Apparently not, would be the correct answer, sad to say...

Morning, Mark! Happy Friday. Like Karen, I am disgusted with the Athens TN school district. Those GNs are so well done, and an excellent teaching tool. We are heading deeper and deeper into Orwell country.

>277 jessibud2: You got that right, Shelley.

>278 Crazymamie: Happy Friday, Mamie! And boo to TN and Orwell country!! I am sure those Maus books have helped scores of children to learn and understand the Holocaust. A damn shame.

>270 msf59: Tomorrow's book review (which, I brag shamelessly, I wrote and posted to my blog on my phone!) deals with some of that ugly, eternal trend; today's book review much more directly so. (That one's on my thread already, Red Milk: A Novel.)

Happy weekend's reads from the soon-to-be-snowed-under Long Island town of Long Beach!

>250 msf59: "He sure seemed eager and pleased with himself."
Yeah, and you don't seem like you're having a terrible time either!!!

I found my copy of Memory of Love so I'm in for the shared read in February!

Soooo, Mark. Those thoughts and words you've been badgering me about have been spoiling on my thread since last evening. And have you ambled by to thrill in my eloquence?

ETA Read Watchmen...

>280 richardderus: Hey, RD! Glad your internet woes are over. Red Milk sounds great. Thanks for the heads-up. I read one of his a few years ago but do not remember anything about it.

>281 EBT1002: How could you not have a grand time with this little guy? He is over at the moment, bringing more big smiles. Glad you found your copy of The Memory of Love. Yah!

Happy Friday, Ellen!

>282 weird_O: I just returned from your thread and commented on your boundless eloquence. Great job!

>273 brenzi:
I read How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents but I have not read In The Time of Butterflies. I enjoyed Garcia Girls, but I rated it as average. It really is a series of short stories that are linked because they are all about family and the trauma of immigration. I like historical fiction so want to read the Butterflies book at some point.

Have a great and safe vacation, Mark

>284 benitastrnad: I am really enjoying In The Time of Butterflies, Benita. I think you would like it too. I will be reading more Alvarez.

>285 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. We should be at the airport in 48 hours.

^A future Jeopardy champion?

OMG! That's priceless!! (no pun intended!!)

>288 jessibud2: Sue took this yesterday. My FIL gave him this onesie.