Mamie's 2013 Madness (Page 11)

What is it about May that cries out for mischief? Daniel's criminal number here is actually the date, so sixteen years ago tomorrow, he and Rae were very busy with the markers. What I remember most about this photo is that we were just laughing seconds before, and then I said, "Now get serious. Criminals have to look sad for their mugshots!" And this is what I immediately got! (He was disappointed, however, that mugshots do not come with a souvenir mug.) Ladies, beware, he is now eighteen and as charming as ever!

Currently Reading

Currently Listening to


May (15 books)
53. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - reread
54. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker (3.75 stars)
55. The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4.5 stars)
56. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris - reread
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (5 stars)
57. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (5 stars)
58. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris - reread
59. Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C Gwynne (4.5 stars)
60. The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh (3.5 stars)
61. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris - reread
62. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris - reread
63. The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler (4.75 stars)
64. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (4.5 stars)
65. The Making of the African Queen by Katharine Hepburn (5 stars)
66. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris - reread
67. The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen (4.5 stars)

May Maybes:

Nonfiction:
Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne - (TIOLI #11/shared) - 2013 acquired ebook/audiobook - COMPLETED
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown - library hardback - I will start this later this month, but will probably not finish it this month

ER
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh- paperback - COMPLETED

Shared Reads
The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen - Mark and Chelle also reading - ebook purchased in 2013 - COMPLETED
The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa - Mark also reading - library book
Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon - Ellen to set up a GR - hardback ROOT - The GR Thread Reading
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - (TIOLI #3/shared) - paperback ROOT - reread

Murder and Mayhem
The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker - (TIOLI #12) - ebook purchased in 2013 - COMPLETED
Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson - ebook purchased in 2013 - Reading
Dracula by Bram Stoker - (TIOLI #6) - hardback ROOT and library audiobook - Listening
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - (TIOLI #6/shared) - paperback ROOT
The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler - (TIOLI #9) - paperback ROOT - COMPLETED
The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen - (TIOLI #9/shared) - paperback ROOT - COMPLETED

Sookie Stackhouse
The final Sookie book comes out this month, so I am starting the series over again at the beginning and reading straight through. It has been many years since I read the earlier ones, so I am looking forward to this complete indulgence.

Dead Until Dark - challenge #12 - COMPLETED
Living Dead in Dallas - challenge#10 - COMPLETED
Club Dead - challenge #9 - COMPLETED
Dead to the World - challenge #9 - COMPLETED
Dead as a Doornail - challenge #9 - COMPLETED
Definitely Dead - challenge #21 - COMPLETED

Dejah has placed the final book Dead Ever After in Challenge #19, which is where the rest of them will fit.

Hey, Wait a Minute... These Weren't On the Original List!
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - because Terri says to READ IT!!
Hemingway's Boat by Paul Hendrickson - out from the library - Reading
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver - Mark double dared me! - COMPLETED
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - recommended by Judy and Mark - library ebook - COMPLETED
The Making of the African Queen by Katherine Hepburn - recommended by Dejah, and seconded by Kathleen - COMPLETED

January (17 books)
1. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie (4.25 stars) - ebook - ROOT
2. Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson (4 stars) - paperback, library book
3. Alice in the Country of Hearts by QuinRose - paperback - ROOT
4. A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori - hardback, Abby's book
5. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (4 stars) - ebook - ROOT
6. Maus I by Art Spiegelman (4.5 stars) - paperback - ROOT
7. Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken (4 stars) - ebook - ROOT
8. In the Woods by Tana French (4.5 stars) - paperback, library book
9. Volt by Alan Heathcock (4 stars) - paperback, library book
10. Emma by Karou Mori (3 stars) - hardback, library book
11. Maus II by Art Spiegelman (4.5 stars) - paperback - ROOT
12. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (4 stars) - audiobook - ROOT
13. The Beggar's Opera by Peggy Blair (3.75 stars) - paperback, Early Reviewer book
14. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (4.5 stars) - paperback - ROOT
15. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (4 stars) - hardback - ROOT
16. Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (5 stars) - ebook - ROOT
17. The One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (5 stars) - this was a reread, I am leaving the previous rating that I assigned it in place - hardback - ROOT

February (10 books)
18. Before Midnight by Rex Stout (4 stars), paperback, library book
19. 420 Characters by Lou Beach (4 stars), hardback, library book
20. The Iron Duke by Maljean Brook (3 stars), paperback, library book
21. Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors (4.25 stars), paperback, ER book
22. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (4.25 stars), hardback purchased hot off the presses
23. A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia by Sarah Gordon (4 stars), paperback, library book
24. Soulless by Gail Carringer (3.5 stars), library ebook
25. The Pale Criminal by Phillip Kerr (3.5 stars) ebook, ROOT
26. Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel by Melissa de la Cruz (3.5 stars), hardback purchased in 2013
27. Pyongyang by Guy Delisle (3 stars), paperback, library book

March (12 books)
28. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (3.75 stars), paperback - ROOT
29. Twilight by Stephenie Meyers - reread (I know what you're thinking, but I like it)
30. Killing Floor by Lee Child (3.5 stars) - ebook - ROOT
31. Hamlet by William Shakespeare - reread (4.5 stars) - hardback - ROOT
32. The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes by Tess Uriza Holthe (4 stars) - hardback - library book
33. The Ladies of Mandrigyn by Barbara Hambly (4 stars) - ebook - 2013 acquired
34. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (4.25 stars) - ebook - ROOT
35. The Chardonnay Charade by Ellen Crosby (3.5 stars) - ebook - ROOT
36. The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby (3.5 stars) - ebook - 2013 acquired
37. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb (4 stars for sheer entertainment value) - ebook - 2013 acquired
38. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (3 stars) - ebook - ROOT
39. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel (5 stars)- hardback - 2013 acquired

April (13 books)
40. Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman (5 stars) - Thanks for the shove, Morphy!
41. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (4.25 stars)
42. Round Mountain by Castle Freeman, Jr. (3.75 stars)
43. The Searchers by Alan LeMay (4.25 stars)
44. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (4.5 stars)
45. A Man Without Breath by Phillip Kerr (4.3 stars)
46. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (3.75 stars)
47. Ashfall by Mike Mullin (4 stars)
48. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (4 stars)
49. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (4 stars)
50. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (5 stars)
51. Howards End by E. M. Forster (4.5 stars)
52. Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World by Sabina Berman

2013 Stats (I shamelessly stole this from Cee!)



Total Books Read: 67

ROOTs books (off my own bookshelves): 31 counted/ 1 reread not counted

Fiction: 59
Non-Fiction: 8

Male authors: 28
Female authors: 39

US authors: 45
Authors from other countries: 22

Living Authors: 53
Dead Authors: 14

Medium:
Hardback: 13
Paperback: 24
ebook: 26
audiobook: 4

Books Purchased in 2013:

January
1. Sandman, Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
2. Dog Stars by Peter Heller
3. Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus
4. The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
5. Nightbirds on Nantucket by Joan Aiken
6. In the Woods by Tana French - read it this year, but I loved it so much that I wanted my own copy
7. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
8. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie - collecting these covers
9. Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie - collecting these covers
10. The Clocks by Agatha Christie - collecting these covers
11. Third Girl by Agatha Christie - collecting these covers
12. The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch
13. The Likeness by Tana French - the book store had the hardcopy edition on sale for $6, how can I resist that?
14. Raylan by Elmore Leonard - Craig and I will both read this
15. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - I read this on Kindle last year, but wanted a physical copy of it
16. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory - book store had this on sale for $3, recommended by Chéli
17. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough - I read this forever ago and loved it, today I found a lovely edition with deckled edge pages, enough said!
18. Old Filth by Jane Gardam - my very first Europa edition!
19. The New Moon With the Old by Dodie Smith
20. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
21. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin - I read this on Kindle, but wanted a physical copy of it for my shelves
22. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
23. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
24. A Feast of Crows by George R. R. Martin
25. A Dance of Dragons by George R. R. Martin

February
26. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer READ
27. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
28. Vampire Empire by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
29. Faithful Place by Tana French
30. Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers (Kindle Daily Deal)
31. The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill - the latest Dr. Siri!
32. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - deckled edge pages!
33. The Cider House Rules by John Irving - Kindle Daily Deal
34. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel READ
35. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
36. Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer
37. Still Life With Murder by P. B Ryan (Kindle Daily Deal)
38. Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel by Melissa de la Cruz READ
39. The Ladies of Mandrigyn by Barbara Hambly (Kindle Daily Deal) READ

March
40. West With the Night by Beryl Markham (Kindle Daily Deal)
41. Made in the USA by Billie Letts - bookstore had this hardback on sale for $6
42. Die Trying by Lee Child
43. The Searchers by Alan Le May READ
44. The Witches of Wenshar by Barbara Hambly
45. Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly (Kindle Daily Deal)
46. The Poet by Michael Connelly
47. Blood Work by Michael Connelly
48. The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby READ
49. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
50. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
51. Ashfall by Mike Mullin - because Judy and Dejah assure me it is good! READ
52. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb - who can resist this title? And Dejah says it's good! READ

April
53. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold - READ
54. The Radleys by Matt Haig
55. Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard
56. Bandits by Elmore Leonard
57. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
58. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
59. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
60. The Green Mile by Stephen King
61. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons - because of Roberta's lovely review and because it comes in a Penguin deluxe classic edition with deckled edge pages
62. Valdez is Coming by Elmore Leonard
63. Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard
64. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker - this is Joe's fault READ
65. Blood Kin by Henry Chappell - because Richard begged so prettily and used puppy dog eyes
66. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson
67. The Watchman by Robert Crais - Kindle Daily Deal
68. Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara - Penguin Deluxe Classic Edition

May
69. The Map of the Sky by Félix J. Palma - Kindle Daily Deal
70. The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann
71. God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker - also Joe's fault!
72. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - Kindle Daily Deal
73. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood - free on Kindle, recommended by Dejah
74. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
75. The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri
76. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
77. The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré
78. The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen
79. Call for the Dead by John le Carré
80. A Murder of Quality by John le Carré
81. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré
82. The Looking Glass War by John le Carré
83. Smiley's People by John le Carré
84. The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carré
85. The Naíve and Sentimental Lover by John le Carré
86. A Perfect Spy by John le Carré
87. Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carré
88. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver - bought the ebook and added the professional narration for a few bucks more READ
89. Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne - bought the ebook and added the professional narration for a few bucks more
90. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown - bought the ebook and added the professional narration for a few bucks more
91. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward - hardcover with deckled edge pages on sale for $3
92. City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte
93. Lord of the Flies by William Golding - replacing my sad mass market paperback with a trade paperback with deckled edge pages
94. Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist by Tim Federle
95. Close Range by Annie Proulx
96. The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway
97. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey - Kindle Deal ($1.99)
98. Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey - Kindle Daily Deal ($.99)
99. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - read it this month, but wanted my own copy, added the audiobook for $3.49
100. Heaven's Prisoners by James Lee Burke - Kindle Daily Deal ($.99)
101. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Kindle Daily Deal (1.99)
102. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - Kindle Daily Deal (1.99)
103. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway - Kindle Daily Deal (1.99)
104. The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories by Ernest Hemingway - Kindle Daily Deal (1.99)
105. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Kindle Daily Deal ($1.99)

An idea stolen from Heather (souloftherose), who borrowed it from Liz (lyzard): ongoing series that I am actively reading. This doesn't include series where I have the first book in my TBR pile (i.e. series I haven't started reading yet aren't included). An asterisk (*) indicates a series where I already have a copy of the next book. A pointing finger (☛) indicates a series where I am waiting for the next book to be released.

1. African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe: Next Up: Arrow of God (3/3)

2. *Charley Davidson by Darynda Jones: Next Up: Third Grave Dead Ahead (3/4)

3. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache by Louise Penny: Next Up: A Fatal Grace (2/8)

4. *Commissario Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri: Next Up: The Snack Thief (3/15)

5. * Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: Next Up: Days of Blood and Starlight (2/3)

6. *Divergent by Veronica Roth: Next Up: Insurgent (2/3)

7. *Dr. Siri Paiboun by Colin Cotterill: Next up: Slash and Burn (8/9) - Richard's fault!

8. *Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French: Next Up: The Likeness (2/4) - Dee's fault!

9. Duncan Kincaid/ Gemma James by Deborah Crombie:Next Up: Kissed a Sad Goodbye (6/15)

10. * Dust Lands by Moira Young: Next Up: Rebel Heart (2/3) - Mark and Chelle's fault!

11. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan: Next Up: The Dead tossed Waves (2/3)

12. *Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly: Next Up: The Narrows (10/18)

13. *Harry Hole by Jo Nesbo: Next Up: The Snowman (7/9)

14. ☛ The Ibis Trilogy by Amitav Ghosh: Next Up: ? (3/3) - Judy's fault!

15. *In Death by J. D. Robb: Next Up: Glory in Death (2/44) - Joe's fault!

16. *Inspector Sejer by Karin Fossum: Next Up: He Who Fears the Wolf (2/9)

17. Jack Taylor by Ken Bruen: Next Up: The Dramatist (4/9) - also Mark's fault!

18. *James Bond by Ian Fleming: Next Up: Live and Let Die (2/14)

19. *Jackson Brodie by Kate Atkinson: Next Up: One Good Turn (2/4) - Stasia's fault!

20. *Kenzie and Gennaro by Dennis Lehane: Next Up: Sacred (3/6)

21. *Lady Julia Gray by Deanna Raybourn: Next Up: The Dark Enquiry (5/5)

22. ☛ Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Next Up: Cress (3/4)

23. MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood: Next Up: The Year of the Flood (2/3) - Mark's fault!

24. *Matched by Ally Condie: Next Up: Crossed (2/3)

25. *Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larrson: Next Up: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (3/3)

26. *Philip Marlowe by Raymond Chandler: Next Up: Trouble is My Business (6/8)

27. *Raylan Givens by Elmore Leonard: Next Up: Raylan (3/3)

28. *Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris: Next Up: Dead in the Family (9/12)

29. *Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin: Next Up: Clash of Swords (2/5)

30. *Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker: Next Up: God Save the Child (2/39) - this is Joe's fault!

31. Temperance Brennan by Kathy Reichs: Next Up: Grave Secrets (5/15)

32. Vish Puri by Tarquin Hall: Next Up: The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing (2/3)

33. *Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold: Next Up: Barrayar: (2/16) - also Joe's fault! Also Richard's fault!

34. *Walt Longmire by Craig Johnson: Up Next: Another Man's Moccasins (4/8) - blaming this on Mark!

35. Wine Country Mysteries by Ellen Crosby: Next Up: The Riesling Retribution (4/6)

36. ☛Wolf Hall Trilogy by Hilary Mantel: Next up: ? (3/3)

Series that I am reading out of order:

37. Bernie Gunther by Phillip Kerr (2/9)
38. Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout (2/47) - Julia's fault!

Because I am completely insane, I am also trying to complete a pyramid challenge for the Lucky 13 Challenge, so I will picking my possible reads each month so that I can also fit them into the pyramid that Abby (my 16 year old daughter) and I created. We used a game show theme, and here are the categories we came up with:

The Categories:

1. Truth or Consequences - nonfiction (1/1)
2. What's My Line? - biographies and memoirs (0/2)
3. Beat the Clock - time travel (0/3)
4. Let's Make a Deal - I agree to read four Manga books and Abby agrees to read four mysteries - we are each trying a genre new to us that is a favorite of the other. (3/4)
5. Name That Tune - books set in or about Georgia, our new home state (3/5)
6. Treasure Hunt - graphic novels (4/6)
7. Hollywood Squares - books made into movies (5/7)
8. Queen For a Day - historical fiction (2/8)
9. Joker's Wild - right now it is anything goes, but Abby and I will each choose our own category for this (2/9)
10. The Price is Right - books found on sale, at a used book store, or borrowed from the library (6/10)
11. Match Game - books in a series (11/11)
12. Press Your Luck - authors new to each of us (12/12)
13. Pyramid - books published in 2013 (4/13)

You can find our Lucky 13 Challenge thread here: Crazymamie's Lucky 13

First!?!?

ETA- wahoo! I AM first :-) why this is important, I do not know...

Always a bridesmaid never a bride. *pouts*

LOL! Katie, you are indeed first!! I always get excited about it, too!

Morphy - Maybe next time.

Hi, Mamie! Great new thread you have here.

Hi Mamie, I see how you are planning to read all the great books you hear about here - read 6 at a time! I usually have two ongoing and occasionally add a third, but six - Crazy!

Daniel was (is) adorable and I am glad to hear it was just markers, I was afraid he had been in some sort of terrible accident.

I love that photo!

What a great photo of your littlest criminal ;)
I should get some plaques ready for my little mischief makers. Lenny is fond of the baking drawer, and I have caught him just in time a few times now with fists full of flour.

Wilby once got the Jif (cream cleanser for bathrooms) out of the shopping in the car and "drew" all over the driveway and lawn - using the whole container! Thats was the first and last time I bought some, I usually use baking soda for the bathroom, and now consider this the best option. ;)

Mamie darling, my dear soiled dove, pal-o-mine and all-around evilhearted bad example: Because of YOU and your May purchases listed, I went baNANas at the University of California half-price members sale.

You owe me $135. Or you can just sign this little marriage contract for Birdy and my grandson Quinn.

Nice new thread, GF! *glitter*

Hi Mamie- Love the new thread! And I love the Daniel photo. Is that priceless or what? Perfect for M & M. I am nearly done with the Ghosts of Nagasaki. I really like it. A little trippy at times but no question Clausen is a talent. Did you start it?

How sweet Mamie, you have a Daniel Craig of your own! Much better looking than Bond, James Bond.

I loved your thoughts on Mother's Day Mamie, back on the last thread. We call it a Hallmark Holiday, here in our house. At least I think that's who made it up. That Daniel must have been quite a character. Love that picture and the story that goes with it.

Happy new thread, dearest Mamie!!

Love the thread topper -- so cute! And your Birdy story from last thread is priceless! You could write a book! :)

Hi Terri! Thanks!

Judy - I know! I am completely out of control! luckily, I am almost finished with Empire of the Summer Moon. And the Sookie books are rereads. And yes - just markers. He has broken his nose (um, basketball) and his jaw (rode his bike into a tree), but I would never post photos of that!

Thanks, Lisa!!

Megan - I have the profile pic, too! We have all these photos of Rae when she was little, and it looks like she has been in the chocolate, but really it's dirt! She was fascinated by dirt and would taste it if left alone with the house plants, which is why we had to put all the plants outdoors or up high. I'm glad you explained what the Jif was because I would have been thinking peanut butter! I LOVE those moments!

Richard - LOL! I know that I am completely out of control for May - 22 books and the month is only 14 days old. And there WILL be more - I can feel it! Perhaps we should wait and settle up at the end of the month because I plan on adding more books to that list...

Es - Thank you! The glitter really brightens up the place!

Mark - Thank you! Don't tell Judy, but I did dip into the beginning of it last night just to get a feel for it. I like it so far.

Lynda - All of our kids have a first name that is their own and a middle name that is named after someone. I am a HUGE fan of the other Daniel Craig, but I do think mine is more handsome! When he was checking out some books at the library the other day, the young lady behind the counter took his card and then said, "Oh, just like Bond!"

Bonnie - Thank you so much! I really want for my kids not to be held hostage by holidays - it's what you do on the ordinary days that speak to who you are. Daniel was and still is quite the character. He has a sense of humor that very much mirrors my own, and a love of all things quirky. He also has a generous heart and a gentle spirit, so he understands that if not everyone is laughing, then it isn't funny. He has always been comfortable in his own skin, which I think is a gift. Some people search their whole lives for that, so to start out with it is a kind of blessing. I know I didn't have that kind of quiet confidence at such a young age.

Tina - Thank you! So glad you liked both the thread topper and the Birdy story - I do try to write these things that make me laugh out loud or that tickle me down, so that when I am no longer here to tell them, they can read it in my handwriting and remember how much delight they brought me. Every day is a journey, and every journey is an adventure.

Ha! I LOVE the thread topper!

Guess what I got today.

Dead Ever After.

Yup. More Mamie-inspired book-buying madness. Yup yup.

Ellen - Hello there, sister! Glad the thread topper gave you a laugh!

Richard - WahHOO! I'm in favor of any Mamie-inspired-madness!! I am dying to read through your Sookie reviews, but I am saving them! You know your reviews are like candy to me!

The thread topper is another marvel. I can't say much about books - I've read quite a few Chabons but not C&K and I'm interested in Hemingway after reading The Paris Wife but swamped. I will await your reports on both eagerly.

Oh, Mamie. Your little people (now growing up) are so precious. That thread topper is sweet. At first, I thought Dan had been in real trouble and was hurt. So, I was relieved to see it was magic markers ;-)

And, btw, how do you know your kids "didn't ask to be born"?
I think they chose wisely :-D

If your DH ever figures out what is causing his heartburn, please let me know. I am struggling with same - but NOT giving up anything (yet). I'm almost convinced it's part of the aging process.
I do think you have a very valid point, ie you can't give everything up at once. It might, however, be the quickest way to relief.

Oh dear... missed a new beginning... oh well...
Adorable ohiti! How funny to take a mugshot.'

LOng day today... sleepy... but glad I found you before I logged off...
tomorrow is almost Friday!

hooray!

My experience with heartburn is aging + sugar + fats = frequent heartburn. But I think it all was started by having to take medications daily.

That aside, I hope your week is fine. Mine took a decidedly unfortunate turn yesterday when I discovered a leak under my kitchen sink. Sigh

I'm picking a few moments here and there to read and that makes me happy despite all.

Good morning, Mamie dear.

What a darling photo of Daniel, Mamie, even if it's his first criminal mugshot. Your children's future partners are all going to be so thankful that you guys took so many wonderful photos of your kids. These are just priceless. A friend of mine was disappointed that his wife's parents only took staged portrait photos of them when they were kids and teenagers. They didn't like candid shots. Now that he's a fairly new dad, he's eschewed the studio and has gone snap-wild with his camera and phone-camera with his twins.

It's Friday! I LOVE Fridays! Although really, yesterday was actually quite lovely, and Wednesday was charming...

Book #59: The Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne (4.5 stars)
Fits into Category I: Truth or Consequences - nonfiction

For those of you who were doubtful that I would ever finish Empire of the Summer Moon, you can relax, it's in the bag. I gave it 4.5 stars and already I am thinking that maybe I need to bump that up because very few books have ever had me rereading the chapters before I have finished with the book. It is very well done and filled with so many amazing facts. It is not just about Quanah Parker or the rise and fall of the Comanche Nation, it is about how the Texas Rangers got their start, about the evolution of the Colt revolver, about how we are doomed to repeat the past over and over again if we cannot learn from it. Originally, I had this book out from the library, but it became more than a book for me; it became a journey. It would not let me read it quickly or take it lightly; it has depths that beg to be explored and passages that cry out to be pondered. I ended up buying the ebook version because then I could also buy the audiobook for just a few dollars more, and this, for me, became the perfect way to explore this book.

"Few historians would argue that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which a defeated Mexican republic signed on February 2, 1848, in the wake of the lopsided war, was as momentous an event in American history as the signing, seventeen years later, of the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. Yet in its own way it was quite as definitive. Appomattox stitched the nation back together....But Guadalupe Hidalgo created the physical nation itself. Before the treaty the American West consisted of the old Louisiana Purchase lands that rose in ladderlike fashion from the mouth of the Mississippi, climbed the courses of the Missouri, and touched the rocky, fog-shrouded shores of the Northwest. It was a tentative, partial fulfillment of the national myth. Guadalupe Hidalgo, in which Mexico gave up its claims north of the Rio Grande, made the dream suddenly, and completely, real. It added the old Spanish lands that lay, enormous and sun-drenched, athwart the Southwest. They included the modern states of Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, California, and Nevada. There was Texas, too, in a sense, though it had been subsumed in 1845. U.S. annexation of Texas was what the war with Mexico was about, and the American victory settled the question forever. In all, the United States of America acquired 1.2 million square miles of real estate, an instant 66 percent increase in its total landmass. In the terms of land gained, on a percentage basis, it was as though France had acquired Germany. Thus was the nation entirely recast. Its singularity of purpose, its raw and conquistador-like desires to possess and dominate all lands it touched and to dispossess or destroy all of its aboriginal peoples, its burgeoning will to power could now stretch, untrammeled, from sea to shining sea. It was manifest destiny made manifest."

I chose the above passage to represent the book because it speaks to everything that amazed me about the narrative of this incredible piece of nonfiction. It is beautifully and eloquently written. It takes what could be confusing and dry sets of statistics and makes them accessible and interesting. It sets the story that it tells firmly within parameters that are well defined and clearly explained. And it gives you the big picture while also delivering the smaller ones that make the story stunning and personal. It is a book worthy of your time if you are at all interested in the subject matter.

Wowza Mamie, I will have to get to The Empire of the Summer Moon one of these days.

The library has sent me my ebook copy of The Godwulf Manuscript. Guess what I will be reading this weekend! LOL, I am drowning in library books right now. They finally have In the Woods audio ready too. :)

Did I ever mention I have monkey brain? The library and LT are in a conspiracy to keep me in that state.

Hey Roberta! I think you will have a lot of fun with The Godwulf Manuscript - I love that smart talking Spenser: "She was as lean and hard as a canoe paddle, and nearly as sexy."

"I am drowning in library books right now." - That always happens to me, too! They all come in at the same time! LOL! I also have monkey brain - I think it is a daily common condition around here!

Time for elevenses. Blueberry blintzes okay?

Catching up with all my lovely visitors:

Lucy - Thank you! I am really liking both books - the Chabon and Hemingway's Boat. With the latter I am quite enjoying the journey. I like how the narrative takes brief jaunts off in different directions and explores more than just Hemingway and the boat. For example, when it is relating the story of how Hemingway came to order the boat, it then explains the history of the company that crafted the vessel. I love all these tidbits of interesting info. I am having fun dipping into it a bit each day.

Cee - Thank you! And I love your thoughts on kids asking to be born! I will be sure to report back to you on Craig's investigation and attempts to conquer his heartburn! And his thoughts on giving everything up at once mirror your comments - he wants relief. Once he has everything calmed down, he says, he will slowly add things back in to see what causes trouble and what does not. So see, you are so very wise - you got it before I did!

Kathleen - You didn't miss a new beginning - here you are! We have several of those mugshot photos at various points in their lives, and I always took both the front view and the profile! So fun! I'm glad you found me, too! Hugs to you, sis, the week is practically over!

Karen - Craig is on new medication for high blood pressure, and he wonders if that might be a big part of the problem. I think you have a good equation there! Did you get that leak fixed? I hate stuff like that - usually a small problem but it makes a big mess! Hope you found those quiet moments to squeeze your reading into!

Richard - LOVE that! I missed you yesterday - I am behind on the threads again. It was so lovely out that I spent the entire day reading outside - didn't even make dinner, just ordered carryout which Craig picked up. Then after dinner, we all went for a night swim. Delightful!

Caro - Thank you! He was an adorable criminal, wasn't he?! We have just the opposite in photos - hardly any studio or posed stuff. The few professional poses we have of them are ones that were done for the church directories. I love candid shots - they capture personality and moments and humor. All the stuff of memory. Life is mostly made up of what we don't sit up and pose for, thank goodness.

Well mamie, another great western read is now behind us, I finished Empire of the Summer Moon today as well. What a great read.

BTW, the book that Richard recommended, Blood Kin by Henry Chappell has arrived and now I am trying to figure out when I am going to fit it in.

I'm so far behind with everyone on LT that I'm only going to try to read the current threads. If I read back through all of yours I'm sure I could find out how the pool is doing but maybe if I just ask you'll tell me :-) ?

Excellent review of The Empire of the Summer Moon. This book has been on my radar for about a year now :) I even gave it to my friend for a birthday gift simply based on the rave reviews on LT. I myself was on a count down for the weekend at work on Friday from as soon as I arrived... and I haven't let it go to waste as I've just read a book from start to finish - lovely :)

Good review, scary things reviews. As tempting as lays potato chips or york patties !

Judy - You were much faster about it than I! It was an amazing read. I am wanting to read Blood Kin in June - do you have room for it there? It would be fun to do a shared read.

Reba! Reba!! How very lovely to see you, you world traveler! I am happy to give you the dirt on the pool - it's finished! The fence is up, and we passed our inspection. All we have left is the landscaping, which Craig is doing himself, so that will take shape throughout the summer. Here's a few pics that I posted on prior threads:







Lisa - Thank you! I am laughing abut you giving a copy of it to someone before reading it yourself - I have done that, too! Now I'm dying to know what book you just read from start to finish! What was it?

Kathleen - I know just what you mean, and I agree with you completely!!

Book #60: The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh (3.5 stars)
Fits into Category XIII: Pyramid - books published in 2013

Frances Irvine has been raised in a life of privilege, but at nineteen her father dies suddenly, leaving behind a bankrupted estate that leaves Frances with few choices. She decides that the least horrible choice is to marry someone that she does not love - Edwin Matthews. She feels that he has taken advantage of the situation by proposing again, even though she had previously turned him down. Now she must make her way to the Southern Cape of Africa where Edwin is waiting, and where together they will make a life that will be very different from anything that Frances has ever known.

"Panic made her skin crawl. She pulled her hand out from under the sheets and looked at its whiteness in the dark, reassuring herself that she was still there, as a ship might fix its coordinates on a star. What does a person become when they have nothing left to hold on to?"

I really wanted to love this book. It's supposed to be a sweeping saga set in Africa in the 1880s. It's supposed to be a page-turner. Although the writing is lovely, and the descriptions and setting are fabulous, the story fell flat for me. The main problem was the predictability - I felt like I always knew exactly what was going to happen next. The second problem was the main character - I didn't like her for the most part; she was selfish and lazy and while I felt sorry that as a woman she did not have more choices, she certainly made a mess of the few choices that she did have. I do think that this author has promise. I would gladly try something else by her, but this is her very first book, so I will have to wait.

I shall pass upon the fever tree, and thanks for the warning! Happy Saturn's Day, Cuddles McHugBug.

Good idea, Richard. I don't think it's for you. I do think you might like Liesl and Po - every bit as charming as The One Hundred and One Dalmatians. *smooch for you, dear one*

Comic book. Nope.

It's not s comic book.

It has a few illustrations here and there throughout the book which is why it has an illustrator. It's a lovely 336 page novel -written for children, but no angst or romance, just a lovely thoughtful story. I am telling you that it is just as wonderful as The One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

See?

I was completely under the wrong impression, I see. Looks like the illos are quite pretty, too.

Damn.

No, I've decided it's a comic book, so I don't have to add it to the TBRs. And nothing you can ever say or do in all of history to come will change my mind. Not one thing. Nope.

*trudges off to Amazon to buy the damn thing*

Reading Lisel and Po now. Trying to anyway.... Trying to keep up with Lisa's niece & nephew makes reading nearly impossible!

Lol at Richard! Hope you love it. I'm enchanted already.

24... You are an amazing mother Mamie! One day your children will be so pleased that you took the time to write down these gems for them!!

I hope you are having a lovely Saturday, Mamie. Yes, I can fit Blood Kin in for June and will look forward to the shared read. It should fit my Adventure Category nicely.

Richard - Oh goody good good!

Tina - Laughing! How old are Lisa's niece and nephew? And it is enchanting - that's s lovely way to put it! I am keeping it to read out loud to my grandkids - if I don't get any, then I will have to adopt some just so that I can read them this book! And thank you - you say the sweetest things!

Judy - I have lost your thread! I need to go to the thread book to find you! It has rained most of the day here, but luckily I had a few books on hand to while away the time. And hooray for a shared read in June - fun, fun, FUN!

Hi Mamie, well you will be laughing even longer when I tell you that the friend, who is a very dear friend in which I considered her library as mine and mine is hers... until she left the country to wander around Asia semi permanently. She was in Burma (italicized because I'm not sure I would even be willing to visit her there - scary!!) but is now in Vietnam. I am now her fairy bookmother as I bought her a kindle before she left and now gift her books electronically.

The book was Maisie Dobbs. Not much in the way of mystery (which it's supposed tro be?) but a wonderful historical fiction set around WW1 in England. Think tea, toast and slippers :)

Ah. Empire of the Summer Moon, so good :)

Popping in to leave a mess of typos and a "love your photos" comment.

Speaking of photos, Amy is getting a professional photographer here for my birthday. If we were neighbors, as i'm sure we're meant to be, i would just have her hire you lovely and talented daughter...whose photos would surely be more beautiful and more fun.....

>Not much in the way of mystery (which it's supposed tro be?) but a wonderful historical fiction set around WW1 in England. Think tea, toast and slippers

Fabulous way to describe Maisie Dobbs!

Lisa - That is a fabulous story! What an excellent gift you gave her that allows you to still share your love of books! I don't think I would want to visit Burma in person, either, but last year I read a lovely little book entitled Finding George Orwell in Burma and that is a lovely way to visit. And I adore your description of Maisie Dobbs! I have not read any of those, but I love the cover art - I might have to dip into one just because of your description.

Megan - Yes!

Kathleen - Thank you. I LOVE your post! "If we were neighbors, as i'm sure we're meant to be..." What a lovely thought! If we were neighbors, Abby would do it for free because you would be one of her very favorite people. Hugs to you, sis!

Morphy - Happy Sunday Morning to you! I loved that description, too!

Good Sunday Morning to you!

I am so glad to have read a description of Maisie Dobbs here. I knew this author was one I wanted to check out but I continue to forget just why I wanted to read her. Ha. Now I know.

I am busy busy busy trying to reduce my worldly possessions so that if and when a little studio apartment becomes available for me, I can just move right in. I think I am going to start this morning with a scale drawing of the floor plan and scale pieces of furniture so I can decide which furniture to sell, and which to keep. It is so much fun to plan for a new future home, as you well know.

Good Morning, Karen! I think I will give Maisie Dobbs a try, too. They sound like good books to tuck in between heavier reads - I am always looking for books like that. And what an excellent plan for preparing to eventually downsize - we got rid of a ton of stuff before we made the move to Georgia, and it was so freeing. I haven't missed one thing, and it was so great not to have to find space for all of it in the new house. Now I need to do that twice more, and I should have about the right amount of stuff!

Empire of the Summer Moon is going on the WL with a resound thwack! Great review.

Pool and landscaping pics look great. We have the same composter!

Thank you, Lucy! You will love Empire of the Summer Moon, I think. And twin composters!! We inherited ours - the previous owners left the composter and the container gardens. We have jalapeños and green onions growing, thanks to them. Craig planted the rest of the stuff - broccoli, cabbage, herbs, tomatoes - heirloom and cherry, butter lettuce, etc. The growing season is so different down here - we already have broccoli and some cherry tomatoes!

Perfect word for Sunday pass-throughs!

*practicing my wafture*

I LOVE that, Richard! Especially since it features Superman - Dan's favorite hero.

*wafturing back*

And I would pay her anyway, because she would deserve to be paid for helping us to make memories in beautiful ways. She has such an eye for what is really important, I wish she would be the one .

I am getting antsy for more Sookie. She is addicting!

Hope your weekend id turning out to bell all kinds of good

Hi Mamie- GREAT review of Empire of the Summer Moon. You definitely got to the heart of it and I love that quote. I am curious to see what Gwynne does next. He could be another Timothy Egan.
Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Hi there Mamie, wonderful review of Empire of the Summer Moon. I picked up a copy after Mark was raving about it so I could read it anytime and I think I will.

It was 80 degrees here today and that pool of yours looks awfully tempting. I'd like to dive right in. *sigh*

Hi Mamie,
I've been on a mini-vacation, so I'm way behind, but it looks like your new pool is getting some good use.
Very nice review of Empire of the Summer Moon which is already on my bloated wish list.
I hope you have a wonderful week!

Good Monday Morning, Everyone! The weekend is over, but it was a productive one - for reading, anyway. I finished The Fever Tree, which was not as good as I had hoped it would be, and reread two Sookie books. This brings me to the sixth entry in the Sookie series, Definitely Dead. I had forgotten just how much fun theses early books are and have been enjoying revisiting them. I am also continuing to work on Kavalier and Clay, Hemingway's Boat, and Dracula. I have added another mystery to my current lineup - Another Man's Moccasins, which is the fourth book in the Walt Longmire series. I love these books set in Wyoming and featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire and his cast of quirky sidekicks. A lot of fun to be had with these character driven mysteries; I encourage you to dip into the first one if you had not yet tried this series.

Kathleen - You are so sweet! I am getting ready to dip into the sixth Sookie - I am so glad that you are liking these books. They are a great escape, I think! She is indeed addicting! And my weekend was all kinds of good, thank you!

Mark - Thank you! I would definitely read something else by Gwynne. I am amazed at how much he squeezed into that book, and yet I did not feel overloaded with facts or statistics. So interesting, and I learned a lot! My weekend was wonderful, thanks. SOunds like yours was too, except for the raccoons!

Bonnie - Thank you so much! You will love it when you get to it. We spent most of Sunday in the pool - it was 91 and humid here, so it was the perfect retreat. It will not be lonely this summer, that's for sure!

Ellen - Mini-vacation sounds good! You needed that! The new pool has been very busy and is not lacking for company! Thank you for your compliment on my review - it's a wonderful book that I know you will enjoy when you get to it. Gwynne does an excellent job of presenting both sides of the story. And thank you for your good wishes for my week - those always work, so I know my week will be lovely!

Wow 75 posts and, laggard that I am, only now get to join in. Whole week pretty much floundering.
Love the opener and glad that Daniel get his share of the limelight albeit sheepishly.
Also really pleased that Empire of the Summer Moon touched the same spots with you as it did with me. Great stuff.

Fresh scones with Bright Cow brand (not making that up, google it) clotted cream and strawberry preserves. Happy Monday!

Hi Paul! Week floundering? Last week or this week? I hope not both! Glad you liked the opener! And trust me, as the only boy, Daniel gets plenty of limelight! Empire of the Summer Moon was indeed great stuff - I am so glad that I purchased my own copy. Next up in my non-fiction reads will be Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - have you read that one?

Richard - HelLO, Darling!! Those look absolutely fabulous! YUM! What a lovely and delicious start my Monday is off to! Thank you, dear! *smooch*

Absolutely gorgeous pool, Mamie. I'm sure many happy memories will be created there. We put together a porch swing with a canopy this week end. I'll spend much time out there reading this summer...and will dip my toes in the kiddy pool when I get hot! We also have the lake in back but I wouldn't dip my toes in there for anything. Too much algae and too many snapping turtles.

I finished The Godwulf Manuscript. I think I'm going to like these breezy books. My plan is to read one a month for the rest of this year so I can get on track with the 5-year plan. We'll see how it goes. At least the next one is available at the local library.

Have a wonderful week!

I just finished the first Spenser book too. It was great. I am encouraged by Donna's due diligence to the 5 year plan that my monkey brain had already forgotten. My library has the second book so I think I will get it next month too.

Happy Monday Mamie!

Hi Mamie, I will pass on The Fever Tree, too. Thanks for reading it for me : ). I LOVE Daniel's mug shot at the top of your thread, LOL.

Read Dee Brown's opus twice (a rarity for me). Interestingly I read A Crimsoned Prairie recently and the writer did not think very much of the accuracy of some of Ms. Brown's work but it is eminently readable for sure.

Hey Donna! Thank you for your lovely pool compliments! Your porch swing sounds divine - I love to read outside and have already spent many hours on the deck and poolside reading. And good thinking about the lake!!

I thought you would like The Godwulf Manuscript! That Spenser has such a smart mouth, how could you possibly resist?! One a month for the rest of the year is a good solid plan - I think I'll join you in that endeavor. You have a wonderful week, too!

Roberta - Hooray for a successful sojourn into the Spenser books! Looks like you and Donna and I are in for a lot of laughs and a lot of fun with this series. I already own the second one, so I am ready for next month! Look at us taking the 5-year plan seriously!! Happy Monday to you!

Nancy - Yes, good thinking! It's too bad because I love books set in Africa, but no, just no for this one. AT least it was free. So glad you loved Daniel's mugshot!!

Paul - I thought that you probably had read it already. Interesting note about the author of A Crimsoned Prairie - I have not heard of that one. Will have to look into it.

:-) Two book bullets!

* The Empire of the Summer Moon
* Liesl and Po

It seems I am involuntarily (but happily) learning much more about 19th century US history in books I have been reading the last few years - Civil War, expansion, Indians, etc. So, that Empire of the Summer Moon fits right in about now. I know we covered the main events in school - but I am finally beginning to understand the real impact they have made. This, of course, makes me want to know more.
2 more for the WL - Thanks, Mamie.

Oh Hooray, Cee!! They are both excellent! "I know we covered the main events in school - but I am finally beginning to understand the real impact they have made. This, of course, makes me want to know more. " So true! That's exactly how I feel about it. The older I get, the more fascinated I am by history and the more I want to learn.

And you are so welcome!

Hey Mamie! Boy, I can't take my eye off you for a second (ok, it's really been more than a week) wihout you starting a new thread!

I have lots of down time while running lights for Hotel Paradiso so I've been reading on my new Kindle. Since I do need to pay some attention I've mostly been picking book with which I'm already familiar, so I'm almost caught up with you on the Sookie series reread. I'm doing a terrible job getting through the rest of the books I was thinking of reading this month, though.

I've got Empire of the Summer Moon out from the library, but I don't know when I'm going to get to it. I will eventually, though!

Just swinging by to say hello to our resident crazy and daydream of joining her poolside, dabbling my feet in the pool while munching on pecans.

So yesterday I was looking over my list of what I wanted to read this month, what I had been hoping to get to, and I saw the Raymond Chandler book. And I thought to myself, "Why am I not reading the Chandler book? I LOVE Raymond Chandler. I ADORE Philip Marlowe." Then I picked it up off of the shelf, and I opened it up, and I fell in.

Dejah - I keep waiting until you turn your back just for a moment, and then I start one! LOL! It's funny how some of my threads move really quickly and others seem to meander. I love both kinds! I predict that you will fall head over heels in love with your new Kindle - so convenient for toting the books and for having just the right book with you when you are uncertain what you will be wanting to read. I still love the feel, the smell, the incredible beauty of real books, but the Kindle is a nice extension of my reading experience - especially for those doorstopper books or for when my tendonitis is acting up. And I love being able to purchase the next book in the series at 2am, when I have just finished reading the previous one! I am about halfway through the sixth Sookie book, and I am loving the journey of revisiting these books, reading them back to back. I have never read any of the short stories, though, and I am thinking I might like to dip into them while the storyline of the books is still fresh in my mind. I hope that you love Empire of the Summer Moon when you get to it - a fabulous piece of truth beautifully delivered.

Morphy - Your post made me smile! I would love to have you join us - you are always welcome at our house, dear! And what a beautiful picture your sentence paints!

You should definitely add in the short stories, Mamie - I've read almost all of them. A Touch of Dead has most of the early ones and the later ones tend to be spread across the themed anthologies that Harris edited. Reading them as they fall into the Southern Vampires timeline is entertaining - in fact I just picked up A Touch of Dead from the library so I could do just that!

I do like the Kindle - it's saved me during the rehearsals and run of Hotel Paradiso. We're back up again tonight, so I'll be back to Sookie - Dead as a Doornail is coming up!

Hi Dejah! Good to know about A Touch of Dead - I will request it. Have fun at rehearsal!

*Back to add that the library just down the street has it, so I can pick it up today!

Hi Mamie! This is my Wednesday giftie to you:

Richard! I LOVE that!! Thank you. THANK YOU!!

Stopping by to say Hi! I've been catching up on threads for a while now, but am mostly still lurking..

And I love being able to purchase the next book in the series at 2am, when I have just finished reading the previous one!
I love being able to purchase books when I am at the hairdresser's. I always bring a book, but when I am sitting there waiting with the color on my head I often find that what I brought just doesn't fit my mood anymore, so I buy something new. I own one of those old-fashioned Kindles with keyboard, but it has the free 3G, and while I never miss the real internet when I am away from home, I love to use the 3G for book shopping.

The pool is finished and you already have pool weather - how wonderful!!

Oh, that "In Caffeine We Trust" is PRICELESS! No training-coffee in this house either. Happy Wednesday, Mamie : ).

Nathalie!! How lovely to see you here!! I have that same Kindle - I love to use the keyboard to add notes to my highlights. I also have the Kindle Fire HD (recent purchase), which I love for reading at night when Craig is sleeping and for downloading audiobooks from the library, and I am quickly becoming addicted to the reading immersion thing where you can switch back and forth between the audiobook and the ebook or listen to the book while following along in the ebook. Kinda scary how addictive that is - I love it for non-fiction reads! And yes, love the free 3G on the Kindle keyboard - I use that all the time!

Our pool is getting quite the workout - this week it has been in the high 80s, low 90s (F), so it has been a welcome addition to our home.

Nancy - LOL! Craig has just given up coffee for the moment, so I have the pot all to myself! *does the happy dance*

Mamie, I had to stop by and tell you that you are an evil, Evil, EVIL woman. I saw those Carr's ginger lemon creme cookies at the store this weekend and remembered you raving about them. So I picked up a box and Oh.My.God. I'm divorcing my husband and marrying the cookies! So good! Thanks (I think) for that excellent non-book recommendation :)

Hi Katie! I know, right?! So absolutely delicious!! Those are my very favorite store bought cookies. I'm so happy to have corrupted enticed you!



*for those of you who do not know about the cookies, these are what we are talking about, and they are sensational!

They're scrumptious. I like my Newman's Own Ginger-O's a little better because there are more in the package and they're even crunchier. I don't like soft cookies.

Hi Mamie - I was reading/skimming message #97 and only read the second part of the last sentence and was a little surprised to find (I thought) that you were keeping all the cannabis in the house for yourself. Funny, I didn't think that you were that kind of girl at all, but then I went back and actually read the whole thing and it suddenly made a lot more sense.

If Mamie is bogarting the cannabis, there will be Consequences.

Just sayin'

Richard - I will have to try Newman's Own Ginger-O's, just to be fair to the cookies. I like crunchy cookies, too!

Charlotte - LOL!! The COFFEE pot. The container that holds the freshly brewed coffee.

Richard - I am definitely a sharing kind of girl. That being said, there is no pot in the house - try Ellen's; it's legal there!

Everyone in the house loves sweets. If I buy any kind of sweet it is usually gone before I can say boo. I am quite happy to report that I am the only one in the house who likes ginger. Those Carr lemon ginger cookies are ALL mine! Survival of the fattest fittest!

I have to try both Carr's and Paul Newman's, and conduct a taste test. Maybe several tests, to be sure.

Hi there, Mamie! Your pool looks absolutely lovely, and I hope it gives you all much enjoyment.

Great review of Empire of the Summer Moon. You got me with this line:
very few books have ever had me rereading the chapters before I have finished with the book.

The cookie discussion is making me hungry.

Roberta - That is a bit of a bonus in our house, too. Abby does not like anything ginger, and Rae doesn't like these cookies, so at least I have eliminated two of the usual suspects! It also helps to hide the box!

Joe - An excellent idea! A taste test - well, several in order to arrive at the fairest possible decision!

Terri - Thank you! We are just back from an afternoon of lunch out and shopping, and we are now headed out to cool down in the pool - it's 90F here right now! Glad you liked the review of Empire of the Summer Moon - and yes, I was fascinated by some of the things that I learned and ended up reading several of the chapters more than once. And I also kept saying, "Would you listen to this..." Everyone here is probably relieved that I have finished the book! Hope you love it when you get to it. The cookies are fabulous - you should try them if you haven't sampled any of them before. So yummy!

Forgot to mention that part of our shopping included the bookstore, so here is what I purchased:

Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist by Tim Federle
The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway - touchstone pulls up everything BUT this book, will have to figure out later
Close Range by Annie Proulx

*Edited to fix the touchstone

>77 richardderus:: Scones and clotted cream and jam. My favorite!!!

Hi Mamie!
I'll be right over for a dip in that pool and a cocktail from your new book!

Hi Mamie- Just checking in. I just cracked The Feast of the Goat. I am only a few pages in but can tell this is going to be another gem. I know I just got done being a book bully with Liesl & Po but I have to start raving about A Monster Calls, which is quickly shaping up to be just as good. How did we ever manage without our LT pals, huh?

Hi Ellen! I love scones, too! The pool is ready whenever you are, and I'll get busy reading through that cocktail book to find something delightful!

Mark - I have Feast of the Goat sitting here waiting for me, but I have not started it yet. Good to hear that you are liking it so far! And I actually have A Monster Calls right here, too! How's that for fast?! I just caught up over on Judy's thread and after reading her review of it I added it to my WL. Checked the library and they had it available for instant download, so it is loaded on my Kindle and waiting for me. I'm going to try to squeeze it in this month. Speaking of this month, where did it go?

Mamie- A Monster Calls is only 4 hours on audio, so it has to be a quick read. I just picked up the print book from the library because I heard it included illustrations. Have you read Ness before? Yes, it's been a crazy book reading month and I LOVE it!

Ahhh cananis.I miss you so. Coffee is fabulous Bhutan herbalists are very special in their own way. Sigh

I'm immersed in Sookie land and sorting out the house. Getting ready for the gist from my kids. Not sure how I keep being dragged away from the fun stgf... like LT. Someday I maycatch up.

Then I picked it up off of the shelf, and I opened it up, and I fell in.
I love it when that happens!

>111 Crazymamie: Patrick Ness, author of A Monster Calls is/was? at the Auckland readers and writers fest recently, I think Kerry saw him talk. I love love loved that book, I hope you enjoy.

Mark - Judy said it was a quick read, so I figured that I could squeeze it in if I tried. I have not read Ness before, but I have his Chaos Walking trilogy waiting on the shelves. I love crazy reading months, too! I just can't believe that it's the 23rd already - this month is FLYING!

Kathleen - I am missing you. It has been a weird sort of week, and it doesn't feel like Thursday to me. Not sure what day it does feel like, though. The good news is that tomorrow is definitely Friday! So thrilled that you are immersed in Sookie. Yesterday I blinked, and then the day was gone. At least it was a very good day. And I know what you mean about not knowing how you keep getting puled from the things that you want to do - like LT. I am SO far behind here - only caught up with my own thread. Hopefully today I can catch up on some others. I have given up all hope of ever truly catching up here. LOL! Hugs to you, sis!

Megan - I love when that happens to! Something about Chandler's writing appeals to me so strongly. He is one of my very favorite writers, and I wish that he could have written more. His tight twisty plots and Marlowe's dry cynical humor make a perfect combination, and while other authors sometimes remind me of him, his writing was his alone.

So glad to hear that you loved A Monster Calls so much - now I am looking even more forward to reading it!

Morning Mamie- Just a quick check-in, before I head off to the salt mines. I hope A monster Calls leads you straight to the Chaos Walking trilogy. Those were a lot of fun. Have a great day.

Morning Mark! I was just over on your thread! Hope work goes smoothly and quickly today. I am looking forward to the Chaos Walking trilogy - picked it up in a Kindle deal last year but have yet to get to it. I will have a great day - just because you said so! You have a great day, too, my friend!

Morning Mamie! Lots of delicious and calorie free goodies on your thread.

The Garden of Eden by Hemingway? I haven't heard of that one, I'll look around for it and well as Tequila Mockingbird - sounds intoxicating :0}

Hi Lynda! SO funny - I just came from your thread! I can't believe that I spaced your Read Along - I feel terrible! I hadn't heard of The Garden of Eden (the touchstone only works if you leave the article "the" out of the title), either. I saw it at the bookstore, and according to the back cover, this was his "last uncompleted novel". Here's what it says:

"A sensational bestseller when it appeared in 1986, The Garden of Eden is the last uncompleted novel of Ernest Hemingway, which he worked on intermittently from 1946 until his death in 1961. Set on the Côte d'Azur in the 1920s, it is the story of a young American writer, David Bourne, his glamorous wife, Catherine, and the dangerous, erotic game they play when when they fall in love with the same woman. 'A lean, sensuous narrative...taut, chic, and strangely contemporary,' The Garden of Eden represents vintage Hemingway, the master 'doing what nobody did better' (R. Z. Sheppard, Time)."

I was intrigues because I had never heard of it before and also because my very favorite Hemingway is A Moveable Feast, which was written late in his life. I thought I might like something else that he wrote during that period.

Tequila Mockingbird was irrestible!

I like lemon cookies but ginger not so much. Ah well. How about some of those chocolate covered pecans?

Hi Morphy! Abby does not care for ginger either. We can get you those chocolate covered pecans, no problem. I always have those on hand!

I love ginger ale! Not so much ginger snaps.. but I do love lemon.. chocolate covered pecans sound yum!

OHhhh...I love ginger ale, too! With a wedge of lime...

I love the ginger - but not the lemon. I may have to taste test them both, though. My favorite ginger cookies are Moravian Ginger Cookies made and sold by a group of (you guessed it ) Moravians in Winston-Salem NC. Wow, they're good, but pricey. I need to figure out how to make those things.....

Hey Dejah! I don't love lemon everything, but I do like the lemon creme in those cookies. Such a nice balance of flavors. And Moravian ginger cookies...*drool*

Oh ow, chocolate covered pecans. Ow ow.

There is a type of local maple cookie that I can't even begin to describe. So I will spare you all. Maybe I'll take a picture of a box, probably empty because it doesn't stay full for long!

Hello Lucy! Oh, maple! There are these maple cookies that are in the cookie aisle at Publix and they call to me every time I go in there. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to try them. And yes, a picture of the box please.

LOL! Going to the market today, Richard. I promise to pick up a box of those.

Huge fan of ginger, huge fan of pecans, huge fan of chocolate, huge fan of ale (ginger or otherwise), huge fan of Mamie.



These are more to my liking that Richard's oft flaunted Newman cookies

Awww, you say the sweetest things, Paul! I am back from the market with both the maple cookies that I mentioned previously and Richard's Ginger-Os. I have not seen the ones that you posted - I will keep my eyes out!

GINGER THINS *swoon* o evil evil evil geordie I had forgotten ginger thins *slobber*

Mamie me lurve, I know you don't read my reviews, but this one's different:

I got a review in a new-to-me and really cool blog:
My newly calm spirit has mused aloud about the beauty of A DIFFERENT KIND OF LUXURY, and the charm of its contents, at The Small Press Book Review.

Some books are perfect marriages of form and content. This is one. It's simply lovely and quite a luxe little item all by itself.

Hi Mamie, looks like things are popping over here. How did you know that I am taking a break and looking for something to munch on. I'll have to try one of those yummy ginger cookies, thank you.

Great to see all the love for A Monster Calls, I better go on the hunt for his Chaos Walking trilogy.

I am reading such a good western right now. Butcher's Crossing by John Williams, originally published in 1960. Beautiful prose, great characters, an absolute classic!

Pecan pie muffins that are, like, totally completely outrageously good.

Richard, you are such a NUT! You know that your reviews are like candy to me!! I ALWAYS read them. I promise to check it out right after dinner. And thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU for the recipe! I am going to make those this weekend!

Judy - There are always munchies at my house. Always. Usually they are not healthy. I have not yet started A Monster Calls, but I know that if you and Mark are both telling me that it is good, then IT IS GOOD! I snagged the trilogy when it was a Kindle deal last year(?), I think. I know it was a deal, I just am not sure when I picked it up. And sounds like I need to check out that western you're reading!

I'm another fan of A Monster Calls. I just finished the audio. The narrator is just exactly right for the book. Loved it!

Mamie- I loved A Monster Calls. Don't let the title fool you, this is a deeply emotional story. Question- Do your kids read a lot of the same books that you are reading, especially the younger adult stuff?

Carol- Jason Issacs did a fantastic job with the audio. He should do it more and I think he would be perfect for the Jackson Brodie books, since he played him in the BBC show.

Carol - So good to know! I am excited to get to it, and I always love hearing about really good audiobooks.

Mark - Yes, the kids read a lot of the same YA that I do - and vice versa. For example, recently I read Ashfall because it was recommended here - it's a well done survival story that seemed like something Daniel would love, so I recommended it to him. He loved it and has also read the next one, Ashen Winter, which he thought was even better. We all read Blood Red Road after you and Chelle recommended it to me and then I recommended it to them. Abby and I read a lot of the same books because she also likes the older stuff like The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice. Last year I read The Lord of the Rings because they were Daniel's favorite books, and this year I handed him Game of Thrones, which I know he will love. We each have our own libraries and our own bookshelves, and we swap around a lot - some books we have all loved like Divergent and The Hunger Games. They read a lot more Manga and graphic novels than I do, and I read a lot more mysteries than they do, but the shared love of reading is a fabulous thing.

Ah jeeze - just what I need! Recommendations for all these goodies. *sigh* Those muffins look sinfully yummy, RD. And the ginger lemon cookies - oooooooooooh

Mamie, you reminded me I have the Chaos Walking trilogy on my Kindle, too. That's the one problem I have with my Kindle. I keep forgetting what I have on there! Someday I'm going to take it on vacation (just my Kindle and me) for a real treat!

I want those muffins, too, Cee! I know just what you mean about the Kindle - I tackled that problem by creating a category on there just for books that need to be read. Then when I am thinking about what I might want to read for the month, I check there to see if any of them sound like what I am in the mood for - and I do love the Kindle for vacations, although with moving we haven't taken any lately!

Lovely pictures of Pecan Paridoso, Mamie! ( at least I think it's Pecan Parisdoso). I must confess that I am not a fan of ginger, but my husband is crazy about it! At Christmas time he loves a box of chocolate covered candied ginger ( ugh0 and for years now he has cut up raw ginger and poured boiled water over it, and has ginger tea each eyeing! Ugh! But he does share your taste in books - at least he has read the whole series of Craig Johnson over the past month and I see that you are currently reading Another Man's Moccasins. I think two more books in the series are due out this summer. Dave will be keen about that.

I've looked at the Fever Tree and passed it by - glad to read that I was right to pass it by!

Try them, Cee, you will never be the same muffin again. Mamie, of course, well we know about Mamie.

For those of you who are interested in reading Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, it is the Kindle Daily Deal today - just $2.99.

Deb - Thank you! Your husband is crazier about ginger than I am! I do not think I could drink that ginger tea - YIKES! The Craig Johnson books are wonderful - the characters and the setting are so fun. And good call on Fever Tree - I was so disappointed.

Richard - YOu crack me up! *smooch*

*smooch*

Memorial Day idea: Make the day brighter for a soldier overseas!

Thanks for the tip, Mamie. I just grabbed Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee!

So late last night I dipped in to the pages of A Monster Calls. It was short, Judy said, a quick read. It will make you cry, Mark said. They were both right. I read the book in one sitting and set it aside at 1:15 this morning. The illustrations are every bit as beautiful as the writing. I will be thinking about this one for a long time because cancer is no stranger to me. My sister is a cancer survivor and my Dad is not. There are places in me that are still raw, and this book touched those places. How do we deal with things that we cannot possibly understand, with things that are so big that they make us feel small? What can we do with our strength when we have no power?

This story is not about cancer; it is about grief. It is about anger. It is about grasping the truth with both hands and wielding it even when we know that we cannot slay the dragon.



There is a Monster that comes walking when it is called, and somehow thirteen year old Conor has summoned it.

"'You're just a tree,' Conor said, and there was no other way he could think about it. Even though it walked and talked, even though it was bigger than his house and could swallow him in one bite, the monster was still, at the end of the day, just a yew tree. Conor could even see more berries growing from the branches at its elbows. And you have worse things to be frightened of, said the monster, but it was not a question."

The Monster will tell Conor three separate stories on three separate nights, but then Conor must tell the Monster his story, and it must be true. "Not just any truth. Your truth."

Richard - What a wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing it! *smooch back*

Katie - Excellent! You're welcome!

Wonderful review, Mamie! Well-chosen illos, too.

Ooof, I don't know if I can handle A Monster Calls right now. I'm not usually skittish about such things but due to some recent family drama, I've been picking at the proverbial scab that covers my mom's passing and all related "issues" inside my head. I know what you mean about those "still raw" places... Still, the book sounds compelling, so we'll see.

On a brighter note - yay for long weekends and favorite used bookstores having giant sales! I know how I'll be spending my next few days :) ETA: and it's pay day so double bonus!

Richard - Thank you!

Katie - It's a truly moving and eloquent book, and it handles grief and anger so brilliantly. Still, I know just what you mean - it will be there when you are ready to tackle it. So worth the time, but now might not be the right time.

The funny thing about the long weekend is that we just realized that this was Memorial Day weekend yesterday! So weird because we used to live in Indiana, and in Indiana, May is all about the Indy 500, and so there is no way that Memorial Day weekend can sneak up on you!! Craig has the weekend and Monday off, so I am excited!

*And HOORAY for pay day!!

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?

I have given up even trying to keep up with your zippidy fast thread Mamie. ;-) Love the reading you have been doing and loved the pictures you posted of your pool area.

Wonderful review of A Monster Calls, Mamie! Like Katie, I am not up to reading that on right now, but it is firmly on the future reading list for when I am ready, with a box of kleenex by my side.

I will close off by wishing you and your family a lovely long weekend!

Richard - I do not know how you find all this stuff! You da man!! "I've already spent...way too much. You should, too! " LOL! Are you trying to corrupt me? *It's working!*

Lori - Lovely to see you! No need to keep up - popping straight to the bottom is absolutely fine! A Monster Calls will definitely wait for you - hope it speaks to you when the time is right. Thank you for your kind wishes - wishing you the same!

Mamie- I am so glad you enjoyed A Monster Calls. I LOVED your thoughts and images. Spreading the joy, is what we do so well around here. Ness really took it up a notch on this one!

Ditto on the thoughts and images, Mamie. I've moved that one way up the tbr.

This A Monster Calls is really beckoning me. I have it on my PBS wishlist, but I might have to ask for it for my birthday next month :)

I like the long weekend, too, and the pay day, also, and I'm participating in the Read-A-Thing which gives me permission to do nothing but read for lots of the hours in front of me. There is also some other stuff, of course, but I won't write my list here on your thread. I have an iPhone for that.

Have a great weekend.

Hello

It's been awhile since I visited here. There is so much to catch up with.
I love the photo and story of Daniel, and the pool looks ever so lovely.

Chocolate covered pecans.

*swoons*

I have had A Monster Calls on the shelf for quite a while. I really must get around to it. I hope you have a great weekend, Mamie.

And another Monster calls......have a lovely weekend Mamie.

Looks like a party here!

I know I have been a lax visitor lately sis... sorry. I have been kicked offline 3 times in the last 20 minutes.. trying to set up a new thread.. sigh. I keep promising to catch up... maybe I should stop that and just cross my fingers...

Passing through with a wave and a smile! :) (...and I saw all the cookie pictures above... so now I'm craving ginger cookies... thanks a lot! LOL)

Ooooh yay, you loved A Monster Calls- arent the illustrations amazing.
Great synopsis!
And I love the ginger biscuits that keep popping up on the threads. It is a wonderful combination....ginger + anything!

Wonderful review of A Monster Calls Mamie. Looks like it's one that has a great impact on a lot of LTers. And I am definitely looking for the Carr's Ginger Lemon Creams. I know Wegman's will have them.

Mark - Thank you so much! It was so well done - thanks for the push on this one!

Joe - Thank you! I think you will really like it, and the illustrations are amazing.

Es - When is your birthday? Mine is in June, too!

Karen - You made me smile! Nothing but reading for lots of hours sounds like a perfect plan. And you are always welcome to list anything here that you like! I always love hearing what you are up to!

Linda! Lovely to see you, dear! Thanks so much for your kind words and for dropping in. Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous!

Ellen - Grab a seat by the pool, and I'll bring you some!

Rhian! How ARE you? Yes, pull it down off the shelf. It's a quick read that will touch your heart. Thank you for your kind wishes. Wishing for you a lovely weekend as well.

Paul - LOL! I don't think so, dear! Thank you for your good wishes - may your weekend be relaxing and full of fabulous!

Kathleen - I love a good party that I don't have to leave home for!! Sorry to hear about your internet woes - I hate when that happens. I am not patient with technology that doesn't work. No need for apologies here - I am always happy to see you and appreciate your visits! No need to keep up - you can always just start over. That's perfectly fine with me. Life happens. Hugs for you, sis!

Faith! Faith!! Good to see you here! I'm waving and smiling back! Sorry about the ginger cookie craving. Lucy brought up ginger cookies over on Richard's thread, and now we are all obsessed!

Megan - Yes! I loved the illustrations and thought they were perfect for the tone of the book. And thank you! And another fan of ginger! WahHOO!

Bonnie - Thank you so much! And yes, hunt down those Carr's Ginger Lemon Cremes- they are so fabulous!

Mwah ha ha

LOL! See what you started?!

You and rd had me drooling over cookies on Amazon, LOL.
Is it big breakfast day?

Morning Sis! Those cookie images are powerful things, huh?! LOL! Doughnuts today. The kids wanted doughnuts, so that's what we've got - and Danish.

Morning Mamie- Glad you are enjoying The Ghosts of Nagasaki. I hope that enjoyment continues. I really like The Feast of the goat. His writing is great but it's a book you have to take your time with. I am just at 200 pages and I don't think I'll get much reading in today. Sad Mark.

Happy Sunday at Chez Mamie! Reading day for me. Just swinging by to say "hi".

Morning Sad Mark! The Ghosts of Nagasaki is a trip! It takes a bit to get into it, but I really like the writing. So funny that the main character talks about all the authors that he admires, and that is exactly what the writing reminds me of - some Fitzgerald here, some Hemingway there, liberal sprinklings of Murakami...

Good luck on your Man Cave work - may you finish very, very soon.

Morning Karen - Chez Mamie! I LIKE that! Reading day for me, too. And thanks for swinging by!

Good Morning!

It is a lovely day here in NE PA. The sun is bright, the air is crisp and I'm heading North to visit the small town where I spent the first years of my life. I'll also visit my grammy's graveside and say a prayer of thanks for the wonderful impact she's had on my life.

I hope your day is lovely!

Morning Linda! That sounds like a lovely plan for the day! It's going to be gorgeous here as well, but definitely not crisp. It's 60F already and heading to 90 today, so I am guessing our pool will get a workout! I am planning on reading as much as possible, preferably outside and making up a batch of Craig's favorite biscotti. Thank you for your good wishes - I hope your day is full of delight.

Morning Richard! Yes, please! Coffee!

SO glad Craig has given it up instead of making you drink loser coffee...that's just unconscionable.

Donuts sound good! I'm not hungry yet, after last night's debauch. Hamburglers, french fries, strawberry rhubarb pie. Oh, and Storm Surges.

Life is good.

So I just checked out the Kindle Daily Deal for today, and it's a good one. They are offering the following classics for just $!.99:

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories by Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway

Several of these I already own, but I snagged Tender is the Night. Cry, the Beloved Country, A Farewell to Arms, and The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories.

*edited to fix a touchstone

I want last night's debauch!! And YES - hooray for no more Loser coffee!! Life IS good!

Wow! Great Kindle book haul! You go girl. Have you read the Irving title? It's one of my favorites. I have been awful about keeping up with my mini-reviews but I did knock out a couple this morning and I know both of the books, you loved.

Mark - That's just the list of books available for the Daily Deal. I do own the Irving book (it was a daily deal back in February, so I bought it then), though I have not read it yet. Actually, I have not read any Irving - is that a good place to start?

Good morning, Mamie! I just saw the KDD - I snagged Gone with the Wind, The Thorn Birds, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I've read all of them but it was years ago, and I thought I might like to revisit them.

Have a lovely Sunday! It's grey and drizzly here, so I'm not sure what we are going to do. The hubs got home last night from his trip so he gets to decide. I may mention the sale at the bookstore I want to visit. And I may mention brunch. And maybe a movie. But it's totally his decision!

I love both Gone WIth the Wind and The Thorn Birds, and I NEED to finish A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I like having old favorites on Kindle because then I can revisit them whenever - I like to do that on vacation, not that we've taken any recently!

I think the hubs should go with your plan - sounds like a perfect one to me!

My favorite Irving is the World According to Garp, so I suggest that but see no reason why you couldn't kick off with Cider House.

Oh, what fun books! Gone with the Wind, The Thorn Birds and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn are all classics that I really enjoyed.

Okay, good to know! Now I'll come check out your reviews!

I agree with Mark - my favorite only Irving is The World According to Garp, but it's fantastic. The movie is great too!

I thought it was a fun list, too, Morphy! I was just telling Rae that I thought she would like The Thorn Birds. We all read Gone With the WInd together, and I still have to finish up A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I started last year but never finished. I had been really wanting to read Cry, the Beloved Country, so this was a greta way to snag a copy.

I'll start with that then, when I get to Irving. Thanks, Katie!

I agree with Katie, the Garp film is a under-appreciated classic. What a fantastic cast too.

Making a note of that - you know how I LOVE the movies!!

And the school scenes in Garp were filmed at my high school, so that's fun. For me. Probably not for anyone else, so never mind!

LOL! You crack me up, Katie! That is so cool that your high school is featured!

Glad Ghosts of Nagasaki is hitting the spot, Mamie. Hope you're having a great holiday weekend!

Hey Joe! I am liking it very much now that I have settled into the rhythm of it. And the weekend has been fabulous so far - we are just lazing around, reading and hanging out.

Poy-fect - sounds like my favorite kind of weekend.

I have read quite a bit of Irving. You just can't go wrong....
I am missing ( waiting for the arrival of) the next Sookie.. and I have others here, but not the next one. Grrr

Mamie! Somehow in my LT sabbatical I lost you and missed TWO WHOLE THREADS!!!! I can only imagine all the mischief and mayhem you have been getting up to in my absence. (For example, I see you are now blaming me for your Nero Wolfe series reading, which I am happy to take the blame/credit for.) I will try very hard not to lose you again. I missed my regular Mamie doses!

Howdy Mamie!

Goodness but your thread keeps jumping! Earlier today I picked up GWTW for my Kindle - I've read it many, many times, but as you say, who knows when I'll want to revisit it?

The weather has been gorgeous! I hope you and the family are having a wonderful holiday weekend, even without the Indianapolis 500 hoopla.

Mamie, I am anxiously waiting for Sookie 13! I am #12 in the queue now! That is quite a move from #42. I also requested God Save the Child from Overdrive and I am next in the queue. I should have it in June if the stars are aligned in my favor. I am excited to read the next Spenser.

I work tomorrow but I suppose someone needs to. Happy Memorial Day!

>180 Crazymamie: *wondering if those kindle deals are for US customers only*
(not for me you see, but my bookclub members have kindles and would like the sound of that deal Im sure)

I need to read more Irving too....Garp I have read, and I cant recall the other, but there is one.

>194 katiekrug: that is super cool! For me it was Heavenly Creatures, part of that film was filmed at my university. Well, the Staff Club across the road anyway. I have hung out in the main sitting room where some scenes are!

Joe - Yep. A perfect day.

Kathleen - Oh! So you finished book six?! I am almost finished with it. And yes - read them in order. So wait for it. Good to know about Irving. Do you have a favorite one?

Julia!! Julia! Oh, thank goodness. I have been missing you! Yes, please don't lose me again! Now I will have to get up to some extra mischief to make it up to you. Let's see, we're going to need Katie....and Ellen...

Dejah - Howdy! I LOVE Gone With the Wind. I spend a lot of time quoting Scarlett! We have been spending most of our time outdoors, and not missing the Indy 500 one bit! Perfect long weekend weather. And guess what I read while sitting in the pool today - The Making of The African Queen! Delightful!! And I have you and Kathleen to thank because I did not even know that this gem existed before you mentioned it. I am sad that it is out of print because I would purchase my own copy in a heartbeat - so charming and the photos are incredible!

Roberta - Crossing my fingers that the stars align for you! I am looking forward to sharing the next Spenser with you and Donna! And I am almost to Sookie book seven, so it will be next month or later before I read book thirteen, but I did snag my very own copy since I owned all of the others. I bet you will get to read it in June! Sorry that you have to work tomorrow - Craig is on call all next weekend and Saturday is my birthday, so I'm kinda bummed about that.

Megan - You snuck in there while I was posting! I don't know how the Kindle deals work - if they are the same for each country or different. I was excited about today's deal. And I have no film status to report from either my high school or my college. *hangs head*

Hey Mamie... I had lots to catch up on here.... You do move so very quickly!

#138 -- I absolutely love reading about the books you share with your kids. It just makes me smile!! You're such a great mom!

Possibly Cider House Rules..or maybe A Prayer for Own Meany or Garp or.. yeah.. Owen Meany....
It's been a while, but I think Owen Meany... I did not like 158 Pound Marriage.

Ok... I will wait. grr. I guess I will have to find a book for today to help me wait for Sook.

How are the rereads going? I've always been a big rereader but I've not felt the urge to reread the Sookies.

Happy Memorial Day, Everyone! Looks to be another gorgeous day in Georgia, and we plan to soak it up poolside. I am hoping to finish up a few more books before the month gets away from us. What will I be reading today? Um...whatever I feel like! LOL!

Tina - Lovely to see you - I need to come catch up on your thread! And thank you - what kind words!

Kathleen - I think I have Owen Meany in the stacks - it was a daily deal at some point, I am thinking. And yes, wait. They make so much more sense in order.

Morphy! I am loving the rereads. I am a big rereader. I have not reread these books before, and I read them as they came out when I read them the first time so it has been many years. I am so glad that I decided to go back through them because I had forgotten a LOT. And I am in just the right mood for them right now.

Morning Mamie! I wish we had your weather today. Gloomy & damp here. We planned to have a little cookout with the immediate family but I don't think it will work. Have a good day, whatever you do.

Happy Monday-that-isn't! Rereading the Sookies was the first time I'd done that in a while. It was big fun. There is a lot to love about the Sookieverse. Spend a happy day!

Morning Mark! That's a bummer - it's sunny and going to 91 here today. We are planning to just hang out by the pool for most of the day.

Morning Richard! I know - it's Monday but it doesn't feel like it! BONUS! I'm am loving the Sookie reread - just good fun. Hope you day is full of happy, too!

Hi Mamie -- hope you're having a wonderful day poolside. We had friends over for brunch and have enough left over I don't plan to cook again today. Hub is napping and I'm going to work on the trip scrapbook = nice afternoon.

>133 DeltaQueen50:: June 16th is my bday :)

PS: I adore A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Phew! Finally caught up, Mamie. Great review of A Monster Calls, you made me tear up all over again. It's funny how you think you are over the grief of losing someone, but little things can bring it right back again. A Monster Calls reminded me of my feelings when we lost my Dad, and it's been over twenty years.

I snagged Tender Is the Night and For Whom The Bells Toll yesterday on the Kindle deal.

Mamie, it sounds like you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. The book haul from the Kindle deal was pretty awesome. I'm not much of a re-reader because my TBR list is too long and my reading pace too slow. And I have yet to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn but it is on the list.

Great comments about A Monster Calls which got my attention over on Mark's thread.

Have a good week, Mamie!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of the only books I owned as a child. I loved it! I was glad to find that when we did the group read last year, I sill loved it.

I'm all caught up again with my favorite Georgia peach! Glad you had some pool time this week end. It was on the muggy side here so I would have loved a handy pool to jump into to cool off. Time to buy another kiddie pool for Haley (and me)! Owen Meany is my favorite Irving book, too, but there are a few others that come close. I'm thinking of a reread of The World According to Garp as it has been many years since I read that one.

Hi Mamie! Nothing interesting to say.

Baking day today in Mamieland - we made biscotti, chocolate chip and toffee cookies, and banana muffins. We're grilling steaks for dinner, so that will be low maintenance. Another gorgeous day here in Georgia, and I am about to head out to the deck to indulge in a bit of reading. Last night I finished Definitely Dead, the sixth Sookie book, so I am ready for book number seven, which I will have to look up because I always get the titles mixed up.

Reba - We had a wonderful day poolside! It felt like vacation, but we didn't have to pack! Your plans sounded lovely as well. So very delightful to have you back on the threads!

Es - Marking my calendar! I loved the first half of A Tree grows in Brooklyn, but the second half was dragging for me, which is why I set it aside. I do plan on getting back to it - probably in the Fall.

Judy - Glad you liked my review of A Monster Calls - what an incredible book! It really took me back to when my sister had stage four Hodgkins - she had to undergo multiple rounds of chemo and radiation, and she survived the cancer, but she has never been quite the same. I was nineteen at the time, and it was a very scary thing for me because this is my sister that is like a Mom to me.

And glad to see you took advantage of the Kindle deal - I love when they have multiple books offered like that!

Ellen - We did have a wonderful weekend! I go through spurts of rereading. There are some books that I reread every few years - such as The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, Garden Spells, Pride and Prejudice...I also use favorite books to pull me out of reading funks. Thank you for your kind words about my comments on A Monster Calls. And I will have a good week - hoping that you will, too!

Kathleen - Nothing worse than rereading what was an old favorite only to find that it doesn't hold the same magic anymore. SO glad that didn't happen to you with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn!! Did you get the next Sookie book yet?

Donna - So sweet! Yes! Another pool for Haley - nothing like a popsicle in the pool to beat the heat! I must be the last person to read Irving! Great to have so many who love his writing - makes me look forward to discovering him even more. I'm going to see if the library has The World According to Garp - can't imagine that they don't. Hopefully I can get to that this summer.

Richard - But you are so interesting, dear, so it doesn't matter! *smooch*

THank you - it's very good to be back

You're welcome!

Mamie- I will have to agree with you on A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The first half is stellar and the 2nd half is good to very good. Still a worthy classic.

Donna & Mamie- I might be up for a Garp reread! It's been over 25 years for me. Let me know.

Hey Mark! Oh, that would be fun! I can read it whenever - just need to get a copy from the library.

#214 by @Chautauquan> The dangers of skimming, cont'd: I first read Reba's post as saying "Hope you're having a wonderful day, poopsie." And I thought to myself, "Wow, I didn't realize Reba and Mamie were so close."

But then, don't we all feel like Mamie is our little poopsie sometimes? Just me? Nevermind, then.

Hey, girl :) I got A Monster Calls from the library today, along with 14 Cows for America and the audio of The Night Circus. I thought of you :)

Good morning, Mamie. Back to normal life, eh? Well, not exactly for me. I've got three days with kids in front of me and then a week off, and then Booktopia in Bellingham. Then back to normal...maybe. Summertime is looming and I will have all three kids with me every day, except for those one day a week days off that Dad's job gives us.

I am looking forward to the lazy sitting the in the back yard with the kids hanging out in the wading pool. Oh, wait... that was when they were little. I'll have to think up something else to get them outside, I think. Summertime..... and the living was easy....

I hope that is true Chez Mamie. Enjoying your new full sized pool! And the porches made for lazy, hazy days of reading. Ah......

I'm planning on getting A Monster Calls when I go to Bellingham, or did I already tell you that? That and Liesl and Po. Looking for keeper books - nice graphics, or otherwise beautiful elements which requires they are real books, not ebooks.

Julia - LOL! Too funny!!

Es - Excellent! I adored The Night Circus - I would love to listen to the audio, since Jim Dale does it. That would be a good way to revisit the magic. I will have to look up 14 Cows for America - I'm not familiar with that one, although I did just have a dream about cows the other night. Perhaps it's a sign?!!

Karen - Good morning! Well, as normal as our lives get anyway. Your schedule sounds like a full one! I cannot wait to hear all about your adventures at Booktopia!! And then into summer, huh? I love the change of pace that summer brings along with all of its delights - the smell of sunscreen, big bowls of watermelon and cantaloupe in the fridge, the laundry full of towels that one can never quite catch up with, books placed in a basket near the back door so they are ready at a moment's notice to journey to the deck for some serious reading time, coconut popsicles eaten under the stars while watching fireflies...You just gotta love summer!

Picking up copies of A Monster calls and Liesl & Po is an excellent idea - you'll love the illustrations, and both stories are fabulous. Definitely keeper books. And no, you did not already tell me that. Hope today is full of delight, dear!

Having just finished a very tough Iris Murdoch (whose works I'm trying to plow through for reasons I won't try to examine) I am going to treat myself to The Night Circus. Mr. Sib was enjoying it so much that he - and I can't tell you how rare this is - read it slowly. Can't wait!

Good morning poopsie! So glad the approach of the Suffering Season fills you with glee and happiness. It fills me with despair and desperation. Temps above 80, humidities above 50%, blasting battering burning unrelenting sunshine...oh the joy. I cannot wait. Please let it come sooner.

>229 Crazymamie:: I think Dejah recommended 14 Cows for America. It's a non-fiction children's book. I have Liesl & Po on hold at the library right now too :)

Mamie - I am going to see Jussi Adler-Olsen for his book signing tomorrow!

Es - You will love the audio of The Night Circus. I didn't want it to end. Jim Dale also narrates Liesl & Po. Is it the audio that you are getting from the library?

Lucy - That was one of those books where I closed the back cover, let out a satisfied sigh, and turned to the front and began again. A lovely escape. Hope you like it as much as I do!

Richard - LOL! So summer is not your favorite season? I'm shocked! Fall is actually my favorite season, but I like the change of pace that summer brings. We'll see if I am still filled with glee and happiness when summer really gets here - my first summer in the South!

Es - You will LOVE Liesl & Po! And thanks for the info - sounds interesting!

Roberta - Lucky, lucky you!!! I am thinking of dipping in to the second installment next month.

I agree with Richard, those kinds of summers are very hard to suffer through. A Seattle summer, i the other hand, tends to be 70 - 80 degrees most days. Sunny and sometimes a few clouds. No huge humidity problems. And it cools off in the evening so that we all go out for summer parties with a sweater in the back seat of the car to wear on the drive home. Or maybe to go get if we are sitting outside as the night falls. Perfection when it comes to summer. And the days are long! Light until almost 9:30 - 10:00.

Sigh

Not like that yet, but it is becoming light every morning when I wake at 5 am now. It is lovely. And lots of birds.

Hi Mamie, I see you found where I added Blood Kin to TIOLI Challenge #5. I am looking forward to this read.

All this talk of popsicles, pools and deck reading has me very jealous. We are having a week of very rainy, cool weather. I was planning on having a salad for dinner, but now I am going to make a big pot of clam chowder!

>233 luvamystery65:: I got the book copy of Liesl & Po, actually.

#237 Es the book is beautiful. I love the illustrations. Check out the audio down the road. It is really lovely.

I have now placed A Monster Calls on hold at the liberry (as Richard would say). I have a copy of Liesl & Po on the bedside table (also from the liberry).

Hi sister!

Just wanted to say hello... my mind is effectively empty these days.. nothing to tell, but wanted to say that I'm thinking of you. Hope you aren't broiling down there!

Summer... hmmm. How old do you have to be for your circulation to slow way down and your body seeks heat? I shouldn't be all that far away - but it's just not happening.
Today will be my first taste of summer at 80 degrees - tomorrow 90.

I'll take the fruit in the fridge, but you can have the rest.
Not thrilled with non-stop beach towels in the laundry :p And we tend to have more mosquitos than fireflies (not to mention black flies, deer flies, horse flies, noseeums, etc) :p
Then there are the tourists who fly rather than drive on our skinny, windy roads and throw trash around. Way more ambulance calls (disrupted nights and meals) for Ron.
The humidity and sunrise around 4am are totally UN-lovable.
No. I can't think about it. Uggh. Already waiting for the first frost!!!

Just so I'm not completely negative - I DO love the seabreezes and open windows, the flowers and wildlife, the lobster suppers at the wharf, and boating. All in all, I guess summer is a mix of blessings and curses.

Karen - The actual summer should be something to see - 93F all week, with no rain in sight until Sunday. But that could change; I find that the weather forecasts are not as reliable down here. I am wondering if that is because we are so close to both the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean. Anyway, yesterday it was 93, but it didn't feel like it because there was a lovely breeze all day long. The sky is just so pretty where we are at, and we can see so much of it. Our last house was surrounded by towering oaks, which were pretty in their own way but didn't leave much of the sky for viewing. I am told that the evenings remain cool here; we'll see. I love the long days that this time of year brings, too - feels like some kind of magic to make the most of summer.

Judy - Me, too! You were fast with finding that TIOLI this month! First one there! Craig loves clam chowder - I stay away from everything that comes out of the sea unless I have already tried it because I have had some really scary allergic reactions. But Craig loves everything - especially chowders.

Roberta - Both the book and the audio are lovely - they really did it right the first time.

Ellen - I truly think you will love both. They make good companion books, I think. Hello, sister!

Kathleen - I missed your birthday! So sorry about that! Thanks for thinking of me when I should have been thinking of you! Not broiling down here yet. SO far everything has been completely lovely. Hugs to you, sis!

88 here today and tomorrow. This is heinous. DISLIKE.

Cee - We cross-posted! Craig likes the heat down here because it is much better than the cold for his arthritis. It's 80F here already and going to 93F.

Just the fruit in the fridge, huh? Well, I don't have to do all the laundry - the kids are expected to take turns keeping up with the pool towels, but I do like to see them piled up and waiting to go in because it means we are getting our money's worth out of the pool. We also have extra large capacity front loader machines, so we can at least get a lot of towels in there. We have fans on the deck and mister fans around the pool area, so that cuts down on the insects. So far, the worse thing here has been the gnats, which don't bite but can be annoying because they are so persistent. However, air movement keeps them away. No tourist traffic problems here - I don't think that Albany and Leesburg are really on the way to anywhere. We are NOT missing the traffic that we used to get on the county road that we lived on in Indiana - the speed limit was supposed to be 40, but people treated it like a highway, which never made any sense to me since our house was on a stretch that was between two stop signs. Go figure. And late at night in the summer, there were always motorcycle races down that road - so annoying!

I guess if we all loved the same weather, we would all want to live in the same spot, huh?! I LOVE that you love winter! I don't mind it. I LOVE Fall the best, and the rest of the seasons I enjoy because they bring change to the routine and to the familiar. What I find intoxicating about summer is that it seems to break all the rules - even the sun ignores its curfew!

Richard - So what is your favorite? The in betweens like Fall and Spring were the weather is not so extreme either way?

One of the books in the Kindle Daily Deal is a good one today - I just snagged a copy of Song of Achilles for $1.99! Oh Happy Day!

>238 luvamystery65:: I will have to check out the audio then too :)

Yes, Es! The audio is also fabulous! Jim Dale does a wonderful job.

Been a chilly, gray spring on the south coast of Massachusetts so far. Today is the first day it's supposed to get up over 90 degrees in southern New England) - but not here (yay!) where it is only supposed to be about 84 (which is still too hot.) Am trying to hold out for the weekend before I start whinging and whining about wanting the summer to be over. Some day my friends are going to beat me to death with a stick...

I think there is a group read of Song of Achilles in June. I am planning to participate, as it's on my Kindle (picked up in one of the monthly sales last year, I think).

I'm with those who prefer temps on the cooler side. Anything over 75 is pushing it for me!!

Charlotte! You post makes me laugh! I don't mind the high temps - it's the high temps accompanied by high humidity and no breeze that sap my enthusiasm. SO far so good, as today there is another lovely breeze blowing. Crossing my fingers that your friends don't beat you to death with a stick...

Katie - Oh, that would be perfect timing. I meant to get to it last year after reading Richard's fabulous review of it, but I never did. So now would be good!

Reba - So no deep South in your summer, huh?! I think the seventies is considered a prelude to winter here!

>251 RebaRelishesReading: What she said. I don't much care what you call the season so long as there isn't ice for me to slip on, or heat for me to sweat in. There is only one reason I want to get hot and sweaty and it has nothing to do with weather.

Okey Dokey then, Richard. I do hate running errands when it gets really hot - makes me into a Mad Mamie. But as long as I can stay home, I'm fine with it. SO I just need to win the lottery and hire people to do those things for me - simple.

Love the criminal up top! And Richard's reason for getting hot and sweaty. Lol. There, now you know I have read the top and bottom of this here thread. : )

Kim!! Kim!! Darrrlingggg, where HAVE you been?! We've missed you so! If you have read the top and the bottom, then you are good to go!

A tiny, weenie side trip to the hospital...ulcerative colitis issues. On the mend. : )

Oh, you poor, poor baby! So glad to hear that you are on the mend.

>258 Crazymamie:: Lather, rinse, repeat!

Also... I want to be in on the group read of The Song of Achilles. I have ordered it from the library.

Oh hooray, Es! Now we just have to find the group read. Oh, KAaaTieeee...

Hi Mamie- I finished the Feast of the Goat and it was fantastic. 5 stars, all the way. It's a big book and Llosa covers a lot of ground but boy, the rewards are bountiful.

I don't know who is hosting the G.R. of The Song of Achilles for June, but I am definitely interested in reading it. I have dragged my feet on that one, far to long.

Hey Mark! I am still planning on reading The Feast of the Goat even though I did not get to it this month. Looking even more forward to it now that I know you gave it 5 stars! And Yippee Skippy that you want to join the GR for The Song of Achilles next month. Now all we have to do is find it! I finished Ghosts of Nagasaki today, and I need to think about how to review it, but I am giving it 4.5 stars. I really liked it.

We visited my s-i-l in Florida in Aug. 2011 -- love her to death but Florida in Aug...please, never again!!

I think it's being hosted over in the Category Challenge. I will hunt it down!

Reba - Oh. Florida in August. WOW! But October is probably lovely. I wouldn't want to visit Florida in August, either. Actually, I probably won't wan tot visit Georgia in August, but that's problematic since we live here now!

Katie - The category challenge! I hadn't thought of that - thank you for volunteering to hunt it down!!

Huh. I don't think there is a thread set up yet. It's listed on the wiki (the joint 75ers/Category Challenge group reads wiki HERE) but I don't see a thread for it. I'll post a message on the general group read thread in the 75ers and ask if anyone knows anything....

Ok, thanks for that!

Happy Friday!!

Weekend *smoochings* for dear Mamie

Thank you, Kim! Happy Friday to you!

Thank you so much, Richard! *weekend smooches back*