Joe's Book Cafe 22

Photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson

Welcome back to the cafe! Thanks to Darryl for inspiring us to think of Henri C-B.

Books to date:

January

1. Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee
2. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
4. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
5. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
6. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
7. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
8. Fall Higher by Dean Young
9. Habibi by Craig Thompson
10. The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
11. Malice Aforethought by Frances Iles
12. Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis
13. Tales from Ovid by Ted Hughes

February

14. Mister Blue by Jacques Poulin
15. The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
16. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
17. A Distant Neighborhood by Jiro Taniguchi
18. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
19. All I Did Was Shoot My Man by Walter Mosley
20. The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy by Bill Simmons
21. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
22. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
23. Strangers in Paradise Pocket 6 by Terry Moore
24. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
25. Thirty-three Teeth by Colin Cotterill
26. Iron and Silk by Mark Salzman

March

27. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
28. Echo The Complete Edition by Terry Moore
29. Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum
30. The Siege by Helen Dunmore
31. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
32. Fault in Our Stars by John Green
33. A Zoo in Winter by Jiro Taniguchi
34. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
35. Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill
36. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

April

37. Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
38. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
39. Force of Nature by C.J. Box
40. Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
41. Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill
42. Finder Library Volume 1 by Carla Speed McNeil
43. Wonder by R. J. Palacio

May

44. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith
45. Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
46. The Luck of the Bodkins by P.G. Wodehouse
47. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
48. Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick
49. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
50. The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst
51. The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith
52. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
53. A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes
54. Among Others by Jo Walton
55. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck

June

56. Desolation Road by Ian McDonald
57. The Cricket and the Hearth by Charles Dickens
58. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
59. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
60. The Incal Classic Collection by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius
61. Starters by Lissa Price
62. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
63. Glory in Death by J.D. Robb
64. Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
65. Mort by Terry Pratchett
66. Photo Finish by Ngaio Marsh
67. Zoo Station by David Downing

July

68. Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
69. A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont
70. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
71. Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb
72. Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick by Philip K. Dick
73. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
74. Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb
75. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
76. Istanbul Passage by Joseph Kanon
77. The Paris Detective by Gerald Jay
78. Turkana Boy by Jean-Francois Beauchemin
79. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
80. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
81. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
82. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
83. Second Son by Lee Child
84. The Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri

August

85. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
86. Parker: The Score by Darwyn Cooke and Richard Stark
87. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill
88. Dream Team by Jack McCallum
89. The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
90. James Bond: Dr. No by Ian Fleming and others
91. horoscopes for the dead by Billy Collins
92. Any Human Heart by William Boyd
93. Moby Dick, or the Whale by Herman Melville
94. 420 Characters by Lou Beach
95. Love and Freindship by Jane Austen
96. Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson

September

97. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
98. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
99. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
100. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
101. A Wanted Man by Lee Child
102. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
103. The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
104. The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams
105. Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey
106. Starstruck by Elaine Lee
107. Pyongyang by Guy Delisle

Favorites So Far in 2012:

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand
Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman
The Siege by Helen Dunmore
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
Wild: From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
In A Sun-burned Country by Bill Bryson
Turkana Boy by Jean-Francois Beauchemin and Jessica Moore
Shadow Divers by Ron Kurson
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

My fave 2012 young adult books are:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Favorite Nonfiction from the Last 10 Years

1. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
2. War by Sebastian Junger
3. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
4. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
5. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
6. The Mold in Dr. Florey's Coat by Eric Lax
7. Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
8. Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand
9. The Judgement of Paris by Ross King
10. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

Runners-up: The Swerve and Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt, Michaelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King, Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder, The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr.

Favorite Fiction from the Last 10 Years

1. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
2. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
3. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
4. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
5. Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
6. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
7. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
8. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
9. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
10. Old Filth by Jane Gardam

Runners-up: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace, After the Quake by Haruki Murakami, The Kite Runner and Life of Pi.

I *can't* be first! This never happens! Wow. To celebrate, I'll take some lemon pancakes *swoon* with over-easy eggs and that deVOON sounding vanilla sauce. Oh, and a pig or two's worth of sausage, please. Links, on the crispy side.

Morning Joe- Coffee please! Love the photo! Hope you have a good Sunday and Go Bears!

Great picture , Joe! Morning! I'll have a cup of tea and a piece of whole wheat toast.

I love the 'look' the old woman is giving to the young one in the photo. What is she thinking? Tut-tutting over the shortness of her skirt?

Just had a nice mushroom and tomato omelette and orange juice. Plan to read a bit before I head over to Wrigley and one last ballpark hot dog, with mustard and onions, for the season.

I guess I'll have french toast this morning Joe and maybe a couple of crisp bacon with a mimosa. Great photo at the top.

I'll have the same as Richard's. Perfect for a lazy Sunday morning such as I am having right this minute! Love. I'm in Love with Sunday Morning.

That woman at the top looks a little like a demure Elaine Stritch. It may be the hat. Of course there's no such thing as a demure Elaine Stritch.

Re: Paula Deen's "Chef Jack" reference back at Cafe #21, I believe that Jack is her brother. I can recommend Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin' which turned out to be a very good biography. She might not be your favorite celebrity chef but she has a compelling story.

In her honor, I'll just have something swimming in butter, Joe.

I just fixed bacon, poached eggs, and blueberry waffles but if you could serve up a delicious Sunday dinner in a few hours, I'd appreciate it, Joe!!

I'm ahead of you all, had breakfast nearly 12 hours ago and lunch five hours ago. As the latter was a fairly extensive buffet, I could just do with something light for supper, but before that, a large gin and tonic would be splendid!

Nice new thread, Joe! This joint is hopping!! In reference to Linda's question about the recipe for chicken corn chowder, here is a link to the recipe that we always use. It's the Neely's recipe from their Food Network show, we just add cooked chicken to it, and it is fabulous.

Corn Chowder Recipe

Greetings from the train! I'm glad you all found your way to the new digs.

>4 richardderus: Way to go, Richard! As first to arrive, you indeed get all of that plus a lovely gift volume of Dorothy Parker quotes.







>5 msf59: Woo, you're a heckuva lot easier than that hungry fellow you came in with, Mark! Fun photo, isn't it? And he has such an eye for the moment. It's been a good Sunday out so far, with breakfast out with my padre, and an on-time train.

Coffee coming up:

>6 vancouverdeb: Good morning, Deb. Glad you found us. Tea and toast on their way:



>7 gennyt: That's my impression, Genny. She disapproves of the mod attire of the girl she's seated near. I love the contrast in the way they're dressed.

My dad and I agreed the non-mod woman reminds us of a woman we knew way back when who disapproved of the way one of my sisters dressed, even though her outfits were perfectly normal in the 60s. The woman had that permanent look of having just bitten into a lemon.

>8 lindapanzo: Sounds like a good day to me, Linda. Sorry them Cubs have been sorry this season.

>9 brenzi: Glad you like the photo, Bonnie. I love outdoor cafes (yes, you can sit outside here if you like). Let's pull that order together for you:

>10 maggie1944: I'm with you, Karen. I love Sunday mornings. Wish I was with my much better half, but I will be soon enough.

One Richard Sunday special. Keep being lazy all day if possible.

>11 NarratorLady: Hah! I sure could see Elaine Stritch playing that woman. Fearsome - look out.

Swimming in butter? Seems appropriate when discussing Paula Dean and her bro Jack. Hmm, okay, Anne, how about some corn on the cob?



>12 ronincats: We'll be at the ready in a few hours, Roni, so just give us the high sign. We'll rev up the time jiggery if necessary.

>13 gennyt: Woo, sounds good, Jenny. You and Mark give the chef a chance to catch some breath. Here's your G & T. I may join you now that we're in the afternoon for me.

>14 Crazymamie: Hiya, Mamie. Thanks for stopping in. I'm sure it's hopping over at your place! And thanks for the corn chowder recipe. One of my faves, too.

Hi Joe! I hope you're having a lovely weekend! No hope of keeping up with your thread until after school ends, I fear. Great photo up at the top. I'm a big fan of judgmental old ladies. True story.

Hah! Good to hear about your fandom, Kerri. Yes, great weekend, thanks. I hope you're having one, too. I love the idea of being a fan of judgmental old ladies. I tend to get annoyed by them, but you're giving me a new perspective.

Hi Joe! Looks like business is hopping over here at your new cafe. :)

Breakfast and lunch are done. So now I'll just sit here and wait for the ribs that are cooking in the slow cooker. I love how you can throw everything in one pot. Turn it on and magically have an awesome dinner ready for you a few hours later!

Hi Joe, just dropping by to check out the new cafe. Love the photo at the top - brings back memories of the 60's. I remember my grandmother trying to pull my short skirt down closer to my knees as I was on the way out the door.

Great opening photo, Joe!

The doc is back in the cafe! Welcome back! Let's buy the house some .... beer? soda? Scotch? I'm glad you safely made it back across the pond!

And with me here, that's a pair o' docs!

Hi Joe, I love Henri C-B, as you call him. I'm surprised I don't have a book of his photographs yet actually. Though I may be repeating myself as very likely said the same thing on Darryl's thread when he posted one of his photos there... I so love that photo! Had never seen it before, and it looks like one of those photos one could base oneself on to write a whole novel. That elderly lady with her prim outfit and hat is priceless!

I too love the look in the eye of the older lady in your leading picture. I feel like her some days, I think she is jealous of the youth and vitality surrounding her!

Coffee, large. Busy (and fun!) weekend. And then Miss Boo was up all night last night, throwing up. Poor little thing, not a great start to her school holidays! And Don & I are both zombified from being up with her.

Not sure who got the fuzzy end of the lollipop today: Don, for being at home with the kids; or me, for having to drag my carcass into work this morning.

Make that two large coffees, I don't think the first is going to make a dent in my brain fog.

Joe, I just finished the delightful The Coroner's Lunch on your and Ellie's recommendations. It brought me right out of my book funk and I look forward to the sequels. Thanks so much!

Morning, Joe! So glad to hear (over on the other thread) that you had such a great time at the reunion!

Good morning, cafe lovers, and Joe! I'm having my usual latte this morning, and let's see... how about some granola? Thanks. Planning on doing the "send them to school" drill first thing and then while the girl is in preschool, I'm coming home to wax my kitchen floor. Should be very shiny.

Maybe I'll rest and read after that.

Checking out the new cafe place, Joe!

>21 jolerie: Hi, Valerie. Sounds a bit like life here at the cafe. We turn it over to the chef, and magically an awesome drink or menu item appears. Hope you had a great time at dinner. :-)

>22 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. I get a kick out of that picture, too.

I can't remember what my mother said about the length of my skirts, but I know she was okay with the bagpipes. My sister wore short ones, but she was such a good child (and person) that I don't think my mom blinked an eye. I can't remember what the heck my oldest sister went through with skirts, but she was in constant battles with my folks on many fronts, so it wouldn't surprise me if skirts were among them.

>23 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! You got me thinking of HCB with that beaut of a photo you had over at your place. Good to have you back from your trip.

>24 maggie1944: Got it, Karen. I can't remember what Darryl likes best either, but we'll send him a good glass of wine with your compliments, and can always change it if he wants something else.



>25 drneutron: The two of you are quite a paradox, Jim. I know, now we're both getting groans.

>26 Smiler69: I agree, Ilana. You could base a whole novel on that photo. And I think the guy in the back is important, because his presence helps give the spontaneous feeling. The viewer is certain HCB caught them all right at that moment, with that wonderful look from the primster.

>27 LovingLit: Me, too, Megan. Envious of the youth and vitality, and offended by the failure to dress appropriately (!) Clearly their tastes in fashion differ a smidge.

>28 wookiebender: Oh, my sympathy, Tania. I hope Miss Boo is improving. Kids just get whacked sometimes with a bug, and they're so miserable. And I remember the zombified feeling after a night of watching over them with my much better half. A couple of large coffees coming up. Hope the time jiggery gets this done right for you.

>29 NarratorLady: Oh, I'm so glad, Anne! To me the Dr. Siri books are charming, entertaining and educational, but you never know for sure how other readers will react. If you liked that first one, then this will be a good series for you.

>30 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. The reunion was great, and so was the visit with my dad. I still have a million thoughts bouncing around in my head.

Some things from those times are so important to other people, and what they remember can be unexpected. I was glad that the ones I remembered all seemed to be on target (the years can fuzz and meld). One of my favorites was the story of a great guy who sat at the end of our bench for our junior varsity basketball team and rarely got into games. When the coach unexpectedly sent him in one game, he jumped to his feet, ripped off his warm-up top, and went to the scorer's table to check into the game. The problem: he had also ripped off his game jersey, so he was naked from the waist up. The scorer looked him up and down and casually said, "so, what's your number, son?"

>31 maggie1944: All right, Karen, let's get you well-fueled for the off-to-school routine and floor-waxing. Latte and granola sounds like the ticket:



>32 alcottacre: Good to see you, Stasia! Lots of comfortable spots in the new place, so feel free to settle in. We'll keep quiet and let you study if that's what you need to do.

Ah, I can't eat any real food until after 5PM today, so would you please prepare those special pancakes with the lemon stuff? And a cappucino? And some eggs over easy, if the chef would. And maybe some strawberries?

Thank you; wine works for me. I also like dark ales (although I didn't try anything when I was in London). My favorite US beer is Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout.

>35 ffortsa: You bet, Judy. Of course, curiosity raises its cat-like head - why can't you eat real food until after 5 pm? (No worries, I won't pass the "real food" comment onto the chef, who is an artist, after all).





>36 kidzdoc: Ah, good to know, Darryl, thanks. We'll get you some of the BB Black Chocolate Stout next time. I like the dark ales, too.

Hello Joe -- just visiting your new thread. Hope you have a great week!

Thanks, Anne! Good to see you. I hope you have a great week, too. What are you reading these days?

Latte with an extra shot of espresso, please, and some chicken pot pie. I started March Violets yesterday, and it totally sucked me into the story, so I'll just sit over here and read a bit.

Ahhh, there they are! Pancakes!

Just finished Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris; now reading Gone Girl -- it came in at the library before I expected it to!

Hi Joe! Hope you had a nice weekend. I'm just getting started on a marathon laundry session (ugh!) and could use a little caffeine pick-me-up - anything you want to slide in my direction sounds good to me. :)

Ugh, it's been one of those days. I would really really like a full English Breakfast though, and it's got to be english, with EVERYTHING! And make sure there are fried eggs not scrambled, and no flipping them, that's just weird.

Yes, I am being the demanding English customer today!

And another English customer, demanding something to chase away a cold. Yesterday my voice started to disappear, today it has been the hearing in one ear, which is permanently blocked - and I fear these are just the preludes to a major congestion of all the airwaves... I'm sure I must have picked up something from Darryl or Richard's threads...

I've just made myself a whisky mac, which always feels as if its doing good with a cold, even if it's an illusion. So perhaps I can order another one to chase this one down with?

#45

Baileys in hot chocolate or coffee always makes me feel better. Also a dash of whisky in hot water and lemon, or sherry if you want something sweeter.

>40 Crazymamie: Will do, Mamie. I thought you were reading one I had, but mine was The Violets of March, not March Violets. And mine was okay, but no great shakes. Here you go:



>41 mckait: You remind me of the time when we were driving through the state forest near Gatlinsburg, TN, Kath, when my daughter was 3 years old or so, and all of the sudden from the back seat she starts loudly yelling, Pancakes! Pancakes! At that point in time she'd had nary a pancake. We never did figure it out, but our trip through the forest splendor was a bit marred. We've grilled her about it since, but she claims she can't remember, the little monster.

Anyway, I'm glad the pancakes panned (and caked) out for you.

>42 AMQS: Oh, Gentlemen and Players sounds like a fun one from your excellent review, Anne. I have to remember it for my daughter, too. Parts of your review made me think of The Westing Game, one of her very favorite childhood books.

If you're like me, Gone Girl will turn you inside out and upside down. What a ride. On the other hand, if you're like Richard, it will end up in the nearest spittoon.

>43 LauraBrook: Hi, Laura. Terrific weekend. I keep getting nice emails and phone calls from my accomplices.

We'll get you a triple mocha java lala, creole lady marmalade:



Hope that helps with the laundry effort, and you have a great rest of the day.

>44 lunacat: Woo, a demanding English customer named Jenny just walked in, and we're going to have to respond in the next post.

I could definitely use some treats today-it's just one of those tired Mondays-& it was so cold this morning my covers and a cuddle with Sherlock came very close to winning over my obligations to work haha.

A very large chai with soy milk and pumpkin spice, and a big bowl of strawberry ice cream please.

>44 lunacat: OK, here you go, Jenny. We can add on if you're still hungry.



>>45 gennyt:, 46 You bet, Genny. I've tried hot buttered rum in those circ's too. Here's a whisky mac - hope it puts you in finer fettle:



If you decide to try any of Jenny's suggestions, just wave at us, and try not to fall over.

Thanks Joe, that will go down a treat - once the icecubes have melted (I prefer my Whisky Macs warm!) As for Jenny's suggestions, I think I'll go for whisky and hot water with a dash of lemon, rather than lemon and hot water with a dash of whisky. Another one of those and I won't notice the cold at all!

Hah, we can heat up that Whisky Mac for you, Genny, and here comes the whisky/hot water/lemon dash. I agree - after these, the cold will go on vacation somewhere.

I thought those were called Hot Toddies. Good for what ails ya!

Ooh..that whiskey toddy looks awfully good ...and I'm sure it would be good for my cold too. *toodles off to see if I can convince the hubster to make me one*

I love chicken pot pie ... but I think it's soup for me this evening .. something soothing and uncomplicated.

Hi Joe- I'm trying to lose a few pounds, (more than a few actually) so your thread has become perilous. My daughter landed a job at a brewery downtown called Haymarket. Cant' wait to get over there and sample their wares.
Have you read the Longmire books yet?



Randolph and Halsted.

Hello Joe! Carrot cake cupcakes please. I'll take them today or tomorrow. Come to think of it, lets just keep some on the counter daily. :)

The counter stools are heavy duty right?

Ooo- thanks for breakfast, Joe, that looks great. Medical stuff much better scheduled in the am if fasting is required. Now I'm full of a very self-indulgent Chinese dinner. See you tomorrow.

Thanks for the coffees! Miss Boo is feeling much better (after a day spent on the sofa watching TV), she was still asleep when I left for work this morning! I could still do with some more sleep, had an early start this morning. Yawn. But I did get another few chapters of In Dubious Battle read on the morning bus, so I'm definitely better than yesterday (when I just stared out the window for the 45 minute commute).

Going out tonight too with some drinking buddies. Apparently the pub is called the "Local", which means I can't find it anywhere on Google! It just keeps on showing me lists of pubs that are *local* to the area. (And this being Sydney, that's a lot of pubs.) Have texted said buddies for more information. :)

Time for a cup of tea, methinks. Darjeeling, skip the milk.

Edited to add: LOL, just did yet *another* Google, and guess what was the first link to show? http://www.thelocal.com.au/ Guess I found it!

>55 luvamystery65: The counter stools are heavy duty right?

LOLOL

You better believe they are! Oh say Joe, in honor of my getting Moloka'i, will you shovel out a hummingbird cake for me to gobble tomorrow morning? Thanks...and Jana Bibi's Excellent Fortunes is proving to be charming.

bloody touchstone!!!

Hello Joe,
I swear, even when I am completely full, your images inspire me to go out and source food immediately. YUM. I am particularly fond of the coffees and breakfasty images right now (oddly as it it is nearing 7pm here).
*drool drool*

>>52 maggie1944:, 53 Yes, that's what we called them, too, Karen and Caro. Hot toddies. Odd word, what? Some think it's of Scottish origin, because of Tod's spring where healing water came from. And of course whisky has its own healing powers.

Hope your cold starts leaving you alone, Caro.

>54 msf59: Congrats to your daughter, Mark. That pub at Randolph and Halsted ain't that far from where I work (near South Wacker and Jackson). Maybe we can meet up some time.

I promise, if all you do is come here and eat our cafe food, you will lose a ton of weight. But you may keel over if you don't supplement with some RL food.

Yes, I liked A Cold Dish, and I've been greatly enjoying the TV series. For me the books haven't been as addictive as the C.J. Box/Joe Pickett series, but maybe they will be as I get further into the series.

>55 luvamystery65: Hah! Our counter stools are up to the challenge, Roberta. Carrot cake cupcakes coming up:

>56 ffortsa: Gotcha, Judy. I've had to fast for medical testing. Short fasts are okay. This year we're not fasting for Yom Kippur (with me in a supporting, rather than religious, role) - that one's a little tougher for me. A self-indulgent Chinese dinner sounds like a good way to break one.

>57 wookiebender: Hiya, Tania. Glad Miss Boo is better and your Google fortunes changed on finding the local Local. Reminds me of bars called The Office, so you can tell your spouse you're staying late at. If you're at the Local pub, you'll be hard to find.

I know Mark and others thought In Dubious Battle was excellent.

>58 richardderus: Oh man, Jana Bibi's looks like one I might like a lot. We'll see whether you're charmed the whole way through. Glad to see you're picking up on Kath's recommendation of Moloka'i. Can we bring you a hummingbird cake? Yes, we can!



>59 LovingLit: I know, Megan, me, too. I love the food orders here, particularly the breakfasts and desserts for some reason. Oh, and the coffees and beers and exotic drinks ( I'm not much of a tea guy). And probably more. The key I find is to only eat most of it here, where it's calorie-free. That's not to say I don't enjoy some RL inspiration. :-)

Morning Joe- So I can lose weight over here? Very cool. I'll have to make it over here for every meal then. I finally drew up a mini-review on Underwater Welder. It's a keeper.

Morning! (well, later afternoon for me). Thanks for the fry up, it was fabulous. I'll be less demanding today..............fajitas please? Any way they come, I'm starving!

>62 msf59: I was just over at your place, Mark, and saw the nice review of Underwater Welder. I need to get through at least Pyongyang (continuing to be a good one) before I try that. Another one, Starstruck, has unexpectedly hit a lengthy written exposition section, so I'm putting it aside for a bit.

>63 lunacat: Morning, Jenny! Glad you liked the fry up. Raised in the States, I've never quite gotten on board with the full English breakfast, but I'm glad the chef rose to the occasion. We'll get those fajitas out pronto (London, and I suspect other parts of the UK, needs more good Mexican restaurants, don't you think?):

What a wild thread. Glad to see rd has Moloka'i and I hope he likes it as well as I did.
I am with Mark in trying to watch a bit, and this thread has become deadly... sigh.

I am reading a little freebie from
ammy, Pretty Witches All IN a Row.. just starting it.. so no opinion yet.
AND I just watched an episode of LAST RESORT online... which looks promising although a tad bit LOST-ish.

Food... how about a buffalo chicken salad? My stomach is growling.. :P

>65 mckait: Hi, Kath. I never know what's going to happen here either. I'm looking forward to hearing RD's reaction to Moloka'i, too. D/K Pretty Witches, and Last Resort is new to me, too - sounds like it's an online serial?

Let's get that growler fed:

So, can I make a Fajitas (improvised) out of smoked salmon, cucumber, and ah, cream cheese? What would we call it. Pacific Northwest Mex?

*peeks in hoping for a bowl of mac & cheese, the really cheesey type with a nice buttered breadcrumb crust on the top.*

Oh, The Local was an excellent pub. 20 beers on tap (and changing regularly), a tasting "paddle" (that held 5 small glasses of beer), and good food. I got the "sliders" which were three mini-burgers, tasters for the individual full sized burgers (a pork one, a beef one, and a delicious mushroom one). Bit mad, we were all surrounded by a gazillion glasses and the ghosts of a gazillion mini-burgers by the end of the feast.

Had a very nice Czech style pilsener, a great "gruit" which smelt spicy and sweet but tasted peppery, a sweet "American pale ale" (definite passionfruit overtones), and a Scottish ale (which was about as dark as I like to go). My quibble would be the menu leaned a bit too far towards the dark ales, but it was great fun trying them all! Can't remember what my fifth was on the paddle, and someone else (not me!) walked off with the tasting notes at the end of the evening, so I'll probably never remember now.

For a Tuesday night, it was a popular place. Would hate to battle the crowds there on a weekend!

And today I'm back to boot camp and turkey salad sandwiches. Oh well, the beer and burgers were great while they lasted! :)

Those beers and burgers sound great! I wish The Local were my local (not that I'm badly served for good beers at my actual local...).

Good morning. I need some good strong coffee in my latte this morning. Had a run to the Emergency Vet last night with one schnauzer who found a big bar of dark chocolate yesterday late afternoon. Bad girl! Bad dog! Poor wallet! They made her throw up and sent her home as her heart rate was not all that high. She slept well, and had a crisis in the middle of the night....had to go outside NOW! 2 am it was. But better she felt good enough to wake me, than the alternative.

Lucky for me I have not much I have to do today, so I can recover also.

>67 maggie1944: I'm of the view, Karen, that we can always help you elude the food police if necessary. After all, we're a country where fusion meals are common. Your Pacific Northwest fajita sounds good to me!

>68 cameling: *sees Caro peeking in with that m & c look on her face* Here you go, Caro:



>69 wookiebender: Sounds like a great outing, Tania. I'd like to have that Local locally, too. It would've been particularly good for me, as I like the dark ales. I do have trouble picking out notes in beers and describing them as you have. For some reason, it's easier with wine, not that I'm much good with that either. But at least I have a better sense of those flavor notes happening. With beer I tend to grunt and say, "This is really good."

>70 gennyt: Yeah, me, too, Genny. We've got great places here, but I'd still like to visit Tania's Local.

>71 zincsulfate: Wow, how did you find your way here on your first day, z-s? Impressive. And all the way from China! Glad you like the picture. We've got the mac and cheese you see above to tide you over for a bit, but let us know if you want anything else.

If this is spam (I notice zinc sulfate is a product on the company website), then I give you an A for creativity. Plus there probably aren't many potential buyers of zinc sulfate from China on the LT site. Looking forward to hearing more from you. :-)

What is it with dogs and human food, Karen? They just love it, even though so often it's not good for them. And I know chocolate's one of the worst. Poor guy probably felt awful, and his human ma probably didn't get a lot of sleep. I know what you mean about recovering. When we took Becca's Sherlock into the vet late one night (infection), I was out of it the next day. Well, more out of it than my usual out of it.

Let's get you that strong latte (upping the espresso):

Thank you, very much. Greta Garbo, the chocolate eater, is recovering well. She ate a small breakfast and went back to bed.

Hah! She leads the life I aspire to, except for the eating chocolate and getting sick part.

Well, for us, I think the eating chocolate is perfect! and the "going back to bed". She is one lucky dog. Me, too. I'm glad I learned of her misadventure in time to get it taken care of appropriately, and can afford the Emergency Room for her.

Dogs can be expensive, no doubt about it. Our daughter set aside money before she rescued Sherlock. We've had neighbors spend a ton battling their dogs' cancers. You're right, there's luck in being able to afford something like that. But a dog quickly becomes a family member, so there's no way around it for most people. Of course, Sherlock was abandoned by someone, maybe because of expense. He's such a sweet dog, it's hard to imagine another reason.

Joe, the older lady in your opening photo reminds me of Will's Aunt Judy. She is truly a negative piece of work...very gossipy and nasty.

Somehow I'm reading a not so nice look from the older one looking at the younger one.

Yeah, me, too, Linda. I probably mentioned it, but my mother had a "friend" like that. (My mom used to take in strays). A negative piece of work, although maybe not as bad as Will's Aunt Judy. Not sure what got her that way.

What a moment for a photographer to catch. Henri C-B is known for doing that. He has a famous one of a man leaping over a puddle. Let's see if I can find it.



I guess the puddle is bigger than I remembered!

Remember me yodeling about Knockemstiff, cafe denizens? And The Devil All the Time? I think all of y'all ought to slide on over to this blog to read an interview with Donald Ray Pollock, perpetrator of the books.

He's right interestin'!

Latte and a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, Joe, please. That photo is so cool!

Karen - Scary with the chocolate, glad to hear that Greta Garbo is doing fine. We have been through that a couple of times - not fun.

>81 richardderus: I remember your yodeling was acclaimed at the county fair, RD. I'll have to get over to the blog to check out Donald Ray.

>81 richardderus: Thanks, Mamie. Yes, chocolate really messes up the dog internals for some reason. Hope your dog Biscotti is having an okay day.

Oops, let's get you that latte and muffin!

To all who are interested, Greta Garbo continues to want to be in my lap full time today. Makes typing on the lab top challenging but I don't care as long as she is getting better.

I can read with her in my lap. I think we call it Lap Locked, right?

I spend SO much of my life laplocked because of the cats. They know that I have 'sucker' and 'soft touch' written across my head so I won't shift them unless absolutely necessary.

Glad to hear that GG is doing okay, and fingers crossed she learns from her experience. I very much doubt it though!

I'd love a dish of........well, pretty much anything that I don't have to cook. Maybe some lamb, cooked any way the chef desires? I LOVE lamb!

I think it affects only some dogs and cats .. chocolate that is. I remember my furfamily enjoying the occasional human chocolate treats without suffering any awful side effects. Maybe it's like some people are lactose intolerant, so maybe some animals are chocolate-tolerant?

Nothing seems to be pleasing my cold-dulled palate today...... except Cheetos. Yeesh!

Actually the thing in chocolate that will be dangerous for your dog is Theobromine, and the danger is hugely overstated. There is more if it in very rich, expensive dark chocolate than in milk chocolate, and the amount needed to harm a Yorkie, is so large that it is unlikely that it would be available in most households It is rarely a real concern. IN other words, an oreo or ten or chocolate cake or ice cream won't kill your dog. It, like the Poinsettia thing. Yeah, they might be poisonous.. in a huge quantity.

Better safe than sorry, of course, but... just saying.

#86

It's all dependent on the weight of the dog/cat and the amount of cocoa solids within the chocolate. A small amount occasionally won't do any harm, but a large amount of dark chocolate will.

It's actually theobromine, which is found in cocoa, that is extremely toxic to dogs, but it's levels within processed chocolate vary. The worst to best list is this:

Cocoa Beans
Cocoa Powder
Dark (Plain) Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
Drinking Chocolate (Powder)
White Chocolate

Most severe dog poisonings come when the dog has been able to eat large amounts of dark chocolate. As little as 160g or six ounces of dark chocolate can be fatal to a medium sized (20kg) dog. Most won't die, but some could, and have.

I know about this because I have a friend who is a trainee vet nurse, and I occasionally help her study!

#87

That is actually false. The amount of dark chocolate required to be fatal for a Yorkie is readily available, especially in pure cocoa powder form, but also in dark chocolate.

As I said, I have a friend who works as a trainee vet nurse, and she has seen dog fatalities because their owners didn't take the problem seriously enough. Yes, one chocolate won't hurt, but especially around Christmas with large boxes of chocolate around, people should be aware, and should NOT be lulled into a false sense of security. Theobromine poisoning is not a nice way for a dog to die.

I won't be drawn into a discussion about it, but I worked for a vet myself and learned it as I said.

#87 : Poinsettia is poisonous? To humans or dogs or both? Who eats poinsettia anyway?

That's pretty much the point. There is a lot of talk about them at Christmas, but the reality of it is that it would take a lot of it to do harm to anyone ( however many legged ) to do harm.It can cause bellyache.... Kind of like facts gone wild.

Excuse me kind sir, I don't believe I ever received my last order ;) (or I'm totally oblivious and missed it, which is also entirely possible hee hee).

I would love a super extra large pumpkin spice chai, a bean burrito with extra cheese, and a big slice of apple pie please.

Also I'm a little over halfway through The Beautiful Mystery and loving it.

I gave the chef my cell phone #, but it looks like there was no need for the proprietor anyway. A little bit of this and that from along the way:

>84 maggie1944: Although I try to be a curmudgeon as much as possible, I have to admit it's quite soothing to be lap-locked with Becca's Mr. Sherlock. Gets the pulse down, narrows the range of what to-dos can be done.

We had pugs when I was a lad, but I don't think my pulse ever slowed down at that age. Maybe when I was asleep.

>85 lunacat: When we first got married, Jenny, Walklover and I had cats, and one of them (Dora) liked to sleep on my head at night. Something, I'm sure, to do with the warmth up there. It was great in winter, as the wind tended to find its way into our thrifty apartment.

The chef came up with this for you, a slow-poached confit (lamb):



>86 cameling: If you're tiring of the Cheetos, Caro, my son loves these:

>>.87 - 92 I haven't worked for a vet, so I'll keep my mouth shut (for once). In my own mind the lesson is, keep chocolate away from Sherlock, the vacuum cleaner poodle. Poinsettias, too. I don't even like him having a bellyache if we can avoid it.

>93 seasonsoflove: Hey, there's our favorite young lady! Seems like you've been spending way too much time at work and way too little at the cafe - but maybe that's a good thing? You may have to support your dad if I hang out here too much and forget to get RL things done.

You'll see a tribute to one of your bro's favorite snack foods up above. And I've been talking about that dog of yours left and right. Glad you're loving The Beautiful Mystery!

All right, let's get that order taken care of. Sure you wouldn't rather have a glass of water? No? OK, here we go (the mug is super extra large, despite appearances):

I know, what's up with me having to do work? Hee hee. I haven't even gotten to write up a review yet for a Member Giveaway I finished.

*sips giant chai very gratefully, scarfs down food* perfect, thanks so much!

I always love seeing you've been talking about my beloved dog :) I can't wait to get home to hang out with him, have dinner, and watch TV and read! Staff meeting first, then home-luckily they are now providing really good snacks at our meetings.

>96 seasonsoflove: Snacks are important. We find we can always get people to come to meetings if there's food. When we invite dogs, though, no chocolate.

What's Sherlock reading these days?

He has been reading a fantastic Vanity Fair issue I bought on eBay-it's a collection of all their best articles on Hollywood scandals, mysteries, and murders. Or rather, I read it and he absorbs it through osmosis while sleeping on my leg.

LOL! Ah, yes, that's our guy.

mmmmm cheese puffs! :) I enjoy bad food.... sigh.

*perk*

Cheese puffs? The hot kind with sherried cheddar mousse fondue'd around a sourdough bread vube and baked?! OOO I **luuurrrve** those!

I looked at the Barbara's on Amazon... since you have to get a dozen they are expensive.
le sigh. I have never had the rich folks cheese puffs... more like the neon orange ones that have.. I think... a mouse on the pkg. It has been a while since I had them tho... I plan to get Annies cheese puffs for Owen for All Hallows.. chips for Oliver.

>100 mckait: These cheese puffs (Barbara's) are at least less bad for you than some others, Kath. Our son seemed to thrive on them, although teens can thrive on just about anything.

>101 richardderus: Hmm, how about these, Mr. D.?

mmm... cheese puffs. Ooh another version of cheese puffs.... Brazilian cheese bread. I love those

It is a good thing I lost 35 pounds in the last six months -- stopping by here can be dangerous to the body fat content. Perhaps I can eat just enough cheese puffs to put on a pound.....

Happy Wednesday to you Joe.

>104 cameling: Those do look like Brazilian cheese bread, Caro, now that I know what the heck Brazilian cheese bread is. In our neighborhood what's in >103 jnwelch: is also called a cheese puff.

>105 Whisper1: I know, Linda, if I tried this is RL they'd be moving me hither and thither with a crane.

Happy Wednesday to you, too! You're right, even a furschlugginer Wednesday can be a good day. And this one has been, by gum.

Oh, those cheese puffs from #103 look like just the kind of snack I am in the mood for. How about a nice glass of sherry to go with them, Joe. I will find a quiet corner to sit with my books as I am trying to finish two more to count for September Series and Sequels.

>107 DeltaQueen50: Sherry and cheese puffs. I like your thinking, Judy. We'll bring them over to your quiet corner.

Just the sherry please. No need for cheese puffs. I was raised on sherry, and it was only when I got to about 15 that I realised other teenagers didn't drink it on a Sunday with their grandparents. It was a very confusing bombshell ;)

I went looking for a picture of the cheese puffs I grew up with and ended up drooling through ~25pp of the most fattening, scrumptious-looking stuff I've seen in DAYS.

Didn't find 'em...but loved looking for 'em!

Some things are self explanatory....

Even if I don't see the exact cheese puffs you meant, just imagining possibilities is very satisfying.
Not as satisfying as samples, but still...

>109 lunacat: You got it, Jenny. My parents had sherry in the house, but I have to admit it never grabbed me. It may be an acquired taste? If I had it every Sunday with my grandparents, I suspect I'd be a fan.

Here you go:



>110 richardderus: The journey of a thousand images to find scrumptious cheese puffs begins with but a single search, RD, and it is the journey, not the finding, that fills us with understanding.

>111 mckait: I like imagining cheese puffs, too, Kath. Way better than paying attention to my work.

>105 Whisper1: BTW, Linda, I forgot to congratulate you on losing 35 pounds! Was it tied to your physical discomfort pre-surgery? If so, great silver lining. If not, great job!

I'm trimmer than I was not too long ago, but nothing like that level.

Hi Joe- Wow, the Cafe is hopping today. Whew. Nearly 50 mostly fattening posts, to cruise through. BTW- I am really enjoying Ship Breaker. I had a copy but thanks to you and Ellen I moved it up and it ended in my greedy little hands. This guy is a good writer.

Mark is right, Joe, this joint is jumping!! I'll take a glass of Chardonnay, please, and leave the bottle. And some chocolate covered pecans if you have them. I'm trying to decide what to read next, and can't quite put my finger on what I'm in the mood for - of course I should finish up one of the books I already started, but that seems so boring...

35 pounds! Makes my 14kg look like child's play. Love my personal trainer. Him: you know, after an exercise session, I'm really hungry. Me: it takes 30 minutes for the nausea to subside.

We had an email discussion about cheese, and him tsking at me for insisting that cheese (and wine/beer) was an *ESSENTIAL* part of my diet; he can't quite see the joy in good delicious food. I concluded with "we're very different people, Jerome". :) But he's a great trainer, I enjoy his sessions, even if I kvetch about it all.

Very, very tired. Still have not recuperated from small child up all night with tummy bug the other day. Will be heading to bed soon, but a bowl of spaghetti with anchovies and chilli and garlic would hit the spot nicely. And a big glass of white wine. ;)

>84 maggie1944: We call it being dog-napped.

I have a hankering for Jordan Almonds of all things.

>114 msf59: Hi, Mark. That Bacigalupi is good, isn't he? I'm glad you're reading Ship Breaker - I think it'll keep your streak of good reads going.

>115 Crazymamie: How's it going, Mamie? The joint is jumping, you're right, which is always fun. I'm a mood reader, too, so I understand your dilemma. Often in that situation I'll go for a classic, for some reason. Guess the chances are high it'll be good.

Let's get you that Chardonnay and some chocolate-covered pecans.



>116 wookiebender: We're getting the time jiggererer warmed up for your vittles, Tania. My wife works with a trainer and comes away really sore a lot. She swears this is a good thing. I know what you mean about cheese - I love it, but have to ration that love, darn it.

OK, let's see if we can put together that (to me) unusual spaghetti order, and some Chardonnay for you while you recover from kidly efforts (ah, the time jiggererer is warmed up):



>117 Morphidae: Being dog-napped would be okay by me, Morphy. I'm sure the world would keep on turning while the mellowness set in. Jordan Almonds? OK, here you go (the chef's been working on presentation):

>102 mckait: I think I missed your post about looking for Barbara's cheese puffs on Amazon, Kath. You're right, you have to get them by the dozen there, and they ain't inexpensive. But for the love of our boy I used to get a dozen there and have them sent to him at college. He doesn't ask for much, that guy.

It's unfortunate that so often what tastes better and is healthier for us costs more.

Just dropping by for a quick pick-me-up to face the onslaught of the rest of the day. Something that will fix a headache, taste great and give me energy for all that I still have to do today would be great. Not asking too much, am I?

Joe, I agree. And that is so much the problem, all the yammering about people not eating right, but if mac and cheese is what you can afford, then mac and cheese is what you eat. I have been there. And worse.
Life is so far from fair :( I almost wish we could jump back to days when people grew more of their own food, knew their neighbors names and helped them when need be. When food and gas prices were not so opportunistic and greedy and.. oh dear.. never mind. But you know what I mean :)

I was an adult before I knew that Jordan almonds were more than just a wedding decoration. I ate one once. I guess I am a purist, 'cause I like almonds ( and cashews etc) in their natural element... SALT! lol
(I know rd... philistine. )

>120 gennyt: OK, Genny. The chef recommends a fruit smoothie with the special secret cafe de-stresser ingredient. If this doesn't suit, let us know and we'll go to Plan B (whatever that may be).



>121 mckait: Yes, I know what you mean, Kath. Credit in our house really goes to Walklover. When we had a hard time finding two pennies to rub together, she still managed to figure out a way to feed us all in a healthy way. We actually look back at those days with a lot of affection - we found free events in the city to go to, and life was pretty simple. We don't grow our food (although I'm hoping Walklover goes back to growing cherry tomatoes in the back yard), but we do know our neighbors and help them. Actually, now a boy next door helps us by doing the leaf-raking and snow shoveling, bless him. And won't take money - we've had success giving him books.

Jordan Almonds are new to me, although I suppose I must have seen them along the way somewhere. I'm a salt person, too - almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, mixed nuts, you name it. With salt, I'm in heaven.

That smoothie looks just the thing, thank you. I might have a handful of those nuts while I'm at it!

>123 gennyt: You got it, Genny! We've got plenty. :-)

Uccchhh Jordan almonds *blickblickptui*

Nuts need roasting and salt. Naked is okay for cooking with.

All that sugary splfffglrch all over that innocent almond!

#121...Kath, you and I share so very much in common!

Linda.... I hope those days are all in the past.... the future, frankly terrifies me...
Joe, you are a better man then I am, I do not look back fondly to the struggles... I guess that I
still have a few left... so far so good though.

Are Jordan almonds what I'd call sugared almonds? Ok in small doses...

#128

They look like them don't they?

I love them. But then I pretty much like anything sweet. Not a fan of salted nuts apart from peanuts.

>125 richardderus: *note to chef: roasted saltiness for RD, no sugary splffglrch nuts* *sugary splffglrch a-ok for Morphy and others and Genny in small doses*

>126 Whisper1: *happy to see denizens bonding, refills coffee*

>127 mckait: You're a better woman than I am, Kath, so it works out fine. :-) We do look back fondly, I guess because we think we made a pretty good team and didn't kvetch a lot. And it may be rosier looking back, now that them kids is growed and out of the house, and we're doing okay. Going through hard times with someone can break you apart or make what you've got stronger. For us it was the latter.

I'm incorrigibly glass half full, so I'm just glad there is a future and I didn't get forced off the road and over the cliff by the mob yet.

>128 gennyt: We're making a note that you prefer your sugared almonds in small doses, Genny.

>129 lunacat: We've stocked up, so we're ready with the sugary ones when you are, Jenny.

Funny I never thought about it this way before now: I don't have a sweet tooth. I have a fat tooth.

Sugary stuff, except chocolate, is fine with me in small doses ONLY if it's fatty. Cakes, cupcakes, icing, pie, souffle, ice cream, okay; soft drinks, candy bars, Jordan almonds, NO thank you.

Huh.

#132

Heh - I'm the opposite. Candy bars, almonds, any sweet stuff with no or low fat, great. Cakes, cupcakes, pie, souffle..........eh, not so bothered. Only in small doses.

I'm fairly sure that it's carbs I'm not a fan of though, rather than the fat.

There are some swanky dishes coming out of the kitchen lately Joe! Your culinary prowess is reaching dizzy heights.
(Ill still go for Mamies pumpkin chocolate muffins and a latte though, thanks. Yes, I am easily pleased)

>132 richardderus: I don't have a sweet tooth either, RD. I have a salt tooth - chips, nuts, pretzels, and anything else I'm not thinking of - plus I'm a cookie monster. Some guest stars - carrot cake, key lime pie, apple pie, pie pie pie. But on a very occasional basis is fine.

>133 lunacat: It does sound like the carbs aren't your ticket to culinary heaven, Jenny. You can pass them over to me or RD; one of us will do them justice.

>133 lunacat: Our chef's range is impressive, isn't it, Mega?. Swanky to lunchbucket. A Mamie special coming up.

Yum! Time for an afternoon snack here. I'll have a Mamie, too. (Only butterscotch in the muffies, pls.)

Me too...salty carbs :) I like sweets at times, but it's harder for me to pass up chips than cake.

I made it on the menu?!!! Kids, I've hit the big time!

>136 richardderus: A Mamie with butterscotch muffies coming up, RD. I may join you. Existential languor threatens to become just a guy looking dazed and stupefied.

>137 mckait: "it's harder for me to pass up chips than cake" Exactly!

>138 Crazymamie: This is a big one, Mamie, no doubt about it. Pretty soon we're going to be asking for an autographed photo for the celebrity wall.

LOL!

Another one where I hollered "Uncle!": Superclass, review in my thread...post #133.

I fear I am become a bad Murrikin.

But proud to be a (bad) Murrikin, right? I'll look forward to reading your review.

Joe - hope you have a great weekend over in Chicago home of the 2012 Ryder Cup - I hope it is a great match and the best team wins. My heart obviously wants Europe to do it but I do feel your boys will prevail based on present form. 16-12 is my guess to the USA.
SWMBO and I have decided that October is to be no carbs month as we make a joint effort to resemble our wedding photos - at the moment those shots would certainly appear blown-up!
Grilled Salmon and Rocket Salad for me this evening dear chap and delicious (but not too filling) it looks indeed.

Hah! Sounds great, Paul. We've been reducing the carb intake, too, difficult as that is for the carb-loving psyche. I just lost my much better half to our son in Seattle, as she's gone out there to help him set up his new apartment. (Lucky guy). He's loving it there, btw, and already is getting connected in its slam poetry community.

We'll see what happens in the Ryders Cup. The USA-ers haven't had much luck in recent years, so I'm probably more pessimistic about them than you are. I do like this unique team competition in what normally is an individual's sport.

I finished The Garden of Evening Mists and it's easily one of my best of the year. What a writer. I'll probably review it tomorra. I also need to pm a question to Darryl, because of something I wonder about near the end.

Low-carb diet ROFL

pshyeah, I'll have a carrot cake please.

I'll have the usual, Joe, please. We made it to Friday, isn't that so wonderful?!

>146 richardderus: Rolling on the floor laughing is good exercise, RD. Lots of room for good carrot cake:



>147 Crazymamie: It is wonderful to have made to Friday, you're right, Mamie. This particular Friday is providing some RL challenges, but they will be addressed and all will be well. Let's get you a Mamie special:

Low carbs? not me, not now, maybe not never. Just came home from Costco with a carton of huge carrrot cake cup cakes! Yummy. And two packs of 6 each bagels. I also bought a new set of store your left over foods containers - made by pyrex, of glass. Trying to rid my kitchen of some more plastic. I think I really have come to hate plastic.

Trying to get a huge amount of 1492: The Year the World Began read today, and tonight. I want to start on some of my October books! Read-A-Thon is going to be interrupted with a car trip to visit with a friend, plus a trip to the Apple store to talk iPhoto, and the First Playoff game for the Storm, at home! Go Storm!

Joe, you could mention to your wife and son that they probably could get tickets - its at the Seattle Center at 7 pm on Sunday.

My trouble is I have a sweet tooth, a fat tooth, a salt tooth - an everything tooth in fact! Bartender, I'd like to order everything on the menu please!

Morning Joe- Hope you have a great day today. It supposed to be a nice one in Chi-town!

Alcohol of any variety urgently required please. I am surrounded by feeble, wimpy incompetents. Save me!

Day off for the owner of the cafe? *starts coffee and sets out 3 kinds of scones, one sweet, one plain and one savory for the help your self set*

Oh this is so fatal.... I got back in bed this morning with tea, but haven't had breakfast yet......

Good morning, all. *grabs a latte, and a savory scone, and settles in corner, small table, good reading chair and lamp* Ahhhhhhhh

*runs in, throws hat on the rack* Thanks for taking care of yourselves for a bit! Slow start for the proprietor today.

>149 maggie1944: a carton of huge carrot cake cupcakes! Expect a visit from me soon, Karen! Good luck with 1492. I'll tip off wife and son about the Sunday Seattle Storm game. They're quite dedicated to outfitting his apartment this weekend, as he 9 to 5's it again starting Monday, but they might like a break. Go Storm! *searches for Chicago Sky in the playoffs and finds them nowhere*

>150 gennyt: We've put every thing on today's menu on the table in the back room, Genny. Here's the menu so you can keep track:



It should suit every kind of tooth.

>151 msf59: Hi, Mark. You, too! I'm at work for the time being, trying to catch up some. It was cool coming in, but I see it's going to warm up some. I'm going to try to quickly review that The Garden of Evening Mists.

>152 lunacat: Some lovely alcohol coming up, Jenny! Sorry you got caught in a Mitt Romney campaign meeting (USA election joke - don't know the UK equivalent). Here you go:



>153 mckait: Thanks for taking the lead with the help-yourselfers, Kath! Thanks goodness you know your way around the cafe. Those scones sound good.

>154 sibylline: Breakfast, eh, Lucy? Pancakes with Vermont (tip of the hat) maple syrup coming up:



>155 maggie1944: Hah! That sounds good to me, too, Karen. I'm going to write a review, and then find a comfy spot like you did.

Oh no... pancakes again. I need to make some pancakes. srsly.

"On a mountain above the clouds once lived a man who had been the gardener of the Emperor of Japan." So begins The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, the author of the excellent The Gift of Rain. Teoh Yun Ling is a "Straits Chinese" who grew up in Malaya (Malaysia). Thanks to her sister Yun Hong, she came to love Japanese gardens. An idyllic existence is interrupted by WWII, and the overrunning of Malaysia by the Japanese. Yun Ling and her sister are then taken to a prison camp, and life will never be the same.

After the war Yun Ling returns to the hilltop where she grew up, and wishes to create a Japanese garden like the ones she and her sister once loved. But to do so would require the help of a skilled Japanese gardener and "They'd have to hang their emperor first before I'd ask for help from any of them." Nonetheless, to fulfill a promise to herself, she has to approach Nakamura Aritomo, the Emperor's former gardener mentioned at the opening of the book. He is creating a beautiful Japanese garden nearby, named Yuguri. He resists her initially. "The girl who had once walked the gardens of Kyoto with her sister, that girl, is she still there?" Eventually Yung Ling becomes his apprentice. To him she brings an understanding of Japan's atrocities in the war, and their devastating effects on their victims. To her he brings an understanding of the tranquility, peace and beauty of the Japanese arts, especially the art of gardening embodied by Yuguri.

This potent mix informs the whole book, and their relationship deepens over time. Meanwhile, "CTs", terrorists, are still rampaging the Malaysian countryside, killing and stealing. Only in Yuguri do Yun Ling and Aritomo feel safe from the chaos around them. And even that is not immune to the times.

"'A garden borrows from the earth, the sky and everything around it, but you borrow from time,' I said slowly. 'Your memories are a form of shakkei too. You bring them in to make your life here feel less empty. Like the mountains and the clouds over your garden, you can see them, but they will always be out of your reach.'

His eyes turned bleak. I had overstepped the bounds between us. 'It is the same with you,' he said a moment later. 'Your old life, too, is gone. You are here, borrowing from your sister's dreams, searching for what you have lost.'"

There are many moments of great beauty in this book, and many moments of great depth. I loved this one from a conversation between the two of them, in which they've digressed to thinking of the timeless Garden of Eden from quite different perspectives (Aritomo's is unexpected and perfectly in character). In the end he observes, "When the first man and the first woman were banished from their home, Time also was set loose upon the world." I'll be thinking about that one for a long time to come.

Some have found the author's voice too unprepossessing in this novel, but for me it suited the story well. His handling of cultural, interpersonal, and personal complexities is as masterful as Aritomo's command of the subtleties of the Japanese garden. In the end, Yun Ling keeps two out of three life-directing promises she made herself. Her decisions regarding the third are as haunting and complex as her life's story, and Aritomo's. This is an unforgettable offering from one of our most talented writers.

Wonderful review, Joe. I'm slowly savoring the novel...like a really fine armangnac, it starts out simple and unfolds into a thousand layers as it sits with you.

>160 jnwelch: Thanks, Richard. I'm so glad you're reading it. You're right - it starts out simple and unfolds into a thousand layers. I'm still trying to fathom all the layers at the end. Poor Darryl is having to field my questions and attempts at understanding.

beautiful review.. thumbed!

>161 mckait: Thanks, Kath! Glad you liked it.

Joe, I'm avoiding your review on purpose since I've just started the book. I'm sure that there are no spoilers but I'm enjoying it so far and don't want any foreshadowing. I got this from my library a few days after I requested it, much to my astonishment, so it feels like a gift. May I have a hot chocolate with whipped cream to guide me through a wet weekend?

(Also watching the Ryder Cup which is cutting into my reading time.)

I'm the same way, Anne, so no worries. I didn't read Bonnie's excellent review until just now. All you need to know is it's a great book. Can't wait to hear your reaction to it.

I'm not a golf fan, but the Ryder Cup certainly is an intriguing event. A lot of Chicagoans are abuzz about it.

Our weekend here so far is dry and pretty, but wet is always okay with me anyway. Here's your hot chocolate and whipped cream;

The Garden of Evening Mists currently has an average rating of 4.46 on LT - it seems to be a big hit with everyone who's read it so far. Yours is the first review I've looked at, and it does sound very good indeed.

Ok, I haven't been in to the cafe for a long while, but my usual morning oatmeal was a big fail so I'll go for a large double shot flat white coffee and a toasted bagel with avocado and tomato, cream cheese on the side.

Will have to make time for The Garden of Evening Mists, everyone seems to be enjoying it.

>165 gennyt: I thought his The Gift of Rain was a special book, Genny, and this one is even better. A strong, quiet book was the phrase of one reviewer, and that seems right to me. Unusual, and unusually well done.

>166 avatiakh: It has been a while, Kerry! Good to see you. The Garden of Evening Mists is really something, and well worth your time.

Large double shot flat white with toasted bagel as you like it coming up (we'll bring over the cream cheese):

Thanks, just the pick me up I needed. Ok, back to my book corner and the morning paper.

just sloping in to say 'hullo.' can't possibly catch up. you'll find me sitting under the fern by the fountain deeply immersed in hare with amber eyes. just fling me a few stray bits of something edible, Joe. and perhaps a glass of my usual h2o.

oh, love top pic. do you know Saul Leiter's work (50s & 60s)?

*reels about, stumbling* Oh, you've definitely hit me with that one. And you say it is a hefty tome? *raises wrist to brow* Oh, me, oh, my. It will have to fit in, soon I hope. For now, on to the Wish list it goes. Also, your review was very nicely written and will be getting a thumb from me.

Joe- Excellent review of The Garden of Evening Mists. Big Thumb! I will have to get to that one and I have not read Eng before. So what is the Single Man up to this weekend? Anything crazy or bawdy?

#158 - Hi Joe - wonderful review! I'm hoping to get to that one soon (It's sitting on my desk, staring at me right this very moment.)

>168 avatiakh: Glad to hear it, Kerry. I love the time centrality here - I'm in between morning papers in the evening here in Chi-town. Good to have you back in your book corner.

>169 mirrordrum: Hi, Ellie! I've heard lots of good things about Hare with the Amber Eyes. I'm pretty sure Anne and Caro both are fans.

I did not know Saul Leiter. I like what's on the linked site. The one you posted really draws the viewer in.

We've got your '59 Sierra Nevada creek water, and here are a few stray bits of edibles:



>170 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen! Sorry to send you reeling, but reeling with book delight is often a pretty good feeling. I wouldn't call it a hefty tome. It's one I found myself reading at a thoughtful, measured pace, and it sounds like Richard's having the same kind of experience. It's a pleasure to read.

>171 msf59: Thanks, Mark!

I am so crazy and bawdy this weekend. I went to work this morning (wow, really?!), then I spent some time on the deck reading in this pretty weather. Then I took a nap, worked out, and watched a Helen Mirren movie (an unlikely one called Love Ranch, in which she was amazing, as usual). Plus LT interludes. I also have plans to watch an Inspector Montalbano episode or two (I'm up to #7). As you can tell, my middle name is "Party Time".

>172 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri! Hope you were able to get out into this great weather in the Chicago area. The Garden of Evening Mists is a special book. As Darryl says, it would be a worthy Booker Prize winner. I'm glad it's on your desk waiting for you. I know how it is - we find out about so many great books on LT.

>158 jnwelch: I am NOT LOOKING at the book, I cannot have another book on my pile.
(still not looking)

Your cafe is feeling more and more real every day Joe, nice menu!

(still not looking, nope, not, n-o-t looking)

thumbed your fine review but the bloody book isn't available on NLS or audible.com. bah! well, maybe by the time i'm ready it will be.

sounds like a lovely day for you. where're you finding the Inspector Montalbano eps?

oh and thanks for the noshes and water. the very thing! :)

Joe - I wouldn't mind a fine Armangnac after being prompted by the nicely descriptive RD. Great review mate and looking forward to reading it myself.

I agree with megan, the cafe is feeling weirdly real :) I have to make sure that I stay away from all of the yummy looking food as much as possible... my niece has been making butternut squash pancakes... I may have to give those a try, have you heard of them?

I have The Art Forger on my short stack.. so I hope to be reading it in the next day or two.. I am trying to not add more :P

Wonderful review of The Garden of Evening Mists - thumb for you, my friend! Also loved the photo you posted by Saul Leiter - not familiar with his work, but now I need to investigate because that photo is fabulous.

Full but productive day yesterday, and I am planning a less ambitious one today that involves watching a lot of football. *grin* Think I need a round of my usual to start the day off.

Thumbs up for your great review of The Garden of Evening Mists

>175 LovingLit: Nice job of not looking at that excellent book, The Garden of Evening Mists, Megan. I'll try to remember to not bring up how good it is. Really good. It is.

>176 mirrordrum: I think it's doing well enough that it should show up soon at your usual sources, Ellie. Thanks for the thumb.

Some libraries have the Inspector Montalbano dvds, and the episodes also show up on cable sometimes (for me, on an unusual international PBS one). I got the ones I have from Amazon with a birthday gift card. Because Americans are too insulated to understand what an Inspector is, they call them Detective Montalbano here.

Good to hear the noshes and creek water did the trick. It was a lovely day indeed. Today I've been joined by my furry guest star Sherlock, who is very helpfully sitting on my lap and has no interest in my using the computer. Any food, however, quickly draws his attention.

>177 PaulCranswick: Good to see you, Paul. Yes, I would think TGOEM would be a natural for you, and you'll no doubt have a feel for the locales.

A fine armangnac, you say? The barista was quite inspired by the request, hence the dramatic presentation:

>178 mckait: It's funny, Kath, "weirdly real" is the way my family sometimes describes me. Maybe it's rubbing off on the cafe.

I've seen The Art Forger mentioned, but I know nothing about it. I'll look forward to your reaction.

I also know nothing about butternut squash pancakes. Fortunately, our multi-talented chef does, so we can give them a try if you like:



>179 Crazymamie: Thanks for the thumb, Mamie! It's a ggod book, that one.

I'm always game to take credit I don't deserve, but in this case it was Ellie (mirrordrum) who posted the cool Saul Leiter photo. The link in her post takes you to more.

I imagine I'll sneak in aome football-watching today, too, even though the Bears don't play until tomorrow night. Saw some of that wild Georgia-Tennessee college game yesterday (51-44).

A Mamie special on its way:



>180 Whisper1: Thanks for the thumb, Linda! How are you feeling? I hope your neck is improving.

Looks good, Joe, thanks!

Ellie - Love the picture you posted!

Oooh, I need a Mamie, too! Don't forget though, BUTTERSCOTCH chips so I don't pollute my tastebuds with yuck-ptui chocolate, k?

Wrestling with the review of Head Wounds. Megan won't like it. But Megan WILL like, a lot, The Garden of Evening Mists, which almost shouts "MEGAN!! READ ME!! YOU WILL LOVE ME!"

Joe- How's the party animal doing? I just finished the delightful "Read This!" and they mentioned Unabridged Books in the Lake view area (love that name!). Are you familiar with this store?

>184 richardderus: Hah! Love it, Richard. Hope Megan can hear the almost-shouting.

A butterscotch Mamie coming up:



>185 msf59: I hope no one calls the cops, Mark, but I'm back on the deck, reading and drinking coffee. Woo-hoo! They don't call me The Wild Man for nothing. And Sherlock is under a blanket on this cool day, also being crazy and bawdy in his own energy-conserving, doglike way.

Yes, Unabridged Books is just up the street from the Barbara's bookstore I worked at. In fact, the owner was a Barbara's alumni. He's done a great job of keeping that store going.

Have just interrupted my reading of The Garden of Evening Mists to watch a wood cutting demonstration on YouTube to help me understand what it entails. This book may take me a while!

Meanwhile, how about a daiquiri?

Thought you might enjoy this Joe - this is my coffee making apparatus out in my studio (I have no electricity or anything).

>187 NarratorLady: I'm so glad you're reading TGOEM, Anne! You've got a good idea - I didn't research while reading like that, but I could see it adding to the experience.

I think that may be the first daiquiri request we've gotten. Here you go:



>188 sibylline: Jeez Louise, Lucy, you're right, I'm impressed, the barista's impressed, the chef's impressed, somebody who just wandered by is impressed. Do you grow your own coffee, too?

Loved your review of TGOEM, Joe. It's been on my obese wish list for a while. I should really make an effort to get a copy of that book ..... but what o do with my guilty conscience every time I look over at my TBR Tower and see the stacks of as yet unread books? *sigh*

What a beautiful review, Joe! I really enjoyed it.

I would love something to relax me -- maybe a nice cheese course and a libation to go with it? Many, many thanks!

>190 cameling: Hah! I know the problem, Caro. Glad you loved the review. I do think this is a book you'd really enjoy, when you can squeeze it in.

It surely does sound like a book I will enjoy .. oh well .... too late to go to the library now ... they're closed on Sunday afternoons. ;-)

>190 cameling: Thanks, Anne! Glad you enjoyed it. Hmm, cheese course and libation? Okay:

>193 cameling: Maybe pick the lock, Caro? BTW, I'm watching the #7 Montalbano (Sense of Touch) with seasonsoflove. It's the one with the wonderful dog Orlando.

Absolutely starving hungry. I'll eat anything! Okay................nearly anything ;)

>196 lunacat: Hmm, starving hungry, Jenny? We're going to put together some of our best nearly anything:

Hi Joe- I'm trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to avoid the food but I'll take a Two Brothers Atom Smasher please!

Why yes Dad, we are in fact watching that...right now in fact. Very meta ;)

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm fantastic, especially the suckling pig. Not quite so hungry now as have just eaten my dinner: big garlic mushrooms with lots and lots of cheese, corn on the cob, and diced potatoes with garlic and onions.

Feeling much better, what with my virtual AND proper appetite sated.

>198 msf59: Thanks for your patience, Mark. I walked meta-Becca and young Sherlock home. Two Brothers Atom Smasher? Another new one for me today. Luckily the barista keeps up. Here you go:



>199 seasonsoflove: I thought that was you over there, Becca. I wonder if Salvo and Mimi and Fazio are watching us somewhere?

>200 lunacat: Phew, someone comes in that hungry and we get worried, Jenny. Glad that repast, in combo with RL, was enough. We had Bacino's pizza (onions only - purists today) with our Sicilian mystery, and it was eccellente.

Great review of Garden of Evening Mists. Thumb from me. This thread is dangerous - I've yet to have a late lunch and you are making me hungry!

Joe, I think it was you who asked to let you know what I thought of Black Skies because you had recently read Voices. I really enjoyed it! I'll warn you that the first couple of chapters seem to be quite dark -but the book, though dark, was not as dark as I anticipated. Sigrudur Oli was the only detective on the job in this book, and it was very interesting look at his character. Really an interesting plot, quite different and I very much enjoyed it. Arnaldur Indridason gets better with each book he writes - at least I think so.

I've finally written a review of Head Wounds, a Long Island noir novel by Chris Knopf, that doesn't embarrass me. It's in my thread...post #204.

Joe, I'm thinking that it was Dr Neutron aka Jim who asked about Black Skies - so I'll head over to his thread -but just in case - there you have it for Black Skies any way! I'm going to go have that late lunch - and get my brain fired back up... if that ever happens to my brain!

Doesn't that Atom Smasher look tasty? I've been watching some of the Packers & Saints game. Exciting stuff.

>>202 vancouverdeb:, 204 Thanks for the thumb, Deb! Glad you enjoyed the review. Yeah, I think it was Dr. Jim, not Dr. Joe, for Voices and Black Skies. I did like Jar City though, so I'm making a note.

>203 richardderus: I'll look forward to reading that, RD. I'm a pushover for noir.

>205 msf59: It does look tasty, Mark. Jeez, looks like the Packers are going to pull it off. What an awful start to the season for New Orleans. A 48 yard field goal ain't easy, but the NO kicker must be feeling pretty bad. What a catch at the end by that Packer!

No football for me today - I was enjoying my first visit to Governor's Island in its new incarnation as city park and art venue. It's a short, free ferry ride from either the lower tip of Manhattan or downtown Brooklyn, and gives you a sweeping open-sky look at New York harbor from downtown Brooklyn to Jersey City, including a lovely angle on the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (which I have yet to visit). I did get rained on a little, but it was well worth it for the quiet, the art, the air.

I'l glad to hear that Indridason holds up in books other than Vloices - I must read more of that work.

And that Saul Leiter photo is astonishing.

Hi Joe, I was all bark and no bite when it came to resisting your beautifully reviewed book, Garden of Evening Mists. Obviously I will be waiting in line at the library when they get it.
*resigned sigh*
I dont know why I even tried to resist.

Wow, I've been away from the cafe for too long.

Great review of The Garden of Evening Mists, Joe. I have it on hold at the library and I'm looking forward to reading it whenever it comes my way.
Your thread is, as always, a treat for the eyes. Kinda makes me hungry, though.... not that that's a bad thing. It's a usual thing. ;-)

Sunday night. Craving a beer. I'll pour my own 'cause I can tell you're busy. I'll have one of these:

Lovely looking butternut pancakes... yummy looking, indeed!

I probably would if the growing season was long enough.

>207 ffortsa: That sounds like a good day, Judy. We went out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty way back when and liked those views, but Governor's Island is a new one for me. Art venue? As in, on sale, or displayed, or both?

I'm with you on the Saul Leiter photo. Another one you could look at and think about a long time.

>208 LovingLit: Hooray! I thought RD's report of the almost-shouting of TGOEM might help, Megan. You're in for a great read when the time comes.

>209 EBT1002: We agree, Ellen. You've been missed here. Thanks for finding the beer on your own. Autumn Ale - I'm ready!

>210 mckait: They do look good, don't they, Kath? Seems like an unlikely combo to me, butternut squash pancakes, but sometimes welcome surprises and favorites come out of unlikely combos.

>211 sibylline: Hah! Wouldn't that be great, Lucy, to grow your own coffee? I think we'd have to relocate to a more hospitable place, but maybe that would be okay. Every coffee-growing locale I've seen a picture of has looked pretty.



Lime Tree Farm Jamaica

I finished The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams, which was a light urban fantasy featuring maverick angel Bobby Dollar on the trail of souls gone missing - just when they've died and are supposed to be subjected to Heaven-Purgatory-Hell judgment, some simply disappear, which isn't supposed to be possible. An angel - hell demon romance isn't supposed to be either, but Bobby is awfully attracted to the haughty she-demon Caz. The reason for disappearance proved to be more intriguing than I expected. And the author managed to make this satisfying as a stand-alone, even though it's the beginning of more - a trilogy?

Thanks to Jim (drneutron) for recommending this one. It wasn't on the level of Jim Butcher's Dresden books for me, but better, IMHO, than Simon Green's urban fantasies. Bobby Dollar is a fun guy to follow around.

I also finished Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey, an impressive poetry collection related to an interracial upbringing and the experiences of black Union soldiers in the Civil War. I'll review it soon.

Morning Joe- Coffee please! Are you a bit pooped after partying all weekend? We have to take it easy at our age.

>214 msf59: Hah! Morning Mark - I am pooped after all the crazy bawdiness over the weekend. You're right, taking it easy is a priority. I've been unsuccessful convincing my co-workers of that so far, but I'm not giving up.

Coffee coming up (there are pastries on the counter):

I couldn't resist posting this photo of the GO Cafe in Geelong, AU near Melbourne. I'd like to go there.

That's a great looking cafe, Joe.

I second Deb's opinion on Arnaldur Indridason .. I have thoroughly enjoyed his books and I too think he gets better with each book he writes.

I'm stopping by on my way to dinner (I'm going to Geo. Forman a steak for myself) and wanted to give you a path to a photograph I took yesterday, after the Seattle Storm won their big game. I was standing with a crowd and we were all pointing our little iPhones up at the Needle and..

well, go see for yourself: http://www.librarything.com/topic/142479#3622281

Hi Joe, I thumbed your review of The Garden of Evening Mists the other day when I read it on the Hot Review list but I never got over here to tell you how much i appreciated it. The whole time while I read the book I could feel/see the mist hanging in the air, that's how good Eng's descriptive writing was. Lovely, lovely prose too.

Too far behind to catch up properly, and as I likely have mere minutes before Charlie wakes up, I'll just settle myself in here, if that's okay...

So does this mean that there is a remodel in the cafe of the future?
That is great! :)

>217 cameling: Good to see you, Caro. Doesn't that look inviting?

I certainly liked Jar City, and it's good to hear the Erlendur books get better as it goes along.

>218 maggie1944: That's a cool photo, Karen. What a sight. Our hotel was near the space needle last time we stayed in Seattle. We went up during the day. I wonder whether there were any folks up there at night, looking out at that moon.

>219 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie. I thumbed yours, too! I actually was just thinking about you in connection with The Garden of Evening Mists. I'll pm you - I'm still thinking about that ending and what was going on with Yun Ling. You're right, lovely, lovely prose. What a writer.

>220 scaifea: You're never behind, Amber, you just missed a serving or two. :-) Yes, settle in and we'll make it easy for you while Charlie sleeps.

>221 mckait: Isn't it great, Kath? I don't know, do you think we should remodel into that kind of look? It's tempting!

Morning Joe! Go Bears! Go Bears! Does it get any better? That D-fence is awesome!

I **need** super-cheesy macaroni and cheese or I will *expire*.

Reviews to write.

The title of Natasha Trethewey's Native Guard refers to the Lousiana Native Guards, a black regiment fighting for the Union in the Civil War. As explained in historical notes at the end, in one incident black Union soldiers and officers were fired on by white Union soldiers, and black dead on the battlefield were ignored by white Union soldiers because of their color.

Much of the collection deals with remembering and forgetting. A Native Guard's journal in the title poem begins in November, 1862:

"Truth be told, I do not want to forget anything of my former life: the landscape's
song of bondage - dirge in the river's throat
where it churns into the Gulf, wind in trees
choked with vines."

Along the way, he realizes to some extent tables have turned:

"We know it is our duty now to keep
white men as prisoners - rebel soldiers,
would-be masters. We're all bondsmen here, each
to the other. Freedom has gotten them captivity."

The narrator knows that for anyone in that war, freedom could become captivity, and the Native Guard remained on uncertain ground. It turns out his journal is an "official duty", and he is told "it's best to spare most detail, but I know there are things which must be accounted for." At the end of it all will be the dead on the field, and, though he does not want to forget, the dead will be forgotten.

So much is forgotten in our lives, in our history. In the first section, she mourns the loss of her mother, and thinks about the loss of family history that attends that personal loss. In the horrifying "What is Evidence", the evidence is

"Not the fleeting bruises she'd cover with make-up . . . nor the quiver
in the voice she'd steady, leaning
into a pot of bones on the stove."

In the rhythmic, formal poem "Myth", she deals with the irony of her dead mother reappearing in her dreams:

"The Erebus {god of darkness} I keep you in - still trying -

I make between my slumber and my waking.
It's as if you slipped through some rift, a hollow.
I was asleep while you were dying."

The second section deals predominantly with racism, with Nina Simone's "Everybody knows about Mississippi" as its epitaph. When a child reads the sign "Greenwood Library for Negroes", all she can say to slow-moving history is, "you are late". Yet that literacy is critical throughout this collection, with one soldier, for example, giving mixed-race officer Francis Dumas a tip of the hat for having "taught me to read and write," while at the same time making us think of mixed-race author Alexander Dumas, who lived such a different life.

The third section has the poet reflecting on growing up as a mixed-race child. How her parents broke Missouri miscegenation laws, the shame she now feels because as a little girl she said nothing when taught in school that before the war slaves were "happy . . . The slaves were clothed, fed and better off under a master's care." She constantly questions her parents "why and why and why" , and comes home from school to ask them the meaning of "peckerwood and nigger lover, half-breed and zebra." Oh my.

This Pulitzer Prize winner is bravely written, and often heart-breaking. It reminds us once more about how much should not be forgotten, and the devastating damage we can inflict on each other.

That sounds like a powerful read....

My cold is lingering, and I have a big do tonight at which I'm speaking, so something in the hot toddy with lemon/honey to clear the passages and soothe the throat would be good ! I won't be able to eat until afterwards, too nervous...

Thanks for your patience - I was working away on that review.

>223 msf59: Hiya, Mark! That was awesome, wasn't it? Love watching them play aggressive defense like that. And the line protected Cutler, and he made good decisions with that rocket arm of his. Fun!

>224 richardderus: Super cheesy macaroni and cheese seems like a small price to pay for more of your wonderful reviews, RD, so this'll be on the cafe:



>225 jnwelch: Thanks, Genny. It is, it is.

Sorry about the lingering cold. Hot toddy with lemon/honey coming up:

>225 jnwelch: Thumbs-upped the review, of course, but I'll be six weeks dead before I'll read a poultry book.

Oh that mac and cheese...oh yyyyuuuuummmmmm

I've reviewed a novella, Seven for a Secret by Elizabeth Bear, in my thread...post #205.

It's the sequel to a short-story collection set in an alternative reality where the Prussian Empire controls 1938 London, and the future freedom of England depends on an elderly forensic sorceress and an even older wampyr.

And now I've got the next two novellae in that universe coming to my village liberry! W00t!

ETA Damn! This touchstone madness makes me a crazy person!

>228 richardderus: It's a poetry book, not a poultry book, Richard. Oh, you knew that. Oh well.

We're enjoying that mac and cheese back in the kitchen, too, I've got to tell you.

I've never read Elizabeth Bear, so maybe this is a short one to try. I'll look forward to reading the review.

#225

We'll make sure we pack one in your coffin, ready for the six weeks after demise.

Coffin, schmoffin. I'm donating the leftovers to medical science for study. Hah!

>>230 lunacat:-231 I'm not sure which to be more scared of, mac n cheese zombies or RD donating to medical science for further study.

Hi Joe! Great review, as usual. I know it's 3:30 in the afternoon, but I would LOVE a big bowl of chicken noodle soup with some fresh bread and a GIANT beer. Newcastle, if you have it.

>233 LauraBrook: Hah! Thanks re the review, Laura. You never know when those chicken noodle soup and beer urges are going to hit. Here you go (good luck with the beer):

#231

Heh...........looking forward to seeing what the medical professionals make of you ;)

Got the munchies, and I KNOW I'm not really hungry, Joe. Please give me a selection of savory appetizers to take the edge off.

And great review of the poetry book, well deserving of a thumb!

Joe, I found a picture of your bar!

LIKE!

Joe, Could I get a glass of Chardonnay, please? And that's a very nice review of Native Guard up there. Good work!

Joe, thanks for the grub, that beer was just about as big as I needed. ;) And hey, Richard DID find a pic of the bar - very nice!

I'm all for a glass of pinot noir while I download my next audiiobook, Judas Unchained, and contemplate cooking dinner.

>237 richardderus: Its Joes cafe and Bar!
Im even more of a regular now.

>235 lunacat: Me, too, Jenny. I'm not sure they're ready. They may cryofreeze him until the 22d century.

>236 ronincats: Thanks for the thumb, Roni. It'd be cool to see a poultry, I mean, poetry book be a hot review, but it seems unlikely, unfortunately.

Hmm, savory appetizers. The chef is intrigued. (If you're not a bread person, let us know).



>237 richardderus: Love it, Richard! Please thank the photographer for us.

>238 Crazymamie: I like that photo, too, Mamie. Glad you enjoyed the review! Chardonnay coming up:



>239 LauraBrook: Phew, we thought that'd be enough Newcastle for you, Laura, but it's good to have it confirmed. The bar's looking good, isn't it? That Richard gets around - we never even noticed the photographer.

>240 avatiakh: Hi, Kerry. Thank goodness we have the time jiggererer. We'll get you that pinot noir right away. I probably should read Pandora's Star, yes? Let us know how you like Judas Unchained.



>241 LovingLit: Ah, excellent, Megan! It's a better place when you're here, no doubt about it. We seem to be on a wine trend at the moment.

Morning Joe! Java please. Make it a jumbo! I bit weary from moving Bree into the city. But she is all settled in. She lives on George, just north of Lincoln. A very hopping area, but a hassle to get to, for us suburbanites. I got all turned around leaving, with all those dreaded diagonal streets!

I hope Laura loved her GIANT beer! LOL.

LOVED RD's bar pic! That is a winner!

Morning Mark! Jumbo java coming up. Yeah, moving is exhausting. I'm sure Bree appreciated the help. It may be a hassle to get there from your place, but where she lives now is quite close to ours - we live near Lincoln and Addison. So come on by next time you're in the 'hood! It gets easier - it's all a grid, with a few diagonals like Lincoln.

Laura seems satisfied with the bit of Newcastle we found her. I love that RD bar pic, too. Who knew a good photographer had stopped by?

I got some fun news from out west. Son Jesse participated in his first poetry slam in Seattle and actually won the darn thing! And he did it with new pieces he's written since he got there. His ma says he was in shock, but very excited. He got $25 for winning. Once his ma and I take our usual 10% cut of anything he makes, he still will have a lot left. (Just kidding, for any visitors who don't come here a lot). He seems to be settling in beautifully.

ETA: Oops, I digressed so much I forgot your order! This proprietor really goofs up sometimes. Here you go (please ignore the person sitting on the rim):

Congratulations to Jesse! Has he been writing poetry long?

With your new shelving under the counter, it looks as though we can order books along with our food and drink orders now, or do we just help ourselves from the shelves while waiting for our drinks to arrive?

Wow, Joe! Congrats to Jesse and his proud Momma and Papa!! That is just so cool.

Latte and a slice of pecan pie, please.

Thanks, Genny! Yes, he'd been writing some before that, but when he joined the local program Young Chicago Authors he really took off with it. He's been performing it nearly as long - takes after his storyteller mom with that part, methinks.

Yes, it's help yourself from the shelves while waiting for your drinks. One hope is you'll let the other denizens know what you picked and what you think of it, but if you just want to take it to your favorite table or booth or chair, that's fine, too.

We posted at exactly the same time, Joe!

>246 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! Jeez, I've got to get over to your place and read msg#81 about Jack Taylor. A little bird named Mark told me to.

Isn't that great with Jesse? And he's already starting to make connections in their poetry community, which makes his Momma and Papa feel good, too. It ain't easy starting out in a new city.

No pumpkin chocolate chip muffin today? I like to mix things up, too. Here you go:



>248 Crazymamie: Great minds think alike, Mamie! That may be a first for me, matching the time exactly. We need to celebrate: your latte and pie are on us.

Well it's tea-time for me, so a nice cup of Earl Grey would be great, and I'll grab that old penguin paperback copy of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie since I've just started reading that at home.

>250 gennyt: We did it, too, Genny! Exact time = free Earl Grey. I just read a very positive review about The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie somewhere on LT. I knew it was supposed to be good, but I didn't know about the creepiness aspect.

Here you go:

Ooh, free tea! Even better! So far Jean Brodie is funny but not yet creepy. But it's only short, so I guess I'll get to the creepiness soon...

>253 jnwelch: You got it, Genny! Looking forward to hearing more tales of Miss Brodie.

Grab the book, we'll bring your tea, and come on over to the new cafe. Everybody else, too - bring your stuff, we'll grab the comestibles and beverages, and meet you there!

Now that's a cup of coffee! Just what I need. I'm dragging a bit today!

Go Jesse! Go Jesse! Very cool!