Mark's Reading Place #25: Book Nation!

-Lorenzo Mattotti

Currently Reading:



Audiobook:


Graphic:


Books Read So Far...

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)
137) City of Women by David R. Gillham 3.8 stars (ER) (OTS)
138) A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle 4 stars (GN)
139) Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.7 stars (audio)
140) Under the Bright Lights by Daniel Woodrell 4 stars (OTS)
141) The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe 5 stars (audio)
142) Muscle For the Wing by Daniel Woodrell 4 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
12) The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe 5 stars (Audio)


Group Reads 2012:

December: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)

OMG AM I FIRST?!? I'm never first!

Oh ya, second baby!! :)
Love the book geek photo

Just made the podium!

**Christmas Swap!! **Christmas Swap!!

Okay, we haven't had an update in awhile. I will be drawing names in about a week. If you are interested in joining the Swap, send me a PM and if you haven't sent me your address, please do soon. Also get those Wishlists in order! You could even make a special Swap WL, to make it even easier.

Hi Mark - Great new thread. I love the Mattotti art.

RD's first! RD's first! Yah!

Chelle- Yah, for second baby! And yes we are all proudly book geeks.

Morning Mamie- Big football day! Looking forward to it.

Beth- Thanks! Good to see you!

Mark is there a thread for the Christmas Swap?
I'd like to be in it again this year if it's open internationally again. I know Canada isn't too far but it's still across the border ;-)

I like the idea about a special Christmas swap wish list. I do a great job at keeping tab on books read but my to read and wish list don't do as well.

I'm not a big fan of the Bond movies but I absolutely love the Adele song for this one.

Reading Travels with Charley, Stoner, and a bio of Roberto Clemente. No mysteries going, oddly enough.

Happy Sunday!!

I love the Mattotti paintings, Mark!

Delurking (and adding the word to my smartphone dictionary since sweltering or deleting don't quite work) to add my appreciation of the Mattotti pictures. I don't know this artist at all.

Okay, I finished City of women. A good solid read could have been even better. I even managed to listen to a little of Team of Rivals, while doing yard work. I just started Chapter 23. I'm getting there. Next up is a memoir called The Child That Books Built. I LOVE that title. I heard about this one, in the latest Hornby book.

Chelle- No, I haven't started the Swap Thread yet, but I will soon. And yes, Canadians are welcome, as always.

Linda- Nice and balmy out there today, though very breezy. The cold stuff is coming. Oh, sh*t! All 3 of your current reads look like winners. I hope you are enjoying them.

Darryl & Genny- Nice to see you both! And glad you liked the Mattotti pictures. I just stumbled on him the other day. He's done some really interesting work. Check him out.

>6 msf59: My Christmas Swap is already organised , Mark. :)
*puffs chest*

Love your top pic, looks comfy and fun to me! Ill get the husband person on board and see if I cant organise a book reading cuddle session.

Hi Mark, I hope you are having a great Sunday. Enjoyed seeing the trailer for World War Z, I have heard that it's very different from the book, but it will have zombies and Brad Pitt, so I will be there!

I'm off to set up a Christmas Swap Wishlist, which makes a lot of sense as my wishlist is rather sprawly and messy!

Hi mark, nice new thread especially the Mattotti paintings. Lovely!

I totally revamped my wishlist, Mark. Anything on my wishlist would be welcomed. I'll try to add to it, if I can.

It's a nice day for reading but am I reading? No!! Way too much messing around on my pc, while watching the Vikings/Lions game.

"I can always tell when you're reading somewhere in the house," my mother used to say. "There's a special silence, a reading silence."
-The Child That Books Built

Megan made it! Megan made it! I'm glad you guys are having your own Swap. It should be a lot of fun. Make sure you take a photo of your reading "cuddle session"!

Judy- WWz doesn't open until next summer. I should try a reread or in the very listen listen to it on audio. Didn't Pitt do the audio? I heard that somewhere.

Bonnie- I was just watching your Bills. They always come SO close.

Linda- I'm trying to squeeze some reading in here and there. I was also watching the Lions and Vikings game. The BIG ONE is tonight.

The Child that Books Built is one of my favourites.

Great new thread, Mark. I really like the pictures by Lorenzo Mattotti. I've never heard of him but googled his name and see he's done alot of great things.

I'll be interested in what you think of The Child that Books Built. I've heard of it before from someone on LT but my library doesn't have it.

hi mark!
great idea - swap wl
off to do that now...

The Bears (7-1) vs. The Texans (7-1)

Should be a great game! Go BEARS!

Hi Mark.
First, I love the art by Lorenzo Mattotti. I had not heard of him before.
Second, I love the idea of a Swap WL. I believe you have my address, but let me know if not.

Off to work on my SWL. :-)

Congrats on #25 Mark! I don't think I'd seen any of Lorenzo Mattotti's work before either, and just had a look at his site—what an exciting artist! Thanks for introducing us to him. He's worked with some high profile publications too.

So tired suddenly this evening, I feel I should take myself to bed right this minute...

>19 msf59: cuddle session whilst reading, can only mean literally. Like your picture! As previously mentioned, Im barred from reading whilst...well...you know ;)

Ugh! Bears 3 Texans 10! 4 turnovers for the Bears. We need a much stronger 2nd half.

Rhian- Have you read anything else by Spufford?

Pat- Thanks! Glad you like the Mattoti pictures. I heard about The Child that Books Built, in Hornby's More Baths, Less Talking.

Claudia- I don't keep many books in my LT WL, so it's not as much a problem for me. I know some folks have a huge WL. This might make it easier.

Ellen- Glad you like the Mattoti. Another happy accident. I have your address.

Ilana- Good to see you. Hopefully, you are sleeping like a baby, as I respond to you.

Megan- " Im barred from reading whilst...". Me too! LOL. I do love the idea of a couple that reads together.

Hope your Bears get it together, Mark. I just checked at Audible.com and World War Z seems to be narrated by Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, and Rob Reiner.

Boo Bears! Boo Bears! Lost 13-6!

My sympathy for the Bears! Or is that for the Bears fans?

World War Z has a lot of different narrators - they chose a different reader for each chapter, as each chapter is a different person's story. (Which is why the trailer has our noses out of joint, they've turned a great book about people surviving the unthinkable into an action thriller about the one man who can save the world. Ho hum.)

I hope you like the Spufford! I bought a copy some years ago, but couldn't read it, as he was talking about turning to reading as a child when his small sister was very sick, and Miss Boo was a small baby and I couldn't cope. I do hope you turn my attitude around, it's still on the shelves, waiting for me to get over my fear of sick children! :)

Bears offense didn't look so good without Cutler. Hope he's back next week for the 49ers.

I was reading the Steinbeck book and would look up when the announcer sounded excited.

Just stopping by to check out your new thread. Colorful!

Sorry about your Bears . . .

Bears needed some offense. :-(

We were watching the last episode of the new Upstairs Downstairs and they did an ad for the return of Downton Abbey using music by Adele. It was brilliant.

Mark - knew that our mentioning the good luck charm would jinx it! Saw reports and updates of the game and it seems that the game never got going and they edged it largely by taking Cutler out of proceedings. In order to capitalise on offensive strengths the Bears need to protect its prize asset a bit better. I think on another day they would not win again by playing ugly - I thought that was the Bears privilege.

Congratulations anyway on a new thread mate.

#27 No I haven't read anything else by Francis Spufford, although some of his other writing has appealed. I think the reason I liked this so much is that he's just a couple of years younger than me so we'd read many of the same books in childhood.

>33 EBT1002:: I saw that Downton abbey trailer too ... Loved it!

Congrats to your lovely new thread :) Again a lovely choice of pics.

The Child that Books Built sounds very intruiging, looking forward to your thoughts on that one.

Since today is the Veteran's Day holiday, I get to enjoy one more day off, but it's winding down fast. The only think I'm looking forward to is, my audiobooks. I MISS 'em. Only about 40 today and for the rest of the week. Well, it's November.

Judy- Thanks! It looks like we have a full cast reading for WWZ. Cool. I might try to listen to it before next summer. It' ll be about 5 years since I read the book, which is a decent time.

Tania- So you listened to the audio of WWZ? And I agree, it will hurt the film if they try to stream-line the narrative into following one thread. The journalistic approach to the book was one of it's many charms.
You have an excellent memory, that is exactly what happens in the Spufford memoir, which of course sets him on the path to books.

Linda- "would look up when the announcer sounded excited." LOL. Well, that didn't happen all that much in that game. Hey, you can't win every game and yes we need a full recovery from Cutler.

Terri- Good to see you! The Bears will prevail.

Ellen- Reports from the U.K. front on DA 3 have been positive. We have been re-watching DA 1, because my wife didn't see it, (Some People!) and only have one episode left.

Paul- It's very difficult to win every game in American football, especially against a powerhouse team. The Texans have a great defense as well and kept a lot of pressure on Cutler. Fingers crossed, he's okay for next week, against another formidable opponent.

Rhian- I do like Spufford's writing in this memoir, so I might be looking into his other work. I can see how you can relate to him better, growing up in England during that time frame. I never heard of any of those authors from his childhood.

Laura- Big Wave!

Bianca- Thanks! I have barely started The Child that Books Built, but hope to knock out a bigger chunk today.

Snazzy and blue laden new thread.. as is usual with you :)

137) City of Women by David R. Gillham 3.8 stars

Berlin in 1943, was a city of secrets and lies. And since, most German men were dead or in the military, it was also a city of women. On the surface, Sigrid Schroder is the perfect wife. She’s married to a German soldier, who is serving on the Eastern front. She has a good “office” job and takes care of her surly mother-in-law. Sigrid has another side as well. A darker, dangerous side. She has a Jewish lover and makes other Jewish contacts, finding herself drawn into the perilous task of assisting Jews in this war-ravaged nest of Nazis.
Yes, there are a million books, fiction and nonfiction, about WWII Germany. This does take a fresh approach and I give it credit for that. It’s well-written and suspenseful. I also think it could have been edited a bit better and I would have toned down the sex a little. Sigrid is quite the frisky Frau! I also love the cover art. If you like this period in European history, I definitely recommend it.

Just a random thought on City of Women as I wander through your brand new, sparkly, thread: Were there any Jewish people left in Berlin by 1943? I can't imagine Sigrid having a Jewish lover at this time, in this place. An able bodied Jewish male would have either escaped Germany, or would have been killed, or picked up and sent to the camps? At least that is what I imagine.

i'm on Kaua'i, waiting for the housemate to wake up. I am up early as usual which does give me time to wander through threads and make random comments. Enjoy your last "free" day, Mark!

I'm having fun developing my Swap WishList, Mark.
And I, too, am enjoying this Monday off from work. I love 3-day weekends and I'm always disappointed at how quickly they pass.

>41 msf59: Enjoyed your review, o vacationer.

Nice, shiny new thread, Mark! :)

I gotta check to see if I have City of Women on my WL. For some reason the cover looks really familiar so I must have seen it around LT at some point. :)

Okay, gotta go make sure my WL is in order. Can't wait to shop for my Secret Santa person. Buying books for yourself is fun, but buying books for someone else who also loves books is a whole other joy!

I guess us book geeks can read just about anywhere! And she looks so content.

Kath- I love blue! Blue words, blue eyes, blue skies, blue jeans...should I go on?

Karen- Good point on the Jewish situation, at that time in Berlin. Most of the Jews were gone but the underground was in full swing, hiding and transporting people. And there is a lot of story behind the Jewish lover, that's quite plausible and interesting.

Ellen- I'm glad you are enjoying the Swap List. I don't keep many books in my WL but I will clean it up a little. Glad you are enjoying your 3-day weekend.

RD- Thanks, my friend. It's a good read.

Valerie- Thanks! city of Women was an ER book, from a couple months ago, so it's a newer release. I plan on drawing names for the Swap in the next week or so.

Just a quick visit....but, here is something Richard posted on FB.....thought you might like it:

http://www.themillions.com/2012/11/everybody-pays-the-extreme-dark-fictional-wor...

It's raining and the temp is dropping....oh joy!

Good review of City of Women...you were much kinder than I was....

:-}

Oh, man, I've fallen behind again.

Cool new thread, Mark. I'm liking those Mattoti's up there.

Sounds like City of Women was a good read. I'm nearing the end of my sci-fi one, and finished the Batwoman: Hydrology gn, so I need to figure out what's next in that genre.

Hey Mark, the Mattoti's are just as vibrant as your thread!

Sigrid is quite the frisky Frau! I'll say. With almost any male who came around. Haha. I enjoyed it anyway Mark.

Enjoyed your review of City of Women Mark - another one for the hitlist as frisky fraus do have a certain appeal to yours truly!

"In the meantime a child is sitting reading. Between the black lines of print and the eye, a channel is open, up which information is pouring; more and faster than in any phone call, or any micro-coded burst of data..."
-The Child that Books Built

"She was a drinker with good looks picking up speed downhill..."
-the Bayou Trilogy

I had an interesting reading day! First of all, I may of Pearl-Ruled my 1st book this year. (I hope RD is sitting down as he's reading this). I might have to abandon The Child that Books Built, despite a strong premise and some fine writing. It's to deep and heavy for me and my eyes kept glazing over, as I tried to focus on the page.
I decided to start the Bayou Trilogy. My very first Daniel Woodrell. I know people are sadly shaking their heads right now. Okay, here's a question for my LT pals: Should I treat this as a single volume or 3 individual books? These are his first 3 novels, collected in this big paperback. Probably a dumb question!



And then I was getting ready to start my next GN, That's Not a Feeling, (a library copy I've had for a couple weeks) and just after I turned a couple pages I quickly realized this was a novel not a GN. That cover threw me off. Come on! The book looks good too but I can't squeeze it in at this time.

Regarding The Bayou Trilogy.....check my response to your query..on my Thread.....

like, Duh...

Hi Mark.

I'd county the Woodrell series are three books!

Jude- Thanks for the Pollock piece. RD sent me an interview with Pollock a few weeks ago. He's a very interesting guy. I NEED to get to his latest and I have a copy! Sweet.
It's getting down to 22 tonight! WTF? I'll stop over in a minute.

Joe- "I've fallen behind again." This is how you treat your Chicago Peeps? LOL. The Mattoti's have been a hit. A few days ago, I had never heard of him.

Lynda- Thanks! We try to keep it spiffy around here.

Bonnie- Did you see Homeland? A quieter episode but yowzer!

Paul- Thanks! I'm with you on the frisky fraus, especially the ones that are in the librarian profession.

Nice review of City of Women, Mark. I won that as an ER but have yet to read it... Story of my life :-P

Mark, I just cannot keep up with your thread! Managed to read your review of City of Women - Yay! That one is already on my To Read list so happy to see your endorsement of it! - and sorry your team lost. :-(

Happy work week Mark.

Hi Mark, sorry it's back to work tomorrow, but I do hope you have a good audio lined up. City of Women has been added to my wishlist, that really is an eye catching cover.

Hi Mark,

Another new thread! Love the paintings up top.

I'm halfway through Where'd You Go, Bernadette?. It's a good one!

Hi Mark, I haven't actually listened to World War Z but Don has. We probably have an audio copy somewhere still... I think maybe it was abridged which is why I never got around to it, it was missing the darker stories, I think Don said. (LOL to you saying I had a good memory!)

Your Pearl Ruling on the Spufford is making me think I'd better bookcross my copy sooner rather than later...

I had a great time off, but play time is over. I think my next vaca is in February. I will be needing it desperately by then. Chilly day today, only about 40. Have a good week everyone.

Katie- I try to keep my E.R. books prominently positioned on my Must Read Now shelf, so they are not lost in the sea of "others". I think I have one more E.R. to get to.

Lori- Good to see you! I think you would like City of Women. It was a tough loss for the Bears by a terrific team. Hope we get our quarterback back.

Joanne- Thanks! Hope you had a great weekend. I'll be watching for your thoughts on Where'd You Go, Bernadette?.

Tania- We do not say the "A" word around here, (abridged). See, I had to say it anyway? I think the Pearl-Ruling of the Spufford memoir is strictly personal. It's over my head and since the author grew up in the 60s-70s in England, I can't relate to many of the authors he talks about. I'm sure many others will love this book, it just did not work for me.

My sister just finished City of Women. She enjoyed it.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? was one of my favorite reads of the year. I have passed it along to 5 friends so far - but they were all women.

City of Women ... a mention of that on FB ( from Goodreads) gave me a very interesting dream...
just saying.

Mark, I wish you well on your first day back to work! I have a few more days in paradise and I'll continue to post some pictures so I hope they will provide you a little "warming" after a day of work.

I'm still trying to make some progress on TOR but RL (like shopping!) gets in the way (like the BEACH).

later -

>55 msf59: I know my Chicago peeps, especially my LT mentor, deserve better than my falling behind, Mark, but my #1 Chicago peep, Walklover, had me boondoggling when I wasn't working. Sometimes it's hard to keep up. But I'll try to do better. :-)

I'm glad you had a good break, and I hope work is okay today. The weather's supposed to warm up as the week goes on.

I finished that sci-fi book, which was really good. I've got my Dr. Siri to finish, and I may finally read the one Murakami I haven't yet, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

Caught up! Mercy. I recommend the Woodrell trilogy be counted as 3 separate books. Because they are. And I don't think they even constitute a proper trilogy. The Ones You Do is the best, in my opinion.

It's nice having the extra day off tacked on to the end of my vacation, but boy do you pay for it on Tuesday. It was HEAVY! I ended up doing an hour OT and I probably could have stretched that out even more, but being Good Mark, I didn't.
I listened to a healthy chunk of TOR. I'm beginning to see some daylight. Didn't get as much done in the Bayou Trilogy though. If I don't fade to fast this evening, I'll try reading a few more pages.

Nancy- Good to see you! Do you have plans to read City of Women? It's a good one.

Kath- Oooh, a dream! Do tell....!

Karen- We had plenty of sunshine today but it was chilly, barely reached 40. Enjoy the rest of your time in paradise!

Joe- We will not say anything to arouse #1 Chicago peep! If she wants you to boondoggle, then you boondoogle. I really enjoyed the Murakami memoir. An interesting look into a an interesting mind.
That reminds me, I plan to knock another Dr. Siri out before the end of the year. I got to keep upi with the crowd.

Linda- The Woodrell reminds of George Pelecanos. The voice and style are very similar. Have you read the latter? They are crime books set in D.C.
How much of Woodrell have you read?

Wonderful! Love that graphic.

LOVE that! Sorry your first day back was so rough. I, on the other hand, was elated to receive a big fat mailbox full of mail today -and it wasn't all bills. So fabulous! Big drop in temperature here tomorrow- it's only going to get up to 56. Today it was 69, so that's quite a difference.

I really like the cover of City of Women - are you sure it's not a four star read because then I could add it to my WL?!

love #68

>68 msf59: I have that on library hold!

>67 msf59: but being Good Mark, I didn't.
Good Mark? That's not what I heard ;) Oh, you mean good at work, OK then. That I can fathom.

Well, I was just tweaking my WL a little, adding & deleting, getting it in ship-shape for the Swap! I'm to tired for any reading, just been lurking around the threads.

RD & Kath- Glad you like it! I'll have to check into the book itself. Some interesting authors listed there.

Mamie- Hey, nothing like a "big fat mailbox full of mail", especially when a book is included and no bills. I did give City of Women 4 stars on the LT rating but 3.8 on the Marky-Meter. It's a good read. You might love it.

Joanne- You always so cutting-edge! LOL. Hope your week is going well.

Megan- Yep, the Good Mark, only comes out at work. Sorry.

Just learned of My Ideal Bookshelf and wish listed it. Secret Santa thingy, are you listening?

Don't think I will read City of Women. Glad to hear you liked it, but more my sister's type of book than mine. And my mount TBR tumblith over already.

Got to get that WL in shipshape condition. It seems like the only time I do it is in anticipation of your Christmas Swap or Santa Thing.

Glad to see your ideal bookshelf has no room for "crappy" books. ;)

Hope your second day back at work is much better, Mark!

Mark, I'm waving to you again, from paradise. Just in case no one has said this to you lately, I appreciate letter carriers a great deal. Even though the nature of mail-box mail has changed a good deal, I still get a thrill from "going out to get the mail".

Just stopping by to wish you a nice day :) *wave* at Mark!

#67 The three volumes of The Bayou Trilogy are all the Woodrell I've read so far, Mark. But I enjoyed them and intend to go back to him. I have not read Pelecanos...oh dear. Another addition to the looooong list.

Nancy- Make sure you add "My Ideal Bookshelf" to your WL. Makes it easier for "givers" to locate it.

Linda P- We will always have LT's Secret Santa, it's the 1st place we met. Awwwwww! I know you do both, but I'll stick with the Swap.

Valerie- There is never any no room for "crappy" books. LOL. But sometimes books have sat on the WL for such a long time I don't even remember adding them and it's time to let the little guys go.

Karen- I know I'm a letter-carrier but I get the same small thrill, visiting the mailbox. Especially when a book is expected. Yahoo!

Bianca- Big hearty wave!

Linda- I've read a handful of Pelecanos. He's a good crime writer but he's not a Must Read for me. The draw or the lure is not there. He also was a writer for HBO's great show "The Wire".

Just a quick good morning. I have a sink full of dishes to do.. need to dress and be hout the door in a little over half an hour. Have fun at work and my you have no bitchy customers

Poor Mark, going back to work in the cold is tough. I'm glad you have your audiobooks to make the time pass quickly. I have The Bayou Trilogy waiting on the TBR shelf for me. I will definitely count it as three separate books. I hope you enjoy Woodrell enough to read more by him. He is my favorite gritty author. Lol

Okay, this is a reminder, for this coming Sunday night. Be there or be square. Fans of Ken Burns, good docs and The Worst Hard Time, rejoice!



-Dalhart, Texas 1938

I sent that cool >68 msf59: graphic on to my book-loving goddaughter, Mark. Nice!

Yeah, I hope the chilly weather improves like it's supposed to. The depths of the Chicago winter must be pretty darn tough. Maybe warm weather audio books?

ETA: Oh, the Ken Burns post came in late for me. That should be quite a show. I still haven't read The Worst Hard Time. I need to make some Best Easy Time to read it.

Dalhart looks much like that to this good day.

Horrible!

What if it's called "Christmas Swap Wish List" or something similar? Is that title as acceptable as the "ideal" one?

Another lovely jaunt to the library! I'm surprised I'm not on a first name basis with everyone working there. I picked up:

The Garden of Evening Mists. The LT love on this one, pushed me over the edge. Once I finish the 1st 2 books in the Bayou Trilogy, I'll start this one.
Moonwalking With Einstein An audio. I really like the way this one sounds.
Morning Glories- the 1st in a GN series.

Lastly, I picked up a nice hardback of Henrietta Lacks for 50 cents. It'll look nice on the keeper shelves.

Mark - I'm with you. What's not to love about libraries? Sounds like you're doing some good reading even though your vacation is over.

Hi Mark, nice haul from the library. I picked up Pure pleasure: a guide to the 20th century's most enjoyable books by John Carely to peruse. I have to confess that I didn't get past the first chapter of The Child that books built a few years back for the same reason, annoying because so many others have enjoyed it but for me it was starting to feel like a chore to read.

I've just started listening to The city & the city because Bianca just made me aware that my one of my favourite narrators, John Lee, has done a few of Miéville's books.

Joe- That picture in #68 is actually a book of essays. Last winter was such a joy, I can't complain, although 2 years in a row would be FANTASTIC! And yes, please put The Worst Hard Time on your Must Read Soon list! It's amazing.

RD- Is Dalhart TX, where you were born or raised?

Tina- That would be fine, as long as it's identifiable. If your WL is manageable, you could leave it alone.

Mary Beth- I think I'm enjoying more book activity than last week. Go figure!

>92 msf59: Oh HELL no! Born in Palo Alto, California; raised in Mercedes, Texas, over 500mi south of Dalhart! *shudder* I've only ever visited Dalhart. A boy I dated was from there.

Even better on #68!

#85.....to both of those photos...add The Grapes of Wrath....just stating the obvious..

Hi Mark, I am trying to catch up here as I have fallen behind on the threads. Today I went out Christmas Shopping for the first time this year, actually got a few prezzies to put away. Managed to stay out of a book store or else all I would have bought would have been stuff for me!

Thanks for the reminder re The Dust Bowl, will have to set my PVR for that one. I've been quite absorbed in Feed by Mira Grant the last couple of days.

Kerry- I'm so glad I'm not alone on The Child that books built. Like every book I start, I want to love it but this one was to much work and i had to let it go.
I really enjoyed The City & the City. I need to give Mieville a try on audio.

RD- LOL. Sorry I shook you to the rafters with my Dalhart question. My bad.

Joe- I'll have to request that title.

Jude- Yes, we will be in Steinbeck country Sunday night. I'm a big fan of Ken Burns.

Judy- You showed amazing willpower, in avoiding the bookstores. Good job. I loved the 1st half of Feed but it ran out of steam for in the 2nd half. I hope it works better for you.

Good night, guys. See you in the A.M.!

I plan on being at my TV on Sunday night. I think this is going to be a must see! It should be as good as the book.

My sister says the Apocalypse is upon us. K-State is ranked number one in the college football rankings. Who would have thought that the oldest coach in college football would have a good team? Gangs of my cousins who graduated from there are doing a happy dance at their tailgate parties! As for me - I had to listen to my friends and neighbors cry in their beer and whine when they know perfectly well that Alabama has been trying to lose for several weeks and finally got the job done. Every-once-in-a-while I am reminded that perhaps once-in-a-blue-moon Texas does something nice for the rest of the country. I am so glad that Texas left the old Big 8 and I hope that Nebraska gets its comeuppance in the Big 10. Serves all of them right for abandoning a good thing.

>85 msf59: love the Texas house shot. Beautiful.

I too love checking the mail - pity its all bills though. THat or bank statements. Its no wonder I like the odd splurge on Book Depository, or Trade Me!

Good morning Mark :),

I love the Texas house shot as well and agree with Megan - beautiful.

In regards to audiobooks by Mieville, quite a few of his audiobooks are narrated by John Lee and he is just great in reading his stories. I recently started on Railsea which is narrated by Tom Lawrence, as Mievilles books tend to be a bit difficult at times, I found it very hard to get into the audiobook and for some reason I didn't like the narrator that much either. So, now I decided to read the book first and than listen to the audiobook, or I may go tandem again.

Okay, I should be wrapping up the behemoth called Team of Rivals today, which isn't to bad considering I only listened to maybe 2 hours last week. It's been very good and since the Bears play Monday night, we might go see "Lincoln" on Sunday. Win, Win.
I will also finish the 1st book in the Bayou Trilogy. These are short novels. The 1st 2 are only 150 pages and the last one is 200. It's good, gritty Swamp-Noir.
My current GN is Infinite fung Fu, which has been fast & fun.

Benita- I'm looking forward to the Burns doc too! I'm not sure how much of it is based on the Egan book but it should be solid regardless. It must be interesting to live around so many college football fans. There is very little interest in my circles.

Megan- There is some incredible "Depression Era" photography. I just grabbed that one off the PBS website. We do much of our bills online, so not much comes through the mail. Do you have that available there too?

Morning Bianca- I've been loving your visits. I have both Kraken & Embassytown saved on audio. I'm way overdue getting back to Mieville. Have a great day.

Did you say "good, gritty Swamp-noir"?! I'm in! The Bayou Trilogy you say? Off to hunt that down!

Have a good one, Mark!

Good morning, Mark. Enjoying the Mieville discussion. I didn't like Kraken much, but I may be in the minority on that. I thought Embassytown was very challenging and very good.

Got to add Embassytown to my wish list. I had that one spotted several years ago when it came out. What about Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi? That one was well liked.

Truthfully? I get tired of all the college football stuff. My library is catercorner across from the stadium here at UA and every home game it is a real circus. It often seems to me that if we put that much energy into solving other problems on campus it would be a good thing rather than just a thing. And why is it that sports is the only thing men want to talk about? It was refreshing last night to listen to the BBC world news telling those of us in the U. S. who are not hidebound about some amazing wonderful goal scored by somebody on the Swedish national team that beat England. Apparently, the guy scored all four of Sweden's goals and the last one was simply amazing. Got to fine that one on U-Tube.

Last night I found both of the students who are supposed to be working out circulation desk with computers out watching Breaking Bad. I couldn't believe it. What is with that show? Why watch something so morally degrading? When I asked them about why they were watching it they said they liked it. Why is it so hard to get people to move past that "I like it" bit and tell me why they like it? At least here on LT people are articulate, even if it is praising a show with questionable ethics. (By the way, I felt that same way about the Sopranos.)

Okay, as advertised, I finished the mighty door-stopper, Team of Rivals. It's a terrific read about an amazing American. I'm so glad we put a Group Read of this one together. It was both the perfect forum and best reason to finally pick this (very healthy) baby up.

I also finished Under the Bright Lights, the first book in the Bayou Trilogy and started the 2nd book, in this gritty, sweaty Swamp-Noir romp.



Is there anything better than books about books? Except for my last one of course, which I had to abandon, like a bald-headed stepchild. Hey, let's move forward people!
I started this one on audio and it's fantastic. I'm sure it will get very sad too but a mother and son sharing books, you can't beat it.
This is some of the titles they discuss:
Crossing to Safety I also loved it and it reminded me to get back to Mr. Stegner
On Chesil Beach I have still not read McEwan but this one is on my Must Read Now shelf.
the Savage Detectives I've had 2666 mouldering on a shelf for a couple years now.
A Man Gone Down I don't think I've heard of this one. It sounds good. Anyone read it?

Mamie- I'll have to talk to Donna. I didn't realize they had swamps in Missouri. It has an almost steamy Louisiana feel to it. It's a nice introduction to Woodrell for me.

Joe- I have to get back to Mieville. He's so prolific too, I wouldn't doubt he has another book or 2 coming out soon.

Benita- I also loved The Windup Girl and Ship Breaker was also very good. And yes, I'm a big fan of Breaking Bad. Yes, he is a morally corrupt individual, like Tony Soprano but this is Pop Art, at it's best. The writing, acting and directing are all first rate. Plus I'm drawn to the dark-side. My favorite films of all time are the 1st 2 Godfather films.

I don't think the Ken Burns documentary is based on The Worst Hard Time. Timothy Egan did his own documentary based on his book and if you haven't seen it Mark you should look for it. They used huge turbo fans to recreate the dust flying around and it was so realistic. Quite well done.

Got home late last night and turned on my local NPR station. After 10:00 p.m. it plays the BBC World News. There was some talk about a fantastic football goal scored by somebody in Sweden. It was refreshing after all unbearable continuous cacophony surrounding collage football in the town in which I live so I decided to stay up and listen to the story. It finally came on after 11:00 p.m. (Don't you hate it when the TV and radio titillate and tantalize you only to delay the one article you want to see or hear until after endless other things?) I found out it was a man named Ibrahamovich who plays for a Swedish team. He scored all four goals for the Swedes, beating England. The last goal was a fantastic aerial bicycle kick. I couldn't find it on-line this morning but tonight I managed to find it and boy is it pretty. It has been called the best goal ever. I guess it unseats the previous one which was scored by an Englishman. (His name escapes me right now, as it is the end of my work day and I am brain dead.) It was something different than the sports news I usually hear and I enjoyed it.

Crossing to Safety is one of my all-time favorite books.
I am so excited for the Ken Burns series about The Dust Bowl. I have set my DVR.
And I'm thrilled that you picked up a copy of The Garden of Evening Mists. I hope you enjoy it even two thirds as much as I did.

Mark, will there be instructions for choosing and sending books to our secret santa? I assume you will do some kind of random assignment?

Stopping by to say hi, Mark. If you have never read Ian McEwen I don't think you are missing anything! I've only read one book by him Atonement. Far too pretentious and just plain silly for my taste.

from post number 41 Sigrid is quite the frisky Frau! LOL! Somethings never change!

Great pix on your thread!

Hey Mark, My first McEwen was Atonement and I flat out hated it! :0P Thank goodness I didn't stop there. After a decent amount of time to wash the yucky taste from my mouth I read Saturday and most recently, On Chesil Beach I found both to be much more readable with good story lines.

This is how I feel sometimes but boy is that an impractical way to stack books!



Bonnie- I saw that in an article somewhere, mentioning that Burns "The Dust Bowl" was based on the Egan book, maybe it was incorrect. Thanks for mentioning the Egan doc. I didn't realize he did one.

Benita- I have a hard enough time keeping up with American sports. International? Forget it!

Ellen- I loved Crossing to Safety too but I would give angle of Repose the slight edge. I hope to start The Garden of Evening Mists in a couple days.
Yes, I'll post the Swap rules soon.

Deb- OMG, Tonto made it! What a great way to start my morning. We have missed you! McEwan is a polarizing author, I'll just have to give him a chance.

Lynda- Maybe, that's why I have dragged my feet on starting a McEwan but I WILL do it. I'm glad you hung in there too and gave him another try.

Glad you have friendly library folk.
Not a fan of McEwan, myownself...

Trying to catch up after being away for a week - hope you have a sunny, if chilly, day today!

>105 msf59:: that's the second time this week I've seen something about The End of Your Life Book Club. Your recommendation nudges it higher up my virtual queue. I need to get back to Stegner, too. I loved Angle of Repose and almost immediately snagged a couple more of his books at a used bookshop. In that case I was also nudged along by someone in this group who was taking a Stegner course. Might have been Pat (phebj). Now the books are gathering dust ... shame on me!

Hi Mark - just checking in! I think I heard Cutler isn't expected to play Monday night - if true, I am sorry about that. After last night's game, my husband (a Dolphins fan) decided he wanted a new team to root for (half in jest) and I suggested Da Bears. So you may have one more on your band wagon ;-)

Also, my first - and so far only - McEwan was Atonement and I loved it. It's one of my all-time favorites; as you say, he is a polarizing author. The film of Atonement was well done but not as good (of course).

Happy Friday!

Good and happy morning, Mark! Avoid McEwan. Bitter, bitter experience speaking. Stay away from his Philip-Roth-y miasmic swamp of fetid crotch-sweat-scented middle-aged sex obsession.

Not that I have a prejudice, you understand, just a strong urge to protect the frail and sensitive of spirit from unpleasantness.

McEwan fan here. I enjoyed On Chesil Beach, along with Saturday and The Cement Garden, which was deliciously creepy. Amsterdam was fine, but not his best work despite its Booker Prize win, and Black Dogs and The Comfort of Strangers were okay as well.

I'm also a McEwan fan and am looking forward to reading his new book. I've read and mostly loved Atonement, Amsterdam, Black Dogs, A Child in Time, Enduring Love, Saturday, and On Chesil Beach. I also read Solar and liked it but realized I was finally experiencing McEwan fatigue. Hopefully, it's been long enough that his new book will seem fresh.

#115 Laura, I did indeed take a Stegner course a couple of years ago. My all time favorite of his is Crossing to Safety.

#112 Hey, that looks like my house!!

We're going out to dinner tonight and then to see the new Lincoln movie. Really looking forward to it.

I've read Solar most recently. Very much didn't like it. But hey, I loathe Dickens.

>101 msf59: yep, we pay our bills on line, but still receive the notice in the post. I find theres so much crap in my email inbox I wouldnt notice a bill come through.

I am polarised by McEwan as well: I love him and I hate him :)
I hated On Chesil Beach while I was reading it, but think back fondly on it now. In fact, I can say I liked it now. I want to read Amsterdam soon, (eta: I have read and liked the following two, it didnt make sense when I read it back...) Black Dogs.....and Saturday. That about rounds out my McEwan experience. Good luck with your first!

Hey, Mark. I'm on my way home soon. Hope you had a good one today. Finishing The Merry Misogynist is next for me - what a creepy villain!

In spite of Richard's incessant squawking..

I like Ian McEwan's work...though i'd like to shoot most of his characters.

On Chesil Beach is a heart breaker..for any one who is anticipating Marriage......or any one with a heart

"nuff said....

;-}

What a beautiful fall day in the Midwest! Sunny, low-50s. And it's supposed to hover around in the mid-50s until Thanksgiving. Happy Mark!

Kath- Yes, I love my library. Hugs to everyone there, except for a couple fragrant homeless individuals.

Amber- It was gorgeous today. I started stripping layers off by 10am.

Laura- The End of Your Life Book Club is a Must Read! It's such a joy to read and what a beautiful relationship between son & mother and their taste in books is impeccable.
We should consider doing a couple Stegner G.R's next year.

Katie- Yes, Cutler is out with a concussion and I think it's a good idea, to sit him out. Let him heal. It will be a very tough game without him but the 49ers are banged up too. I will get to some McEwan. It's inexcusable that I haven't read him yet. I did love the movie version of Atonement.

RD- What's wrong with a good "fetid crotch-sweat-scented middle-aged sex obsession"? Even if most of mine is fantasy based?
On the current NPR podcast, a reviewer ripped his new novel Sweet tooth. She called it incredibly cruel and degrading and she was a fan of his too!

Darryl- Thanks for chiming in on McEwan. I always appreciate your input. I think I will read On Chesil Beach very soon and then try one or 2 others next year.

I would like to start another Jane Austen book. I do not think I've read her this year and I'm starting to get the itch. I have Persuasion & Emma waiting in the audio line. I know there are scores of diehard Austen fans visiting here, which one should I go to?

Pat- Yah, you sound like a true-blue McEwan fan. I will be dipping my toe in that particular pond very soon. I also have Saturday and Atonement waiting in the stacks.
And I NEED to get to more Stegner. Bad Mark.

Linda- I hope you love "Lincoln". Make sure you stop back by and give me a full report. We are planning to see it Sunday.

Megan- "I am polarised by McEwan as well: I love him and I hate him. " That seems to be the consensus with this guy. I'll have to dive in and see what side I come up on.

Joe- I hope you had a good work week. Good to see Dr. Siri pop up again. Like I mentioned, I would like to read book 5 by the end of the year.

Jude's here! Jude's here! Yah! RD's "incessant squawking" is why we love Mr. Crabby Pants. I would have him no other way. Wow, that didn't come out right.
I will get to On Chesil Beach very soon.

Lots going on here as usual :)

I'm currently listening to Persuasion myself. This version is read by Greta Scaachi and is delightful.

I read Persuasion for the first time earlier this year and loved it.

Thanks for the heads up regarding the Ken Burns PBS special. I'll be sure to watch it.

Thumbs up from me for your excellent review of City of Women

I've read and reviewed More Baths, Less Talking over in my thread...post #262.

Now hear this: Hornby makes Richard read Dickens.

Hi, Mark. Greetings from Kaua'i. We've got temps in the high 70s, low 80s, and constant wind. Sky is populated with clouds and we had some brief gentle showers this morning. We spent this morning on a walking tour of one of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, the Alllerton Garden. It was owned and developed by early Kaua'i settlers and the landscaping was done over decades bringing exotic plants together with native and canoe plants. Exotic means they were brought to the island in the modern times, native means they are endemic, and canoe means the ancient Hawaiians brought them.

Amazing!

Hey, is anyone watching this BBC show called Copper? I've watched 3 episodes now and it's terrific. Cops & criminals: 1860s New York. The Civil War is winding down. The lead is an Irish detective, Corcoran, who was wounded at Gettysburg and now protects the mean streets of NY. Highly recommended. Please turn off "The Voice", or Fox News or any other reality show you are currently watching and find this one!

So glad you enjoyed End of Your Life Book Club. I did too!

Kath- We try to keep the troops entertained!

Katie & Mamie- It looks like I will be listening to Persuasion. Thanks.

Linda- Yes, set those DVRs for "The Dust Bowl". I hope you enjoy City of Women as much as I did.

RD- WTF? I'll be over to see your Hornby review. Have you read anything else by him?

Karen- Thanks for the wonderful report on Kaua'i. It sounds so beautiful. When do you return?

Nancy- I am LOVING The End of Your Life Book Club! I intended to give another report on it tonight and ran out of time. This will be another top read for the year.

>125 msf59: "fetid crotch-sweat-scented middle-aged sex obsession"
Which one was that again? May have to check it out :)

As for On Chesil beach being depressing? That's life sometimes aint it? That is why I like depressing books, not because of any depression on my part (I may be a realist, but am not clinically so), because sometimes life is depressing. I didnt find that book sad really either, just a slice of life.....a slice of a strange life!

Mark, I'll be flying home on Thanksgiving Day. Cheap tickets and relatively less crowded planes.

Emma or Persuasion?? Hard to say Mark since they're both so good. But I'll give the edge to Persuasion by a hair. Although you'd love the feisty Emma character, I guess I'm not much help.

Copper sounds interesting. Unlike Breaking Bad. It's another home football weekend. Fortunately it is an early game. If I can manage it I will spend Sunday afternoon at the movies trying to see Lincoln. Since I aleady know how the story will end I don't mind seeing it before I have finished the book. I'll let you know what I think after I have seen it. And there should still be time to see Dust Bowl.

Oh yeah, loved Angle of Repose even more!

Going in search of "Copper."

I'll give my vote for Persausion as well. One of my favourite books ever.

Happy Saturday, everyone! I'm working but it supposed to be another late fall beauty. and speaking of late fall beauties, I did not give a report of the End of Your Life Book club last night, but it continues to dazzle. They discuss so many good books, that it reminds me of somewhere else I visit regularly. Hmmmmmm...! Regardless, hunt this one down pronto!

Megan- I heard there were some heavy and disturbing sex scenes in Chesil Beach. As long as it involves 2 consenting adults, I usually don't have a problem with it.

Karen- Continue to have a great time and thanks for checking in.

Bonnie- Persuasion it is. You have never steered me wrong, plus I'll try to get to Emma early next year.

Benita- We had plans to see Lincoln tomorrow but my son has to work, so it looks like we will have to wait. Let me know what you think and try to locate Copper. It's very good.

Ellen- More Stegner next year! I have at least 2 others in the stacks. Let me know if you find Copper.

Rhian- Thanks! That will be my next Austen. I can't believe I almost let the year slip away without reading one of hers.

Happy Saturday to you as well Mark :) - Jane Austen *scratch head* I think I would lean more towards Emma and then Persuasion also they are both good.

Thanks to you I started World War Z today, trying to keep up my reading swing, before I start The Rape of Nanking next week. I have finished The Twelve which was a good read with a very good flow to it, but it also had some flaws (which irritated at times. However, I will definately go for the third book as well, once it got published.

BTW: You said you would be able to recommend some graphic novels for a thirteen year old. So far he is still enjoying The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman - I also have to admit we are complete addicts of the series. And that's me who never liked anything "Zombie" and now I am even reading books about them *laugh* .

Edited to add: He didn't like the Sandman series. He didn't like the graphics and he didn't understand the story that much.

I love all of Austen's novels Persuasion is my favorite although I enjoyed Emma more the second time than the first -- you really can't go wrong!

I like the idea of a Stegner group read, it might get me off my butt -- I have Crossing to Safety and Big Rock Candy Mountain on my shelves.

I've never participating in a group read, but might consider it for my beloved Stegner.

Happy beautiful fall day, outdoorsman!

Another vote for Persuasion, Mark. It's my second fave after P & P.

I've started The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window. At least one LTer Pearl-ruled it, but so far I'm enjoying it.

Go for Persuasion, although Emma is brilliant as well.

My two cents on McEwan - Enduring Love, Atonement, Saturday are all time favourites. On Chesil Beach is very good, The Cement Garden is good, if a bit stomach turning. Amsterdam was dull and pretentious, and Solar was one of the worst books I have ever read. Read him! See what you think.

Oh, and I'm really enjoying This is How You Lose Her this weekend- thanks for the great review!

Copper looks like fun - I'll have to wait for it to be available though.....

Puff, puff... catching up. My vote also on Persuasion. Will be looking out for Copper and don't read McEwen much....Atonement was good but didn't like On Chesil Beach.

Happy Saturday, Mark. Quite a nice day for this time of year.

I did quite a lot of yard work today, working up a good sweat. Sat down to read and put on the TV to see how Notre Dame was doing. I suppose I can read my baseball bio and watch a college football game.

Hi Mark! Do you know that I've never read a Jane Austen novel? Isn't that crazy? It's not because I don't want to, but I've just never gotten around to it. Maybe next year.

To add to the Ian McEwen discussion, I've only read Amsterdam, but I didn't like it at all. I think I'm with the wise Richard in post #117. I may try another McEwen novel at some point, but I'm typically not drawn to stories that involve privileged, angst-ridden, middle-aged dudes whining a lot. It's not my thing. It's always possible that I'm being unfair, but that's my impression after one book.

Isn't the Mathias at Haymarket wonderful?!

If he could only be in a postal uniform!

Rhian- I love book updates. I hope you enjoy WWZ. It's such a good read. I have not read The Rape of Nanking, although I have had it on a distant WL for several years. I hope you will be in the right frame of mind. I heard it is a hard-hitting and brutal read at times. I plan on starting the Twelve in a couple weeks.

Laura- We'll have to remind each other about Stegner. 2013 is already beginning to fill in. I think I will finally get to Anna Karenina in January and then there is Fantasy February.
I also have Big Rock Candy Mountain on the shelf, along with the Spectator Bird. I would also like to try one of his story collections.

Nancy- You NEED to join us on a Group Read. Every year, we have at least a few Must Reads! Stegner would be perfect! Are you a beer lover?

RD- You falling for the Hornby book, really put a big smile on my face. You will love the others too, plus I hope it gets you to try one of his novels, which are also terrific.

Joe- I will start Persuasion on Monday. This will be only my 3rd Austen but I really enjoy her writing and they are all blissfully short. Can I get an, Amen?

Hi, Orlaith- It's so good to see you over here. I can't wait to visit Ms. Austen again. I seriously NEED to get to McEwan and see how I feel about this guy. One thing is for sure, he brings out strong feelings in people.
Isn't the Diaz book wonderful?

Lucy- Copper is actually available on Netflix! So there is a good place to find it. I've only watched 3 episodes but this is top-notch TV and I'm surprised there is not a stronger buzz on it. I will attempt to change that.

Kerry- Sorry, I made you exercise. LOL. Thanks for the Austen vote. That will be my audio. Let me know if you find Copper!

Linda- It was a gorgeous day! Lots of sun too! I love it! Keep it coming baby!

Kerri- This is a nice surprise. Austen is such perfect reading. Fast & enjoyable. I hope you get to her soon. My daughter is going to try bringing a Growler of Mathias for Thanksgiving. This pilgrim will be very pleased.



Isn't this great? RD posted it on FB!

I have to agree with Richard on Ian McEwen - "fetid crotch-sweat-scented middle-aged sex obsession"

But I know folks love Ian McEwan , so yes, he's a polarizing author. Enjoy! :)

I'm looking forward to watching The Dust Bowl on PBS. Thanks for the reminder, Mark. I'll think of you and other fans of The Worst Hard Time when I watch it. Btw, no swamps in my area of Missouri...that I know of. I try and stay out of those uninhabited areas to the east where Woodrell lives. It's beautiful country, but I know what goes on there after reading and watching Winter's Bone!

I'm in for a Wallace Stegner group read next year. It's been years since I read both Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety. I'm more interested in The Big Rock Candy Mountain, though, because I haven't read it yet.

I'll be checking back for a movie review of Lincoln. I've convinced my husband to see Life of Pi as we both loved the book and will probably go with my movie-going friend to Lincoln.

Hi, I'm trying to stay caught up on threads but oh, my, it does make progress in TOR slow for me. I can't say that "I can't wait to get home so I can read", I just can't. Today we spent a couple of hours at a wonderful ocean beach!!!!

On the other hand, I do want to get caught up in the reading dept. I would also like to think about a GR for a Stegner book.

OK, I'm off to do more reading of threads.

I'll look forward to participating in some Stegner group reads. It's been a long time since I've read anything by him and I think his work warrants re-reading, especially with a group for discussion.

I hope you have a great Sunday, Mark!

Hi Mark it's Bianca not Rhian *smile*. Yes, and I am a bit apprehensive about The Rape of Nanking, but we will see.

I love the photo of the sleeping kid with a book in his hand. So rare these days. When I see the friends of my son, hardly any of them read and when they come to us they are always amazed at our books and ask "Are you a library?" LOL

Wish you a great Sunday!

The Rape of Nanking was one of the most powerful and unforgettable books I've ever read. It certainly was disturbing and filled with gruesome details about the atrocities committed by the Japanese Army against the civilians of Nanking, but I'm glad that I read it, and it will remain one of my all time favorite nonfiction books.

#160 I thought I couldn't remember saying I was going to read World War Z.

I finished both Under the Bright Lights & Muscle For the Wing, the first 2 books in the Bayou Trilogy. It was a perfect introduction to Daniel Woodrell. Gritty, darkly humorous and well-written. I'll read the 3rd book in a couple weeks. Next up, is the Garden of evening Mists, which I know many of you adore.

I also finished and LOVED The End of Your Life Book club. Please take a minute and reserve it from your library or just order a darn copy. I'll wait...

Deb- Big Wave! I'll get to McEwan soon, just to see for myself.

Donna- I hope to watch at least half of "the Dust Bowl" tonight. We are still planning to see Lincoln this afternoon. Yah! How does a G.R. of The Big Rock Candy Mountain for March sound?

Karen- I wouldn't want to leave lovely Hawaii, just to read, either. Enjoy your last few days.

Ellen- We'll have to remind each other about the Stegner. Maybe we'll go in March and then another one a few months later. Have a great Sunday too!

Bianca- I'm sorry. LOL. I try really hard to keep the names straight. I love the line-""Are you a library?" I do love it when I run across a kid that reads but it doesn't happen often.

Darryl- Good to see you sir! I will get to The Rape of Nanking, despite the horrors.

Rhian- Not a WWZ fan? LOL. Sorry for the mix-up!

Oh that toddler with a book is absolutely gorgeous!
And the Lincoln thing is horrible! And hilarious... I bet he would laugh, too.

Morning Mark! I am ashamed to admit that I have no idea who Stegner is...oh, dear! And why am I not surprised to find you organizing GRs for March of next year already?!

Hi Mark. Enjoy Persuasion; it's one of my Austen favorites. I saw "Cloud Atlas' last night and thought they did a good job with it -- that really surprised me.

Thanks for the reminders about the Ken Burns show. I loved the Egan book.

I love the bookman cartoon! Increasingly friends chat about the beauty of the nook or the kindle, but then add how they love to read a book with actual pages that have a texture and a feel.

When I attend book sales and see all the people there, I'm convinced that the electronic gadgets will take a long time (if ever) to replace the actual copy.

Happy Sunday Mark!

Hi Mark! Just catching up around here. Life is good. : ) My husband is dying to go see the Lincoln movie--and I loved the Lincoln quote up top (good job Richard!). Enjoy the day my friend.

I've been busy this morning with the Christmas Swap. I have to take care of my LT Peeps! I did start the Swap thread too. Stop by:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/144809
If you have any suggestions, please post!

Thanks for doing the Swap. What a great "little" project. May I just remind everyone to update their wishlists, especially be sure to take books you've acquired and/or just read off your wish list so some generous soul does not buy you something you will be sorry to see!

Kath- Despite looking so melancholy in all his photographs, Lincoln was supposed to have had a great sense of humor. Yes, he would have appreciated that poster.

Mamie- I have only read 2 of Stegner's books, but he was one of the great American writers. I hope you can join us on one of the G.R.s. You have plenty of time to find a copy.

Beth- I'm glad you enjoyed the film "Cloud Atlas". I'm not sure if I'll be able to see it at the theater, before it disappears. I'm sure that's the best way to see it. I hope to watch part of the Ken Burns doc tonight.

Linda- I haven't gone electronic yet. The TBR stacks would have an uprising. Can you imagine the destruction?

Kim- We are going to see Lincoln this afternoon. It's perfect timing. The Bears play Monday night.

Karen- You are welcome, my friend. And yes, clean up those Wishlists! Getting a duplicate would ruin everything. LOL.

You aleady are electronic. You "listen" to books. Don't worry. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

I would like to read some Stegner too. March sounds good to me for a group read. Big Rock Candy Mountain would be fine with me. I also would like to read some do his short stories, but could wait until later in the year.

I liked the movie of "Cloud Atlas and would advise you to see it in a theater. It is one of those movies made to be seen on a big screen. You know, ... Big, sweeping, lots of action. I think that watching Lincoln on a TV screen would be better than trying to watch Cloud Atlas. I think the same would be true of Life of Pi. I really should try to get that one read very soon.

I read Big Rock Candy Mountain last year and loved it. Although it's a novel, it's pretty much autobiographical and a good introduction to the early influences in his life. I don't know if I'd read the whole thing again so soon but I would definitely follow along with a group read.

>153 msf59: Bookman- my hero!

>156 msf59: sweetness, entirely

*off to look at your swap thread to see what I did wrong*
:)

I'm part of the not-for-me gang with Ian McEwan, Mark. I tried Atonement, and didn't warm up to it.

Debbi says hi. I showed her the Lincoln poster and the toddler with her book. She loved both (me, too).

Hope you're having a good weekend!

We are off to see Mr. Lincoln...(sung to the tune of "Off to see the Wizard"), la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,la...

I will return..

March is good for me to read Stegner, Mark. I have yet to form any book plans for 2013. I might do an entire year of winging it. Wait, that's what I did this year, although my reading was guided by TIOLI Challenges. It was a good way to clear some space for the books I've been buying recently. And I'll probably buy a few more in Joplin on Nov. 27th at Stasia and Terri's meet up. It's my way of helping out the local economy. They are still rebuilding from the devastating tornado.

I'm sure I could do Stegner in March. I haven't planned that far ahead yet!!

I haven't read any Stegner before so will pencil this in for March.

Thrilled with my Swappee ;-)

anxiously awaiting your thoughts/feelings regarding the "Mr. Lincoln" movie.

Oh, Stegner is definitely on my list of authors to try, count me in for a Group Read next year.

Hi Mark,
Hope you are loving Mr. Lincoln.

Love all those great graphics you've been finding :-)

You are reading up a storm, as usual. Some tempting blue up there. Just to add my 2 cents - I loved Atonement and was not that crazy about Amsterdam.
I try not to let my opinion of the characters color my assessment of the book. I think it takes as much skill to conjure up a hateful character as it does a lovable one.
I do think McEwan is an excellent writer as far as I have read.

Stegner in March sounds doable from my November perspective :-)

I loved Cloud Atlas, Life of Pi and the Lincoln book. Saw the first one on the big screen and can't wait to see the other two!! Mark, tell me the Lincoln movie is good....?!

"Shall We Stop This Bleeding?"

WOW! What a great film! I am so glad that I just finished Team of Rivals, so everything was so fresh. Yes, the bulk of the film is set in January '65, but there are so many references covered in Goodwin's book. I was so impressed by the outstanding writing but I also appreciated how quiet the film was. The score was very understated. I found myself leaning forward to listen to these men, as they discussed one of the most important pieces of legislation in American history.
I can't imagine anyone doing a better job than Daniel Day-Lewis. He nailed the role on every facet, playing Lincoln with fire, good humor, with deep introspection and with a twinkle in his eye. The large cast was excellent, with Tommy Lee Jones being a major stand-out as Thaddeus Stevens, who steals every scene he's in.

I tip my hat to Mr. Spielberg, for creating another masterpiece.

I will definitely be winging it next year w/o very many planned reads at all Mark. I have two Stegners on my shelf that I would like to reread---Crossing to Safety and Angle of Repose both of which are desert isle books but it's been twenty years since I read them. I don't own Big Rock Candy Mountain or The Spectator Bird, which I also loved. If I come across a copy by march i might join in.

Benita- LOL. You got me there! Yes, I am electronic, with my audiobooks but I do not own an E-Reader....yet. I can't believe we have so much interest in a Group Read of Big Rock Candy Mountain. And I would also like to do one, on his short stories.

Pat- Lots of Stegner love floating around. It looks like the boost I need.

Megan- I'm glad you like Bookman! Yah!

Joe- Try to make time to see Lincoln. It's a Must See Film! Say hi to Debi, I'm glad she liked the posters.

Donna- Yes, I have joined quite a few Group Reads this year, my own and with others, but I'm still able to read plenty of my own choices. And all the books I did join, I wanted to read anyway. Win, Win!

Laura, Katie & Judy- More Stegner fans! Yah! I hope I can get some help on remembering the Group Read. LOL.

Linda (Whisper 1)- I hope you saw my thoughts on "Lincoln".

Claudia- I NEED to give McEwan a try very soon. I've been dragging my feet for far to long with this guy. I'm glad you are considering joining us on the Stegner.

Kim- I hope I get a chance to see Cloud Atlas at the show. I'm sure I'll see the Life of Pi with the DW.

Mark, I really want to see "Lincoln" while it's in theaters. I think I would enjoy it even if I'm still in the middle of Team of Rivals (which seems likely).
I undersand you are reading and enjoying The Garden of Evening Mists?

I hope to squeeze in an hour or so!

So glad you enjoyed " Lincoln" , Mark! MrVancouverdeb would like to see Skyfall, the new James Bond, and I would like to see Argo. Perhaps on Dave's next round of days off.

I wanted to thank you for helping to turn my husband into a bookworm! A year ago as far as I knew I had a non -reading spouse. I remember you suggested C. J. Boxlast fall , just before he had to have foot surgery. I think he is close to reading all in the series and has branched out into Robert Crais, Lee Child, Robert Parker, Harlan Coben and others. I still have not sold him on Can Lit or anything like that :) but he always has his nose in book!!

Glad to hear you liked Lincoln. We'll see it in a week or so. Did I mention we saw Flight? We liked it, too.

I'd be up for a Stegner group read. We did one a year or two ago of Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs which was fun. I love that book title. I've got a couple here including Crossing to Safety, which of course came up in the The End of Your Life Book Club and Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Time for PBS.

Great news on Lincoln, Mark! It looked good, but I'm glad it's got the Chicago Peep seal of approval!

I'm so glad you loved the Lincoln movie, Mark. Like Ellen, I'll probably end up seeing it before I finish the book but I want to see it in the theater.

Thanks for getting the Christmas swap list done, Mark! You are awesome. ;) Now, to go shopping...wahooo!

"Next year people."

I watched about an hour & 1/2 of "the Dust Bowl". Ken Burns has done a terrific job but I think Timothy Egan has his stamp on it too. Plus he is featured here, quite prominently. BTW- It sounds like Lawrence O'Donnell (from MSNBC) is narrating it and doing a good job.

Ellen- I did start The Garden of Evening Mists but I hoped to read much more today, than I did. This will be anther great read.

Deb- We plan to see Skyfall too! I'm glad your DH has turned into such a reader. It doesn't sound like a passing fancy either. Very cool.

Joanne- We loved "Flight". I've been doing cruddy on my reviews lately but I HAVE to review The End of Your Life Book Club. Everyone needs to read that one.
I would also like to read Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs.

Joe- You will LOVE Lincoln! The writing is so smart! It never goes broad.

Pat- Yep, everyone should see Lincoln, but please read as much of the book you can, before going to see it.

Valerie- You are welcome. It's a little work but it's worth it!

Im learnin' about the Dust Bowl in The Warmth of Other Suns, a bit anyway.

Glad you liked the Lincoln film....closest Ill get to seeing that is when I saw JFK in high school ;)

The Dust Bowl is terrific. Just wow from the get!

The Dust Bowl is very well done but oh my, sooo depressing.

Morning people! The only day off this week is the holiday. I'm only 40 pages into The Garden of Evening Mists but I'm loving it. I'll be taking a stroll with Ms. Austen today, as I begin Persuasion. The Bears, minus Cutler, will play the 49ers tonight. Go Bears!

Megan- You'll have to find a copy of the Worst Hard Time. It's worth owning too. Are you enjoying "warmth"? I know it's very long.

RD- I'm glad you are enjoying "The Dust Bowl". Stellar job by Mr. Burns. Most of these people interviewed have to be 90 or older.

Laura- Yes, the Burns doc is depressing but the spirit and tenacity of these people is mind-blowing. Glad you are enjoying it.

Phew, caught up! Glad you're reading Persuasion, that's a favourite of mine. I had to study Emma for high school, so that's one I find hard to reread. I'm currently addicted to "The Lizzie Bennett Diaries" on YouTube, which is a great modernization of P&P.

Can't believe you've brought up Fantasy February already! Didn't we just have that??

Watched "Safety Not Guaranteed" on the weekend. Enjoyed it.

And put me in the McEwan fan group. Can't believe you're all dissing Solar, I loved that one!

So many good books mentioned here. Must... Resist.... Wishlist.... Blowout....

I watched all of the Dust Bowl last night and will be glued to my TV tonight as well. (Even with the plumbing problems.) That's correct. New house and plumbing problems. My cousin, the plumber says that nobody has plumbing problems except during the holidays. I got them. My sewer is draining out into the yard. Might be good for the grass they are trying to get to grow but in the long run I don't think that is the way things are supposed to work. I called the landlord today. Maybe things will be better by Thursday.

I am thinking about my annual Thanksgiving excursion. Last year I drove the Natchez Trace Parkway from Columbus, Mississippi to Franklin, Tenn. and listened to a Nevada Barr mystery that was set on the Parkway while doing so. This year I am thinking of driving over to Little Rock, Arkansas to see the Clinton library and then return on Friday. That way I can miss all the Black Friday madness. That is almost as bad as football game.

I'm glad to see that you enjoyed both the Lincoln movie and the Dust Bowl.

Are you going to watch the Dust Bowl or the Bears game tonight?

I'm going with the Dust Bowl but switching over to the Bears afterwards.

My record in group reads is not so hot but I've long wanted to read The Big Rock Candy Mountain and a couple of other Stegners. They've been sitting on my shelves well, for forever.

Hi, Stranger! Just doing a quick check-in before I head home for the night. To catch up - only read one McEwan and it left me very flat, Love Richard's description, LOVE the Lincoln photo/joke, hope to watch Dust Bowl from last night and catch up in time for tonight, caught the first episode of Copper and my DVR decided to be a pain so need to catch up, and I may join you in a Persuasion audiobook listen now that my car is back from the shop (after being there for almost a month). Whew! Hope you see you all more later, I've really missed you guys. :)

p.s. Mark, ignore my PM'd question - I figured it out. ;)

Every time I see the title Big Rock Candy Mountain, I start humming the song... Never heard of Stegner before, I'm assuming he's one of those authors that appeals mostly to Americans...?

ETA: Actually, just went and looked at his author page here, and several Aussies I know have his books. Mea culpa, obviously a failing in my education somewhere there.

Mark I'm so glad you are reading Persuasion. It is really good. I read it a long time ago and I took a peek at the tutored read that lyzard did for Ilana and it makes me want to reread it! If you get a chance to skim through it it will enrich your reading experience.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/136698

I think someone may have mentioned already. If so sorry, but it is worth another mention. :)

Tania- Wow, I got 2 wookie messages! Yah! The audiobook of Persuasion is not capturing my attention, although I've already listened to half the book. I'm not sure if it's just a lackluster narrator or what. I will re-listen to a big chunk of it and if that doesn't do it, I'll get the print book.
Yes, Fantasy February is right around the corner. You know me, I like to plan stuff. It keeps me focused. I also know I will kick it off with Tigana, thanks to Valerie.
Stegner seems to be steeped in the modern American West. I loved the 2 books I've read by him.

Benita- So what did you think of the 1st part of The Dust Bowl? I know your plumbing issues were a distraction. I loved it.
Let me know what you decide on your excursion.

Linda- I'll go with the Bears tonight but I plan on knocking out the 30 minutes I have from last night, before kickoff.
Like you, I LOVED "Lincoln''. I'm not sure it could have been done any better.

Laura made it! Laura made it! Always a pleasure. Glad you got caught up. What did you think of Copper? I really like that show, although I've only seen 3 eps. I don't know if you do Netflix but it's available there.

Roberta- Thank you for the Persuasion info. It's not grabbing me the way I hoped but I'm blaming it on the audio version. It might be one, I'll have to pick up the print book.

Thinking about going to see Lincoln with family - including 11 yr old daughter - Friday afternoon.

Way behind, but a quick note to say thanks for the cheering kitty pics. Hope all is well .

Bears Vs. 49ers- Monday Night Football. This is going to be another very tough game. Bears are underdogs, without Cutler. Go Bears! Come on Paul! I'm counting on you, on this one!

I discovered that the Milwaukee PBS channel has the Dust Bowl on an hour earlier than in Chicago so I'm watching the early version.

Much more hopeful with a focus on govt relief and the migration to California.

Mark, I know that's a logo for the Bears, but this being your thread and all, I keep on reading it as Beers. Oh well.

Forgot to say, I haven't heard of Coppers, but I hope it appears sometime soon on our screens! Australian TV is woeful at the moment, I've given up and am rewatching Buffy season 1 while I cook.

Happy tenth birthday to Mr Bear! He went off to school this morning with a box full of cupcakes and a big grin on his face. Double digits, oh my.

You'll have to find a copy of the Worst Hard Time.
Wishlisted.
Done and dusted....get it? lol, ba dum tish.

It's got to be the audio Mark. Get a print copy of Persuasion.

Wait, according to our deal, that means I have to read the Martin book in February as well?!?. ;)

Bonnie (Brenzi) should be reading it soon and it is her first fantasy so I'll be curious to see what her reaction is to it. All these new people reading Tigana makes me so happy!

Ugh! The Bears look horrible! 20-0. I should be watching "the Dust Bowl", much less depressing.

Nancy- I hope you make it to see Lincoln. It's a great film. Hope your daughter is up for a very smart but incredibly talky film.

Kath- Glad you like the kitty pics!

Linda- I should have followed your lead and watched The Dust Bowl. This Bears game is turning my stomach into knots. At least I can go to bed early.

Tania- Happy Birthday Mr. Bear! Yah! Hey, nothing wrong with Beers! It's getting late here, otherwise I would have one.

Megan- Next step: Find a copy! " ba dum tish."

Bonnie- I listened to my first 2 Austen books and loved them. I wish I owned a print copy. Bad Mark. BTW- I am loving the Garden of Evening Mists.

Valerie- Yes, my friend you will be reading A Game of Thrones come February! LOL. I'm looking forward to Tigana.

Did Paul switch his allegiance to SanFran?

I'm not even watching the Bears tonight. After the Dust Bowl, time to read.

Glad that Ken Burns got the chance to talk to some of these people and hear their stories before they passed away. That's a great documentary.

I have to check out the novel that was said to be better than The Grapes of Wrath but wasn't published because the market wouldn't bear two novels on the same subject. It was finally published in 2004, a year before the author died.

>214 msf59: Next step: Find a copy! " ba dum tish."
You got me nervous there Mark, but I checked the library catalogue and *drum roll* (ba da ba ba da ba ba da baaaa)- They have it! Hooray.

Let's not even talk about the pathetic performance in San Francisco last night and just stick with books. Yes, I read them...a lot. I am loving the Garden of the evening Mists and thank everyone for all the various nudges on this one. I'm going to have to re-listen to chunks of Persuasion because I'm having a hard time following the narrative. I'll blame the narrator but it maybe it's me and I need the book.

Katie- LOL. I might switch my allegiance to SanFran! They looked fantastic.

Linda- "I'm not even watching the Bears tonight." I'm so envious of you.

Megan- That's great. I know you are reading a monster NF work at the moment and will need time to process and recover. I hope you are enjoying it.

Just saying hello... day off coming up!

Sorry about those Bears, Mark.

Sorry about your Bears, Mark. Now you know what it's like to be a Browns fan.
Better luck Sunday!

What a let down mate; we got played off the park looks like. We shouldn't have got carried away a couple of weeks away with the six straight wins. Still they're in the bag those wins - we need to get Cutler back as his replacement looked like a frightened rabbit at times.

Ack, Mark, sorry about dem Bears. Not a good night for them.

I am very much enjoying Team of Rivals and have watched part of "The Dust Bowl," which I (so far) think is quite well done. It's even making P look at our copy of The Worst Hard Time and consider reading it! I'm glad I had read that (and The Grapes of Wrath) before the Ken Burns piece.

You know it's bad when The Dust Bowl is less depressing than the Bears game! Oof. Were they lousy or what? Out-coached, outplayed.

Love "why are you taking me to a bookstore?" in >205 msf59:! Sent it to Walklover, seasonsoflove and that guy in Seattle.

Hi Mark!!

Just wanting to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!!! Hope you have wonderful day and lots of good food!!!!

It was a cloudy day but almost balmy. High 50s. Work was heavy but I'm not complaining about the weather.
I ended up listening to the first 3-plus hours of Persuasion over again and I appreciate it much more. I don't want to blame the narrator but it's such a fast narrative, that if your mind drifts even a little, you miss a chunk.
And I'm loving the Garden of the Evening Mists. The writing and the story-telling are amazing. These 2 leads characters are awesome.

Kath- Yep, looking forward to the holiday, although that includes a house full of people. Oh, joy!

Mamie- Now, I know how you felt during that Colts game! It was awful, although I give the 49ers a lot of credit. They looked great.

Lynda- I heard on the way home, that Cutler might now be ready for Sunday's game. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Paul- Yes, the game was terrible. The worst performance of the year. Even the defense looked tepid. We NEED a nice comeback!

I thought that the Dust Bowl documentary was very well done. However, it did not have the impact that Burn's previous work (Baseball, Jazz, Civil War) had and I can't quite put my finger on the reason why. I thought that last night was better than the first night. I wanted more of what they did to save the land because I happen to think that the creation of the ASCS (Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service) was one of the greatest things government has done to help people and conserve the land for the future. There really wasn't enough on the technology of the farm equipment, the technology of planting, the science of the soil, the new plant genetics that came about in the 1950's, and most of all there needed to be more about irrigation. Today the Southern Plains are some of the most expensive agricultural land you can buy simply because of irrigation. That has enabled farmers out there to grow corn. That corn is used to feed all that beef on the hoof, which in turn has created the world's largest packing plants that are all located in and around Amarillo and in the Arkansas River Valley of Kansas. In the 2000 census there were only twelve counties in Kansas that showed a population gain. All of those counties, outside of the three metropolitan areas of Kansas, Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita, were in the beef packing counties of Southwest Kansas.

There should also have been more about the depopulation of the Plains. This is something that is still going on today. Most of the states between the West Coast and the Mississippi River continue to lose population. Even Colorado. Denver is growing but the rest of the state is losing population. Same is true of Oklahoma and Kansas. It is also true of the Texas Panhandle. These places just haven't recovered. In my opinion Harold Ickes was right. The area should, and eventually will be grassland once again. It will become the Empire of the Summer Moon.

I have to work tomorrow and hope that it will be a day in which I can catch up on paperwork.

I liked part 2 better. Part 1 was so bleak but, in part 2, the population rallied. The feds gave aid/jobs. People voted Democratic for the first time ever. It rained.

I, too, would've preferred seeing more on the environmental issues.

Those other Burns documentaries were much longer (more episodes). He talked to more people and took on broader topics

While he could've talked more about other subject areas, based on what he did talk about, this one seemed to fizzle out. It was probably a bit too long.

I think that fizzle is a good word to describe what I felt about this documentary. I thought that perhaps it was falling flat for me because I might be too close to the subject, so I thought that perhaps the environmental issues were just my bias. I spent the first thirty years of my life working on the farm and we built miles of terraces, waterways, ponds, etc. The Soil Conservation Service is still active and still doing great work in conserving the land, but different ways of farming have also contributed. One thing I know is that the shelterbelts (those rows of trees millions of trees planted by the CCC and the SCS) are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Rows of trees get in the way of those overhead sprinkler systems, so they are going away. I wonder about the wisdom of that? I would have liked to see a little more about all of that in the program.

I thought it was very good at the people part of the story. Some of those people were real characters and could tell a really good story.

I really liked Worst Hard Time and thought it was better than the documentary at telling the human side of the story. The documentary did a better job of telling about the out-migration. For me that is the part of the show that really sucked me in and pulled me along with the events.

Overall it was good, but not outstanding.

There was something about using up all the ground water (aquifer?)from the Ice Age within 20 years. A couple of co-workers were just talking about that with me.

More info on that topic would've been helpful.

I've never seen his Jazz documentary. I would like to watch that on Netflix. I think he may have had a National Parks series, too.

Baseball remains my favorite, but of course that's one of my favorite topics of all.

Ellen- I'm glad you are still enjoying TOR. It's a very long read but well worth it. Egan came across very well in the Burns doc. He's a smart, engaging guy. I'm nearly halfway done with the Garden of the Evening Mists and I LOVE it!

Joe- That was a gut-wrenching game. I'm not as surprised with that lack-luster offense but what happened to the "D"? That was bad. I heard Cutler may sit out Sunday's game too.

Tammy- Great to see you! You've been missed. You have a great Thanksgiving too!

Benita & Linda- Thanks for all the great thoughts on "the Dust Bowl". I have a few minutes left on Part 1 and then the whole 2nd part. Maybe 4 hours is to long for this subject matter.
I've seen all the Burns docs and The Civil War remains my favorite. Jazz is actually pretty good, although like the baseball one, purists will find glaring omissions.
The one Burns did on the World War 2 was one of my favorites too! If you haven't seen that one, track it down.

Go The Garden of Evening Mists! Go The Garden of Evening Mists!

I think if you're looking for a more technical explanation of the Dust Bowl you should look for the dvd that Egan did around the time he published The Worst Hard Time. It was originally on the History Channel and is called "The Black Blizzard." I think he may have interviewed some of the same people who were on the Burns documentary because some of them were familiar to me. I liked the second part better too.

Okay, we watched Walking Dead & Homeland and the final few minutes of Part 1 of The Dust Bowl. Looking forward to Part 2.

Megan- That's hard to say! LOL. It's such a good book.

Bonnie- I'm going to see if the Egan doc is on Netflix. I liked his comments on The Dust Bowl. Sorry, TOR has been such a slog for you.

Have you seen Argo yet, Mark? If not, do!

And Happy Thanksgiving to you!

We are starting a half hour early this morning, hopefully that means we are getting off a half hour early and not just O.T. Very, very foggy out there. Warnings.

Joanne- Argo is playing at our second run theater, starting Friday. We'll try to see it. thanks.

Any fans of A Fraction of the Whole out there? I've had this one on my WL for years and received a perfect hardback copy yesterday.

Hi Mark,
glad to hear that you are going to read Tigana next year. That was one of my best reads this year, just a beautiful written story :).

I have finished The Twelve and still gave it a 3/5 rating, even so that I was a bit dissapointed. Maybe my expectations were to high? I dunno! However, I also finished World War Z and this one was surprisingly good ;)

>236 msf59: I read A Fraction of the Whole several years ago, once it was selected for the Booker Prize longlist that year (2009?). I liked it in the beginning and middle, but it was ultimately too long and I grew weary of the book and its characters.

Mark, I'm so glad to get the updates on your reading of The Garden of Evening Mists. I don't know why, but it makes me happy when others like the same books I do. Mists is my front runner for the year so far.


And, yes, it was very foggy here this morning also. I didn't walk the trail because I was afraid of who might jump out of the woods at Lucky and me. I've been cautious ever since we saw a homeless man sleeping on a bench along the trail! DH comes home from Dallas tonight...we're both looking forward to him being home four days in a row!

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Turkey Day. I just might be a bit busy tomorrow!

Mark, I have just skimmed through hundreds of posts, with no time for anything except to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Mark! Hope your day ends early for you!
I finally finished World War Z yesterday! I was surprised I was able to get into it easier this time around. Pretty good!
Did you see the trailer for the movie? Dee put a link to it on my thread if you are interested in seeing it. I think Nate would like to watch it as he loves Walking Dead but I think I'll skip it!

I'm feeling the same way as Donna on The Garden of Evening Mists, Mark, and the same way as Linda on keeping up with the posts!

It's great to see you having the same positive reaction to TGOEM, which is one of my top books of the year, too. And have a great Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, Mark!! Enjoy the feast.

Mark, just wanted to drop by to wish you and yours a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! Hope you get filled with lots of good food and of course, good books. ;)

I do not understand the words here but I sure love the imagery!

Hope everyone had a good Wednesday. I'm so glad I went back and re-listened to the first few hours of Persuasion. I'm nearly finished but I might have to go back and listen to another section. Austen's narrative is so fast at times, I lose track. I really like it though.

Bianca- I might try to find a personal copy of Tigana, instead of the library or an audio copy. I didn't realize how many people love this book. Is LT the best or what?
Ooh, sorry, The Twelve didn't satisfy you more. I still plan on starting it in a couple weeks. What did you rate The Passage? I'm glad you loved WWZ! It's such a good read!

Darryl- Thanks for chiming in on A Fraction of the Whole. Wow, I didn't realize it was over 500 pages. I'll get to it someday.

Donna- Yes, I am loving The Garden of Evening Mists. I'm so glad I chose to read this one. My LT pals rarely steer me wrong. If we didn't have LT, we would never hear of most of these books.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Linda9- Good to see you. I'm sorry you had to slog through hundreds of posts! I hope a few of them were humorous and informative. Have a great holiday.

Chelle- WWZ, "Pretty good!" We need to sit down and have along talk, my friend. LOL. Yes, I saw the trailer. My feelings are mixed. Focusing on the Brad Pitt story line could be a big mistake.

Joe- I hope you never have to skim through hundreds of posts, which would mean my Chicago Peep is neglecting me, which would make me sad. LOL.

Linda P- Thanks! I hope you guys have a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

"One who doesn't read, speaks evil, hears evil, and sees evil."

Monteiro Lobato was a Brazilian writer of kids' books (mostly), along with short novels for adults.

Love that graphic in post 245 - and thanks for the translation, Richard!

Just stopping in to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving, Mark. This Thanksgiving I am especially thankful for all the wonderful people that I have met here on LT.

Here's my official Happy Thanksgiving post! And, as I said on my thread, I'm jealous of your beer. We'll have some decent beer too (but not as good as Mathias.) I think we'll bring some over, and my brother-in-law likes good beer, so he always has good stuff.

A little Turkey Day humor...

Cute cartoons, Mark. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Valerie- Thank you! I'm starting to really look forward to Tigana. It seems to have so many fans. Do you have your Game of Thrones copy yet?

RD- Thank you, sir! You always come through. I knew it would be something interesting.

Mamie- Thanks! I hope you have a great holiday too! Yes, we should all be thankful for LT. Does it get any better?

Kerri- I appreciate it. It's nice to have family members into good beer. What kind of beer has Joe been working on lately?

Pat- Hope that made you smile! Have a great holiday!

#251 - He has an IPA ready now and then a porter and a hoppy red ale in the basement. I guess next he's going to make some sort of Belgian blonde ale.

Come on up to MKE for some Black Friday Beer!

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/blog/2012/11/lakefront-brewery-betting-blac...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Mark!

Happy Thanksgiving, Mark!

Kerri- Sounds like Joe is really cooking! Yah! We should get together after the holidays!

Nancy- What a great offer. To bad, I have to work Fri & Sat! If this came in bottles, I would ask you to pick me up a six. I like black IPA.

Darryl- Thank you very much! You do the same.

Katie- Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

Well, there is no way I will catch up with all that is going on here Mark, so I will just say I love the Turkey Day cartoons - ROTFL - and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

I've made the stuffing. I've prepped the brussels sprouts with apples. I've got the noxious bird-meat brining in my own souped-up whiskey brine mixture. Yam nastiness baking now. Must roast the sprouts, some white potatoes with garlic, oil and rosemary, and birdie. Sweet potato pie, pecan pie, southern mincemeat pie, and apple pie all done. Life is good, but my knees and feet are killin' me! Happy holiday for you and all those you love.

Happy Thanksgiving Mark!

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving Mark!

I rated The Passage 4/5 and I really enjoyed that book, so maybe my expectations were to high with The Twelve. Nevertheless I still thought that the The Twelve was a good read - even so it didn't deliver what I expected :) - and I definately will read the next installment as well. I actually do want to know how everything will come to a conclusion.

I actually took Rachel's/The Hibernator's advice and went to read a YA novel. Well, I actually got completely hooked and just completed The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry, which was quite a surprise. I dealed with a lot of interesting topics in this dystopian world such as euthanasia, control of emotions, sameness and lots of other different interesting topics.

Mark - You were one of my first friends on LT and I want to thank you today for all the warmth, humour, intelligence and good conversation this year - long may it continue! Happy Thanksgiving mate to you and yours.

>261 PaulCranswick:: oh, that's really really nice. Paul you're a tough act to follow!
Mark, I'll just keep it simple and say Happy Thanksgiving!

Morning everyone! So many nice greetings. This is such a special place. Who would have ever guessed LT would become such a big part of our lives? For this, I am forever thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving, Lori! Thanks!

RD- Sounds like you have everything under control! Have a great day, sir. Do you have company coming over?

Rhian- Thank you, my friend!

Bianca- I read the Giver earlier in the year, for the first time (thanks to LT, of course!) and really enjoyed it. So you found the other 3 books equally entertaining?

Paul- Thank you very much, sir. You have been a mighty fine addition over here too. We need someone to keep us straight on all these LT stats!

Laura- Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, Paul sure has a way with words! He is quite the architect.

#256 - Post-holiday and graduation meet-up sounds good!

Mark, Thanks for making this year in reading truly awesome!

Thanks Laura - although Mark, many of my Architect friends would have kittens at you saying so as I spend most of my day trying to rein in their excesses which would render project unfeasible!

Happy Thanksgiving To The Geeks! I got a kick out of this one!

Kerri- Sounds great. Let's remind each other!

Happy Thanksgiving, Lynda. We try to have fun around here, right?

Paul- We don't want anyone having unwanted kittens or plump hedgehogs either!

New thread is up!! Grab your coffee and a pastry and come on over!

Recently finished Stegner's Spectator Bird and thought it was absolutely wonderful! It won the National Book award in 1972. What an amazing writer!

Mary- Thanks! I have that one in the stacks too! I'm looking forward to reading more Stegner in '13.