Joe's Book Cafe 8 of 2022

Inside the Orient Express train

Books Read 2022

See >135 jnwelch: below

Favorites of 2022 so far

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

The Maid by Nita Prose

Aeneid by Vergil (Stanley Lombardo translation)

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNichol

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy

Top 5 Favorites Ever (Today)

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Good article by DIL Adriana about being Latina (Colombian-Mexican) in Pittsburgh: https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/insight/2022/10/02/mexican-colombian-immigr...

Rafa and Fina attending a wedding. We see them again, in a week, in Pittsburgh.

From "Nerd Girls Unite". Applies to Nerd Boys, too.

>7 jnwelch: ...!!...

>6 jnwelch: AWOMEN

I want this to be my life-long affect in the world.

From last thread:
>307 That makes every single frustration worth it, doesn't it? Seeing them do that extra bit better. *happy papaw sigh*

I know we had divergent opinions of the Nathaniel-Parker-led Three Pines film years ago, but there's a Prime series coming in December that I am really excited to see. Read about it here:
https://www.slashfilm.com/1051647/three-pines-everything-we-know-so-far-about-am...
I got interested when I found out that the people who made the utterly gorgeous The Crown are making it. Then I watched the teaser and I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas!!

Hugs all around.

Ooooo. Nice place here, Joe. Interesting people

I'm still thinking about your question and the various replies to it. You ask good questions.

Happy new thread Joe!

>1 jnwelch: Lovely, but no bookcases! Of course there would be the question of which languages....

>1 jnwelch: Ooooh, yes, please. Without murder, of course.

>8 richardderus: Hi, buddy. >6 jnwelch: Right, applies to nerds and non-nerds of every stripe.

Response from the last thread to your post there:

>309. Wow! Alfred Molina is a great Gamache choice! And led by The Crown folks. You’ve got me excited!

Yes, our kids doing well and an extra bit better than us makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it. *happy doofus dad sigh*

>9 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. I probably should re-post that good question from the last thread:

If you were gifted another life after this one would you want the same parents?

I'm glad you like the new digs.

>10 quondame: Thanks, Susan. Oooo, good point. They need an Orient Express library, or at least some interesting bookshelves.

>11 laytonwoman3rd: Got it, Linda. Tickets for the Orient Express, yes, but hold the murder, please.

Happy new one!

>1 jnwelch: Now that , looks like a comfy train ride!

Happy new thread, Joe!

>1 jnwelch: Wouldn't say no to a ride in the Oreint Express. So lovely inside, and ging through all those countries!

>3 jnwelch: Favorites of 2022: Lessons in Chemistry is translated, and I hope to get to it soon.

>7 jnwelch: LOL!

>13 jnwelch: With regard to that question, I would absolutely want the same parents to go 'round with again. They just flat out loved us, and if they made mistakes, they were honest ones. I didn't agree with them on everything, but that was probably for the best too. Means they taught me (and allowed me) to think for myself.

>13 jnwelch: A resounding yes, Joe. Even though I am not on speaking terms really with my Dad he taught me the work ethic by his example that I try to live up to every day. Those same every days that I miss my mum.

Happy new thread, dear chap.

Happy New Thread, Joe. I hope you had a nice weekend. Did you watch the Chiefs/Bills game? It doesn't get any better. I like both teams but have a special fondness for the Bills. Lets not talk about the lowly Bears...The books are treating me well. I am enjoying The Devil Takes You Home. It may be too gritty/grisly for you. You might like Remarkably Bright Creatures. A pure delight. Can you recommend any recent poetry that you have read? I am plum out.

>5 jnwelch: I love this photo!

Today’s Bargains: Autism in Heels by Jennifer Cook O’Toole. I liked this one a lot. in the Woods by Tana French. The exceptionally popular mystery. Both for $1.99 on e-readers.

>14 figsfromthistle:. Thanks, Anita! Doesn’t that look like a comfy train ride? I’d love to take a trip on it.

>15 FAMeulstee:. Thanks, Anita!

Yeah, how wonderful to travel through those countries on that train.

Oh, I hope you enjoy Lessons in Chemistry as much as I did. What a treat. I’m glad it got translated.

>16 laytonwoman3rd:. That’s great to hear, Linda . “They just flat out loved us.” That does so much, doesn’t it. Your parents probably would’ve enjoyed meeting Darryl’s; he had a similar experience. Great post, thanks for telling us.

>17 PaulCranswick:. Most excellent, Paul. I got some sense of your lovely mum from you here and you and Hani on FB. I’m glad you feel as strongly about your dad.

Thanks re the thread, buddy.

>18 msf59:. We had a very nice weekend, thanks, and I did watch the Chiefs/Bills game. Those two quarterbacks are so good! Could Justin Fields ever reach that level? Maybe. They keep pointing out that his early stats compare favorably with some of the great ones.

I thoroughly enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures. Did you read The Soul of an Octopus? She mentions it. They make a good duo.

I unfortunately was not taken enough by Sharon Olds’ Balladz to recommend it to you. I would recommend just about any of her older ones. Strike Sparks, her selected poems, would be a great way to see whether hers work for you. I think they will.

I just started the anthology The Rattle Bag, which Paul and Caroline recommended.

My GN is Far Sector by the esteemed N.K. Jemison. It features a super hero (Green Lantern) which I know is not your jam, but it is far more complex and thoughtful than the usual fare.

It's fascinating to me how successful Remarkably Bright Creatures is among us diverse readers. I know it's well done, because she reaches a broad spectrum of us, but there's something in that story of family and connections and regrets and sadness borne alone that really rings readers like a bell.

Happy week-ahead's reads, Sir Joseph.

Are you watching Magpie Murders on PBS? It started last night and I was impressed with the first hour of it. I will make sure to watch it next week.

Happy new one, Joe!

>23 richardderus:. It is fascinating how successful Remarkably Bright Creatures is, Richard. But it does have the ingredients to appeal to a broad spectrum of readers like you: an appealing tentacled hero, and a not too shabby human supporting cast.

My week-ahead reads are Benediction, The Whalebone Theatre and The Rattle Bag(poetry). So far I’m enjoying all of them. I hope yours bring you a light heart and a well-stuffed mind.

>24 benitastrnad:. You inspired me, Benita. After reading your post I watched Magpie Murders and likewise enjoyed it. They made a good actor pick for the self-satisfied Pund. Have you watched the Anne Cleeves ones, Vera and Shetland? They’re both excellent. I’m struck by all the book adaptations going on these days. I love it.

>25 drneutron:. Thanks, Dr. Jim! How’s the Sun these days?

Happy new thread Joe!

For once I'm here in time to catch the photos of the grandkids before they disappear into the ether. How they are growing!

Thanks, Nina! Ain’t that the truth (kids growing)! We see them next week, thank goodness. If we wait too long the amount they change is ridiculous.

>26 jnwelch: Something I've learned here lately is that most "horror" doesn't scare, or even horrify, me; I just chuckle and snort at the silliness and foofaraw. It makes reviewing them hard because mostly I'd say

Hi Joe, mate, Happy New Thread.

>30 richardderus:. Yeah, horror isn’t my jam, either, RD. Although Thomas Harris (Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon) scared the piss out of me.

Is the panda being dive-bombed by pigeons? I was reminded that they (pandas) were Endangered not that long ago. Thank goodness they no longer are.

>31 johnsimpson: hiya, John, buddy. Thank you. I wish I was like you and hadn’t read the more recent Robert Galbraiths. I’m sure they’ll be re-reads some day.

P.S. it was mainly the efforts of the Chinese, believe it or not, that brought giant pandas off the endangered list. They started paying attention to the integrity of pandas’ habitats, and their need for bamboo. Births in zoos help, too.

They expended huge effort and spent oodles of cash on the pandas...look what happens when that gets done. Pity they didn't do that for the now-extinct Yangtze dolphins.

>33 richardderus:. 👍. One can surmise that the dolphins weren’t as much of a tourist draw or worldwide phenomenon.😢

>34 jnwelch: Their conservation would've got in the way of the Three Gorges Dam. Buh-bye, dolphins!

>35 richardderus:.Google-fu says there are still 60-250 of them out there. I don’t know if that’s enough to regenerate a significant population without help. It’s hard to be optimistic about it.

Happy new thread, Joe. Re the parents question: I would want the same parents. Part of why is because, as a family historian, I've done a lot of research into their lives and I'm just amazed at all the things they went through and still they turned out okay. A turning point in how I thought about them was definitely when I had my own child. It opened my eyes to what they had gone through for their children.

Hi Joe - Back to wondering which Parents my daughter might have chosen:

after Barack and Michelle, I guessed she'd actually prefer David Bowie and Iman.

When I casually mentioned that, she was horrified that I'd choose a man to be her Father
who was one she had been so attracted to!

>36 jnwelch: That is, unfortunately, not going to happen. Extinction is assured because the issues that threatened them in the first place won't be addresses, and the mortality rate during this drought (SUPER severe in the Yangtze's watershed) might've finished them off except for an endling or two...no sightings in quite a while.

>38 m.belljackson:. Ha! How funny with your daughter, Marianne. I’m guessing it was Bowie, not Barack?

I love this different angle on the quesrion: if you could choose other parents for your second go-round, who would you choose? I’d probably pick Darryl’s, as that sounds cock full of what I missed the first time.

>39 richardderus:. Ah, sorry to hear that Richard, but not surprised. What was that long believed extinct fish that was rediscovered? I’ll hold out pretty hopeless hope that our dolphin friends will find a way to hang on. We need to change our treatment of the planet and its treasures, don’t we.

I’m forgetting one question I have for you all, but remembered the other. Has anyone read the old-timey Miss Read books? Reactions? They’ve interested me for a while now. I’ve enjoyed D. E. Stevenson’s books and some others like that.

P.S. My second question is a bit facetious. A new cosmologist study, 2decades in the making, show that the universe is composed of 2/3 dark energy, and 1/3 matter, most of which is dark matter. So we can’t yet see most of our universe - we infer it from gravitational pull and other clues. My question: what do you suppose this all means?

>41 jnwelch: #2 that the multiverse is real, "dark matter"/gravity is just the mass of the ever-infinitely expanding alt-universes as they "bleed through" to this one, and "dark energy" is those alt-universes ever multiplying...which is also why it's speeding up and up and up.

#1 I tried Miss Read when I was too young to get her thrust, but liked the storytelling voice and read along the plotlines quite happily.

>41 jnwelch: I like to think of what we can't see as the back side of all the light that's headed away from us.

>41 jnwelch: With Miss Read, Tales from a Village School rated 4 Stars,
while Thrush Green held an unwelcome surprise.

Happy new thread, Joe! Loving all the photo toppers, as usual.

I'm intrigued to see Lessons in Chemistry discussed here, as someone in my book club was just mentioning it yesterday and highly recommended it. I'll have to make sure it's on the TBR list.

>42 richardderus:. A+ on those responses, RD. I’d never heard the alt ‘verse explanation before. Ah, what a wonder we’re part of.

>43 quondame:. It may be, Susan. I like that.

>44 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. Can you give me a hint or personal message about the unwelcome surprise? Thrush Green was a prime candidate.

>45 bell7:. Hi, Mary. Thanks! I loved Lessons in Chemistry, and I bet you will, too. A feminist scientist in the 50s and 60s- great premise.

>1 jnwelch: Thanks for the topper of the inside of the Orient Express!!!

>47 Whisper1:. You’re welcome, Linda!

>41 jnwelch: Hi Joe, if you enjoy Three Pines (and I know you do) then you’ll have a good time in Thrush Green with Miss Read.

>49 NarratorLady:. Perfect, Anne. Thank you. I love Three Pines!

>46 jnwelch: Joe - don't think it's just me on this one, though other LT readers have not commented - you can check out my Review.

>51 m.belljackson:👍 Thanks, Marianne.

Happy Saturday, Joe. Just checking in. I hope all is well. I would still like to put together a Meet Up in the near future. We leave for Cancun in a week. Maybe sometime in November? I have The Soul of an Octopus on my audio list. Maybe I can squeeze it in before the end of the year. Also Strike Sparks sounds like a promising collection. I will request it.

I am so glad to see you are reading through the Haruf books. I am sure they are holding up. I will eventually get to them too.

Joe, one of today's bargains is a book I strongly suggest you read: Ninety Percent of Everything is $1.99 on Kindle.
https://smile.amazon.com/Ninety-Percent-Everything-Shipping-Invisible-ebook/dp/B...
Rose George is up there with Mary Roach and Candice Millard in my nonfiction-writing esteem. She makes the global shipping industry really fascinating...her bits on Maersk had me non-stop chuckling, hmmming, and fuming by turns.

Have a lovely weekend!

>41 jnwelch: I read the first 2 Thrush Green books, and enjoyed them well for what they are cozy, but not saccharine. I don't recall any unpleasant surprises. And now, in fact, I'm reading Village School, as antidote to Giuliani, which I recently finished.

>41 jnwelch: I read the Fairacre books first, and am now about half-way through the Thrush Green books. For me, the Fairacre books started out well, but by the last few books in the series they were getting repetitive, although the last one, about retirement, was very relatable for me.

After finishing the Fairacre series, I started on the Thrush Green books and was less impressed by the first couple of books. But they have gotten better over time and in some ways, especially in character development, are more enjoyable than Fairacre. I understand the reference from >44 m.belljackson:, specifically in the first book of that series, Thrush Green. In the 25+ books of Miss Read that I have read, this was the only reference of that kind, but I can see how it would be objectionable, and put one off the rest of the books.

They are cozy, comforting books where we come back to the same characters. They have birth and death and other life issues, but always in a low-key way. Like >55 laytonwoman3rd:, for me they are the books I read in-between more difficult books, like a catch-up chat with an old friend.

>56 kac522: I should also mention that in my 2002 paperback edition of Thrush Green, the objectionable reference has been changed from the original 1959 edition.

Happy new thread, Joe. Great article by your daughter in law.

>57 kac522: That's pretty amazing!

>59 m.belljackson: Yes, in my edition it's "Night."

Popping up to recommend John McPhee's Looking for a ship for another look at the global maritime industry

>57 kac522: Ah, that would explain why I didn't remember it...I read the 2002 pb edition as well.

>53 msf59:. Happy Saturday/Sunday, Mark. I loved that photo of you and Jackson sitting on the stoop.

I’m sure Cancun will be great. We’re heading for its identical twin - Pittsburgh. November sounds good for a Meetup. Like you, I imagine, we won’t be here for the first weekend.

I’m glad Strike Sparks sounded promising. It’s harder to recommend poetry than other kinds of books, but you and I do pretty well. You’ll like Soul of an Octopus, methinks.

The Haruf books are doing more than holding up. First time I’ve experienced this: they’re even better the second time through.

>54 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. I appreciate the thought. I’ll definitely look into it. I’m a bit picky when it comes to NF. As a mood reader, I find the global shipping industry, no matter how well-written, a tough sell. Our DIL’s father, who’s involved in it through his business, would probably be fascinated.

>55 laytonwoman3rd:. How in the world did you read Giuliani, Linda?! I tip my hat- I can’t even stomach new reports about that guy. He should’ve been disbarred by now; I imagine his connections are what prevent it.

Anyway, i can believe a Thrush Green book would be a welcome relief, along with scrubbing in a shower. The Orange Disaster sure dragged a lot of loathesome behavior into the limelight.

“Cozy but not saccharine” is just the ticket. Madame MBH teases me about how much I enjoy English countryside books. My current read, The Whalebone Theatre, has a lot of it, but isn’t cozy.

>56 kac522:, >67 jnwelch:, >60 kac522:. Great description, Kathy, thanks. I think of those in-between books as “change of pace” books, and I love having some on hand.

The newer paperback is the edition of Thrush Green that I plan to read, so I’m glad to hear it cures the slur, or whatever it was. I hate having books ruined by that kind of stupidity, particularly when it’s as incidental as this. It’s tougher when it’s more prominent. I was bummed when I couldn’t recommend Hugh Lofting’s Dr. Dolittle books to our kids.

>58 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhonda! Isn’t that a great article by Adriana? We just got the wonderful news that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked her to join their Editorial Board as an “opinion writer” so there will be more.😀. How she crams it all in is beyond me. She’s teaching a three day seminar at Harvard next week, while we help with the kids.

>59 m.belljackson:. Right, Marianne? Thank goodness is what I say. No need to ruin a cozy but not saccharine book with crap like that.

>60 kac522:. Thanks, Kathy. I’ll keep an eye out for that so I can speculate as to the original.

>62 laytonwoman3rd:. I plan to read the same edition as you, Linda.

>61 magicians_nephew:. Thanks, Jim. As I mentioned to RD, the topic is a tough sell for me, but I’m going to mention this one and RD’s to Adriana for her Papa.

I do love me some John McPhee, though, so you’re giving me pause.

>64 jnwelch: I read Giuliani because, unlike the rest of that bunch, I once thought he had some integrity, and I was curious to see what happened. I can't say I enjoyed the experience, but it showed me he was always rotten, even when he was ostensibly doing good stuff. I believe a hearing starts tomorrow on whether his DC license to practice will be permanently revoked, and meanwhile his NY license is suspended. Effectively, he can't practice law anywhere at the moment.

>68 laytonwoman3rd:. I did wonder how he plummeted from 9/11 admiration to today, Linda. Rotten from the start makes sense. That’s heartening to hear that NY got him, and DC probably will.

Off to Pittsburgh to see the young (wonderful) hooligans.

Have a safe trip to PA, Joe. I am sure you will have a wonderful time with those beautiful grands.

>70 jnwelch: Have a wonderful time, y'all!

>69 jnwelch: In NYC, Giuliani did seem to partially redeem himself by his (performative) reaction to 9/11, but we didn't like him much before that. We needed comfort then and he was smart enough to stand for those who were killed, but he didn't exactly earn his wings.

>74 ffortsa: I said in my review of the book that I was sure New Yorkers knew a lot about his reprehensible side before and after 9/11, but outside the city, we mostly heard about his "leadership" during those awful days. Turns out he may have been responsible for raising the death toll, especially among first responders, through failures of his administration long before.

>72 msf59:, >73 richardderus:. Thanks, Mark and Richard!

>74 ffortsa:. I think that was the wingless apex of his career, Judy.

>75 laytonwoman3rd:. I hadn’t heard about his raising the death toll, Linda. Oof. I feel bad for the first responders and others who got harmed trying to help in such a sad situation.

Have a great time with the grandkids, Joe.

>77 jnwelch: There was virtually no communication between NYPD and NYFD on 9/11, because their radios had no common frequencies. And it had been a problem for years, which Rudy failed to fix; although he spent an enormous amount of money researching new radios, the ones finally chosen simply did not work so the old ones were pulled out of storage, and that's what the departments were contending with on 9/11. And Rudy, against considerable advice, had previously chosen to locate his Emergency Preparedness Office in the World Trade Center complex, despite the fact that it was a known target for terrorists. So, it was an early casualty, and there was no central command center. Also, the dire state of the towers was obvious to those on scene, but that information was not conveyed to 911 dispatchers, (again due to the disorganized state of inter-department communications) who advised people calling in from the buildings to shelter in place; if they had told them to get to the stairwells and get OUT, it is likely a good many more lives could have been saved.

>78 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg. We are! They have such active minds, these two. And they love books! It does the heart good.

>79 laytonwoman3rd:. Eesh. Thanks for the excellent summary of those damaging failures, Linda. I hope they’ve since fixed those, and the NYPD and the NYFD and others are better positioned to coordinate now. We continue to live in a dangerous world.

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie for $1.99 on Kindle. This is a Superintendent Battle mystery that I don’t remember well, so I’m looking forward to the re-read.

>79 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda, I didn't know that at all. I was visiting a friend just outside Amsterdam that day, and we couldn't believe our eyes.

>82 Caroline_McElwee:. 👍

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline for $1.99 on e-readers. A fun one with lots of 80s references.

Deacon King Kong by James McBride for $1.99 on e-readers. This is a particularly good one from McBride.

Both kids are sick, darn it. We think it’s that respiratory virus going ‘round. They’re both in good spirits, and coloring in Halloween activity books their Bubbe brought from Chicago.

>85 jnwelch: That makes a visit so much more home-focused, though! You can't go out, and the stuff to do in the house is all labor-intensive so grandparents are the perfect ones to do it!

>86 richardderus:. That’s funny, RD. That’s just what their parents said as they sprinted out the door to go on their trip. I hope we see them again some day. I’m sure they’ll call once in a while.

The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri is a $1.99 e-reader bargain today. It’s a good pick for starting or trying the most excellent Inspector Montalbano series.

>87 jnwelch: I hear Pittsburgh's a pleasant place these days, and it won't take long to sell your Chicago house. Courage, mon ami! Many in our age bracket are re-starting their parenting days.

I'm guessing Colombia doesn't have an extradition treaty with the US....

>89 richardderus:. Pittsburgh is indeed a pleasant place, Richard and the foliage is giving us visual treats everywhere we go. But Chicago is in our bones now and the house is a beloved friend, so we’ll have to figure out how to lure those parents back from Cambridge. Actually, I bet they’re going to be missing the little gremlins soon enough. We just sent them a cute video of the ever-active duo with Rafa on the violin, to remind them of what they’re missing. Let’s hope this works.

Apple cider, croissants, a chicken coop game, and laundry. Poor little guy has 101+ temp, and we’re going to keep them both home again tomorrow. Their Bubbe has more games and projects up her sleeve. I know at least one involves shaving cream.

>91 jnwelch: Such brave Grands, to take care of the little 'uns alone when they don't feel well. Does that make them more likely to fuss for their Mama and Daddy, or are they just thrilled to have your full attention?

>92 laytonwoman3rd:. Ha! Thanks, Linda. They fell apart last night, but they’ve been fairly rational, if demanding, today. If only they tipped better! They understand that Mama and Papa are gone for three sleeps, and that’s okay as long as food, drink and diversions keep coming their way.

I’m starting to have fatherhood flashbacks. When Rafa asked me to write out his name for him today, i started writing our son’s. Stop me before I start giving him allowance money.

Madame MBH is such a pro. Fina is definitely in her terrible twos, trying to assert her independence left and right, but she’s messing with the wrong woman. Baby Tylenol helped Rafa a lot. They’re playing in the tub now without battling each other. Stories, song and bedtime coming up.

Then we’ll break out oxygen tanks for the grownups.

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn. This new novel had an unpromising start, featuring insipid Jasper Seagrave, lord of Chilcombe Manor. He’s a pale contrast to his vibrant brother Willoughby, who is a war veteran and catnip to the local women. But it turns out Jasper has a romantic side and was once married to the assertive and multi-capable Annabel, mother of main character Cristabel. The unpromising beginning was necessary to better understand Cristabal and events that follow.

Cristabal is formidable even as a little girl, wielding a wooden sword and leading adventures with her half-sister and half-brother. After a whale washes up on Chilcombe’s shore, Cristabal claims it and eventually its bones become the titular theatre. Cristobal convinces various children and adults, including charismatic painter Taras, to act in her production of the Iliad. It’s a countryside novelty that draws well and becomes the first of many.

We get to follow Cristobal and her siblings as they grow up, remain close, and become embroiled in WWII. Cristobal and her beloved brother Digby work undercover in France, helping the French resistance, and we eventually see the aftermath, with our friends in the novel more worldly and having to adjust to an altered world.

This was a great yarn, well-written and filled with the importance of family, given and chosen. Five stars.

>94 jnwelch: I’ve added Whalebone Theatre to my TBR—thanks!

Karen O

>93 jnwelch: Hi Joe - do you also write his name in soap on his back in the tub?

>95 klobrien2:. Oh good, Karen. Please let me know what you think when you get to iThe Whalebone Theatre.

>96 m.belljackson:. I haven’t tried that one, Marianne. I’ve thought of putting “Return to Banjo” (his name for me) on his back in case he wanders off.

Happy Saturday, Joe. Sounds like you are having a wonderful time with Fina & Rafa. Soak it up, my friend. We leave tomorrow for Cancun, so I will chat at you when I get back.

>98 msf59:. Have fun in Cancun, brother! Say hello to the sunshine for us.

Wave hello back to the mellow Mr. Jackson.

The poor kids have been sick (coughing)- we think they have that RSV going around. But their spirits remain good and they haven’t really slowed down. The stairway is now decorated with bats they made with Bubbe’s help.

That RSV stuff is no joke. I got it from the germ infested college students and was pretty sick for three days and stayed in the house for 5 days altogether. I thought I had COVID because so many of the symptoms are the same. But our University Faculty Staff clinic told me to stay at home and do a self test and to come in only if the result was positive. I was negative for COVID and then two days later still negative for COVID so they, and I, are fairly certain that I had RSV and not COVID.

COVID is also out there and a big danger - even for the vaccinated. My school teacher sister got it. Then her husband got it. On his fifth day of self-isolation at home he passed out and hit his head on a surge protector next to the wall. When he came to, he got up and then passed out again later in the morning. He called a neighbor who took him to the hospital where it was determined that he had a concussion from the earlier fall, so he spent the rest of that day and overnight in the hospital for observation and medication for his COVID symptoms.

Both diseases can be nasty stuff.

>100 benitastrnad: it’s hard to to keep up with the battle with the viruses, isn’t it, Benita. It is fascinating; that RNA-derived Covid vaccine was a big breakthrough, created at an unprecedented speed.But those viruses are wily and so darn adaptive.

My next NF will probably be Mukherjee’s The Song of the Cell.

Debbi and I may be the only people we know who still haven’t had Covid, although I suspect there are some 75ers who can say the same. Probably due to the masking, we haven’t had a cold in the longest time. And so far we’re ducking that lousy RSV.

So sorry for your poor BIL. Bumps on the head are always worrisome. Adding insult to injury poor guy.

You’ll be glad to hear that both Madame MBH and I so far have enjoyed Magpie Murders. I’m also enjoying the sci-fi series The Peripheral, based on William Gibson’s excellent book of the same name.

I am one of them, Joe, who has so far avoided contracting covid. I mask everywhere and have not yet gone to indoor events such as theatre or restaurants. The days of outdoor eating at restaurant patios is pretty much over here as the temperatures drop. The only indoor thing I am allowing myself is yoga, but registration was limited - there are only 11 of us and I am one of only 3 who mask, but that's ok, and the distance between each of us in a huge gym is way more than the usual 6 feet.

I had my first cold in 2 years a few weeks ago and tested negative 3 days in a row so it wasn't covid, *just* a cold. The cough still lingers but it's more annoying than worrisome. I'll be honest: people who behave as if there never was covid, I have very little patience for and I avoid them as much as I can.

Hope your grands turn the corner soon and don't *share* it with you two.

>101 jnwelch: The Peripheral has grabbed Rob, too. I'm not quite as keen, but it's more than merely watchable.

If y'all want to see what the fuss about Bros is, Joe, Rob and I rented it for $20 on Ammy and laughed our fool heads off. It's not anything like as insipid as I expected it to be, and is really quite sweet. A programming note for when y'all're back in Chicago because kid-safe it ain't.

>102 jessibud2:. Good for you, Shelley. We’ve resumed going to restaurants, theater, movies and ballgames, but we do wear our masks. Sorry to hear you got a lingering cold, but I’m glad you tested negative.

The kid have been gradually getting better, and so far have left us RSV-free. I’m trying to remember to wash my hands regularly.

>103 richardderus:. Congrats to Rob for having excellent taste in being grabbed. Hmm. There are probably less eyebrow-raising ways of saying that. I wish they had put up all the episodes of The Peripheral, instead of the old weekly way. I’m ready for more of the story.

Did you read The Peripheral? It’s one of his better ones. I’m hoping they adapt his Bridge trilogy, starting with Virtual Light. Those have become my favorites.

I remember how much you liked Bros. It’s been getting good reviews in my neck of the woods, too.

I hope you continue to have a most excellent weekend.

>85 jnwelch: I'm sorry the grands are down but at least it sounds like they're not out. As one school mum said, now that we don't have to wear masks any more in Singapore, all the kids are catching the coughs and colds that they were protected from all this time. All the other mums in our book club have primary or pre-school kids so they're at the age where they catch everything that 's going around. My youngest was off school last week, too, though. Hang in there Banjo!

>94 jnwelch: Hmm - interesting.

>102 jessibud2: I also came down with a cold last week, and I almost never get them. I blame the caution, well-advised, of masking for two years, which meant my immune system was not jogged by the occasional cold bug. Don't know if that's scientifically sound, but it feels sensible to me.

Are the grandees on the mend Joe?

After 9/11 everyone was amazed about how Guilani made it his business to show up at every memorial service and every funeral, not to showboat or get his picture in the paper, but to commiserate and show what seemed to be sincere sympathy at people's loss.

It's about the only thing I can think of to say in the man's defense. but there is it.

>105 humouress:. Right, Nina. I read somewhere recently that the Japanese get infected by far fewer airborne diseases than the rest of us because they’re so used to wearing masks. Our poor daughter, who’s a pre-K teacher, has to deal every fall and winter with the colds and so on that the kids bring in and share.

I’m hanging in there. The tornado kids sure haven’t been slowed down much. We were just at a Halloween party and they, of course, were running all over the place and dancing and hula-hooping. We don’t do much TV with them, but it’s one way to get them to sit still and rest. Right now they’re watching Leo the Truck.

The Whalebone Theatre is one of my favorites this year.

>106 ffortsa:. Too bad, Judy. I wonder whether we’ll ever get free of the coomon cold. Flu vaccines have helped a lot with flu season.

>107 Caroline_McElwee:. The grandees are not perfectly healthy yet, Caroline, but they’re definitely on the mend. They’ve been fever-free for a good while now, so they head back to school tomorrow. Each has a lingering cough, but it’s showing up less and less. Neither had a problem at the Halloween party we just attended.

>108 magicians_nephew:. Well, that is laudable, Jim. Maybe his good angel took over for a little while. He has been embarrassingly awful and foolish -and rotten- during his drumpf stint, hasn’t he.

Hi, Joe! I'm sorry the grand-kiddos have been feeling poorly and I hope they're better soon! Fingers crossed that it leaves you and Debbie alone, too.

>111 scaifea:. Wouldn’t you know it, Amber, it caught me, but so far not Debbi. I’m doing my part to help the kleenex economy. It’s timing was good, as the kids were back in school today and not needing elder guidance (their teachers are young ‘uns).

Back home today.

>113 jnwelch: Glad to know, Joe.
I hope the grandkids did not wear you out completely ;-)

Sorry to hear that the grands were sick during your visit, Joe, and hope they're back to 100% soon.

>112 jnwelch: Oh no! Well, I hope you're already well on your way to being on the mend.

Happy homecoming, Welches all!

Today’s Bargain: Watership Down by Richard Adams for $1.99 on Kindle. The beloved classic at a bargain price.

>114 FAMeulstee:. Thanks, Anita. If it weren’t for the nasty bug they passed on to me, our time with kids would’ve been just fine. They’re super-active, but we’ve gotten used to that. What a couple of cuties.

>115 bell7:. Thanks, Mary. The kids are back at school, and pretty darn close to 100%, except for the stray cough here and there. Their Bubbe and Banjo, not so much.

>116 scaifea:. I am am on the mend, Amber, thanks, and Debbi is trailing me. This must be the nasty bug we’ve been hearing about. Decongestants barely make a dent in it.

We’re catching up on laundry and otherwise taking it easy. I’m enjoying the new Thursday Murder Club book, The Bullet That Missed.

>117 richardderus:. Thanks, RD. It’s good to be back home , where we know where everything is, and everything is just the way we like it. But we already miss those grandies and their parents. Thank goodness, we’ll see them again next month, for the holidays.

Hi Joe - delurking to say hi and so glad to hear you had such fun with the kids. I'm not sure if you've read Heather Cox Richardson, an American historian who has a worthwhile daily newsletter. Today's edition contained the following:

"Anecdotal data point,” conservative commentator Tom Nichols tweeted this afternoon, “Had lunch with an old friend, a fellow former Republican (but not in politics or media or anything) and he said that things feel different after the Pelosi attack. Not sure why. I feel the same thing; not sure that it’ll matter, but have that same sense.”

Perhaps it is the echoes of lawyer Joseph Nye Welch, who in 1954 on television confronted Joseph McCarthy as the Wisconsin senator shredded people’s lives by accusing them of being communists: “Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness…. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

Your esteemed grandfather's words resonating through the years!

>119 jnwelch:. Hi, Vivian! I do know and admire Heather Cox Richardson. Thank you for alerting me. Ellen Taylor also made me aware (on FB) of this “nod” to my grandfather. You can imagine how good it feels that he is remembered, and for such an eternal sentiment. I suspect that “Have you no sense of decency” goes through the minds of many at the latest outrages from MAGA Republicans, including DJT Jr. making fun of Paul Pelosi getting attacked with a hammer.

Will we see a time when indecency is a rarity?

>120 vivians: Here in PA, I see no indication that the attack on Speaker Pelosi's husband (and the apparent intent to kidnap HER) has changed any attitudes. The political ads against Democrats are still demonizing Pelosi, and "accusing" our current Congressman of rubber-stamping her liberal agenda, etc.

>122 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. Even something that awful doesn’t change attitudes. I believe it. Jeesh. School shootings didn’t either. I can’t begin to understand the MAGA-fied minds and their enthusiasm for obvious lies and smears, and I guess they’ve had it beyond tolerance with libtards like me. This resistance to truth and passion for worldview-confirming lies may finally be the death of democracy. We’ll see. This midterm election will say a lot, and right now things are not looking so good for the libtards.

>123 jnwelch: We will probably end up with another Democrat for governor, and I think our Congressman's seat is relatively safe, but I fear we will have the reprehensible "Dr. Oz" as our next Senator. Snake oil personified.

Don't they realize that the death of democracy will have consequences for those who vote that way, too? And clearly, there are no republicans who vote that way that can be trusted to have their backs when needed. I guess they are either too ignorant to think, or care, that far into the future (for their kids' sake if not their own) or they are deluded enough to believe all the garbage being spewed. I am not an optimist by nature but even if I were, this whole mess would have me very discouraged....(and my province is having civil liberties issues of its own right now, as well, thanks to our premier, who I have always referred to as baby trump. That probably tells you all you need to know about him.

>125 jessibud2: I think they yearn for the warmth of the mob, Shelley. It's so easy to get outraged when so many others are outraged. I know that some of the protests on the liberal side have felt that way, and produced little result. Protecting democracy is hard work that can't be done by shouting.

>126 ffortsa:- You are right, of course, Judy. Today is a big day in my province of Ontario, for attempting to protect democracy. I have heard more than once that our premier has taken the *nuclear* approach to the unions and education workers. That is not teachers but rather education assistants, custodians and others in the system, many of whom are not making a living wage. What the premier has done is take away their right to bargain and what most unions, not just theirs, are concerned about is that this is the tip of the iceberg; if he did this now, who is next?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/cupe-strike-education-ontario-schools-clo...

I am grateful to no longer be in the system but if I were, I'd be out marching with them, in support. This premier is known for his bully tactics and threats. Sound familiar? We all know where this road leads...

Sorry for the hijack, Joe

>118 jnwelch: Curiously I picked up my old copy of Watership Down not long ago and was surprised to find it almost unreadable. Good storytelling but grim and dark and humorless as all get out. Perhaps it's just me

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams for $1.99 on e-readers. This excellent novel covers the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. While helping her father work on it, Esme collects the words that don’t make the cut. They tell a story of their own.

>124 laytonwoman3rd:. I hope you end up with a Democrat for governor, Linda. Our son and DIL say they’ll leave the state if his antisemitic opponent wins.

We did a lot of get out the vote postcards for your state. Supposedly they increase voting numbers 10%. I hope that happens, as Drmocrats usually benefit from more voters voting.

How can someone like Dr. Oz even be a worrisome candidate? The strength of stupidity in our country has really charged to the forefront, hasn’t it.

>125 jessibud2:. I think they love to embrace the spewed garbage, Shelley, and to have a loud tribe that embraces it with them.

It is discouraging. The embrace of lies and conspiracy theories, and the intractability about it, has been eye-opening and heart-saddening. We see our country teetering on the edge of the Handmaid’s Tale. “Baby Trump” sounds awful, as the original is a baby, too.

>126 ffortsa:. Agreed, Judy.

>127 jessibud2:. Please let us know how the election turns out, Shelley, and your thoughts on it.

>128 magicians_nephew:. Jeez, Jim. I haven’t tried picking it back up but I can see having that reaction. It sure enchanted us all when it came out, didn’t it?

>131 jnwelch: - Sadly, Joe, there is no election. The premier won the recent provincial election by a large majority so we're stuck with him for the next 4 years. He pushed through the legislation yesterday, to suspend the charter rights and there is no legal recourse. Even the Prime Minster has said publicly that what ford has done is wrong. Premier Ford is threatening to fine the strikers $4000 per day (these workers who are earning barely a living wage). Their unions have promised to cover any and all fines but that is really not sustainable in the long term and unless the government caves (not likely), there is no end in sight. It's a hot mess.

Hoping for the best from this coming Tuesday....

>130 jnwelch: The strength of stupidity in our country has really charged to the forefront, hasn’t it.

           

Books Read 2022

January

1. Murder in Material Gain by Anne Cleeland
2. Nubia: Real One by L.L. Mckinney*
3. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
4. Graceling The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds*
5. Cheer Up! Love And Pompoms by Crystal Frasier*
6. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
7. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
8. Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell
9. Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder*
10. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
11. You Can Run by Rebecca Zanetti

February 2022

12. Call Us What We Carry by Amanfda Gorman
13. My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies by Ed Brubaker*
14. Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
15. Noor by Nnedi okorafor
16. Aeneid by Vergil (Lombardo trans.)
17. Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
18. Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz
19. The Maid by Nita Prose
20. Cruel Summer by Ed Brubaker
21. This is Happiness by Niall Williams

March 2022

22. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
23. Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
24. Laila Starr by V. Ram*
25. The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang
26. Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor
27. Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci*
28. The Big Sleep Annotated by Raymond Chandler and Owen Hill
29. The Maid by Nita Prose
30. Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 5 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
31, Murder in Immunity by Anne Cleeland
32. The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman*
33. Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire
34. Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir*

April 2022

35. The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
36. Shadows Reel by C.J. Box
37. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
38. Dresden Files Dog Men by Jim Butcher*
39. The Last Report of the miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
40. it Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
41. Hook,Line and Sinker by Rtessa Bailey
42. Count by Ibrahim Moustafa*
43. The Kaiju Preservation Siciety by John Scalzi
44. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

May 2022

45. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
46. The Black Mage by Daniel Barnes*
47. Taarna The Last Taarakian by Stephanie Phillips*
48. Fair Trade by Sharon Lee ans Steve Miller
49. Trade Secret by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
50. The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
51. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
52. an Eye for an Eye by Carol Wyer
53. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
54. Whale Day by Billy Collins
55. The Hurting Kind by Ada Limon
56. The Hawthorn Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
57. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

June 2022

58. The Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
59. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
60. See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
61. A Cut for a Cut by Carol Wyler
62. Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby
63. Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
64. Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass
65. The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich
66. The High Desert Black Punk Nowhere by James Spooner*
67. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds by Elif Shafik
68. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
69. The World According to Physics by Jim Al-Khilili
70. Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
71. Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable*
72. Metamorphoses by Ovid (Lombardo trans.)

July 2022

73. Recursion by Blake Crouch
74. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
75. Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
76. The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths
77. Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
78. Woman of Light by Kali Fajine-Alardo
79. Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
80. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
81. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
82. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

August 2022

83. Wash Day by Jamila Rowser*
84. spy Family by Tatsuya Endo*
85. After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina Lopez
86. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
87. Jack Reacher: A Mysterious Profile by Lee Child
88. Blood, Sparrows and Sparrows by Eugenia Leigh
89. Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
90. Lore Olympus Volume Two by Rachel Smythe*
91. Against Heaven by Kemi Alabi
92. The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson
93. Nina by Christian Robinson
94. Slip by Marika McCoola*
95. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz*
96. Keeping Two by Jordan Crane*
97. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
98. Dig by Cynan Jones
99. Cove by Cynan Jones
100. Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola

September 2022

101. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
102. Dune Muad’Dib by Brian Herbert*
103. Firefly River Run by David Booher*
104. A Kind of Spark by Ellie McNicoll
105. Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs
106. The Grand odalisque by jerome Mulot *
107. Now We’re Getting Somewhere by Kim Addonizio
108. Upgrade by Blake Crouch
109. Frances in the Country by Liz Scanlon*
110. One Million Oysters by Alex Nogues*
111. The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky by Kim Jihyun*
112. Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
113. Murder in All Fury by Anne Cleeland
114. American Gods Volume 3 by Neil Gaiman*
115. Emma Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
116. Desperation in Death by J.D. Robb
117. Be the Serpent by Seanan Mcguire
118. Indigo by Ellen Bass

October 2022

119. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
120. Eventide by Kent Haruf
121. Balladz by Sharon Olds
122. Clementine by Tillie Walden*
123. Firefly: New Sheriff in the ‘Verse by Greg Pak*
124. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney
125. The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Qunn

November

126. Flung Out of Space: Patricia Highsmith by Grace Ellis*
127. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
128. No Plan B by Lee Child and his brother
129. Benediction by Kent Haruf
130. Maybe an Artist by Liz Montague*
131. The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
132. Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby
133. Follow Me Down by Ed Brubaker*

Not sure how >135 jnwelch: got there. My sleepwalking talents never fail to amaze me.

>132 jessibud2:. Whoa, that’s some hot mess, Shelley. Hard to assess from here. We certainly know it is to suffer through 4 unchangeable years and just hope that the damage is limited as much ss possible. I hope your mess sorts out better than ours did.

>133 richardderus:. Me, too, Rd. I really have no sense of how it will go, but I retain hope.

>134 weird_O:. Ha! Thanks, Bill. George C. Was totally on target so many times.

"How can someone like Dr. Oz even be a worrisome candidate?" I heard a woman (and she didn't look or act like a total idiot, either) say this morning that if a person had already been a celebrity and had all that public attention and acclaim, then the only reason to go into politics must be because they "really love and want to help our country". *Head-slap*

>137 laytonwoman3rd:. Oops. She had the right lead-in, but the wrong conclusion. Most of them want continued adulation, on an exciting stage, don’t you think, Linda. Some are just plain narcissists, like the Orange Disaster. Couldn’t care less about others. Dr. Oz has little to do with PA, right? It’s potentially a big one that his progenitor, Oprah, endorsed Fetterman. Fingers crossed.

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, the newest entry in the Thursday Murder Club series, is a corker. Osman manages to add colorful new characters, with romances abounding and the banter unstinting. Once again cool-headed Elizabeth guides the gang through a murder mystery on the heels of an unsolved financial fraud. If you’re a mystery buff and you haven’t tried this series, fix that. This kind of good-natured fun is a rare commodity these days.

>127 jessibud2: The Fords seem to be a curse on the political landscape. And what does 'progressive conservative' even mean???

>129 jnwelch: Gee, I walk away from this thread for two days and miss The Dictionary of Lost Words sale. Grump.

>140 ffortsa:. Sorry you missed the bargain, Judy. I hope Dictionary of Lost Words makes its way into your hands however. You’ll appreciate it.

>140 ffortsa: - Well, once upon a time, the Progressive Conservatives were, well, progressive, I suppose not unlike the Republicans were once more civil, if right-leaning. Now, the whole bloody world seems to be leaning so far to the right they are in danger of tipping right over.

In Canada, our Liberal Party is kind of equal to your Democrats, and the PCs (Progressive Conservatives) = the Republicans. My own personal leanings are to our third major party, the NDP (New Democratic Party), who are more left-leaning. Unfortunately, they are not strong enough to pose a real threat, federally. Ontario had a fantastic dynamic leader of the NDP, Jack Layton, but shortly after he won the leadership, he passed away from cancer, in his early 60s. I can't help but wonder where we would be today if he had lived. He was in a class of his own on so many levels, a real class act. They don't make them like that any more.

And yes, the Fords are definitiely a blight on everything, in my humble opinion.

>139 jnwelch: I shall have to get my hands on that one. I've enjoyed the first two instalments.

>139 jnwelch: I love, love, love the Thursday Murder Club, Joe. I zipped through all three in fairly rapid succession. I'm glad to see you've enjoyed them too!

>142 jessibud2:. Sorry you lost Jack Layton, Shelley. He sounds like the right kind of difference maker.

There’s been a lot of talk about the need for a third party option in the U.S., and I can imagine the Republican party now splitting into two- one party with morals and integrity, if dubious views, like Liz Cheney (who is campaigning for Democrats now!), and the other being Proud Boy/MAGA Republicans who want to take the country back to Whites Only.

>143 humouress:. You’ll love it, Nina. Maybe the best yet.

>144 lauralkeet:. Let’s get together and talk about the Thursday Murder Club, Laura. Wasn’t this latest one great fun?

>139 jnwelch: Thought you would enjoy Joe.

Are you fully recovered from your lurgy now?

No Plan B by Lee Child and Andrew Child. Reacher fans rejoice- here’s another wild ride through Reacher’s United States, this time featuring a for-profit prison run as a criminal enterprise. Reacher knocks together a lot of heads on his way to serving up justice and reuniting a boy with his father. So far Lee Child’s team up with his brother to continue the series is working.

A somewhat belated Halloween treat from the Goodwill Librarian and the Truro Public Library.

With son Jesse and Miss Fina on a spooky day in Pittsburgh

>147 Caroline_McElwee: you know me well, Caroline. Sounds like the Thursday Murder Club series is one you also enjoy.

9(!) days later I’m just getting over that nasty respiratory bug.🙄. What a miserable beast. Thank goodness for reading! Poor Debbi trailed me in getting it, and is still in the throes. Thank you for asking. I hope you’re staying healthy, wealthy and wise.

>151 jnwelch:
I got that too and missed two days of work because of it. I am sure that in my case I got it from working with a student on finding resources for an English paper. It really made me miserable for a couple of days. I thought I had COVID because so many of the symptoms are the same, but tested negative twice. When the second report came in the nurse at our university medical center told me that RSV is rampant among the college students. She said that they tend to ignore it and that for most of us, it is just a nasty bug. My sister in Kansas is sick with it right now and it has made her life miserable over the weekend. Right now in Alabama it is the flu that is of the main concern. Alabama is rated "Very high" for the flu by the CDC. Good thing I have my annual flu shot.

>151 jnwelch: It's an ugly season for respiratory illnesses. It's the main reason I'm still masking!

>150 jnwelch: So cute! Y'all all look very much in the spirit of the holiday!

>149 jnwelch: I want it. I want to live in it.

>148 jnwelch:, >139 jnwelch: I see you're on a #Noirvember kick! Enjoy it. Tomorrow's reviews are of my Italian procedurals-writing bigwig, Gianrico Carofiglio (John Henry Goodson in English), warbling my fool head off about 'em.

>145 jnwelch: When do they think it was "Whites only?"

The first settlers (so far as current evidence shows)
were ASIAN! > crossing the Ocean via Land Bridge or Boat.

>149 jnwelch: - Truro, Nova Scotia? Wow, this is adorable! (as is >150 jnwelch:)

>152 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. We’re sure we picked up the nasty bug from the granddididdles. Hard to avoid what they have on offer. Yes, it led to a couple of miserable days and, for us, several not-so-swell ones. Like you, we tested negative for covid. Like you, we got our flu shots, so fingers crossed that we’re in the clear after this. Ihope you can stay healthy among the students.

>153 richardderus:. Hi, Richard. Right now I’m masking mostly to protect other people from me!

Wouldn’t it be delightful to live in >149 jnwelch:?

Noirvember has been a good one. After I finish Benediction, i’m going to read the new Cormac McCarthy, Passenger. Those’ll be reasonably dark, if not noir.

>154 m.belljackson:. You know the answer to this one as well as I do, Marianne. This country didn’t, in their view, really exist until white Europeans came and “civilized” it, and it won’t be Great again until whites Reign Supreme. White Jews are not the right white, and any non-Christians are suspect.

The voting numbers should weigh against this, but in certain regions and alas, on certain Supreme Courts, it can carry the day.

>155 jessibud2: I unfortunately don’t know which “Truro” it is, Shelley, as the original poster didn’t clarify. I know the Truro in my wife’s home state, Massachusetts. It would be fun to see the pumpkin library in person.

>156 jnwelch: Truro Mass indeed!
https://www.boston25news.com/news/photos-truro-public-library-pumpkin-garnering-...

Hi Joe, sorry to read you've not been well. I love the family Halloween shot, very cute. I just read Talk to My Back a newly translated GN/ Manga from D&Q and thought that you might have come across it too? However I've not come across your recent read Clementine although I like Tillie Walden a lot, so will add that to the WL.
I'm less tempted by the McCarthy though I've seen reviews talking about it as long awaited etc. I went to hear George Saunders a couple of weeks ago, and last night picked up his new collection of short stories. Some are pretty topical just now.

>157 charl08:. Thanks for the link, Charlotte. Go Truro, MA! That is a gift to all of us, and they should be proud.

I haven’t come across Talk to My Back, and appreciate the heads-up. I’ll add it to the WL. I thought Clementine was fine (there’s more to come, looks like). Like you, i’m a Tillie Walden fan. I’m wondering why she chose to do it? It’s quite a departure.

The GN I’ve enjoyed most recently is Flung Out of Space, a slice of Patricia Highsmith’s life.

I’m a lonely Cormac McCarthy fan in my house. Daughter and wife say, no way. I’m normally not a short story guy (many exceptions), so I’ll wait on the George Saunders collection-but I’ll look for your overall reaction.

I just started Godmersham Park, featuring the adopted Austen son and the Austen family. So far, so good.

Today’s Bargain: The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher for $1.99 on e-readers. Yes, it will transport you.

Thank goodness, Pennsylvania went for Fetterman and Shapiro. Besides that showing some sanity, our loved ones can stay in Pittsburgh.

>160 jnwelch: Yes, we sighed deeply in relief when we heard the results this morning.

>160 jnwelch: That's a giant weight off the country's shoulders. Yay for Adri and Jesse!

I am also happy to report that Kansas reelected its DEMOCRAT governor - this is a solidly red (Republican) state. She's a woman and a Democrat. Who would have thought? But then, there was that vote in August for sanity as well. (The one to amend the state constitution to do away with freedom of choice.) I found it interesting that the second most important reason for voting given by post-vote polls was Freedom of Choice. That is also a movement towards sanity.

I do have to say that I LOVED what Tim Ryan said when he conceded!

I also found it interesting that authors did well in the election. Aside, from J. D. Vance winning - so too did Wes Moore. That is a literary victory!

>161 laytonwoman3rd:. I’ll bet, Linda. I thought of you. Phew. Good job, voters!

>162 richardderus:. Thanks, Richard. Yes, PA was such a key state for all of us. Major relief in the the Jesse/Adri/ Tater Tots household.😀

>163 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. Agreed re Tim Ryan. That was a great concession speech.

What good news for Kansas! Wow.

What author would you like to see elected? My first thought is Louise Ehrdrich.

I'm glad, Joe, that your Pittsburgh-based auxiliary can stay where they are. I'm glad for me and for my older son's family, too. I'm surrounded by folks that supported the GOP candidates, and on Tuesday I drove to my birthplace and was thrilled to see all the signs supporting the Dems.

I'm going to be watching Oz to see if he actually has settlement on the house he agreed to buy in Bryn Athyn, a posh community just north of Philly. It seems Mrs. Oz is a member of the Swedenborg church, which is "headquartered" in Bryn Athyn. The Ozes have a deal to buy the property from the church, with a proviso that the church has the right of first refusal if the family decides to sell. I don't think they'll go through with the purchase. Oz doesn't need to "reside" in PA. (Happily for us).

>165 jnwelch: Oh, Noam Chomsky for President please...or Yanis Varoufakis from Idaho's horrid little white-supremacist hell...Ibram X. Kendi as the Senator from Alabama...

Happy Wednesday, Joe. Happy Election Results! Far from ideal but so much better than expected. I would sure like to see Hobbs beat Lake in AZ, along with Warnock over Walker.

The books have been treating me well. I am enjoying my current story collection and I started The Soul of an Octopus, which I know you liked. I hope you and the family are doing well.

I am also a big fan of Cormac McCarthy. I hope these latest 2 novels deliver.

>167 richardderus: How could you not love Chomsky? Too bad he is in his 90s.

>150 jnwelch: Jesse is starting to show a family resemblance to you, Joe. Although, good grief, does the boy not know that you're heading speedily into winter?

>153 richardderus: >149 jnwelch: Bet you'd move out within a month :0)

Somehow I missed that the midterms were coming up until the BBC was discussing them after the polls closed. Whew.

>166 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. They are so relieved in Pittsburgh. Things are tough enough without having to worry that a right-wing anti-semite will be running the state. They would not have stayed.

I bet you’re right, and Oz never does buy that house. He had some chutzpah to run as a Pennsylvanian.

>167 richardderus:. Nice picks, Richard. I don’t know Varoufakis, but Chomsky and Kendi would certainly point us toward some welcome change, wouldn’t they.

Yay for Soul of an Octopus! I can see why RD wants to get someone with tentacles elected. They’re remarkably bright creatures, you know.

>168 msf59:. Happy Wednesday/Sweet Thursday, Mark. Yes, it’s been a good week, as our son says. Agreed re AZ and GA. I have a hard time understanding Walker getting any votes at all. I also hope Boebert losing in CO holds up.

Kudos to our own state for staying so blue. I can’t believe it’s only Duckworth’s second term. She’s made an impact.

Good to have a fellow Cormac McCarthy fan. I’m nearly done with my Benediction re-read, and I’ll start The Passenger after that.

>169 humouress:. Hi, Nina. Ha! Our barefoot boy. He’s always been like that, stubbornly wearing t-shirts in winter. I’d be honored if he started looking like me. He has some snazzamatazz, that guy.

You think our pumpkin library might be a little undesirable after a month? Sure, be practical. And smash the dreams of two starry-eyed readers.

The midterms: whew, phew and coo-coo-cah-choo. We were mentally preparing for so much worse.

Benediction by Kent Haruf.. Whew, what a book, what a trilogy, what an author. I wish he was still with us. This last one has some deep sadness, with the beloved Dad Lewis in his last stretch of life, and some powerful joy, particularly among the women, young and old, suroiunding him. There is a scene in which they all skinny dip together in an old water tank that is magnificent. I never thought I’d miss so much someone I don’t know. In my mind, Raymond McPheron is still out there working the ranch, waiting for his brother and Victoria and her daughter to join him.

>170 jnwelch: Umm ... you'd have read all the books by then, anyway?...

Better?

>170 jnwelch: Hi Joe - Sure wish that Wisconsin had reverted to its Progressive roots.

While we've still got Democrat Governor Tony Evers, he faces the same Republican
obstructions that Obama tried so hard to clear.

And, oh, why didn't The Fates protect us from The Horror of Ron Johnson AGAIN?

>172 humouress:. Ha! Yes, that sounds better. We’re both fast readers. Although
maybe we could find a tiny little bookstore selling tiny little books, to help us replenish?

>173 m.belljackson:. Right - your state would drive me nuts, Marianne. I wish it would follow the lead of its similar sibling state, Michigan, which went beautifully blue.

>173 m.belljackson: Alas, I have lots of Wisconsin cousins who still think McCarthy was all that. And their ancestors, if not among the founders were among the first Republican followers.

>175 quondame:. My sympathy, Susan. My parents were anti-McCarthy, liberal, moderate Republicans of the type so dearly missed these days. They raised three Democrats.

Many thanks to all our veterans on this day of remembrance.

>175 quondame: >174 jnwelch:

If only those Republican followers had embraced the liberal anti-slavery beliefs

of those who founded the Republican Party here in Wisconsin!

(Blue Michigan = yes, now, maybe = but we moved out of Michigan years ago
after they poisoned
their MILK and denied it all.)

Can Ron Johnson be impeached?

>178 m.belljackson:. Oh my, the PBB milk poisoning. How awful. What a debacle, Marianne. In the scheme of things, that wasn’t that long ago - maybe 45 years? Worse than the more recent Dearborn water debacle.

I love the idea of impeaching Ron Johnson, and it probably can be done, but if there wasn’t enough political will to get him out of office by election, he’s unfortunately probably safe.

My druthers would be that the Republican party would split - into the MAGAs and the moderates. I’m sure even in WI some of the latter remain.

Poli-sci nerd checking in: most experts agree that members of Congress are not covered under the impeachment clause.

Glad you're feeling better, Joe!

>179 jnwelch: >178 m.belljackson:

Since Reality no longer matters to MAGAs, all I'd like to do is flood various improbable

and some illegal locations with IMPEACH RON JOHNSON Bumper Stickers.

>180 katiekrug: thanks, Katie. Any idea how we get rid of an awful senator?

Thanks re the health improvement. I'm still cursing this nasty bug.

>181 m.belljackson: Go for it, Marianne. :-) "Reality no longer matters to MAGAs" - ain't that the sorry truth.

Hi Joe--glad you are mostly recovered from your time with the grandkids and we're all feeling a tad better (or a little less distraught??) after the elections.

>183 jnwelch: I can go for that kind of exhaust!

>41 jnwelch: Re: Miss Read books. I just picked up Fresh from the Country which was originally published in 1955, and is one of Miss Read's first published books. It is a stand-alone novel set in the early 1950s about a newly trained teacher from the country who begins her first year of teaching in a large new-ish primary school in the greater London suburbs.

As I started reading my copy today, I realized it's a reprint by Academy Chicago from 1995! Not sure if Academy Chicago reprinted any other of her books, but thought you would find that interesting--knowing the types of books that they chose to reprint:

>184 kac522:. Ha! That’s my kind of exhaust, too, Kathy.

Did I tell you I worked for Academy Chicago one summer? Those were halcyon days. I worked 35 hour weeks and Friday afternoon my now-wife and I would head over to Oak Street beach.(AC was right by the Tribune building on Michigan Ave). Jordan and Anita Miller - fascinating couple. Yes, that’s a solid Miss Read recommendation. Anita in particular had a keen reading eye.

Yes, we’re feeling better and heading out to a local play tonight. (“Clean Up”, by a friend). I hope your weekend is off to a good start.

>176 jnwelch: My dad, and his sister, fell away from the Republican party in vote if not nominally, at least.

Frankly Joe, American politics bemuse me somewhat - but I did love the idea of nominating an author into political power.

I would of course want that writer to be a poet and who better than Billy Collins - articulate, wise, inspiring, humane and with a sense of humour, gentility and moderation. Those are the qualities most needed in a politician. Poets should rule the world - even if only to see Richard gnash his teeth!

Have a great weekend, buddy and good to see you on the mend.

>183 jnwelch: By the way if exhaust fumes was turned into cream then obesity would help depopulate the world and save the environment!

>185 jnwelch: Yes, you did mention working there...and you may remember that I mentioned that my brother worked full-time there, but on the Newsclip side. He worked there some years before you.

A PROMISED LAND leads readers to an author of mighty political power deserving of a Pulitzer.

>183 jnwelch: Way to disguise the fact that you've run out of squirty cream :0)

>184 kac522: I wonder how different Greater London was to the country(side) back in 1955?

>179 jnwelch: Imagine if the US had more than two parties? That would be a big change. It would be nice if people didn't have to have big money/ fundraising behind them to be elected because that rather limits the number and type of people who can make it, on either side. I don't see how it could work, though.

ETA: winged by a BB; it would have been a full hit if my libraries on Overdrive had a copy of Fresh from the Country :0(

Will look forward to your views on the new Cormac McCarthy, I read a number of his books some years ago. Dark indeed, but quite a writer Joe.

>191 humouress: I think Miss Read makes it a vague place on purpose, but the description is of a former village, now being torn down to make room for factories, highways and many new housing units. She returns home each weekend to her family's farm on the Suffolk-Essex border.

And the school:

The great new primary school, flashing with glass, the rows and rows of little tables in each classroom for the infants and juniors and the formidably long queues of children traversing the endless corridors had daunted her....Never had she seen such lightness, such colour, such gleaming expanses of floor and such flashing rows of wash-basins...And yet the place had depressed her. She remembered the string of new factories which she had passed on her way there that afternoon. The school was not unlike them at first sight, massive, immaculate, teeming with life, and yet impersonal. She remembered the square red-brick school which she herself had attended, its comfortable domestic outline shrouded in homely creeper. Here two hundred girls had worked and played and had thought themselves a large body of people. How would she fare with six hundred under one roof?

I bought my copy on a used-book website, as it wasn't at my library either.

My Republican husband voted straight Democrat and wants a new party. : P I've always been an Independent, but sometimes I wish I was in a party so I could help decide the candidate, but I keep wanting to switch from D to R to do this depending on the year!! LOL

Love the pie exhaust! How was the play? Happy weekend!

>187 PaulCranswick:. Billy Collins is a great pick to elect, Paul! I swear that guy is a Buddhist at heart. (My favorite flavor). Perfect. A sense of humor-yes, That’s part of what made Obama great. A naturally funny guy who could/can laugh at himself. Some candidates like Elizabeth Warren have lost me because they lack that quality. Although an aunt told me EW has a sense of humor in person, just not on the public stage.

We’re having a great weekend, thanks. I hope the same for you.

>188 PaulCranswick:. What a plan, Paul. We have to get word to our leaders! Although maybe there’s a better way to save the world than eliminating us? Seems to take the fun out of it, although I like the idea of eating all that whipped cream.

>189 kac522:. Right, I remember now, Kathy, thanks. Jordan was in charge of the newsclipping. Man, talk about a business that was wiped out by tech developments! Now you just ask Google or whomever to email you every mention of your brand or business name or whatever.

>190 m.belljackson:. Thanks for the tip, Marianne. I love how smart Obama was and is. When he was debating other IL Senate candidates here (including a much-liked neighbor), he really jumped out of the pack with his mind and eloquence. I loved hearing him back on the stump for Dems before the midterms.

>191 humouress:. Ha! Just turning a squirty cream fail into a win, Nina. We should suggest this to one of the baking show hosts.😀

I’ve read enough WWII books involving London that I should have a better sense of greater London in the 50s. You remind me of something else - when we go to London we stay in “Clerkenwell” in the Islington area. It originally was outside London’s walls -and the “well” is still there, but inside a modern building now.

There has always been resistance here to recognizing a third party; the Big Two are so entrenched. But I think it’s feasible, although many practical changes would be needed, including our voting ballots. I wonder whether our poli sci major Katie will see this and comment. There are many decent people who must be struggling to call themselves Republicans, many of whom are voting Democratic. Seems like a prime opportunity for a third party but no one, not even Liz Cheney, is talking about it.

Please report back on Fresh from the Country. I have Thrush Green waiting for me.

>192 Caroline_McElwee:. Right, Caroline. Cormac’s books are pretty dark, for sure. I loved Blood Meridian, and it would be hard to be darker than that one. I also loved All the Pretty Horses and that trilogy, which is lighter. Other faves: No Country for Old Men and The Road. What am I missing?

>193 kac522: Oh, of course - they would have just rebuilt after the war.

When I went to school, we had 100 girls to a year; my sons have 200 kids in each year.

>197 jnwelch: I may be able to borrow Fresh from the Country from my SIL's library. We'll see.

>197 jnwelch: Many not so strong Democrats end up voting for the third party, the Libertarians.

Had they realized that Ron Johnson would win if they voted Democratic, they likely/hopefully would have
changed their conscience vote.

That's the main problem I see with a new Third Party > Democrat defectors leaving republicans even happier.

>193 kac522:. I like that excerpt, Kathy, thanks.

>194 Berly:. Hi, Kim! Thanks for making it over here from your busy thread.

I completely sympathize with being an Independent, and that’s largely my mentality anyway. I have no problem voting for a non-Dem for the right person- although finding ones liberal enough for me ain’t easy. On those long ballots, it sure is nice to just vote Dem if that’s appropriate.

The play was. . . Unfortunately, boring. It was well-organized and had a clever set, but for me it lacked oomph. It was set in a co-op school, with lots of parental issues. It sparked some good discussions for Debbi and me, but she found it low octane, too. The playwright wasn’t there, but she and Debbi will have coffee. We figured out plenty of positive things Debbi.can say. This woman worked her butt off bringing it to the stage.

Dang. Sorry about the play. I am glad you came up with some positive things to say to the playwright. It's a lot of work to only get a negative review.

I'm an independent because I tend to vote for the person rather than straight ideology, but I definitely vote more D than R. The Senate is a real nail biter at this point!

>199 humouress:. We had 500 kids in each class in my high school, Nina. Pretty big. We were good in sports. Good luck with Miss Read.

>200 m.belljackson: splitting the block of votes comes up a lot when discussing having a third party, Marianne. Here, normally it would be the Republicans concerned about splitting the Repub vote. But the MAGA group is so off in its own world, that I imagine a lot of Repubs would say it’s already split.

>202 Berly:. Thanks, Kim. The play was not bad. As Debbi said, it wasn’t a waste of our time. She got a couple of positive, thoughtful reviews and a couple of mean, look at how clever and superior I am, reviews. One sure needs a thick skin in her biz. She doesn’t need a critical analysis from us, so our goal is to be appreciative and supportive.

That’s a good reason to be an Independent. You’ll be asked for money a lot less, too.😄

I’m not used to getting so much good political news. And I’m so used to the midterms going against the party of the President. The Dems have retained control of the Senate, and I’m optimistic about Warnock vs. Walker. Drumpf’s picks have largely been rejected, and people apparently are fed up with the election deniers, thank goodness. I’ve still got my fingers crossed that the odious Lauren Boebert loses out in Colorado.

Photo by Hamdi Snaiki

>204 jnwelch: That is the luckiest photographer now living! How *perfect* that shot is...makes me feel all autumnal and cozy.

Hoping this week will be better to you in the books department than last week was to me. *grumble*

>204 jnwelch:. I know, what a great photo, RD. I would’ve felt lucky to see that, much less take a great photo of it. I get the same feeling from it.

Sorry you had a bad books week last week. I’ll have to visit and find out what the heck happened. I hope this week is better for you. Mine is fine: I have Godmersham Park going, a nicely told tale of a governess embedded in the family of Jane Austen’s brother, and The Passage by Cormac McCarthy. The latter is intentionally bizarre at the beginning (a hallucination and some unexplained deep sea diving in a plane wreck), but I have faith it will start to make sense.

Today’s Bargain: At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie for $1.99 on e-readers. One of my favorites of hers.

Maybe an Artist by Liz Montague. The author is a very young New Yorker cartoonist who got the job after pointing out their lack of diverse POVs and being asked for a recommendation. This is an interesting graphic memoir that tells how she got there, and elsewhere.

>208 jnwelch: What an interesting tale!

>207 jnwelch: That, too!

>206 jnwelch: I'm pleased you're disfruiting the fecundity of le monde litteraire, Joe...there's an absolute bumper crop of good reading this year!

>208 jnwelch: Recognized the cover when I checked the Touchstone, Joe. Have you read the book? I'm interested. Just read—on line—an interview with Steven Martin and Harry Bliss on NPR, promoting Number One Is Walking. Being published today.

>209 richardderus:. Aren’t those interesting tales, Richard? I’m going to keep an eye out for Liz Montague in the New Yorker now. She does include some of her published cartoons in Maybe an Artist.

Yes, my numbers are down(I’m not sure why) but I’ve really enjoyed my reading in this bountiful year.

>210 weird_O:. Yes, I read Maybe an Artist, Bill, and that’s my review. Definitely reading-worthy. Steve Martin and Harry Bliss have a lot of fun together, don’t they. I wasn’t over the moon about the last one, but liked it enough to try this new one.

Today’s Bargains: Neuromancer by William Gibson and Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg for $1.99 on e-readers. I don’t know how well the ground-breaking cyber novel Neuromancer has aged, but I loved it at the time. By the author of The Peripheral and other good sci-fi. I haven’t read Fried Green Tomatoes, but I know it is beloved by many, including Madame MBH.

Happy Wednesday, Joe. Mid-week check in. Keeping bundled up? Have you finished the McCarthy? The books are treating me well. I am definitely having a good time with The Soul of an Octopus.

U.G.H.

>213 msf59:. Happy Mid-week, Mark. Thanks for checking in. Nope, won’t be finishing McCarthy any time soon. Not an easy-breezy read, but well done(of course).

Good to hear re Soul of an Octopus. Fascinating, eh?

>214 richardderus:. MAPA! Many Dems have openly hoped he’s the candidate because he’s a loser. I’m still traumatized by 2016, and have enjoyed not hearing about him, so I wish he’d stayed on the sideline. Oh well, here we go.

>214 richardderus:- I don't understand how this is even possible. With so many criminal charges and lawsuits against him, why isn't he in jail already? And if not, then shouldn't he, at the very least, be barred from running until they are settled? What the heck is taking them so long?! Jan. 6 aside, they have had at least 2 years to get him on *something*. Anything. Having this man at large is in itself criminal, in my opinion. As Yogi Berra once famously said, it's deja vu all over again. 😣

>216 jessibud2: He's had teflon skin for decades. I do not comprehend how scum like that is ever even allowed to keep breathing. This is proof there's no god because, if there is, she's evil for not smiting these revolting people.

...not that I have an opinion, mind you...

Ah, Joe, if trump was Black, wouldn't he have been in Jail on January 7th, a couple of years ago...?

>216 jessibud2:. why isn’t he in jail already?. You’re singing our heartsong, Shelley. Litigation takes forever here, and drumpf uses every stalling tactic his expensive lawyers can come up with. We have lots of priections for defendants which the well-heeled take advantage of. He’s innocent until proven guilty, which explains his being able to run and do other things. Drat it. It’s tough to try to get earlier relief - a higher evidentiary burden.

>217 richardderus:. We could use an old Testament smiting God for this guy, couldn’t we, RD. I was one of those wondering if lightning would strike when he did his holding the bible in front of the church photo op. I’m still hoping something sticks and he gets convicted before the ‘24 election.

Today’s Bargain: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman for $1.99 on e-readers. Another excellent one from this author, set in the world of Practical Magic.

>218 m.belljackson:. Ha! Good point, Marianne. There’d sure be a lot more public agitation to get his butt in jail if he were a minority, I’m sure.

P.S. The Repubs would be going out of their minds if it was Obama. Of course, that could never happen because they’re on opposite ends of the ethics spectrum.

From Katie Couric Media’s survey of 76,000 readers, USA-ians 50 favorite books, in order from first to last.

Pride And Prejudice
To Kill A Mockingbird
Harry Potter (Series)
Where the Crawdads Sing
The Lord Of the Rings
The Great Gatsby
The Alchemist
Jane Eyre
Verity
It Ends With Us
The Stand
Outlander
The Book Thief
Nightingale
Little Women
Gone With The Wind
The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo
The Hobbit
A Court Of Thorns And Roses
The Hunger Games
A Court Of Mist And Fury
The Song Of Achilles
The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue
The Silent Patient
The Giver
Percy Jackson (Series)
The Twilight Saga
1984
The Outsider
The Bible
All The Light We Cannot See
The Kite Runner
The Count Of Monte Cristo
The Catcher In Rye
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Night Circus
The Color Purple
Fahrenheit 451
The Midnight Library
Dune
Anne Of Green Gables
The Coldest Winter Ever
Six Of Crows
It
Circe
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
East Of Eden
Throne Of Glass
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

>222 jnwelch: So many of those are due to fall off the list by the next time it's compiled. Well, I'm not a fan of Where the Crawdads Sing or Twilight or even Outlander, so I'll just grump over here that my favorites of the last 5-10 years aren't to the general taste.

>222 jnwelch: Huh. I'm surprised there are a few on there that I liked. I wonder, though, what I'd make of some of them (eg A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, The Giver) if I read them for the first time now. But this goes along with a Medium article I read about US reading habits...70% of the country's read a book in the last year (2021) and the median number of books read in the last year is four...that permaybehaps points to a not-quite-as-grim reality for literacy as I'm accustomed to thinking there is.

>219 jnwelch: I'm reliably informed that the smiting god is, in fact, real and that's how we know she's on their side: 45's still free and able to emit the nauseous untruths and stupid nonsense that inevitably come forth.

>222 jnwelch: Well, I've read half of these (a few only part of the series). Some I'm not likely to read ever. Good thing there are lots more.

>223 quondame:. I know, Susan. I think the only one of my favorites on there is P&P. No Haruf or Cather, of course, but surely Steinbeck should’ve done better than last place with East of Eden?

I am heartened to see The Book Thief on there. What a great book, due for a re-read.

I liked Where the Crawdad Sings a lot (recommended by an aunt). What rubbed you the wrong way?

>224 richardderus:. Ha! Yes, I know there’s a large group out there (spearheaded by the un-Christian Evangelicals) who believes the righteous God loves drumpf and sends him forth to lead us. It occurred to me that under their scheme he and they may be headed to H-E-double hockey sticks. I just read that 88% of them in GA voted for the absurd Herschel Walker.

Like you, I was pleased to see some good ones on there, including the surprise of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - and Circe right before it.

P.S. There is a glass half full way to look at American reading habits - we do have reason to expect much worse with all the visual diversions. But still . . . I keep posting on FB that the best way to get kids reading is to read to them when they’re young.

>225 ffortsa:. Right - it’s an odd list, Judy. Some nice surprises and some popular fluff and some huh?s. I’m also happy to see The Count of Monte Cristo and Jane Eyre on there, among others.

The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy.. Lordy, Lordy. This one will haunt my dreams for a while.

It’s not one for those who dislike, or are not in the mood for, a challenging read. It starts with an unexplained hallucination and an unexplained plane wreck, the plane sunk in the ocean with all the passengers sitting in their seats, having not struggled or tried to get up. It turns out one passenger is missing. We come to understand the hallucination. As to the plane and its missing passenger, in this book titled The Passenger, maybe other readers will get it. I have to hope it comes to me in a dream.

The book is filled with what we love about this author. Gorgeous descriptive sections, toothsome words needing a dictionary or Google, lively dialogue, the taking on of Big Ideas (including why are we here) and big emotions, witty banter, intricate puns, and unexpected laughs. I was going to say it’s missing the untranslated Spanish that drove our daughter crazy with this guy, but sure enough in the last part of the book it shows up with the addition of some untranslated German. Ah, I should mention: no quotation marks, a plethora of sentence fragments, and very little punctuation.

The main character and his sister grew up brilliant and obsessively close. In her case her brilliance is in mathematics, and it becomes entertwined with madness. Her brother Bobby (called “Western”) seems to be a loner, but he has a passel of fascinating and eloquent lowlife friends strewn about the landscape. He is pursued by the government for unknown reasons (something he saw, whose significance he didn’t appreciate?), and labors to find a safe haven where he can piece his life together. Memories of his sister haunt him, and the reader.

My first reaction was: did you really have to make this so hard for me? Where is the straightforwardness of No Country for Old Men or The Road? But I could hear his answer: “Why in the world would I care whether it’s hard for you or anyone else?” And I have to admit, it’s worth the effort.

I mentioned that at times it reminded me of that annoying puzzle Infinite Jest (although there are no footnotes here, thank goodness), and at other times Kafka’s The Trial, with poor K not knowing why the overwhelming force of the State has been brought against him. Maybe The Bell Jar and some Calvino, too. I can’t wait to see other people’s comments about this one.

Some excerpts:

The high balls are on me. As the giraffe said to the bartender.

***
What I found that surprised me was that the unbalanced enjoy a certain largesse of personal freedom increasingly abridged in the workaday world.

***

Driving up the road he could feel the heat blowing off the burned land. He came to a stretch of blacktop that held tire tracks in the tar. He passed a dead doe at the side of the road and pulled the truck over and stopped. He got out and walked back with his knife and stood over the animal and made a cut down the charred hide of her back and laid open the tenderloin. The backstraps, the old hunters called them. He sat on the tailgate and ate the meat with salt and pepper out of small paper packets from a drive-in. It was still warm. Tender and red in the center and lightly smoked. He sliced it and ate it off a paper plate with his knife and surveyed the country where it lay in ashes around him. Birds of prey circling. Kites and hawks. Their heads cocked to study the ground below.

***

A man of gifts without consequence.

***

>226 jnwelch: The blatant lack of reality of what would happen to a child on her own. Parasites, fevers, bad actors and such. Also the African Americans were just handy helpers for her.

Alas, both mediocre and good, even great, books can become wildly popular for a time, so there are always such mixes - I've often felt disjointed when people rave about a favorite of mine citing its weakest aspects as attractions or hating what blew me away with awe.

>229 quondame:. Gotcha, Susan. Very legit points. I was more able to suspend disbelief for this one.

>19 jnwelch: Hi Joe I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving holidday!
I've added Autism in Heels to my tbr pile.

I know we share a love of the artistry of Pamela Zagarenski. Here's a recent one I found, and love!!!

Happy Friday, Joe. Good review of The Passenger. This one sounds like it is directed toward die-hard McCarthy fans, which I am part of but I may wait until I am in the right mood for this challenging novel. I am curious what approach this next novel will take. Have a great weekend and stay bundled up. Brrrrrr...

>231 Whisper1:. Beautiful, Linda, thanks. PZ is so talented!

I’m very happy to hear that Autism in Heels is on the pile. Once you get to it, please ket me know your reaction. I wonder how many women are undiagnosed?

>232 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. Happy Friday, buddy.

I think you should read The Passenger immediately, so I can hear what you think of it asap. I imagine Jackson would agree.😄

Poor Debbi just tested positive for Covid, so we’re cancelling plans to see the Bulls and a play this weekend. She’s royally pissed, with good reason. We’ve been very careful to do the right things. I’m waiting on my test results as we speak, but i haven’t been showing any symptoms since getting over that nasty cold. We’ll see.

I tested negative, and will go back again to be tested in 3 days. Debbi gets quarantined, we wear masks when together, and disinfect everything. Cripes. No Thanksgiving gathering, among other things.

>222 jnwelch: I have read all but 6. Not sure if that's a good or a body thing, but at least I read more than 4 books a year!

>223 quondame: Oh no!! Super bad timing. Dang it. I hope her symptoms are slight if any and that you remain COIVD free. Sending hugs.

>234 jnwelch: Sorry to hear about Debbi, Joe--hopefully it's mild and she recovers soon. When my husband got it after last year's Christmas gathering, I remained negative (we had to wear masks together, too), so here's hoping you dodge that bullet.

>234 jnwelch: I'm sorry to hear about Debbie and hope you escape it and Clearly >235 Berly: does as well.

>234 jnwelch: UGH

That's NO FUN

I hope Debbi's going to be all right while her system clears it out. And you: don't get it!

Hoping Debbi gets over covid soon and easily and that you don't catch it.

>234 jnwelch: So sorry Debbi got Covid, Joe. I hope you stay clear.
Sad your Thanksgiving plans are off now :-(

Aw Joe, I'm so sorry to hear that Covid put the kibosh on your Thanksgiving plans. I hope Debbi bounces back quickly and that you are able to dodge the virus.

too bad about the Covid timing. And the Covid itself. I hope the symptoms are mild and she tests negative before Thursday!

Such a disappointment for Debbi. Wishing her a speedy recovery and a good post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving! Stay well, Joe!

>235 Berly:. Yeah, 4 books a year is a very low number.Good thing there are people like all of us to keep the bookstores and Libraries open.😀

Is there a worthwhile one or two in the six on the list that you haven’t read?

>236 kac522:. Thanks, Kathy. They said she has a “light load” of the virus (I think I got that right), so that’s good. What’s bad is she’s a virally induced cough variant asthmatic, so her cough has been wracking and horrible. Almost no sleep for her last night. Yes, we’re doing lots of tea and honey. She’s on Paxlovid, and by all reports that should help.

>237 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. I get tested again on Monday, and if that comes back negative I’ll have made a successful escape. We have to wear masks around each other and disinfect everything. What a drag.

>238 richardderus:. Well said, Richard. I join your UGH.

Any thoughts on my review of The Passenger? Are you a McCarthy fan?

>239 humouress:. Thanks, Nina. She’s having a slightly better day of it after a terrible night, and I continue to be okay.

>240 FAMeulstee:. Thanks, Anita. What an aggressive, persistent, mutative virus. As Debbi says, we’ll probably have to deal with it one way or another for the rest of our lives.

>241 lauralkeet:. Thanks, Laura. Yeah, the Thanksgiving cancellation is part of what has her so royally pissed off. She loves to cook for it and gather our “chosen family” here.

>242 ffortsa:. Thanks, Judy. Except fir her virally induced, wracking asthma cough the symptoms seem pretty mild. Five days quarantine, 5 days masking.

>243 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley! What a lousy time for the virus to grab her. We had a lot of fun plans and the holiday coming up. But we’ll do our best. I got her healthy treats at Trader Joe’s. She loves dates, figs, mango and pistachios, so we now have all of those on hand.

>245 jnwelch: I am not a Cormacker. I think he wrote his very, very best work in Suttree, and have since then thought he's been more about the boundaries of noveling not the telling of stories. It's not where my interests lie so...

Plus there's that whole The Road thing. Getting such warbles of joy over something George R. Stewart did seventy years before him in Earth Abides...it doesn't sit well with me. I realize there's always room for one more. But it wasn't ground-breaking or even particularly well done. So...I try just not to talk about my opinion of His GrandOldManness.

But you asked!

>246 jnwelch: Joe - so sorry about Covid this late in the "game."

Can Debbi take a sleeping pill then sleep sitting up to help with cough?

Good Luck with Testing!

>247 richardderus:. You make me want to read Suttree, RD. And I love “Cormacker”. I understand feeling that The Road was no big deal; i did enjoy reading it. I thought the All the Pretty Horses trilogy and No country for Old Men were excellent storytelling, but excellence is in the eye of the beholder.

Thanks for answering. My review? The covid news has resulted in no reactions except Mark’s, and I’m curious. That’s the longest review I’ve written in about a year. Thumbs down is fine, if that’s the verdict.

>248 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. I appreciate the attempt to help. Debbi is averse to sleeping pills. (Me, too). She is sleeping propped up, but her coughing is a bear. Today has been better, and we both think the Paxlovid will start having some effect.

>249 jnwelch: Oh! I misunderstood you...I didn't realize you were asking about the review as well as the thing reviewed! I'm sorry. Inattention on my part, not unclarity on yours.

Your précis of the story was economical and informative, and the examples you chose were the exact sort I'd shop for to give a reader a flavor of the read itself. I was particularly struck, as you were, by the passage where the wildfire-burned doe was eaten by the (not-)hunter...keenly indicative of the personality and the position of the character, as well as a moment no one but McCarthy would even conceptualize.

I wish I liked his stuff better...but you present and represent it very fairly and in its best light.

>250 richardderus:. Thanks, my friend. I almost included another beautiful descriptive passage about the deer-eater bathing in a creek below a small bridge -Cormac’s writing heights are mighty.

Nice review, Joe! I think you convinced me not to read the book.

I did read All the Pretty Horses, and keep meaning to continue the trilogy, but so far have lacked the fortitude.

So sorry for Debbi with the Covid, that sounds miserable.

>252 banjo123:. Ha! Oh, that’s . . . good, Rhonda. I think? Except I want 75ers to read it, so I can read their comments. Maybe you could get someone else to read it and tell me what they said?

When I was younger I re-read the ending of All the Pretty Horses more times than I can count. I just thought, after everything he went through, the exchanges with the Judge and everything else were so cool.

Thanks re Debbi. She’s doing better. I think the tide is finally turning.

Sorry to hear that COVID has come to your house. I thought I had caught it earlier this fall, but like, you I tested negative (twice) and it was decided that I had some kind of RSV type virus. It kept me home from work for three days - which is totally unlike me. But I had a quick recovery, which is unlike what many people who have one of the COVID variants report. Seems like COVID keeps them tired for a long time.

Late to the game, but thought I’d jump into the Mcacarthy talk…

His best for me was No Country for Old Men, followed by All the Pretty Horses. I’m waiting on his latest to get some time freed up from work so I can really dig in.

>254 benitastrnad:. Thanks, Benita. We were just talking about how glad we are that she only got it after vaccinations and three boosters. Her virally-induced asthma cough has been the biggest problem. If she’d gotten it in November 2020, she’d have been in big trouble, and we would’ve been scared. Now it’s mainly a dismal waiting for it to subside. She’s understandably mad and frustrated, but not in danger. The coughing has made it hard for her to get any decent sleep. But we do see signs of improvement.

>255 drneutron:. Hiya, Jim. No Country for Old Men and All the Pretty Horses would be near the top of my list, too. Have you read Blood Meridian? That would be my dark topper. Can’t wait to hear what you think of his newest.

I did, and liked it - but Pretty Horses resonated more for me. Of course, that was some time ago, so maybe a reread of the trilogy is in order. 😀

>258 drneutron: Nice - and you’ve read the trilogy. You’re a true Cormacker, using RD’s word.

Today’s Bargain: Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien for $2.99 on e-readers. An extraordinary book.

>233 jnwelch: Oh no. Sorry to hear about Debbi. Send her my omms for a mild bout and speedy recvery. Hope you stay negative Joe.

Only glanced your review on the McCarthy (never read full reviews before reading a book). Smiled at: Why in the world would I care whether it’s hard for you or anyone else?” . I think that's exactly what he would say. Will keep it n the list.

Gahhhh! Covid ;( Hope it is a quick recovery.

Hi, Joe. Sorry to hear the news about Debbi catching Covid. WTH? See? You try to do everything right and it still bites you in the butt. I am really surprised I haven't got it yet. I hope you test negative today. How is Debbi feeling, other than pissed?

I did reread All the Pretty Horses quite a few years ago. I truly love that trilogy. I would like to reread all 3, along with Blood Meridian.

Boo to illness in the house. I hope Debbi will recover pronto. I've got copies of No Country for Old Men and the All the Pretty Horses trilogy, but haven't read them. Too many noisy players on that TBR bench. McCarthy is content to sit; taking your comment and twisting it a bit: Why in the world would I care whether you read my books?

Just sitting down here with LT and my second cuppa.

>261 Caroline_McElwee:. Caroline, please read The Passenger asap, so we can converse about it under spoiler cover. I’m suffering here!

This morning had very little coughing for Debbi. That’s the most positive development yet. I get tested in less than hour, so fingers crossed on that.

Ha! Isn’t that exactly what CM say?

>262 figsfromthistle:. Thanks, Anita. Gahhhh! Is right.

>263 msf59:You try to do everything right and it bites you in the butt. Well said, amigo. That is the source of Debbi’s wrath.

Although you’re right, Cormac probably doesn’t care whether you read them, you seem like an awfully good match for Pretty Horses and No Country. You should dip in sooner rather than later, is my advice. I’m pretty sure you’ll be glad you did.

>263 msf59:. Thanks, buddy. Oops, I’m trying to hurry too much and attributed your “everything right and it bites you in the butt” line to Mr. Bill. I gotta run, back soonish.

Woo. I tested negative, for now. Another test is getting a more in-depth analysis, and I’ll know within 24 hours whether it’s negative.

Debbi’s been miserable. The covid triggered her cough-variant asthma, and if I’d coughed as much as she has, I’d be in the looney bin. It also has meant very little sleep, which is its own kind of awful. Today the cough has let her alone for some long periods of time, so I’m getting optimistic. If not for that durn cough, I think her experience would’ve been mild. We’ve both been triple-boosted.

I love the Pretty Horses trilogy, and I imagine I’ll re-read it, too. I may do Blood Meridian first, to see whether it blows me away as much the second time around.

>266 jnwelch: Grrr. I get that asthma from time to time too Joe. It is relentless and can be hard to shake off. Poor Debbi.

>267 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. Today continues to be better for her on that front. Fingers crossed.

I am sorry to hear that Debbi is so miserable. That really stinks. You would think being fully boostered would lessen the impact. Hope she rebounds quickly.

Hey, lets set a date for a reread of Blood Meridian. February?

I have that asthma cough, too. Often, especially in winter, when I usually get a cold, it settles in the chest and every inhalation triggers a spasm of coughing. It is relentless and hard to shake, even with a puffer. My sympathies to both of you.

Good news: yours truly tested negative on the higher level covid test. Now we just need to get Debbi back to normal.

Today’s Bargain: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for $2.99 on e-readers. An exceptionally good novel involving Nigeria and the attempt to establish an an independent Biafra, by the author of Americanah.

Joe - Great to read your Good News - and Best next for Debbi!

>273 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne! Step by step . . .

son Jesse and Adriana at the Taj Mahal. They're in Delhi for a wedding. The second photo blows me away.

>275 jnwelch: Love that second photo!

ETA: the first is pretty good too.

>275 jnwelch: That...is...stunning!!

What a great destination wedding idea.

>275 jnwelch: Wow, Joe, where did they find THAT photographer!

>275 jnwelch: Oh, those are lovely! Lucky couple!

>275 jnwelch: Wow!

Thank you as always for books, thank you for this group and thanks for you. Have a lovely day, Joe.

Sorry to hear that Debbi caught Covid, Joe, but glad to hear she's improving and that you've stayed negative. Hope everyone in the household is feeling good soon.

The photos of Jesse and Adriana are lovely!

>275 jnwelch: - Wow, gorgeous. And I take it they were just the 2 of them, no kids?

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Joe.

Hi Joe.

I’m thankful for my LT friends, who I’ve been not good about keeping up with this year. I shall strive to do better. Today is a hard reset.
.

Hi Joe mate, Hope Debbi is doing well despite the Covid and wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day.

Today’s Bargain: Upgrade by Blake Crouch for $2.99 on Kindle. A very good sci-fi thrilller.

>276 humouress: Thanks, Nina. Agreed. Phone camera quality thes days is remarkable.

>277 richardderus:. Isn’t it, Richard? We also thought, what a great destination wedding. The bride is Indian, and we’re not sure about the groom. It’s going to be one of those 2-3 day weddings, and Jesse and Adri will be wearing appropriate traditional gear. Can’t wait to see those photos!

>278 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne. Both were taken on a phone camera - the quality is so good these days! The first is a selfie. We think the second was taken by one of their accompanying friends or the tour guide.

>279 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. They deserve the luck! We’re so glad they’re getting some relaxed, fun time together. They’re the hardest working couple we know. She just started her job on the Board and as opinion editor of the Pittsburgh newspaper, but had warned them about this trip.

>280 FAMeulstee:. Ha! I join your wow!, Anita.

>281 PaulCranswick:. Nice, Paul. Thanks, buddy. I appreciate your remembering our holiday across the world.

>282 bell7:. Hiya, Mary. It’s a strange world where “staying negative” is a good thing, but you’re right. Poor Debbi is much better, having had two blessedly good nights of sleep. Sleep makes all the difference, doesn’t it..

We’re so happy for J&A.

>283 jessibud2:. Good catch, Shelley. Yes, the wee ones are with their abuelos. Good timing - Adri’s parents are moving from Pittsburgh back to Colombia in a couple of weeks (we think northern winters are too much for her father).

So J&A are child-free on this adventure.

I hope you had a most satisfying Thanksgiving, and Happy Leftovers Day!

>284 karenmarie:. I hope yours was a most excellent Thanksgiving, Karen. I know LTers are thankful for you. Keeping up as best you can is what we all do. I share your feeling that I’d like to do better.

>286 johnsimpson:. Hey, buddy. Thanks for reaching out across the pond for our Celebration of Food Day. There’s also a lot of American football and basketball on the tube to aid post-prandial digestion - or the National Dog Show, for those so inclined. A French bulldog won.

Debbi is much improved, thanks. Out of quarantine, with 3 more days of mandatory masking.

The new cafe is open. See you there!