Mark's Reading Place: A New Beginning Part 2

Sweet Home Chicago!



Currently Reading:



Audiobook:


Graphic:


Books Read So Far...

January:

1) Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die by Willie Nelson 4.2 stars
2) The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 4.5 (audio)
3) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 4 stars (audio)
4) Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter 4.5 stars (audio)
5) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 4 stars Group Read (OTS)
6) Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder 4.5 stars (OTS)

Wow! What a year 2012 was! And I shared every minute with my LT Family. Can you ask for anything better? Lots of record-breaking going on too. 162 books. 81 print books, 81 audios, both MSF records and numerous GNS, which I don't add to my totals, for some oddball reason. I love them never-the-less.
Nonfiction ruled the year again! The five represented below, are just the best of the best, with many more titles just missing the cut.
I read a score of terrific short story collections too, at least one a month. The downside was, I added at least a dozen or more to the stacks.

Here we go:

Fiction:
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

Nonfiction:
Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
The Long Walk by Brian Castner
Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

Short Story collections:
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
Stay Awake: Stories by Dan Chaon
Binocular Vision: New & Selected Stories by Edith Pearlman
You Are Not a Stranger Here: Stories by Adam Haslett

Memoirs:
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

I will be back to add my favorite GNs. They are a bit harder to track...

First-Time Author Challenge 2013

Leo Tolstoy- Anna Karenina Jan (Group Read)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez- Feb (Chelle)
John Fowles- The Collector-March (Pat)
E.M. Forster- April (Katie)
Mario Vargas Llosa- May (Caro)
Dinaw Mengestu- June (RD)
Rohinton Mistry- A Fine Balance- July (Donna)
Pearl S. Buck-The Good Earth- Aug (AnneDC)
Ann Patchett- Bel Canto- September (Lisa)
Nicole Krauss- October (Nancy)
J.G. Farrell- Troubles- November (Ellen)
Tim Winton- December (Paul)
Zoe Heller
Tom McCarthy

Once again, thanks for the participation. You guys are great! Of course, anyone is welcome to join me on any of these reads and if we have more than a couple, I'll set up a Group Read.

Group Reads 2013:

Anna Karenina- January Group Read: http://www.librarything.com/topic/146543
The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner- March
A Fine Balance- July
2666 by Roberto Bolaño- October

If I'm forgetting a Group Read we were talking about, shoot me a reminder.

Wow! A new thread already? I should really not be surprised :)

Since Stasia is here, I'll go ahead and reserve my spot, too! Nice new thread, Mark - LOVE the Chicago pic at the top!

Here I am, Marky-Mark. Ditto what Mamie said .. ..I love the Chicago pic at the top.

I almost picked up a Vargas as my next read this evening, but saw a little slip of paper sandwiched between the pages ...I'd written a little note to myself that I was going to do a Vargas read with you in May. :-)

The Chicago pic blew me away!

Happy new thread, Mark!!

*waving*

What great lists Mark. You read some incredible books in 2012. I look forward to following your reads in 2013.

Excellent photo of Chicago. I'm looking forward to another visit soon!

Happy new thread :)
I loved that picture in #248 on your last thread! Awesome!

Stasia- You are number one, my friend. It's good to see you posting around again.

Mamie- Always a pleasure to see you! I'll have to stop by and see what you are currently reading.

Caro- Sounds like we have a date for May! Please give me another nudge, as we get closer. Shamefully, I have only read one Vargas. Bad Mark.

Big loving waves to Tina, Linda & Amber! Welcome!

Chelle- I posted that picture at the top of this thread too! I love it too! It says it all. Great to see you.

I am re-posting this one:



Isn't that a great cover? Very retro! Okay, let the raving begin! I did start Beautiful Ruins and I LOVE it, LOVE it! This is such a perfect audio edition too! People who do not get into audios, have no idea what they are missing. I liked Jess Walter's last book, Financial Lives but this kicks him in to a whole new universe.
(I can picture RD wincing at every word. He hated it!)

Chicago is my favorite big city. Great photo up there!

Love the pictures Mark - Sweethome indeed and I am looking forward to viewing it first hand. Soener than later. Congrats on your new thread mate.

Mark .....I had been drooling over the cover of Beautiful Ruins and just found that I can get the audio through ILL at the library. Put my name on the list.

Space-saver post despite literary kryptonite

Hi Mark - I'm on a long holds list for the audio of Beautiful Ruins....usually the audio waitlist is much shorter than that for a popular book but not in this case.

Oh Mark, your Chicago photo is excellent!

^^Now, this is camping! High 40s today, with rain coming in later, beats the white stuff...AMEN.
Both A.K. & Beautiful Ruins have been ideal company. I know Bonnie watches Justified but are there any other fans? I watched the season opener and it was another good one. This is a very consistent crime drama. Hillbillies, drugs, guns and a one very cool US Marshal.

Lisa- Thanks! Let me know, next time you are in! We have a nice Chicago LT group.

Paul- Thanks! Have you made any solid plans yet or are you guys still working on it?

Tina- I can't rave enough about the audio version of Beautiful Ruins. The Italian accents are a joy!

RD- "literary kryptonite". LOL. This one we will completely disagree on. We have a few of those each year. Shit happens.

Joanne- I hope your turn comes up quick. I also have 2 of his earlier novels in the stacks and look forward to them. He has a great range. This is 3 audios in a row for me, that all were perfect productions: Dog Stars, Perks & B.R.

Boo Scammer! Boo Scammer! Go away!

Lisa- Thanks! I wasn't sure what to use as a thread topper and stumbled on that photo. Glad everyone likes it.

Am not generally a fan of cityscapes, but that one is amazingly beautiful.

Guess I will probably be getting Beautiful Ruins from audible. I have a hard time choosing titles for audio books; am always wondering which books I'd rather read as 'real' books and which I wouldn't mind listening to. I envy you, Mark, for having a job where you can listen to books while you work. I've tried listening to one when i went to bed, but I fell asleep and had a devil of a time figuring out where, exactly, I was in the book when that happened. Driving is the best time for me and walking. The grocery store is not good - can't concentrate and more than once I've been trying to choose food to eat when listening to something really gross. That is not a good thing.

You were searching for me Mark? *big smile*

Happy thread numero dos, Mark!
I love the pic of Chicago. looks like a well planned city with major bldgs on both sides of the river. In Cleveland, most of the activity is on the East side of the river.
I too like The Beautiful Ruins cover. I can just imagine Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn strolling the streets.
Have a good day!

I'd totally forgotten about Fantasy Feb! Yay!

Good Morning, Mark. Happy Thursday!
I don't know if you're interested, but a small group of us are talking about reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay sometime this year.
So far, that's all the organizing that has occurred. :-|

Great new thread, Mark. I recognize that Sweet Home! That's the kind of view that first won my heart and caused me to move here from NYC.

I don't think Beautiful Ruins is my cuppa, but I'm glad you're enjoying it. I've had more of a hankering for really long Russian novels for some reason. :-)

Love the pic of Chicago, Mark. Our city photographs well, don't you think? My favorite view of all is the one of River Bend. I see it when I arrive in the city by train. Gorgeous.

Love the look on the Beautiful Ruins cover, too.

I don't think I'll be joing you on any of the first time author books. Maybe the Pearl S. Buck book. However, I'm hoping to finally read The Big Rock Candy Mountain. That one has been sitting around for forever.

Wookiebender

I just heard about the fires in Australia. And those temperatures! Eh Gads! This in juxtaposition to the story about the trapped whales in the Hudson Bay. Our environment is a disaster. This is just bad. Stay cool.

Just stopping by to say Hi Mark! Looks like you are enjoying your current read and have me now wondering if my library has that one in audio - I will have to go check.

I also love your picture of Chicago, always interesting to see pictures of where people live.

>1 msf59: oooooh, I love a good city scape!
As much as I kid myself that I am an outdoor-head, I am really a city girl :)

>25 EBT1002: Ill be interested in talking about that further......this year sounds fuzzy enough for me to commit. :)

eta: sorry for the personal questions in the last thread ;)
Now- what are you wearing? lol

Marky-Mark - I think I could like Beautiful Ruins for its cover alone. Sorry but I'm still not going to get the audible but I'm sure the print version has to be as good, right? Can't wait for your full review.

Doesn't she look cozy? Move over sweetheart! I'm off 3 days! I'm off 3 days! The only downside is I won't be able to listen to beautiful ruins until Monday. Boo! At this point, it's a 5 star book and one of the best audios I have heard. Come on, you know I get excited..."I just can't hide it"!

Charlotte- I'm glad you like our fair city! Actually I'm stuck way out in the western 'burbs but I try to make it in whenever I can.
I agree, I am very blessed to have a job where I can listen to audios. It truly makes my day go faster and more enjoyable. Funny, I turned a co-worker onto audiobooks and now he's a bigger fanatic than me, although he can't touch me on print books. Booyah!

Diana- There is my nemesis! LOL. Good to see you!

Lynda- Most photos of Chicago are lakefront shots, that's why I like that one. The old & the new.
"I too like The Beautiful Ruins cover." How about Liz Taylor & Richard Burton? Both of them play a part in this story.

BekkaJo- I hope you are making your list for FF! It's a good time to cram.

Ellen- Sweet Thursday! Thanks for thinking of me, but I read Kavalier and Clay about 4 years ago and LOVED it. Now, I have several more Chabon books to get to, including his latest.

Yet another Isobel Crawley checking in...

^Is this mouth-watering or what?

Joe- "I don't think Beautiful Ruins is my cuppa". I beg to differ, my Chi-Town pal. I think you might fall head over heels for the lovely Italian setting and the indelible characters. At it's heart, it's a terrific romance novel and we know you are a "softie". LOL.

Linda- Yes, our fair city is very photogenic. I hope you join us on The Big Rock Candy Mountain. Love to have you!

Benita- I see, you had nothing to say to Moi, but a Big Wave anyway!

Judy- Yes, I can't contain myself on Beautiful Ruins. I know it made many "best of" lists in '12 but I wasn't prepared how AWESOME it is!

Megan- I still picture you as a "country girl". You don't have a problem with that, right?
"what are you wearing?" Sweat pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Aren't you sorry you asked?

Caro- I think you will love his writing, print or audio! He is the author of at least 4 or 5 previous books, but this is his tour de force.

Laura- Another Isobel, huh? I thought you might be a Daisy or a Sybil?

You always have the best photos, Mark. And I love the retro cover for Beautiful Ruins, that would definitely catch my eye at the bookshop!

Fires continue in Australia (and will do so for some weeks, this time of year), and while we've just had a couple of relatively cool days, it's heating up again. Not going to be the 43C scorcher that we had on Tuesday, which is a relief, but still not much fun. Better dig up my parasol for walking to work next week! No shade on the way, sigh.

can't. keep. up. *puts on sunglasses..dark ones... and gives up*

Stopping by for a "Hello, How Are Ya?"

That gal in #32 might think twice about her "pose", if she lived here.....a cool breeze might creep up her cha cha....

:P

Hi Mark -- hope you love Anna Karenina -- I did when I read it a few years ago. LOVE your images -- so cool! To answer your question form your last thread: no, I am not going to New Zealand, but my daughter Callia will go in March with the Chorale. I'm very proud and insanely jealous!!

Public Service Announcement! Yes, my goal is to entertain over here but I also try to inform when necessary.

Tania- Yes, the cover of Beautiful Ruins is gorgeous but it's an excellent read too! This will be a top read for me, guaranteed. Sorry it's so HOT there! Keep cool, my friend.

Kath- Who is that behind those Foster Grants! Ooohhh, I thought so.

Jude- Great to see you! See, you just made my day and you didn't even have to try that hard. I hope her cha cha is okay, poor thing.

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

Just getting caught up with you Mark. I really love the picture of Chicago.

I finished AK Mark. Thanks so much for pushing this one. Very, very satisfying read.

I used to be a country girl....this is the house I grew up in (although then it was only the pointy roof bit and what is to the right of it, and none of that yellow paint or fountain stuff, and the house on the right was our land too and was just bushes).

But now, Im a city slicker.

Oh, and thanks for the heads up on what you are wearing! lol, the internet is a crazy place. I mean you could have said anything !!

#42> nice! I doubt there are any photos that nice of any of the houses I've ever lived in. :)

Mark, I have started Anna Karenina! One whole chapter down, a gazillion to go.

#34 Yes it is mouth-watering...

Have a lovely weekend, Mark!

I love the cover of Beautiful Ruins, Mark. Thanks for posting it. I know nothing at all about the book, but I am adding it to the BlackHole on the basis of the cover alone!

Oooh, nice pin up gal (I love those!) and I love the book porn, too (all the booze on the left is a nice touch). Happy 3 Days Off!

Happy Friday! It looks like it rained all night, which is good, we could use the moisture and it sure beats snow. 55 today! Yes, you heard me right! Is that freaky or what?

Anne- I would be insanely jealous too! Callia is one lucky girl. It should still be summer there, right?

Pat- Good to see you! Hope you have a great weekend.

Bonnie- You are a reading machine. I thought that I've been doing pretty good with A.K. and I'm only halfway. I'm so glad you loved it. It's great to finally read a classic and it measures up in every way.

Megan- I love the photo of the house. It looks like a beautiful piece of land. So you are a big City Slicker now, huh? I love the fact that you could be out in the country and the hills in a very short time. I would LOVE that.

Tania- Congrats on starting A.K. Yahoo! Have you read Tolstoy before? I am loving the book but all my other books have been giving me non-stop dirty-looks. Poor little fellas.

Diana- Thanks! You do the same! How has your weather been in the Netherlands? Normal?

Stasia- Beautiful Ruins is definitely more than a pretty cover. There is drama and romance, laced with a wonderful wit, spanning 5 decades. This will be a Must Read!

Amber- You know, I love those pin-up girls too! Are you getting all this rain too? If so, it sure beats snow and we NEED the precipitation. Enjoy your weekend too!

Rain here, too and warm.. yay! Now, how will mother nature make us pay for the break?

2) The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 4.5 stars

Hig lives on an abandoned airstrip. He flies a 1956 Cesna, with his dog Jasper as co-pilot. His only friend and neighbor is Bangley, a tough no-nonsense survivalist. After a flu pandemic wiped out most of civilization, nine years earlier, all these two men have is each other. Protecting “One‘s Own“, is all they have left and this pair have created a military compound, to keep out intruders: bands of armed survivors, who roam the land in search of food and fuel.
This is a stark, haunting tale, told in spare rugged prose. Hig is a terrific first-person narrator. Thoughtful and compassionate. The setting, northern Colorado, is breath-taking, with it’s sweeping valleys and vistas. It becomes integral to the story.
Some readers have compared this to The Road and I see some similarities but where the McCarthy book is relentlessly bleak, the Heller novel offers glimmers of hope.
Many of us are getting burned-out on dystopian literature but do not let this one get away. It’s an absolute gem.

*I listened to this one on audiobook and it was perfect for this format.

"People who do not get into audios, have no idea what they are missing."

It pains me that I am such a lousy listener. I would take a shot at Beautiful Ruins but I can't find my ipod that my daughter gave me. I put it in a very safe place... somewhere.

I NEED to make it to Chicago and get outside the airport and into the city! Have flown thru numerous times.

Mark - It's Friday!! Nice review of Dog Stars, which, you will be happy to hear, I had already added to my list just because you told me to! See how much I trust your judgement?! Sounds like Beautiful Ruins needs to go on there, too, right?

Oh oh Mark!! I rarely disagree with you, but I didn't really like Beautiful Ruins. I liked the idea of the book, but I found the story to cheesy.
I finally finished Unaccustomed Earth Wednesday and liked it. The last part of the book, the section titled- Hema and Kaushik, was the best part.

The discussion about the cover of Beautiful Ruins is very intriguing. I am especially interested in those people who said that they would read the book just because of the gorgeous cover. I work in a library and we remove the covers of ALL books that come in. For many years I have maintained that policy amounts to legalized mutilation of the books. I believe that valuable information about the books is lost when the dust jacket is removed.

I have also come to realize that not only is information lost, but the books look so unattractive that in order to get people to read them you have to "sell," "sell," "sell." No wonder so many of these educated people don't read when they leave this institution. Publishers put the covers on books in order to attract readers, and we remove them?

The publishers think that dust jackets are so important that they spend lots of money designing them. They wouldn't do this if the design and cover of the book didn't help to sell it.

RIP- Evan S. Connell (1924-2013). I have never read his popular Mrs. Bridge & Mr. Bridge novels, ( I did see the film version many years ago) but I did read his excellent NF book about Custer, Son of the Morning Star. Is anyone else a fan?

Kath- It's dry here now but gloomy. No complaints.

Claudia- I clearly understand, that the audiobook format is not for everyone. I would only suggest you try it at least once. I kick myself for not starting them much sooner. Bad Mark.
If you ever make it through my fair city again, you make sure you stop by. That's an order.

Mamie- Thanks! I hope I wasn't being to much of a bully. LOL. (I do not like bullies). And yes, I will be singing the praises for Beautiful ruins for the rest of the year.

Tammy- Good to see you. I know a couple other LTers did not like beautiful Ruins either but it is sure working for me. I do not see it as cheesy but maybe it could be taken that way. I'm a huge fan of Unaccustomed Earth and I'm glad you liked it. When is Lahiri coming out with a book? HUH?

Benita- I'm not sure I ever bought or read a book, based on it's cover only, but I completely agree with you on the importance of the book cover. It's the total package, right? I could not imagine my bookshelves lined with books without covers. The HORROR!

The weather in the Netherlands was normal, we had a week with rain, but today is a sunny day. The temperatures will be lower next week, with frost.

I am a softie, Mark, so I'll keep a more open mind on Beautiful Ruins. As my daughter says, a guy who gets excited about a new annotated Emma isn't normal.

I've got The Dog Stars on request from the library. Good review!

Happy days off Mark!
Good review of Dog Stars! You will be happy to know I added my name to the holds list when you told me too (I"m such a good listener ;) and it has come in already! I should be able to get to that next week

Enjoy your weekend!

My long time visitors know I am a big fan of BOTNS, (Books on the Nightstand). It's a weekly podcast, about you guessed it...BOOKS! This is like an audible version of LT. No, I am not kidding. Every week, the show's hosts Anne & Michael select "Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read" and this week, Anne picked...drum roll please....Beautiful Ruins. So if you are not convinced by my gushing you might buy hers. Here's the link:
http://booksonthenightstand.com/2013/01/botns-212-new-resolutions-for-a-new-year...

BTW- Michael's pick was Tenth of December. It's an excellent short story collection that I read a couple months ago. That's me, Cutting Edge! Of course, tongue firmly in cheek.

Thumbs up for your review on Dog Stars if it wouldn't be on my wishlist it would be now :) Sounds like a brilliant read. You say the audiobook version is good? I have seen it on audible, so maybe I just get the audiobook version as well.

Thanks for the link to the BOTNS will have a look at that later :)

Wish you a great weekend!

^I think these books are being a bit mistreated but I love the image!

Diana- I'm glad the weather there is mild. Cloudy here but comfortable. Back to winter on Monday.

Joe- I think we are a pair of softies and that's just fine. "a guy who gets excited about a new annotated Emma isn't normal." That's perfect. LOL.

Chelle (such a Good Listener)- Thanks! I will be pushing Dog Stars on just about everybody. You have a good weekend too!

Bianca- I think the audio for Dog Stars was perfect. Highly recommended. The audio for Beautiful Ruins is even better. And BOTNS is a MUST!

I NEED to make it to Chicago and get outside the airport and into the city!
Me too, Cee. I'll be flying into Chicago in April for a mid-year meeting down in Grand Beach, MI. It seems like a long shot given that I have to rent a car and drive south, but I have this fantasy that we'll be able to put together a Chicago meet-up. I used to drive around Chicago back in the 1980s but it intimidates me now.

Well, Dog Stars is on my wishlist and Beautiful Ruins is on my iPod. I am too easily led, I'm afraid.

I am only familiar with Son of the Morning Star which I've read twice and thoroughly enjoyed both times. I was sorry to hear that Connell is gone.

audiobooks:
"I would only suggest you try it at least once."
Unfortunately, I tried twice. No luck.

As long as I have real books and my Kindle, I'll be fine.

I am glad it works for so many though. It's perfect for your job ;-)

I picked up The Dog Stars from the library last night. I hope to start it this weekend!

I just started Book 5 of Anna Karenina. This is a wonderful read but it takes some dedication and discipline to keep my nose in these pages. Plus, I'm getting all these nasty glares from my other books. The air is thick with irritation and despair. You can cut it with a knife. Okay, enough silliness.

Ellen- Let me know your schedule and if I can meet up with you somewhere...great. I know it's all about timing, so we will see. I'm not sure where Grand Beach is.

Charlotte- I hope I am leading you somewhere good. LOL. Please let me know. I loved Son of the Morning Star, which I preferred over the recent The Last Stand, which covers much of the same ground.

Claudia- Yes, if it's not your cuppa, then it's not your cuppa. You seem to do just fine with your print books and that's all that matters. I'm glad you tried it twice.

Mark, I have read Tolstoy before - Anna Karenina, to be exact. :) This is a re-read for me, and I'm hoping to enjoy it on a different level as I won't be worrying about plot, but be able to concentrate more on characterisation, etc.

I did try War and Peace, many years ago, and will (one day) see about getting a better translation and tackling it again. Mum (who has read it a few times) recommends skipping the "war bits" and just concentrating on the "peace bits". LOL!

I swam laps yesterday, so fell asleep very early last night, all plum tuckered out. Hopefully I can make a bigger dent in it tonight!

I'm also planning on reading the occasional shorter book during the Anna-Karenina-athon. There will be some days that I won't be able to face carrying a 900+ page book with me to work. :)

So sad to hear about Evan S. Connell! Our Missouri Readers group read Mrs. Bridge, and I have Mr. Bridge on my shelf. I guess I should pull it out and read it in his honor.

Hi Mark. Great review of The Dog Stars and a thumb from me! I also am dying to know when Lahiri will have another book out. I googled it and got an article from 2011 saying she had done a first draft of a new novel which she expected be out in a year or two. Hopefully, that means this year.

I do so love the coy little "Mr. Connell never married" lines in the obits.

The Dog Stars review duly upgethumbed. Won't be readin' it, no thanks to your yodeling its praises. Bad Mark!

Ho Mark, stopping by your new thread to wish to you a happy weekend. Great picture of Chicago in the OP... what a classic image. I love that clock tower!

You know, Mark, I was kind of thinking the same thing about The Last Stand when I heard about Connell yesterday. I gave TLS a bunch of stars when i finished it last year, but perhaps I should scale that back a little. Just a little.

Happy Saturday! Another day off, with not a lot planned, until tonight anyway. Some house chores, reading, maybe some laundry, reading...

Tania- Sorry, if I asked you that before on Tolstoy. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of all the comments. I will get to W & P. Maybe next year.
And yes, A.K is hogging up much of my book time but thankfully it's such a good story and at least I have my audios to fall back on. Enjoy your weekend.

Terri- What did you think of Mrs. Bridge? I remember seeing the Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward film many moons ago and thought it was pretty good, if a little dry.

Pat- Lahiri! Lahiri! She was the one who really sparked my interest in short fiction. And now, a few years after her latest, the interest in short fiction has exploded. I might be adding more S.S. titles to the stacks and my WL than any other form.

RD- That is funny, about Connell, the lifelong bachelor. I can't believe how long this guy was around in the literary world. Have you read him?
And thanks for the Thumb, however grudgingly. LOL.

Lori- Good to see you! Most photos of Chicago are of the magnificent lakefront. I liked this perspective. Old & new.

Charlotte- I know many readers loved The Last Stand but I found very little fresh in it and ended up being bored by it. If you want to read a breath-taking book about the Old West, dip into Empire of the Summer Moon. My favorite read of last year.

Some brilliant stuff over here as always mate.

Love the beer announcement and will bear it in mind.

We are still working on our holiday plans and I have to see the status of my projects here before I can commit exact dates which is a bummer, but we will definitely make it.

The pin-up girl is delectable and I want to be a polka dot.

Megan's family home sure is purty. (yep I've just finished Flannery O'Connor)

Like the book porn too but not the ugly glass cabinet shoved in the middle.

Have a great weekend.

3) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 4 stars

Charlie is the quintessential wallflower. Quiet, brilliant and a dedicated observer. Quite content in his comfortable world of books and music. As he enters high school, he meets senior siblings Sam and Patrick. The sister and brother duo take him under their collective wing and his solitary life begins to change, finding love, friendship and heartache.
This is YA territory, the classic “coming of age” story and it contains the usual suspects, teen sex, alcohol and drug use but it also dips into very dark places, like death, suicide, and depression, some of it veering into heavy-handedness, but still remaining a thoughtful and engaging read.
Charlie is a terrific voice and narrator. Plus he is a lover of Harper Lee and The Smiths. You can’t beat that combo.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is calling out to me... your comments push me to add it to my tbr....
drat

You know, I've been neglecting to talk about my current GNs. Bad Mark. I am still reading them just failing to mention the poor guys. I finished Sailor Twain and Drama and both were very enjoyable and I highly recommend them to my fellow GN Lovers. I am getting ready to start the Nao of Brown, which Joe the Man, recommended. It looks very promising.

Paul- Maybe one day you could be a polka dot. LOL. Just let me know when your US plans begin to take shape.
Hope you are having a good weekend too!

Kath- Perks is a good one. The DW knocked it out in one sitting. And the film version came out recently, with the adorable Emma Watson.

Enjoy your day off, Mark.

I've got some R&R this weekend. Reading, watching the Packers, and other such things.

Doesn't that look like Mr. Bates? What do you think he's dreaming about? Getting out of jail? Chasing Anna around in her maid's outfit? Hmmmm..?

Linda- Glad you are enjoying that R & R! Should be a good game tonight!

Mark, I really liked Mrs. Bridge. I read it with the Missouri Readers group, and I think we all did. Here's what I wrote about it: "India Bridge is a perfect woman with a perfect life: married to a successful lawyer, mother of 3 children, maven of the Kansas City country club set in the years surrounding World War II. It's difficult to say what this book is about. It's about India Bridge. And yet, it is so much more. I found this to be one of the most touching and sad books I have ever read, but the tragedies are the day-to-day ones. There is no overwhelming climax, nothing extraordinary, and the ending, although abrupt, is absolutely perfect."

You should read it.

I've got Empire of the Summer Moon on the ol' wishlist and since I put it there I've had a few opportunities to buy it and passed it by. Think I should make it a priority now - maybe for my thingaversary in the spring.

Hi Mark! I'm so behind, and I missed the Downton Abbey conversation. May I still make a few comments? OK, I will. I thought the first episode was pretty enjoyable. I agree that the Thomas character needs to evolve. They did show that he had a heart a bit last year, when he had feelings for the blind soldier, but they didn't take that anywhere. Also, for the love of Pete, am I the only person who is sick to death of the Mr. Bates nonsense?! Wrap it up already! Yes, Anna is adorable and we all love her, but please. Enough already.

Hey - we went to Revolution last night and I had a lovely Rye IPA called TV Party Rye IPA, I believe. Then we went to dinner at the new Chicago Diner that's right next door, which you probably wouldn't enjoy, but we like it. So it was a lovely, relaxing evening.

Also, Joe scored a CASE of Zombie Dust this morning. We're all set for the game tomorrow. Ha! Just kidding.

Have a great weekend, Mark!

Terri- Thanks for your thoughts on Mrs. Bridge. I'll have to add that one to the List. Sounds good.

Charlotte- Of course I think Empire of the Summer Moon is a Must Read & Must Own. I have a keeper copy, keeping warm & cozy with other NF of it's ilk.

Kerri- Good to see you! It's tough keeping up around here. No sweat. That TV Party Rye IPA sounds mighty tasty. I hope to get back to Revolution in the next couple months.
Have you guys tried Pipeworks? Another Chicago Brewery.
Go Seahawks!

Stasia- You have a good weekend too! Hugs!

Hi Mark, the reason I was able to finish AK is because I don't have a thread that moves like a freight train to maintain and I didn't try to read anything else while I was reading AK haha. Anyway, you've been pretty busy yourself with a couple of interesting reads. The Dog Stars may call my name as its gotten a lot of love lately.

I have Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge on my shelf but who knows when I'll get to them.

My family house I posted up there was a photo from a real estate agents, I take it the place was up for sale some time in the recent past. I lived there from birth to when I left home for university and was born 500m down the road at the local hospital. When we first lived there there was no bathroom, and an outside loo with no plumbing!

>49 msf59: I like the sound of that one! (Dog Stars) And it might get me into a genre that I am not 100% comfortable in. So that is good. On the library list it goes.

Mark, I lent my copy of Interpreter of Maladies to a friend, and she loved it. I have yet to read it! Still! *shame*

Books On the Nightstand instituted Project Short Story, this year...and they are doing weekly podcasts...Heads Up!

http://booksonthenightstand.com/project-short-story

;-}

78> He might be remembering putting the poison in Vera's food.

86> Oh boy, heading over to take a listen.

Hi Mark, less than 15 days to the start of the year and I'm already lagging behind. Nice reviews but not for me.

Hi Mark... I'm more or less on top of this thread, though admittedly skimmed through some portions. Still, I'm au courant, and that's what matters.

They've been gushing about Beautiful Ruins over on Audible from the moment they released it and it's on top of a bunch of editor's lists, but I just keep thinking I'll probably find it cheesy, so I've been resisting so far.

I've added The Big Rock Candy Mountain and A Fine Balance to what was until now a blank spot on my thread where the GR's are meant to go. I've got the first on audio (from a $5 sale I think), and the second has been calling from my shelves for so long now that it's voice barely registers as a whisper at this point. Didn't I see mentions of 2666 also? I think on Ellen's thread. I've got that one in book AND audio format, so have that one well covered and of course will be glad to join in!

Cheers buddy!

Oh, I've got A Fine Balance on the shelves too! Keep on forgetting to say, but I'll be up for a group read of that later this year.

busy place....I am trying to think of some fantasy reads for Feb. I have several of a series here ..
somewhere.

Happy Sunday! We went over to a friends house last night for dinner, drinks, chatter, (He's a Obama-Hater, so we avoided any real political discussion, which I love but was pointless here) and watched some of each playoff game, (the wives drank wine and gabbed). Good exciting football. I'm very happy for the 49ers. The Pack and the Broncos get to go home and re-group.

Bonnie- You sound like a stern elementary teacher! LOL. Yes, like many of us, I probably spend a little to much time at my "Second Home", but I have to say I do manage to reach my daily reading goals, nearly every day. Read a nice chunk of A.K. yesterday, nearing the end of Book 5.

Megan- It looks like you stayed in one place, while growing up. Sorry, about that outdoor loo but if that was what you grew up with. We bounced around a little while I was growing up and lived in 3 or 4 different houses, but within a few miles of each other. Always had an indoor loo. Hee hee.
Did you get your copy of Interpreter of Maladies back? If you did, please pick it up and READ it. It's wonderful and should make you an instant fan.

Jude- Thanks, my friend, for posting the link. I did see that. And I love Ann's idea. There is an SS thread on the 75 too. I plan on reading at least one SS collection a month. I think I pulled it off last year too or pretty damn close.

Ellen- LOL. You might be right about our Mr. Bates! Looking forward to it tonight. It's nice to have my DW excited about it too!

Gautam- Don't worry about it, my friend. This LT place can be a hopping & bustling place. Impossible to keep up with. Stop by when you can and hopefully I'll nail you will a couple book bullets next time..

Ilana- Great to see you! Always a joy and yes, you are au courant, at least eventually. LOL. If you are able to listen to the 1st hour or so of Beautiful Ruins, you'll know if it's for you. It's funny how opinion can be divided on this one. Lots of folks LOVE it and some dislike it. Interesting.
2666 Group Read will be later in the year. In the fall? Can't wait for A Fine Balance.

Tania- A Fine Balance is scheduled for July. Plenty of time to clear the decks.

Morning Kath- I'll post the FF thread next weekend. I'm glad you'll be tagging along. I think all of us have some type of FF waiting on the shelf. I have at least 3 or 4 lined up already.

Can't keep up with your popular thread Mark! Getting ready to start book 3 of AK... Slow going for me bc I keep getting distracted by other books!! :)

Hi Mark, I put The Dog Stars on my wish list when I found out it was set in Colorado. I kind of like a good dystopian book here and there. I'll be reading Atwood's The Year of the Flood later this month.

I was also very sad about the passing of Evan S. Connell. The newspaper said he died of old age. What a way to go. I am a big fan of both Mr. Bridge and Mrs. Bridge. He captured the 1950s in a ritzy area of Kansas City so well. There was a lot of angst from both the Mister and Missus. I loved the different viewpoints of their lives together. I had planned to read Son of the Morning Star last year, but the year got away from me!

We watched the 1st episode of Call the Midwife, a recent BBC series from last year. Once again, thanks to my LT friends who recommended this gem. It is superbly crafted and beautifully photographed. The period detail is stunning. Season 2 starts in a couple months, so this is a good time to get caught up. We had a tough time finding it though. There was a long wait on Netflix and through my library system. I finally was able to download it off the internet. It's worth the search though!

I thought Call the Midwife was better than Downton Abbey last season. DA better do better this season. I am having trouble with my TV so will have a hard time watching DA tonight. Hope to see enough of it to be caught up on the story line even if the TV cuts it up.

Finished reading an old gem Honorable Schoolboy late list night. Gotta love those old spy novels. This one was really well written. LeCarre managed to get lots of atmosphere built into this one. Now am working on Gravedigger's Daughter then will tackle When Christ and His Saints Slept.

For fantasy February I have to decide between Wise Man's Fear and Storm of Swords. I would read SOS but was rather disgusted with the last book and am not sure I want to wade through the blood and guts of another of his novels just yet. The blood and guts of real history in the Penman book and The Red Queen may prove to be enough, so might not need fantasy killing on top of it. I find that the older I get the more sensitive to violence I am getting.

Did you get your copy of Interpreter of Maladies back? If you did, please pick it up and READ it
Yes siree!
Roger that, Mark.

Tina- I just finished Book 5! And I've been dedicated to the mission and it still feels like I have a LONG way to go but I am enjoying it and that's the key. Keep on truckin'!

Donna- The Dog Stars is dystopian but it is very well-grounded. No zombies, vampires, or rabid pigs, just people struggling to survive, in a vast wasteland.
I'll add Mrs. Bridge to the List. I was thinking of setting up an Atwood April. There are several I would love to get to.

Benita- I appreciate the nudge into watching Call the Midwife. A very well-produced show. The wife likes it too. It doesn't have the sweeping melodrama of DA, it's more down to earth and grittier, which I really admire.
So you had a big problem with Clash of Kings? Of course I loved it, but it's been a half a dozen years since I read it. I also enjoyed Wise Man's fear, another BIG, sweeping book.

Megan- It's less than 200 pages! Should I repeat that, my dear?

For Benita and other US folks, you can watch the 'Downton Abbey' episodes online for free the day after they air (so tonight's episode will be available tomorrow). It's a good way to catch up if you miss the on-air episode, or if you are like me and do not have a television.

The same is true of pretty much all PBS shows. That was how I watched all the 'Call the Midwife' episodes last month, although I think they have since expired. I agree with you, Mark; it's really well done!

I missed a few episodes of Call the Midwife. Really is a good show. Can't wait till March for the new ones.
Finished The perks of Being a Wallflower at 1:30 this morning. There has been so many good reviews I just have to agree with them. I have been raising my grandson since he was 1 1/2. He will be turning 18. he is a pretty good kid but, I still wonder what goes on when he goes out with the guys. He did tell me that they will be going to this strip club in Kalmazoo,MI. to celebrate his birthday. It is about an hour from here, and they don't serve alcohol.

Oh I"m so glad you found Call the Midwife! We love it too, and bought the Series 1 DVDs for oldest daughter's bday present because she, too, is a fan. We also gave her the book it's based on, which she seemed to be enjoying. I think we watched it all the way through again while she was home on break.

Hi Mark, just stopping by to wish you a remaining lovely Sunday and to let you know that I got The Dog Stars on audible and just put The perks of Being a Wallflower onto my wishlist.
Made already a list for your fantasy february :)

My sister, whose opinion I value above all others, loves Call the Midwife. I must get to it.
Happy Sunday evening, Mark! We have tickets to see "Book of Mormon" this evening so we'll record DA & watch later this week.

Bonnie- You sound like a stern elementary teacher!

Um, er, well, uh, hmmmm I guess I came across as my old self;-)

I'm way behind, L.R! Love the pics on the top of your thread! Lovely pic of Chicago...did they have to photoshop that one! ;) Ha! I was in downtown Vancouver on Friday and oh my such a beautiful sunny day and a lovely skyline!

We went to another family birthday get-together! Had a good time: good beer, good food, nice chit-chat. My daughter drove in from the city. Sorry to see the Seahawks lose a heart-breaker! That was tough. I was really rootin' for 'em.

Julia- Thanks for the heads-up, on watching DA online. We'll be watching it "live" in less than an hour. The folks on LT have the BEST taste and were completely right about "Call the Midwife". We will try to catch another episode or 2 this week.

Cindy- I'm glad you enjoyed Perks. My wife joined me too and read the print copy in one sitting. We'll have to keep an eye out for the film version, which should be coming out on DVD soon.
I hope the grandson enjoys his first strip club. Come on, Grandma! He's 18!

Laura- I know Joanne recently read the book. I wonder how close the TV series follows it. I wouldn't mind checking it out. I was so impressed how "good" the production looked.

Bianca- Yes, my Sunday is going very well. Not looking forward to 6 straight cold days coming up. Wow, you are getting your ducks in order. I'll be watching for your thoughts on the Dog Stars & Perks. Yah, for FF!

Ellen- I'm sure you will love Call the Midwife. And what's wonderful about these British series, is that they are only 6-8 episodes. Very easy to catch up.
The Book of Mormon is the hot ticket in Chicago too! We would love to see it. It's just expensive. I know Joe and his wife saw it and loved it.
Sorry about those Seahawks! Wow! What a bummer.

Bonnie- That's why I made the comparison. LOL. Go DA!

Deb- Tonto made it! Tonto made it! I've been seeing the film trailers for The Lone Ranger, (it looks big & loud!) and it stars Johnny Depp as Tonto. I think you would be much better in the role. Sounds like you enjoyed a gorgeous day.



30 minutes and counting...

Did anyone see this video of a Q & A with some of the DA cast members? It's good and it's nice to see these people out of costume:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA-6n4d_dMo

Hi Mark, I just finished watching the first season of Call the Midwife and I loved it. I agree with Benita, I think it was better than Season 2 of Downton Abbey. That said, Downton Abbey is still better than 95% of all the programs that are on TV.

I was watching the Golden Globes tonight and missed DA. I'll catch up on it, for sure.

Maggie Smith won a Globe tonight. The small number of movies I saw last year, including Lincoln, Les Miz, and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, were well-represented among the Golden Globe winners and nominees.

Oh, the Golden Globes are on! It can be fun, especially if someone's a bit shickered when they accept their award. Less po-faced than the Oscars, often. We'll probably have a delayed telecast tonight, let's see if I can stay up to watch it - first day back at work today and I'm exhausted!!

Fantasy February already?? Didn't we just have one?? Oh dear, I'm not sure how much I'll be able to join in, I keep on saying yes to large chunkster group reads this year (Anna Karenina is just the first of several...). I do like the idea of an Atwood April, too.

Went out last night for an old mate's birthday party (yes, that might explain today's tiredness as well). Turns out the pub has Young Henry's on tap, so I just stuck with their ale all night. Worse things have happened. :) Their beer list has improved since I last paid attention to it, might have to make it a bit more of a regular watering hole, and taste a few more beers...

#107 And what's wonderful about these British series, is that they are only 6-8 episodes.

I always think that's what so wonderful about the US series is that they are so long so there's enough time to develop the characters properly.

#111> Oh no, it's too easy to outstay your welcome. Better to be left with six perfect episodes than six perfect episodes scattered in the middle of sixteen ordinary ones, say.

Added Call the Midwife to the Netflix queue, but there's a very long wait on it. Rats!
Missed DA last night. I only have regular, old-fashioned, over the air TV and the weather being not perfect last night that channel was AWOL. I hate digital TV, too! Will have to watch online.

"Perhaps I could open a shop!"

-Lady Dowager

I thought it was a good solid episode of DA. Sad & joyous. The only irritation was Matthew's whiny bluster, in the early going. Downstairs ruled the day again. Nice stuff with Mrs. Hughes and Carson and topping it off with the butler singing. O'Brien and Thomas locked in mortal combat: Nice.

My internet was a bit wonky this morning, so I'll have to cut this short. A cold start to the week. Just 24. Wish me warm thoughts...

Judy- Glad you liked Call the Midwife. I'm sure we will enjoy the rest of them too!

Linda- The only awards show I watch, is the Oscars and that's pretty tiresome too! Now, if they had a book awards program! I might tune in to that. You will like DA!

Tania- FF coming up fast! Start making the list. At least in the wide-world of fantasy, it's easy to come up with a few titles. Did you say beer??

Have a good day everyone, I'm off...

In post 78 Mark said "Doesn't that look like Mr. Bates? What do you think he's dreaming about? Getting out of jail? Chasing Anna around in her maid's outfit? I think he's dreaming about how he could make Thomas his next victim.

Last nights DA episode was sort of, for me, ho-hum.

Have a great week at work, may your bag be light.

I used your FF thread as an excuse to buy me a new book Eyes Like Leaves: A Novel by
Charles de Lint a long time favorite author.. so... um, thanks for the excuse !

DA: Poor Edith!!! However, it was obvious something was up when they gave it more air time than Mary's wedding. I'm enjoying the O'Brien-Thomas combat.

Hiya, Mark. Sounds like you had a good weekend! What a game that Seahawks-Atlanta one was.

Never heard of Call for the Midwife, and the multiple endorsements sure make it sound good.

I'm getting closer to the end of Anna Karenina, but it really does take stick-to-it-ness. It's easy to see why it's stood the test of time though. At least there's nothing about whales in it.

Hmm I will have to try and locate Call the Midwife since I am out of DA episodes to watch :(

I did get to watch DA last night, but my TV is all wonky, so will have to call and find out why. The only two channels I watch and they are the ones that I can't get to come in. I put it up to the weather, but since all the others are working fine that can't be the problem.

I am going to say that the Old Bat Grantham showed her true colors last night. What she did to Edith was horrible. Just unforgivable. What is that old bat thinking? And where was Cora to not stand up to the old bat? I will also confess that Old Bat's snarkiness is getting on my nerves. At first I thought it was kinda cute, (in the show's salad days) but her nastiness never ceases. Why can't the writer give some of those lines to other characters? It is a sad day when being snarky is mistaken for character. There is a reason why the English class system is dying a slow death and that character exemplifies some of the reasons why.

I think it is because the writer of the show has some sort of romantic notion about old people and therefore wants to give the character some sort of relevance by giving her all those snarky lines. Otherwise, what would old lady Grantham do all day long? Contrast that with Isobel, who keeps herself busy and working, doing something of relevance. I had hoped that Shirley MacLaine's character would set the old lady back a step or too, but sadly the writer, or the actress, was not able to deliver the needed chutzpah to take some of the wind out of the old lady's sails. The only character on that whole show who can, and does, stand up to the old lady's dominance, is Isobel. It was in those early episodes, when Isobel stood up to her, that the old lady showed some growth and proved that no matter what age we are, we can all change.

And the old lady's being nice to Sybil and Branson was an anomaly not the norm for her. That is why all the people setting at the dining table were so surprised. That is as it should be. This is not a nice person.

Poor Edith indeed. Lady Grantham is Satan.

*sudsy goodness*

(I was horrified to discover that I had misused the plural form and the possesive form of the word lady all though my previous post. So I edited it.)

This morning I compiled by list of my best reads of 2012. Here they are.

Non-fiction
Keeping the Faith: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives: A Memoir by Wayne Flynt
Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

Fiction
Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh
Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell

Mystery/Thriller
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
Devil's Peak & Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer

Just popping my head in to see what's what in here, and I see that you're all still on about DA. Sigh. I'll come back again later...

Keep warm this week, Mark!

Mark, Oh I don't mind that he is going to a strip club. I feel that it is nice that he told me.

All this talk of Downton Abbey has me thinking I might order the 1 season from Amazon. We had a smattering of snow today, Mark! Gasp!

As for me being Tonto in the new movie - I've seen how strange Johnny Depp and I think he will do just fine as Tonto in the movie.

I'm not positive but I think I skimmed through a book that was more or less " Call the Midwife."

^Now this would be a nice way to deliver mail. I bit of a late start over here. Long day. Cold one. Still no complaints. I'm getting deep into A.K. Halfway through Book 6. At the 1,000 page mark, in my edition, (BIG print) but 300 left. Yes, it's LONG but it is first-rate storytelling. I'm also nearly finished with Beautiful Ruins, which I'm also really enjoying.

Lynda- I agree, Thomas will have to go at some point! His narrow butt should have been canned in the 1st season.

Kath- We aim to please. I have never read Charles de Lint. You may have to nudge me on that one.

Laura- Poor Edith, is right! I really hope that the writers do something super nice for her. A young rich stud!

Joe- I loved watching the 49ers too but the Seahawks game was exciting too, although I really wanted Seattle to pull that one out. Some goofy calls there.
I think you will like Call the Midwife. Another very well done British show.

Chelle- Yes, try to find Call the Midwife. It was hard to track down here. Long waiting lists, both at my library and Netflix. The 2nd season starts in March, I think, so plenty of time.

I have to admit that what was a feisty character has turned into a mean old bat and I can't believe the show won't fix this misstep at some point. It's really disappointing for a show I've come to expect a lot from. That whole scene in the church was just nasty. Terrible.

And the Thomas/O'Brien thing is starting to look overplayed. The nastiness from those two was always rather subtle and now it seems a stretch, to say the least.

I'm a little way into part 2 of Anna Karenina. Loathing Vronsky. All is right with the world.

Benita- I didn't like the Lady Dowager's behavior toward Edith, either, but I think the writers believe she was "helping" Edith out of a dire situation. Something Anthony was running from too! I just hope they throw Edith's character a choice "bone", at some point. You can't keep dumping on a character.
I like your 2012 Best of List. Of course I was also a big fan of the Egan, Wilkerson, Ghosh & Atkinson and the Meyer is on the WL. Should the Lee & Bell be on there too?

RD- "*sudsy goodness* That's a perfect description. I do not mind Lady Grantham but she is getting much more screen time this season. I heard this might be Maggie Smith's last go.

Amber- Don't run away! I try to talk about other things too! Amber, Come Back!

Cindy- I'm sure your Grandson will have a great time. Is he a reader?

Deb- If you rather not pay for it, try to get the 1st Season of DA from the library and then you can sample it first. I am sure you will love it.
I'm a big fan of Johnny Depp but I have a feeling he'll be the best thing in the movie.

Bonnie- It sounds like you are getting a little tired of DA? LOL. Actually, to some degree I am too and it really bugs me that they are going to a season 4. Really? Unless, they completely shake it up and bring some freshness to it, I doubt I'll be watching.

Tania- I don't know why, but I have no problem with Vronsky. I had heard, early on that he was villainous but I kind of like the guy. Is that a man thing?

Hi Mark!
Just need to put in my 2 or 3 cents re DA.
Many characters in that show are slipping in my opinion:
Matthew is whiny, Mary is inflexible, the old bat is ... well, an old bat, Lord Grantham is just getting weaker, Branson is like a commercial that keeps popping up, Matthew's mother (whatever-her-name) is getting holier than thou with her good works, Thomas needs to just leave.
I guess some are holding their own - but the show was so predictable last night that I kept stating the obvious before it happened. Ron finally asked if I had written that episode. lol Frankly, I still like my idea of a fire! And yes, Edith needs an emotional break!

Stay warm ;-)

Kind of skimming through to avoid possible DA spoilers. Getting ready to go downstairs, with my box of kleenex, and watch last night's episode.

Thanks for commiserating with Kerri and me about our Seahawks. They just didn't show up yesterday. Oh well. It's just a game. (who said that?)

"The Book of Mormon" was a hoot!!!! I don't know that being out did my cold any good, but it was perhaps worth it because that was my favorite show I've seen in a while.

Mark, Grandson was a reader until he started HS. I feel that the interest is still there.

Are there any Nelson Demille fans out there! I very rarely see him mentioned on LT. Is he to lightweight for this crowd? I read 2 or 3 of his books many years ago and recall liking his turgid (is that the right word?) thrillers. The reason I'm asking is, that my chiropractor, who I pass books on to all the time, (I just slipped him Gone Girl) has been urging me to read The Gold Coast. He's actually been pushing it for a couple of years, so I finally grabbed it on audio from the library and will give it a shot. Am I making a horrible mistake? LOL.

Claudia- Thanks for your 2 cents, my friend. I think the writing may be getting a bit stale. Maybe Fellowes needs to bring in some new blood. I think you might be right about a fire or at least something to really shake things up. Wouldn't that be great if they had to live in a cold-water flat? A Green Acres kind of thing! Could get a smart pig too!

Ellen- Sorry, you are not feeling well. Bummer. Stop back by and let me know what you think of the latest episode.
I can't wait to see the book of Mormon. I'm glad you liked it.

Cindy- My son did the same thing. He read a little in HS and then pretty much stopped. He did read the Hunger Games and I try carefully pushing books on him. Fortunately my daughter has continued to read, although nothing like her dear old Dad!

I watched the first season of Downton Abbey...on Netflix (or Hulu Plus)......and it didn't make me a Fan....it's okay as Costume Drama..but, i recognize most of the characters from other British TV shows...and I can't forget that...i see the Actors as other characters.

Regarding Fandom..i'll go for JUSTIFIED.....i have to buy the 3rd Season

Ooops, i think i did a WEIRD....here

;-}

Mark, I've read DeMille's John Corey series (which doesn't include The Gold Coast) and while it won't win any awards, it is solidly entertaining. Definitely mind candy but there's no harm in that on occasion.

A Jude sighting! A Jude sighting! Yah! I wouldn't think DA would be your cuppa! You might like Call the Midwife better! Less melodramatic.
You know I'm a big fan of Justified and just started watching the new season. Is anyone cooler than Raylan?
What was WEIRD?

Off to bed, kids. Night, night...

Need, I say more? BTW- I saw, in the Trib yesterday, that they are making Divergent into a movie. Since it will be filmed here and set up like a futuristic Chicago, it might be pretty cool. And it sure is going to make Roth rich and she's only 24. I think the 3rd book in the trilogy comes out some time this year!

Katie- Sorry, I missed you in there! Thanks for the Demille input. I read the General's Daughter, (I remember the film being awful!) and one or 2 others.

Everyone have a good day!

Morning Mark! Not surprised that they are making Divergent into a movie - hope they do a good job with it. All of us loved that book. Hoping that your Tuesday goes well for you.

Here's my only contribution the the DA discussion (and the only thing I can say about it, as I don't watch myself): It took me a good several weeks of reading what people here and on FB were chatting on about DA before I realized that I was reading the title wrong - I kept hearing "Downtown Abbey" in my head, which always led me to thinking of Downtown Julie Brown. Ha! What a maroon!

I am speechless. Never read de Lint. How can that be? His writing is magical.... I own 30ish of his books, and have reread many of them. I actually went back and ordered a used copy of The Painted Boy to add to the FF stack, and I will have to dig out the Sharon Shinn books I keep meaning to read,. Maybe this will be the year?

I am going to try to keep up better this year. Nice photos of Chicago.

Mark, I enjoyed episode 2 of season 3. Poor Edith.
And I would not want to get on Miss O'Brian's sh*t-list. Thomas is playing with fire.

Lovely pics going on Mark - I'm way behind as usual :)

The Janice Y. K. Lee book Piano Teacher got good reviews and I thought it would be a good "read." I ended up listening to it, so if you can get the recorded book, you might find it a good way to pass the time while walking your route. It is a book about collaboration with the Japanese conquerors in Hong Kong during World War II. Collaboration between the conquered and the conquerors is the topic of this novel.

The Thomas Bell book was recommended to me by my father. Bell died in 1960 and wrote during the same era as Hemingway and Steinbeck. He was the son of Czech immigrants (his real name was Bellichek) and he wrote about the lives of the immigrants during the rapid industrialization that took place in this country. The book I read Out of This Furnace was about the immigrants working in Pittsburgh in the steel mills and the rise of the Unions. This book was out-of-print for a long time but it has been reissued by the University of Pittsburgh press.

The memoir Keeping the Faith by Wayne Flynt turned out to be a good memoir. Flynt is a local (as in Alabama) celebrity. He is a retired history professor at Auburn University and has become an outspoken advocate for many liberal causes. He is a progressive in a very conservative area and as such stands out. However, he is not just a voice of one crying in the wilderness in this state as he has garnered the respect of his foes as well as his friends. This book wouldn't be of much interest to people outside of the South, but even so, it was well written and very interesting.

Hey! All you Seattle and Washingtonians - Nancy Pearl is going to be at the ALA Mid-Winter conference in Seattle on Saturday, January, 26, 2013. She will be talking about her rediscovered "pearls" at the Brilliance Audio books booth. You can get into the exhibits for $25.00 for a day pass. You have to register at the registration area, but then you can get in and see and hear lots of authors.

I think somebody much earlier was asking about westerns to read and I noticed that Nancy Pearl has recommended a book titled The Cowboy and the Cossack. She billed it as the Wild Wild West meets Dr. Zchivago. The guy who wrote the book also wrote screenplays for movies and TV. He wrote for The Rifleman and wrote the screenplay for War Wagon. This might be a great adventure story. I am going to add it to my wishlist so thought I would pass it on to the rest of you.

>138 msf59: true! I have severely lowered my expectations of what I can manage on crutches, I figure if I survive and the kids are fed watered and kept sanitary.... I have done my job :) Come next week when plaster is off (hooray!) Ill go back to my usual....ahem...high standards :)

Benita> I've used Flynt's book on Alabama Baptists. I'll have to check this one out sometime.

Yodeling through, agreeing on Vronsky, dropping a few knowing smiles and an invisible-horse ride a la that Korean twit.

Hiya, Mark. Another person agreeing on Vronsky. Not much of an Anna fan either, once she meets Vronsky.

>134 msf59: Am I making a horrible mistake? No Mark, a horrible mistake would be wearing white shoes after Labor Day (That's what my mother told me anyway;-) Just read the book and maybe you will have found a new favorite author. I've never read any of his books.

P.S. Nelson DeMille: I read his Charm School on a friend's recommendation, and it was fine, but I wasn't tempted to read more. Alan Furst, for example, or David Downing, grabbed me more.

Also not loving Vronsky or Anna. I'm somewhere in Part 3 and the only character I really like is Levin.

Anyone up for a good soak? You know I am game! Come on, there's room for 2 or 3 more, if we snuggle a little.

I finished and loved Beautiful Ruins. Sure, this might not be for everyone, (RD detested it) but I think if you lock in, this could be a very special read. At least give it a shot and if you want to come back and laugh & jeer at me, no problem. Plus it was an excellent audio, so if you like that format, go for it!

I was getting a bit of a NF itch, so next on audio, I FINALLY started Mountains Beyond Mountains and it's wonderful. I have a print copy of the book too but felt like I would get to it faster on audio. The last audio version I requested from the library, came in, ABRIDGED! The Horror! So I finally snagged the right one and I'm off. I read Strength in what Remains about 2 years ago, which Dr. Farmer makes an appearance and loved it.

Mamie- Yes, let's hope they do a good film version of Divergent. It could be a lot of fun. Hey, they pulled off the Hunger Games, so you never know.
Hope you had a great day!

Amber- I'm glad you came back, however reluctantly. LOL.That's an honest mistake about DA and "downtown". I think I did the same thing and so did my wife. Now, you have me humming that tune...

Kath- Sorry, I made you speechless! I'll have to come by and add some kitties to your thread. Would the Painted Boy be a good place to start?

Linda- Big loving wave!

BJ- Wow! Great to see you! We have a bunch of G.R.s planned. You should join us!

Ellen- I hope you are feeling better and I'm glad you liked the latest DA! Like I said earlier, I hope they give Edith a little "something something" by the end of the season. Come on, have a heart.

BekkaJo- Big wave! Glad you like the pics!

Oh joy! I have three days off. I have three days off. That is the good news.

The bad news? I have an appointment with my dermatologists early in the morning to some pre-cancerous spots on my face removed.

Good news - I get to stay at home and read books until my face loses its redness and I don't look like I have been on a three day drunk. Since it is cold and rainy here and will remain that way for the remainder of the week, staying home and reading sounds just fine to me. I plan on curling up with the last of The Gravedigger's Daughter and start of a biggun When Christ and His Saints Slept. The former is finishing my book discussion group book for this month and the later is for a group read here on LT.

What about this new Walmart campaign to hire veterans? I don't think it will do much, but who can tell?

Benita- Thanks for the book descriptions. I especially like the way The Piano Teacher sounds. Are you going to the Seattle ALA? Sounds great! And The Cowboy and the Cossack looks very promising too. I love Ms. Pearl's taste in books.

Megan- You are going mobile, huh? Very nice. I think you have had a great attitude through it all. Keep on smiling, my friend and please pick up the Lahiri! Big Grin!

RD- Which Korean twit are you referring to? Hmmmmmm?

Joe- Yah, you finished A.K! Good job! I thought I was going to be able to catch up with you but I still have over 200 pages left. Just started Book 7.
I agree with you about Anna. Much whinier than expected. Levin carried the day!
Thanks for your thoughts on Demille. I know others really enjoy the Gold Coast too, so I'm sure it will be fine. His books are LONG though. G.C. is 19 discs on audio.

Bonnie- "would be wearing white shoes after Labor Day"! Haven't heard that one in awhile. LOL. I'm sure I will like the Demille. Plus, I'm doing it on audio, so the sacrifice will not be so damaging.

Tina- "Also not loving Vronsky or Anna." The good news is, they are not in it as much as a few of the other characters. And I agree, Levin is such a highlight. Good luck and hang in there.

Okay, nobody likes Anna. Nobody likes Vronsky. Why am I reading this novel???

159.... Same reason as me?? So I can discuss it with other folks? :)

LOL. Oh yeah. Thanks for the reminder.

*shuts down laptop and goes back to part 2 of AK*

I thought it was because of the deckled edge pages.

Tina & Ellen- Like most first-time readers to A.K., I thought Anna & Vronsky would be the main focus of the book and was surprised to see they weren't and they were not as interesting as some of the other characters. The good news is, the other characters are terrific. I hope you both hang in there and I'm glad you have each other. LOL.

162> LOL!

I haven't read Painted boy.. I would start with Someplace to be Flying... or Into the Green.. Those and the many Newford books are my favorites.

Book of Mormon? My son & I went to New York twice to see it, once to Denver, and we have tickets for opening night and closing night in St. Louis. We probably would have done Chicago if it wouldn't have been so close to the St. Louis time. Well worth every penny!

Hi Mark, I have read a lot of Nelson DeMille over the years, I him a bit hit and miss. I enjoy his John Corey series the most as it uses a lot of humor to advance the story. I know I read The Gold Coast at some point, and I think I enjoyed it, but can't remember much about it. I'll watch for your review in order to jog my memory.

#147 - Benita, I read The Cowboy and the Cossack a number of years ago and loved it. I hope you are able to track a copy down.

Hi Mark, I read The Gold Coast years ago and remember really liking it. I read the sequel, The Gate House recently and liked it a little less. The John Corey books, however, starting with the highly entertaining Plum Island, are a lot of fun. I've read the first four, most recently, The Lion's Game (a little out of order) earlier this year. Try it, you'll like it! Trust me.

I'm only scanning the AK comments...maybe if I read them closer you guys can convince me not to try it.....I don't like not liking the main characters...

Vronsky is a cad; Levin is wonderful; and I think you're all being mean to Anna. :)

>155 msf59: - Mark I would turn over a new leaf to get into that bathtub - trouble is water displacement would ruin the plot.

Happy Hump Day, people!

Kath- Thanks for the de Lint suggestions. I have taken note.

Terri- You seem like a die-hard Book of Mormon fan. We'll have to tighten the belt and GO!

Judy- Thanks for the Demille input. I have the Gold Coast loaded up on audio. I'll probably get to it later next month. I had the impression The Cowboy and the Cossack was a new release.

Great bathtub, Mark :)

I've seen a smattering of DA episodes, mostly out of order, which may explain why it hasn't really drawn me in yet. But you got me started on Homeland Security, Mark, and I'm completely hooked, with a new disc of episodes every week from Netflix!

Mountains Beyond Mountains - yay!! As you know, I just plain loved that book. We got to see Dr. Paul Farmer at the Humanities Festival here a couple of years ago, and he was everything one would hope - humble and even funny.

Alas, I have moved on from AK to be sure I don't miss the group read of Swamplandia! that I also agreed to join in January. I'm glad someone else is having issues with AK, Ellen. Least we're not alone! :)

169 (wookiebender) - yeah, no one seems to like Anna much at all! Wonder why?!? ;0)

Tina, I am sticking with AK. Having read Swamplandia! last year and finding it only mediocre, I hope you have a better experience with it. I'm actually enjoying Anna Karenina, thanks to the variety of characters. It's interesting that I saw the film before reading it and I do keep getting mental flashes of images from that film which was very campy and visually dramatic.

Hi Mark. I hope your hump-day is mild and easy.

All this talk of AK lately makes me think about rereading it ... then I remember all the sad lonely books in my basement waiting to be read.
Hope you are having a snow free day Mark! I think NS is due for a couple inches today :(

This Korean twit.

Annoying song.

I stand up for cadly, nasty, mean Vronsky. I liked him and I thought that stupid dishrag Anna got what she deserved. But I am a contrary old cuss.

I am loving Mountains Beyond Mountains and now I know why there is so much LT adoration. When you talk about heroes, you have to think of guys like this, not actors, sports figures or other shallow pop icons.

Joanne- I've been following you around for nearly 5 years, so you know I trust your opinion.

Tania- I'm glad you are enjoying your A.K. re-read. I'm getting close to the finish-line.

Paul- What the hell, jump in!

Diana- Glad you liked the book tub! Plenty of room!

Linda- Great to see you! I'm glad you are enjoying Homeland. How about those 2 leads? Unfortunately, the 2nd season becomes more problematic. It's like the writers weren't sure where they wanted to take this story.

Joe- Like I mentioned up above, I am crazy about Mountains Beyond Mountains. What a man! What a story! NF rules!

Tina- Are you putting A.K. aside for good or just temporarily? I hope you stick with it and I hope you enjoy Swamplandia. I liked the book but it wasn't perfect.

Ellen- I hope you are feeling much better today! Healing Hug!

Chelle- "then I remember all the sad lonely books." I think we all know that feeling. The ache and the despair. Good luck with the snow.

RD- Oh, that Korean twit! LOL. Funny, I've heard about him for a long time but had never seen the video, until now and watched 2 minutes. It's enough.

love that graphic!

A new Charlie Huston.....coming soon:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/charlie-huston/skinner/9780316133722/#de...

Be Warned!

Come in number 5. I checked out the stats for the end of January 2011 and guess where you were! I checked out the stats for the end of January 2012 and guess where you were?
Do you think RD's self assessment is justified? If I had to pick one fellow in the group who would like Vronsky.....

A coworker and I read Nelson Demille's Night Fall a few years ago based on someone's recommendation and we both liked it, I haven't read any others but she has and she likes them.

>171 msf59: love that picture! Its beautiful. As for hump day, we are over it now, and my lovely other has always thought hopefully, that that meant something else. ;)

Where IS Mark? DO we need to send out a search party?

Hey Mark, just popping in to see what's up.

Sorry kids, I went out for beer & burgers with a good friend and just stumbled back in.

Kath- Glad you liked the book graphic. I think we can all relate.

Jude brings good tidings! Jude brings good tidings! Hooray! Actually, I heard about this book for awhile but I'm glad it's finally coming out and it sounds really interesting. Charlie Huston Rocks!

Paul- Wow! I would have never guessed that! I've been stuck in the 5 Spot for years. LOL. I might have to change something up.
Funny, I'm one reader who doesn't mind Vronsky. Of course, he's no RD but....

Bette- Welcome to my humble abode! And thanks for your Demille input. I can recommend the general's Daughter. I've only read a couple of his, but liked that one.

Megan- Glad you liked the pic. This is my LONG week. 3 down, 3 to go. I like the way your "lovely other" thinks. LOL.

Mamie- I am back. Having a few beers and a decent burger with a pal. I know, I did not have any time to hit the threads. I'll try hitting a few before the Sandman calls...

Lynda- All is well, my friend! My books are treating me well and that's all that matters.

Never underestimate the JUDE......

I never do and I never will. Bear Hug! Good night, my Ohio Peep!

Whew. Number five has been found.

Oh good, I can call off the search party!

Not putting her aside for good, just needed to start some on Swamplandia! I'll see how fast it goes & maybe rotate some if I need to keep AK fresh in my mind. I'd get a lot more reading done if I weren't trying to catch up on all the threads I have starred!

I am not nearly the die-hard Book of Mormon fan that my son is. He has a shrine in his room. I am not making that up.

Just watched this week's DA, on demand. Wow, they sure wrapped up some storylines quickly.

Poor Edith. Never liked her but no one deserves that.

Okay, 3 work days left. The week is going by fine. It's been cold but dry. I have about 130 pages left in A.K. Hooray! Should be wrapping it up tomorrow and then onto more books. Double Hooray!

**I'll make up the Fantasy Feb Thread over the weekend. Get those lists ready!

Ellen & Mamie- I was found. Slightly rumpled and just a bit bleary but here I am.

Tina- I really want to snag a copy of Russell's 1st story collection. I've had it on my WL for a couple of years. Her latest collection comes out soon and early buzz has it, that it's wonderful.

Terri- A shrine, huh? Now, that's a fan! I don't even have one of those for Mr. Steinbeck.

Linda- Glad you are caught up with DA. I hope the writers do something nice for Edith's character. She deserves it. Hope the work week is going well.

Should we start a campaign? Number 5 for Number 3! Or are you a man and not a number...?

Hi, Mark. Glad Mountains Beyond Mountains is working for you. I'm liking the entertaining Low Town; it's making me think of Patrick Rothfuss.

Sorry kids, I went out for beer & burgers with a good friend and just stumbled back in. stumbled in is right I bet. Look, good friend Mark, do we need to stage an intervention at this time?????? Hmmm? Oh I was out with the dog early this morning and oh I nearly froze to death as the temp is hovering around 32 F. It's sunny but of so bracing! My nose hurt it was so cold!

Okay, as everyone knows, I don't like walking in snow but I sure like looking at photos of the white stuff.



Looks like Sophia has the right idea. Move over, sweetheart!

Same here, Mark. Snow is pretty but I don't like walking around in it, though there is something to be said if it's just snow and not ice.

What I truly don't like is bitterly cold weather, like we're supposed to have early next week. Our first sub-zero temp in two years?!?!?

Sounds like a good time to stay in and read, watch football playoff games, watch the start of the NHL season, and not venture outdoors, if at all possible.

Sweet Thursday, everyone! 50 pages left on A.K.! 50 pages left on A.K.! For anyone that hasn't tackled this baby yet, this is quite an achievement. Plus, I can get to my other neglected books. Look at the poor pouty faces on 'em.
I am also near the end of Mountains Beyond Mountains. Expect raves!

Amber- I am a man, at least the last time I checked. What is 5 for 3? I am a little slow today, so please have some patience.

Joe- I will have to look into Low Town. Rothfuss is a nice comparison. I NEED to finish up the Nao of Brown. It's due due back on Saturday.

Deb- I was a very good boy. You would be proud of L.R. Plus, I was driving and it was a work night. Not much choice. The stumbling was not from drinking. Scouts honor.

My Anna Karenina has the same cover as yours. I knew I liked you. And I don't like Anna. Glad you are found, LOL.

Snow!! SNOW!! We'd love some snow. Hottest day on record in Sydney today, 45.8C. Gah. Went out of the building for a workmate's farewell lunch and it was hideous. (Well, the lunch was nice, but it was horrible having to leave the air conditioning!) Clouding over now, hopefully there'll be a thunderstorm sooner rather than later.

Hopefully my garden is doing okay, with the water I dumped on it before I left this morning.

Will have to comfort myself on the way home with some Anna Karenina on the way home. Nice, chilly, snowy Russia. :) I'm well behind you, Mark, I'm almost at the end of Part 2! And I just bought Les Miserables as my next reading challenge. Meep.

Happy Friday, people! Like I mentioned, I'll be wrapping up A.K. today. I'll also be finishing Mountains beyond Mountains and I also want to finish up a terrific GN, The Nao of Brown, (big thanks to Joe) because it's due back at the library tomorrow. A day of endings and hopefully new literary beginnings...

Linda- Yep, it looks like we are going to get our first arctic blast on Monday & Tuesday. Only 12 both days. Yikes. Enjoy your weekend and the return of the Blackhawks.

Kim made it! Kim made it! A.K. will not be one of my top classic reads but I am very glad I finally tackled it.

Tania- Sounds like you guys are frying Down Under! We still don't have any snow, (not sad) but I wish we could funnel you some of our chill. I have never read Les Mis. One of these days but not this year. LOL.

Happy Friday, Mark! I look forward to your review of Mountains Beyond Mountains, a book that has languished on my bookshelf for far too long. I plan to read it and Paul Farmer's latest book, Haiti After the Earthquake, in the near future.

Busy busy guy, busy busy thread.... status quo here..

Good morning, Mark. Twelve degrees actually sounds good to me these days. We've gotten down to below zero several nights and it's usually about 3 or 4 degrees when it's time for our dog walk in the morning. This has been going on for weeks!

I can't wait to hear what you think about Mountains Beyond Mountains. I read it for a book group about 4 years ago and loved it.

Heya Mark, just stopping by to wish you a great weekend. I do like your idea of an April Atwood as I still have got quite a few on deck by her as well.
I think I mentioned it already before, but I have selected already quite a few books for Fantasy February.

Wish you and your family a lovely weekend!

Good day Mark! What a whirlwind RL has been for me lately. Popping by threads to say hello to folks. I will look into The Beautiful Ruins. It sounds like it would be a nice break from some chunksters I have on my list this year.

Hiya, Mark. I think you're getting near some days off, yes? I'm nearing the end of Lowtown and it's a good 'un. I think I've got an ER book next. Have you heard of a gn called Johnny Hiro? That's next after I finish a pretty good Batman The Black Mirror.

Cowboy and the Cossack is a re-release. Nancy Pearl persuaded some publisher to do some reissues of some oops she thinkns are neglected and this was one of the first six to be published and released. Of the six, ther not a single one that I had heard of, or read. It just put more titles on my wish list.

I think you will like Piano Teacher. It reminds me of Five Quarters of the Orange. Both books deal with collaboration with the enemy. One in France, one in Hong Kong, but both in WW II. Both illustrated the fact that nobody is sure exactly what collaboration is but everybody thinks they know it when they see it.

Wookiebender

Sydney set an eight year high today, and yesterday we had snow in our part of Alabama. Snow here is a rarity so everything was canceled for the remainder of the day even though the snowstorm only lasted for an hour and the snow was all gone in another two hours. For the first time in twelve days we have sunshine! It is certainly welcome here. Now all we have to do is deal with the flooding from all the rain and the snow.

Hi-ho! It's off to dog-walk I go, but had to stop in and say "hahahahhahaha" about the arctic chill!

Signed, It's 47 Tomorrow Here

We're going to have our first below zero HIGH in four years on Monday. Brrrr...

Oh good Mark, I will be able to participate in Fantasy February because I found out last year that I like historical fantasy so I will consult my list to see what I might like to read. I'm glad to see you'll be wrapping up AK.

ETA I'm reading a NF I think you would like We Die Alone by David Howarth about a group of Norwegians who took a boat from England to Norway, in a sabotage mission. Of course, Norway was under German occupation, and the mission was bungled, but the story of the brave Norwegians who helped the one surviving man to make an escape is fairly heart stopping.

As promised, I finished A.K.! Why did the last 200 pages have to be so dry, IMHO? Even my favorite character, Levin, got boring in the final stretches. It lost at least a half a star and that's a shame. I am siding with Joe on this classic.

Mountains beyond Mountains did not disappoint. An excellent NF, on a truly fascinating man. READ IT!!
I started a fun audiobook called Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. Light, breezy and entertaining. I met Matthew Dicks at the Vermont Retreat last year. A bright & funny guy.

Darryl- Great to see you sir! I would have lost a bet on you, my friend. I was sure you had read Mountains Beyond Mountains. It has your name written all over it. I could barely see the cover art. It's an amazing read about an amazing American.

Kath- Sure, I'm busy! But I have to spend some time with my Second Family! It's a law now!

Pat- Isn't those extreme temps unusual for you guys? Wow. We are having another crazy winter and it looks like this little arctic blast will be short-lived. I'm glad you loved Mountains. Have you read Strength in What Remains? It's also excellent.

Bianca- I just snagged the audio of Oryx and Crake, (which would also work nicely on FF) and I have the Blind Assassin, plus a couple others, all waiting in the wings.
Have a nice weekend too!

Roberta- Good to see you! Are you an audiobook listener? Beautiful Ruins was perfect in that format but I am sure the book is just as captivating.

Joe- Not familiar with Johnny Hiro. Always appreciate a GN rec. I agree with you on A.K. and also agree with you on Mountains but in the more positive direction.

Benita- Thanks for the updates. Speaking of westerns, I just downloaded the audio of The Riders of the Purple Sage, which I don't think I ever read and I mooched a copy from BM of the Color Lightning. Have you read Jiles?

RD- Careful of the laughter, it could always come back and bite you in the ass. LOL. Actually, we were in the low 40s today and more tomorrow, although it's very windy but then the bottom drops out on Sunday. Boo! at least I'll be off Monday for the holiday.

Morphy- Now, that sounds cold! Have you guys had a lot of snow? I see you added Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. I plan on starting that later next week.

Bonnie- I'm looking forward to seeing your list for FF, even if it is just a title or 2. I will kick it off with Tigana, which I know you loved. Please move mountains up in the stacks. We Die Alone sounds terrific. It's been noted.

Hi Mark: Happy weekend!! We are off to see Argo tonight, after a nice dinner, and then lots of hockey and football watching for me, along with plenty of reading.

Stay warm!!

Mark I sure do love audio, but my library does not have a copy on audio. If audible has a real sale on it I will snag it, but otherwise it is the book for me.

Oh boy, I'm going to keep working my way through AK. I'm only just finishing Part 3, but I am enjoying it. Trying to decide if it's one with which I can multi-task. I have a couple of other books here with me that I'd also like to read but I'm worried about losing the thread or getting confused about some of the characters.....
Enjoy your weekend!

Mark, these frigid temperatures are somewhat unusual for us but we're in the midst of one of those dreaded inversions where cold air gets trapped near the ground. We need some wind to get this cold air out of here.

I'm pretty sure Mountains Beyond Mountains is the only thing I've read by Tracy Kidder. I will keep my eye out for The Strength in What Remains.

#211> Benita, snow in Alabama! We are having strange weather of late.

Have to say, our cold change was amazing - dropped 10 degrees in 10 minutes, I reckon. Very windy, had a great time opening up all the windows and doors and feeling the hot air just get sucked out of the house in a matter of seconds. Should be a pleasant weekend, coolish temperatures, maybe some rain (which is less good, but the garden will appreciate it).

#219> I'm multitasking - I generally read shorter books, and Anna Karenina is a bit hard to hold up in bed at night, so when I'm too tired and/or need a break I read something fluffier (and physically lighter) in bed. If I read completely different styles of books, I don't get confused.

Have a great weekend Mark!

Hi Mark!
After War and Peace I don't care if I never read another Tolstoy! No one has convinced me that AK is worth it - except as penance for a very severe mortal sin! I just can't get past that Tolstoy was a jerk. Although perhaps I should not be so judgemental... sigh

I agree Mountains Beyond Mountains was a great book! I loved it. It is one of my favorites and I rated it a 5.

We just finished watching "Trouble With the Curve". It stars Clint Eastwood, as a baseball scout and Amy Adams as his lawyer daughter. Adams is the best thing in it. She is so smart and adorable. Hollywood by-the-numbers. Meh!

Linda- I hope you enjoyed Argo. It's a very good film. I saw that the Globe Awards picked it best film. No way it's better than Lincoln. Come on!

Roberta- I'm sure the print book will be just fine. Enjoy!

Ellen- Personally, I would think A.K. would be a difficult book to dip in and out of. To many slow stretches. I'm glad I just stuck with it and now it's done. Although, I am very happy I finally read it.

Pat- I hope the cold snap changes for you guys! Enjoy the weekend.

Tania- I'm glad you guys got a reprieve from the heat and it will continue over the weekend. Yah! Yes, A.K. is quite the wrist-buster. Good luck.

Claudia- I will get to War and Peace eventually, just not this year and maybe not the next but I'll get to it. I still gave A.K. 4 stars but I'm not sure I could recommend it highly. Did you read Strength in what Remains? Dr. Farmer makes an appearance in that one as well.



Good night, kids!

Argos's definitely not better than Lincoln but it told a great story. I'd like to read more about it. I did not recall Canada helping us like that.

Happy Saturday! (For some people!) Like last year, I am going to try reading a story collection a month and since A.K. has set me free, I'll be cracking open The Miniature Wife: and Other Stories. It's an ER book and it's been getting some pretty good buzz. Looking forward to it.
Once again, I will try to get the FF Thread up this weekend. Be prepared.

Linda- I liked Argo a lot too! Affleck has turned into a solid director. Did you see Trouble With the Curve? If not, you might like all the baseball stuff.

I will want to see Argo.. but will wait for it until it comes to a television, near me. ( DVD) Stay warm.

>216 msf59: No, not a lot of snow. A little below average this year, I'd say. But then we don't get a ton. Perhaps four to five feet total all season. Because of melting, there's never more than a foot or two in the yard.

Hi Mark - Some good reading going on here. Are you expecting an Arctic blast next week? Stay warm.

Mark - Your moon bears passing resemblance to a certain New York resident who doesn't venture out much these days but still has a razor sharp tongue.

I thought I would send Gina Lollobrigida to keep Sophia Loren company:


Have a great weekend and I hope your not trudging through snow for most of it.

>201 msf59:: Sorry, Mark! That was a poor attempt at a reference to one of my favorite 'vintage' TV shows: The Prisoner. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it!

I loved The Prisoner, Amber. Patrick McGoohan, was that his name? What a bizarre and great show.

I can't remember whether I starred AK, Mark, but I agree with your four. Beautifully written, but flawed, as far as I'm concerned.

I just started Bend, Not Break, an ER memoir about a Chinese immigrant fleeing Mao's oppressive China who lands here as a young girl with nothing and no one. She now heads up a successful tech company. Pretty interesting so far.

It's amazing what a few days away can do to your thread, Marky-Mark .... oh my... you're getting some good reads in and really blowing out my obese wish list! Arrgghhh.

I discovered at least two interesting sounding books about the Argo events, one by the CIA operative and the other by one of the houseguests.

Cheers for a Saturday of sunshine!

And your assessment of AK is why I am not reading it for a third time! I loved Oryx and Crake so have fun with that in February. I will have to go prowl my teetering towers of TBR so find something good. Happy Saturday!

The work week is over! The work week is over! 2 days off! Yah! Hey, if you can't get excited about the little things, then why bother?
Since I finished A.K. I feel a few pounds lighter and I am enjoying my current reads: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend & The Miniature Wife. This story collection is a lot of fun, so expect raves.
A good friend of mine is having a 50th Birthday Bash this evening, so I'll be heading out in a hour. Should be fun and the wife agreed to drive. Once again, Yah, for those little things.

Kath- I'm sure you will love Argo and waiting for DVD is just fine. Alan Arkin steals it again.

Morphy- 4 to 5 feet? Yikes. I think we have less than 2 inches all winter so far. No complaints out of me. Enjoy your weekend and keep warm.

Beth- Temps drop tonight. Low 20s tomorrow and then into the low teens for the early part of the week. I wish I was off Tuesday. Sad face.

Paul- You saw that resemblance too? LOL. Speaking of boobs, have you been by Jude's thread? An interesting discussion going on there.
It will be getting very cold here but still no snow. Happy Man!

Amber- I thought I was just being simple. I don't think I ever watched The Prisoner. Bundle up, up there! We are getting our first Arctic Blast!

Joe- I wish A.K. would have ended stronger. Those last 200 pages were a slog. IMHO. How he could have made Levin boring, puzzles me.
That memoir sounds really good!

Caro- Welcome back, my friend! Good to see you.

Linda- Go Blackhawks! I saw that they won their opener. 5-2, wasn't it? I don't watch much hockey but I like the team.

RD- Not much sunshine today but not bad for January. Mid-40s & windy. I will be bundling up next week though! Shit!

Kim- I was going to hold off on Oryx and Crake for Atwood April but I am starting to lean toward starting it for FF. I have at least 3 other Atwood's I could also get to. I have neglected the poor woman. Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Congratulations on finishing AK!! :)

Mark - ha! I did see the pneumatic boobs you posted up there with no little interest! Of course Jude and Stephen can easily make a mountain of those considerable mole hills.

*waving* at Mark

Hi Mark, congrats on finishing AK. It's my father's favorite book. I remember reading it as a teenager but don't recollect anything else. I just remember the end with Anna in the railway carriage. It was a beautiful end.

So, Atwood April is a definite then? I thought it was a cheeky suggestion that wasn't meant to be serious, but I'd be glad if it gets off the ground!

And hurrah for Fantasy February! Even if I only read one fantasy book next month, it's always fun participating.

A friend's wedding last night, great fun. Kids were up until 10pm, which is significantly past their bedtime! But they had a ball, especially with the ice cream dessert (three flavours - passionfruit, raspberry and vanilla - and they went back enough times so that they tried each flavour!) and they took over the DJing on the dance floor for a while, which was fun too. Mr Bear is a very cool dancer. :)

Hi Mark, just checking back in after my weekend away. Liking the footsteps in the snow pic, more than walking about in it, as is with you :)

Hi Mark, great to see that you snatched Oryx and Crake as audio version. You have to let me know how the story is narrated. I know that Atwood fits well into FF, but I noticed there are quite a few people who woud be interested in an Atwood April as well. It would definately suit me, as I still have got plenty of her on my book shelf.

Wish you a great remaining Sunday!

Happy DA Sunday, Mark! Just what are they going to throw at us today?
I wish I could look just as awesome reading a book as Ms. Sophia.
The wind is really stirring things around out my window, bringing with it bitter cold and snow, blah!
Hope all that's stirring at your place is the spoon in your hot cup of coffee. Have a good off day!

Good morning, folks! I am looking forward to an R & R Sunday. Lots of reading, lots of rest! Some football, some Call the Midwife, DA tonight, more reading. Sound like a gameplan? What's the gang doing?

Tina- I liked A.K. and gave it 4 stars but I am glad it's behind me now and I can tackle some other titles. Freedom! Were you planning on joining us for Fantasy Feb?

Chelle- We had a very nice time at the birthday bash! The beer and the gab were flowing. Thanks for your fantastic offer. I will PM you.

Paul- "make a mountain of those considerable mole hills." LOL. I agree with you, my friend. I'm glad you stopped by over there, I had a feeling you would get a kick out of it.

Stasia- Big Wave. Big Hug!

Gautam- Thanks! Unfortunately the book went on well over 200 pages after the carriage scene. Now to War and Peace, although that might take a couple years to get to. Hope you had a great weekend.

Tania- I think there seems to be enough interest in Atwood April, to give it a go. Only one title slated for FF? I am shocked.
Sounds like you guys had a great time at the wedding. Go Mr. Bear!

Megan- Thanks for checking in. Hope you had a nice getaway and you are recharged.

Bianca- I think I might bookhorn in Oryx and Crake for FF. A perfect fit but I have several others for A.A., including the Blind Assassin & Cat's Eye.
I hope you had a nice weekend too!

Morning Lynda- Yes, we need a strong DA tonight. Have you sampled Call the Midwife yet? This is a stellar show. Enjoy your Sunday and keep warm. It's supposed to be very cold for the next few days.

I was hoping for some R&R, too. I might still squeeze it in. It's getting colder by the minute here.
I hate that! Enjoy your down day !

I confess I am not an Atwood fan. Try to enjoy Oryx and Crake....ugh. I have read The Handmaiden's Tale. Depressing and somewhat silly on a certain level - but I'm not good with dystopian novels or fantasy. Very bad of me indeed!

Not to bad weather wise here. Sunny and about 5 C , which is about..hmmm....41 F. Not bad as long as there is sun!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Hi, so sorry I've not been able to keep up, but hopefully, I'll get back into the swing soon. Meanwhile I have a little problem and maybe some visitors here might help:

Next weekend, specifically Saturday, 1/26 the American Library Association is having a convention in Seattle, at the convention center. Someone on LT, maybe even in the 75 books group, suggested a meet up after the convention on Saturday and I am working to identify a nice place to go. But! I've forgotten who is working on letting people know... Or even who will be there.... and how we might meet-up.

Any one able to help me out?

>231 jnwelch: Joe: Yep, I think that's his name. And, yes, it was a bizarre show, but that's what makes it so great.

Mark: I humbly yet strongly recommend watching it - I suspect that you would love it.

I'm not sure anyone remembers but I had many problems transferring digital library copies to my old classic iPod. It continually froze the player up and it was very irritating. Well, I've been using my wife's Nano, these past few weeks and tried downloading again from my library system and guess what? It works. That's how I listened to Mountains Beyond Mountains and like the obsessive book geek I am, I am currently downloading 4 others, including Oryx and Crake & the Little Stranger. This is such a cool deal and such a time-saver. Yah, me!

Kath- It looks nice out the window, bit is COLD out there. I think I will stay right here and be snug & cozy.

Deb- Great to see you Tonto! It sounds like Atwood is just not your cuppa. Fortunately, there are thousands of other authors for you to sample. Have a great Sunday.

Karen- I think you are referring to Benita. I PMed you. And yes, I miss your visits but we all get overwhelmed at times, around this frenetic place.

Amber- Maybe, I'll give The Prisoner a shot one of these days. Thanks!

Hi Mark. I know you are gearing up for Fantasy February. Perhaps this year I will add one to my reading list for said month, even though it's a genre I've only minimally explored. I think Guards! Guards! might qualify and I'm getting ready to read it for the Seattleites RL book group.
I think you have both today and tomorrow off. Enjoy!

Hi Mark - Your Sunday plan sounds like a winner. I liked Oryx and Crake although I liked The Year of the Flood better. I think I heard she has another in this series coming out?

I love this image. Okay, boys and girls, Fantasy February is on the air. Grab your sword, broomstick or magic wand and come join us:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/148660

Ellen- You called it! FF is up & running. The only Pratchett book I have read is his collaboration with Mr. Gaiman, Good Omens, which I really enjoyed.

Beth- I am finally going to get on track this year with Ms. Atwood.

What month do you think we ought to dedicate for Steampunk, Marky-Mark? September?

Happy Sunday! Is Oryx and Crake your first MA? I hope you add Handmaiden's Tale to your list because that's one of my favorites of her books.

I came by to say hello but find your thread requires way too much dodging of DA spoilers for a careful read! We are halfway through Season 2 on DVD here in our house and hoping to catch up and watch the rest of the current season in real time.

Atwood April sounds intriguing and I think I will go check out the FF thread now.

Chelle- Wow! This is like a 2nd Christmas! Thank you! I have not read any of those titles and all of them look great. I added Ten Thousand Saints to my WL after reading about it, in a "book on books" a couple months ago.
Big warm, fuzzy hug!!

Caro- Let's just include Steampunk into FF. I think we've done that in the past. I would like to get to Goliath and I've still not read Boneshaker. Bad bad Mark!
Yes, I did read the Handmaid's Tale and LOVED it, but that's my only Atwood. Repeat: Bad Mark.

Anne- Great to see you! I am sorry about potential DA spoilers! People get excited around here, including myself. I'm glad you are getting caught up with the show!

Hi Mark. Sounds like you have a great Sunday planned. We're heading out soon to see Argo which I'm really looking forward to. I probably won't join in on Fantasy February but I have a collection of Margaret Atwood's short stories (Moral Disorder and Other Stories) that I could read for Atwood April and Richard's short story challenge!

>255 msf59: Fantasy February?? Aaaargh!
*see you in March*
I jest (partly), of course. :)

Boneshaker I couldnt deal with, but if Handmaids Tale qualifies?...maybe I could partake afterall?

You liked Levin??? He was my least favorite character in the book. I read it last year and am ready to give Tolstoy a rest for a decade or so.

But I bet you will enjoy Oryx and Crake.

Hi Mark - Hope you're having a good Sunday.

Love Atwood but could never get into Oryx and Crake.....too sci-fi-ish for me, I think.

I plan to try again sometime!

Yay - it's DA night!

I've been watching the NFC game, in between chapters. It looked like the Falcons were running away with it, in the early going but the 49ers pounded back. 17-14. This looks like it could be a heck of a game. I'm leaning toward the 49ers.
My current story collection, The Miniature Wife has been FANTASTIC!

Pat- I am sure you will love Argo! It's a very good film. Moral Disorder is available on digital audio, through my library. I'll be watching for your thoughts.

Megan- You sound frustrated, my Latvian friend! I'm a little hurt that you are being a bit snobbish and will not attend FF. And you are from the land of Hobbits and Orcs!
Since, Handmaid's Tale is dystopian, I think it would qualify. Join us. see, that wasn't to hard.

Rhonda- Great to see you over here! Yep, Levin was my favorite character in A.K., maybe by a large margin. I found him much more interesting than the insufferable Anna. Hey, to each his/her own. That's what keeps things interesting.

I'm a Levin fan, too, Mark. Hope you're enjoying your R & R. I have to remember to get that Charles Dickens biography by Claire Tomalin on the tbr. I know you thought highly of that one.

Have you tried Stone's Smoky Porter? That's the one I've got, and will be trying in a bit.

Here you go, Joe! I can serve you once in awhile too! I don't drink many porters & stouts. I'll have one on occasion. Love that Stone!
Are you watching the NFC game? It's been pretty exciting. And yes, get to the Dickens bio. It's excellent. Lastly, did you see the FF thread?

Joanne- I am having a terrific R & R Sunday! Good football, good books. And yes, I am looking forward to DA. Have you watched Call the Midwife? I know you read the memoir.

** The 49ers just took the lead in the 4th quarter. 28-24! Go 49ers!

Hi Mark! Glad to see you're having a nice day off with LT, reading, relaxation, and football. Well deserved, my friend! Thanks for setting up the FF thread, I'm looking forward to (actually, finally, seriously) participating this time around. :) Hope you have similarly exciting plans for your Monday off too!

Ok I am all set for FF with Guy Gavriel Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan and I also have some Atwood on my shelf so I think I'll read Alias Grace. That was easy.

Great game. Really happy for Harbaugh and his 49ers. I hope he gets to coach against his brother in the Super Bowl.

>264 msf59: snobby? Me?
*hurt feelings*
I think fantasy, I think David Eddings. Am I wrong? Its the covers, I just cant stand the look of them, and they make make me think the content will be all dragons and magic spells. The Hobbit I could deal with as I could picture the creatures from the LoTR films, but I fear that fantasy and me dont really get on :)

>266 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I will find this beer again in RL or pass out trying.

Had the NFC game on, and agree, it's a good 'un. But because we're goofballs, and multifaceted, now we're viewing an acapella movie, Pitch Perfect.

I owe you some chocolate pecans:



P.S. The movie was a ton 'o fun. Now we're watching Patriots v. Ravens. And I'm getting that Stone Smoky Porter.

Mark - We LOVED Call the Midwife (as much (more?) as DA). I don't know how far you are into it, but I really felt it got better and better with each episode. There was also a Christmas special we just happened to catch in Dec.

Keep that disc and file sharing to yourselves. That is illegal. It is copyright infringement. At least keep LT out of it. If they know that it is happening they have to stop it or are in danger of being sued.

I am planning a meet up for Sunday, January 27, 2013 for those of you who are in the Seattle area. I will meet you at the Seattle Convention Center at 2ish in the registration for the exhibits area. I will help you get registered and get badges and help you figure out how to navigate the exhibit hall. When the exhibit hall closed at 5 we are going to meet for drinks someplace close.

I am doing this do I can practice for the ALA conference in Chicago this next summer. I expect you and the other Chicago LTers to attend.

We watched "Ted" in between NFL games! Yes, it is crude, rude and profane but it is also very funny and we enjoyed it. Plus it was fun to see Sam Jones from the 80's "Flash Gordon" film and the lovely Norah Jones, playing herself. She is a doll. Anyone else see this movie?

Laura- I had a great R & R Sunday! I hope you did too. I might try to see Django Unchained tomorrow afternoon, even if I go solo!

Bonnie- It looks like you are set for FF! Yah! I do not own Alias Grace but I would love to get to that one too!

Linda- That was a terrific NFC Playoff game. Go 49ers!

Megan- I take that back. You are not snobby. If fantasy is not your cuppa, then that's fine, but don't disregard it just because of those awful covers. There is magic in between those pages.

Joe- My wife recently saw "Pitch Perfect" also but doesn't think I would like it. The Boss is rarely wrong. LOL. Thanks for those mighty tasty chocolate pecans and make sure you let me know how that Smoky Porter is.

Joanne- We are only 2 episodes into CTW! We are planning on watching another one tomorrow. I can see this show being as good as DA, if not better. Hope you had a nice relaxing Sunday.

Benita- Thanks for the warning. Keep in mind though, these books are paid for. I don't see any difference than passing on a book to someone else. But nothing else will be said.
"I expect you and the other Chicago LTers to attend." Yes, BOSS! LOL.

Chelle- What happened, my friend?

Showtime in a few minutes...

All caught up here, Mark, and I am happy to report that I have finally finished Anna Karenina - can I just say, "WHEW!"

Distribution right v reproduction right, I believe, but I didn't see the posts...

Sue's probably right about Pitch Perfect. Pretty frothy.

The Stone Smoky Porter is really good - "with vanilla bean", and I have more of a feel for how they do it after our brewery tour. This might be the opposite of too light - it's a pretty heavy beer, so you might not like it for that reason.

New Thread is up, my friends! Grab your books and cocktails and come on down:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/148700#t

Go Mamie! Go Mamie! You hung in there! Yah!

Hi Joanne- "Distribution right v reproduction right"? Any comments?

Joe- I do not do frothy well. LOL. The porter sounds a little heavy. Thanks for the report.