Mark's Reading Place: Turn the Page #12

^In honor of May: Murder & Mayhem.

Currently Reading:



Audiobook:


Graphic:


Books Read So Far...

March:

26) Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan 4.2 stars (audio)
27) Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel G. Marquez 4.5 stars (OTS)
28) The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie 5 stars
29) Fire (A Companion to Graceling) by Kristin Cashore 4 stars (audio)
30) Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller 4.3 stars (audio)
31) The Collector by John Fowles 4 stars (OTS)
32) St Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell 3.8 stars (OTS)
33) Cinder (Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer 4 stars (audio)
34) My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor 4.6 stars (audio)
35) Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple 4 stars (audio)
36) Delirium by Lauren Oliver 3.6 stars (audio)
37) The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner 4.8 stars GR (OTS)
38) Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky 4.2 stars (audio)
39) Devil's Peak: A Novel by Deon Meyer 4.5 stars

April:

40) The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters 3.7 stars (audio)
41) Galore by Michael Crummey 4.6 stars (audio)
42) The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood 3.8 stars (OTS)
43) Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach 4.7 stars (audio)
44) Old Filth by Jane Gardam 4.6 stars GR
45) The Dinner by Herman Koch 3.3 stars (audio)
46) The Hope Factory: A Novel by Lavanya Sankaran 4 stars E.R.
47) Broken Harbor (Dublin Murder Squad) by Tana French 4.3 stars (audio)
48) Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood 4.3 stars
49) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 4.2 stars (audio)
50) The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood 4 stars (audio)
51) Howards End by E. M. Forster 4.5 stars (OTS)

May:

52) Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson 3.8 stars (audio)
53) Benediction by Kent Haruf 4.5 stars
54) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn 4.2 stars (audio) OTS
55) Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver 4.6 stars (audio)
56) Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman 3.5 stars
57) Iron House by John Hart 4 stars (audio) OTS
58) Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala 4.5 stars (audio)
59) The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen 4.6 stars (OTS)
60) The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill 4 stars (audio)
61) When She Woke by Hillary Jordan 3.8 stars (OTS)
62) Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss 4 stars (audio)
63) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness 4.7 stars (audio)
64) Nineteen Seventy-Four by David Peace 2.7 stars (audio) OTS

First-Time Author Challenge 2013

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

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

Group Reads 2013:

Atwood April- Any Atwood! Start lining 'em up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/151831#t
May: Murder & Mayhem- http://www.librarything.com/topic/153380#t
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller- June
A Fine Balance- by Rohinton Mistry July
2666 by Roberto Bolaño- October

Good weekend to you, sir. I'm planning on finishing The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope today, and tackling The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving immediately afterwards. When I feel like taking a break from reading I might work on my yard, or go to brunch with my foster daughter and her son for Mother's Day. But my priority is, as it should be, reading!

Hope your weekend is swell and that you can have, do, and be all that you wish.

Happy new thread, Mark!

Nice new thread, Mark! I'm so glad that you kept that thread topper - so cool!

A new thread!

Have fun at the beer thingy! We are not going to that one. We have tickets to the West Loop thing later this month and then the one in Madison in August. That seems like enough. We might do some of the other Chicago Beer Week stuff too. I'm not sure yet.

Have a lovely day off!

^I accidentally deleted this from my last thread. WTH! This is from the author signing last night, with Joe Hill. What a smart, likable and engaging guy. And doesn't he look like dear old Pop?

Also, do you know my friend Ms. Kathleen, who works at Anderson's ? Have I asked you this before?

Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by. We are heading out for a nice breakfast, before the hops begin. I won't be back until late tonight or later tomorrow morning. Have a great Saturday. Hugs to all!

Have fun today, Mark! Joe Hill looks a bit like rocker Dave Grohl to me.

Happy new thread! *glitter*

If your still corpus mentis mate then you will see I am wishing you a happy new thread!

Enjoy your weekend Mark!

Hi Mark! I'm behind about three of your threads! It's amazing how fast the threads move, geesh!

Cool that you got to meet Joe Hill! I have one or two of his books sitting on my TBR shelf!
I just starting reading Ghosts of Nagasaki today. Have you started your copy yet?

Glad you got to see Joe Hill! He was here at the Tattered Cover the night before but work is a little crazy at the moment and I never would have gotten downtown by 6:30 when they started giving out tickets. Looks like he was fun to see - maybe next time!

Happy weekend, Mark!!

I'm taking my mother to brunch and a show (Oliver) at Drury Lane tomorrow.

Reading and enjoying The End of Your Life Book Club right now.

Cool pics of you with Joe Hill. Do you follow David/tapestry100? He recently met with him too. I guess Mr Hill is a'travellin a lot lately!

Hey, Mark, I hope you are having a great weekend! I finished reading The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope and thoroughly enjoyed it. Am moving on to The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving and wow, that is a hard one to follow the former. The first is in the voice of a woman beginning at about age 17 and pretty much covering her lifetime (without the novel being a doorstopper in size) and the latter is in the voice of a "loser" guy who's only employment possibilities are being a caretaker for a severely handicapped young man. Whiplash! But given that they are both Booktopia books, I will soldier on, on the assumption Revised Fundamentals is a novel worthy of attention.

That is how my weekend is going + a little yard work + a mother's day visit to my foster daughter's. A Fine Life it is! Apple pie.

Hi Mark! I thought I'd drop by and leave my mark. I see you're doing great reading as always. A couple of titles in there I've read and loved (like Code Name Verity) and even more of them that are currently on my tbr and I can't wait to get to. Pile of books a mile high indeed! Glad you had a good time at the book signing. Cheers!

Ha. Fooled me by putting the same topper up there!
Happy New Thread and Happy Weekend, Mark!

Hi Mark-
Glad to see that picture you use for May: Murder and Mayhem follow you to the new thread. I like that one.
And so cool to meet an author you admire. Great pics, and he looks happy to have met you too!!
Have a great Sunday.

...well I made it home. I am tired, ragged, sunburn but breathing. I'll be back first thing in the morning...be patient. Weak smile...

Happy new thread, Mark.

No! No sleep for you!


Oh fine.

Happy New Thread, Mark!

^ To all the wonderful mothers that grace my thread! Have a blissful day!

We are taking my wife out for a late lunch or an early dinner. The only chore I have to do, is cut the grass and I hope I can sneak in some R & R, here and there. Did not read one page yesterday. What??

Karen- I hope you have a great day today! I am so glad you are enjoying Adam Hope. And now you can look forward to meeting the author next month. Very cool.

Kerri- We had a great time at the Beer Fest. The weather turned out pretty good after all and I ended up with a sunburned forehead, I did not expect.
I think you mentioned Kathleen from Anderson's before but I am not sure I met her. I don't go to the Naperville location very often.

Big loving waves to RD, Mamie, Joe, Es, Paul, Roberta, Ellen, Beth & Diana!!

Chelle- I did start the Ghosts of Nagasaki. I didn't get very far but I really like it and I hope to read a healthy chunk today. Try to get to Joe Hill. These are very entertaining horror stories.

Joanne- I don't attend many of these author events. Autographing books is not a big deal to me but I am glad I went to this one and it was nice to hear Mr. Hill talk about this and that.

Linda- Have a great time at "Oliver". Is that at the Oakbrook location? I am so happy you started and are enjoying The End of Your Life Book Club. It's such a terrific read.

Kathy- I am not familiar with "David/tapestry100". Is this a website? Thanks for the Soup Nazi. LOL. OMG, I needed a good night sleep and I got it.

Ilana- Speaking of OMG! Wow, it's great to see my long lost Canadian pal. We miss you around these parts. I'll have to stop by and see what you are reading.

Megan- I rarely use the same thread topper pic, but I didn't mind this time because M & M continues...Hope you had a fantastic weekend. Do you NZers celebrate Mother's Day or is that an American concoction?

David is a LT member, tapestry100 is his username. http://www.librarything.com/topic/146831

Thanks for the Mother's Day wishes, Mark! I hope your wife has a nice day and you as well. :) Get some more sleep, maybe take an aspirin, lol.

Happy new thread Mark, I'm glad you got to meet a favorite author. That's always fun.

Hi Mark!
Nice new thread here! with pics of you and Joe Hill... cool ;-)
What did he read to you?

Sorry about the sunburn - but if it was a beer fest then I guess it was worth it???

Have a great day!

^This is from the Beer Fest at Soldier's Field. This is where the Chicago Bears play. I am the short older gentleman in between the two young studs. My son Matt is on my left. We had a great time.
BTW- That is a Game of Thrones T-shirt I am wearing which attracted more than a few comments from cute young ladies.

Kathy- Thanks for the link to David's thread. I'll leave him a comment. Joe Hill takes a friendly photo, doesn't he?

Bonnie- Thanks! Enjoy your Mother's Day.

Claudia- Yep, my forehead and ears got a bit burned. I just did not expect it. It started out so cool and cloudy. Have a great day, my friend.

I heard this song at one of my business stops the other day and I can't get it out of my head. This is Linda Ronstadt, doing a terrific cover of Tracks Of My Tears. She was so darn cute and had such wonderful pipes. Give it a listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjmtmk9gpbk

Nice pic, Mark!

Tell your lovely bride Happy Mother's Day for us. We took mine to breakfast at Pauline's on the north side, then picked up the wily Sherlock, who was willing to supervise us while we gardened under the star of the day's instructions. Turned into a pretty nice day for it.

Hi, Mark. Have a great Sunday!

Hi Mark, thanks for the Mother's Day wishes. I am being pampered today have had breakfast made for me and apparently I am also getting dinner as well. So, lots of free time to catch up here. I started Empire of the Summer Moon yesterday and I am having trouble putting it down. Great book - and another that I owe a big thanks to you for!

Have a nice day and I hope you get lots of reading time in.

Mark, that is a great picture of you and your son. Good looks run in your family. You and Sue made some pretty kids! I met Joe Hill's daddy about 15 years ago. I'm glad to see that he inherited the writing gene. I might read one of his books...after I've read all of Stephen King's oeuvre.

#32: "...stout older gentleman..."

You left out erudite! And charming! And handsome!

^Guess what time it is??

Great photo at Soldier's Field!

Joe- I hope you had a good day with Debi. Plenty of sunshine today but it was deceptively cool. It looks like it will be a nice warm week though.

Karen- Big wave! It was a good Game of Thrones, don't you think?

Judy- Hope you had a great Mother's Day. I am so pleased you started Empire of the Summer Moon and you seem to be very pleased with it. It was my favorite read of last year, in a crowded field.

Donna- Hope you had a fantastic Mother's Day. And thanks for the compliments. I will give all the credit to my DW. And yes, Joe Hill definitely is a chip off the old block. In looks, demeanor and talent.

Ellen- Hey, wait a minute!! I said old and short, not old and STOUT! LOL. But I will modestly accept, charming and handsome even if it's a bit of a stretch. I hope your Sunday was a fine one.

Katie- Great to see you! We had a good time and might make it an annual event, if I can get off that particular Saturday. No always easy.

>28 msf59: Do you NZers celebrate Mother's Day or is that an American concoction?
Possibly a US concoction, but celebrated here just the same. Along with public broadcast reminders to purchase large expensive consumer items as proof of your admiration for your beloved mother....in the form of advertisements of course. I demanded no such nonsense from my lovely other (who was potential purchaser on behalf of the kiddos). But I was still presented with chocolate, coffee and wine on Mothers Day morning (these are the necessities of life so can be forgiven).
:)
I had a great weekend, a lot of reading on Sunday which pleased me no end, and a long relaxing bath (again!) to finish off the day.

#32 - Nice photos! Look at Mark in his Game of Thrones shirt (dork). Just kidding, I'm about to order an awesome Battlestar Galactica t-shirt, so I have no room to talk.

#28 - She works at the Downers Grove location, but, obviously, most of the author signings are in Naperville. Oops. She does a lot of stuff with children's books.

Hello Mark! Waving hi and you should read The French Lieutenant's Woman as your next Fowles. Actually read any Fowles. The Collector is an early one of his, as I'm sure you know.

Monday! Monday! Here we go again. I had a nice weekend and this will be a truncated week for me. I work through Thursday and then off the weekend. We are going camping in Indiana. I am hoping the weather holds up.
I am really enjoying the Ghosts of Nagasaki and can't wait to get back to it. I should easily wrap up Iron House today, which has been fast-paced and fun.

Megan- I loved your humorous thoughts on the Mother's Day creation and I am glad you had such a nice weekend, with plenty of reading time. That's perfection.

Kerri- Yep, that's me the, beer-swilling, book-obsessed dork! LOL. Hey, that could be a T-shirt! I think you did mention that Kathleen worked at the D.G. location. I don't stop there as much as I should. I wish they had a more expansive selection.

Prue- Great to see you! Yes, I will be reading more Fowles. Hope you had a nice weekend.

So, who is the other young stud and can I take him home with me?

Yep, that's me the, beer-swilling, book-obsessed dork!

Me too...only I swill scotch.

Finished Stones for Ibarra and can definitely recommend it, Mark. I'm now dipping into my long term project The Greater Journey, about Americans in Paris in the 19th century, and then plan on teeing up the doorstopper Wizard of the Crow.

Did you ever go to Julius Meinl? Good food, great coffee. I brought home and am having some "King Hadhr Amaut" coffee, which the package says has been "inspiring poets since 1862". I'll let you know if any verse results. Sure tastes good.

Mmmm, scotch.

I'm sorry, what were we talking about?

Good Monday Morning, Mark! A four day week for you, good stuff. Camping, is also good stuff in my book. Don't you love it when Winter is no longer Coming, but it is Going, going, gone......

I have today off but will do academics. Luckily I have book group tonight and I'm sure that will be fun. I now can claim to have read two of the booktopia books, book 3 should be arriving in the mail tomorrow. So far: 100% excellent reading! Thanks so much for encouraging my taking advantage of this resource.

I finished reading Dissolution over the weekend and started the second in that series Dark Fire. I hope to get to planning the Event for Chicago ALA this week. Will let you know the plans.

Tomorrow I have a tree to plant. The landlady came over to check on her yard yesterday and the front is looking good. The back - well, I'm just glad it is in the back. The seed isn't coming up and I think it is because the soil needs some supplements and some fertilizer to get that grass going. When she came over she brought some bushes and a tree. Tomorrow I have to get that tree in the ground. The weather around here has finally turned. It is very spring like. That is unusual, as it should be in the high 80's by this time of year. Instead it is in the high 70's. Perfect walking, biking, and playing weather.

Glad you had a wonderful time at the Beer Fest. Great venue, even if they did ruin it with that salad bowl on top of it.

#48 Let me know about that coffee. It sounds intriguing. Is Julius Meinl a store? More information please.

>41 msf59: LOL!! Oh dear, it's like I committed a typo in reverse.

I'm glad you have a sense of humor!

Did someone say scotch?

"You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime."

-Ray Bradbury

>54 msf59:: Nice...

>53 EBT1002:: I heard Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, myself... not sure what conversation I was listening to, though :) Probably the one in my head...

>55 Esquiress:: Funny. I heard Woodford Reserve. I guess that was in my head!

"The average human walks 900 miles per year and drinks 22 gallons of beer which means the average human gets 41 miles to the gallon. Not bad."

Morphy- The other young stud is our cousin Scott. He is happily married too but you never know...

RD- Scotch will work! I like a good scotch too!

Joe- Stones for Ibarra has landed immediately on the WL. Sounds like a winner. Not familiar with The Greater Journey or Wizard of the Crow. And I have not heard of Julius Meinl. Looks like I need to do some homework.
Just over halfway with Nagasaki. This is shaping up to be a terrific debut.
Go Bulls!

Was that a Julia sighting or are my eyes playing tricks?

Karen- "Don't you love it when Winter is no longer Coming, but it is Going, going, gone..." Yes, I do, my friend. YES, I do. It looks like the weather will be nice for camping. 70s. Last June we went to the same location and it was ridiculously HOT.

Benita- Well, at least you liked Dissolution enough to continue the series. I wasn't sure you would. Good luck on the tree planting and the lawn tending. I agree with you, that they did ruin the look of Soldier's Field. It doesn't look as bad from the inside. LOL.

Ellen- I will readily admit that I could shed a few pounds, (okay, maybe more than a few) but STOUT, I don't THINK so. LOL.

Ellen & Es- I like a good scotch but I spend all my ready cash on good beer. I do have a few shots of Macallan's left. Now, that's tasty.

Stones for Ibarra should have already been on your WL Mark. Does THIS ring a bell?

>57 msf59:: Well, the Tennessee Honey is actually whiskey. I had that particular type on Saturday night for the first time, and it was quite yummy. Mmm.

Happy American Craft Beer Week, Mark!

I swear I just commented on your thread and WHAMO!! Behind again. Or still. Or evermore. Anyhow...Hi! xoxo

"Wonder. Go on and wonder.”

― William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury

Happy Tuesday! Wow! We are in the low 80s today, after a couple cooler days. Better keep that sunscreen handy.
I started Wave yesterday. It's an unflinching, heart-wrenching memoir about a woman who loses her entire family in a tsunami and the pain-staking aftermath of rebuilding her life. Strong stuff.

Bonnie- I thought Stones for Ibarra looked familiar. LOL. Actually, I thought I had placed it on the WL but it must have got bypassed. It's on there now.

Es- I should have guessed it was a whiskey, I was caught up with the scotch jabber, I guess.

Joanne- You know I'll be celebrating it! LOL. We are going camping this weekend, so you know there will be some sampling there.

Kim- Good to see you again. Any books to report? Any book thoughts? Hugs, back!

Happy Tuesday, pal. Our RL book group was unanimous in deciding that Perfume: The Story of A Murder was not worth reading. Ha! That is a switcheroo. Usually we fear the blue ink and its potential for swelling our WLs.

Did I say I loved Sunday's GoT?

I'm expecting book 3 of the booktopia books today and looking forward to it as the first two books are excellent. I recommend both The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving. I'd be interested in what you thought if you were to read these.

It's too darned hot. It's going to be in the 90s today. It's just going to be for one day, so we aren't putting the window bangers in. However, MrMorphy stopped at the grocery store last night and picked up some ice blocks to make a swamp cooler!

Huh. We had a frost last night in Maryland.

It was 40 when I got up this morning. I love colder weather.

Downton Abbey news.



My idea of the PERFECT present.

#63
Darn. Sorry to hear you say that Perfume: The Story of a Murder wasn't good. I have that one on my shelves. I heard that the movie was good. Have you seen that? Did that come up in the book discussion?

My book group met on Sunday and we talked about Ender's Game and all of us wondered how they will do the movie. The conversation perked up considerably when somebody mentioned that Harrison Ford is in the movie. I didn't know that so will have to check it out. Our book discussion group thought that when the movie comes out we should all have a movie night and go see it together.

Mark, have you figured out whether it's winter or summer yet? We don't know, on a given day, whether to put the heat on or the AC.

Incredible to go from 31 one day to near 90 degrees the next.

Loved reading of your recent adventures Mark! It's pretty awesome that you met Joe Hill. I enjoyed Heart Shaped Box! Have you read it?

Mmm... craft beer... yummmm...

"Speaking personally, you can have my gun, but you'll take my book when you pry my cold, dead fingers off of the binding.”

― Stephen King

Wow! We had a warm summer today. It hit 90, but it was breezy, with low humidity, so those factors help immensely.
Wave was amazing and I can't praise it enough but make sure you are in the mood for this one. It packs an emotional wallop. Tears will flow.

Karen- I really liked Perfume. Nice & creepy and very unique. I say you should give it a try at some point. Hopefully I'll get to those Booktopia selections. They sound promising.

Morphy- It was a warm one but I will not complain. I've been waiting for it to warm up. I just didn't expect it to jump like this.

Jim- I am sure this warm weather will be moving your way soon.

RD- Thanks for the DA news. Very nice. What is the name of the scotch, in that photo? How spendy?

Benita- I say read Perfume. It's a good book. I did like the film version too. I should do a reread of Ender's Game before it comes out. I think I have it saved on audio too.

Linda- I will NOT complain about the heat yet. Our house is comfortable but I did use the a/c on the drive home.

Tina- Yes, I read Heart Shaped Box and I read Horns, which was my first. Both very entertaining. I have NOS4A2 in book form and on audio. I plan on getting to it early next month.

Es- "Mmm... craft beer... yummmm..." You can say that again....and again...

Oo, Oo, Oo! I just need to pipe up about Stones for Ibarra, Mark! It's so excellent and I'm so sorry that no more will be coming from Ms. Doerr.

Hi Mark: While O'Hare south hit 90, at home, only upper 70s and near the lake, in the 60s only. No AC for me, it was pretty comfortable without it, with just the sunroof and car windows.

Oh boy...hang on to your goolies...that's The Balvenie 50-Year-Old, at a mere $32,000 a bottle.

Thirty-two thousand United States dollars.

It hit 90 there?!! The high in Albany, Georgia was 81! You beat the South, baby!!

Did I miss the scotch? Didn't Julia mention scotch?

Missed the scotch- phew. Ill open a bottle of red then and leave the dregs to those keener than I. Even though I could totally afford the $32000 bottle....if I *cough*...wanted one.

Lynda- I will have to find a copy of Stones for Ibarra, pronto! I must have missed it on the first round but I can't let it get by me again.

Linda- I just came back from meeting a pal for a beer or 2 and it's beautiful out there tonight.

RD- It doesn't look like I'll be having The Balvenie any time soon. LOL. But I bet it is tasty. Have you tried it? I do have some Macallan 12 yr, that a customer gave me and that's very good. Plus it was free, which always helps. What is your favorite scotch under a 100 bucks?

Mamie- It was warm, bordering on hot but without the wicked humidity, I didn't mind it at all.

Megan- Is there a good scotch that you like? Anything good from NZ?

Ardbeg Ten Years Old...about $50. Next step up is Ardbeg Uigeadail, about $75...and about ten times as delicious! Mostly because I love peaty, long-finish scotches, and I'm very partial to the brininess of Islay single-malts in general.

At about $100, there's Lagavulin 16-Year-Old, another Islay single malt that's so dry it's dying of thirst, and has the brininess I love with less peat.

Most days I drink Old Smuggler and don't complain.

I've spent chunks of several holidays going round whisky distilleries. On Islay I've done Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore and Bruichladdich. Only problem is - I can't stand the stuff!

“His books were the closest thing he had to furniture and he lived in them the way other men live in easy chairs.”

- Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit

“Buying books is immensely comforting. Maybe I won’t read them immediately, but they make me feel so much better whenever I’m sad and blue. Just their presence, it’s like having more to look forward to.”
— Unknown

Happy Hump Day, people! 2 work days left for me. Yah! Time to get back to M & M and time to visit and old friend. I have missed Dr. Siri, so I will be starting The Merry Misogynist. It's the 6th book in the series. I should also wrap up the Ghosts of Nagasaki. Double thumb!

RD- You are a God Send! I have taken down all the scotch recs. Yum! I take it that the Old Smuggler is more budget friendly? Do you like the smokier scotches?
I have tried Laphroaig, which I recall as being pretty tasty.

Rhian- Good to see you! To bad you couldn't enjoy the samples at the distilleries you visited. The only scotch I have heard of, that you mentioned, is Laphroaig. Looks like I NEED to do some more homework.

I really liked Perfume. So I just put the movie in my Netflix queue.

I'm liking these quotes, Mark. The Stephen King one is a hoot. Cool beans re your enjoyment of The Ghosts of Nagasaki.

You'll see I reviewed Stones for Ibarra, which hopefully will only fuel your fire to read the book, but no worries, I understand if you decide to read the book first.

I'm underway with The Wizard of the Crow, and it's off to a good start.

I'm benefiting from "cooler by the lake"; we got nowhere near 90 yesterday! My smarter-than-me phone has us at 79 right now. Nice!

Old Smuggler is cheapie scotch, maybe $25 for a two-liter. Nice and smoky, just the way I like my scotch.

Most days I drink Old Smuggler and don't complain. Ha.
You do like the peaty stuff, Richard.

Hi Mark!

^You know occasionally I have to post a public service announcement, just for our safety and well-being. Another gorgeous Spring day! Yahoo!

I finished The Ghosts of Nagasaki. What an interesting and entertaining novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a hard book to describe, much like describing a Murakami work, which it resembles. Thanks to Joe for turning me on to this one and then the author for sending me a copy.
I also jumped right into The Merry Misogynist. I am crazy about this series. The mystery really doesn't matter, although there is a creepy villain in this one. I just like spending time with Dr. Siri and company.

Morphy- Big Wave!

Joe- Another terrific weather day. Keep 'em coming. I will be keeping an eye out for Stones for Ibarra. If you AND Bonnie are raving, I MUST pay attention.

RD- Thanks! It's nice to have a good inexpensive scotch around, just to wet the old whistle. Thanks.

Ellen- Do you have a favorite scotch?

Glad that The Ghosts of Nagasaki held up well for you, Mark. Sounded like you had some pretty idyllic conditions to finish it up in.

Yes, I'm with Bonnie; you're going to want to read Stones for Ibarra. It's a special one.

I'm having a good time with the second Castle Waiting book.

gosh i've not been here for ages and ages. love your thread-topper. noir to the max. not even gonna try to catch up but hope to be here more often.

Stones for Ibarra is well worth the raves as is her second, Consider This, Señora, imho.

would you puhLEASE pull some strings and get Ghosts of Nagasaki in audio? i'm sure you have strings to pull or know someone who does.

speaking of scotch, it was John McPhee's "Josie's well" in Pieces of the frame that finally got me into drinking single malt scotch about 30 years ago. didn't like blended scotch but the Glenlivet with a touch of water was one i loved. Laphroaig was too smokey for me.

"Josie's well" is a great article and well worth reading. i can't find it online and the book's an old one (1972 maybe) but almost anything by McPhee is worthwhile. i think i may have to find one of his that i've not read.

enough nattering. nice to have a visit.

>77 msf59: Anything good from NZ?

I dont do scotch, but we do a great vodka, 42 Below. Feijoa infused, with Chi....a brilliantly effervescent wonderment.

BTW I got The Yellow Birds from the library this morning, pretty happy to have nabbed it, as have had it on my list for a while thanks to the folks here!

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” — Stephen Chbosky



Sweet Thursday! Since this is my last work day of the week, that has a particularly nice ring to it. The lovely weather continues too...I will be cracking (FINALLY) When She Woke. I've been dragging my feet on this one for eons. I think Kim was the one who finally got me to acquire a copy, so it is TIME. I loved Mudbound last year.

Joe- I have been seriously delinquent on my mini-reviews but I have to pull one together for The Ghosts of Nagasaki. It deserves it, even though it is a tough one to describe.
Looking forward to the 2nd volume of Castle Waiting. Glad you are enjoying it. I plan on picking up New York Four today.

Ellie- Another scotch drinker and a big fan of Stones for Ibarra. No wonder, I think you are special. I like both Laphroaig & Glenlivet. I agree the former has a stronger smoky taste, which isn't bad on occasion. And come by and natter anytime!

Megan- 42 below sounds yummy! Now, I know how you get through those long winter nights. LOL. the Yellow Birds is fantastic. I hope you enjoy it.

Ha! Ain't that the truth!

I think it would be great if you could do some kind of review for The Ghosts of Nagasaki, Mark, as it may draw more attention to this worthy but under-known book.

I'm alternating between the chunkster gn Before the Incal Collection, which has the same zany, detailed sci-fi storytelling as The Incal Collection, but not the art of Moebius that's in the latter, and Castle Waiting Vol. 2, with The Clockwork Girl on deck.

Hey Mark - I'll be picking up the print version of Lisel and Po from my library today! If its as good as y'all make it sound, I'll probably have to check out the audio too since Roberta says Jim Dale is the narrator!

*waving on her way through the threads*

Hope all is good with Mark today!

♥ Stephen Chbosky quotation...

^Looks like summer is getting close, eh? It was another warm one today, mid-80s. Broke a nice sweat.

RD- Love the Screw the Cup poster! Thanks for my first chuckle of the evening. Actually the white cup looks pretty hefty too!

Joe- I WILL knock out some kind of review of Nagasaki. It's worthy and the least I can do. Glad you are enjoying your books.

Tina- Looking forward to your thoughts on Liesl & Po. I have a feeling you'll want to go back and listen to the audio too!

Es- Glad you liked the quote. Short & sweet.

That Chbosky quote is a popular tattoo quote.

Oh Mark, I really liked When She Woke. It's much, much different from Mudbound but still excellent.

I wasn't a huge fan of When She Woke, but I'm glad you're enjoying it, Mark! Have fun camping!

Actually, I'm not much of a scotch drinker. I prefer Bourbon.

The wi-fi here is slooooow......

^I think I know a few of these!

Good afternoon Mark, fellow-bibliomaniac :)

"When she woke, she was red."

-This is the opening for When She Woke. I am only 60 pages in but I like it so far. Jordan is of course paying tribute to Hawthorne but it also reminds me of the Handmaids Tale, with it's creepy tone and religious fanaticism. Opinion seems to be mixed on this one, so we'll see what side I come down on. I read and loved Mudbound last year.

Happy Friday, folks! We will be camping this weekend and we'll be leaving in a couple of hours. There will be no internet service so I won't return until later Sunday. I hope I can squeeze some reading in here and there. Fingers crossed.

Es- I think that would make a great tat!

Bonnie- " I really liked When She Woke." That's all I needed to hear. LOL. I love it when an author jumps around like that, switching genres and time periods. Of course Atwood and Mary Doria Russell excel at that too.

Katie- Good to see you! Did you read Mudbound?

Ellen- Where are you at this time, my bourbon-drinking friend?

Happy Friday Mark. The library has played a cruel prank and given me four books at once. I really try to time these things out but it never works. LOL! I will persevere my friend.

Yesterday at a library meeting somebody mentioned to me that there is a graphic novel version of Game of Thrones. However, they warned me it comes complete with nudity. This bit of news came from a woman who had just received the book for a Mother's Day gift. I was urged to purchase this series for the library. I then told the group that there was a graphic novel version of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. (Complete with nudity.) This lead to a discussion of the virtues of Jamie Lannister versus Jamie Fraser. Who would win that match? I did tell the group about my Jamie and Claire Fraser Revolutionary War Memorial trip of a few years back. This was a trip in which I toured three Revolutionary War battlefields in North Carolina, all of which Jamie and Claire were participants. I also told the group that I had books 3 and 4 in the Game of Thrones series but was hesitating to read them because I was turned off by all the blood and guts and not sure I could read any more of it. At least not in the foreseeable future.

>96 msf59: First, I want to know when that picture was taken of me. Second, what is that coming out of my butt?

Hi Mark!

When She Woke does sound rather interesting. I'll plop it on my wishlist.

I think Chicago Craft Beer Week has started! We're going to stop in Brixie's tonight, because they're tapping something special (I can't remember what it is.)

I have nothing to add to the scotch or bourbon discussion. I've always thought it would be cool to walk around with a glass of scotch on the rocks, but I'm not sure I could pull it off.

I used to like all that stuff! Now, excitement for me is a Seattle Storm games! Whooooo hooooo!

Hi Mark, I also loved Mudbound when I read it and have had When She Woke on my wishlist for sometime, so I will be interested in what you think of it.

I finally finished Empire of the Summer Moon and it will definitely be in contention for one of my top five books of the year. What a great read.

Good morning, Mark. Not sure whether this is a work day or a camping day. Hope it's a good one for you!

Now! That's what I call camping!

I got to hear Hilary Jordan speak at a conference once and she was very interesting. I remember her saying that she was influence by Handmaid's Tale but thought that this story was more in the tradition of Scarlet Letter. Listening to her talk did make me put the book on my list of things to be read. I also remember that the panel was author's writing about the direction in which our culture and society is headed. Maybe I should dig out When She Woke and read it myself.

Still scorchingly hot here. Love the quotes especially the Stephen King one. Also love the tattoos.

Camping:


Roughing it:


Prison is preferable:

I wish I was camping....

Have fun, Mark!!

#114
Got a laugh from me. I recently had supper with a woman who told me about an African safari she as on. They stayed in a tent that came complete with marble bathroom and wooden floors.

I'm ready to go camping with Richard!

Masseur! Phone the main hut to have more mojitos brought out, and get Judy whatever she'd like to drink. Oh, and a mani-pedi girl, too.

Hej Mark, just found your new thread with too many posts to read them all *sigh* but I liked the pictures: women, books, and beer, these seem the main subjects here.

I'm back.....MWWWAAAAH!

Oh good! We missed you, Mark!

^This is not the exact pop-up camper we slept in but it is similar. Our group had five camp sites, a mix of tents, pop-ups and one behemoth RV. Of course we had a blast and the weather was gorgeous all 3 days, with just a few sprinkles here and there.
The raccoons were ridiculous. They got in our cooler while we were having a couple after dinner drinks at a nearby site and ate all of our lunchmeat. A pound of ham and a half a pound of cheese, plus a couple other things, including a small Tuperware of mayo. What were their plans were for that I have no idea.

I did get a little reading in here and there, more than usual. I am still enjoying When She Woke. We also listened to a big chunk of Salt, Sugar, Fat in the car. There is many interesting moments but the book feels bloated and I wish it could have been much tighter.

Roberta- Those libraries can be ruthless at times, you are correct. I'll have to stop by and see what books you are juggling.

Benita- I have not read Outlander but I have it in book and on audio. Do you think I would like it? Some folks have told me I would and some mentioned I would not. Hmmmm...
I did read the 1st graphic of Game of Thrones, which was pretty good. There was nudity but I didn't remember it being excessive.
I would live to hear your take on When She Woke. I also really liked Mudbound.

Morphy- "First, I want to know when that picture was taken of me." OMG, that's funny! I think that is only a part of the landscape coming out her rear-end. Nothing to fear.

Kerri- I hope you enjoyed Brixies. Try anything good? Did they still have Enjoy By? I think you would like When She Woke, although I am only about halfway through.

Karen- My wife is not a big fan of camping but she tolerates it as long as we can stay in a friend's camper. They are very comfortable.

Judy- I am glad you loved Empire of the Summer Moon. It's a special book and I would be interested in what he decides to tackle next. I think When She Woke is just your cuppa.

Joe- I love the babe reading in the tent! LOL. It's not really comfortable reading in our camper. I prefer outside in a nice camp chair but the gnats were particularly annoying.

Gautam- Good to see you! Nothing but praise for our weather these past 2 weeks. Perfectly lovely.

RD- I love it! I see you are not a camping person. LOL. As long as I have a comfortable place to sleep and a bathroom/shower close by, I am happy.

Joanne- Do you guys camp in Colorado? I am sure there are many many great places.

Paul- "women, books, and beer." Yes, sir! These are very precious to me.



^This fraulein plans to finish her book as soon as she's done with the mug!

Welcome back, Mark! Glad you had a good time - those sound like wily and experienced raccoons.

Wizard of the Crow just keeps getting better. It's developing into a top tier one for me.

Glad you're back home, Mark and raccoon free! Those pesky critters are always trying to get to my bird feeder. It's been almost a week since their last attempt. Hope they found an easier one to attack.
We just saw Star Trek Into Darkness, have you?
We gave it an entertaining thumbs up.

I have this picture in my mind of a 1950s movie of "camping" in Africa. Maybe it was The Snows of Kilimanjaro. The tents were as big as two rooms put together. Camp beds, and captains' chairs, and tables. Ah! And in the distance the roar of lions. Now that is what I think of when I think of camping the way I wish it could be.

No raccoons.

Hi Mark: Welcome back!! Sounds like a good time.

I'm not much of a camper, either, unless there's room service involved.

Good timing for your trip, probably, as there are t-storms possible the next couple of days.

>122 msf59: including a small Tuperware of mayo
Did they eat the Tupperware too!!??! eek.
That must have been an annoyance. Cool camper too!

I love camping, but there is no way Ill be doing it with a kids still in nappies. I lived a year in a tent once, as a kid while travelling, and its still in the blood I think!

Mark CTM was excellent this evening.

Glad your camping was enjoyable.

Mamie- Thanks! It's always good to be back to my second home.

Hi Joe- I better get Wizard of the Crow on the WL before I forget.

Lynda- I haven't been to the movies in quite awhile. I have heard good things about the new Star Trek and the latest Iron Man. I am more hesitant on the latter, since I hated IM2. Hope your weekend went well.

Karen- A very good Game of Thrones. Action-packed, eh! Lots of flesh in that one. LOL. The Snows of Kilimanjaro? That's a flash from the past.

Linda- Thanks! Looks like some more warm weather ahead. It sure was a dandy this weekend.

Megan- "Did they eat the Tupperware too!" LOL. I don't know but we didn't find it anywhere. There were lots of kids at this campground but I didn't see many toddlers. That wouldn't be easy.

Mark, it was a good GofT! Liked the pretty boys in this one, too, I did. Potluck was salad with tomatoes, green onions, warm chicken. Garlic herb home-made fresh dressing. Double yum. One of the potluckers brought ice cream bars for dessert. I have not yet eaten mine. Saving it for tomorrow I think.

Next week there is no GofT on my HBO, it is the Liberace movie, I think. I will watch it, it just looks like too much fun. Then back to GofT the following week. Is that happening in your market too?

Hmmmm, Lemony must be right... but Jane Yolen is much more positive. She says you can't die until you've read all the books in your house. In which case, we're all immortal. I wonder if that includes e-books?

Hi Mark,
I was in Camp Sherman, Oregon, just west of Sisters. It may be my favorite spot on earth. Much of it was scorched by a horrific fire about 7 years ago, but the red Ponderosa Pines are so incredibly beautiful and the Metolius River is magical. I recommend exploring that area next time you are in the state.

Your camping trip sounds like fun.

Tonight's season finale episode of CtM made me cry, dang it.

Mark - More than a week away from this den of temptations mate; beer, birds and books. The three magical B's indeed.
Caught up mate and I hope not to fall behind again so quickly.

^Of course this is directed to all my visitors too! Not trying to think about the six work days ahead of me but I am thinking about 2 days off, with the holiday. Silver linings, folks. At least the weather still looks promising.

Karen- How about that show down with Tyrion and Joffrey? Was that a hoot or what? Yes, there was some beefcake in this one and plenty of T & A too! I also loved the horse ride with Arrya & the Hound. And yes, GOT is taking a break next week. I forgot about the Liberace movie. I'll have to record that.

Katie- Yes, we will include e-books. I don't read them myself but I do not see a reason to leave them off. LOL.

Ellen- I don't think I've been to Camp Sherman. It sounds breath-taking. I'll have to ask my sister about it. Looking forward to CTM.

Paul- Good to see you, my friend. I knew there was something missing around here. Your endearing presence! And yes, we love those "B"s!!



^ This is me. Amen, brothers & sisters and I do not think I am alone.

Yes, I can say AMEN to that, too.

AMEN from here, too, brother! Also, I love your Snoopy header. That'll be a good one to use at the top of my sister emails : ).

Oh yes indeed, so very me. So. Very.

I love the button; maybe I should have it tatooed on my forehead.

^Is this great or what! I love seeing Bibliomaniac listed, since that's my nickname. And what about Biblioriptos? I wouldn't mind smacking that person!
Bibliodemon has a nifty ring to it too!

Very warm and windy but no storms. It looks like Oklahoma was hit pretty hard. Sorry to hear it.

I listened to another big chunk of Salt, Sugar, Fat. There are many things to admire here about food production and food manipulation, (I liked the sections on Coke and the cheese craze) but I still think he could have said much of this with much less wordage. Now I am listening to a LONG section on Lunchables. Remember those?

Amen to Sisters Karen, Nancy & Beth. And of course Brother Richard, our fearless literary seer & adviser.

Beth- Make sure you put that tattoo just under your hairline! LOL.

Hi Mark! Welcome back! I'm glad you had a lovely time camping. I have memories of camping with my BFF's family when I was younger, but I don't know many camping people these days. Joe and I would probably be a disaster, what with not having skills and all. Ha!

Hello Mark - can't see any of the pictures you posted yesterday - so frustrating because I bet thewy were doozies...Added When she woke to the bulging Book Depository wishlist. I'm reading The Devil in the White City which I am pretty sure you have read, also? Anyway, it is fascinating! I'm more of a 'glamper' than a 'camper' - for me, roughing it is when room service is 15 minutes late! That said, I have just booked myself and other half a week in Ubud, Bali. Here is the link - drooling allowed!

https://sites.google.com/site/heliconiahousebali/

Now I just need to sort out the 'beach' part - probably go to an island off the coast called Lembongan - no cars!

Just saw footage of the devastation in Oklahoma - just awful, awful, awful.

Heartbreaking video of Moore. If anyone can spare some money, the American Red Cross needs all the help it can get: http://www.redcross.org/ok/oklahoma-city

59) The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen 4.6 stars

Ghost World…

A young American businessman begins to type. He is in his swanky Tokyo apartment. Suddenly the words begin to flow and he is flooded with memories of four years earlier. The haunting time he spent in Nagasaki. A place littered with ghosts. A city that led him to a particular crossroads, located on a mysterious island, where he ached to find
personal salvation or be lost forever.
This is a tricky story to explain but the narrative unfolds with a hypnotic drive, which reminded me of the Murakami touch. The mundane, mixed with the magical.

“Japan is euphoria. The October night air coalesces into drinking, then carefree drinking, and finally reckless drinking. Soon, I’m a Travolta clone in a late seventies discotheque. I’m performing my parody of the era.”

“I land head first on the sandy beach. For a moment the world is dark. With no
fireflies to illuminate the night air, only the cynical battered moon to guide me, it’s hard to see anything at all.”

The whole book is filled with strong writing. I can not recommend this higher and I really look forward to what this author offers next.

** I want to thank Daniel Clausen for sending me a signed copy. Very generous and very kind.

I read a long article about Salt, Sugar, Fat a few months ago, very interesting. We don't seem to have as much processed food here in New Zealand but still enough that you can make all the wrong choices.

Love the list in #141 - I'm a few of those for sure.

Kerri- Good to see you! The conditions have to be just right for us to "camp". Sleeping on the ground, in a tent, with no bathroom is out of the question. Getting Sue to go, is always tough but she always has a good time. And there were many quality beers consumed.

Prue- Glad you could stop by. Yes, I read and loved The Devil in the White City. I have read 4 of his books but that remains my favorite.
The Bali deck looks gorgeous! Yes, I drooled.

RD- Thanks for the support link for Moore Oklahoma. Much appreciated. It's been on MSNBC all evening. Heart-breaking.

Kerry- I think books like Salt, Sugar, Fat are important to read, just to see how we are manipulated by the food industry. I am glad you don't have as much problem with processed foods in NZ. It's rampant here. And yes, we all have some of those Biblio-characteristics. LOL.



Good night, people...

BIBLIOSOPHER
That could be my tattoo!

Love the list. My old dog was biblioclast. I unwittingly started it. I pearl ruled a particularly annoying (but very popular) book and encouraged his wrathful judgement with the words "kill kill kill"

Morning! Another hot & humid day. Funny, just a couple weeks ago we were begging for it to warm up. I heard it will drop into the 50s on Thursday. This crazy Spring weather...

Megan- I think that one fits you but it is a mouthful to say!

Katie- LOL. I have had those moments too! Good dog!

Bibliomane - That's our Paul for sure! I think he's up to 400 purchased books this year so far.

I think I could probably claim Bibliobibule with 300 books read last year.

It is hot and humid here as well. I finally turned the AC on this weekend and guess what - it didn't work. Somehow the breaker was flipped but I can't get it to turn back on by myself. I had to have the AC man come out and look. When I showed him how I was struggling to get it "off" and then couldn't get it back "on" without the same struggles he finally took pity on me. We figured out how I could do it with a pair of pliers. You can bet I am going to Home Depot and purchasing a couple of pairs of pliers just so I have one at hand when I need it for that darn box. His trip out cost $100.00 and I feel stupid. My grass has raised my water bill by about $40.00 per month. This has pushed the book Lawn: A History of an American Obsession much higher on my TBR. This weekend has pointed out to me that I don't have time for a house. After six months I am more and more convinced that I should have moved to a different apartment rather than a house.

the only good thing that happened this weekend was that I planted a tree. And my Dad probably pushed out ten. Of course, when planting a tree that means I have to water the darn thing. Perhaps I should adopt my friends attitude about plants. She believes you plant them and they either live or die. No babying them. They either live or die. Right now that sounds good to me.

I am a Bibliothekar (German for librarian) - and I like the French bibliopée (with the ´ on the e!): the art of making a book

Benita, I always tell the plants who come into my house, "I hope you thrive on neglect". And that is what I do. Sometimes I remember to water them regularly, sometimes irregularly.

Outside, well that is a little different, because I know they need me to give them a little TLC at the beginning of their settling into the dirt around my house.

BTW, I'm finally finished with having a house, too. My next abode will be some wort of apartment I hope. I have loved every house I ever lived in, and enjoyed learnig all about all sorts of things, but I am now "officially done". I have a mystery leak under my sink and I am not looking forward to finding out what it is all about.... and getting to know a plumber.

I am continuing to prepare for moving into a retirement facility.

Oh man, Mark, I'm in the process of falling off the LT cliff into the deep valley of Hopelessly Behind. We're moving our offices over the Memorial Day weekend, which means I'm under the gun to throw stuff out and to put into the crates surrounding me the stuff I don't. Plus regular biz ain't letting up. Arggh. Anyway, I'll stay in touch, but I may make even less sense than usual.

Loved the review of The Ghosts of Nagasaki - you know I agree, very hard to review, but oh so good. Thumb from me.

Thumb for your excellent review of The Ghosts of Nagasaki Mark.

I just purchased my plane ticket for Chicago. I also e-mailed Abby here at LT and told her about the meet-up. I will try to firm things up soon after June 1, so that all of you Chicago LT'ers can start making plans.

I am coming into O'Hara on Friday morning and will be leaving on Tuesday. There is a librarians tour of the Robbie House that I want to participate in that will be on Monday July 1, so I have to spend another night in Chi-town. (oh poor me. Yeah right.) I don't have a hotel yet, but will get that done this week.

The conference will be at McCormick place, but we can find other places to meet on Sunday night. Remember it will be on Sunday because Ellen will be in town.

-Looking For Alaska by John Green

^I have not read this one yet but it's on shelf!

Morphy, aka Bibliobibule- I think we could all be a Bilblio-Family! Everyone with a unique tag. What do you think?

Benita- The joys of home-ownership, huh? I promise you, it never ends either but I think the bennies out weigh the faults, at least at this point.
Things are cooling off tonight. Only 70 tomorrow. High 50s on Thursday. WTH?
And thanks I got your copy of the e-mail to the LT folks. Have you heard from them yet?

Paul, aka Bibliothekar, (sounds regal)- How are you sir?

Karen- It sounds like you've done your time as a homeowner. Time to let someone else worry about that stuff.

Joe- Sounds like you've got a full load, my friend. Where are you moving your offices to? Hopefully somewhere close. I appreciate the thumb. It was a spare review but I wanted to post something in appreciation. I NEED to get back in the swing of my minis! Good luck with your work ventures.

Bonnie- Thanks! I have done terrible lately with my Mini-Specials but I wanted to say a few words about that one. Have you read Silence? I have not and it was featured heavily in the Clausen book.

Hi Mark: Love that biblio list. I think I'm a bibliobibule.

Oh, Mark, you must read Looking for Alaska!!

Another meet up! Yeah!!! Please post photos~

^Could all my Biblio-Pals, pool a few bucks together and buy me this lamp? How cool would it look in the Marky-Mark Man-Cave?
Of course, I am kidding but a guy can dream, can't he?

Linda, aka Bibliobibule- Good to see you. It looks like things start cooling off again tomorrow.

Es- I have Looking For Alaska on the shelf but I might try to snag it on audio. I'll get to it much faster. I also read Paper Towns, which was pretty good too.

Linda- Wow! what a nice surprise! You know we will take photos. The pressure around here demands it. I see you attended one recently too?

Whenever I see or hear anything about Poe now, all I can think of is the creepy Fox series "The Following" with Kevin Bacon which recently concluded.

*shudder*

Mark.... You and Roberta were right. I truly enjoyed Lisel & Po and will have to listen to it too!!

Mark - We were right! I love it.

I don't think the lamp will serve you well for reading. If you're handy maybe you can turn it into a wall sconce. On second thought, maybe not. How about you print out the pic and make a bookmark. That'll work.

When I saw that lamp I saw chocolate....must have been the brown colour. Says a lot about me I guess!

Hi Mark, good to see you enjoyed your camping trip and Boo to having to work for 6 days straight. That Edgar Allan Poe lamp would certainly be a conversation piece, but I agree that it wouldn't make the best reading lamp. You know, that bust does look like it could be carved out of chocolate, and now, guess what I am craving!

"The selection of books is just as solemn a duty as the selection of friends. We are just as responsible for what we read as for what we do."

- Sir John Lubbock

Happy Hump Day! It is also BTD Day too! For you novices, (don't worry I just made it up) it's Book Turnover Day. I'll be wrapping up When She Woke, Salt, Sugar, Fat and most likely my current GN, Saga: Vol 1. And then onto The Feast of the Goat, (thanks Caro), A Monster calls, (thanks Judy) and New York four, (thanks Joe). Whew! As you can tell, LT has no influence over me. I am my own man.

Katie- I never watched The Following. I know several people praised it at first but then I heard it tailed off. Did you like it all the way through?

Tina- I am glad you enjoyed Lisel & Po. It's a special little book.

Roberta- Actually, I think we are right quite often but that's just my humble opinion. I agree, the Poe lamp would strictly be for decoration. I have my reading lamp in place already.

Megan- It does look chocolatey, doesn't it. Maybe that's another reason I am so fond of it.

Judy- Yep, Poe lamp strictly for decoration. I don't know if you saw it up there but I'll be starting the audio of A Monster Calls. It looks very short so I should blast through it.

Sheesh, I went to look at the price of the Poe lamp thinking it couldn't be THAT bad. $400 bucks! For a lamp!

BTD! I love that!

The Following definitely lost steam at the end and the last episode was just ridiculous. Still, Kevin Bacon was good in it...

Ha! Lots of great rec's lined up for you, Mark. To make it even tougher for you, I join Esquiress in urging you to read Looking for Alaska. Debbi's reading it right now and loving it. To me it's his second best behind The Fault in Our Stars. It's a mainstay on the YA bestseller lists, too.

Wizard of the Crow continues to be good, but you'll be hearing that a while. It clocks in at 750+ pages, and I've got limited reading time now, darn it. I recommend both the Incal gn collections when time permits. The Clockwork Girl is good so far, and the second Castle Waiting is, too.

Love your list of biblios Mark - a book lover gone mad. Indeed.

#136 I just need that badge! I am out of control :/

I. haven't heard back from Abby but suspect that I will sometime soon.

I turned over a book today as well. I finished reading Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne. It was a collection of essays he has written over the years about riding bicycles in various cities around the world. This has given him a unique perspective on those places which was quite interesting. A bit different for a travel book.

I am still reading on the Second Matthew Shardlake book and am enjoying this book much more than the first.

Mark, not my typical book (probably more like your typical book), but I've started reading Kate Atkinson's Life After Life. The premise is intriguing.

Mark, I'm too far behind to do more than skim, but wanted to stop by and say hi!

The button on post 136 fits me very well.

- Hunter S. Thompson

BTD, (Book Turnover Day) went off without a hitch. I finished When She Woke, Salt, Sugar, Fat and my current GN, Saga: Volume One.
The only goal I fell short on, was that I only dipped into The Feast of the Goat 20 pages or so but the good news is, it grabbed me immediately. I am LOVING A Monster Calls. Wow! Expect raves. This is Liesl & Po territory but much darker. As an added bonus the audio is read by the hunky & talented Brit actor, Jason Issacs, who is doing a fantastic job. If his acting career gives out, very doubtful or he is disfigured somehow, let's hope not, he could have a stellar job reading books aloud.

Morphy, aka Bibliobibule- I meant to check on the Poe lamp price. Wow! ....oh, never mind.

Katie- Why does promising TV do that so often? Grrrr..The same thing happened with the 1st season of The Killing. Started out so well and then collapsed. I haven't watched it since.

Joe- Does work still having you running around like crazy? I hope it has settled down. I WILL get to Looking For Alaska soon and I suggest you get to A Monster Calls, pronto. You will love it and it's super short.

Paul- I think a Bibliomane fits you to a T. Hope your week is going well.

Bekka- It looks like we all need stinkin' badges!

Benita- I did get your e-mail from Abby. It will be nice to see the LT team. Did you ask about the passes yet? Glad you are enjoying the 2nd Shardlake book a bit more. I NEED to get to those.

Linda- I love seeing you out of your comfort zone. I LOVE Atkinson and I plan on getting to her latest, very SOON!

Terri- Skim, lurk, whatever! Good to see you! I am really enjoying my M & M books.

Thanks for the tip on A Monster Calls, Mark. I'll track it dow.

Yeah, work is really crazy right now, and we're moving a group of about 100 over this weekend. Lot going on! I expect RL to get more reasonable toward the end of next week.

Waving Hi as I slide on through; I'm ducking out of reading the text for a few minutes but I need to get back to it. Bleak. It is bleak.

soon, I'll be finished soon!

Mark I have decided not to call you a book bully, but instead create the new super hero persona of The Recommender! Yes, it is in bold because sometimes your recommendations are too. LOL!

Looking forward to what The Recommender has to say about The Feast of the Goat. I'm hoping to read that one sometime in the next two years. ;) I loved Who Killed Palomino Molero.

I highly recommend the Fault in Our Stars. I also reading An Abundance of Katherines but it cannot compare with
the Fault in Our Stars.

Mark, I was able to obtain a copy of Liesl & Po and hope to start it tomorrow.

Hm, Bicycle Diaries isnt around on the Book Depository website! no fair, it looked like a great present for my bike-mad friend. Ah well. Onwards and upwards.

The Recommender, I like it!!

Hi there L.R. Of course Tonto still loves L.R. I just haven't been visiting much of any threads, but also felt so badly because I could not find a good book to read for May Murder and Mayhem! Today at the bookstore I finally found something that I've just barely started... Not My Blood by Barbara Cleverly. It caught my eye because it said it something like P.D. James watch out! It's the story of boarding school boys in 1933 England who " runaway" , but I think it's going to be more bloody than that. I'm also desperately awaiting Jussi Adler-Olsen latest Scandi -Crime realase on May 28 - I plan to either pre- order it from amazon ca or rush out to my local book store to pick up A Conspiracy of Faith, the third in that wonderful series!

I've even been out to a couple of places that carry microbrews/ craft beer and while I have not partaken of them ( I prefer Coca Cola) , I have thought of you. One place was called The HogShack ( a lot of pulled pork, but of course I had the warm chicken salad! ;) and The River Brew Pub.

I even thumbed your review for The Ghosts of Nagasaki and considered looking for it, but it is deemed horror. My blood might run cold if I read that one! :)

Good morning, Mark!

#163 - That's a wonderfully tacky lamp! I would be proud to display it in my home. I wonder if they make them for other authors. I'll have to check it out.

I'm gearing up for that beer fest on Saturday. It looks like we'll have decent weather, although perhaps on the cooler side.

"I still love the book-ness of books, the smell of books: I am a book fetishist—books to me are the coolest and sexiest and most wonderful things there are."

- Neil Gaiman

Sweet Thursday! A gloomy start to the day. Drizzly & cool. It will only be in the mid-50s today but no complaining, just observing. We've had such a nice stretch of warmth, I remain sated.
Looking forward to returning to A Monster Calls & The Feast of the Goat. Any fans of Llosa out there? It looks like he has authored 30 books. This is, of course, my first.

Joe- Keep your chin up, my friend! The week is nearly over. Don't forget your umbrella.

Karen- Keeping up in the LT World, is no easy task. Have a dandy day.

Roberta- Aw, shucks! You didn't have to. I like The Recommender but I prefer Joy-Spreader, (my wife's eyes are rolling). Since I've been derelict in my mini-review duty, I have to spread the word with sheer enthusiasm.

Katie- Llosa is part of my First-time Author Challenge and I've been meaning to get to him for years. I like the opening pages.

Linda- I LOVED the Fault in Our Stars. I also liked Paper Towns. I should get to Looking For Alaska soon. I am crazy about A Monster Calls. I KNOW you will enjoy Liesl & Po.

Megan- I like the way the Bicycle Diaries sounds too! I want to get back to doing some bike riding this summer.

Deb- Tonto still loves L.R.! Yah! Hope is still alive & well. I like it when you think of me when you see beer. LOL. I don't think The Ghosts of Nagasaki is your cuppa but it's definitely NOT horror. That's an erroneous tag. I like the sound of The Hog Shack!

Morning Kerri- Back to long pants and jackets today. Boo. I hope the weather holds out for you this weekend. I'll be spending my off days, Sunday & Monday working around here. Sad face.

Bibliomaniac reporting in. I'm all caught up here, Mark! WahHOO! That should last for at least five minutes. Okay, at least two minutes. Nice review of the Clausen book - I need to get on that. I did dip into it, but I needed to be strong and finish up some of my other reads first, so now I am ready to get back to it. I also have A Monster Calls waiting - will definitely get to to that. Hope your Thursday is indeed sweet. Try not to get into too much trouble today!

Then there is abibliophobia - the fear of running out of things to read...

I prefer Joy-Spreader, (my wife's eyes are rolling I'm rolling my eyes too! :P

Brought this over from Facebook for you.

^Don't you just love watching people read? I know I do. Ahhhhhhh...

I finished A Monster Calls and it was amazing. Drop whatever you are doing and FIND a copy. Be forewarned though. It is a dark and emotional book, about grief and loss. You WILL cry. Don't try to come back here and say I didn't prepare you. I adored Liesl & Po but this might even be better.





^Here are a couple illustrations from the book.

Patrick Ness has done something else besides this book, but I can't remember what it is right now. I'll look later and get back to you.

Benita- Ness also wrote the Chaos Walking Trilogy, which I really liked. It was fun and inventive.

Mamie- It's always nice to hear from a fellow bibliomaniac! I am enjoying the Feast of the Goat. He is a hellava writer but the prose can get a bit dense and the Latin characters names begin to blend. This one will take me a little longer but I am sure I will be pleased with it.

Morphy- I am one of those too! Silly grin on my face.

Roberta- You don't like Joy-Spreader? I am a bit hurt. Go ahead and roll your eyes again, my wife does, in moments such as these.

RD- I LOVE the Bookaholic poster. I think I found my next topic header. Thanks!

No reading tonight. Only Blackhawks watching. This is a must win for them.

“Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.”

-Goodnight Moon

Looking forward to your review of A monster calls, I got my copy signed by Ness last week. After going to two of his sessions at our writers festival I've been on a bit of a high all week.

>193 msf59:: Lovely.

"To read a novel is a difficult and complex art. You must be capable not only of great fineness of perception, but of great boldness of imagination"

By Virginia Woolf

At least I am getting close to wrapping up my long week. Yah! I did start my last M & M book of the month and the first of a series, that I've been meaning to get to for ages: Nineteen Seventy-four, which kicks off the Red Riding Quartet. I haven't seen this series mentioned much on LT. Anyone here read them?
I will also be continuing The Feast of the Goat. This one will take me awhile but I do like his writing.

Linda- Looks like the Blackhawks are struggling. Must have been a frustrating game to watch.

Kerry- Good for you! I think Ness is a very talented writer. Was he a good speaker as well? Did he talk about upcoming projects?

Ellen- The reader or the monster? Hey, that could be a book title.

Morning Mark! You and Judy were right about A Monster Calls - I read it in one sitting. And I did cry. It was very, very good, so thanks for that!

Mark - Like the photo of the young lady, ahem, reading. Hope that you can get knocked off from work in time to enjoy an extended holiday weekend.

Hi Mark!

#193 - I typically read with my pants on, but I suppose everyone has a different system.

I'm hearing a lot about this A Monster Calls. Perhaps I should put it on the wishlist, even though it involves teenagers (I joke!...sort of).

Once Sold Tales Offers Book Grab Bags: currently offering $10, $12, $18 and $20 http://dlvr.it/3QLZBQ
Help a business leave with dignity. I've already spent...way too much. You should, too! It's books! What's not to love?

OK, my friend. All tech goes "dark" here any minute now, and then we'll be up and running again on Tuesday. I'll catch up with you from home. Hope you're enjoying this sunny if cool day.

Hi Mark, I just came from Mamie's thread where she is also giving a good report on A Monster Calls. I am not up to reading that one right now, but it is firmly on the future reading list for when I am ready, with a box of kleenex by my side, if Judy's review is any indication of how I need to prep myself for reading it.

I hope you have a wonderful long weekend!

It took me awhile to remember but the other thing about A Monster Calls is Siobhan Dowd. She wrote London Eye Mystery and three other titles. Monster was to have been her new book, but she died from breast cancer before she could write it. The publisher thought what was written of the book was very good and hired Patrick Ness to do the rewrite of the book. In the beginning of the copy I have there is a note about this and credit to Dowd. I checked it out today and will try to read it this weekend. I plan on sitting at the pool on Sunday and of course, Memorial Day, being a Yankee holiday, we do not have it off as a vacation day. I will be at work on Monday.

“Good people drink good beer.”

~ Hunter S. Thompson

^Bless his heart! I know his cremated remains were blasted out of a cannon but still...



^Like, Duh!

Mamie- Wow! I am so glad you enjoyed a Monster Calls. I hope I continue to bat a thousand. I would sure hate to disappoint you, my friend. Do I see Chaos Walking in your future?

Paul- That was a young lady reading? Wow, I didn't notice. I just saw a vibrant young person taking pleasure between the pages. I better start paying attention.

Kerri- "I typically read with my pants on." Thanks for my first big chuckle of the evening. Come on, I am sure there are a lot of LTers who read pantless! I am typing pantless....kidding of course.
And yes, read A Monster Calls. It's fast & wonderful.

RD- Thank you! I will check out the Book Grab Bags, pronto.

Joe- Whew, I am sure you are glad that is over. Are you home now? I wore a jacket all day but so what! Lots of sun and gorgeous blue sky!

Lori- Good to see you. As soon as you are in the right frame of mind: READ A Monster Calls. It's fantastic and truly one of a kind. I was also recently crazy about Liesl & Po. Have you read that one?

Mark! I finished The Reluctant Fundamentalist last night, and it will be in the mail to you soon :)

Yup, I'm at home now, Mark. Managed to conk out for a nap after an action-packed week, so I'm feeling better. Gotta work tomorrow a.m. but then we kick back. Going to the White Sox game with some friends tomorrow night.

Do you work tomorrow, or is your weekend underway?

>204 richardderus:: I just bought a grab bag!

Nope. Haven't read Liesl & Po yet, but I do have a hold placed for The Golem and the Jinni, which I placed after you posted about that one on your thread!

^ You know as much as I obsess about books, I only get this kind of itch once or twice a year and that's what I am currently feeling about A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I NEED to read this book. I have it requested and hope to get to it SOON. Anybody else with me on this one? HELLO?

Past "itchy" titles have been Matterhorn, The Last Werewolf & Gone Girl & Orphan Master's Son. And all these scratched that "special", hard to reach, itch.

Keep your special, hard to reach itches to yourself, sir! This is a family site ;-)

Is that the book mentioned recently on BOTNS?

Mark
I'm glad you liked A Monster Calls. And, by the way, I'm reading Liesl & Po and loving it. Thanks for the recommendation.

Benita- Sorry I missed you up there! I had never heard of Siobhan Dowd, until this book. Ness praises her work, so I will have to give her a try. Have you read her before? Have a great weekend.

Es- Thank you very much. I am looking forward to The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Passing on books and of course receiving them, is a wonderful thing. And yah, for grab bags!

Joe- I work tomorrow. Let's hope it's a light day and then I am off the next 2. Yah! Have a good time at the Sox game. Dress warm. It is supposed to remain chilly until early next week.

Lori- I am sure you will enjoy Liesl & Po, once you get to it. The Golem and the Jinni is also high on my WL.

Katie- LOL. These are strictly literary itches, nothing more! The family can still gather round. And yes, Ann & Michael both raved about Constellation, although I had been hearing buzz on it for a couple of weeks.

Linda- AMC was wonderful! My LT friends are rarely wrong. I knew you would love Liesl & Po. It's another keeper.



Good night, boys & girls!

>217 msf59:: You are welcome, sir. You are an inspiration to me, so I'm glad that I can pass on a book to you :)

#200: I found Patrick Ness to be one of the most engaging speakers I've come across. He talked to our own esteemed authoress Kate de Goldi who loved his work and asked the right sort of questions. With the high school students he was great too. His latest book is an adult novel based on a Japanese folktale that he's been a little obsessed with since he was young, The Crane Wife and he has another YA due out in September.

#207: Benita, re: the late Siobhan Dowd, it's a real shame that we have so few of her books. I loved her A swift pure cry and Bog Child.

Anyone listening to A monster calls must make sure to check out the illustrations that form an integral part of this book.

I guess I might jump on the A Monster Calls bandwagon if they have it at my library.

Mark, enjoy your weekend! I assume it will involve some consumption of beer and books.

Well, snot. I just had to request A Monster Calls based on your raves! It will be a while before my turn arrives since I'm #31 in line.

The Recommender ... It really fits!

204 ... Richard I just bought a grab bag! Lisa is asleep and just might kill me when she wakes up so that will be your fault! :)

“You are the same today that you’ll be five years from now except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.”

— Mac McMillan

Saturday has arrived! Whew. I do work today but then I am off until Tuesday. Looking forward to it. I wish it could all be R & R related but I'll take what I can get. I am enjoying my current reads, The Feast of the Goat, nineteen Seventy-Four & my GN, The New York Four.

Es- Aw, don't make me sniffle. You know I am a sensitive soul.

Kerry- Thanks for the Ness info. I'll have to keep an eye out for any appearances by him, in our area. Have you read anything else by him, beside AMC & the Chaos Walking books? I'll have to see if I can track down any Dowd books. I appreciate the recs.

Ellen- "I assume it will involve some consumption of beer and books." Me too! We have a busy house day tomorrow, lots of finishing touches, it's ridiculous. Yes, try to track down A Monster Calls. It's a short read, that packs a BIG punch.

Tina- You will not be disappointed in A Monster Calls. Hope the library turn-over is quick. It can be read in one or 2 sittings.

wow. almost missed a whole thread! Sorry Mark :(
I love the graphic in 217!

I too sneak to read at work.. not very often.. and only if there is nothing that needs done.
Not for long either.. but still..

I had to admit that I had a wee bit of a start when skimming and it seemed that everyone was going pant-less

Heh. I am so pleased to note that the grab-bag announcement has had such an impact! Now, Mark, since you're a huge offender against my need to whittle down the reading list, hie thee hence and order one, no two, heck make it three large grab bags to atone for your bibliosins.

Good morning, Mark! Hope it's a decent work day for you. It's going to be a chilly ball game tonight! We're going in layers. Should be fun anyway. And fireworks after. Go Sox!

I'm, as usual, utterly behind, but... 208 - love this far more than I probably should - it just feels right. Book Drunkard? that's me.

Alse #217 - One click? presuming that's a US thing? Otherwise I have that list down... But I don't like feeling non-bookaholic!

*found the movie Chicago on the TV*

*smiling*

Mark, I've got Ness's earlier work on my Mt tbr but haven't picked them up as yet and The Crane Wife sits on a pile of books that need to be read as well. Kate de Goldi raved about some of the stories in Topics About Which I Know Nothing so I'll probably start there.

“The thirst for knowledge is like a piece of ass you know you shouldn't chase; in the end, you chase it just the same.” — George Pelecanos



^I hope to read or listen to this one early next month. It's another whopper. I will not be wearing a mask or orange socks though.

Yah! I am home! Looking forward to 2 days off. Tomorrow will be spent working in the Man-Cave. We NEED to wrap this crap up. I am beyond tired of it.
I am continuing to enjoy The Feast of the Goat but I was disappointed in Nineteen Seventy-Four. Yuck!

Kath- Good to see you over here! No apologies necessary. Keeping up on threads is a mighty task. One I am very familiar with. And yes, I am not one of the pant-less.

RD- I am still considering a grab bag. My only hesitation is getting a bag of unknown books. I have a hard enough time reading the books I REALLY want to read.

Joe- I hope you guys keep warm down there tonight. Have a good time. At least they are playing better ball than the lowly Cubbies.

Bekka- Things can move fast & furious around here. I think we are a bevy of Book Drunkards. I think the "one click" option must refer to ordering e-books for e-readers.

Karen- I am glad all things Chicago remind you of me. LOL.

Kerry- I loved The Chaos Walking trilogy. You should give those a try. I have never heard of those other titles.

Mark - I have read The Chaos Walking Trilogy, and went on and read Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker which Ness said was part of his inspiration for the series, another being Peter Carey's The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith which I've still to read.

Mark, Hulu has all ten episodes of Longmire, Season 1 available this weekend. Season 2 starts Monday I believe.

Just stopping in to see what you're up to, and to make sure I don't fall too far behind here. I am about a third of the way through The Ghosts of Nagasaki and enjoying the ride. This one takes a bit to get into the rhythm of it, so I'm glad that I had both you and Joe to point the way.

Enjoy your days off, Mark. Looks like the Hawks will live to see another day and I can resume reading with a smile on my face.

Hey Mark, this turned up in Don's twitter feed so he passed it onto me. Thought you and the other LTers here would appreciate it: http://pinterest.com/ofallonlibrary/the-librarians-list/

In particular, I do like the "Do I really need a new book?" flowchart: http://pinterest.com/pin/184506915956811573/

Lovely sunny autumn day in Sydney today. So I'm inside, reading Harry Dresden. :)

Good morning! We have another busy day at the house planned, so I have to get some LT time in when I can. I really hope I can crack a book too! Nearly done with my second cup of coffee...

Kerry- Wow, you are a Ness devotee! Impressive. I will have to check out more of his work.

Roberta- Thanks for the Longmire info. Is Hulu free? I really should check out this series.

Mamie- I am glad you are enjoying the Ghosts of Nagasaki. It's a unique little book, that goes to some odd places but I was really struck by his writing.

Linda- That's the way we hoped and expected the Hawks would play. They still have a long, tough road ahead of them. Have a great Sunday. To bad it couldn't have been a bit warmer for the long weekend.

Wookie's back! Wookie's back! Thanks for the link. I'll check it out soon... I only made it to the 2nd Dresden book. Someday, I will return.

Hi, Marky-Mark! Have a great weekend. I hope you are able to make significant progress on that Man Cave so that you can again have a place where you are comfortable sitting and reading with no worries about "things left to do." I always have to put aside my mental list of To Do so that I can read and relax. Tricky.

Neither of the local libraries I frequent has the book enjoying the Ghosts of Nagasaki...Looks like my search will end at Barnes and Noble this afternoon when I purchase a copy.

Happy Sunday Mark!

55) Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver 4.6 stars

Liesl is a young girl, trapped in an attic room by a nasty stepmother. One night she is visited by a ghost named Po. A relationship blossoms, something they both desperately need to move forward in their unusual lives.
Will is a hapless and lonely, young apprentice, working for a wicked alchemist. He makes a serious mistake in one of his deliveries, setting him on a course that will change his life forever.
How these three meet, is how this lovely fairy-tale progresses. It’s filled with charm, excitement and old-fashioned adventure, that will leave you grinning and cheering this rag-tag trio on. There’s a bit Harry Potter, mixed with a healthy dose of Neil Gaiman. And Oliver’s prose sings:

“She liked that word: we. It sounded warm and open, like a hug.”

“People could push and pull at you, and poke you, and probe as deep as they could go. They could even tear you apart, bit by bit. But at the heart and root and soul of you, something would remain untouched.”

Okay, this is simple: Find a copy and read it! See, that wasn’t hard.

Mark

I heartedly agree with your review of Liesel and Po. It is a gem of a book! Thanks for recommending this. How did you find this one?

63) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness 4.7 stars

“The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.”

When we were growing up, I think we all thought about monsters. The ones in the shadows and the ones under our bed. Conor is thirteen and no exception. One night, he spots one outside his bedroom window. This is no ordinary monster. It has a special purpose. Conor is having a very difficult time in his life. His mother, the light of his life, is suffering from a serious illness.
This is a deeply heartfelt story, dealing with grief and loss. How a boy, already dealing with adolescence, bullies at school and divorced parents, has to come to terms with even bigger issues. It’s a beautiful tale, with a refreshing lack of goopy sentimentality. I can not recommend it higher but please keep a tissue box nearby. Yes, you will need it.



“Stories are the wildest things of all. Stories chase and bite and hunt.”

>241 msf59: No!

Not until you watch Longmire:



Katee Sackhoff. Interrogating a suspect. On Longmire. (Netflix has it too.)

Karen- I haven't seen your thread pop up on my home page, so I haven't been by. Yes, that's a sad excuse. Good to see you and yes, I hope we are on the final stretch of the Man-Cave mission. The wife just needs to order this darn carpet.

Linda- Clausen might be self-publishing The Ghosts of Nagasaki. I don't see it anywhere, either. He sent me a copy. I'll PM you.
In regards to Liesl & Po: "How did you find this one?" Where else? On LT! LOL. I can't remember who recommended it first but I will check.

RD- I didn't realize or had forgotten, that Katie Sackhoff is on Longmire. That is a great reason to watch the show. She plays one of his officer's right? Go Starbuck!!

Hulu is free. Hulu Plus is not free. They usually don't have the whole season available on Hulu but they must be promoting Longmire. Season one is all there right now. It only 10 episodes.

Nice reviews, Mark! I loved both of those books - thanks to you! And you can get the Clausen book from Amazon - it just became available in paperback. The Kindle edition is still just $.99, so a terrific deal.

Great reviews Mark! We loved the first season of Longmire and will be glued to the second. You will love it. I haven't read any of the books.

We're big Longmire fans, too, Mark. Comcast cable has been running a marathon of the first season, so we've revisited some of those.

Seems like good news that Ghosts of Nagasaki is now available on Amazon in paper, too. Very interesting to be involved with a book like this that hasn't been generally recognized and deserves a wider audience, isn't it?

Sox game was a good time, and the Hawks are still in the hunt, although they've given themselves a stormy sky to fly (working hard to make that metaphor match up!).

I finished the estimable Wizard of the Crow, and will try to review it later in the week when I get more in the clear.

Spending more of today on biz stuff than I'd like, but at least I'm out on our backyard deck looking at the attractive city garden Debbi created (with minor help from her work elves like me).

Been urging the warmth gods to get on with it. They've been slow but indications are positive.

I know I am late to the Life After Life party but while painting, I started the audio and listened to a nice introductory chunk. I love it. Such clean, lovely prose. I know I have a long long way to go but I have a strong feeling this is going to be as good as all my LT pals say it is. Atkinson kicks biblio-butt!

Okay, back to the toils...I'll be wrapping things up in a little while. My print books are calling...Marky...

I hope your toils on your, erm, man cave go well this weekend, Mark.
I have a copy of Liesl & Po from the library and might try to shoehorn it in soon....

^Amen, Alice!

Roberta- I now have the first 7 episodes of Longmire. (I can easily get the remaining ones too). I plan on trying to squeeze in the premiere tonight.

Mamie- That's great news about the Clausen book. Hooray. I think this guy needs to be read. I have a signed copy but I would gladly share, as long as I eventually got it back.

Bonnie- I'll have to set up my DVR to record the 2nd season of Longmire. That way I'll be ready when I wrap up season 1. I could use another quality show to watch.

Joe- Another Longmire fan,! Yah! Have you tried the books? I am so glad Clausen is now on Amazon. Sadly, his earlier books are out of print. This is a guy to keep an eye on and thanks to you, for turning me onto him. Sounds like you are enjoying your day.

Ellen- I am trying not to get to frustrated with the Man-Cave situation but we are getting very close. The wife needs to make a final decision on the carpet, so we can get that ordered.

Hey, the Cubbies finally broke their long losing streak!!

> 252 - Love it!!!! Now, that's a keeper!

Great reviews for both Liesl & Po and A Monster Calls, Mark. I hope you are having a fantastic weekend and have managed to have some down time for yourself.

LOVING the graphics... the moon and the Alice.. LOVE the Alice..

Mark, I hope you got lots done on your Man Cave today. There are a few books waiting in the wings for you... We are cooking out tomorrow and having family over so my reading time will be limited. I went overboard today and read almost 250 pages in NW. Zadie Smith does London very well, especially the down and out crowd. I hope you can do something fun tomorrow.

I still haven't made it to the Life after Life party. Sigh. I hope it won't be over by the time I get there.

Hi Mark! Catching up again :-)

Is Harriet Doerr dead? Cuz if so, I need to read Stones for Ibarra. My book tally on dead authors so far this year is a whopping 1 (one)! And I think I have that book already. Have been wanting to read it. But what a stupid reason for reading a book, ie, just cuz the author is no longer living! Allright. Let's just say there were a few comments on how great the book is and THAT is my reason!!!

You mean to say that Man Cave is still unfinished?

OK... I'm going to look up The Ghosts of Nagasaki.

Happy Day Off tomorrow! I guess that means I will not be getting any bills tomorrow ;-) YAY!

>203 DorsVenabili: (egad! I am so behind)
LOL- good one Kerri- my pants are usually on whilst reading too. Unless Im in the bath....*stop talking megan*

>230 msf59: I will not be wearing a mask or orange socks though.

Not a fan of orange sock? Why so?
:)

>241 msf59: ...young girl, trapped in an attic room by a nasty stepmother...
As a kid I loved these kinds of stories, I think young people feel they have a lack of control over their lives and can easily relate to the incarceration aspect of these kinds of stories. One to look out for!

>252 msf59: LOL! Hasn't she just. I love the understatement of this!

^As usual, I buckled under the Mighty LT Pressure and watched the 1st 2 episodes of Longmire. I like it. The 1st episode had elements from the first book but veered off from there. I really like the Australian actor that plays Walt. I love Katee Sackhoff. The only actor I need to warm up to, is Lou Diamond Phillips, playing Henry Standing Horse. I like Phillips as an actor but Henry is a big, stoic guy, with a touch of menace. We will see.

Mark I work tomorrow but I should be home in time to catch the Longmire premiere. Please let the hospital gods look on favor with me and let me get off my shift on time! I know I can record it but I love the old fashioned thrill of catching a show I enjoy in real time when I can. :)

Yes Lou Diamond is very skinny to be playing Henry! LOL!

Linda- Go Cubbies! Have you been attending many games?

Lori- Thanks! If you haven't read either book, definitely consider it. They are both quick reads. I have had a little down time today but I am to distracted to read much. hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Kath- Glad you like the Alice poster. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to share.

Donna- I did get some stuff done in the Man-Cave. Let's hope this wraps up soon. It feels like it is dragging on for ages, because IT IS! Have a great day tomorrow. I plan on relaxing a bit more too!

Katie- Glad to see I am not the very last one to the Life After Life party but I do suggest you track down a copy. Are you an Atkinson fan?

Claudia- Yes, Harriet Doerr died in 2010. She was 89. I just requested Stones for Ibarra and since it's a relatively short novel, I hope to get to it soon.
Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous but we are still putting final touches on the Man Cave and then the DW NEEDs to order this damn carpet. Sorry for the swear word.
The Ghosts of Nagasaki may not be for everyone but if you like that Murakami style it might work for you.

Megan- Glad you got caught up and I am glad you are wearing pants. Yes, I like orange socks, but on someone else, preferably female.
A Monster Calls is a Must Read and you gotta love Alice!

#252 - I like this one!

Perhaps I should check out this Longmire. I do appreciate Ms. Katee Sackhoff, and Joe is against re-watching BSG at this particular point in time.

The beer fest was fun. It was smallish and mostly local stuff. It's hard for me to remember particular beers that I liked. I really enjoyed the Half Acre Vallejo (even though it's names after a Ween song...and I've mentioned Ween twice in the past 30 minutes on LT, which is weird.) Anyway, it was certainly nothing like the Madison fest, but it was enjoyable.

Popping in to catch up! I love your most recent pictures!

Michael Myers reading NOS4A2 is hysterical and I'm a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan, so the Dorothy / Alice made me giggle!

The Dorothy/Alice image made me laugh right out loud!

>252 msf59:: Love that.

I read the first two Longmire novels and enjoyed them. I'd like to read more and will try to get a chance to see the show. Is it HBO (to which we do not have a subscription)?

What is "BSJ"? (Kerri's post # 265)

BSG = Battlestar Galactica.

I'm not sure if Longmire is being shown here. If it is, it'll probably be on pay tv (and I refuse to pay for tv). But Katee Sackhoff is worth tracking down, IMO.

Too many good books being mentioned here. You're not the first to recommend Liesl and Po to me, must look for a copy now...

Yes, today is a holiday and yes, most of us are off but why does it have to be damp and dreary all day? Boo, to that! Hey, we'll make the best of it. My daughter is in, so we plan to grill out, rain permitting, and knock back a few.

Kerri- I am not sure Longmire is your cuppa. I really like the Wyoming setting and these characters are worth spending time with it.
I haven't had any Half Acre in ages. And I haven't heard Ween mentioned in ages either. Have a great Memorial Day!

Tina- I am glad I put a smile on your face. Mission accomplished. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Linda- Glad you liked it! Simple & well-put.

Ellen- Longmire is on A & E, so that should be basic cable for most areas. I read/listened to the 1st 3 Longmires. It's one of my favorite current crime series books. Have you ever seen Battlestar Galactica? Good stuff.

Tania- Two visits! Two days! Yah! I am not sure how you could find Longmire there. Maybe they have it on DVD somewhere. And yes, Katee Sackhoff is always a joy to watch.

Hi Mark - Have a great day off.

I'm considering trying something else by Kate Atkinson because I liked her writing in Life after Life. I just found the story bleak and depressing. I have Case Histories on the TBR Someday list.

I didn't get very much reading in yesterday. Hopefully, I can remedy that today. I am getting close to the halfway point in the Feast of the Goat. Llosa is a hellava writer.

Beth- You enjoy the day too, thanks!

Morphy- Atkinson, might just not work for you but I still encourage you to give Case Histories a shot. It was my introduction into her work and I loved it.

Yup... another one I need to get to: The Feast of the Goat (patiently sitting on the shelf).

Good luck with the swift installation of your "damn carpet"! Must be a nice one to illicit such accolades - lol

Hope you have enough brightness for grilling. Happy Day Off!

Happy Memorial Day, Mark!

I think you'll warm up to Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry in the Longmire series, but he's not physically like the book's Henry, no question about it.

BTW, it's Becca's b-day, today. She and Debbi say hi! We've got her and Sherlock the mastermind today, with a bunch of her pals coming over later.

Hope you have a good, relaxing one today.

I suppose it would be cruel of me to mention that it's 70, sunny, and breezy here today. Plus the patio furniture is out. And the grill is set up for making salmon steaks later.

Wouldn't it?

Happy Memorial Day, Mark! Weather here is yucky so we're going downtown this afternoon to see the Star Trek movie in 3D. I hope you get some reading done.

Claudia- Sorry, I lost it there on the "damn carpet"! I am sure it will be a perfectly fine carpet...once it's ordered and installed. It's still pretty dreary out. I am not sure if we will grill or not. Hope the rest of your day goes well.

Joe- Give Becca a birthday hug for me! Have fun with the family. And I am glad to hear I will warm up to Lou Diamond. Wes Studi might have been a better pick, although he might be getting to old.

RD- Yes, you can be a cruel cruel man, my friend. I wish we could have got that kind of day here. Ooh, those salmon steaks sound awesome.

Ellen- Enjoy your day! I have heard nothing but good things about the new Star Trek. We hope to see it soon.

Attention! Attention! Grab your brats, your flags and your beverages and come on over to lucky #13:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/154656