Joe's Fourth Book Cafe 2023

Textiles by Michelle Mischkulnig

2022 Favorites

Fiction

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi (cast an unforgettable spell)

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus ( a close runner-up)

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (another close runner-up)

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (ditto)

The Maid by Nita Prose (ditto)

Nonfiction

The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami

Books Read 2023

January 2023

1. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
2. The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
3. The Guest List by Lucy Foy
4. Mass Effect by Drew Karpyshyn*
5. Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
6. Rain by Joe Hill*
7. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
8. A Spark within the Forge by Sabaa Tahir*
9. The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel.
10. Loveless by Alice Oseman
11. What’s the Furthest Place From Here by Matt Risenburg*
12. Desert Star by Michael Connelly
13. Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock by Linda Bailey*
14. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
15. A Court of Mists and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

February 2023

16. Creature by Shaun Tan*
17. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
18. Laura by Guillem March*
19. My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor
20. A court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
21 Everyday Hero Machine Boy by Irma Kniivila*
22. Encore in Death by JD. Robb
23. The Twilight Man by Koren Shadmi
24. A Wanted Man by Lee Child
25. The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz
26. By the Book by Jasmine Guilloty
27. In a Dark, Dark. Wood by Ruth Ware
28. Silk Vol. 1 by Maurene Goo

March 2023

29. Fairy Tale by Stephen King
30. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
31. Storm Watch by c.j. Box
32. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy (re-read)
33. Revenge of the Librarian by Tom Gauld*
34. Ducks Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton*
35. It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood*
36. Ms. Marvel Something New by G. Willow Wilson*
37. Number One Is Walking by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss*
38. Gideon the Ninth by Tamlyn Muir
39. A Different Kind of Normal by Abigail Balfe
40. Ms. Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami

April 2023

41. The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
42. Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond
43. Celestia by Manuele Fior*
44. once Upon a Book by Grace Lin*
45. The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
46. Altered Carbon by richard Morgan*
47. A Career in Books by Kate Gavino*
48. Love Everlasting by Tom King*
49. Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
50. Georgia by Dawn Tripp

May 2023

51. To the Realization of Perfect Helplessness by Robin Coste Lewis
52. The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths
53. The Customer is Always Wrong by Mimi Pond
54. Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
55. Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes
56. Happy Place by Emily Henry
57. Aunt Bessie Assumes by Diana Xarissa
58. The Banned Bookshop by Maggie Banks
59. Fixit by Joe Ide
60. Promises of Gold by Jose Olivarez

June 2023

61. Damsel by Evelyn Skye
62. Monstress Volume 7 by Marjorie Liu*
63. Einstein by Jim Ottaviani*
64. Who Owns the Clouds by Mario Brassard*
65. Cafe Unfiltered by Jean-Philippe Blondel
66. Nomenclatures of Invisibility by Mahtem Shiferraw
67. Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazalwood
68. Simon Says by Andre Frittino*
69. The Family Izquierdo by Ruben Delgado
70. Side Effects by Ted Anderson*

July 2023

71. All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
72. Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
73. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
74. The Phantom Scientist by Robin Cousin*
75. The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
76. Library of Small Catastrophes by Alison C. Rollins
77. Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson (no touchstone?) by Youssef Daodi
78. Yellowface by RF Kuang
79. The Light of Days by Judy Batalion

*Graphic and illustrated books

The Grand Canyon and carrot cake pancakes. Dreams do come true.

On the Colorado River



Petroglyphs along the river





The intrepid adventurers at Bryce Canyon

By Michelle Mischkulnig

Happy new thread Joe!

>1 jnwelch: >6 jnwelch: Michelle Mischkulnig's quilts are jaw droppingly gorgeous!

Wow, such gorgeous fabric art! Thanks for introducing this new-to-me artist, Joe Her work is so full of life!

>6 jnwelch: What startling effects that artist achieves in using textiles! I have never seen the like with the quilting effect on top of the beautiful painterly colors and textures.

New 🧵 orisons, Joe.

>7 quondame:. Thanks, Susan! Aren’t those quilts gorgeous?

>8 jessibud2:. Agreed, Shelley. Her work is full of life, isn’t it? I’m glad she’s a happy discovery for you. Me, too.

>9 richardderus:. Thanks, RD. I’ve never seen the like either. What a talented woman.

Love the topper and other photos Joe.

Great trip Joe. We were in France when you were out west. Great to be able to travel again, isn’t it?

Happy new one, Joe! Looks like a great trip!

What a startlingly colourful thread opening, Joe.

Happy new one, buddy.

>11 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline.

>12 NarratorLady:. Where in France, Anne? That’s a pretty country. Yes, it fells so good to travel again, doesn’t it. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour group, and it was hard to say good-bye.

>13 drneutron:. Thanks, Jim!

>14 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, mate. She has a gift with color, doesn’t she.

Today’s Bargains: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Vergese and The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, both for $1.99 on e-readers. I haven’t read the much-loved first one, and snapped it up, and heartily recommend the second.

Happy new thread, Joe!

>1 jnwelch: Interesting and colorful textile work.

>4 jnwelch: >5 jnwelch: Feels like traveling with you two. I'll never visit the Grand Canyon myself, so it is nice to travel along with the pictures.

>15 jnwelch: Paris for a week where our girls joined us for a long w/e because our Air B&B had an extra bedroom … free accommodations! Then to Normandy (sobering) and Brittany where friends have retired. Great time, great food and waaay too much of it!

Hard pressed to keep up these days, Joe. Somehow your photo of the Grand Canyon reveal its spectacle better than the images I have in my head, imagines imprinted from photos by experienced, dedicated professionals who invested whatever time needed to get The Image. I've never been there.

The textile work is smashing.

Cheers!

Happy Sunday, Joe! Happy New Thread! Love the Grand Canyon photos! You can't find fault with all that south-western beauty. I LOVED my reread of Eventide. I must have been smokin' crack the first time I read it. I gave it a lowly 3 stars. I will probably save Benediction for next year, since it has only been a few years since I read it.

Have a great holiday.

>16 jnwelch: I read and enjoyed both of these. You can’t go wrong!

>17 FAMeulstee:. Thanks, Anita! I’m glad the photos are allowing you a little armchair traveling. Those three national parks certainly are polyglotn places. It was like walking in the United Nations building; so many different languages.

>18 NarratorLady:. An, lovely Paris. Your daughters are lucky! I can imagine Normandy was sobering; lots of hearts travel there in Memorial Day weekend. I’ve heard Normandy and Brittany are beautiful. I envy you visiting there, especially with friends to see. I can imagine how great the food was.

>19 weird_O:. Hi, Bill. I’m glad the GC photos hit home for you. This was a bucket list trip for me and even more awesome than I imagined. I was dumbstruck by the scale and majesty of the GC, and the other two (Bryce and Zion) were awesome, too. Our self-magnified concerns are so trivial in the face of what time has wrought there.

>20 msf59:. Hiya, Mark.I’m glad you’re enjoying the Grand Canyon photos. I have some from Bryce an Zion I’ll be posting, too.l

How great that Eventide managed to improve for you upon a re-read. There’s something to be said for reading them all (including Benediction) close in time, so that the spell of being in Holt carries over. Benediction is so good; I’ll probably read all three again some time. I wish Our Souls at Night wasn’t so frustrating with the stupid, interfering son, or I’d re-read it, too. . I probably will at some point, anyway.

Today’s Bargains: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, Nerve by Dick Francis and Riccardino by Andrea Camilleri, all for $1.99 on e-readers. A great book by Haddon, an absorbing horse racing-related mystery by Francis, and the last (sob!) Montalbano mystery by the late Camilleri.

Beautiful pictures, Joe. Both the Grand Canyon and the Mischkulnig quilts are colorful works of art. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon twice but not to Bryce Canyon. We’re not traveling much these days unless it’s to see kids and/or grandkids.

>24 Donna828: Thanks, Donna. Ha! The Grand Canyon is a colorful work of art, isn't it, as are M's quilts. Bryce is amazing and well worth a trip to see the "hoodoos". We're lucky, our grandkids just traveled to us. They're here for a week while their parents head out to Portland, OR for a poetry slam and reuniting with old friends. It felt great to be traveling again after being shut down during the pandemic.

In Bryce Canyon, water freezing and thawing over a long period of time has created unusual rock formations called hoodoos. Sometimes they look like sculptures, sometimes like mysterious abandoned cities.

Good luck with the Grands. I bet it'll be a time of pleasure and learning.

As I said before, Cheers!

>27 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. It sure was a boisterous, full volume start to the day! Now they’re playing in our backyard while we sneak in a little breakfast and LT.

Happy new thread! Those quilts in your topper are amazing! I particularly like the first one. Also, great photos of some astounding natural beauty. I visited the Grand Canyon as a teen as part of a family road trip out west. It would be great to go back some day.

>29 foggidawn:. Thanks, foggi! I love that first quilt, too. Astounding is a good word for the GC. We tok a 2+ mile hke along the rim with another couple, anf kept stopping for the astounding, changing views. I’m sure you’d rnjoy a return visit. I’m so glad we went.

From Poem-a-Day, by one of my favorite poets:

In the chemo room, I wear mittens made of ice so I don’t lose my fingernails. But I took a risk today to write this down.

Andrea Gibson

Whenever I spend the day crying,
my friends tell me I look high. Good grief,

they finally understand me.
Even when the arena is empty, I thank god

for the shots I miss. If you ever catch me
only thanking god for the shots I make,

remind me I’m not thanking god. Remind me
all my prayers were answered

the moment I started praying
for what I already have.

Jenny says when people ask if she’s out of the woods,
she tells them she’ll never be out of the woods,

says there is something lovely about the woods.
I know how to build a survival shelter

from fallen tree branches, packed mud,
and pulled moss. I could survive forever

on death alone. Wasn’t it death that taught me
to stop measuring my lifespan by length,

but by width? Do you know how many beautiful things
can be seen in a single second? How you can blow up

a second like a balloon and fit infinity inside of it?
I’m infinite, I know, but I still have a measly wrinkle

collection compared to my end goal. I would love
to be a before picture, I think, as I look in the mirror

and mistake my head for the moon. My dark
thoughts are almost always 238,856 miles away

from me believing them. I love this life,
I whisper into my doctor’s stethoscope

so she can hear my heart. My heart, an heirloom
I didn’t inherit until I thought I could die.

Why did I go so long believing I owed the world
my disappointment? Why did I want to take

the world by storm when I could have taken it
by sunshine, by rosewater, by the cactus flowers

on the side of the road where I broke down?
I’m not about to waste more time

spinning stories about how much time
I’m owed, but there is a man

who is usually here, who isn’t today.
I don’t know if he’s still alive. I just know

his wife was made of so much hope
she looked like a firework above his chair.

Will the afterlife be harder if I remember
the people I love, or forget them?

Either way, please let me remember

>26 jnwelch: More stunners. Are you going to make a print of one to frame Joe?

>32 Caroline_McElwee:. Hi, Caroline. Yes, we have wallspace in the house next door that we bought. We’re going to figure out which of Debbi’s (and my-most are hers) photos we’ll enlarge, frame and hang. We have a bunch of hers hung in our original house, and they look great.

>33 jnwelch: I'm confronted with that problem of where to display photos myself. We don't like random placements, and would like to get one or two big things to hang over the couch, but haven't decided yet. In the meantime, I have lots of decent photos I'd like to make some use of. Some are already on my thread, but every once in a while I find something I've overlooked and would love to display. I'm thinking of getting one of those electronic display tablets, preferably one that cycles pictures from a thumb drive, and putting on one of our bookshelves. I've even thought of making note cards from them, but the fees I've seen are somewhat prohibitive.

Wow, those photos are so beautiful! I love the idea of enlarging and hanging them. They're definitely frame-worthy!

>35 scaifea:. Thanks, Amber. We already have up photos Debbi took at Monet’s garden - beautiful and a beautiful memory, and these will fill the same role. She also takes beautiful close-ups of flowers, and we’ve hung a number of those. I’m hoping that one she took of rainclouds coming through the Grand Canyon works for enlarging. - it was so cool! We watched the rain sweep toward us for a long time - unforgetable.

P.S. We got The Storyteller’s Handbook: 52 Illustrations (can’t find the Elise Hurst touchstone) from the library - cool book. Thanks for the tip.

>34 ffortsa:. Understood, Judy. We have one of those electronic display tablets in our kitchen on the island, and we love it. Son and DIL filled it with grandkiddo photos, and can add new ones remotely. What a treat! Guaranteed smilemaker, no matter how rough the day

>21 NarratorLady:. Oops, missed this one, Anne, sorry. I’m glad you give thumbs-up to both. I had read and loved Pearl Earring, and picked up this bargain Cutting for Stone. Verghese has a new one out, The Covenant of Water, that has been getting a lot of positive ink.

>36 jnwelch: Is there anything that Debbie isn't amazing at?! I'm in awe of all her talents.

And yay for the book - it really seemed perfect for Debbie, you, and your grandkiddos.

>33 jnwelch: Ooo, are you extending into or switching into next door Joe?

>39 scaifea:. Ha! I know Debbi admires your sewing creations, Amber. That’s very nice of you to say. I’m totally unbiased, and I agree. She has a lovely singing voice, too. I’m a lucky guy.

>40 Caroline_McElwee:. We call it our vacation home, Caroline. Other people have to drive an hour or more to theirs; ours is a short walk. It’s basically a three-flat with one flat not yet certified. We’re renting the top one, with our tenant moving in July 1. Son and DIL stayed in the other one before they left for Portland.

Hello Joe mate, Happy New Thread, i love your thread topper photos, the textile work is fantastic. The photos from your trip are amazing mate, i think we sometimes forget the beauty in our own country.

Have a good Friday and we both send love and hugs to you and Debbi, my dear friend.

Happy new thread, Joe! I'm attempting to get caught up on threads, but we'll see how long it lasts. Gorgeous photos of the Grand Canyon. It's on my bucket list to visit someday.

Chain gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah ( the author of the topnotch collection Friday Black) takes us to a near-future prison system in which prisoners are given a chance for freedom if they defeat (kill) other prisoners gladiator-style in televised competitions. Yes, it's reality tv taken to the extreme. we get to know the prisoners, and understand why theyd take the chance of dying for a shot at freedom. We end up pulling for two of the most successful female prisoners, who are a romantic couple.

He's sucked us into what is a sharp critique of our prison system, and our bottomless fascination with celebrities and violent sports. After we've had our cake and eaten it, too, we get to wonder about the size of our appetite, and the harm it can cause. This is bold and impressively clever novel.

>. Hi, John, buddy. Thanks- isn’t that textile art fantastic? You’re right about appreciating our own country. Almost all of the group we were in was well-traveled couples who’d traveled Europe, Asia and Africa - but had never spent quality time in the southwest U.S. As you’ve heard, we found it jaw-dropping.

It’s been a grand Friday with the grands - lots of time outside in the beautiful weather. Our wading pool is getting full, happy use, as is the sprinkler.

Love and hugs to you and Karen, my friend.

>43 bell7:. Thanks, Mary! The Grand Canyon sure was at the top of my bucket list. I thought it’d be a crime to fall off the planet without seeing it. What an awesome trip that was. I still have a few photos left to post.

You’d enjoy being here tomorrow as our general, large neighborhood has coordinated a bunch of yard sales, and our daughter is going to be selling a ton of books. These days i think she’s a more voracious reader than I am, which is saying a lot. We’ve contributed what we’ve culled from our shelves. Son#1 is taking a bunch of my graphic novels - he likes artsy, oddball ones and of course that’s my specialty.

Debbi, Rafa and Fina enjoying reading the Frog and Toad stories with her special handmade (by a cousin) Frog and Toad pals.

>46 jnwelch:
Ohhhhhhhh! The Frog and Toad books are sooooo good for kids and with kids. The perfect vehicle for letting imaginations go free! We have to make sure that Grandpa Mark gets the set for Jackson and then spends many happy hours talking with him about the adventures of Frog and Toad.

>46 jnwelch: What a great picture! Fina sure knows a good thing!

Today’s Bargain: The Peripheral by William Gibson for $1.99 on e-readers.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00INIXKV2/ref=nodl_?_bbid=143100320&tag=bookbubemail1-20&dplnkId=d5c99217-0ea2-4e83-87ef-c9383dc300a0

More topnotch near future sci-fi from a master. This one was the basis for the Netflix series.

>47 benitastrnad:. Grandpa Mark stops by here on occasion, Benita, so we’ll help remind him about Frog and Toad. Our grandkiddos sure love them.

>48 quondame:. Thanks, Susan! Fina definitely is a cuddlemonkey, and loves Debbi’s pals.

>46 jnwelch: Our grands (5 & 8)will be here for a few days in July so I’m dusting off The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane for the occasion.

Today’s Bargain: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson for $1.99 on e-readers. Wonderfully readable account of the Great Migration that made the author a star.

>52 jnwelch: Best $1.99 anyone's likely to spend this month!

>46 jnwelch: Such happy faces!

Sunday orisons, Joe. I'm attempting an ambitious feat: returning to the annual Pride-Month review-a-day schedule. It's keeping me hopping.

Wow! Good day for bargains! Today’s Bargains: H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (beloved among 75ers); White Teeth by Zadie Smith (most excellent); A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford ( big seller when I worked in bookstores);Watership Down by Richard Adams (classic); and The Library (can’t find the touchstone)by Stuart Kell (sure sounds good) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075L61R78/ref=nodl_?_bbid=141833917&tag=bookbubem... all for $1.99 on e-readers.

>51 NarratorLady:. Fun, Anne! We loved Edward Tulane, as you know.

We just sent our grands on the drive back to Pittsburgh. Whew! We had a great time with them, and their parents had a great time being footloose and fancy free in Portland.

>53 richardderus:. Agreed, Richard! I couldn’t believe they were offering The Warmth of Other Suns at $1.99.

Those happy faces, except Debbi, are heading back to Pittsburgh. Sigh. Good for refilling the exhaustion tanks, bad for losing the hilarious hijinx of those two.

Thanks for the orisons. A review a day?! A tip of the hat to you. That’s demanding. I’ll stop by to see how it’s going.

Hey, Joe. Happy Tuesday. I am so glad and not at all surprised that you had a wonderful time with the grands. It is so special that you spend this much time with them. Now, you can revel in the quietude.

I picked up Promises of Gold yesterday and hope to start it soon. Glad to hear you are enjoying the latest Urrea. It is on my list. Also glad they you enjoyed Chain Gang All-Stars. Also on my list. I loved Friday Black.

Today’s Bargain: The Road by Cormac McCarthy for $1.99 on e-readers. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OI0G1Q/ref=nodl_?_bbid=143743752&tag=bookbubem... Probably his most commercially successful book.

>57 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. I’m glad you’re going to give a go to Promises of Gold. Can’t wait to hear your reaction.

I’m halfway through the Ottiavani Einstein GN, and taking notes. As I said to Debbi, after all these years, I’m still trying to understand Einstein. I think the GN would’ve benefitted from a simplified conceptual approach, rather than quite so much historical nitty-gritty, but that’s okay. Someday I’d also love to see ace illustrations of some of the the practical effects of his relativity theories (e.g. trajectories bent by mass gravities).

Love the Jackson photo - at first glance I thought the little vagabond was playing the harmonica.

Methinks you’ll get a big kick out of Chain Gang All-Stars. I’ll keep my you posted on the new Urrea book. I’m also reading a cool ARC called Cafe Unfiltered.

Hopelessly behind, but Hi! Love the photo of Debbi, Rafa and Fina. And I love Frog and Toad. : )

I finally heard back from the LT Gods. They are not giving away free passes to the ALA Conference Exhibit Hall because ALA is not allowing them to give away free passes. ALA is now charging exhibitors for the passes they give away and LT isn't that big or rich of a company to purchase passes.

You can register for the exhibit hall. It will be $100.00 per person to register for the Exhibit Hall before June 17, 2023. That pass is good for all three days. Saturday through Monday. Here is the link to register for the Exhibit Hall. https://2023.alaannual.org/registration/rates-and-registration

I know that price looks high, but I am sure that you will leave with at least that much in ARC's and that Becca will leave with lots of materials to use in her classroom, so it might be worth it.

I had planned to go to the Conference, but I am in Kansas staying with my mother and am unable to travel at the moment. I will have to go to the summer conference next summer. It will be in San Diego and I have never been there. The next time it will be in Chicago is June 2026, so my advice is go this summer - even that that high cost.

>61 benitastrnad:. Many thanks, Benita, for trying, and for all the good information. Of course, I question ALA’s decision to do this. They’ll be reducing attendance and losing book lovers, but maybe that’s part of their goal. We’ll ponder.

P.S. I hope your mother is doing okay.

>60 Berly:. Good to see you, Kim! Our son and DIL were just in your fair city for the poetry slam, and had a blast. I’m glad you like the photo and the Frog and Toad dolls. A wonderful cousin made those. The kids loved the Frog and Toad books, too.

Einstein by Jim Ottaviani. Graphic. Not as good as his Feynman graphic biography, but I enjoyed it for its review of his theories and mental process, and details about his life. It was good enough that I requested his Stephen Hawking graphic biography from the library.

Today’s Bargain: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler for$1.99 on e-readers.https://a.co/d/b2nwg49. One of my favorite noirs.

Today’s Bargains: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Lecarre and River of Doubt by Candice Millard, each for $1.99 on e-readers. George Smiley in the classic spy story, and an irresistible tale of Teddy Roosevelt on the Amazon from one of our best NF authors.

Remember reading Watership Down when it first came out and being so captured by the characters and the wonderful complex world building.

Went back to it a few years ago and couldn't read it - just seems dull and slow and obvious. Either the book has changes, or I have.

>66 magicians_nephew:. I know what you mean about Watership Down, Jim. It had the same effect on me when I first read it, but a couple of short peruses made me think it wouldn’t now.

Hi Joe - we haven't been to a restaurant in many months, but will head out soon to Cracker Barrel
following its surprise announcement -
in honor of our nephew and many others...

>68 m.belljackson:. Celebrating Pride Month - good for them and good for you, Marianne!

>67 jnwelch: Regarding Watership Down one reviewer liked the book for its storytelling but found the book rather "humorless".

I find I agree.

>70 magicians_nephew: Huh. I don’t remember the humorlessness, but I can believe it.

That’ll impede any re-read, methinks.

Cafe Unfiltered by Jean-Phillipe Blondel (translated from the French).

"Stop apologizing, Fabrice. I've always liked listening to other people. It relaxes me."

"That's also my favorite activity. So, as it happens, running a cafe is ideal."

I received this as an ARC. I love cafes (could you tell?), and French cafes like this one are special. When a character asks us at the end whether we'd like to join her there, my answer was a resounding yes.

We get to meet the shy owner, Fabrice, and the amiable former owner, Jocelyn, and Chloe, the mysterious artist who sits in the back and sketches customers, and Fabrice's friend from childhood Jose, who assists him at the cafe, along with several others entwined with their lives or otherwise associated with the cafe. Blondel manages to seamlessly weave their stories together, some of which contain substantial surprises. Life, ah, sweet, unpredictable life. I happily stayed at this cafe until closing, and I'd love to spend more time there.

Who Owns the Clouds by t ND Mario Brassard.
This ARC is a melancholy fable of the effect of war and bombs on civilians, and how some persist and survive. It won Canada's Governor General's Literary Award. Nine year old Mina is forced to travel to a bombed out ruin of a town where the local stray cats comfort her. She stands on line with hundreds of others in hopes of getting some undefined relief. Only her uncle, who defies authorities while wearing a red clown nose knows, what is really going on. Soon he disappears. Mila and her parents do survive, with differing memories of what they've been through. The old-fashioned illustrations (by Gerard Dubois) are lovely, with some suitable for framing. Only the glum gray cover does the story a disservice; I hope it doesn't dissuade many readers.



(My edition is in English).

Zion National Park

At Zion with two of our favorite co-travelers, Ron and Roseanne



The two of us at Zion

Wonderful pictures! I especially love the last one, of you and your wife. So sweet!

Karen O

That picture of Zion's canyon wall is terrific.

>77 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen! I love that last one, too. We had an excellent motorcoach driver named Kirk for the whole trip, and he took that one.

>78 ffortsa:. Isn’t that cool, Judy? The Grand Canyon and Bryce were spectacular, but Zion was jaw-dropping, too. We had a lovely walk along the river there. I’ll post a photo of that, too, at some point.

>75 jnwelch: >75 jnwelch: Great photos Joe. Such great landscape to explore.

>81 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. What a trip that was.

Rest in Peace, Cormac McCarthy. Thanks for all the great books.

Happy Wednesday, Joe. I am enjoying the vacation pics. What a great and scenic trip that must have been. How are you feeling? All good with me- birds, books & Jackson.

I am starting American Pastoral today. Have you read it? Any thoughts on Roth? I know he is a bit polarizing. I am also enjoying Promises of Gold but you knew that already, right?

Yep, RIP, Mr. McCarthy. Have you read his latest, yet?

Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea. What an extraordinary book. It tells the story of two Clubmobilers in WWII, Irene and Dorothy. This branch of the Red Cross has been forgotten by history. They drove trucks in various areas of the war, including the most dangerous and all over Germany near the war’s end. From the outfitted truck they served coffee and donuts to the soldiers, and did their best to buck up their spirits. One of the two is based on the author’s mother, who was a Clubmobiler in that war. He and his wife did a comprehensive amount of research for the book, which was originally going to be NF. Irene and Dorothy manage to travel much of WWII’s landscapes in the book, and give us a compelling inside look at the everyday and the thrills and heartbreaks. Their strong friendship beams out from every page.

The product of many years’ effort, this is one you don’t want to miss. Don’t miss his afterword, either, in which he talks more about his mother and her friend.

>84 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. I did a quick review of the Urrea book (above) and then worked out. All is well in our part of the woods. Birds, books and Jackson - sounds like the good life to me!

I’m glad Promises of Gold is hitting the spot. It’s fun to see this young guy doing so well. I feel like he really brings the Mexican- American experience to life for his readers.

I’ve read a couple of Roths; respect but not love. He doesn’t get to me the way McCarthy did and does. I did read and review The Passenger; I haven’t read the companion Stella Maris yet. I’m very happy with our timing in recently re-reading Blood Meridian. I still consider that his best one. What an amazing book.

It’s now time to pick out two new ones to read (I also just finished Cafe Unfiltered, review up above). Hmm. We’ll see. My GN is a Jeff Lemire, Plutona, and my poetry book is an ARC.

Today’s Bargains: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Notorious RBG by irin Carmon, each for $1.99 on e-readers. The acclaimed novel and the popular bio.

Great photos at Zion Park (they have the advantage of being there when I finally visited your thread). The quilt art is beautiful. I have a great appreciation for textile art having been a quilter myself.

>88 Familyhistorian:. Hi, Meg. Kudos to you for being a quilter. We have two in the family, and feel very lucky. Their creations have been beautiful additions to our house and now where our children live. Isn’t Michelle Mischkulnig remarkable?

I’m glad you got here in time for the Zion photos. Swing back soonish, as I plan to post a couple of our river walk in that park.

J.W. - Poem to enjoy -

SOLOMANTRA

Worshipping a buddha within
when I am silent
she tells all.

>90 m.belljackson:. Lovely, Marianne. Thank you.

Today’s Bargain: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Isiguro for $1.99 on e-readers. Fascinating tale of an artificial intelligence friend.

Hi Joe! Fancy meeting you here. Do you come here often? I've just discovered this cafe. Looks like a good place to visit again. Sadly, though, the pictures tend to disappear quickly. I'm sure the grands are as wonderful as ever.

>57 msf59: That's never Jackson! They grow so fast.

>72 jnwelch: Debbie keeping well, is she? ETA: sorry, Debbi

>75 jnwelch: Ah - one photo I can see. I'm sure the others are just as spectacular.

>93 humouress:. Hi, Nina! Happy weekend. Glad you found us! Yeah, those Facebook photos disappear in about 2 weeks, unfortunately. I’m glad the Zion one showed up for you. Friend me on Facebook and I can direct you to a whole bunch, most of them posted by Debbi as we were traveling.

She’s keeping well (notice no “e” at the end of her name - she loves it when folks get that right). We both had our Spanish lessons this morning, and she’s happy with her progress. We’re hoping to be able to speak adequately with relatives (via DIL) in Colombia come September, when we travel there.

That Jackson is one cool kid, isn’t he? I told Mark that in >57 msf59: it looks like Jackson is playing harmonica, which I wouldn’t put past that talented little guy.

Happy Father's Day, Joe.

>95 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. Happy Father’s Day to you!

And Happy Father’s Day to all our LT fathers!

Today’s Bargain: The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Our daughter LOVES this book.

Have a Great Father's Day Celebration, Joe!

We've sent out Jacquielawson.com ecards to a Father, a Godfather, two Uncles, and a Friend.
the American Greeting ones look like fun too.

Happy Father's Day, Joe. I sure had a good day and managed to bookhorn in some quality reading to boot. I am hope you did the same .

>98 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne! It was a most excellent day. Good for you for brightening up the days of so many.

>99 msf59:. Gracias, Amigo. Your day sounded bonny, indeed, and I’m glad it included some quality reading time. Ditto, as I mentioned, including a visit to our neighborhood bookstore and two R.F. Kuang books.

Hi Joe! Happy newest thread. Sigh. I haven’t visited since February, so, as promised on my thread (which you so kindly visited yesterday),



>1 jnwelch: Gorgeous textiles. Just… wow.

>2 jnwelch: I’m glad to see Lessons in Chemistry in your top reads for 2022. It’s my choice for my RL book club, and will be discussed in August. Of course I need to read it before August… *smile*

I’m really sad that I can’t see your photos – it tells me that the URL signature has expired, regardless of which browser I use after not being able to see them here. 😢

>46 jnwelch: I love Frog and Toad, as does Jenna. Good stuff.

>64 jnwelch: I read, loved, and have kept my copy of The Big Sleep. I have books 4 and 6 of the Philip Marlow series and should try to get to them this year. Sigh. Will I do so? Probably not, as I’m still enraptured by the MM romances I’m currently reading. And now I realize I need to get books 2 and 3 before I continue the series. A nice challenge.

>101 karenmarie:. Hi, Karen. Time can slip by fast, can’t it. I’m glad you ‘re enjoying her textiles.

Sorry about the disappearing photos. Facebook puts a time limit on them (about two weeks) and it’s the easiest way for me to get them over here.

I hope you enjoy Lessons in Chemistry as much as I did. What a fun read.

Frog and Toad are good pals to be pals with, aren’t they. Bless my cousin Nancy for her skillful work creating the little ones for Debbi.

No surprise, I loved all of the Marlowe books. I’d like to re-read The Long Good-bye soonish. You have some good reading ahead of you!

Today’s Bargain: D-Day: The Battle for Normandy by Antony Beevor for $1.99 on e-readers. Highly regarded; I grabbed it.

Joe, do you recall me reading ROUGH-HEWN by Dorothy Canfield Fisher? There's a really interesting CATV show on her life, and legacy over on YouTube dealing with her "legacy" of involvement with eugenics...look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdS26I1ZlKE

Hi, Richard. I read her understood Betsy but don’t recall Rough-hewn. That’s a discomfiting legacy. I’ll take a look later today- time is short right now (I’ll wait for it to get taller).

P.S. It’s long! I’ll have to spread this out a bit. I like the folksy mc.

Today’s Bargains: The Trial by Franz Kafka and Shakespeare by Bill Bryson, both for $1.99 on e-readers. I don’t know the quality of the Kafka translation, but it’s one heck of a story. I enjoy reading about the mysterious Shakespeare, and Bryson, as usual, is good company.

I hope that you and Becca are planning on going to the ALA Exhibit hall this weekend. It is pricey but I am sure that it will be worth it for Becca. All that stuff for kids!

As for me - I am on the road headed back to Alabama - finally. I spent 4 weeks in Kansas and I did not plan on that. I am feeling low about not being in Chicago for the conference, but I needed to spend time at home with my mother. I think she is on the right track for now and should be able to stay at home for another six months, if she can remain healthy. Right now our goal is just to keep her at home as long as possible. She is happy there and we want that state of mind to continue as long as possible.

>197 jnwelch:. Hi, Benita. I appreciate your hope that Becca at least will attend ALA, but that price is just too high . Personally I think this is wrong-headed to charge so much snd eliminate free passes. I’ll hope the non- mercenary types will carry the day going forward. If part of the idea is to spread the word and generate enthusiasm about the new titles, they’ve goofed.

I’m glad your mother seems on track for now, and I understand her, and your, desire to keep her in her home. My dad was the same way. We were able to keep him home all the way up to the near-end, when I had to move him into hospice. My sisters were unavailable, and I had to do that last part on my own, and deal with his sharp unhappiness, which was hard. But right.

Today’s Bargains: Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra and The Color of Water by James McBride, each for $1.99 on e-readers. I haven’t read Mercury Pictures Presents. Should I? The Color of Water is beautifully written by the black author, largely about his white mother.

Wishing you a great weekend, Joe.

I liked the premise of Mercury Pictures Presents ( my niece loved it) but was not happy with the way the narrative jumped to certain people and left out other interesting characters.

>110 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. Have yourself a great weekend, too. We’re off to a play with a friend in it, so that’ll spice up ours.

>111 torontoc:. Thanks, Cyrel. That’s helpful. I’ve seen meh reactions to it. If someone was a strong advocate, it might influence me. I liked his Constellation book.

Good Night, Irene sounds so sweet! I put it on my library list, though it looks like a few months out.

Happy Sunday, Joe. Looking forward to our Meet Up today. It looks like Suzanne (Chatterbox) will join us and she may have some ALA books to give us. B.A.G. I am starting Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow today.

>109 jnwelch: Good titles. The Color of Water is one of my very favorite memoirs.

Today’s Bargain: A God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy for $1.99 on Kindle. A worthy Booker winner.

>113 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. The relationship of Irene and Dorothy, but this WWII, so the story itself has plenty of rough and tumble and sad fates, Fingers crossed that this one does really well - it deserves it.

>114 msf59: Hiya, Mark! that was some fun meetup. thank you to you and Suzanne for coming to our place for the Garden Walk never felt so brilliant. we may not have solved all the world's problems, but I o think the NY Times should feature our book discussion. :-) I'll post the photo of us below this. zi hope you got it via text.

Can't wait to hear what you think of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. As I mentioned, it didn't climb into the stratosphere for me like The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, but it came close enough. Wasn't the The Color of Water great? Thanks to our pal Suzanne I know you have the ARC of his newest, you lucky bloke.

I can't believe all the good ARCs she brought us from ALA! That was such a sweet thing to do. I'm still gawping and blithering about the Tan Twan Eng! i've been waiting for a new one from him for more than 10 years. I'm opening that one, and S.A. Crosby's new one today. Whee-hooo!

With brother Mark and Suzanne (Chatterbox) on our back deck on Sunday.

>117 jnwelch: Looks a lovely meet-up Joe!

>117 jnwelch: - Terrific!

>118 SandDune:. Thanks, Rhian! It was!

>119 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley!

>117 jnwelch: Always good to see you with other LT-ers, Joe!

>121 FAMeulstee: Agreed, Anita! I wish we could teleport you over here.😀

All of you look great , Joe! Wonderful picture and a great meet up!

>123 vancouverdeb:. Thanks, Deb!

Nomenclatures of Invisibility by Mahtem Shiferraw. This poetry collection was an ARC. The poet feels strongly the pull of her ancestry in Eritrea and Ethiopia, and writes well about the effects in living in the USA - sometimes invisibility, sometimes hostility, sometimes sadness. Perhaps unfairly, i wished for more variety in the poetic themes. Just an okay reading experience for me.

A Line in the Sand by Kevin Powers. A bit of a surprise from the author of Yellow Birds. A very well-written military-related international thriller. It reminded me a bit of Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle, with a skilled writer taking on a genre piece. This was a fast-paced, satisfying read. An Iraqi interpreter survives the slaughter of hi wife and children and emigrates to the U.S., only to be pursued there by killers concerned about what he witnessed. His discovery of a dead body draws him into an investigation headed by a savvy female lieutenant and a male Army veteran who soon figure out that he needs protection. This is an excellent page-turner.

Glad to hear about your meetup with Mark and Suzanne, and the excellent ARCs Suzanne brought for you both. Looks like you have some excellent reading ahead of you.

>128 jnwelch:. Thanks, Mary. It was a good time with those two, and you’re right about the books. I’m still gobsmacked about the Tan Twan Eng book.

Today’s Bargain: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison for $1.99 on e-readers. The powerful classic.

>126 jnwelch: Such an exciting read! He does have a Touch as a writer, no?

>130 richardderus:. Agreed, Mr. D! I’m glad we both loved this one.

So glad the Tan Twan Eng was such a hit for you! I was thrilled to see the book was coming out, ecstatic that I got an e-galley approved before ALA, and deeply satisfied by the fact that it ended up being just as rewarding as his other two books. Shall look forward to seeing your thoughts!!

Nice meet up picture, Joe.

Mercury Picture Presents was good but there were a lot of characters with stories some of which I wanted to know more about.

>117 jnwelch: That's a great meet-up; you all look like you had fun. And ALA books, too.

Hi Joe

I haven't visited thrads as much as I'd like. I'm glad I stopped here. I've added four books I want to try to find at the library.

I'll definetely look for Good Night Irene.

The meet up photo brought smiles.

Happy Summer. I hope to stop by more often. I always like your illustrations. The images made with textiles are fascinating!

All good wishes to you!

>132 Chatterbox:. Hi, Suzanne! So glad you could join us. Yes, like you I was thrilled to see the Tan Twan Eng, and how great to hear that you rank it with his terrific first two. I’m a little ways in, and really like it so far. Thanks so much for bringing it! What a wonderful surprise.

Wish we could have more afternoons like that, but I suppose I’m better off appreciating the one we had. Thanks again for coming.

P.S. My mom was a big W. Somerset Maugham fan and would’ve been fascinated to spend time with “Willie”.

>133 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg. Sounds like his second one was a bit undercooked? (I’ve been watching a lot of The Bear on Hulu - so good).

>134 humouress:. Thanks, Nina. We did have mucho fun. Can anything beat sitting outside on a beautiful day, talking about books? Quaffing craft brews brought by Mark, no less. Madame MBH got plenty of admirers for our gardens, too, on the area’s Garden Walk.

>134 humouress:.

>135 Whisper1:. Hi, Linda! Always good to see you. I’m glad you found some good book recommendations. I think you’ll eat up Good Night Irene with a spoon. Tough women with a beautiful friendship in a little known part of history.

Happy summer! We’d love to see more of you. Nice to hear about the illustrations from the Queen of them.😀. Aren’t those textiles amazing?

Just curious, Joe. Have you ever seen a photo of a smiling Cormac McCarthy?

        

>139 weird_O:. 😂. Nope, Bill. I think you’ve found a collector’s item. It would be very disconcerting to see that photo on the back of books like The Road or Blood Meridian - or any of his for that matter. Wish we could hear/see what cracked him up like that.

>136 jnwelch: Hey Joe, my mother was also into Maugham, and one who seems to have sunk from view C. P. Snow.

Happy Friday, Joe. Getting ready to launch on another Michigan camping trip. This time to the UP. A pretty campground, right along the north shore of Green Bay. We will bring Juno along this time. See how she does.

Nearly finished with Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Not a stellar read but a fun, entertaining one, even for a non-gamer like myself. Have a great holiday weekend, my friend.

>141 quondame:. Hi, Susan. I wish we could get them together to confer. The celestial library maybe?

Nary a mention of C.P. Snow was made in my house, and I haven’t read him/ her. Have you? Comments?

I haven’t read any bio of W. Somerset Maugham, but so far House of Doors sure gives a sense of what his life was like.

>142 msf59:. Happy Friday, Mark. My insides still get a stir at the prospect of a long holiday day weekend, even though I’ve been retired for a good while now. This is a special one for nose-to-the-grindstoners, with the 4th falling on a Tuesday.

Have fun camping up in the UP. As you heard, Becca won’t be joining you. Maybe if you camped in a nice hotel next time.

“Not a stellar read, but a fun, entertaining one.” You and I are on the same wavelength again. I’d describe my experience the same way. We gave a copy to our videogamer son, and I’ll find out his reaction. He had a richer experience with Ready Player One than most people I know.

>143 jnwelch: I read C.P. Snow when I was very young, not even in college yet. I think the book was Corridors of Power, and I have no memory of it or why I chose it at the library. Of course, he is known generally as writing about the schism between science and the arts, and how it should not be.

>143 jnwelch: Oh yes, I was a complete C. P. Snow convert. And Maugham as well. Snow's 11 volume Strangers and Brothers centers on the life of Lewis Eliot, but includes a variety of stories including murder, politics, science, university politics (the worst), love, divorce, suicide.

>145 ffortsa:. Hi, Judy. C.P. Snow remains a mystery author to me. I know the name because I enjoy reading and talking about books, but that’s it. Will there ever be a revival, even a modest one, do you think? To date I haven’t heard anything to draw me to one of his books. Maugham remains an author that’s read. The Razor’s Edge is the one I enjoyed most.

>146 quondame:. Ah, good to know, Susan. Do you retain enthusiasm about his books?

>147 jnwelch: Quondam is right - the series I read (and not all of it) was Strangers and Brothers. I doubt a revival. His writing is very much of his time, and as I recall the novels were pretty hefty.

I got a kick out of this one for readers by William Gay:

Sick Room Idyll

When Nellie sits beside my bed,
She thinks, to please a Poet,
Her talk must be of books,
Although I’d rather she’d forego it.

For oft she makes such queer mistakes
I must break out in laughter,
And then she looks so grieved, that I
Repent the minute after.

Yet though she talks of Ruskin’s plays,
Of Dickens’ Tristram Shandy,
There’s none can clearer jellies make,
Or match with her in candy.

What though she strays from Pope to Poe
With fancy wild and vagrant,
There’s none brings oranges so big
Or apples half so fragrant.

And then her eyes are clear and kind,
Her mouth is sweet and rosy,
She brings me now chrysanthemums,
Now violets in a posy.

Her pastry, too, is always crisp,
Her sweets are never gritty,
Her frocks are always neat and fine,
Her face is good and pretty.

So while in kindness she is rich,
What though her lore be scanty?
What though she talk of Homer’s Faust,
Or Don Quixote by Dante?

What though she asks what Jane Eyre wrote?
If Wordsworth still be living?
O, I forgive her all, for she
Herself is so forgiving.

>149 ffortsa:. Thanks, Judy. It’s interesting how some authors are timeless and some aren’t. It’s also always interesting to look at bestseller lists from days gone by, and see how few remain read today.

Today’s Bargain: A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell for $1.99 on e-readers. Socialite Virginia Hall was a spy in WWII. An NPR Best Book of 2019. I hadn’t read it and scooped it up.

On Facebook I was asked what is essential comic book reading for beginners. I said: Maus by Art Spiegelman, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, and Ducks, Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton .

Any thoughts, comments, picks?

Added, per Shelley: Good Talk by Mira Jacob

Added, per Kathy: the March trilogy by John Lewis and Nate Powell, and The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

Added, per Ellen: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Added, per brother Mark: The Complete Essex County by Jeff Lemire.
Local by Brian Wood
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Hugo Cabret & Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan A very entertaining Sci-fi & fantasy series

Hi Joe. I am drawing a complete blank (brain fart) but there was that wonderful graph memoir by a woman named, I think, Mira something. She used collage form, combined photos and illustrations and the story was trying to explain racism toward their mixed race family to her young son. It was excellent and I know you read it because I think I got the BB from you

>153 jnwelch: My first candidate would be the rime of the ancient mariner by Hunt Emerson.

>164 jnwelch:. Yes, Shelley, Good Talk by Mira Jacob! That’s a great one. I almost included it but thought maybe it was too different for a beginner? I don’t like that reason, and I love your enthusiasm, which I share. I’m adding it.

>155 m.belljackson:. I’ll have to check that one out, Marianne (literally!). Such a great poem.

>148 jnwelch: I think they are well written, interesting books that give, from a U.S. perspective, a good view of British mid-20th century intellectual life, and a fairly accurate view of men of science interacting with men of law and politics. I haven't revisited them since early this century, but I enjoyed that re-read.

>150 jnwelch: Is William Gay still alive so I can murder him? I guess I'm not at all forgiving.

>158 quondame:😂😂. Sorry, he’s no longer with us. What aren’t you forgiving? His attitude, his tolerance of bolloxed literary references, or his poetry?

>159 jnwelch: His condescension. I expect his bollixing visitor to be entirely apocryphal.

>153 jnwelch: I'd add
1) the John Lewis trilogy March--it was my first graphic book and so accessible
and
2) The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui--like Takei's book it starts from a child's perspective, which makes it so relatable.

>153 jnwelch: I'd also add Fun Home by Alison Bechdel.

Skimming through and seeing that there is a new novel out by Tan Twan Eng?? Yay! I loved his first two, especially The Garden of Evening Mists, so I'll definitely be acquiring a copy of The House of Doors.

Hi Joe! I'm up early on a Sunday morning, skipping around to a few threads before breakfast. When I'm retired (in about 173 days), I'll do more of this!

>160 quondame:. Right,Susan. I imagine you’re right, he made it up, or took one slip to the extreme. And he’s very condescending. What would we do? Correct her? Or be quiet and appreciate her intentions? Maybe he’s saying she’s so good-hearted he can’t bring himself to correct and embarrass her, even though the works she mentions are dear to his heart. Or she is (incorrectly) mentioning them to impress him and bond with him, and he’s unwilling to destroy that. What an interesting poem. I don’t think he deserves to be murdered for it, although I admit I’m generally against the murder of poets.

>161 kac522:. Those are a couple of great picks, Kathy. I thought of The Best We Can Do, but didn’t think of the terrific March trilogy. Per Ellen, I did think of Fun Home. I originally was trying to keep the list short, but I think we’re creating something much better. “Essential Graphic Reading for Beginners”. I’ve amended >153 jnwelch:.

>162 EBT1002:. Great addition, Ellen. I’ve amended >153 jnwelch:. I like this list!

>163 EBT1002:. Hi, Ellen! At that meetup up in >117 jnwelch: Mark and I were talking about how much we missed seeing you. Surely there must be something happening in Chicago that your school needs you to attend?

I loved those two first Tan Twan Eng books, too, especially Garden of Evening Mists, and rate them both super high, among my favoritests ever. I was vibrating when Suzanne pulled out House of Doors. We waited more than ten years for it!

It’s a rainy Sunday morning here, perfect for reading more HOD whilst drinking good coffee.

Can’t wait until you’re retired! We’re all counting the days with you.😀

Today’s Bargain: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney for $1.99 on e-readers. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HMNEXUA/ref=nodl_?_bbid=147753227&tag=bookbubem...

A witty 85 year old wanders Manhattan and reminisces - wonderful.

>164 jnwelch: Well, maybe not murder, but really he's exalting his tolerance over her effort and care - I mean he's just lying there while she's gone to actual effort to visit him and make treats for him, yet somehow he's being imposed upon?

>165 jnwelch: Well, my school won't be sending me anywhere ever again (maybe Seattle for a quick set of meetings), but P and I are talking about a post-retirement trip to Chicago. She's never really visited the city and I miss it. P is even the one who said "and we could connect with your buddies Joe and Mark." Made me smile.

"Essential Graphic Reading for Beginners" is an excellent title for >153 jnwelch:.

>187 jnwelch:. Right, Susan, the smug self-adulation is a bit much. No indication that he might have his own imperfections, or that her slip-ups are insignificant in the scheme of things. He should just be grateful that she shoewed up with treats, the bastard. But what did Jane Eyre write?

>168 EBT1002:. Too bad, Ellen, but I get it. Less than 6 months to go by my count. Are you ticking off your days by fives on your cell, I mean office, wall?

Have you created a list of what you want to do after retirement? Mine contained silly things like, “blow right by my usual downtown el stop” and “walk right by my office building entrance to have a long breakfast down the street.” Man, I did my routine for 34 years. That was plenty.

Your buddies Joe and Mark would love a visit from you and P. As you know, the city is the cat’s pajamas when not buried under 3 feet of snow. And even then it has its moments.

>169 EBT1002:. Agreed, Ellen. I also like the sound/look of “Essential Graphic Reading for Beginners”. I’ll make it the title of an introductory post on the next thread.

Chicago under Water?

>172 m.belljackson:. Yes, Marianne.🫧🫧🌊🦦. Not our house, thank goodness (basement and mud room are dry). But some side streets and parts of the expressway. Some cars stranded and some underpasses unpassable. That was a lot of rain! We had flash flood warnings all day yesterday, with orders not to travel unless escaping flooding or obeying an evacuation order. You know something’s wrong when your phone starts yelling that harsh alert noise. Things are slowly getting back to normal today.

Good you and your Family are safe, Joe!

Bet Mark will be happy to have avoided this River exchange.

>174 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. I know a lot of reading got done while the skies emptied. Becca’s dog Indy was understandably not keen on going outside for long, but the two of them had a fine day snuggling and reading to each other.

Yeah, I didn’t hear any tales of woe about Downers Grove, where brother Mark hangs out. I should check his thread to make sure.

>153 jnwelch: i would only add Watchmen for those who think Comic Books and Graphic novels have to be about Crime Fighters in colorful costumes.

And My Favorite Thing is Monsters just because.

>170 jnwelch: Reader, I married him.

>177 quondame:😂😂😂. Brilliant!

>178 jnwelch:. I’m just not a Watchmen fan, Jim, although it’s a perfectly sensible suggestion. My ears are deaf to the melody others hear.

I do love My Favorite Thing is Monsters. Is the storytelling too sophisticated for newbies? Is it a good choice for beginners? Input requested.

Maugham: Has anyone read his short story “Rain”? It sounds powerful, and House of Doors keeps referring to it as if it’s the epitome of his writing.

Today’s Bargain: The Light of Days by Judy Batalion for $1.99 on e-readers.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y8D58BR/ref=nodl_?_bbid=142080224&tag=bookbubemail1-20&dplnkId=68211961-9789-4844-8d3d-b3d6cf62b720

NYT NF bestseller about young Jewish women who banded together to fight the Nazis in WWII Poland. I grabbed it.

This poem by the French poet Paul Verlaine comes up in House of Dors:

Exquisite hour
English translation © Richard Stokes

The white moon
Gleams in the woods;
From every branch
There comes a voice
Beneath the boughs...

O my beloved.

The pool reflects,
Deep mirror,
The silhouette
Of the black willow
Where the wind is weeping...

Let us dream, it is the hour.

A vast and tender
Consolation
Seems to fall
From the sky
The moon illumines...

Exquisite hour.

>180 jnwelch:- I own that one, Joe, but haven't got to it yet

I have been doing lots of prepping to move back to Kansas now that I am retired. To reward myself, I am binge watching Star Trek Discovery. The reason for that show is I like all things Star Trek and the star of Discovery went to the University of Alabama. I am now watching season 4. The season hinges around some kind of planet eating machine that is destroying Federation worlds. The longer I have watched the more familiar the plot has become. This morning it dawned on me that it is very similar to Book 3 of the Bobiverse series.

That reminded me that I need to read Book 4. I have it hear but haven't read it yet.

Joe, you might want to read Zadie Smith's ruminations on how she had to kill Dickens.

Enjoy your lovely Tuesday.

>182 jessibud2:. Oh good, Shelley. Sounds like just my cuppa. Let’s report back to each other. I’ll probably do a short review here when I get to it, and I’ll check in on your thread.

>183 benitastrnad:. Good for you, Benita. How are you liking retirement? We watched a lot of Star Trek discovery but eventually it got stale for us. Debbi in particular disliked the writers always having that main character (probably the Alabama graduate) always have all the answers. It got old. The one we like now is Strange New Worlds with Captain Christopher Pike and an interesting crew.

I haven’t read Bob 4 either, and need to put that on my to-read list.

>184 richardderus:. Thanks, RD. That’a s certainly an intriguing link. Were you an accomplice in his death?

>185 jnwelch: Only in spirit. But a most heartily approving spirit!

>186 richardderus:. 😅😅

Another Bargain: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller for $1.99 on Kindle.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IE2IO8/ref=nodl_?ref_=pe_170810_734703360_kddgb_3_des&dplnkId=a2c3a720-71b2-4097-afd1-6b4b78ae33cb

One of the most popular books on Librarything. If you haven’t read it, here’s your chance.

>183 benitastrnad: The planet eating machine also seems to hark back to The Doomsday Machine from the Original Series.

>189 magicians_nephew: Which we felt was a steal of Saberhagen's Berserkers.

>189 magicians_nephew:, >190 quondame:. 👍😀

>153 jnwelch: “Essential Graphic Reading for Beginners”:

Of course, I loved all the GNs that have been recommended so far, (Maus & March should be required reading). I will add-

The Complete Essex County by Jeff Lemire. The GN that really sparked me into reading graphic novels.
Local by Brian Wood
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Hugo Cabret & Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan A very entertaining Sci-fi & fantasy series.

Happy Wednesday, Joe. I hope you had a nice 4th. We had a good time in the UP. I enjoyed Tomorrow and Tomorrow. She sure has an ambitious, creative mind. I also finished and enjoyed Strangers in Paradise. This is Pocket Book 1 and it is a long one. Have you read Book 2? Not sure I would continue.

>193 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Welcome back from the wilderness. Happy Wednesday.

I read all of the Strangers in Paradise books and loved them all. I got enamored of Katchoo and her full-figured friend/paramour Francine. If you enjoyed the first volume, the rest are basically as good. If you were meh, I’d leave it.

Yes, your take on Tomorrow and Tomorrow seemed very similar to mine. Enjoyable, but no A.J.Fikry. I need to do a review, but I can definitely recommend All Sinners Bleed and i am still very much enjoying House of Doors. My GN is the weird Phantom Scientist.

Today’s Bargains: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Rat Race by Dick Francis both for $1.99 on e-readers. If you haven’t read GOW, here’s bargain inspiration. And who can resist a Dick Francis horse-racing mystery?

>192 msf59: >153 jnwelch:

Mark - Saw the name Shaun Tan and cannot more highly recommend to both of you

his book that I cannot stop re-re-reading. After more than a year, it still sits next to my bed!

And may join yours since it is overflowing with Birds and Good Words:

Migrations: OPEN HEARTS OPEN BORDERS

>192 msf59:. Agreed! Great additions, Mark. I can’t believe I didn’t think of The Complete Essex County.

>196 m.belljackson:. Right, Marianne? Shaun Tan is a favorite, and The Arrival is essential.

>198 jnwelch: Ignoring The Touchstone, I went directly to abe.com for The Arrival.

It already looks great! Other favorites?

>199 m.belljackson:. Thanks for ignoring the touchstone, Marianne. I’m not meticulous enough to always catch the errors. I fixed it.

Shaun Tan favorites? I like anything by him. I was struck by his sculpture book The Singing Bones and his collection of many works, Creature Paintings. Tales from outer Suburbia and Rules of Summer are both a lot of fun. There are others pretty much on the same level. Hard to go wrong with this guy.

Today’s Bargain:The world According to Garp by John Irving for $1.99 on e-readers.

In my youth I thought this was a great book. I suspect it still is.

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. Another beautiful book from the author of the exceptional novels The Gift of Rain and The Garden of Evening Mists. Both of those made the Booker List, one the long, one the short. Both are literary gifts that transport the reader. This new one is an ARC, with public release in October. We’ll see whether it receives Booker recognition. I expect it will.

Robert, a solicitor, and Lesley, his wife, a keen observer with a poetic and empathetic temperament, live in Penang, in northwest Malaysia. As usual from this author, the book provides great armchair travel for Westerners. They are visited by the author “Willie”, W. Somerset Maugham who is depicted in fascinating detail in the book. (The Acknowledgments confirm the extensive research the author did on Maugham). Maugham is accompanied by his real life paramour Gerald. As described in the book, Maugham apparently typically based his stories on real life incidents that he encountered and Eng cleverly does the same with incidents from Penang’s history and Maugham’s life.

There are affairs and a murder by a socialite friend of Lesley that captivates the community. Lesley’s complicated relationship with Robert plays out in a satisfying way. I love this talented author. This one reminded me of another excellent observer of the human condition, Jane Gardam.

>201 jnwelch: Ever see the movie? One of those I thought was even better than the book. But with Robin Williams, can’t go wrong…

Happy weekend, Joe! I will be excited to read the new Eng.

>202 jnwelch: I have also long been looking forward to the third Tan Twan Eng novel which is in the stores here in hardback. I am tempted to buy it already in its more expensive form and will if it get Booker recognized.

>203 drneutron:. Thanks for reminding me, Jim, with that positive recommendation. I never did see the Garp movie, but I’ll put it on the to-see list.

>204 banjo123:. Right, Rhonda? I practically vibrated right up over our roof after 10 years of waiting for the new Eng. It was great to dive back into his immersive writing. I wouldn’t have predicted this subject matter, but I suspect that anything he picked would get to me.

>205 PaulCranswick:. Right, Paul? Succumb to your instincts and buy the darn thing. He’s your country’s reigning Writer Laureate, (in my view, anyway) for goodness’ sakes. Eventually I may look for hardcovers of all his books. It’s been more than ten years waiting for this one.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver for $1.99 on e-readers. Turtle! Irresistible.

Fun but useless fact: the school scenes in the film of Garp were filmed at my high school 🙂

Hope you have a great week ahead, Joe!

>208 katiekrug:. Fun has its own usefulness, Katie, IMO. Sometimes it’s more important than the rest. I’ll look for your high school. What was it like during filming, I wonder.

Thanks! It ‘s off to a great start, with our daughter and I surviving the morning’s workout, which featured some of my least favorite exercises.

I hope you have a great week, too!

>202 jnwelch: Closing my eyes to this except that first sentence, as I bought it today and will start it tomorrow, so will revisit your review when I've read the novel Joe.

>202 jnwelch:. Great, Caroline! Can’t wait to hear your reaction. I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but I’d do the same as you if I’d just bought it. I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy returning to his writing style.

Today’s Bargain: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami for $2.99 on e-readers. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC2ROU/ref=nodl_?_bbid=149600412&tag=bookbubem...

My favorite Murakami. Inventive, spellbinding.

Great news on The House of Doors, Joe. Make sure you save me the copy. I also hope to get to The Gift of Rain in the coming months. I am deep into East of Eden. I know we are both Steinbeck fans. What were your thoughts on this one?

>201 jnwelch: I did a reread of Garp a few years ago for the AAC and I think it held up fine.

>203 drneutron: I am also a big fan of the film adaptation of Garp. What a great cast too and my introduction to Glenn Close and John Lithgow.

>213 msf59:. Hiya, Mark. Will do re House of Doors. Be sure to get to the amazing Garden of Evening Mists at some point, too.

East of Eden was my least favorite of the Steinbecks. It actually turned me off from reading him any more until the fabled Steinbeckathon, which restored my faith.

Good to hear re Garp, book and movie. I finally watched the movie of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry on Debbi’s recommendation, and liked it.

Today’s Bargain: A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick for $1.99 on e-readers.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LVR6NC/ref=nodl_?_bbid=149707732&tag=bookbubemail1-20&dplnkId=b5bff9d9-0cdb-435b-9e3f-0e3f19795f44

A potent mind-scrambler from the sci-fi master.

Today’s Bargain: The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett for $1.99 on e-readers.https://www.amazon.com/Color-Magic-Novel-Discworld-ebook/dp/B000W9399S/ref=nodl_?_bbid=149709746&tag=bookbubemail1-20&dplnkId=c9c70af1-27ac-4487-9d8a-5b4ac95e6c6e

A good one from the beloved author.

Saturday’s Bargain: The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin for $1.99 on e-readers.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K6GBLVY/ref=nodl_?_bbid=150040371&tag=bookbubemail1-20&dplnkId=a7f38025-7268-4b0b-87f8-798cec06ad01

Oh man, did I love this one. Bruce Chatwin on the Aboriginal Songlines in Australia. Wow.

>217 jnwelch: I loved it when I read it in the 1980s. Don't expect to re-read it, but it's got a home in my head for as long as it's attached and wired properly.

>218 richardderus:. Right, Richard? What a book. The subject matter is timeless.

>217 jnwelch: >218 richardderus: One of my favourite books too.

I'm currently reading Jonathan Chatwin's (no relation) book on him at the moment Anywhere Out of the World, which I only came across this week.

>202 jnwelch: I loved it Joe. I have one of his other novels, so will seek that out soon.

>220 Caroline_McElwee:. Hi, Caroline. I hadn’t heard of the Jonathan Chatwin book but, like you, I’d enjoy reading about the life of Bruce. The Songlines is a slim, lovely read, isn’t it.

I’m glad you enjoyed the review of the new Eng, and have one of the earlier two. His writing is such a pleasure.

I hope you’re having a most excellent weekend.

>221 jnwelch: There is a very good biography by Nicholas Shakespeare Joe Bruce Chatwin. The only thing I haven't yet got to are the letters, which I will nudge up and read soon: Under the Sun: The Letters of Bruce Chatwin.

>217 jnwelch: one of those ebooks I have in my great library in the sky, but haven't read yet.

>222 Caroline_McElwee:. 👍. Thanks, Caroline. A plethora of riches.

>223 ffortsa:. I didn’t know you had a great library in the sky, Judy. I’m sure that helps with a Manhattan apartment.😀. You’ll appreciate Songlines once you levitate to it.

Anyone following Wimbledon? What a great win by Carlos Alcaraz. What a great match!

Tracking down tennis fan Katie.

Hi Joe - along with the affordable The Arrival found on Abe.com,
I also ordered Eric which I totally love!

>226 jnwelch: - *waves*

>228 katiekrug: what a final! I caught the replay broadcast at the gym. Inspiring.

Hey there, Joe...I think you need to mount a rescue mission for Birddude...he's going to go *sleep*on*the*dirt* instead of having his Jackson day this Friday. I'm very worried. Maybe cruise on by with the butterfly-net boys to see if he's running around dressed like Napoleon?

>227 m.belljackson:. Eric looks cool, Marianne. I’ll check with our library.

>228 katiekrug:. *waves back to Katie*. I visited your thread and quickly found you and others enthusing about the Alcarez- Djokovic final. It was such an exciting one! I’m still replaying highlights in my head. It was tough one this year because my closest tennis fan friend passed away recently. Normally he and I would be parsing the match. I’m glad you’re such a big fan. Like you, he used to get tickets for the U.S. Open. (He’d fly in from Chicago).

>229 ffortsa: I’m so glad you got to see the final, Judy! What a match for the ages. In an interview, Djokovic highly praised Alcarez as combining the strengths of himself, Rafa and Federer. I agree - what an inspiring match.

>230Whew. I’ll check in on Mark, Richard. You know he loves his camping. But missing a Friday with Jackson?! I can see why you’re worried.

>231 jnwelch: - I'm so sorry about your friend, Joe. My best friend also loves tennis, so we always enjoy talking about it - and going to the US Open in August together.

>232 katiekrug: Excellent, Katie. All I can say is treasure those moments. He and I used to go to Chicago Bulls games together, too. Lots of good memories.

Emily Wilson's translation of the Iliad is due out in late September Joe.

>231 jnwelch: Joe - you might want a real-life copy of Eric - mine has a raised cover that your

grandkids might like to touch...

>235 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. Could be! It’s coming at the library and I shall peruse.

>234 Caroline_McElwee:. What?! You know me well, Caroline. First Tan Twan Eng, now Emily Wilson!! This is turning into quite a year. I thought she said it would take 5 years.

Well upon checking, her terrific The Odyssey was an NYT Notable Book of 2018. So she had it exactly right! Man, that flew by fast. How exciting. I must have it, and will go forth to pre-order.

Hey, Joe. I neatly solved my Jackson dilemma for Friday- I am going on Thursday instead. Yah! We have another camping trip planned for mid-August, near Rockford. We are considering taking Jack with us.

I liked All Sinners Bleed. I am drawn to his tough, robust style but boy was this a brutal, violent tale. Yikes. I just picked up Last on His Feet from the library. I will start it soon.

I hope your week is off to a good start.

>238 msf59:. Hey, Mark. All the Sinners Bleed definitely was a rough, violent read. Compelling, though, right? It was easy to see why he stopped being a cop at the end.. I’m reading Dessert with Buddha now - quite an emotional tone change!

BTW, I need to review it, but I think you’ll appreciate Yellowface. Very clever and thought-provoking about racism and cultural appropriation - and the writing industry and social media.

Good solution of your Jackson dilemma. RD was fretting about it, as you know. Taking Jackson on the next one seems like a great idea.

Looking forward to hearing your reaction to Last on His Feet.

All caught up again, Joe. I'm glad you had some recent grandkid mojo. They sure know how to perk up our lives, don't they?

I appreciate all your book comments and book bargain alerts. I don't buy many books these days but I know others appreciate getting new books at affordable prices. I still have The Gift of Rain languishing on my Kindle. I must read it so I can get to The House of Doors. I appreciate the heads up.

Cheerios

BY BILLY COLLINS

One bright morning in a restaurant in Chicago
as I waited for my eggs and toast,
I opened the Tribune only to discover
that I was the same age as Cheerios.

Indeed, I was a few months older than Cheerios
for today, the newspaper announced,
was the seventieth birthday of Cheerios
whereas mine had occurred earlier in the year.

Already I could hear them whispering
behind my stooped and threadbare back,
Why that dude’s older than Cheerios
the way they used to say

Why that’s as old as the hills,
only the hills are much older than Cheerios
or any American breakfast cereal,
and more noble and enduring are the hills,

I surmised as a bar of sunlight illuminated my orange juice

Today’s Bargain: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane for $1.99 on Kindle. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JMKNV0/ref=nodl_?pd_rd_i=B000JMKNV0&pd_rd_w=jG...

Our daughter convinced me to read this, and I’m glad she did. What a ride.

>240 Donna828:. Hi, Donna. Grandkids are the best, aren’t they? Our son and DIL gave us one of those iPad-size screens that show dozens of photos of the grandkids in rotation. We have it set up in our kitchen. Guaranteed to make you smile. Plus they keep adding photos to it.

Thanks re the book comments and bargain alerts. Seems to me that Tan Twan Eng might top the list of great under-read authors. Besides The Gift of Rain, don’t miss the stunning Garden of Evening Mists. I’m glad his new book is causing readers like you to find him languishing on their tbr.😀

I hope you’ve been having a good summer.

>241 jnwelch: Love that poem! Maybe I need to read some more Billy Collins! Any recommendations?

Karen O

>244 klobrien2:. Isn’t that a good one, Karen? I love his poems and his humor. Yes, I do have a recommendation: Sailing Alone Around the Room, a collection of his work. A lot of remarkable poems in there. “Victoria’s Secret”, a tongue-in-cheek appreciation of the catalog’s cornucopia, is too long to post here, but worth the price of entry all by itself.

Here’s a link to that poem: https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/cae_core/links/collinsvictoria.htm

P.S. He also has a weekly broadcast on Facebook, on which he reads poems from others as well as his own, and plays some good jazz.

What is your favorite book ever? My pick in response to this Facebook question was Pride and Prejudice. I also mentioned Plainsong by Kent Haruf.

In the Facebook responses there were a lot of picks of To Kill a Mockingbird and Grapes of Wrath and, of course, the Bible. There were other fun ones to see like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Master and Margarita. Some surprised me like The Other Side of Midnight. Really?

>246 jnwelch: I go back and forth between Beauty by Robin McKinley and The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. I've loved both since I was a teen (or maybe tween), which is a time I think a lot of people form these deep connections to books. There have been many books I've loved since, but none that I feel as deeply connected to as those.

>245 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I've got Sailing Around the Room requested!

>246 jnwelch: I think I'm with you in picking Pride and Prejudice as my favorite book ever. Jane Eyre is up there, too.

Karen O

>246 jnwelch: I'd have to go with Pride and Prejudice considering the re-read count. But I may have re-read Lord of the Ring even more - just not over so many years.

>247 foggidawn:. Fun picks, foggi. I know what you mean about strong reading connections at a young age - at one point I probably would’ve named Alice in Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz or Ozma of Oz, at another Dandelion Wine. Someone on Facebook responded Green Eggs and Ham, and it struck a chord - that was my favorite in first grade.

I did read The Blue Castle at some point as a grown-up, probably after reading about your love for it. (I also was a big Green Gables fan). Now you’ve got me thinking I need to check out Beauty.

> 248. Oh good, Karen. Please let me know what you think of Biily C’s book.

Jane Eyre would be a great pick as favorite. P&P is just so amazing in so many ways.

>249 quondame:. Right, Susan? Thinking back on the Facebook responses, i don’t remember Lord of the Rings being mentioned, although I’m sure it will be if it hasn’t been already. I’ve certainly re/read it and find it awesome.

When I tried to convince our then teenage kids of its worthiness, they both said (after conferring, I’m sure): “Too much walking”.

Don't think I could ever pick just one favourite. Different things grabbed me at different ages, moods, stages of life experiences etc. I will try to come up with a few titles to answer that question.

>252 jessibud2:. It’s tough to pick one, for sure, Shelley. But fun to try!

Favorite book ever? A toss-up. I've read Faulkner's The Hamlet multiple times; To Kill a Mockingbird as well. One I've carried from my childhood into the present, and which still gives me re-reading pleasure, is Rosemary by Josephine Lawrence.

>254 laytonwoman3rd:. Hi, Linda. TKAM is going to top a lot of lists. I’m not familiar with The Hamlet or Rosemary. I know you’re a Faulknerian- why is that one your favorite of his?

Rosemary looks like a special one you read as a young girl?

I can't pick just one favorite, but perennially on the list are: Heart of Darkness, Last Night at the Lobster, and Persuasion.

As for The Other Side of Midnight, to each their own. If something sparks a love of reading, who cares what it is?

>255 jnwelch: The Hamlet is where I started with Faulkner. It's how I was introduced to his setting, his genius for creating character, his humor, and his story-telling gift. It isn't his greatest work, nor even a very good novel, since it is really just a series of stories loosely tied together. But it's a great place to begin with him, because it isn't challenging to read. It's my "favorite" because it's where I fell in love with Faulkner's world. This is my first copy (you can see it's been read a few times!)


A childless aunt with a rare sense of exactly the right gift for a particular child gave me my original copy of Rosemary when I was 8 or 9. I read it many times as a young girl, and have read it at least three times as an adult. It may have been the first book that made me cry. It still works for me.
My original, somewhat battered and mended copy looks like this:

>256 katiekrug:. Agreed re The other Side of Midnight, Katie. Of course. A number of other Facebook users agreed with that as a favorite pick, or mentioned other Sidney Sheldon books. It’s so different from how I think, it makes me wonder. I’m trying to imagine why they would feel that way. I’m guessing a feeling of complete immersion, urgently turning the pages, that they didn’t get with other books? Affinity or fascination with the characters?

I like the range of your picks. For me, HOD was respect, not love, and Last Night at the Lobster is great; I can see why. Persuasion has a special place in my heart, and I’ve started re-reading it more than P&P, but P&P remains the Queen.

>257 laytonwoman3rd:. Thanks, Linda. Lovely explanations. I read about The Hamlet being a series of stories loosely tied together, and now I can see why it’s a favorite. Rosemary sounds like one of those special books we encounter growing up. What a gift from your aunt. Amazon has one with an appealing cover: ROSEMARY By JOSEPHINE LAWRENCE 1922 Illustrated By THELMA GOOCH https://a.co/d/5Xw0SnV I enjoy old-timey (different era) books like that. Makes me think of Little Women, which is probably a lousy comparison.

I purchased a "new" copy of Rosemary a few years back, for further readings, because I thought my original deserved to be retired. And yes, comparing it to Little Women is lousy. Although I enjoyed that one (as one of my Mom's favorites which she introduced me to), it never captured my heart and imagination in quite the same way. I have tried a couple times to compose a review of Rosemary for the site...it hasn't come together so far. I believe that means it's time to read it again!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. An Asian woman writing about a white woman who polishes and finishes a found novel manuscript by an Asian woman. The book cleverly looks at the publishing industry, social media, the treatment of Asian writers, cultural misappropriation and desires for vengeance. Impressive writing that makes me want to read more by this author.

>259 laytonwoman3rd:. Ha! Don’t hold back about my lousy comparison! (I love it 😀). I’d love to read your someday review of Rosemary; you’ve certainly got me curious.

>243 jnwelch: Joe, I read The Garden of Evening Mists in 2012 and gave it the full five stars. I’m eager to read the next two and am grateful for the nudge.

Wow. Favorite book of all-time is a tough one and I would probably have a different answer next week. The first one that popped into my head was My Antonia closely followed by Jane Eyre and A Prayer for Owen Meany. I hope you get some more responses. I’ll check back in a few days.

>241 jnwelch: Thanks Joe for the wonderful poem! I’m passing it along to friends. I love his wry insights and humor.

Austen is the only author I reread and it’s a tie for me between Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. As all time faves I’d include Remains of the Day, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Lincoln Highway and my most recent adored favorite Trust by Hernan Diaz.

It’s a special treat when I have the opportunity to narrate the audiobook version of a beloved book which happened a couple of years ago with The Blue Castle. So happy to see it’s a favorite here at the café too!

>263 NarratorLady:. Hi, Anne. Great! I’m so glad you enjoyed the Billy C poem and you’re passing it along to friends.

Good call on P&P and Persuasion. My top 2, for sure. Remains of the Day is so beautifully crafted, isn’t it. Poor Stevens!

I’m with you on A Prayer for Owen Meaney (recommended by a friend) and The Lincoln Highway, although I probably would’ve picked his A Gentleman in Moscow.

What an endorsement of Trust! All the financial stuff didn’t get boring?

How cool that you got to narrate The Blue Castle! Wish I’d been there for that treat. I’m sure i’ve mentioned that lovely-voiced Debbi read us all the Harry Potter books, even as they got longer and longer. What a pleasure.

Today’s Bargain: The Stranger by Albert Camus for $1.99 on Kindle. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QLXSG8?pd_rd_i=B008QLXSG8&pd_rd_w=r4zsd&co...

I identified this as my favorite French novel (now I’d probably say The Count of Monte Cristo). What an unusual reading experience.

>262 Donna828:. Shoot, LT lost my post. Hi, Donna.

I’m happy that you read TGOEM, which deserves every one of those 5 stars, doesn’t it.

Those are great picks for favorites. I thought of My Antonia, too (what a book!). Owen Meaney is most excellent, and Jane Eyre is wonderful. We lucked out in being able to see an also wonderful play adaptation of JE in London at the National Theater.

Here is what I’ve figured out about Trump supporters. See if you agree or have additional thoughts.

They support him because he lives the way they want to live; he represents the way they want to live. They want to thumb their noses at government regulations and our laws. They are sick and tired of being told what they’re allowed to do and how to do it. That includes community mores of how “polite” people behave and nonracist behavior. That Trump has been indicted, arrested and brought to court only increases their enthusiasm for him and disdain for our legal system. He should be found innocent and should never have been charged. They don’t care about supposedly important government documents, or fraud, lying or thievery. Thay can take care of themselves, thank you very much. They just want be able to do things their way, like Trump does, without government or legal interference. Thay need their guns to protect themselves from over-reaching do-gooders and the occasional bad ‘un (who is usually mentally ill). This country has gone way overboard in protecting groups that don’t need it, and impeding true Americans who are self-sufficient, don’t want handouts, and can take care of themselves.

The libtards are always overreaching in all the wrong directions. They get worked up about climate change that has been going on throughout the Earth’s history and our history; they cause problems and hindrances for something that, at worst, will take a long time to happen and is just part of the Earth’s normal progression. They don’t understand guns at all, being willing to destroy our treasured traditions to try to blanketly address sporadic incidents that are caused by mentally ill people. Would we take away all our guns because serial killers exist?

And making us subject to all these taxes, so they can throw away money on people who don’t deserve it. Trump is right to cut taxes, and to reward those work hard rather than those that don’t. Racism: Trump’s not racist, look at Jared, look at his support for Israel, look at Herschel, look at Kanye, at Clarence, at his black Republican support. Libtards just don’t like blacks who like Trump and think like Trump. We’re not racist, and neither are our friends. If blacks work hard and earn their way, we’re all for them. Many of us us have black friends, at work or otherwise, and we have a good understanding of each other. Too many blacks who don’t want to work hard want be treated as”special” and get special privileges in school and from the police. This country is built on the principle of all lives mattering, and they want to ignore our traditions and get unfair special treatment.

We’ve got it right, and libtards say they can’t understand us. Well, duh. That’s their problem, not ours. We’re upholding the country’s best traditions, as is Trump, and the woke libtards are lucky we’re here to keep the country from going down the tubes.

>267 jnwelch: Can't fault your prècis.

Ignorant gaggle of fuckwits.

>268 richardderus:. 😂😂😂. Great reaction, Richard.

Today’s Bargains: Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Death comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. All for $1.99 on e-readers. The last is an under-read classic from WC.

>267 jnwelch:- Pity they can't send them somewhere where they can have their own lawless armed country, far away from the sane, clear thinking folks who don't agree with the trumpkins

Joe, an interesting side-path to >268 richardderus: is in LitHub:
https://lithub.com/on-the-dangerous-conspiracy-theories-that-led-to-the-2020-nas...

>271 jessibud2:. Right, Shelley? Seriously, I wish the Democrats would pay more thoughtful attention to this and shape their voting pitch accordingly.

Yes, this is deplorable, but calling them deplorables goes nowhere. (One of the few things I think Hillary got wrong. Plus I wish she had brought to bear more of Obama’s sarcasm about Trump. Making fun of him causes Trump to lose his sh*t).

>272 richardderus:. Thanks, RD. I shall peruse.

>273 jnwelch:- You are right. I think that was a personality thing. Obama just naturally had that innate humour/sarcasm and knew when and how to use that. Hillary just always seemed so serious and sadly, that just fed trump's disrespect.

>274 jessibud2:. A good sense of humor can be a politician’s super power. Our aunt told me that Elizabeth Warren, who always seems so school teacher serious, is actually very funny in person. She should have Tina Fey and Amy Pohler write her stump speeches.

Today’s Bargains: The Bookwoman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson and Bradbury Stories by Ray Bradbury for $1.99 on e-readers.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CKOV7WE?_bbid=150697353&tag=bookbubemail1-20

A solid follow-up to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and the 100 most popular stories of Ray Bradbury.

A NY Times article today discussed the use of economic background instead of race as a factor in college admissions. An excellent thought, even though in a more just world we could do without the “instead of,” and just have “and.” A study has shown that admissions are overweighted toward affluent applicants at top schools. (E.g. the Ivy League, Duke, Stanford).). Legacy admissions, which many schools are now jettisoning, are only part of the problem.

Chetty put it this way: “The key point is that we don’t need to put a thumb on the scale in favor of the poor. We just need to take the thumb that we — perhaps inadvertently — have on the scale in favor of the rich.”

Seems like a positive change that would help those with less resources gain admission and a leg up. The link: https://messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/template/oakv2?campaign_id=9&am...

Shoveling Snow with the Buddha

By Billy Collins

In the usual iconography of the temple or the local Wok
you would never see him doing such a thing,
tossing the dry snow over a mountain
of his bare, round shoulder,
his hair tied in a knot,
a model of concentration.

Sitting is more his speed, if that is the word
for what he does, or does not do.

Even the season is wrong for him.
In all his manifestations, is it not warm or slightly humid?
Is this not implied by his serene expression,
that smile so wide it wraps itself around the waist of the universe?

But here we are, working our way down the driveway,
one shovelful at a time.
We toss the light powder into the clear air.
We feel the cold mist on our faces.
And with every heave we disappear
and become lost to each other
in these sudden clouds of our own making,
these fountain-bursts of snow.

This is so much better than a sermon in church,
I say out loud, but Buddha keeps on shoveling.
This is the true religion, the religion of snow,
and sunlight and winter geese barking in the sky,
I say, but he is too busy to hear me.

He has thrown himself into shoveling snow
as if it were the purpose of existence,
as if the sign of a perfect life were a clear driveway
you could back the car down easily
and drive off into the vanities of the world
with a broken heater fan and a song on the radio.

All morning long we work side by side,
me with my commentary
and he inside his generous pocket of silence,
until the hour is nearly noon
and the snow is piled high all around us;
then, I hear him speak.

After this, he asks,
can we go inside and play cards?

Certainly, I reply, and I will heat some milk
and bring cups of hot chocolate to the table
while you shuffle the deck.
and our boots stand dripping by the door.

Aaah, says the Buddha, lifting his eyes
and leaning for a moment on his shovel
before he drives the thin blade again
deep into the glittering white snow.

>278 jnwelch: Terrific.

I used to shovel our car-length+ driveway with my father. It was always a good time, somehow.

>279 ffortsa:. Right, Judy? Sweet memory. Debbi and I used to love shoveling our sidewalk and stairs together back in the day.

Today’s Bargains: The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher and Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter for $1.99 on e-readers. The first is a charmer featuring Shakespeare and Company, Sylvia Beach and James Joyce. The second is a Mark Freeburg favorite set in a somewhat rundown part of the Italian Riviera.

>1 jnwelch: Those are beautiful!!

Sorry, not reading everything in between, Joe. . .

>281 jnwelch: I enjoyed Beautiful Ruins when I read it. I will have to check out the other one!

Hi, Stasia. Understood. It can be hard to catch up. Maybe peruse the book reviews? I particularly recommend Good Night, Irene. I had a very good time with The Paris Bookseller and I hope that you do, too. Yellowface also was awfully good.

The Bearing Edge

By Ralph James Savarese (about his adopted son)

My son starts every conversation
with the statement “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, Dad. What’s for dinner tonight?”
“I love you, Dad. Is it supposed to rain?”

“I love you, Dad. Can we go for a walk?”
“I love you, Dad, but you really have to chill.”

He’s like the guy who wears a bow tie
to the bar and to the beach.

He’s a dandy of affection, at once
rolling up his pennies and spending them

on ice cream. He’ll wear this phrase
to heaven (he’s already been to hell—

what he calls fostercareless). If
Orpheus had a lyre, then he has a bearing

edge. He will not drum without it:
“I love you, Dad.”

He moves forward by glancing back,
and no one is ever lost.

The sky sells cotton candy;
the trees, shade.

Love—it’s a kind of leash, invisible,
expanding, and I’m his big, happy dog.

from Poem-a-Day

>264 jnwelch: i’ve been thinking about your preference for Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow over his The Lincoln Highway and mine being the other way around (although it’s a very close call). What I loved about Highway was the ambiguous ending. What did it mean and where did the characters go from there?

As for Trust, the thrill for me came from the revelations about the characters told through a narrative, notetaking, biography, and diary that I found so fascinating. I just went along with the financial stuff, which I have no background in anyway. Again, the slight ambiguousness of the story was satisfying to me. Did Diaz give us all the answers? No. But at the end, I was still thinking about it. Great book!

>285 NarratorLady:. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Duchess and Emmett, Anne, what the heck was that about with them and the boat? i think Emmett set him up for choosing between safety and the money?. A Gentleman in Moscow oddly made me think of Eloise at the Plaza (!) and I was just charmed by it all.

You’ve convinced me, as usual, about Trust. I’m sure Ellie is somewhere agreeing.😀

Good morning, Joe.

>287 ffortsa:. Good morning, Judy. Sweet Thursday. We’re renewing our vows in August - 40 years(!). So we’re off soon to meet with the rabbi. We originally didn’t know any temple that would do interfaith marriages (a Unitarian minister married us) and now we’re a member of one.

>285 NarratorLady: I’m sure Ellie would have had an interesting opinion about all of them and drawn us into a great discussion.

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary, Joe and Debbie. I celebrated what would have been our 53rd on Tuesday; got a haircut. Well, it got me out of the house. Heh.

Today’s Bargain: Inspector Maigret Omnibus 1 by Georges Simenon for $1.99 on e-readers.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQS4F1C?_bbid=146367648&tag=bookbubemail1-20

I enjoyed his mysteries as a young ‘un, and was happy to add this to my readables.

>289 NarratorLady:. Right, Anne? I miss that woman.
>290 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. I count my blessings that we’re both still here, together. Wow, 53. I’m sorry that it must be bittersweet for you. The plan is for Debbi to go before me. Of course, my mom and dad planned the she’d go before him, and that didn’t happen. And you and your sweetheart. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. Or they “gang aft agley”, which sounds so much better. Anyway, much sympathy to you, Bill.

Happy Friday! I’m enjoying reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and Dessert with Buddha by Roland Merullo. You?

Old school: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! I was going through old books to take to the library sale and realized I’d never read it.

>294 NarratorLady:. 👍. It’s been a while for me, Anne, but i remember thinking the book was better than the movie (Gene Wilder’s). Good for you for going back to the old school.😀

Today’s Bargain: Incredible Victory by Walter Lord for $1.99 on e-readers. He’s a reliable WWII writer; this one is about the Battle of Midway. I added it to my readables.

>288 jnwelch: Mazel Tov, Joe and Debbie! May you have many more happy years. 💜

>288 jnwelch: How lovely Joe.

>288 jnwelch: 40 years and she hasn't used that knife even once. Her restraint is admirable, I'm sure.

Have a lovely re-wedding. Congratulations.

Congrats from me too. Will there be a party and ice cream involved? ;-)

>297 PlatinumWarlock:. Thank you, Lavinia!

>298 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline.

>299 ffortsa:. Ha! You know us well, Judy. She tells people the secret of our staying married that long is she let me live. 😅

Thanks.

>300 jessibud2:. Thanks, Shelley. Yes! We’re gathering a lot of friends for it, so there’ll be a reception after the renewal, and a party at our house that night.

The new cafe is open. See you there!