Mark's Reading Place #13: Summer Breeze!

James Longacre Wood, “Mumble the Peg.” Painted in 1892.
This one reminded me of my current read, "Dandelion Wine".

Currently Reading:


Audiobook:


Graphic:


Books Read So Far...

April:

35) Priceless: How I Went Undercover by Robert K. Wittman 3.8 stars
36) The Expats by Chris Pavone 3.7 stars (audio)
37) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 4.7 stars (audio)
38) Dancing After Hours: Stories by Andre Dubus 3.7 stars (OTS)
39) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens 4.2 stars (OTS) (Group Read)
40) Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 4.3 stars (audio) (OTS)
41) Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson 4.8 stars
42) Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed 4.5 stars (AB)
43) Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander 4 stars (ER)
44) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 3.4 stars (audio)
45) Under the Skin by Michel Faber 4.5 stars (OTS)

May:

46) Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson 3.7 stars (audio)
47) Zoo Station by David Downing 4 stars (OTS)
48) You Are Not a Stranger Here: Stories by Adam Haslett 4.5 stars (OTS)
49) Alice In Sunderland by Bryan Talbot 4.2 stars (GN)
50) Drift by Rachel Maddow 4.3 stars (audio)
51) The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri 4 stars (OTS)
52) The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 3.5 stars (audio)
53) Voices: A Reykjavik Thriller by Arnaldur Indridason 4 stars (OTS)
54) The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg 3.7 stars (audio)
55) The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill 3.8 stars (OTS)
56) Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill 4.3 stars (audio)
57) What We Talk About When We Talk About A. Frank by Nathan Englander 4.5 stars
58) Iron Lake-(Cork O'Connor) by William Kent Krueger 4 stars (OTS)
59) Defending Jacob by William Landay 4.2 stars
60) Hell and Gone by Duane Swierczynski 4 stars (OTS)

June:

61) 11/22/63 by Stephen King 4.5 stars (OTS)
62) The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman 3.8 stars (audio) (OTS)
63) Still Alice by Lisa Genova 4.5 stars (OTS)
64) Wonder by R. J. Palacio 4.3 stars (audio)
65) The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler 4.5 stars (audio)
66) The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan 3.6 stars (audio)
67) Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury 4.7 stars G.R.
68) Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 4.3 stars (audio)
69) Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir by Doron Weber 4.2 stars (OTS)
70) River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh 4.3 stars (OTS) Group Read
71) The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson 4.3 stars (audio) (OTS)
72) Round Mountain by Castle Freeman Jr. 4.5 stars

Cream of the Crop '12:

1) Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick 4.8 stars (audio)
2) The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson 4.7 stars (audio)
3) Stay Awake: Stories by Dan Chaon 4.6 stars
4) What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes 4.7 stars
5) Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo 5 stars
6) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 4.7 stars (audio)
7) Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson 4.8 stars

Group Reads 2012: (I am shamelessly stealing this from Ilana. She loves me, so it doesn't matter)

July: East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon), Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks (12/12), Angel by Elizabeth Taylor (Virago Modern Classics)
August: The Red Pony by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon), The Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
September: In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
October: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
November: Travels With Charley and The Pearl by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
December: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)

The Best of the 21st Century:

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa LahiriThe love I have for this woman!
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Unadulterated beauty!
Drop City by T.C. Boyle
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki MurakamiThe start of an ongoing love affair
Essex County by Jeff Lemire Hands-down my favorite GN!
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell A classic mind-f*ck
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout The perfect linked story collection
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane One of my all-time favorite crime novels
World War Z by Max Brooks I know I'm going out on a limb on this one, but it really is an outstanding read.

Best of the 90s:

A Thousand Acres I am due a re-read on this one. I was blown away the first time.
The Things That They Carried
Plainsong I still smile whenever I think of this one
Montana 1948 Ditto
The Sparrow
The Shipping News
Interpreter of Maladies Did I mention I love this woman?
Blindness Still gives me chills
Snow Falling on Cedars
Cities of the Plain What a great finish to a fantastic trilogy

Best of the 80s:

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry This is probably my 2nd favorite book of all time
The Color Purple by Alice Walker Great film too!
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy A nightmarish western. Unlike anything else.
Remains of the Day by Kazou Ishiguro Another great film too!
Ironweed by William Kennedy
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Eight Million Ways to Die by Lawrence Block I had to throw a crime novel in there and this is one of my all time favorites!

I had to include a couple bonus NF titles:
The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer OMG!
Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally Sorry, but another great film too!

Nobody's here yet? Am I too early? Mark, give that lady up top some Advil. Love the one with the boys. Happy new thread!

Great paintings! I really quite like the first one

Hi Mark!
happy Thingaversary! and nice new thread :)

This is a cool website about the Greatest Books since the 1980s: http://thegreatestbooks.org/the-greatest-fiction-since/1980

I ended up reading 101 of 374. Not bad, I guess.

Mamie- Quiet on the threads and yes you are number one! The young lady in the painting doesn't need an Advil, she's just pondering life or maybe just deciding what next to read. I go with the latter.

Big waves to Chelle & Kara! Nice to see you both!

Hi Mark, congrats on lucky #13! I thought I'd jump in now before it gets so busy I have no hope of catching up. I've clicked on your link to the greatest books above and look forward to taking some time to have a good gander.

I've put in a purchase request at the library for The Conference of the Birds by Sís. Hopefully they'll agree to get it soon!

Have a good night and a great day tomorrow!

Oy - I've only read 29 of those. I own a lot more, but have only read 29. Yikes! I think I may need to get cracking on some semi-recent fiction.

Hi Mark, love the boys playing in the dirt painting. I especially like the little boy sitting on the right, the artist captures a lot.

Well naturally I am in sync with you on your list which is, therefore, awesome;-). I now have to go see how many books I've read from that great reads website.

Hi Mark - love the paintings and checked out the GB website earlier today.

Mark - congratulations on number 13 - lucky for you I'm sure!

Okay 2 days left! Actually, just about 35 hours or so. We leave for our camping trip late tomorrow afternoon. I wanted to hold off on starting another thread but probably would have run out of time. I'll most likely be without the internet for the entire long weekend.

Keep in mind the River of smoke G.R. begins on Friday. Ellen is going to fill in for me, while I'm gone and I'm hoping I can snag some moments of reading time here and there.

I will be finishing up the delightful Dandelion Wine today and then I can get back to Immortal Bird. I also started, on audio, Between Shades of Gray. It's been a strong historical YA tale so far.

Ilana- It's so good to see you! You've been missed. You will love "The Conference of the Birds". It's one I'll NEED to own.

Laura- Looks like you have your work cut out for you! LOL.

Megan- Glad you liked the picture. This artist is very interesting. I had never heard of him.

Bonnie- I'm curious how well you do on the greatest book list. I would imagine pretty good.

Kerry & Paul- Thanks guys!

Have a great day, everyone!

Trying very hard to ignore the link to another book list - the temptation is so great, though... I'd love to see how many I've read, but if I were to look at the list, there'd be no stopping me from printing it out and adding it to my TBR tower of lists. Sigh.

Oh camping is so fun, I miss it! It's been a few years since we were able to go. What book(s) will you be taking camping with you?

Ah, good question, Chelle!

Love the paintings, Mark, especially the one at the top.

Getting close to your trip, very cool!

Have a great time on your camping trip, Mark.

It's actually only warm and not very humid in St Louis. Not bad at all for June.

Hi Mark, I love the painting of the boys playing. It reminds me of my own youth when the neighbourhood kids would get together and play away the day.

I have my copy of River of Smoke ready and I am just finishing up a couple of other ones before I crack it open. Lucikly I finished Wolf Hall which was for another Group Read, so no distractions.

Just stopping to say Hi. Hope you enjoy your time off!!!

>15 msf59: - I'm curious how well you do on the greatest book list.

166 Mark but that leaves a lot of good reading to do. Yay!

Partly cloudy and low 70s today. Very nice. The warm stuff starts again tomorrow. I finished the excellent Dandelion wine. Big thanks to Paul, Roni & others for the big nudge. I would have NEVER have read it otherwise!

Amber- LOL. I'm good at putting my blinders on. I scanned through the list, with them firmly in place. Of course, many of them were already on one WL or another. It's not a perfect list but it is a lot of fun.

Chelle- & Joe- I will be bringing Immortal Bird. It's a memoir that got bumped with me reading dandelion Wine. I have about a 150 pages left. I'm also bringing an SS collection, Round Mountain and of course, River of Smoke. I have NO idea how much reading I'll be getting in but at least I'll be prepared.

Linda- It sounds like the same weather here but the heat is coming back and speaking of coming back. When do you return?

Judy- I love that painting too! That's the 1st one that caught my eye. I'll be missing the first few days of the G.R. (nice host, huh?) but I'll be back with a vengeance and hopefully I'll be able to start ROS over the weekend.

Tammy- Thanks and good to see you!

Hi Mark: Ballgames tonight and tomorrow and then Amtrak back on Fri.

Where do you go camping? Wisconsin north woods?

Hi Mark ---
falling behind here. Too much work.....
I love the website you posted on your prior thread.

The other night I was wandering around a bookstore, still not allowed to purchase any books, picked up Something Wicked This Way Comes, (no copies of Dandelion Wine to be found), put it back, picked it up, put it back, picked it up......

Finally decided to keep my commitment to Read Ten Before Buying One, but it was a challenge!

ETA: Have a great weekend away!

Okay, I buckled, here's my Best of the 80s list:

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry This is probably my 2nd favorite book of all time
The Color Purple by Alice Walker Great film too!
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy A nightmarish western. Unlike anything else.
Remains of the Day by Kazou Ishiguro Another great film too!
Ironweed by William Kennedy
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Eight Million Ways to Die by Lawrence Block I had to throw a crime novel in there and this is one of my all time favorites!

I had to include a couple bonus NF titles:
The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer OMG!
Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally Sorry, but another great film too!

You know, every one of these titles, except for the McCarthy was made into a film. Very interesting. And at least seven of them were excellent films, including the television versions of Lonesome Dove & The Executioner’s Song.
Anyone here see the the Handmaid's Tale? If so, any good?
I never saw Eight Million Ways to Die with the great Jeff Bridges but I heard it sucked big time.

Phew.... I for one am thankful that the threads are relatively quite right now as I am pretty sure it has been 4 threads since I last caught up with you Mark! Love the pic at the top of your thread - beautiful and powerful! Hope all is well in your world. I am now going to happily relax knowing I am caught up...... for now. See you again in 4 threads or less........

Well, down to about 10 hours or so! Yah! We have nearly everything packed and ready too. Lots of hustle & bustle. The wife is not happy about it being such a hot weekend. Hopefully we'll be able to park her in a nice shady spot, with a good book and a lovely breeze. Fingers crossed.

Linda- We are going to Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. It's about 2 1/2 or 3 hours from here. The Wisconsin Northwoods comes in mid-August.

Ellen- You sound totally committed! We are proud of you and thanks for watching the store on the G.R., until I get back.

Lori- Great to see you! Hopefully you make it back, before my next thread.

I'll try to stop back and say adios, but if I don't, have a great weekend everyone and I'll see you Sunday night or Monday!!

Wait, so you're going to a park within 30 minutes of where I grew up, and then in August you're coming here to Wisconsin? Interesting...

>27 msf59: I have seen most of The Handmaid's Tale, Mark. It's one of those movies that I have come across a few times while ironing on a Sunday afternoon. How's that for an exciting image? It was an okay distraction, but not nearly as good as the book, IMO.

Have a great camping trip! I'm with your wife. Hate the heat and humidity.

Mark - What a solid list you put up with a couple of doorstoppers in Mailer and McMurtry to add extra weight. Matt Scudder is a fantastic creation and I agree it would be one of my favourite series of all time - great hard drinking stuff.

Hope you have fun camping and I'll be with you all on Tree of Smoke as I sorted out my books and found my copy.

Have fun camping Mark! When you return I hope to join you in the GR of ROS as my hold just came in. It will have to be after I finish Wolf Hall though

I am so happy to see Drop City on your 00's list. It's on mine too. I am always foisting it on folks who just say 'meh' or else say, 'too close to home, couldn't get through it.' We have four in all, all such great books. (Olive, Middle, and Cloud). I loved Housekeeping but not Gilead, can't say why. I haven't even read your other five tops, so maybe I should!

Only 3 in the 90's (1000, Shipping, Snow) but SEVEN from the 80's (Purple, Handmaid, Ironweed, Joyluck, Remains, Accidental, Cider) all such fine books too. That was a huge reading decade for me. I'd like to reread a couple of them.

And a new Anne Tyler -- must find must find

Just wanted to let you know that I am still reading David Copperfield and actually put a post on the thread for the first half of the book. I finally found some of that humor that people kept telling me was part of Dicken's writing.

Yes, tomorrow I am off for Oxford, MS and the Booktopia weekend conference. There has been a change in the line-up for the authors. They have had two call in sick, so they have replaced one with the guy who wrote Trucker Cook Book. I had never heard of it and then last night I ran across that title. Turns out it is a travel book. The result of all the changes is that I am not sure what sessions I will have so will find out when I get there.

Mark - I feel such a chump as I was so happy finding my Tree of Smoke to join in only to realise that it is River of Smoke that I should be reading!!! I haven't read Sea of Poppies yet but have them both so let's see - I better get cracking!

36> making me laugh

Mark, I'm going to try to steal some time today to peruse the link you posted in 7 above, and create a list of things to read (rather than things I've already read).

My copy of River of Smoke is in transit..... :-)

Love the lists Mark! Must keep an eye out for some of your 80s picks. The Executioner's Song is one I have been considering for ages.

Enjoy both your trip and River of Smoke, Mark. I'm trying to get caught up from another hiatus on LT and wham! another fun list to check out. No fair. *whiny voice*

ETA: I've only read 70 from this list (not too surprising given my reading habits), but what is surprising is how many on this list I own. I need to get to my backlog! The list is a bit hard if you don't like a certain author, as there are several authors who have multiple books on the list, i.e. JK Rowling (which worked in my favor) and Philip Roth (which did not).

Great list, Mark. I bet they make Blood Meridian into a movie, although what a dark one that would be!

I did see Jeff Bridges in Eight Million Ways to Die. It was not very good, but he was all right.

Great 80s list Mark - only read 4 of them, but another 2 lie on my SoS.

Lucy - I don't think the new Anne Tyler will disappoint! It was wonderful.

Thanks for the messages everyone! I'll be back in a few days to respond!

Sayonara!

Have fun, Mark!

Wishing you great weather and time to read!
Safe travels, too

Have a great time Mark!

>27 msf59:, 31 I take it back Mark. I think the movie I am thinking of was The Children of Men (P.D. James).

Enjoy your weekend, Mark. I also have seen Eight Million Ways to Die and I agree with Joe - Jeff Bridges rarely disappoints, but the rest of the movie wasn't good. In fact, if memory serves, I don't think it followed the book that closely at all.

I hope y'all have a terrific time, Mark!

Your best of the 80s list...Ironweed was a book I love love loved back then and now I remember almost nothing about it. Contrariwise, I read The Remains of the Day and thought ~meh~ at the time. As the days went by after finishing it, the book loomed ever larger in my memory and I re-read it only two weeks after the first read.

What a gut-punch that beautiful, beautiful book is.

Happy Father's Day!
Hope you are having a wonderful mini-vaca :-)

Happy Father's Day, Mark! Hope you had fun at Turkey Run! Now back to the real world.

Hi Mark - I belatedly hope you're having a wonderful camping trip and a happy father's day as well!

Happy Father's Day Mark!

The only book I've read so far from your 80s list is The Handmaid's Tale, which is one of my favourite books of all time. I've read it a couple of times and plan to read it again soon, this time from my newly acquired Folio Society edition with award-winning illustrations. It's quite a beauty!

Hope you've been having a great time!

Happy Father's Day, Mark!! Hope you're enjoying your camping trip.

Happy Father's Camping Trip, Marky-Mark.

I had started reading Feast of the Goat but I've had to put it aside because it needed more concentration than I was able to give this week. I might bring it with me and read it on my flight to Tokyo on Tuesday. I'm tempted to join you for the River of Smoke GR .... considering ... still considering....

Honey............I'm home!

We had a good time, despite the heat, (hovered around 90). There ended up being 4 of us, the 3rd couple had to cancel. The area where we camped was in the open, no shade, so we spent a nice chunk of the day in various shady spots around the park. At least the humidity was low down there so if you found the right spot, with an occasional breeze blowing through, it was doable. Sadly, not much reading, although I did read a chunk while they went swimming. Nearly done with Immortal Bird.

A Book, a Beer & a Breeze! Heavenly!

Happy Father's Day to all the paternal LTers!

Okay, catch-up time!

Amber- Actually, we will be cruising through Wisconsin next weekend, on our way to Menominee MI, with a quick stop north of Milwaukee to have lunch with Laura (a lovely LTer). And yes, I'll be returning in mid-August for fishing, near Tomahawk. I love your state, not a fan of Walker though. LOL.

Linda- Thanks for the clarification on the Handmaid's Tale film. No on here seems to have seen it. BTW- I loved the film The Children of Men but have never read the James book.

Paul- Glad you liked my 80s list. I got a chuckle out of your Tree of smoke mix-up. I also have that in the stacks, waiting it's turn. Have you read that one?
And try to book-horn in SOP! It's a terrific read.
Another Scudder fan. Yah!!

Chelle- Thanks! The weekend was a lot of fun! If you start a little late with the G.R. So What! I haven't had a chance to crack it yet either.

Lucy- I was happy to see Drop City on your list too! It's such a terrific read. I should do a Group Read of it one of these days just to get more folks a board.
Also, great to see you are a fan of "Olive, Middle, and Cloud". Add another and we would have a literary Rushmore!

Benita- Can't wait to hear your final thoughts on Booktopia!

Ellen- I'll be stopping by the G.R. a little later on. I'm sure you are doing a fine co-hosting job!

Orlaith- Glad you liked the list. The Executioner's Song is outstanding! It's a smooth fast and brilliant. One of a kind.

Lisa- Good to see you, stranger! Only 70 off that list?? You got some work to do, my friend. At least it sounds like you have many of the titles in the stacks. I didn't count the ones I have in my TBR, I'm sure there are at least a few.

Joe- A few years ago, I think Ridley Scott was lined up to do Blood Meridian. I'm not sure what the status is now. It definitely would take the right director with the right touch.

Prue- Only 4 off my 80s list?? Well, you have some incredible reading ahead of you.

Mamie, Claudia, Bonnie, Kerri & Linda P! Thanks for the father's day wishes! Had a great weekend!

Judy- How many of the Scudder books have you read? And have you read anything else by Block? I liked a few of his burglar series.

RD- Thanks! I NEED to read Ironweed again, myself. I read a couple other Kennedy books but that was the stand out! Did you ever see the film with Nicholson & Streep? It was actually pretty good. Dark & gritty.
Love your thoughts on Remains of the Day. I couldn't agree more.

Ilana- Thanks! Wow! Only one off my 80s list? You have some work to do, my friend. LOL. Most of those are bona fide classics!

Caro- Hope you can join us for the G.R.! And I hope you find the right time to get back to Feast of the Goat. I'm anxious to hear your thoughts.

Yay for books, beers, and breezes! Welcome back, Mark.

Mark - glad you enjoyed your out of doors weekend. Happy father's day mate.

Happy Father's Day, Mark, glad you made it home from the wilds safe and sound. I am loving River of Smoke and have kept myself buried in it most of the day.

I have read a few of the Matthew Scudder books, I can't recall the exact number, and in those days I wasn't so rigid about reading a series in order. I do remember that in some he was drinking heavily while in others he was on the wagon and attending AA meetings. Some day, I would like to go back and re-read the series in order.

There are some nice trails, that snake through Turkey Run, including a few that traverse ravines, which can be rugged and wet. And mercifully cool on HOT days.



A suspension bridge over Sugar Creek!

We didn't take many photos this time, so these are good stock pix.

ooooooooooooo
aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh
niiiiiiiice
and
yikes!

BEAUTIFUL!!

What amazing pics! Drool....

Hey Ellen- "Yay for books, beers, and breezes!" You said it my friend!

Paul- Thanks! Yes, it was a good weekend and a perfect kick-off to my vacation.

Judy- I can't wait to dive in ROS and I am so glad you are enjoying it. I'll catch up. I've also thought of re-visiting the Scudder books.

Claudia & Mamie! It is a pretty location.

Welcome back! Glad you had a good time. But just looking at the photo of that bridge makes me dizzy. :)

#56 Wait! I read 70 in the 1980s list. Was I supposed to include other decades since the 1980s? The 80s were a busy decade for me with school, so I probably didn't read much during the 80s and after? Well, the list is so Anglo-centric that I doubt I would do well in the other decades either. Ah well. Just finished a corker (for the second time) and am trying to finish the review tonight. In the Shadow of the Banyan is an absolutely amazing book.

Breathtaking photos Mark. Good to have you back.

>62 -Cee-: ditto !

Gorgeous photos!

I lost you for a bit...glad you had a good time :)

Oh, it's so exciting that there are pictures here of places to which I've actually been! Lol! Glad you had a nice time in my (family's) neck of the woods.

Morning, everyone!
Good news: My vacation has officially began
Bad news: It's going to be mid-90s for at least the next few days
Good news: I'm not walking the route
Bad news: It's to hot to take care of a few projects I had planned
Good news: I have plenty of books to keep me company in the a/c
Good news wins by a nose!

Uh oh, sounds like the heat has arrived -- it's headed this way too......

Yep, it was 75 degrees already when I got up at 530 this morning - you know that's not gonna be good...

I'm still having problems editing my books over here. I can open the editing page and change the info but it will not let me click the SAVE button. I was hoping this would be corrected this A.M.
Anyone else having difficulties?

Terri- The bridge didn't bother me height-wise but boy did it shake, rattle & roll, especially, when you cross it with several other folks.

Lisa- I thought the list included all books published from 1980. Right? It's not a perfect list but there are many wonderful titles.
In the Shadow of the Banyan sounds very good.

Morning Bonnie & Kath! Thanks! It really is a pretty setting.

Amber- Yep, the Midwest is not just flat, boring farmland, there is plenty of texture. Each state has it's pleasures.
We might make it up to Devil's Lake, for camping, next year. That sounds gorgeous.

Lucy- I just hope it's not consistently HOT! We haven't even hit the HOT summer months. Yikes.

Mark - Have you read Train Dreams by Denis Johnson? I think you would like it - really strong, evocative prose and the setting of the American West/Northwest is beautifully wrought. Our old friend Jenny (GCPLReader - what happened to her?) highly recommended it. It's a quick read but very powerful.

OK, back to lurking :)

I had that editing problem yesterday, Mark, but I haven't tried to edit anything today so I can't speak about it continuing.

It will be 90 here on Wed and Thu. You can have it back, really, no problem.

#74 Ahh, I see. I got misled by the fact that the other decades are listed too. Well, if you get tired of the heat, come here. Cloudy, rainy, cool, 50s. *sigh* I feel as though summer will never arrive.

Big news! We are coming to Chicago at the beginning of June. Well, Geneva, but we'll be visiting the city. Any chance you will be around between July 4-6? It would be very fun to meet. My husband's much older half-sister has been ill, and we are going out to visit. My daughter's never been to Chicago, so we'll probably do some touristy stuff. So, which are the best bookstores in Chicago?!

Hi Mark! Belated Happy Father's Day! Love the pictures above. Enjoy your VK, hot weather and all. : )

Love the pictures Mark, looks like a good place to visit! Glad you had fun!
Hope you have a great vacation, even if it is a tad warm. Glad your good news won over the bad news!

So I'm a bit of a dork, I didn't realize that River of Smoke was part of a series. I have not read Sea of Poppies yet, but I did manage to get an ebook copy from my library and I will read that before I start in with River of Smoke. So I'll be a tad late to join you on your GR but I'll follow along at some point

UPS dropped off a parcel from B & N. It's my spanking new copies of Gone Girl & Shadow and Bone. Doing a very agile cartwheel, (completely imaginary, of course).

I just started River of Smoke. Ghosh draws you in immediately.

Katie- I've had Train Dreams high on my WL for a awhile now. Funny, I just did a quick buzz by the library and they didn't have a copy. How RUDE!

RD- I know you were enjoying those gorgeous 70s temps, but you knew that wasn't going to last long. Keep cool!

Lisa- Good to hear you are traveling back to the Chicago area. Sorry to hear the conditions. I'll PM you some details. I'll be around during those dates but will be working other than the holiday.

Kim- Always a pleasure and thanks! I wish the temps were more moderate for the week but what are you going to do? Hope all is well with you.

Chelle- You are a fast reader! You should be able to catch up. It would be cool to read 'em back to back. I just started.

Oo, I like those pics, Mark! Looks like a great place to hike.

Hope your Pa's Day was a good one, despite busy with their lives progeny. I know that's coming up for me.

I finished Wednesday Wars, an amiable YA title, and now I'm in the middle of another YA, Starters, which is more gripping and more sci-fi.

The word for the weekend was "Crepuscular". Anyone know it? I would be mighty impressed. The DNR was hosting several bird events at the state park. We went on an early morning nature bird walk, just like pro-birders. No kidding, I spotted 5 or 6 different birds that I've never seen before, in the first 20 minutes.
On Saturday evening, a falconer was having a birds of prey show and that was where I first heard the word crepuscular, which describes animals that mainly hunt at dusk or dawn. See, just when you think you never learn anything by stopping by here, I throw a fastball in there.

Mark- A few of us know that word! It means "relating to twilight". Linda (Whisper1) had that word in a book she was reading - Gilead, maybe? Anyway, she asked about it on my thread, and I posted the definition for her! How funny is that?!

Turgenev refers to that "vague, crepuscular time" in Fathers and Sons. That's referring to its meaning of "resembling twilight; dim", not your zoology meaning. What do we win?

I went to Booktopia and had a good time. I carry around a prodigious number of state maps in my car, but wouldn't you know it, didn't have one for Mississippi. I had Google Maps. A trip that should have taken 3 hours took me 4. But I eventually found Oxford because I sort of knew where it was, but I will make sure that I have a state map next time I go.

Waiting for me at the hotel was the welcome packet that had - yes, - an ARC of a forthcoming novel. From there I was off to the first meeting which was held at the Episcopal Church. The topic for the weekend was Southern Writing - Is there such a thing? The Friday gathering was held at Rowan Oak - William Faulkner's home in Oxford, MS. There was a very nice reception and tour of the house. The curator is a great storyteller and literally held the attendees spellbound with all of his stories about Faulkner and his life. The reception was on the lawn (what little there is at Rowan Oak, since it is so shady) starting at 5:00 p.m. but the heat and humidity was horrid. There was a little bit of a water shortage, but finally some bottled iced water was made available. Fortunately, Saturday was a little more clement with the evening being perfect. Warm but not hot, and a slight breeze.

The Yankee book swap was great fun. I figured that somebody would want to participate and not have a book, and since I was driving it would not be hard to bring extra, so I wrapped two. (Actually thought that perhaps I might not bring as many books back as I took, but that was not to be.) Sure enough, somebody from New Mexico wanted to participate and so I saved them from having to buy a book. The two I took for the swap were Working by Studs Turkel and My Life in France by Julia Child. In return I got Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. It was very nice and a good time was had by all.

Saturday was busy with several individual sessions. The most interesting of these, at least for me, was hearing Suzanne Marrs talk about her book What There Is To Say, We Have Said. This is a book of the letters of Eudora Welty and William Maxwell. She was great and I had to buy the hardback of this book. Kevin Brockmeier was there as well and he was a great speaker. The funniest speaker was Susan Gregg Gilmore author of Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen.

On Sunday morning was the warp up session and new forms of the book were discussed. Graphic novels, e-books, and other digitized versions among them.

Square Books hosted the event and I am sure that they made lots of money and sold lots of good books. The Square in Oxford is something that is familiar to most small town Americans. It looks old and has charm, but for many towns in the South it is an anomaly, as similar sized towns have done away with their old courthouse squares. But the true star of this event was Square Books and the authors. The authors were just great and so were the people who attended.

There were people from all over at this event. From California, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, New Mexico, and 1 from Australia, and 1 from Denmark. There were even locals from Tunica, MS. and from small towns outside of Jackson, MS. There was one person who has now been to the Manchester meeting last year and the Oxford, meeting this year. There was also one woman who has been to all three of the Booktopia's held, and hopes to make it to the one in Santa Cruz, CA. However, there was one other resounding question, other than the one about Southern Writing, and that was - Where are the men? There were four men who attended this retreat. The women in attendance thought that perhaps it was because men just don't like to meet in groups? What say you?

I liked the conference and it was a great way to spend a weekend. I came away with too many new books, and lots of ideas of what to read (not that I don't get that here), but it did cost a little in terms of a hotel room. I didn't go out to eat much and so I didn't get to do the evening socializing, but I still managed to meet people and spend some time in a town where I shouldn't be a stranger. Especially not since there is a great book store where I can go out on the balcony with a nice cup of coffee, book in hand, and a breeze, and stare across the street into the face of a Confederate Soldier who is staring south.

Mamie & Joe- I'm not surprised I have such smart visitors. You guys leave me in the dust! It looks like the word crepuscular can be used in a couple different contexts.
Sorry, no prizes, just my happy smiley face!

Benita- What a fantastic description of your Oxford Retreat! I'm so glad you had a good time. I'm sorry I couldn't make that one. There were more men last year in Manchester, although women still out-numbered. Susan Gregg Gilmore was also there last year. Very enjoyable speaker and I got to have breakfast with her one morning.
Did you meet Ann & Michael? They are terrific people, who ooze book love.

62) The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman 3.8 stars

During the 1930s, Jan and Antonina Zabiniski owned and operated the Warsaw Zoo. When the Nazi’s invaded, the bold couple decided to hide hundreds of Jews at the zoo, and other safe houses. This is a solid, well-researched story about courageous people, risking their lives to help others. There are also some interesting and amusing animal stories, as well. It doesn’t reach the same heights as Schindler’s List, but it is a worthy read.

64) Wonder by R. J. Palacio 4.3 stars

August “Augie” Pullman was born with a severe facial deformity. He decides to attend 5th grade, after being home-schooled by his parents. This is a beautiful story about a kid who just wants to be treated like everyone else. He is smart, funny and a Star Wars fanatic.
Yes, this story can be heart-rending and cruel at times at times but it is also heart-warming and winning. Guaranteed, you will find yourself falling for this special little boy.

65) The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler 4.5 stars

"The strangest thing about my wife’s return from the dead was how other people reacted."

Aaron Woolcott is a married, thirtysomething, book publisher. When his physician wife is suddenly killed in an accident, Aaron is set adrift. One day, his wife “seems” to return and offer him guidance. This has all the Tyler trademarks: eccentric characters, dry, sometimes biting humor and an uncanny sense of human nature. I thought it was terrific and reminded me of her classic The Accidental Tourist.

66) The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan 3.6 stars

In the summer of 1914, The Empress Alexandra, an ocean-liner, sinks mysteriously. Lifeboat 14, containing thirty-nine people is set adrift.
This first-time author manages to cram, along with the survivors, many things into this story: The day to day struggle to survive with limited food and water. The human dynamic, on board, with tempers flaring, which leads to people dying, some in a questionable manner. So mix in a mystery or two, along with a touch of melodrama.
This is a decent novel, not great but she keeps the pages turning and that’s a plus.

Something made me click on The Executioner's Song up in post #26, went to the library, grabbed it, just about strained my elbow, put it back. 1036 pages!
That one can wait.
Maybe Ill buy it so I can stare at it on my shelves and dream of a time when I could read it all in one go....

This Tyler fan thanks you for a great review and the 4.5 stars! I agree that - though short - it packed it's gentle punch

Hi Mark,

It's late and sadly, I only have a minute to skim. Your weekend getaway spot looks beautiful!

So glad you liked The Beginner's Goodbye! I was thoroughly delighted by it.

More heat on the way to you - it was 101 here today...

I know most of my reviews are minis but this bunch will be ultra-minis. I've been neglecting them and now trying to get caught up.

It supposed to be 96 today. Yech!

Megan- Door-stoppers spook me too, but the narrative in The Executioner's Song is fast and smooth and totally engaging. I hope you reconsider at some point.

Prue- I hope this one gets me back into reading earlier Tyler. There were several I overlooked.

Joanne- Great to see you, as always, short visit or not. Funny, looking at some of the reviews of The Beginner's Goodbye, many were turned off by it. Interesting. Keep cool!

67) Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury 4.7 stars

The summer of 1928. Bradbury takes us back to his childhood, growing up in a small town in northern Illinois. And what a glorious time. This fictionalized account is centered around twelve year old Douglas Spaulding, as he runs through this warm magical season, encountering a wonderful array of colorful characters and places. There is Mr. Jonas, the junkman, the Tarot Witch, unfurling the future, the murderous Lonely One, stalking the night. There is the Happy Machine and the Green Machine, the scary Ravine and of course, the delightful, intoxicating, dandelion wine. Wonderful.

Mark - you sure are making the most of your vacation mate which is at least not yet at the crepuscular stage. Will join Prue in a thumbs up for another Anne Tyler fan. Heven't read that one and will hunt it down like a dog!

Hi Mark - Great reviews! I'm particularly intrigued by The Beginner's Goodbye - I haven't read her in a while. And, sadly, I've resisted the urge to use "crepuscular" in a sentence, as my brain is not at its best right now. Stay cool in this dreadful heat!

Mark, you are going to love Gone Girl, I just finished it last night, after reading all day at work! I've also been hearing a lot of very good buzz about Shadow and Bone.

I'm a little disappointed that The Lifeboat didn't really rock your boat, I have it, but you are now the second person who did think it filled its potential. Unfortunate, as the premise is interesting.

I'm anxiously awaiting my library copy of Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, I really enjoyed Financial Lives of Poets so I have high hopes for this one.

Enjoy your vacation.

Mark - That's funny you mention The Beginner's Goodbye as I had just read a review of it over on Susan's thread the other day and added it to my WL. I need to see if our library has it - I know, who am I kidding, right? Out library will not have it - I'll check anyway.

Hi Mark. Hope you can find a shady spot today to stay out of the heat!
Love the review of Dandelion Wine! Another one to add to my list. I've only read one by Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451.

Blasted 90's made their way here, too.
I wonder if there is anyone who doesn't love DW?

96! UGH *there there, pat pat*

>92 msf59: Thumbs-upped that lovely elegy to a lovely elegy.

Crepuscular has long been one of my favorite words in the English language (really!).

I'm glad the good news won by a nose; vacation should be about good news.

So, Mark, you're back and I'm already waaaay behind on your thread, but since I'm sitting in the jury duty waiting room, I have time to catch up. I also brought my copy of River of Smoke (so far it's a terrific read!), so I'll hopefully have a chance to make some progress on that while I wait to serve.

#100 Glad to see that someone else has favorite words.

I've always liked "brickbat" and "schadenfreude" myself.

I've been outside, trying to keep up with the shade and trying to put the finishing touches on this patio table, which I finally received the new parts. It is HOT! My T-shirt is soaked.

Paul- I'm looking forward to the "crepuscular stage", later today. It's brutal out there. What's also nice about the Tyler book, it's a shorty, around 200 pages.

Kerri- I haven't read Tyler in awhile either, not since Digging to America, a couple years ago. And yes, thank God for a/c.

Susan- It is so good to see you and it sounds like you've been reading some terrific books. I hope I can get to Gone Girl soon. I'm in the middle of a Group Read right now. I've also been hearing great things about Beautiful Ruins. I also enjoyed Financial Lives of Poets and have a couple other books by Walter in the stacks.
I was hoping for a bit more out of The Lifeboat but by no means was it a bad read.

Mamie- The Tyler book has been getting mixed reviews but everyone in our little LT group has really liked it and what else matters, right??

Chelle- I am also under-read with Bradbury. Hoping to get to several more of his titles but DW was a gem all the way.

Kath- I had a few things to do outside and it was brutal, almost made me a little light-headed. I've showered and I'm in the rest of the day.

RD- Not a fan of Ms. Tyler, huh? Hope you are keeping cool, my friend!

Ellen- Hope you are getting a bunch of reading in, while sitting in the waiting room and there are not many distractions.

Linda- Hope you are keeping cool and avoiding any brickbats, being thrown your way!

I can hear my books calling me... Marky Marky, time to play! (anyone remember the classic chant from the film Warriors?) It fits!

My reading has become more stream-lined while on vacation, so my only book is River of Smoke for the G.R. Plus, I fell behind a couple days, so I'm trying to catch up. I was hoping to squeeze a story collection in too, but so far no luck.

I hope to get the last 2 tardy reviews out in the morning.

Stay cool, Mark! Looks like a lot of good reading you've been doing. Glad Dandelion Wine hit the spot, and that was an excellent short review of Wonder.

I learned the word crepuscular as it relates to animals that are neither nocturnal or diurnal (or is it both). In this sense crepuscular means both active at twilight and just before dawn.

I have a deep fondness for the word: susurration....but sshhhhh

No, no Mark, I meant the temperature of 96! I have no kick with Anne Tyler whatsoever.

I have never read any Anne Tyler, maybe I need to. In this lifetime hopefully.

Ok Mark, you've convinced me to give the Tyler a shot. It's been a long time but I used to enjoy her work so much. You've also managed to hit me with Dandelion Wine which sounds lovely. You're really cranking out the reviews pal.

Are you liking River of Smoke?

I own Tyler books. 2-3 of them. Haven't read them yet. Saving them for the WBF.

My favorite Tyler is an early one The Clockwinder.

The Booktopia event sounds like so much fun, Benita.

Hey, it's the 1st day of summer! Are you kidding me? We've been deep into summer for weeks. Another 90s day today! I did pick a good week to stay home.

Joe- Funny, I had not even heard of DW a few weeks ago but thanks to my LT family, I discovered another absolute gem. Yes, I hope I can snag a few more readers with Wonder.

Lisa- The love of "crepuscular" keeps on coming. I can't remember the birds of prey that fall into that category.

Prue- Susurration: A soft, whispering or rustling sound! Lovely. Sshhhh, is right.

RD- LOL! You had 96, I thought it was a post # not a temp. Glad you like our beloved Ms. Tyler.

Megan- Sadly, I haven't read Tyler's earlier work, but I would suggest The Accidental tourist, my personal favorite.

Bonnie- And you guys got me interested in going back and reading Tyler's earlier stuff. Doesn't this place work wonders? BTW-Those are all just catch up reviews, going back a couple weeks. You will love DW!

Ellen- I am loving ROS. I saw a couple comments somewhere, that it wasn't as strong as SOP, but so far, it's on equal footing.

Phew, just skimmed about 300 messages. Glad I'm caught up, sort of!

Mark, I didn't notice any link to the River of Smoke GR thread? Can you please repost it, apologies for missing it the first time round. Of course, I'm only halfway through Grapes of Wrath, so I'll probably be late to RoS! But I'd like to bookmark it, at least.

Enjoy summer! We're having a cold winter in Sydney, but as Richard mentioned elsewhere, "cold" in Sydney is pretty okay compared to other places. :)

68) Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 4.3 stars

Nazi atrocities have been well-documented, (Mel Gibson may have a quibble or two) but what is less known, is that the Soviets committed as many vile acts, murdering and slaughtering millions.
In this hard-hitting YA tale, Lina, a fifteen year old Lithuanian girl, is rounded up one night, along with her family. They are not Jewish but her father may have had ties with a “questionable” character, that had been included on one of Stalin’s many “hit lists”. The family is loaded on a train, crammed with other unfortunates and Lina finds herself heading to a labor camp in Siberia.
The author sugar-coats nothing here. She paints a bleak, desperate picture of a family scrabbling to survive. It is well-written, nicely paced and completely heart-rending. Highly recommended.

>113 msf59: I know, Mark, I feel very grateful to the LT family for ones like Ex Libris and An Uncommon Reader and many others that I likely wouldn't have found on my own.

Nice review of Between Shades of Gray! Sounds like quite a book. Onto the tbr it goes.

113 and 116> LT has broadened so many reading horizons, my own included. I thank my lucky stars that in January 2011 I happened upon this website. It has changed my reading life (for the better).

Kath- So, you haven't read Tyler yet? If not, you are in for a treat.

Lucy- I've never even heard of the Clockwinder. This is one prolific writer, that's for sure!

Tania- You've just made my day! I've really missed you over here. This is a ray of sunshine, I'll gladly take.
The link for the Group Read is: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138111
It's never to late to jump on in. I've only read 5 chapters, myself.

Joe- The LT family is a giving one! God bless 'em! Between Shades of Gray is another YA winner and not a mommy porn moment to be found. Halleluiah!

Thumbs-upped el review-o!

Folks, the solstices and equinoxes (ouch that incorrect plural hurt) are, traditionally, the MIDPOINTS of the seasons, not the starts. It's midsummer day today, or tomorrow, or what-the-heck-ever. Six more weeks of this hell, then it shades into fall. Here in NY, the switch gets flipped into fall mode right around the first of September, so it's about right...3 weeks of summer wind-down, then into fall's blessed coolth and absence of battering, bashing sunshine until 8:30p.

Goddesses, how I hate summer.

#87 A great streak of Minis, you! No way i can keep up, here, though....i get dizzy!

Too hot to handle here...cranked up the AC yesterday, and it's been pretty comfortable in the house, so far...give it a couple more degrees, though

I read a lot of Anne Tyler years ago..but stopped, for some reason..the first i read was The Tin Can Tree back in 196?....when i was in High School I loved that book!

Hey, even if i don't post here, every day...doesn't mean you're not on my radar...you

;-)

I was shifting books around again today and moved one old book shelf out. Poor guy, went to the book shelf cemetery. At least there are plenty of places to put flowers and such. The biggest headache with my TBR shelves in Alpha order, is putting new books in there and of course I had 5 or 6, B & C titles, so everything moved on down. There were a few groans but there were also a few squeals, some books like to be touched, I guess.

RD- Thanks for clearing up the Summer Solstice issue. You are right on the money, as usual. "Goddesses, how I hate summer." Amen, my friend. Back to the mid-80s tomorrow. That should feel refreshing.

Jude- It's great to see you! I always enjoy your visits. I'm glad I'm on your radar. Radar Love, right?

I Perl Ruled The Accidental. I just couldn't get into it and figured that it wasn't going to get any better. At 89 pages and 3 CD's I think I gave it a chance.

Mark, you were correct about Worst Hard Time. It is an excellent book. Easily one of the best I have read this year.

I started listening to As Simple As Snow. This is a YA novel that I have had laying around for some time. It immediately grabbed me, so I think this one will be a good one. I also started How Soccer Explains the World. I was reminded that I own this book because BBC America and my late night BBC broadcasts on PBS have been giving the daily scores of the games for the European Championship. Since I needed a non-fiction book this one got the nod.

I will be leaving tomorrow for the American Library Association conference, so won't be around for a week or so. I am taking ROS with me so will keep reading, but won't post any comments for a week. The conference is in SoCal. Anaheim to be specific. Got my bag packed and will head for the airport at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. Talk with you later.

Radar Love??

You asked for it:

http://youtu.be/Hw9CzSSk218

;-}

Hi Mark. Your vacation sounds most excellent. And I can totally relate to the difficulties of adding books alphabetically and moving everything else along to make room. Glad you got a couple of squeals out of it! (#121) Hug.

Thought of you today, Mark. Our mail carrier was in the neighborhood and I saw him a few times (as I was out and about more than usual during the day -- waiting for time to report back to jury duty!) -- he didn't have any earphones or earbuds in. Just walking around delivering mail. I wanted to say "hey! How are you going to complete 75 books in 2012 that way?!"

Oh.

Saw your Shades of Grey review and thought, Mark? Really? Then realised it was a different book...phew.
I must have missed something, where did you go on holiday again?

Morning everyone! It supposed to be cooling off today and I'm looking forward to it. We've been running the a/c for a week. We are leaving for Michigan tomorrow morning. It looks like a gorgeous weekend.
The only book I'm working on is River of Smoke, about halfway done and it's been a treat.

Benita- I have the Accidental in the stacks. I'm sure I'll get to it at some point. I'm glad you loved the Worst Hard Time. It's a great read. Have a safe trip to the ALA conference. At least it will be cooler there.

Jude- Thanks, my friend! That could be our theme song. Yah!

Kim- Always good to see you. I have to keep the books in Alpha order, just to keep track of them. Sure, it would be easy casing 'em but good luck finding anything.

Ellen- LOL. I also wonder how everyone else carries mail without audio accompaniment. It sure makes the day fly. Are you still on jury duty?

Megan- You won't catch me reading that one. My wife buzzed through all 3 though. We spent a long weekend at a state park in Indiana and this weekend will be at a friends in Michigan. Nice bookends.

Ha! I had the same reaction as Megan (#126), but then was relieved when I recognized my error. Have a good day!

Morning Kerri- You leave today too, right? It's the same ALA conference Benita's attending?

#129 - Yes - I leave in 2 hours! But I'm working, so it won't be quite as much fun.

121: Hi Mark, it's a refreshing day in The Ozarks. I got caught in a downpour walking Lucky this morning. I thought I could beat it, but apparently I'm not as speedy as I used to be. We need the rain desperately so you won't hear me complaining!

126: I had the same thought as Megan that you were reading Mommy Porn. Lol. I try to stay away from YA books, but that particular *Gray* book looks good.

Enjoy your Michigan vacation. Camping again? Don't forget the mosquito repellent!

69) Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir by Doron Weber 4.2 stars

“ So I gird myself and clutch my firstborn even more fervently in my arms. I will draw deeper from my own well, rely even less on others, and spare no exertion as I scour the earth in search of a cure for Damon”.

Damon Weber was born with a congenital heart defect, that required surgery. He remained healthy until his early teens, when he suddenly came down with a life-threatening illness, related to his earlier heart condition. Damon was a smart, engaging, supremely talented boy.
This is his story, told by his father, in this well-written, relentlessly tough memoir. Which will leave the reader exhausted with anger and tears, as these courageous parents search for a cure, dealing with difficult, uncommunicative doctors and one set-back after another. I did not know the outcome of the book, which could be gut-wrenching at times, but as a father myself, I was always churning with hope. This is not a book for everyone but if you have the stomach for it, be my guest.

HI Mark. Glad to hear you are enjoying River of Smoke.
I've started Sea of Poppies and it's pretty good so far. I'm enjoying Deeti's narrative more than Mr Reid's so far but I have a feeling that will change at some point.

126> lol Megan! I admit it took me by surprise for a second there, too.

Still on jury duty. We should reach a decision this morning, then back to work. It has been interesting and I'm committed to the duty part of it, but I regret that this didn't turn into read-a-book-a-day week like I hoped it might!

Just keeping current here, Mark. Hope you are having a great day.

>132 msf59: Thumbs-upped your review, though I will never, ever read it.

Mark, safe travels to Michigan.

Just a bit cooler today and, gasp, it sprinkled for about 2 minutes. The lawn/plants/flowers are parched. We needed more than this.

I did look for FF script errors, which have been bedeviling me for a while. I got plenty
of google hits. I do believe that FF is history for me . Rd likes Chrome.. but I will probably stick with Safari, at least for now. I have not ruled out Chrome, just not there yet.

Have a good time in MI, Mark. Bell's beer on the agenda?

I ran out to have lunch with a cousin of mine. It rained on the way there. The temps dropped to mid-70s, still a little humid, with the rain and cloud-cover, but it feels wonderful. Air off, doors & windows wide open. Ahhhhhhhh....

Chelle- Glad you are enjoying SOP! It's such a joy and ROS has been nearly as good.

Ellen- Honestly, you think I would read that crap? LOL. I know, I know, major book snob! Are you back to work. Did your jury duty wrap up?

Mamie- Thanks! You enjoy your day too! Hopefully it's less dramatic than yesterday.

RD- I received Immortal Bird as an ARC and did not remember what it was about. That's why I wanted to be honest in my review because it's a grueling read at times and I'm glad I read it in smaller chunks and off-set it with the joys of DW.

Linda- It really feels good out there but I agree, we NEED more rain. The grass is like straw.

Kath- I just checked and my FF is still not loading the e-mail. WTF? Funny, it has rarely done that before. I'll look into Safari.

Joe- Thanks! and you have a wonderful time Down Under! Sounds like an incredible trip. Hope they have Bells in MI. Their beer is expensive up there and then you have that dreaded bottle deposit. Boo!

Hi Mark. Not sure if I want to read Immortal Bird. My middle child has a congenital heart defect and has had two open heart surgeries already. She crashed on the way into her first operation at age 9 days old. It's a miracle she made it at all--since she is adopted and I didn't have to do any of the pushing in labour, they kicked us out of the hospital before 24 hours was up and they didn't catch her heart problem. I took her back in on a gut feeling. Phew! Way too close.

Wow, Mark. Immortal Bird sounds like a very tough read. Nice review!

Hmmmm it doesn't sound like I have the stomach for it Mark. And that is perfectly fine; it's not as if you don't add a boatload of other books to my pile;-)

Ooooh...ate my dinner out on the patio. Beautiful evening. Grilled some pork tenderloin, added a small sweet potato and mixed veggies. Heavenly. Ahhhhhh....

Kim- Thanks for sharing your daughter's experience. That must have been brutal for you guys. How has her health been since?

Linda- Thanks! I didn't want to sugar-coat it at all. I didn't want unsuspecting readers coming back here with torches.

Bonnie- Yes, Immortal Bird is not for everyone. And to top it off, I finished it on Father's Day! Whoa, that was tough!

Not much to add to the lovely conversation here, other than to say Safe Travels and Have a Great Trip!

Agreeing with others on your great review of Immortal Bird, looks like a fun kid int that pic, love his toussled dark red hair. Might be too hard to read....for a wuss like me :)

Morning, gang! We are leaving about 10 this morning. We are driving up to Menominee MI. It's just over the border of Wisconsin, in the far western U.P. We will be staying with a friend, so no camping. We are bringing our bikes though. There is a charity ride on Sunday, we will attempt to join.
As an added bonus, we are going to stop north of Milwaukee and have lunch with LTer Laura. Yah. We'll get a chance to swap stories about Fifty Shades, which she just finished. Most likely, I'll just be nodding my head & smirking.

Amber- Thanks! We'll give a little wave as we pass your part of the state!

Megan- Don't worry about it. Being a wuss has nothing to do with it. As a parent, this is like going through a meat-grinder. You mentioned the red-haired boy. Actually, he was about 14 or 15 in that picture. His growth had been stunted from his earlier heart condition. A very memorable kid.

Mark -Have a great weekend! I am laughing as I read that you will "attempt to join" the charity ride - so I'm picturing you on you bike, wearing your helmet, coming around on the outside and trying to foist yourself into the group of bikers. They are trying to keep in tight pack formation, they want no outsiders, but you are determined...

Have a great holiday Mark! It's late on Friday now, I'm about to head to bed and finish reading Voyage of the Unquiet Ice which a friend of mine who works in publishing lent to me. It's a draft copy, and I'm wondering if I should get out the red pen before returning it to my friend. ;) But it's a great read, looking forward to finishing it, even though it means a long wait until the next book in this series.

So many threads, so little time! Mark, have you seen the movie of The Accidental Tourist? It is one of my Top 10 films..

Have a great trip and don't forget to take pictures :)

Enjoy your trip to the U.P., Mark, and say hi to Laura for us!

Thanks everyone! Have a great weekend too!

Adios amigos, amigas!!

Have fun! Not that I'm, worried about that for you. Loving Mamie's vision of you biking with the group. ; )

I remember the Menominee area from when I lived in Oshkosh in the early 1990s ----- beautiful area. Enjoy!!

Enjoy your time away, Mark. I am forecasting hearing about some great reads and some new beers when you get back.

Have a wonderful, relaxing vacation Mark!

Thanks for a fantastic lunch today, Mark, it was great to see you and Sue and catch up a little! Hope you had a safe drive up (especially after that bloody mary!) and that you're enjoying yourself this weekend. :)

BTW, that 96 ounce Glass Slipper bloody mary is $51 and requires a deposit. Trying to find a picture, will keep digging.....

ETA here are a couple, wish they were a little better...

Mmmmm, bloody Marys.....

Hi Mark, I'm behind as usual, but think I've caught up reasonably well.

It's been super hot up here too and a/c on most of the time. Can barely stand it.

Way back there you were mentioning the word "crepuscular" and the image came to me immediately. I've seen it used many times in French ("crépusculaire"—practically the same pronunciation) and may have used it a few times myself because it's so wonderfully evocative, though I don't believe I've come across it in English yet.

Joe's comment about having seen the word in Turgenev's Fathers and Sons had me repeatedly hitting the wishlist and filling out that great big blank in my collection as I love Russian literature and haven't read any of his work yet.

Loved that series of short & snappy reviews. You are inspiring me to do the same thing to catch up on my own reviews. I always set out to do that, but they inevitably grow and grow and grow and... you get the idea.

Hope you're enjoying a great weekend already. See you around buddy!

Mark - 57 posts behind - a sign of me glowing slowly and you exactly the opposite. Some great reviews and I have Sepetys also lined up soon. Glad to see you soaking up your break and being productive in the reading stakes. Have a great weekend.

btw Laura, evena gluttonous fellow like me would struggle with that Bloody Mary.

Have fun Mark!

Off on vacation.. hope you are having a great time :)

Greetings from the U.P.! Much cooler up here. Feels good. Had a great lunch with Laura yesterday in Milwaukee. She picked a nice place, The Wicked Hop. Yes, I did have a Bloody, the much much smaller version and it was excellent and it was nearly a meal with the plentiful garnish heaped on. The 1st one I've had with string cheese.
The last hr to an hr and a half, we were hammered on our ride, with a heavy downpour, road construction and a nasty accident but we persevered.
No time for reading River of Smoke but I did start the audio of the Cold Dish and it's been very good. I know many fellow LTers love this series and I can see why. I love the Wyoming setting. There is a new cable series called "Longmire" based on these books. I haven't seen it. Has anyone else?

Mamie- What a great visual! The bastards better not do that! LOL. Actually, I was referring to my lack of bike riding experience this year. To many excuses to list.

Big hearty waves to Tania, Chelle, Kim, Joe, Judy, Katie & Bonnie! Thanks guys!

Prue- Yes, I am a big fan of the film version of The Accidental Tourist. And what a cast! Wasn't Geena Davis terrific?

Ellen- I've been up in this area a few times. It's a nice area. The lake is actually just a couple hundred yards away.

Laura- Wow! That's a big baby! You would have to share that with a dozen people. That could get yucky. Had a terrific lunch with you.

Ilana- Good to see you! Always enjoy your visits! Don't get me started on Russian literature. I am sorely lacking in that area, I'm nearly red-faced in that admission. I was hoping to get to Anna Karenina this year.
Hope things begin to cool down for you! It's going to be more comfortable in the Midwest this week. Yah!

Paul- Thanks for catching up and sorry to see you are still "glowing" slowly. Can you speed it up a little?

Big loving waves to Joanne & Kath! Hope you have a great weekend too!

Menominee.

Srsly.

What, was "Doucheytown" taken? Menominee.

Well, funny name and all, it's great that it's cooler and that you're enjoying yourselves.

I like the sound of Menominee. It sounds cheerful. It means Wild Rice. Gorgeous day here. Thinking of going for a short bike ride, to get some of the bugs out.

Enjoy, enjoy!!

Mark - Hope you are having a great time. It's a gorgeous day here - 83 with a lovely breeze - simply perfect.

Well, I went out for a nice little bike ride, (the women went shopping), just a little warm up for tomorrow. We'll be doing 25 miles, (hopefully) but our friends are doing 50.
This is a decent little town, not as "Douchey" as RD claims. I did see some Bonnie Jo Campbell characters milling about, but that's not unusual for small town America

I did pop into a nice new/used bookstore. It's up for sale too! Something I would love to own, just not way up here. I did find a good softcover copy of The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. I can't recall who recommended this one during our story collection discussion: was it Paul or RD? Whoever it was Thanks!

Big loving waves to Kim & Mamie! The weather here is very comfortable too!

Time to take my book and a Bell's Amber Ale out to the front porch...

Mark, are you in the eastern part of the western UP? We go to the far western part of the western UP, passing through Minocqua etc. If so, you probably went through my old stomping grounds, Green Bay.

Enjoy your vacation!!

Hi Mark, glad you are enjoying your vacation time. Also glad to hear you are enjoying Cold Dish. I have been recording the series but haven't watched it yet, but have been assured by Carrie (cbl_tn) that I will like the casting as I was a little nervous about who would play Walt.

"A whole tree of lightning stood in the sky. She kept looking out the window, suffused with the warmth from the fire and with the pity and beauty and power of her death. The thunder rolled."

I normally stay on task when reading but this time I was curious about the Welty collection and read the 1st 2 stories. Very short pieces, less than 10 pages each. I was very impressed, especially "A Piece of News", where the quote comes from. It had a very strong modern tone to it.

Linda- We are staying just over the Wisconsin border. I rode my bike over the bridge earlier today, in 10 minutes. And yes we passed Green Bay. Where do you go when you go to the U.P.?

Judy- How many of the Longmire books have you read. I really like the start of book one. Good characters, nice atmosphere.

Sounds like a great holiday so far, Mark! Good to see you have Internet access too. :)

Sounds like a wonderful time, Mark.
I've read the first two in the Walt Longmire series and enjoyed them.
Menominee always makes me think of that muppets song......

WE DID IT!! We crossed the finish line for the 40k. Our friends were going on to do the 120k. It turned out to be a beautiful day too. Low 70s, partly sunny.
The rest of the afternoon, I'll be chilling with a book and a little later on with a brew. Sound good? And yes, I've popped a few Advils just in case.

Tania- Thanks! We are staying at a friend's house, so all the modern conveniences. Yah!

Ellen- Loved the Meet-up photo! Glad you guys had a good time. And yes, I'm really enjoying The Cold Dish.

Congratulations, Mark! I love to read about people exercising while I sit on my deck reading!

Better you than me! Well, the bike ride. I wouldn't mind the brew and book part!

You read The Last Werewolf, right? I just started the sequel...Talulla Rising...and it's a "howl" !!!

I have TLW on my iPad...maybe i should read both together....

LOL

...nice little bike ride, huh? You sound like my Mark...jeesh...overkill...

Brew and book = yes

Bike ride = call a lawyer, my rights are being infringed, what are these whips and hoses doing here, no you can't make me, help help

Dear Mark,

I would love to know if/when you'll be reading Anna Karenina this year. It will be a nice motivation to start this Russian classic myself. Enjoy your holliday.

Just been kicking back his afternoon. Resting the old bones and reading. Still working on ROS.

Mamie- I really like riding. I just need to put it on my schedule. We plan on trying the 80k next year, so I need to make it a routine.

Kim- The book & brew part has been working just fine. Thanks!

Jude- I hope you turn tight around and read The Last Werewolf when you are finished. Thanks for the reminder. I NEED to order my copy of Talulla Rising. Have you picked up gone Girl yet. It looks like a Jude book.

RD- LOL. Since I walk for a living and I don't care for jogging, biking fits the bill for me.

Lillian- Great to see you! I really appreciate the visit. Anna Karenina will have to be late in the year, if I get to it. My next G.R. is 1Q84 in October. And that's a BIG BOY!

Nope..no Gone Girl...yet..and you're right...it sounds like something i'd love....

Hope you're having a good time......"old bones", make me laugh.....

;-}

Hi Mark,

Actually I have visited your thread quietly many times the last couple of months. I really enjoy all the book discussions and recommendations. In fact I hold you, Paul, Ilana and Darryl mainly responsible for the huge explosion of my wishlist since I have been actively following the treads here on LT. I never had so many books in my life that I wanted to read, savour, enjoy, discuss etc.

1Q84 is indeed a big boy. I am a big fan of Murakami. I have read The Wind-up Bird Chronicles and Norwegian Wood in the past and I own Kafka on the Shore. I do have to admit though that I wasn't planning to read this book since I have read a review in one of our national newspapers that this book mainly shows how good a few of the others written by Murakami are. So I'm not really in a hurry to get to 1Q84. I do have After Dark still waiting on my wishlist.

I might join you in the fall with Anna Karenina. Although this will be a busy time for me with the writing of my masterthesis, but hey we need our daily shot of booktime to stay healthy right?

Great quote in 173 :)

no biking comments at all, since the only thing to come to mind is ouch.

LAST DAY! Wah! We head back in a couple hours. Had a nice time up here and met some interesting people and a couple of them were big readers. Always a plus, always an icebreaker.
Fortunately I feel pretty good this A.M., after the ride. Yah.

I have over a 100 pages left in River of Smoke. It's been very good but it's not a fast read. Ghosh forces you to take your time and that's fine with me.

Jude- The plan is to start Gone Girl in the next week or so. I'm pumped.

Great bike ride, Mark! I am impressed, I haven't been on a bike in years.

Still going with Grapes of Wrath, it's also not a book than can - or should - be rushed.

I caught the trailer for the upcoming Anna Karenina with Keira Knightley. I read it a couple of years ago, it's a great book. Was tempted to re-read it after seeing the trailer, but I have so many other books to read first!

With all of the walking you do, Mark, I am amazed that you do not just collapse in your free time and forget the bike riding. You would get along well with my partner, who has in recent years taken up bike riding, in addition to his latest craze of bare-foot running. He hasn't participated in any races, but is the only one I know who has been stopped by the police for speeding on his bike - not once, but twice, and in two different communities. But they just warned him and he finally bought a speedometer. I don't go with him, but probably should, as it would definitely slow him down to safer speeds!

Kath- I'm glad you liked the Welty quote. You were the only one to comment on it. Have you read her?

Lilian- Well, I'm glad you finally stopped de-lurking and said hi. I highly recommend Kafka on the Shore. It was my first Murakami and still my favorite. I also enjoyed After Dark.
BTW- Good luck with your master thesis!

Tania- I have read Grapes of Wrath 2 or 3 times but I would have liked to dive in again and you are right, it's a book to be savored. Good to see you!

Linda- Actually I haven't been riding much, although I hope this inspires me to start doing it more regularly. I ran enough in the military, not a fan of jogging. I read all about bare-foot running in Born to Run, (fantastic book!!) but it's not for me. Yikes!
Tell your partner to slow down! LOL.

Well, we are off to breakfast and then we'll be on our way...

Have a safe trip home!!

Hi Mark, like Ellen, I have only read the first two in Craig Johnson's series. That's the trouble with following so many series, it makes for long stretches of time between books!

Congrats on completing the 40K bike marathon. You deserve an extra beer or two!

I just got the first one in the Craig Johnson series as it was a Kindle Daily Deal not that long ago, and it looked good. Now look - here you are talking about it. Yeah! Mark - are you back home safe and sound?

Hey Mark, you must be back home by now, but a big CONGRATULATIONS on the 40k ride! That's 40k more than I've done in the past two years!

I'm still only halfway on River of Smoke, but that's because I've been spending more time here on LT these past couple of days than I have been reading, which is totally the opposite of what I said I'd do!

You know, I like to think I've read a lot of Russian literature, but the fact is I really haven't. But because I read Anna Karenina when I was 12 the first time (and a second time when I was around 17 I think), I feel like I was more or less raised on Russian literature, probably because it was around the house all the time since my mom had a passion for it. All this to say that I'll be happy to pick AK again in the not too distant future, as I got the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation a few years back and look forward to it. Also have War and Peace translated by the same duo, which I plan on tackling... some day! If you want to start with something more easy to complete, there's always The Death of Ivan Ilyich, also by Tolstoy which I myself haven't read yet, but want to very badly as I have seen nothing but praise about it.

I'm still on board for 1Q84. I love that audio makes these big monsters that much easier to tackle!

#184 Hi Lilian! My I had no idea I was responsible for riddling you with book bullets! And placing me in the pantheon among Mark, Paul and Darryl is quite a high honour... that trio is also a responsible for quite a few entries in my own wishlist too!

Mark - wishing you a safe journey. Picked up on and agree with the comments that certain books don't lend themselves to being rushed. The Grapes of Wrath is certainly one such.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr.....I just typed a lengthy response, hit a return key or something and lost it all! FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF....Fudge!

Okay, we are back. The ride was smooth and uneventful and the topper was my wife drove most of it, leaving me to devour a healthy chunk of ROS. After unloading our stuff, I popped over to get a haircut, raced back, hopped in my favorite reading chair and finished River of Smoke. I will give Sea of Poppies the edge but it's still a masterful work by Mr. Ghosh.

Chelle- Thanks! We did.

Judy- "That's the trouble with following so many series, it makes for long stretches of time between books!" Amen, sister! This is the world we have chose! Don't you love it?
I'm not far into the Longmire but I really love these characters. The author really spends a lot of time coloring them, much like Cotterill.
Thanks on the bike ride. I was more impressed the wife made it, without to much trouble. If we attempt the 80k next year, we will prepare a whole lot better.

Mamie- Try to bookhorn The Cold dish in. I'm sure you will love it and it's a great Wyoming setting too!

Ilana- I love bike riding, but like anything else, you have to stick to it and in the last 2 years, I haven't been able to make it a routine. That needs to change.
I really want to get to War and Peace too! Let's make a date for next year, although I want to get in AK first.

Paul- Thanks! How are you coming with SOP? Is it clicking?

Hi Mark, looks like you had a great time. We've watched the first two episodes of "Longmire" and it's not bad. It's no "Justified" but still...It'll do until our regular summer series start: "The Closer," (Final season:( "Damages," (also final season:( and "Breaking Bad."

Just a cheery Hello! Glad you had such fun on your trip. : )

Mark,
Congrats on completing the 40K (and Paul says I'm active!!) ----

Your vacay sounds wonderful and I'm glad you mostly had good weather.

Hoping to complete River of Smoke tonight (which means getting off LT!!).

Well, back to the salt mines after 11 incredible days. Nice day today, about 80, but then things begin to heat way up again, right through the weekend. Booooo!
I'm going to read a couple shorties, I've been putting off before starting Gone Girl. The 1st is a story collection called round Mountain, the one I received from the Concord Free Press.

Bonnie- "It's no "Justified". Yes, but what is? Well, Breaking Bad for sure. LOL. I am looking forward to this last season of BB. It airs in less than 2 weeks, right?

Kim- Big loving wave!

Ellen- Actually I need to get more active, I've been putting on a few pounds. It's tough to ride in the heat though, that's a problem for me, this time of year. Enjoy the finale of ROS.

Good to hear that you're back safely and that you had a lovely time.
I'm certainly not looking forward to the nigh-100 degree temperatures we're presumably getting this week - hope you can stay somewhat cool on your route!

I have not, but I could "feel" that quote..

Morning Mark! Just keeping current on your thread. Back to reality today, huh? Well, it was great while it lasted! And sounds like you made the most of your time off! I will take your advice and try to bookhorn the Johnson book in.

Kath - I love how you say you could "feel" that quote - such a simple statement, but such a powerful image!

Mark, my bike sits in the garage with flat tires. Actually, I kind of like it that way as it takes the pressure off. My husband doesn't ride, and it's not as much fun going off by myself.

I took the hint and revived the River of Smoke group read. I'm still in the "glow" of a great book. I forgot to thank you on the GR thread so I'll say it here. Thank you for getting a good group together once again! I'll think about 1Q84. It's tempting.

As difficult and perplexing and frustrating as I found Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, I enjoyed 1Q84. Much easier for me to follow, and I read it very quickly... considering the length.

Everything went well today! The route was in good shape and my customers were glad to have me back. I started Round Mountain, the 1st few stories, set in rural West Virginia. I'm enjoying it. I am really enjoying the audio of Sheriff Longmire & Co. in the Cold Dish. I can see this becoming a favorite series.

Amber- Thanks! All of the bike ride we went on, was in Wisconsin, so we had a good time biking the backroads, near Marinette. 100 degrees. Ugh!

Kath- I only read the 1st 2 stories by Welty but I can tell early on, that this is going to be a hellava collection.

Mamie- Yes, expect more love heaped on the Longmire series. I'm over halfway done with it already.

Donna- Actually, I don't mind biking alone, although riding with others is fun too. I loved your ROS review and agree on your assesment. I need to pop over to the G.R. and check in.

Lisa- I remember your comments regarding 1Q84 and that's encouraging. I also got a little frustrated with the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, although it still had many wonderful moments.

Marky-Mark, Trust me, I suspect you'll really enjoy 1Q84. I did and rank it as tied with Kafka on the Shore for best Murakami novels. I too, didn't enjoy The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles and approached 1Q84 with trepidation, more so, I think, because it's a fairly large book. But I was completely ensnared by his luminous writing before I was even a third way in.

Mark - so far so very good with SOP. About halfway.

The route was in good shape

What does that mean, exactly, Mark?

I'm glad you're enjoying Sheriff Walt. I should find #3 in that series and get back into it.

93 today! Ugh! 99 tomorrow! Ugh! Plenty of H2O & Gatorade on hand. On the book front I also started a YA memoir called I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior, which has been interesting. It's an ER book, so I wanted to squeeze it in.

Caro- Good to hear, my friend. I was hoping to squeeze in one of Murakami's story collections by then too, but we'll see.

Paul- Glad you are enjoying SOP. The guy is one hellava storyteller, that's for sure.

Ellen- We have individual mail-cases inside, where we "case" up our routes. If you don't get the right people taking care of your route while you are away, it can get messy. Mine was fine.
I have the next 2 Longmire books saved on audio too. I think I'm going to be a big fan of this series.

Oh no! The Wind Up Bird Chronicle was my favourite Murakami! I'm temped by 1Q84, but. Don't think I should commit to any book that is more than 100 pages at the moment.

2/3 of the way through Grapes of Wrath, River of Smoke nex on the pile...

Postal customers are probably always happy to have a good carrier back.
Glad it wasn't too bad for you. Nothing to say really, didn't get much reading done yet..
busy morning.

I think I'll join you in using audio to listen to the Longmire series. It seems well suited to the medium.
Have a good Wednesday, Mark.

Sorry about the heat, but Postal and LT friends are glad you are back! I must give you kudos for keeping in touch on your trip, too. I am going to echo Donna. Kinda glad my tires are flat. I don't like riding near my house--just way too many big hills and they are all uphill on the ride home! Can't wait for 1Q84. : )

Hi Mark, Glad you had a nice time. I'm getting caught up here -- I LOVED your camping photos up top. Great reads, too!

Hi Mark - Glad to hear the vacation was fun and you were able to get some reading done! I'm also impressed with your cycling. I'm considering switching from running to cycling, due to spine issues, so we'll see.

#210 : Tania, the brilliant thing about 1Q84 is you won't even notice how many pages you've gone into the book once you start reading. It fascinates as it flows and takes you on a magical journey ... you'll be hard pressed to put it down when RL interrupts your reading time.

The saving grace in this heat, is the lower humidity. I guess it's related to how dry everything is. Hey, we'll take those small victories. Record breaker coming tomorrow.

Anyone watching HBO's Newsroom? If so, how is it? I have it recoreded and hope to watch it soon.

Tania- 1Q84 is not until October, that's about 3 months away, plenty of time to get caught up. Like I mentioned to someone else, I'd like to squeeze in one of his story collections too.
Hope you are thoroughly enjoying Grapes. It's such a masterpiece.

Kath- The line I hear the most, when I return to the route, is: "Do you know what time I got my mail?" And then there is a variety of responses, from 5'o clock, to 6, 7 or even later. And I just smile and say, "Nice to have me back, huh?"

Ellen- Yes, the audio for The Cold Dish is perfect. I hope the same narrator does the others. I'll be done with it tomorrow.

Kim- Keeping in touch this past weekend was a breeze. Our friend had a laptop set up for me and of course I'm up earlier than everyone else....boom, I'm there!
And yes, I can see the Portland area being tough for bike riding, wth all those damn hills. The 40k was completely flat, thank God. We have more hills here.

Anne- Great to see you! I've missed your visits!

Kerri- Are you still in SoCal? If so, when do you return? You have a lot of nice areas to bike ride near you. You should think about it.

Caro- Big loving wave!

I've missed visiting, Mark! I've been traveling with the Chorale lately -- a week in Vail, CO, followed by 8 days in Italy and Austria. I'm terribly behind on just about everything, but glad to be caught up here!

HI Mark, we watched the HBO show Newsroom. I thought it was pretty good but have no idea where they will go next with it. You'll see what I mean when you watch it I think.

I'm back from sunny California. When I was in El Paso I kept wondering why anybody would live there. Not the same question in SoCal. The weather was wonderful. I even lucked out and got a room with a view. It looked out on the new California Adventure park. There were some strange, obviously man-made rocky mountainscapes that were very visible and dominated the window view. I thought they looked corny fake - until a friend from Irvine, CA went ecstatic over the view. She told me that we had a great view of Cars Land, and wasn't it so creative about the tail-fins rock formation? I had no clue what she was talking about. Once she enlightened me I couldn't stop seeing those stupid rocks. There was also a wolf's head mountain that I totally didn't see the wolf in until she pointed it out. then it was obvious. Dah!

I met Craig Johnson, the author of the Longmire series, a few years ago in Denver. He was down from Cheyenne to sign books for us librarians. He looks the part of a Western author and even had on worn boots. I bought the book and gave it to my nephew because I thought that the authenticity would impress Robert. It did, as he thought it was pretty good with accurate details. At this conference I bought Cold Dish but it isn't signed. The publisher is re-issuing the books because of the TV series. I have some friends who have watched the first couple of shows and they like the series. She didn't know that it was series of novels before it was a TV show and was very interested about getting the books. The ratings for the series are good enough that it will probably be around for a couple of seasons at least. That will give me time to read the books.

I am interested in the Newsroom show. The reviews of it have all been good.

I went to see the movie "The Hunter" last night. It was very good. It stars Willem Defoe and is the story of the hunt for the last Tasmanian Tiger. Very well done movie. I had read reviews and they were positive so when it showed up in Tuscaloosa for a one night showing I went. The theater was crowded so others had read the reviews and took a chance on it as well. Nobody was disappointed.

I got a recorded copy of Talulla Rising at the conference so now I will have to find time to read Last Werewolf. Now back to River of Smoke when I get home.

Hi Mark: Tough day at Wrigley. Argh. 17 to 1, probably the worst loss of the year.

Somehow, I had you on ignore. I certainly did not intend that. Here, I was wondering what happened to you.

Stay cool on Thurs and beyond. 100 degrees. Eeek.

If it is any comfort it is hot here in T-town as well. Monday set a record high temp for the date. Should be 100 or better for the rest of the week. I know where I will be spending my weekend. At the swimming pool with ROS.

And - my sister in Kansas says that wheat harvest is almost done. They are in the northern part of the state and wheat harvest shouldn't be finished until around July 10 -15. The month of May in that county was the driest May since they started keeping records back in the 1890's. Drier than the Dirty Thirties. So far no dust storms to equal that decade. Maybe the author of Worst Hard Time was right. He said it wasn't the drought that brought on the dust storms. It was the method of farming that was used. Interesting ???'s.

Morning! Can I stay here with you guys, instead of going out there? Ugh! At least I'll have my books to keep me company, although I'll be reading/listening through a veil of sweat.

Anne- RL does get in the way sometimes. I understand. I need to swing by your thread too!

Bonnie- I plan on watching Newsroom tonight. It's a heck of a cast, right?

Benita- Welcome back! Did you about any good books at ALA? I heard yesterday's BOTNS podcast, where Ann & Michael took a Q & A in Oxford. Were you there?
I'm really enjoying the Cold dish and I'll eventually watch the cable series. I wonder how close they follow the books? I'm looking forward to your thoughts on The Last Werewolf. I need to hunt down a copy of the new one. Keep cool down there.

Linda- I thought you might be ignoring me. LOL. Brutal Cubbies loss. Now they can battle the equally hapless Astros. You keep cool too!

The way my son put it, The Sunpocalypse is coming.

Morning Mark, sorry you have to be out in the heat today. Funny Benita should mention A Worst Hard Time because I just finished it last night...I think he was right, it was the incredible environmental damage that we did to the land in ripping up the prairie that was a significant contributing factor to the dust storms. Such a wonderful book - I really enjoyed it. Take it easy today - be careful in that heat.

I'm way behind, not sure how that happened, but congrats on the long bike ride..... I haven't cycled that far in one day since we were on a bike tour in Italy when I was 25 years younger...... it was bliss.... after all that riding you could eat everything!

HI Mark! Hope you can find some relief in the heat today. Make sure to drink lots of water!

I spent most of my time in checking out the YA books this time, so didn't spend too much time on books for myself. I did talk to the Soho people. Juliet Grames who did the historical read-along (on Books on the Nightstand) of the seminal works in the mystery genre is going to do more of them. She has done Murders on the Rue Morgue, a Sherlock Holmes book, and now is doing a Dashell Hamett book. According to Juliet, David Downing is going to have one more of the John Russell -Station - books, and he has started work on a new series. This series will be set in World War I, but will be spy novels much like the John Russell series, just set in a different time.

the publisher of the Longmire series is reissuing all of books in that series. The reason is that the series has apparently scored enough ratings to be continued for another season and the publisher thinks this will cause an upsurge in demand for the books as well.

Libba Bray has two new books. One just out and one that will come out around the first of the year - 2013. I didn't get copies of either of them. Garth Nix has a new book, but I didn't get a copy of it. On the last day I scored a signed copy of Inside Out and Back Again. This book won the National Book Award for YA Fiction. I also got a free copy of Ann Enright's book Forgotten Waltz since it won the Carnegie medal for Adult Fiction.

I went to a forum on historical fiction and there are a couple of intriguing titles there. They had six authors - strangely there were five women and only one man in the group. Gail Tsukiyama was one of the authors. Her new book is titled A Hundred Flowers and is about Mao's China. There was a man who wrote Albert of Adelaide. This book sounded interesting, but it won't be out until July.

I bought some books but had them shipped back here in the mail. (U. S. Post Office had a station in the exhibit hall. They were great) When they get here I will remember what they are and will comment on them at that time. I also purchased my recorded books for the next six months at this show. Talulla Rising is a recorded book I got there. Also got Rotters since Zombies are so hot right now. This is a YA book and I figure that I had better read or listen to at least one Zombie book. I also got the third in the Flavia DeLuce books in a recorded version. When they get here I'll let you know what they were.

There didn't seem to much buzz about single titles or books. There was lots of activity in the graphic novel section and I know that the Librarything Gods were there. I didn't get time to see them on this trip. I attended things like the APA Research Forum where I learned about the latest research in how people are using, or not using, libraries. They did serve us ice cream sandwiches shaped like Mickey Mouse since the program was held at one of the Disneyland hotels.

"Sending out an SOS. Sending out an SOS..."

-The Police '79

It was horrible out there. The worst it gets. It was about 101 on the way home, with high humidity. I feel punch-drunk & drained.
I did finish The Cold Dish and cannot praise this kick-off of a crime series any higher. It was a perfect audio too, read by the incomparable George Guidall. This guy is an audio God! Next on audio, I began Island of Vice, which has the makings to be another NF winner. Even though he has been barely mentioned, in the early going, T.R. is such a STUD! Where are people like this now a days?

I was listening to a podcast this morning, (covering the recent BEA conference and yes there is a lot of promising titles coming out!) But they mentioned Fifty Shames of Earl Grey, of course a parody and it comes with a bookmark and a tea bag. Good deal!

Mark, it's pouring here at the office right now.

Unfortunately, my garden is not at the office. Not a drop of rain at home.

It was 101 here in Tuscaloosa today. I have to go help a friend who is moving tonight. We are going to wait until the sun goes down before moving. The heat wave for us is to last through the weekend. On Saturday, I am headed to the pool!

Sorry, had to step away for a cold one. Just a light-weight Corona. Give me a break it was on sale!

Kath- It sure was a "The Sunpocalypse". Like I mentioned on your thread, it was like a desert ghost town out there, although I did get a few bottles of water, that helped. One guy gave me one of those baby 8oz jobs. Ah, what am I supposed to do with this thimble? I know, I know, it was just the thought.

Mamie- It felt like the worst Hard Time out there today, minus the dust storm. Hope everything worked out for you today too and they got things finished.

Lucy- Glad you found me again. The problem is, as far as cycling goes, it's to damn HOT! I can't get a routine going. It's supposed to stay in the 90s right on throught next week. Big Boo!

Chelle- Thanks! You drink so much water, you get sick of it. LOL.

Benita- Thanks for all the useful ALA info, especially on the new books. Inside Out and Back Again sounds very promising and I have heard good things about the Enright. I think we are in store for another stellar year on book releases.
Hope you enjoyed the pool and are keeping cool!

Hi Marky-Mark. I hope you're managing to stay cool on your rounds somehow? My friend who's just moved to Chicago (and who is finding it really difficult to find a place to rent) said his company brought in ice cream today for everyone, and one of his colleagues played ice cream truck tunes on his phone.

Not that I'm thrilled about the cool, rainy weather here (we've been 15 degrees below normal), but I'm not looking forward to the weather in Geneva next week, either!

Well, it supposed to be 90 today. Will that feel like a cool down? We'll see. Had a little rain, which we desperately needed. Looking on the Nationwide weather map, everywhere looks RED.
I'll be wrappin Round Mountain up. It's a very good SS collection.

Caro- Nice to see you. Hope your pal finds a place soon. I he looking for a place in the city?

Lisa- Yeah, it looks like 90s through next week. You will yearn for your cool & rainy weather. Have a safe trip in. What day do you get in?

Hey Mark - Just trying to catch up! We have had The Worst Hard Time on our shelves for sometime. It's technically Whit's book. I haven't shown much interest in reading it, but with all the chatter about it here, maybe I will pick it up (eventually).

ha! I like to keep those little bottles of water around. It was rds idea actually. They pop into a purse easily :)
My guy won't ever take anything ... well, cash at christmas, but... lol

Requesting permission to come aboard, sir!

Cannot thoroughly read all these missed messages here - but I don't want you to think I don't love you anymore.

Feeling almost normal now and just asking that you keep your hot weather.
Every 4th of July week we have hot, hot weather even tho our Junes are cool and rainy. That's the week all the boats blossom in the water... so maybe a boat ride is in my future????

#236

Pick up Worst Hard Time. It was very easy to read and had an easy to follow story line. You won't regret it.

Aren't these genre illustrations cool? I stumbled upon these at Huffington Post Book Site. The illustrator's name is Prince Hat.

I hit the library and picked up a few requested items:
Salvage the Bones, (audio) rec by Bonnie
Train Dreams rec by Katie & I think Lisa.
Revolver A GN I heard about long ago!

Brit- Great to see you stranger. It'd been awhile and I have to echo Benita: READ The Worst Hard Time!

Kath- Little bottles might be fine for personal use, for your purse or back pocket or whatever but to give it your pathetic, sweat-drenched mail-carrier?
Better today! Plus we got some rain! Yah!

Claudia- I was seriously thinking you didn't love me anymore. Sad Face! I saw you bouncing around visiting everyone and nothing here. I felt a little like Charlie Brown, to your Lucy, pulling away my football.
Good to see you, my friend!

Hi Mark: Did you get that little bit of cool air after the rain, mid-day? After the rains here, it really cooled off. When we went out to lunch (Qdoba), it was only 70 out. Temporarily cool, no doubt.

I read Train Dreams and thought it was only so-so.

Those are very cool graphics, Mark. I especially like the "Crime" one.

Hope you enjoy Train Dreams as much as I did!

I love the graphics mark. Very cool!! And I hope you stay cool too.

Hi Mark, sorry you've had such difficult working conditions with the high temps. They've landed on our shores now too, and I'm staying indoors and keeping cool—not for me sitting in an oven.

I finished River of Smoke last night. Great novel. Thanks for starting up the group read, which encouraged me to get my hands on a copy, otherwise who knows when I would have gotten to it?

Now the tough choice of what to pick up next...

Mark - hope you are keeping cool and that your feet are not as blistered as the streets. Great genre graphics - I like all of them but don't understand the graphic novels one.
Have a great weekend mate.

Linda- While I was having lunch, after the 1st rain, it was nice & breezy. Perfect. But then the humidity crawled back and it got hot again.
Sorry Train Dreams didn't work for you! I'm still giving it a try and I'll let you know.
BTW- You NEED to track down Island of Vice. WOW!

Katie- Glad you liked the graphics! There are a whole bunch more. Gone Girl is up next and then Train Dreams.

Bonnie- Thanks! It looks like we have hot weather for the next week or so. Boo!

Ilana- Great to see you! Looking at the US weather map, nearly everyone is cooking. Sucks! Glad you liked ROS. Me too! Now we wait for Book 3, fortunately there are many many books to keep us busy in the meantime.

Paul- I know you look at us whining about the hot & humid weather and think what's the big deal? I believe, since you don't care for GNs, you just don't get it. LOL.

Hi Mark, Interesting graphics. I like the Huffington Post's book section. The New Yorker's book blog is fun, too.

We had a brief cool period (it's relative, low 90s) but temps are moving up again for at least the next five days. No humidity, though, which is a great plus. This weather would be hot for July...

Stay cool my friend! Enjoy your off days!

Yes, Mark, my friend is looking for a place in the city because he's single and doesn't know anyone in Chicago ...although that's not likely to remain his status for long. He's extremely personable and will soon be socializing in hiking groups and other active groups.

If I happen to be in Chicago around the time you guys are planning another Meetup, I'll be sure to bring him along .. he's on LT too, but not very active.

Hi Mark, I wish I could send you some of our cooler Pacific weather. I am still waiting for summer to arrive. We tried to sit outside the other evening and eventually had to admit to ourselves that it was just too cold!

Those genre graphics are fantastic, and I agree with Katie, the Crime one is my favorite one, too.

This is a long weekend for us in Canada, we are celebrating Canada's birthday. No big plans, but I sure hope to get some quality reading time in. I have finally started The Strain.

Have a great weekend.

I finished Round Mountain, an excellent story collection. More on that one later. I'm wrapping up my ER book and then on to Gone Girl. Yahoo! On audio, I'm deeply immersed in grimy NYC, circa 1895, in the terrific Island of Vice. T.R. is my HERO!

Joanne- It looks hot everywhere! At least you don't have to deal with the dreaded humidity. It's a killer. Enjoy your weekend.

Caro- You, of course are always welcome at our Meet-ups. It'll probably be later next Spring.

Judy- Happy Canada Day! It's interesting that your little corner of the world is cool, while the majority of the states are broiling. Hopefully it warms up a little for you.
I liked the Strain but not enough to continue the trilogy. Hope you enjoy it more.

Striking graphics Mark, thanks for sharing :)

Hi Mark, glad to see you didn't melt away this week! At least you guys got a little rain - here it just got dark for a couple of hours and not a drop fell - such a tease! Half of my backyard is light brown and crispy, and we've got a sprinkler ban in effect. :( Thank God for air conditioning, without it I would've gone crazy. Any exciting plans for your weekend?

Thanks for posting those awesome graphics!

I'm listening to a Steve Berry book, The Alexandria Link, and I'm wondering if you've read anything by him before? It's not bad, but his ex-wife is a B and an idiot and if she didn't fade into the background I was going to have to give it up. I couldn't stand how she was acting! Enjoy your Saturday, my friend!

Laura, I haven't yet read The Alexandria Link but have it in my TBR Tower ... I'll be looking out for your review when you're done to see if I should move it up or down the rungs. :-) The only other Steve Berry books I've read were The Templar Legacy, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal and my favorite of the lot so far, The Amber Room. I started reading The Romanov Prophecy but had to give it up halfway because I couldn't like one of the characters

Hey Mark! I echo what everyone else is saying - those graphics are really cool. I will take you and Benita up on the recommendation for The Worst Hard Time and add it to my TBR list!

I love those graphics!

Yes, that is the worst part about the depths of summer -- unless you get up impossibly early it's impossible to exercise -- for me that usually happens just when I've really got my routine so established I get a sense of 'Oh how bad can it be to skip a day or two, it's just too hot...." and then the whole (fragile) apparatus collapses..... But here is is not even JULY quite.

We have simultaneous raspberries, blueberries and blackberries starting up -- usually it goes 1,2,3 with a little bit of overlap and the blackberries are in early AUGUST!!! It hasn't been wildly hot here, just not all that cold starting in March. Normally there can be snow right into early May and frost into early June, but none of that happened this year.

I'm with Lucy - I love those graphics, too!

I feel like my July is exploding - I have so many books that I want to read and there is no way I can fit them all in and I don't know where to start!!! I blame you...and Lucy...and Paul...and Judy...and Kath...well, you get the idea. At least it is a delightful dilemma. Thanks, guys!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend, Mark! It's still hot out there, but at least we got some rain.

Mark, I feel for you and others that have to be out in the heat all day. My day is starting earlier and earlier in order to get the dogs walked before 8:00 and the watering done before 9:00. Everything is parched around here; it's a good thing that I didn't go crazy buying annuals this year. I have a few groupings of pots to water daily and the perennials to water every few days. The lawn is toast(ed)!

Hey, I'm reading an ER thriller. It's out of my usual range of reading but I'm quite enjoying The Risk Agent. I got to meet the author when he spoke at our library so I thought I'd at least try one of his books. I might have a new series on my reading agenda.

"Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is like Scenes From a Marriage remade by Alfred Hitchcock..."

That's a blurb from Adam Ross, who wrote Mr. Peanut, another very dark book about marriage.
Yes, I started it. Not very far but her writing is so striking and filled with such dark wit. I think I'm in love.

It was a hot and sticky one out there today, almost soupy at times. Glad that week is over. It does not look like any relief next week either. Boo!

Hi Kath- Hope you are staying cool! This has been a brutal stretch.

Laura- We got some rain last night too but everything is so dry, it sucks it up immediately. No I have not read Berry. He's a thriller writer, correct?
Enjoy your weekend. Keep cool.

Caro- Well, it looks like you are a fan of Berry. That's always an endorsement for me.

Brit- Would we ever steer you wrong?

Lucy- "and then the whole (fragile) apparatus collapses". LOL. Perfectly put! And you are right, we still have July and August to wade through.
And yes, it's been a goofy weather year so far!

Mamie- I'm with you, my friend! July is filling in, book-wise, at a steady pace. After Gone Girl, I'll knock out Train Dreams, (a shorty, Yes!) and then on to Insurgent and that's just a taste of my print books.

Donna- I think I'll be a zombie tomorrow or a vampire, whatever stays inside and reads, probably the latter. I doubt I'll feel like bike riding at 7 or 8 AM.
My tomatoes are thriving. They like the heat! Hope you enjoy the Risk Agent!

You've got some interesting reading going on, Mark. I'll be looking forward to your review of Round Mountain. Hope you're staying cool, at least for the weekend.

Mark, I read Salvage the Bones a couple of weeks ago and thought it was brilliant. I'm glad you got it among your audio options.

Sorry the heat has been so brutal. Not a good thing in your line of work.

I heard a piece on NPR the other day and thought of you (and some others). It's a series they're doing called "Crime in the City" -- and they are reviewing mystery/crime authors who have set their works in particular cities of interest. They were talking about Paco Ignacio Taibo II that day (Mexico City), but I notice that one of their highlighted authors is Colin Cotterill.
Here is the link: Crime in the City

Hey Mark, Sorry, I missed most all of your thread but I haven't had much time for LT lately.
I hope, for your sake, the weather will cool off a bit to make work more bearable and a lemonade stand on every corner.

Happy Sunday! My chill day! Yah! I plan on starting a new thread, writing a couple reviews & catching up with a few LT pals and then on to book reading.

Linda- June was an interesting reading month for me, lots of diversity, which I crave. I think you'll like round Mountain. Should have a review up a little later.

Ellen- I listen to the NPR Book podcast and I've heard that feature several times. Very cool. I'll check out the latest, with our beloved Dr. Siri. Can't wait to get to Salvage the Bones. Maybe later this month.

Lynda- Good to see you. You've been missed. You keep cool too. It looks like most of the country is cooking.

I enjoy Steve Berry , and have read a few of his. Great brain candy kind of reads :)
I like those thriller type books now and then!

I did not plant this year. Once again, all of my neighbors with gardens are having a lot of trouble
with their tomatoes, so I don't regret it. I will depend on farm markets again. I got some honey
last week from a local apiary, and some squash.

Gone Girl is very popular I see....