Mark's Reading Place #24: A Gathering!

Lincoln reading to Tad! In honor of the Team of Rivals Group Read.



Young woman, with reddish blonde hair, in a blue skirt, reading in bed!

Currently Reading:



Audiobook:


Graphic:


Books Read So Far...

August:

90) Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne 5 stars (audio)
91) Binocular Vision: New & Selected Stories by Edith Pearlman 4.7 stars
92) The Giver by Lois Lowry 4.2 stars
93) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 4.5 stars (audio) (G.R.) (OTS)
94) Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson 4 stars (audio)
95) Canada by Richard Ford 3.3 stars
96) Graceling by Kristin Cashore 3.9 stars (audio)
97) An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro 3.8 stars (OTS)
98) The Red Pony by John Steinbeck 3.7 stars (OTS)
99) The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo 3.9 stars (audio) (OTS)
100) Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders 4.2 stars
101) Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 3.8 stars (OTS)
102) The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian 3.6 stars (audio)
103) The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba 4.7 stars (OTS)
104) The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir by Laurie Sandell 4.3 stars (OTS)
105) The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce 3.8 stars (audio)

September:

106) The Lost Ones by Ace Atkins 3.8 stars (ER) (OTS)
107) Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan 4 stars (audio)
108) Midwinter Blood by Mons Kallentoft 3.2 stars (OTS)
109) The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 3.4 stars (audio) (OTS)
110) The Long Walk by Brian Castner 4.8 stars (audio)
111) The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers 4.6 stars (OTS)
112) Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill 4 stars (audio)
113) In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck 5 stars (G.R.)
114) The Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire 4.5 stars (GN)
115) Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld 4 stars (audio)
116) Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer 4.5 stars (audio)
117) Logavina Street by Barbara Demick 4.8 stars (ER)
118) Death Without Company by Craig Johnson 4 stars (audio)
119) Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi 4.2 stars

October:

120) This is Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz 5 stars
121) The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen 3.8 stars (audio)
122) The Big Burn by Timothy Egan 4.4 stars (audio)
123) Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle 4.3 stars GN
124) Every Day by David Levithan 4 stars (audio)
125) 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami 4.2 stars (Group Read) (OTS)
126) March Violets by Philip Kerr 4 stars (audio) (OTS)
127) In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner 4.7 stars
128) Under and Alone by William Queen 4 stars (audio)
129) Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead 3.6 stars (audio) YA
130) More Baths Less Talking by Nick Hornby 4 stars
131) Stabs at Happiness: 13 Stories by Todd Grimson 3.8 stars (OTS)
132) Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard 5 stars (OTS)
133) The Lost Art of Reading by David L. Ulin 3.8 stars
134) A Handbook of American Prayer by Lucius Shepard 3.8 stars (OTS)

November:

135) Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware 4 stars (GN)
136) Stoner by John Williams 4.3 stars (OTS)

Cream of the Crop '12:

1) Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick 4.8 stars (audio)
2) The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson 4.7 stars (audio)
3) Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne 5 stars
4) In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck 5 stars
5) What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes 4.7 stars
6) Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo 5 stars
7) This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz 5 stars
8) Every Man in This Village is a Liar by Megan Stack 4.7 stars (audio)
9) The Long Walk by Brian Castner 4.8 stars (audio)
10) Logavina Street by Barbara Demick 4.8 stars
11) Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard 5 stars


Group Reads 2012:

November: The Pearl by John Steinbeck,Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
December: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)

Oh, my, am I the first? I love the pictures up top. The blue skirt? Are we sure it is a skirt? Pretty picture in any case!

Born to Read - Yep that sums you up mate! Congratulations on your latest thread.

Ha, and I think I am second *big smile* I do love the pictures as well. Wish you a great week Mark.

Hi Mark- New thread, new cool pics, new conversation, new books. All sounds pretty good to me!

I am just settling into If I Die Before I wake by Sherwood King, a goodly little dark tale so far. Reminds me of your noir films. Til (not so) Little Lenny wakes up, then Ill be on injury-watch for the rest of the day. He has such little regard for personal safety ;)

New thread and I'm only 7 messages in...not too shabby! ;)

Nice new thread, Mark! Reserving my spot for thread 24 - congrats!

Okay, I finished A Handbook of American Prayer. It was a very good read. I just wish it would have ended as strong as it began. This was a Concord Free Press book, (thanks to Caro, the naughty nun) and this was the 2nd CFP book I have read and both were solid reads. I just wish they would release more books! Come on CFP! It's a wonderful set-up.
I'm chugging along with Team of Rivals. We are approaching the 1860 election. Hope Lincoln wins! I'm really sweating it out, but not as much as the 2012 version.

Next up, is Stoner! I have a strong feeling this is going to be a stellar read.

Karen is first! Karen is first! I'll crack you open a beer. So, you don't think our red-headed reader is wearing a skirt? Do you think it's a blue towel, because that would work too? I'm really enjoying TOR, although Goodwin does take her time.
Did you get over to the Books on the Nightstand website?

Paul- Thanks! "Born to Read". I think that fits all of our happy LT family. It's our glue!

Bianca- I love the smile! Keep 'em coming. Hope your week is going well too!

Megan- The King book sounds interesting. You know I like my noir! And yes, please keep an eye on little Lenny! He's my little buddy.

Big Waves and Hugs to Valerie & Mamie! Thanks for chiming in so fast!

Mark, I did get over to the Books on the Nightstand and fell asleep last night listening to one of their podcasts. I need to put some on my phone and listen when I'm upright. I am seriously thinking I should do the Bellingham event in June. Sign ups are in December so I'll be thinking about it until then.

I'm enjoying TOR, too. I am a wee bit behind you: 1852 and the publishing of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Whew! Talk about the power of the pen! I am enjoying following the four men. They seem so human, don't they.

Thanks for the beer.

Wow, I missed an entire thread. Haven't been on LT much, but I wanted to drop in and say hi. I'm so glad you liked In the Shadow of the Banyan. I read it as an advanced reader's copy and haven't been able to post my review on LT, but I loved it. Nice to see others enjoying it too.

Mark - time to stop talking and get into Stoner! :) - Nancy

hi mark!
on my way to bed w/ book and wearing a strappy, black sling!!!!
hahahaha....

Karen- Was tonight the Egan talk? I'll have to stop by your thread in the morning. Try to listen to more of the old BOTNS podcasts. They are very infectious.

Lisa- Wow, what a nice surprise. Yes, I really enjoyed In the Shadow of the Banyan. It will be interesting to see what she does next.
I hope you are doing well on your recovery.

Nancy- LOL. You got it, boss! It's not a very long book. I should be done with it over the weekend.

Claudia- I'm off to bed too, but without my strappy black thingy! Sweet dreams!

I own Stoner but have I read it yet? Nope. It sits along a shelf with scads of other unread books patiently waiting its turn. Nice new thread Mark. I've only just barely gotten started on TOR.

Hi Mark! I recently read a good review of Stoner and put it on my wishlist. I had never heard of it in my life, but it seems like a popular book right now. What is causing this buzz? Is it an LT thing? Just curious.

Happy Halloween everyone! Kids are out of the house, gathering goodies, and probably driving Don around the bend. I've stayed at home, to guard the bowl of candy and finish the decorations.

And here are some librarians from a Sydney library, getting into the swing of Halloween: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A6hCSKOCEAE7uTb.jpg

Not quite the sexy librarians of a previous thread. ;)

ETA: just caught up on the old thread, and thanks to all who posted comments about Miss Boo and her current crop of difficult friends!

A shiny new Mark thread! Happy Halloween good sir. Any good October beers you would recommend?

Happy Halloween, LT Gang!

Bonnie- Homeland! Homeland! How about those 2 leads? The best on TV. Well, I hope I spark you to pick up Stoner. It really looks like OUR kind of read.
"scads of other unread books." You're preaching to the choir, my friend!

Kerri- I think Stoner got a big re-release a few years ago. I remember reading about it then and adding it to the WL. And what sparked me this time, was Nick Hornby mentioned it, in very glowing terms, in his latest collection. A perfect storm. Sometimes that's what it takes.

Tania- It's my wife's birthday today too, so she'll be running around with her niece and nephews and we'll be going to a Halloween party this evening. There will be beer and food but no dressing up for this guy. The librarian link did not work for me!

Kim- Happy Halloween to you too! I don't drink pumpkin ales or to many October beers. Sam Adams Octoberfest is always a good stand-by. I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

Hm, I'm obviously not all that clever with Twitter then! :) You can try this, it should work: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A6hCSKOCEAE7uTb.jpg

Happy New Thread, Mark!
The Jack O Lantern in #20 seems to be enjoying his particular perch...

Hi Mark: I was wondering how battered you were by that wind yesterday. That was something. Just starting to get reports from friends out east. Sounds like lots of flooded basements and some other property damage but all the friends and their families are ok.

I'll probably start Stoner in the next few days, too. I'd never heard of it til the Missouri Readers chose it. The chat officially starts on 11/11.

Happy Halloween!!

Can someone post a link to the MIssouri Readers Stoner conversation?

Looks like you're reading some good books at present. I'm taking a day off from reading since I finished 1Q84 yesterday and my family need to see me without a book in hand for a while.

Hi Mark,
Its morning, Im caffeinated, its going to be a great sunny day, and we are off soon in the first of a number of fun visits.
I hope your day goes swimmingly too :)

Hi Mark - looks like it's a less blustery day today up here - how is it by you?

Happy Halloween to you and Sue, and I hope she has a very Happy Birthday!!!!

#25 There's no discussion yet (probably won't start til 11/11) but it'll be at:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/143409

Mumsey is only here for a couple of days. She came in late Monday night and will be leaving on Saturday. She is here to help me unpack boxes. She is having fun "discovering" all the junk I have stored up over the years. However, we are getting some boxes sorted through. I am working half days this week so that when she gets a box cleaned out and sorted I can then go through the sorted stuff and make decisions. The system worked very well yesterday. We went through two boxes and today got another two. At this rate I will have no uncharted boxes left when she leaves.

I did not dress up this Halloween. I have in the past and enjoy making costumes for myself. The best one ever was Medussa. Or maybe Smurfette? I keep thinking I want to do a Pippi Longstocking costume and a Dorothy costume and then do an Olivia costume, etc. etc., but I get one made about every three years. I sort of like those literary characters. I have to slow down as keeping them is now taking up almost a whole closet of space.

Happy Halloween Mark! Hope you are having a spooky night :)

Mark happy birthday to your good lady - I'm sure the timing of her birthday has occasioned some merriment especially when she has you under her spell! Btw lucky pumpkin in #20.

Happy Halloween! I'm still in uniform, didn't have time to change, handing out candy...although I just ran out. The wife is taking her niece and nephew out trick or treating. She'll be back in an hour.

Tania- It worked that time! That's some scary librarians. Sorry, not my type. LOL.

Amber- I hope you and Charlie have a very nice Halloween!

Linda- It was a bit blustery yesterday but not bad and today was milder. A bit chilly starting out but got better in the afternoon. A nice Halloween in Chicago!
Thanks for the Stoner link. I started it and it's very good.

Nancy- You'll be glad to know, I read just under 50 pages of Stoner today. It's very good. The writing is terrific.

Yah Kerry! Yah Kerry! Glad you finished 1Q84. Now, you can pay attention to your loved ones again. LOL.

Megan- Thanks for the drive-by! Hope you guys are having a great day.

Laura- It was not a bad day here. Cool & breezy. No complaints. Do you dress up for Halloween? We are going to a friend's house later but we are not dressing up. Thanks for Sue's b'day wishes.

Benita- What? You and Mumsey aren't dressing up? You NEED to start taking pics of you in your "literary character" costumes. That is a very cool idea.

Chelle- I hope you have a spooky night as well! Hugs!

Paul- I will pass the birthday wishes on to the DW! Glad you liked the "lucky pumpkin".

Hi Mark. Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday to your wife. Have fun celebrating!

I'll be interested in what you think of Stoner. That's been on my WL since Anne (AMQS) recommended it awhile ago but I don't own a copy. If you love it too, I may have to rectify that (or at least put it on my Christmas Swap list).

Hi Mark, just dropping by to wish you Happy Holloween. It's just past 3:30 pm here so the Trick or Treaters aren't expected for a few hours yet. I'm not sure how many we will get this year as the weather is quite rainy. My husband is hoping for only a few cause he has his eye on the chocolate bars!

I am dressed up as the weird book lady - whoops! That's what I always look like!

Have a good one.

I had to post this, especially since I saw who one of the authors were. Wow!



Here's an excerpt: The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home

The library is deserted tonight. I asked the students who work here why and they said it was because of Halloween. All the students are out partying. At 7:00 p.m. I asked? It takes time to get the costume on and do all the make-up.

OK!

Have you started listening to "Foreign Bodies?" These are great episodes. You have got to download them and do some listening. To top it off, BBC 4 is doing dramatizations of all ten of the Per Wahloo Martin Beck books. I read one of these and enjoyed it. If they make the dramatizations available for downloading I think I will download them to the iPad and listen along. I have had trouble finding the books since they are older and will have to Inter-Library Loan them if I want to read them.

It's not too late to wish you a Happy New Thread, is it Mark? I had some pretty cool Halloween images I wanted to post, but I guess I'll keep them for next year... or put them up as post-Halloween stuff, for those who can never get enough of this holiday!

>37 msf59: ha! brilliant. Atwood sure comes up with some odd ball stuff doenst she?

Yes Mark I agree, Homeland is easily the best thing we're watching right now. I wonder how many episodes there are this season? Did you know Clair Danes is seven months pregnant? They're using a body double for her scenes.

I haven't bought a book in awhile, but I did receive an Ammy package yesterday:
the Twelve- This is the follow-up to The Passage, that everyone was reading two years ago. I plan to start it, in a few weeks.
Rebel Heart- This is the 2nd Dust Lands book, that follows Blood Red Road, which I really enjoyed. My daughter was a big fan too!
Britten and Brulightly- This excellent GN is for the "keeper" shelves. I do not own many GNS but this one is a Must Own.

Did anyone dash out to order The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home?

Pat- Yes, we had a nice Halloween, thanks. How about yourself? Yes, now I remember, Anne was one of the first LTers to have read Stoner. It's very good so far. The writing is choice.

Judy- Any photos of the "weird book lady"? Hope you had a nice Halloween.

Benita- Was is Foreign Bodies? A radio show? A podcast? I'm always interested in that stuff. I read a couple of the Martin Beck books, way back in the early 80s. I wouldn't mind a re-visit.

Ilana- It's never to late for a visit! Good to see you. Would have liked to see the Halloween pics.

Megan- I really NEED to get back to Ms. Atwood. Sadly, I have only read one but the good news is I have several of hers waiting in the stacks.

Bonnie- Homeland Rules! I did not know that Clare Danes was pregnant. Wow. The magic of TV, huh? You will LOVE Stoner!

Glad to see that you are enjoying Team f Rivals.. I found it to be really compelling & interesting...
take care :)

Hi Mark - The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home is definately for me *big grin* and I have to check out if it's already available in the UK.
What did you think about the Passage by Justin Cronin? I still have to wait for The Twelve, the book doesn't come out before beginning of this month, I think. Have to check that as well later on. :)

Have a luvely day :)

Hi Mark, I have been 4 threads behind and have been catching up since last 10 days. Lots of book for the TBR list.

My reading last landed me in the same era that you are in. I am tackling Gone with the Wind.

You know I have a hoarding issue Mark, because I've already put The Twelve on my WL before I've even read The Passage. It is sitting on my shelves and I bought it purely because the premise sounded right up my alley. Did you read it? Did you like it?

I guess this still qualifies as a new thread since I haven't seen it before. I'm glad you're enjoying ToR--I have a copy, but I can't possibly read it right now. Hopefully next year!

I think I need The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home as well.

I am sorry. I thought that it was you who told me and everybody else on your thread about the Mark Lawson series on BBC4. The title of the series is "Foreign Bodies." It is 15 episodes about murder mysteries and how they often reflect the history and culture of the place in which they are set. In some cases they review past history, but in some cases they forecast the emergence of political, social, and cultural movements. The example here is Jo Nesbo and the rise of Neo-Nazism in Norway. There are interviews with different authors. I listened to two of the episodes last night and they were very good. I have not read any Georges Simeonon and his Maigret series, but after listening to that episode I will have to add him to my list of authors to be read. These are not podcasts - at least I don't think so - but they can be downloaded and listened to at your convenience. I don't know who Mark Lawson is, but I like this series.

Also, BBC4 is doing a 10 part dramatization of the Martin Beck books by Per Wahloo. These start on Saturday and I am not sure how long they run, but suspect that once they are broadcast you can go to the BBC4 web-site and download them. They are not audio books - they are radio plays made from the books. I would like to hear one, just to see how they do them.

Hey Mark, I hope you don't mind if I just drop by to post the following public message :

I've just now created the discussion threads for The Pearl: http://www.librarything.com/topic/144208 and Travels with Charley: http://www.librarything.com/topic/144209 our two Steinbeckathon short reads this month.

You can join either one or both—I know I've planned to read both as I loved The Pearl the first time around, and I've been looking forward to reading Travels with Charley for a long time!

Running a bit late today! RL getting in the way again. Naughty RL!

Kath- I'm really enjoying Team of Rivals. I LOVE this time in American history. I'm just about at the halfway point.
Have you ordered the Twelve yet?

Bianca- I loved The Passage. It may not have been perfect but the quality moments were more numerous than the weak ones. IMHO.

Gautam made it! Gautam made it! Great to see you, sir. Sadly, I have never read Gone with the Wind. I'm a big fan of the film though and have seen it several times. Hope you are enjoying the book.

Valerie- I'm a big fan of the Passage. I know it fell short for some LTers. I think it would be one that would work for you. I hope to book-horn in The Twelve in a few weeks.

Anne- Good to see you! I've wanted to get to TOR for a couple years now. The Group Read was the perfect excuse, much like 1Q84. The monster tomes work well in this format.

Rhian- I need to look up The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home and see if there is any response. If Atwood is involved, it has to be interesting.

Benita- Thanks for all the great info! I'm going to see if I can find that programing through my iTunes.

Ilana- Thanks for the Steinbeck info! I loved Travels with Charley but I read it about 2 years ago. Maybe I'll join on the Pearl. It's a shorty and I haven't read it in about 30 years.

I was listening to a book podcast this morning, called "The Book Pod". I've listened to it a couple times now and it's very good. On this episode they talked to the author of Lighthouse Road, which sounds fantastic. Anyone else hear anything about this new gem? It went immediately on to my WL.



They also talked about Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. I think this one came out last year and it also sounds terrific. Anyone hip?

There are some folks over in The Green Dragon who have read, and loved, this one. Not me, unfortunately, though.

I've heard of Moonwalking with Einstein and almost picked it up at a $4.95 Audible sale, but then decided against it. Don't remember quite why though.

Marky-Mark - I read Moonwalking with Einstein a few months ago. I thought it was interesting but just ok. Partly because I was expecting more from the book. I'll add more comments after you read and review it. I'll be curious to see what you think of it.

Mark - still listening to TOR? I think you might want to get a pad of post-its and a real life copy so you can note some good spots! I've just started doing some high lighting as I read it on the MacBook! Wow. I'm at the Lincoln/Douglas debates and wow, they were certainly talking about the very fundamental precepts of this country. Fascinating.

Enjoy your upcoming vacation, and don't forget to read!

Karen- Were you talking about Moonwalking with Einstein? So you didn't care for it? And yes, while I'm working I listen to TOR. I keep post-its on hand all the time, so there is no excuse for not taking more notes. I have the print book, which I hope to dip into while on vacation, but I'm not expecting to make much head-way.

Ilana- That sounds like a good Audible price. I'm going to see if they have it on audio, in my library system.

Caro- The memory stuff in Moonwalking with Einstein sounds really fascinating. So, it didn't improve your memory? Give you any pointers? My memory could use some improving.

There's the problem with pronouns and indefinite articles! I was talking about Moonwalking with Einstein when I mentioned The Green Dragon folks. I was talking about Team of Rivals when I mentioned post-its.

OK, I'll go read now.

>53 msf59: well the moonwalking science book looks really good. Cover design is beautiful.

The Pearl was the first Steinbeck I ever read, and I love love loved it. And now him too. I havent made it to a Steinbeckathon GR yet though. Crazy but true.

Mark - I've been waiting very impatiently for my LTER copy of The Lighthouse Road to arrive. And following all the pre-pub and post-pub hype, including the podcast you heard. I may just have to check it out from the library if it takes much longer.

Peter Geye wrote a recent favorite of mine, Safe From the Sea. It was also a library read but I liked it so much, I bought a nice used (and signed) copy for my shelf.

Very highly recommend adding it to your list, too.

good books !

Okay, I pick this over going into work. Anybody with me?

I ended up having a very good October for reading, despite the fact that I read an 1,100 page behemoth. Thanks of course to my audiobooks, which are my salvation (silent prayer) but I also managed to bookhorn in a few slim volumes too. Aren't I clever?
I also had two 5 star reads, with another one just missing the mark. Over all, not to shabby!

Karen- I knew you were talking about TOR and post-its. I think that was my fault, crowding them together.

Megan- Moonwalking with Einstein is all about memory and how to strengthen it. Mine sucks, BTW. It's mentioned in the book, that there are people who memorize entire books. Could you imagine? I would like to see 'em try 1Q84.
I'm going to try squeezing in The Pearl too. It's been a few decades.

Joanne- Now, I remember you talking (and raving) about Safe From the Sea. They mentioned that one in the podcast too. I NEED to get to both. I've always liked & respected your book choices.

Glad you like my books, "yan0301"! It looks like you should be doing more reading, with only 5 books in your library.

Even though I loved The Passage, I don't think I will read The Twelve..
you can write a good review and let me know what goes on.. :) Safe From the Sea is enticing, though...

Morning Mark! Love that picture and the feeling it evokes in post 63. Hope your Friday goes smoothly - do you have to work tomorrow?

Yes, that picture is so evocative: summer, out in the country, sweet smelling grass, nearby blackberries, long long days

Love it

I'm with you for #63. Just the glimpse of sunshine makes my day, let alone a book and some solitude, and the sundress, and the barefeet, shall I go on?

It's Friday, it's Friday!! In case you didn't know.

Mark you're so hard to keep up with! And your thread is such a source of good books. I've never heard of Peter Geye but I just put Safe from the Sea on my library hold list thanks to you and Joanne. :)

Safe from the Sea temps me, too. I tucked it onto my WL for someday....

Hi Mark!!

Yikes!!! I don't check in for only 4 days and I'm 208 messages behind!!

Just wanted to mention I was listening to NPR on Wednesday. I heard Rushdie's Midnight Children is being made into a movie.

Hi, Mark! Just catching up . . .

*waves*

Ditto.....
Ill give you my own personal wave though....
*waves*

I better stop listening to these podcasts! On the current NPR Book podcast, they were interviewing Emma Donoghue and discussing her new story collection, which sounds great. I know LT opinion was mixed on Room but I was a big fan.
How are we ever going to get caught up? HUH? How about a moratorium on good books, for what...2 years?

Kath- Could you please explain why you would not want to read the Twelve, after being such an evangelist for The Passage? This better be good.........I'm waiting!

Mamie- I'm glad you like the woman in repose. i don't usually read in that particular position but I could. And yes, I am working Saturday but then I'm off next week but do not tell Claudia. She get's very worked up and with her recent injury, it could get ugly.

Karen & Lynda- I'm glad you like #63! The grass, the book, the blackberries and the feet!

Kim- I can't experience Fridays like the rest of the normal population but that's okay! Have a great weekend.

Pat- I had not heard of Peter Geye either but I now remember, (with assistance) that Joanne was a BIG fan of Safe From the Sea. Got to love Joanne! These books sound great!

Tammy made it! Tammy Made it! And only 208 messages later! LOL. "I heard Rushdie's Midnight Children is being made into a movie." WTH? That's like trying to make cloud Atlas into a film...oh, that's right they did that too!

Big Wave to Terri!

Megan- I'm not letting you off that easy! What are these ditto & wave things? Nothing to say? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm? I know you can be very chatty when you set your mind to it.

What a great cover for Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything.

*waves* at Mark! I worked last weekend and have been hauling the seniors in my family to the doctors all week. (hazard of being a nurse) I'm off this weekend and I'm headed to the beach tomorrow! Got my copy of TOR and I'm ready to read and relax. Have a great weekend Mark.

Hi Mark
Thanks for posting that link to The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home! I'm going to read it online on Wattpad. I hadn't heard of it before but I really like Atwood

>75 msf59: How about a moratorium on good books, for what...2 years?

What????????????Have you lost your mind Mark????? Keep the good books coming! That's what I say. And lengthen the days by about 24 hours. That's right 48 hour days. Then we can make a dent in the good books. And forget about sleep. We need to be able to get by on a couple of hours a night. Then all our problems will be solved. Mmwwwwahaha!

Have you read any of Donoghue's other books? I have 2 of her other books on my shelves but Room will be my first one if I manage to get it read in November. :)

I'm off to bed, see you guys in the A.M!

I'm with you, Mark! Nighty, night!

It would be great if all bookreaders got to stretch each day out by a couple of hours just for themselves and their books aka Scott Westerfeld's The Midnighters.

Happy Saturday, everyone! I get through this one and then I'm off a week. Yippee! I'm still reading Stoner. Gloomy tone but the writing is prime. I'm over halfway done with Team of rivals, which is quite an accomplishment, although I won't be listening to much next week, due to the fact I won't be working.
I'm also nearly done with my current GN, Jimmy Corrigan. Wow, this has taken me forever to get through. It does not have a page count but for a GN it's huge. It's very good. Creepy, dark and inventive. Will not be for everyone.

Linda- I like that cover too! I'm going to try finding Moonwalking With Einstein on audio.

Roberta- Have a great weekend. Enjoy the beach and team of Rivals. It's a terrific book.

Chelle- I haven't checked but is The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home available in book form too? Sounds fun.

Bonnie- "Have you lost your mind Mark?" Yes, probably. That was tongue firmly in cheek. I've never read more newer books than I have these past couple years. We'll just blame everything on LT. And I'm all up for more time in the day! Yah!

Valerie- Yes, I have read Room but that's the only one. I would love to read her earlier books. I hope you get to it this month.

Nancy- Have a great weekend!

Kerry- Wow, Scott Westerfeld is sure prolific. My wife and daughter just read Peeps and I read Behemoth back in September. The guy churns 'em out.

Happy Saturday to you! A week off! Wonderful. I will be "working" next week, and then on the following Sunday I will fly to Hawaii for my 12 days off. I will take my wonderful MacBook Air with me and be able to continue to read Team of Rivals while in Hawaii. I'll also take the paper copy so I can carry it to the beach. I do not want beach sand in my MacBook, you can see my point, eh? Also, taking the camera so I may have photo or two to take.

I hope your vacation is as good as the one I'm imagining I'm going to have!

Just put Mumsey on the plane and now am at work. No time off for me next week, but hope you enjoy your vacation. I did that this week. Got the living room in order with Mum's help and now have to start on the dining room so I can get ready for my tea drinking group. I am sitting here listening to the "Foreign Bodies" podcasts and am liking them. They are making me think that perhaps I should dive into some other detective series. I already looked up the Lieutenant Boruvka books on Amazon for purchase. Also catching up on the various threads here on LT. I finished 1Q84 last night and read the intro to Team of Rivals. I plan on a long day off tomorrow with no unpacking, no moving, and lots of reading and coffee. this should allow me to make some headway on TOR.

Hey, Mark! How appropriate that you're the last thread I'll have a chance to visit before I head out to a Beer-Tasting party with some girls from work (okay, women. I think there's only one of us who can legitimately be called a girl, and it ain't me!). One of the ladies & her partner are bringing a couple of batches of their home brew. I'm no beer connoisseur, but I'm looking forward to it just the same!

I'll be starting on Stoner for the Missouri Readers this weekend. Looking forward to it!

Happy weekend, Mark!! I thought I'd just looked at your thread and I was 47 messages behind. How did that happen?

No plans this weekend except for Sunday brunch with an old friend and maybe a B&N browse, so I'm hoping to get a lot of reading in.

Hey there, Mark. I'm glad you're getting a much-deserved vacation. Are you heading out somewhere fun or staying home and having fun? I'm sure beer and a barbecue must be in your plans no matter where you are.

I've listened to the first two CDs of Stoner. The problem with audio is I can't use post-it notes on the parts I want to remember for our Missouri Readers discussion.

Hi Mark! I hope you have a lovely weekend. Joe got a case of Zombie Dust last week, so we'll probably crack a few of those tonight and watch a movie.

Happy belated birthday to Sue!

>76 msf59: ditto
*waves*

JUST JOKING!

Hi Mark, Im am so in trouble now arent i?
Sorry for ditto waving. In my defense, I was hooning past and wanted to register my presence but had not the time for a lengthy discussion of the goings on!

So this morning, I have 2 coffees under my belt, a swim with the kids all taken care of, washing done and out, (next load in), dishes done, and Lenny sleeping. So. I have time to say a proper hello, and am now about to hit the couch and read. Have you read The Pilots Wife? It is feeling a bit obvious to me so far, but maybe something will happen to throw me soon.
Have a good one Mark!
(((hugs)))

Is that a better visit?

Someone probably already posted the top one, but I saw it on FB and had to share it! And on the 2nd poster, I don't think there is anything odd about us.

I only have a few minutes. We are meeting friends for drinks and dinner. Of course it will be another brewery. Like, Duh! So, if I don't respond to you, I will be back!

Karen- I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I just started chapter 21 in TOR. I am cruising along. We have never been to Hawaii, but we are hoping to go next fall.

Benita- Are you sorry to see Mumsey go? I hope she was a big help. I know you had a lot of things to unpack. I'll have to see what your final thoughts on 1Q84 are. I'm sure you will love TOR. Such a fascinating time in American history.

Terri- Great to see you! Have a wonderful time at the beer-tasting party. I wish I could join you. So, are these all home-brews?

Linda- You know things can move pretty fast around here. You're a veteran. Enjoy the weekend. I'm loving TOR!

Donna- We will pretty much be staying home. We are going to spend a wild night in the city with my daughter one night. That should be a lot of fun. What did you think of the first part of Stoner?

I'll be back guys...

Oooh, I've downloaded a couple of the "Foreign Bodies" podcasts, I'll try and get to one while making pancakes this morning.

Went out last night for a book launch - an old mate of mine went and wrote a book! All about his life as a musician in the local independent music scene, where I used to hang around on the fringes. Lots of faces I hadn't seen in ages, far too much wine, and a signed copy of the book, The Young Fellow's Encyclopaedia - no touchstone.

Hoping to get some serious reading in today, I'm over halfway through Something Wicked This Way Comes and it is brilliant. Terribly creepy.

Hi Mark, I've been AWOL for a day or so, spending lots of time catching up on my reading. I am currently totally engrossed in We Band of Angels which is about the American nurses that were in the Philippines when war with Japan broke out. These women endured a lot, spending about three years in prison camps.

Hope you enjoy your night out.

Mark - I hope you are able to go to Hawaii. It is wonderful there and despite appearances it is possible to find places where there are not too many tourists. We have a beach on Kauai where you actually have to walk a few feet to get to the sand, and it is frequently almost deserted. Who would think?

I am just on the verge of Lincoln's being elected Pres. Chapter 9 is next. I found the convention and the campaign stuff to be fascinating. His choice to not speak during the campaign because the opposition would be able to twist anything he said made me think maybe President Obama should have stayed in the White House and pleaded "too much work". hahahaha

I am going to take that paragraph and put it in the TOR thread. It seems to have dropped off the radar.

See you later, hope your evening is fun!

ETA: Oooops! I'm just now at Chapter 10, not 9.

hi mark -
good night to go out! you get an extra hour
hope you had fun ;-)

i am sitting here quietly knitting ... (my bone)
vacation again???? LOL

>93 msf59: Oh, I posted that, too! LOL!

>86 maggie1944: Color me green with envy...Kauai is so lovely. Hope you have wonderful weather!

Well, hello there Mark. I'm spending my Saturday evening watching college football and catching up with LT threads. I see that you are one of the participants in Karen's Team of Rivals GR. I just this afternoon picked up my copy from the library. It's hefty and I'm looking forward to it.
As we head into colder weather, I think about you and your work. Thank goodness for audiobooks!
Looking forward to keeping up a bit better in the coming weeks. Dinner at a brewpub for you and friends tonight. I hope it was yummy!

Mark - trust that you are having a marvellous weekend. The second poster message above is a dictum my life seems to be lived by although I have to carry out the addage by means of stealth.

Happy Sunday! Yah, an extra hour for LT or reading or both. Once again, I find myself way behind on my reviews. It's getting tougher to do them during the work week. That's my piddly excuse and I'm sticking with it.

Did anyone see that Khaled Hosseini, author of the Kite Runner, has a new novel coming out in May, called "And the Mountains Echoed". The guy sure takes his time but if he continues to put out the quality he did in his first 2 novels, I'm okay with it.

Kerri- " Joe got a case of Zombie Dust". You just set me drooling. Funny, when we visited Three Floyds a couple months ago and we were visiting the package store, people were carrying case after case of Zombie Dust out. It's prime stuff.
Did you end up watching a movie?

Megan- Hi "ditto waves!" Yes, that was much much better. LOL. I never did read the Pilot's Wife. I even owned a copy for a few years and then it disappeared. I guess I was just never drawn to it.
Hope you had a fantastic weekend.

Tania- That is very cool that your friend wrote a book. You'll have to give us a report once you read it. I read Something Wicked This Way Comes a few months ago and I agree it was wonderful. I was hoping to bookhorn in one more Bradbury before the end of the year.

Judy- Yes, we had a good time at the brewery. It's not the best in the area but there is nothing like fresh brew from the tap. We Band of Angels sounds very good. Hope your weekend is going great.

Karen- My cousin has a time share in Hawaii, (I'm not sure of the exact location) and we are hoping to stay with them.
I'm glad you are enjoying TOR. I hope to dip into the library book a little this week, otherwise I'll have to wait until I get back to work. Actually, I only have about 200 pages left. Yah Mark!

Claudia- I wish we could always "fall back' instead of "spring forward". Yep, last vacation of the year and I'm still carrying a week/plus over for next year. The next one will be in February. I'll sure need that one after a couple months of winter weather.

Joanne- Good to see you! Hope the weekend is going great.

Ellen- Hey, stranger! How are you? I hope you enjoy TOR. It takes a little time to absorb, there is so much great information, but it's been very good. My agenda is going to be reading, the BEARS game and more reading.

Paul- " The second poster message above is a dictum my life seems to be lived by". Amen, my friend. I think we can all relate to that. Actually, I've been trying to keep my book purchases down to a minimum but of course that can change at any moment. The life we lead!

I wish we could leave the blasted clocks alone! humph!

Mark, I'm enjoying TOR also. I am so impressed at how much information A. Lincoln was able to keep in his mind as he makes his decisions! Wow. He did not even have a computer. I wonder what kind of Pres. he'd be in the modern information age?

Hope your vacation week is very relaxing and renewing. Winter weather ahead! Argh!

Hey Mark - we have lots of good microbreweries up here if you care to take a trip on your vacation.

As most of you know, I do love my book podcasts and I heard about another one that is very good. It's called The Book Pod: http://thebookpod.com/?blogsub=confirming#blog_subscription-2
It's also available through iTunes if you want. The latest has a terrific interview with Peter Geye, who's recent The Lighthouse Road sounds fantastic.

Karen- I think Lincoln would have conformed to any time. I'm sure he would have loved all the information that is available, at the touch of a button.
I think Goodwin has written this book for history buffs, so it is really loaded with incredible detail, which I think some readers would find dull. So far, it is working for me.

Nancy- What a great offer. I don't think we have enough time this week to squeeze a trip in up North. I want to be able to spend the night and not have to worry about a 2 hour drive home. I would love to try the Milwaukee Brewery Company. Do they have a brew pub? What are a couple others you would recommend?

i sooo agree with kath #104

i'm wondering if a pres candidate 'promised' to do away with daylight savings time - if they would win hands down? i'd vote for him/her.

though if we always fell back, there would be more time to read!

Morning Mark. I thoroughly enjoyed my extra hour of sleep. Off to the soccer field to watch Jack play. RL like has certainly got in the way of my reading lately. I am determined to find time today! But I did manage to see the movie adaptation of Cloud Atlas. Mixed feelings on that one...

Hi Mark! So glad you're reading Stoner! I'm anxious to see that you think of it. Hope you're having a great weekend.

Hey, Mark, had a great time at the beer-tasting! There were only 2 home brews, a pumpkin ale that was to die for, and a cherry blonde ale that was pretty good. We compared a Schlafly Oktoberfest to a Leimenkugels Oktoberfest (Leimenkugels won, and we tried a Hoegaarden & a Hefeweizen. The Shock Top Raspberry Wheat was my personal favorite, and the Samuel Adams Blackberry Wheat was also good. However, the Lobotomy Bock reminded me of Creomulsion (if you don't know what that is, you're too young, so never mind), and although I finished my taste, it was a chore. All in all, good fun with good friends!

Bears Vs. the Titans! Go Bears! They NEED a big offensive game.

Claudia- "though if we always fell back, there would be more time to read!" Amen, my friend, amen! Enjoy your day.

Kim- Enjoy the soccer game. Hope the weather is nicer there. Sunny but chilly here. I have mixed feelings about seeing Cloud atlas. I loved the book so much.

Anne- Good to see you! I'm nearly finished with Stoner. It's a very good read but also a sad gloomy one. I remember you being one of the first LTers to read this one.

Terri- Thanks for the "beer report". Good job. I'm not a fan of fruity beers. Maybe if I tried some high quality ones, I could be swayed. I haven't tried enough pumpkin ales, to offer an opinion. I have had Hoegaarden. I like a good hefeweizen.

Hi Mark, enjoy your time off. I enjoyed the extra hour last night but would love to do away with time changes altogether. I'll join Cee in voting for the candidate who makes that promise. I haven't really gotten into TOR yet. Other books have pushed it out of the way but maybe by Wednesday I'mm be able to make a dent in it.

Bears 28-2! 1st quarter. Yesssssssssss!!

#102 - Hi Mark - We ended up not watching a movie. Instead, we watched a couple of our Seahawks weekly programs (the regular one and press pass) and then we watched the first episode of American Horror Story: Asylum, which was not good enough to watch again, in my opinion.

Wow. I can't believe that Bears game. Truth be told, I always root for Mathew, but the Titans are getting humiliated.

>107 msf59: thanks for the heads up on the book pod cast. When I get all my spare time Ill be right into all those :)

Glad the brewery trip was fun. At least I assume it was as cant find discussion on the beers sampled....I cant think of many reasons why it wouldnt be!

Go Bears! What a smashup of those Titans!

I've fallen way behind, my friend - social events and computer problems. I'm enjoying TOR very much - what an amazing feat of storytelling that so obviously but still seamlessly draws on an ocean's worth of research.

I finished How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, and will be recommending it to you. I actually think it would help to know more about Israel than I do to get the most out of it, but it's really well done.

The new thread is looking great!

I would love that 'fall back' extra hour EVERY Sunday morning! I know it would soon completely screw up the relationship between light and dark and time of day - but it such a wonderful feeling (especially for someone like me who is always behind with everything) to have that hour in hand...

Bears Win! Bears win! And in a big way. 51-20! We went to my BIL's for a family get-together and I managed to watch most of the 2nd half there.

Bonnie- I wonder why they don't just abandon Daylights Savings Time? Does it serve any purpose? I'm sure there is an argument but I don't know what it is.

Kerri- I hope you are enjoying your football and your zombies. Smashing Bears game! I never was interested in American Horror Story. It always looked over the top to me. Did you also see the 1st season?

Megan- Do I note a touch of sarcasm? Hmmmmmmm? Do you have an mp3 player? I put the podcasts on my iPod and listen to them when I get a chance, like driving somewhere.
There really wasn't much to report about the brew/pub. The couple beers we liked are not even listed online. I looked. I don't think they are bottling their beers yet anyway.

Joe- Glad to see you over here! I was getting concerned. LOL. Yes, a very exciting Bears game. That defense is a joy to behold! Have you ever seen that many smiles on the sideline? It was like a party.
I'll add How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less to my GN list. I FINALLY finished Jimmy Corrigan. What a long strange trip! It's one of a kind, even if I'm not sure I "GOT" all of it. I started Scott Pilgrim. This is light & fun and I remember some of it from the movie.

Genny- Good to see over here! I hope your books are treating you well and you had a nice weekend.

Mark - It's a red letter day! Your Bears won, and my Colts, and my Broncos...and I finished IQ84!

Do you remember The Lone Ranger? Have you seen the story on YouTube? Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFabfnfhIaY

very funny! laugh out loud funny!

Well, weekend is done. I've made it to Lincoln's sneaking into Washington D.C. because Pinkerton thought there was a threat of assassination. I'd forgotten that happened. I think I'm sufficiently "into" this book that I don't really even have to worry about 25 pages a day, they fly by.

I do know that this is not everyone's experience with Team of Rivals.

Bears win.
Seahawks win.
It's a good day.

NO! You can't scrap daylight savings! It completely rocks! Not only do we use less power (and so save money, and the earth) during daylight savings, it means that the sun doesn't get up at 4am during summer (awful when you have kids who rise with the sun) *and* it's not still dark when I get to work at 8am in winter, *and* I get to walk home in sunshine for most of the year.

I love daylight savings! If you hadn't guessed. :)

Although I do particularly love it when we gain the hour, although I use it to catch up on sleep, not reading.

I was hoping to get a little more reading in yesterday and at least finish Stoner, which I have 20 pages left. Bad Mark. I think once I'm done with that one, I'll move on to City of Women. I have to stay focused! I have to stay focused.

Mamie- Yep, big football day! And you finished a "monster". Now, you move on to another "monster". LOL. Enjoy. TOR is very good.

Karen- I did comment on your thread that I saw that Jay Thomas/Lone Ranger video a couple weeks ago. It was very funny. Thanks for spreading it around.
I forgot that about the Pinkertons being mentioned in TOR. See, I need to take better notes?

Ellen- "Celebrate, celebrate! Dance to the music!!"

Tania- Thanks for sticking up for Daylights Savings Time. It didn't have any supporters over here. I did not realize you guys did DST too. Why not just leave it there and don't change it back?
Hope you had a great weekend!

Great win for the Bears Mark but I am a bit worried about the tendency to not be as strong in the second half of games as in the first. We have a losing 2nd half record and will need to do better against teams with similar aspirations.

Just checking in to say hello, Mark - hope you're enjoying your week off!

The Red Barn is a traditional country pub in Lingfield, Surrey, UK. Wouldn't this be a perfect room for an LT Meet-Up? We just need to add a couple beer-taps!

Love it - I join you there.

You are right everyone - Great day yesterday - Packers win!

Unfortunately, my fantasy team lost.

But the most important contest is tomorrow...

Another podcast to look at? I just got about five of the Mark Lawson episodes listened to and you come up with another podcast for books. How will I ever keep up?

Things at the house went great last week. I only have three unopened moving boxes to look through. Finally found the bowl and blade for the food processor. Also found two big containers of oatmeal I had given up on finding so had purchased another. Now I have three, so guess who will be eating lots of oatmeal in the next few weeks. :-)

I got about 50 pages read in TOR, but didn't spend as much time reading this last weekend as I did listening to "Foreign Bodies."

I am not sure what to say about 1Q84. It was typical Murakami. I don't think it was his best work. So far none of his books have bowled me over as much as Kafka on the Shore, but this one was good. I was reviewing some of my sticky notes that were stuck on the book and his ideas about time will make me keep thinking about this book for a few more days.

I can say that I am NOT liking Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I love the science part of it, but the Lacks family? I simply find it hard to believe that they and their friends are being portrayed in a realistic manner. I would have liked for the author to spend more time on the science and less on the, less than stellar examples of human behavior on the part of relatives and friends that are included. As an example of narrative non-fiction I think this title is weak. The best narrative non-fiction I have read this year was Worst Hard Time with Warmth of Other Suns coming in second.

I spent an enjoyable evening watching "Call the Mid-Wife" and "Upstairs, Downstairs" but once again my local PBS station played fruit-basket upset with the scheduling and I didn't have the right times for anything. Ken Burn's Dust Bowl series starts this week. I can't wait to see that and hope it is as good as the book.

Paul- Yep, Go Bears! The odds-makers are giving the Bears the slight edge against the Texans. It should one of the best match-ups of the season so far. Actually, I think the Bears have played better offense in the 2nd half. It usually takes a while for Cutler & the boys to warm up.

Amber- Big waves! Hope you have a great week and keep warm. It's been a chilly stretch.

Nancy- Did you know the only losses so far by both the Bears and the Texans have come from the Pack? Interesting, huh?
"But the most important contest is tomorrow..." Amen, my friend.

Benita- I'm glad you liked 1Q84. It ended up really growing on me and I really liked the way it ended, especially in comparison to the wind-Up Bird, which left me more dissatisfied.
Sorry, Henrietta Lacks isn't grabbing you. As you know, I loved it. I think the human part of the story worked very well.

133) The Lost Art of Reading by David L. Ulin 3.8 stars

I think Lters will really enjoy this slim volume about the way we read or try to read with the endless distractions, social networking and information overload that bombard us each day. It’s a well-written essay, with much food for thought, like this extended nugget that I’m sure we could all relate to:

“These days, after spending hours on the computer, I pick up a book and I read paragraph; then my mind wanders and I check my e mail, drift on to the internet, pace the house before returning to the page. Or I want to do these things but don’t, force myself to remain still, to follow what I am reading until I give myself over to the flow. What I am struggling with is the encroachment of the buzz, the sense that there is something out there that merits my attention, when in fact its mostly just a series of disconnect riffs, quick takes and fragments, that add up to the anxiety of the age.”

Ulin also touches on many other elements of the reading life, which I found rewarding, like his take on rereading:

“Rereading can be a tricky process, in which, for better or worse, you’re brought face-to-face with both present and past. It’s different than reading, more layered, more nuanced, with implications about how we’ve changed.”

Also included is a quote from Anne Fadiman, which I loved, tracing the distinction between reading and rereading:” The former has more velocity; the latter had more depth.”

Recommended. Has anyone else read Ulin?

I like the look of The Lost Art of Reading. I love books about reading.

#131 I absolutely have to get and read that one, asap.

How are you liking Stoner? I was going to buckle down with it but got distracted by an Anne Perry mystery. I also want to do Travels with Charley this month.

ETA: Oops. I thought it sounded familiar. Mark, your touchstone is going to a book by Gerald Stanley Lee. Anyway, I already read the Ulin book, in December of 2010. Gave it four stars.

Okay, I'm here...and i've had all of my shots! So, entertain me!

Nothing much happening in my world....cold/chilly days without sunshine are bringing me right down. I might have to get one of those lamps that mimic sunlight....or turn into a mole...

;-}

Will someone help this young lady find the right book?

Rhian- I think the Ulin book is very interesting, especially in these times of information overload.

Linda- I finished Stoner this morning. It was very good. Quite sad but very well-written. Do you have a copy?
I fixed the Ulin touchstone, thanks. I gave it 4 stars too. A bit dry at times but still enjoyable.

Jude- So just being in my shiny, hallowed presence isn't good enough? Glad to see you've had all your shots. LOL. I started City of Women today and it grabbed me right away. I'm sure this will be one I will enjoy.
It's been damp and cold here for several days too! Boooo!

Belatedly catching up with you Mark!
Are you on vacation yet? Any exciting plans?

I for one am excited about Khaled Hosseini coming out with another book. I don't think I care what the subject matter is because both books I read of his were sublime. I agree with you that he does seem to take a long time to get those books out but if they are of the same calibre, I don't mind waiting that extra bit. It's not like I'm hankering for books to read right now as it is.... ;)

I had issues with City of Women......but, most people seem to like it....I'll be interested to see what you think.

I wondered what all that light was about...Your Eminence!!

;-P

#127 LIKE!!!
is that snow on the trees????

Yes, I've got a copy of Stoner. Not sure I want sad right now, no matter how well written.

Glad to hear that you liked it, though.

With all the election overload (I can't help myself), I want distraction but not sad.

Thanks for the heads up about the new Khaled Hosseini book, Mark, and for the recommendation for The Lost Art of Reading. I just put that one on my library list.

Hi Mark, I'm like Valerie, whatever Khaled Hosseini choses to write about it fine by me, onto the wishlist it goes!

I've felt out of step ever since we changed to clocks back on, I think I handle daylight savings better than regular time!

*drive-by hug* Been a long long time...142 posts in this "new" thread alone! Happy reading. Well, as happy as Team of Rivals's seriousness will allow, anyway.

Love the photos!

We have to go off daylight savings, because otherwise it'll still be dark after 7am in winter and that's just not on. :)

Finished Something Wicked This Way Comes and thought it was bloody brilliant.

Hey Mark! Is today a holiday for mailmen and women across the country? Hope so but nonetheless have a great day!

We are going to head to the polls about 9 and then head to breakfast. I hope this race is not as close as they are projecting and let's hope we don't have a repeat of the 2000 debacle. All crossables crossed for many reasons.

Valerie- Good to see you! Yes, vacation started yesterday. Not a whole lot planned. We are going into the city Thursday, hit a few brew/pubs with the dear daughter and then spent the night at her place. I'm going to try hitting one or 2 bookstores down there as well. I didn't know Canadians said "hankering"? I thought that was a Southern term. LOL.

Jude- "I wondered what all that light was about". LOL. Yes it shines very bright over here, especially when you decide to pay an esteemed visit. I'm only 60 pages into City of Women. I like it so far.

Claudia- I can't tell if that's snow behind those windows or not but for the snow queen, I will make that true! Aren't I sweet?

Linda- Good decision, but as soon as you are ready for something downbeat, please pick up Stoner. The writing is awesome.

Pat- If the next Hosseini book is anywhere close to the first 2, we are in for a treat. I think most LTers will get a big kick out of The Lost Art of Reading and I think many of us struggle with the issues brought up in this book.

Judy- I hope you can get back into the groove after the clock change. It takes a few days for some people. Have a great week.

RD's back! RD's back! Yah! Good to see you sir. Yes, Team of Rivals has it's dry stretches but I love this period in American history, so I am really enjoying it.

Tania- I'm glad you loved Something Wicked This Way Comes. So did I. Was this your 1st reading of it? I was hoping to get to the Martian Chronicles by the end of the year.

Lynda- No, sadly letter-carriers are not off on election day but I love that idea. I'm on vacation, so I'm off anyway. Yah! Many eyes on Ohio today! Silent prayer.

Happy vacation, Mark. I, for one, can remember the days when Election Day was a federal holiday and November had 3 holidays to look forward to (ED, Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving).

Hiya, Mark! Sounds like lots of good reading going on. City of Women is new to me, but looks like a keeper. I'm reading a Dr. Siri, The Merry Misogynist, on the side when my head gets too filled with Team of Rivals, and it's another solid entry in that series.

I am still uncomprehending of why Election Day isn't a Federal holiday and a *mandatory* closure day for all other activities not related to public safety.

I don't know about other Canadians, but I think maybe I spend too much time with you LTer's..haha!

Happy voting day for you guys and I do hope you have a great vacation, Mark. Kick back, relax and enjoy all the good company and good books. :)

>146 msf59:: Agreed. I'll be nail-biting well into the evening, I suspect.

My son voted for the very first time. I hope this becomes a memorable one for him and not a disappointment. My first vote was for Ronald Reagan. Yes, you heard me right and I voted for him in '84 too. I was just a disillusioned young soldier at the time but I finally came around.
Another gloomy chilly day here! Perfect day for kicking back with a good book.

Pat- You are old! LOL. Yes, the vacation is going very well.

Joe- I was going to recommend city of Women to both you and Paul. I have a long way to go but it starts well. Enjoy Dr. Siri. I hope to squeeze in one more of his by the end of the year.

RD- Good point! I'm not sure why they don't. Today would have been my regular day off anyway, so I'm happy.

Valerie- LT can have a big influence on our behavior, good and bad. LOL. I'm hankering for a Democratic win! You can do it!

Amber- I have a feeling I will go to bed tonight without knowing the results. Bummer.

Vacation? Enjoy your day, Mark!

VOTED! Well last week, but today is the day. My son voted for the first time, too. He also worked for the campaign up in ft collins. I'm so proud of him. This swing state living is stressful!

#155
Do you have the Swing State Blues? At least you got the candidates to visit your state. I am getting so that I resent campaigning simply because it all goes to one place - the swing states. As a result the rest of the country only hears about what appeals to the swing states. What about those states where the majority of people don't have those opinions? I want to hear why the people in New York are all blue and why the voters in North Dakota are all red. More importantly I would like to know how the candidates speeches and messages would change if they were speaking to their own crowd instead of trying to placate everybody in a swing state.

>153 msf59:: I voted for Reagan in 1980 (my first election) and again in 1984. Yikes (in hindsight). By 1992 I was a confirmed Democrat, voted for Clinton, and never looked back.

Kath- Yep, vacation in full swing. The DW is off too, so we are just relaxing.

Joanne voted! Joanne voted! I think that is so cool about your son working for the campaign. I should have volunteered but then I wouldn't have as much time to visit LT and that would make me sad. See, I have my priorities right?

Benita- Swing State Blues! We don't have that problem here but I agree with you, that these seem to be the only states that really matter and that's unfair.

Laura- It's great to see you stop by. You just made my day, at least until my candidate wins later today. Wow, it sounds like we followed the same path to enlightenment. I also voted for Bush Sr. but that was the last straw and I've never voted for that party again.

>158 msf59:: Is that Baldwin's Book Barn in West Chester, PA? Check out the photo on their homepage, which appears to be the same space viewed from a different angle. I've been there! And they do have shop cats!

>159 msf59:: "same path to enlightenment" -- ha!

In my experience the national campaigns have to make some presence known in Washington State even if everyone is so sure it is a blue state. After all, if you do not pay any attention to the voters in the blue state how long will it be until the state turns purpleish, or eventually red? I've been contacted several times my the Obama campaign asking me for money, but also asking me to volunteer in contacting voters. Some effort is made to make his message heard.

I see the monthly E.R. list is up! It's a decent list but this was a major stand-out for me:



Olive was a top read for me a couple years ago and I can't wait to read this one. Come on E.R.! Hook a brother up!

Laura- You have excellent eye-sight my friend. I'm sure that's the same bookstore, but from the opposite viewpoint. I snagged that photo from FB and it didn't say where it was from. Looks like a very cool place.

Karen- I hope you are enjoying your day! Damp & cold here. Yuck! Purple is how they've been describing Wisconsin of late.

I don't want to alarm anyone...I have a surprising announcement...I have just posted a four-star favorable review.

Of a YA novel.

First person teenaged girl narratrix.

In free verse.

Make Lemonade...in my Orphans thread, post #236.

>119 msf59: Do I note a touch of sarcasm? Hmmmmmmm? Do you have an mp3 player?
yes, you did detect a note of sarcasm....hehe, good spotting. I actually own an iPod Nano but cant load any thing on it as my computer is ancient and cannot deal with the latest iTunes that it needs. Still figuring that one out.

>153 msf59: lol, Ronald Reagan. I admire your courage in speaking out about this after so long, Mark. We will support you in your shift to sanity ;)

>163 msf59: LOL- I just love that sign. Its what I would want to say too :)

Mark, thanks for the info on NPR about the Astray interview with Emma Donoghue. I am going to listen as I just finished her book and thought it was very interesting and different.

#153 - That's ok, Mark. I voted for a Republican coroner in 1992. : )

Best confession I can come up with is voting for Angela Davis, Peace and Freedom Party, back in the late 60s, early 70s. Felt very righteous.

I've never touched a candidate with (R) on a ballot. If I think the (R) should win, I don't vote. I just cannot make myself put on record a vote for those horrifying people. My first presidential vote was for an independent, John Anderson.

#168 - That's the most awesome thing I've heard all day, actually!

Okay, my willpower went South! I set my book down and turned on the TV, to watch the election coverage. I was having a hard time staying focused anyway and my best buddy, (a Righty) has been sending me text after text. I think it's going to be a long night.

RD- WTF? Are you pulling our collective chain? On election day? A YA book in free verse?

"I've never touched a candidate with (R) on a ballot." I wish I could say the same. My parents were not very political but we were a Republican household. I think my entire family was and the Democrats were a dirty word, something I believed for many years, although I did like Jimmy Carter but I was to young to vote.

Megan- A couple of my oldest Republican friends have never forgave me for going to the "dark" side. "We will support you in your shift to sanity". I LOVE it. Reagan did a lot of damage to this country in his 8 years but he's a lightweight compared to the current GOP.

Kerri- "I voted for a Republican coroner in 1992". I bet you are glad to get that off your chest! LOL.

Karen- Wow! That's impressive. You were way out on the edge. Did you were a beret and combat boots?

I went out of my way to rebel against my parents. In 1964, they were thrilled that Goldwater was nominated, though they felt he was a little too liberal for them. He didn't support the idea of genocide for Commies, faggots, Jews (Dad's Jewish), liberals, atheists, and people who drove Ramblers.

I didn't know what those things were, but if they made my parents that hysterical, they had to be good, so I set about becoming as many as I could manage. Never managed Jewishness. Bought a Rambler, though.

Mark, I spent the last year of University raising money for the Friends of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which of course, as we all know went on to become some what anti- non-violence! Interesting days, those were.

Yes, I am pretty far over on the left wing!

LOL at that sign and I've read both of those books...ouch! :)

Aww, you Americans get the best selection of ER books. I'm not bitter. Nope.

I swore I would vote against that b_____ Bob Dole until he got voted out of office. To my dismay he retired! Been a D all my life in a very R state and proud to say so. I love all the radical statements I read here. Keep the faith.

I am going to an election party tonight, but suspect that I will be up long into the wee hours watching the returns. However, I think this one is going to take several days. It will be like the 2000 election.

Argggggggg we do not want a re-do of 2000! No, no, no!!!

I was way behind... so many things I was going to comment on, but they all blended together and left a black hole in my mind.

Oh yes, what Megan said about Ronald Reagan, Mark.

I was looking at the voting results right now, and I know it's wayyyyyy too early, but started getting scared. I take American elections way too seriously, considering a) I'm not American and b) therefore cannot vote. But please please please let sanity prevail dear God!

#171 - Ha! She was a friend of the family and a really nice lady.

ETA: Oh! And perhaps most importantly, a good coroner.

>172 richardderus: lol, RD, you are one out of the box, that's for sure.

Hi Mark,
I voted Green Party on my first vote, then it was considered a protests vote, but now- in the last election- they got over 10%! Never voted National Party, they are the ones who like to privatise everything, like schools and prisons...which has never worked. Anywhere. Yet they continue to make a case for it.
*sigh*
Did someone say "to hell in a hand basket"?

We watched Walking Dead and Homeland, with a few side-trips to MSNBC, to check on the results. My stomach is beginning to churn, but it just proves to all of us how completely divided this country is.
I'm glad to hear Elizabeth Warren is leading in Mass. I really like her.

RD- "so I set about becoming as many as I could manage." (from #172) LOL. You always manage to give me a hearty chuckle. And I love the Rambler quip!

Karen- How do you feel out in the Pacific Northwest? Yes, please no repeat of 2000. That was devastating.

Valerie- I give you credit for admitting that. LOL. I've read Da Vinci Code and I liked it.

Benita- What is the political affiliation of your family? Just curious. How's the Election Party going?

Ilana- I hope you can salvage some of those comments from the black hole. I'm always interested in your thoughts. I was pretty nervous watching the election results early on but things have drawn up nice and tight.
"please let sanity prevail dear God!" I'm with you, my friend!

Kerri- Now, it makes perfect sense. LOL.

Megan- Yes, your National Party is a mirror-image of our GOP. And people/voters continue to buy that load of crap.

Mark, my friend, the polls have not yet closed here so we have no information about results. As it is all mail election I imagine there will be some early returns soon. Half hour + 15 minutes, maybe.

We have a very close Governors race between two white males, no incumbent. She chose to not run again. I hope the D wins, but the R is one of that rare species we see so little these days: A Moderate Republican, pretty reasonable and would not be a disaster, I don't think. We have a history of middle of the road Republicans in this state since we are all Democrats on the west side of the Cascade mountains, and they are all Republicans on the east side (agriculture, growing wine industry, power generations with Hoover Dam). Interesting state politics always.

We also have legalizing marijuana, gay marriage, and one other interesting issue (I forget)

So, I don't know nothing yet. Holding my thumbs, crossing my fingers, and sending postive vibes eastward for President O's reelection. Please. Please. NPR is suggesting Florida might surprise and go into the President's column. Hope.

Looking good so far, Mark, but still not certain. Oh my.

Hurray, hurray. Ohio put him over the top. The Tammy's won. The insulting to women senate candidates lost. It's been a good night.

Hooray! Hooray! We did it! Stomach better now. See you guys in the morning!

It has definitely been a good night!! Woo hoo!!

Ohio went blue? Wow.
In WA we are I uninterestingly blue AND it looks like we are legalizing gay marriage. Incredible times.

Nighty night Mark!
Sleep well, I bet you will.

Interesting. Romney won't concede Ohio even though he's trailing and almost all of the uncounted votes are in Democratic strongholds. Not sure what the problem is with him. I heard he hadn't written a concession speech so maybe he's stalling for time.

I'm proud of my former home (OH) and my new one (WI)!

Yes, I slept like a (big) baby last night! I stopped by FB just now and I see the Doomer & Gloomers have already started. Oh, brother. Anyone see the acceptance & concession speeches? I retired by then but plan to catch them later.

My reading yesterday received a big fat D+. I hope today I can bring my grade up to a B+ at least. There should be a lot less distractions.

Karen, Joe & Linda, Laura- Well, we pulled it off. I'm very optimistic for the next 4. It's all Obama now. I just wish the GOP congress could make the pathway smoother.

Ellen- Did you celebrate with a big fat joint? LOL. I have to admit I was a little nervous in the early-going but what a finale!

Megan- Whew, a bullet dodged. It's to bad that the grumbling/crying will continue unabated, but at least the country will be slowly improving.

Go Amber! Go Amber! Maybe we could get you to bounce around the country? Start in Missouri and make your way South.

I didn't sleep like a baby - kept waking up making sure it wasn't all just a dream!

I heard Romney's concession speech and it was very gracious.

Besides the main event, I was quite pleased with Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, and a few others. Locally, quite pleased that Walsh, Biggert, and Dold lost. Too bad my new Congressman Hultgren won so easily.

I heard snippets of Obama speech. Good stuff.

Morning Mark, just moseying across the aisle with my congratulations.

Funny, I saw a site on Facebook that had Naughty Librarian book covers but when I clicked on it, they were all pornographic. Yikes! We have to keep it at least PG-13 over here.

Mark: Ha! I saw that BookRiot link, too, and before I clicked on it I thought, "Oooh, I'm going to post this on Mark's thread!" But then I clicked on it and thought, "Oh, whoa. Maybe not." Ha!

Okay, showered, had breakfast, read the paper. I am set. Now, for a quick LT visit, (is there even such a thing?) and back to the books.

Nancy- LOL. Hey, your state came through! Along with OH! Hooray.

Linda- I still have to check out Romney's speech. I'm sure it wasn't as emotional as McCain's was. I'm very happy about Liz Warren too!

Karen- I've read snippets of Obama's speech but have not seen it in it's entirety.

Lynda- Thanks for the gracious handshake. I do like political discourse but I am not fond of trash-talk and vile spewings. We are all in this together. We need to close this gap.

Amber- I could not find one cover I could post! LOL. Wow!

Mark, have a great Wednesday. I have the day off and I just went on a long walk with my one remaining dog. Greta Garbo sometimes looks as if she is looking for Nicky but I don't see her being upset. That would be me.

I'm going to try to do some stuff to promote renting my other house to someone; and, then this afternoon I think we are having a little burial for the Nickster. I'd like to have him in the back yard where I can talk at him. Like normal. I might get back to reading TOR, as I've missed my goal for two days now. Better not let it go much further.

HI Mark! Congrats on your election happiness!

I have read just about 70 pages of City of Women, so I'm upgrading myself to a B-. I would like to end the day with at least a A- but we will see.
We are getting ready to sneak out and see the new Denzel Washington film, "Flight" which has been getting very strong reviews. Anyone else see it?

Karen- I hope you enjoy your day with Greta Garbo. Poor Nickster, sounds like he will be missed.
"I might get back to reading TOR, as I've missed my goal for two days now." What??

Chelle- Great to see you over here! And yes we are still aglow! Thanks.

I happy with the election. I especially like all those women who got elected. I heard someplace last night that there will be 17 women senators now. WOW! North Dakota with a woman and a democrat senator? How cool is that? of course they are practically Canada so it is probably nothing special for them.

All the pollsters claim that this was really a win for demographics. I noticed the difference while I was watching the parties at the two headquarters last night. The one in Chicago was definitely younger and much more diverse. I even saw a man in a Sikh turban at that party. That crowd is the future. I wonder what the Republicans are going to do now? Every state that had gay marriage on the ballot voted for it. That too is a sign of the change in demographics. I know that students here turned out in force to vote. They overwhelmingly went for Obama. Of course, Tuscaloosa is an island of blue in a red sea, so it didn't make much difference.

On a different note - I am going to register for the Vermont Booktopia later tonight. I think I will also register for the one in Washington later as well. I have never been to Vermont and really want to go. This seems like a good excuse to do so.

I also forgot to tell you that I saw the movie version of Cloud Atlas last weekend. I thought it was a very good adaptation as that book would be hard to adapt for a movie. I also thought that the actors did a great job of pulling off multiple parts. It was no where near as engrossing as the book, but still I didn't think it was bad. I think the criticism of it has to come from people who did not read the book first. Structurally the book was very different and so it follows that the movie would be the same.

I finished reading Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks late last night and have to say that I gave it an average rating. I was not impressed. The book had the feel of a nice solid magazine article that got stretched into a book. All that stretching didn't work for me. I liked the science and the story of the cells and growing them. I also liked the medical ethics questions, but all that about the feuding family - meh. Just move on past that - it wasn't interesting. Sorry Mark, but this one won't make my top title list for this year.

#201 It will be interesting to see how the GOP reacts to this. As Republican senator Lindsey Graham said recently, there are only so many angry white men around.

The demographics will be against them. Their current positions are not going to appeal to these other, growing groups. Will the GOP change?

It has before, Linda, so it will again. Into what, I don't dare to guess.

Perhaps it will split in two, and we'll have a three party system?

Happy day-after the election, Mark. I was very happy with the results, even though a Canadian, your leader really does affect the whole world. Now we just have to hope that the powers-that-be in Washington actually work with him not against him.

Enjoy your reading time today.

Voting.. I voted for Arlen Spector all the time.. whatever party he was with at the time. The man had common sense. I have voted for Republicans in the past. Rarely, I admit, but I have. Yesterday, I voted a straight ticket... VERY rare.

Love the kitty book pic.. Feel free to post it in my thread too! :)

"Flight" was excellent. 4 stars all the way, with a stellar performance by Denzel Washington. A hard-hitting drama that pulled no punches. See it!

Mark, are you planning to see Lincoln? I heard it was out this Friday but not everywhere so we probably won't go til next weekend.

Benita- "Tuscaloosa is an island of blue in a red sea"! I had a feeling that was the case. I loved your election commentary, as usual! I think the GOP continues to paint it self into so many corners. If they continue to fight the Dems in the Congress, they are going to be outta there.
I'm so glad you liked the movie Cloud Atlas. I think I have heard more Thumbs up than Thumbs down. That's good. I loved Henrietta Lacks but that happens sometimes.

Linda- The GOP has a lot of soul-searching ahead of them, if they want to remain vital. Can they afford to cut-loose the Tea Party? And move back to the middle? I'm not sure they have a choice.

Big loving Waves to RD & Karen!

Judy- I think internationally, this is a big win. I haven't heard very many foreign countries squawking about Obama.

Kath- There are very few GOP members I look up to anymore, not like a few of the old-schoolers. They have been edged out. Glad you liked the kitty/library pic.

Linda P- I think we will have to wait until the 16th for "Lincoln". I will be seeing it and I should be done with TOR.

Pool, anyone?

OK, now you have to find a picture of the interior of the Rosenbaum House in Florence, Alabama. This house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and the family requested that there be lots of bookshelves in the house. Wright designed bookshelves that are part of the structure. They are actually load bearing and can't be removed without impairing the structural integrity of the house.

The critics did not like the movie Cloud Atlas. In fact they panned it. I liked the interpretation of the plot, but it has been a long time since I read the book, so perhaps my memories of it are not that accurate. It was fun to see how the makers of the movie interpreted things. I found myself several times saying "oh, so that is what that part of the story meant." If there weren't so many other great books out there to read I might go back and do a reread of this one.

If I see the shorts for Cloud Atlas and am intrigued, I might go, but otherwise I think Ill let my imagination win this time.

The dadgummed movie is THREE HOURS LONG! Only one thing I want to do for three hours and it's not watch a movie! If there are two bottles, maybe even more than three hours. But a MOVIE? C'mon.

*waves* good morning, Mark. I am hoping you're still enjoying "time off"!

Cloud atlas is three hours ? I want to see Lincoln... probably won't in a theater, but I would like to .

Morning, people! The vaca is going great! This one is nothing but taking it easy. I wish I could discipline myself to read a bit more, but whatever.
We are going into the Northside of the city this afternoon, to spend the day and night with my daughter. We are hitting a bookstore and a couple brew/pubs. We might hit The Goose Island Brewery but unfortunately they only have tours on the weekends. So, we just might have to go back. Shucks!

Benita- I'll have to look for Rosenbaum House. Sounds great. Did you get my PM about the Vermont Retreat? It looks like it completely booked in 15 minutes.
Okay, I will see Cloud Atlas, hopefully while it's still at the show.

Megan- Funny, I was leaning into not seeing Cloud Atlas at the theater but it sounds like most of my LT Peeps enjoyed it and you know the high esteem I hold for my LT Peeps.

RD- I agree, many films these days are to long. But for me, as long as the length fits the tone and the story, I don't have a problem with it. Funny, "Lincoln" is coming out soon and that's only 2 1/2 hours.

Karen- Big loving Waves! I miss TOR. It doesn't look like I'm going to get back to it, until next week. Boo. My current print book, City of Women is hogging any reading time I have. Those women!

Morning Kath- cloud Atlas was not a long book but A LOT goes on. I can easily understand the length. I was going to wait for DVD but I might try to see it at the show.
I don't think "Lincoln" opens here until next Friday but I WILL be there.

The three hours was lengthy for most watchers who have the attention span of an flea. However, the structure of the book makes it difficult to see how it could be made into a movie at all. I went to see it because this was one of my all time favorite books and I did not think it could be made into a movie. I am surprised that somebody was able to convince any producer and studio to take it on. This is truly avant garde movie making and for that I thought that the makers deserved my support. I figured that my $8.00 (I went to matinee while everybody else in T-town was crunched into a football stadium with 100,000 other screaming banshees) would help producers and studio owners have some courage and try something new. I do not think that this movie was as good as the book, but I don't think it was as bad as, Transformers III, or the latest rendition of crash and bang movies. I also think that the only redeeming quality of the Bond movies is that they feature a hot sexy man. Those movies are just male day dreams they are as formulaic as a Harlequin Romance novel. The only reason I go to see them is I hope to see some hotty take his shirt off, or do a scene that restages the painting of Venus by Botticelli. It is titillating and tantalizing but is it worth $12.00? Personally, it would be worth that only if what is on the screen was like Data in ST - Next Generation. Fully functional. At least the directors of Cloud Atlas had some courage and some creative juices flowing compared to the makers of the latest Bond movie.

By the way, have you seen the cover of the latest Vanity Fair? What is that all about?

Per request: The Rosenbaum House Florence Alabama (Frank Lloyd Wright):

Glad to hear your vacation is coming along nicely, Mark.
Did I see you say something about a bookstore?? :)

Mark, I think we're planning to go see Lincoln on the 16th as well. A couple of us will probably make it dinner and a movie that night.

Glad to hear you're enjoying your vacation.

>219 msf59: Pretty! Skimpy shelf space, though.

hi mark -
yes, you are sweet ;-)

#219 - where are all the books? the outside does look like a library...

glad you are having a great vaca.

We are getting ready to head out! I will check in!

Did anyone see the new picture I posted at the top? I was going to post it on the Group Read as well, but thought better of it.

Valerie- Yes, that will be our first pit-stop. Powell's Books. I will give a full report.

Linda- I'm looking forward to this damp & cold stuff moving out. It's getting very old.

RD- You are right about the skimpy bookshelves. LOL. They look like they wrap all the way around the 1st floor. Cool.

Claudia- I'm not sure if anyone lives there but if someone does, they sure are not LTers! We would FIND books!

I saw the picture at the top! Handsome dude, that one!

He has good taste in books, too. And I think you used excellent common sense to not post it over in the group read. Boy there's lots of conversation going on ! How cool is that?

>218 benitastrnad: my $8.00 (I went to matinee while everybody else in T-town was crunched into a football stadium with 100,000 other screaming banshees)
love it! I do the same soetimes during a rugby game, the theatres are mostly empty, but the people who are there all seem interesting types.

I love the exterior of the Frank Lloyd Wright house, but the interior looks cold and un-cosy to me. The built in shelves I'll keep, and the tiny high windows, but the rest would be carpeted and sofa'd to within an inch of its life :)

The book shelves are actually support beams that run all around the house and hold it together. When it was being restored somebody tried to take the book shelves down and did not realize that the shelves were part of the support structure. No kidding - without the bookshelves the house nearly fell down.

The Rosenbaum's were the only family to live in the house. They moved in in the late 30's and when Mrs. Rosenbaum had to go to assisted living in her 80's she moved out. She had done no upkeep on the house so when she left it was about ready to fall down. The only renovations they did was they changed the kitchen because the original one was so small she could not cook a meal for a family of six in it. When she left the family then donated the house to the city of Florence. A million dollars worth of renovations later it is open to the public. It is the only Wright house in the Southeast part of the U. S.

The only thing that the Rosenbaum's specifically asked Wright to include in the house was lots of bookshelves. Even though it has been renovated it still smells of musty books.

Hi Mark, Oh I LOVE that new picture up top! I think it'd be perfect for your group read thread. I'd love to hear Obama's comments on the book. :) I have to go check out what everyone has to say about Team of Rivals.

Glad to see you liked Flight. I think we'll see it over the weekend. The weather is supposed to be perfect for movie going.

>156 benitastrnad:, Yes, I think I did, but I am fully recovered and feeling better than new! Along with the visits, though, were the political ads which were very nearly soul crushing....

oh, I'd like to know President Obama's thoughts on TOR also! Wouldn't that be fun!

Oh boy, Mark. When I look at the pic in post 211, I'd say that's the one time books might take a backseat. The camaraderie and brew around a pool table is hard to beat.

I love the look of those Frank Lloyd Wright houses but I'm not convinced that they would be comfy to live in. You couldn't curl up with a book on those chairs!

We had a blast night! We hit Goose Island Brewery which has a real nice pub and then we had dinner and more beer tasting at Haymarket Brewery, where my daughter works. Yes, we were feeling no pain by the end of the night but that was the plan all along. We will hit the bookstore later this morning, just before we head back.

Karen- I did listen to some of chapter 21 yesterday. It was nice to get back to TOR, We are in late '63. Yes, we'll have to find out if Obama left any comments anywhere about TOR.

Megan- I agree that the Wright house is a bit cold & austere, probably like many houses of the period. How about those killer shelves though?

Benita- Thanks for the additional Rosenbaum info. Very interesting. Bookshelves as support beams. How fitting!

Joanne- The Group Read is going very well. Nice discussions going on over there. You should stop by. I see "Lincoln" opens this weekend but a limited release. I hope to see it when it opens here.

Lynda-That's a very good observation. Solids or stripes? Is your state getting back to normal now?

Rhian- At least you couldn't doze off in one of those chairs!

Morning, beerhound! *hic*

Morning Mark! Stopping in to catch up on all the news. You guys are way ahead of me in TOR, so try not to spoil the plot! LOVE the photo in post 211! Also love the thread topper! And the movies?! We want to see both Flight and the new James Bond. Won't see Cloud Atlas since I haven't read the book - although I do own a copy of it; it's in the TBR.

Sounds like a fun vacation so far - keep up the good work!

We just stumbled in from visiting the daughter. We should do this every 4-6 weeks. We did hit Powell's Books, which is about 2 blocks from her apartment. Sweet. It is a big used bookstore. Nothing fancy just huge shelves of books. I showed incredible discipline and walked out of there with 4 books, after picking up and setting down several others. Most of the titles were 5-6 bucks. You can't squawk about that.

the Dog of the Marriage by Amy Hempel This looks like a great story collection by an author I'm not familiar with.
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell This one has been on the WL forever and Mitchell is the man right now!
Glass Room by Simon Mawer I know there was much LT love pouring forth on this author but I have never read him.
Devil's Dream by Madison Smartt Bell This has also been on my WL for eons. This is a novel about the great southern general Nathan Bedford Forrest. I also have an acclaimed bio on Forrest on the shelf. That would make a perfect two-fer.

My only regret was putting down a story collection by William Trevor. Hey, I'll snag it next time.

Good restrained Haul there, Mark. I want to read the Glass Room too.....Im pretty sure I dont mean the Glass Castle, as I have read that and loved it. But the similar titles make me think Ill like this one too :)

Great extra info on the FLW house, I'll chuck that on my list of places to visit when I do my mythical tour of the States in 2058....or sooner if I win Lotto.

Hiya, Mark. Glad Flight was so good. We want to see that one, Argo, the new Bond, and Lincoln. I'm thinking about quitting work to make scheduling easier.

I'm so glad you and others thought of having the group read of Team of Rivals around the time of the movie release. I'm really excited about the movie in a way I wouldn't have been without reading the book. A preview I saw had Abe doing some storytelling in it, which made me happy. That's such a big part of the book (his storytelling), and the preview made me think they carried it through.

I want to read Glass Room as well. I have it on the pile on the nightstand.

Mark is right about the discussion about Team of Rivals. That thread is really hoppin'.

RD- All those tap beer samples yesterday have me feeling a bit fuzzy today, but it was worth it. My daughter is becoming quite the "beer snob" too! I love it.

Mamie- Yes, a nice little flurry of good films coming out. Next up, will either be the Bond or the Lincoln film. And yes, please try to bookhorn Cloud Atlas in. It's a one of a kind experience and then you can see the film.

Megan- I think it's easier to show book-buying restraint when you have a couple hundred books waiting to be read at home. My daughter went to the bookstore with me and picked up Half Broke Horses, the terrific follow-up to The Glass Castle. Have you read that one?

Joe- I hope you are enjoying that Florida sunshine. The sun tried peeking out a couple times today and it got a little warmer. Better tomorrow. Hey, I started the GN version of Wrinkle in time based on your rec. Does it follow the original closely? I don't think I've ever read it.

Benita- These Mawer books look very appealing. Hopefully I can squeeze it onto my Must Read Now shelf, although I'm sure there will be plenty of gasps and groans.
Glad you are joining us on the TOR Group Read. You've joined me several times this year. Always a pleasure.

This is one of Goose Island's premium beers. It's a Belgian Style Pale Ale. It's a bit expensive but if you can find it in your area, give it a try.



This photo is from Haymarket Brewery. I could not find a photo of their Mathias Imperial IPA, but this one comes close. It kicks butt!

>239 msf59: i read Half Broke Horses pretty mush straight after the first one, didnt like it as much, but it was still a great read. Pretty amazing lives are led out there that we just never hear about, and The Glass Castle was one of those for me.

Glad youre loving the beer lately Mark, your beer tasting skills are being perfected, I can tell :)

Mark, thanks for posting the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum house. Gorgeous. I don't think I've seen that one before, though I agree with Megan I would add a big comfy couch in there, though of course those houses are meant to be set pieces and one isn't supposed to mess around with the architect's vision... I enjoyed Benita's comments on it too, always interesting to find out more about this architect. I guess I'll have to pick up a NF book about him sometime, though I do have Loving Frank, so maybe I'll do a little FLW thing sometime.

Great little shopping spree. I'll be very surprised if you don't love The Glass Room. I was a huge fan, if you remember. Black Swan Green has been on my wishlist for quite some time too, though I've yet to read Cloud Atlas for that matter. Would have loved to join you guys in the GR for that last year, but just couldn't fit it in unfortunately.

Mark - trust that you will have a wonderful weekend mate and I was very interested to see your pictures of the Rosenbaum house. There is a great presience for this group that such a building maintains its structural integrity only by retention of its bookshelves (thanks for that Benita, a source of fascinating info as always) and shouldn't that be compulsory!

Happy Saturday! On the book front, I'm still reading City of Women, which I'm enjoying. I hope to wrap it up tomorrow. My current GN is the new adaptation of a Wrinkle in time. Joe placed this on my radar and it's been fun. I do not think I've read the original book though, which is surprising.
Of course, I'm still immersed in Team of Rivals, although being on vacation, I have not had many chances to listen to it.

Megan- What I enjoyed most about Half Broke Horses is that it had a completely different tone, attitude and setting than the Glass Castle. I love that approach.
Yep, always working on those "beer skills". My daughter is starting to get quite savvy with the ales too!

Ilana- I've been meaning to read something about Frank Lloyd Wright forever. I also have a copy Loving Frank and The Women has been on my WL for ages.
I NEED to get to more David Mitchell. He's a hot author for me right now.

Paul- I hope you are enjoying a fantastic weekend and your current read(s) are amazing.

Hi Mark - It sounds like you are enjoying your vacation -- what a lot of good reading you're doing. I liked Loving Frank a lot. I'll be interested in your comments on City of Women - I just got a notice that it is available at the library.

I'll be interested in seeing what you think of Devil's Dream, Mark. I read Bell's All Soul's Rising a few years ago and thought he was a brilliant writer, although I haven't gotten back to the other two books in that trilogy, despite owning them.

Hi Mark again way behind your thread. Enjoyed very much the interesting discussions and got myself The Twelve for my kindle. Although, I felt 10.99 for the kindle edition is a serious ripp off :(.

Great to hear that you enjoy your vacation and that you were able to restrain yourself when getting your book haul. I was really good and only bought ONE book (so far *grin*) Cain by Jose Saramago which sounds very promising.

Love the pictures at top, especially the one of the Red Barn in Lingfield, Surrey, UK. I think I will check that one out, as it is not that far from London.

Have been extremely busy over the last two weeks, so unfortunately not much reading for me :( However, at least I was able to listen to my audiobook from time to time and just finished The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint which I very much enjoyed.

Wish you a great weekend *wave*

Beth- It's good to see you! I have to bookhorn Loving Frank very soon.

Linda- Funny, I had All Soul's Rising in my greedy little hands too but I set it back down. I have had Bell on my WL forever. He really sounds like an author I would love.

Bianca- It's great to see you over here. Yes, 11 bucks for a Kindle copy of the Twelve is a rip-off. I think I paid 16 or 17 dollars for my hardcopy. Yesterday, I had a copy of the elephant's Journey in hand and put it back down. It was only 4 bucks, I should have snagged it.
I hope things begin to quiet down for you!

You really should get All Soul's Rising on your next trip, Mark. But be prepared, as it is a very intense and disturbing book - like the history on which it is based.

>244 msf59: I want that cup

*wanders off into the www*

Happy weekend, Mark. Loving the fairly balmy weather today. I'm out and about this morning and I had my sunroof open. It felt like spring.

Great pictures throughout!
Lincoln opens here next week too... not sure what I will do ..
TOR is Obama's favorite book.. or was 4 years ago.... which is what convinced me to read it.

eta to say sorry if someone else mentioned that about Obama... I only skimmed *cheated*)

Yeah, I remember Obama was a fan of Team of Rivals. Certainly his making Hilary sec of state fits with that. If he only could win over members of the other party like Lincoln did.

A Wrinkle in Time, the gn, closely follows the original. Obviously it's stripped down some, but it's very faithful. Good adaptation -and adaptations can be lame and disappointing.

My current gn wouldn't be your cuppa, I don't think - it's Batwoman: Hydrology, and it's very well done, but unavoidably super hero-y.

Maltilda is a new Goose Island for me. I'll look for it. If you were going to identify your top 3 (or 5 or more if you want) favorite beers, what would they be?

I just saw the trailer: http://bookriot.com/2012/11/10/new-trailer-for-world-war-z-starring-brad-pitt/?u...

It looks pretty intense but much different from the book, which was FANTASTIC!

Linda92007- All Soul's Rising does sound good. Why is Bell not better known. I'm not sure if I have heard any of my LT pals mention this guy, besides you of course.

Karen- Did you find the cup? How is the packing coming?

Linda P- I was just getting ready to go outside and do some outdoor work and a storm rolled in. It rained pretty good. Hope your sun-roof is closed.

Kath- Now, that you mentioned it about Obama and TOR, I seem to recall it. I will be seeing Lincoln, in the next week or 2.

Joe- That's good news about the GN of Wrinkle in Time. It seems to be following it closely and it's nearly 400 pages long. I'll probably still check out the original at some point.
OMG! That's a tough beer question. I'll have to get back with you on that. And like my favorite books, it keeps shifting and flowing with time.

Many Masks is a terrific intro to Frank Lloyd Wright's life; My Father Who Is On Earth is a less balanced look at the man from his son's PoV.

>257 msf59: you sure about that Mark? be honest now :)

#257 hahaha if only that were true Mark!

RD- Thanks for the FLW recs! You da best! I will look into those.

Megan & Paul- Actually, I wish I were more of a reading machine. Distractions, getting tired, other annoyances keep intruding. Had a good reading day today though and some of it was that it stormed here for awhile keeping me from my outdoor chores.

Paul- Big Bears game tomorrow night!

*patiently awaiting a new thread*

Just saying :)

Yes mate I am confident quietly but since my knowledge is limited I may be taking comfort in my ignorance.

If I am a good luck charm in NFL my soccer team in UK, Leeds United, are in need of assistance. Takeover talks lingering 7 months already we were put to the sword at home by Watford 6-1! We would normally expect such teams to be cannon fodder for even fallen giants like ourselves and I slept with red cheeks yesterday after blithely predicting a cake walk for my boys!

Oh, I just showed Don the poster for "World War Z" and subsequently had to patiently listen to quite a rant on how the movie is going to be appalling. Methinks this is one we shall not be spending our ticket money on this year. :)

It does look nothing like the book, and the book was awesome.

We're going to be buying our tickets to The Hobbit some time soonish - it opens on Boxing Day (day after Xmas and a public holiday to boot; it's one of the big movie days in Australia nowadays), and Mr Bear wants to come with us. Huzzah! :) :) :)

Too many good movies out there at the moment, not nearly enough time, and I'm saving pennies for Mr Bear's 10th birthday. Ah well.

Went second hand bookshopping with mum yesterday (she comes over to my area - she reckons we have the best bookshops in Sydney, and I find it hard to disagree - and we have coffee and cake and then go hunting). Didn't find anything on my specific wishlist (as usual), but very happy to find Moxyland by Lauren Beukes (I loved her Zoo City last year) and Ella Minnow Pea.

Oh, I have five books by David Mitchell, but have only read two (Cloud Atlas which was brilliant; and Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which I found a bit messy). Very happy to join in on a group read of Black Swan Green, hint hint. ;)

Megan- It's coming, my friend! I'll probably kick off the morning with a new thread. Can you wait?

Paul- I hope things work out for Leeds United. Please keep me updated. In the meanwhile, GO BEARS!

Wookie's here! Wookie's here! It's always good to see you Tania! Yes, a nice flurry of good movies right now. I loved "Flight" and both "Skyfall" & "Lincoln" look like winners.
I would love to do another David Mitchell Group Read. It's just going to be tough squeezing it in. Next year, is already filling in. Crazy.

Oh Mark, I really want to like World War Z. I gave up on it earlier this year but I've taken it off the shelf again and I'm going to give it another go next week.

Big loving wave to Chelle! Yes, pick up WWZ! It's amazing!

"Skyfall" does look like rather a well done Bond, but I'm not really a Bond movie fan. Too much violence, too slick, and I'd rather not sit through sex scenes.

Having said that, I am interested in seeing "The Sessions" which is all about sex! LOL. :)

And "The Master" is out with good reviews here too; "Argo" looks interesting; I want to see "Safety Not Guaranteed"; and I loved the previous movie from the maker of "Seven Psychopaths" ("In Bruges"; and he's brother of the guy who did "The Guard" with Brendan Neeson and Don Cheadle), so that's on the wishlist too.

And it's only the start of the summer movie season here...

(My sister is going out to a midnight screening of the latest Twilight movie this week. Sometimes I wonder how we're related. ;)

Hmmm I also have The Glass Room still sitting on my shelf not far from Loving Frank. Wonder when I'll get to either of them. I'm enjoying TOR too and the GR. I'm glad I decided to join up. I think you'll pretty much love Black Swan Green Mark because, we'll, I did. I remember laughing out loud at it. Not like Cloud Atlas in any way. A pretty straightforward coming of age story that is supposedly autobiographical.

Mark, your vaca sounds wonderful. I didn't know there was a Powell's books other than the one in Portland. You were in Chicagoland, yes?
I adored The Glass Room; glad you've added it to your stacks.

I would love to see "Flight." I love Denzel Washington (can you say handsome?). And we rarely go to films in theaters these days. Sometimes we do, though. I want to read Cloud Atlas before I see it as a film.

>267 wookiebender:: "Argo" looks interesting oh, YES, it is!! We saw it a few weeks ago. Interesting, suspenseful, and well done.

My daughter saw Skyfall last night and has reported it's excellent. This sparked a discussion with my husband as we think this may be the first Bond film she's ever seen. A family film fest may be in order ... but then we wondered whether a modern-day teenager would appreciate films with fewer special effects and, let's face it, a strong dose of misogyny. I can get past the latter part by considering the time period in which they were made. And by seeing Sean Connery with his shirt off.

Morning gang! I'm working on the new thread, so don't fret. I had a much better reading day yesterday, due to some rainstorms.

Tania- I started getting burned out on the Bond movies too, but then Casino Royale came along like a fresh breeze. I'm getting tired of all these big action movies too but a taste now and then is needed.
I had mixed feelings about The Master. This should have been a film I would have loved but it's just so dark & unpleasant. I can barely recommend it.
The Sessions sounds good too!

Bonnie- All 3 of those titles I would like to get to in the next couple of months. i'm glad you were a fan of the Mitchell.

Ellen- I do not think this Powells, in Chicago is connected with the Portland one. This is a big used bookstore. Try to see Flight and YES, please read Cloud Atlas!!

Laura- You'll have to let us know if you guys start watching the original Bond films with your daughter and let us know what she thinks. I think those 1st 3 Connery films are fantastic but they may be dated to the new generation.

Mark, just to be clear, Powell's in Portland has both new and used books, and is also very big. But I agree that they are not connected as far as I know

267>
(My sister is going out to a midnight screening of the latest Twilight movie this week. Sometimes I wonder how we're related. Yeah. I sometimes feel the same about my sister, but it has nothing to do with Twilight Which BTW I haven't read.. nor has she but...

I can't remember the last time I bought books from a bookstore. I think it has been at least a year and a half.. maybe longer... oh dear !

New Thread Up!!

Karen- My daughter lived in Portland for awhile, so I had a chance to visit Powells. It's a great store and I like the way they have the new side by side with the used.

Kath- My wife is trying to reread Breaking Dawn before the new film comes out. It's hard to find a copy right now.