Joe's Book Cafe 5

I love yarn bombing, aka yarn hugging?

Welcome back to the cafe!

Favorite Books in 2012:

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand
Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman
The Siege by Helen Dunmore
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
Wild: From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
In A Sun-burned Country by Bill Bryson
Turkana Boy by Jean-Francois Beauchemin and Jessica Moore
Shadow Divers by Ron Kurson
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
The Western Lit Survival Kit by Sandra Newman
Pyongyang by Guy Delisle
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

My fave 2012 young adult books were:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Favorite Nonfiction from the Last 10 Years

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

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

Favorite Fiction from the Last 10 Years

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

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

January 2013 Books

1. Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
2. The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
3. Anomaly by Skip Brittenham
4. The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman
5. Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
6. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
7. The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon
8. Low Town by Daniel Polansky
9. Bend Not Break by Ping Fu
10. Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb

February 2013 Books

11. A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson
12. The Miniature Wife and Other Stories by Manuel Gonzales
13. All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Smith
14. Volt: Stories by Alan Heathcock
15. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
16. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
17. Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich
18. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

How in the world did the perpetrators get the sweaters on the trees???

3. Knitted in place.

So, we've got Wiener Melange swimming pools with marshmallow pool noodles. Anything else?

A whole new use for circular needles!

Heh. I was going to ask the same question. How did they get the tree scarves on?

hOWDY DO!

>>3 ffortsa:, 5 Hopefully our cafe knitting experts will come to the fore and explain this phenomenon, Judy. I first saw this happen in Seattle, in Pioneer Square:



As first to arrive, you get a free hot chocolate with Baileys (or another beverage of your choice if that doesn't suit):



>4 PawsforThought: Good thought, Paws. I'm guessing they pre-knit it somewhere and then knit in place around the trees. But that's like the couch potato explaining how the space station is assembled.

>6 Morphidae: Inquiring minds want to know, Morphy. I'm hoping a yarn bomb expert or two passes through the cafe. Sure looks cool, doesn't it?

>7 richardderus: Howdy-do, you ol' sidewinder! Good to see ya around these parts!

wow, the yarn bombing (couldn't we use something a bit less militaristic here? yarn hugging? yarn embracelets?) would make for happy and/or confused cats and squirrels. wonder what the resident wildlife think? wrens will build nests. or are there wrens resident there?

>4 PawsforThought: i am so not swimming in that. i'll take the ocean any day. well, depending on the ocean i s'pose.

i'm coming down the home stretch (final 2 hours) of Michael Frayn's Spies. what a great read. our Anne recommended it and, as usual, she was spot on. never read anything quite like it. i was enjoying it until half-way through when i suddenly got seriously hooked and in a state of suspense. it's one of those books that resonates so strongly with my own experiences as a pre-teen that i'm frequently right there with Stephen. will try to review it briefly once i finish.

i'd love some thin, crispy fries w/ catsup, er, ketchup.*

*online etymology dictionary avers that:

ketchup (n.)
1711, said to be from Malay kichap, but probably not original to Malay. It might have come from Chinese koechiap "brine of fish," which, if authentic, perhaps is from the Chinese community in northern Vietnam Terrien de Lacouperie, in "Babylonian and Oriental Record," 1889, 1890. Catsup (earlier catchup, 1680s) is a failed attempt at Anglicization, still in use in U.S., influenced by cat and sup. . . . Tomato ketchup emerged c.1800 in U.S. and predominated from early 20c.

humph. i like catsup. it's so visual.

>9 mirrordrum: I've added the possibility of yarn hugging up above, Ellie. I believe I saw wrens wearing nice multi-colored yarn shawls in Pioneer Square. Not sure whether there was a connection or not.

I think the best way to approach these pools might be with a big heat-resistant straw.

I remember our Anne recommending Michael Frayn's Spies: A Novel. Sounds great - good to have your take on it, too. How is Anne doing? Haven't heard from her in a wren's age. I like catsup better than ketchup, too. Fish brine is to be avoided in my book, so I'm going to ignore that part of the story.

Let's get you those thin, crispy fries with catsup:



Cafe Alert!

Cafe Alert!

Cafe Alert!

The proprietor is taking his much better half downtown for the weekend and therefore will be unable to contribute his usual slothful efforts to the cafe. Guest chefs and baristas are welcome to come in and be as creative as they like, as long as the many cafe rules that we've never been able to find are observed.

We may catch a glimpse of the proprietor late in the day on Sunday.

Aw, yarn bombing makes me so happy!

Have a wonderful weekend, good sir. We'll try not to run too amok around here, but no promises. And if we do, there will be pictures. :) Enjoy!!!

*waves good-bye to Joe* Have a great weekend, downtown, wherever that is, doing whatever you will be doing! (-:

Hi Joe- Congrats on the new thread! I'm not sure I "get" the yarn- bombing, but we all have our limitations. Happy Birthday to Debi! You guys have a great weekend.

Have a lovely weekend, Joe. Wishing you a weekend filled with the same kind of excellent service you give us here at the cafe.

Have a warm and cozy weekend!
LOVE the yarn hugging thing :-)

Enjoy your mini-vaca, Joe, see ya Sunday (assuming Snowmageddon hasn't deprived me of power).

Hi Joe- enjoy your weekends away with Missus Joe :)

We have a lot of shipping containers blocking crumbling buildings from falling onto to people about town, and in a fancy part of town, some people covered one entirely in knitted squares. I thought perhaps the wool could have been put to better use, by maybe sending them to a Ukrainian orphanage or something .....even I recognised I was being a bit miserly, but I couldnt help it.

The colourful tree trunks do look great, and the parking meter monster I love!

Love the scarves - looks like something out of Dr Seuss which everyone loves surely ???!!!

Joe - have a great weekend mate- I thought you were spinning us another yarn there for a moment hahaha.

Love the photos up top, yarn bombing looks very fun...and yummy! Fries and ketchup!

Okay, that's a new one to me, but I'm inclined to agree that it looks like something out of Dr. Seuss! Too funny! Lovely new thread, er...cafe, Joe! Hoping that you are enjoying a weekend full of fabulous!

I've never seen the yarn bombing in person Joe but it looks like a lot of fun. I'm not a knitter but it seems like a lot of work and how does it hold up to the weather?

Love the yarn bombs! I wonder if it's good for the trees.....

Joe, I've been away from the cafe for a few days. I'm glad to see French Fries still on the menu. I mean, I've never met a French Fry I didn't love.

French anything, i say. :)

those that Joe served were virtually astonishing! oh, the good works i'd do if only i could still eat FFs and catsup and i *will* say catsup--i can still hear my ol' maw pronouncing it just like it's spelt and i wouldn't give it up not if it were ever so.

Pommes frites with Béarnaise sauce...oh yum...

I'll jump onto the French food is wonderful bandwagon. Bien Sûr!

Hi Joe, I hope your weekend was good!

I just read that Pope Benedictus XVI will resign on 28 February, that is a surprise.

27. There have been rumours flying around a couple of times before so it's not a complete shock. Though personally I never expected him to do it as I figured he'd stay until he died.

That's what I thought too, Paws. It happened before, in the Middle Ages.

*proprietor runs in, tries to remember where the hat rack is, finds it, throws hat on the rack*

>>11 LauraBrook:-15 Thanks, Laura, Karen, Mark, Judy, Cee! We had a great time, with excellent service, and a birthday celebration for Debbi that we hated to have end.

>>16 richardderus:-20 Thanks, Richard, Megan, Alex, Paul and Kath! Sounds like Snowmageddon went easier than expected on some, but still awfully hard on others. Hope it wasn't too hard on our LTers. I love the street creativity of yarn bombing, the unexpected art that makes us look at it all with a fresh eye. I agree, there's a Dr. Seuss feel to it, too. Spinning another yarn, Paul? We'd better not get you, me and my dad in the same room, or the pun police will take us all away.

Good morning, Joe. Glad to hear you had a great weekend! I'll have a latte to go this morning as my not-so-faithful coffee machine is down, today. Dang.

>>21 Crazymamie: -25 Good to see you, Mamie, Bonnie, Ellen, Ellie, and Richard! It is Seussical, isn't it? I think you need moderate weather to make the yarn bombing (hugging) work for a good length of time. I would think the trees would like it, but what do I know. No harm, seems to me, and it looks so great.

Fries seem to be a good thing to bring out right about now:



>>26 maggie1944:-29 Bien Sûr and Bonjour, Karen, Diana, Paws! Yes, I heard a pope resigned like this many, many moons ago. Apparently his health has him very weak, yes? My much better half would like me to retire on 2/28 in his honor. Of course, we're not Catholic or otherwise connected. I'm suspecting she'd just like me to retire. At least that's better than her wanting me to move to the North Pole - without her.

How about some waffle fries while you are at it? I'm halfway through my 30 Days under 2500 calories and doing great (14 pounds lost!) but ... man... fries....

The Miniature Wife and Other Stories by Manuel Gonzalez is a bizarre collection of tales that at times reminded me of Kafka, not so much in style as in having all involved routinely accept sharp divergences from the reality we know. In the title story, for example, a husband who works at a "miniaturizing" facility finds his wife has somehow been accidentally miniaturized, and she's far from happy about it. Developing events would have made for a suitably creepy "Twilight Zone" entry, and her plight made me think of Gregor waking up as a sentient cockroach.

Some are just morbidly funny, like “Cash to a Killing,” where two hired killers kill the wrong guy, have to dig him back up because of a missing wallet, and then make a different, critical mistake.

Many are narrated in the first person by men who are badly coping with their given reality because of cluelessness, or mistaken views, or in one surprisingly haunting story, "All of Me" because of the protagonist's belief that he's a zombie when others can't see it. The one other zombie-based story, "Escape from the Mall", is probably the weakest story in the bunch, with the tip-off on the main plot development coming too early in the story. One quite poignant story is centered on what appears to be a captured unicorn (first perceived as a "pearlescent undersized horse") who viewers can't resist. Other stories include "The Disappearance of the Sebali Tribe" about an extraordinarily detailed anthropological and academic con job, and another, "The Artist's Voice", involves a composer whose classical music creations seem inextricably tied to his progressive physical deterioration.

Some have connected Gonzalez' writing to that of Borges, but I haven't read enough of Borges to do the same. It certainly is a high compliment. This is a talented author with a wide-ranging imagination and an understanding heart. Thanks to Mark for recommending this. Because these are short stories, it's hard to quote much without giving them away. Here's an example of the deadpan weirdness from the title story "The Miniature Wife":

"Only in hindsight did I find it odd that the door was unlocked. I expected to see her waiting for me on the kitchen counter or on the coffee table. I stepped gingerly around the house, the cups around my ears so that I might hear her. Then I heard a noise from the upstairs bedroom, where I kept her dollhouse. Of course, I thought. The dollhouse! How silly of me to have forgotten!"

>33 Morphidae: Way to go, Morphy! Congrats on dropping the 14. We're happy to provide some virtual calorie-free waffle fries. Here you go:

What lovely, colorful photos to start your thread. Your lists are incredible! I'm happy that two of your favorite YA books were also favorites of mine.

All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Smith is an entertaining memoir about the year-long travels in South America of an English professor and Austenite from California who sets up book clubs for Jane Austen books in six different countries. She wanted to see whether this very English author would appeal and have meaning to the women, and a number of men, who agreed to participate. She went to Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Argentina, and recorded vivid exchanges with the book groups. Those, and other informal exchanges she has, show once more the universality of Austen's writing, while at the same time providing insights into the local cultures and mores. Relationships between women and men, class distinctions, prejudice, the travails of the lower classes and foibles of the upper classes, among others, are points of commonality and also points of departure in all the countries.

People from many walks of life get involved with her project and her journey, including two romantic interests for her, an always-optimistic Mexican taxi driver who may be a Mr. Bingley type, and a curmudgeonly bookseller who may be a Mr. Darcy. The various cultural differences among the Latin Americans are fascinating, and I now want to visit Argentina, the book-reading capital of South America, more than ever. When she's in Buenos Aires, at one point Smith's in an eight block stretch that has more than twenty bookstores.

The author can "whinge" a bit much, but she has legitimate reasons when she gets dengue and ringworm and experiences other setbacks. If you love Jane Austen's books, you're likely to enjoy this light account of Latin American reactions to them, and if you fancy armchair travel, there's much of that to enjoy, too.

>36 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! Aren't those yarn creations great? Yes, you and I have very similar tastes in YA books. I know your reviews have caused me to put a number of ones you've liked on the tbr.

Seemed the thing to put up here in the cafe.

Duly thumbs-upped the reviews, good proprietor! Seconding the urgings to retire. No need to make yourself miserable not reading anymore!

>37 jnwelch: Great review, Joe. It sounds like a very interesting book - but dengue and ringworm? Yuck.

oh what a great thread this is.. always feels like a party!

>39 richardderus: That is a beaut of a sign, Richard, and very true. Coffee with pals - one of life's great treats. (Tea can fit the bill, too, but I won't mention it because I know how distracted you get).

Thanks for the upthumbs! I know you're right about retiring, but it's complicated . . . (I can hear my wife's acerbic comments when I say that). More reading time - woo, that sounds good.

>40 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy! It's a good one for the right folks. Yeah, you know, we take our relatively healthy conditions in the USA and other LTer spots around the globe for granted sometimes, but we all know from traveling how circumstances can get shaky.

>41 mckait: Thanks, Kath! I can't think of a higher compliment. We can all use a good party, especially one filled with book readers, which can be difficult to find outside of LT meetups.

delighted you had a good weekend, Jo-Jo. didn't Debbi just *have* a b'day about 5 minutes ago? seems like no time at all since y'uns were having a 3-day or 5-day or whatever celebration of same. this year has gotten sucked down some kind of time-gobbler thingie.

excellent reviews and i won't be reading either of them, thankee. duly enthumbed.

as for retiring, i say don't till you want to, if it's work you like. but then, i'm biased having had to leave a job i loved 20 years too early. but different strokes. lovely that WL wants you around more. how great is that. sounds kinda win-win?

I liked both of those reviews, Joe! Mark already hit me with the short stories, but you got me with the memoir - I love memoirs and I love Jane Austen, so...

>43 mirrordrum: Thanks, Ellie. I suppose I should've gotten suspicious when Debbi told me that, unlike most people, she has three birthdays every year. And you're right, we do have a tradition of spreading all birthdays over a period of days. As a beneficiary of her latest celebration, I guess I'm okay with it. But it does make time seem to pass fast, doesn't it?

Thank you for the thumbers. You've got a good angle on the retiring - in my case, I've got some heart entanglements with the place doing well when I'm out in the pasture reading. You're right, it's occurred to me that I'm very happy that WL (Wonderful Lovely?) likes the idea of having me around more. She has a remarkable level of tolerance for bad puns and absent-mindedness, thank goodness.

>44 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! Yes, Mark hit me on the short stories, too. If you love memoirs and Jane Austen, I think All Roads is one you'd have a good time with.

Yes, I think I'll have to put a thumb on All Roads, too. I am loath to put it on the WL but I think I'll just have to. Just my kind of book!

Hi Joe- Welcome back! I am so glad you love-birds had a fantastic weekend! Sounds perfect. Great review of the Miniature wife. I'm glad to see you mention a couple other stories, that I did not include in my Mini! Hopefully, you can spark a couple more readers in to giving that collection a try.
All Roads Lead to Austen sounds enjoyable too!

>46 maggie1944: Same for me, Karen. Irresistible. Hope you enjoy it (I think you will).

>47 msf59: Thanks again for the tip on The Miniature Wife, Mark. Good new author to know, among other things. Yes, we had a great time. Saw "Side Effects", by the way, and it was clever and well-acted. I can't remember how much of an Austenite you are, but All Roads was an enjoyable one, you're right.

OK, off to catch the train. French fries available, pies on the counter.

Great review of The Miniature Wife, Joe! I'll add it to my wish list.

ETA: Actually it was already on my Amazon wish list. I'll have to look for it soon!

So... it seems unusually quiet here.. I am wondering if the weather is keeping folks in their own threads? Or is it just that it is terrible Tuesday ( shudder)

>49 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! I think that one will grab you. Glad you liked the review.

>50 mckait: Yes, I was surprised to walk in and only see a few denizens, Kath. I like your idea that maybe the weather is keeping people on their own threads. :-)

We've got a big pot of coffee going for thems that wants:

51. Yum.

Hi Joe, I love those cheerful tree hugging pictures up at the top, but can't help thinking somebody (or somebodies) has too much time on their hands! Congratulations on two hot reviews! I guess it didn't hurt you a bit to take the week end off.

>52 PawsforThought: LOL! I suspect even one that big would get emptied pretty quickly in your part of the world, Paws.

>53 Donna828: Thanks, Donna. Yeah, I saw that - two hot reviews at the same time. That was unexpected! I've got one more to write, too. It helps to have a wife who likes to read on the weekend off.

I have to admit I love it when artists/craftspeople jazz up our urban landscapes. Murals, Banksy-stuff, yarn. It's, for me, just such a treat to have something beautiful or thought-provoking pop up unexpectedly. I love the yarn hugging, and it was quite striking in Pioneer Square.

The trees in sweaters seem to me to be very Seussian. Kinda fun, very odd.

So ready for spring this year. So ready.

>55 richardderus: Seussian indeed. We visited Dr. Seuss Land in Universal Studios last fall and there certainly are some similarities.



Spring, oh my, that does sound good.

#50! Whoops, Joe, was not I who posted there, but Kath who did! I agree there might be some weather related staying home going on. Or perhaps, it is a Terrible Tuesday. I just spent about 2 hours attempting to make Cake Pops, with little success. They are ugly, but they taste good.!

I hope your day is swell.

Volt: Stories apparently is Alan Heathcock's first short story collection, and it's an impressive one. All eight stories take place in a beaten down U.S. farm town named Krafton, and some characters, like tenacious former grocer store manager and now sheriff Helen Farraley, appear in more than one. The stories therefore loosely tie together in various ways. My thanks to Richard for recommending this one.

The first story, "Staying Freight", features the aftermath of a terrible farming accident that kills a young boy. His father struggles to accept it, and in doing so. at one point finds himself in a nearby town taking punches for betting money. Escape, and the inability to really do so, is a theme of a number of the stories. These stories are often grim in their details, but true to life, and they demonstrate the resiliency the town's citizens have even in dark circumstances.

Krafton is not a home for celebrities or displays of wealth. Every penny and bit of happiness is hard-earned and precious. As one character, Jorgen Denmore describes it, a sergeant urged him and his fellow soldiers in an overseas war to protect the world "back home, where folks ate cheeseburgers and kids had sleepovers and ballgames and people went to work and got angry over stupid shit that didn't matter. Like their TV ain't no good, or they ain't got the right sneakers. Some shit like that." While it was "supposed to rally us, I guess", all Jorgen, whose family is on the bottom rung of the town's ladder, can think is "how I ain't never had no sleepovers or ball games or none of that shit, and didn't none of it make a damn lick of sense."

In one story, faced with someone who committed a horrific act, Helen wreaks justice that is in the community's best interest, even though she knows community members wouldn't approve the means she uses. In another, she treats the criminal with compassion, as she knows he has a good heart and remembers him from when they were kids. Another woman explains how some go wrong, like her son: "You think some are bad or evil or whatnot, but somewhere along the way they were someone's baby, suckling the teat like anybody. Then something puts a volt in 'em and they ain't the same no more. You might think a man like Harlan don't care much what his mama thinks. But I shunned him and he couldn't ever shake it." Helen's view, expressed elsewhere: "Some are guilty the moment you lay eyes on them, and what the law ought to do is stop 'em 'fore they can do what they're born to do."

Heathcock obviously has deep feelings for his characters and their circumstances, and admires them for the way they handle the cards they've been dealt. It's a tough world, and there's room for compassion and kindness, but you better be ready to rise up to meet it when the time comes.

I'm so glad you liked the stories, Joe. I am a big fan, as you're aware.

Great review of Volt: Stories, Joe. I own a copy of this book and it's driving me nuts because I can't find it. Every time I read a good review by Richard, Mamie and now you I make a search but so far no luck. I'm so happy it's getting good reviews because the author lives in Boise.

>57 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen! I fixed it. I'm surprised I don't screw up like that more often. Or maybe I do, and people are too polite to mention it.

It is a swell day here, even if it looks like a gray February swept into a grimy gutter. Some sunshine would not go amiss, that's for sure. An Irish whisky by the fireplace sounds good right about now. Care to join me?

>59 richardderus: Oh, what a maroon I am! I meant to thank you and tripped over my shoelaces. I fixed that in the first paragraph. Thanks for subtly suggesting ("READ THIS - NOW!", or something like that) that I read this one, Richard. It was as good as you said.

>60 phebj: I forgot Mamie liked this one, too, Pat. She got grabbed by Richard next to the bookshelf just like me, I think. Yes, well worth finding - under your dog, maybe? I know our daughter's dog likes to lie on books. I did see that Heathcock's from Boise. All the more reason I hope you find it soon.

i know it's spring because there are a male and female downy woodpecker hanging out at the suet feeder, and our miniature irises, daffodils and spring crocuses are up and showing off.

i wonder if it's too late to get a Hogwarts' bacon and bleu cheese omelet with a very-well-buttered English muffin and a cup (or pot) of Keemun with half and half, please. and some marmalade, if it's not too much trouble.

>63 mirrordrum: I may have to migrate down your way with my flock, Ellie. We're a long ways away from downy woodpeckers and spring flowers in my neck of the woods. Please keep reporting, as I'm feeling my spirits lift vicariously.

Yes, we can pull that together for you. Hmm, okay, here you go (please share the toast with a friend if you don't want it):



Off to catch the train. Pies on the counter.

Joe, Irish whiskey by the merrily burning fireplace sounds just right to me. Thank you, very much. Our weather is not bad, by any stretch, but it is gray, and drizzly, and damp, and kinda dull. A happy fireplace is just right!

Hiya, Beertender! A Modelo, please! I try to go lighter on work-nights. Excellent review of Volt. It's already on the WL after RD's praise but I NEED to pick a copy of this one up.
I just received the Perks of a Wallflower from Netflix. I hope we can squeeze it in this week.

Coming in very late to the yarn thing, but I love those pictures! V. cool.

>65 maggie1944: Ah, good, Karen. I'm liking that, too. Our weather is similar, although by golly, there's some sunshine today. All right!

>66 msf59: OK, this time we'll get that Modelo to you via time jiggery. Did you see Anheuser-Busch InBev is trying to acquire Modelo and the Justice Dept is holding it up for antitrust reasons?

Yes, Volt is one I have no doubt you'll like. Made me think of Kent Haruf a couple of times, and I know you like his books. Looking forward to hearing what you think of the Perks movie.

ETA: Oops! Here's that Modelo!



>67 scaifea: Glad you like the yarn thingies, Amber. Aren't they cool? I hope it spreads a bit more. I need to check on our next trip and see whether Pioneer Square still has its trees yarned.

Three great reviews, Joe. I think Volt: Stories is the only one that tempts me (why do the touchstones give us Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal if we don't type in the "Stories" part of the title ---- what does that have to do with the word "Volt"??). Anyway, I do already have that one by Alan Heathcock on hold at the library. I wonder if P might like All Roads Lead to Austen...... perhaps a birthday gift.

No food today. I've not been very successful in the effort to lose a bit of weight and I don't want to ask you to toss a salad for me.

Have a good Wednesday!

Thanks, Ellen! Yeah, I've been running into that Lamb . . . Biff problem in the Volt Stories touchstone, too. And for The Miniature Wife, for some reason The Canterbury Tales comes up first. Maybe the touchstone fairies are just pulling our leg.

Volt is really well done. I have trouble imagining someone not liking it, unless the beaten down territory it inhabits is too much for them. If P is an Austenite, All Roads might be a good one for her. Or if she's enough of an Austen fan and likes travel memoirs.

You have a good Wednesday, too!

Glad you had such a loverly weekend, and could you please stop reading good books? I fear my BB flak vest can't take many more hits.... :)

I know what you mean, Laura. The worst for me, for that, is Mark. One after another that he reads I then want to read, too. I've got Tell the Wolves I'm Home waiting in the wings because of him.

You know what, though? I'm so grateful for LT. The quality of my reading has gone way up since joining here. I've always read book reviews and browsed and so on to find good books to read, but on LT we're reading about new good ones every day. Fantabulous.

Oh yes, Marky-Mark does his fair share of damage - as does Richard, the various Lindas, and just about everyone else on here. I agree, my reading has opened up much more, and I'm reading better books in general thanks to this hunky-dory readers emporium of a place. I'd trust a review of any kind on this site vs. any other anywhere else!

Ha! Yup. And I agree with your list of the usual suspects.

One of the best side effects of LT is that I never look at the shelves of books at the grocery store any more. None of them are worth the time of day, and I have so many waiting around my home, waiting for me to get to them!

Nice!

Happy week!

Hi Joe...in serious need of a carrot cake or two. Icing is the only thing that will satiate this craving, and I do so love carrot cake.

Hope all's well.

>75 maggie1944: Ha! Ain't that the truth, Karen. I wish there was some way to divert those who buy those grocery store books to some good ones.

I'm working to shrink my tbr shelf at least a little bit. When I find myself looking for more tbr shelf space, I know it's time to work on it some.

Happy week to you, too!

>76 richardderus: That makes enthralling, resplendent sense to me, Richard. (How are we doing with your vocabulary list?) All is well, thanks. I've been very successfully procrastinating, but maybe I'd better take a break from that and get something done. In the meantime, carrot cake sounds mighty good. Here you go:

77. I'll have a slice of that carrot cake too - I deserve it after my day (I hate, hate, hate driving in winter).

>78 PawsforThought: Driving in winter is no fun, Paws, I agree. Depending on where you are, it's no piece of cake (did I really say that?) in non-winter conditions, but winter raises the challenge bar, both the physical conditions you face and the exacerbation of the lousy driving by others.

Let's get you that cake!

79. It's bad enough that I have to drive at all when the conditions are what they are, but I had to do it for 150 kilometers. And tomorrow I have to do it again (though only about 90 kilometers this time).

Ouch! More cake?

Owwwww.....all the sugar! There have been baked goods in the office for two days now, and I'm sweetened to a fare-thee-well, so I'll just take some palate cleansing black coffee, please.

81. Thanks. I think I'm going to make RL carrot cake this weekend. I sorely need it.

>82 laytonwoman3rd: You got it, Linda. I know what you mean - all sorts of goodies appear in our kitchen at work, and I just make sure to stay away from them. Black coffee it is:



>83 PawsforThought: I'm thinking some RL carrot cake would be a fine thing, too, Paws. Good for you for making one; that sounds like a most excellent project, with a delicious reward at the end.

I do think all this calorie-free food is interfering with my weight loss. It must be - what else is possible?

Did anyone see the article in the NY Times today about Goodreads? LT was mentioned as 'much smaller'. I, however, like it here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/books/goodreadscom-is-growing-as-a-popular-boo...

The quality of my reading has gone way up since joining here.

SO TRUE for me, as well. I feel like I got a new brain.

#85 Judy, I read that article about Goodreads. I had no idea they had so many members (if I remember correctly, something like 21 million). I'm also very happy over here so wasn't even tempted to check them out.

Very nice review of Volt, Joe - thumb from me. And yes, Richard got me with that one, too! You gotta love this place! So true about the quality of reading going up since discovering LT - I think because people are telling you what they liked (or didn't) about the book and what worked (or didn't) for them. Better insight, I think, than just rehashing what the plot entails, and so now I can make a more informed choice when selecting a book, which means that I am finding a better fit. More winners - and hooray for that!

Hi Joe- I think we are all guilty of spreading the book love around! And I love it. Hey, who is better than this group for recommending books? Case closed.
I've been on Good Reads for 2 years. It's not bad over there but it doesn't seem to have the community bond we have over here.

I've avoided Goodreads simply because I don't need another website with which to keep up!

*drooling over cake!*

Joe threads vs Scarlet. The book wins this time. It is so much fun. I will probably stay up and read it but I work a 12 hour shift tomorrow. Let me order a RD or Paws size coffee for the morning please!

I've been trying to catch up here at the cafe - mostly sliding past the delicious looking food so I'm not tempted - and find that Ellie has finished Michael Frayn's Spies, a book that deserves a reread from me and that our dear proprietor is entertaining thoughts of retirement!

Good thing he's not retiring from the cafe!

I don't know if the quality of my reading has necessarily gone up but what I read certainly has expanded considerably. I used to read only fantasy and romance. Now I'll try just about anything though contemporary fantasy continues to be my favorite.

Hello Joe, very long time no visit. Love your opening pics - well you always manage to find something extraordinary and interesting *big smile*. The knitting of lamp posts, benches etc. seems to be racing around the world like a wild fire. They are doing it quite a bit in Germany and the UK for that matter for the past few years and I just think it can look very lovely.

The Lunar Chronicles have gone onto my wishlist as they look quite interesting.

Wish you a lovely Valentinsday with your family :)

*proprietor runs in and throws his hat on the rack*

>85 ffortsa: Hi, Judy! I'm going to have to get over and read that linked article about Goodreads. I tried it, and I like it much better here. Those LTers I know who use Goodreads, too, like to discuss things here on LT, and use Goodreads to catalog books. Some like it for that. You can tell I'm a foursquare LT guy. This just seems to fit me better.

>86 EBT1002: I feel like I got a new brain. Ha! I like that, Ellen. Yeah, me, too. Just terrific - LT is one real fulfillment of the promise of the Internet.

>87 phebj: Hi, Pat! 21 million is a lot of members. I did try Goodreads, and LT sure suits me better. I'll try to read that article later.

ETA: I read it - good article!

>88 Crazymamie: Ah, good to see you, Mamie! I have to get over to your thread. I know lots of folks were worried about your whereabouts.

That's well put about LT. You're right, the more personal reviews, with explanations of why the reviewer liked or didn't like the book, are more helpful than a plot rehash and scholarly analysis or whatever. It's more about the experience of reading the book - good, bad, indifferent - as opposed to putting it into some analytical framework.

I'm glad you got bb'd by RD on Volt and liked it, too. I was surprised at how good it was, although I shouldn't have been after Richard's strong reaction.

>89 msf59: Hiya, Mark! You're right, we all spread the book love, but you tend to find so many that I end up enjoying. I just started Tell the Wolves I'm Home and it looks to be another good one.

Good to know you're on Goodreads, too. You've got a perspective I lack. I sure like the LT community.

>90 EBT1002: Woo, I'm with you there, Ellen. I have a hard time keeping up with this site, and don't need another either! I'm not active on Facebook, because I think I'd have to give up the rest of my life if I got started there. I don't know how Mark and Richard and others do it.

>91 mckait: Ha! Let's get you some cake of your own, Kath!



>92 luvamystery65: Ha! I just finished Scarlet, Roberta, and really enjoyed it! She's doing a great job with this series. Now, of course, I can't wait for the next one.

I'd pick Scarlet, too. Hard to put down, isn't it? She seamlessly worked in all the new characters, too. Can't wait to see where this goes.

We've got your XL morning coffee for you (the waiter will get off of it, we promise):



>93 NarratorLady: Ha! Thanks, Anne. Nope, you'll probably see me around the cafe more often if I ever do retire. *ducks as Walklover whizzes an Elmo pillow past his head* You and Ellie have got me intrigued with Michael Frayn's Spies. The two of you teamed up on Old Filth and Ex Libris: Confessions, and I loved both of those.

>94 Morphidae: You can tell I like contemporary fantasy, too, Morphy. Yes, like you, my reading has definitely expanded due to LT. I always have read some nonfiction, but I read a lot more now as all these tempting reviews come out. The most notable expansion has been via the Steinbeckathon, which got me back to reading Steinbeck when I had pretty much given up on him. Cannery Row, Grapes of Wrath, Sweet Thursday, so many good ones that I may never have gotten to otherwise.

>95 drachenbraut23: Hi, Bianca. Good to see you! How great to hear the knitting of lampposts, benches, etc. is catching on around the world. I agree, it can look quite lovely. Unexpectedly picks up the spirits when you come upon it.

Yes - The Lunar Chronicles, you've got it, that's what Cinder and Scarlet are part of. Great reads, just a lot of fun. She's putting together something special.

I do love LT, too. And I have to say I feel quite "paid back" with this recent chance to go to the ALA convention and pick up all those free books + the chance to be awarded ER books from time to time + hearing about Booktopia (and Books On The Night Stand) and having the good luck of being able to register. Wow! That is a lot of benefit from just hanging out here and talking with my friends about books, and stuff.

The hands are feeling the arthritis today. Cold and rainy. Dogs are play fighting next to Jocelyn who is coloring on a dry erase board on the floor, and the pellet stove is singing. All is good here!

>98 maggie1944: Sorry about the arthritis in the hands today, Karen. I know this kind of damp, chilly weather brings that out. I just saw that great pic of Benny and Jocelyn over on your thread. Cute!

Your ALA convention experience sounds just great all around. I'll probably be asking for tips on how to handle the one here in June. I'd like to go if possible.

Seems like a good time to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

if you *really* hearted me on valentine's day, you would bring me a piece of strawberry tiramisu!

Ha! I *really* heart you on Valentine's Day, Ellie, so here you go:

Hi Joe: I think I missed a thread somewhere along the line.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend downtown.

I had a deliciously yummy molten chocolate cake for dessert today (I wouldn't usually have such a thing at lunch but it was free). Kinda full, still.

That cake sounds great, Linda.

We did enjoy our weekend downtown very much, and she still liked me enough afterwards to take me out to lunch today at the Atwood Cafe. Both of us were too full for dessert (a risotto for her and a fancy veggie burger for me).

Hope all is going well for you. Sorry Neverwhere didn't grab you more.

I'm running off to catch the train. And tomorrow we're taking a different train to Ann Arbor to see my dad, but I should be able to visit LT, unless we get terminally de-wirelessed.

Pies on the counter.

Joe- I just missed you! I'm glad you are enjoying Tell the Wolves. I thought it was solid YA. I hope you guys have a great trip to Ann Arbor and enjoy your time with your Dad.
We are heading into the city on Friday night to meet out of town friends at Goose Island. We love that place and I know you agree.

LOL. Sorry but I triple posted. LT froze up on me.

Happy Friday, and I'd say Mark's triple posting was quite nice! What a wonderful depiction of the joy of reading.

--104-106 LOL! I like your triple post, Mark, especially the fellow reading in the floating chair.

Goose Island is a great place to have a get-together, we know that for sure. Maybe we should have an LT meetup there some time?

Yes, TTWIH is good so far. Different than I expected.

Hope you have a good one today. I'll try to make it to your thread, but it's awkward to do this on my phone.

-107 Happy Friday, Karen! I agree; I hope Mark triple posts more often if it means we get depictions like that.

We've left the station and are rolling toward Ann Arbor. Should be some good time to read.

Just stopping in to wish you a weekend full of fabulous, Joe! Hope you have a nice visit with your Dad. Give him an extra hug just because you can.

Thanks, Mamie! I will. He turns 90 in April, and is still sharp. It'll be a slow weekend, but full of fab. We'll likely take him to the bookstore, too.

So glad to see you enjoyed Scarlet! I have my copy on order :)

I was worried it wouldn't live up to Cinder, Chelle, but it did, easily. The new characters are good ones, too.

Happy Dad visit, Joe, and have a great bookstore trip.

hiya, Joe. hope you have a great weekend in Ann Arbor with your Dad. i suddenly got to wondering about the city's name. per one Ann Arbor site,

"On February 12, 1824, (John Allen and fellow pioneer Elisha Rumsey) registered their claims in Detroit: Allen for 480 acres and Rumsey for 160, each paying the prescribed price of $1.25 per acre. By May of 1824, the name "Ann Arbor" had been chosen for the town. Theories abound as to the origin of the name, but the most agreed upon theory is that both Rumsey and Allen's wives were named Ann, and the word "arbor" means "a leafy, shady recess formed by tree branches, shrubs, etc.," which perfectly describes the landscape of the area in 1824."

and from wikipedia, "The Native Americans of the region knew the settlement as Kaw-goosh-kaw-nick, after the sound of Allen's grist mill." i rather like the onomatopoetics. can't you just hear it?

so now you know. can't help it, m'dear. i am a woman of "'satiable curtiosity."

wish you joy with your family. :)

and speaking of yarn into bombs, love this one:

>97 jnwelch: now there's a coffee I could get stuck in to!!
So clever!

Good morning Joe, have a wonderful weekend!

*coming in quickly* I'm looking for a great cafe au lait to go, with maybe a donut or two, and we are off this morning to drive into Seattle for a Benny party. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Meet-Up Group is having their thing today, and I invited the two youngest of my Niece's family to go with me. I thought they'd enjoy seeing 30 little dogs running around in circles. There'll be puppies there, too, I'll bet. A lot of joy in one room. What a great way to start a weekend!

Hope your's has some great joy in it, too.

Yes, I'm still plugging along in AK. Sigh. I will get it done, I'm sure.

Hi Joe, just flying by to wish you and your family a great and wonderful weekend *smile and a wave*

Hey Karen44, since Joe's in Ann Arbor, I've rustled you up a cafe au lait but I'm afraid Chef only made beignet this morning. I've served it to you in the family's best Royal Copenhagen china as a consolation:



Don't tell 'em, though, cause that basket costs as much as a car.

-113 thanks, RD. a fun visit indeed, and a good visit indeed. B&N didn't have some I was looking for, but I did find Binocular Vision, which you (right?) and others have recommended. My dad went for an early Grisham and a Daniel Silva, an author I haven't read. Walk lover topped us both with several memoirs and Why I Write.

Apologies for any glitches; my dad doesn't have wireless, so this is in a phone.

-114. Thanks, Ellie! That fits the stokes we learned growing up. "Ann's Arbor" became Ann Arbor. There are a ton of trees here. Our house originally was the first one in a corner of Tuomy's huge farm, and I grew up surrounded by woods. Mamie's pics of her place in GA made me think of it, except our yard was smaller, the woods denser,and (darn it) no pecans.

As you can imagine, it was a wonderful area for little boys and girls to play. I spent a lot of time high up in trees.

-115 love it! Make yarn, not war!

-116 isn't that great, Megan? I love it when an artist can get us to stop and think about our everyday. I just had a good cappuccino at breakfast, although not quite that big.

-117 thanks, Diana! We're having a great time catching up with my pa. The only tough part is an insufferably difficult jigsaw puzzle. It's a photo of F L Wright's Falling Water, and it's the relatively small amount of foliage that is left that is thwarting us, even jigsaw puzzler extraordinaire Walklover.

--118, 120 hi, Karen! thanks, Richard! Hard to handle food orders from here.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel meetup sounds like a blast. We're pug fanciers, and Chicago hAs "Pug Crawls", at which pug owners bring their pugs from pub to pub. Hilarious to see that many milling around together.

I'm sure Karen is more than content with beignets, RD, and the family china is quite luverly.

-119 Thanks, Bianca! We're having quite the fine time. Hope you and yours are, too.

Oooh! Finally Binocular Vision gets its turn!! I am so pleased for that, and can't wait to hear what you think of it.

Cool McCool, my friend. I've got tiny Beautiful Things going, with the latest Stephanie Plum on deck, and then Binocular Vision. Ah, life is good.

Jim you were right about moxyland tis very good only arrived all other in progress books have be put to one side

cyberpunk is my goto when i get in a book funk

would love to see the milling pub pugs. *chuckle* we just finished watching the Westminster dawg show last night. we spread it out over 3 days, skipping the minnie's and the toys. our faves *never* win, but we love 'em anyhoo.

i think you'll like binocular vision. i'm not much of a judge but to me she seems quite brilliant. i'm thoroughly enjoying it (tip of the hat to RD for pushing it), interspersing Pearlman's stories with drenchings in Behind the beautiful--we're in monsoon season and it's giving me ooglies.

glad life is good for you and yours. :)

Joe- I hope the visit is going well! I was also a big fan of Binocular Vision. It's an excellent work. Have you heard of Anomaly? I picked up a copy of this GN from the library. OMG! Wait until you see this bad boy! Massive and gorgeous.

>126 roundballnz: Oh good, Alex. Glad to hear it. I thought Zoo City was different and good. She's an interesting writer.

>127 mirrordrum: The milling pug pubs, I mean pub pugs, are a hoot, Ellie. I'll try to find a pic when I get back.

Good to hear your endorsement of Binocular Vision. I'll look forward to it.

>128 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Another vote for Binocular Vision - I'm convinced.

I have indeed read Anomaly. Fun pulp sci-fi. You'll have a good time with it, methinks.

Debbi got me Building Stories, so I'm working on that one (which is the equiv of about a doz.) and Jerusalem Chronicles.

Joe- The old guy that checked out Anomaly for me, could barely carry that monster over for me. It must weigh 5 pounds. LOL. It looks beautiful.
Didn't you read Building Stories already? Or large parts of it?

What delicious looking cake .. I am not reading. I have to fix that.. wish me luck!

>131 msf59: I can imagine with Anomaly, Mark. That book is huge.

Building stories was sold out at holiday time, so she couldn't get it then. But god bless her, she stuck with and surprised me about a week ago. So I've been able to read some but not much.

>132 mckait: Good luck, Kath! I'm sure you'll find something enjoyable to read. We'll have cake on hand when you're ready.

Richard, dear, you are too kind! Thank you for carrying on so admirably while Joe is otherwise occupied.

(can you tell I've been watching a little Downton Abbey, and I think I might be hooked)

Joe, it sounds like you are having a fine weekend, a very bookish one, too! Excellent.

The CKCS Meet-Up was a hoot, as it was the first time. A big room full of dogs all running in circles. Very few bark, although there are those who do - sharp barks, too. But these dogs so love people they don't know whether to run about making friends with the dogs, or making friends with all these new peeps. The kids sat on the floor and were "bowled over" more than once. Very sweet. Greta Garbo is much loved by the folks and she walks about in a dignified manner making a few friends, too. Then she comes and sit on my lap, watching.

We stayed for about 45 minutes and then had lunch at an "awesome" (according to Jocelyn) place. I took them to the hamburger "joint" which has been there since I was in high school. It used to be a drive up and we'd sit in our cars and roll the windows down and flirt. Now the parking lot is where the stalls were, and you walk in. But they do make superb hamburgers, breakfast muffin sandwiches, and grilled cheese. A good time was had by all, and I was home by 1 pm to do my chores and so forth. Yay! Hanging out with little kids can be so much fun, and dogs and little kids, even better.

just dropped by to say that Kafka on the shore is on sale at audible.com (US) for ~$5. sale ends the 18th.

>134 maggie1944: Sounds like a grand time indeed, Karen. Thanks for the lowdown. Greta Garbo was in her element, I can tell, impressing one and all with her dignified demeanor.

We used to have drive ups like that in high school, too. The fave for us was A&W. the boys like me would act like idiots trying to impress the girls, and the girls would humor us while seeming to have an awfully good time conferring with one another, looking over at us and laughing. What could have been so funny, I wonder?

>135 mirrordrum: Oo, thanks, Ellie. I'll have to go over and take a look. I wonder who does the audio? I have Kafka on the Shore in hardcover and ppbk and wouldn't mind trying it in audio. Outstanding book.

it's Sean Barrett, whom i like. you can check it out here.

Another fan of Binocular Vision here Joe. That's a book to savor my friend. I saw Building Stories at the book store a couple of weeks ago and was very tempted. I was surprised by how big it is. I may have to go back for it if someone here gives it a rave review---hint, hint.

It's been a while since I've stopped by the cafe, Joe. Fabulous yarn bomb! I could use a colourful sweater! Is that on your menu?

*proprietor runs in and throws his hat on the rack*

>137 mirrordrum: Thanks, Ellie!

>138 brenzi: Binocular Vision has a star-studded LT lineup endorsing it, Bonnie. Looking forward to it!

So far Building Stories is fascinating. It's made up of interlocking stories, as you probably gathered. He's (Chris Ware's) not Mr. Sunshine and Lollipops, but he has a clear view into our hearts and his graphics are, IMHO, simply amazing. I'll keep you posted. It'll be a while - not only is it big, as you saw, but I'm working on Guy Deslisle's Jerusalem Chronicles, too.

>139 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb! Glad you like the yarn bombs. We'll find you that sweater. I s

One of the best parts of our visit to see my Dad was five red cardinals in his back garden, amid the snow flurries. So we'll try to show some of that, too, although not our photo.

OK, I'm going to try to do three short reviews today. Here's the first:



Scarlet by Marissa Meyer features the return of Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, in the second installment of the Lunar Chronicles. She made quite a spectacle at the ball trying to warn Prince Kai about the Lunar Queen's schemes, and finds herself needing now to break out of prison. This book introduces another excellent character, Scarlet, who teams up with street fighter Wolf to try to find Scarlet's missing grandmother who may have more in her past than Scarlet ever knew, and connections to Cinder's mission. As you may be able to tell from the names, there are loose ties to the Cinderella and Red Riding Hood tales in this sci-fi/fantasy combo for young adults. Cinder was an excellent debut, and my concerns that Scarlet wouldn't live up to it quickly disappeared. The characters are well-drawn, the female leads strong but not wooden, and the stories zip along with a lot of pace. Apparently two more are contemplated, and I already can't wait.

Morning Joe- Are you back in town? Hope the weekend visit went well with your Dad. Love the cardinals!

>141 jnwelch: Thanks, Mark. Yup, back in town, back at work. Great visit with the pater familias. Only glitch was an awful jigsaw puzzle that he would not jettison in favor of a more enjoyable one. He's determined to finish it, and no doubt will. Good food and great talks, finding out more about his well-lived life. Among other things, he graduated from college at age 19 and went off to WWII in the Navy, and eventually made his way to the U of M in Ann Arbor where he met the sister of another officer on his ship - that sister became my mom.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt is a moving young adult novel featuring the effect of AIDS on a family, and in particular, on June Elbus, a loner 14-year-old. She lives with her accountant parents in a New York suburb, along with her once beloved but now increasingly nasty 16-year-old sister, Greta. June loves her gentle and wise uncle Finn, a talented painter in Manhattan, and learns he is dying of AIDS. His lifestyle has distanced him from his once-close sister, June's mother, but the mother allows June (and Greta) to visit him on Sundays. He paints a portrait of them in his final days that has the title of the book.

June is struggling with growing up in 1986, and with her family's lack of candor toward one another. "It seemed like life was a sort of narrowing tunnel. Right when you were born, the tunnel was huge. You could be anything. . . . Then you started to grow up and everything you did closed the tunnel in some more. You broke your arm climbing a tree and you ruled out being a baseball pitcher. You failed every math test you took and you canceled any hope of being a scientist. Like that. On and on through the years until you were stuck." She is insightful, but only 14. She finds an unexpected, hidden from her family, connection with Finn's partner Toby, and with his help begins to unravel the knots her family has tied itself in. But will Toby face the same death sentence as Finn?

This is a beautifully written book, with a realism that will pull you right into June's world. Those who have lost friends or partners to AIDS will recognize the tragedy, nobility, and turmoil it can bring. June persists in her attempts to come to grips with what she has been given in her life, and the book's conclusion may be sad, but it also brings a welcome grace.

Hi Joe! Oh, my. That's quite a sweater for Deborah!

It sounds like you had a lovely visit with your father. Welcome back!

Joe- Good reviews! I am very glad you liked Tell the wolves. I like the author photos too! Ms. Meyer is a cutie! I'm still looking for a copy of cinder.
Love your father's story. Sorry about the puzzle. LOL.

Two good ones! Bravo good proprietor, bravo.

>145 DorsVenabili: Ah, good, thanks, Kerri. A "colorful sweater" is a bit out of our usual scope here, so I'm glad it looks suitable. It was a lovely visit with my padre, and it's great to be back.

>146 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I did indeed like Tell the Wolves. Another good read thanks to you and others at LT. Yeah, I'm trying to bring in author photos more often for these so we can see who's writing what.

It's fun to hear my father's stories. One from his youth that LTers could relate to: when he was young and he and his parents and brother moved into their new house in Walpole near Boston, he was exploring in the big garage and found the previous owners had left a whole wall of books - adventure stories, classics, everything a boy could want. He called it a "treasure trove", and one of his fondest memories.

>147 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

Ah, what a delightful discovery your father made in that big garage! Reminds me of the two big bookcases filled with books that were in the living room of the farm where I spent my summers. Also a treasure trove: historical romances galore! And then as a sophomore in high school I earned an A in World History because I'd memorized the Kings and Queens of France. Of course, I did! Discovery of unlimited books is such a wonderful gift for a youngster, beaten only by shelves of video games, and unlimited time on "you tube". Times have changed a little bit.

I am glad you had a great visit with your father.

Hi Joe!
As you know, I've been away for a wonderful weekend on the Olympic Peninsula. I'm back for what I expect to be a stressful week at work, so a simple drip coffee (dark, strong, and black, please) will be just fine. Well, maybe one of those biscuits with strawberry preserves....

In between stints with my budget proposal, I'll be over here with my wonderful Polish mystery novel A Grain of Truth and William Trevor's The Hill Bachelors. Two great reads at once; life is good.

Oh my! Good reviews, and a story of a treasure trove ... every new home should come with one of those!
Always good stories and good company here! *Settles into booth to finish coffee and soak up the good energy*

>149 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. Two big bookcases in the farm's living room sounds great, too. I'm not much of a historical romance guy (I tried Outlander, for ex, and it was too something or other for me), but I'm sure I would've found some good reading in that treasure trove. It makes me think of the time my parents actually gave me a little money as a young lad to just go to the mall with a friend and buy whatever (unheard of with them). My whatever, which delighted me no end, was a Hardy Boys mystery. The friend thought I was a bit looney.

I've often thought of the bookshelves at the bottom of our basement stairs when I was growing up, which had a huge open Webster's Dictionary on a stand that it turns out (another of my dad's stories) his father won in a newspaper contest involving deciphering coded cartoons (I know, not something we see these days!) I used it all the time, and when I didn't know a word, my dad sent me to it. The shelves also had Jules Verne, Josephine Tey, Andrew Lang's four fairy tale books, ghost stories, The Back of the North Wind, The Princess and Curdie, The Princess and the Goblins, and on and on. Hard to not love reading after that. Who knows, some may have come from that garage in Walpole. I'll have to ask my dad about that.

We tried to do the same for our kids. They grew up surrounded by good reading. My LTer daughter always particularly took to mysteries and true crime, and my son to fantasy, sci-fi and what we call "factoid" books like The Guinness Book of World Records.

>150 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! I hope the party was cleaned up okay for your return, and didn't add to your stress. I'll have to visit your thread. Everyone was quite respectful, I thought, but an awful lot of food and drink was consumed!

Hmm, a Polish mystery - I like armchair travel with mysteries, and that would be a new country for me. I'll look forward to your reaction. And I have to read some William Trevor at some point, as I've never tried him.

Dark, strong and black coming up:



Hope the week is less stressful than you anticipate.

>151 mckait: Thanks, Kath! I agree - every new home should have a treasure trove of books. Glad you're enjoying the scene at the cafe. Stay as long as you like, and we'll freshen that coffee when you're ready. :-)

OH, to find The Princess and the Goblins just waiting for you! What a treat! I've held that book in my memory for half a century now.

(ooo - that sounds really weird).

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich is the latest in the Stephanie Plum mystery series. Those who have read the first eighteen and are still getting a kick out of the schtick and humor will like this one, too. Her cars get blown up again, Ranger gets her feeling warm and willing down there, Morelli gets her feeling warm and willing down there, Lula continues to think she just has more of what a man wants than others as she works her way through donuts, fried chicken, ribs and so on, Vinnie is slimy, Grandma Mazur cracks wise while helping Stephanie and looking forward to funerals with open coffins, Stephanie's mom keeps cooking irresistible dinners and finding a need for some strong "iced tea" when her family goes askew again, and Stephanie's dad does his best to ignore what's going on around him.

As you may know even if you don't read this series, Stephanie is a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey. She's not particularly skilled, and on the rare occasions she carries a gun she usually doesn't have bullets for it. She makes up for it with bravery, dogged persistence, and a charm that gets her through the worst scrapes. Toothsome cop Morelli and to-die-for security company owner Ranger have been in a romantic tug of war over her for most of the books. What sets the series apart for me is the humor. The first book actually had me laughing out loud on the commuter train, a novel experience for me back then. Some quotes from the series:

“My professional aspirations were simple - I wanted to be an intergalactic princess.”

“Lula had Eminem cranked up. He was rapping about trailer park girls and how they go round the outside, and I was wondering what the heck that meant. I'm a white girl from Trenton. I don't know these things. I need a rap cheat sheet.”

“Ranger was grinning. "Somebody beat the shit out of this guy before he got shot."
"That would be me."I said.
"Babe,"Ranger said, the grin widening.”

“This cigarette tastes like ass," she said.
I wasn't sure what ass tasted like, but she looked like she would know, so I was willing to take her word for it.”

Some of the humor derives from her always unsuccessful initial efforts to nab bond-skippers, and in this one, after its superstitious owner slips away from her first attempt, she holds his Tiki sculpture hostage in her car to try to entrap him. Her enlistment as a bridesmaid bodyguard, with a frilly unlikely dress, and Lulu's drawing on her prostitute past to get to see a bigwig, are a couple of the other very funny threads.

Someone from Ranger's past is trying to kill him and sabotage his business, and for once he wants Stephanie's help, rather than the other way around. She ends up breaking and entering, being poisoned, nearly being blown up several times, including once by rockets, and enlisting the help of a midget security guard to use a package chute to gain entry into a building where an embezzler may be holing up. All the while she's trying to be a monogamous good girl with Morelli while Ranger keeps heating her up. At the back of the book are Morelli and Ranger stickers, kind of like Team Edward and Team the Other Guy from the Twilight series. I've got a Morelli daughter and a Ranger wife. Stephanie manages to elude serious injury and all, other than the romantic entanglements, gets resolved satisfactorily in the end.

I saw one reader call these books "cupcakes for the brain", and that seems right on target. Some will say "enough cupcakes already", and take a pass on the next one, and some, like me and my two ladies, will be lined up at the counter when it comes out of the kitchen.

>153 ffortsa: Me, too, Judy! I loved those books.

thumbed the Steph Plum and Wolf reviews. wished i could, in good conscience, double thumb Plum. :) my HSO loves JE (only the Plum books) and our Highly Obnoxious Siamese Cat (another dehydrated and baffled rescue from the middle of the road where he was splayed on a hot, hot summer day) is named Rowdy Ranger in honor of the character.

how wonderful to have had that time with your Dad. and how exceptional that you care enough about him to want to listen. you're both lucky to have that. i wish i could sit down at your elbow and have a listen myself.

after 30 years, not a day goes by, it seems, that i don't find myself thinking, "oh, i wish i'd thought to ask Dad about that' or 'oh, how Daddy would've loved this." i've wondered what he'd have thought of Moneyball, a movie i've watched about 10 times. i doubt that he'd have liked it. he'd have been aggrieved that they fudged so many bits, like Hattie taking 2 pitches instead of one in that famous game and the marvelous and totally bogus player trade scene. personally, i don't care. it's theatre and it's Sorkin and Brad Pitt nailed it! great supporting cast. oops, i lost my thread. walkabout.

anyway, glad you went, delighted you enjoyed the visit, missed you, glad you're back. :)

“This cigarette tastes like ass," she said.
I wasn't sure what ass tasted like, but she looked like she would know, so I was willing to take her word for it.”

...can't...breathe...laughing....

^me too

Love the story of the bookshelves (both your father's treasure trove and your childhood basement ones). Looks like you've been doing some excellent reading lately, too!

I have only read ... two I think.. of Evanovich's books.. somewhere in the middle of the series. They made me laugh I keep thinking I want to read more.. someday I will. My Brother in Law has them all.

Ellie.. I am sending out a sincere blessing and thank you in your direction for rescuing the kitty...

Morning Joe- Coffee please! And make it to go! Have a good day and stay bundled. It supposed to be another chilly one.

I really enjoy the Plum books EXCEPT for the eternal love triangle between Ranger and Morelli. Just pick one already!

ETA: The first Plum came out in 1994. We've been dealing with this sh- stuff for near 20 years now. Enough!

>156 mirrordrum: Thanks for the thumbs, Ellie! Good for you and your HSO for rescuing Rowdy Ranger from his dangerous hot spot. I found a cocker spaniel sprawled in the middle of the city street (dangerous!) walking home from the train one night, and she obviously was confused. No ID. So Debbi and I walked the streets with her near where I found her, until she got excited. Once put on the ground, she took off for her owner's house. Turned out the young couple was having construction done on the back of the house, and Princess had wriggled out without their knowing. A very happy reunion.

I wish you could sit down with my dad and me, too, Ellie. He's an exceptionally gracious man, in my unbiased view. We love listening to his stories. A friend of mine wants the three of us to write a book about my dad and his family. Not sure how that would work, but it's a fun idea. Dad pointed out that he has lived 20 years longer than his dad, who died at age 70. That's what's given me (and the rest of my family) the chance to really get to know him. He's the only grandparent still alive for the kids, and they love him dearly.

I had no idea you were such a Moneyball fan. I may have to watch that movie now. It looked good, but I never got around to it before now.

It's good to be back! Thanks for missing me. :-)

>>157 richardderus:-158 That is my very favorite, Richard and Ellen! Gets me every time. Some day I'm going to find more of those gems. She's come up with a lot of them.

>159 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. Books are such wonderful companions, aren't they? Yes, it's been a really good reading year, although it feels odd so far for some reason. I normally never read this many short stories, for one thing, and here I am on my third collection. It's the mystical LT effect, I guess.

>160 mckait: Laughter is so good for us, seems to me, Kath. Hope you get your hands on a few more from your BIL's Stephanie Plum collection. We've got them all, too. Joining you in your kudos to Ellie and her HSO on the Rowdy Ranger rescue.

>161 msf59: Yes, hope today isn't too bad for you, Mark. I made it in okay. It's supposed to warm up a bit today and then get better for the rest of the week. Coffee to go coming up:



>162 Morphidae: You know, the same thought has crossed my mind a few times, Morphy. Doesn't Stephanie have to jump one way or another at some point? You can tell Evanovich loves playing the variations on this and other plot elements, and she does it superbly, but I know what you mean. Near 20 years of this romantic tension, doesn't it need to progress one way or another? Maybe she needs to throw them both over for a third guy? Woo, that would get a reaction out of fans.

My thanks to Mark for blazing the trail to this one. I really enjoyed Cheryl Strayed's Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, her startlingly honest memoir of hiking that trail at a very difficult time in her life, and was curious about her Tiny Beautiful Things, a collection of her advice given as "Sugar" in an Internet column. After Mark had a positive reaction, I dug in and loved this one. Again, her honesty and clear-eyed view of life, along with her straightforward, conversational, engaging writing style, made this one a standout. The Internet forum has additional benefits, as the language is sometimes quite blue, but always appropriate. This is not your mother's advice column.

Strayed often begins her answer to a question about relationships, addiction, betrayal, confusion, or whatever, with a story from her own life. We know from Wild some of the marshy traps she has survived, including heroin addiction. Her stories always connect up with the key issue in the sometimes disjointed questions she receives. One reader's simple question about life, "WTF?", causes Strayed to disclose that she was sexually abused as a child, which made her ask WTF? a lot, too. Based on her experience, she eventually tells him: ''Ask better questions, sweet pea. The f--- is your life. Answer it.''

A reader is involved in a harmful but sexually intense relationship, and her cry for help includes a warm reference to her lover's poetic exclamation to her physical "naughty bits". After astutely dissecting the troubled relationship, Strayed quotes a John Donne poem: " I choose to love this time for once/ with all my intelligence". She suggests the reader try the same. She concludes by saying, "I'm not talking to your crotch, sister. I'm looking you directly in the eye."

Ones that particularly moved me included her exchange with a man whose only child was the victim of a senseless drunk driving accident. Strayed discusses how much she learned from her mother's sad early death from cancer, how much it still hurts, and how much her mother is still with her. "The kindest and most meaningful thing anyone ever says to me is: Your mother would be proud of you. . . . When you say you experience my writing as sacred, what you are touching is the divine place within me that is my mother. 'Sugar' is the temple I created in my obliterated place. I'd give it all back in a snap, but the fact is, my grief taught me things." She encourages the man to learn from his son's death and do honor to it.

How to deal with "Icky thoughts turn me on", writer's envy and writer's block, leaving the nest, cheating in a monogamous relationship, sleeping around, raising children better than you were raised, are just some of the topics raised. I liked her advice throughout (although no doubt there's room for disagreement), and enjoyed learning more about her life in the process. At the end she's asked what advice she'd give her younger self, and the title of this collection comes out in the answer. And that's part of the fun of this particular read: what advice would you give to these questioners; what advice would you give your younger self if you could?

Joe, that's a beautiful review of Tiny Beautiful Things! Knowing that both you and Mark liked it, when I wouldn't think an advice column book would be something you'd particularly be interested in, makes me want to get to it soon. It's been on my library list since Mark's review. I think it's time to move it over to the hold list!

And, I strongly encourage you to write that book about your Dad. I've seen or read some self-published books recently about people who lead long lives and I've found them interesting even though I've never met the people. (I've come in contact with them through friends who did know the people.) It's so interesting to read about what was important to them and the changes that took place in their lives. In one case, the book was beautifully done with nice glossy pages and lots of quality photos. I think it would be a wonderful tribute to your Dad and a great thing to have for trips down memory lane.

Oh, and definitely see Moneyball. It was a fantastic movie and I'm not a baseball fan.

Great review Joe! I'm a big fan of Strayed ever since reading Wild and I've got this one on my wishlist already!

Nice reviews! Now I have to live at least as long as your Dad has just to catch up.

And yes, Moneyball is a really fine film. And I say this without any baseball fandom on my part. Just a really interesting film.

>165 phebj: Thanks, Pat! It's a great book. You're right, I don't read advice columns, and this would seem an unlikely read for me. But Strayed really connects directly with me, and Mark got me thinking I should try it. I'm like you, if a couple of LTers whose opinions I value line up behind a book that interests me, I'll normally find time to give it a try.

I know what you mean about the proposed Dad-based book. How remarkable to look back on the last 90 years and what has happened. Plus his Dad and Mom were interesting characters (his dad came off an Iowa farm and from a one-room schoolhouse to become a well-known lawyer, and his mom was a performer, playing banjo and singing spirituals on the Chautauqua circuit). We'll see how it goes. We've got him on dvd thanks to my son, and him and his brother on dvd, too, thanks to my sisters, plus he's written down some of his memories of growing up and of the war. Maybe some day we'll piece it all together.

Moneyball, got it. I'm sure my much better half wouldn't mind looking at Brad Pitt for a while.

>166 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Wild is what got me started on Strayed, too, and if you liked that, I imagine you'll enjoy this one, too. She's really something.

>167 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy! I know, there are so many good books to read! I'm a mood reader and just go from one to another. Once in a while I'll come across a clunker or a "meh", but so many are good, or great like this one.

Non-baseball fans liking Moneyball says a lot. I had read that it's very well done.

I say write it, Joe! xo

>164 jnwelch: wow, that sounds great, now I really need to read Wild, and probably this one too.
Thanks for this great and well thought out review Joe!

Wow! What a wonderful review! It's perfect and should easily snag a few more readers. BIG THUMB! I am so glad you mentioned the father who lost his son. OMG! It was absolutely heart-rending and her reply soared. I think Strayed has very quickly become an important voice in literature and she's only in her early 40s.
I love the idea of you writing your Dad's story, especially since he is still hale & hearty. I've thought about doing my paternal grandfather many times but now nearly everyone has passed. You snooze, you lose.

ETA- Everyone thumb that great review and yes that's an order.

Hello Joe! Be back later to give thumbs up to your reviews.

We have to wait a whole year for the sequel to Scarlet!

Joe, how is the new cook working out? I haven't been seeing so much food flying out of the kitchen recently.

BTW, I did finish AK yesterday, finally, and perhaps because it became like slogging through a swamp for me I ended up saying to myself, "what is the big deal about this book"? I can't say that it is memorable for more than just its size and its peek into pre-Revolutionary Russia.

I have to say, I don't blame the cook for taking a break on displaying the food, it must be like a full time job right there!

Wonderful review on SUGAR! Tempting... very.

Morning, Joe! Lovely review up there - thumb from me.

Hi Joe! Cheryl Strayed is on my wishlist now.

>169 EBT1002: Good to see you, Ellen! Congrats again!

I think I'd need to get clear of my day job to even think about doing it. But it would be quite something to pull together, wouldn't it?

>170 LovingLit: You're welcome, Megan! Glad you enjoyed the review. I know Mark would join me in recommending both books highly to you.

>171 msf59: Ha! Glad you liked the review, Mark. Yes, hopefully we'll get a few more readers on board. That inquiry from the father who lost his son was heartrending, wasn't it? And you're right, her answer soared. What a journey she's had already, and to be an important literary voice in her 40s - remarkable.

I feel good that we have some material memorialized for my dad - my son's dvd, called One Man's War, that he did for a class, is a terrific interview with him about WWII, and on the other dvd my sisters interviewed him and his brother about growing up and the family and their lives, so there's a lot there. But it would be great to pull it all together in a book. Maybe this will inspire some of our denizens to get their elders recorded in some fashion to keep the family history for future generations. It's not hard to do these days.

>172 luvamystery65: Thanks for the thumbs, Roberta! Wasn't Scarlet good? I know, it's painful to have to wait so long for the next one. I want it right now!

>173 maggie1944: Ha! I love it, Karen. What's the big deal about this book, indeed? There's a provocative question for a book club. Big kudos to you for sticking with Anna Karenina and finishing it. I'm trying to push myself to finish off ones like that, too. So far I've gotten Moby Dick and Anna Karenina done, and War and Peace is next.

You know, Richard did an excellent job subbing in as guest chef while we were frolicking in Ann Arbor, but I think the chef decided a little winter break would be good. Maybe some exploration of South American foods is going on, for future cafe dishes?

>174 mckait: Yes, I'm with you, Kath - I suspect the chef has been enjoying the break. We'll see whether we can get the kitchen operating at peak efficiency and creativity again.

I've got to say, I would think you'd be a natural for Sugar. I'd love to hear what you think of her advice. She takes on a lot of tough topics.

>175 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Thank you! Appreciate the thumb. Everything okay in Mamie World? Has the girls' health improved? I'll stop over in a bit.

>176 wilkiec: Hi, Diana! Oh, good. I'm glad you've added her to your wishlist. I think you'll be very glad you did. I love hearing from the Netherlands! Isn't it great how we can all connect here on LT?

All right, the chef says we should put something out for everyone, so here's a gratis cupcake selection for our regulars:

BTW, here are the words I finally posted as my "review" of AK. Ha ha ha: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147636#3929283

you're wearing the arse off my thumb w/ your superb reviews. ;)

>168 jnwelch: "Moneyball, got it. I'm sure my much better half wouldn't mind looking at Brad Pitt for a while."

this is *not* sexy Brad Pitt but i think she'd like the movie. this is BP actually acting. i've liked him since Thelma and Louise and have enjoyed his work, but he has some truly fine moments in this. kudos to director Bennett Miller for getting the best out of him. also, just think Aaron Sorkin's writing. and ugly old Oakland looks just like ugly old Oakland.

what a great dog rescue story.

would love more stories about your Dad. even if you never did a book, you're going to be glad you've got the memories to write one in your heart/mind. that sounds sappier than i meant to but . . . oh, well.

fast steppin' out to Kokomo blues w/ Miss Bonnie. later on down the line.

Adding to the Moneyball luuuuv. Pitt's a good man, and a good actor. He's not afraid to look like a schlub in this role, nothing prettified about him. I admire this immoderately in one famous, in part, for being beautiful.

>178 maggie1944: I couldn't warm up to Vronsky for some reason, Karen. I know RD likes him. To me, other than his passion for Anna, he was shallow. I would've been fine with him, Anna and her husband being in a separate book that I would never read. Give me my Levin and Kitty without them.

As said before, I'm with you on the lengthy philo-debates and musings.

>179 mirrordrum: Thanks, Ellie! The wearing off may be a good thing - I don't think you're supposed to have an arse on your thumb.

I haven't written this much about books since college back in the last century. Like a lot of LTers, I imagine, never wrote reviews before LT. Glad these are doing some cockle-warming for at least some hearts like yours.

I'm okay with a non-sexy Brad Pitt, although Debbi will no doubt be disappointed. Sounds like the acting makes up for it though. I actually enjoyed him and his paramour a lot in that bit of battling frippery, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

It was so great when Princess made a beeline for her home!

I'll mull coming up with more Dad stories. He liked one I told him about my youth: I'm in Harvard Square, and a nicely dressed older gentleman approaches me - windbreaker, button-down shirt, chinos, gray hair. He tells me he got his wallet stolen, he just wants to get back home to a 'burb, and needs five dollars for the bus. OK, says I, and I fork it over. Good enough. Next day I'm in Harvard Square, and a nicely dressed older gentleman approaches me - windbreaker, button-down shirt, chinos, gray hair. Same guy. Tells me he got his wallet stolen, he just wants to get back home, and only needs five dollars . . . My eyes widen - "Don't you remember me?!" His eyes widen wider than mine, it sinks in, and away he zips, scooting faster than I thought a guy his age could. Nowhere to be seen in no time flat.

It made me a bit skeptical of my fellow man. I still get that story from guys on the street, and variations, now that I live in Chicago.

We loves us some Miss Bonnie. I saw her the first time at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival back before there was an Internet or even a computer outside the department of defense, as far as I know. Saw her another time when her opening act was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (they were terrific - I had no idea who they were beforehand, but I was a fan from that day on).

>180 richardderus: That does sound good, RD. Yes, Brad Pitt seems like a good bloke. He and George Clooney both seem to take their handsome-osity in stride.

Hi Joe- Just checking in! Let's hope this snowstorm is a minor one. I'm just concerned about the morning commute. Fingers crossed. The Springsteen/Raitt show sounds fantastic. What year?

cupcakes! Mmmm....those look good, Joe.

I used to enjoy the Stephanie Plum series until .... probably around the 13th and then I thought it started to lose a little sparkle and the last one I read was the 17th, so your review is perking my interest again .. maybe I'll skip 18 and jump over to the 19th.

How are you doing with Eve Dallas?

Ha, Joe, I've been hit once by a similar story: young couple near the Seattle Center, middle of the day, all about having had their money stolen and then need to get their car out of the garage or some such = $20 less money in my purse. But you know, I don't begrudge them. I don't fall for stories often but I liked theirs and I don't mind giving people money once in a while. Not regular at it, except fo the Charities I support and take off my Income Taxes.

If they spent it on booze I hope they get that much closer to the day they recognize they are killing themselves, and stop.

great "buddy can you spare a dime" story, Joe! love the description of the guy. and, in the rescue story, the part with Princess where she smelled "home!" big awwwwww factor.

>eta it just registered that you saw the Boss opening for bonnie. oh well goodness grief. that's too much. seriously. too, too much.

Hi Joe, I will add my praise for Moneyball and I'm not much of a baseball fan either. But then I don't mind looking at Brad Pitt in just about any film;-)

Terrific review of Tiny Beautiful Things. I will have to read Wild first though.

Good morning Joe, I was wondering whether you offer a Vegetarian Lunch in your cafe?

I loved your review of Tiny Beautiful Things and I did have to chuckle a few times.

Alex and I went to the cinema last Sunday and I had to think at you. We saw Cirque du Soleil the movie in 3d and it was absolutely stunning and mesmerizing. Alex and I were absolutely awed. I have seen Cirque du Soleil shows before and accordingly I was curious how they would manage transver the shows into the movie. I only can say it was beautifully done with a wonderful dreamlike quality. As I know that you do appreciate the performing arts as well, I just had to think about you and thought I tell you about it. You may even have been already in one of their shows, or you may have even seen the movie already.

However, I wish you and your family a wonderful weekend.

>183 msf59: Lot of shoveling this morning, Mark, but the commute was okay. Hope yours was.

The Springstreen/Raitt concert had to have been around 1973-1974. He only had Greetings from Asbury Park out at the time. I've seen him four times since then here in Chicago. What a show he puts on!

>184 cameling: I know, Caro, I'm a pushover for cupcakes. We thought Stephanie #18 was a good one, too, but it's an easy series to skip around in.

You're timing is good in asking about Eve Dallas - I'm a ways into Loyalty in Death. I decided to take a break from the short story collection I'd been reading.

>185 maggie1944: I know what you mean, Karen. I'm still an easy one to ask for money, but I have to admit, I don't like the con job stories. Even though some are pretty well-executed - theater as a career should be considered. I'd rather be asked straight up. What I like best is Streetwise vendors, those that sell the newspaper for the poor and homeless. (It goes by other names in other cities). It's a good paper, and I know they're being supervised and helped in programs, rather than the likely result being blowing it on booze or drugs. There's an esprit de corps and some pride in working the job. Many have leveraged it into other employment.

>186 mirrordrum: Ha! He was a treat, opening for Bonnie, Ellie. And so unexpected - I was there to see her, and had never heard of him. One of the most amazing parts is it was in this old theater and they had an equipment (not wardrobe) malfunction and the sound went out. So while they're trying to fix it, he starts telling this rambling story about how their van broke down on the road, and they were really hungry, and they found a burger joint, and ate a lot of burgers, but he was worried because burgers have a lot of fat and he knows that ROCK N ROLL JUST MIGHT GIVE HIM A HEART ATTACK! and the sound comes back on (he must have gotten a signal) and as I remember it they launched into Rosalita, a really great track that ended up on the next album, and the crowd went bonkers. I was so impressed with how he handled it and kept the energy up. Plus the music was terrific.

>187 brenzi: Wow, I had no idea Moneyball had so many fans, Bonnie. I'm convinced.

I can't quite connect up with the Brad Pitt fervor, but I think his wife is swell (are they married yet?)

Yes, do read Wild first. My instinct is you'll enjoy her Sugar material more if you do it in that order. Has anyone read her novel, Torch?

>188 drachenbraut23: Hi, Bianca! But of course - veggie breakfast, lunch and dinner, and elevenses and high tea, and anything else we can think of. We'll pull something together for you.

Glad you liked the review of Tiny Beautiful Things - she's got a good sense of humor, in addition to her clear-eyed view of life's vicissitudes. (Oo, there's a word I don't often get to use!)

Thanks for thinking of me in connection with the Cirque du Soleil movies. Actually, my wife and daughter have seen them, but I never have. Fie on me. I need to fix that. You're inspiring me.

I hope you and Alex have a wonderful weekend, too. Happy Friday! Woo, it's been a tough week in our neck of the woods, including a snowstorm last night. The weekend is looking quite enticing.

Veggie lunch, here you go:

Joe, I had a similar concert experience many years ago, when a friend invited me to Carnegie Hall to hear Sarah Vaughn. Her opening act was a name I hadn't heard before - Bobby McFerrin. Wow. There we were in Carnegie, and in addition to his very creative song and sound, he brought the house lights up and had us all singing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' with him. What a treat that was.

Vaughn was ok too!

Ha! That must have been a welcome surprise, Judy. We've seen him with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Children's Choir (in our case, after he became well-known!) He's one of a kind. It always feels improvised, spontaneous with him, and he knows how to lead. I can just see him getting all of you to do 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'.

Joe, I just wanted to add that I've never been a Brad Pitt fan but he was really good in Moneyball and I was half hoping he'd get the best actor Oscar for it.

That's a high compliment, Pat, particularly from someone unfazed by his pulchritude. I can tell this movie is in my future. Now I just have to talk my much better half into watching a baseball movie that so many non-baseball fans have liked.

Moneyball's just a damn good movie with good work by everybody and a lovely little parable at the end. she'll like it. my Dad, who was a fanatical baseball fan would have disliked it a lot. does that help?

it has some very good looking men in it. also some not-so-good-looking ones. casting was excellent, including central casting's casting. does that help?

Joe, i posted the entire Asian review article of Garden of Evening Mists on my thread. AR's site isn't user friendly and one must search for it.

>194 mirrordrum: Ha! Yes, that will help, Ellie, thanks. It may take us a while, but I'll report back. I think the animated "Brave" is queued up next for us at home.

>195 mirrordrum: Thanks! Yes, AR's site just wasn't making it easy. That's a good review. "Panoptic" - that's a new one for me. I like it! I wish she had talked a bit about the tattooing. Even now I'm still thinking about Yun Ling's decision at the end, and why she made it.

OK, I'm hungry, and I'm going to ask the chef for something for once. I don't remember anybody ordering Italian here, but I'd like some pasta and garlic bread.



Hmm, with a nice glass of Italian red:



Ah, better.

Perfect! May I have an order of that, also, please. I think it is a great way to spend a cold, windy, rainy Friday afternoon.

>198 maggie1944: Ain't that the truth, Karen? My goodness, I may go back for more. Here you go:

well if you're having garlic bread, i'm having garlic bread. heaven's yes. i'm whatever the complete opposite of anosmic is. i'm having mine with p cheese.



in re: Yun Ling's decision, i thought she was ultimately fairly clear about her decision though i'll feel more comfortable once i get the LP book. we can talk and speak privately if you've time and inclination.

eta i expect you'll be off for a bright lights, big city night with family in no time. have a wonderful weekend, Joe. if you see Sherlock, tell him Casey says "hey!"

Ha! The opposite of anosmic - I love it! Another new word for me today. That p-cheese g-bread looks really good.

Yes, I'd like to discuss it when you're ready. I have some thoughts, but Eng really leaves it to us to figure out.

You're right, I'm leaving for Hacienda Welch soon. Oh my, it's been quite a week. Walklover and I are looking forward to kicking back for a bit. She's a big fan of the "Diehard" movies, so we'll be seeing the newest tomorra. Sherlock visits on Sunday, probably accompanied by that human pal of his, so I'll give him a "hey" from Casey. Please give Casey a hey from all of us, and have a wonderful weekend, too!

Oh, you serve Italian!!! I'll have a plate of pasta Fra Diavolo, please!

Me no care what else on garlic bread me want NOW!

Hi Joe- We are meeting friends out at Two Brothers Brewery in Warrenville. GREAT PLACE! We planned this, because I have this weekend off but I ended up working today and now it looks like I'll be working tomorrow too! Boo! But I did switch and now have Monday off. Yah!

You're killing me. I have three more days in my 30 days under 2500 calories challenge and alfredo is my weakness.

With ya rd... I do love garlic bread :) It has been nearly a year since I had some :P

Happy weekend to all :)

>202 laytonwoman3rd: Indeed we do, Linda! With a little time jiggery, here you go:



>203 richardderus: You must be the new Sesame Street character, Garlic Bread Monster. Welcome! Hope the knee has improved. Here you go:



>204 msf59: That's a mixed kettle of fish you've got there, Mark. Hope you had fun at Two Brothers - actually, I'm sure you did, but I'll look forward to hearing about it. Sorry about the unexpected working yesterday and today, but I'm glad you got Monday off. I'll stop over to your thread and find out what you're reading. I've been enjoying the Eve Dallas.

A little something in your honor:



>205 Morphidae: Ah, sorry about that, Morphy. You've been doing so well on that challenge. What can you have? How about some crudites?



>206 mckait: Happy weekend, Kath! I doubt the Garlic Bread Monster will share much, so here's your own:

The crudites look so appetizing!

Crudite. That's cute. I'll have the Full Monte, as in Cassino, as in alfredo sauce over any kind of pasta you got, topped with shrimp and/or scallops. A good strong Barolo to drink. A gigantic amount of tiramisu served with four or five espressos. And a bottle of prosecco spiked with Nocello for drinkies.

I love Italian food. I love Mexican food. All others I eat with pleasure, but those are the pole stars of my culinary firmament.

>208 maggie1944: They do, don't they, Karen? The chef did a great job displaying them.

>209 richardderus: I could live on those two, Italian and Mexican, too, Richard. Add pizza, and I'm a happy guy.

I have to admit I didn't get the Full Monte as in Cassino reference, but we can get you that pasta with the other goodies.

Mexican food has healing properties, no? I mishap'd myself the other day and have nine stitches in the back of my hand, so I'll take some chicken enchiladas with a white chili-cheesy sauce (and don't skimp on the chilies). I'd make it myself, but it's such a lot of fussing and...well...I'm sort of one-handed at the moment.

How about some fresh fruit? Cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, grapes...

>211 laytonwoman3rd: Oh no Linda3rd! I'm so sorry! Yes Joe, have Chef hurry that order of chicken enchiladas suizas for poor, wounded Linda3rd!

>211 laytonwoman3rd: Ouch! Nine stitches is a lot, Linda. I got that many over my eye once (elbow hit me in a basketball game). Es verdad, Mexican food is well-known to have healing properties, especially for the spirit. I could see how making this one-handed would be tough. Our chef has a special three-handed technique (actually, one hand is just really fast), so here you go:



>212 Morphidae: You bet, Morphy. More kudos to you!



>213 richardderus: Will do, RD! Here's another just in case:

Mmmm.....yes. I feel better already. As you can see, typing isn't affected. But I can't squeeze anything, apply much pressure with the hand (limits the chopping of stuff), or get the miserable thing wet. If Morphy doesn't mind, I may just take a piece or two of fruit in between bites of enchilada...it seems to be a sensible combination.

What an array of tempting foods there are available over here, now that I've finally dropped in to the café after far too long an absence. I'm trying hard not to look at anything but the fresh fruit and vegetable crudités, which certainly do look appetizing in themselves.

I'm liking your author photos alongside book covers in your reviews - is that a new thing on this thread? I don't remember noticing it before, but then I may not have been paying attention as I sprinted through to catch up...

jeebus, Linda, whaddja do, arm wrestle Freddy Kreuger? Owwwwwww!

hi Joe. have a good time at the pichers w/ YMBH. i liked the die hard series (1-3), too, but am somewhat embarrassed to own up to it. it's partly because they were such send ups, partly b/c i liked the co-stars and partly just absolutely inexcusable enjoyment of mindless mayhem. i couldn't get past the first 15 min of the 4th.

didja know that in the first one, the priceless expression on Alan Rickman's face as he was falling backwards was partly achieved by the stunt director? he told AR he was going to drop him on the count of 3 and dropped him on 2 to "surprise" him into looking really scared.

WOW its a pasta fiesta over here! Yum- I think I have just decided what is for din dins tonight. Fresh pasta and garden tomatoes and basil. And the red wine would go nicely too- pity I had to chuck the rest of a bottle I had on account of me not drinking it quickly enough. grrr, damn cold I have had prevented me.

I've reviewed Fight Song: A Novel, a new book by a very interesting young author, in my thread...post #236.

218 > sorry not drinking enough .... does not sound like you ????

Fresh sweet corn with melted butter ....... been far too hot to consider anything else

Don't mind me--I'll just sit in the corner and munch on some pad thai while sipping my wine.

I hope your Sunday is great, Joe!

>215 laytonwoman3rd: Ah, glad that suited and you're feeling better, Linda. There's more fruit if you and Morphy finish it.

>216 gennyt: Hi, Genny! Good to see you. Yes, the author photos are pretty new. Seemed like a good addition to see the people who are writing the books. Glad you like it. I'm going to try to do a couple of reviews today, so you'll likely see more.

>217 mirrordrum: Ha! It does sound like Freddie Krueger got a swipe in on poor Linda. We're trying to keep her steeped in Mexican food to aid the healing.

We liked Die Hard 4 for the reasons you give - sendups, co-stars, mindless mayhem, so you may some day want to fast forward past those first 15 and hang in there. Yes, it's not exactly high art, but then neither are donuts and cupcakes (usually!) This last one (#5?) was diverting, and we had fun laughing at its craziness, but it's probably the weakest of the bunch. A couple of slow parts, a few less wisecracks. But still fun.

His son and daughter are good in it, and we hear there's already another one under consideration. Pretty soon we'll have John McCain being carried around by the two of them, making fun of the bad guys.

I hadn't heard that about Alan Rickman falling to his death in the first one. I like it! There's a funny homage to that in the new one. I was just telling Debbi about the hilarious video of Rickman drinking tea in slow-mo on Youtube: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eob7V_WtAVg

>218 LovingLit: Oh, that does sound good, Megan. We often can't finish the wine either. Last night we went to a favorite restaurant that unfortunately is closing - Cafe 28, Cuban-Mexican food. We love the mother and son who run it, and they've kept it going for 17 years, a long time in this city. It was packed, lots of memories being shared.

We shared their so good green tamale pie. We're going to miss that dish. Debbi had a wonderful chicken dish with jalapeno mashed potatoes, and I had two appetizers: coconut shrimp and shrimp quesadillas. Yum. It's BYOB, with the bar making mixed drinks that you bring the hooch for. We brought prosecco and had citrus-y "Latin 28"s. They were delish, but we couldn't finish the big bottle of prosecco. Wimps we be, I guess.

Dessert was a terrific vanilla citrus bread pudding with orange peels. Woo. We're really going to miss this place.

Morning Joe- Peets please! We had a wonderful time with Kerri & her husband. They are such good people. I wish you guys could have joined us. Maybe next time and Kerri came up with a good Meet-up location, which includes Myopic Books and Piece Brewery & Pizzeria!
I'm finishing up Drinking at the Movies, another terrific GN memoir. Why are cartoonists such a dysfunctional bunch? And then I'll be starting the Marquez.

>219 richardderus: We'll amble over soon to peruse the new review, RD.

>220 roundballnz: Hi, Alex. We'll let Linda respond to the quaffing query. Fresh sweet corn? Sounds good, and summery. We're just limping our way out of winter on this side of the world, but luckily have virtual(ly) endless resources:



>221 ronincats: Mmm, that pad thai looks good, Roni. The chef may stop by for a tip or two. I could stand some of that for breakfast, actually, weird as that might be.

>222 wilkiec: Thanks, Diana! I hope you have a great one, too! We've had a nice, although chilly walk, met a surprisingly beautiful 5 month old grey sharpei who was as friendly and happy with life as could be, and now are settling in for a bit of the Sunday paper, reading, writing, and Librarything. Seems like a fair share of great so far.

Furry Sherlock and his human pal come visiting in while, and we've got a new plastic bone for him to tear into (he finally trashed the last one, but it lasted longer than any toy we've given him, so the new one is the same kind of last forever (hah!) durableness).

>224 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Oh, that does sound like a good meetup. We'll hopefully make the next one. We love Myopic Books! And Quimby's is near there, too.

I was just reading a post (can't remember who) from an LTer who only occasionally reads GNs and was commenting about how well-suited that format is for memoirs. I hadn't thought about it, but there are an awful lot of good GN memoirs (I think this person had just read Fun Home), and they tend to be easier to access, I think, for people who are new to GNs. I just finished Deslisle's Jerusalem Chronicles, which fits that, although I didn't like it as much as his Pyongyang.

Peet's? Here you go:

Hey, Joe, did you know that the first photograph at the top of this thread has escaped?

All I see is a faint ghost of a camera with a line through it....

What happened? Any idea?

I've seen it always before, the trees with their knitted decorations.

Kerri read Fun Home yesterday and LOVED it! I know you weren't as big of a fan of it but I was crazy about it. I disliked her follow-up though. And yes, I agree GNs are perfect formats for a memoir or just nonfiction, period.

#227 I still see the picture.

>>227 maggie1944:, 229 Yeah, like Linda, I can still see it, too, Karen. Anyone else having problems seeing the picture at the top? Here's a smaller version of it for you, Karen:



>228 msf59: I know, Fun Home grabbed lots of folks more than it did me, Mark. And I haven't liked any of her others as well as that one. C'est la vie. The graphic novel format is indeed good for NF as well as memoirs. Of course, I see it as a good format, if done right, for most anything, e.g. the Sandman series an LT group is now reading. I'm hoping that one is taken on with new illustrators some day, as the stories are all intriguing, but the illustrations can be of uneven quality from my POV.

BTW, I finished the Howl GN and will join Richard and you in singing its praises.

Funny, while wrapping up Drinking at the Movies, the author mentioned attending a book signing at Quimbys and then visiting Myopic. How cool is that? I NEED to get to both places!

I'm joining Richard and Mark and others in praising the graphic version of Allen Ginsberg's famous poem, Howl A Graphic Novel, illustrated powerfully by Eric Drooker. The poem begins, "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness", and is inspired by his meeting the mental patient Carl Solomon, and by his own schizophrenic mother who reportedly was lobotomized.

It's in three parts with a footnote. The first part is, according to Ginsberg, "a lament for the Lamb in America, with instances of remarkable lamb-like youths". Written in the mid-1950s, the poem invokes the Beat Generation, artists, poets, jazz musicians, "negroes", drug addicts, and lots more, with frank homosexuality being most controversially included. (Ferlinghetti's publication of it went to trial and was finally judged non-obscene). Created mainly in Ellie's beloved Berkeley, it chantingly covers the whole country, a road trip sometimes reminiscent of his co-traveller Jack Keroac's book.

The propulsive rhythm of this "Howl" was brand new, and is what captured me as a young guy, along with the unceasing vibrant imagery in it. What is great about this book is that Drooker brings his own images to it, which often riff on the poem, rather than literally depict what is said. One of my favorites is a Harlem apartment "crowned with flame under the tubercular sky surrounded by orange crates of theology", depicted by Drooker in an orange, red and yellow tinted illustration as a Harlem apartment building on a tiny tropical island with palm trees and a man fishing on a dock extended from it. Great! In another, a madman "rocking and rolling in the midnight bench-dolmen realms of love, dream of life a nightmare, bodies turned to stone as heavy as the moon," is depicted as a man standing on top of an El train, riding its roof through the shadowy night city skyscrapers.

The poem needs to be read as one fervid howl, and it sings everyone, including those "who were burned alive in their innocent flannel/suits on Madison Avenue amid blasts of leaden/verse & the tanked-up clatter of the iron/regiments of fashion & the nitroglycerine/ shrieks of the fairies of advertising . . ." Part II addresses who slaughtered the Lambs, beginning, "What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination?" Part three is addressed to Carl Solomon, and famously recites "I'm with you in Rockland" (the mental institution). It is loving toward the beauty of the mad and downtrodden, and Drooker illustrates Solomon's journey in the mental institution and through his dreams, "across America in tears/to the door of my cottage in the Western night." In the footnote, all is Holy, all of it, from soup to nuts (of more than one kind), e.g. "Holy my mother in the insane asylum! Holy the cocks/ of the grandfathers of Kansas!"

Immersion in this poem is like no other experience, and, as you can tell, I'm another one who found this illustrated version brought something new and wonderful to it.

>231 msf59: You'll love both, Mark!

Great review of Howl: A Graphic Novel Joe. And thanks for including a couple of pictures. Onto the library list it goes!

Oh I *am* glad that you liked it so much! I've thumbs-upped your review-cum-appreciation.

Joe I thumbed up your review my friend. I sure do enjoy your reviews. The author photos are a great added element.

I miss Valerie's (jolerie) reviews. She had a similar style in that she gave a brief synopsis but told why she like/disliked the book. The two of you hit me with the most book bullets last year. Often the same one. LOL

I'm in the mood for that green tamale pie. I'll take a cup of coffee to go with it though. It is a little to early for the wine.

Happy Sunday Joe!
I've given you a thumb for your review although I doubt I will read that one. GR and poetry just aren't my style

>234 phebj: Thanks, Pat! Oh, glad to hear it. You can't go wrong with this one. It's just plain good.

>235 richardderus: You betcha, RD. Another good rec! Thanks for the digital assist.

>236 luvamystery65: Thanks, Roberta! I'm really glad this one and others work for you. Thanks for the thumber.

What happened with Valerie? I liked hers, too, and I don't know the story.

Green tamale pie? Great idea. Here you go, with Mexican java:



>237 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Very gracious of you. No worries. We all have different faves and ones that don't work for us.

Great review of Howl, Joe ... I've got to add that to my obese wish list.

So what treats do you have in store for the Oscars tonight?

>239 cameling: Thanks, Caro! It's a good one.

You know, we're totally clueless about food for the Oscars tonight. We had shepherd's pie and salad for lunch today, which was very good. But we may just throw in a pizza tonight. We're kind of in a lazy Sunday night mode, after an exciting afternoon of throw the bone and rub the tummy with Sherlock.

Do you have culinary plans? I suspect the eating will be good at Hacienda Caro.

what a great review, Joe. i struggled visually with Howl: Original Draft Facsimile, Transcript & Variant Versions, Fully Annotated by Author, with Contemporaneous Correspondence, Account of First Public ... Skirmishes, Precursor Texts & Bibliography (try typing that in one breath) and had really wanted to enjoy it. maybe one day soon i'll try the GN.

>eta link as no touchstone comes up for this version

I find facsimiles very hard to cope with, too, Ellie. I had a facsimile of Blake's notebooks that gave me seasickness and headaches simultaneously.

Gosh, it's been ages since I was here, Joe. This being under the weather has got to go! I just came by for a cup of coffee and I'm hoping you won't mind if I post a little advertising here:

***Calling all mystery lovers - the March Mystery Month thread it up and running. Hope to see you over there.***

Thanks Joe. I'll hopefully be back sooner than I was last time (especially since I see you are now serving Italian!)

>242 richardderus: being nosy, i went and found a copy of a full page from said virtual Blake. instant misery and clutching of eyes, cerebral wraths, spinnings and perturbations. i left damn quick, i assure you.

interesting virtual books site, though, RD. if you don't know of it, you might enjoy it. but do have a seasickness band, an emesis basin, some lavender water, a little sal volatile and a handsome young man with an ostrich fan close by before you actually try reading anything.

It's quite late where I am - I guess I should pass on the food right now, unless I am to put on the pounds! :)

Good Monday Morning, everyone! Did you enjoy the Oscars? I, without any TV cable, was completely clueless. Have not seen any of the movies, and did not watch the TV. Liberating! However, I am toying with the idea of signing on again to watch the George RR Martin opus, is it Season 2? or 3? I've forgotten.

I went to the Northwest Flower and Garden show and enjoyed the plantings, gardens, yard art, and fun peoples. I bought a peony for my front yard.

Am still reading Buying the Farm: War and Peace on a Sixties Commune and The Magus. Very slow reader, I am, these days. I blame the creeping cataracts, my eyes become tired very quickly and occasionally I feel like I'm not seeing what I should be seeing. What a drag. Need to talk to the eye doctor again, I guess.

OK, day off today. Going to spend a good deal of time in the home office.... I'll need some snacks, I think. What might the chef suggest?

>241 mirrordrum: Thanks, Ellie! I haven't tried the more-than-one-breath-titled Howl, Ellie, and I probably should some time. I think you'd likely have a better time with the GN, which is straightforward with the poem, and has the added benefit of those great illustrations. You're right about the touchstone - an odd omission. Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Howl-Facsimile-Transcript-Contemporaneous-Correspondence/d...

>242 richardderus: I've only tried one, Richard, but it sounds simpler. The Wasteland: A Facsimile and Transcript, with Ezra Pound's edits and annotations, was fascinating and, for me anyway, didn't generate motion sickness or headaches. Both Eliot and Pound had their personal flaws, but you get to see a whole section Eliot wisely took out, as well as other critical edits, along with some interesting background on the poem.

>243 DeltaQueen50: Come by more often, Judy! We like seeing you here. The weather should get up over more of us as Spring looms ahead. As does March Mystery Month - great! I forgot there was such a thing. You'll see me there.

Coffee? Here you go:



>244 mirrordrum: Ouch! I'm feeling a bit seasick and headache-y just looking at the one Blake page, Ellie!

That virtual books site looks really interesting. I bookmarked it. I'll leave RD to appreciate your advice on extras to bring.

>245 vancouverdeb: Ah, well, when the time is right, Deb, we're ready. About 1:30 am when you posted? I've heard rumors of such a time existing, and vague memories of even seeing it in my youth.

The new cafe has opened, so come on over!